Section 39.09. Powers and duties of the commission

The commission shall have
  the following powers:
    1. To sue and be sued;
    2. To have a seal and alter the same at its pleasure;
    3. To acquire, hold and dispose of personal property for its corporate
  purposes;
    4. To make by-laws for the management and regulation of its affairs;
    5. To appoint an executive officer, officers, agents and employees, to
  prescribe  their qualifications and to fix their compensation and to pay
  the same out of funds of the commission;
    6. To enter into contracts and leases, and to execute all  instruments
  necessary   or   convenient   with  any  person,  firm,  partnership  or
  corporation, either public or private;
    7. To accept gifts, grants, loans, or contributions  from,  and  enter
  into  contracts  or  other  transactions with, the United States and the
  state or any commission of either of them, any municipality, any  public
  or private corporation, individual or other legal entity, and to use any
  such  gifts,  grants,  loans  or  contributions  to  advance  any of its
  corporate purposes;
    8. To designate the depositories of its money;
    9. To establish and re-establish its fiscal year;
    10. To prepare an annual report on the conduct of its activities which
  shall include a financial statement for that year and a  work  plan  for
  the next year which may include an estimate of the resources required to
  complete  the  commission's  activities  to be sent to the governor, the
  temporary president of the senate, the speaker of the assembly  and  the
  chief  elected  official  of  each  municipality adjacent to the Niagara
  river;
    11. To contract with the state as an independent body corporate;
    12.  To  organize  and  meet  with  a  committee   of   planners   for
  municipalities adjacent to the Niagara river regarding regional projects
  and the provision of planning services;
    13.  To  designate  districts  and  routes  for  planning  and project
  purposes;
    14. To create advisory committees to advise on  matters  of  interest;
  provided,  however,  there  shall  be  created  at  a  minimum  a  local
  government advisory committee consisting of the chief  elected  official
  of  each  municipality adjacent to the Niagara river, or their designee,
  and a citizens' advisory  committee  consisting  of  representatives  of
  local  civic,  commercial,  educational,  recreational, and conservation
  organizations; and
    15. To do all things necessary or convenient to carry out its purposes
  and exercise the powers  expressly  given  in  this  article;  provided,
  however,  that  no  power  is  provided to the commission to operate any
  portion  of  the  greenway,  to  impose  operating  standards  upon  any
  component of the system, or to take property by eminent domain.