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            A. Membership; qualifications; vacancies.

            (1) The Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans, hereinafter referred to as “the board” is continued. The number of members comprising the board shall be seven, who shall be qualified voters, four of whom shall each have his principal place of business in the parish of Orleans, two of whom shall each have his principal place of business in the parish of Jefferson, and one of whom shall have his principal place of business in the parish of St. Bernard. The four members from the parish of Orleans shall fill the positions on the board to be designated as Positions D, E, F, and G; the two members from the parish of Jefferson shall fill the positions on the board to be designated as Positions A and C; and the member from the parish of St. Bernard shall fill the position on the board to be designated as Position B.

            (2) On or after October 1, 1976, vacancies occurring because of expiration of term and the two additional memberships created by this Act* shall be filled in such manner that the first such vacancy occurring shall be filled by a member who shall hold Position A, and each such subsequent vacancy shall be filled in sequence by members holding Positions B, C, D, E, F, and G, respectively. Any vacancy occurring prior to October 1, 1976, shall be filled in the same manner in which the position was initially filled.

            (3) All members shall be experienced in the commerce or industry, or both, of the port area, and shall otherwise possess the qualifications prescribed by law. Notwithstanding any prohibition contained in Part II of Chapter 15 of Title 42 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, a member appointed prior to August 1, 2018, employed in the maritime industry may serve as a member as provided in this Paragraph. The provisions of Title 42 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950 in effect on the date of the appointment of a member appointed prior to August 1, 2018, shall apply to that member for the term of that member. The present members appointed prior to August 1, 2018, seven in number, shall continue to serve on the board for the duration of their respective terms, and shall remain subject to the provisions of Title 42 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950 in effect on the date of that member’s appointment. A member appointed on or after August 1, 2018, employed in the maritime industry may serve as a member as provided in this Paragraph, subject to the provisions of Title 42 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950.

            (4) Any vacancy in the membership of the board shall be filled by the governor from among the nominees selected as provided in this Section, within fifteen days after the governor receives their names.

            B. Nominating agencies.

            (1) For the purpose of selecting nominees for the four members, each of whom shall be appointed by the governor from the nominees selected by the Orleans Parish nominating organization, the following nominating agencies shall constitute and shall be designated as the Orleans Parish nominating organization:

            (a) New Orleans Chamber of Commerce

            (b) New Orleans Board of Trade, Ltd.

            (c) New Orleans Steamship Association

            (d) International Freight Forwarders and Customs Brokers Association of New Orleans, Inc.

            (e) Maritime Trade’s Council of Greater New Orleans and Vicinity

            (f) Metropolitan Area Committee

            (g) Louisiana Farm Bureau

            (h) Urban League of Greater New Orleans

            (i) Dillard University

            (j) Xavier University

            (k) World Trade Center

            (l) Greater New Orleans Barge Fleeting Association

            (m) Propeller Club of the United States

            (n) The Greater New Orleans AFL-CIO

            (2) For the purpose of selecting nominees for the two members, each of whom shall be appointed by the governor from the nominees selected by the Jefferson Parish nominating organization, the following nominating agencies shall constitute and shall be designated as the Jefferson Parish nominating organization:

            (a) Harvey Canal Industrial Association.

            (b) East Bank Council of the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce.

            (c) West Bank Council of the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce.

            (d) Maritime Trade’s Council of Greater New Orleans and Vicinity.

            (e) Louisiana Farm Bureau.

            (f) Greater New Orleans AFL-CIO.

            (g) Jefferson Business Council.

            (3) For the purpose of selecting nominees for the member to be appointed by the governor from the nominees selected by the St. Bernard Parish nominating organization, the following agencies shall constitute and shall be designated as the St. Bernard Parish nominating organization:

            (a) St. Bernard Chamber of Commerce.

            (b) St. Bernard Port, Harbor and Terminal District.

            (c) Maritime Trade’s Council of Greater New Orleans and Vicinity.

            (d) Louisiana Farm Bureau.

            C. Nominating Councils; selection of nominees. Each nominating organization shall have a nominating council on which shall be seated the presidents or recognized heads of the nominating agencies of that nominating organization, as enumerated in Subsections (B)(1), (2) and (3), respectively, of this Section. Nominees to the governor for appointment to the board shall be selected by the nominating council of the appropriate nominating organization from among those named by the nominating agencies of said nominating organization as required by this Section.

            D. Notice of vacancy. Within ten days after the occurrence of a vacancy on the board for any cause, the president or other presiding officer of the board shall send notice of the vacancy by registered or certified United States mail to each appropriate nominating agency.

            E. Nominees submitted by nominating organizations.

            (1) Within ten days after notification of a vacancy or vacancies in Position D, E, F, or G, the first listed nominating agency of the Orleans Parish Nominating Organization shall submit in writing to the members of its nominating council the names of two persons having the qualifications set forth in this Section as nominees for each such vacancy or vacancies. Thereafter, the remaining nominating agencies of the Orleans Parish nominating organization, in the order in which they are listed in Subsection (B)(1) of this Section and within intervals of five days each, shall consecutively submit in like manner, the names of two nominees for each such vacancy.

