Section 33:2740.31 - Berwick Development DistrictA. There is hereby created a body politic and corporate of the state which shall exist in perpetuity and be known as Berwick Development District, hereinafter referred to as the "district". The district shall be composed of all of the territory located within the town of Berwick, as now incorporated or hereafter annexed or as acquired by the town of Berwick. The district shall be a political subdivision of the state as defined in the Constitution of Louisiana. The district, acting through its board of commissioners as the governing authority of the district, is hereby granted all of the rights, powers, privileges, and immunities accorded by laws and the Constitution of Louisiana to political subdivisions of the state, including but not limited to the power to incur debt and issue revenue and general obligation bonds, to issue certificates of indebtedness, to issue bonds and certificate anticipation notes, to issue refunding bonds, and the power of taxation, subject to the limitations hereinafter provided.B. The district is created for the objectives and purposes of: (1) Accepting title from or contracting with the town of Berwick concerning any or all real and personal property and improvements owned or acquired by the town of Berwick.(2) Acquiring land, real and personal property, and improvements from any other sources, entities, or persons.(3) Utilizing any land, real or personal property, and improvements to enhance economic benefits generated in the town of Berwick through diversified activities, including but not limited to:(a) Planning land use and development to foster: creation of new jobs, economic development, industry, health care, commerce, manufacturing, tourism, relocation of people and businesses to the area, shipbuilding, aviation, military, warehousing, transportation, offices, recreation, housing development, conservation, residential development, and subdivision development.(b) Constructing, operating, and maintaining facilities, improvements, and infrastructure, including buildings, roads, bridges, drainage, and utilities.(c) Planning, developing, building, constructing, operating, regulating, maintaining, selling, and transferring any residential or subdivision land, real and personal property, and improvements.C.(1) The district shall be governed by a board of commissioners, hereinafter referred to as the "board", consisting of five members appointed by the mayor of the town of Berwick and confirmed by the town council.(2) Each member appointed to the board shall be a citizen of the United States, a domiciliary of and a qualified voter in the town of Berwick for at least one year preceding the date of appointment, and shall remain a domiciliary of and a qualified voter in the town of Berwick during the entirety of the term of office.(3) The term of office of members of the board shall be four years. All initial appointees shall serve four-year terms.(4) Any member who misses fifty percent of the board's meetings, regular or special, in any calendar year shall be disqualified and removed automatically from office and that person's position shall be vacant, as of the first day of the next calendar month. Such vacated position shall be filled by appointment of the mayor and by the town council for the balance of the vacated term. The former member shall not be eligible for reappointment until expiration of the balance of the vacated term.(5) Any vacancy in the membership of the board occurring by reason of the expiration of the term of office, death, resignation, disqualification, or otherwise shall be filled by appointment of the mayor and confirmed by the town council within sixty days after receipt of written notification of the vacancy. In the event that the mayor and council fail to fill the vacancy within sixty days after receipt of written notification of the vacancy, the board shall appoint an interim successor to serve on the board until the position is filled by mayor and council.(6) Members of the board shall serve without compensation, shall have the power to organize and reorganize the executive, administrative, clerical, and other departments and forces of the district, and to fix the duties, powers, and compensation of all employees, agents, and consultants of the district. The board may reimburse any member for expenses actually incurred with the authorization of the board in the performance of duties on behalf of the district.(7) The board shall elect yearly from its number, a chairman, vice chairman, secretary, and treasurer and shall establish their duties as may be regulated by rules adopted by the board. The offices of secretary and treasurer may be held by the same person. The board shall meet in regular session once each month and also shall meet in special session as convened by the chairman or upon written notice of three members. A majority of the commission members, not including vacancies, shall constitute a quorum. All actions of the board shall be approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of the members present and voting. However, no action of the board shall be authorized on the following matters unless approved by a majority of the total board membership:(a) Adoption of bylaws and other rules and regulations for conduct of the district's business.(b) Hiring or firing of the district's administrator.(c) The incurring of funded, general, or bonded debt.(d) Levy of taxes and call for any tax or other election.(e) Adoption or amendment of the annual budget.(f) Sale, lease, or alienation of real property or improvements.(8) Vote by proxy shall not be permitted. Any member may request a recorded vote on any resolution or action of the district.(9) The board shall cause minutes and a record to be kept of all its proceedings, and it shall select a newspaper of general circulation within its territorial jurisdiction as its official journal in which it shall publish its minutes, and in which it shall publish all official notices as are required by law.