§ 8-20. District No. 5

(a) Created; boundaries. Under and by virtue of the authority conferred by R.S. 40:1491—40:1501 inclusive, a fire protection district is created in the parish and shall comprise and embrace all of the territory within the following boundaries, to wit:

Beginning at the northwest corner of irregular Section 56, T-7-N, R-6-W; thence east along the northern boundary of said Section 56 to its intersection with the Old River; thence in a general easterly direction along the mid-channel line of said river to its intersection with the western boundary of irregular Section 29, T-7-N, R-6-W; thence in a northwesterly direction along the western boundaries of said irregular Section 29 and irregular Sections 15 and 14, T-7-N, and R-6-W, to the northwest corner of said Section 14; thence in a northeasterly direction along the northern boundary of said Section 14 to its intersection with irregular Section 13, T-7-N, R-6-W; thence continuing in a northeasterly direction along the northern boundary of said Section 13 to its intersection with the Cane River; thence in a meandering northerly direction along the mid-channel line of said river to its intersection with the southern corporate limit of the City of Natchitoches; thence following said corporate limit boundary in a general westerly direction to its intersection with the Old River; thence in a southerly direction along the mid-channel line of said river to its intersection with the township line common to T-9-N and T-8-N; thence west along said township line to the southwest corner of irregular Section 35, T-9-N, R-8-W; thence south along the western boundaries of irregular Sections 38 and 2 and regular Sections 11 and 14, T-8-N, R-8-W, to the southwest corner of said Section 14; thence east along the southern boundaries of Sections 14 and 13 to the southeast corner of said Sections 13, T-8-N, R-8-W, said point also being the range line common to R-8-W and R-7-W; thence continuing east along the southern boundaries of Sections 18 and 17, T-8-N, R-7-W, to the southeast corner of said Section 17; thence south to the northwest corner of Section 4, T-7-N, R-7-W; thence east to its northeast corner; thence south to the southwest corner of irregular Section 15, T-7-N, R-7-W; thence east to the northeast corner of Section 24, T-7-N, R-7-W, said point also being the range line common to R-7-W and R-6-W; thence south along said range line to the point of beginning.

(b) Name; corporate powers. Said district is designated as "Fire Protection District No. 5 of the Parish of Natchitoches, State of Louisiana," shall constitute a public corporation and shall have the powers and privileges granted by the Constitution and statutes of this state to such corporations, including the authority to incur debt and levy taxes. Said district shall also be known as the Natchez Fire Protection District.

(c) Governing body. In accordance with the provisions of R.S. 40:1495 and 40:1496, the governing body of the district shall consist of a board of commissioners of the district, which shall consist of five (5) members. Two (2) members shall be appointed by the police jury, two (2) by the town council of the Village of Natchez, Louisiana and the chairman of the board shall be selected by the other four (4) members. Each member of the board shall be a resident property taxpayer of the district.

Two (2) of the first members of the board shall hold office until one year from the January first immediately succeeding their appointment, and three (3) members shall hold office until two (2) years from the January first immediately succeeding their appointments, the respective terms to be designated by lot. Thereafter, each member appointed shall serve for a term of two (2) years. Members shall be eligible for re-appointment. If a vacancy occurs, it shall be filled for the unexpired term by the body originally making the appointment so vacated.

(d) Organization. The police jury shall fix the time and place for the first meeting of the board. At this meeting, the board shall organize and elect a secretary and a treasurer or a combined secretary-treasurer. The persons filling these offices may, but need not, be members of the board.

(e) General powers and duties. The board shall adopt its rules and procedure and fix the time and place of its regular meetings. Generally, it has such powers and shall perform such duties as are customary for the governing bodies of taxing districts and political subdivisions, including the right to levy taxes and to operate and control the property acquired by the district. It may do all things necessary to carry out the purposes for which the district was created.

(Ord. of 1-17-79, §§ 1—5; Ord. No. 5-82, §§ I, II, 10-20-82)