1
00:00:04,880 --> 00:00:14,599
like to call the June 11th, 2026 meeting
to order at 207. Machines are open for

2
00:00:11,360 --> 00:00:14,599
roll call.

3
00:00:24,400 --> 00:00:32,800
» Let the record show seven members are
present. Mr. Newsome's on his way. Mr.

4
00:00:29,599 --> 00:00:41,360
Lef France had a funeral today.
Could stand up. Mr. Champagne will say

5
00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:45,120
the prayer and Mr. Schultz to pledge.
Name of the Father, the Son, and the

6
00:00:42,879 --> 00:00:48,960
Holy Spirit. We take this moment to
acknowledge Almighty God and to thank

7
00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:52,239
him for our bountiful blessings,
especially for the parish's natural

8
00:00:50,719 --> 00:00:56,239
resources.
We give thanks to God for our brave and

9
00:00:54,160 --> 00:01:00,160
courageous men and women in our military
who daily risk their lives to protect

10
00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:04,960
our precious freedom. We pray for our
world leaders to know how to obtain more

11
00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:08,400
peace. We pray that this government body
comprised of both council and

12
00:01:06,320 --> 00:01:14,080
administration will always serve our
parish with honesty, humility, and

13
00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:18,479
equality to all. And as this government
body gathers here today, we pray for the

14
00:01:16,479 --> 00:01:23,520
wisdom to know right from wrong and the
courage to do that which is right. Amen.

15
00:01:21,119 --> 00:01:28,400
Amen.
>> I pledge allegiance to the flag of the

16
00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:33,920
United States of America and to the
republic for which it stands. One nation

17
00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:37,479
under God, indivisible, with liberty and
justice for all.

18
00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:50,240
» Executive session. You want to go to
executive session

19
00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:54,799
to executive session. Exe executive
session pursuant to LS421782

20
00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:59,119
and the Louisiana code of evidence
article 506b. The council shall receive

21
00:01:57,360 --> 00:02:02,880
attorney privilege communications from
its legal council regarding Midway

22
00:02:00,799 --> 00:02:09,840
Cattle Ranch LLC at all versus
Plaqueman's Parish government. USDCLA

23
00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:14,319
217 CV07468
attorneys Renie S. Burus II and Danny

24
00:02:12,239 --> 00:02:20,480
Garrett. Executive session pursuant to
LS 4217A2 and Louisiana code of evidence

25
00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:23,599
article 506B. The council shall receive
attorney privilege communications from

26
00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:29,599
its legal council regarding Midway
Cattle Ranch LLC versus Pakman's Parish

27
00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:34,640
government 25th JDC division A case
number 66234 attorneys Renie Sbers II

28
00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:39,360
and Danny Garrett.
>> I'll ask for a second.

29
00:02:36,959 --> 00:02:46,680
» Second by Mr. Jurassic. Any questions
from the audience? Administration

30
00:02:42,239 --> 00:02:46,680
council machine's open.

31
00:02:49,920 --> 00:02:53,840
» Don't let it go.
>> Yes.

32
00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:59,519
» Yes.
>> Let the record show it passes 70 and we

33
00:02:56,400 --> 00:03:07,120
going into executive session at 210.
Executive session at 228 with no binding

34
00:03:02,879 --> 00:03:12,280
action. Can we go to the
either the 4H or the blood

35
00:03:13,040 --> 00:03:19,720
11F presentation by Anna Timberman from
the LSU Egg Center

36
00:03:31,599 --> 00:03:35,840
might need
>> Good afternoon. Thanks for having me

37
00:03:33,599 --> 00:03:41,519
back. Uh my name is Anna Timberman with
the LSU A Center. I'm the ANR agent here

38
00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:45,920
in Plaeman's and St. Bernard and soon to
be parish chair. I'm not sure if you all

39
00:03:43,599 --> 00:03:50,400
heard, but um Mr. Wayne Burgess, who has
been with us for 35 years, is retiring

40
00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:54,480
at the end of the month. And I'll be
assuming some of his administrative

41
00:03:52,000 --> 00:04:00,879
duties as well. Uh just giving you guys
a quick citrus update since we last met.

42
00:03:57,599 --> 00:04:06,319
Um we are on the grant train right now.
been submitting a lot of grants in the

43
00:04:02,959 --> 00:04:10,000
past year. Um, historically we've had a
million and a half citrus trees here in

44
00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:15,599
Plaemens. We're down to that should be
about 6,000 to 7,000 mature trees in the

45
00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:20,400
parish currently. And we are in replant
mode with the current um surviving

46
00:04:17,759 --> 00:04:24,000
growers as well. We are trying some new
things through a partnership with

47
00:04:22,400 --> 00:04:28,880
University of Florida. They're sending
us some new material, new cultivars to

48
00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:33,120
try that are a little more cold hearty
um because we did lose quite a few trees

49
00:04:30,479 --> 00:04:38,639
in that 2025 blizzard. And we're
pursuing state, federal, and nonprofit

50
00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:43,759
grants to support the industry. This
past March, I had 22 growers come to our

51
00:04:41,280 --> 00:04:47,199
citrus meeting that was well attended um
not only by the growers, but USDA

52
00:04:45,759 --> 00:04:52,000
representatives, soil and water
conservation board as well. and we were

53
00:04:49,759 --> 00:04:56,240
able to get the people who regulate the
industry in the room with the growers

54
00:04:54,240 --> 00:05:00,560
for the first time in many years and
that was very productive. Um we were

55
00:04:58,720 --> 00:05:04,960
able to get a lot of survey data
directly from the farmers that assist us

56
00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:09,360
in getting grants and resources to them
but we also were able to coordinate

57
00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:13,759
monitoring for the sids that spread the
citrus greening so that we can release

58
00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:18,800
the wasps near their groves and it's
real-time data so that was a big help

59
00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:24,320
for them as well. We're also increasing
the um farms uh payouts for disaster,

60
00:05:22,240 --> 00:05:28,080
the tree assistance program payouts.
Currently, the growers when they lose a

61
00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:32,720
tree, they were only getting about $14 a
tree to replant. We've now upped that

62
00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:38,080
based on current inputs like diesel,
fertilizer, and the actual cost of the

63
00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:41,600
tree. And that should reflect $113 per
tree. Now, if you can do that math,

64
00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:45,680
that's a big deal when you're trying to
replant a couple hundred trees or per

65
00:05:43,759 --> 00:05:49,600
year or even a few thousand trees per
year. and it more accurately aligns

66
00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:54,560
what's going on with Florida and
California's industry as well. So that

67
00:05:52,479 --> 00:06:00,160
was a big win for us in the past few
months. Um in terms of the removal of

68
00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:03,600
derelic trees, we did have some success
with that with Raymond from the health

69
00:06:01,759 --> 00:06:07,680
department. However, we did have a lot
of absentee land owners who we just

70
00:06:05,680 --> 00:06:11,280
couldn't either get in touch with or
they had maybe removed the trees

71
00:06:09,280 --> 00:06:16,080
themselves and there was some outright
folks that just didn't want us to take

72
00:06:13,039 --> 00:06:21,039
trees out either for sentimental reasons
um or they thought they were fine and

73
00:06:18,319 --> 00:06:25,440
and things like that. But I was able to
map where the citrus trees are in the

74
00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:29,280
parish. That's a screenshot from the
Google Earth file and that's something

75
00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:33,199
that I'm constantly updating so that if
we do have further issues or further

76
00:06:31,280 --> 00:06:37,280
programs, especially funded federal
programs that come down the pipe, we can

77
00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:41,840
target these areas and we know exactly
where those trees are. Um, so that was

78
00:06:39,919 --> 00:06:46,160
kind of a logistical exercise as well,
but it's made communication with the

79
00:06:43,600 --> 00:06:51,840
different agencies really, really a lot
smoother. Um, in terms of replanting

80
00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:55,199
this spring and summer, a couple of
trees are a couple of growers are

81
00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:59,199
budding trees and grafting trees right
now for planting into the ground. So,

82
00:06:57,120 --> 00:07:02,960
this is separate from the retail nursery
side of things. We have a couple retail

83
00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:07,520
nursery growers in the parish. These are
trees intended to produce fruit in the

84
00:07:05,520 --> 00:07:11,440
ground in Plaemen's Parish. We have
several thousand trees going in and I

85
00:07:09,680 --> 00:07:15,120
was able to provide some budwood for
that grafting from my facility in

86
00:07:13,360 --> 00:07:19,440
Violet, Louisiana for the first time
this year. We're looking at close to

87
00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:23,759
100% success with that genetic material.
So, that was a big win as well. And I

88
00:07:21,840 --> 00:07:28,560
did three budding workshops in the area
for the smaller or newer producers so

89
00:07:26,319 --> 00:07:35,599
they could learn that skill and start
producing trees for themselves as well.

90
00:07:32,479 --> 00:07:39,919
Um, I put in for a LDAF Louisiana
Department of A and Forestry Specialty

91
00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:43,520
Crop Block Grant this spring. Um, that
was funding for the individual tree

92
00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:47,360
protective covers. It's basically a
screen bag that goes over the young

93
00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:51,440
trees for the first three years. That
keeps those insects off, keeps them

94
00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:56,800
disease-free, gives them a chance to
really root in and stay healthy before

95
00:07:53,440 --> 00:08:01,120
they get established. And in Florida,
100% of our new trees are going into the

96
00:07:58,720 --> 00:08:04,960
bags. In Louisiana, no one's tried it
before. Um, but we did have one grower

97
00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:09,120
give it a try last year with good
success. So through a partnership with

98
00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:12,960
the soil and water conservation board,
we were able to give the bags away to

99
00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:16,319
the growers this spring so that they
could try them in the field and then

100
00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:22,000
this grant is intended to get enough
bags to supplies so that every new tree

101
00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:26,479
that goes in the parish goes into a bag
has a fighting chance of establishing

102
00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:31,440
without getting diseased. Those bags are
reusable. They're hurricane proof as

103
00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:36,399
well and yield goes up. So we're really
crossing our fingers about that one.

104
00:08:33,919 --> 00:08:39,760
also put in for a USDA national
specialty crop block grant with the

105
00:08:38,080 --> 00:08:44,000
University of Florida and the other
Southern University Extension Services

106
00:08:42,479 --> 00:08:48,240
looking at cold hearty citrus
selections, but also disease resistant

107
00:08:46,080 --> 00:08:51,680
selections. So, if that goes through,
we're going to be able to import a lot

108
00:08:49,680 --> 00:08:54,560
of that material into the state and
we're going to do field trials right

109
00:08:52,959 --> 00:08:58,480
here in the parish. We've got that lined
up with four or five growers and that's

110
00:08:56,720 --> 00:09:02,160
all new cultivars, including some
genetically modified cultivars, which is

111
00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:06,240
kind of interesting. We'll be able to
play with that a little bit as well. Um,

112
00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:10,480
but what we're looking for is increased
survivability so that we're not just

113
00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:14,000
doing the same thing over and over,
planting the same cultivars over and

114
00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:18,480
over just to have the trees die in five
to seven years.

115
00:09:16,399 --> 00:09:23,360
Um, I'm assisting a couple of growers
right now with a Sprout Nola urban a

116
00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:28,720
grant. So growers outside of the city
are eligible for this as well. Up to

117
00:09:25,279 --> 00:09:32,640
$10,000 for equipment, services, um,
fencing, anything like that. It's due at

118
00:09:31,120 --> 00:09:36,640
the end of the month. So, two of our
citrus growers are applying for this as

119
00:09:34,480 --> 00:09:41,279
well um for equipment upgrades because
they sell their citrus in the city and

120
00:09:39,200 --> 00:09:46,080
we're anticipating them to be awarded
those. There's also the American

121
00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:49,279
Farmland Trust um National Farm
Viability Grant. I'm working with two

122
00:09:47,839 --> 00:09:54,399
producers on that one as well. Again,
it's $10,000 towards equipment and

123
00:09:51,519 --> 00:09:59,760
infrastructure on farm. And that's to
solidify land access but also um tenure

124
00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:04,399
and not lose those farmers that are
existing farmers.

125
00:10:02,160 --> 00:10:07,839
And with that, that's the conclusion of
my update. Are there any questions?

126
00:10:06,240 --> 00:10:11,839
» Thank you. Any questions from the
audience?

127
00:10:09,279 --> 00:10:17,200
» Good. Good.
>> I got to ask you. Oh, you said the trees

128
00:10:14,880 --> 00:10:19,600
they were going to come from Florida.
>> They're going to what?

129
00:10:18,000 --> 00:10:22,560
» Did you say the trees going to come from
Florida?

130
00:10:20,399 --> 00:10:25,760
» From Florida. Yes. Um, University of
Florida is kind of leading the research

131
00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:29,200
edge in terms of new cultivar
development. So, I have a partnership

132
00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:33,839
with them and they're sending us a lot
of things.

133
00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:38,079
» So, would that be the Florida variety of
trees or the plaque variety? Cuz you

134
00:10:36,480 --> 00:10:43,040
know that's a difference.
>> So, what gives the plaqueman's variety

135
00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:46,640
its flavor though is our soil. So, it
shouldn't matter if it comes from

136
00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:51,440
Florida, it's the soil. Yep, that's a
great question. Same with the Creole

137
00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:53,600
tomatoes. Other questions?
administration

138
00:10:52,959 --> 00:10:55,360
council.
>> Okay,

139
00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:58,800
» that's McCordi.
>> All right.

140
00:10:56,640 --> 00:11:02,440
» Yep. Thanks so much.
>> Oh, you have a question.

141
00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:05,680
» My mic on
>> should be

142
00:11:04,320 --> 00:11:08,880
» okay. I'm sorry.
>> She's in.

143
00:11:06,399 --> 00:11:13,760
» Yeah, I was skewed in.
>> I'm in now. Thank you. Um, hi, Miss

144
00:11:11,760 --> 00:11:20,000
Tamman.
You had mentioned a few things and um

145
00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:26,399
you said that we're getting some trees
with genetic altered material

146
00:11:23,279 --> 00:11:28,480
» and that we're also planting some trees
down

147
00:11:27,680 --> 00:11:31,440
» next year.
>> Next year.

148
00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:36,399
» Yes. So the crisper technology for
roottock is suppressing that bacteria

149
00:11:34,079 --> 00:11:41,120
that makes the trees sick in the first
place and that is proprietary and

150
00:11:38,959 --> 00:11:45,040
there's a lot of legal loopholes to jump
through before we can get that. It's

151
00:11:43,200 --> 00:11:49,440
also patented so it's not something we
can share freely but for research

152
00:11:46,800 --> 00:11:53,440
purposes it's kind of one of the four or
five things they're looking at

153
00:11:50,800 --> 00:11:58,480
nationally but also globally to try to
overcome some of the challenges we're

154
00:11:55,040 --> 00:12:01,920
having. So the same um roottock that's
going through the genically altered in

155
00:12:00,880 --> 00:12:08,639
the crisper,
>> is that going to be the type that's

156
00:12:06,079 --> 00:12:11,360
um resistant to not only canker but cold
temperature?

157
00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:15,279
» Yeah. So there's some overlap with the
breeding programs and I'm working with

158
00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:19,360
both breeders. So they're trying to push
their citrus range into North Florida

159
00:12:17,279 --> 00:12:23,839
and into that panhandle area into
Georgia, South Carolina as well. And

160
00:12:21,519 --> 00:12:27,440
that's the same climate as us. So a lot
of the breeding efforts are including

161
00:12:25,440 --> 00:12:31,519
that frost protection because that's
been a persistent problem for a couple

162
00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:37,440
hundred years where it seems like every
30 to 50 years we get wiped out not only

163
00:12:34,560 --> 00:12:42,240
in this area along that I 1012 corridor
but south into mid Florida as well. So

164
00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:45,920
that's a huge economic driver for them
not only the disease resistance but the

165
00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:51,040
frost tolerance as well.
>> Okay. I believe when you spoke to us

166
00:12:48,560 --> 00:12:56,639
last year, you said that there were some
some town in mid Louisiana that was um

167
00:12:55,040 --> 00:13:00,399
planting trees that were resistant to
the canker, I believe, or was it the

168
00:12:58,399 --> 00:13:03,839
cold? It was to the cold. So, we have
three new cultivars. They're actually

169
00:13:01,920 --> 00:13:08,880
hybrid cultivars that were developed in
Texas and they're sustained to

170
00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:11,760
temperatures into the low to mid teens.
Now, they have to be protected when

171
00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:16,720
they're young, but once the trees get
mature and established, they're able to

172
00:13:13,519 --> 00:13:20,959
go to about 16 to 14 degrees Fahrenheit.
>> If somebody wants to plant trees now,

173
00:13:18,959 --> 00:13:24,399
should they try and get those trees or
should they wait a year?

174
00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:28,880
» It's a really hard question, right?
Because trees grow so slowly and I work

175
00:13:27,360 --> 00:13:32,240
with a lot of older growers who they
need solutions now. Um, but if you're

176
00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:35,920
willing to wait a year or two, I think
we've got some good things coming. But

177
00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:40,880
if you want to replant now, then yes,
those three cultivars are Arctic Frost,

178
00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:44,240
Orange Frost, and Bumper. And I've got
all three in my nursery. They made it

179
00:13:42,880 --> 00:13:47,839
through this past winter and last
winter. A+. They look great.

180
00:13:46,880 --> 00:13:52,399
» Okay. I'm going to have to get those
names again.

181
00:13:49,839 --> 00:13:53,279
» Arctic Frost, Orange Frost, and Bumper.
>> Okay.

182
00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:58,720
» Yep.
>> Um, now you have a program that will

183
00:13:56,160 --> 00:14:01,760
help people remove trees and plant
trees. Is that correct? And is it only

184
00:14:00,560 --> 00:14:05,920
for professionals?
>> It's only for professionals. is not for

185
00:14:03,519 --> 00:14:08,480
the home producers, unfortunately.
>> Yeah. Okay.

186
00:14:06,639 --> 00:14:12,320
» Yep. Um there was a big push a few years
ago through Department of A for the

187
00:14:10,160 --> 00:14:13,920
residential, but that's has since been
discontinued.

188
00:14:13,360 --> 00:14:17,040
» Okay.
>> Well, thank you very much for all the

189
00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:22,560
work that you do. Thank you,
>> Mr. Edwards. Uh I think Patty might have

190
00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:26,320
answered my my my question. You had a
grant, the last grant you put up there.

191
00:14:24,880 --> 00:14:30,800
My question is that just for
professional farmers looking at

192
00:14:28,399 --> 00:14:34,880
nonprofit all they apply for that grant.
>> That national farmland trust grant I

193
00:14:32,880 --> 00:14:39,360
believe is what you're looking at. So
that one's open only to farmers but the

194
00:14:37,120 --> 00:14:43,760
sprout nola grant is also open to
nonprofits. So if you have a community

195
00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:48,399
garden or a nonprofit that's growing
produce, that one is not due until June

196
00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:51,120
30th and that is open to you. And if you
need help with the application, I'm

197
00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:54,560
happy to do so.
>> Yeah.

198
00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:58,480
» And that's up to $10,000.
That's not for you, Mr. Brock. I know

199
00:14:56,079 --> 00:15:02,000
you got your little guard talking about
you.

200
00:15:00,720 --> 00:15:04,160
» Writing it down.
>> Any other questions?

201
00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:08,320
» Other questions.
>> Okay. Thank you. Thanks so much.

202
00:15:05,519 --> 00:15:12,279
» Thank you for your service, too.
>> Next item. Suspension.

203
00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:19,160
» To vote on it. We do
>> a suspension.

204
00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:28,320
» 11. New business. 11. A introduction of
resolutions where suspension is being

205
00:15:26,160 --> 00:15:32,399
sought. A resolution authorizing
community blood donation efforts during

206
00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:35,680
the semi quincentennial of the United
States of America and otherwise to

207
00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:40,000
provide with respect there too. This is
a resolution to mark and celebrate the

208
00:15:37,440 --> 00:15:45,199
United States 250th anniversary of
signing of the declaration of

209
00:15:41,680 --> 00:15:50,079
independence. Council member Newsome
>> Mr. Nuome office. Is there a second?

210
00:15:47,839 --> 00:15:57,440
Second by Miss McCarti. Any questions
from the audience? Administration

211
00:15:52,959 --> 00:16:00,839
council chains open
on the suspension

212
00:16:02,639 --> 00:16:11,600
passes 80. Let the record show Mr. Nuome
is now in the building.

213
00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:15,040
» A resolution authorizing community blood
donation efforts during the

214
00:16:12,800 --> 00:16:18,240
semiquentennial of the United States of
America and otherwise to provide with

215
00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:22,000
respect there too. This is a resolution
to mark and celebrate the United States

216
00:16:20,000 --> 00:16:25,199
250th anniversary of signing of the
Declaration of Independence. Council

217
00:16:23,519 --> 00:16:30,880
member Nuome,
>> Mr. Newsome offers a Can we get a

218
00:16:27,519 --> 00:16:34,600
unanimous second? Anybody object?
Unanimous second.

219
00:16:34,639 --> 00:16:41,880
» Any questions from the audience?
Administration council Sheen.

220
00:16:42,160 --> 00:16:48,720
» Yes, sir. Yes. Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr.
Chairman. Uh this uh Miss Susie Potter

221
00:16:47,120 --> 00:16:53,600
is in the audience here today from the
blood center. So uh she's been as we

222
00:16:51,920 --> 00:16:59,680
know she's came to this body a couple
times to for her tireless work on this

223
00:16:56,880 --> 00:17:02,560
this matter. So uh if she'd like to say
a few words briefly briefly please keep

224
00:17:01,839 --> 00:17:05,600
it briefly.
>> Vampires always want to say something.

225
00:17:04,880 --> 00:17:08,559
» Yes. Yes ma'am.
>> Blood center to honor this particular

226
00:17:07,839 --> 00:17:12,559
event. Miss
>> Miss Could you put your mic down and

227
00:17:11,039 --> 00:17:17,039
name and address please for the record?
>> All right. Susie Potter, community

228
00:17:15,120 --> 00:17:22,880
development manager for the Blood
Center, 2609 Canal Street, New Orleans,

229
00:17:20,559 --> 00:17:29,360
70119.
Okay, this special event, we have a

230
00:17:26,160 --> 00:17:35,919
slogan for it called Honor the Past,
help the future. The reason why the

231
00:17:31,919 --> 00:17:42,480
slogan is blood donations represent
putting the red in the red, white, and

232
00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:49,840
blue. So, we are now coming into the
hurricane season.

233
00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:53,039
Today, the blood supply stands at 25%.
There's all kinds of challenges trying

234
00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:57,200
to get people to give blood. I'm not
going to go into details. So, I've asked

235
00:17:55,440 --> 00:18:02,240
the parish president if I could reach
out to his office to sponsor a community

236
00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:08,720
blood drive. And what I need from each
of you is to promote it. I don't want to

237
00:18:05,760 --> 00:18:15,280
have a park and pray. I want people to
show up. So to honor the event, they

238
00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:21,919
will get a special recognition item. For
the first time ever, we are going to

239
00:18:17,120 --> 00:18:24,919
give away a black polo.
Tada.

240
00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:33,600
Tada.
So that when people wear it, not only do

241
00:18:30,480 --> 00:18:38,320
they have pride of how they acquired it,
but they have pride in the

242
00:18:35,120 --> 00:18:43,120
representation of our country. So first
of all, thank you for passing the

243
00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:49,360
resolution. Second of all, thank you for
your time, talent, and commitment to the

244
00:18:45,919 --> 00:18:52,880
citizens. This is another way of how you
all are going to help the citizens of

245
00:18:51,120 --> 00:18:58,880
this community. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Miss Thank you, Miss Susie.

246
00:18:55,200 --> 00:19:01,360
» Thank you. Any other comments?
I I I just want to say something.

247
00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:05,919
» Yes, sir.
>> Thank you, Miss Susie, for being brief

248
00:19:04,240 --> 00:19:09,679
» and please get in touch with the office.
We will we will really work with you.

249
00:19:08,559 --> 00:19:13,799
» Yes, ma'am.
>> I'd give but I'm a chicken.

250
00:19:16,080 --> 00:19:21,960
» Machines are open on the order. The
resolution.

251
00:19:22,640 --> 00:19:30,840
It passes 8. Thank you all. Started the
agenda again, please.

252
00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:41,440
» For administration updates,
>> I'm just going to go through some things

253
00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:46,960
real quick. Good afternoon. Uh the EOC
with collaboration with a lot of us, all

254
00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:54,000
of you and u the administration from
here to Baton Rouge. the uh EOC uh went

255
00:19:50,799 --> 00:19:59,280
out to advertisements Tuesday and the
bids are going to be opened up on July

256
00:19:55,919 --> 00:20:04,720
the 7th and construction will begin uh
hopefully October of this this year.

257
00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:09,440
It's been a long drawn out but we're all
learning

258
00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:15,039
about government. So, um the Woodland
Industrial Park uh advertising started

259
00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:19,840
on on the 9th which was Tuesday as well.
uh bids opening on July 7th as as well

260
00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:25,039
with that. That's the uh project uh
under the Woodland Bridge. Uh the St.

261
00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:29,840
Bernard flood wall, the piping on that
that's been completed. Once the bacteria

262
00:20:27,679 --> 00:20:35,919
test passes, then they can tie in both
sides on the St. Bernard and the plaque

263
00:20:31,840 --> 00:20:40,720
side. The the cast line, the iron cast
eastbank cast iron water line, the

264
00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:44,640
project's been completed. Uh both the
pressure test and the bacteria test,

265
00:20:43,039 --> 00:20:49,360
they passed. Now we're just waiting for
the contractor to do the tiein on both

266
00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:53,120
ends of that. Uh up at with state
legislature

267
00:20:50,960 --> 00:20:59,039
uh you know we created and we made the
Peggy Martin rose the plaqueman's parish

268
00:20:56,159 --> 00:21:05,520
flower this year. Now in the state of
Louisiana the Peggy Martin rose is the

269
00:21:02,000 --> 00:21:10,799
state rose. So that's quite an honor for
Miss Martin and I I truly believe for

270
00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:16,400
Plaimman's Parish there as well. Uh Rep.
bro, he led the charge up there and he

271
00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:23,840
had the a vote of 95 to zero in support
of that right there. Um

272
00:21:20,080 --> 00:21:30,559
BKI, they hosted a uh basically a a a
road show at the auditorium

273
00:21:26,799 --> 00:21:37,760
uh May 21st there talking about the uh
the Peter's bypass uh road and all. And

274
00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:43,280
then the uh the woodland up uh highway,
you know, they started doing some work

275
00:21:39,360 --> 00:21:48,080
uh over the past weekend. Uh
Councilman Champagne kind of gave a a

276
00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:51,840
description of what's going on. I saw it
uh he was had it on Facebook just

277
00:21:50,000 --> 00:21:56,720
letting the community know what's going
on. Uh so that has to sit for so long

278
00:21:54,880 --> 00:22:01,600
and then once they come back they'll
they'll uh bring it down 2 in and then

279
00:21:59,200 --> 00:22:07,520
they'll do an overlay over that there.
Uh and then the roundabout uh proceed

280
00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:12,000
was uh proceed to work was done on May
25th and there's a whole litany of

281
00:22:10,159 --> 00:22:17,760
things that have to be uh done with that
and construction on that is anticipated

282
00:22:13,919 --> 00:22:23,600
to start around June 25th this month. Uh
what I'd like to do right now is like

283
00:22:19,440 --> 00:22:28,240
bring up uh Mr. Morgan with Inframark.
Uh we had a lovely article in the

284
00:22:25,600 --> 00:22:34,240
Gazette earlier this week. Um, so we're
just going to go over some uh uh some

285
00:22:31,679 --> 00:22:39,039
items of where we are with the water in
collabor and working with this council

286
00:22:36,480 --> 00:22:45,600
right here. We've made a lot of progress
and it's taken time because we have had

287
00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:50,159
to track down monies to do what Robert
is fixing to describe and uh Chris and

288
00:22:48,400 --> 00:22:53,760
Jeff. So I'm going to turn everything
over to those guys here.

