§9091.15. Oak Island Neighborhood Improvement District

A. Creation. There is hereby created within the parish of Orleans, as more specifically provided in Subsection B of this Section, a body politic and corporate which shall be known as the Oak Island Neighborhood 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. Boundaries. The boundaries of the district shall be that area within and including the following perimeter streets and avenues: Michoud Blvd., from Adventure Dr. to Expedition Dr. (both sides), to Explorer Ave., to Voyageur Dr. and Voyageur Ct. (both sides), to Horizon Dr. (both sides) to Pierre Ct. (both sides). Also Michoud Blvd; to W. Cavelier Dr. (both sides), to Trapper Ct. (both sides), to St. Marie Ct. (both sides) and N. Cavelier Dr. (both sides).

C. Purpose. The district is established for the purpose of promoting and encouraging security in the area included within the district and promoting and encouraging the beautification and overall betterment of the district.

D. Governance. (1) The district shall be governed by a seven-member board of commissioners, referred to in this Section as the "commission". The president of the Oak Island Neighborhood Association or his designee shall serve as a member and six additional members shall be appointed by the board of directors of the Oak Island Neighborhood Association.

(2) All commissioners shall be residents of the district.

(3)(a) Commissioners appointed by the board of directors of the Oak Island Neighborhood Association shall serve two-year terms.

(b) The president of the Oak Island Neighborhood Association or his designee shall serve during his term of office.

(c) Any vacancy which occurs prior to the expiration of the terms for a commissioner shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term in the same manner as the original appointment. Commissioners shall be eligible for reappointment.

(4) The commission 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.

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

(6) The commission shall adopt such rules, regulations, and bylaws as it deems necessary or advisable for conducting its business affairs. Rules and regulations of the commission relative to the notice and conduct of meetings shall conform to applicable law, including R.S. 42:11 et seq., relative to open meetings. The commission 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.

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

(8) Each member of the commission shall have one vote, and the vote of a majority of the members of the commission present and voting, a quorum being present, shall be required to decide any question upon which the commission takes action.

(9) The members of the commission shall serve without compensation but shall be reimbursed for their reasonable out-of-pocket expenses directly related to the governance of the district.

E. Powers and duties. The district, acting through its commission, shall have the following powers and duties:

(1) To sue and be sued.

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

(3) To receive and expend funds collected pursuant to Subsection F of this Section and in accordance with a budget adopted as provided by Subsection H of this Section.

(4) To enter into contracts with individuals or entities, private or public.

(5) To provide or enhance security patrols in the district, to provide for improved lighting, signage, or matters relating to the security of the district, to provide for the beautification of and improvements for the district, or to provide generally for the overall betterment of the district.

(6) To enter into contracts and agreements with one or more other districts for the joint security, improvement, or betterment of all participating districts.

(7) To provide for such services and make such expenditures as the board deems proper for the upkeep of the district.

(8) To acquire or lease items and supplies which the board deems instrumental to achieving the purposes of the district.

(9) To acquire, lease, insure, and sell real property within the boundaries of the district in accordance with district plans.

(10) To procure and maintain liability insurance against any personal or legal liability of a commissioner that may be asserted or incurred based upon his service as a member of the commission or that may arise as a result of his actions taken within the scope and discharge of his duties as a member of the commission.

(11) 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.

F. Parcel fee. 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.

(1) The amount of the fee shall be as requested by duly adopted resolution of the commission. The fee shall be a flat fee per improved parcel of land not to exceed one hundred fifty dollars per year for each improved parcel for calendar year 2015; however, the maximum may be increased by twenty-five dollars per year for each calendar year after 2015.

(2) The fee shall be imposed on each improved parcel located within the district except as provided in Paragraph (4) of this Subsection.

(a) For purposes of this Section, "parcel" means a lot, a subdivided portion of ground, an individual tract, or a "condominium parcel" as defined in R.S. 9:1121.103.

(b) The owner of each parcel shall be responsible for payment of the fee.

(3)(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 who vote on the proposition at an election held for that purpose in accordance with the Louisiana Election Code. No less than thirty days prior to any election held to approve such parcel fee, the board of commissioners shall mail notification of the upcoming election to each registered voter of the district and to the owner of a parcel located in the district if the owner is not a registered voter of the district. The amount of the fee may be changed by duly adopted resolution of the commission, not to exceed the maximum amount authorized as provided in this Subsection. No other election shall be required except as provided by this Paragraph.

(b) The initial election on the question of the imposition of the fee shall be held at the same time as a regularly scheduled election in the city of New Orleans.

(c) If approved, the fee shall expire ten years after its levy, but the fee may be renewed if approved by a majority of the registered voters of the district voting on the proposition at an election as provided in Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph. Any election to authorize the 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 such renewal, not to exceed ten years.

(4) No fee shall be imposed upon any parcel whose owner qualified for the special assessment level provided by Article VII, Section 18(G)(1) of the Constitution of Louisiana.

(5) The fee shall be collected at the same time and in the same manner as ad valorem taxes on property subject to taxation by the city are collected.

(6) 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.

(7)(a) The proceeds of the fee shall be used solely and exclusively for the purpose and benefit of the district; however, the city may retain one percent of the amount collected as a collection fee.

(b) The city of New Orleans shall remit to the district all amounts collected not more than sixty days after collection.

G. Additional contributions. The district is authorized to solicit and accept additional voluntary contributions and grants to further the purposes of the district.

H. Budget. (1) The commission shall adopt an annual budget in accordance with the Louisiana 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.

I. Miscellaneous. It is the purpose and intent of this Section that any additional security patrols, public or private, or any other security or other services or betterments provided by the district shall be supplemental to and not be in lieu of personnel and services to be provided in the district by the state or the city of New Orleans or their departments or agencies or by other political subdivisions.

J. Dissolution. (1) The district may be dissolved without the vote of the registered voters of the district if a majority of the area covered by the district becomes included in another district that serves similar purposes but includes additional parcels of property adjacent to the district, if approved by the affirmative vote of not less than five members of the commission. If the district is dissolved in accordance with this Paragraph, the funds of the district that relate to the portion of the district that is included in the new district, together with any other funds collected by the city of New Orleans pursuant to this Section that relate to such portion of the district, shall be transferred to the new district to be used for purposes of the new district. The remaining portion of funds, if any, shall be transmitted by the commission to the city of New Orleans and such funds shall be used only for law enforcement, security, improvement, and beautification purposes of the area that was formerly within the district but is not included in the new district.

(2) If the district is dissolved pursuant to Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, the authority for the imposition of the parcel fee provided in Subsection F of this Section shall cease.

K. Indemnification and exculpation. (1) The district shall indemnify its officers and commissioners to the fullest extent permitted by R.S. 12:227, as fully as if the district were a nonprofit corporation governed thereby, and as may be provided in the district's bylaws.

(2) No commissioner or officer of the district shall be liable to the district or to any individual who resides, owns property, visits, or otherwise conducts business in the district for monetary damages for breach of his duties as a commissioner or officer, provided that the foregoing provision shall not eliminate or limit the liability of a commissioner or officer for any of the following:

(a) Acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law.

(b) Any transaction from which he derived an improper personal benefit.

(3) To the fullest extent permitted by R.S. 9:2792 et seq., including R.S. 9:2792.1 through 2792.9, a person serving the district as a commissioner or officer shall not be individually liable for any act or omission arising out of the performance of his duties.

Acts 2009, No. 395, §1; Acts 2010, No. 430, §1, eff. July 1, 2010; Acts 2014, No. 474, §1, eff. June 4, 2014; Acts 2015, No. 247, §1, eff. June 29, 2015.