SB 380

2026 Regular Session  ENROLLED
  ACT No. 597
 SENATE BILL NO. 380
 BY SENATOR CARTER
1AN ACT
2 To enact R.S. 33:9091.30, relative to Orleans Parish; to create the Real Timbers Crime
3Prevention and Improvement District; to provide relative to the boundaries, purpose,
4governance, authority, powers, duties, and functions of the district; to provide for
5district funding; to provide for an effective date; and to provide for related matters.
6Notice of intention to introduce this Act has been published.
7 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8Section 1. R.S. 33:9091.30 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
9§9091.30. Real Timbers Crime Prevention and Improvement District
10A. There is hereby created within the parish of Orleans, as more
11specifically provided in Subsection B of this Section, a body politic and
12corporate known as the Real Timbers Crime Prevention and Improvement
13District, referred to in this Section as the "district". The district is a political
14subdivision of the state as defined in the Constitution of Louisiana.
15B. The district is comprised of the area included within the following
16perimeter: Iowa Street, Amazon Street, Delaware Street, Memorial Park Drive,
17Kansas Street, and Hudson Street.
18C. The district is established for the primary object and purpose of
19promoting and encouraging the beautification, security, and overall betterment
20of the district.
21D.(1) The district shall be governed by a seven-member board of
22commissioners, referred to in this Section as the "board", composed as follows:
23(a) The president, secretary, treasurer, and parliamentarian of the Real
24Timbers Homeowners Association, referred to in this Section as the
25"association".
26(b) The association shall appoint three members who shall be residents
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1of the district.
2(2)(a) The members appointed pursuant to Subparagraph (1)(b) of this
3Subsection shall serve five-year terms after initial terms as provided in this
4Subparagraph. One member shall serve an initial term of three years; one shall
5serve four years; and one shall serve five years, as determined by lot at the first
6meeting of the board.
7(b) The members serving pursuant to Subparagraph (1)(a) of this
8Subsection shall serve during their term of office.
9(3) The board shall elect from its members a chairman, a vice chairman,
10a secretary, a treasurer, and other officers as it deems necessary. The duties of
11the officers shall be fixed by the bylaws adopted by the board.
12(4) The board may adopt rules and regulations for conducting its
13business affairs. Rules and regulations of the board relative to the notice and
14conduct of meetings shall conform to applicable law, including laws relative to
15open meetings. The board shall hold regular meetings and may hold special
16meetings at times and places within the district as prescribed in the bylaws.
17(5) A majority of the members of the board constitutes a quorum for the
18transaction of business. The board shall keep minutes of all meetings and shall
19make them available through the secretary of the board to residents of the
20district.
21(6) The members of the board shall serve without compensation but shall
22be reimbursed for reasonable out-of-pocket expenses directly related to the
23governance of the district.
24E. The district, acting through its board, shall have the following powers
25and duties:
26(1) To sue and be sued.
27(2) To adopt, use, and alter at will a corporate seal.
28(3) To receive and expend funds collected pursuant to Subsections F and
29G of this Section and in accordance with a budget adopted as provided by
30Subsection H of this Section.
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1(4) To enter into contracts with individuals or entities, private or public.
2(5) To provide or enhance security patrols in the district and to provide
3for improved lighting, signage, or matters relating to the security and
4beautification of the district.
5(6) To enter into contracts and agreements for security, improvement,
6or betterment of the district, including with one or more other districts for the
7joint security, improvement, or betterment of all participating districts.
8(7) To provide for services and make expenditures as the board deems
9proper for the upkeep and beautification of the district and the quality of life
10of its residents.
11(8) To acquire or lease items and supplies that the board deems
12instrumental to achieving the purposes of the district.
13(9) To procure and maintain liability insurance against any liability of
14the district and against any personal or legal liability of a board member that
15may be asserted or incurred based upon his service as a member of the board
16or that may arise as a result of his actions taken within the scope and discharge
17of his duties as a member of the board.
18(10) To perform or have performed any other function or activity
19necessary or appropriate to carry out the purposes of the district or for the
20overall betterment of the district.