289
00:22:53,360 --> 00:22:57,640
Yep.
>> Jeff, I'll let you go first.

290
00:22:58,480 --> 00:23:02,120
You turn Jeff.

291
00:23:03,039 --> 00:23:13,679
» Good evening. Good even good afternoon.
Uh thank you all. Happy Thursday. Um

292
00:23:11,120 --> 00:23:18,640
regarding the uh the water grades, the
2025 water grades. Uh, first I want to I

293
00:23:16,559 --> 00:23:24,640
want to lead in by saying this council
has been uh very supportive of most of I

294
00:23:22,960 --> 00:23:31,600
want to say all of the projects that we
brought to you guys. Everybody knows the

295
00:23:26,559 --> 00:23:37,280
importance of uh our water uh quality.
And I want to start by saying

296
00:23:34,240 --> 00:23:42,400
a majority of these grades are not
reflective of the quality of water that

297
00:23:39,600 --> 00:23:47,520
we're pushing to the public. Most a
majority of these deductions are because

298
00:23:45,120 --> 00:23:52,159
of aging infrastructure and we are
methodically

299
00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:58,240
getting to each of these projects to
improve our infrastructure.

300
00:23:54,880 --> 00:24:03,760
Excuse me. I can start off with each
water district uh and briefly explain

301
00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:09,840
where the deductions came from. Um I can
start with Port Suler Water District. Um

302
00:24:06,799 --> 00:24:16,000
that was the lowest with the 46%.
Um 25%

303
00:24:12,320 --> 00:24:21,679
of I'm sorry 25 points were deducted
because of a non-comp administrative

304
00:24:18,320 --> 00:24:27,600
order we were issued um couple of years
ago ba basically for lack of generators,

305
00:24:24,799 --> 00:24:33,200
lack of permanent generators at the
facility. We do have temporary

306
00:24:30,240 --> 00:24:38,000
generators. It's just the funding and
we're we're working towards that. We we

307
00:24:36,000 --> 00:24:44,960
are working on some permanent generators
at uh Empire Water Plant or the Empire

308
00:24:41,279 --> 00:24:52,480
Booster Station I should say. Um an
additional 15 points was deducted uh for

309
00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:58,000
exceedence of some contaminants. Uh but
that was during the saltwater intrusion

310
00:24:54,480 --> 00:25:04,000
last year. And basically these
contaminants

311
00:24:59,760 --> 00:25:08,960
build up with what they call old water.
And all of the water

312
00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:13,279
utilized
south of Belchase was coming from

313
00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:17,440
Belchase. So there was some issues with
the water sitting at Port Sula because

314
00:25:15,600 --> 00:25:23,120
it wasn't being used. Everything was
pushed from uh Belchase.

315
00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:29,919
Uh and there was some some points some
small points deducted uh for some

316
00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:36,080
chlorine low chlorine violations due to
some water leaks. We found a lot of

317
00:25:31,679 --> 00:25:41,760
water leaks last year and um and and and
fixed a lot of water leaks and um this

318
00:25:39,279 --> 00:25:47,440
was the cause of of some of these uh of
a lot of these low chlorine violations.

319
00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:51,440
Um, I'll move on to uh the Belchase
Water System,

320
00:25:49,360 --> 00:25:56,559
which
that grade was a 52%.

321
00:25:54,240 --> 00:26:03,039
The largest deduction for the Belchase
Water Plant was um from an

322
00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:10,480
administrative order we received from uh
the the water tower repairs back in

323
00:26:06,559 --> 00:26:16,080
2024. for the end of 2024, myself and
Robert and Chris um with the help of

324
00:26:13,600 --> 00:26:21,200
Inframark,
we uh we hired

325
00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:25,279
a consultant to start looking at these
water towers specifically because we

326
00:26:23,200 --> 00:26:30,799
knew there was some uh repairs that
needed to be done. Um once we identified

327
00:26:29,120 --> 00:26:36,480
some of the repairs, the structural
repairs that needed to be done to the

328
00:26:33,360 --> 00:26:43,039
water plant, the the the water towers at
Cedar Grove, Engineers Road, the one

329
00:26:39,360 --> 00:26:47,840
right here on the complex and Dowcore,
uh we put together some quotes to to

330
00:26:45,679 --> 00:26:55,600
obtain some quotes to get some of these
repairs done, but all of the quotes came

331
00:26:50,640 --> 00:26:58,960
in above the allowable public bid law.
So that kind of put that on the back

332
00:26:57,279 --> 00:27:03,120
burner until we could find some more
funding.

333
00:27:00,799 --> 00:27:09,120
Fast forward to 2025, we got this
administrative order

334
00:27:05,840 --> 00:27:14,159
or non-compliance. This not a whole lot
of difference between the two.

335
00:27:11,679 --> 00:27:20,159
But this year we actually got some
capital outlay

336
00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:25,840
to add on to uh the repairs for these uh
water plants. I mean I'm sorry, water

337
00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:32,159
towers. So we we cut it in phases. The
first phase we're going to use where

338
00:27:28,559 --> 00:27:37,919
where we are now where we are now with
the consultant that we hired and we're

339
00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:42,400
going to do some repairs with some
matching funds from the parish and the

340
00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:49,480
capital outlay that we're getting this
year. We should get it at the end of

341
00:27:43,760 --> 00:27:49,480
July, I believe. Um phase two

342
00:27:49,919 --> 00:27:58,960
will we're sitting on in P5 in capital.
We're sitting on another $6 million.

343
00:27:56,960 --> 00:28:05,600
Hopefully next year they'll move that
from P5 to B P1 and we could we could uh

344
00:28:02,960 --> 00:28:09,320
do the rest of the repairs uh on that
administrative order.

345
00:28:10,480 --> 00:28:21,039
We'll move up to
Dowcore.

346
00:28:16,559 --> 00:28:28,159
Dow core had a grade of 78%.
And this was four points here, five

347
00:28:24,960 --> 00:28:32,320
points here. Um, a lot of it was the uh
low chlorine residuals from some from

348
00:28:30,559 --> 00:28:37,440
some water leaks that we have since
repaired. Um

349
00:28:35,120 --> 00:28:44,320
couple of points was was from the
administrative order because of the the

350
00:28:39,520 --> 00:28:50,159
water tower. Uh and a couple of them for
Dow core was deducted because we didn't

351
00:28:47,440 --> 00:28:55,279
do a rate study. We did a rate study but
it was only applied to the Belchase

352
00:28:52,799 --> 00:29:00,159
water system. It wasn't applied across
the board. We did a rate study. It just

353
00:28:58,320 --> 00:29:03,159
wasn't applied to all of the water
systems.

354
00:29:03,919 --> 00:29:15,600
Point La Hash, that was our pride and
joy. That one got a 91. Um,

355
00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:20,080
most of those were uh from a rate study
and some of the leaks that we found,

356
00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:27,200
little low chlorine residuals.
With that said, I'd like to say again,

357
00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:32,320
thank you guys for making water our
priority. Um, I don't think y'all have

358
00:29:30,080 --> 00:29:37,600
denied any requests to do any
infrastructure upgrades. Uh, and we are

359
00:29:35,279 --> 00:29:44,960
very diligent. We have a list of
projects that we I say we this

360
00:29:42,000 --> 00:29:49,760
administration with y'all y'all help uh
that we have

361
00:29:47,520 --> 00:29:54,640
either funded
gone after grant funding or completed.

362
00:29:52,559 --> 00:30:00,559
Um, I could go through the list but that
that'll take some time. But um with

363
00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:05,039
that, we'll email you. Yes, I'll I'll
forward you this email. But with that,

364
00:30:03,200 --> 00:30:09,440
Robin, if y'all have anything to add.
>> I just want to say one thing, you know,

365
00:30:07,600 --> 00:30:15,279
with with some of the with the ordinance
that you guys uh that created with the

366
00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:19,600
the the ditch where we can go any in in
all of these ditches that, you know, the

367
00:30:17,279 --> 00:30:25,200
lateral ditches that we can cut. We
found a a water line break last year

368
00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:31,600
that wasn't draining out onto a road or
anything. it was draining directly into

369
00:30:28,480 --> 00:30:36,320
a drainage pipe and it was we thought it
was a half a million a day but it was

370
00:30:33,760 --> 00:30:42,480
almost as much as a a million gallons a
day that that was out there in in the in

371
00:30:38,480 --> 00:30:48,640
the weeds in the woods and all. So again
>> actions that have been taken here and

372
00:30:44,799 --> 00:30:53,520
during these meetings has gotten us a
little bit we're down the road with with

373
00:30:50,799 --> 00:30:58,080
progress here.
Um I would like to um elaborate on a

374
00:30:56,880 --> 00:31:04,080
little bit on Jeff like with the
chlorine samples um Belchase District

375
00:31:01,760 --> 00:31:11,600
let's see we collected
um right at 200 no 2373 chlorine samples

376
00:31:08,880 --> 00:31:19,120
it we had zero violations
um for let's see point laash what is it

377
00:31:15,520 --> 00:31:22,799
Chris let's see we collected let's see
1369

378
00:31:20,880 --> 00:31:29,360
samples we only had four lowering
chlorine residuals. And let's see, for

379
00:31:25,919 --> 00:31:35,120
Dale Core, we had seven 7001 samples
analyzed and we had four low uh chlor

380
00:31:32,880 --> 00:31:39,120
chlorine violations. And reason I bring
that up is because I know I probably

381
00:31:37,279 --> 00:31:43,679
receive a call from everybody about us
flushing. We have to flush. If we don't

382
00:31:41,200 --> 00:31:46,799
flush, this the violations we get. And
uh I know a lot of residents don't like

383
00:31:45,360 --> 00:31:50,799
to see us put water in the ground, but
it is mandated by the state. We have to

384
00:31:48,640 --> 00:31:54,880
keep this chlorine residual up. Belchase
is really good because we have a higher

385
00:31:52,640 --> 00:32:00,559
population in Belchase. So, the water is
being used more, but Delcore, uh, Point

386
00:31:57,919 --> 00:32:04,000
Laash, Port Sulfur, uh, down the road,
it's it's it's pretty tough cuz you got

387
00:32:02,159 --> 00:32:07,760
a lot of dead end lines. So, you have to
keep that water circulating or you're

388
00:32:05,360 --> 00:32:10,799
going to get a chlorine violation. Um,
but I know a lot of people don't don't

389
00:32:09,120 --> 00:32:14,320
like it. I know I have I have moved
several hydrants because they say we

390
00:32:12,559 --> 00:32:17,760
filling up the dish, but we we have to
flush that. That's the main thing. We

391
00:32:15,679 --> 00:32:21,840
have to flush with that. So, um, but
I'll take some questions if y'all got

392
00:32:18,960 --> 00:32:25,200
some questions in. Joe,
>> Miss McCarti.

393
00:32:24,159 --> 00:32:30,399
» Hello, Mr. Morgan.
>> Hey, how you doing?

394
00:32:26,480 --> 00:32:36,880
» Um, I have a constituent that, well,
actually two that own AC type repair

395
00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:42,399
companies and they also work on ice
machines and things of that sort. And

396
00:32:39,360 --> 00:32:45,440
they keep telling me about all the sand
that's in our water. Can you address

397
00:32:43,919 --> 00:32:50,799
that and tell me something about that?
And I've got another point about that.

398
00:32:48,399 --> 00:32:54,320
» Um, is this isolated to one area?
Because

399
00:32:51,440 --> 00:32:58,720
» No, because he works in the parish on
different companies, different

400
00:32:56,159 --> 00:33:03,519
restaurants, different, you know, like
um gas station places where they have

401
00:33:01,679 --> 00:33:08,960
ice, you know, and he has to go and
clean the sand out of those machines.

402
00:33:07,279 --> 00:33:14,399
» So, he's saying that we have sand in our
water, and I get blamed for it, and I'm

403
00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:18,159
trying to figure out what's going on.
I I haven't heard that just yet, but I

404
00:33:16,399 --> 00:33:22,399
will check into it. Uh sand, that's
that's pretty mostly sand. It settles

405
00:33:20,960 --> 00:33:26,159
out in the sand filter because we do
have sand filters at Belchase. So,

406
00:33:24,320 --> 00:33:31,519
everything is filtered through sand or
anththerite. So, um but to have a sand

407
00:33:29,600 --> 00:33:36,080
filter blow out, we would know right off
like right off the bat if we got sand in

408
00:33:33,279 --> 00:33:40,320
the filter. So, um I have to check into
it, Miss Patter, because like like I

409
00:33:37,919 --> 00:33:44,320
said, we do use sand filters, but it'll
be it'll be all over the parish. like it

410
00:33:42,720 --> 00:33:47,760
just wouldn't be isolated to an area.
It'll be everybody half sand, you know,

411
00:33:46,480 --> 00:33:51,200
just not, you know, but you're saying
it's businesses. So, I'll check with

412
00:33:49,440 --> 00:33:54,880
some of the ice makers and see what we
So, see what he got.

413
00:33:52,399 --> 00:33:58,080
» Okay. And maybe we can talk with the one
of the people that's more boisterous

414
00:33:56,880 --> 00:34:00,399
about the situation.
>> Yes, ma'am.

415
00:33:58,880 --> 00:34:06,480
» Um,
last year many of us sat in an education

416
00:34:03,760 --> 00:34:10,639
class to lower or to raise our grade.
Does that apply for this year or you

417
00:34:08,159 --> 00:34:12,560
have to do it yearbyear?
>> No, ma'am.

418
00:34:11,119 --> 00:34:15,359
» Just once. just once.
>> It's per administrative order. It's not

419
00:34:14,480 --> 00:34:20,240
per year.
>> Okay, good. Um, I had another question,

420
00:34:18,320 --> 00:34:23,760
but go ahead. Thank you. I
>> Mr. Schultz,

421
00:34:21,359 --> 00:34:28,800
» why would we do only a rate study for
Belchase when we're charging the same

422
00:34:25,679 --> 00:34:32,960
rates throughout the parish?
>> The rate study applied to the whole

423
00:34:30,639 --> 00:34:36,079
parish. It just wasn't applied to each
water district for the grading if I'm

424
00:34:35,440 --> 00:34:38,960
correct. Right.
>> Yeah. The state just didn't give us

425
00:34:37,520 --> 00:34:41,679
credit for it. We It should have been,
but the state did not give us credit for

426
00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:45,440
it. Mhm.
>> And we didn't go back to them and say

427
00:34:43,520 --> 00:34:49,919
» we we asked I know Chris sent a few
emails. I called I called his boss to

428
00:34:47,200 --> 00:34:52,639
see why not and they told me no. So
state

429
00:34:50,800 --> 00:34:56,480
» we make copies and then just change the
wording a little bit and say guess what

430
00:34:54,320 --> 00:35:00,560
this is same rates
>> parish wide I mean this is this is

431
00:34:59,359 --> 00:35:04,160
» does not make any sense.
>> It doesn't it doesn't but that they

432
00:35:02,960 --> 00:35:07,119
didn't give us credit for it because we
did one rate study and it was for the

433
00:35:05,839 --> 00:35:13,040
entire parish but they didn't give us
credit but for Belch what did he say?

434
00:35:09,839 --> 00:35:18,400
» Yeah. Uh
>> yeah, the rate study was the same rate

435
00:35:15,440 --> 00:35:23,040
study was submitted for each public
water system and the only one that got

436
00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:27,440
credit was Belchase.
>> Okay, I yield.

437
00:35:26,320 --> 00:35:32,560
» Mr. Edwards.
>> Yes. Uh Mr. Vog and I noticed you looked

438
00:35:30,480 --> 00:35:36,160
at me when you talked about the
flushing.

439
00:35:33,280 --> 00:35:40,640
» Yeah. You know, and and and reason I say
that I just think that I understand

440
00:35:38,240 --> 00:35:45,599
flushing is necessary for chlorine, but
I don't think that one resident should

441
00:35:42,880 --> 00:35:49,760
be having a flushing for 15 years in
this ditch. I just think we got to come

442
00:35:47,680 --> 00:35:54,160
a way to rotate it. And you know, Mr.
Thomas in Phoenix, not too far to rock

443
00:35:52,400 --> 00:35:59,040
that been by his house for years and
years and years, steady running. and he

444
00:35:56,880 --> 00:36:03,280
like most people it's right by he's got
a trailer and stuff is coming all by his

445
00:36:01,280 --> 00:36:09,160
dish. I just think that we ought to be
think every few years you know five

446
00:36:05,920 --> 00:36:09,160
years at le

447
00:36:09,280 --> 00:36:15,359
spot for 15 to 20 years. I I just think
that I would want to reach that on

448
00:36:13,359 --> 00:36:20,640
nobody. So, I think we need to come up a
way where we rotate um the the flooding

449
00:36:18,720 --> 00:36:25,599
and I don't know you really looked in
into that because I think there's a part

450
00:36:23,040 --> 00:36:31,440
not too far from there where all nobody
live that a area that can be do you know

451
00:36:28,560 --> 00:36:35,599
where the death used to live at warham
there's a ditch right there and I think

452
00:36:33,520 --> 00:36:39,680
that could be used where really not
involved with resident but Mr. Tomas

453
00:36:38,079 --> 00:36:44,560
have been subject to this for so many
years and I went and saw the flight and

454
00:36:42,160 --> 00:36:47,520
it's not a good thing that he have to be
continued with that. So hope we can do

455
00:36:45,839 --> 00:36:51,920
that. The other thing on where Mr.
Palaso was, we went in and dealt with

456
00:36:49,839 --> 00:36:56,079
that the the dug the dish out or
something and moved it, but he called me

457
00:36:53,920 --> 00:37:00,960
and saying that they left the mud, you
know, on his property where he he want

458
00:36:58,079 --> 00:37:05,040
to do his uh plants that so growing at.
So I don't know. I I'll I'll take uh do

459
00:37:03,359 --> 00:37:08,480
some more stretch but I know I try I
know I asked uh yeah me and Lavar was

460
00:37:07,200 --> 00:37:13,839
talking about Leavar and Gerald we was
talking about moving it um but that is a

461
00:37:10,960 --> 00:37:19,119
dead area though his his area is had we
consistently have low chlorine residuals

462
00:37:16,079 --> 00:37:21,920
consistently so um we just got to we are
going to try to move it in a better

463
00:37:20,240 --> 00:37:26,079
place I know we I know Jerald was
already working on it but

464
00:37:22,880 --> 00:37:32,040
» for maybe I I don't know if 50 feet Mr.
Brock from where live and where Warren

465
00:37:29,040 --> 00:37:32,040
De

466
00:37:32,160 --> 00:37:37,839
think that is you wanted to come by you
>> on my property.

467
00:37:35,760 --> 00:37:42,000
» Huh?
>> Okay. Okay.

468
00:37:40,160 --> 00:37:45,200
» So that's what I'm saying. I think we
can move that.

469
00:37:42,800 --> 00:37:47,599
» I I'll look at it when it was up. Yeah.
>> Thank you. I yield

470
00:37:46,560 --> 00:37:51,680
» Mr. Newsome.
>> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So, you know,

471
00:37:49,680 --> 00:37:55,920
as we all I'm sure administration got
them when the when the paper came out

472
00:37:53,680 --> 00:37:59,119
Tuesday, it was I'm sure everybody got a
lot of calls. So, I see that this was on

473
00:37:57,760 --> 00:38:03,920
my one of my agenda nights. Thank you,
Mr. President, for moving to it. So, we

474
00:38:01,119 --> 00:38:07,680
can we won't have to belabor later in
the meeting. Couple questions I have. I

475
00:38:05,920 --> 00:38:12,000
know if everybody would have read the
article, I'm sure they would have

476
00:38:08,880 --> 00:38:16,160
realized what what really was going on.
It's so couple question. I guess these

477
00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:21,280
are for you, Robert, I guess. Sampling
of the water. How often do we sample our

478
00:38:18,640 --> 00:38:23,520
water? And I I saw you had a bunch of
numbers. How often do we do it? Do we do

479
00:38:22,960 --> 00:38:29,920
it daily?
>> We do it daily. We have um at least 35

480
00:38:26,560 --> 00:38:36,000
samples a day uh that we take and their
pH, th uh pH, temperature, alkalinity,

481
00:38:33,599 --> 00:38:40,079
total hardness, calcium hardness,
chlorides, fluorides,

482
00:38:38,160 --> 00:38:43,200
total chlorine, free chlorine, total
ammonia, free ammonia, nitrite, and co

483
00:38:42,560 --> 00:38:48,480
copper.
>> True. That's a lot of tests. Yeah, we

484
00:38:44,720 --> 00:38:51,920
it's like I said, we we didn't fail any
um in Belch. This this is not a

485
00:38:50,720 --> 00:38:55,599
compliance. This is nothing to do with
the water. This is all infrastructure.

486
00:38:53,520 --> 00:38:57,920
But the test the tests are the tests are
passing. So,

487
00:38:56,160 --> 00:39:02,160
» we do it daily. And where's the test? Is
it at the plant itself or is it in a

488
00:39:00,240 --> 00:39:05,760
line by somebody's house?
>> All all the above. We have certain

489
00:39:03,839 --> 00:39:10,720
stations that's spread out through the
uh parish that the LDH has designated

490
00:39:08,240 --> 00:39:15,119
for us to take samples at. So, uh we
take those samples in each water

491
00:39:12,720 --> 00:39:20,720
district. So you have I think you have
um how many we got more samples in

492
00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:24,800
Belchase cuz you have more residents. So
>> 35 in Belchase.

493
00:39:22,160 --> 00:39:29,200
» Yeah. 35 in Belchase. Uh sample stations
and we have six sample stations in Point

494
00:39:27,520 --> 00:39:35,599
La Hash, seven sample stations in
Delore, 10 sample stations in uh the

495
00:39:32,079 --> 00:39:38,880
Port Sulfur area. Um so we sample we
sample constantly.

496
00:39:36,800 --> 00:39:42,400
» I mean when you sample it, what
happened? What do you Who did we do the

497
00:39:41,200 --> 00:39:45,680
Infomark do the testing?
>> No. No, sir. When I when I I know I

498
00:39:44,240 --> 00:39:48,960
talked to Keith about this, but when I
first got here, we contract we

499
00:39:47,359 --> 00:39:52,800
contracted that out and the state took
over all our samples. We don't have we

500
00:39:50,480 --> 00:39:56,960
don't we do compliance sampling, stuff
it in house to make sure we're operating

501
00:39:54,560 --> 00:40:01,280
properly, but the state actually comes
out to um some of these sample station

502
00:39:59,119 --> 00:40:04,720
and randomly check to make sure that
we're in compliance. So

503
00:40:02,960 --> 00:40:08,560
» we get So the state takes samples,
Infamar takes samples and then it gets

504
00:40:07,119 --> 00:40:09,839
sent off to the state the Baton Rouge
and

505
00:40:08,800 --> 00:40:12,480
» the state the state lab
>> runs runs a sample.

506
00:40:11,119 --> 00:40:16,000
» Yes, sir. I know if you remember when
the snowstorm we had the state had to

507
00:40:14,560 --> 00:40:18,640
take that that that's the same lab we
were using they meat you know we uh

508
00:40:17,359 --> 00:40:22,079
couldn't get a sample
>> okay

509
00:40:19,520 --> 00:40:26,000
» um these results you're talking about or
can we post them for the residents

510
00:40:23,839 --> 00:40:31,280
somewhere I know we used to post the
when the when the salt water we posted

511
00:40:27,839 --> 00:40:35,280
the the the salt whatever the um
chlorides were as it rose and can we and

512
00:40:34,240 --> 00:40:37,520
I ain't saying you got to post them
every day but cuz it's a lot of samples

513
00:40:37,280 --> 00:40:41,119
but
>> yeah what what kind of samples you want

514
00:40:38,800 --> 00:40:45,280
to see because like like I said we would
Well, and I look, I don't I drink water.

515
00:40:43,040 --> 00:40:50,000
I don't I don't have no idea what's I
drink the water. So, uh what you know,

516
00:40:47,920 --> 00:40:53,520
just some I guess some basic samples. I
don't know. I'd leave I'd lean on you as

517
00:40:52,160 --> 00:40:59,560
your profession to know what's the
important. I'm sure they all somewhat

518
00:40:55,280 --> 00:40:59,560
important, but what are the

519
00:41:01,119 --> 00:41:06,720
» Okay. Yeah.
>> And then pass it on to the residents so

520
00:41:03,520 --> 00:41:12,880
they can know that their water is good
to drink and and you use and showers. Uh

521
00:41:10,240 --> 00:41:17,119
we also it's a consumer confidence
report that goes out every year that we

522
00:41:14,400 --> 00:41:20,480
put together with our all our um all of
our measurements, all of our tests that

523
00:41:18,480 --> 00:41:24,319
we pass what we but it's put out every
year and every um every person in the

524
00:41:23,520 --> 00:41:29,200
parish need it.
>> Okay, good. Yeah, I did see it coming. I

525
00:41:26,800 --> 00:41:32,720
do see that coming in. Uh so you know
Delchase I listen Jeff and saw that you

526
00:41:31,200 --> 00:41:39,040
you know you had sent us an email while
back in May these water the these water

527
00:41:35,440 --> 00:41:46,319
tile repairs for Cedar Grove and and
Engineers Road and here what are what do

528
00:41:43,200 --> 00:41:50,640
we have an estimated cost of that? I
>> I think last time I it was right at 7

529
00:41:48,160 --> 00:41:53,920
million. I know we got a grant uh Jeff
what's that grant Jon M got? U see can I

530
00:41:53,200 --> 00:41:55,280
find it?
>> Phase one.

531
00:41:54,560 --> 00:41:58,880
» Yes sir.
>> No that's it's a capital outlay. Oh,

532
00:41:57,440 --> 00:42:01,920
it's capital outlay. I'm sorry. It's
capital outlay. And that was what? 4

533
00:42:00,880 --> 00:42:06,000
million.
>> No, no, no. The initial for phase one,

534
00:42:03,760 --> 00:42:10,079
it's a capital outlay of 700,000.
>> Okay. Yeah.

535
00:42:06,640 --> 00:42:15,440
» Um, but next year, uh, we do have 6
million in a P5. Um, priority five,

536
00:42:13,680 --> 00:42:19,760
which hopefully the next session they'll
move that to a priority one.

537
00:42:18,000 --> 00:42:23,200
» That's specifically for water tower
renovations.

