CHAPTER 13-F. ST. BERNARD PARISH REDEVELOPMENT LAW

§4720.91. St. Bernard Parish Redevelopment Law

A. This Chapter may be referred to as the "St. Bernard Parish Redevelopment Law".

B. It is hereby found and declared that:

(1) There exist in St. Bernard Parish areas which have become slums, blighted, and distressed because of the unsafe, unsanitary, inadequate, or overcrowded condition of the structures therein, or because of inadequate planning for the area, or because of physically or functionally obsolete structures, or because of excessive dwelling unit density, or because of the lack of proper light and air and open space, or because of faulty street or lot design, or inadequate public utilities, or community services, or because of failure to adequately maintain and repair structures, or because of the conversion to incompatible types of land usage, or because of environmental conditions and circumstances.

(2) Such conditions or a combination of some or all of them have and will continue to result in making such areas economic and social liabilities imposing onerous burdens on the parish which:

(a) Decrease the tax base and reduce tax revenues.

(b) Harm the social and economic well-being of the parish, depreciating property values therein and thereby depreciating further the general community-wide values.

(3) The prevention and elimination of slums, blight, and distressed properties and their causes is a matter of public policy and concern in order that the parish shall not continue to be endangered by such areas which are focal centers of economic and social problems which consume an excessive proportion of parish revenues because of the extra services required for police, fire, accident, and other forms of public protection, services, and facilities.

(4) The salvage, renewal, redevelopment, and reconstruction of such areas, in accordance with sound redevelopment plans will promote the public health, safety, morals, and welfare of the public.

(5) Certain such areas or portions thereof may be susceptible to conservation, redevelopment, or rehabilitation by voluntary action and through existing regulatory processes in such a manner that the conditions and problems enumerated in this Subsection may be eliminated, remedied, and prevented; but in certain areas blight, slums, and distressed conditions are beyond remedy or reasonable control through existing regulatory processes and cannot be effectively dealt with under existing law without additional aids authorized in this Chapter; and such conditions and problems often exist in areas and under circumstances in which their assembly for purposes of clearance, replanning, and redevelopment is impossible without the exercise of the power of expropriation.

(6) The powers conferred by this Section are for public uses, purposes, welfare, and utility for which public money may be expended and the power of expropriation utilized as necessary and in the public's interest and in conformity with the approved plans of the parish. The provisions herein provided shall apply for residential, recreational, commercial, industrial, or other purposes and otherwise to encourage the provision of healthful homes, safe neighborhoods, a decent living environment, and adequate places of employment for the people. Such purposes are hereby declared as a matter of legislative determination.

C. The parish, acting through the St. Bernard Parish Housing, Redevelopment and Quality of Life Commission, for the purposes of this Section, may formulate a workable program or programs for utilizing appropriate private and public resources to eliminate and prevent the development or spread of slums and blight, to encourage needed rehabilitation, and to provide for the redevelopment of slum or blighted areas, or to undertake other feasible parochial activities as may be suitably employed to achieve the objectives of such workable program.

D. The parish, through the commission, to the greatest extent it determines to be feasible in carrying out the provisions of this Section, shall afford maximum opportunity, consistent with the sound needs of the parish as a whole, to the rehabilitation or redevelopment of the redevelopment area by, or in cooperation with, nonprofit and private enterprise. The commission shall give consideration to this objective in exercising its authority under this Section.

E.(1) There is hereby created a body politic and corporate which shall exist in perpetuity and be known as the St. Bernard Parish Housing, Redevelopment and Quality of Life Commission, referred to in this Section as the "commission". The commission is comprised of all of the territory located within the parish of St. Bernard as now incorporated. The commission is a political subdivision of the state as defined in the Constitution of Louisiana. The commission, acting through its board of commissioners as the governing authority of the commission, is hereby granted all of the rights, powers, privileges, and immunities accorded by the laws and the Constitution of Louisiana to political subdivisions of the state, including but not limited to the power to incur debt and issue revenue, sales tax, and general obligation bonds, to issue certificates of indebtedness, to issue bond, grant, and certificate anticipation notes, to issue refunding bonds, the power of taxation, and any other rights, powers, and privileges to incur debt, levy taxes, or obtain financing available to political subdivisions subject to the limitations provided in this Section. The commission shall be activated and implemented upon the passage of an ordinance by the St. Bernard Parish Council and appointment of the nine members of the board.

(2) The commission is created for the objectives and purposes of:

(a) Accepting title from or contracting with the parish concerning any or all real and personal property and improvements owned or acquired by the parish.

(b) Acquiring, selling, and leasing land, real and personal property, and improvements from any other sources, entities, or persons.

(c) Utilizing any land, real or personal property, and improvements to enhance economic benefits generated in the parish through diversified activities, including but not limited to:

(i) Planning land use and development to foster creation of new jobs, economic development, industry, health care, eldercare, senior citizens care, commerce, manufacturing, tourism, relocation of people and businesses to the parish, shipbuilding, aviation, military, warehousing, transportation, offices, recreation, housing development, conservation, residential development, and subdivision development.

(ii) Constructing, operating, and maintaining facilities, improvements, and infrastructure, including buildings, roads, bridges, drainage, and utilities.

(iii) Planning, developing, building, constructing, operating, regulating, maintaining, selling, leasing, and transferring any residential or subdivision land, real and personal property, and improvements or granting or obtaining any other property rights.

(3)(a) The commission shall be governed by a board of commissioners, referred to in this Chapter as the "board", consisting of nine members. One member shall be appointed by the parish president, one member shall be appointed by the sheriff of the parish, and each of the duly qualified and sitting members of the parish council shall appoint one member. Each such official authorized to appoint a member of the board shall be the appointing authority for that position on the board. An appointing authority may appoint himself to the board. If an appointing authority has appointed himself to the board, he may resign at any time and appoint a member to serve in his place. In the event of a vacancy in the membership of the board, the appointing authority that appointed that board member may appoint himself to the board, except as may be otherwise prohibited by Item (d)(ii) of this Paragraph.

