ERIK SANZENBACH / L’Observateur / April 1, 2000

LAPLACE – The St. John Parish Council discussed and/or took the followingaction at its meeting Tuesday: The council gave Elois Joseph the authority to negotiate contracts with the Louisiana Department of Social Services, Office of Community Services.

Job Boucvalt and Melissa Faucheux each appointed Toni Flynn and Linda King to the Grant Committee.

The council voted to seek bids on a mosquito control contract.

The council authorized the administration to negotiate with Sizeler Architects for a conceptual program for a civic center adjacent to the library in the new LaPlace Park.

Lester Rainey Jr. announced that April 30 is the Multi-Cultural Fair inEdgard. He said it will also be Census Day when census takers from Hammondgo to Edgard to get an accurate count. Rainey said the west bank of St. JohnParish is severely under-counted.

Cleveland Farlough gave a status of drainage projects as mandated by the drainage millage election of 1997.

“I want people to make sure what they voted for,” said Farlough.

Parish President Nickie Monica reported that he met with an agent from Kansas City Railroad to discuss putting in culverts on the west side of Louisiana Highway 54 in Garyville. He got a verbal agreement from KansasCity that they would jack up the tracks so the parish can install two culverts to improve drainage in the area.

At Rainey’s request, the council voted to make an organizational chart listing every employee in parish government.

The council accepted a letter of no objection to allow the company of T.

Baker Smith to perform rehabilitation work on existing utility poles and wires along the Blind River.

Monica got the council’s authorization to proceed with the cost and design of the Bio-Set sludge treatment plant.

There was discussion of an ordinance for exemption of fines for hunting dogs that are impounded, but the administration said no ordinance was ever introduced and the matter was dropped.

Faucheux proposed a scholarship program to start next year in which each member of the parish council and the school board would donate $500 for college scholarships. The scholarships would be given out on a need basis, notan academic one.

Faucheux got the council to vote on a resolution to fund a hi-tech crime unit that would fight cyber crime. The resolution will be sent to the LouisianaLegislature, which will fund the unit. The parish pays nothing for this unit. Monica declared March 28 “West St. John High Day” in honor of the Ramswinning the AA state basketball championship.

Monica announced that the River Parish Transit Authority has received $143,000 grant to start the process for creating a tri-parish transit system.

Allen St. Pierre announced that the Illinois Railroad is upgrading twocrossings in Reserve. They may also want to close some crossings, but therewill be public meetings to discuss the matter.

Farlough announced that the state has put up a sign on U.S. Highway 61that tells motorists that they are approaching Mt. Airy and Garyville.

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