538
00:42:20,800 --> 00:42:28,079
» 450. Yeah.
And then uh Pach um has another 6

539
00:42:25,920 --> 00:42:31,200
million in capital outlay for priority
five for water towers too. So

540
00:42:29,839 --> 00:42:35,359
» that's the same one. Okay.
>> Yeah.

541
00:42:31,680 --> 00:42:42,480
» All right. Thank you, Mr. Jar Edge.
>> Yes. Uh in regards to Miss McCarti's

542
00:42:39,520 --> 00:42:46,880
about the sand, she is correct. I have I
have several ice machines, but I can I

543
00:42:45,119 --> 00:42:51,200
keep them filled up with ice, you know,
for several years. And when I if I have

544
00:42:49,280 --> 00:42:55,200
to turn it off for some reason, let the
ice melt, there'll be a little sand at

545
00:42:53,359 --> 00:42:59,680
the bottom. When I talk about sand, it's
very little. And you know, that's mainly

546
00:42:57,839 --> 00:43:04,000
you got to keep your filters on your ice
machines changed and clean cuz once they

547
00:43:02,079 --> 00:43:08,400
get old, they'll deteriorate and stuff
gets through. So, I know we do get sand

548
00:43:06,640 --> 00:43:11,920
in the lines every time we get a break.
>> That's right. You're right. you know,

549
00:43:09,359 --> 00:43:15,680
and it's going to sit in those lines
>> and when you get excessive pressure,

550
00:43:14,240 --> 00:43:19,280
it's going to move that sand that's
settled in the bottom of those lines.

551
00:43:17,680 --> 00:43:22,800
And that's I've seen that when they got
a break, sometime people you turn on,

552
00:43:20,960 --> 00:43:27,359
it's brown water. You let it run a
minute and to get the Reverend Edwards

553
00:43:24,800 --> 00:43:31,359
and I understand every anytime you're at
the end of a line like at the end of a

554
00:43:29,200 --> 00:43:35,520
subdivision or a lane that's the
flushing sights because you got to get

555
00:43:32,960 --> 00:43:39,839
that water through that because that
person at the end of the line that

556
00:43:37,280 --> 00:43:44,480
water's backing up and it's it's you
know becomes you know that's that's the

557
00:43:41,920 --> 00:43:48,319
ones and I think you we could address
Reverend Edwards by maybe tying into

558
00:43:46,400 --> 00:43:54,240
that hydrant and moving that line
elsewhere to flush it so it's not you

559
00:43:50,319 --> 00:43:58,640
know right at the hydrant. Uh so I know
uh you know we got we talk about money

560
00:43:56,960 --> 00:44:04,160
and this is what this is going to take
to get out everything in compliance.

561
00:44:00,960 --> 00:44:09,520
It's going to take money and uh and it's
uh you know we're an enterprise fund and

562
00:44:06,000 --> 00:44:13,440
we're not funding ourself and that that
in itself if we can't get that right

563
00:44:11,839 --> 00:44:18,720
we're going to lose these grants we need
to get these plants and all of these

564
00:44:15,839 --> 00:44:25,440
grades to normal and that's that becomes
a big concern. So, you know, uh, and I

565
00:44:22,960 --> 00:44:29,760
do remember one time in Port Selfpha,
y'all do some in-house stuff. You got a

566
00:44:28,079 --> 00:44:33,359
little room in there where y'all test
test some things, but that must be the

567
00:44:31,359 --> 00:44:35,520
basic to be sure the plants operating.
>> That's That's correct.

568
00:44:34,240 --> 00:44:40,319
» Right. And I was impressed with that
when I saw it. So, so y'all do do

569
00:44:37,839 --> 00:44:45,440
everything y'all can, but when it comes
down to it, funding is what's holding us

570
00:44:42,880 --> 00:44:50,240
back. And, and it's going to take a
while. This, this didn't happen

571
00:44:46,880 --> 00:44:54,800
overnight. all of these, you know, uh,
infrastructure problems and upgrades

572
00:44:52,720 --> 00:44:58,319
didn't happen overnight and it's not
going to get fixed in a day either. The

573
00:44:56,800 --> 00:45:02,319
thing we need to let the people know,
your drinking water is safe, you know,

574
00:45:00,880 --> 00:45:06,880
and that's the thing when they see these
grades come out when it's in a a

575
00:45:04,560 --> 00:45:10,720
newspaper like it came out, they don't
read the whole article. Next thing you

576
00:45:08,560 --> 00:45:14,960
know, you can't drink the water. How how
they not going to jail, you know? So,

577
00:45:13,280 --> 00:45:19,680
and it's hard not to come back and
explain people your drinking water is

578
00:45:16,640 --> 00:45:23,520
fine. is the plants that are fail that
are failing to grade. They're still

579
00:45:21,440 --> 00:45:27,359
operational. As you said, Port Sula,
when we started running water from

580
00:45:25,280 --> 00:45:30,800
Belchase all the way down the road, we
weren't making water in Port Sulfur

581
00:45:28,960 --> 00:45:36,079
anymore. So, that's sitting in there.
So, the state comes and takes a sample

582
00:45:33,839 --> 00:45:39,520
at Port Sulfur in that tank that's, you
know, has not been moving. That's where

583
00:45:38,160 --> 00:45:43,119
they're going to get a bad sample as
well. But that's not the water we're

584
00:45:41,280 --> 00:45:47,280
drinking. The water that's coming to us
was coming from Belchase through Port

585
00:45:45,280 --> 00:45:51,119
Self as a booster station. Empire and
these other players. But I think the

586
00:45:48,880 --> 00:45:54,640
sand issue is every time we get a break
and when you talk about a lot of breaks,

587
00:45:52,720 --> 00:45:59,040
that was a major break at home place
that was running for no I don't know how

588
00:45:56,720 --> 00:46:03,599
long that was going under the road
straight into the drainage canal. By

589
00:46:00,880 --> 00:46:08,079
daybrook we just found two 8 in breaks
if I'm not mistaken maybe a couple

590
00:46:05,440 --> 00:46:13,200
months ago in the woods. And if it would
have been for somebody in there clearing

591
00:46:10,240 --> 00:46:18,079
that that land the pipes would still be
you know leaking flowing water all day

592
00:46:15,680 --> 00:46:22,160
long. is 8 in line if I'm not mistaken.
But we fixed those and y'all right. You

593
00:46:20,000 --> 00:46:28,160
fixed a lot of lines and I appreciate
that. And you know we'll do whatever we

594
00:46:24,240 --> 00:46:32,880
can as a as a as a governing body to
>> to try to, you know, get get in

595
00:46:30,880 --> 00:46:36,720
compliance, but it takes money and
that's where we at, you know. So

596
00:46:34,240 --> 00:46:39,200
hopefully we can we can keep the grants
coming and and try to keep it going.

597
00:46:38,400 --> 00:46:44,079
Thank y'all. I
>> I want to say Jeff was right. like this.

598
00:46:41,920 --> 00:46:48,160
I've been here 14 years, but this is
this is the most I ever got done. Uh the

599
00:46:46,319 --> 00:46:51,599
most we like the administration council
working together to get a lot of stuff

600
00:46:49,280 --> 00:46:56,480
done. It it is going better. People
really don't see that, but we are moving

601
00:46:53,359 --> 00:47:00,960
in the right direction. Um I will say
the grades the state make these grades

602
00:46:58,640 --> 00:47:04,960
to put everybody on notice about the
facilities, about the infrastructure,

603
00:47:02,960 --> 00:47:07,920
because if the water was bad, the state
would have been came in and shut us

604
00:47:06,319 --> 00:47:10,880
down. But the water's not bad. It's the
infrastructure that that's the reason

605
00:47:09,040 --> 00:47:14,560
they started doing these grades and
start want to hold us accountable.

606
00:47:12,800 --> 00:47:18,400
Actually, uh I think it was me and Jeff
who was in a meeting with Louisiana

607
00:47:15,760 --> 00:47:22,240
Rural Water and uh they actually stated
to us if if we don't do something with

608
00:47:20,000 --> 00:47:27,520
our what Enterprise Fund or something uh
to the fund was enterprise enterprise

609
00:47:25,119 --> 00:47:32,480
fund that the state could make us go up
on our rates. Um, and I was that that

610
00:47:30,480 --> 00:47:35,760
was a eye openener for us that we we
can't like Jeff said, we are losing a

611
00:47:34,079 --> 00:47:39,040
lot of grants if we don't because we got
to be self sustainable. Uh, and the

612
00:47:37,280 --> 00:47:44,800
state want us to do that. So these
grates are they they put these grades

613
00:47:40,720 --> 00:47:51,040
out just for this reason only.
>> I could tell you I got text messages and

614
00:47:48,079 --> 00:47:56,400
calls about sand in the water in the
tubs. Uh, I got filters on our boats in

615
00:47:54,560 --> 00:48:03,280
Venice and I could bring you some after
a month. and

616
00:47:58,319 --> 00:48:08,720
» is not good. But uh on them flush out
lines, can we loop it? That we are

617
00:48:06,640 --> 00:48:12,720
working on the loop system. We are um I
know me and Keith and Jeff, we talked

618
00:48:10,000 --> 00:48:16,560
about it. Um I think last month we the
20-in line is coming out and we have

619
00:48:14,160 --> 00:48:21,440
dual feed and uh from Alliance all the
way to Port Sulfur. And so that's the

620
00:48:18,880 --> 00:48:25,040
next project, next phase u of one of the
projects we're doing is going to be from

621
00:48:22,720 --> 00:48:28,720
Port Sulfur Southlight to home place and
have a dual feed. So we can have a loop

622
00:48:27,119 --> 00:48:32,640
system that'll help us with our chlorine
residual as well. When you only have one

623
00:48:30,640 --> 00:48:37,440
line, you got to focus on that one line.
But a loop system, it can keep the the

624
00:48:35,040 --> 00:48:40,480
water fresher than um those dead end
lines that we have.

625
00:48:38,559 --> 00:48:44,800
» And even if we had to, we could get with
farmers like Mr. Brock and say, "Hey,

626
00:48:42,559 --> 00:48:46,880
we'll loop your line. You want to go
water your garden?"

627
00:48:46,319 --> 00:48:52,880
» Yeah.
>> And then I know the water towers Burus

628
00:48:50,240 --> 00:48:55,200
is the newest one and it's 20 years old.
So

629
00:48:53,520 --> 00:48:59,200
» we getting a new Yeah. y'all approved
for a new one.

630
00:48:56,240 --> 00:49:04,640
» And uh I need to get with you later
about some water bills because we

631
00:49:02,240 --> 00:49:07,040
getting the same calls as New Orleans is
or Jefferson Parish now.

632
00:49:06,319 --> 00:49:14,640
» I agree.
>> And I got some when we first put them in

633
00:49:11,280 --> 00:49:21,359
» and I asked the administration at the
time if vibrations could make the meter

634
00:49:18,480 --> 00:49:25,760
add gallons and they said no. So I
contacted the meter people and asked

635
00:49:23,280 --> 00:49:27,359
them. They said yes it can.
>> So

636
00:49:26,240 --> 00:49:32,319
» that's that's the first time I heard
that. But I know with the with the newer

637
00:49:30,400 --> 00:49:35,520
meters that we install, if your meter is
10 to 15 years old, it's it's not

638
00:49:34,000 --> 00:49:38,480
accurate. And when you replace the
meter, you will get an accurate bill and

639
00:49:37,359 --> 00:49:41,839
it it's going to be higher than it
normally is. A lot of people don't mess

640
00:49:40,480 --> 00:49:45,040
with my meter. Don't touch my meter. No,
we got to change it. So when you change

641
00:49:43,520 --> 00:49:48,559
out a when you put a brand new meter,
you're going to get accuracy for at

642
00:49:46,240 --> 00:49:53,119
least 10, 15 years. And that's why you
have a meter change out program. But um

643
00:49:51,760 --> 00:49:56,640
» that that I know that's what that's some
of the issue in Jefferson Parish.

644
00:49:54,480 --> 00:50:00,480
» We got to watch who replaces the meter
too. That's right. I know one house they

645
00:49:58,559 --> 00:50:06,559
put the meter in
>> and when they took it off they flushed

646
00:50:03,440 --> 00:50:14,640
rocks into the line going to the house
>> and I had to replace washers and dry uh

647
00:50:09,680 --> 00:50:19,280
washers and toilets and put the meter in
backwards and they had to come back and

648
00:50:16,640 --> 00:50:22,720
redo it. So,
I'll talk to you about that. Okay. Talk

649
00:50:21,119 --> 00:50:26,240
to me about that one. I first tough
hearing that one.

650
00:50:24,000 --> 00:50:30,160
» All right. Thank you. All right.
>> Mr. Edwards.

651
00:50:27,599 --> 00:50:35,359
» Yeah. Getting back to water. Just just
yesterday evening, a resident came to me

652
00:50:32,480 --> 00:50:40,960
around 7:00 asking about the water tower
and day vent for what purpose it served

653
00:50:38,000 --> 00:50:45,440
and so what can we do? the the day vent
tower is actually for fire suppression

654
00:50:43,200 --> 00:50:49,760
for the for the community system to uh
yeah the community center at there

655
00:50:48,079 --> 00:50:54,319
» that that water tower is not tied into
our system

656
00:50:51,440 --> 00:50:58,000
» yeah we that we don't that water
>> yeah the only purpose is that tower is

657
00:50:56,000 --> 00:51:02,079
for water for fire suppression for the
community is that we we're not that

658
00:50:59,920 --> 00:51:06,559
tower it's not in our part of our
inspection or anything

659
00:51:03,839 --> 00:51:11,839
» and my last question is what where we at
in terms of having a ward the pipes

660
00:51:09,839 --> 00:51:15,440
brought under the river to relieve the
pressure on the East Bank of the River.

661
00:51:13,599 --> 00:51:21,599
I know that was a conversation we had.
Is that something still on the board or

662
00:51:18,640 --> 00:51:26,720
we uh we were looking to do a trip back
to DC here sometime this month, but we

663
00:51:24,319 --> 00:51:31,440
just been sort of busy and but we're
we're planning another another trip to

664
00:51:29,200 --> 00:51:35,359
get with Scalis's office on that. So,
we're still working on that. What I can

665
00:51:33,920 --> 00:51:39,839
do is I can get an update because you
know we did appropriate some funds to

666
00:51:37,440 --> 00:51:42,400
start the uh permitting process. So we
can get we'll get an update on that.

667
00:51:41,440 --> 00:51:47,520
» That's what I thought.
>> Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Yeah.

668
00:51:43,839 --> 00:51:51,760
» Thank you. Thank you. McCree
that this administration has been

669
00:51:49,520 --> 00:51:57,280
working hard on the many water problems
we have and it's hard to keep up. I

670
00:51:54,400 --> 00:52:02,000
understand that uh if also does work for
St. Bernard. How do how do we compare to

671
00:51:59,599 --> 00:52:05,760
St. Bernard since you do work in both?
Well, actually same we don't do

672
00:52:03,599 --> 00:52:09,119
everything. We just run the facility um
the water plant and um I believe what

673
00:52:08,240 --> 00:52:11,839
they got a a
>> So you're

674
00:52:10,240 --> 00:52:15,760
» I believe they have they had they had a
a I believe but it's mostly that's

675
00:52:13,920 --> 00:52:18,559
collection and distribution side. So we
only run the water facility in St.

676
00:52:17,599 --> 00:52:24,720
Bernard.
>> Okay. Thank you.

677
00:52:21,040 --> 00:52:28,200
» Any other questions, comments?
>> Thank you, Mr.

678
00:52:34,240 --> 00:52:42,760
Are you finished with your presidential
update?

679
00:52:37,680 --> 00:52:42,760
» Any any comments from the audience of

680
00:52:50,559 --> 00:52:58,240
James Wigstrom, 18367 Wisteria Drive,
Ponchula, Louisiana. I'm a paramedic. on

681
00:52:56,400 --> 00:53:01,760
the east bank and I've been there for 27
years. I don't drink bottled water. I

682
00:53:00,559 --> 00:53:07,359
drink the regular water out of the
faucet. My question is during the

683
00:53:05,119 --> 00:53:12,960
testing, what's the difference between
the percentage of accuracy between the

684
00:53:10,079 --> 00:53:17,440
state level and our local level testing
results? The results are they

685
00:53:15,440 --> 00:53:23,599
compatible? Are they?
>> Mr. Morgan, can you come answer that?

686
00:53:20,800 --> 00:53:28,720
I know I taste it but
>> well um the samples that the the state

687
00:53:26,400 --> 00:53:33,760
run we don't we don't we don't compare
samples the state that what they say is

688
00:53:30,800 --> 00:53:37,119
what we go by now we do crossch checkck
uh the chlorine residuals uh when they

689
00:53:35,920 --> 00:53:41,440
take a chlorine residual but when they
take a backt sample things like that the

690
00:53:39,280 --> 00:53:46,160
state analyze that and um cuz they have
the lab to analyze the the back tea

691
00:53:43,200 --> 00:53:50,720
sample but on the chlorine residual I
say we probably

692
00:53:48,319 --> 00:53:56,400
3 to 4% from what they have like if they
have a 08 we might be a 0.9 on our

693
00:53:54,240 --> 00:54:00,480
meters but we calibrate those every day
and sometimes we have had the state um

694
00:53:59,040 --> 00:54:04,800
come back and recheck it because their
meter was wrong or something like that.

695
00:54:02,400 --> 00:54:09,680
So we have on chlorine samples things
like that we we monitor those daily

696
00:54:07,680 --> 00:54:15,880
those that is a that is a pro we have to
do that. So

697
00:54:11,520 --> 00:54:15,880
» any other comments from the audience

698
00:54:17,920 --> 00:54:27,119
clearance box 156 came uh that water
land at the water pipe that hydrant

699
00:54:23,359 --> 00:54:31,200
that's uh got the uh that's on on my
property that was uh talking about. We

700
00:54:29,680 --> 00:54:35,599
could solve that problem real easy.
That's all the hydrant have a 2 in line

701
00:54:34,000 --> 00:54:40,960
coming from it but it stopped right by
the ditch. All we got to do is extend

702
00:54:37,520 --> 00:54:47,040
that line another 50 ft and that
resident will have no problem. So that's

703
00:54:43,839 --> 00:54:51,359
a easy go. And uh Billy uh keeps the uh
the dish pretty uh clean cut the grass

704
00:54:49,280 --> 00:54:54,640
so the water will flow but we just got
to extend that pipeline a little

705
00:54:52,800 --> 00:54:59,760
further. Thanks.
>> Any more comments?

706
00:54:57,920 --> 00:55:04,800
» Uh
handle D. You know, that article I had

707
00:55:02,079 --> 00:55:11,760
in the paper, that was a blessing in
disguise cuz uh I commend the

708
00:55:08,720 --> 00:55:16,079
administration for having this out in
the public that the public see what the

709
00:55:13,839 --> 00:55:20,880
deal is. I know Mr. Champagne is always
dealing with it, but I'm glad that have

710
00:55:18,559 --> 00:55:27,280
it out in the open so everybody could
see. We do have a problem. Now,

711
00:55:24,800 --> 00:55:32,160
it's up to us to see how we fix it. But
I commend the administration.

712
00:55:29,599 --> 00:55:37,359
Commend Mr. Morgan.
Uh because been a long time since this

713
00:55:35,839 --> 00:55:43,280
got straight and I don't know if it's
ever going to get straight.

714
00:55:39,839 --> 00:55:46,880
I don't know. Jeff Par.
>> Big problem. Big problem.

715
00:55:44,640 --> 00:55:51,839
» You know, Mr. Henrik, y'all y'all drink
bottle water up here down the road. We

716
00:55:48,880 --> 00:55:57,200
drink out the tap.
>> Yes, ma'am.

717
00:55:54,480 --> 00:56:02,960
» Come on up.
>> How y'all doing? 46 Mount Zion Lane. Uh

718
00:56:00,000 --> 00:56:08,000
Lolita Fryson. Uh don't even start, Mr.
Norman. I see you your mouth moved when

719
00:56:04,880 --> 00:56:16,319
I said something. Uh Councilman, but um
uh I'm coming about uh my water bill and

720
00:56:10,880 --> 00:56:23,359
my uh RV park. Uh the uh park wasn't
even up and running and uh I I was over

721
00:56:20,079 --> 00:56:27,520
there actually with uh
the people that do the fire hydrants. We

722
00:56:25,760 --> 00:56:33,119
ain't got but two in the parish, Brooks
and and another organization. Well,

723
00:56:30,480 --> 00:56:36,000
anyway, they was there and he said, "You
I think you got a leak somewhere." So, I

724
00:56:34,799 --> 00:56:41,839
said, "I'll walk the property after
y'all get through." And uh lo and

725
00:56:39,119 --> 00:56:46,319
behold, I had a small leak. So, I called
the uh water people. I messed up. I

726
00:56:44,720 --> 00:56:50,559
didn't know you're not supposed to call
them. I messed up. And I called them and

727
00:56:49,280 --> 00:56:54,559
I told them, "Could you just turn the
water completely off? No one's in the

728
00:56:52,000 --> 00:56:59,520
trailer park or anything." And then the
next thing I know, I they call me back

729
00:56:56,960 --> 00:57:06,000
and they say they sent someone out there
and that uh the guy said the ditch was

730
00:57:02,160 --> 00:57:10,160
full of water. I said, "Impossible."
I said, "Well, I'm on my way down,

731
00:57:07,599 --> 00:57:13,839
ma'am." I was on my way with the uh
tractor to go cut grass. So, I went down

732
00:57:12,079 --> 00:57:17,599
there and I saw the guy, lo and behold,
saw him u messing around. I said, "Sir,

733
00:57:15,599 --> 00:57:21,599
was you the same person that went check
my water uh meter?" He said, "Yes." I

734
00:57:20,079 --> 00:57:25,839
said, "Could you come give me 20 minutes
to get there and come back?" He said,

735
00:57:23,280 --> 00:57:29,760
"No problem." Get down there. I said,
"Well, the people said you said the

736
00:57:26,960 --> 00:57:34,400
ditch is full of water. Where it's at?"
"Oh, it must have left." I said, "Sir,

737
00:57:31,760 --> 00:57:39,359
when this ditch get full of water, the
pumping station is on." And the pumping

738
00:57:36,640 --> 00:57:44,160
station ain't on because no rain came.
So now they want me to pay a $1,400

739
00:57:42,240 --> 00:57:48,799
water bill
that don't exist. I said, "Now somebody

740
00:57:46,960 --> 00:57:54,400
done fabricated some stuff in between
here." I said, "You know how I know it?

741
00:57:50,720 --> 00:57:59,680
Because uh my neighbors is Jeff uh Ragg
and his wife and she called me. I had a

742
00:57:56,480 --> 00:58:04,079
water line break on top. This is down
beneath. Okay. I go there. I say, "Thank

743
00:58:02,319 --> 00:58:10,079
you for letting me know." Got my
neighbor fixed it. No problem. Water

744
00:58:06,000 --> 00:58:14,079
bill. Same water bill. When I got the
water bill on the very when they turned

745
00:58:12,160 --> 00:58:17,760
it on the very first time, they had a
break. The lady said, "Call me back

746
00:58:16,240 --> 00:58:22,240
before I could leave. Belchase." She
said, "Miss Ly on your property hooking

747
00:58:19,760 --> 00:58:25,680
up your water. Water is gushing
everywhere." I said, "I'm on my way down

748
00:58:23,760 --> 00:58:31,760
there."
When I got the water bill, normal water

749
00:58:28,319 --> 00:58:35,240
bill. So why all of a sudden this water
bill is $1,400?

750
00:58:35,680 --> 00:58:44,880
I don't know.
Y'all don't either. They don't either.

751
00:58:42,079 --> 00:58:49,200
But I know when I see a a a game or some
bogus activity. I know what it is

752
00:58:46,799 --> 00:58:53,839
because I've been through this process
before. I didn't get before you and lie.

753
00:58:51,200 --> 00:58:59,520
I came with the truth that it had broken
before. The water bill never changed.

754
00:58:56,720 --> 00:59:05,280
It's still what it was. I have history.
I have paperwork on it. And uh makes s

755
00:59:03,520 --> 00:59:10,760
make it make sense. Anything if if you
see me come up here, believe me, don't

756
00:59:07,280 --> 00:59:10,760
nothing make sense.

757
00:59:10,960 --> 00:59:17,920
And nobody never have nothing to say.
>> Oh, I I can't answer a water problem.

758
00:59:17,280 --> 00:59:21,599
» Me either.
>> Uhuh. Well, like if you had if you had a

759
00:59:20,000 --> 00:59:24,000
leak on your side and the water went
through the meter, that's that's the

760
00:59:22,880 --> 00:59:28,160
only reason I can think off the top of
my head it'll be that high. But if you

761
00:59:25,839 --> 00:59:31,280
fix the leak, we will give you a credit.
We will give you a credit on

762
00:59:29,680 --> 00:59:36,640
» I don't know why it's that high, period.
Because I had a leak at that same very

763
00:59:33,599 --> 00:59:41,119
one once before and it really actually
had a whole bunch of water when I went.

764
00:59:38,880 --> 00:59:45,359
Big Easy is the name of the people with
the uh fire hydrant. Uh when I came

765
00:59:44,240 --> 00:59:47,440
there,
>> it was damp.

766
00:59:46,480 --> 00:59:52,559
» Beacon the mic.
>> I Oh, I'm sorry. He always keep trying

767
00:59:49,599 --> 00:59:56,319
to do that to me. Stop that. When I got
there, all I could go by was some

768
00:59:54,720 --> 00:59:59,920
dampness.
I took a bottle. I couldn't even put the

769
00:59:58,160 --> 01:00:05,520
bottle the head of the bottle all the
way in the ground because it was dry.

770
01:00:03,520 --> 01:00:10,000
So, this is this the kind of foolishness
I'm dealing with.

771
01:00:08,559 --> 01:00:14,480
make it make sense. Well,
>> this this is this is this I'm going to

772
01:00:12,000 --> 01:00:18,559
say if if you had a a high water bill,
the water had to go through the meter.

773
01:00:16,559 --> 01:00:21,680
So, we can't we don't account for we
account for water that doesn't go

774
01:00:20,319 --> 01:00:24,720
through the meter. But you are charged
on the water that goes through the

775
01:00:23,040 --> 01:00:28,400
meter. Now, if you had a leak, like I
said, you will get adjustment. Um but

776
01:00:26,960 --> 01:00:32,160
let me do a little bit more research on
your bill before I tell you anything

777
01:00:29,680 --> 01:00:36,480
else. But if you had a leak on your side
and the water went through, you will be

778
01:00:34,079 --> 01:00:39,520
charged for it. But we do give credits.
to do adjustments if you fix the leak

779
01:00:38,240 --> 01:00:41,839
like you said you got paperwork for.
>> Robert, can I ask a question?