(b) Each member appointed to the board shall be a citizen of the United States, a domiciliary of and a qualified voter in the parish of St. Bernard for at least one year preceding the date of appointment and shall remain a domiciliary of and a qualified voter in the parish of St. Bernard during the entirety of the term of office.

(c) Each board member serves at the pleasure of the appointing authority. However, no board member shall sit on the board more than sixty days after the end of the term of office of the appointing authority that appointed that board member without being reappointed to the board in the manner for which appointments to the board are provided for in this Paragraph.

(d)(i) Any member who misses fifty percent of the board's meetings, regular or special, in any calendar year shall be disqualified and removed automatically from office and that person's position shall be vacant as of the first day of the next calendar month.

(ii) Should a board member who is removed from office for the cause provided in Item (i) of this Subparagraph be a member of the appointing authority, then the vacancy shall be filled by a nominee of the parish president confirmed by the parish council for the balance of the vacated term. That particular member of the appointing authority shall not be eligible for reappointment to the board until expiration of the balance of the vacated term.

(e) Any vacancy in the membership of the board, except a vacancy occasioned by the operation of Item (d)(i) of this Paragraph, occurring by reason of the expiration of the term of office, death, resignation, disqualification, or otherwise shall be filled by the appointing authority, in accordance with the procedures set out in Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph for the applicable vacancy. In the event that the appointing authority fails to fill the vacancy within sixty days after receipt of written notification of the vacancy, the board shall appoint an interim successor to serve on the board until the position is filled by the appointing authority.

(f) Members of the board shall serve without compensation, shall have the power to organize and reorganize the executive, administrative, clerical, and other departments and forces of the commission and to fix the duties, powers, and compensation of all employees, agents, and consultants of the commission. The board may reimburse any member for expenses actually incurred with the authorization of the board in the performance of duties on behalf of the commission.

(g) The board shall elect yearly from its number a chairman, a vice chairman, a secretary, and a treasurer and shall establish their duties as may be regulated by rules adopted by the board. The offices of secretary and treasurer may be held by the same person. The board shall meet in regular session once each month and also shall meet in special session as convened by the chairman or upon written notice of three members. A majority of the board members, not including vacancies, shall constitute a quorum. All actions of the board shall be approved by the affirmative vote of a majority of the members present and voting. However, no action of the board shall be authorized on the following matters unless approved by a majority of the total board membership:

(i) Adoption of bylaws and other rules and regulations for conduct of the commission's business.

(ii) Hiring or firing of the commission's administrator.

(iii) The incurring of debt.

(iv) Levy of taxes and call for any tax or other election.

(v) Adoption or amendment of the annual budget.

(vi) Sale, lease, or alienation of real property or improvements.

(h) Vote by proxy shall not be permitted. Any member may request a recorded vote on any resolution or action of the commission.

(i) The board shall cause minutes and a record to be kept of all its proceedings, and it shall select a newspaper of general circulation within its territorial jurisdiction as its official journal in which it shall publish its minutes and in which it shall publish all official notices required by law.

(j) All meetings of the board shall be subject to state laws relative to open meetings, including R.S. 42:14.

(4) The exercise by the board of the powers conferred shall be deemed and held to be an essential governmental function of the state and parish. As the exercise of the powers granted by this Chapter will be in all respects for the benefit of the people of the state, for the increase of their commerce and prosperity, and for the improvement of their health and living conditions, the commission shall not be required to pay any taxes, including but not limited to sales and use taxes, ad valorem, occupational licensing, income, or any other taxes of any kind or nature, or assessments upon any property acquired or used by the commission under the provisions of this Section, or upon the income therefrom. Any bonds, certificates, or other evidences of indebtedness issued by the commission and the income therefrom shall be exempt from taxation by the state and by any parish, municipality, or other political subdivision of the state. The commission shall not be deemed to be a public utility and shall not be subject in any respect to the authority, control, regulation, or supervision of the Louisiana Public Service Commission.

(5) In addition to the powers and duties elsewhere granted in this Section, the board is hereby granted and shall have and may exercise all powers necessary or convenient for the carrying out of its objectives and purposes, including but not limited to the following:

(a) To sue and be sued and as such to stand in judgment.

(b) To adopt, use, and alter at will a corporate seal.

(c) To acquire by gift, grant, purchase, lease, expropriation, or otherwise and to hold and use any property, real, personal, mixed, tangible, or intangible, or any interest therein, necessary or desirable for carrying out the objects and purposes of the commission.

(d) To sell, transfer, lease, or convey any property acquired by it, or any interest therein, at any time to accomplish the objects and purposes of the commission subject to applicable law.

(e) To lease or sublease all or any portion of any property for a term not exceeding ninety-nine years at a fixed or variable rental subject to applicable law. Any such lease entered into shall provide for a fair and equitable return of revenue to the commission.

(f)(i) To sell, lease for a term of up to ninety-nine years, exchange, or otherwise dispose of or transfer to or with other political subdivisions of this state or private persons at public or private sale any residential, commercial, industrial, or subdivision land, property, improvements, or portions thereof, including real property, which is, in the opinion of the board, appropriate to accomplish the objectives and purposes of the commission.

(ii) Prior to any sale, lease, conveyance, disposition, or transfer of property pursuant to this Paragraph, a majority of the total board membership shall approve the sale, lease, conveyance, disposition, or transfer and fix the price and terms of the sale, lease, exchange, or other contract to be made with reference to the property. Such sale, lease, conveyance, disposition, or transfer shall comply with the terms and provisions of Paragraph (J)(2) of this Section.

(iii) Any sale of industrial land shall be in accordance with laws providing for the disposition or transfer of such land.

(g) To convey to the United States, the state, or to any political subdivision of the state any land, property, right-of-way, easement, servitude, or other thing of value, which the commission may own or acquire, for use by said governmental entity to accomplish the objectives and purposes of the commission, pursuant to the terms of any appropriate cooperative endeavor agreement.

