2012-0059
INTRODUCED BY: V. J. ST. PIERRE, JR., PARISH PRESIDENT
(BOND COUNSEL)
ORDINANCE NO.
Title
An ordinance providing for the issuance and sale of Twelve Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($12,500,000) of General Obligation Refunding Bonds, Series 2012, of the Parish of St. Charles, State of Louisiana; prescribing the form, fixing the details and providing for the rights of the owners there-of; providing for the payment of the principal of and interest on such bonds and the applica-tion of the proceeds thereof to the refunding of certain bonds of said Parish; and providing for other matters in connection therewith.
Body
WHEREAS, pursuant to the provisions of Chapter 4, Subtitle II of Title 30 and Sub-Part A, Part III, Chapter 4, Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended, Article VI, Section 33 of the Constitution of the State of Louisiana of 1974 and other constitutional and statutory authority, the Parish of St. Charles, State of Louisiana (the "Issuer"), acting through its governing authority, the Parish Council of the Parish of St. Charles, State of Louisiana (the "Governing Authority"), has heretofore issued (i) General Obligation Bonds, Series 1997 (the "Series 1997 Bonds") and (ii) General Obligation Bonds, Series 1998 (the "Series 1998 Bonds") (collectively, the "Prior Bonds"); and
WHEREAS, the Issuer is authorized to borrow money and issue general obligation bonds payable from ad valorem taxes to refund its outstanding general obligation bonds, pursuant to Chapter 14-A of Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended (the "Act"), and other constitutional and statutory authority; and
WHEREAS, the Issuer has found and determined that the refunding of the outstanding (ii) Series 1997 Bonds, consis-ting of $4,525,000 of Series 1997 Bonds which mature March 1, 2015 to March 1, 2018, inclusive and (ii) Series 1998 Bonds, consisting of $7,875,000 of Series 1998 Bonds which mature March 1, 2015 to March 1, 2019, inclusive (collectively, the "Refunded Bonds"), would be financially advantageous to the Issuer and would result in a lower effective interest rate on such Refunded Bonds and debt service savings to the Issuer; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to Chapter 14-A of Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended, and other constitutional and statutory authority, it is now the desire of this Governing Authority to adopt this Ordinance in order to provide for the issuance of Twelve Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($12,500,000) principal amount of its General Obligation Refunding Bonds, Series 2012, of the Issuer (the "Bonds"), for the purpose of refunding the Refunded Bonds, to fix the details of the Bonds and to sell the Bonds to the purchaser thereof; and
WHEREAS, it is necessary to provide for the ap-plication of the proceeds of the Bonds and to provide for other matters in connection with the payment or redemption of the Refunded Bonds; and
WHEREAS, in connection with the issuance of the Bonds, it is necessary that provision be made for the payment of the principal and interest of the Refunded Bonds and to provide for the call for redemption of the Refunded Bonds; and
WHEREAS, the Issuer desires to sell the Bonds to the purchaser thereof and to fix the details of the Bonds and the terms of the sale of the Bonds;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Parish Council of the Parish of St. Charles, State of Louisiana, acting as the governing authority of the Issuer, that:
ARTICLE 1
DEFINITIONS AND INTERPRETATION
SECTION 1.1. Definitions. The following terms shall have the following meanings unless the context otherwise requires:
"Act" shall mean Chapter 14-A of Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended, and other ap-plicable constitutional and statutory authority.
"Bond" or "Bonds" shall mean any or all of the General Obligation Refunding Bonds, Series 2012, of the Issuer, issued pursuant to the Bond Ordinance, as the same may be amended from time to time, whether initially delivered or issued in exchange for, upon transfer of, or in lieu of any previously issued Bond.
"Bond Obligation" shall mean, as of the date of com-putation, the principal amount of the Bonds then Outstanding.
"Bond Ordinance" shall mean this Ordinance, as it may be amended and supplemented as herein provided.
"Business Day" shall mean a day of the year other than a day on which banks located in New York, New York and the cities in which the principal offices of the Paying Agent are located are required or authorized to remain closed and on which the New York Stock Exchange is closed.
"Code" shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
"Costs of Issuance" shall mean all items of expense, directly or indirectly payable or reimbursable and related to the authorization, sale and issuance of the Bonds, including but not limited to printing costs, costs of preparation and reproduc-tion of documents, filing and recording fees, initial fees and charges of any fiduciary, legal fees and charges, fees and disbur-sements of consultants and professionals, costs of credit ratings, fees and charges for preparation, execution, transportation and safekeeping of the Bonds, costs and expenses of refunding, premiums for the insurance of the payment of the Bonds, if any, and any other cost, charge or fee paid or payable by the Issuer in connection with the original issuance of Bonds.