780
01:00:40,880 --> 01:00:47,040
» Yes, sir.
>> Uh sometimes I know you know they would

781
01:00:44,799 --> 01:00:51,359
they would do the water meters and they
would just go ahead and you know not

782
01:00:49,520 --> 01:00:55,200
check it every month and then when they
checked it every third or fourth month

783
01:00:53,680 --> 01:00:59,040
you would I know I'm just just listen
what I'm saying. In the past you know

784
01:00:57,680 --> 01:01:02,480
all of a sudden you would see a jump in
it because they were just averaging out

785
01:01:00,720 --> 01:01:06,400
what your normal usage was. Y'all don't
y'all don't do that electronic

786
01:01:04,400 --> 01:01:10,559
» me all of them electronic. And if
>> I just wanted to clarify that to be sure

787
01:01:08,319 --> 01:01:14,319
that that's not you had the leak several
months ago and they just adjusted it

788
01:01:13,040 --> 01:01:16,319
because that's that's the way they would
have.

789
01:01:14,640 --> 01:01:20,400
» But we have a with the new system that
we have, you can actually come in or we

790
01:01:18,559 --> 01:01:24,960
can send you an email and we can show
you the trend of you was using 50

791
01:01:22,640 --> 01:01:29,200
gallons to 100,000 gallons and it'll
show you the trend when it happened,

792
01:01:27,280 --> 01:01:31,760
when it started going up. We can we do
all of that now. the new system that

793
01:01:30,799 --> 01:01:34,960
that y'all approve
>> before for certain residents.

794
01:01:33,040 --> 01:01:37,359
» So that that when they use that big
amount of

795
01:01:35,520 --> 01:01:41,119
» That's right. And that's and if during
the snowtorm the snowstorm, we actually

796
01:01:39,520 --> 01:01:45,599
were using the system to go turn
residents off because we can we started

797
01:01:43,599 --> 01:01:48,799
monitoring uh during the snowstorm. A
lot of people had breaks they didn't

798
01:01:46,720 --> 01:01:52,880
know about. So we did start turning a
lot of people off and um told them to

799
01:01:51,359 --> 01:01:59,040
call us back after they got it fixed. So
the system does we can track we can

800
01:01:54,880 --> 01:02:07,280
trace why your building is high.
My turn. One. I have a old They ne they

801
01:02:03,760 --> 01:02:12,000
they never changed my uh water uh meter
main. I have a old one. I don't have a

802
01:02:10,000 --> 01:02:16,559
digital one. They changed everyone
around my neighborhood but me. Well,

803
01:02:13,760 --> 01:02:21,200
maybe that's a good thing. But uh far as
the previous months and all of that, it

804
01:02:18,559 --> 01:02:25,680
didn't add up to that.
This was for that. It was the bill was

805
01:02:23,359 --> 01:02:30,720
at at the right time. It's just the
amount

806
01:02:28,240 --> 01:02:35,680
the for there's nobody there. I mean, I
didn't have nobody for three months. I

807
01:02:32,720 --> 01:02:39,280
mean, six months later, you know, so if
they missed it for three six months and

808
01:02:37,440 --> 01:02:41,920
say, "Oh, let's build on now for the six
month water bill." That's bogus.

809
01:02:41,599 --> 01:02:45,920
» Okay.
>> Come on now. That's not the problem.

810
01:02:43,920 --> 01:02:48,000
» Can we wait for him to check on it and
he'll get

811
01:02:46,400 --> 01:02:51,119
» Oh, I done been to the place over there.
I told the lady what I didn't tell her,

812
01:02:50,240 --> 01:02:54,880
you know. So
>> he'll get with me and we'll

813
01:02:52,720 --> 01:02:58,880
» the the bottle is still on the property
because just in case I still left the

814
01:02:56,720 --> 01:03:02,640
bottle in there. I said, "Man, y'all got
to stop this foolishness when it come to

815
01:03:00,640 --> 01:03:06,880
me. I don't know what kind of prejudice
or foolishness I got to deal with in

816
01:03:04,319 --> 01:03:12,000
this parish constantly. If it ain't the
permit office, it's something else. I

817
01:03:09,839 --> 01:03:14,400
got a problem with energy. What is going
on with it about me?

818
01:03:13,520 --> 01:03:17,599
» Just give us a chance.
>> I know I'm a powerful woman now. I know

819
01:03:16,640 --> 01:03:21,359
this. Just give us
>> But my goodness,

820
01:03:18,799 --> 01:03:24,400
» just give us a chance to get him to look
over your bill and he'll get with me and

821
01:03:23,119 --> 01:03:28,000
I'll get with you.
>> Okay. I appreciate I I even went to the

822
01:03:26,319 --> 01:03:30,559
caddy priest. Sir, help me some kind of
way.

823
01:03:28,480 --> 01:03:34,079
» Mr. Morgan, can you get her address and
do exactly like I've did with those

824
01:03:32,160 --> 01:03:38,880
other showraph and show when the leak
took place or when the high usage and

825
01:03:36,480 --> 01:03:42,480
get that back to Mr. Connovich so he can
have it so he can uh cuz cuz y'all have

826
01:03:40,960 --> 01:03:47,960
that in the office. It's it's easy to
track.

827
01:03:44,640 --> 01:03:47,960
» Miss McCauley.

828
01:03:48,400 --> 01:03:56,000
You can go back,
>> Miss Mr. Morgan. Um, I would ask that

829
01:03:53,520 --> 01:04:00,480
you update us all so that we know what's
going on. And

830
01:03:58,240 --> 01:04:05,039
» update us all about the situation. Okay.
So that we know what's going on. And by

831
01:04:02,480 --> 01:04:09,760
the way, the I understand the parish is
updating the software, so they're

832
01:04:07,440 --> 01:04:13,760
becoming more consistent with the same
situation over and over. Thank you.

833
01:04:12,400 --> 01:04:18,000
» Thank you. While while I'm up here,
didn't I do Can I address the other

834
01:04:15,520 --> 01:04:20,799
situations or I need to wait?
>> I could go back a second.

835
01:04:19,520 --> 01:04:26,240
» Mr. Jurich.
>> Yes. I just have a I want to, you know,

836
01:04:23,920 --> 01:04:31,359
at Mr. Ashley made a good schedule for
the splash pads both at the Roger Halen

837
01:04:28,480 --> 01:04:35,119
Field and uh and the Empire splash pad.
The people have been very happy. I'm

838
01:04:33,599 --> 01:04:39,119
still trying to convince them to be sure
they turn them off when they leave and

839
01:04:37,359 --> 01:04:42,960
we've been pretty successful at that. We
only had one instance that y'all

840
01:04:40,480 --> 01:04:47,359
started. I really appreciate that. And
also an announcement that the restroom

841
01:04:44,880 --> 01:04:51,520
facility for Jesuit Ben Park will be
arriving on the 17th of this month. And

842
01:04:49,839 --> 01:04:54,799
I want to thank him for walking off for
getting the water in place and the in

843
01:04:53,359 --> 01:04:59,520
the sewer treatment plant and all of
that set up for us. And I think we still

844
01:04:57,520 --> 01:05:03,240
waiting on electrical or did we make any
progress on the electrical?

845
01:05:04,880 --> 01:05:10,319
» PO was issued.
>> Yeah.

846
01:05:07,839 --> 01:05:14,720
» Yes. So, we issued the PO this week and
we um have covered all the expenses that

847
01:05:12,559 --> 01:05:20,240
we need to to complete that part of the
project. So, we are on target to

848
01:05:17,280 --> 01:05:25,039
complete everything um around the week
after the um the restroom actually

849
01:05:22,880 --> 01:05:28,640
arrives. So, we'll need to kind of hook
it up and we'll run some tests and

850
01:05:26,640 --> 01:05:30,400
everything before we open it to the
public.

851
01:05:29,039 --> 01:05:32,559
» So, we will meet the deadline.
>> Yes, we absolutely will meet the

852
01:05:31,839 --> 01:05:35,520
deadline.
>> Great job.

853
01:05:33,359 --> 01:05:39,599
» Yes. Thank you all for everyone. Yeah.
Thank you everyone for your hard work

854
01:05:37,280 --> 01:05:44,480
and participation um and helping us get
that project done on time.

855
01:05:41,920 --> 01:05:48,799
» Next item please.
>> 5 A will be deferred. Six beer and

856
01:05:46,720 --> 01:05:53,520
liquor licenses. YMCA of Greater New
Orleans tailgate cookoff fundraiser

857
01:05:50,559 --> 01:06:00,799
located at 33373 Highway 23 Burus,
Louisiana 70041 on September 26, 2026

858
01:05:57,520 --> 01:06:07,200
from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sea Train Tavern
9080 Highway 23 Belchase, Louisiana.

859
01:06:03,760 --> 01:06:11,760
Ded's Bar and Grill LLC 32381A
Highway 23 Burus, Louisiana. First class

860
01:06:10,079 --> 01:06:18,079
gentleman social aid and pleasure club
Junth celebration located at 278 Civic

861
01:06:14,559 --> 01:06:22,000
Drive, Port Sula, Louisiana 70083 on
June 20th, 2026 from 10:00 a.m. to 6

862
01:06:20,960 --> 01:06:27,280
6:00 p.m.
>> I'll off second by Mr. Juros. Any

863
01:06:25,520 --> 01:06:33,160
questions from the audience?
Administration,

864
01:06:28,799 --> 01:06:33,160
council, machines open.

865
01:06:34,799 --> 01:06:38,839
And it pass 80

866
01:06:40,960 --> 01:06:50,000
71 construction permits. Venture Global
Application number 2019554. Application

867
01:06:46,160 --> 01:06:54,720
date 8521. Amending permit 2019 554 to
replace the marine and ground flare.

868
01:06:51,839 --> 01:06:57,359
Installation of a new transformer 2200
highway 23 port self for council member

869
01:06:56,640 --> 01:07:01,760
Lef France.
>> I'll offer for Mr. Lef France. Is there

870
01:06:59,359 --> 01:07:06,640
a second? Second by Miss McCordi. Any
count uh from the audience?

871
01:07:05,119 --> 01:07:11,079
Administration
council chains open

872
01:07:13,760 --> 01:07:17,319
passes. 80

873
01:07:19,039 --> 01:07:27,680
» B 181 Elorado LLC, Robert Buford, New
Permanent RV Park 154 Elorado Street,

874
01:07:25,760 --> 01:07:32,160
Yurus, Louisiana. Venice Charters
Unlimited LLC, Brent Roy, permanent RV

875
01:07:30,079 --> 01:07:36,720
park renewal for nine spaces, EMTT Lane,
Boothville, Louisiana. Kelly Frederick,

876
01:07:34,319 --> 01:07:43,280
temporary RV park renewal for 20 spaces
26042 highway 23, Port Louisiana.

877
01:07:40,400 --> 01:07:48,640
» I'll ask for a second. Second by Mr.
Jurassic. Any comments from the

878
01:07:45,119 --> 01:07:53,079
audience? Administration
council Sheen's open

879
01:07:56,000 --> 01:08:03,280
is 800.
Harvest Louisiana Terminals LLC business

880
01:08:01,359 --> 01:08:08,319
occupancy certificate to operate a
petroleum product terminal storage and

881
01:08:05,599 --> 01:08:14,400
transportation of crude oil and liqufied
pet I'm sorry gas 15551 highway 23

882
01:08:12,559 --> 01:08:16,880
Alliance Louisiana council member Lef
France

883
01:08:15,039 --> 01:08:23,679
» somebody offer that for Mr. Lef France
Mr. Jur is there a second by Mr. Nuome

884
01:08:20,640 --> 01:08:29,120
any questions from the audience
administration councel Mr. Newsome

885
01:08:26,400 --> 01:08:33,520
» thank you Mr. Chamber. Is this something
new or

886
01:08:31,199 --> 01:08:37,440
is this something new or is this a It
doesn't say renewal. It's I thought they

887
01:08:35,279 --> 01:08:42,080
were operating already. Is that true?
Oh, we got somebody coming up.

888
01:08:40,319 --> 01:08:45,839
» Jared Jones, for the record. Harvest
Midstream. Uh my address is in Houston.

889
01:08:44,640 --> 01:08:50,319
Would you like that?
>> Houston.

890
01:08:46,719 --> 01:08:56,080
» Okay. Yeah. Houston, Texas. Um the the
terminal is in operation. This is uh

891
01:08:53,120 --> 01:09:00,560
this is in pursuant to FTZ and kind of a
growing operation. So this is just a uh

892
01:08:58,719 --> 01:09:06,319
a growth
um of that operation there.

893
01:09:04,560 --> 01:09:09,520
» And you said FTZ. This is something
you're planning for the FTZ.

894
01:09:08,159 --> 01:09:10,719
» Yes.
>> All right. Thank you.

895
01:09:10,319 --> 01:09:14,239
» Thank you,
>> Mr. Jeros.

896
01:09:12,000 --> 01:09:18,000
» Uh no, this is some exciting times
because we need to see this this get

897
01:09:16,239 --> 01:09:20,400
back up and running. I appreciate this.
So I think you know we're looking

898
01:09:19,679 --> 01:09:24,640
forward to it.
>> Absolutely. We're looking forward to it

899
01:09:21,679 --> 01:09:27,839
as well and uh just I think that the the
company is very very excited about the

900
01:09:26,400 --> 01:09:33,120
opportunities that we have here in
Blackman's Parish

901
01:09:28,640 --> 01:09:38,839
» and the magic word was growth.
>> Thank you. Any other comments? Machines

902
01:09:35,679 --> 01:09:38,839
are open.

903
01:09:41,920 --> 01:09:46,520
It passes seven with one abstension.

904
01:09:51,839 --> 01:09:58,159
F. Belchase High School color guard.
Application for gaming permit is hereby

905
01:09:55,760 --> 01:10:03,600
issued to Allison Parrot on behalf of
Belchase High School located at 8346

906
01:10:00,480 --> 01:10:07,920
Highway 23 Belchase, Louisiana 70037.
Council member Gooey.

907
01:10:06,159 --> 01:10:13,360
» Council member Guey offers there.
Second. Second by Mr. Jurich. Any

908
01:10:11,040 --> 01:10:19,719
comments from the audience?
Administration

909
01:10:15,199 --> 01:10:19,719
council machines are open.

910
01:10:21,280 --> 01:10:25,239
It passes. 8 Z.

911
01:10:27,360 --> 01:10:31,560
Introduction of ordinances and
resolutions.

912
01:10:32,000 --> 01:10:38,560
» The following.
All right.

913
01:10:36,719 --> 01:10:42,400
The following ordinance is on behalf of
council member Champagne. an ordinance

914
01:10:40,480 --> 01:10:47,280
to amend the 5-year capital improvement
plan, water tower repairs, bellchase and

915
01:10:45,520 --> 01:10:52,000
eastbank project, and otherwise to
provide with respect there too. The next

916
01:10:49,760 --> 01:10:54,960
two are for council member Schultz. An
ordinance to provide for mosquito

917
01:10:53,520 --> 01:11:00,000
abatement through the engagement of
vector disease control international to

918
01:10:57,600 --> 01:11:05,520
dissolve the mosquito control department
to reallocate the revenues from the m

919
01:11:02,239 --> 01:11:10,000
mosquito control free fee and otherwise
to provide with respect thereto an

920
01:11:08,000 --> 01:11:18,800
ordinance to amend and as amended
readopt sections 5.82 82 5.72

921
01:11:14,400 --> 01:11:22,480
and 5.79 of chapter 5 article 3 dogs and
other animals of the code of ordinances

922
01:11:20,800 --> 01:11:27,440
and otherwise to provide with respect
there too. The next two are for council

923
01:11:24,800 --> 01:11:32,400
member Konovich. an ordinance to extend
temporary easement servitude rightaway

924
01:11:29,600 --> 01:11:36,239
easement for coastwide reference monitor
mon monitoring system project and

925
01:11:34,480 --> 01:11:40,719
otherwise to provide with respect there
too an ordinance to amend the 5-year

926
01:11:38,640 --> 01:11:46,960
capital improvement plan lift station
repairs E7

927
01:11:43,360 --> 01:11:52,239
8 and 446 project and otherwise to
provide with respect there there too and

928
01:11:49,600 --> 01:11:58,760
that is only introductions
>> anybody has the withdrawal or deferral

929
01:11:55,760 --> 01:11:58,760
Yes.

930
01:11:59,040 --> 01:12:02,320
» Be deferred.
>> Reintroduce.

931
01:12:00,560 --> 01:12:07,360
» Yeah, we need to reintroduce it.
>> Withdraw it and going to go back.

932
01:12:04,159 --> 01:12:11,440
» Well, it's fall off. So, an ordinance
authorizing the parish president to

933
01:12:09,040 --> 01:12:15,920
enter into a franchise agreement with
energy for the rightway and privilege to

934
01:12:14,000 --> 01:12:20,480
supply electric power and energy
throughout Plaqueman's parish. the

935
01:12:18,080 --> 01:12:26,080
rights to acquire, construct, operate,
and maintain such plants, structures,

936
01:12:24,080 --> 01:12:31,600
transmission lines, distribution
systems, and equipment as may be

937
01:12:29,120 --> 01:12:36,320
necessary for generation, production,
transportation, distribution, and/or

938
01:12:34,400 --> 01:12:40,400
sale of electric power and energy
throughout the parish and otherwise to

939
01:12:38,400 --> 01:12:44,000
provide with respect there too. And this
one was for Miss uh Council Member

940
01:12:42,159 --> 01:12:48,880
Konovich.
If you have anything to withdraw defer Q

941
01:12:46,880 --> 01:12:53,520
in Mr. Schultz.
>> Yes. Uh

942
01:12:50,880 --> 01:13:00,159
C and D will be deferred.
>> C and D.

943
01:12:54,480 --> 01:13:04,640
» Yes. And then um B will be withdrawn.
>> Do you

944
01:13:02,320 --> 01:13:09,679
» C and D Charlie and Delta will be
deferred. B as in Bravo will be

945
01:13:07,679 --> 01:13:15,040
withdrawn and reintroduc. it was
reintroduced to make Mitch happy and not

946
01:13:12,640 --> 01:13:19,920
have changes read. So
>> I want to thank you for that.

947
01:13:16,880 --> 01:13:25,719
» So um that that will be voted on though
at the next meeting.

948
01:13:22,239 --> 01:13:25,719
» Anyone else

949
01:13:26,080 --> 01:13:31,840
think you you you said uh Councilman
Francis

950
01:13:30,400 --> 01:13:34,840
» Colton's will be deferred.
>> Okay.

951
01:13:36,000 --> 01:13:43,360
» Whichever one's Colton's I don't know.
Yes.

952
01:13:40,000 --> 01:13:45,920
» Can we uh do we want to allow them to
talk

953
01:13:44,800 --> 01:13:49,040
» or discussion
>> because we could bring it up for

954
01:13:47,679 --> 01:13:52,480
discussion and
>> Yeah, they're here.

955
01:13:50,480 --> 01:13:54,320
» I think we owe it to them to let them
come up

956
01:13:53,040 --> 01:13:58,239
» to that one first.
>> Well, yeah, that's F. When we get there,

957
01:13:56,400 --> 01:14:02,080
» we could do it now so they can
>> Well, anybody else has

958
01:14:00,560 --> 01:14:07,120
» nobody else queued in so
>> Okay,

959
01:14:03,280 --> 01:14:10,239
» we go to F. What is it? F
>> a resolution ordering and calling an

960
01:14:08,800 --> 01:14:13,679
election to be held in the parish of
Placman, state of Louisiana to authorize

961
01:14:11,920 --> 01:14:17,600
the rededication levy and collection of
a special sales and use tax there and

962
01:14:16,080 --> 01:14:20,880
making application to the Louisiana
State Bond Commission and providing for

963
01:14:19,040 --> 01:14:26,480
other matters in connection therewith.
>> I'll offer for discussion. Is there

964
01:14:23,280 --> 01:14:30,600
second by Mr. Schultz?
>> Any questions from the audience?

965
01:14:35,360 --> 01:14:41,199
I left some information for you guys to
review. I'm sorry. I'm Shannon Larus,

966
01:14:39,280 --> 01:14:45,040
EMS manager.
>> I left some information for you guys to

967
01:14:43,040 --> 01:14:49,760
review. So, we'll just come to the next
council meeting to give you guys some

968
01:14:47,360 --> 01:14:54,560
time to look at the documents that we
left

969
01:14:51,440 --> 01:14:58,000
if there's any questions.
>> I'm sorry. I'll send it to you,

970
01:14:56,080 --> 01:15:02,000
» Mr. Jerich.
>> Yes. I I think we were a couple

971
01:14:59,760 --> 01:15:05,199
documents shy. I I wasn't sure how many
I needed to print.

972
01:15:03,199 --> 01:15:09,679
» Uh, Council Member Champagne might have
never gotten one either.

973
01:15:06,640 --> 01:15:12,840
» Um, I can send any anyone that needs I I
can provide.

974
01:15:13,040 --> 01:15:17,800
» Any other comments from the audience?

975
01:15:19,920 --> 01:15:32,000
» Um, Arthur Henry, this $15 million
that's a projection for every year.

976
01:15:29,360 --> 01:15:38,640
You got a $15 million here.
>> That That was the sales tax projected,

977
01:15:35,280 --> 01:15:41,120
but I don't think
>> Hey, hey, I'm I'm

978
01:15:39,920 --> 01:15:43,520
» so that's normally what
>> people got to ask cuz it's down here,

979
01:15:43,120 --> 01:15:48,159
you know.
>> So, in a normal year

980
01:15:46,560 --> 01:15:54,000
prior to Venture Global, let's put that
way 15 million. I think we budgeted that

981
01:15:52,159 --> 01:15:58,159
this year because Venture Global was not
building anything, but we're on pace for

982
01:15:56,400 --> 01:16:00,880
I think about 12 million
>> when the extension comes.

983
01:15:59,520 --> 01:16:05,120
» Well, when the extension comes, it will
be more than that.

984
01:16:02,080 --> 01:16:09,840
» So 15 is a normal
year prior to Venture Global.

985
01:16:08,960 --> 01:16:13,199
» I never got it
>> right. I got that.

986
01:16:10,800 --> 01:16:17,920
» So So that's why it's 15 because that's
what it's projected on on normal.

987
01:16:16,239 --> 01:16:21,840
» I just want to make sure the projection
was correct. Okay.

988
01:16:20,960 --> 01:16:26,120
» Who did you send?
>> Any other comments from the audience?

989
01:16:26,560 --> 01:16:29,719
» My name's

990
01:16:30,800 --> 01:16:41,440
now send it to us.
>> Yeah. Wigstrom 18367 punch to uh

991
01:16:37,280 --> 01:16:46,640
Louisiana. I um had something written to
this talk today and I didn't know Mr.

992
01:16:44,480 --> 01:16:51,360
Mr. uh Councilman Lef France actually
was not going to be here. Um is this for

993
01:16:49,360 --> 01:16:55,600
discussion right now?
>> Yes.

994
01:16:51,920 --> 01:16:58,600
» Okay then. Um I am going to read what I
have

995
01:17:08,560 --> 01:17:18,080
as an advocate for patient members of
this parish. I thank Councilman Lef

996
01:17:12,560 --> 01:17:24,080
France and Reverend I thank you also for
having this come upon up for a vote.

997
01:17:21,360 --> 01:17:30,000
Hopefully it does because
um I do believe ambulance services are

998
01:17:28,159 --> 01:17:34,560
vital to this community especially
considering the demographics. A life

999
01:17:32,640 --> 01:17:39,520
should never be spared at the cost of a
dollar amount. Not only can this resolve

1000
01:17:37,280 --> 01:17:45,120
budget disputes, but will benefit the
parish as a whole as the November 3rd

1001
01:17:42,239 --> 01:17:50,080
election approaches. And I do understand
now that this won't make the November

1002
01:17:46,960 --> 01:17:54,400
3rd correct.
>> Good. Okay.

1003
01:17:52,080 --> 01:18:01,679
As the November 3rd election approaches
and a new council is coming in as of

1004
01:17:57,920 --> 01:18:08,800
2027, this is the time to vote on this.
It should have been done two years ago.

1005
01:18:06,400 --> 01:18:13,360
I'm sorry. I'm nervous.
Um, begging for money every year and

1006
01:18:11,360 --> 01:18:17,280
throughout the years is embarrassing and
sad.

1007
01:18:14,880 --> 01:18:22,239
You are literally paying playing
politics with people's lives and their

1008
01:18:19,360 --> 01:18:28,719
well-being. Later today, you will hear
the fire department ask for $16 million

1009
01:18:26,000 --> 01:18:33,120
um that should have been paid throughout
the years of maintenance in buildings

1010
01:18:31,360 --> 01:18:39,120
where my husband is in one right now
with mold.

1011
01:18:35,120 --> 01:18:45,280
Also 5 million for a new training
facility. This million this 5 million

1012
01:18:42,400 --> 01:18:49,440
can go to the ambulance department in
2027

1013
01:18:46,880 --> 01:18:54,239
even if it comes out their slush fund
right now. They're um they're not going

1014
01:18:52,480 --> 01:18:57,679
to get that built to next year and
they're going to be asking for new

1015
01:18:55,440 --> 01:19:03,520
budget money. So I ask you when that
comes up to please defer it. This is a

1016
01:19:00,400 --> 01:19:07,520
time to put this on the the ballot. I
ask you to please vote today with

1017
01:19:05,920 --> 01:19:11,040
amendments.
This can help fund the ambulance

1018
01:19:09,280 --> 01:19:16,000
department with a dedicated income
source. In return, leave the money in

1019
01:19:13,840 --> 01:19:21,120
the parish budget and give to other
departments struggling to survive.

1020
01:19:18,080 --> 01:19:26,480
Granted, money is not a fix all, but a
start to getting the ambulance out from

1021
01:19:23,360 --> 01:19:32,239
underneath the parish's 1% sales tax and
to stop yearly defunding

1022
01:19:29,440 --> 01:19:38,000
rumors that kill morale.
By asking the people to spend their

1023
01:19:34,640 --> 01:19:43,520
money wisely is not a bad thing. Some
people may differ, but it can be good

1024
01:19:40,719 --> 01:19:49,440
for both ambulance and fire departments
to have the top-notch tools to serve the

1025
01:19:45,760 --> 01:19:55,199
parish. To be clear, the fire department
1% sales tax already collected but not

1026
01:19:52,640 --> 01:19:59,679
shared with other departments is is not
shared with other departments while the

1027
01:19:57,040 --> 01:20:04,000
parishes 1% is shared between multiple
departments like water, sewer, levies,

1028
01:20:01,600 --> 01:20:09,600
parks, recreation, courts, and libraries
along with the ambulance department. And

1029
01:20:06,080 --> 01:20:15,840
wow, guys, that is that's a a big spin
for little funds. I hear you.

1030
01:20:13,440 --> 01:20:21,360
The fire got those funds by a vote many
years ago after hurricanes destroyed the

1031
01:20:17,920 --> 01:20:25,120
parish. The campaign said if you build
with fire to build our fire stations

1032
01:20:23,199 --> 01:20:30,880
within your neighborhood, it would lower
your insurance ratings and cost.

1033
01:20:28,480 --> 01:20:35,280
You must support the tax. Well, of
course, it was supported.

1034
01:20:33,360 --> 01:20:39,840
Everybody wants fire protection and
decreased insurance rates and dis

1035
01:20:37,360 --> 01:20:44,800
discounts. On the other hand, an
ambulance millage was brought up during

1036
01:20:42,320 --> 01:20:48,719
the pandemic when people were not
working, losing their jobs, couldn't

1037
01:20:46,560 --> 01:20:54,480
feed their families. So, of course, that
failed.

