Council Minutes 20051219

Washington Parish Council

Regular Meeting – 6:00 p.m.

December 19, 2005

Minutes

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 – Clerk Sylvia Forbes called the roll. Present were Kenneth Wheat, Clinton Miley, Charles Nassauer, Rodney Brown, Relton Sumrall, Marvin Thomas and Darwin Sharp.

None were absent.

Item No. 4 – Approval of the minutes – Councilman Miley offered a motion seconded by Councilman Brown to approve the minutes of the December 5, 2005 meeting. All in favor the motion carried.

Item No. 5 – Adoption of the financial report – Councilman Wheat offered a motion, seconded by Councilman Miley to adopt the financial report as presented. All in favor, the motion carried.

Item No. 6 – Public hearing – Chairman Sharp opened the public hearing on an ordinance to adopt budget adjustments No. 2 to the 2005 Annual Operating Budget for the Washington Parish Government.

There were no comments during the public hearing.

Councilman Miley offered a motion to close the public hearing. Councilman Brown seconded the motion and it carried.

Councilman Brown offered a motion, seconded by Councilman Wheat to adopt Ordinance No. 05-375. A roll call vote resulted as follows.

YEAS: 7 (Thomas, Sharp, Wheat, Miley, Nassauer, Brown and Sumrall)

NAYS: 0 (None)

ABSENT: 0 (None)

Item No. 7 – Public Hearing – Chairman Sharp opened the public hearing on an ordinance creating the Washington Parish Planning Commission.

Winford Pittman said he was in favor of the planning commission if its purpose is just for planning. He offered to amendments that he felt would strengthen the ordinance. One was to include the creation of an Economic Development Commission. The second amendment was to include language that would insure residents that the commission could not use expropriation to obtain property for economic development.

Jalon Beech asked the council if they had studied the duties of the planning commission. She was concerned that the powers given to the planning commission would be similar to the powers given the Reservoir Commission including the power to expropriate property for economic development.

Councilman Wheat said the state is the only one who can give the authority to expropriate property.

Legal advisor Kenny Gatewood said that was true until recently, the Supreme Court ruled that in some cases, expropriation could be used by local commissions.

President Taylor asked that this not become an expropriation issue. The planning commission will be strictly for subdivision developments. He said he was not aware of any planning commission exercising the expropriation right.

Ms. Beech said she would like to see new faces on the commission, not the same ones on every other commission in the parish.

Chairman Sharp agreed the commission should have new faces. The parish is now accepting resumes for the planning commission and urged anyone interested in serving to send in their resume.

Winford Pittman asked if the parish council was planning to create an Economic Development Commission.

Chairman Sharp said the council is discussing that issue but there will be two different commissions.

Councilman Miley offered a motion to close the public hearing. Councilman Brown seconded the motion and it carried.

Councilman Brown offered a motion, seconded by Councilman Nassauer to adopt Ordinance No. 05-376 creating the Washington Parish Planning Commission. A roll call vote resulted as follows:

YEAS: 7 (Thomas, Sharp, Wheat, Miley, Nassauer, Brown and Sumrall)

NAYS: 0 (None)

ABSENT: 0 (None)

Item No. 8 – Resolution – Councilman Thomas offered a motion, seconded by Councilman Miley to adopt a resolution to extend the boundaries of the Rural Franklinton Water Works District. All in favor, the motion carried.

Item No. 9 – Henry Harrison – Mr. Harrison said he was present to defend the 2006 budget for the County Farm Agent. Mr. Harrison said that the state is asking all local agencies to contribute to the funding of the non-4-H workers throughout the state. They are asking for a 10% increase in salaries, which will be an increase of $6,601 over the 2006 adopted budget. Mr. Harrison said the council has always supported the County Agent office and hopes they will continue.

Councilman Miley offered a motion to open the agenda to include introduction of an ordinance. Councilman Sumrall seconded the motion and it carried.

Councilman Brown introduced an ordinance authorizing the Parish President to enter into a cooperative agreement, to support and administer Louisiana Cooperative Units Off Campus (Parish Farm Agent). The ordinance was laid over for publication and a public hearing to be held on January 9, 2006.

Item No. 10 – Steven Tochnell – Steven Tochnell with the Louisiana Recovery Authority introduced other members of the long-term recovery team assigned to Washington Parish. Their purpose is to develop a Strategic Recovery Plan for Washington Parish. There are 26 parishes in Louisiana with other recovery teams. They have people to work with infrastructure, transportation, economic development and housing. He said planning is best with working with people who have first hand knowledge. The plan should be completed by April 1, 2006. The recovery office is opened daily at 1004 Bene Street in Franklinton. There will be 1 or 2 board based public input meetings. From information the team has already gathered, the biggest problem for Washington Parish was the lack of communication and the fuel shortage.

Item No. 11 – Public participation – C.K. Griffin, Mockingbird Hill, Franklinton told the council she was concerned over the possibility of a FEMA trailer park being put in on Mockingbird Road. The road is narrow and deteriorating.

President Taylor said he was not aware of that being considered as a FEMA trailer park site, and assured Ms. Griffin he had no intention of signing off on a site outside the 3 miles radius of a municipality.

A representative with Fluor was present and informed Ms. Griffin that FEMA was not looking at that site.

Winford Pittman told the council that his respect for them has been increasing. You do not verbally or physically abuse others. You do not avoid questions by telling us to send them in writing. You are moving in the right direction to help the parish.

Item No. 12 - Parish President’s report – The parish is compiling a list of streams and creeks that have accumulated the most vegetative debris and the list has been sent to NRCS for review and funding request.

The report on the debris removal was as follows: 143 local monitors hired, 13 debris sites are in use, 55 certified haulers and 25 loaders in use. There has been 1,238,990 cubic yards of debris hauled, 32,122 loads averaging 37.5 cubic yards per load and 17,500 cubic yards per day.

The parish has received $6.7 Million from FEMA. All the funds were disbursed to IED.

The Right of Entry Program for debris pick up on private property is continuing. Forms can be filled out at the Parish Government office or at the Parish Government website and mailed to the office. The parish will issue a separate RFP for the right of entry program and enter into a new contract.

President Taylor wished everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. He said that 2006 should bring unprecedented challenges and he is looking forward to them.

Item No. 13 – Council Discussion – The council wished everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Item No. 14 – Adjourn – Having no further business to come before the council, the meeting adjourned on motion by Councilman Brown, seconded by Councilman Miley.

_______________________________ ______________________________

Sylvia Forbes, Clerk of the Council Darwin Sharp, Chairman

Washington Parish Counci