§ 158-286. Classification.

(a)

Parties to proceedings before the council under this article are subject to classification as applicants, protestants, petitioners, complainants, respondents and intervenors. Regardless of errors in their designations of themselves in their pleadings or other filings, the council may align parties in accordance with their interest in the proceedings.

(b)

The department of finance through the director of the department of finance, shall be, ex officio, a party to all matters governed under this article, in which capacity he shall represent and shall make recommendations as to the best interests of the city as a municipal corporation, e.g., to assert the city's interest as an energy consumer.

(c)

Any party of whom a greater filing fee is not required by another provision of law shall, at the time of first appearing in or filing in any matter governed by this article, remit to the clerk, in cash or by postal money order or certified check, a filing fee equal to the filing fee for an ordinary petition in the civil district court for the parish. Failure to remit the required fee shall be cause for dismissal of the party from the matter, provided that if a party would be entitled to appear in forma pauperis before the civil district court, the party shall not be dismissed for failure to pay the filing fee. No officer, department, agency or board of the city shall be required to remit a filing fee. The council may, in its sound discretion, waive the filing fee otherwise required herein as to any party or matter governed by this article by adopting a resolution providing for such waiver.

(Code 1956, § 52-107; Ord. No. 20,259, § 1, 7-19-01; Ord. No. 20,273, § 1, 8-2-01; M.C.S., Ord. No. 21480, § 4, 4-1-04; M.C.S., Ord. No. 21536, § 1, 5-6-04)