Council Minutes 20050314

Washington Parish Council

Regular Meeting – 6:00 pm

March 14, 2005

Minutes

Item No. 1 – Call to Order – Council Chairman Darwin Sharp called the meeting to order.

Item No. 2 – Invocation – Councilman Rodney Brown offered the invocation.

Item No. 3 – Roll Call – Administrative Assistant Sandra Miller called the roll. Present were Clinton Miley, Charles Nassauer, Rodney Brown, Relton Sumrall, Marvin Thomas,

Darwin Sharp, and Kenneth Wheat. None were absent.

Item No. 4 – Approval of the minutes – On motion of Councilman Clinton Miley, with a second by Councilman Relton Sumrall, the motion to accept the minutes as presented was carried with all being in favor.

Item No. 5 – Adoption of Financial Report – On motion of Councilman Rodney Brown, with a second by Councilman Clinton Miley the financial report as presented was adopted with all being in favor.

Item No. 6 – Resolution – 05-328 – A motion was offered by Councilman Rodney Brown, with a second by Councilman Clinton Miley to adopt resolution amending and extending the boundaries of the Bogue Lusa Water Works District. The motion carried with all being in favor.

Item No. 7 – Public participation – no one addressed the council at this time.

Item No. 8 – Parish President’s Report – President Taylor reported to the council the 2005 Road Program has been submitted to PEC for the preparation of bid documents. We continue to gather drainage/culvert survey as part of the pre-bid planning. The 2004/2005 Block Grant Program is substantially complete and officials will be in parish on March 30, 2005 to review the completed work. The drainage crew has re-dug approximately 50,000 feet or 9.5 miles of roadway drainage trench, hauled off 4800 cubic yards of debris and used 147 cubic yards of material to re-build roadway base. 2460 feet or one half mile of roadway was re-built and the grade raised. In addition, 9.9 miles of shoulders were repaired with the grade being raised.

Under the landfill, everything is still progressing, in hopes to go out for bids to start construction around August 1.

President Taylor brought to the council’s attention the continuing problem, that he knows the Councilman are aware of and that is the damage and theft of road signs, street signs. His policy has always been to replace a road sign every time one was missing. He felt it was a safety issue. The problem continues and in some areas don’t stay there at all. Councilman Miley stated especially on Spring Valley, Mt. Pleasant and Knapp Thomas Roads. We’ve tried different methods, including riveting and bolting, but nothing seems to work. From a legal standpoint can we try to get some kind of legislation for being in possession of a road sign and who would be held responsible - the parents or the juvenile that has the sign on a wall in their room. Kenny Gatewood commented you first have to prove that it was stolen and that the parents had knowledge of that fact. This could be a serious offense because a missing sign impacts law enforcement, first responders, fire or medical responders. Someone’s life could be in jeopardy because of a missing sign. There is also a cost factor involved, but it is the safety factor that has become a problem & we’re doing everything we can to mark them for safety purposes and it is just wrong for people to continue to maliciously violate that. Lengthy discussion followed with points and thoughts on how to resolve the problem. Councilman Brown suggested we have a designated line where the public could get involved and make a report anonymously. As the signs are being removed someone may pass and be able to report it. Councilman Miley asked if the new signs are aluminum – but John Taylor reported he understands there is already a law that the recycling centers are not suppose to buy signs that are not faded or damaged. Councilman Thomas said he knew some of them are just being thrown in the creek. It was agreed this is costing the tax payers money. Councilman Sumrall reminded the council they had talked about buying cameras and placing them in different locations. Council Chairman Sharp stated he thought to get the problem in the papers would be helpful. Councilman Wheat suggested we involve the Sheriff’s office – he has noticed they do extensive advertising and maybe they could do a short term campaign in their advertising. Councilman Sumrall asked if there was some way we could mark the signs. He commented that he has personally purchased signs for his district. President Taylor suggested something as crude as having a stencil and hammer and marking the signs with some identifying mark. President Taylor stated in his opinion something needs to be done. Attorney Kenny Gatewood suggested we may want to look at other options. Councilman Nassauer asked how practical it would be to put a warning on the signs – but that would be an additional several thousand dollars and they would still take the signs. Council Chairman Sharp volunteered to make contact with the Sheriff’s Office to see if they would include something about the problem in their column they have in the local paper. President Taylor reminded the council that we are now defending a lawsuit because signs were removed.

