§ 3-20. General powers.

(a)

The authority shall have all the powers necessary or convenient to carry out the purposes of this article (excluding the power to levy and collect taxes or special assessments) including, but not limited to the power:

(1)

To exercise all or any portion of the administrative powers, functions, and authority relative to airports, vested in the council.

(2)

To execute such contracts and other instruments and to take such other action as may be necessary or convenient to carry out the purposes of this article.

(3)

To plan, acquire, construct, improve, maintain, equip, operate, regulate, and protect airports and air navigation facilities, including the acquisition, maintenance, and operation at such airports of buildings and other facilities for the servicing of aircraft or for the comfort and accommodation of air travelers, and the purchase of and sale of supplies, goods, and commodities as an incident to the operation of its airport properties. For such purposes, this authority may, by purchase, gift, devise, lease, acquire property, real or personal, or any interest therein, including easements and airport hazards or land outside the boundaries of an airport or airport site, as are necessary to permit the removable, elimination, obstruction-marking or obstruction.

(4)

To acquire by purchase, gift, devise, lease, existing airports and air navigation facilities.

(5)

To establish or acquire and maintain airports in, over, and upon any public waters of this parish, any submerged lands under such public water: and to construct and maintain terminal buildings, landing floats, causeways, roadways, and bridges for approaches to or connecting with any such airport, and landing floats and breakwaters for the protection thereof.

(6)

Subject to the approval of the council and the state bond and tax board, the authority may make, in any year, contracts dedicating in whole or in part the excess of annual revenues of subsequent years above statutory, necessary and usual charges. No contract shall run any longer term fixed for payment than ten years from date of the contract. No dedication of future revenue shall be made which, alone or with other prior dedications in force, exceeds the estimated excess of revenues over the statutory, necessary and useful charges of the year in which the contract is made. This section shall not be construed to prohibit the authority from providing by ordinance or resolution for the expenditure of funds derived from miscellaneous or contingent sources usually collected, subject to the dedication of such funds established by law.

(7)

To acquire or improve land for industrial parks.

(b)

In addition to any other authority conferred by the constitution and statutes of this state, the airport authority may acquire, except by expropriation, and/or improve land for industrial parks within the limits of Plaquemines Parish, and may acquire, purchase, construct, or improve industrial plant buildings and necessary property and appurtenances thereto and lease, by suitable and appropriate contract, to any enterprise locating or existing within such parish, a plant site appurtenance and plant building or buildings, either, both, or severally. Leases authorized to be executed hereunder may be entered into by the airport authority without advertisement for bids, provided that any lease having a term of three (3) years or longer shall first be submitted to and approved by the council and Board of Commerce and Industry of the State of Louisiana.

(c)

Such works are hereby declared to be works of public improvement and monies of an airport district or airport authority may be expended for such public purposes. Any airport district, commission, board, or airport authority may contract for and receive grants and/or loans from the United States government and for agency or department or instrumentality thereof, or any state department, board, commission, agency, or political subdivision of the state in carrying out the purposes of this section.

(Ord. No. 159, § 4, 12-1-76)

State law reference

For similar provisions, see R.S. 2:604.