2020 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE BILL NO. 411
BY SENATOR BARROW
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 33:9038.71(A), (B), and (D), relative to the Bethany Convention
3 Center Development District; to provide for a change in the name of the district; to
4 provide for a change in the boundary lines; to provide for its governance; to provide
5 relative to the board of commissioners; to provide for the rights and powers of the
6 board of commissioners; and to provide for related matters.
7 Notice of intention to introduce this Act has been published.
8 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
9 Section 1. R.S. 33:9038.71(A), (B), and (D) are hereby amended and reenacted to
10 read as follows:
11 ยง9038.71. Bethany Convention Center Development District Baker Economic
12 Development District and Convention Center
13 A. Creation. There is hereby created in the city of Baker, parish of East Baton
14 Rouge, hereinafter referred to as "Baker", the Bethany Convention Center
15 Development District Baker Economic Development District and Convention
16 Center, a special taxing district, body politic and corporate of the state, referred to
17 in this Section as the "district". The district shall be a political subdivision of the
18 state and the district is hereby granted all of the rights, powers, privileges, and
19 immunities accorded by law and the Constitution of Louisiana to political
20 subdivisions of the state, subject to the limitations provided in this Section.
21 B. Boundaries. The district shall be comprised of all parcels of land
ACT No. 357
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1 bordering Plank Road within the city limit boundaries of the City of Baker;
2 beginning at the northern city limits on Plank Road identified by the bridge as
3 land parcel to the west approximately 250 yards past Lake Mary Drive directly
4 adjacent to parcel 3624560: Tract Y-1 CONT 7.41 ACRES, MORE OR LESS,
5 PARTITION OF THE DR ERIC W DAY ESTATE, BEING LOTS 4-B-1, 3-A,
6 2-A, & A-1, OF THE T C PAULSEN & JJ MUNDINGER SUB & A 29.46
7 ACRE TRACT, ALL LYING IN SEC 29, T55 R1E RESUB 2004 and the
8 following described parcels or tracts of land located in Baker, referred to in this
9 Section as the "property":
10 * * *
11 D. Governance. (1) In order to provide for the orderly development of the
12 district and effectuation of the purposes of the district, the district shall be
13 administered and governed by a board of commissioners, referred to in this Section
14 as the "board", comprised of seven persons as follows:
15 (a) The mayor of the city of Baker, or his designee.
16 (b) Each council member of the Baker City Council. The mayor of the city
17 of Baker shall appoint one member.
18 (c) A member appointed by the board of directors of the Baker Chamber of
19 Commerce who shall serve at the pleasure of the board. The Baker City Council
20 shall appoint one member who's elected to the city council.
21 (d) The member of the Louisiana State Senate who represents District
22 15 shall appoint one member.
23 (e) The member of the Louisiana House of Representatives who
24 represents District 63 shall appoint one member.
25 (f) The board of directors of the Baker Chamber of Commerce shall
26 appoint one member who is serving or has served as president of the chamber's
27 board.
28 (g) The Baker City School Board shall appoint one member from a list
29 of nominees submitted to the school board.
30 (2) All members of the board shall own property or have a principal
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1 place of business or profession within the city of Baker.
2 (3)(a) The commissioners appointed shall serve for three years. At the
3 expiration of the term of office, the successors shall be appointed in the same
4 manner as the predecessor appointees were selected.
5 (b) A vacancy that occurs prior to the expiration of a term shall be filled
6 for the remainder of the unexpired term in the same manner as the predecessor
7 appointee was selected.
8 (2)(4) All the members of the board shall constitute a quorum for the
9 transaction of business. The board shall keep minutes of all meetings and shall make
10 them available for inspection through the board's secretary-treasurer. The minute
11 books and archives of the district shall be maintained by the board's
12 secretary-treasurer. The monies, funds, and accounts of the district shall be in the
13 official custody and control of the board commissioners. The board's treasurer
14 shall maintain adequate accounting records and assure all monies are deposited,
15 expended, and accounted for in accordance with the bylaws.
16 (3)(5) The board shall adopt bylaws and prescribe rules to govern its
17 meetings. The members of the board shall serve without salary or per diem and shall
18 be entitled to reimbursement for reasonable, actual, and necessary expenses incurred
19 in the performance of their duties.
20 (4)(6) The domicile of the board shall be established by the board at a
21 location within the district or at Baker City Hall.
22 (5)(7) The board shall elect from its own members a president, vice president,
23 and a secretary-treasurer, a treasurer, and a parliamentarian, whose duties shall
24 be common to such offices or as may be provided by bylaws adopted by the district.
25 The board shall hold regular meetings and may hold special meetings as provided in
26 the bylaws. The failure of the board to hold any regular meeting shall not impair any
27 existing obligations of the district. All such meetings shall be public meetings subject
28 to the provisions of R.S. 42:11, et seq.
29 (6)(8) The district shall be subject to the Public Records Law, official
30 journals law, Code of Governmental Ethics, and audit law pursuant to R.S. 24:513.
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1 * * *
2 Section 2. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
3 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
4 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
5 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
6 effective on the day following such approval.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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