(10) All meetings of the board shall be subject to state laws relative to open meetings including R.S. 42:14.D. The exercise by the board of the powers conferred shall be deemed and held to be an essential governmental function of the state. As the exercise of the powers granted hereby will be in all respects for the benefit of the people of the state, for the increase of their commerce and prosperity, and for the improvement of their health and living conditions, the district shall not be required to pay any taxes, including but not limited to sales and use taxes, ad valorem, occupational licensing, income, or any other taxes of any kind or nature, or assessments upon any property acquired or used by the district under the provisions of this Section, or upon the income therefrom, and any property acquired or used by the district under the provisions of this Section and the income therefrom. Any bonds, certificates, or other evidences of indebtedness issued by the district and the income therefrom shall be exempt from taxation by the state and by any parish, municipality, or other political subdivision of the state. The district shall not be deemed to be a public utility and shall not be subject in any respect to the authority, control, regulation, or supervision of the Louisiana Public Service Commission.E. In addition to the powers and duties elsewhere granted in this Section, the board is hereby granted and shall have and may exercise all powers necessary or convenient for the carrying out of its objectives and purposes, including but not limited to the following: (1) To sue and be sued, and as such, to stand in judgment.(2) To adopt, use, and alter at will a corporate seal.(3) To acquire by gift, grant, purchase, lease, or otherwise and to hold and use any property, real, personal, mixed, tangible, or intangible, or any interest therein, necessary or desirable for carrying out the objects and purposes of the district.(4) To sell, transfer, or convey any property acquired by it, or any interest therein, at any time to accomplish the objects and purposes of the district subject to applicable law. Any such sale, transfer, or conveyance shall provide for a fair and equitable return of revenue to the district.(5) To lease or sublease all or any portion of any property for a term not exceeding ninety-nine years at a fixed or variable rental subject to applicable law. Any such lease entered into shall provide for a fair and equitable return of revenue to the district.(6)(a) To sell, lease for a term of up to ninety-nine years, exchange, or otherwise dispose of or transfer to or with other political corporations of this state or private persons at public or private sale any residential or subdivision land, property, improvements, or portions thereof, including real property, which is, in the opinion of the board of commissioners, appropriate to accomplish the objectives and purposes of the district.(b) Prior to any disposition or transfer of property pursuant to this Paragraph, a majority of the total board membership shall approve the disposition or transfer and fix the price and terms of the sale, lease, exchange, or other contract to be made with reference to the property. Such disposition or transfer shall not require advertisement or public bids nor require any notice to be published in a newspaper or to be posted in any public place.(c) Any sale of industrial land shall be in accordance with laws providing for the disposition or transfer of such land.(7) To convey to the United States, the state, or to any political subdivision of the state, any land, property, right-of-way, easement, servitude, or other thing of value, which the district may own or acquire, for use by said governmental entity to accomplish the objectives and purposes of the district.(8) To make and collect reasonable charges for the use of property of the district and for services rendered by the district; and to regulate fees or rentals charged for use of privately owned facilities located on property owned or sold by the district when such facilities are offered for use by the public or by a private industrial, commercial, research, or other economic development entity or activity.(9) To enter into contracts to achieve the district's objectives and purposes, including but not limited to contracts for professional and other services and for the purchase, lease, acquisition, sale, construction, operation, maintenance, and improvements of land, public works, and facilities, as the district may deem necessary or convenient to accomplish the objectives and purposes of the district, subject to the Public Bid Law, R.S. 38:2211 et seq.(10) To plan, develop, regulate, operate, and maintain activities and planned land uses to foster creation of new jobs, economic development, industry, health care, commerce, manufacturing, tourism, relocation of people and businesses to the area, shipbuilding, aviation, military, warehousing, transportation, offices, recreation, housing development, and conservation.(11) To acquire land and improvements to construct, operate, and maintain facilities, improvements, and infrastructure, including buildings, roads, bridges, drainage, and utilities, and to perform other functions and activities on property owned or leased by the district to accomplish the objectives and purposes of the district and to protect the public health and welfare.(12) In its own name and behalf, to incur debt, and issue general obligation bonds, under the authority of and subject to the provisions of Article VI, Section 33 of the Constitution of Louisiana, and Subpart A of Part III of Chapter 4 of Subtitle II of Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, for the establishment, operation, and maintenance of district property or to carry out the other public purposes of this Section, and to issue revenue bonds, borrow money, and issue certificates of indebtedness, notes, and other debt obligations as evidence thereof and provide for the manner and method of repayment.(13) To require and issue licenses.(14) To levy annually and cause to be collected an ad valorem tax, provided that the amount, term, and purpose of said tax, as set out in a proposition submitted to a vote in accordance with the Louisiana Election Code, shall be approved by a majority of the qualified electors voting in an election held for that purpose.(15)(a) To levy and collect a sales and use tax within the boundaries of the district for such purposes and at such rate as provided by the proposition authorizing its levy, not exceeding one percent, which tax may exceed the limitation set forth in the Constitution of Louisiana, provided the proposition submitted to a vote in accordance with the Louisiana Election Code, shall be approved by a majority of the qualified electors voting in an election held for that purpose.(b) The tax shall be levied upon the sale at retail, the use, the lease or rental, the consumption, the distribution, and storage for use or consumption of tangible personal property, and upon the sales of services within the district, all as presently defined in R.S. 47:301 et seq.(c) Except where inapplicable, the procedure established by R.S. 47:301 et seq., shall be followed in the imposition, collection, and enforcement of the tax, and procedural details necessary to supplement those Sections and to make them applicable to the tax herein authorized shall be fixed in the resolution imposing the tax.