(h) To make and collect reasonable charges for the use of property of the commission and for services rendered by the commission and to regulate fees or rentals charged for use of privately owned facilities located on property owned or sold by the commission when such facilities are offered for use by the public or by a private industrial, commercial, research, or other economic development entity or activity.

(i) To enter into contracts with public and/or private entities to achieve the commission's objectives and purposes, including but not limited to contracts for professional, legal, and other services and for the purchase, lease, acquisition, sale, construction, operation, maintenance, and improvement of land, public works, and facilities, as the board may deem necessary or convenient to accomplish the objectives and purposes of the commission, subject to the Public Bid Law, R.S. 38:2211 et seq. when applicable.

(j) To plan, develop, regulate, operate, and maintain activities and planned land uses to foster creation of new jobs, economic development, industry, health care, general public and social welfare, commerce, manufacturing, tourism, relocation of people and businesses to the area, shipbuilding, aviation, military, warehousing, transportation, offices, recreation, housing development, and conservation.

(k) To acquire land and improvements to construct, operate, and maintain facilities, improvements, and infrastructure, including buildings, roads, bridges, drainage, and utilities, and to perform other functions and activities on property owned or leased by the commission to accomplish the objectives and purposes of the commission and to protect the public health and welfare.

(l) 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 acquisition and operation of commission property or to carry out the other public purposes of this Section, and to issue any other bonds permitted by law, borrow money, and issue certificates of indebtedness, notes, and other debt obligations as evidence thereof and provide for the manner and method of repayment in accordance with law.

(m) To require and issue licenses.

(n) To levy annually and cause to be collected ad valorem taxes, provided that the amount, term, and purpose of such taxes, as set out in propositions submitted to a vote in accordance with the Louisiana Election Code, shall be approved by a majority of the qualified electors of the parish voting in an election held for that purpose.

(o)(i) To levy and collect sales and use taxes within the boundaries of the commission for such purposes and at such rate as provided by the propositions authorizing their levy, not to exceed in aggregate one percent, which taxes may exceed the limitation set forth in the Constitution of Louisiana, provided the proposition submitted to a vote in accordance with the Louisiana Election Code shall be approved by a majority of the qualified electors of the parish voting in an election held for that purpose. In submitting a sales tax proposition to a vote, the board may enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement with the parish council providing for the sales tax to be divided into parts between the parish and the commission for such purposes and in such amounts as may be set forth in the proposition.

(ii) The tax shall be levied upon the sale at retail, the use, the lease or rental, the consumption, the distribution, and storage for use or consumption of tangible personal property, and upon the sales of services within the parish, all as defined in R.S. 47:301 et seq.

(iii) Except where inapplicable, the procedure established by R.S. 47:301 et seq. shall be followed in the imposition, collection, and enforcement of the tax, and procedural details necessary to supplement those Sections and to make them applicable to the tax herein authorized shall be fixed in the resolution imposing the tax.

(iv) The tax shall be imposed and collected uniformly throughout the parish.

(v) Any tax levied under this Subparagraph shall be in addition to all other taxes which the parish or any other political subdivision within the parish is now or hereafter authorized to levy and collect.

(p) To develop, activate, construct, exchange, acquire, improve, repair, operate, maintain, lease, mortgage, sell, and grant a security device affecting the movable and immovable property, servitudes, facilities, and works within the parish under such terms and conditions as the board may deem necessary or appropriate for any public purpose, including industrial, residential, subdivision, and commercial development.

(q) After notice and public hearing to designate one or more project areas within the boundaries of the parish, each designated area shall be given a name and designated as "St. Bernard Redevelopment Subdistrict No. __".

(r) To borrow money and to pledge or grant a security device affecting all or part of its revenues, leases, rents, and other advantages as security for such loans.

(s) To appoint officers, agents, and employees, prescribe their duties, and fix their compensation.

(t) To carry out all functions and authority consistent with the undertakings set out in this Section without reference to any other law, except as otherwise specifically provided in this Section.

F.(1) In addition to the authority contained herein or granted by other law, the commission and any subdistrict of the commission may issue revenue bonds to acquire, purchase, lease, construct, or improve housing, residential development, subdivision development, commercial, research, industrial, or other plant sites and buildings, or other capital improvements authorized in this Section, including energy and pollution abatement and control facilities and necessary property and appurtenances thereto; and may sell, lease, sublease, or otherwise dispose of by suitable and appropriate contract to any enterprise locating or existing within the jurisdiction of the commission, or the respective subdistrict, such sites, buildings, or facilities and appurtenances thereto, all or severally. The funds derived from the sale of such bonds may be disbursed in whole or in part upon delivery of the bonds as shall be provided in the contract between the commission, or respective subdistrict, and the residential, commercial, research, industrial, or other enterprise to be aided, encouraged, or benefitted subject to the requirements of Paragraph (J)(2) of this Section.

(2) Bonds issued under this Subsection shall be authorized by resolution of the board and shall be limited obligations of the commission or respective subdistrict, the principal of and interest, costs of issuance, and other costs incidental thereto shall be payable solely from the income and revenue derived from the sale, lease, or other disposition of the project or facility to be financed by the bonds issued under this Subsection, or from the income and revenue derived from the sale, lease, or other disposition of any existing project or facility acquired, constructed, and improved under the provision of this Subsection, or from any source available for such purpose. However, in the discretion of the commission, or respective subdistrict, the bonds may be additionally secured by mortgage or other security device covering all or part of the project from which the revenues so pledged may be derived. Any refunding bonds issued pursuant to this Subsection shall be payable from any source described above or from the investment of any of the proceeds of the refunding bonds authorized under this Subsection and shall not constitute an indebtedness or pledge of the general credit of the parish, the commission, or respective subdistrict, within the meaning of any constitutional or statutory limitation of indebtedness and shall contain a recital to that effect. Bonds of the commission, or respective subdistrict, issued under this Subsection, shall be issued in such form, shall be in such denominations, shall bear interest, shall mature in such manner, and be executed by one or more members of the board as provided in the resolution authorizing the issuance thereof. Such bonds may be subject to redemption at the option of and in the manner determined by the board in the resolution authorizing the issuance thereof.

