RS 2:706 General powers of the authority
§706. General powers of the authority
A. The authority shall have all the rights, powers, and duties to give effect to and carry out the purposes 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 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 immovable and movable 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. The authority shall not establish any requirements for the domicile of any employee of the authority or the airport.
(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 notice shall be mailed to the last known and recorded address of the owner as reflected by the 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.
B. Authority personnel shall comply with all conflict-related provisions of state and federal laws and regulations, with the code of ethics adopted by the authority and with the code of ethics of the following organizations: National Association of Purchasing Management, National Purchasing Institute, National Contract Management Association, and National Institute of Governmental Purchasing.
C.(1) The authority vendors are to be selected in such a manner as to foster public confidence in the integrity of the southeast regional airport authority.
(2) The authority is designated as the point of contact for potential suppliers.
(3) Product evaluations or demonstrations shall be coordinated through the authority to ensure that vendors are treated fairly and equitably and to protect the authority from unnecessary exposure to potential risk.
D.(1) The authority shall actively recruit minority and women-owned vendors and ensure that minority and women-owned business enterprises are aggressively solicited. All bid or proposal packages may be forwarded to minority chambers of commerce and assistance centers.
(2) The authority shall adopt the minority and women-owned business enterprise goals that contractors must make a good faith effort to reach, and the results of the minority and women-owned business enterprise efforts are reported to the board quarterly.
E. Any sale, transfer, or conveyance of the New Orleans International Airport shall be approved by a two-thirds vote of the New Orleans City Council and by the majority of voters voting in a local referendum of the citizens of the city of New Orleans pursuant to the Home Rule Charter of the City of New Orleans.
F. On March first of each year, the authority shall provide a status report to the House and Senate committees on transportation, highways, and public works and shall appear before such committees and be subject to oversight by the committees, and on financial matters shall submit a status report to the Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget and shall be subject to oversight by such committees concerning such financial matters.
Acts 2008, No. 927, §1, eff. July 14, 2008.