§ 34:292 — Board of commissioners

Louisiana § 34:292

• Jurisdiction: Louisiana
• Title 34: Navigation and Shipping

Text

§292. Board of commissioners
A. The governing authority of the district shall be known as the Board of
Commissioners of the Lafayette Economic Development Authority. The board shall consist
of twelve members who shall be citizens of the United States residing within the limits of
the district during their terms of office.
B.(1) The commissioners shall be appointed as follows:
(a) Two members, one of whom shall be nominated by the Lafayette Parish Farm
Bureau, shall be appointed by a majority vote of the mayors of the incorporated
municipalities of Lafayette Parish other than the city of Lafayette.
(b) Two members, one of whom shall be a racial minority, shall be appointed by the
Lafayette Mayor-President. The Lafayette Mayor-President may serve as one of the
appointments.
(c) Two members, one of whom shall be a racial minority, shall be appointed by the
Lafayette City Council.
(d) Two members, one of whom shall be a racial minority, shall be appointed by the
Lafayette Parish Council.
(e) One member shall be appointed by One Acadiana.
(f) Two members, one of whom shall be a racial minority, shall be appointed by the
president of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The president may serve as one of the
appointments.
(g) One member shall be appointed by the chancellor of South Louisiana Community
College. The chancellor may serve as the appointment.
(2) The commissioners appointed shall be true development representatives of the
authority or agency appointing them and shall bring to the authority the resources and
expertise which their respective appointing authorities or agencies possess. In that regard,
it is specifically contemplated that the University of Southwestern Louisiana will provide and
perform a liaison role, and not purely a technical role in the work of the authority, and its
commissioner appointed to the board of commissioners shall assist the authority in providing
for meeting the needs of business with the technical expertise of the university.
C. The terms of the commissioners shall be staggered so that of the initial members
appointed, three* shall serve for two-year terms, three* for three-year terms, and three* for
four-year terms. The determination of which terms shall run for two, three, or four years
shall be made by the board by lot at its first meeting. The commissioners thereafter
appointed at the expiration of the terms of the initial appointees shall serve for terms of four
years. No member of the board may be appointed for more than two consecutive terms.
D.(1) Vacancies shall be filled in the manner of the original appointments, in
accordance with the provisions set forth in Paragraph (1) of Subsection B of this Section.
(2)(a) Commissioners shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority or
agency. The appointing authority or agency shall have the right to remove and replace
commissioners appointed by it, with or without cause, and, where a vacancy exists, to fill the
vacancy in the office of the commissioner or commissioners which have been allotted to that
appointing authority or agency.
(b) The board shall have the authority to and may establish in its bylaws the
procedures and criteria for removal of any of its members with cause by majority vote of its
membership.
(c) Any member may be removed with cause by two-thirds vote of the membership
of the Lafayette Parish Council.
(3) Removal as provided in this Section shall be without prejudice and there shall
be reserved to any member so removed his right to judicial review under the law.
E. In order to facilitate the performance of its duties hereunder and to further
promote the economic development of the parish and region, the board of commissioners
may establish an advisory board. Such advisory board may be composed of persons,
elements, or groups in the parish or region which the board of commissioners believes will
be able to contribute and assist in the task of economic and industrial development. The
composition and size of this advisory board and the terms of its members shall be at the
discretion of the board of commissioners.
*AS APPEARS IN ENROLLED BILL, BUT SEE §292(A) AND (B)
WHICH PROVIDE FOR 12 MEMBERS: HOWEVER (C) PROVIDES FOR
9 MEMBERS.
{{NOTE: SEE ACTS 1988, NO. 867, §2.}}

Legislative History

Amended by Acts 1971, No. 155, §1; Acts 1985, No. 420, §1; Acts 1988, No. 867, §1, eff. July 18, 1988; Acts 2022, No. 771, §2; Acts 2024, No. 531, §1, eff. June 10, 2024.