§3288. Secretary; duties; powers

A. The secretary of the said board of directors shall keep in books provided for the purpose, a full and complete record of all proceedings of the board of directors, particularly with reference to investment of funds belonging to the fund as hereinafter provided. He shall file and keep all correspondence of the board, keep minutes of all of its meetings, and shall perform such other duties as may be assigned him by the board of directors, including the preparation of warrants for the various disbursements from the fund and the keeping of an accurate record thereof. The board shall fix at its discretion the salary to be received by the secretary as compensation for his services.

B. The board of directors shall:

(1) Make all rules and regulations necessary to the proper administration of the fund under the provisions of this Part.

(2) Retain such legal, medical, clerical, money management, or other services as are necessary for the conduct of the affairs connected with the fund and provide compensation for such services.

(3) Cause such amounts as are set forth in the Part to be deducted from the salaries of the active participants in the fund and paid into the treasury of the fund.

(4) Certify to the levying authority provided by this Part, the amount of revenues required and provided for, and cause same to be collected through the proper local agency.

(5) Cause the examination of every pensioner or beneficiary with a disability at least once a year.

(6) Keep all necessary records of its meetings and proceedings.

(7) Cause to be posted in each station house a recapitulation of the fund, prepared by an independent certified public accountant, showing the number of pensioners, the amount of disbursements, the revenues received, and present condition and manner of investment of the said funds.

(8) Keep a book to be known as the list of retired firemen. This book shall contain a full and complete record of the action of the board of directors in retiring or pensioning all persons under this Part, showing the names, dates of entering the service of the fire department, date of removal from active service and the reason for such action.

(9) Accept applications from persons employed by the fire department for membership in the fund and require such persons to be examined by a physician or psychiatrist in order to determine whether the person is a substantial medical risk which would adversely affect the actuarial soundness of the fund. The board shall be a quasi-judicial body and its action shall be reviewed only by the courts.

(a) Any employee of the fire department shall have the right to make application for membership in the fund. His right to make application for membership in the fund shall be exercised within thirty days of date upon which the employee is first hired.

(b) The application shall require such information as the board of directors may determine necessary in order to determine whether or not the person will adversely affect the actuarial soundness of the fund. The board of directors may refuse membership in the fund if it determines that, due to physical or psychological reasons, membership in the system will constitute a substantial medical risk and adversely affect the actuarial soundness of the fund.

(c) A decision of the board concerning application for membership may be appealed to the Fifteenth Judicial District Court as provided by R.S. 49:964-49:965.

(d) For the purposes of this Paragraph, membership shall include all employees of the fire department for the city of Lafayette which have been approved by the board or which have been found eligible by the court as provided for in Subparagraph (c) of this Paragraph.

C. The board shall be a quasi-judicial body and its action shall be reviewable only by the courts.

Acts 1976, No. 615, §1. Amended by Acts 1977, No. 575, §1; Redesignated from R.S. 33:2137 by Acts 1991, No. 74, §3, eff. June 25, 1991; Acts 2014, No. 811, §4, eff. June 23, 2014.

NOTE: Acts 2014, No. 811 changed terminology referring to persons with disabilities throughout the La. Revised Statutes and codes of law, and included a listing of terms that were deleted and their respective successor terms (See Acts 2014, No. 811, §36). The Act provides that it is not the intent of the legislature that changes in terminology effected therein alter or affect in any way the substance, interpretation, or application of any law or administrative rule; further provides that nothing in the Act shall be construed to expand or diminish any right of or benefit for any person provided by any law or administrative rule (See Acts 2014, No. 811, §35(C) and (D)).