§292. Board of commissioners

            A. The governing authority of the district shall be known as the Board of Commissioners of the Lafayette Economic Development Authority. The board shall consist of twelve members who shall be citizens of the United States residing within the limits of the district during their terms of office.

            B.(1) The commissioners shall be appointed as follows:

            (a) Two members, one of whom shall be nominated by the Lafayette Parish Farm Bureau, shall be appointed by a majority vote of the mayors of the incorporated municipalities of Lafayette Parish other than the city of Lafayette.

            (b) Two members, one of whom shall be a racial minority, shall be appointed by the Lafayette Mayor-President. The Lafayette Mayor-President may serve as one of the appointments.

            (c) Two members, one of whom shall be a racial minority, shall be appointed by the Lafayette City Council.

            (d) Two members, one of whom shall be a racial minority, shall be appointed by the Lafayette Parish Council.

            (e) One member shall be appointed by One Acadiana.

            (f) Two members, one of whom shall be a racial minority, shall be appointed by the president of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. The president may serve as one of the appointments.

            (g) One member shall be appointed by the chancellor of South Louisiana Community College. The chancellor may serve as the appointment.

            (2) The commissioners appointed shall be true development representatives of the authority or agency appointing them and shall bring to the authority the resources and expertise which their respective appointing authorities or agencies possess. In that regard, it is specifically contemplated that the University of Southwestern Louisiana will provide and perform a liaison role, and not purely a technical role in the work of the authority, and its commissioner appointed to the board of commissioners shall assist the authority in providing for meeting the needs of business with the technical expertise of the university.

            C. The terms of the commissioners shall be staggered so that of the initial members appointed, three* shall serve for two-year terms, three* for three-year terms, and three* for four-year terms. The determination of which terms shall run for two, three, or four years shall be made by the board by lot at its first meeting. The commissioners thereafter appointed at the expiration of the terms of the initial appointees shall serve for terms of four years. No member of the board may be appointed for more than two consecutive terms.

            D.(1) Vacancies shall be filled in the manner of the original appointments, in accordance with the provisions set forth in Paragraph (1) of Subsection B of this Section.

            (2)(a) Commissioners shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority or agency. The appointing authority or agency shall have the right to remove and replace commissioners appointed by it, with or without cause, and, where a vacancy exists, to fill the vacancy in the office of the commissioner or commissioners which have been allotted to that appointing authority or agency.

            (b) The board shall have the authority to and may establish in its bylaws the procedures and criteria for removal of any of its members with cause by majority vote of its membership.

            (c) Any member may be removed with cause by two-thirds vote of the membership of the Lafayette Parish Council.

            (3) Removal as provided in this Section shall be without prejudice and there shall be reserved to any member so removed his right to judicial review under the law.

            E. In order to facilitate the performance of its duties hereunder and to further promote the economic development of the parish and region, the board of commissioners may establish an advisory board. Such advisory board may be composed of persons, elements, or groups in the parish or region which the board of commissioners believes will be able to contribute and assist in the task of economic and industrial development. The composition and size of this advisory board and the terms of its members shall be at the discretion of the board of commissioners.

            Amended by Acts 1971, No. 155, §1; Acts 1985, No. 420, §1; Acts 1988, No. 867, §1, eff. July 18, 1988; Acts 2022, No. 771, §2; Acts 2024, No. 531, §1, eff. June 10, 2024.

*AS APPEARS IN ENROLLED BILL, BUT SEE §292(A) AND (B) WHICH PROVIDE FOR 12 MEMBERS: HOWEVER (C) PROVIDES FOR 9 MEMBERS.

{{NOTE: SEE ACTS 1988, NO. 867, §2.}}