PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE   NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a public hearing will be held by the City Council of the City of Shreveport September 23, 2025, at 3:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers, Government Plaza (505 Travis Street) depending on the latest proclamation related to COVID-19.   The purpose of the hearing is to receive public comments on Ordinance No. 97 of 2025. Persons interested in providing written comments regarding the proposed legislation may submit written comments addressed to The Chairman of The Council, City Council Office, 505 Travis Street, Shreveport, LA 71101. Comments may also be hand delivered to the Office of the Clerk, Shreveport City Council, Room 410, 505 Travis Street. Comments should be mailed, or hand carried to the Council office so that they will be received prior to the hearing on September 23, 2025.   ORDINANCE NO. 97 OF 2025 AN ORDINANCE OF THE SHREVEPORT CITY COUNCIL CREATING AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT WITHIN THE CITY OF SHREVEPORT TO BE NAMED THE “FILM AND ENTERTAINMENT GATEWAY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT” (THE “DISTRICT”); DEFINING THE BOUNDARIES THEREOF FROM WHICH CERTAIN AREA LOCAL AND POTENTIALLY STATE SALES AND USE TAX INCREMENTS WILL BE DETERMINED AND USED TO FINANCE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS WITHIN THE DISTRICT, ALL AS AUTHORIZED BY PART II OF CHAPTER 27 OF TITLE 33 OF THE LOUISIANA REVISED STATUTES OF 1950, AS AMENDED; AND PROVIDING FOR OTHER MATTERS IN CONNECTION WITH THE FOREGOING. BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Shreveport that: WHEREAS, the City of Shreveport (the “City”) desires to promote economic development within its jurisdiction; and WHEREAS, Part II, Chapter 27, Title 33 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended (La. R.S. 33:9038.31, et seq.) (the “Act”) authorizes municipalities, parishes and certain other local governmental subdivisions to create economic development districts to carry out the purposes of the Act, which economic development districts are political subdivisions of the State of Louisiana (“State”) and possess such power and authority and have such duties as provided by the Act and other law; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Shreveport (the “City Council”), as governing authority of the City of Shreveport (the “City”), desires to avail itself of the Act to create an economic development district to be named the “Film and Entertainment Gateway Economic Development District” (the “District”); from which area local and State sales and use tax (if the use of State sales and use tax is approved by the State) increments are expected to be determined and used to finance “Economic Development” (as such term is defined in the Act) within the District; and WHEREAS, the Act provides that the City Council may create a special trust fund for the furtherance of Economic Development projects, into which the incremental increases in such area local and State sales and use taxes (if the use of the State sales and use tax is approved by the State) shall be deposited and loaned, granted, or pledged in furtherance of Economic Development; and WHEREAS, the City of Shreveport may use its sales and use tax increments on a cash basis, reimbursement basis, or with revenue bonds to be issued by the Northwest Louisiana Finance Authority, in accordance with the Act, to provide funds needed to finance Economic Development projects within the District; and WHEREAS, the City currently levies and collects multiple sales and use taxes with a combined total rate of two and three quarters percent (2.75%) within the District (the “Existing Tax”); and WHEREAS, it is the desire of the City Council to pledge and dedicate the revenues collected in excess of the Annual Local Base (defined below) generated by the City’s Existing Tax collected by the City within the boundaries of the District (the “S&U Increment”) to finance said Economic Development costs, subject to the payment of the City’s obligations contained in the ordinances levying the respective sales and use taxes (the “Prior Levy Ordinances”), including obligations to make payments to the police and fire retirement systems; and WHEREAS, it is the desire of the City Council to require the baseline sales and use tax collection rate of the Existing Tax in the District to be certified forthwith by the City’s Finance Director; and WHEREAS, in accordance with the Act, the City may enter into agreements as deemed necessary or convenient to implement Economic Development projects approved by the District, or otherwise authorized by law; and WHEREAS, in accordance with the Act, the City Council has given notice of its intention and notice that it will hold a public hearing relative to the proposed creation of the District, containing a map showing the boundaries of the District, which notice has been published twice in the City’s official journal; and WHEREAS, on this date this City Council did hold a public hearing pursuant to the aforesaid notice of intention, at which public hearing __ objections were received with respect to the creation of the District. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT FURTHER ORDAINED by the City of Shreveport City Council, that: SECTION 1. Preamble. The foregoing whereas clauses are hereby adopted as set forth in the preamble to this Resolution. SECTION 2. Creation of District. Under the authority of the Act there is hereby created an economic development district within the boundaries of the City named the “Film and Entertainment Gateway Economic Development District,” having the specific geographical boundaries provided for on Exhibit A attached hereto, which Exhibit A is hereby incorporated herein and made a part of this ordinance. As provided by the Act, the governing authority of the District shall be the governing authority of the City, which, in accordance with Section 4.33 of the Charter of the City of Shreveport of 1978, as amended, shall be the Shreveport City Council, subject to the exercise of the veto power vested in the Mayor under said Charter (the “District Governing Authority”). The “Annual Local Base” shall be the aggregate amount of the Existing Tax collected by the City within the District during the most recently completed Fiscal Year prior to the establishment of the District. The District shall possess such powers and authority and have such duties as