CHARACTER OF BOARD; GENERAL POWERS.

(a) A board is a body politic and corporate.

(b) A board may:

(1) manage, control, maintain, and operate each port improvement or facility constituting a port or harbor of the municipality;

(2) employ a general manager and any other officer, employee, or representative the board considers appropriate;

(3) notwithstanding any law or charter provision to the contrary:

(A) prepare and adopt a budget for the operation of a port or harbor of the municipality;

(B) set charges for a service or facility;

(C) authorize an expenditure; and

(D) manage and control the income and revenue of each port or harbor of the municipality;

(4) determine policies and adopt rules and procedures for the operation of each port or harbor of the municipality;

(5) acquire property or an interest in property for any purpose set forth in Section 54.003 in the manner provided by this chapter and construct a port improvement or facility on the property;

(6) contract in its own name, but not in the name of the municipality;

(7) sue and be sued in its own name;

(8) adopt, use, and alter a corporate seal;

(9) establish a port security force, employ public security officers licensed by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, and commission employees of the force as peace officers;

(10) own, establish, construct, improve, equip, maintain, operate, regulate, protect, or police any transportation facility and any necessary appurtenance to that facility;

(11) construct, lease, improve, enlarge, extend, repair, maintain, replace, develop, or operate a port improvement or facility;

(12) exercise all powers of a municipality relating to the creation of an economic development program under Chapter 380, Local Government Code, for the purpose of making grants and loans; and

(13) exercise any additional power granted by the ordinance or charter.

(c) A board has the power to construct a port improvement or facility on land acquired by purchase, lease, or otherwise, and a board may convey by lease, sublease, or sale by installment or otherwise, on the terms the board determines to be advantageous, the land, interest in the land, or port improvement or facility.

(d) Each power provided by this section is a public and governmental function, is exercised for a public purpose, and is a matter of public necessity.