§4703. Domicile; purpose and powers
A. The district through its board of commissioners may sue and be sued, have a
corporate seal, and do and perform any and all acts in its corporate capacity and in its
corporate name which are necessary and proper for carrying out the purposes and objects for
which it is created. All of the property belonging to the district shall be exempt from
taxation.
B. The board shall designate its domicile at a place within that area of the city of
New Orleans bounded by the Industrial Canal, Intracoastal Waterway, the St. Tammany
Parish/Orleans Parish line, and Lake Pontchartrain.
C. Except as inconsistent with the provisions of this Part, the district created hereby
is granted and shall have and may exercise all powers necessary or convenient for the
carrying out of such objects and purposes including, by way of illustration, but not limitation,
and subject to the provisions of R.S. 33:4702, the following rights and powers:
(1) To acquire or purchase any property, or any interest therein, at any time to
accomplish the objects and purposes of the district, and to hold and use any property, real,
personal, or mixed, tangible or intangible, or any interest therein necessary or desirable for
carrying out the purposes of the district, and to sell, transfer, convey, lease as lessor, transfer,
or dispose of any property or interest therein acquired by it.
(2) To lease or sublease, as lessor or lessee or sublessor or sublesee, all or portion
of any property at a fixed or variable rental without advertisement for public bids.
(3) To acquire by purchase, lease, or otherwise and to construct, improve, maintain,
repair, and operate facilities which it deems necessary or convenient to carry out its purposes.
(4) To enter into agreements of any nature with any person or persons, natural or
juridical, corporation, association or other entity, including public corporations, political
subdivisions, municipalities, the United States government and agencies thereof, or any
combination thereof or with instrumentalities of every kind, for the operation of the district,
including all or any part of the properties and facilities thereof.
(5) To make and enter into contracts, conveyances, mortgages, deeds or trusts, bonds,
and leases in the carrying out of its corporate objects.
(6) To let contracts for the construction or acquisition in any other manner, except
through the power of eminent domain, of property and facilities incident to the carrying out
of the purpose or purposes of the district, which contracts shall be let in such manner as shall
be determined by the board in conformance with law.
(7) To fix, maintain, collect, and revise rates, charges, and rentals for the properties
and facilities owned by the district and the services rendered by the district.
(8) 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 as an industrial park or to carry out the other public purposes of this Part,
without election, 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.
(9) To require and issue licenses, to regulate the imposition of fees and rentals
charged by the district for services rendered by it or fees or rentals charged for use of
privately-owned facilities located on district property when such facilities are offered for use
by the public or by a private industrial, commercial, research, or other economic
development entity or activity.
(10) To develop, activate, construct, exchange, acquire, expropriate, improve, repair,
operate, maintain, lease, mortgage, sell, subject to the provision of this Part, and pledge
movable and immovable property, servitudes, facilities, and works under such terms and
conditions as the district may deem necessary or appropriate for any public purpose,
including industrial and commercial development, notwithstanding the limitations of R.S.
2:131.1 and 135.1, Chapter 4 of Title 2, Chapter 13 of Title 33, and Chapter 10 of Title 41,
of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950.
(11) To make bylaws for the management and regulation of its affairs.
(12) To cooperate and contract with the government of the United States of America
or any department or agency thereof and with the state of Louisiana or any department or
agency thereof and to accept gifts, grants, and donations of property and money therefrom.
(13) To cooperate with the state or any other political subdivision, department,
agency, or corporation of the state for the construction, operation, and maintenance of
projects and facilities designed to accomplish the purpose or purposes for which the district
is created on any basis including the matching of funds and by participating in projects
authorized by any federal or state law as it shall see fit.
(14) To borrow money and pledge all or part of its revenues, leases, rents, and other
advantages as security for such loans.
(15) To incur debt for any one or more of its lawful purposes set forth in this Section
herein, to issue in its name negotiable bonds, notes, certificates of indebtedness, or other
evidences of debt and to provide for the security and payment thereof.
(16) To issue, or secure the issuance of, refunding bonds to refund any outstanding
bonds issued pursuant to this Section. Such refunding bonds may be exchanged for the
outstanding bonds or may be sold and the proceeds applied to the purchase, redemption, or
payment of the outstanding bonds or deposited in escrow for the retirement of such bonds.
The refunding bonds shall be authorized in all respects as original bonds are herein required
to be authorized, and the district, in authorizing the refunding bonds, shall provide for the
security of the bonds, the sources from which the bonds are to be paid and for the rights of
the holders thereof in all respects as herein provided for other bonds issued under the
authority of this Part. The district may also provide that the refunding bonds shall have the
same priority of lien on the taxes, income, and revenues pledged for their payment as was
enjoyed by the bonds refunded.
(17) To borrow the amount of the anticipated ad valorem tax the district is authorized
to levy hereunder, not to exceed ten mills, for a period not to exceed twenty years and may
issue certificates of indebtedness therefor and may dedicate the avails of the tax for the
payment thereof for the period of time said certificates are outstanding.
(18) To appoint officers, agents, and employees and to prescribe their duties and to
fix their compensation which shall be payable out of district funds.
(19) To recommend to the mayor and the council a program of projects within the
district to be financed by special liens against the properties improved by the program.
(20) To use or allow the use of any facilities, land, and improvements within the
district or owned or leased by the district for any lawful purpose.
(21) The board of commissioners of the district 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.
(22) To report to the mayor and the council, at least quarterly, on the problems within
the district and progress made in amelioration of the problems.