§4712. Sale, exchange, or lease of property by a municipality

            A. A municipality may sell, lease for a term of up to ninety-nine years, exchange, or otherwise dispose of, to or with other political corporations of this state, or private persons, at public or private sale, any property, or portions thereof, including real property, which is, in the opinion of the governing authority, not needed for public purposes.

            B. Except as otherwise provided in this Section, before disposition can be made of property under the provisions of this Subpart, an ordinance must be introduced, giving the reasons for the action on the part of the governing authority, and fixing the minimum price and terms of the sale, lease, exchange, or other contract to be made with reference to the property. In instances of exchanges of municipally owned immovable property valued at one hundred thousand dollars or more, the municipality, prior to introduction of the aforementioned ordinance, shall for a minimum of three times in thirty days advertise for and receive other proposals for the exchange of property comparable with the exchange of properties proposed by the municipality; however, exchanges involved in the relocation of public streets, roads, highways, servitudes, rights of way, and/or public franchises shall not be subject to this requirement. Thereafter, notice of the proposed ordinance must be published three times in fifteen days, one week apart, in a newspaper published in the municipality or, if there is no such newspaper, in a newspaper having a general circulation in the municipality, and if there is no newspaper of general circulation in the municipality, by posting in three public and conspicuous places in the municipality.

            C. Any opposition to the proposed ordinance shall be made in writing, filed with the clerk or secretary of the municipality within fifteen days after posting of the above notice or its first publication. If an opposition is filed, the governing authority shall not adopt the ordinance until a hearing has been held. If the ordinance is adopted, it shall not become effective until ten days after its passage, during which time any interested citizen may apply to the district court having jurisdiction of the municipality for an order restraining the disposition of the property. After the ordinance becomes effective, it cannot be contested for any reason.

            D. The provisions of this Section relating to exchanges shall not apply to any exchange authorized by ordinance prior to January 1, 1983.

            E. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, a municipality may sell, lease for a term of up to ninety-nine years, exchange, or otherwise dispose of any real property, or portions thereof, to other political, public, or quasi public corporations, to state agencies or to private persons without the necessity of advertisement or bid, if the property sold, exchanged, or leased is dedicated for the purpose of creating a research and development park in cooperation with the Board of Supervisors of Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, the Board of Supervisors of Southern University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, or the Board of Trustees for State Colleges and Universities and the governing authority of the appropriate parish or municipality. Before disposition can be made of property under the provisions of this Subpart, an ordinance must be introduced giving the reasons for the actions on the part of the governing authority and fixing the terms of the sale, lease, exchange, or other contract to be entered into with respect to the property so dedicated. The assumption of the obligation by the vendee or lessee to establish, operate, and manage a research and development park in accordance with restrictions and covenants mutually agreed between the municipality and the lessee or vendee shall constitute valid consideration to the municipality for the sale, lease, or exchange of the dedicated property.

            F. Notwithstanding any provisions of this Section to the contrary, a municipality may sell any movable property having an appraised value of five thousand dollars or less at private sale provided that:

            (1) A resolution giving the reasons for the action on the part of the governing authority and fixing the minimum price and terms of the sale shall be adopted.

            (2) Notice of the resolution and proposed sale shall be published once at least fifteen days prior to the date of the sale in the official journal of the municipality.

            (3) The sale shall be made to the person with the highest bid.

            G. Notwithstanding any provisions of this Section to the contrary, a municipal police officer who retires with at least twenty years of active service and who is in good standing with the Municipal Police Employees' Retirement System shall be entitled to purchase his firearm at fair market value upon retirement, subject to approval by the chief of police and the local governing authority.

            H. The governing authority of a municipality may, by ordinance, establish any procedure it deems appropriate for the private sale of a police dog that is no longer needed for police work to a police officer who trained or worked with the dog in exchange for consideration proportionate to the value of the dog.

            Amended by Acts 1966, No. 486, §1; Acts 1982, No. 473, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1983; Acts 1992, No. 61, §1; Acts 1993, No. 725, §1; Acts 1995, No. 530, §1; Acts 2010, No. 239, §2; Acts 2021, No. 149, §1.