§ 24-33. Powers and duties.

(a)

The recreation and parks commission shall serve as the advisory body for the department of recreation and parks, city manager and the city council. The commission shall suggest policies to the department, the manager and the city council in matters affecting recreation policies, programs, personnel, finances and the acquisition of lands and properties related to the total county recreation and parks needs, within its powers and responsibilities as stated in this section.

(b)

The recreation and parks commission shall assume duties for recreation and parks purposes. The recreation and parks commission shall make recommendations:

(1)

For the establishment of a system of supervised recreation.

(2)

To set apart for use as parks, playgrounds, recreation centers, water areas or other recreation areas and structures, and lands or buildings owned by or leased to the unit, and for approval by the unit's authorized body, and may suggest improvements of such lands and for the construction and for the equipment and staffing of such buildings and structures, through gifts, purchase, lease or loan, or by condemnation by the unit as provided by G.S. ch. 40, and as approved by the city council.

(3)

Advise in the acceptance by the unit and, with the approval of the governing body, may accept any grant, gift, bequest or donation, any personal or real property offered or made available for recreation purposes and which is judged to be of present or possible future use for recreation. Any gift, bequest of money or other property, any grant, devise of real or personal property so acquired shall be held by the department, used and finally disposed of in accordance with the terms under which such grant, gift or devise is made and accepted.

(4)

Advise in the construction, equipping, operation and maintenance of parks, playgrounds, recreation centers and all buildings and structures necessary or useful to department function, and will advise in regard to other recreation facilities which are owned or controlled by the city or leased or loaned to the city.

(c)

It is the basic function of the recreation and parks commission to promote recreation for its citizens and, in so doing, the department of recreation and parks and its commission are authorized to aid and assist agencies (in line with reasonable and legally correct policies recommended by the recreation and parks commission and accepted by the city council, which include public; private, commercial; those which are quasipublic in character, and which, although public in nature, are not under the unit's governing body (such as schools, churches, hospitals, military installations, orphanages, commercial recreation, business and industrial agencies); as well as civic, neighborhood and service groups in their recreation interests and needs.

(Code 1952, ch. L, art. II, §§ IV, VI)