A.  The commission shall consist of seven commissioners who shall be qualified voters and residents of Ward Seven of Calcasieu Parish and who shall serve without compensation.  The original members of the commission shall be appointed by the police jury of Calcasieu Parish, for the following terms: two members for a one-year term, two members for two-year terms, two members for three-year terms and one member for a four-year term.  The commissioners shall serve until their successors are appointed and qualified.  All commissioners appointed at the expiration of the original terms as set forth above shall be appointed for terms of four years.

B.  Upon the expiration of the initial terms of the original commissioners, their successors shall be appointed by the commission in accordance with the procedure set forth in this Subsection.  Ninety days prior to the expiration of a term, the commission shall call a meeting to be held in Ward Seven of the parish for the purpose of receiving nominations and voting thereon to select a successor to fill the vacancies.  A notice of the meeting setting forth the time, place, and purpose thereof shall be published by the commission at least twice before the meeting in the official journal of Calcasieu Parish and in the Vinton News, Vinton, Louisiana.  The meeting shall be held at least thirty days prior to the expiration of the term.  The president of the commission shall preside at the meeting and receive nominations from persons present at the meeting, provided that any person submitting a nomination and any person whose name is submitted for nomination shall be a qualified voter and a resident of Ward Seven.  At least three nominations shall be received for each vacancy to be filled.  The nominations shall be submitted to the commission and the commission shall select the new commissioner from among those nominated.

C.  When a vacancy occurs during a term and there is less than one year remaining on the unexpired term, a commissioner shall be appointed by the commission to serve the remainder of the unexpired term.  When a vacancy occurs during a term and there is one year or more remaining on the unexpired term, the vacancy shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term in accordance with the procedure set forth in Subsection B of this Section.

Added by Acts 1980, No. 489, §1.  Acts 1988, No. 285, §1.