(3) No bonds or other evidences of indebtedness may be issued under this Subsection without the prior approval of the State Bond Commission of the terms and provisions thereof.

(4) Bonds issued under this Subsection shall be issued, sold, and delivered in accordance with the terms and provisions of a resolution adopted by the board. The resolution issuing bonds shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation within the jurisdiction of the commission, and for a period of thirty days after said publication, any interested citizen may bring an action to contest the bonds and the security therefor, as provided in the Constitution of Louisiana. If, after the expiration of thirty days, no suit has been filed, the issuance, sale, and security of the bonds shall be incontestable, and no court shall have authority to entertain any action questioning or contesting such matters.

(5) Bonds issued by the commission or any subdistrict of the commission under this Section are deemed to be securities of public entities within the meaning of Chapters 13 and 13-A of Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, and shall be subject to defeasance in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 14 of Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, and may also be issued as short term revenue notes of a public entity under Chapter 15-A of Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950.

(6) No bonds, other debt obligations, or contracts of the commission shall be a charge upon the income, property, or revenue of the parish, nor shall any obligations of the commission be obligations of the parish.

G. The commission, through the board, shall have all the authority and power necessary or convenient to carry out and effectuate the purposes and provisions of this St. Bernard Parish Redevelopment Law, including without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the following authority which shall be in addition to others herein granted:

(1) To undertake and carry out redevelopment projects and related activities, to make and execute contracts and other instruments necessary or convenient to the exercise of its authority under this Section, and to disseminate slum and blight clearance and redevelopment information.

(2) To provide or to arrange or contract for the furnishing or repair by any person or agency, public or private, of services, privileges, works, streets, roads, public utilities, or other facilities for or in connection with a redevelopment project, to install, construct, and reconstruct streets, utilities, parks, playgrounds, and other public improvements; and to agree to any conditions that it may deem reasonable and appropriate attached to federal financial assistance and imposed pursuant to federal law relating to the determination of prevailing salaries or wages or compliance with labor standards, in the undertaking or carrying out of a redevelopment project and related activities, and to include in any contract let in connection with such a project and related activities, provisions to fulfill such of said conditions as it may deem reasonable and appropriate.

(3) To acquire by purchase, lease, option, gift, grant, bequest, devise, expropriation or otherwise, any real property (or personal property for its administrative purposes) together with any improvements thereon; to hold, improve, clear, or prepare for redevelopment of any such property; to mortgage, pledge, hypothecate, or otherwise encumber or dispose of any real property; to insure or provide for the insurance of any real or personal property or operations of the governing authority against any risks or hazards, including the power to pay premiums on any such insurance; and to enter into any contracts necessary to effectuate the purpose of this Section; but no statutory provision with respect to the acquisition, clearance, or disposition of property by public bodies shall restrict the parish or commission exercising powers thereunder, in the exercise of such functions with respect to a redevelopment project and related activities, unless the legislature shall specifically so state.

(4) With the approval of the governing authority of the parish:

(a) Prior to approval of a redevelopment plan, or approval of any modification of the plan, to acquire real property in a redevelopment area, demolish and remove any structures on the property, and pay all costs related to the acquisition, demolition, or removal, including any administrative or relocation expenses.

(b) To assume the responsibility to bear any loss that may arise as the result of the exercise of authority under this Subsection in the event that the real property is not made a part of the redevelopment plan or project.

(c) To invest any redevelopment funds held in reserve or in sinking funds or any such funds not required for immediate disbursement, in property or securities in which public bodies may legally invest funds subject to their control; to redeem such bonds as have been issued pursuant to this Section at the redemption price established therein or to purchase such bonds at less than redemption price.

(d) To borrow money and to apply for and accept advances, leases, grants, contributions, and any other form of financial assistance from the federal government, the state, parish, or other public bodies, or from any sources, public or private, for the purposes of this Section, and to give such security as may be required and to enter into and carry out contracts or agreements in connection therewith; and to include in any contract for financial assistance with the federal government for or with respect to a redevelopment project and related activities such conditions imposed pursuant to federal laws as the board may deem reasonable and appropriate and which are not inconsistent with the purposes of this Section.

(5) To make or have made all surveys and plans necessary to the carrying out of the purposes of this Section and to contract with any person, public or private, in the making and carrying out of such plans and to adopt or approve, modify, and amend such plans, which plans may include but are not limited to:

(a) Plans for carrying out a program of voluntary or compulsory repair and rehabilitation of buildings and improvements.

(b) Plans for the enforcement of state and local laws, codes, and regulations relating to the use of land and the use and occupancy of buildings and improvements and to the compulsory repair, rehabilitation, demolition, or removal of buildings and improvements.

(c) Appraisals, title searches, surveys, studies, and other plans and work necessary to prepare for the undertaking of redevelopment projects and related activities.

(6) To develop, test, and report methods and techniques and carry out demonstrations and other activities for the prevention and the elimination of slums and urban blight and for developing and demonstrating new or improved means of providing housing or continuing-care, assisted living, or independent living or other similar type housing or communities designed to provide housing communities for elderly or retired persons or other persons desiring such housing facilities to offer at market rates and to apply for, accept, and utilize grants of funds from the federal, state, or local governments for such purposes.

(7) To prepare plans for and assist in the relocation of persons (including individuals, families, business concerns, nonprofit organizations, and others) displaced from a redevelopment area, and to make relocation payments to or with respect to such persons for moving and readjustment expenses and losses of property for which reimbursement or compensation is not otherwise made, including the making of such payments financed by the federal government.

