§130.735. Powers

A. In addition to the powers and duties elsewhere granted in this Subpart, the board is hereby granted and shall have and may exercise all powers necessary or convenient for the carrying out of its objects and purposes, including but not limited to the following:

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

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

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

(4) To sell, transfer, and convey any property acquired by it, or any interest therein, at any time, to accomplish the objects and purposes of the district.

(5) 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 rate without advertisement for public bids.

(6) To donate by fee simple title, or otherwise to convey, to the United States, the state, or to any political subdivision of the state, any lands, property, right-of-way, easement, servitude, or other thing of value, which the district may own or acquire, for use by such governmental entity to accomplish the objects and purposes of the district.

(7) To make and collect reasonable charges for the use of property of the district and for services rendered by the district.

(8) To enter into contracts to achieve the district's objects and purposes, including but not limited to contracts for professional and other services and for the purchase, lease, acquisition, sale, construction, operation, maintenance, and improvements of land, public works, and facilities, as the district may deem necessary or convenient to accomplish the objects and purposes of the district.

(9) To plan, develop, regulate, operate, and maintain activities and planned land uses to foster creation of new jobs, economic development, industry, health care, commerce, manufacturing, tourism, relocation of people and businesses to the area, transportation, offices, recreation, housing, conservation, the acquisition of land and improvements, and the construction, operation, and maintenance of facilities, improvements, and infrastructure, including buildings, runways, roads, bridges, drainage, and utilities, and other functions and activities on property owned or leased by the district to accomplish the objects and purposes of the district and to protect the public health and welfare.

(10) To require and issue licenses with respect to its properties and facilities.

(11) To regulate fees or rentals charged for use of privately owned facilities located on district property when such facilities are offered for use by the public or by a private industrial, commercial, research, or other economic development entity or activity.

(12) 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 establishment, operation, and maintenance of district property as an industrial park or to carry out the other public purposes of this Subpart and, without election, to issue revenue bonds, borrow money, and issue certificates of indebtedness, notes, and other debt obligations as evidence thereof and to provide for the manner and method of repayment.

(13) To develop, activate, construct, exchange, acquire, improve, repair, operate, maintain, lease, mortgage, sell, subject to the provisions of this Subpart, and pledge movable and immovable property, servitudes, facilities, and works under such terms and conditions as the district may deem necessary or appropriate for any public purpose, including industrial and commercial development, notwithstanding the limitations of R.S. 2:131.1 and 135.1, and Chapter 4 of Title 2, Chapter 13 of Title 33, and Chapter 10 of Title 41, all of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950.

(14) To borrow money and pledge all or part of its revenues, leases, rents, and other advantages as security for such loans.

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

B. The district, or any subdistrict created by the board, shall not be deemed to be an instrumentality of the state for purposes of Article X, Section 1(A) of the Constitution of Louisiana.

C. The district may create subdistricts as provided in this Subsection. The district shall publish notice of its intent to create a subdistrict in the official journal of the district. At least ten days after publication of such notice in the official journal of the district, the board shall conduct a public hearing on the question of creating such subdistrict. Thereafter, the board may designate one or more project areas within the boundaries of the district as a subdistrict of the district. Each subdistrict shall constitute a political subdivision of the state and shall be governed by the board. Each subdistrict shall have the same powers as the district and shall be given a name and designated as "Pollock Economic and Industrial Development District Subdistrict No. ___".

Acts 2007, No. 87, §1, eff. July 1, 2007.