            (2) Within ten days after notification of a vacancy or vacancies in Position A or C, the first listed nominating agency of Jefferson Parish Nominating Organization shall submit in writing to the members of its nominating council the names of two persons having the qualifications set forth in this Section as nominees for each such vacancy or vacancies. Thereafter, the remaining nominating agencies of that nominating organization, in the order in which they are listed in Subsection (B)(2) of this Section and within intervals of five days each, shall consecutively submit in like manner, the names of two nominees for each such vacancy.

            (3) Within ten days after notification of a vacancy in Position B, the first listed nominating agency of St. Bernard Parish Nominating Organization shall submit in writing to the members of its nominating council the name of one person having the qualifications set forth in this Section as nominee for such vacancy. Thereafter, the remaining nominating agencies of that nominating organization, in the order in which they are listed in Subsection (B)(3) of this Section and within intervals of five days each, shall consecutively submit in like manner, the name of one nominee for such vacancy.

            (4) No person shall be eligible for nomination if he has been previously nominated by another nominating agency. In all cases, signed copies of the communications to the appropriate nominating council transmitting the names of the nominees shall be sent to the governing bodies of the other nominating agencies.

            F. Certification to governor.

            (1) As soon as the names of the nominees for Position D, E, F, or G as selected by the appropriate nominating agencies have been received, or in any event within ten days after the last delay for the submission of the names of nominees for Position D, E, F, or G has expired, the Orleans Parish Nominating Council, at a meeting convened on the written call of any member thereof, shall certify to the governor for each such vacancy then existing the names of three nominees from among the nominees whose names have been submitted to it by the nominating agencies of the Orleans Parish Nominating Organization, and from among the nominees thus certified the governor shall make an appointment or appointments to fill each such vacancy.

            (2) As soon as the names of the nominees for Position A or C as selected by the appropriate nominating agencies have been received, or in any event within ten days after the last delay for the submission of the names of nominees for Position A or C has expired, the Jefferson Parish Nominating Council, at a meeting convened on the written call of any member thereof, shall certify to the governor for each such vacancy then existing the names of three nominees from among the nominees whose names have been submitted to it by the nominating agencies of the Jefferson Parish Nominating Organization, and from among the nominees thus certified the governor shall make an appointment or appointments to fill each such vacancy.

            (3) As soon as the names of the nominees for Position B as selected by the appropriate nominating agencies have been received, or in any event within ten days after the last delay for the submission of the names of nominees for Position B has expired, the St. Bernard Parish Nominating Council, at a meeting convened on the written call of any member thereof, shall certify to the governor for such vacancy then existing the names of three nominees from among the nominees whose names have been submitted to it by the nominating agencies of the St. Bernard Parish Nominating Organization, and from among the nominees thus certified the governor shall make an appointment or appointments to fill such vacancy.

            G. Nominating agencies; identity. The nominating agencies listed in Subsections (B)(1), (2) and (3) of this Section shall be understood and construed to be the agencies presently existing and designated by the names listed in Subsections (B)(1), (2) and (3) or their respective legal successors.

            H. Dissolution of nominating agencies; effect. If any of the nominating agencies listed in Subsections (B)(1), (2) and (3) of this Section ceases to exist or to function, without any legal successor, the nominees to be submitted to the appropriate nominating council as provided in Subsection E of this Section, shall be submitted by the nominating agencies of the appropriate nominating organization that continue to exist and function.

            I. Minimum number of nominees. If the nominating agencies of the appropriate nominating organization submit fewer than three names of nominees to their nominating council for any vacancy for the purposes of Subsection F of this Section, that nominating council of the appropriate nominating organization shall supply the deficiency or deficiencies to enable it to certify to the governor the names of three nominees as required by Subsection F.

            J. Delayed certification; appointment. If the appropriate nominating council fails to certify to the governor the names of three nominees, as required by Subsection F of this Section, within one hundred twenty days after the occurrence of a vacancy on the board, the governor shall forthwith make an appointment to fill the vacancy.

            K. Term of appointment; filling unexpired term; reappointment. A person appointed to fill a vacancy that occurred other than by expiration of a term shall serve for the unexpired portion of the term. Otherwise, each member appointed to the board shall be appointed for a term of five years. No member of the board shall be eligible to succeed himself unless his immediately previous appointment was to serve for the unexpired portion of a term which had less than two years to run.

            L. Service until successor qualified. Members shall continue to serve until their successors have been appointed and take office.

            M. Incompatible offices. No member of the board shall hold any office in any political party or other political organization, nor shall he hold any public office or employment for compensation, existing under or created by the laws of the United States or the state of Louisiana, or existing under or created by the charter or ordinance of a municipality or subdivision of the state.

            Amended by Acts 1976, No. 289, §1; Acts 1980, No. 272, §1; Acts 1985, No. 426, §1; Acts 1986, No. 142, §1; Acts 1992, No. 188, §1; Acts 1992, No. 1049, §1; Acts 1997, No. 1422, §1; Acts 2004, No. 83, §1, eff. May 28, 2004; Acts 2004, No. 91, §1, eff. May 28, 2004; Acts 2010, No. 681, §2; Acts 2018, No. 534, §1.

*NOTE: AS APPEARS IN ACTS 1976, NO. 289, §1 AND ACTS 1985, NO. 426, §1.