(8) To close or cause to be closed, vacate, plan, or replan streets, roads, sidewalks, ways, or other places; and to plan or cause to be replanned any part of the parish, and to make payment or reimbursement of reasonable actual costs incurred as a result of utility relocations when such relocations are made necessary in a redevelopment area, after making appropriate adjustment for any improvements or betterments to the utility's facilities made in connection with the relocation.

(9) To make and from time to time amend and repeal bylaws, orders, rules, and regulations in order to effectuate the provisions of this Section.

(10) To enter into agreements and contracts with the local governing body or any other public body, private entities, foundations, and nonprofit entities in pursuance of the intent of this Section.

(11) To make available to the government and to the parish or any appropriate agency, the recommendation of the board affecting any area in its field of operation or property therein, which it may deem likely to promote the public health, morals, safety, or welfare.

(12) To exercise all or any part or combination of powers herein granted.

H. The commission shall not institute a redevelopment plan for an area unless the board, by resolution, has determined such area to be a slum, a blighted area, or a distressed area, or a combination thereof, and designated such area as appropriate for a redevelopment project. The commission shall not acquire real property for a redevelopment project unless the local governing body has approved the redevelopment plan as provided in this Subsection.

(1) The board may prepare or cause to be prepared a redevelopment plan, and it is hereby authorized, in connection therewith, to apply for and receive planning advances from the federal government or other bodies. Upon its preliminary approval of a redevelopment plan, the board shall submit such plan to the planning commission of the parish for review and recommendation as to its conformity with the general plan for the development of the parish as a whole. The planning commission shall submit its written recommendations with respect to the proposed redevelopment plan to the board within thirty days after receipt of the plan for review. Upon receipt of the recommendations of the planning commission, or if no recommendations are received within the said thirty days, then without such recommendations, the board may proceed with the hearing on the proposed redevelopment plan as provided in Paragraph (2) of this Subsection.

(2)(a) The board shall hold a public hearing on the redevelopment plan after public notice thereof by publication at least ten days prior to the hearing in a newspaper having a general circulation in the parish. The notice shall state the time, date, place, and purpose of the hearing, shall generally identify the area covered by the plan, and shall outline the general scope of the project under consideration.

(b) At the hearing the board shall afford an opportunity to all persons or agencies interested to be heard and shall receive, make known, and consider recommendations in writing with reference to the redevelopment plan.

(c) The board shall give final approval of, reject, or make recommendations for changes in the redevelopment plan as submitted. The board shall not give final approval of a redevelopment plan unless it is satisfied that adequate provisions will be made to rehouse displaced families, if any, without undue hardship.

(d) Upon final approval by the board of the redevelopment plan, the board is authorized to take such action as may be necessary to carry it out.

(3) A redevelopment plan may be modified at any time, but if it is modified after the lease or sale by the commission of real property in the redevelopment area, such modification shall be subject to such rights as a lessee or purchaser or his successor or successors in interest may be entitled to assert.

(4) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Section, whenever the local governing body has certified that an area is in need of redevelopment or rehabilitation as a result of an act of God, fire, bombing, riot, or other catastrophe, the commission may approve a redevelopment plan or project with respect to such area without regard to the provisions of Paragraphs (1) and (2) of this Subsection.

I.(1) Subject to the requirements of Subsection B of this Section, the commission may acquire by purchase or by the exercise of the power of expropriation any real property, or interest therein, which it may deem necessary for or in connection with a redevelopment plan or project under this Section. The commission may exercise the power of expropriation in the manner provided in the Civil Code relative to the transfer of property, and the laws supplementary or amendatory thereto, or it may exercise the power of expropriation in the manner now or which may be hereafter provided by any other statutory provision for the exercise of the power of expropriation. Property already devoted to a public use may be purchased in a like manner, but no real property belonging to the United States, the state, or any political subdivision of the state may be acquired without its consent.

(2) In any proceeding to fix or assess compensation for the purchase of property, or any interest therein, through the exercise of expropriation, evidence, or testimony bearing upon the following matters shall be admissible and shall be considered in fixing such compensation or damages, in addition to evidence or testimony otherwise admissible:

(a) Any use, condition, occupancy, or operation of such property, which is unlawful or violative, or subject to elimination, abatement, prohibition, or correction, under any law or any ordinance or regulatory measure of the state, parish, or other political subdivision, or any agency thereof, in which such property is located, as being unsafe, substandard, insanitary, or otherwise contrary to the public health, safety, or welfare.

(b) The effect on the value of such property of any such use, condition, occupancy, or operation, or of the elimination, abatement, prohibition, or correction of any such use, condition, or operation.

(c) The foregoing testimony and evidence shall be admissible notwithstanding that no action has been taken by any public body or public officer toward the abatement, prohibition, elimination, or correction of any such use, condition, occupancy, or operation. Testimony or evidence that any public body or public officer charged with the duty or authority so to do has rendered, made, or issued any judgment, decree, determination, or order for the abatement, prohibition, elimination, or correction of any such use, condition, occupancy, or operation shall be admissible and shall be prima facie evidence of the existence and character of such use, condition, or operation.

J.(1) The commission may sell, lease, or otherwise transfer real property or any interest therein acquired by it in redevelopment areas for residential, recreational, commercial, industrial, or other uses or for public use, in accordance with the redevelopment plan, subject to such covenants, conditions, and restrictions, including covenants running with the land, as it may deem to be necessary or desirable to assist in preventing the development or spread of future slums or blighted areas or to provide for the elimination thereof or to otherwise carry out the purposes of this Section. The purchasers or lessees and their successors and assigns shall be obligated to devote such real property only to the uses specified in the redevelopment plan, and may be obligated to comply with such other requirements as the commission may determine to be in the public interest, including the obligation to begin within a reasonable time any improvements on such real property required by the redevelopment plan. Such real property or interest shall be sold, leased, or otherwise transferred at not less than its fair value for uses in accordance with the redevelopment plan. In determining the fair value of real property for uses in accordance with the redevelopment plans, the commission shall take into account and give consideration to the use provided in such plan; the restrictions upon and the covenants, conditions, and obligations assumed by the purchaser or lessee; and the objectives of such plan for the prevention of the recurrence of slum areas, blighted areas, or distressed areas. The commission, in any instrument of conveyance to a private purchaser or lessee, may provide that such purchaser or lessee shall be without power to sell, lease, or otherwise transfer the real property without the prior written consent of the commission until such purchaser or lessee has completed the construction of any and all improvements which he has obligated himself to construct thereon. Real property acquired in accordance with the provisions of the redevelopment plan shall be transferred as rapidly as feasible in the public interest, consistent with the carrying out of the provisions of the project plan. Such plan and any substantial modification of such plan shall be filed as a public record in the office of the clerk of the parish, and any conveyances, encumbrances, or other contracts may incorporate the provisions thereof by reference which shall afford notice thereof to all parties.

