Ark. Code Ann. § 14-186-101 (2020)
Powers of city council generally
-
-
A city council shall have power to:
- Establish, construct, and regulate landing places, levees, wharves, docks, piers, and basins;
- Fix the rates of landing, wharfage, and dockage; and
- Use, for the purposes indicated, any public landing or any property belonging to or under the control of the city.
- For these purposes, the council shall have the use and control of the shore or bank of any lake or river, not the property of individuals, to the extent and in the manner that the state can grant such use or control.
-
A city council shall have power to:
-
-
The council shall have the power to:
- Appoint, or to provide that the qualified voters shall elect, harbormasters, wharfmasters, port wardens, and other officers usual or proper for the regulation of the navigation, trade, or commerce of the city;
- Define their duties and powers; and
- Fix their fees and compensation.
- Copies of the examination and surveys and of the proceedings of any port warden in the usual discharge of the duties of this office, certified under his hand, shall be prima facie evidence of the facts stated in them.
-
The council shall have the power to:
History. Acts 1875, No. 1, § 8, p. 1; C. & M. Dig., §§ 7609-7612; Pope's Dig., §§ 9704-9706, 9722; A.S.A. 1947, § 19-2701.
Subchapter 2 — Municipal Port Authorities
Effective Dates. Acts 1947, No. 167, § 15: approved Mar. 5, 1947. Emergency clause provided: “This act being necessary for the public health, peace and safety, an emergency is hereby declared to exist and the same shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage.”
Acts 1983, No. 622, § 7: Mar. 22, 1983. Emergency clause provided: “It has been found and it is hereby declared by the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that the proper, economical and efficient acquisition, construction, equipment and operation of the Ports, Harbors, River-rail Terminals, Barge Terminals and Parks for industrial and commercial operations in this State now or hereafter in existence, is essential to the economic and overall benefit and welfare of the State and its inhabitants and the provisions hereof clarifying and expanding the purposes and powers of Authorities are necessary for the prompt and full realization of such necessary and intended benefits. Therefore, an emergency is hereby declared to exist and this Act, being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, shall take effect and be in full force from and after its passage and approval.”
Acts 1991, No. 735, § 5: Mar. 25, 1991. Emergency clause provided: “It is hereby found and determined by the Seventy-Eighth General Assembly that the present law provides that the mayor of the city or incorporated town creating a port authority shall be a member of the governing board and shall be chairman; that the law should provide that the mayor may be a member of the board; and that this act would provide an option for the mayor to serve on the board and serve as chairman or to not serve on the board and appoint another member to be chairman. Therefore, an emergency is hereby declared to exist and this act being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety shall be in full force and effect from and after its passage and approval.”
Acts 1997, No. 1045, § 5: Apr. 2, 1997. Emergency clause provided: “It is found and determined by the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that there is an immediate need to facilitate the disbursement of funds by municipal port authorities. Therefore an emergency is declared to exist and this act being immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety shall become effective on the date of its approval by the Governor. If the bill is neither approved nor vetoed by the Governor, it shall become effective on the expiration of the period of time during which the Governor may veto the bill. If the bill is vetoed by the Governor and the veto is overridden, it shall become effective on the date the last house overrides the veto.”
Acts 2011, No. 833, § 2: Mar. 30, 2011. Emergency clause provided: “It is found and determined by the General Assembly of the State of Arkansas that the need for greater citizen input into the operations of a municipal port authority is essential to the public health, safety, and welfare; that this expansion of the authority would allow cities to have great citizen input; and that this act is immediately necessary because all cities should be able to expand this authority as soon as possible. Therefore, an emergency is declared to exist, and this act being immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health, and safety shall become effective on: (1) The date of its approval by the Governor; (2) If the bill is neither approved nor vetoed by the Governor, the expiration of the period of time during which the Governor may veto the bill; or (3) If the bill is vetoed by the Governor and the veto is overridden, the date the last house overrides the veto.”