A.  The corporate powers and authority herein granted shall vest in and be exercised by the commission, a body to be composed of twelve members as follows:

(1)  The director of public works of the State of Louisiana who shall be ex-officio chairman of the commission with full voting powers and may duly appoint a representative to represent him at any meeting of the commission with the same effect as though he were in attendance himself.

(2)  Four members-at-large who shall be residents of, own real property subject to taxation in, and be qualified voters of the seven parishes in the district, and who shall be appointed by the governor.

(3)  One member from each of the seven parishes of the district (hereinafter sometimes called “parish members”), to be appointed by the governor in the manner hereinafter provided.

B.  The parish members shall be appointed by the governor from nominees submitted to him in the following manner by the nominating bodies hereinafter designated or their legal successors.

C.  Within thirty days after June 28, 1965, (i) the police jury of each parish in the district shall nominate for membership on the commission one person who shall be a resident of, own real property subject to taxation in, and be a qualified voter of, the parish which he is nominated to represent; (ii) the governing body of each levee district situated wholly or partly in the district shall nominate one individual possessing like qualifications for each parish within which it exercises and has territorial jurisdiction; and (iii) the Red River Valley Association, a Louisiana nonprofit corporation, shall nominate for membership on the commission a person possessing like qualifications from each one of the seven parishes of the district.  All nominations made by the aforesaid nominating bodies shall be in writing and sent by registered United States mail to the governor under the signature of the chief executive officer or secretary of the respective nominating body.  From lists or panels of names compiled from said sources, and within sixty days after June 28, 1965, the governor shall appoint one person from each of the aforesaid seven parishes in the district to serve as a member of the commission; provided, however, that not more than three nominees of police juries, nor more than three nominees of governing bodies of levee districts, nor more than three nominees of the Red River Valley Association may be members of the commission at the same time.

D.  Within thirty days prior to the expiration of the term of office of any member or within thirty days after occurrence of a vacancy prior to the expiration of the term of office of any member, the aforesaid respective nominating bodies so entitled shall, in the parish where appropriate, designate a nominee for the new term or to fill the vacancy.  Such nominations shall be made on the same basis, in the same manner and in accordance with the same procedures required for nominations for initial membership on the commission.  From the list or panel of names submitted, the governor shall appoint the parish member for the new term or to fill the vacancy as soon as possible after the names of the nominees of the respective nominating bodies have been received by him, subject to the requirements heretofore specified for such membership.

E.  If any one or more of the nominating bodies referred to above shall cease to exist or function without any legal successor, the governor shall have the right to make his appointment from names submitted by the nominating bodies which are in existence at the time.

Added by Acts 1965, No. 17, §3.  Amended by Acts 1972, No. 63, §1; Acts 2006, No. 448, §1.