(2) The commission shall dispose of, sell, or lease real property in a redevelopment area to private persons only under such reasonable competitive bidding procedures as it shall prescribe subject to the provisions set forth in this Paragraph. The commission must by public notice, by publication once each week for two consecutive weeks in a newspaper having a general circulation in the community, fifteen days prior to the execution of any contract to sell, lease, or otherwise transfer real property and prior to the delivery of any instrument of conveyance with respect thereto under the provisions of this Section, invite proposals from and make available all pertinent information to private redevelopers or any persons interested in undertaking to redevelop or rehabilitate a redevelopment area or any part thereof. Such notice shall identify the area, or portion thereof, and shall state that proposals shall be made by those in interest within thirty days after publication of such notice, and that such further information as is available may be obtained at such office as shall be designated in the notice. The board shall consider all such redevelopment or rehabilitation proposals and the financial and legal ability of the persons making such proposals to carry them out, and may negotiate with any persons for proposals for the purchase, lease, or other transfer of any real property acquired by the commission in the redevelopment area. The board may accept such proposal as it deems to be in the public interest and in furtherance of the purposes of this Section; provided, however, that a notification of intention to accept such proposal shall be filed with the local governing body not less than thirty days prior to any such acceptance. Such notice shall be a public record and shall include the name of the redeveloper or purchaser, together with the names of its officers and principal members or shareholders and investors and other interested parties, the redeveloper's estimate of the cost of any residential development and rehabilitations, and the redeveloper's estimate of rentals and sales prices of any proposed housing involved in such redevelopment and rehabilitation. Thereafter, the board may execute such contract in accordance with the provisions of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection and deliver acts of sale, leases, and other instruments and take all steps necessary to effectuate such contract.

(3) The commission may temporarily operate, maintain, or lease real property acquired by it in a redevelopment area for or in connection with a redevelopment project pending disposition of the property as authorized in this Section for such uses and purposes as may be deemed desirable even though not in connection with the redevelopment plan.

(4) Any real property acquired pursuant to Paragraph (I)(1) of this Section may be disposed of without regard to other provisions of this Section if the local governing body has consented to the disposal. Real property acquired in accordance with the redevelopment plan may be disposed of to a public body for public reuse without regard to the provisions of this Subsection.

(5) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Section where an area in the parish is designated as a redevelopment area under the Federal Area Redevelopment Act (Public Law 87-27), or any Act supplementary thereto, land in a redevelopment project area designated under the redevelopment plan for industrial or commercial uses may be disposed of to any public body or nonprofit corporation for subsequent disposition as promptly as practical by the public body or corporation for redevelopment in accordance with the redevelopment plan, and only the purchaser from or lessee of the public body or corporation, and their assignees, shall be required to assume the obligation of beginning the building of improvements within a reasonable time. Any disposition of land to a public body or corporation under this Paragraph shall be at its fair value for uses in accordance with the redevelopment plan.

K.(1) The commission shall have the power to issue bonds from time to time at its discretion to finance the undertaking of any redevelopment project under this Section, including, without limiting the generality thereof, the payment of principal and interest upon any advances for surveys and plans or preliminary loans, and shall also have power to issue refunding bonds for the payment or retirement of bonds previously issued by it, such bonds to be payable as to both principal and interest solely from the income, proceeds, revenues, and funds of the commission derived from or held in connection with its undertaking and carrying out of redevelopment projects under this Section. Payment of such bonds, both as to principal and interest, may be further secured by a pledge of any loan, grant, or contribution from the federal government or other sources in aid of any redevelopment projects, or any part thereof, or from any other source available for such purpose, title to which is in the commission.

(2) In case any of the public officials of the commission whose signature appears on any bonds issued under this Section shall cease to be such official before the delivery of the bonds, such signature shall, nevertheless, be valid and sufficient for all purposes, the same as if the official had remained in office until delivery. Any provisions of any law to the contrary notwithstanding, any bonds issued pursuant to this Section shall be fully negotiable. Bonds issued under this Subsection shall not constitute an indebtedness of the parish within the meaning of any constitutional or statutory debt limitation or restrictions, and shall not be subject to the provisions of any other law or charter relating to the authorization, issuance, or sale of bonds. Bonds issued under the provisions of this Section are declared to be issued for an essential public and governmental purpose and, together with interest thereon and income therefrom, shall be exempted from all taxes.

(3) In any suit, action, or proceeding involving the validity or enforceability of any bond issue under this Section or the security therefor, any bond reciting in substance that it has been issued by the commission in connection with a redevelopment project, as herein defined, shall be conclusively deemed to have been issued in accordance with the provisions of this Section. Bonds issued under this Subsection shall be authorized by resolution or ordinance of the commission and may be issued in one or more series and shall bear such date or dates, be payable upon demand or mature at such time or times, bear interest at such rate or rates, be in such denomination or denominations, be in such form either with or without coupon or registered, carry such conversion or registration privileges, have such rank or priority, be executed in such manner, be payable in such medium of` payment, at such place or places, and be subject to such terms of redemption with or without premiums, be secured in such manner, and have such other characteristics as may be provided by such resolution or ordinance, or trust indenture or mortgage issued pursuant thereto.