"Debt Service" for any period shall mean, as of the date of calculation, an amount equal to the sum of (a) interest payable during such period on Bonds and (b) the principal amount of Bonds which mature during such period.
"Defeasance Obligations" shall mean (a) cash, or (b) non-callable Government Securities.
"Executive Officers" shall mean, collectively, the Parish President and the Secretary of the Governing Authority.
"Fiscal Year" shall mean the one-year accounting period commen-cing on January 1 of each year, or such other one-year period as may be designated by the Governing Authority as the fiscal year of the Issuer.
"Governing Authority" shall mean the Parish Council of the Parish of St. Charles, State of Louisiana, or its successor in function.
"Government Securities" shall mean direct general obligations of, or obligations the principal of and interest on which are uncon-ditionally guaranteed by, the United States of America, which may be United States Treasury Obligations such as the State and Local Government Series and may be in book-entry form.
"Interest Payment Date" shall mean March 1 and September 1 of each year, commencing September 1, 2012.
"Issuer" shall mean the Parish of St. Charles, State of Louisiana.
"Outstanding" when used with reference to the Bonds, shall mean, as of any date, all Bonds theretofore issued under the Bond Ordinance, except:
(a) Bonds theretofore cancelled by the Paying Agent or delivered to the Paying Agent for cancellation;
(b) Bonds for the payment or redemption of which sufficient Defeasance Obligations have been deposited with the Paying Agent or an escrow agent in trust for the owners of such Bonds as provided in Section 11.1 hereof, provided that if such Bonds are to be redeemed, irrevocable notice of such redemption has been duly given or provided for pursuant to the Bond Ordinance, to the satisfaction of the Paying Agent, or waived;
(c) Bonds in exchange for or in lieu of which other Bonds have been registered and delivered pursuant to the Bond Ordinance; and
(d) Bonds alleged to have been mutilated, destroyed, lost, or stolen which have been paid as provided in the Bond Ordinance or by law.
"Owner" or "Owners" shall mean the Person reflected as registered owner of any of the Bonds on the registration books maintained by the Paying Agent.
"Paying Agent" shall mean Whitney Bank, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as paying agent and registrar hereunder, until a successor Paying Agent shall have become such pursuant to the applicable provisions of the Bond Ordinance, and thereafter "Paying Agent" shall mean such successor Paying Agent.
"Person" shall mean any individual, corporation, partnership, joint venture, association, joint-stock company, trust, unincorporated organization, or government or any agency or political subdivision thereof.
"Purchaser"shall mean Whitney Bank, in the City of New Orleans, Louisiana.
"Record Date" shall mean, with respect to an Interest Payment Date, the fifteenth day of the calendar month next preceding such Interest Payment Date, whether or not such day is a Business Day.
"Refunded Bonds" shall mean the Issuer's (i) $4,525,000 of outstanding General Obligation Bonds, Series 1997, which mature March 1, 2015 to March 1, 2018, inclusive and (ii) $7,875,000 of outstanding General Obligation Bonds, Series 1998, which mature March 1, 2015 to March 1, 2019, which are being refunded by the Bonds, as more fully described in Exhibit A hereto.
"State" shall mean the State of Louisiana.
SECTION 1.2. Interpretation. In this Bond Ordinance, unless the context otherwise requires, (a) words importing the singular include the plural and vice versa, (b) words of the masculine gender shall be deemed and construed to include correlative words of the feminine and neuter genders and (c) the title of the offices used in this Bond Ordinance shall be deemed to include any other title by which such office shall be known under any subsequently adopted charter.
ARTICLE 2
AUTHORIZATION AND ISSUANCE OF BONDS
SECTION 2.1. Authorization of Bonds; Refunding of Refunded Bonds. (a) This Bond Ordinance creates a series of Bonds of the Issuer to be designated "General Obligation Refunding Bonds, Series 2012, of the Parish of St. Charles, State of Louisiana" and provides for the full and final payment of the principal of and interest on all the Bonds.
(b) The Bonds issued under this Bond Ordinance shall be issued for the purpose of refunding the Refunded Bonds.
(c) Provision having been made for the orderly payment until maturity or earlier redemption of all the Refunded Bonds, in accordance with their terms, it is hereby recognized and acknowledged that as of the date of delivery of the Bonds under this Bond Ordinance, provision will have been made for the performance of all covenants and agreements of the Issuer incidental to the Refunded Bonds, and that accordingly, and in compliance with all that is herein provided, the Issuer is expected to have no future obligation with reference to the aforesaid Refunded Bonds.