1038
01:20:51,199 --> 01:20:58,239
If you inquire today amongst the public,
some people think the fires 1% is

1039
01:20:56,640 --> 01:21:03,120
already shared with the ambulance
department since they respond together.

1040
01:21:00,640 --> 01:21:09,280
Let's put this back on the ballot with a
clear understanding that it's not a new

1041
01:21:05,040 --> 01:21:15,840
tax, but a split rededicated tax for
fire and ambulance to share together,

1042
01:21:11,600 --> 01:21:21,920
giving each 1/2 or 1% sales tax.
Since both ambulance and fire are

1043
01:21:18,480 --> 01:21:27,199
equally important, guys, they are
to the welfare of the people in the

1044
01:21:23,920 --> 01:21:33,360
parish. This should be shared alike.
both have big needs for life sustaining

1045
01:21:30,480 --> 01:21:39,560
measures and both require funding for
those needs and equipment. If you don't

1046
01:21:36,239 --> 01:21:39,560
find funding

1047
01:21:42,080 --> 01:21:49,840
if you don't find uh if you don't find
funding

1048
01:21:46,239 --> 01:21:55,760
uh soon the 2027 budget is right around
the corner. This split of the sales tax

1049
01:21:52,719 --> 01:22:01,440
is a matter of life and death.
November 3rd vote can help the people to

1050
01:21:58,480 --> 01:22:06,639
if they if they vote yes on this. Look,
fire department has benefited greatly

1051
01:22:03,520 --> 01:22:11,199
over the years and even stockpiled $63
million according to the end of the

1052
01:22:08,480 --> 01:22:15,840
budget for 2026.
But guys, it's time to share the wealth

1053
01:22:13,520 --> 01:22:21,280
from future collections. It's the
people's money. Let them decide in

1054
01:22:17,840 --> 01:22:25,920
November. This can be a win-win for all.
It can be a win for fire because they'll

1055
01:22:23,679 --> 01:22:30,159
still have a hefty budget plus their
stockpile. It'll be a win-win for parish

1056
01:22:28,320 --> 01:22:34,960
government because they'll have a fully
funded EMS service and fire department

1057
01:22:33,040 --> 01:22:40,639
service for the growing parish and the
increased 911 calls. It'll be incre

1058
01:22:37,679 --> 01:22:44,960
it'll be a win-win for ambulance because
they have

1059
01:22:42,639 --> 01:22:48,719
uh it'll increase their morale and not
have to worry about where funding come

1060
01:22:46,480 --> 01:22:53,679
from every year. It'll also give them a
working bug budget with extra funds

1061
01:22:51,440 --> 01:22:58,239
where we can buy extra ambulances and
personnel and supply those to the people

1062
01:22:56,080 --> 01:23:03,600
on the lower ends of each par of the
parish. It'll uh also be a win-win for

1063
01:23:01,840 --> 01:23:07,679
the parish residents because they'll be
re relieved to know that they have

1064
01:23:05,280 --> 01:23:12,080
dedicated working units throughout the
parish. It'll also be a win-win for

1065
01:23:10,159 --> 01:23:16,480
other parish departments because there
will be more money left in the general

1066
01:23:13,760 --> 01:23:22,199
fund for the struggling departments like
recreation. And that'll be a win-win for

1067
01:23:18,560 --> 01:23:22,199
the kiddos, too.

1068
01:23:23,199 --> 01:23:29,840
Before you vote, please consider these
amendments. Please consider amendments

1069
01:23:27,760 --> 01:23:34,480
to include wording as a fires
department. Some words were left out on

1070
01:23:31,920 --> 01:23:38,400
that. also amended to include the
revenues collected by the ambulance

1071
01:23:36,159 --> 01:23:45,440
department to say within the ambulance
budget the funds that to include those

1072
01:23:42,239 --> 01:23:50,320
to go to to the ambulance budget solely
because those funds come from insurance

1073
01:23:47,760 --> 01:23:56,320
Medicare Medicaid and should replace the
cost for ambulance overhead expenses

1074
01:23:53,440 --> 01:24:01,440
again please vote yes to put this on the
November third ballot let the people

1075
01:23:58,560 --> 01:24:06,800
decide if they want the tax dollars to
go to a dedicated ated ambulance

1076
01:24:03,440 --> 01:24:13,360
department and have both fire and
ambulance covered with a split tax.

1077
01:24:10,800 --> 01:24:16,880
Someone save life depends on it. Thank
you.

1078
01:24:14,159 --> 01:24:22,560
» Thank you, Mr. Well,
>> I think there's still other people in

1079
01:24:17,920 --> 01:24:26,000
the audience. Miss Brooks or Mr. Rum.
>> Didn't he come up once before?

1080
01:24:24,560 --> 01:24:32,639
» Not on this.
>> Not on this item.

1081
01:24:28,560 --> 01:24:36,480
» Clarence box 156 is Camelan. Uh, I got a
mix mix emotions cuz you know I'm a

1082
01:24:34,560 --> 01:24:41,760
firefighter. I've been a firefighter for
42 years except um and and all for 42

1083
01:24:40,400 --> 01:24:47,040
years I've been the fire chief or the
assistant fire chief for 42 years except

1084
01:24:44,719 --> 01:24:50,480
last year I set out for one year because
I had a little grief with the fire

1085
01:24:48,560 --> 01:24:54,800
department and I wanted and I didn't win
the the grief. So I'm telling you that.

1086
01:24:53,199 --> 01:24:59,920
But I set out for one year as a
firefighter. I never left the fire

1087
01:24:56,880 --> 01:25:03,520
department. Uh what I'm trying to say um
we we need the ambulance. I'm talking

1088
01:25:01,280 --> 01:25:09,440
about district one. I know on this West
Bank we have uh uh like two or three

1089
01:25:06,639 --> 01:25:16,960
health departments like building two two
total and we have a hospital and we have

1090
01:25:13,040 --> 01:25:22,560
uh right there uh metacrist used to be
right there in almost in Belchase. So

1091
01:25:20,239 --> 01:25:28,960
this west bank is well covered but that
east bank it's 45 minutes to an hour to

1092
01:25:25,840 --> 01:25:34,719
get to the nearest hospital and that
nearest hospital is not favorable for a

1093
01:25:31,040 --> 01:25:40,560
lot of us. We we're afraid of it. So uh
>> I know how you feel down the road.

1094
01:25:38,320 --> 01:25:46,560
» I know I know y'all y'all way down that
road and so y'all depend on that amalams

1095
01:25:43,520 --> 01:25:50,800
uh very very well very much. So, uh,
what I'm trying to say is, uh, I getting

1096
01:25:49,120 --> 01:25:57,199
the money from the fire department is
not going to be a easy job. I know that

1097
01:25:53,040 --> 01:26:01,520
for sure. Uh, uh, but, uh, can y'all go
and find out some kind of way? I know

1098
01:25:59,440 --> 01:26:06,080
you get grants and stuff. So, we kind of
find another way. If we go to the public

1099
01:26:03,520 --> 01:26:12,159
and saying that we going to send another
uh, uh, go up to be elected, we taking a

1100
01:26:09,600 --> 01:26:16,880
chance of them not not not passing it.
So the fire department mean the amal do

1101
01:26:14,320 --> 01:26:19,760
need more money. If we if you want to
believe me let them start quitting and

1102
01:26:18,480 --> 01:26:25,040
go to other places where they going to
get paid more money then we going to be

1103
01:26:22,080 --> 01:26:30,080
we going to be in bad condition. So find
find a way. Y'all smart. I agree cuz

1104
01:26:27,520 --> 01:26:33,840
somebody said y'all smart. So so find
some money for the MLMs. Whatever means

1105
01:26:32,639 --> 01:26:36,719
it take. Bye.
>> I don't know who told you that story.

1106
01:26:35,520 --> 01:26:39,280
» Yeah I was about to say who told you
that.

1107
01:26:41,120 --> 01:26:45,159
I never said I was smart.

1108
01:26:47,040 --> 01:26:55,840
» James Wickstrom, 18367 Wisteria Drive,
Ponchatula, Louisiana.

1109
01:26:52,800 --> 01:27:01,440
27 years I've been on the East Bank. 27
years I've watched you come into the

1110
01:26:58,159 --> 01:27:06,320
world. I watched you leave.
It was brought up about Big O's

1111
01:27:02,960 --> 01:27:11,840
daughter. Thank God I wasn't there.
That's tragedy.

1112
01:27:08,400 --> 01:27:17,840
Want you to understand one thing,
Mr. Schultz. Thank you for your services

1113
01:27:14,800 --> 01:27:22,480
as a firefighter, CPR, saving a life.
Excellent job.

1114
01:27:20,080 --> 01:27:30,560
Nobody ever thanks us.
Not one time. In my 30 years of career

1115
01:27:25,679 --> 01:27:34,080
as a paramedic, I have two saves. Two.
One just a few months ago at the

1116
01:27:32,560 --> 01:27:40,480
courthouse.
Nobody patting me on the back. Nobody

1117
01:27:36,719 --> 01:27:44,080
thank me. It's not me. It's my crew, the
firefighters I work with and everything

1118
01:27:42,320 --> 01:27:49,120
like that.
When the ferry shuts down on the east

1119
01:27:46,000 --> 01:27:55,120
bank, I am one bad accident way of
having more tragedies. I'm the only one.

1120
01:27:52,159 --> 01:28:00,080
Me and my partner. You can't carry can't
carry patients on fire trucks.

1121
01:27:57,840 --> 01:28:02,960
So, it's an honor to serve with the fire
department. They're all my favorite

1122
01:28:01,760 --> 01:28:05,920
crew. Ask any one of them. and they'll
tell you the same thing. Thank you very

1123
01:28:05,199 --> 01:28:09,159
much.
>> Thank you.

1124
01:28:13,520 --> 01:28:20,719
» 146 Mount Zion Lane, uh, Beerish,
Louisiana. I applaud each and every one

1125
01:28:18,000 --> 01:28:24,239
of y'all because I have a sick sister
and I thank God for the first

1126
01:28:22,320 --> 01:28:28,719
responders. Period. Officers, please
don't stop me. Give me a ticket. But I

1127
01:28:26,000 --> 01:28:33,840
thank God for all the first responders
because y'all do an awesome job. I have

1128
01:28:31,120 --> 01:28:36,719
my neighbor is sick as well. And I look
out the window sometime and boom, the

1129
01:28:35,199 --> 01:28:40,159
ambulance either. They say they coming
by your sister or they coming by the

1130
01:28:38,400 --> 01:28:45,600
neighbor. I say I see it coming. I don't
know which one of them either. I'm in a

1131
01:28:41,600 --> 01:28:50,719
yard and uh y'all do an awesome job. I
applaud y'all. I applaud y'all. I don't

1132
01:28:48,800 --> 01:28:54,639
know how this work because see God done
put me in this here position with this

1133
01:28:52,880 --> 01:29:02,080
political stuff that I hate with a
passion. But I see it's needed for me to

1134
01:28:58,159 --> 01:29:08,000
come and go. But um we just had a a
strawberry I mean a crawfish festival

1135
01:29:04,639 --> 01:29:11,199
that was for the fire department.
>> How that works?

1136
01:29:09,199 --> 01:29:17,040
» Cuz if it works for the fire department,
why can't we have another one or some

1137
01:29:12,960 --> 01:29:20,560
kind of festival for the uh EMTs and and
whatever else need money? Y'all can have

1138
01:29:18,880 --> 01:29:24,560
one for me if y'all want.
>> You could you could have it and

1139
01:29:23,440 --> 01:29:27,520
tickets.
>> Come on now y'all. We got to we got we

1140
01:29:26,320 --> 01:29:31,120
need this.
>> We need this. So that was for the

1141
01:29:28,960 --> 01:29:36,000
volunteer fire department, but that's
not going to cover the millions that

1142
01:29:33,520 --> 01:29:39,040
we're short that for EMS. We're short.
>> One thing about I know down the road.

1143
01:29:37,679 --> 01:29:42,080
» Yes, we can do it. But I'm just saying
we need millions.

1144
01:29:40,320 --> 01:29:48,000
» Yes. Okay. Well, that's that's that I'm
going say like uh Mr. Mr. Brock, y'all

1145
01:29:45,040 --> 01:29:52,320
smart. Y'all figure it out.
>> Thank you. Anybody else? Mr. Schultz.

1146
01:29:51,120 --> 01:29:56,800
» Yes. So,
>> Mr. Butcher. Oh,

1147
01:29:54,159 --> 01:29:58,639
» you didn't stand up quick enough. Sorry,
>> young man. You should have jumped right

1148
01:29:58,320 --> 01:30:03,920
up.
>> You got to go back to training.

1149
01:30:02,159 --> 01:30:09,120
» Jonathan Butcher 216. Good news.
Belchase. Uh, as we said before, there

1150
01:30:07,360 --> 01:30:12,880
needs to be funding for EMS. I think
everybody in this room agrees with that.

1151
01:30:11,280 --> 01:30:17,199
There's been talks and I think
everybody's been trying. Uh, we have

1152
01:30:14,800 --> 01:30:21,920
some ideas as a fire department we want
to uh bring to y'all's attention and

1153
01:30:20,000 --> 01:30:26,320
maybe we could try to uh figure this
thing out. But when we talk about 50% of

1154
01:30:24,560 --> 01:30:31,679
the tax, and I'm not going to get into
it uh too much, we have 12 stations that

1155
01:30:29,360 --> 01:30:37,520
we're taking care of. We have 65
employees that we have versus one

1156
01:30:34,320 --> 01:30:41,760
office, what do we add? 20 employees. I
mean, so you want to take 50% of

1157
01:30:39,840 --> 01:30:46,560
something and we have three times the
amount of equipment. We have 40 pieces

1158
01:30:43,840 --> 01:30:53,920
of apparatus that we have to deal with.
So we are committed and uh to help fund

1159
01:30:52,080 --> 01:30:58,880
uh or come up not not help fund but come
up with ideas to uh try to make this

1160
01:30:56,560 --> 01:31:04,400
work. Uh uh and we want to work with the
administration to come and uh just give

1161
01:31:01,120 --> 01:31:09,840
some ideas to help y'all uh make a more
informed decision on that. Thank you.

1162
01:31:07,520 --> 01:31:13,159
» Mr. Hankley
on two

1163
01:31:13,360 --> 01:31:21,199
» Josie Arnold. I live at 35935 Highway 23
Beerus, Louisiana. I've been with

1164
01:31:18,560 --> 01:31:27,199
Plaqueman's Parish EMS for about 3 years
now. August 23. I started Plaemens. I

1165
01:31:24,480 --> 01:31:35,679
left Aadian. When I left Aadian, I was
making $34 an hour. I came home to work

1166
01:31:32,960 --> 01:31:40,960
for Plaqueman's Parish because one, I
was tired of the burnout and two, I knew

1167
01:31:37,840 --> 01:31:46,080
this parish needed paramedics.
I got my paramedic through Aadian on a

1168
01:31:43,520 --> 01:31:49,760
contract. So I owed them three years.
Been a paramedic for six going on seven

1169
01:31:47,920 --> 01:31:56,560
years now.
Under no circumstances has Aadian ever

1170
01:31:53,360 --> 01:32:01,760
provided the best care they could. And I
know the direction that the parish is

1171
01:31:58,800 --> 01:32:07,040
going when we talk about put EMS under
fire and then fire don't want to deal

1172
01:32:05,120 --> 01:32:10,320
with us and we all quit because we don't
want to be under fire. We're two

1173
01:32:08,639 --> 01:32:14,800
separate entities, two separate
cultures, two separate purposes to this

1174
01:32:12,880 --> 01:32:23,120
parish, to the residents that we have an
obligation to fulfill. Um, under no

1175
01:32:18,080 --> 01:32:28,239
circumstances will I stay or 99% of this
department stay if we go that route.

1176
01:32:25,840 --> 01:32:33,280
However, I will let you know that when
we pull Kadian in, they will not fulfill

1177
01:32:30,560 --> 01:32:38,159
their obligations. And I have talked to
Reverend Edwards when I started because

1178
01:32:35,120 --> 01:32:45,120
James Windstrom asked me to explain to
him the truth behind Aadian's morale and

1179
01:32:42,000 --> 01:32:53,840
um their business plans.
I work in Beerus on unit 1894 7 days a

1180
01:32:49,600 --> 01:33:00,159
week. I as a resident feel this parish
deserves a funded source

1181
01:32:57,520 --> 01:33:05,199
because not just my family but my
boyfriend's family, my cousins,

1182
01:33:03,600 --> 01:33:11,840
residents, their family, everyone down
the roads related or knows somebody some

1183
01:33:07,199 --> 01:33:16,639
kind of way. We all deserve real EMS
that will respond. We always talk about

1184
01:33:15,040 --> 01:33:23,600
um we don't have a plan. We don't have a
plan. How can we have a plan if we don't

1185
01:33:19,679 --> 01:33:27,679
have the funds to sustain our plans?
Shannon and I have been trying. I'm

1186
01:33:25,360 --> 01:33:32,560
Shannon's unofficial help. I do
everything I can to make sure I can make

1187
01:33:30,159 --> 01:33:37,120
her be successful cuz I love her to
death. And I want this parish to work. I

1188
01:33:35,120 --> 01:33:44,719
want this EMS department to be great
like it was back in 2010, 2015 when we

1189
01:33:41,120 --> 01:33:49,040
had six ambulances in Plaeman's parish.
We can't put six ambulances up right now

1190
01:33:46,880 --> 01:33:53,440
when we don't have the people. We're
fighting for civil service to get us

1191
01:33:51,760 --> 01:34:00,400
people through the hiring process, but
that takes 10 business months. Um, we

1192
01:33:57,679 --> 01:34:08,320
don't have the funding.
Even 25 to 30% of that parish sales tax,

1193
01:34:05,440 --> 01:34:13,280
it's the people's money, not fires, the
people's money, will help us get housing

1194
01:34:11,840 --> 01:34:18,800
for these people to put up more
ambulances. It will help us get more

1195
01:34:16,000 --> 01:34:24,400
ambulances, to get people on the road.
It will help us improve response times,

1196
01:34:21,040 --> 01:34:28,880
buy better equipment. you know, we're we
would look better if we had more than

1197
01:34:26,639 --> 01:34:35,360
three ambulances, but how are we going
to do that with all of our roadblocks?

1198
01:34:31,920 --> 01:34:41,679
You know, Butcher came up here and said,
um, he has 12. We have little equipment.

1199
01:34:38,639 --> 01:34:48,080
And you're right, you do have 12, but
the only reason you have that is you

1200
01:34:43,760 --> 01:34:52,080
have permanent funding. You have um a
better hiring process than we do. You

1201
01:34:50,400 --> 01:34:57,520
don't have to do a circus act and jump
through hula hoops to get people in the

1202
01:34:53,760 --> 01:35:01,360
door. You have in-house training. We
can't even do that. And Shannon tried

1203
01:34:59,760 --> 01:35:07,440
through the state and we were approved
to do educa in-house education. We can

1204
01:35:04,080 --> 01:35:13,040
train our own EMS personnel from EMRs
all the way up to advanced EMTs in house

1205
01:35:10,800 --> 01:35:17,280
and give our own residents a place to
start their careers.

1206
01:35:15,600 --> 01:35:24,320
But how can we do that if we don't have
permanent funding? This money is the

1207
01:35:20,000 --> 01:35:31,120
people's money. 25 to 30% and keeping
our revenue we pull in will be a huge

1208
01:35:27,440 --> 01:35:36,400
help. We don't even need 50%. 30% will
do a better budget for us. We won't have

1209
01:35:34,239 --> 01:35:40,960
to beg and plead with the council every
year to save our jobs because

1210
01:35:38,560 --> 01:35:46,080
administration does feels like we're a
burden. Every time we have to come up

1211
01:35:42,480 --> 01:35:49,679
here and ask for a truck.
Every time we have to come up here and

1212
01:35:47,440 --> 01:35:55,040
ask for equipment and beg the council to
help us,

1213
01:35:51,679 --> 01:36:02,280
we look like jokes and like a burden.
Your time's up. Thank you.

1214
01:35:59,040 --> 01:36:02,280
» Thank you.

1215
01:36:02,960 --> 01:36:11,360
» Miss Leah, you still want to talk?
>> I Well, I have a couple of questions

1216
01:36:08,239 --> 01:36:19,840
though. Uh Nancy Lehei, 426 Planners
Canal Road, Belchase.

1217
01:36:14,880 --> 01:36:23,679
How much do you collect? I I the 50/50 I
understand that would be hard on

1218
01:36:22,400 --> 01:36:30,400
» how much on the fire department
>> tax on a 1%. Is that your question?

1219
01:36:26,480 --> 01:36:34,880
» We're on pace for so the parish is 1% 12
million and then the fires is about 12

1220
01:36:32,320 --> 01:36:37,360
million this year. It says 15 but we're
on pace for about 12.

1221
01:36:36,800 --> 01:36:41,920
» Okay.
>> So fire is on pace to receive 12 million

1222
01:36:40,400 --> 01:36:48,000
this year.
So the fire could not operate or they

1223
01:36:45,360 --> 01:36:53,920
would go under. Are you saying if they
gave up say 25? Not not 50/50.

1224
01:36:52,639 --> 01:36:57,920
» Correct. I'm going to address some of
that. But yes.

1225
01:36:54,800 --> 01:37:04,080
» Well, and and this listen, I lost my
house. My house burned to the ground.

1226
01:37:01,679 --> 01:37:10,480
That's a bad loss.
But I would prefer an ambulance. If you

1227
01:37:07,360 --> 01:37:16,159
have a loved one that is having a stroke
and you know you need to get them to a

1228
01:37:13,040 --> 01:37:20,560
facility within an hour
for them to maybe be able to overcome

1229
01:37:18,320 --> 01:37:25,520
that stroke, but they're laying there
waiting and they become an invalid and

1230
01:37:23,040 --> 01:37:29,840
need to be in a facility because we
couldn't get ambulance people to them.

1231
01:37:28,080 --> 01:37:35,679
That's unacceptable
in today's day and time. That is

1232
01:37:33,199 --> 01:37:41,280
absolutely unacceptable. I don't think
you need to spend 120,000 for a study.

1233
01:37:39,600 --> 01:37:48,800
You have Jefferson Parish that
successfully operates. You have I I

1234
01:37:44,800 --> 01:37:52,560
think that we have people smart enough.
You can do your own study and you can

1235
01:37:50,800 --> 01:37:59,440
figure out what you need, what
absolutely you've got to have to be able

1236
01:37:56,159 --> 01:38:04,960
to maintain a an ambulance service
that's adequate enough that they can get

1237
01:38:01,440 --> 01:38:11,360
you to a facility if you've had a stroke
or or a number of things. But it can

1238
01:38:08,000 --> 01:38:18,000
save lives, heart attacks, but a stroke
is it's terrible that because you

1239
01:38:15,679 --> 01:38:23,119
couldn't get the care you needed within
that first hour that you're an envelope

1240
01:38:20,719 --> 01:38:27,280
for life. That's not acceptable. Not in
any parish, not in the United States of

1241
01:38:25,280 --> 01:38:32,800
America. I'm going to tell you right
now. And if I have to choose between

1242
01:38:30,560 --> 01:38:37,280
fire, you can have my house and
everything and it can burn down. I live

1243
01:38:34,800 --> 01:38:42,960
through that.
But I depended on this on this ambulance

1244
01:38:40,320 --> 01:38:48,159
service who service my husband who was
very ill and

1245
01:38:45,920 --> 01:38:54,199
I would not trade that. I can tell you
right now it's all I have to say.

1246
01:38:50,960 --> 01:38:54,199
» Thank you.

1247
01:38:56,960 --> 01:39:05,880
» You got to come up to the mic.
>> You can't you got to come up to the mic.

1248
01:39:15,280 --> 01:39:23,840
My name is Robin A. Thomas. I'm security
for y'all as the council. I live at 107

1249
01:39:21,119 --> 01:39:29,280
Planets Canal Road.
>> I can't talk about it. Take your time.

1250
01:39:27,840 --> 01:39:35,440
» Deep breath. Take your time.
>> I got sick when I went down to the

1251
01:39:32,080 --> 01:39:39,679
courthouse and
I called it for 9 minutes without EMS. I

1252
01:39:38,719 --> 01:39:43,679
would not be here.
>> Come on.

1253
01:39:40,800 --> 01:39:47,679
» I would not be here without EMS. I went
to my mom. I couldn't go upstairs

1254
01:39:45,360 --> 01:39:53,199
because the power was out. And most of
y'all didn't know how bad off I was.

1255
01:39:50,960 --> 01:39:57,760
And the guy looked down and he said,
"Miss Robin, you can't come up because

1256
01:39:54,960 --> 01:40:01,679
the elevators are locked up." And he
said, "Go tell your mom. I'mma call you

1257
01:39:59,920 --> 01:40:09,760
when the power come on." I got there and
I collapsed and without EMS coming. I

1258
01:40:06,480 --> 01:40:15,920
coded for 9 minutes at the hospital when
they got me there. I would not be here

1259
01:40:13,119 --> 01:40:19,119
to work for you all, to work for myself.
I would not be here if it wasn't for

1260
01:40:17,600 --> 01:40:23,760
EMS.
I'm being honest with you. And I know in

1261
01:40:20,800 --> 01:40:30,159
the east bank we only got one truck. I
worked the truck for 10 years years ago,

1262
01:40:27,600 --> 01:40:36,320
me and Gerald Williams. And it's hard
when you got one truck coming from

1263
01:40:32,960 --> 01:40:42,159
coming from going up or coming down. But
it was a lot. It was a lot. I'm just

1264
01:40:39,119 --> 01:40:47,600
telling y'all the ambulance service is
very crucial. We got to have it cuz

1265
01:40:45,280 --> 01:40:53,119
without them, I would not be here today.
>> Thank you. I truly wouldn't.

1266
01:40:50,960 --> 01:40:57,760
I had to tell y'all this cuz you know I
work for y'all. I work with y'all and

1267
01:40:55,119 --> 01:41:02,880
y'all most of y'all didn't know I coded
and I coded for nine minutes the doctor

1268
01:41:00,639 --> 01:41:07,199
said
and it wasn't for them I would not be

1269
01:41:04,880 --> 01:41:10,920
here.
>> Thank you Miss Robin.

