DANIEL TYLER GOODEN / L’Observateur / March 19, 2000

VACHERIE – The majority of Wednesday St. James Parish Council meeting wasspent on board and commission appointments as well as numerous resolutions which needed to be passed.

The Planning Commission was voted in as Glen Millet, district 1; Thomas George, district 2; Peter Dufresne, district 3; Anthony Boudreaux, district 4; Arthur Matherne, district 6; Roland Perque, district 7 and Danny St. Pierreas the president’s appointee.

The Coastal Zone Advisory Commission includes Gene St. Pierre, district 1; C.J. Brock, district 2; Charles Martin, district 3; Edward Arceneaux, district 4;Marlis Fletcher, district 6; Donovan Steib, district 7 and Elton Chenier as the president’s appointee.

Voting for the Gramercy Recreation Board was put off by request of Elwyn Bocz pending the review of certain statues pertaining to the board.

The Lutcher Recreation Board was voted on and includes Dave Robertson, Vernon Guidry, Allen Stark, Brenda Malbrough and Clifton Williamson.

The Eastbank Recreation Board includes Philip Creel, Ernest Davis, Dale Melancon, Gary Albert and Michael Chabaud.

The District 6 Recreation Board includes Gerald Herbert, Stephen Steib, Thomas Joseph, Raynard Adams and Ismay Jones.

The District 7 Recreation Board includes Wendy LeBeouf, Lionel Harry, Vincent Reulet, Barry Reulet and Alvin Bartholomew.

Voting for the Housing Authority and the Library Board was detained until next meeting at the request of Elton Aubert, as no one had yet been reviewed for the positions.

Floyd Marshall was voted onto the Hospital Board. Ricky Bourgeois Jr. andBetty Williams were voted onto the Economic Development Board.

Also: Dr. Ward Turner was commended for his 23 years served on the St. JamesParish Hospital Board.

The parish accepted the bid of Lamar Ford for the new truck for the utility division.

The council passed a resolution supporting Gramercy in its DOTD request for overhead lighting at the intersection of Louisiana Highways 641 and 61.

A resolution was passed supporting the restoration of all Medicaid cuts to the hospital after it was brought before the group by Bocz.

Wilson Malbrough Jr. presented a resolution to support Census 2000, whichwas approved.

The days between March 15 through May 15 have been designated as “Cleanup Dates,” as proposed by Timothy Roussel.

The council passed a resolution to advertise for bids on the South Vacherie Backwater Control Structure.

The council voted in the eight Department of Human Resources resolutions brought by Parish President Dale J. Hymel Jr. The resolutions are supportingfederal programs voted on every year.

March 16 was approved as Retired Teacher’s Day.

The parish was authorized, by the council’s vote, to set up the parish as a DOTD depository of recycled asphalt. This allows the parish to keepaggregate pulled from highways under repair in order to use on other projects.

April was again proclaimed as Flood Awareness Month.

The council authorized the president’s office to advertise for bids for a new heavy duty dump truck.

The council approved the hiring of Sarah Whalen as the legislative liaison for the River Region Caucus. The three parishes divide her salary of$18,000, up from $15,000 previously.

Hymel reported that the FCC had authorized a levee of 85 cents to be added to the monthly cellular phone bills in the parish. The levee will pay forthe equipment upgrades required by the FCC to ensure the exact location of emergency calls made by cellular phones.

The council learned the parish is advertising to hire an assistant director of human resources and a civil engineer.

Hymel said bids for a new mowing tractor came in just under the required $15,000.

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