SECTION 2.2. Bond Ordinance to Constitute Contract. In con-sideration of the purchase and acceptance of the Bonds by those who shall own the same from time to time, the provisions of this Bond Ordinance shall be a part of the contract of the Issuer with the Owners of the Bonds and shall be deemed to be and shall constitute a contract between the Issuer and the Owners from time to time of the Bonds. The provisions, covenants and agreements herein set forth to be performed by or on behalf of the Issuer shall be for the equal benefit, protection and security of the Owners of any and all of the Bonds, each of which Bonds, regardless of the time or times of its issue or maturity, shall be of equal rank without preference, priority or distinction over any other thereof except as expressly provided in this Bond Ordinance.
SECTION 2.3. Obligation of Bonds. The Bonds shall constitute general obligations of the Issuer, and the full faith and credit of the Issuer is hereby pledged for their payment and for the payment of all the interest thereon. The Issuer is bound under the terms and provisions of law and this Bond Ordinance to impose and collect annually, in excess of all other taxes, a tax on all the property subject to taxation within the territorial limits of the Issuer, sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the Bonds falling due each year, said tax to be levied and collected by the same officers, in the same manner and at the same time as other taxes are levied and collected within the territorial limits of the Issuer. All ad valorem taxes levied by the Issuer in each year for the payment of the Bonds shall, upon their receipt, be transferred to the Governing Authority, which shall have responsibility for the deposit of such receipts and for the investment and reinvestment of such receipts and the servicing of the Bonds and any other general obligation bonds of the Issuer.
SECTION 2.4. Authorization and Designation. Pursuant to the provisions of the Act, there is hereby authorized the issuance of Twelve Million Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($12,500,000) principal amount of Bonds of the Issuer to be designated "General Obligation Refunding Bonds, Series 2012, of the Parish of St. Charles, State of Louisiana," for the purpose of refunding the Refunded Bonds and paying the Costs of Issuance. The Bonds shall be in substantially the form set forth as Exhibit B hereto, with such necessary or appropriate variations, omissions and insertions as are required or permitted by the Act and this Bond Ordinance.
This Governing Authority hereby finds and determines that upon the issuance of the Bonds, the total outstanding amount of general obligation bonds of the Issuer issued and deemed to be outstanding will not exceed the Issuer's general obligation bond limit.
SECTION 2.5. Denominations, Dates, Maturities and Interest. The Bonds are issuable as fully registered bonds without coupons in the denominations corresponding to the principal amount of each maturity (one Bond per maturity), and shall be numbered R-1 upward.
The Bonds shall be dated the date of delivery thereof, shall mature on March 1 in the years and in the principal amounts and shall bear interest, payable on March 1 and September 1 of each year, commencing September 1, 2012, at the rate per annum, as follows:
DATE PRINCIPAL INTEREST DATE PRINCIPAL INTEREST
(MARCH 1) PAYMENT RATE (MARCH 1) PAYMENT RATE
2015 $2,595,000 1.84% 2018 $2,825,000 1.84%
2016 2,670,000 1.84% 2019 1,665,000 1.84%
2017 2,745,000 1.84%
The principal of the Bonds is payable in such coin or currency of the United States of America as at the time of payment is legal tender for payment of public and private debts at the principal office of the Paying Agent, upon presentation and surrender thereof. Interest on the Bonds is payable by check mailed on or before the Interest Payment Date by the Paying Agent to the Owner thereof (determined as of the close of business on the Record Date) at the address of such Owner as it appears on the registration books of the Paying Agent maintained for such purpose.
Except as otherwise provided in this Section, Bonds shall bear interest from date thereof or from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid or duly provided for, as the case may be, provided, however, that if and to the extent that the Issuer shall default in the payment of the interest on any Bonds due on any Interest Payment Date, then all such Bonds shall bear interest from the most recent Interest Payment Date to which interest has been paid on the Bonds, or if no interest has been paid on the Bonds, from their dated date.
The person in whose name any Bond is registered at the close of business on the Record Date with respect to an Interest Payment Date shall in all cases be entitled to receive the interest payable on such Interest Payment Date notwithstanding the cancellation of such Bond upon any registration of transfer or exchange thereof subsequent to such Record Date and prior to such Interest Payment Date.
ARTICLE 3
GENERAL TERMS AND PROVISIONS OF THE BONDS
SECTION 3.1. Exchange of Bonds; Persons Treated as Owners. The Issuer shall cause books for the registration and for the registration of transfer of the Bonds as provided in this Bond Ordinance to be kept by the Paying Agent at its principal office, and the Paying Agent is hereby constituted and appointed the registrar for the Bonds. At reasonable times and under reasonable regulations established by the Paying Agent said list may be inspected and copied by the Issuer or by the Owners (or a designated represen-tative thereof) of 15% of the outstanding principal amount of the Bonds.
All Bonds presented for registration of transfer or exchange shall be accompanied by a written instrument or instruments of transfer in form and with a guaranty of signature satisfactory to the Paying Agent, duly executed by the Owner or his attorney duly authorized in writing.