(d) The tax shall be imposed and collected uniformly throughout the district.(e) Any tax levied under this Paragraph shall be in addition to all other taxes which the parish or any other political subdivision within St. Mary Parish are now or hereafter authorized to levy and collect.(16) To develop, activate, construct, exchange, acquire, improve, repair, operate, maintain, lease, mortgage, sell, and grant a security device affecting the movable and immovable property, servitudes, facilities, and works within the district under such terms and conditions as the district may deem necessary or appropriate for any public purpose, including industrial, residential, subdivision, and commercial development.(17) After notice and public hearing to designate one or more project areas within the boundaries of the district, each of which designated project areas shall constitute a political subdivision of the state, governed by the board with the power to incur debt, issue certificates, issue revenue and general obligation bonds, as well as refunding bonds, and levy sales and use taxes within its boundaries, in the same manner and on the same conditions as the district is authorized to do within the boundaries of the district. Each designated area shall be given a name and designated as "Berwick Development Subdistrict No. ___".(18) To borrow money and to pledge or grant a security device affecting all or part of its revenues, leases, rents, and other advantages as security for such loans.(19) To appoint officers, agents, and employees, prescribe their duties, and fix their compensation.F.(1) In addition to the authority contained herein or granted by other law, the district and any subdistrict of the district may issue revenue bonds to acquire, purchase, lease, construct, or improve housing, residential development, subdivision development, commercial, research, industrial, or other plant sites and buildings, or other capital improvements authorized in this Section, including energy and pollution abatement, and control facilities and necessary property and appurtenances thereto; and may sell, lease, sublease, or otherwise dispose of by suitable and appropriate contract to any enterprise locating or existing within the jurisdiction of the district, or the respective subdistrict, such sites, buildings, or facilities and appurtenances thereto, all or severally. The funds derived from the sale of such bonds may be disbursed in whole or in part upon delivery of the bonds as shall be provided in the contract between the district, or respective subdistrict, and the residential, commercial, research, industrial, or other enterprise to be aided, encouraged, or benefitted.(2) Bonds issued under this Section shall be authorized by resolution of the district, or respective subdistrict, and shall be limited obligations of the district, or respective subdistrict, the principal of and interest on which shall be payable solely from the income and revenue derived from the sale, lease, or other disposition of the project or facility to be financed by the bonds issued hereunder, or from the income and revenue derived from the sale, lease, or other disposition of any existing project or facility acquired, constructed, and improved under the provision of this Section. However, in the discretion of the district, or respective subdistrict, the bonds may be additionally secured by mortgage or other security device covering all or part of the project from which the revenues so pledged may be derived. Any refunding bonds issued pursuant to this Subsection shall be payable from any source described above or from the investment of any of the proceeds of the refunding bonds authorized under this Section and shall not constitute an indebtedness or pledge of the general credit of the district, or respective subdistrict, within the meaning of any constitutional or statutory limitation of indebtedness and shall contain a recital to that effect. Bonds of the district, or respective subdistrict, shall be issued in such form, shall be in such denominations, shall bear interest, shall mature in such manner, and be executed by one or more members of the board of the body as provided in the resolution authorizing the issuance thereof. Such bonds may be subject to redemption at the option of and in the manner determined by the board in the resolution authorizing the issuance thereof.(3) No bonds or other evidences of indebtedness may be issued under this Subsection without the prior approval of the State Bond Commission of the terms and provisions thereof.(4) Bonds issued under this Subsection shall be issued, sold, and delivered in accordance with the terms and provisions of a resolution adopted by the board. The resolution shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation within the jurisdiction of the district, or respective subdistrict, and for a period of thirty days after said publication, any interested citizen may bring an action to contest the bonds and the security therefor, as provided in the Constitution of Louisiana. If, after the expiration of thirty days, no suit has been filed, the issuance, sale, and security of the bonds shall be incontestable, and no court shall have authority to entertain any action questioning or contesting such matters.(5) Bonds, certificates, or other evidences of indebtedness issued by the district or any subdistrict of the district, under this Section are deemed to be securities of public entities within the meaning of Chapters 13 and 13-A of Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, and shall be subject to defeasance in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 14 of Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, and may also be issued as short term revenue notes of a public entity under Chapter 15-A of Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950.G. No bonds, other debt obligations, or contracts of the district shall be a charge upon the income, property, or revenue of the town of Berwick; nor shall any obligations of the district be obligations of the town of Berwick.H. The board shall be the appropriate governing body for all purposes provided in the Louisiana Enterprise Zone Act, R.S. 51:1781 et seq., within the area comprised of property owned and formerly owned by the district, and shall have the power to perform all acts specified by applicable laws and regulations to achieve such purpose.Acts 1995, No. 721, §1; Acts 1996, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 43, §1; Acts 2001, No. 913, §1.See Acts 2001, No. 913, §2, relative to terms of board members.