Mississippi § 51-27-1 - Compact for the development of navigable waterway connecting Tennessee and Tombigbee Rivers.

§ 51-27-1. Compact for the development of navigable waterway connecting Tennessee and Tombigbee Rivers.

The governor,on behalf of this state, is hereby authorized to execute a compactin substantially the following form with the State of Alabama; andthe legislature hereby signifies in advance its approval and ratificationof such compact, which compact is as follows: TOMBIGBEE-TENNESSEE WATERWAY DEVELOPMENT COMPACT Article I.Thepurpose of this compact is to promote the development of a navigable waterway connecting the Tennessee and Tombigbee Rivers by way oftheeast fork of the Tombigbee River and Mackeys and Yellow Creekssoas to provide a nine-foot navigable channel from the junctionof theTombigbee and Warrior Rivers at Demopolis in the State ofAlabamato the junction of Yellow Creek with the Tennessee Riverat PickwickPool in the State of Mississippi, and to establish ajoint interstateauthority to assist in these efforts. Article II. This compact shall become effective immediately as to the states ratifying it whenever the States of Alabama and Mississippi have ratified it and Congress has given consent thereto. Any state not mentioned in this article which is contiguous with any member state may become a party to this compact, subject to approval by the legislature of each of the member states. Article III. The states which are parties to this compact (hereinafter referred to as “party states”) do hereby establish and create a joint agency which shall be known as the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway Development Authority (hereinafter referred to as the “authority”). The membership of such authority shall consist of the governor of each party state and five other citizens of each party state, tobeappointed by the governor thereof. Each appointive member of theauthorityshall be a citizen of that state who is interested in thepromotionand development of waterways and water transportation.The appointivemembers of the authority shall serve for terms offour years each.Vacancies on the authority shall be filled by appointmentby the governorfor the unexpired portion of the term. The membersof the authorityshall not be compensated, but each shall be entitledto actual expensesincurred in attending meetings, or incurred otherwisein the performanceof his duties as a member of the authority. Themembers of the authorityshall hold regular quarterly meetings andsuch special meetings asits business may require. They shall chooseannually a chairman andvice-chairman from among their members, andthe chairmanship shallrotate each year among the party states inorder of their acceptanceof this compact. The secretary of the authority(hereinafter providedfor) shall notify each member in writing ofall meetings of the authorityin such a manner and under such rulesand regulations as the authoritymay prescribe. The authority shalladopt rules and regulations forthe transaction of its business;and the secretary shall keep a recordof all its business and shallfurnish a copy thereof to each memberof the authority. It shallbe the duty of the authority, in general,to promote, encourage,and coordinate the efforts of the party statesto secure the developmentof the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway. Towardthis end, the authorityshall have power to hold hearings; to conductstudies and surveysof all problems, benefits, and other matters associatedwith thedevelopment of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, and to makereportsthereon; to acquire, by gift or otherwise, and hold and disposeofsuch money and property as may be provided for the proper performance of their function; to cooperate with other public or private groups, whether local, state, regional, or national, having an interest in waterways development; to formulate and execute plans and policies for emphasizing the purpose of this compact before the Congress of the United States and other appropriate officers and agencies oftheUnited States; and to exercise such other powers as may be appropriate to enable it to accomplish its functions and duties in connection with the development of the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway and to carry out the purposes of this compact. Article IV. The authority shall appoint a secretary, who shall be a person familiar with the nature, procedures, and significance of inland waterways development and the informational, educational, and publicity methods of stimulating general interest in such developments, and who shall be the compact administrator. His term of office shall be at thepleasureof the authority and he shall receive such compensationas the authorityshall prescribe. He shall maintain custody of theauthority’sbooks, records, and papers, which he shall keepat the office of theauthority, and he shall perform all functionsand duties, and exerciseall powers and authorities, that may bedelegated to him by the authority. Article V.Eachparty state agrees that, when authorized by its legislature,it willfrom time to time make available and pay over to the authoritysuchfunds as may be required for the establishment and operationof theauthority. The contribution of each party state shall be inthe proportionthat its population bears to the total population ofthe states whichare parties hereto, as shown by the most recent officialreport ofthe United States Bureau of the Census, or upon such otherbasisas may be agreed upon. Article VI. Nothing in this compact shall be construed so as to conflict with any existing statute, or to limit the powers of any party state,orto repeal or prevent legislation, or to authorize or permit curtailment or diminution of any other waterway project, or to affect any existing or future cooperative arrangement or relationship between any federal agency and a party state. Article VII. This compact shall continue in force and remain binding upon each party state until the legislature or governor of each or either state takes action to withdraw therefrom; provided that such withdrawal shall not become effective until six months after the date of the action taken by the legislature or governor. Notice of such action shall be given to the other party state or states by the secretary of state of the party state which takes such action. There is hereby granted to the governor, to the members of the authority for Mississippi, and to the compact administrator all the powers provided for in said compact and in this section. All officers of the State of Mississippi are hereby authorized and directed to do all things falling within their respective jurisdictions which are necessary or incidental to carrying out the purpose of said compact.