The Bonds may be transferred, registered and assigned only on the Bond -Register, and such registra-tion shall be at the expense of the Issuer. A Bond may be assigned by the execution of an assignment form on the Bond -or by other instru-ments of transfer and assignment accept-able to the Paying Agent. A new Bond will be delivered by the Paying Agent to the last assignee (the new Owner) in exchange for such transferred and assigned Bond after receipt of the Bond to be transferred in proper form. Such new Bond -shall be in an authorized denomina-tion. Neither the Issuer nor the Paying Agent shall be required to issue, register, transfer or exchange any Bond during a period beginning at the opening of business on a Record Date and ending at the close of business on the Interest Payment Date.
No service charge to the Owners shall be made by the Paying Agent for any exchange or registration of transfer of Bonds. The Paying Agent may require payment by the person requesting an exchange or registration of transfer of Bonds of a sum sufficient to cover any tax or other governmental charge that may be imposed in relation thereto.
The Issuer and the Paying Agent shall not be required to issue, register the transfer of or exchange any Bond during a period beginning at the opening of business on a Record Date and ending at the close of business on the Interest Payment Date.
All Bonds delivered upon any registration of transfer or exchange of Bonds shall be valid obligations of the Issuer, evidencing the same debt and entitled to the same benefits under this Bond Ordinance as the Bonds surrendered.
Prior to due presentment for registration of transfer of any Bond, the Issuer and the Paying Agent, and any agent of the Issuer or the Paying Agent may deem and treat the person in whose name any Bond is registered as the absolute owner thereof for all purposes, whether or not such Bond shall be overdue, and shall not be bound by any notice to the contrary.
SECTION 3.2. Bonds Mutilated, Destroyed, Stolen or Lost. In case any Bond shall become mutilated or be improperly cancelled, or be destroyed, stolen or lost, the Issuer may in its discretion adopt an ordinance and thereby authorize the issuance and delivery of a new Bond in exchange for and substitution for such mutilated or improperly cancelled Bond, or in lieu of and substitution for the Bond destroyed, stolen or lost, upon the Owner (i) furnishing the Issuer and the Paying Agent proof of his ownership thereof and proof of such mutilation, improper cancellation, destruction, theft or loss satisfactory to the Issuer and the Paying Agent, (ii) giving to the Issuer and the Paying Agent an indemnity bond in favor of the Issuer and the Paying Agent in such amount as the Issuer may require, (iii) complying with such other reasonable regulations and conditions as the Issuer may prescribe and (iv) paying such expenses as the Issuer and the Paying Agent may incur. All Bonds so surrendered shall be delivered to the Paying Agent for cancellation pursuant to Section 3.4 hereof. If any Bond shall have matured or be about to mature, instead of issuing a substitute Bond, the Issuer may pay the same, upon being indemnified as aforesaid, and if such Bond be lost, stolen or destroyed, without surrender thereof.
Any such duplicate Bond issued pursuant to this Section shall constitute an original, additional, contractual obligation on the part of the Issuer, whether or not the lost, stolen or destroyed Bond be at any time found by anyone. Such duplicate Bond shall be in all respects identical with those replaced except that it shall bear on its face the following additional clause:
"This bond is issued to replace a lost, cancelled or destroyed bond under the authority of R.S. 39:971 through 39:974."
Such duplicate Bond may be signed by the facsimile signatures of the same officers who signed the original Bonds, provided, however, that in the event the officers who executed the original Bonds are no longer in office, then the new Bonds may be signed by the officers then in office. Such duplicate Bonds shall be entitled to equal and proportionate benefits and rights as to lien and source and security for payment as provided herein with respect to all other Bonds hereunder, the obligations of the Issuer upon the duplicate Bonds being identical to its obligations upon the original Bonds and the rights of the Owner of the duplicate Bonds being the same as those conferred by the original Bonds.
SECTION 3.3. Preparation of Definitive Bonds, Temporary Bonds. Until the definitive Bonds are prepared, the Issuer may execute, in the same manner as is provided in Section 3.5, and deliver, in lieu of definitive Bonds, but subject to the same provisions, limitations and conditions as the definitive Bonds except as to the denomina-tions, one or more temporary typewritten Bonds substantial-ly of the tenor of the definitive Bonds in lieu of which such temporary Bond or Bonds are issued, in authorized denominations, and with such omissions, insertions and variations as may be appropriate to temporary Bonds.
SECTION 3.4. Cancellation of Bonds. All Bonds paid either at or before maturity, together with all Bonds purchased by the Issuer, shall thereupon be promptly cancelled by the Paying Agent. The Paying Agent shall thereupon promptly furnish to the Secretary of the Governing Authority an appropriate certificate of cancellation.