21F.(1) The governing authority of the city of New Orleans may impose and
22collect a parcel fee within the district subject to and in accordance with the
23provisions of this Subsection.
24(2) The amount of the fee shall be as requested by duly adopted
25resolution of the board. The fee shall be a flat fee per parcel of land not to
26exceed three hundred fifteen dollars per year for each parcel.
27(3)(a) The fee shall be imposed on each parcel located within the district.
28(b) For purposes of this Section, "parcel" means a lot, a subdivided
29portion of ground, an individual tract, or a "condominium parcel" as defined
30in R.S. 9:1121.103.
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1(c) The owner of each parcel shall be responsible for payment of the fee.
2(4)(a) The fee shall be imposed only after the question of its imposition
3has been approved by a majority of the registered voters of the district voting
4on the proposition at an election held for that purpose in accordance with the
5Louisiana Election Code. The amount of the fee may be changed by duly
6adopted resolution of the board, not to exceed the maximum amount authorized
7in this Subsection. No other election shall be required except as provided by this
8Paragraph.
9(b) The fee shall expire at the time provided in the proposition
10authorizing the fee, not to exceed five years, but the fee may be renewed if
11approved by a majority of the registered voters of the district voting on the
12proposition at an election as provided in Subparagraph (a) of this Paragraph.
13If the fee is renewed, the term of the imposition of the fee shall be as provided
14in the proposition authorizing the renewal, not to exceed five years.
15(5) The fee shall be collected at the same time and in the same manner
16as ad valorem taxes on property subject to taxation by the city are collected.
17(6) Any parcel fee which is unpaid shall be added to the tax rolls of the
18city and shall be enforced with the same authority and subject to the same
19penalties and procedures as unpaid ad valorem taxes.
20(7)(a) The proceeds of the fee shall be used solely and exclusively for the
21purpose and benefit of the district; however, the city may retain one percent of
22the amount collected as a collection fee.
23(b) The city of New Orleans shall remit to the district all amounts
24collected not more than sixty days after collection.
25G. The district may solicit and accept additional voluntary contributions
26and grants to further the purposes of the district.
27H.(1) The board of commissioners shall adopt an annual budget in
28accordance with the Louisiana Local Government Budget Act, R.S. 39:1301 et
29seq.
30(2) The district shall be subject to audit by the legislative auditor
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1pursuant to R.S. 24:513.
2I.(1) It is the purpose and intent of this Section that the additional law
3enforcement or security personnel and their services provided for through the
4fees authorized in this Section shall be supplemental to and not in lieu of
5personnel and services provided in the district by the New Orleans Police
6Department.
7(2) If the district ceases to exist, all funds of the district shall be
8transmitted by the board to the city of New Orleans, and such funds, together
9with any other funds collected by the city of New Orleans pursuant to this
10Section, shall be maintained in a separate account by the city and shall be used
11only to promote, encourage, and enhance the security, beautification, and
12overall betterment of the area included in the district.
13J.(1) The district shall indemnify its officers and board members to the
14fullest extent permitted by R.S. 12:227, as fully as if the district were a nonprofit
15corporation governed thereby, and as may be provided in the district's bylaws.
16(2) No board member or officer of the district shall be liable to the
17district or to any individual who resides, owns property, visits, or otherwise
18conducts business in the district for monetary damages for breach of his duties
19as a board member or officer, provided that the foregoing provision shall not
20eliminate or limit the liability of a board member or officer for any of the
21following:
22(a) Acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional
23misconduct or a violation of law.
24(b) Any transaction from which he derived an improper personal benefit.
25(3) To the fullest extent permitted by R.S. 9:2792 et seq., including R.S.
269:2792.1 through 2792.9, a person serving the district as a board member or
27officer shall not be individually liable for any act or omission arising out of the
28performance of his duties.
29Section 2. This Act shall become effective upon signature by the governor or, if not
30 signed by the governor, upon expiration of the time for bills to become law without signature
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1 by the governor, as provided by Article III, Section 18 of the Constitution of Louisiana. If
2 vetoed by the governor and subsequently approved by the legislature, this Act shall become
3 effective on the day following such approval.
  PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
  SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
  GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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