1270
01:41:13,280 --> 01:41:21,199
» Mr. Schultz Mr.
>> Yes sir. Okay. Like I I'm going to let

1271
01:41:19,520 --> 01:41:24,880
you talk your numbers and everything
there, Chris, here in just a second. But

1272
01:41:23,440 --> 01:41:32,560
look, this is
>> this is an issue from day one. I was

1273
01:41:28,880 --> 01:41:36,239
part of the one 1% sales tax for the
fire that they got right now. And it was

1274
01:41:34,960 --> 01:41:40,719
brought to our attention we could have
gotten away with uh a half a cent, but

1275
01:41:38,880 --> 01:41:46,000
you know, we took a shot. We said, you
know what? If we can't get by with a

1276
01:41:43,840 --> 01:41:52,000
half a cent, we'll never be able to go
back and get any more. So that's when we

1277
01:41:48,400 --> 01:41:58,239
chose to do the one 1% sales tax. I
truly believe that the fire department

1278
01:41:54,400 --> 01:42:04,000
can get by. I'm not saying the 50/50,
but what we've been we've been exploring

1279
01:42:00,719 --> 01:42:10,159
as an administration, we feel that we
can get a portion that that portion

1280
01:42:05,760 --> 01:42:15,280
might be 30% that can go to EMS and the
other 70% can go to fire. Look, the

1281
01:42:13,360 --> 01:42:20,400
parish government where it doesn't only
depend on the sales tax revenues. We

1282
01:42:18,560 --> 01:42:25,760
have advalorum. We have other sources of
revenue, but the parish government for

1283
01:42:22,560 --> 01:42:31,920
the most part, a lot right now depends
on 1 cent sales tax and we have to work

1284
01:42:28,880 --> 01:42:38,880
and live within those means. So if we're
at 70 for the fire department, we have

1285
01:42:35,840 --> 01:42:44,400
to start focusing and look at the monies
that we have and that's where we start.

1286
01:42:41,520 --> 01:42:49,280
We live within that budget. EMS, if
they've got that 30%. They have to live

1287
01:42:47,199 --> 01:42:55,119
within that budget. And I'm going to
tell you, I really do take offense when

1288
01:42:51,840 --> 01:43:00,560
I heard the young lady just say that EMS
is a burden on this administration

1289
01:42:57,600 --> 01:43:06,560
because day one, I think all of you know
from day one, I have been saying that we

1290
01:43:03,920 --> 01:43:11,440
can take this, we can redirect a portion
of this sales tax revenues goes towards

1291
01:43:09,360 --> 01:43:17,199
EMS.
So, I'm going to yield the floor, Chris.

1292
01:43:14,560 --> 01:43:23,280
You can talk talk your numbers, but we
are exploring this through the finance

1293
01:43:20,320 --> 01:43:28,400
department.
>> Go ahead,

1294
01:43:26,400 --> 01:43:32,000
» Shane Laroo, EMS manager. I would like
to apologize for any offense. It was not

1295
01:43:30,320 --> 01:43:38,400
meant that way.
Um we feel that is our personal feelings

1296
01:43:36,000 --> 01:43:43,440
discussions that are had multiple
numerous discussions and decisions that

1297
01:43:40,800 --> 01:43:50,080
are made on behalf of EMS. I do not have
a seat at that table. I do not have a

1298
01:43:46,159 --> 01:43:57,840
voice. I am not asked any questions
and it's kind of insulting to me that a

1299
01:43:54,560 --> 01:44:04,480
competent service would be the option to
come in without any questions asked to

1300
01:44:01,040 --> 01:44:11,040
me. I live this every day with these
guys. I get paid 40 hours salary. If we

1301
01:44:09,119 --> 01:44:16,239
don't have somebody on a truck, I do my
job and I cover a truck.

1302
01:44:14,480 --> 01:44:22,080
We're doing the best that we can. We're
just asking for the necessities that we

1303
01:44:19,119 --> 01:44:28,320
need to provide the best care that the
people in this parish deserve, residents

1304
01:44:24,800 --> 01:44:32,800
and visitors alike.
That's all. I just wanted to apologize

1305
01:44:30,080 --> 01:44:39,280
for that. It was not anything to offend
anyone, but if I don't if I withhold any

1306
01:44:37,520 --> 01:44:44,000
information and I don't speak about
things, I can't get upset for no one

1307
01:44:41,119 --> 01:44:47,600
helping.
I'm not going to debate.

1308
01:44:46,239 --> 01:44:51,199
Uh, are you finished?
>> Yes.

1309
01:44:48,080 --> 01:44:57,360
» Okay. But I told you
last year it has been a crazy up and

1310
01:44:55,199 --> 01:44:59,520
down back and forth road for EMS since
I've been parish president.

1311
01:44:58,960 --> 01:45:06,239
» Correct.
>> I told you last year, you guys relax. I

1312
01:45:03,520 --> 01:45:11,520
will see that EMS has funded. You're not
going to lose your jobs because of lack

1313
01:45:08,000 --> 01:45:17,199
of funding. Okay? And I saw to that this
past year and I will see that in the

1314
01:45:13,760 --> 01:45:20,400
future as well. Okay. So, let's move
forward. Let's let's hear what the

1315
01:45:18,719 --> 01:45:24,320
council's got to say and then we can
move on because we're not going to be

1316
01:45:21,760 --> 01:45:29,920
voting on this today, are we?
>> No, but up. So, we felt they had

1317
01:45:27,440 --> 01:45:35,679
» I have to disagree with your your little
thing there.

1318
01:45:31,520 --> 01:45:39,520
» Uh, if you was forgetting the 1% sales
tax, some of it to them, it would have

1319
01:45:37,760 --> 01:45:44,400
been done three years ago instead of Mr.
Bill of France doing it a couple weeks

1320
01:45:41,199 --> 01:45:49,760
ago. Then every budget you've given us
so far you've been in office has been

1321
01:45:47,119 --> 01:45:50,560
without ambulance. This board put up the
money.

1322
01:45:50,159 --> 01:45:54,000
» Okay.
>> Three years in a row.

1323
01:45:51,679 --> 01:45:59,840
» Again, I'm not going to find right now
about that. And Chris,

1324
01:45:56,639 --> 01:46:05,520
» have I not did I not come to you early
in with redirecting some of these sales

1325
01:46:02,560 --> 01:46:11,280
tax revenues? That's a yes or no answer.
>> And and what did I say?

1326
01:46:08,560 --> 01:46:14,800
I want a plan. How what are we going to
do with the excess funding? Not because

1327
01:46:13,280 --> 01:46:19,679
it won't be excess funding. Now, I'm
going to talk about that. So, you done?

1328
01:46:17,440 --> 01:46:23,119
I don't want to. Okay. So, I want to
answer some of the questions that were

1329
01:46:21,040 --> 01:46:28,320
asked and then talk about it. So, the
date technically

1330
01:46:25,840 --> 01:46:32,480
it cannot go on November 3rd unless the
bond commission has another hearing,

1331
01:46:30,080 --> 01:46:37,520
which normally they do, but there's no
guarantee. So, it can could still go on

1332
01:46:35,520 --> 01:46:44,800
the November 3rd ballot. We just don't
know. Okay. Fire surplus.

1333
01:46:41,280 --> 01:46:49,600
The intent of that was station repairs.
Now, can we use that money with six

1334
01:46:46,960 --> 01:46:54,639
votes for anything in fire? Yes. But we
can't if we vote on this, it's not like

1335
01:46:52,239 --> 01:46:58,639
that money can just half of it go to or
30% or whatever we agree to go to EMS

1336
01:46:57,040 --> 01:47:05,600
because that money is already in the
fire fund. It was prior to sales tax,

1337
01:47:02,239 --> 01:47:11,040
all that. So,
one of the other reasons why the prior

1338
01:47:07,199 --> 01:47:14,639
taxes failed was because they
most of this council was not on the

1339
01:47:12,639 --> 01:47:18,560
board then, but they they had too much.
They were asking for too much. They had

1340
01:47:16,159 --> 01:47:23,440
five taxes on the first try, three on
the second try. It was not a good time

1341
01:47:21,119 --> 01:47:27,280
to be asking for that many. EMS, if it
was by itself and probably recreation,

1342
01:47:25,920 --> 01:47:32,320
those two probably would have passed.
Those were the two closest to passing.

1343
01:47:30,719 --> 01:47:38,800
So
I you can ask Mr. Butcher. I said I have

1344
01:47:35,440 --> 01:47:44,719
been saying that I will support it going
on the ballot.

1345
01:47:41,119 --> 01:47:48,719
If we have a plan on what we're going to
do, I think we need two units on the

1346
01:47:46,639 --> 01:47:53,679
east bank. I need think we need another
two units on the West Bank.

1347
01:47:51,119 --> 01:47:58,159
How much does that cost us? How how do
we change our schedule? I'm not saying

1348
01:47:55,280 --> 01:48:02,080
we can implement it right now, but come
to now I'm not saying y'all, but

1349
01:48:00,239 --> 01:48:06,639
administration, yes, you try to come
early on, but I said I want a plan. What

1350
01:48:04,000 --> 01:48:10,880
are we going to do with the funding? If
you come to us and say, "Here's what

1351
01:48:08,239 --> 01:48:17,040
it's going to cost." Finance can then
run the numbers and 25%.

1352
01:48:14,480 --> 01:48:21,520
Go let the people decide. I agree with
that. But I don't want to just vote in

1353
01:48:19,119 --> 01:48:26,639
this case 50%.
What are we doing? What are we doing?

1354
01:48:23,760 --> 01:48:30,960
I've been I've been talking to Shannon.
I've been talking to Butcher. I've been

1355
01:48:28,080 --> 01:48:36,400
talking to Jeff for three years saying,
"How do we fix EMS?"

1356
01:48:33,679 --> 01:48:40,320
Every time Shannon or Jeff says, "Let's
change a position. Let's add a position.

1357
01:48:38,159 --> 01:48:45,679
Let's buy a new ambulance."
Normally, it's been under my name.

1358
01:48:43,199 --> 01:48:50,800
Am I right?
I support EMS. I You again, you can ask

1359
01:48:48,880 --> 01:48:55,520
Mr. Butcher. I said if it ever comes
with a plan and a reasonable request,

1360
01:48:53,679 --> 01:49:01,679
sorry, it's going on the ballot. Let the
people decide. So to say, oh, we're not

1361
01:48:58,960 --> 01:49:05,840
fire doesn't want to share or whatever.
I do I think the people do need to

1362
01:49:03,920 --> 01:49:12,159
decide, but we need to know what we
need. How many people how do we need at

1363
01:49:08,800 --> 01:49:16,560
put a station? Do we need to buy new
ambulances? I don't know. I'm not EMS

1364
01:49:14,800 --> 01:49:23,280
expert. I'm not a fire expert, but I
know more fire than EMS. But that's what

1365
01:49:20,159 --> 01:49:29,040
we need. Mr. Champagne has preached for
years when we appropriate money, where

1366
01:49:25,840 --> 01:49:32,159
did this number come from, right? That's
why we have to make an informed

1367
01:49:30,560 --> 01:49:37,920
decision. Where is these numbers coming
from? 50% 25% 30%.

1368
01:49:35,760 --> 01:49:44,239
It could be 10. It could be 30. It might
need to be 40. The other question is,

1369
01:49:40,639 --> 01:49:47,920
uh, if it's 30%, I think fire would
operate at about a $2 million loss per

1370
01:49:46,639 --> 01:49:54,639
year.
um which is survivable an EMS whatever I

1371
01:49:51,840 --> 01:49:58,639
think that was on the 30.
So another thing is I don't think this

1372
01:49:57,280 --> 01:50:03,440
council and I don't think this
administration based on the last talk we

1373
01:50:00,800 --> 01:50:09,280
had I don't think there is a desire to
put fire and EMS combined anymore. That

1374
01:50:07,280 --> 01:50:14,960
didn't work last time. It's not going to
work this time. Now, what we want to do,

1375
01:50:12,719 --> 01:50:20,800
this council, everything y'all have come
to, and you're not a burden,

1376
01:50:17,679 --> 01:50:24,639
we budgeted. Habbo talked about 2 years
ago when it wasn't funded, we refunded.

1377
01:50:22,800 --> 01:50:28,480
And we assured you leading up to those
budget hearings, y'all will be funded.

1378
01:50:26,400 --> 01:50:34,639
Y'all will always be funded. We will cut
funding in other areas before we cut

1379
01:50:30,080 --> 01:50:38,880
EMS. So, um I want to talk send me an
email and why because I remember working

1380
01:50:36,960 --> 01:50:43,119
with you Shannon on the training through
the state and doing a lot of stuff in

1381
01:50:41,280 --> 01:50:47,199
house. Why can't we do that? Because
that was supposed to save us money and

1382
01:50:44,719 --> 01:50:54,320
and do everything in house like fire
does. So, I was not aware that that is

1383
01:50:49,920 --> 01:50:58,639
not being done anymore because So, just
email me please or go through Jeff and

1384
01:50:56,239 --> 01:51:03,440
email me. But again, I don't think this
council has a problem with putting it on

1385
01:51:01,760 --> 01:51:11,199
the ballot.
If we knew at least what the

1386
01:51:08,239 --> 01:51:16,480
long-term vision was, two units on the
east bank, three, well, we have two now.

1387
01:51:14,320 --> 01:51:22,400
Three more units, maybe even only two on
the West Bank. That's what I think. Am I

1388
01:51:19,520 --> 01:51:27,280
a EMS expert? Absolutely not. But I know
we need more units, which means more

1389
01:51:24,159 --> 01:51:33,840
people, which means more staffing,
crews, supplies. So, is that an extra $3

1390
01:51:31,520 --> 01:51:37,920
million a year, 2 million? I don't know
that answer until we get a plan. So,

1391
01:51:36,000 --> 01:51:43,920
when we say come with a plan, we're not
saying implement it, but we we need to

1392
01:51:40,800 --> 01:51:51,280
know. So, I yield.
>> Mr. Nome. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

1393
01:51:46,639 --> 01:51:55,040
» A lot of talk. Yeah. Um just let me and
through the budgetary process uh Miss

1394
01:51:53,280 --> 01:52:00,880
Connovich was correct in his statement.
So about the council we have funded it

1395
01:51:57,840 --> 01:52:08,880
but just a just a reminder we talked
about asking for funds. Uh civil service

1396
01:52:04,480 --> 01:52:14,400
is a huge issue and a problem. We non
administration we trying to fix it. We

1397
01:52:11,360 --> 01:52:18,400
we that that's a that's a problem that's
if we could we'd fix it tomorrow yet it

1398
01:52:16,320 --> 01:52:21,599
would have been fixed three years ago
when we came in office three and a half

1399
01:52:19,840 --> 01:52:26,320
years ago when we came in office but we
can't it's it's it's what it is is what

1400
01:52:24,000 --> 01:52:30,239
it is with civil service so throwing it
the the hiring practice and telling us

1401
01:52:28,400 --> 01:52:34,320
that it's it's council administration
that's totally false it's not our we we

1402
01:52:32,239 --> 01:52:38,080
are trying we're trying we formed a
committee to help civil service to try

1403
01:52:35,920 --> 01:52:41,199
to get these things I I don't think it
went anywhere I tell you the truth it

1404
01:52:39,840 --> 01:52:43,920
probably didn't go nowhere through hard
work by the administration and some

1405
01:52:42,400 --> 01:52:48,639
council members on here that sat on
here. So again, let's let's just be

1406
01:52:46,480 --> 01:52:52,560
right when we when we when we talk about
things personnel and and let me back up

1407
01:52:51,199 --> 01:52:57,040
and and you y'all can talk to Miss
Shannon. She knows I'm I am a supporter

1408
01:52:54,639 --> 01:53:00,719
of EMS and she when y'all get back you
can ask her about that if y'all like

1409
01:52:59,199 --> 01:53:04,480
personnel that you have. I don't know
how many vacancies you have now, but

1410
01:53:02,480 --> 01:53:10,239
that's a civil service issue. But those
vacancies 14 14 civil service 14 civil

1411
01:53:08,639 --> 01:53:15,679
service vacancies. Guess what? Those
vacancies are funded. Funded. Ready to

1412
01:53:13,760 --> 01:53:20,639
go. It's not the administration. It's
not the councils. That That's not We put

1413
01:53:17,920 --> 01:53:25,679
money in there at the budget to to man
get your manpower straight. And you

1414
01:53:22,560 --> 01:53:29,760
probably as as I I I know less than
Chris knows about EMS. I don't know.

1415
01:53:27,599 --> 01:53:36,400
Hopefully, you guys are doing a great
job. Hopefully, I don't see you. So, but

1416
01:53:33,679 --> 01:53:41,040
we all talked about, you know, when we
come up with this type of legislation,

1417
01:53:38,880 --> 01:53:45,440
we just throwing money at it's a EMS is
a problem. We just throwing doing this,

1418
01:53:42,800 --> 01:53:48,880
we just throwing money at a problem and
that don't never that will not fix it.

1419
01:53:47,199 --> 01:53:52,880
That will not If you throw money at a
problem, it's not going to fix it. We go

1420
01:53:50,480 --> 01:53:57,199
back through history and say does not
fix it. Having a well-defined and and

1421
01:53:55,679 --> 01:54:01,920
Mr. Schultz said, I guess I'm repeating
him, a plan of what we need. We know

1422
01:53:59,599 --> 01:54:06,239
what we know what it cost to run EMS. We
know that we got those. We know our

1423
01:54:03,599 --> 01:54:10,719
revenue. We know our uh revenues. We we
take in those are not set in stone, but

1424
01:54:09,040 --> 01:54:15,760
we got a good idea over the last few
years. So, let's get together. I think

1425
01:54:13,520 --> 01:54:20,560
as as you know, somebody said people are
smart with the administration, council,

1426
01:54:18,159 --> 01:54:26,159
EMS, fire. Let's get together and let's
try. You know, let's see what we really

1427
01:54:23,599 --> 01:54:29,199
do need. Again, I I I I'm can't throw
money at a problem and think it's just

1428
01:54:27,520 --> 01:54:32,400
going to fix itself. It that that just
don't work. So, just wanted to

1429
01:54:31,119 --> 01:54:37,520
straighten some things out about
personnel and about um some things about

1430
01:54:35,679 --> 01:54:41,760
the budget. And with that, I yield, Mr.
Chairman. Miss McCordi.

1431
01:54:39,599 --> 01:54:49,119
» Thank you.
Everyone in here is passionate about the

1432
01:54:44,320 --> 01:54:56,560
needs because we all recognize the need.
So, no one's going to deny that. Um

1433
01:54:52,639 --> 01:55:01,360
we do need funding, but we also need I
think this is where Mr. Schultz was

1434
01:54:58,560 --> 01:55:07,040
going. We need to have some financials
to know what actually is needed. We

1435
01:55:04,800 --> 01:55:13,040
could look at your calls. Where are the
general locations of the calls? How much

1436
01:55:09,679 --> 01:55:17,280
are you taking back from Medicare,
Medicaid, insurance?

1437
01:55:15,679 --> 01:55:21,920
Are we doing the collections? Are we
actually receiving that money? You know

1438
01:55:19,599 --> 01:55:26,480
there are a lot of variables that in the
case and last meeting that we had down

1439
01:55:23,840 --> 01:55:31,440
in Port Sulfur I asked if administration
would get asked the accountant to pull

1440
01:55:29,040 --> 01:55:35,520
up this information. So with that
information we can make a factual

1441
01:55:33,520 --> 01:55:42,320
decision.
What you gave it to somebody?

1442
01:55:39,440 --> 01:55:45,679
Oh well I got it today.
Okay. Thank you. Not all of us received

1443
01:55:44,080 --> 01:55:51,040
that.
So we'll look at that. I'll run the

1444
01:55:48,159 --> 01:55:56,159
numbers and I'll get back to you or and
I'll talk to Mr. Schultz, you know. So,

1445
01:55:53,760 --> 01:56:01,599
no one's denying that you need money.
And as

1446
01:55:58,239 --> 01:56:06,239
uh Mr. Hinckley said, it looks like
there's a willingness from everyone to

1447
01:56:04,320 --> 01:56:11,920
share some of that revenue, but we need
to know factually how much. Also, since

1448
01:56:10,239 --> 01:56:17,920
I've been in office, I've been talking
about trying to get a training program.

1449
01:56:14,800 --> 01:56:24,400
I've taken my premeds and I think that
someone who has gone through two classes

1450
01:56:20,719 --> 01:56:28,960
of AP which requires two years.
Okay. Right. So they're already they've

1451
01:56:26,719 --> 01:56:34,000
already passed that. If they want
tuition assistance, they can come, they

1452
01:56:31,760 --> 01:56:38,239
can get their EMS certification,
whichever level after they've taken

1453
01:56:36,320 --> 01:56:42,719
those classes, and it will be faster for
them because they have taken those

1454
01:56:39,520 --> 01:56:48,880
classes, and then work for us in
exchange for tuition uh repayment when

1455
01:56:45,599 --> 01:56:54,719
they go back to school.
You have what?

1456
01:56:51,520 --> 01:56:58,480
» Okay. Well, I do know that um Mr.
DeMarco and I believe Mr. Marco has

1457
01:56:56,960 --> 01:57:01,840
talked to some schools about that, but
I've talked to Holy Cross about that and

1458
01:57:00,560 --> 01:57:06,639
they're willing to put together a
program. We just need help with that.

1459
01:57:03,599 --> 01:57:12,880
Okay. So, um don't think that we're
turning a blind eye or a deaf ear. We're

1460
01:57:09,760 --> 01:57:16,560
very concerned, you know. Thank you,
>> Mr. Edwards.

1461
01:57:14,320 --> 01:57:22,000
» Yeah. Uh
you know, we throw this word around and

1462
01:57:18,480 --> 01:57:28,960
say, um we are smart, but we are not
smart. We are dumb when it come down to

1463
01:57:25,119 --> 01:57:33,119
politic p power and our passion. We are
dumb when it come down to prioritizing

1464
01:57:31,599 --> 01:57:38,560
what is the most serious thing they
need. Uh I I heard Mr. Hayes get up

1465
01:57:36,080 --> 01:57:42,880
there and talked about she said it very
clear when it come down to house and and

1466
01:57:41,280 --> 01:57:47,360
her husband are different. We heard
Robin talk about how she coded for nine

1467
01:57:45,520 --> 01:57:52,080
men. I think the ambulance thing we're
not giving it to priority we should. I

1468
01:57:49,199 --> 01:57:55,440
was very happy to hear the president
saying that they on board do that. I

1469
01:57:53,599 --> 01:57:59,199
really was happy and and I would say
that I know all the time in politics you

1470
01:57:57,520 --> 01:58:02,880
know we wear our sleeves on our field
any day we can disagree with something

1471
01:58:00,960 --> 01:58:07,840
and some of us like myself are very
passionate when we talk and it rubs us

1472
01:58:05,440 --> 01:58:11,119
off so we get the feeling and so the the
community is penalized because a

1473
01:58:09,440 --> 01:58:15,199
councilman feeling a person feel because
we have our feelings on our sleeve you

1474
01:58:13,280 --> 01:58:20,239
know that make us dumb when it come down
to making decisions. So I just think

1475
01:58:17,040 --> 01:58:26,560
that to me the numbers I'm not a number
man but the fact that somebody one one

1476
01:58:23,840 --> 01:58:30,719
agent got this much of surplus when
people lie at stake you don't have to be

1477
01:58:28,639 --> 01:58:34,560
a rocket scientist to figure that we
need to make a decision on that because

1478
01:58:32,880 --> 01:58:37,920
you got this sitting here for years and
years you're not repairing stuff but the

1479
01:58:36,400 --> 01:58:42,800
money they're preparing and you got
people almost dying because they don't

1480
01:58:40,000 --> 01:58:46,000
like s what we have to do to prove that
we are smart we have to make this a

1481
01:58:45,199 --> 01:58:50,560
priority
And we got to leave our politics out of

1482
01:58:47,840 --> 01:58:55,840
it. Who's saying it? And atone in what
they're saying. We have enough people in

1483
01:58:52,719 --> 01:59:00,239
in in this parish who capable of making
things happen. You know, we talk about

1484
01:58:58,080 --> 01:59:04,639
not having training program and our
training program. We have somebody like

1485
01:59:02,000 --> 01:59:08,560
Mr. DeMarco, Mr. Mark I always put on
the spot that I know with her resources

1486
01:59:06,800 --> 01:59:13,360
so we can make but we just got to make
it a priority. We got to make it a

1487
01:59:10,800 --> 01:59:17,599
priority. And I I believe in the power
of of the voters. voters will make the

1488
01:59:15,520 --> 01:59:20,639
right decision. And if we put something
to the voters, nobody can't blame no

1489
01:59:19,280 --> 01:59:25,440
member of this council because the
people speak. If we really truly believe

1490
01:59:22,880 --> 01:59:30,159
in the power of the people and let the
people make that decision, but we

1491
01:59:27,760 --> 01:59:35,360
control that because how we plan our
part. So we need to stop and really act

1492
01:59:32,480 --> 01:59:40,560
like we smart and stop making these dumb
political decision that we making and

1493
01:59:38,239 --> 01:59:44,719
making decision based on our passion.
That's what really cuz let me just say

1494
01:59:42,320 --> 01:59:48,560
I'm not the par president Mr. ain't but
people come to me stuff that you

1495
01:59:46,159 --> 01:59:52,480
responsible for I get blamed for it
y'all ain't doing nothing y'all ain't

1496
01:59:50,560 --> 01:59:57,040
doing this you know and I'm like I'm
just one little councilman with less

1497
01:59:54,639 --> 02:00:00,560
stroke than anybody you know but we take
it and I take it people actually curse

1498
01:59:58,880 --> 02:00:02,960
me out wrongly
>> we're responsible

1499
02:00:01,440 --> 02:00:07,280
» but I'm just saying I'm I'm I'm saying
that to you to say but I accept it even

1500
02:00:05,440 --> 02:00:11,440
because I'm a part of the Paris
government so I accept that people knock

1501
02:00:08,960 --> 02:00:17,599
on my door I have to accept that so
again this is a life and death

1502
02:00:14,400 --> 02:00:24,239
situation. I I say this and and Mr. uh
Lefran said it really good.

1503
02:00:20,480 --> 02:00:29,280
I I I much prefer my house burn down to
lose my I lose any member of my family

1504
02:00:26,560 --> 02:00:35,119
cuz I can rebuild that house. I cannot
get a life back when we talk about fire.

1505
02:00:32,639 --> 02:00:38,320
Well, and I know this the fire
department I see on East Bank and

1506
02:00:36,639 --> 02:00:42,080
Ambulance were very close together.
They're the one that's always dead

1507
02:00:40,080 --> 02:00:46,000
before the ambulance get out. So, how
can we make that as a continuous

1508
02:00:44,560 --> 02:00:49,440
relationship with each other? Because
the two should work together. I know we

1509
02:00:47,760 --> 02:00:53,280
say it didn't work, but maybe didn't
work because we were being done with our

1510
02:00:51,520 --> 02:00:57,280
politics and our passion. That's why it
didn't work before. And sometime we got

1511
02:00:55,360 --> 02:01:01,520
to accept what it is. If we think it's a
need to put EMS and the fire department

1512
02:00:59,840 --> 02:01:05,520
together, if the need is there and we
got the will and the gust and courage to

1513
02:01:03,760 --> 02:01:08,719
do it, we can make it work because
people don't have no choice but to make

1514
02:01:07,040 --> 02:01:13,199
it work. Either you make it work or you
leave. That's the issue though. But we

1515
02:01:11,119 --> 02:01:17,840
give we give certain people in position
too much of power. That's the problem.

1516
02:01:15,360 --> 02:01:22,080
We got too much power in one hand. I
yield with that.