SECTION 3.5. Execution. The Bonds shall be executed in the name and on behalf of the Issuer by the manual or facsimile signatures of the Executive Officers, and the corporate seal of the Issuer (or a facsimile thereof) shall be thereunto affixed, imprinted, engraved or otherwise reproduced thereon. In case any one or more of the officers who shall have signed or sealed any of the Bonds shall cease to be such officer before the Bonds so signed and sealed shall have been actually delivered, such Bonds may, nevertheless, be delivered as herein provided, and may be issued as if the person who signed or sealed such Bonds had not ceased to hold such office. Said officers shall, by the execution of the Bonds, adopt as and for their own proper signatures their respective facsimile signatures appearing on the Bonds or any legal opinion certificate thereon, and the Issuer may adopt and use for that purpose the facsimile signature of any person or persons who shall have been such officer at any time on or after the date of such Bond, notwithstand-ing that at the date of such Bond such person may not have held such office or that at the time when such Bond shall be delivered such person may have ceased to hold suc office.
SECTION 3.6. Registration by Secretary of State. The Bonds shall be registered with the Secretary of State of the State of Louisiana and shall bear the endorsement of the Secretary of State of Louisiana substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit C hereto, provided such endorsement shall be manually signed only on the Bonds initially delivered to the Purchaser and any Bonds subsequently exchanged therefor as permitted in this Bond Ordinance may bear the facsimile signature of said Secretary of State.
SECTION 3.7. Registration by Paying Agent. No Bond shall be valid or obligatory for any purpose or entitled to any security or benefit under this Bond Ordinance unless and until a certificate of registration on such Bond substantially in the form set forth in Exhibit C hereto shall have been duly executed on behalf of the Paying Agent by a duly authorized signatory, and such executed certificate of the Paying Agent upon any such Bond shall be conclusive evidence that such Bond has been executed, registered and delivered under this Bond Ordinance.
SECTION 3.8. Recital of Regularity. This Governing Authority, having investigated the regularity of the proceedings had in connection with this issue of Bonds, and having determined the same to be regular, the Bonds shall contain the following recital, to-wit:
"It is certified that this Bond is authorized by and is issued in conformity with the re-quirements of the Constitution and statutes of this State."
ARTICLE 4
SINKING FUND; PAYMENT OF BONDS
SECTION 4.1. Sinking Fund. (a) For the payment of the principal of and the interest on the Bonds, the Issuer will maintain a special fund, to be held by the regularly designated fiscal agent of the Issuer (the "Sinking Fund"), into which the Issuer will deposit the proceeds of the aforesaid tax described in Section 2.3 hereof and no other moneys whatsoever (except for interest earnings thereon). The depository for the Sinking Fund shall transfer from the Sinking Fund to the Paying Agent at least one (1) day in advance of each Interest Payment Date, funds fully sufficient to pay promptly the princi-pal and interest falling due on such date.
(b) All moneys deposited with the regularly designated fiscal agent bank or banks of the Issuer or the Paying Agent under the terms of this Bond Ordinance shall constitute sacred funds for the benefit of the Owners of the Bonds, and shall be secured by said fiduciaries at all times to the full extent thereof in the manner required by law for the securing of depos-its of public funds.
(c) All or any part of the moneys in the Sinking Fund shall, at the written request of the Issuer, be invested in accordance with the provi-sions of the laws of the State of Louisiana, in which event all income derived from such invest-ments shall be added only to the Sinking Fund. Accrued interest, if any, received upon delivery of the Bonds shall be invested only in Government Securities maturing on or prior to the first Interest Payment Date.
SECTION 4.2. Payment of Bonds. The Issuer shall duly and punctually pay or cause to be paid as herein provided, the principal of every Bond and the interest thereon, at the dates and places and in the manner stated in the Bonds according to the true intent and meaning thereof.
ARTICLE 5
REDEMPTION OF BONDS
SECTION 5.1. Redemption of Bonds. The Bonds are not callable for redemption prior to their stated dates of maturity.
ARTICLE 6
APPLICATION OF BOND PROCEEDS
SECTION 6.1. Application of Bond Proceeds. As a condition of the issuance of the Bonds, the Issuer hereby binds and obligates itself to:
(a) Apply an amount of the proceeds derived from the issuance and sale of the Bonds (exclusive of accrued interest, if any), as will fully redeem the Refunded Bonds on April 10, 2012.
(b) Deposit accrued interest, if any, received on the delivery date of the Bonds into the Sinking Fund established by Section 4.1 hereof and apply said funds to pay a portion of the interest due on the Bonds on the first Interest Payment Date therefor. Accrued interest, if any, received upon delivery of the Bonds shall be invested only in Government Securities maturing on or prior to the first Interest Payment Date.
