§ 33:9091.8 — Lakewood Crime Prevention and Improvement District

Louisiana § 33:9091.8

• Jurisdiction: Louisiana
• Title 33: Municipalities and Parishes

Text

§9091.8. Lakewood Crime Prevention and Improvement District
A. Creation. There is hereby created within the parish of Orleans, as more
specifically provided in this Section, a body politic and corporate which shall be known as
the Lakewood Crime Prevention and Improvement District, referred to in this Section as the
"district". The district shall be a political subdivision of the state as defined in the
Constitution of Louisiana.
B. Purpose. The purpose of the district shall be to aid in crime prevention by
providing security for district residents and to serve the needs of the residents of the district
by funding beautification and other activities and improvements for the overall betterment
of the district.
C. Boundaries. The district shall be comprised of the area of the city of New Orleans
within the following boundaries: beginning at a point on the centerline of Academy Road
where Academy Road meets the northern boundary of Lake Lawn Cemetery, thence in a
westerly direction along the northern boundary of Lake Lawn Cemetery to a point on the east
side of Lot 24, Square A Lakewood subdivision, thence in a southerly direction along the
eastern boundary of Lakewood subdivision to the northern boundary of the Southern Railway
right-of-way, thence in a westerly direction along the northern boundary of the Southern
Railway right-of-way to the Orleans/Jefferson parish line, thence in a northerly direction
along said Orleans/Jefferson parish line to the south right-of-way line of Veterans Memorial
Boulevard, thence in an easterly direction along the south right-of-way line of Veterans
Memorial Boulevard to the centerline of the neutral ground of Fleur de Lis Drive, thence in
a southerly direction along the centerline of the neutral ground of Fleur de Lis Drive as
projected to the centerline of Academy Road, thence in a southeasterly direction along the
centerline of Academy Road to the point of beginning.
D. Governance. (1) The district shall be governed by a board of commissioners,
referred to in this Section as the "board", consisting of seven members appointed as follows:
(a) The board of directors of the Lakewood Property Owners Association shall
appoint three members, one of whom shall be the president of the Lakewood Property
Owners Association.
(b) The member or members of the Louisiana House of Representatives who
represent the area which comprises the district shall appoint one member.
(c) The member or members of the Louisiana Senate who represent the area which
comprises the district shall appoint one member.
(d) The member or members of the city council of the city of New Orleans who
represent the area which comprises the district shall appoint one member.
(e) The mayor of the city of New Orleans shall appoint one member.
(2) Every member of the board shall be a property owner in or a resident of the
district.
(3)(a) Members of the board shall serve two-year terms after initial terms as provided
in Subparagraph (b) of this Paragraph.
(b) Two members shall serve initial terms of one year, two shall serve initial terms
of eighteen months, and three shall serve initial terms of two years, all as determined by lot
at the first meeting of the board.
(4) Vacancies resulting from the expiration of a term or for any other reason shall be
filled in the manner of the original appointment. Members shall be eligible for
reappointment.
(5) The members of the board shall select from among themselves a president and
such other officers as they deem appropriate. The terms and responsibilities of officers shall
be as provided in the bylaws of the board.
(6) All members of the board, including the officers of the board, shall be voting
members.
(7) The members of the board shall serve without compensation but shall receive
reimbursement for reasonable expenses directly related to the governance of the district.
E. Powers and duties. (1) The district, acting through its board of commissioners,
shall have the following powers and duties:
(a) To sue and be sued.
(b) To adopt, use, and alter at will a seal and bylaws.
(c) To receive and expend funds collected pursuant to Subsection F and in
accordance with a budget adopted as provided by Subsection G of this Section.
(d) To enter into contracts with individuals or entities, private or public, to provide
or enhance security patrols in the district, to provide for beautification and improvements for
the district, or to provide generally for the overall betterment of the district.
(e) To contract for such services and expenditures as the board deems proper for the
upkeep of the district.
(f) To purchase items and supplies which the board deems instrumental to achieving
the purposes of the district.
(g) To procure and maintain liability insurance against any personal or legal liability
of a board member that may be asserted or incurred based upon his service as a member of
the board or that may arise as a result of his actions taken within the scope and discharge of
his duties as a member of the board.
(h) To perform or have performed any other function or activity necessary or
appropriate to carry out the purposes of the district or for the overall betterment of the
district.
(2)(a) The board shall hold regular meetings as shall be provided for in its bylaws
and may hold special meetings at such times and places within the district as may be
provided in the bylaws.
(b) The board shall adopt such regulations as it deems necessary or advisable for
conducting its business affairs. Rules and regulations of the board relative to public notice
