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A.  The authority shall have power to issue bonds of the authority from time to time in its discretion to finance its activities or operations under this Chapter, including without limiting the generality of the foregoing the repayment with interest of any advances or loans of funds made to the authority by the federal government, or other source, for any surveys or plans made or to be made by the authority in exercising its powers under this Chapter, and shall also have power to issue refunding or other bonds from time to time in its discretion for the payment, retirement, renewal, or extension of any bonds previously issued, and to provide for the replacement of lost, destroyed, or mutilated bonds previously issued under this Section.

B.  Bonds which are issued under this Section:

(1)  May be general obligation bonds of the authority to the payment of which, as to both principal and interest, and premiums, if any, the full faith, credit, and assets, acquired and to be acquired, of the authority are irrevocably pledged.

(2)  May be special obligations of the authority which, as to both principal and interest, and premiums, if any, are payable solely from and secured only by a pledge of any income, proceeds, revenues, or funds of the authority derived or to be derived by it or held by it in connection with its undertaking of any project or projects of the authority, including any grants or contributions of funds made or to be made by it with respect to any such project or projects, and any funds derived or to be derived by it or held or to be held by it in connection with its sale, lease, rental, transfer, retention, management, rehabilitation, clearance, development, redevelopment, preparation for development or redevelopment, or its operation or other utilization or disposition of any real or personal property acquired or to be acquired by it or held or to be held by it for any of the purposes of this Chapter, and including any loans, grants, or contributions of funds made or to be made to it by the federal government, in aid of any project or projects of the authority or in aid of any of its other activities or operations.

(3)  May be special obligations of the authority which, as to both principal and interest, and premiums, if any, are payable solely from and secured only by a pledge of any loans, grants, or contributions of funds made or to be made to it by the federal government, or other source, in aid of any project or projects of the authority or in aid of any of its other activities or operations.

(4)  May be contingent special obligations of the authority which, as to both principal and interest, and premiums, if any, are payable solely from any funds available or becoming available to the authority for its undertaking of the project or projects involved in the particular activities or operations with respect to which such contingent special obligations are issued, but so payable only in the event such funds are or become available as aforesaid.

(5)  May be secured by a tax levied by the city of Opelousas or other political subdivision.

C.  Notwithstanding any other provisions of this Section, any bonds which are issued under this Section, other than the contingent special obligations covered by Paragraph (B)(4) of this Section, may be additionally secured as to the payment of the principal and interest, and premiums, if any, by a mortgage of any community improvement project or projects, or any part thereof, title to which is then or thereafter in the authority or any other real or personal property, or interest therein, then owned or thereafter acquired by the authority.

D.  Bonds which are issued under this Section shall not constitute an indebtedness of the state of Louisiana or the city of Opelousas, or any public body of this state other than the authority issuing such bonds, are not subject to any constitutional or statutory debt limitation or restriction and shall not be subject to the provisions of any other act or of the charter of the city of Opelousas relating to the authorization, issuance, or sale of bonds.

E.  Bonds which are issued under this Section are declared to be issued for an essential public and governmental purpose and, together with interest thereon and income therefrom, shall be exempted from all taxes.

F.  Bonds which are issued under this Section shall be authorized by resolution or resolutions of the authority and may be issued in one or more series and shall bear such date or dates, be payable upon demand or mature at such time or times, bear interest at such rate or rates, be in such denomination or denominations, be in such form, either coupon or registered or otherwise, carry such conversion or registration privileges, have such rank or priority, be executed in the name of the authority in such manner, be payable in such medium of payment, be payable at such place or places, be subject to such callability provisions or terms of redemption with or without premiums, be secured in such manner, be of such description, contain or be subject to such covenants, provisions, terms, conditions, and agreements, including provisions concerning events of default, and have such other characteristics, as may be provided by such resolution or resolutions or by the indenture or mortgage, if any, issued pursuant to such resolution or resolutions.  The seal of the authority or a facsimile thereof shall be affixed, imprinted, engraved, or otherwise reproduced upon each of its bonds issued under this Section.

G.  Bonds which are issued under this Section shall be executed in the name of the authority by the manual or facsimile signatures of such of its officials as may be designated in the aforesaid resolution or resolutions or trust agreement, indenture, or mortgage.  Coupons, if any, attached to such bonds shall bear the facsimile signature of such official of the authority as may be designated as aforesaid.

H.  The bonds of the Opelousas Redevelopment Authority may be sold at public or private sale in such manner and from time to time as may be determined by the board of commissioners to be most advantageous.

I.  If any of the officials of the authority whose signatures or facsimile signatures appear on any of its bonds or coupons which are issued under this Section shall cease to be such officials before the delivery of such bonds, such signatures or facsimile signatures, as the case may be, shall, nevertheless, be valid and sufficient for all purposes, the same as if such officials had remained in office until such delivery.

J.  Any provisions of any law to the contrary notwithstanding, any bonds which are issued under this Section shall be fully negotiable.

K.  In any suit, action, or proceeding involving the validity or enforceability of any bond which is issued under this Section or the security therefor, any such bond reciting in substance that it has been issued by the authority in connection with a community improvement project as herein defined, or any activity or operation of the authority under this Chapter, shall be conclusively deemed to have been issued for such purposes, and such community improvement project or such operation or activity, as the case may be, shall be conclusively deemed to have been initiated, planned, located, undertaken, accomplished, and carried out in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter.

L.  Pending the preparation of any definitive bonds hereunder, the authority may issue its interim certificate or receipts, or its temporary bonds, with or without coupons, exchangeable for such definitive bonds when the latter shall have been executed and are available for delivery.

M.  Persons, firms, or corporations retained or employed by an agency as advisers or consultants for the purpose of rendering financial advice and assistance may purchase or participate in the purchase, or in the distribution of its bonds when such bonds are offered at public sale.

N.  No commissioner or other officer of the authority issuing bonds under this Section and no person executing such bonds shall be liable personally on such bonds or be subject to any personal liability or accountability by reason of the issuance thereof.

O.  The authority shall authorize revenue bonds by one or more bond resolutions adopted by a majority of its commissioners.  Any bond resolution shall be published one time in the official journal of the city of Opelousas, Louisiana; however, it shall not be necessary to publish any exhibits to such bond resolution if the same are available for public inspection and such fact is stated in the publication.  For thirty days after the date of publication, any person in interest may contest the legality of the bond resolution, any provision of the revenue bonds to be issued pursuant to it, the provisions therein made for the security and payment of the revenue bonds, and the validity of all other provisions and proceedings relating to the authorization and issuance of such bonds.  After that time, no person may contest the regularity, formality, legality, or effectiveness of the bond resolution, any provisions of the revenue bonds to be issued pursuant to it, the provisions for the security and payment of the revenue bonds, and the validity of all other provisions and proceedings relating to their authorization and issuance, for any cause whatever.  Thereafter, it shall be conclusively presumed that the revenue bonds are legal and that every legal requirement for the issuance of the revenue bonds has been complied with.  No court shall have authority to inquire into any of these matters after the thirty days.

Acts 2007, No. 380, §1, eff. July 10, 2007.