ARTICLE 7
SUPPLEMENTAL BOND ORDINANCES
SECTION 7.1. Supplemental Ordinances Effective Without Consent of Owners. For any one or more of the following purposes and at any time from time to time, an ordinance supplemental hereto may be adopted, which, upon the filing with the Paying Agent of a certified copy thereof, but without any consent of Owners, shall be fully effective in accordance with its terms:
(a) to add to the covenants and agreements of the Issuer in the Bond Ordinance other covenants and agreements to be observed by the Issuer which are not contrary to or inconsistent with the Bond Ordinance as theretofore in effect;
(b) to add to the limitations and restrictions in the Bond Ordinance other limitations and restrictions to be observed by the Issuer which are not contrary to or inconsistent with the Bond Ordinance as theretofore in effect;
(c) to surrender any right, power or privilege reserved to or conferred upon the Issuer by the terms of the Bond Ordinance, but only if the surrender of such right, power or privilege is not contrary to or inconsistent with the covenants and agreements of the Issuer contained in the Bond Ordinance;
(d) to cure any ambiguity, supply any omission, or cure or correct any defect or inconsistent provision of the Bond Ordinance; or
(e) to insert such provisions clarifying matters or questions arising under the Bond Ordinance as are necessary or desirable and are not contrary to or inconsis-tent with the Bond Ordinance as theretofore in effect.
SECTION 7.2. Supplemental Ordinances Effective With Consent of Owners. Except as provided in Section 7.1, any modification or amendment of the Bond Ordinance or of the rights and obligations of the Issuer and of the Owners of the Bonds hereunder, in any particular, may be made by a supplemental ordinance, with the written consent of the Owners of a majority of the Bond Obligation at the time such consent is given. No such modification or amendment shall permit a change in the terms of redemption or maturity of the principal of any outstanding Bond or of any installment of interest thereon or a reduction in the principal amount or redemption price thereof or in the rate of interest thereon without the consent of the Owner of such Bond, or shall reduce the percentage of Bonds the consent of the Owner of which is required to effect any such modification or amendment, or change the obligation of the Issuer to levy and collect taxes for the payment of the Bonds as provided herein, without the consent of the Owners of all of the Bonds then outstanding, or shall change or modify any of the rights or obligations of the Paying Agent without its written assent thereto. For the purposes of this Section, Bonds shall be deemed to be affected by a modification or amendment of the Bond Ordinance if the same adversely affects or diminishes the rights of the Owners of said Bonds.
A supplemental ordinance, upon the filing with the Paying Agent of a certified copy thereof, shall become fully effective in accordance with its terms.
ARTICLE 8
TAX AND SECURITIES LAWS COVENANTS
SECTION 8.1. Tax Covenants. The Issuer covenants and agrees that, to the extent permitted by the laws of the State of Louisiana, it will comply with the requirements of the Code to in order to establish, maintain and preserve the exclusion from "gross income" of interest on the Bonds under the Code. The Issuer shall not take any action or fail to take any action, nor shall it permit at any time or times any of the proceeds of the Bonds or any other funds of the Issuer to be used directly or indirectly in any manner, to acquire any securities or obligations the acquisition of which would cause any Bond to be an "arbitrage bond" as defined in the Code or would result in the inclusion of the interest on any Bond in "gross income" under the Code, including, without limitation, (i) the failure to comply with the limitation on investment of the proceeds of the Bonds, (ii) the failure to pay any required rebate of arbitrage earnings to the United States of America, or (iii) the use of the proceeds of the Bonds in a manner which would cause the Bonds to be "private activity bonds" under the Code.
The Executive Officers are hereby empowered, authorized and directed to take any and all action and to execute and deliver any instrument, document or certificate necessary to effectuate the purposes of this Section.
SECTION 8.2. Bonds are not ABank-Qualified". The Bonds are not designated as "qualified tax-exe-mpt obliga-tions" within the meaning of Section 265(b)(3) of the Code.
SECTION 8.3. Disclosure Under SEC Rule 15c2-12. It is recognized that the Issuer will not be required to comply with the continuing disclosure requirements described in the Rule 15c-2-12(b) of the Securities and Exchange Commission [17 CFR '240.15c2-12(b)], because:
(a) the Bonds are not being purchased by a broker, dealer or municipal securities dealer acting as an underwriter in a primary offering of municipal securities, and
(b) the Bonds are being sold to only one financial institution (i.e., no more than thirty-five persons), which (i) has such knowledge and experience in financial and business matters that it is capable of evaluating the merits and risks of the prospective investment in the Bonds and (ii) is not purchasing the Bonds for more than one account or with a view to distributing the Bonds.