L.(1) All banks, trust companies, bankers, savings banks and institutions, building and loan associations, savings and loan associations, investment companies, and other persons carrying on a banking or investment business; all insurance companies, insurance associations, and other persons carrying on an insurance business; and all executors, administrators, curators, trustees, and other fiduciaries may legally invest any sinking funds, monies, or other funds belonging to them or within their control in any bonds or other obligations issued by the commission pursuant to this Section. Bonds and other obligations shall be authorized security for all public deposits. It is the purpose of this Subsection to authorize any persons, political subdivisions, and officers, public or private, to use any funds owned or controlled by them for the purchase of any bonds or other obligations. Nothing contained in this Subsection with regard to legal investments shall be construed as relieving any persons of any duty of exercising reasonable care in selecting securities.

(2) Any bonds, certification, or other debt obligation issued by the commission and the interest thereon shall be exempt from taxation in the state of Louisiana.

M.(1) All property of the parish or commission, including funds owned or held by it for the purpose of this Section, shall be exempt from levy and sale by virtue of an execution, and no execution or other judicial process shall issue against the same nor shall judgment against the parish or commission be a charge or lien upon such property; but the provisions of this Subsection shall not apply to or limit the right of obligees to pursue any remedies for the enforcement of any pledge or lien given pursuant to this Section by the parish or commission on its rents, fees, grants, or revenues from redevelopment projects.

(2) The property of the parish or commission acquired or held for the purposes of this Section is declared to be public property used for essential public and governmental purposes, and such property shall be exempt from all taxes of the parish, the state, or any political subdivision thereof; but such tax exemption shall terminate when the parish or commission sells, leases, or otherwise disposes of the property in a redevelopment area to a purchaser or lessee which is not a public body entitled to tax exemption with respect to the property.

N.(1)(a) For the purpose of aiding in the planning, undertaking, or carrying out of a redevelopment project and related activities authorized by this Section, any public body may, upon such terms, with or without consideration as it may determine:

(i) Dedicate, sell, convey, or lease any of its interest in any property or grant easements, licenses, or other rights or privileges therein to the commission.

(ii) Incur the entire expense of any public improvements made by such public body in exercising the powers granted in this Subsection.

(iii) Do any and all things necessary to aid or cooperate in the planning or carrying out of a redevelopment plan and related activities.

(iv) Lend, grant, or contribute funds to the commission in accordance with an appropriate cooperative endeavor agreement and borrow money and apply for and accept advances, loans, grants, contributions, and any other form of financial assistance from the federal government, the state, parish, or other public body, or from any other source.

(v) Enter into agreements which may extend over any period notwithstanding any provision or rule of law to the contrary with the federal government or other public body respecting action to be taken pursuant to any of the powers granted by this Section, including the furnishing of funds or other assistance in connection with a redevelopment project and related activities.

(vi) Cause public buildings and public facilities, including parks, playgrounds, recreational, community, educational, water, sewer, or drainage facilities, or any other works which it is otherwise empowered to undertake to be furnished; furnish, dedicate, close, vacate, pave, install, grade, regrade, plan, or replan streets, roads, sidewalks, ways, or other places; plan or replan, zone or rezone any part of the public body or make exceptions from building regulations.

(b) If at any time title to or possession of any redevelopment project is held by any public body or governmental agency, other than the parish which is authorized by law to engage in the undertaking, carrying out, or administration of redevelopment projects and related activities, the provisions of the agreements referred to in this Subsection shall inure to the benefit of and may be enforced by such public body or governmental agency. As used in this Subsection, the term parish shall also include the commission, and the commission shall be vested with all of the redevelopment authority pursuant to the provisions of this Subsection.

(2) For the purposes of aid in the planning, undertaking, or carrying out of a redevelopment project and related activities of the commission, the board may in addition to its other powers and upon such terms, with or without consideration, as it may determine do and perform any or all of the actions or things which by the provisions of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, a public body is authorized to do or perform, including the furnishing of financial and other assistance.

(3) For the purposes of this Subsection, or for the purpose of aiding in the planning, undertaking, or carrying out of a redevelopment project and related activities of the commission, the commission may, in addition to any authority to issue bonds pursuant to Subsection K of this Section, issue and sell its general obligation bonds. Any bonds issued by the commission pursuant to this Section shall be issued in the manner and within the limitation prescribed by the applicable laws of this state for the issuance and authorization of such bonds. Nothing in this Subsection shall limit or otherwise adversely affect any other provision of this Section.

(4) Without limiting the generality of any of the foregoing provisions of this Section, but subject to any limitation now or hereafter provided by the applicable provisions of the Constitution of Louisiana and, in the case of any home rule charter, the applicable provisions of such home rule charter, the parish may appropriate such of its funds and make such expenditures of its funds as it may deem necessary for it to exercise or undertake any of the powers, functions, or activities mentioned in this Section, including particularly its powers, functions, and activities mentioned in the foregoing provisions of this Subsection, and levy taxes and assessments to enable it to undertake, carry out, or accomplish any of its powers, functions, or activities provided in this Section, including particularly its powers, functions, and activities provided in the foregoing provisions of this Subsection.

O. Any bonds issued by the commission shall be subject to the Bond Validation Law (R.S. 13:5121) pursuant to which the issuance of the bonds may be submitted to the courts for validation.

P. Any instrument executed by the parish or commission purporting to convey any right, title, or interest in any property under this Section shall be conclusively presumed to have been executed in compliance with provisions of this Section insofar as title or other interest of any bona fide purchasers, lessees, or transferees of the property is concerned.

