Section 1299-E. General powers of the authority

Except as otherwise limited
  by this title, the authority shall have power:
    1. To sue and be sued;
    2. To have a seal and alter the same at pleasure;
    3.  To  borrow  money  and  issue  negotiable  notes,  bonds  or other
  obligations and to provide for the rights of the holders thereof;
    4. To invest any funds held in reserve or sinking funds, or any monies
  not required for immediate use or disbursement, at the discretion of the
  authority, in obligations of the state or the United  States  government
  or obligations the principal and interest of which are guaranteed by the
  state  or the United States government; or in certificates of deposit of
  banks or trust companies; or in bank or trust accounts of banks in  this
  state,  secured  by  obligations of the United States or of the state of
  New York of a market value equal at all  times  to  the  amount  of  the
  deposit;
    5.  To  make  and  alter  by-laws  for  its  organization and internal
  management, and rules and regulations  governing  the  exercise  of  its
  powers and the fulfillment of its purposes under this title;
    6.  To  enter into contracts and leases and to execute all instruments
  necessary or convenient;
    7. To acquire, hold and dispose of real or personal  property  in  the
  exercise of its powers;
    8.  To  appoint  such officers and employees as it may require for the
  performance  of  its  duties,   and   to   fix   and   determine   their
  qualifications,  duties,  and  compensation  and  to  retain  or  employ
  counsel, auditors, engineers and private consultants on a contract basis
  or otherwise  for  rendering  professional  or  technical  services  and
  advice;  such  counsel,  auditors,  engineers,  and private consultants,
  officers and employees may not be a member of the authority;
    9. (a) Notwithstanding section one hundred thirteen of the  retirement
  and  social  security  law  or  any  other  general  or special law, the
  authority and any of its subsidiary corporations may continue or provide
  to its affected officers and employees any retirement, disability, death
  or other benefits provided or required for railroad  personnel  pursuant
  to  federal  or  state  law. Notwithstanding any provisions of the civil
  service law, no officer or employee of a subsidiary corporation, of  the
  authority,  other than a public benefit subsidiary corporation, shall be
  a public officer or a public employee;
    (b)  The  authority  and  any  of  its   public   benefit   subsidiary
  corporations  may  be  a  "participating employer" in the New York state
  employees' retirement system with respect to  one  or  more  classes  of
  officers  and  employees  of  such  authority or any such public benefit
  subsidiary corporation,  as  may  be  provided  by  resolution  of  such
  authority or any such public benefit subsidiary corporation, as the case
  may  be, or any subsequent amendment thereof, filed with the comptroller
  and accepted by him pursuant to section thirty-one of the retirement and
  social security law. In taking any action  pursuant  to  this  paragraph
  (b), the authority and any of its public benefit subsidiary corporations
  shall consider the coverages and benefits continued or provided pursuant
  to paragraph (a) of this subdivision;
    10.  To  make  plans,  surveys,  and  studies necessary, convenient or
  desirable to  the  effectuation  of  the  purposes  and  powers  of  the
  authority and to prepare recommendations in regard thereto;
    11. To enter upon such lands, waters or premises as in the judgment of
  the  authority may be necessary, convenient or desirable for the purpose
  of making surveys, soundings, borings and examinations to accomplish any
  purpose authorized by this title, the authority being liable for  actual
  damage done;

    12.  The  authority  may  conduct  investigations  and hearings in the
  furtherance of its general purposes, and in aid thereof have  access  to
  any  books,  records or papers relevant thereto; and if any person whose
  testimony shall be required for the proper performance of the duties  of
  the authority shall fail or refuse to aid or assist the authority in the
  conduct  of  any  investigation  or  hearing, or to produce any relevant
  books, records or other papers, the authority is authorized to apply for
  process of subpoena, to issue out  of  any  court  of  general  original
  jurisdiction whose process can reach such person, upon due cause shown;
    12-a.  By  a  certificate  filed  in  its office, from time to time to
  delegate to any member, officer or employee of the authority  the  power
  to  conduct any investigation or hold any hearing which the authority is
  authorized or required to conduct or to hold by any  provision  of  this
  title;  and the person so designated shall have all of the powers of the
  authority in the conduct of such investigation or the  holding  of  such
  hearing;
    13.  To  appoint  or  designate one or more persons for the purpose of
  enforcing rules and regulations established by  the  authority,  and  to
  compel the observance of law and order on the properties, facilities and
  improvements  of  the authority for the protection and administration of
  such property, facilities and improvements,  and  the  traveling  public
  using  such  facilities.  Each  person  as  and  when  so  appointed  or
  designated shall be known as  (a)  a  "Niagara  frontier  transportation
  authority security officer or patrolman" and shall be a peace officer as
  set  forth  in  subdivision  forty-five  of section 2.10 of the criminal
  procedure law, or a police officer within  the  purview  of  subdivision
  thirty-four  of  section  1.20  of  the  criminal procedure law or (b) a
  "ticket inspector" and shall not be a peace officer or a police  officer
  but,  when  so designated or appointed, shall be authorized to issue and
  serve appearance tickets pursuant to  section  150.20  of  the  criminal
  procedure  law  with  respect  to violations of rules and regulations so
  established.
    13-a. To make application to the Foreign-Trade Zones Board established
  by the act of  congress,  approved  June  eighteenth,  nineteen  hundred
  thirty-four,   entitled  "An  act  to  provide  for  the  establishment,
  operation and maintenance of foreign trade zones in ports  of  entry  of
  the  United  States, to expedite and encourage foreign commerce, and for
  other purposes", for a grant to  such  authority  of  the  privilege  of
  establishing, operating and maintaining a foreign-trade zone on premises
  located within the transportation district of the authority, pursuant to
  the  provisions  of  such  act,  and  if such application be granted, to
  accept such grant and to establish, operate and maintain  such  zone  in
  accordance  with  state  and federal law; and to enter into contracts or
  leases covering all arrangements involving the establishment,  operation
  and  maintenance  of such zones with and within the counties of Erie and
  Niagara which counties are hereby authorized to enter into contracts and
  leases with the authority subject  to  such  rules  and  regulations  as
  promulgated by federal authority.
    14.  To  do all things necessary, convenient or desirable to carry out
  its purposes and for the exercise of the powers granted in this title.