ARTICLE 9
REMEDIES ON DEFAULT
SECTION 9.1. Events of Default. If one or more of the following events (in this Bond Ordinance called "Events of Default") shall happen, that is to say,
(a) if default shall be made in the due and punctual payment of the principal of any Bond when and as the same shall become due and payable, whether at maturity or otherwise; or
(b) if default shall be made in the due and punctual payment of any installment of interest on any Bond when and as such interest installment shall become due and payable; or
(c) if default shall be made by the Issuer in the performance or observance of any other of the covenants, agreements or conditions on its part in the Bond Ordinance, any supplemental ordinance or in the Bonds contained and such default shall continue for a period of forty-five (45) days after written notice thereof to the Issuer by any Owner; or
(d) if the Issuer shall file a petition or otherwise seek relief under any Federal or State bankruptcy law or similar law;
then, upon the happening and continuance of any Event of Default the Owners of the Bonds shall be entitled to exercise all rights and powers for which provision is made under Louisiana law.
ARTICLE 10
CONCERNING FIDUCIARIES
SECTION 10.1. Paying Agent; Appointment and Acceptance of Duties. The Issuer will at all times maintain a Paying Agent having the necessary qualifications for the perfor-mance of the duties described in this Bond Ordinance. The designation of Whitney Bank, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as the initial Paying Agent is hereby confirmed and approved. The Paying Agent shall signify its acceptance of the duties and obligations imposed on it by the Bond Ordinance by executing and delivering to the Executive Officers a written acceptance thereof. The Governing Authority reserves the right to appoint a successor Paying Agent by (a) filing with the Person then performing such function a certified copy of a resolution or ordinance giving notice of the termination of the agreement and appointing a successor and (b) causing notice to be given to each Owner. Furthermore, the Paying Agent may be removed by the Issuer at any time for any breach of its duties set forth herein, affective upon appointment of a successor Paying Agent as set forth above. Every Paying Agent appointed hereunder shall at all times be a trust company or bank organized and doing business under the laws of the United States of America or of any State, authorized under such laws to exercise trust powers, and subject to supervision or examination by Federal or State authority.
ARTICLE 11
MISCELLANEOUS
SECTION 11.1. Defeasance. (a) If the Issuer shall pay or cause to be paid to the Owners of all Bonds then outstanding, the principal and interest to become due thereon, at the times and in the manner stipulated therein and in the Bond Ordinance, then the covenants, agreements and other obligations of the Issuer to the Owners shall be discharged and satisfied. In such event, the Paying Agent shall, upon the request of the Issuer, execute and deliver to the Issuer all such instruments as may be desirable to evidence such discharge and satisfaction and the Paying Agent shall pay over or deliver to the Issuer all moneys, securities and funds held by them pursuant to the Bond Ordinance which are not required for the payment of Bonds not theretofore surrendered for such payment.
Bonds or interest installments for the payment of which money shall have been set aside and shall be held in trust (through deposit by the Issuer of funds for such payment or otherwise) at the maturity date thereof shall be deemed to have been paid within the meaning and with the effect expressed above in this Section. Bonds shall be deemed to have been paid, prior to their maturity, within the meaning and with the effect expressed above in this Section if they have been defeased pursuant to Chapter 14 of Title 39 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended, or any successor provisions thereto.
SECTION 11.2. Evidence of Signatures of Owners and Ownership of Bonds. (a) Any request, consent, revocation of consent or other instrument which the Bond Ordinance may require or permit to be signed and executed by the Owners may be in one or more instruments of similar tenor, and shall be signed or executed by such Owners in person or by their attorneys-in-fact appointed in writing. Proof of (i) the execution of any such instrument, or of an instrument appointing any such attorney, or (ii) the ownership by any person of the Bonds shall be sufficient for any purpose of the Bond Ordinance (except as otherwise therein expressly provided) if made in the following manner, or in any other manner satisfactory to the Paying Agent, which may nevertheless in its discretion require further or other proof in cases where it deems the same desirable:
(1) the fact and date of the execution by any Owner or his attorney-in-fact of such instrument may be proved by the certificate, which need not be acknowledged or verified, of an officer of a bank or trust company or of any notary public or other officer authorized to take acknowledgments of deeds, that the person signing such request or other instrument acknowledged to him the execution thereof, or by an affidavit of a witness of such execution, duly sworn to before such notary public or other officer. Where such execution is by an officer of a corporation or association or a member of a partnership, on behalf of such corporation, association or partnership, such certificate or affidavit shall also constitute sufficient proof of his authority;
(2) the ownership of Bonds and the amount, numbers and other identification, and date of owning the same shall be proved by the registration books of the Paying Agent.
(b) Any request or consent by the Owner of any Bond shall bind all future Owners of such Bond in respect of anything done or suffered to be done by the Issuer or the Paying Agent in accordance therewith.
