Bill > HB573

This bill makes several changes to the laws governing the Sewerage and Water Board of New Orleans, primarily by giving the city's governing authority, the New Orleans City Council, more power to override state law concerning the board's operations. Specifically, it allows the City Council to adopt ordinances that conflict with certain sections of state law related to the board's powers, duties, and rate-setting, provided those ordinances are enacted later than the state laws they contradict. The bill also modifies existing provisions regarding the board's officers, clarifying that the mayor serves as ex officio president and that the board elects an executive director whose salary and duties are determined by the board, while board members only receive reimbursement for actual expenses. Additionally, it removes a requirement for a specific working group to review billing policy ordinances, instead allowing the City Council to establish its own procedures for rate approval and billing policies, with the stipulation that any such procedures must be applied uniformly to avoid special treatment for customers.