(1) The authority shall employ a chief executive officer, appointed by the board, and a chief financial officer, as well as professional, technical, and support staff, appointed by the chief executive officer, necessary to carry out its duties.

(2) Employees of the authority are not classified employees of the state. Employees of the authority are exempt from state service rules and may receive compensation only from the authority at rates competitive with state service.

(3) The authority may retain its own legal counsel.

(4) The departments of ecology and *community, trade, and economic development shall provide staff to assist in the creation of the authority. If requested by the authority, the departments of ecology and *community, trade, and economic development shall also provide start-up support staff to the authority for its first twelve months of operation, or part thereof, to assist in the quick establishment of the authority. Staff expenses must be paid through funds collected by the authority and must be reimbursed to the departments from the authority’s financial resources within the first twenty-four months of operation.

(5) In addition to accomplishing the activities specifically authorized in this chapter, the authority may:

(a) Maintain an office or offices;

(b) Make and execute all manner of contracts, agreements, and instruments and financing documents with public and private parties as the authority deems necessary, useful, or convenient to accomplish its purposes;

(c) Make expenditures as appropriate for paying the administrative costs and expenses of the authority in carrying out the provisions of this chapter;

(d) Give assistance to private and public bodies contracted to provide collection, transportation, and recycling services by providing information, guidelines, forms, and procedures for implementing their programs;

(e) Delegate, through contract, any of its powers and duties if consistent with the purposes of this chapter; and

(f) Exercise any other power the authority deems necessary, useful, or convenient to accomplish its purposes and exercise the powers expressly granted in this chapter.

*Reviser’s note: The “department of community, trade, and economic development” was renamed the “department of commerce” by 2009 c 565.