Q. As used in this Section, the following terms shall have the meaning herein ascribed to them.

(1) "Blighted area" means an area which by reason of the presence of a substantial number of slum, deteriorated, or deteriorating structures, predominance of defective or inadequate street layout, faulty lot layout in relation to size, adequacy, accessibility, or usefulness, insanitary or unsafe conditions, deterioration of site or other improvements, diversity of ownership, tax or special assessment delinquency exceeding the fair value of the land, defective or unusual conditions of title or the existence of conditions which endanger life or property by fire and other causes, or any combination of such factors substantially impairs or arrests the sound growth of the parish, retards the provision of housing accommodations, or constitutes an economic or social liability and is a menace to the public health, safety, morals, or welfare in its present condition and use; but if the area consists of any disaster area referred to in Paragraph (H)(4) of this Section, it shall constitute a "blighted area".

(2) "Bonds" means any bonds, notes, interim certificates, certificates of indebtedness, debenture, or other obligation.

(3) "Clerk" means the clerk, secretary, or other official who is the custodian of the official records of the local governing body.

(4) "Commission" means the St. Bernard Housing, Redevelopment and Quality of Life Commission created or authorized by this Section.

(5) "Distressed area" means any area not already defined as a slum area or blighted area that is an environmentally contaminated or impacted area as determined by the commission.

(6) "Federal government" means any department, agency, or instrumentality, corporate or otherwise, of the United States of America.

(7) "Local governing body" means the parish governing authority.

(8) "Obligee" means any bondholder, agent, or trustee for any bondholder or lessor devising property used in connection with redevelopment, or any assignee or assignees of such lessor's interest or any part thereof, and the federal government when it is a party to any contract with the parish.

(9) "Person" means any individual firm, partnership, corporation, company, association, joint stock association, or body politic and shall include any trustee, receiver, assignee, or other person acting in a similar representative capacity.

(10) "Public body" means the state and any parish and any board, commission, authority, agency, district, subdivision, department, or instrumentality, corporate or otherwise, of the state or any parish.

(11) "Public officer" means any officer who is in charge of any department or branch of the government of the parish relating to health, fire, building regulations, or to other activities concerning dwellings in the parish.

(12) "Real property" means all lands, including improvements and fixtures thereon, and property of any nature appurtenant thereto, or used in connection therewith, and every estate, interest, right, or use, legal or equitable, therein, including terms for years and liens by way of judgment, mortgage, or otherwise.

(13) "Redevelopment area" means a slum area, blighted area, or a distressed area or a combination thereof which the local governing body designates as appropriate for a redevelopment project.

(14) "Redevelopment plan" means a plan, as it exists from time to time for a redevelopment project, which plan shall conform to the general plan for the parish as a whole and shall be sufficiently complete to indicate such land acquisition, demolition, and removal of structures, redevelopment, improvements, and rehabilitation as may be proposed to be carried out in the redevelopment area, zoning, and planning changes, if any, land uses, maximum densities, and building requirements.

(15) "Redevelopment project" means undertakings and activities in a redevelopment area for the elimination and for the prevention of the development or spread of slum areas, blighted areas, or distressed areas, and may involve clearance and redevelopment in a redevelopment area, or rehabilitation or conservation in a redevelopment area or a program of code enforcement in a redevelopment area, and may include open land which, because of its location or situation, is necessary for sound community growth which is to be developed by replatting and planning for predominantly residential uses, or any combination or part thereof in accordance with a redevelopment plan. Such undertakings and activities may include:

(a) Purchase of a slum or blighted area or portion thereof.

(b) Demolition and removal of buildings and improvements.

(c) Installation, construction, or reconstruction of streets, utilities, parks, playgrounds, and other improvements necessary for carrying out in the redevelopment area the redevelopment objectives of this Section in accordance with the redevelopment plan.

(d) Disposition of any property acquired in the redevelopment area including sale, initial leasing, or retention by the parish itself at its fair market value for uses in accordance with the redevelopment plan.

(e) Carrying out plans for a program of code enforcement and a program of voluntary or compulsory repair and rehabilitation of buildings or other improvements in accordance with the redevelopment plan.

(f) Purchase of real property in the redevelopment area which, under the redevelopment plan, is to be repaired or rehabilitated for dwelling use or related facilities, repair or rehabilitation of the structures for guidance purposes, and resale of the property.

(g) Purchase of any other real property in the redevelopment area where necessary to eliminate unhealthful, insanitary, or unsafe conditions, lessen density, eliminate obsolete or other uses detrimental to the public welfare, or otherwise to remove or prevent the spread of blight or deterioration, or to provide land for needed public facilities.

(h) Purchase, without regard to any requirement that the area be a slum or blighted area, of air rights in an area consisting principally of land in highways, railways, or subway tracks, bridge, or tunnel entrances, or other similar facilities which have a blighting influence on the surrounding area and over which air rights sites are to be developed for the elimination of such blighting influences and for the provision of housing and related facilities and uses designed specifically for and limited to families and individuals of low or moderate income.

(i) Construction of foundations and platforms necessary for the provision of air rights sites and housing and related facilities and uses designed specifically for and limited to families and individuals of low or moderate income.

(16) "Related activities" means planning work for the preparation of a general neighborhood renewal plan, or for the preparation or completion of a community-wide plan or program and the functions related to the acquisition and disposal of real property pursuant to Subsections I and J of this Section.

(17) "Slum area" means an area in which there is a predominance of buildings or improvements, whether residential or nonresidential, which by reason of dilapidation, deterioration, age, or obsolescence, inadequate provision for ventilation, light, air, sanitation, or open space, high density of population and overcrowding, or the existence of conditions which endanger life or property by fire and other causes, or an area of open land which, because of its location and/or situation, is necessary for sound community growth, by replatting and planning development, for predominantly residential uses, or any combination of such factors is conducive to ill health, transmission of disease, infant mortality, juvenile delinquency, or crime, and is detrimental to the public health, safety, morals, or welfare.

R. Insofar as the provisions of this Section are inconsistent with the provisions of any other law, the provisions of this Section shall be controlling. The authority conferred by this Section shall be in addition and supplemental to the powers conferred by any other law.

Acts 2005, No. 104, §1, eff. June 21, 2005.