§9038.80. Lafitte Greenway Development District

            A. The Lafitte Greenway Development District, a special district and political subdivision of the state, hereinafter referred to as the "district", is hereby created in the city of New Orleans.

            B. The district is comprised of the area within the following perimeter: Beginning at the intersection of Bienville Street and Basin Street, then along Basin Street as it becomes Orleans Avenue and continuing to its intersection with City Park Avenue, then following City Park Avenue to its intersection with Buddy Bolden Place connecting to the intersection of Clayton Avenue and General Diaz Street, then following General Diaz Street to its intersection with Greenwood Drive, then following Greenwood Drive to its intersection with Canal Boulevard, then following Canal Boulevard (inclusive of all properties that have frontage along Canal Boulevard) until its intersection with City Park Avenue, then following City Park Avenue to its intersection with Bienville Avenue, then following Bienville Avenue to the point of beginning.

            C. The district is created to provide for cooperative economic development between the district, the city of New Orleans, and the owners of businesses and other property within the district in order to provide funding related to improvement and maintenance of the Lafitte Greenway as well as to fund improvements and other public benefits in greenway-adjacent communities, as determined by the board of commissioners of the district.

            D. Governance. (1) In order to provide for the orderly development of the district and effectuation of the purposes of the district, the district shall be administered and governed by a board of commissioners as follows:

            (a) The state representative who represents House District 23 or his designee.

            (b) The state representative who represents House District 93 or his designee.

            (c) The state representative who represents House District 94 or his designee.

            (d) The state senator who represents Senate District 4 or his designee.

            (e) The state senator who represents Senate District 5 or his designee.

            (f) The New Orleans City Council member who represents District A or his designee.

            (g) The New Orleans City Council member who represents District B or his designee.

            (h) The New Orleans City Council member who represents District C or his designee.

            (i) The New Orleans City Council member who represents District D or his designee.

            (j) The mayor of the city of New Orleans or his designee.

            (k) The lieutenant governor of Louisiana or his designee.

            (2) A majority of the members of the board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The board shall keep minutes of all meetings and shall make them available for inspection through the board's secretary. The minute books and archives of the district shall be maintained by the board's secretary. The monies, funds, and accounts of the district shall be in the official custody of the board.

            (3) The board shall adopt bylaws and prescribe rules to govern its meetings. The members of the board shall serve without salary or per diem and shall be entitled to reimbursement for reasonable, actual, and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

            (4) The domicile of the board shall be established by the board at a location within the city of New Orleans.

            (5) The board shall elect from its own members a president and secretary, whose duties shall be common to the offices or as may be provided by bylaws adopted by the district. The board shall hold regular meetings and may hold special meetings as provided in the bylaws.

            E. In addition to the taxing, tax increment finance, and bonding authority provided for in Subsection F of this Section, the district, acting by and through its board of commissioners, shall have and exercise all powers of a political subdivision and a special district necessary or convenient for the carrying out of its objects and purposes, including but not limited to the following:

            (1) To sue and to be sued.

            (2) To adopt bylaws and rules and regulations.

            (3) To receive by gift, grant, or donation any sum of money, property, aid, or assistance from the United States, the state of Louisiana, or any political subdivision thereof, or any person, firm, or corporation.

            (4) To enter into contracts, agreements, or cooperative endeavors with the state and its political subdivisions or political corporations and with any public or private association, corporation, business entity, or individual.

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

            (6) To acquire by gift, grant, purchase, or lease such property as may be necessary or desirable for carrying out the objectives and purposes of the district and to mortgage and sell such property.

            (7) In its own name and on its own behalf, to incur debt and to issue bonds, notes, certificates, and other evidences of indebtedness. For this purpose, the district shall be deemed and considered to be an issuer for purposes of R.S. 33:9037 and shall, to the extent not in conflict with this Section, be subject to the provisions of R.S. 33:9037.

            (8) To establish funds or accounts as necessary for the conduct of its affairs.

            (9) To do all things reasonably necessary to accomplish the purposes of this Section.

            F. To provide for the costs of a project to fund development and maintenance of the greenway, the district shall have tax increment finance authority, taxing authority, and other authority that is provided to local governmental subdivisions in Part II of this Chapter, including but not limited to the following: ad valorem tax increment financing and bonding in R.S. 33:9038.33; sales tax increment financing and bonding in R.S. 33:9038.34; cooperative endeavor authority in R.S. 33:9038.35; bond authority in R.S. 33:9038.38; and ad valorem, sales tax, and hotel occupancy tax authority in R.S. 33:9038.39. The improvement and maintenance of the greenway is hereby deemed to be cooperative development within the meaning provided for in this Chapter. An agreement entered into by the district and any affected tax recipient entity authorizing the use and dedication of the affected tax recipient entity's incremental increase in taxes may include additional public or private entities as parties to such agreement and may include such terms, conditions, and other provisions to which all parties to such agreement consent.

            G. The district may pledge any taxes collected under the authority of this Section to any economic development project in furtherance of the purposes of the district.

            H. This Section, being necessary for the welfare of the city of New Orleans and its residents, shall be liberally construed to effect the purposes thereof.

            Acts 2024, No. 708, §1.