2018 Louisiana Laws
Revised Statutes
TITLE 33 - Municipalities and Parishes
RS 33:4710.2 - Creation of authority; territorial jurisdiction

§4710.2. Creation of authority; territorial jurisdiction

A.(1) The parish, city, and school board, and state board are authorized, upon their own joint initiative, to create by local services agreement and intergovernmental contract a special district which shall be designated as the Chennault International Airport Authority, and which shall be governed by a board of commissioners composed of seven members, two of whom shall be residents of either Ward 4, 5, 6, or 7 of Calcasieu Parish. In establishing the membership, there shall be at least two racial minority members, one of whom shall be selected and appointed by the city and one selected and appointed by the parish.

(2) In addition to the provisions of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, the commission shall be composed and shall operate under the following provisions:

(a)(i) The commission shall be comprised of seven members who shall be appointed as follows: two members appointed by the parish, one of whom shall be a resident of either Ward 4, 5, 6, or 7, two members appointed by the city, two members appointed by the school board, one of whom shall be a resident of either Ward 4, 5, 6, or 7. The six members so appointed shall appoint by majority vote a seventh member. Each member of the commission shall be a citizen of the United States and a qualified voter domiciled in Calcasieu Parish during his term of office. The director of Sowela Technical Institute of Lake Charles, Louisiana shall serve in an advisory capacity to the commission created in this Section and shall continue to serve as a nonvoting member of the commission until he either resigns from his position as director or is removed or replaced as director by the state board.

(ii) In the event that the director's position on the commission should become vacant by reason of death, resignation or otherwise, an interim successor member shall be appointed by the remaining members of the commission to serve as a member of the commission in place of the director until the state board appoints a new director. Except for a vacancy in the position appointed by the state board, any vacancies in the membership of the commission occurring by reason of the expiration of the terms for which appointed, or by reason of death, resignation or otherwise, shall be filled by the party responsible for the appointment of such member within thirty days of receipt by such party of written notification of the vacancy.

(iii) In the event that the party responsible for the appointment of such member fails to fill the vacancy within thirty days of the vacancy, the commission shall appoint an interim successor to serve on the commission until the position is filled by the party responsible therefor. If the commission fails to fill a vacancy in its appointed position within thirty days, the parish, city, school board and state board, by joint resolution, shall appoint an interim successor to serve on the commission until the position is filled by the commission.

(b) The members appointed by the parish, city, and school board shall serve overlapping terms as follows: the one member appointed by the parish and by the city shall be appointed for an initial term of three years, the one member appointed by the parish and the city shall be appointed for an initial term of two years, and the members appointed by the school board and the at large member shall serve an initial term of one year. At the expiration of their respective terms, successors shall be appointed by the parish, city, school board, and the members themselves, as provided for herein for a term of four years. In the event that for any reason the parish, city, or school board should fail to appoint a successor member, after the expiration of his term, then the respective member whose term would have otherwise expired shall continue as a member of the commission until such time as his successor is appointed.

(c) Any member of the commission may be removed by the party which has appointed him, but only for cause and on charges preferred against him in writing and after public hearing; provided that any member so removed shall have the right to appeal his removal to a court of competent jurisdiction within ten days of the decision of the appointing authority ordering his removal.

(d) The members of the commission shall serve without compensation and shall have the power to organize and reorganize executive, clerical, and other departments and forces of the authority and to fix the duties and powers and compensation of all officers, agents, and employees of the authority. The commission may reimburse any member for expenses actually incurred in the performance of his duties hereunder.

(e) The members shall elect from the membership a president, vice president, a secretary, and a treasurer whose duties shall be those usual to such offices. At the option of the commission, the offices of the secretary and treasurer may be held by one person. No member shall be elected to serve for more than two successive terms in any office. The commission shall meet in regular session once each month and shall also meet in special session as often as the president of the commission convenes them or on written request of four members. Four members of the commission shall constitute a quorum, provided, however that no action of the commission shall be authorized unless approved by a majority of four votes in an open public meeting. The commission shall prescribe rules to govern its meetings. The authority and its commission shall be domiciled in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana and shall maintain suitable offices in said parish.

B. The authority is hereby declared to constitute and is declared to be a body politic and political subdivision of the state of Louisiana, as defined in Article VI, Section 44 of the Constitution of Louisiana. Pursuant to Article VI, Sections 6, 19 and 20 of the Constitution of Louisiana and Part VII of Chapter 2 of Title 33 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, the authority, acting through the commission, is hereby granted all of the rights, powers, privileges and immunities granted to political subdivisions for industrial, commercial, research and economic development purposes including the power of taxation and the power to incur debt and issue revenue and general obligation bonds and certificates of indebtedness, subject to the limitations hereinafter provided.

C. The authority created pursuant hereto shall be established for the primary object and purpose of stimulating and encouraging the development of an industrial air park for economic development through commerce, industry and research and for the utilization and development of natural and human resources of the area and provide job opportunities.

D. The boundaries of the authority shall be coterminous with the boundaries of the parish of Calcasieu, Louisiana.

Acts 1986, No. 19, §1, eff. June 5, 1986; Acts 1991, No. 446, §1, eff. July 15, 1991; Acts 1997, No. 458, §1.

{{NOTE: SEE ACTS 1991, NO. 446, §2.}}