President Taylor stated he had been contacted by a lady late on Friday PM in reference to wanting to submit a grant on our behalf for Louisiana Emergency Shelter Grant Program funds. She told him she writes grants for several other parishes, including Tangipahoa, Ascension and Livingston and has been successful with them. She is employed by Quad in Ascension parish, but wrote the grants for the other parishes after hours. She stated they get a lot of calls from our parish and thought there was a need. Because of the time frame and deadline for submission of the paperwork to the state and if the council wants to advance this, President Taylor explained he would need a Resolution of Support to allow him to advertise to solicit for prospective individuals or organizations that would be interested in providing these services under the ESGP criteria.. Ultimately, he explained he would need an ordinance, if we are successful, to enter into a contract. In order to qualify you must be a governmental agency or a member of the NorthShore Continuum Care Coalition, but Faith based programs are not eligible for these funds.. But some advertising has to be done. All cost comes out of the grant funds. He explained that there would be a dollar to dollar matching fund – but the Quad area would provide that. Also, out of the monies we might would be awarded would come a fee for writing the grant. He thought the council would have questions and concerns since we did not know much about it – Discussion continued with concerns and questions as to where would they be housed – which is somewhere in Washington Parish, but you would not know where until applications were received. Councilman Brown asked about the liability issue on us as a Council. President Taylor advised it would be contractual - a business deal. Councilman Brown explained he would like more information. It was suggested by Councilman Sharp maybe this lady could talk to the council to explain more about it. Because of the time frame involved a Resolution of Support is needed to advertise and we could continue and have her here at the next meeting. Then at that time we could do the ordinance. President Taylor responded he would try to get her here for the next meeting and if she doesn’t come don’t proceed. The application has to be in Baton Rouge by April 1, 2005. Carole McMillan explained in more detail of what she understood about the program. Councilman Brown explained he wasn’t against helping the homeless but the questions who, what, when, why & how needed to be answered. President Taylor said he knew the council would have questions and concerns. When I asked her to come she indicated right now because of her working on several grants she was not able to do so. Councilman Nassauer made a motion to go forward with the advertisement and with a second by Councilman Miley the motion passed. Lengthy discussion continued and the need for an ordinance was brought up. Councilman Sumrall stated he thought if she was interested enough in doing this, since she will be receiving a fee if the grant is awarded, she would have been here tonight. We’re taking a chance he said. Councilman Wheat made a motion to amend the recently passed resolution to consider an ordinance at a later date, after the process for approval for this grant and to also to give the council more time to receive additional information. Motion was seconded by Councilman Miley. Six councilmen were in favor with a negative vote by Councilman Sumrall explaining that he was not against the homeless, but wanted more information. .

President Taylor reported to the council he had recently attended the NACO Legislative Conference in Washington, DC and that CDBG funds are on the chopping block in the 2006 Budget the President has presented. It is proposed these funds be consolidated with sixteen other programs. There is a lot of opposition from municipalities and county governments. I believe Congress will block that. President Taylor shared that Congressman Alexander from the Alexandria area is on the Appropriations Committee and is a Republican said he couldn’t support this. Senator Vitter, it was reported, that he supports the President, but as it stands right now, he can’t support this. President Taylor believes there is going to be a lot of rhetoric about the CDBG Program being on the chopping block – it’s not just this program. He stated this was his bleakest visit he has ever had to Washington. There was bleak news on every front – every department being cut and a lot of concerns in a lot of places. The highlight of the trip was at the end when it was extended a couple of days to attend a meeting Mayor Nichols of Monticello had scheduled for the Hurricane Evacuation Route. President Taylor made the rounds with Mayor Nichols and several other officials from the Monticello area and met with the Mississippi Legislative Delegation. On that Thursday the Mayor Nichols and President Taylor were guest of Orleans/Jefferson/St. Tammany Parish Delegation at a program in place where Mayor Naquin, President Aaron Broussard, Jefferson Parish Council Chairman, President Kevin Davis, both Senators and five Representatives were attending. The last fifteen minutes of this program was allocated for the Hurrican Evacuation Rouge information to be presented. It provided a good forum to work into and get that idea on the table so the Senators know some of the things we would need in the Homeland Security Bill to make this even more of a chance of becoming a reality. Congressman Jindal has seen fit to put one-half million dollars into the next Transportation Bill for a study on the Louisiana side and Congressman Pickering on the Mississippi side has agreed to do the same. He also has agreed to put an additional one-half million from the Appropriations for a study – that was some good news. In addition, Congressman Jindal has included two million dollars for the Zachary Taylor Parkway in the Transportation Bill over six years. President Taylor explained this still has to pass a vote in the Senate – there has been a lot of squabble over the Two Hundred Eighty-four Billion Transportion Bill and they are about two years behind on passing. It will be good for six years and there has been some talk President Busy may veto and Congress may have to override him – so it still has some hurdles to clear.

In addition, President Taylor asked the council to confirm the reappointment of Tom Mitchell and Eddie Keller to the Fire District # 7 Board. On motion of Councilman Miley and with a second by Councilman Wheat and all being in favor, the motion passed.

The Mt. Hermon Water District Board asked for the reappointment of Bill Estes and Everett Roberts. At the request of President Taylor, Councilman Sumrall made a motion to reappoint both of these men, with a second by Councilman Miley, the motion passed with all being in favor.

Item No. 9 – Council Discussion - Councilman Nassauer brought to the council’s attention the memo to Councilman Miley, from Director of Public Works Leo Lucchesi concerning the addition of 0.2 miles of Caroline Road to the inventory and the problem of their not being a width stated on the Servitude of Right of Way. Mr. Lucchesi will get with those landowners and try to resolve that problem. No action taken on Caroline Road. Councilman Nassauer asked the council to consider Resolution giving the Timberlane Neighborhood Association permission to make improvements/beautification on the parish Right of Way at the entrance of Timberlane Subdivision. He stated the improvement would be done with private money and he thought anyone was willing to do that they should be allowed. Discussion on this continued with concerns of liability on the parish’s part and the design that might be done. President Taylor stated he was not opposed. But it was agreed that before they passed the resolution there should be a good understanding that the improvements made will obstruct the view and other safety issues.

In addition, legal counsel Kenny Gatewood suggested we have a Hold Harmless agreement from them since they will be working on public property. Councilman Nassauer will bring this to the table at the next meeting.

Resolution to designate May, 2005 as Fair Housing Awareness Month was introduced by Councilman Nassauer with a second by Councilman Brown. All in favor resolution # 05-329 was approved.

Item No. 10 – Adjourn – There being no further business on motion of Councilman Miley with a second by Councilman Sumrall and all in favor the meeting was adjourned.

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Sandra Miller, Administrative Assistant Darwin Sharp, Chairman

Washington Parish Council