§103. Planning commission; membership; appointment

A. A parish planning commission shall consist of not less than five nor more than nine members, at the discretion of the police jury or other parish governing authority, all to be appointed by the police jury or other parish governing authority. The police jury or other parish governing authority may remove any member of the commission, after public hearing, for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.

B. A municipal planning commission shall consist of not less than five nor more than nine members, at the discretion of the local legislative body, all to be appointed by the chief executive of the municipality, who may remove any member of the commission, after public hearing, for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.

C.(1) All members of a commission, whether a parish or a municipal planning commission, shall serve without compensation, except as otherwise provided by this Paragraph or as otherwise provided by law, and shall hold no other public office, except they may also serve as members of any duly constituted regional commission of which their parish or municipality forms a part.

(a) Nothing contained in this Section shall prevent the governing authority of St. Charles Parish from paying to the members of the zoning commission of St. Charles Parish not less than forty dollars nor more than sixty dollars per diem for attending meetings of the commission. In no instance, however, shall the number of meetings exceed a maximum of twelve per year.

(b) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section to the contrary, the police jury of St. John the Baptist Parish may pay members of the planning commission of St. John the Baptist Parish per diem not less than twenty-five dollars nor more than forty dollars for attending meetings of said commission for a maximum of fifteen meetings per year.

(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section to the contrary, the police jury of St. James Parish may pay members of the planning commission of the parish and the respective governing authorities of the municipalities may pay the planning commissions of the municipalities of Lutcher and Gramercy per diem not less than twenty-five dollars nor more than forty dollars for attending meetings of said commissions for a maximum of fifteen meetings per year per commission.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section to the contrary, the parish council of West Baton Rouge Parish shall pay members of the planning commission of West Baton Rouge Parish per diem which shall not exceed the rate allowable for per diem deduction under Section 162(h)(1)(B)(ii) of Title 26 of the United States Code for attending meetings of the commission for a maximum of twenty-four days per year.

(e) Repealed by Acts 1997, No. 1274, §2, eff. Jan. 1, 1998.

(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section to the contrary, the police jury of Acadia Parish may pay members of the planning commission of Acadia Parish per diem of twenty-five dollars for attending meetings of said commission for a maximum of twenty-four meetings per year.

(g) Notwithstanding any other provision of law or of this Section to the contrary, the governing authority of Lafourche Parish may pay members of the Lafourche Parish Planning and Zoning Commission a per diem of not less than twenty-five dollars and not more than forty dollars for attendance at meetings of the commission for a maximum of twelve meetings per year.

(h)(i) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section to the contrary, the governing authority of St. Tammany Parish may set the membership of the St. Tammany Parish Planning Commission at not less than fourteen members, each member being a resident of the police jury district from which he is appointed.

(ii) Members of the St. Tammany Parish Planning Commission shall be appointed by a majority vote of the governing authority of the parish for staggered terms as follows: four members for one year; four members for two years; four members for three years; and two members for four years. Terms of members shall be decided by lot by the governing authority of St. Tammany Parish at its first regularly scheduled meeting after June 25, 1993. The successor of each member shall be appointed to serve a term of three years from the expiration of the term of his predecessor.

(iii) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section to the contrary, the governing authority of St. Tammany Parish may pay members of the St. Tammany Parish Planning Commission a per diem of fifty dollars for attendance at meetings of the commission for a maximum of twenty-four meetings per year.

(i) Notwithstanding any provision of this Section or any other law to the contrary, the governing authority of Tangipahoa Parish may pay members of the planning commission of Tangipahoa Parish and such members may receive a per diem of not less than twenty-five dollars nor more than sixty dollars for attendance at meetings of the commission for a maximum of sixteen meetings per year. Such per diem shall be paid by the parish governing authority out of funds appropriated or otherwise made available for such purposes.

