§7714. Erath-Delcambre Consolidated Wastewater District

A.(1) There is hereby created the Erath-Delcambre Consolidated Wastewater District, referred to in this Section as the "district" or "consolidated district", within the parishes of Vermilion and Iberia, as more specifically provided in Subsection B of this Section. The district shall be a political subdivision of the state within the meaning of Article VI, Section 44(2) of the Constitution of Louisiana but shall not be considered an instrumentality of the state for the purposes of Article X of the Constitution of Louisiana.

(2) The district is established for the construction, maintenance, and operation of wastewater services and facilities within the district boundaries.

B. The Erath-Delcambre Consolidated Wastewater District shall be comprised of all of the property located within the corporate limits of the towns of Erath and Delcambre, as well as all of the property within the following boundaries: bounded on the west by the eastern edge of the Delcambre Canal, bounded on the north by the southern edge of a straight line formed by the extension of Pearl Street in an easterly direction, bounded on the east by a straight line formed by the western edge of Twin Port Road and its extension to the north where it intersects with the extension of Pearl Street, and bounded on the south by a straight line drawn due west from the southern end of Twin Port Road to a point where it intersects with the eastern edge of the Delcambre Canal.

C.(1) The district shall be governed by a board of commissioners, referred to in this Section as the "board", comprised as follows:

(a) Two members shall be appointed by the governing authority of the town of Erath.

(b) Two members shall be appointed by the governing authority of the town of Delcambre.

(c) One member shall be appointed by the seafood processing facilities within the district.

(2)(a) Except as provided in Subparagraph (b) of this Paragraph, members shall serve four-year terms and shall be eligible for reappointment. In no case, however, shall any member serve more than three consecutive terms.

(b) Initial terms of the board shall be determined by lot at the first meeting; one member shall serve one year; one member shall serve two years; two members shall serve three years; and one member shall serve four years.

(3) All members shall be residents of the district.

(4) Members may be removed for cause by a majority vote of the other members of the board. Any member so removed shall not be eligible for reappointment to the board.

(5) Any member who misses four consecutive regular meetings of the board shall be automatically removed from office and his position shall be deemed vacant.

(6) Vacancies on the board shall be filled in the manner of the original appointment. Should the appointing authority fail to fill the vacancy within thirty days of receiving official notice of the vacancy from the highest ranking officer of the board in good standing, the remaining board members may appoint a member to serve the remainder of the unexpired term. Such an appointee shall be eligible for reappointment by the appointing authority.

D.(1) Board members shall serve without compensation.

(2) The board shall be domiciled in the town of Delcambre.

(3) The board shall adopt bylaws it deems necessary or advisable for conducting its business affairs. Rules and regulations of the board relative to the notice and conduct of meetings shall conform to applicable law, including laws relative to open meetings. The board shall hold regular meetings as shall be provided for in the bylaws and may hold special meetings at such times and places within the district as may be prescribed in the bylaws.

(4) The minute books and archives of the district shall be maintained by the secretary-treasurer of the board. The monies, funds, and accounts of the district shall be in the official custody of the board.

(5) The board shall elect from its members a chairman, a vice chairman, a secretary-treasurer, and such other officers as it may deem necessary. The duties of the officers shall be fixed by the bylaws adopted by the board.

(6) A majority of the members of the board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The board shall keep minutes of all meetings and shall make them available through the secretary of the board.

E. The district, through its governing board, shall have the following powers:

(1) To sue and be sued.

(2) To establish, use, and alter at will a corporate seal.

(3) To enter into contracts.

(4) To acquire, hold, lease, or dispose of property.

(5) To contract for, install, maintain, and operate a sewerage system within its boundaries and to exercise the power of expropriation for the purpose of laying, installing, and operating the sewerage system and appurtenances.

(6) To incur indebtedness and issue bonds in the manner provided by law.

(7) To receive and expend gifts, grants, donations, or appropriations of money.

(8) To enact all rules and regulations necessary or advantageous to the installing, maintenance, operation, and use of the sewerage systems or plants.

