Informer: Open-meetings law applies to public bodies
Published 12:15 pm Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Are nonprofit cemetery boards required to have open meetings and issue a treasurer’s report once a year?
“This is not required by Louisiana cemetery law, nor is it required by the corporation laws in Louisiana,” Amanda Larkins, a spokeswoman for the state Attorney General’s Office, wrote in an email.
“The corporation laws would only require the filing of a pro forma annual report with the secretary of state if the nonprofit is actually a state-registered juridical entity. Open meetings are required only of public bodies (i.e., the government) pursuant to Title 44 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes and are not required of private nonprofits by law.
“Both of these matters could be addressed in the nonprofit’s bylaws.”
Online: www.legis.state.la.us; www.lcb.state.la.us.
Ordinances address property standards
Is there an ordinance for outside the city limits but in Calcasieu Parish that requires homeowners to keep their property from being an eyesore in the community?
Yes, several.
The parish code lists provisions that bar “the presence of any junked item on any private lot, tract or parcel of land, or portion thereof, occupied or unoccupied, improved or unimproved”; limit “the growth or accumulation of grass, obnoxious weeds, or other deleterious or unhealthful growths, trash, debris, refuse, or discarded or noxious matter”; and establish a time window — 5 a.m.-7 p.m. — for curbside trash-can placement.
Property standards ordinances are enforced by a division of the Office of Planning and Development.
For more information, call 721-3625.
Online: www.municode.com; www.cppj.net.
Numbers for La., FCC no-call lists requested
What are the numbers for the state and federal Do Not Call lists?
To register for the state list, call the Louisiana Public Service Commission at 877-676-0773.
To report violations of the listing to the PSC, call the above number and request a complaint form; the form is also available for download on the agency’s website.
The number for the national list, which is maintained by the Federal Communications Commission, is 888-382-1222. The TTY number 866-290-4236.
To file a complaint, call the FCC at 888-225-5322 — TTY: 888-835-5322.
Online: www.lpsc.org; www.donotcall.gov.
The Informer answers questions from readers each Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. It is researched and written by Andrew Perzo, an American Press staff writer. To ask a question, call 494-4098, press 5 and leave voice mail, or email informer@americanpress.com
(American Press Archives)
