§4305. Domicile; meetings; officers; bonds; depositories; compensation; rate fixing

A. The governing authority having jurisdiction to name the members of the board of commissioners of the gas utility district shall designate the domicile of the district, at which domicile it may be sued and service may be made on its president or in his absence upon a vice-president or the secretary. The governing authority in the resolution appointing the members of such board shall at the same time designate the time and place for the first meeting of the board of commissioners. At such meeting the said commissioners shall proceed to organize by electing one of their number as president and another as vice-president. The board shall also appoint a secretary and a treasurer or a combined secretary-treasurer, who may but need not be a member of the board and who shall serve during the pleasure of the board. The board shall have authority to adopt such rules and by-laws for its meetings and the orderly conduct of its business as it may see fit, may require such surety bonds to be supplied by its officers and employees as it considers desirable, and shall generally in the conduct of its affairs and in the acquisition and operation of its utility properties enjoy the powers ordinarily enjoyed by the board of directors of a private corporation operating similar properties. The board of commissioners may select one or more banks in the state of Louisiana and within or without the boundaries of the district to act as depository for the moneys of such district and may require such security for money deposited therein as it may deem fit.

B.(1) No member of the board of commissioners shall receive a salary for the performance of his duties as a member. Each member may receive a per diem for each meeting attended, up to twenty-five meetings per year. The board shall fix the amount of the per diem in an amount not to exceed seventy-five dollars. A member may be reimbursed for all proper expenses incurred in carrying on the business of the district. The board may fix reasonable additional compensation, commensurate with the additional duties performed, for a member who serves as secretary or treasurer or secretary-treasurer of the board.

(2) Notwithstanding any contrary provision of this Subsection or of any other provision of law, in the parish of East Baton Rouge, no member of the board of commissioners shall be paid a salary for his services, but may be paid a fee of up to fifty dollars for each meeting he attends as determined by the board, for not in excess of twenty-four regular and twelve special meetings in each year, and shall be entitled to reimbursement for all expenditures which he incurs in carrying on the business of the district. The meeting fee may be adjusted once annually to reflect the change in the valuation of the dollar; however, the total fee shall not exceed fifty dollars per meeting. The chief executive officer of the board, president or chairman, the vice president or vice chairman when he serves as chief executive officer, the secretary, the treasurer, or the secretary-treasurer may receive such reasonable additional compensation for administrative services as is commensurate with the duties to be performed.

(3) Notwithstanding any contrary provision of this Subsection or of any other provision of law, no member of the board of commissioners of Livingston Parish Gas Utility District No. 1 shall receive a salary for the performance of his duties as a member. Each member may receive a per diem for each meeting attended, up to fifty meetings per year, and for each day devoted to the business of the district. The board shall fix the amount of the per diem in an amount not to exceed seventy-five dollars per day. A member may be reimbursed for all proper expenses incurred in carrying out the business of the district. The board may fix reasonable additional compensation, commensurate with the additional duties performed, for a member who serves as secretary or treasurer or secretary-treasurer of the board.

(4) Notwithstanding any contrary provision of this Subsection or of any other provision of law, no member of the board of commissioners of Washington Parish Gas Utility District No. 2 shall receive a salary for the performance of his duties as a member. Each member may receive a per diem for each meeting attended, and for each day devoted to the business of the district. The board shall fix the amount of the per diem in an amount not to exceed one hundred dollars per day. A member may be reimbursed for all proper expenses incurred in carrying out the business of the district. The board may fix reasonable additional compensation, commensurate with the additional duties performed, for a member who serves as secretary or treasurer or secretary-treasurer of the board.

(5) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, no member of the board of commissioners of any gas utility district located in a parish with a population of not less than twenty thousand persons and not more than twenty thousand five hundred persons according to the latest federal decennial census shall receive a salary for the performance of his duties as a member. Each member may receive a per diem for each meeting attended, up to twenty-five meetings per year. The board shall fix the amount of the per diem in an amount not to exceed one hundred twenty dollars. A member may be reimbursed for all proper expenses incurred in carrying on the business of the district. The board may fix reasonable additional compensation, commensurate with the additional duties performed, for a member who serves as secretary or treasurer or secretary-treasurer of the board.

C. The board of commissioners shall have the right and power to fix the rates and charges at which it will supply gas distributed by the district and such rates and charges shall not be subject to review or change by any other agency or instrumentality of the state of Louisiana or of any political subdivision therein.

Acts 1960, No. 415, §5. Amended by Acts 1975, No. 473, §1; Acts 1978, No. 297, §1; Acts 1982, No. 588, §1; Acts 1992, No. 163, §1; Acts 2011, 1st Ex. Sess., No. 20, §1, eff. June 12, 2011; Acts 2014, No. 457, §1, eff. June 4, 2014; Acts 2016, No. 356, §1.