1517
02:01:19,760 --> 02:01:26,800
» Mr. Schultz.
>> What? Mr. Speaker,

1518
02:01:24,159 --> 02:01:30,080
» Mr. Champagne,
>> I asked uh Commissioner Schultz because

1519
02:01:28,880 --> 02:01:33,040
mine's going to be short. I know he's
going to probably close with some good

1520
02:01:31,199 --> 02:01:36,639
stuff cuz he really in the weeds on this
stuff. I just didn't want my lack of

1521
02:01:34,960 --> 02:01:39,840
speaking to show I wasn't concerned. I'm
very concerned. Mr. Wingstrom, you said

1522
02:01:38,560 --> 02:01:42,719
something that really struck a chord
with me. and you said we're a

1523
02:01:40,719 --> 02:01:46,960
life-saving team and y'all are y'all do
a great job both fire and EMS. Can y'all

1524
02:01:45,360 --> 02:01:50,239
get together and come up with a plan and
realistically take a look at it and give

1525
02:01:48,320 --> 02:01:54,719
us a plan where you really look at the
money you have on the table and say Mr.

1526
02:01:52,880 --> 02:01:58,800
you know, fire, we can live with this.
EMS, we can get by with this. I I'm

1527
02:01:57,280 --> 02:02:02,239
committed as a council to fill up the
fill the voids, fill the shortages. And

1528
02:02:00,320 --> 02:02:05,199
I think you've seen we've all done this.
You guys have not done without and we'll

1529
02:02:04,000 --> 02:02:08,960
make sure you can do that. But you are a
life-saving team. And I'd like to see

1530
02:02:06,880 --> 02:02:13,040
that team get together and give us a
plan, you know, and you've seen and and

1531
02:02:11,520 --> 02:02:14,880
I can say this that we will support you
because you see what we do for

1532
02:02:13,920 --> 02:02:18,239
infrastructure. Anytime an
infrastructure need comes up here, we're

1533
02:02:16,400 --> 02:02:22,480
all over it because we believe in taking
care of the people of this parish. You

1534
02:02:20,560 --> 02:02:26,719
ladies and gentlemen do a fantastic job.
continue that effort. Give us something

1535
02:02:24,320 --> 02:02:30,800
that we can put together, rally around,
give it to our voters, let them decide

1536
02:02:28,880 --> 02:02:34,239
and and you have my commitment. If
there's any shortages with either one of

1537
02:02:32,080 --> 02:02:36,480
your departments, I got your back. I
yield,

1538
02:02:35,599 --> 02:02:41,679
» Mr. Schultz.
>> So, yes. Um, one thing that if it's not

1539
02:02:39,760 --> 02:02:45,360
done automatically, if this does pass at
the next meeting, it will create a

1540
02:02:43,679 --> 02:02:50,639
special revenue and and then it passes
the people, it will allow a special

1541
02:02:47,679 --> 02:02:55,040
revenue fund to be created for EMS
because it's now dedicate source

1542
02:02:52,560 --> 02:03:00,560
funding. So that way it's easier to
track everything, finances, expenses,

1543
02:02:57,360 --> 02:03:05,280
all that. So, our legal counsel has told
us that if we vote on it at the next

1544
02:03:02,639 --> 02:03:11,119
meeting, it they will call a special
meeting for the state bond commission.

1545
02:03:07,840 --> 02:03:17,719
So, if we vote on it, it's going to get
if we pass it, it will go on the

1546
02:03:12,960 --> 02:03:17,719
November 3rd ballot. Now,

1547
02:03:17,840 --> 02:03:24,880
I debated about this, but you know what?
I'm going to go on record. I'll make an

1548
02:03:23,440 --> 02:03:29,599
amendment at the next meeting because it
sounds like 25% y'all happy with. I'm

1549
02:03:27,520 --> 02:03:33,679
going to make an amendment for 25%. And
I'm about to piss off fire, so I guess

1550
02:03:31,599 --> 02:03:42,639
I'm not going training tonight, but I'll
support it. But Jeff, I want a plan

1551
02:03:38,719 --> 02:03:46,960
before November 3rd. If not, I will get
with EMS.

1552
02:03:44,560 --> 02:03:51,679
And when we if this passes the ballot,
I'll start making ordinances on my own

1553
02:03:48,960 --> 02:03:56,560
for ambulances, adding positions,
whatever. But I'll go on record and say

1554
02:03:53,599 --> 02:04:00,639
I will support this at 25%. Now, if
y'all can get us a plan that maybe it

1555
02:03:58,239 --> 02:04:07,199
needs 30%.
Okay. But let the people decide and I'm

1556
02:04:03,920 --> 02:04:11,920
tired of this for 3 years.
But we I know Rev knows they need

1557
02:04:10,320 --> 02:04:17,199
another ambulance on East Bank. I know
that. Okay, let's see what the numbers

1558
02:04:14,239 --> 02:04:22,159
cost. Habbo Le France knows they need
another ambulance down the road at least

1559
02:04:19,440 --> 02:04:27,280
one if not more somewhere else. So, we
need those numbers, those plans. But

1560
02:04:25,119 --> 02:04:30,159
I'll support 25%. I'll go on record
because now that the state bond

1561
02:04:28,639 --> 02:04:36,040
commission will hear it, let the people
decide. I yield. Well, I'll I'll

1562
02:04:36,719 --> 02:04:44,960
back your 25% if we go after the
hospital and let them pay their bill

1563
02:04:42,480 --> 02:04:47,960
that they owe us and the uh sheriff's
department.

1564
02:04:49,280 --> 02:04:56,159
» Thank you. Next item, please.
>> A resolution authorizing the parish

1565
02:04:54,560 --> 02:04:59,199
president on behalf of the plaqueman's
parish government to name and accept the

1566
02:04:57,599 --> 02:05:05,480
proposal of the plaqueman's gazette as
the official journal for the plaque.

1567
02:05:02,480 --> 02:05:05,480
» Yeah.

1568
02:05:09,040 --> 02:05:12,679
» What?
>> A2.

1569
02:05:14,880 --> 02:05:22,480
» Hold on. Let me get to it.
We we withdrew one

1570
02:05:20,960 --> 02:05:26,000
» and reintroduced it.
>> Yeah.

1571
02:05:24,080 --> 02:05:29,679
» 982. An ordinance temporarily
prohibiting parishwide the acceptance of

1572
02:05:28,080 --> 02:05:32,639
new permit applications for certain
billboards and outdoor advertising

1573
02:05:31,280 --> 02:05:35,840
structures pending review and
consideration of proposed amendments to

1574
02:05:34,320 --> 02:05:41,159
the Plaqueman's Parish comprehensive
zoning ordinance. Council member

1575
02:05:37,199 --> 02:05:41,159
Schultz. This has changes.

1576
02:05:41,440 --> 02:05:49,280
» Can you read the change?
>> Yes.

1577
02:05:44,639 --> 02:05:54,880
We are removing the old section 5 in its
entirety and adding the following.

1578
02:05:52,719 --> 02:06:00,320
Nothing herein shall prohibit the
continued review, processing, approval,

1579
02:05:58,159 --> 02:06:05,840
or denial of a per of permit
applications for billboards or outdoor

1580
02:06:03,280 --> 02:06:13,360
advertising structures received by the
parish on or before May 28th, 2026.

1581
02:06:11,360 --> 02:06:18,560
Such applications may continue to be
processed notwithstanding the effective

1582
02:06:15,599 --> 02:06:23,520
date of the or this ordinance. Any
permit application for a billboard or

1583
02:06:21,040 --> 02:06:29,440
outdoor advertising structure received
after May 28th, 2026 shall not be

1584
02:06:26,719 --> 02:06:33,840
accepted or considered by the parish.
And there's

1585
02:06:30,719 --> 02:06:38,320
» Mr. Schultz offers that second
by Mr. Champagne. Any questions from the

1586
02:06:36,639 --> 02:06:41,760
audience?
administration

1587
02:06:39,920 --> 02:06:48,719
council Mr. Schultz.
>> So yes, when we modified the moratorum,

1588
02:06:46,960 --> 02:06:55,360
I I'll I'll say I was guilty. I didn't
read it closely enough. I thought only

1589
02:06:51,199 --> 02:06:59,199
in certain areas along 23 was allowed to
have billboards, but now I'm seeing

1590
02:06:57,119 --> 02:07:03,920
them, let's be honest, in a
neighborhood.

1591
02:07:01,119 --> 02:07:08,560
two I think on Woodland Highway
and some

1592
02:07:06,880 --> 02:07:13,599
I think it's getting out of hand and I
think we need what this does is put

1593
02:07:11,040 --> 02:07:18,239
temporary uh
uh

1594
02:07:15,360 --> 02:07:22,960
pro prohibition until the zoning board
can look at and change language but we

1595
02:07:21,199 --> 02:07:27,440
we we're
talk about improving the image of

1596
02:07:25,199 --> 02:07:31,760
Plman's Parish and everything. I think
we need to at least stop and look at

1597
02:07:29,440 --> 02:07:36,000
what we have on the books until and then
go from there because I I find it's I I

1598
02:07:34,239 --> 02:07:42,079
admit I didn't read it closely enough. I
thought it was only on 23 that they they

1599
02:07:38,800 --> 02:07:46,159
could be um allowed outside that little
zone, but um we got to do something

1600
02:07:44,480 --> 02:07:49,920
because like I said in a neighborhood
that we didn't vote on that because that

1601
02:07:48,400 --> 02:07:57,679
was already allowed. The only thing we
voted on a couple months ago was

1602
02:07:52,960 --> 02:08:01,440
changing Highway 23 zone. So, uh, I
think we need to do something. It's It's

1603
02:07:59,280 --> 02:08:05,679
not making plaquemans look good. I
yield.

1604
02:08:02,960 --> 02:08:10,960
» Miss McCardy,
>> I would like to offer that no billboards

1605
02:08:08,639 --> 02:08:15,199
permanently in district 5 right now. And
I would ask Mr. Sha Champagne that we

1606
02:08:13,199 --> 02:08:19,520
talk about going from the inter coastal
canal to the Mississippi River along

1607
02:08:17,199 --> 02:08:25,119
Willen Highway.
I don't I mean permanently because I'm

1608
02:08:22,560 --> 02:08:28,960
tired of hearing about something after
it's already been permitted. We don't

1609
02:08:27,199 --> 02:08:33,599
get a notification when somebody's
coming into our district. And I was told

1610
02:08:32,159 --> 02:08:39,040
by the person that put up the sign,
well, he had been working on that for a

1611
02:08:35,520 --> 02:08:43,920
year with the state.
I'm ready to just say none in district 5

1612
02:08:41,920 --> 02:08:49,920
because I know we're going to expand
Barry Road. I don't want any billboards

1613
02:08:47,199 --> 02:08:55,280
over people's houses.
So, can we modify this right now or do

1614
02:08:53,840 --> 02:08:57,520
you want to do it?
>> This is parish wide. So, I don't think I

1615
02:08:57,040 --> 02:09:00,079
mean
>> No, I don't want it temporary. I don't

1616
02:08:58,880 --> 02:09:05,119
want to have to come back. I don't want
to mistake this temporary

1617
02:09:03,520 --> 02:09:07,679
new ordinance because this is just a
temporary to the zoning board to look

1618
02:09:07,119 --> 02:09:10,880
at.
>> Okay.

1619
02:09:08,639 --> 02:09:15,040
» Can we get that done, please? It's so
it's it's temp we're doing temporary

1620
02:09:12,639 --> 02:09:20,079
because the the billboard and
advertising signs are actually in the

1621
02:09:17,679 --> 02:09:23,520
zoning book and anytime and anytime you
go to do an amendment to the zoning

1622
02:09:22,000 --> 02:09:29,199
book, you have to have a hearing before
the zoning board and follow all those

1623
02:09:25,520 --> 02:09:34,239
rules and processes. So, um, so yes, we
are working on a total ban, but it's

1624
02:09:33,040 --> 02:09:37,840
something that has to be considered
under state law and our own ordinances

1625
02:09:36,400 --> 02:09:43,040
by the zoning board because we're
literally changing the text of the

1626
02:09:40,000 --> 02:09:47,040
zoning of the zoning book. So, we
suggested that we do a temporary ban to

1627
02:09:45,280 --> 02:09:51,760
have an opportunity for us to look at it
and research the issue. And um the legal

1628
02:09:50,400 --> 02:09:55,840
department was working with uh council
member Schultz to enact legislation that

1629
02:09:54,239 --> 02:09:59,840
I think is going to accomplish what you
guys ultimately want to accomplish. But

1630
02:09:57,360 --> 02:10:03,040
if you just do a complete ban total, a
judge is going to look at that and say

1631
02:10:01,119 --> 02:10:08,920
we did not follow is going to say we did
not follow the process. So that's why

1632
02:10:05,199 --> 02:10:08,920
we're doing what we're doing.

1633
02:10:09,760 --> 02:10:16,079
» What he just explained it had to go.
>> I had a

1634
02:10:14,400 --> 02:10:19,440
» Okay. I would like to talk to Mr.
Champagne about Woodland Highway that I

1635
02:10:18,159 --> 02:10:22,880
don't think in our over our
neighborhoods from inter coastal canal

1636
02:10:21,360 --> 02:10:28,000
all the way to the Mississippi River
there going to be any need for a big

1637
02:10:24,480 --> 02:10:33,679
billboard and we have also I'd like to
also include in that monument signs

1638
02:10:31,679 --> 02:10:36,320
along Woodsland Highway. So I'd
recommend next week whoever is

1639
02:10:35,040 --> 02:10:39,679
interested in this obviously Miss
McCarti is and Mr. Champagne and Mr.

1640
02:10:38,400 --> 02:10:44,079
Scholes, we can meet in the president's
office and you guys can kind of outline

1641
02:10:41,920 --> 02:10:47,360
the parameters that you would like us to
submit to the zoning board for for

1642
02:10:46,159 --> 02:10:49,599
consideration.
>> Thank you. I yield,

1643
02:10:49,040 --> 02:10:54,000
» Edwards.
>> So, what do we do about those folks who

1644
02:10:51,679 --> 02:10:56,800
already got signs out?
>> Are they grandfather?

1645
02:10:54,880 --> 02:10:59,440
» That's done. Yeah, that's done.
>> That's done. That's over. Yeah.

1646
02:10:59,119 --> 02:11:01,679
» Huh?
>> They're grandfathered in.

1647
02:11:00,320 --> 02:11:06,239
» That's what I'm saying. So, we have so
many grandfathered in that really super

1648
02:11:04,719 --> 02:11:10,000
» Well, it's not that it's grandfathered
in. is that the the the zoning book

1649
02:11:08,320 --> 02:11:15,040
doesn't require council approval for
those billboards. So, that is one of the

1650
02:11:12,400 --> 02:11:18,159
things that the the the uh permit office
has done under the law and the law was

1651
02:11:16,960 --> 02:11:21,199
written pretty generously in that
regard. Maybe it shouldn't have been,

1652
02:11:19,280 --> 02:11:24,880
but that's the way the law was written
and the and the permit department was

1653
02:11:22,880 --> 02:11:29,360
issuing permits as it's authorized to
do. Well, I don't you think people might

1654
02:11:27,199 --> 02:11:35,360
have a legal ground when we talk about
they can't do it when they can say,

1655
02:11:31,679 --> 02:11:39,599
"Well, there's 10 on Highway 23 that's
superized and then not only on big

1656
02:11:37,679 --> 02:11:43,520
signs, they're in people yards, you
know." Yeah. I don't know why we doing

1657
02:11:42,400 --> 02:11:46,239
this, but I'm just saying
>> I'm not disputing that at all. And I

1658
02:11:44,960 --> 02:11:50,400
think that's what we need to consider in
the permanent legislation. So, you know,

1659
02:11:48,960 --> 02:11:54,400
anyone who has input on how they want
that to look and obviously you have a

1660
02:11:52,320 --> 02:11:57,440
rural area, so you you may be more
inclined to allow some signs with other

1661
02:11:56,079 --> 02:12:01,520
restrictions, we certainly would want
your input on that, but um that's going

1662
02:12:00,000 --> 02:12:04,800
to be the time to do that next week if
you guys want to meet.

1663
02:12:02,480 --> 02:12:10,320
» And then when it come down to election,
you know, how how do you um

1664
02:12:07,840 --> 02:12:13,840
» well, the council can require us to come
back to you guys with that. So if y'all

1665
02:12:11,840 --> 02:12:16,800
say this is such an obstruction and you
know whatever and to the extent they're

1666
02:12:15,040 --> 02:12:19,440
limited in certain areas, you can
consider that just like you would any

1667
02:12:18,239 --> 02:12:23,119
zoning change. You know, what are the
neighbors saying? What is the local

1668
02:12:21,280 --> 02:12:26,800
impact? You know, is it close to you
know, whatever. So that that all of that

1669
02:12:25,280 --> 02:12:30,320
is on the table for consideration.
>> Yeah. because I I just think that I know

1670
02:12:28,400 --> 02:12:35,520
I served on the zoning board for almost
10 years and you'll have to come in with

1671
02:12:33,280 --> 02:12:40,000
resident bringing signal to the show
this is not one disgruntled person

1672
02:12:38,480 --> 02:12:44,159
because they got a big house and they
don't want this side but it's okay

1673
02:12:42,560 --> 02:12:48,400
because I don't have a big house I could
have a big sign there. So I just think

1674
02:12:46,000 --> 02:12:52,639
there should be some consistency in what
we're talking about and doing it um

1675
02:12:51,040 --> 02:12:56,880
because I know we do a lot of stuff
based on on our passion and our

1676
02:12:55,199 --> 02:13:02,800
politics, you know. So, I just want to
throw that out.

1677
02:13:00,079 --> 02:13:08,880
» Yes. I'm glad you joined cuz all them
lawyers on them billboards going to be a

1678
02:13:05,199 --> 02:13:13,599
class action shoot.
>> Mr. Newsome.

1679
02:13:09,760 --> 02:13:19,440
» Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So, Mr. Show,
can I We do have a ordinance about signs

1680
02:13:17,360 --> 02:13:24,079
by billboards. Correct. from the inter
coastal canal to

1681
02:13:21,920 --> 02:13:27,280
just
>> that air base or something like that.

1682
02:13:25,920 --> 02:13:30,400
» That's past the air. Past
>> I think Walker Road maybe.

1683
02:13:28,800 --> 02:13:37,280
» So where's the where's the current that
I should know cuz I know it starts at

1684
02:13:32,320 --> 02:13:39,679
the inter coastal canal going south.
>> Okay.

1685
02:13:38,560 --> 02:13:42,560
» I should have I should have did my
research so I'd have known that answer

1686
02:13:41,119 --> 02:13:48,480
but I might know it. I might just see if
you know it. So right now on highway 23

1687
02:13:46,480 --> 02:13:54,800
only or billboards are allowed
everywhere on in the parish except for

1688
02:13:51,920 --> 02:13:58,800
on highway 23 between the inter coastal
canal and

1689
02:13:57,199 --> 02:14:01,440
la receipt I think.
>> Okay. So

1690
02:13:59,679 --> 02:14:03,760
» somewhere in there's a certain point.
All right. So it's

1691
02:14:02,320 --> 02:14:06,320
» alliance let's just say there.
>> So everywhere else it's allowed right

1692
02:14:05,599 --> 02:14:11,040
now.
>> It's allowed

1693
02:14:08,239 --> 02:14:14,800
besides on 23 between those two areas.
>> Is it allowed? So you and you spoke

1694
02:14:12,880 --> 02:14:19,040
about a neighborhood. They have a sign
in the neighborhood.

1695
02:14:15,840 --> 02:14:21,599
» Yes. In for St. Leon North,
>> but is that prop? That property is owned

1696
02:14:20,800 --> 02:14:24,719
probably commercial.
>> Commercial is own commercial, but it's

1697
02:14:22,960 --> 02:14:26,239
still in a neighborhood.
>> Really?

1698
02:14:25,119 --> 02:14:28,800
» Well, the business is in the
neighborhood, too. Correct. So, we're

1699
02:14:27,599 --> 02:14:30,159
going to shut a business down cuz it's
in the neighborhood.

1700
02:14:29,679 --> 02:14:33,760
» No.
>> Okay. I'm just saying the property is

1701
02:14:32,480 --> 02:14:37,040
zoned commercial.
>> Correct. And that's what we're going to

1702
02:14:34,880 --> 02:14:41,520
change in the zone part of the zoning
rules. like we it still might be able to

1703
02:14:39,040 --> 02:14:45,040
go up but they have to take certain
>> or I mean there might be certain ch

1704
02:14:43,199 --> 02:14:47,440
language changes correct it's a language
change

1705
02:14:46,079 --> 02:14:50,079
» this thing can be written however you
guys want I mean

1706
02:14:48,400 --> 02:14:52,560
» this is just putting a temporary ban
until we can get in the zoning book

1707
02:14:51,920 --> 02:14:56,880
correctly
>> so it says

1708
02:14:54,159 --> 02:15:02,320
» temporar certain billboards and outdoor
advertising do we do we have we decided

1709
02:14:59,840 --> 02:15:05,840
have we talked about a size
>> that's where the monument

1710
02:15:03,920 --> 02:15:11,119
» display exceeding 100 square feet and
sign face area whether on prem premises

1711
02:15:08,320 --> 02:15:17,040
or off premises. It's uh section two.
>> Okay. I apologize. It's there. So, if I

1712
02:15:13,760 --> 02:15:20,480
got a and I know when I travel the
southern end of the parish, um you know,

1713
02:15:19,280 --> 02:15:24,960
you got a lot of folks out there got
signs in their yard about charter

1714
02:15:22,400 --> 02:15:27,040
fishing. Charter fishing. They got
seafood for sale in their yard. We're

1715
02:15:26,639 --> 02:15:31,119
going to
>> I don't think that's over 100 square

1716
02:15:28,239 --> 02:15:34,159
feet. Okay. So, 100 square feet is
>> that one of them pretty big,

1717
02:15:32,719 --> 02:15:38,159
» but it's already there. So, it's already
permit or supposed to be. So, but goes

1718
02:15:36,960 --> 02:15:42,480
back to Reverend Elvis. So, we're going
to tell this person, you can have a big

1719
02:15:40,560 --> 02:15:45,119
sign yard, but from now you can't have a
big sign yard because it's hard. I I I

1720
02:15:44,239 --> 02:15:50,719
just think
>> what what this does is if we want to if

1721
02:15:47,840 --> 02:15:55,760
we need to find out, okay, how long how
big are their signs? It might we might

1722
02:15:52,320 --> 02:16:00,480
change the language to no signs bigger
than 150 ft. That's what this is doing.

1723
02:15:58,480 --> 02:16:04,000
Just putting a temporary ban into it can
go before the zoning board. Mr. Brocks,

1724
02:16:02,719 --> 02:16:09,920
you're hearing all these comments,
right? You're on that board. So that's

1725
02:16:06,800 --> 02:16:14,480
what this does. It's not permanent or
anything like that until we can get a

1726
02:16:11,520 --> 02:16:18,159
zoning change that way when it goes to
permits in the future. And and Mr.

1727
02:16:16,239 --> 02:16:21,760
Newsome, your your your examples are
covered in section 3. So it says nothing

1728
02:16:19,760 --> 02:16:24,800
herein shall prohibit customary on
premise business signs, which is what

1729
02:16:23,280 --> 02:16:28,320
you're talking about like charter
businesses and whatnot, that advertise

1730
02:16:26,880 --> 02:16:32,160
or identify a business, product,
service, or activity lawfully conducted

1731
02:16:30,000 --> 02:16:36,080
on the same premises. comply with all
applicable parish zoning, permitting,

1732
02:16:33,840 --> 02:16:40,399
size, height, setback sign relations,
and approved through the normal course

1733
02:16:37,599 --> 02:16:43,920
of business. So, anything 100 and less
um is going to be permitted and those

1734
02:16:42,639 --> 02:16:48,479
are the typical signs that you're
talking about.

1735
02:16:46,240 --> 02:16:52,960
» All right. I'm I'm Thank you, Mr.
Jarage.

1736
02:16:50,240 --> 02:16:59,840
» Yes. Uh I know we say it temporary just
means until we get the zoning ordinance,

1737
02:16:55,760 --> 02:17:04,319
» correct? That's all I had. Miss McCart.
>> Um, Mr. Beers, did you just say anything

1738
02:17:02,399 --> 02:17:09,120
under 100 foot wide? No.
>> No. Uh, 100 square total square feet.

1739
02:17:06,160 --> 02:17:15,280
» Square feet. Okay.
>> To me, that's still even big is still

1740
02:17:11,359 --> 02:17:20,559
permitted. You know, um the biggest
problem I have with the experience that

1741
02:17:18,160 --> 02:17:28,240
I just had with putting a billboard in
district 5 on Highway 23 is that I was

1742
02:17:25,040 --> 02:17:34,240
told that the state permitted it. I'd
like to know if that's true. And then

1743
02:17:30,800 --> 02:17:38,319
our our permit office doesn't even come
to us and say, "Guess what? There's huge

1744
02:17:36,240 --> 02:17:42,639
things coming up in your district. You
know, what do you think about it?" So I

1745
02:17:40,319 --> 02:17:47,280
want to work on that aspect of it too.
That's all I'm saying.

1746
02:17:44,240 --> 02:17:52,800
» I think the only thing the aspect that
the state what they say they take a look

1747
02:17:49,920 --> 02:17:56,880
at the sign whether or not it impedes on
any kind of the vision with All right.

1748
02:17:55,280 --> 02:18:02,319
» Apparently it took a year for them to
look at it and

1749
02:17:59,439 --> 02:18:07,200
» and we didn't know until the day it was
in the ground.

1750
02:18:04,399 --> 02:18:11,920
» Mr. Schultz. So,
I somewhat get what you're saying on not

1751
02:18:09,359 --> 02:18:15,439
knowing, but do they come tell you on
every house being built in district 5

1752
02:18:13,599 --> 02:18:19,519
that's permit? No, it's not. It's a
permit through the permit office.

1753
02:18:17,519 --> 02:18:24,559
» We cannot
legally we cannot write a law for

1754
02:18:21,840 --> 02:18:28,559
everything because it it would just take
up too much. But anything that's really

1755
02:18:26,479 --> 02:18:31,920
disruptive,
>> Hava says we have a law.

1756
02:18:30,240 --> 02:18:34,319
» Got to go to the permit office to do
anything.

1757
02:18:32,399 --> 02:18:36,880
» Yeah. So I mean they should let maybe
for

1758
02:18:34,479 --> 02:18:40,639
» right now we need to put temporary in my
view put temporary ban till we can get

1759
02:18:38,800 --> 02:18:43,200
hold of what's actually on the zoning
book. So that's what this is. I call the

1760
02:18:42,960 --> 02:18:46,880
question.
>> I'm in favor for it.

1761
02:18:44,160 --> 02:18:50,439
» Question's been called.
>> Jean's open.

1762
02:18:50,559 --> 02:18:53,960
I don't have enough.

1763
02:18:54,080 --> 02:18:59,120
» You want
>> variable?

1764
02:18:56,800 --> 02:19:04,639
» Verable.
>> And it passes seven with one. No vote.

1765
02:19:03,200 --> 02:19:07,679
» I don't know. I didn't vote. No, you
just

1766
02:19:05,359 --> 02:19:11,000
» not vote. Not vote. Not vote.
>> But not voting.

