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Washington Parish Council

Regular Meeting – 6:00 pm

March 28, 2005

Minutes

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

Item No. 2 – Invocation – Councilman Miley offered the invocation

Item No. 3 – Roll Call – Administrative Assistant Sandra Miller called the roll. Present were Charles Nassauer, Rodney Brown, Relton Sumrall, Darwin Sharp, Kenneth Wheat, and Clinton Miley. Absent was Marvin Thomas.

Item No. 4 – Approval of the minutes – On motion of Councilman Rodney Brown, with a second by Councilman Clinton Miley, the minutes, as presented, was approved with all being in favor.

Item No. 5 – Adoption of the financial report – No action taken as a financial statement will not be received until the books have been closed for 2004.

Item No. 6 – Public Participation –

A) Mrs. Ada Horton, President of the Patterson-Horton Retreat Center and Youth Home introduced herself and her board members and asked for the support of the council for an application for a grant thru the Governor’s Office of Rural Development in the amount of $90,000.00. Mrs. Renee Simons, Executive Director/Social Worker of the faith based non-profit organization further explained about their program. A program started three years ago, offers at risk young people an opportunity to learn life experiences and to instill positive influence on them in a rural setting. In the 1st phase of the retreat, camping in tents has been offered. The 2nd phase will afford the center the opportunity to build a dormitory. They will be able to reach more young people. Eventually the Center hopes to offer an on-site facility for kids to live. Mrs. Horton has donated 23 acres to the Center in which they want to expose children to such things as horseback riding and gardening. The troubled youth will be placed in a family setting. They will also be educating them on conflict resolution and non-violent communication. She continued that they want to work more closely with the churches in the Bogalusa and Franklinton areas. She feels their facility/program will offer at risk children a brighter future and will increase the numbers of those that continue their education after high school. On the motion of Councilman Brown, with a second by Councilman Sumrall, to support the application of Patterson-Horton Retreat Center and Youth Home in the amount of $90,000.00 was passed unanimously.

B) Nancy Coyne addressed the council concerning ideas for economic development with an idea to enhance the parish and community. She stated Walt Disney had a dream and as a result there are now several theme parks. She wanted to offer the idea that the Parish Fair Grounds be used to a much better advantage and would be the ideal place for the “Midway Theme Park”. She stated she thinks we need to do this for our children. A couple she knows, Jacques Fresco and Roxanne Meadows, are developers of themed parks and are working on one in China at this time. They have a number of books and literature on the subject and would be willing to come before the schools and groups in the parish and share their information. She continued that she proposes we have a futuristic/reality theme park with educational items such as showing all types of fuel, alternative housing and organic gardening. She feels that the fair grounds are so nice they should be used full time. She visualizes a nice wholesome environment. She says the children are our future. Council Chairman Sharp said he didn’t think any of the councilmen objected to her proposal but the Fair Association is over the fair grounds and they would be the proper people to contact. Councilman Wheat stated the fair grounds is not the only site in Washington Parish and encouraged her to look at others.

C) Jim Coleman – President of the Washington Parish Communications –(911) District Board reported to the council an update on their activities. He said in approximately three months, 911 will implement the 2nd phase of it’s electronic map location system. This will provide the dispatchers the information displaying the cell phone locations or the location of a call coming in from your home or business. If we have on file the GPS location of your home or business which is being collected by the fire departments in Washington Parish, the precise location of the origination of that call will be provided. If that information is not yet on file, the system will estimate the location, which will come fairly close. In addition, in cooperation with Office of Emergency Preparedness and Washington Parish Communication District, improved computer communication between the three law enforcement agencies (Bogalusa Police Department, Franklinton Police Department and Washington Parish Sheriff’s Department) in Washington Parish will be implemented. Jim Coleman answered the question about cell phone and that all of the cell phone companies have been approved as to identifying the location of the phone from a 911 call and hopefully the last company will be approved within the following few days. That capability lies with the cell phone company.

Richard Wade, a resident of Poplar Head Road voiced his problem of 4 months with not being able to dial 911 from his phone. He has contacted the Bell system with no resolution to the problem but continues to be billed for the service. Mr. Coleman explained to him it is the responsibility of the Bell Sytem for customers to be able to properly dial 911. Mr. Wade declined Mr. Coleman’s offer of the Communication District to act as his advocate to resolve the problem.