(9) To employ or contract for labor necessary to achieve the purpose of the district.

(10) Any other powers necessary or incidental to the achievement of the purpose of the district.

F.(1) In addition to any other powers granted by this Section or by any other provision of law, the governing authority of the district may levy taxes on real property within the district for the purpose of funding any aspect of providing a sewerage system, subject to the provisions of this Subsection:

(a) Such taxes may be levied in the form of ad valorem taxes or parcel fees which shall be levied on all taxable property within the district.

(b) Any such tax or fee shall be levied and collected in the same manner as ad valorem taxes. Such tax may be carried on the tax rolls for the parishes in which the district is located and may be enforced in the same manner as ad valorem taxes.

(c) The board may incur debt and issue bonds payable in whole or in part from an irrevocable pledge and dedication of all or a portion of the proceeds of such taxes on property in accordance with the law.

(d) The proceeds of the tax or parcel fee or of bonds secured by such tax or fee may be used by the district for any aspect of providing sewage disposal services, including but not limited to acquisition, construction, improvement, extension, operation, repair, or maintenance of all or any element of a sewerage system.

(2) Any such tax or fee to be levied in the district shall be proposed in an ordinance of the district. Such ordinance shall specify the type of tax, the rate of the tax, if the tax is a parcel fee, the ordinance must define "parcel", the timing and manner of collection of the tax or fee, and the ordinance must state the purpose for which the tax is requested.

(3) No such tax or fee shall be levied nor any debt incurred nor bonds issued until such action is approved by a majority of the electors of the district voting on the proposition at an election held for such purpose in accordance with the Louisiana Election Code.

G. Any existing sewerage district wholly included within the boundaries of the consolidated district, referred to in this Section as an "underlying district", shall no longer have the right to issue bonds or other obligations, and all books, records, and assets of such underlying district shall be transferred to the consolidated district. The board of the consolidated district shall cause taxes to continue to be levied in all respects as would have been required had such consolidation not been effected for the payment of the outstanding indebtedness of each underlying district, if such indebtedness has not been assumed by the consolidated district as provided in Subsection H of this Section. In addition, if the indebtedness of any underlying district consists of revenue bonds or special assessment certificates payable from service charges or assessments, the board of the consolidated district shall continue to impose and collect such service charges or assessments, as well as any special taxes previously authorized and legally dedicated by covenant with bondholders to the payment of maintenance or operation expenses.

H. The creation of the consolidated sewerage district by this Section shall not affect or impair in any manner any contract rights enjoyed by the holders of any outstanding bonds or obligations of any underlying districts. To the extent required by such contract rights, taxes, service charges, and assessments on the property subject to the payment of principal of and interest on such bonds or obligations shall continue to be levied and collected as provided in Subsection G of this Section; however, the district may assume all or any indebtedness of any underlying district in the manner and with the effect provided by R.S. 39:661 et seq. for the assumption of indebtedness by parishes.

I. The district, in addition to its right to issue bonds or other obligations for the purposes and in the manner elsewhere provided in the constitution and laws of this state, may issue refunding bonds for the purpose of refunding any outstanding revenue bonds or obligations of one or more of its underlying districts or, in its discretion, may authorize and deliver a single issue of revenue bonds for both improvement and refunding purposes. Refunding bonds so authorized shall be authorized and issued in the manner provided by law for the issuance of the bonds or other obligations refunded and shall be secured in the same manner as the bonds or obligations refunded, except that the governing authority, in its discretion, may provide for changes in the source of payment of such bonds or obligations as it considers desirable, and except that any refunding bonds so authorized either may be sold and the funds realized from the sale thereof applied exclusively to the payment of the bonds or obligations refunded or may be delivered in exchange for a like principal amount of the bonds or obligations refunded or may be sold in part or exchanged in part. Such refunding bonds also may be sold and the proceeds thereof escrowed to be used in paying the bonds or obligations refunded on the date on which they become payable through maturity or call for redemption. Refunding bonds so issued shall not exceed in principal amount the principal amount of the bonds or obligations to be so refunded.

Acts 2010, No. 486, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2011.