This text of Louisiana § 33:4159.2 (Powers of the city council) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Louisiana primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.
§4159.2. Powers of the city council
A.
(1)The city council may establish, by ordinance, procedures regarding the billing
policies of the board, including reducing or modifying a bill received by a customer, or
waiving late charges or accrued interest, subject to the authority established by the billing
ordinance as set forth in Paragraph (2) of this Subsection.
(2)The city council shall establish a billing ordinance working group to review and
opine on ordinances before any such ordinance may be considered by the Public Works,
Sanitation, and Environmental Committee of the city council, including evaluating the
necessity of such an ordinance. This working group shall convene within ninety days of
August 1, 2022, to establish procedural guidelines and within thirty days of the filing of an
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§4159.2. Powers of the city council
A.(1) The city council may establish, by ordinance, procedures regarding the billing
policies of the board, including reducing or modifying a bill received by a customer, or
waiving late charges or accrued interest, subject to the authority established by the billing
ordinance as set forth in Paragraph (2) of this Subsection.
(2) The city council shall establish a billing ordinance working group to review and
opine on ordinances before any such ordinance may be considered by the Public Works,
Sanitation, and Environmental Committee of the city council, including evaluating the
necessity of such an ordinance. This working group shall convene within ninety days of
August 1, 2022, to establish procedural guidelines and within thirty days of the filing of an
ordinance that impacts any aspect of the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans billing
process or policies. The findings of this working group shall be made part of the official
record before consideration of any such ordinance drafted pursuant to this Section.
(3) The billing ordinance review working group shall be comprised of the following
members:
(a) The chairman of the New Orleans City Council Budget, Audit, and Board of
Review Committee, or his designee.
(b) The chairman of the New Orleans City Council Public Works, Sanitation, and
Environment Committee, or his designee.
(c) The chairman of the New Orleans City Council Governmental Affairs
Committee, or his designee.
(d) A member of the House of Representatives residing in Orleans Parish, or his
designee, appointed by the New Orleans City Council president.
(e) A member of the Senate residing in Orleans Parish, or his designee, appointed
by the New Orleans City Council president.
(f) The executive director of the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans, or his
designee.
(g) The president of the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans, or his designee.
(4) The procedures established by the city council shall be uniformly implemented
so as to prevent special treatment as it relates to any bill modification or amnesty.
B.(1) The city council may open an investigation of the board after the occurrence
of any catastrophic failure of the city's sewerage and drainage infrastructure. Any
information regarding such a failure requested in writing from the board by the city council
shall be submitted to the council not later than thirty days after receipt of the written request.
(2) For purposes of this Section, a catastrophic failure shall be defined as an impact
to board-owned-and-operated equipment or assets that result in a diminished level of service
to more than ten thousand customers and an emergency declaration by the board's general
superintendent.
C. The city council may request the attendance of a representative of the board at any
meeting of the Public Works, Sanitation, and Environment Committee of the city council.