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The board of commissioners shall have all powers necessary or convenient for carrying out its purposes, including but not limited to the following rights and powers:

(1)  The board shall adopt bylaws for its own government and for the government of its officers and employees.  It shall devise and adopt rules and regulations for establishing and perfecting a comprehensive drainage and stormwater management program.  It shall keep a record of all its proceedings, which shall be published after each meeting in a local newspaper selected by the board.

(2)  The board, at each regular meeting, shall examine all of the accounts and operations of the board, determine in what manner work shall be undertaken, and provide the means to carry out its projects.  All work shall be advertised to be let by means of sealed proposals, in accordance with the public contracts law of the state of Louisiana, to the lowest responsible bidder, reserving to the board authority to reject all bids.  In case of emergency as defined in La. Rev. Stat. 38:2211, the public contracts law of the state of Louisiana, the board may make contracts for the building, repair, and guarding of drainage facilities without advertisement of sealed proposals, and for that purpose may use any funds in the treasury of the board not otherwise appropriated by contract previously given, or may pledge the revenues of the board, property, or other things of value to raise money for this purpose.

(3)  The board may create a system and establish a line of back levees and drainage for the district.  The board, in the creation of said back levees and drainage system and the erection thereof, may construct floodgates wherever deemed necessary and may close any canals and bayous, which may be found to intersect the proposed levees lines, at the point of intersection, in order that the property of the district may be free from the danger of inundation.  The determination of the board as to the necessity of closing any intersecting canal or bayou or as to the necessity of opening or closing any floodgates to protect the district from inundation shall be conclusive evidence of the necessity.  The board may construct channels, upper and lower side levees, and pumping stations to protect the lands and property within the district as it deems necessary, with full authority to acquire the necessary land on which to build the back and side levees and all levee drainage and pumping structures.  The board shall have all power and authority and shall do all things necessary to attain the objects contemplated herein.  The district may exercise the right of eminent domain and expropriate property according to law within and without the district when necessary to drain lands in the district.

(4)  The board shall cause to be kept an exact and accurate statement of the work performed by its authority, giving in detail the work done, the drains and drainage facilities constructed or installed, repairs, or all other work done or authorized to be done.  The board shall keep an accurate account of the finances of the district and semiannually cause to be prepared a statement showing the exact, accurate, and true condition of such finances, showing particularly the receipts and resources thereof in detail, the amount and character of each amount of money, or assets received, whether in money, bills of exchange, bills receivable, property, or other things of value.  Such statement shall show in detail the expenditures made by authority of the board, the cost of works built or repaired, salaries paid, property purchased, cost of work done, and other incidental expenditures, and any and all expenditures made by authority of the board, the balances on hand, all details of the various money, fines, or other things of value at the time of the statement.  Such statement shall be made in triplicate, one copy of which shall be forwarded to the governor, one copy to the legislative auditor, and one copy shall be kept on record in the files and records of the board.  The board shall also cause this statement to be published for one day in a local newspaper of its own selection within ten days from the date of the semiannual meeting at which such statement is made and approved.

(5)  The board shall be responsible for all major drainage in the district, excluding the Red River and its levees, and local drainage along streets, highways, and roads and may request the office of engineering of the Department of Transportation and Development to lay out, furnish estimates, and perform all engineering work necessary to the location, construction, and repairs of the drain and drainage facilities or may employ an engineer or engineers to perform such services.

(6)  The board shall have authority to order the relocation of any and all pipelines or electric power transmission lines located within the district, provided that the owners thereof shall be reimbursed for the cost of such removal and relocation.  The determination of the board as to the necessity of removing and relocating those facilities for purposes of dredging operations or levee construction or maintenance shall be conclusive evidence of the necessity.  The board is authorized to pay for the costs of such relocations from any of the funds of the district available for construction or maintenance.

(7)  The board may cooperate with the federal government, the state of Louisiana, and other governmental entities in such manner as it may deem necessary to carry out its authorized purposes and may receive loans, grants, and gifts in connection therewith.

Added by Acts 1982, No. 69, §1; Acts 1984, No. 787, §1; Acts 2012, No. 753, §5.