1767
02:19:12,479 --> 02:19:15,719
» Good move.

1768
02:19:16,639 --> 02:19:21,599
» G. A resolution authorizing the parish
president on behalf of the Plaqueman's

1769
02:19:20,160 --> 02:19:24,800
Parish government to name and accept the
proposal of the Plaqueman's Gazette as

1770
02:19:23,200 --> 02:19:28,399
the official journal for the Plaqueman's
Parish Council and all other political

1771
02:19:26,479 --> 02:19:32,240
subdivision and districts situated there
in of which the Plaemens Parish Council

1772
02:19:30,719 --> 02:19:37,359
is the governing authority. Council
member Cotnovich

1773
02:19:35,200 --> 02:19:42,800
» I'll offer this cuz it was putting on my
name but

1774
02:19:40,240 --> 02:19:48,319
» ask for a second.
>> Second by Mrs. Jurisage. Any questions

1775
02:19:45,439 --> 02:19:51,760
from the audience?
>> Aging

1776
02:19:49,920 --> 02:19:56,720
G.
>> Second do

1777
02:19:54,000 --> 02:20:01,680
the devil shakes. Hey, I'm going support
the cassette again. We need print. We

1778
02:19:59,520 --> 02:20:07,200
need print. Especially today. I know
everybody put everything online. But

1779
02:20:04,000 --> 02:20:13,479
what about AI? AI going to tell a tale
one day, but if it's in print, can't

1780
02:20:10,160 --> 02:20:13,479
race it.

1781
02:20:17,920 --> 02:20:28,319
Clarence Box 156 Enis came. Uh I'm I'm
in favor of the Gazette also because uh

1782
02:20:25,040 --> 02:20:33,920
I have advanced since last time I came
representing the uh the Gazette. My old

1783
02:20:31,040 --> 02:20:38,479
flip phone broke and I got another one.
So I It's a flip phone. Yeah, I was able

1784
02:20:37,439 --> 02:20:41,520
to get one.
>> Maybe it's an

1785
02:20:39,200 --> 02:20:47,120
» I was able to get one. But uh everybody
don't do do that technology and we we

1786
02:20:44,399 --> 02:20:51,439
need to for a lot of people rather
rather read it. But right now the the

1787
02:20:49,680 --> 02:20:55,600
cell phones and all that kind of stuff
is uh my grandchildren think they

1788
02:20:53,840 --> 02:21:01,840
smarter than me because they could use a
cell phone better than than I can. And I

1789
02:20:58,399 --> 02:21:05,920
and I and I tell them uh the way I came
up I had to read it. Y'all just putting

1790
02:21:04,240 --> 02:21:10,319
it up. I asked him a question the other
day

1791
02:21:07,439 --> 02:21:13,920
about a p a certain person. No, but my
car, my first car, how much I paid for

1792
02:21:12,479 --> 02:21:18,960
it. And they told me exactly how much I
paid for it, but I put it up on We need

1793
02:21:16,080 --> 02:21:22,720
We need to go back to books. They It's
too easy for them now. So, we need to be

1794
02:21:21,200 --> 02:21:28,840
have them read it so they could get a
good understanding of it. All right. All

1795
02:21:24,800 --> 02:21:28,840
right. Thanks,

1796
02:21:34,720 --> 02:21:42,720
Norris Babin, 114 Woodchase Street. I
thank you all again for uh the

1797
02:21:40,560 --> 02:21:48,240
opportunity to be before you and the
good work that you do year long. I just

1798
02:21:45,920 --> 02:21:55,280
wanted to say
I know a lot's been said in the past uh

1799
02:21:51,680 --> 02:21:59,680
from some members that don't care for uh
or don't feel that the public notices

1800
02:21:57,680 --> 02:22:08,000
should be printed in a paper in this
time. And I get it and I appreciate your

1801
02:22:03,120 --> 02:22:13,840
your uh opinion on that. Lately, we have
been getting an increased amount of

1802
02:22:09,920 --> 02:22:20,160
calls from sub uh subscribers and users
of our service, some public notices. I

1803
02:22:17,359 --> 02:22:27,120
had a call this week from an attorney's
office. They ran a public notice in 2016

1804
02:22:24,800 --> 02:22:32,399
and what they were looking for was proof
that it was published for the court and

1805
02:22:30,000 --> 02:22:40,319
they changed personnel and they could
not prove it. Within 10 minutes, I

1806
02:22:35,680 --> 02:22:46,160
emailed it to them. We get calls weekly
for obituaries.

1807
02:22:42,399 --> 02:22:51,200
I can't tell you how many people
get emotional when I tell them there's

1808
02:22:48,560 --> 02:22:55,200
no charge for it. I don't know. We might
be an outline and we might be the last

1809
02:22:53,200 --> 02:23:00,880
newspaper in the world that doesn't
charge for it. But as long as we don't

1810
02:22:57,840 --> 02:23:06,399
need to, we won't because we feel like
it's a service for this for the

1811
02:23:03,120 --> 02:23:12,640
communities that we serve. And you know,
again, I appreciate your time. I

1812
02:23:09,600 --> 02:23:17,280
appreciate your opinion. And thank you
for uh your consideration.

1813
02:23:15,520 --> 02:23:22,960
» Thank Mr. Schultz.
>> We didn't get our paper in the building

1814
02:23:18,960 --> 02:23:26,640
this week, just FYI, so that didn't that
didn't go over well with us.

1815
02:23:26,240 --> 02:23:32,560
What?
>> The delivery person was sick.

1816
02:23:29,760 --> 02:23:36,720
» I didn't I finally got to go there to
get it.

1817
02:23:33,359 --> 02:23:44,479
» Actually, my driver was sick and the
stand in who's from down the road

1818
02:23:40,880 --> 02:23:50,399
came up and I think they got lost in F.
Edward Abear's consortium of buildings.

1819
02:23:47,600 --> 02:23:55,439
Uh, so I apologize. I'll bring it to you
tomorrow if you'd like.

1820
02:23:54,160 --> 02:23:59,680
» All right. Thank you.
>> We We didn't

1821
02:23:58,479 --> 02:24:04,240
» Did you
>> I think Crystal went and got it.

1822
02:24:02,319 --> 02:24:07,680
» We We didn't go get it. Crystal went and
got it.

1823
02:24:05,760 --> 02:24:11,800
» Machines are open.
>> Oh gosh. I get lost.

1824
02:24:14,560 --> 02:24:17,960
» Mr. Edwards.

1825
02:24:22,640 --> 02:24:27,880
» Yeah. passes with seven with one
abstension.

1826
02:24:29,040 --> 02:24:34,800
» H an ordinance to amend the 5-year
capital improvement plan repairs Duvvic

1827
02:24:32,960 --> 02:24:37,120
pump station project and otherwise to
provide with respect there to council

1828
02:24:36,319 --> 02:24:41,840
member Kovnovich.
>> All pass for a second. Second by Mr.

1829
02:24:39,920 --> 02:24:44,960
Jurisage. Any questions from the
audience?

1830
02:24:43,439 --> 02:24:49,800
Administration
council machines open.

1831
02:24:53,439 --> 02:24:56,760
Mr. Edwards

1832
02:24:57,600 --> 02:25:04,560
pass is 80.
I an ordinance to amend the five-year

1833
02:25:02,240 --> 02:25:08,319
capital improvement plan repairs fire
stations parishwide project and the new

1834
02:25:06,640 --> 02:25:11,280
construction fire training facility
project and otherwise to provide with

1835
02:25:10,000 --> 02:25:15,520
respect there too council member
>> Schultz

1836
02:25:13,920 --> 02:25:21,760
for a second
>> Mr. Schultz offers is there a second

1837
02:25:18,960 --> 02:25:28,439
» second by Mrs. Jurich
>> Mr. Schultz has an amendment

1838
02:25:25,120 --> 02:25:28,439
» and an explanation.

1839
02:25:28,960 --> 02:25:35,760
» Yes, sir.
>> On line six, the words and $5 million to

1840
02:25:33,920 --> 02:25:42,000
new construction fire train facility
project will be removed. Line 11 and 12,

1841
02:25:40,080 --> 02:25:47,600
the words and 5 million to the new
construction fire training facility

1842
02:25:43,760 --> 02:25:53,200
project will be removed. in lines 2021
the uh words and 5 million to the new

1843
02:25:51,600 --> 02:25:57,120
construction fire training facility
project will be removed and with that I

1844
02:25:55,600 --> 02:26:01,200
offer that amendment
>> Mr. Schultz offers and Mr. Jurassic

1845
02:25:59,280 --> 02:26:04,200
seconds and any comments from the
audience

1846
02:26:06,880 --> 02:26:13,600
and
>> Arthur Hend. So, uh, Councilman Schultz,

1847
02:26:11,760 --> 02:26:17,280
you're only doing repairs. You're not
building a new building nowhere.

1848
02:26:15,359 --> 02:26:22,319
» Correct. So, these are three stations
that are being repaired. And I talked to

1849
02:26:18,880 --> 02:26:27,680
Mr. butcher that we have two ongoing
repairs right now to the east bank and

1850
02:26:26,080 --> 02:26:30,000
uh
>> engineers

1851
02:26:28,080 --> 02:26:33,280
» engineers roads thank you and these will
be three additional ones and I'm like

1852
02:26:31,600 --> 02:26:38,479
right now we need to focus on repairs
instead of building a new building and

1853
02:26:35,920 --> 02:26:41,680
uh he said okay um that's fine because
and then we might approach this later in

1854
02:26:40,240 --> 02:26:48,240
the year but right now we need to focus
on the repairs and these were quotes

1855
02:26:44,800 --> 02:26:53,680
that came from a engineer that were sent
to us in March March. So, this was well

1856
02:26:50,880 --> 02:26:57,359
in advance of any EMS fire discussion or
anything like that. It just took time to

1857
02:26:55,120 --> 02:27:01,520
get the the stuff together. But yes,
this is three stations getting repairs

1858
02:26:59,920 --> 02:27:04,560
» all in one year.
>> Well, that we're going to start on them

1859
02:27:03,040 --> 02:27:08,840
and everything, but probably go into
2027.

1860
02:27:05,840 --> 02:27:08,840
» Okay.

1861
02:27:13,280 --> 02:27:23,200
» 156 in Camelan. Uh is is one of these
stations on east bank at the little fire

1862
02:27:19,359 --> 02:27:28,399
station uh in Phoenix cuz it's
>> No. No. These are

1863
02:27:26,399 --> 02:27:34,240
» Bville
Port Sulphur and Myrtle Grove

1864
02:27:31,520 --> 02:27:36,800
» Myrtle Grove Moto Grove uh Bville and
Portuler.

1865
02:27:34,880 --> 02:27:40,399
» All right. We need some attention to one
of five station in Phoenix. So I thought

1866
02:27:38,800 --> 02:27:43,520
it was one of that one
>> that we'll we'll look into that on the

1867
02:27:42,080 --> 02:27:47,520
next round. But like I said, at this
point with these three, that will be

1868
02:27:45,200 --> 02:27:50,800
five stations getting repairs and that's
enough on the plate for right now.

1869
02:27:49,200 --> 02:27:55,960
» Thank you.
>> I'll yield. Or if Yeah, I'll yield.

1870
02:27:59,760 --> 02:28:06,560
» Good afternoon again. Uh Jonathan, the
mic down below the mic down, please.

1871
02:28:05,520 --> 02:28:09,840
» Thank you for allowing me the
opportunity to speak today regarding the

1872
02:28:08,000 --> 02:28:13,600
request to transfer funds for the fire
department's capital improvements. Uh

1873
02:28:12,160 --> 02:28:17,760
first I want to make clear that I
understand the concerns that have arisen

1874
02:28:15,439 --> 02:28:21,680
with the training center. Uh after
listening to the discussions and

1875
02:28:20,080 --> 02:28:25,680
considering the other priorities facing
the parish, I agree that we should

1876
02:28:23,280 --> 02:28:30,319
remove the training center project from
consideration at this time. It will

1877
02:28:28,080 --> 02:28:34,479
allow us to focus more on the projects
that we already have going in place and

1878
02:28:32,399 --> 02:28:39,840
the three that we'd like to continue. Uh
but we would like to revisit it towards

1879
02:28:36,720 --> 02:28:43,600
the end of the year. Today, I'm here
asking for your support in transferring

1880
02:28:42,000 --> 02:28:47,600
the funds so that we can make the
necessary repairs to our fire stations

1881
02:28:45,200 --> 02:28:50,960
in a parish. Over the past several
weeks, I've provided each of you with

1882
02:28:49,359 --> 02:28:54,240
assessment reports detailing the
conditions of several of our stations,

1883
02:28:52,720 --> 02:28:58,640
including Bouville, Port Sulphur, and
Myrtle Grove. These reports identify

1884
02:28:56,800 --> 02:29:03,280
significant issues that have developed
over time and require attention. The

1885
02:29:01,439 --> 02:29:07,760
repairs we are proposing are not
cosmetic improvements, nor are their

1886
02:29:05,600 --> 02:29:13,680
temporary fixes. We're looking at
long-term solutions. In the past, we've

1887
02:29:11,280 --> 02:29:16,800
had to uh let's say band-aid things
because we didn't have the money, and we

1888
02:29:15,600 --> 02:29:19,520
don't want to do that no more. We want
to fix them. We want to fix them, right?

1889
02:29:18,080 --> 02:29:25,280
And we want it to be a long-term
solution. Uh

1890
02:29:23,680 --> 02:29:30,240
our firefighters operate from these
stations 24 hours a day, 365 days a

1891
02:29:28,319 --> 02:29:34,240
year. The requested funding will allow
us to address structural concerns,

1892
02:29:32,080 --> 02:29:38,800
building system deficiencies, and other
critical infrastructure needs that have

1893
02:29:36,080 --> 02:29:43,439
accumulated over time. By making the
repairs now, we can prevent further

1894
02:29:40,720 --> 02:29:47,680
deterioration and avoid more costly
repairs in the future.

1895
02:29:45,920 --> 02:29:51,920
This request is not about expanding
services or constructing new buildings.

1896
02:29:49,920 --> 02:29:55,680
It's about preserving and repairing the
facilities we already have and ensuring

1897
02:29:53,680 --> 02:29:59,600
they remain operational for years to
come. I respectfully ask for your

1898
02:29:57,760 --> 02:30:03,680
support of this transfer so that we can
move forward with these muchneeded

1899
02:30:00,960 --> 02:30:07,520
repairs. Investing in these stations is
an investment in public safety, our

1900
02:30:05,520 --> 02:30:11,120
firefighters, the residents of the
parish. Thank you for your time, your

1901
02:30:09,520 --> 02:30:14,960
consideration. If you have any
questions, I uh I'll be happy to answer.

1902
02:30:13,439 --> 02:30:18,560
» While you're there, I got one question
and it's not about per se the

1903
02:30:16,960 --> 02:30:22,800
firehouses.
>> How many ladder trucks do we have from

1904
02:30:21,040 --> 02:30:28,240
Jesuit bend down?
>> Jesuit bend down. Right now we have uh

1905
02:30:25,680 --> 02:30:32,319
one at Ports offer. We do have one in
order or on order. We're expecting this

1906
02:30:30,720 --> 02:30:36,319
summer to go and look at it. It's going
to Ports. The one in Ports is going to

1907
02:30:34,319 --> 02:30:41,600
Myrtle Grove. And then we do have one in
Venice. Is I think we ought to go after

1908
02:30:39,200 --> 02:30:46,160
FEMA since they making us go so high off
the ground. They ought to buy us some

1909
02:30:44,240 --> 02:30:48,560
ladder trucks.
>> If you can help me out with that, I'd

1910
02:30:47,920 --> 02:30:51,280
appreciate it.
>> Yes, sir. Thank you.

1911
02:30:49,680 --> 02:30:54,479
» Yeah, I definitely will. Thank you.
>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Butcher, let

1912
02:30:52,560 --> 02:30:58,880
me ask this question. I know uh you
spoke about your train. What So we we

1913
02:30:57,439 --> 02:31:04,399
just had a huge discussion about
training with uh EMS. So what what is

1914
02:31:02,080 --> 02:31:09,680
y'all what do y'all what do y'all train
at? Now

1915
02:31:05,920 --> 02:31:13,840
» right now we have uh LSU or FedE uh
state fire marshals office. If you drove

1916
02:31:11,680 --> 02:31:17,520
by campus today, you saw a trail in a
parking lot. They just delivered that.

1917
02:31:15,680 --> 02:31:22,160
We do do that. We do have in-house
training, but we need the training tower

1918
02:31:20,399 --> 02:31:27,760
and the facility. one, it helps the
insurance and uh we can also use it for

1919
02:31:25,200 --> 02:31:32,000
the PI the PI rating for the insurance,
but it's real hands-on training. So, we

1920
02:31:30,479 --> 02:31:36,640
can go in and build. One of the things
we're looking at is this uh WHP

1921
02:31:34,160 --> 02:31:43,280
building. It's a tower and it's three uh
stories tall. We can burn in it. Um

1922
02:31:40,080 --> 02:31:46,640
repelling. So, I mean, yeah, it's it's
going to be topnotch. Right now, we have

1923
02:31:45,200 --> 02:31:49,840
to either get with the base or go to
Jeffson Parish,

1924
02:31:48,479 --> 02:31:53,520
» but you're trying. Okay. then it doesn't
really work out so well.

1925
02:31:52,080 --> 02:31:56,319
» Thank you,
>> Miss McCardy.

1926
02:31:55,040 --> 02:32:00,479
» Hello, Mr. Butcher.
>> Hello.

1927
02:31:57,520 --> 02:32:05,680
» Since 23 when we first got in office,
the building on Engineers Road, I

1928
02:32:03,200 --> 02:32:10,319
understand when it rains, it the rain
falls through the roof down to the

1929
02:32:07,359 --> 02:32:16,640
bottom floor and people have felt that
they could not stay in there. So, does

1930
02:32:13,120 --> 02:32:19,920
it need just repairs or
>> they they

1931
02:32:18,479 --> 02:32:23,120
put I can't hear what you're saying. Tow
it down.

1932
02:32:20,880 --> 02:32:26,880
» It's a brand new building, right?
>> Well, that's what I'm saying. I keep

1933
02:32:24,479 --> 02:32:29,439
hearing repair. Repair. I'm thinking we
we were building a new building.

1934
02:32:28,720 --> 02:32:32,080
» That's not part of it.
>> That's not part of this.

1935
02:32:30,880 --> 02:32:35,359
» Okay. So, I was asking for
clarification. That's why I was talking

1936
02:32:33,600 --> 02:32:37,359
to him.
>> We're building a brand new building in

1937
02:32:36,560 --> 02:32:38,640
there.
>> Huh?

1938
02:32:38,080 --> 02:32:43,520
» It's all
>> I know. I'm I'm I'm heated today. So,

1939
02:32:44,560 --> 02:32:50,080
So, we are building a new building. I
wanted to make sure. And it's not just

1940
02:32:48,080 --> 02:32:53,280
repair on engineers road.
>> Oh,

1941
02:32:50,640 --> 02:32:56,240
» yeah. It's down to the metal and they
are putting a new roof, new skin, new

1942
02:32:55,680 --> 02:32:59,920
inside.
>> Yeah, that's what I was asking. The

1943
02:32:57,439 --> 02:33:02,960
foundation, the structure,
>> the framing was good.

1944
02:33:01,359 --> 02:33:04,960
» The framing is still there and that's
the only thing there besides the

1945
02:33:04,240 --> 02:33:07,920
concrete.
>> Okay. Thank you. And when will it be

1946
02:33:07,120 --> 02:33:12,240
complete?
>> We're looking at the end of the year,

1947
02:33:09,439 --> 02:33:14,640
possibly January. Okay. Thank you. I
appreciate

1948
02:33:12,479 --> 02:33:18,399
» You're welcome, Mr. Edwards.
>> Yeah. Uh, where are we at on the what

1949
02:33:16,720 --> 02:33:22,960
loanous?
>> That one, uh, same thing. Possibly

1950
02:33:21,760 --> 02:33:26,880
would, we'd probably say more than
January, February. They just put some

1951
02:33:25,040 --> 02:33:31,840
new doors in the other day.
>> It seemed like that was some major

1952
02:33:28,399 --> 02:33:34,080
repair. What's taking it so long?
I mean because I I thought we were just

1953
02:33:33,439 --> 02:33:40,160
contractors
>> taking out some um some some walls there

1954
02:33:38,399 --> 02:33:44,399
and the rest most of the work was on the
top and I I just thought it was sort of

1955
02:33:42,240 --> 02:33:47,040
some cosmetic kind of work from my
perspective.

1956
02:33:44,960 --> 02:33:52,640
» Yeah. I mean contractors they did have
some uh rain delays. The river was high.

1957
02:33:49,680 --> 02:33:58,160
Uh we did get the uh concrete done not
too long ago. The garage doors were just

1958
02:33:55,040 --> 02:34:00,399
installed I believe Tuesday.
So

1959
02:33:58,479 --> 02:34:04,720
» I saw some activity the other day for
the first time in a while. The other

1960
02:34:02,319 --> 02:34:08,240
thing is
are we going to get a ladder truck on

1961
02:34:06,640 --> 02:34:13,040
the east bank because we just had
several incident where people had a

1962
02:34:10,399 --> 02:34:18,640
problem getting a lady from 21 ft
because we didn't have nothing with a

1963
02:34:14,960 --> 02:34:23,280
ladder on it and um she end up real sick
just because they couldn't get her down,

1964
02:34:20,800 --> 02:34:27,040
you know. So that time that so so are we
looking at having at least one ladder

1965
02:34:25,359 --> 02:34:30,560
truck on East Bank of the River?
>> Yes, sir. It's on the order and we're

1966
02:34:28,560 --> 02:34:32,080
expecting it to be arriving in about 18
months.

1967
02:34:31,280 --> 02:34:37,760
» How many months?
>> About 18 months.

1968
02:34:34,399 --> 02:34:42,160
» It usually takes 4 years.
>> Thank you, sir.

1969
02:34:38,640 --> 02:34:47,439
» You're welcome. Mr. Jurassic.
>> Yes. Uh Mr. Butcher, you did mention

1970
02:34:44,319 --> 02:34:50,640
Jefferson Parish and the Naval Air Base.
Don't y'all have an agreement with them

1971
02:34:48,880 --> 02:34:54,800
to be able to use those facilities
anytime? Well, it's not that we can use

1972
02:34:52,880 --> 02:34:59,120
them any time, but we do have agreements
that we're allowed to train with them or

1973
02:34:56,560 --> 02:35:01,680
use their facility, but it's not just
can't go in at any time, you know,

1974
02:35:00,880 --> 02:35:06,319
obviously, especially on a
>> base. Well, I mean, you have to get,

1975
02:35:04,319 --> 02:35:11,200
» but yeah, what we're looking for is
something for us. Also, by having the

1976
02:35:09,200 --> 02:35:15,040
drill tower, like I said, it'll help
with the insurance rating. And by having

1977
02:35:12,960 --> 02:35:18,640
our own facility, we can help train
volunteers. the volunteers aren't

1978
02:35:16,880 --> 02:35:22,319
necessarily able to go to Jeffson Parish
when they're officing classes or go to

1979
02:35:20,560 --> 02:35:26,160
the base after certain hours. So, this
is more uh not only for us, but it's to

1980
02:35:24,640 --> 02:35:30,560
help the community with getting some
more volunteers training.

1981
02:35:28,000 --> 02:35:34,399
» How often do y'all use those training
facilities?

1982
02:35:32,080 --> 02:35:38,560
» Well, right now we don't have them. So,
uh we're just mainly using them when we

1983
02:35:36,479 --> 02:35:40,960
do the rookie class.
>> Okay. I mean, because I'm just trying to

1984
02:35:39,920 --> 02:35:44,240
figure out, you're going to come back
later on. I'm giving you some some

1985
02:35:43,040 --> 02:35:48,560
questions that you're going to hear
again because do we really need it if we

1986
02:35:46,160 --> 02:35:51,840
have access to other ones? You know,
right now that's that's a want, not a

1987
02:35:50,479 --> 02:35:54,479
need. And I appreciate what you said
earlier when you got to the mic. You you

1988
02:35:53,520 --> 02:35:58,160
spot on.
>> Okay. Thank you. This shows

1989
02:35:56,640 --> 02:36:04,319
» so yeah, I was actually going to hit on
the training tower before you asked, but

1990
02:36:00,399 --> 02:36:07,520
like volunteers don't train. I I I went
to Jefferson Parish one time when I was

1991
02:36:05,760 --> 02:36:12,240
going through my ratings just to check
that box and haven't been sent back

1992
02:36:09,439 --> 02:36:15,760
since. But we have buildings and two
stories and stuff like that that we

1993
02:36:14,240 --> 02:36:20,160
don't train on a regular basis on
because we can't I mean Jefferson Parish

1994
02:36:18,160 --> 02:36:26,319
doesn't allow us to go a lot of times at
night or anything like that. But so but

1995
02:36:24,240 --> 02:36:30,319
right now with everything going on it
wasn't the time to do it because we got

1996
02:36:28,160 --> 02:36:35,200
I mean we got repairs that we have to
do. So I was actually that was going to

1997
02:36:32,240 --> 02:36:41,800
be my comment on that. Uh, but I guess
you're right, Patty, that Engineers Road

1998
02:36:37,200 --> 02:36:41,800
is leaking right now a lot.

1999
02:36:42,640 --> 02:36:50,200
» I yield.
>> Any other comments? Machines are open.

2000
02:36:52,000 --> 02:36:55,000
» Eases

2001
02:37:01,439 --> 02:37:06,120
8 Z. Thank you.

2002
02:37:06,720 --> 02:37:13,680
» Send approval of the minutes from the
May 28th, 2026 regular meeting.

2003
02:37:11,120 --> 02:37:18,319
» Mr. Newsome off. Is there a second?
Second by Mr. Jur. Any questions from

2004
02:37:15,840 --> 02:37:21,200
the audience? Administration council
machines up

2005
02:37:20,000 --> 02:37:25,720
» minutes.
>> Machines are open.

2006
02:37:22,319 --> 02:37:25,720
» Yeah, I thought

2007
02:37:30,319 --> 02:37:41,280
» Dr. Yeah, I got the mosquito conf and
passes 80. You could defer

2008
02:37:38,000 --> 02:37:44,680
» B and C
>> B and C.

2009
02:37:46,720 --> 02:37:52,240
» E, finance included in the email of
council meeting reports and updated

2010
02:37:50,479 --> 02:37:55,439
expenditure and revenue report for all
funds. Please review the reports and

2011
02:37:53,760 --> 02:37:59,120
call finance with any questions. Council
member um Kenovich.

2012
02:37:57,040 --> 02:38:03,359
» And that's just a reminder.
>> Uhhuh.

2013
02:38:00,720 --> 02:38:10,720
Do I have a motion to adjourn? Motion by
Mr. Jurich, second by Mr. Newsome.

2014
02:38:07,520 --> 02:38:13,960
» Machines are open.
>> Me, too.

2015
02:38:15,040 --> 02:38:18,040
» Champagne.

2016
02:38:18,800 --> 02:38:28,439
That passes seven with one no. led the
record show it finished at 5:04