§1212. Lands which may be leased; purposes; leases of sixteenth section lands for agricultural purposes; negotiation of surface leases of school lands; negotiation of leases by certain public benefit corporations; negotiation of leases for administering buildings designated as historic landmarks

A. Any lessor may, through its governing authority, lease for trapping, grazing, hunting, agricultural, and any other legitimate purposes, including, except in the parishes of Livingston, Tangipahoa, St. Helena, St. Tammany, and Washington, removal from the land of subterranean water, or other such substances, other than for oil, gas, or other mineral purposes and development, any lands of which the lessor has title, custody, or possession, and the lessor may at its option lease the land on a share basis in accordance with such terms and conditions as the governing authority deems to be to the best interest of the lessor.

B.(1) Whenever the school boards in Vermilion, West Baton Rouge, Cameron, Calcasieu, Acadia, and Concordia Parishes lease any sixteenth section lands of which they have title, custody, or possession on a share basis for the agricultural purpose of planting, cultivating, growing, and harvesting any agricultural crop, they shall not be required to advertise for and receive bids as hereinafter provided for in this Part for other leases.

(2) They are hereby authorized to enter into leases and to renegotiate present leases to include such terms and conditions which allow the leasing of those lands for hunting; however, the lease or sublease shall contain provisions which require a portion of the rentals to be paid directly to the school board in consideration of the privilege of hunting on school board lands. The portion of the rentals to be paid directly to the school board shall be an amount agreed upon by the school board and the original lessee.

(3) Any other provision of the law to the contrary notwithstanding, the rentals or other income derived from any such leases shall not be considered as general fund receipts to the school board so as to reduce or otherwise affect the share such school board receives from funds appropriated to the state public school fund for distribution to it on a per educable basis.

C. Whenever the school board in St. Martin Parish leases any sixteenth section lands of which it has title, custody or possession on a share basis for the agricultural purpose of planting, cultivating, growing and harvesting any agricultural crop, it shall not be required to advertise for and receive bids as hereinafter provided for in this part for other leases.

D. The school board of the parish of Lafayette or the school board within any parish with a population of not less than forty-two thousand nor more than forty-five thousand persons according to the latest federal decennial census is authorized to negotiate for the surface lease of any lands to which it has title, custody or possession to any person, firm, corporation or other legal entity without the necessity of advertising for and receiving bids.

E. The school board of Evangeline Parish is authorized to lease any sixteenth section lands of which it has title, custody or possession to any person, firm, corporation or other legal entity without the necessity of advertising for and receiving bids.

F. Whenever the school board in Acadia Parish negotiates for the surface lease of any sixteenth section lands of which it has title, custody or possession or any other lands of which it has title, custody or possession, on a share basis for the agricultural purpose of planting, cultivating, growing and harvesting any agricultural crop, it shall not be required to advertise for and receive bids as hereinafter provided for in this Part for other leases. Any other provision of the law to the contrary notwithstanding, the rentals or other income derived from the lease of sixteenth section lands shall not be considered as general fund receipts to the school board so as to reduce or otherwise affect the share such school board receives from funds appropriated to the state public school funds for distribution to it on a per educable basis. The leases may be made on either a cash or share basis.

G. A public benefit corporation that meets the requirements of R.S. 41:1215(B) shall not be required to advertise for and receive bids as hereinafter provided for in this Part for other leases. Such leases entered into shall comply with the provisions of R.S. 41:1215(C), and shall be subject to the provisions of R.S. 41:1215(B) through (F).

H. In parishes with populations in excess of four hundred seventy-five thousand and in municipalities which were founded prior to 1750, whenever any public board or commission formed by a political subdivision of the state administers a building owned by it or by the political subdivision which created it, which building is located in an historic district and designated an historic landmark, such board or commission shall not be required to advertise for and receive bids for leases of such buildings as provided for in this Part for other leases. However, such leases shall be negotiated for and executed according to the terms and conditions as follows:

(1) Such board or commission, in making its decision in the negotiation of each lease shall determine:

(a) The financial qualifications of the applicants.