(j) Notwithstanding any provision of this Section or any other law to the contrary, the governing authority of the city of Plaquemine may pay members of the planning commission of the city and such members may receive a per diem for attendance at meetings of the commission for a maximum of twenty-four days per year in amounts not to exceed the following maximums:

(i) Fifty dollars for the chairman of the commission.

(ii) Twenty-five dollars for all other members.

(k) The governing authority of Iberville Parish may pay members of the Iberville Parish planning commission and such members may receive a per diem of not more than twenty-five dollars for attendance at meetings of the commission for up to twenty-four meeting days per year. Any such per diem shall be paid out of funds appropriated or otherwise made available for such purpose.

(l) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the governing authorities of the municipalities of Arcadia, Delhi, Gramercy, Haughton, Haynesville, Iowa, Jena, Lake Arthur, Lockport, and Many may pay a per diem to members of their respective municipal planning commissions for attending meetings of any such commission. The rate of per diem to be paid to such members and the number of meetings for which per diem shall be paid shall be established by ordinance of the governing authority of each municipality.

(m) Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the governing authority of the parish of St. Mary may pay members of the planning and zoning commission of the parish a per diem of seventy-five dollars for attendance at meetings of the commission for a maximum of fifteen meetings per year. Any such per diem shall be paid by the parish governing authority from monies appropriated out of the general fund of the parish.

(n) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the governing authority of Livingston Parish may pay members of the parish planning commission a per diem not to exceed one hundred dollars for attendance at meetings of the commission for a maximum of twenty-four meetings per year.

(2) The parish governing authority or local legislative body of the municipality, as the case may be, shall establish staggered initial terms of the members of the planning commission. Such terms shall be no less than four years nor more than ten years in length. However, nothing contained herein shall affect the term of any member incumbent on the effective date of this Subsection.

D.(1) The successors of the members of a planning commission, whether a parish or municipal planning commission shall be appointed by the parish governing authority or the local legislative body of the municipality, as the case may be, for terms of equal length for all members, to be determined by said authority or body, which terms shall be for not less than four years or more than ten years from and after expiration of the terms of their predecessors in office.

(2) Provided however, that nothing contained herein shall affect the term of any member incumbent on the effective date of this Subsection.

E. If a vacancy occurs other than by an expiration of the term, it shall be filled by appointment by the original appointing authority for the unexpired term.

F. Where a parish or municipality has adopted a charter for local self-government or other home rule charter and such charter provides for the establishment of a planning commission or otherwise provides for the functions of a planning commission to be performed by the governing authority or other board or commission, the provisions of this Subpart concerning membership, appointment, organization, and structure shall not be applicable. In such case, any parish or municipality with a home rule charter may avail itself of the power and authority granted herein to a planning commission; however, nothing herein shall diminish any power or authority already granted by a home rule charter or other law.

Amended by Acts 1956, No. 135, §1; Acts 1961, No. 76, §1; Acts 1968, No. 654, §1; Acts 1974, No. 480, §2; Acts 1975, No. 23, §1; Acts 1976, No. 57, §1; Acts 1977, No. 42, §1; Acts 1980, No. 737, §1; Acts 1980, No. 781, §1; Acts 1981, No. 123, §1; Acts 1985, No. 409, §1; eff. Jan. 1, 1986; Acts 1990, No. 699, §1, eff. July 20, 1990; Acts 1991, No. 720, §1; Acts 1993, No. 980, §1, eff. June 25, 1993; Acts 1995, No. 123, §1; Acts 1997, No. 438, §1; Acts 1997, No. 453, §1; Acts 1997, No. 1274, §2, eff. Jan. 1, 1998; Acts 1999, No. 90, §1; Acts 2000, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 137, §1, eff. April 19, 2000; Acts 2006, No. 725, §1, eff. July 1, 2006; Acts 2008, No. 105, §1; Acts 2011, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 20, §1, eff. June 12, 2011; Acts 2011, No. 255, §1, eff. July 1, 2011; Acts 2017, No. 20, §1.