D) Jalon Pittman Beeche, Winfred Pittman, Liz Stokes, Fate Ferrell, and Lee Kelley all individually addressed the council regarding their concerns, fear about the reservoir that may possibly be constructed in the Oak Grove Community. Mrs. Beeche and Mr. Pittman, siblings, both children of parents who live in this community, spoke on behalf of them because they are elderly and they can’t voice their opinions. She asked for preservation of their community and cemeteries. Her father is a veteran and has certainly been giving in allowing a state highway, two parish roads and electrical lines right of way on his property. She is concerned about the possibility of a damn breaking and wiping out the communities of Plainview, Ben’s Ford, Bogalusa. She is concerned about the possibility of having to bury her parents and then having to move them at a later time because of the cemetery being situated in the reservoir. Mr. Pittman read highlights from Act 71 – (which is the Legislative Act forming the reservoir commission) stating their responsibilities and the magnitude of their power. Mr. Pittman continued that they would fight to save their property. He complimented Councilman Miley on his cooperation and help they get any time something is asked of him. Mrs. Stokes shared her concerns of the cemetery that she understands has approximately 100 graves. She asked if the graves would be moved or will they just be flooded. She had retired to this area and wants to preserve the community she lives in. She stated she doesn’t believe we have a problem with a shortage of potable water. That also the Bogue Chitto State Park would provide lakes and recreation. She shared her concerns over the involment of Denman Engineering and Mike Thompson with the Reservoir Commission. She asked the council if they were aware that Mike Thompson had told the people to lie to the Corp of Engineer. She assured the council we are not going to get ugly, but we are going to fight. Fate Ferrell told the council that he saw the elected officials allowing a reservoir in a rural community. We need you to do something for work & recreation, something that the citizens want you to do. He said when he tried to a boys & girls club there was no one to help. Lee Kelly spoke to the council and said it had been fourteen months since attending her last council meeting. She stated she also was opposed to a reservoir, but not to economic development. She commented of her concerns of how the commission names were selected and of the people ultimately chosen to make up the commission. She feels it is many of the same ones on other commission and boards and feels they have or will stand to benefit personally. She said she understood the Oak Grove Community is the selected site, not proposed site. She said she felt that any money made during the construction/development phase would be made by those coming from outside of the parish to perform the work. She feels also that there is a conflict between the consultant, his brother and the engineering firm that has contracted with the Reservoir Commission. She shared her concerns over eminent domain and the desecration of cemeteries.

In response to the questions and concerns raised, Council Chairman Sharp informed the speakers that the Reservoir Commission is the one making decisions on the reservoir. The Parish Council is the governing body for the legislative acts for the parish. We also have boards for the hospital, fire district and others that have appointed members. President Taylor reminded the public that a state law supersedes a parish law. Councilman Sumrall answered that the Representatives and Senator make the laws for Louisiana. He commented that for the appointment of the Reservoir Commission members the only thing requested from the council was the submission of three names from each Charter District. He assured the audience he did not pick a board member. Councilman Sharp said he understands that a number of other things have to be done before the reservoir becomes a reality.

Item No. 7 – Parish President’s Report – President Taylor reported the weather has delayed the culvert installations and hopefully we will get started back on them again. The Block Grant Program is complete and we will have the state in here to review and close out that grant on March 30. Hopefully it will be closed out. President Taylor stated the landfill bids will go out approximately on May 15th for the new cell at the landfill. We are presently working to implement the $25,000 Trail’s Grant. This is in Councilman’s Brown district in the Varnado area on Recreation Center Road, on the property the parish owns. We received a $25,000.00 Trail’s Grant – this was not a Rural Development Grant and we are going to do as much work as we can with our crews as far as a clay base and hauling in of materials and going to spend as much of the twenty-five thousand dollars cash in asphalt to get a walking trail around that facility.

Item No 8 – Council Discussion –

Councilman Nassauer asked about the right-of-way on Caroline Road – Director of Public Works Leo Lucchesi reported he had gotten the information and it would be prepared for the next meeting

Item No 9 – Adjourn – On Motion of Councilman Brown with a second by Councilman Sumrall and a unanimous vote, the meeting was adjourned.

____________________________ ______________________________

Sandra Miller, Administrative Assistant Darwin Sharp, Chairman

Washington Parish Council