provided in the Act and other law. SECTION 3. Creation of Trust Fund There is hereby created a special trust fund entitled the “Film and Entertainment Gateway Economic Development District Trust Fund” (the “Trust Fund”) under the authority of the District the purpose of which will be to fund Economic Development projects within the District. The Trust Fund shall be maintained as a separate fund, apart from other funds and accounts of the City of Shreveport or other entities and shall be used henceforth for the purposes set forth herein and in the Act. SECTION 4. Authorization to Enter Into Cooperative Endeavor Agreement. Pursuant to the Act, the Mayor of the City is hereby authorized and directed to enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement, in substantially the form attached hereto as Exhibit B with any such changes as recommended by the City Attorney and Special Counsel (“Cooperative Endeavor Agreement”), on behalf of the City of Shreveport and the District, and an economic development corporation whose shareholders consist solely of seven individuals each nominated by the Mayor and confirmed by the City Council, with one individual having five years of full-time work experience in professional community development, one individual having five years of full-time work experience in banking or finance, one individual having five years of ownership of a film or television company, one individual having five years of full-time work experience in marketing, one individual having five years of full-time work experience in commercial development, the president of the Downtown Development Authority, and one individual recommended by the North Louisiana Economic Partnership (“District Manager”), whereby the District Manager agrees to develop, maintain, update and implement an economic development plan for the District (the “District Development Plan”), which plan shall be updated from time to time and shall provide the basis for the Economic Development projects to be financed utilizing the funds deposited into the Trust Fund (the “District Funds”). The initial shareholders of the District Manager shall be Bonnie Moore, Arlena Acree, Terry Moore, Drayden Dunn and Harlan Chumley. The District Manager shall be responsible for reviewing and recommending the Economic Development projects to be funded with District Funds to the Governing Authority of the District to finance specific District Development Projects (defined below). SECTION 5. Obligations. In accordance with the Act the City hereby designates the Northwest Louisiana Finance Authority (the “Issuer”) as its authorized issuer as defined by La. R.S 33:9038.31. The Mayor is hereby authorized and directed to enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement with the Issuer whereby the Issuer would issue bonds on behalf of the District to provide funds for the cost of any District Development Project (defined herein) to the extent this mechanism is elected by the District. Provided however, that other than from sources specifically designated by the City in said cooperative endeavor agreement as amounts that are hereafter pledged to pay such bonds, in no event shall the City have any responsibility for the repayment or servicing of any such bonds from other sources and except to the extent monies are pledged by the City as provided in the cooperative endeavor agreement, no such bonds shall constitute or create an obligation, general or special, debt, liability or moral obligation of the City. SECTION 6. Dedication of Revenues. The City Council hereby pledges and dedicates the S&U Increment collected within the boundaries of the District to finance the costs of Economic Development projects in the District, which projects shall all be recommended by the District Manager in accordance with District Development Plan and shall either: 1) directly provide for or support film and/or television services; 2) provide for the enhancement of entertainment and quality of life offerings available in the District to visitors and residents which are also necessary to attract top film and television industry professionals; or 3) create at least ten new full-time jobs or result in at least $1 million dollars of new capital investment (each, a “District Development Project”). Such dedication and pledge also constitutes a designation of the local sales and use taxes which are to be used in determining the sales and use tax increment and the initial annual baseline collection rate for the sales tax area, all as defined in the Act. SECTION 7. Authorization of Officers. The Mayor, his or her staff, and the Clerk are hereby authorized, empowered and directed to do any and all things necessary and incidental to carry out the provisions of this ordinance. SECTION 8. Severability. If any provision of this ordinance shall be held to be illegal or invalid, such illegality or invalidity shall not affect any other provision of this ordinance, but this ordinance shall be construed and enforced as if such illegal or invalid provisions had not been contained herein. Any constitutional or statutory provision enacted after the date of this ordinance which validates or makes legal any provision of this ordinance which would not otherwise be valid or legal, shall be deemed to apply to this ordinance. SECTION 9. Repealer. All ordinances or resolution, or parts thereof, in conflict herewith are hereby repealed. SECTION 10. Publication; Effective Date. This ordinance shall be published one time in the official journal of the City, and shall become effective upon signature of the Mayor, the elapse of ten (10) days after receipt by the Mayor without signature or veto, or upon an override of a veto, whichever occurs first. SECTION 11. Professional Services. It is recognized, found and determined that a real necessity exists for the employment of a special economic development finance counsel (the “Special Counsel”) for comprehensive, legal and coordinate professional work with respect to the establishment of the District and the provision of Economic Development financing of projects within the District and, accordingly Butler Snow LLP, Shreveport, Louisiana, is hereby employed as a special economic development finance counsel to the City and the District in connection herewith. The fees and expenses of the Special Counsel shall be negotiated with and paid by the developer/owner of property within the District and shall not be payable from any funds of the City 11664833 9/16 9/23/25 ($588.92)