(b) The compatibility of the proposed lease with the historic integrity, structure and safety of the property.

(c) The impact of the proposed lease on the historic character of the neighborhood in which the properties are located.

(d) The fair market rental price based upon other comparable properties.

(2) Such leases shall provide for a fair and equitable return of revenue to the board based upon the fair market rental price.

I. Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the town of Berwick is authorized to negotiate for and to lease any lands to which it has title, or of which it has custody or possession, to any person, firm, corporation, or other legal entity without the necessity of advertising for and receiving bids. Any such lease entered into shall provide for a fair and equitable return of revenue to the town of Berwick.

J. The provisions of this Chapter shall not apply to the lease of space in buildings or improvements located on land to which a parish or municipality has title to any person, firm, corporation, or other legal entity, when such space is located in a building designated as a community center or used for the benefit of area residents if, as part of the conditions of such lease, the person, firm, corporation, or other legal entity is required to provide health or social services to the area residents at a reduced rate or free of charge.

K. The school board of Bienville Parish is authorized to lease any sixteenth section lands of which it has title, custody, or possession to any person, firm, corporation, or other legal entity without the necessity of advertising for and receiving bids. All proceeds from the lease, less expenses, shall be used for the support of the schools located in Bienville Parish in furtherance of the purpose of the dedication of the sixteenth section lands by the United States by acts of Congress of April 21, 1806, and March 3, 1811, to the territories of Orleans and Louisiana in anticipation of statehood. The Bienville Parish School Board shall reserve to the state all of the mineral rights and minerals in accordance with law.

L. The Natchitoches Parish School Board, without the necessity of advertising for and receiving bids, is authorized to lease to Waterworks District No. 2 of Natchitoches Parish for ten thousand dollars one acre of land in Section 16, Township 8 North, Range 7 West in Natchitoches Parish for a term of ninety-nine years for the purpose of drilling a well to obtain water to be distributed to the customers of the waterworks district and to grant to such district a right-of-way up to thirty feet wide from Louisiana Highway No. 478 to the leased property on which the well is located provided each of the following conditions is met:

(1) Waterworks District No. 2 of Natchitoches Parish enters into the necessary agreements with the Natchitoches Parish School Board to hold the school board harmless from all losses or damages resulting from the acts or omissions, or both, of Waterworks District No. 2 and to indemnify the school board against all such losses or damages resulting from such acts or omissions, or both, of the district.

(2) Waterworks District No. 2 of Natchitoches Parish enters into the necessary agreements with the Natchitoches Parish School Board to restore to its pre-lease condition at the expense of the waterworks district any property located outside the boundaries of the leased property that is damaged by the waterworks district or by others acting on behalf of the district.

Amended by Acts 1964, No. 319, §1; 1968, No. 384, §1; Acts 1974, No. 179, §1; Acts 1974, No. 569, §§1, 2; Acts 1975, No. 428, §1; Acts 1975, No. 717, §1; Acts 1976, No. 693, §1; Acts 1977, No. 460, §§1, 2; Acts 1981, No. 622, §1; Acts 1983, No. 509, §1, eff. July 7, 1983; Acts 1983, No. 706, §1; Acts 1984, No. 510, §1; Acts 1991, No. 289, §13; Acts 1991, No. 899, §1; Acts 1993, No. 742, §1, eff. June 22, 1993; Acts 1999, No. 353, §1; Acts 2000, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 129, §1, eff. April 19, 2000; Acts 2003, No. 389, §1; Acts 2006, No. 306, §1, eff. June 8, 2006; Acts 2011, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 37, §1; Acts 2012, No. 785, §1, eff. June 13, 2012; Acts 2016, No. 516, §1, eff. June 16, 2016.