The department shall have the following powers:

(1) To acquire, by purchase, gift, lease, or otherwise and to own, hold, improve, and use and to sell, convey, exchange, transfer, lease, sublease, and dispose of real and personal property of every kind and character, or any interest therein, for its services, purposes, duties, responsibilities, or functions pursuant to this article and any local government is authorized to grant, sell, or otherwise alienate leaseholds, real and personal property, or any interest therein to the department. Site selection for a project shall be made after consideration of input from local governments to be served by the project;

(2) To make all contracts and to execute all instruments necessary or convenient to its services, purposes, duties, responsibilities, or functions pursuant to this article;

(3) To accept grants of money or materials or property of any kind from the United States of America or any agency or instrumentality thereof; the State of Georgia, its departments, agencies, or authorities; or any county or municipality of this state, upon the terms and conditions as may be imposed thereon to the extent the terms and conditions are not inconsistent with the limitations and laws of this state and are otherwise within the power of the department;

(4) To make and execute contracts, lease agreements, and all other instruments necessary to exercise the powers of the department to further the public purpose for which this article was enacted, such contracts, leases, or instruments to include contracts for construction, operation, management, or maintenance of projects and facilities owned by a local government or by the state or any state authority; and any and all local governments and departments, institutions, authorities, or agencies of the state are authorized to enter into contracts, leases, agreements, or other instruments with the department upon such terms and to transfer real and personal property to the state for the use of the department for such consideration and for such purposes as they deem advisable;

(5) To collect fees and charges in connection with its commitments, management services, and servicing including, but not limited to, reimbursements of costs of financing, as the department shall determine to be reasonable;

(6) To provide advisory, management, technical, consultative, training, educational, and project assistance services to the state and local governments and to enter into contracts with the state and local governments to provide such services. The state and local governments are authorized to enter into contracts with the department for such services and to pay for such services as may be provided them;

(7) To lease to local governments any state owned facilities or property which the department is managing under contract with the state;

(8) To contract with state agencies or any local government for the use by the department of any property or facilities or services of the state or any such state agency or local government or for the use by any state agency or local government of any facilities or services of the department and such state agencies and local governments are authorized to enter into such contracts;

(9) To receive and use the proceeds of any tax levied by a local government to pay all or any part of the cost of any project or for any other purpose for which the department may use its own funds pursuant to this article;

(10) To cooperate and act in conjunction with industrial, commercial, medical, scientific, public interest, or educational organizations; with agencies of the federal government and this state and local governments; with other states and their political subdivisions; and with joint agencies thereof and such state agencies, local governments, and joint agencies are authorized and empowered to cooperate and act in conjunction, and to enter into contracts or agreements with the department and local governments to achieve or further the policies of the state declared in this article; and

(11) To do all things necessary or convenient to carry out the powers conferred by this title.