RS 2:655 General powers of the authority
§655. General powers of the authority
NOTE: Repealed by Acts 2008, No. 686, §3, eff. July 1, 2009, if the Department of Economic Development recommends that the Louisiana Transportation Center is not economically feasible or the department does not receive the appropriate funding to conduct the study. See Acts 2008, No. 686, §§4 and 5.
The authority shall have all the rights, powers, and duties to give effect to and carry out the purpose and provisions of this Chapter, including, in addition to all other powers set forth in this Chapter, the power:
(1) To sue or be sued.
(2) To make contracts in the exercise of the rights, powers, and duties conferred upon it.
(3) To maintain offices at such places as it may designate.
(4) To adopt and, at will, alter a seal and use such seal by causing it to be impressed, affixed, reproduced, or otherwise used, but failure to affix the seal shall not affect the validity of any instrument.
(5) To make, adopt, amend, and repeal bylaws for the administration of its affairs and rules for the control of the administration and operation of airports and airport facilities under its jurisdiction, and for the exercise of all of its rights of ownership therein.
(6) To fix, alter, and collect rates and rentals and other charges for the use of airports and airport facilities by the authority. Such charges shall be determined exclusively by the authority for the purpose of providing for the payment of the expenses of the authority; the construction, improvement, extension, repair, maintenance, and operation of airports and airport facilities; the payment of principal and interest on its bonds or other obligations; and to fulfill the terms of any agreements made with the purchasers or holders of any such bonds or other obligations, or with the state, any person, public or private corporation, public entity, or political subdivision.
(7) To have jurisdiction, control, possession, and supervision of all property, rights, easements, licenses, monies, contracts, accounts, liens, books, records, maps, or other property rights and interests conveyed, delivered, transferred, or assigned to it.
(8) To acquire, construct, lease, operate, maintain, or manage airports and airport facilities within or without its territorial boundaries, considered necessary to accomplish the purposes of its organization.
(9) To hold, encumber, control, acquire by donation, purchase, or condemnation, construct, own, lease as lessee or lessor, use, and sell real and personal property, or any interest or right therein, within or without its territorial boundaries, for the location or protection of airports and airport facilities and improvements and access thereto, for the relocation of buildings, structures, and improvements situated on lands acquired by the authority, or for any other necessary purpose, or for obtaining or storing materials to be used in constructing, maintaining, and improving airports and airport facilities of the authority.
(10) To make all necessary surveys, appraisals, and examinations preliminary to the acquisition or construction of any airport or airport facility.
(11) To provide by agreement with any public entity for the acquisition, construction, maintenance, or operation of any airport or airport facility owned or to be owned and operated by the authority or owned or to be owned and operated by any such public entity and the terms on which it shall be acquired, constructed, maintained, or operated, and the amount of the cost and expense thereof to be paid by each such public entity; and any such public entity may levy and collect taxes and may issue bonds in accordance with the constitution and laws of the state, including but not limited to Article VI, Section 33 and Article VI, Section 37 of the Constitution of Louisiana for the purpose of paying all or part of the cost, if any, assumed by it for the acquisition or construction of an airport or airport facilities pursuant to such agreement and may pay the proceeds of such taxes or bonds to the authority upon the finding and determination by its governing authority that the benefits that will be derived from such airport or airport facilities by such public entity and the taxpayers thereof are at least equal to its share of the cost thereof.
(12) To borrow money and issue bonds for the purpose of acquiring or constructing any facility or permanent improvement which it is authorized to acquire or construct, including all costs in connection with and incidental to such acquisition or construction, and the financing thereof.
(13) To employ and fix the compensation of consulting engineers, superintendents, managers, and such other engineering, construction, and accounting experts, attorneys, and other employees and agents as are necessary for the accomplishment of its purposes.
(14) To procure insurance insuring it or its officers, employees, and agents against such losses, risk, and liabilities arising from the construction, operation, or ownership of airports and airport facilities under its jurisdiction as it deems necessary or desirable.
(15) To maintain such funds as it considers necessary for the efficient performance of its duties.
(16) To enter upon any lands, waters, or premises for the purpose of making surveys, soundings, drillings, and examinations as it may deem necessary or convenient for the purposes of this Chapter and Section where the consent of a property owner has not been otherwise obtained, and such entry shall not be deemed a trespass, nor shall such entry for such purpose be deemed an entry under any eminent domain proceedings which may be then pending, provided that registered notice of five days to resident owners and fifteen days to nonresident owners shall be given to the last recorded property owner as reflected by the parish assessment rolls, which said notice shall be mailed to the last known and recorded address of said owner as reflected by said assessment records.
(17) To, on its own motion, request the appropriate zoning board to establish and enforce zoning regulations pertaining to any airport or airport facility under its jurisdiction.
(18) To exercise any and all other powers necessary to accomplish the purposes set forth herein.
(19) To receive and accept from any agency of the United States or the state or any agency of the state or any public entity or from any individual, association, or public or private corporation, gifts, grants or donations of monies the proceeds of bonds or other property for achieving any purposes of the Authority.
(20) To receive and accept, from any source, loans, contributions, or grants for or in aid of an airport facility, or the financing thereof in either money, property, labor, or other things of value.
Acts 1992, No. 508, §1, eff. June 22, 1992; Acts 2008, No. 686, §3.
NOTE: ACTS 1992, NO. 508, §2, REQUIRES LEGISLATIVE APPROVAL TO CONSTRUCT AN AIRPORT FACILITY.