SECTION 11.3. Moneys Held for Particular Bonds. The amounts held by the Paying Agent for the payment due on any date with respect to particular Bonds shall, on and after such date and pending such payment, be set aside on its books and held in trust by it, without liability for interest, for the Owners of the Bonds entitled thereto.
SECTION 11.4. Parties Interested Herein. Nothing in the Bond Ordinance expressed or implied is intended or shall be construed to confer upon, or to give to, any person or entity, other than the Issuer, the Paying Agent and the Owners of the Bonds any right, remedy or claim under or by reason of the Bond Ordinance or any covenant, condition or stipulation thereof; and all the covenants, stipulations, promises and agreements in the Bond Ordinance contained by and on behalf of the Issuer shall be for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Issuer, the Paying Agent and the Owners of the Bonds and the Refunded Bonds.
SECTION 11.5. No Recourse on the Bonds. No recourse shall be had for the payment of the principal of or interest on the Bonds or for any claim based thereon or on this Bond Ordinance against any member of the Governing Authority or officer of the Issuer or any person executing the Bonds.
SECTION 11.6. Successors and Assigns. Whenever in this Bond Ordinance the Issuer is named or referred to, it shall be deemed to include its successors and assigns and all the covenants and agreements in this Bond Ordinance contained by or on behalf of the Issuer shall bind and enure to the benefit of its successors and assigns whether so expressed or not.
SECTION 11.7. Subrogation. In the event the Bonds herein authorized to be issued, or any of them, should ever be held invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction, the Owner or Owners thereof shall be subrogated to all the rights and remedies against the Issuer had and possessed by the owner or owners of the Refunded Bonds.
SECTION 11.8. Severability. In case any one or more of the provisions of the Bond Ordinance or of the Bonds issued hereunder shall for any reason be held to be illegal or invalid, such illegality or invalidity shall not affect any other provision of the Bond Ordinance or of the Bonds, but the Bond Ordinance and the Bonds shall be construed and enforced as if such illegal or invalid provisions had not been contained therein. Any constitutional or statutory provision enacted after the date of the Bond Ordinance which validates or makes legal any provision of the Bond Ordinance or the Bonds which would not otherwise be valid or legal shall be deemed to apply to the Bond Ordinance and to the Bonds.
SECTION 11.9. Publication of Bond Ordinance. This Bond Ordinance shall be published one time in the official journal of the Issuer; however, it shall not be necessary to publish any exhibits hereto if the same are available for public inspection and such fact is stated in the publication.
SECTION 11.10. Execution of Documents. In connection with the issuance and sale of the Bonds, the Executive Officers are each authorized, empowered and directed to execute on behalf of the Issuer such documents, certificates and instruments as they may deem necessary, upon the advice of bond counsel, to effect the transactions contemplated by this Bond Ordinance, the signatures of the Executive Officers on such documents, certificates and instruments to be conclusive evidence of the due exercise of the authority granted hereunder.
ARTICLE 12
SALE OF BONDS
SECTION 12.1. Sale of Bonds. The Bonds are hereby awarded to and sold to the Purchaser at the price of par and accrued interest, if any, and under the terms and conditions set forth in the commitment letter attached hereto as Exhibit C, and after their execution, registration by the Secretary of State and authentication by the Paying Agent, the Bonds shall be delivered to the Purchaser upon receipt by the Issuer of the agreed purchase price.
ARTICLE 13
REDEMPTION OF REFUNDED BONDS
SECTION 13.1. Call for Redemption. The Issuer=s (i) $4,525,000 of General Obligation Bonds, Series 1997, consis-ting of the outstanding bonds of that issue, maturing March 1, 2015 to March 1, 2018, inclusive, and (ii) $7,875,000 of General Obligation Bonds, Series 1998, consis-ting of the outstanding bonds of that issue, maturing March 1, 2015 to March 1, 2019, inclusive, which are being refunded by the Bonds, as more fully described in Exhibit A hereto, are hereby called for redemption on April 10, 2012, at the principal amount of each bond so redeemed, together with accrued interest to the call date, in compliance with the ordinances authorizing their issuance.
SECTION 13.2. Notice of Call for Redemption. An appropriate notice is hereby authorized to be given by means of first class mail, postage prepaid, to the owner of the Refunded Bonds by notice deposited in the United States mail in accordance with the provisions of the resolution authorizing the issuance of the Refunded Bonds, unless waived by the owner thereof.
Vote
The foregoing ordinance having been submitted to a vote, the vote thereon was as follows:
And the ordinance was declared adopted on this, the 27th day of February, 2012.
CHAIRMAN:_________________________________________
SECRETARY:________________________________________
DLVD/PARISH PRESIDENT:____________________________
APPROVED:______________ DISAPPROVED:_____________
PARISH PRESIDENT:_________________________________
RETD/SECRETARY:__________________________________
AT:_______________ RECD BY: ________________________