and conduct of public meetings shall conform with the provisions of R.S. 42:11 et seq.
(c) A majority of the members of the board shall constitute a quorum for the
transaction of business. The vote of a majority of the board members present and voting, a
quorum being present, shall be required to decide any question upon which the board takes
action.
(d) The board shall keep minutes of all meetings.
F. Parcel fee. (1) The governing authority of the city of New Orleans is hereby
authorized to impose and collect a parcel fee within the district subject to and in accordance
with the provisions of this Subsection.
(2)(a) For purposes of this Section, a parcel is defined as a lot or lots upon which
only one main house is situated. The fee shall be a flat fee and shall be imposed on each
parcel located within the district. The amount of the fee shall be as determined by duly
adopted resolution of the board and shall not exceed six hundred dollars per parcel per year.
(b) Notwithstanding the provisions of Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph, the fee
imposed pursuant to this Subsection shall also be levied on any parcel within the district
upon which there is no structure, as provided by duly adopted resolution of the board of
commissioners of the district and if approved by a majority of the registered voters of the
district voting on a proposition authorizing the fee at an election held for that purpose in
accordance with the Louisiana Election Code. Such election shall be held only if requested
by duly adopted resolution of the board of commissioners of the district. If imposition of the
fee on parcels is authorized as provided in this Subparagraph, it shall be imposed in the same
amount and for the same duration as the fee on lots upon which houses are situated as
otherwise authorized by this Paragraph.
(3) The owner of the parcel shall be responsible for payment of the fee.
(4)(a) The fee shall be imposed only after the question of its imposition has been
approved by a majority of the registered voters of the district voting on the proposition at an
election held for that purpose at the same time as a regularly scheduled election and
conducted in accordance with the Louisiana Election Code. The amount of the fee may be
changed by duly adopted resolution of the board, not to exceed the maximum amount
authorized as provided in this Subsection. No other election shall be required except as
provided in this Paragraph.
(b) Repealed by Acts 2025, No. 69, §2, eff. June 4, 2025.
(c) The fee shall expire at the time provided in the proposition authorizing the fee,
not to exceed eight years, but the fee may be renewed as provided in Subparagraph (a) of this
Paragraph. Any election to authorize renewal of the fee shall be held for that purpose in
accordance with the Louisiana Election Code. If the fee is renewed, the term of the
imposition of the fee shall be as provided in the proposition authorizing the renewal, not to
exceed eight years.
(5) The city of New Orleans shall collect the fee at the same time and in the same
manner as ad valorem taxes are collected by the city and shall maintain the proceeds of the
fee collected pursuant to this Section in a separate account until such proceeds are disbursed
to the district.
(6) The city of New Orleans shall remit all proceeds of the fee collected by the city
pursuant to this Section to the district not more than thirty days after the last day of the month
in which such proceeds are collected. However, the board may enter into an agreement with
the city to authorize the city to retain, as a collection fee, not more than one percent of the
amount collected.
(7) Any parcel fee which is unpaid shall be added to the tax rolls of the city and shall
be enforced with the same authority and subject to the same penalties and procedures as
unpaid ad valorem taxes.
(8) The proceeds of the fee collected pursuant to this Section shall be used only for
the purposes of the district.
G. Budget. (1) The board shall adopt an annual budget in accordance with the Local
Government Budget Act, R.S. 39:1301 et seq.
(2) The district shall be subject to audit by the legislative auditor pursuant to R.S.
24:513.
H. Miscellaneous provisions. It is the purpose and intent of this Section that the
additional law enforcement or security personnel, whether public or private, and their
services provided for through the fees authorized in this Section shall be supplemental to and
not in lieu of personnel and services provided in the district by the New Orleans Police
Department.
I. Dissolution. (1) The district may be dissolved after the question of its dissolution
has been approved by a majority of the registered voters of the district voting on the
proposition at a regularly scheduled election conducted in accordance with the provisions of
the Louisiana Election Code. The question may be placed on the ballot only after it has been
approved by the affirmative vote of not less than five members of the district board.
(2) If and when the district ceases to exist:
(a) All funds of the district shall be transmitted by the board to the city of New
Orleans and such funds, together with any other funds collected by the city of New Orleans
pursuant to this Section, shall be maintained in a separate account by the city and shall be
used only for law enforcement, security, improvement, and beautification purposes of the
district.
(b) The authority for the imposition of the parcel fee provided in this Section shall
cease.

Legislative History

Acts 2004, No. 230, §1, eff. June 15, 2004; Acts 2010, No. 538, §1, eff. June 25, 2010; Acts 2010, No. 582, §1, eff. June 25, 2010; Acts 2025, No. 69, §§ 1, 2, eff. June 4, 2025.