Item No. 1 - Call to order - Chairman Darwin Sharp called the meeting to order.

Item No. 2 - Invocation - Councilman Brown gave the invocation.

Item No. 3 - Roll call - Sandi Miller called the roll. Present were Kenneth Wheat, Clinton Miley, Charles Nassauer, Rodney Brown, Relton Sumrall and Darwin Sharp.

Absent was Marvin Thomas.

Item No. 4 - Approval of the minutes - Councilman Brown offered a motion, seconded by Councilman Wheat to approve the minutes of the August 22, 2005 meeting. All in favor the motion carried.

Item No. 5 - Adoption of the financial report - There was no financial report available.

Item No. 6 - Introduction of an ordinance - An ordinance authorizing the Parish President to enter into a contract with Jim Ryan, LLC for Administrative Services for the FY 2005-2006 LCDBG Program was introduced and laid over for publication and a public hearing to be held September 26, 2005.

Item No. 7 - Introduction of an ordinance - An ordinance authorizing the Parish President to enter into a contract with Professional Engineering Consultants Corporation (PEC) for engineering services for the FY 2005-2006 LCDBG Program was introduced and laid over for publication and a public hearing to be held on September 26, 2005.

Item No. 8 - Introduction of an ordinance - authorizing the Parish President to enter into a contract with Professional Engineering Consultants Corporation (PEC) for engineering services for the FY 2005-2006 LCDBG Program and was laid over for publication and a public hearing to be held on September 26, 2005.

Item No. 9 - Public participation - Sheriff Aubrey Jones addressed the council. Sheriff Jones said that during the storm, there was no one hurt or killed. There is not a road in the parish, that didn't have trees down on it. The sheriff's department employees started clearing trees off the roads along with volunteer firemen, WCI workers and citizens. He said there are great Christian people in this community. After a couple of days working on the roads, they started escorting trucks to distribution centers but nobody every said anything about the rural people. He instructed his deputies to stop the trucks and bring them to Pine to the central part of the parish. We were trying to keep people from going hungry. Sheriff Jones said he is the highest law enforcement officer in the parish and would take orders from no other elected official.

Silous Peters, 29351 Cortney Peters Rd, Angie suggested the council look into removing all trees on powerline right-of-ways to prevent trees from falling on the lines. Mr. Peters also inquired about what type of help the citizens could expect from FEMA.

Chairman Sharp said residents could go on line and apply for assistance from FEMA.

Randall Johnson with Emergystat commended the council and parish officials for what they had done in getting things back in order after the storm.

Item No. 10 - Parish President's report - President Taylor said nothing of this magnitude has ever happened before. It is estimated it will cost $25,000,000 in cleanup alone. FEMA will have contractors come in and take over the cleanup.

He said the Homeland Security Act says all power falls on the Parish President or Police Jury President when a disaster occurs. I had to concentrate on the parish as a whole. I made mistakes and would do some things different if I had it to do over again. Some of the decisions made received much criticism. President Taylor with either Senator Nevers or Representative Ritchie travel to Baton Rouge nightly to the WWL radio, the emergency broadcast system for the state, in order to reach more people in a wider area with the needs of the citizens of the parish. Our parish was termed "the black hole" because we had not access to the outside world. After the first interview on WWL radio, help began arriving from FEMA and the private sector. Several distributions sites were set up around the parish to receive donations, the first being Sullivan Vo-Tech as a staging area and from there to the Industrial Park in Bogalusa and then to Rutter Rex in Franklinton.

President Taylor read a prepared statement outlining recovery efforts since the storm and thanking everybody who is involved in the recovery process. (Statement is attached)

Item No. 11 - Council discussion - Councilman Sumrall said he wanted the people in his district to know that he met with President Taylor. He said there were harsh feelings but they are going to get over it and get the job done.

Councilman Brown said it is very important for future references to keep good records and maybe we would be better prepared the next time something like this happens. This situation has brought the people of the parish together. No more "big I's and little yous"

Each councilman expressed his appreciation to all who has a part in the recovery process. Councilman Nassauer said the number of trees removed from this parish is unbelievable and he is proud to be a part of Washington Parish.

Councilman Wheat said after the storm he saw a community rise up in 24 hours because of the values they have been taught. Katrina will not soon be forgotten. He said if his grandchildren have to experience something like this, I hope they do it in this Parish.

Chairman Sharp thanked all parish employees and those who had prepared meals for the parish crews.

Chairman Sharp read a resolution declaring a state of disaster in Washington Parish.

Councilman Brown offered a motion, seconded by Councilman Miley to adopt Resolution No. 05-338. All in favor, the motion carried.

Item No. 12 - Adjourn - Having no further business to come before the council, the meeting adjourned on motion by Councilman Brown, seconded by Councilman Miley.

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Sylvia Forbes, Clerk of the Council Darwin Sharp, Chairman
Washington Parish Council