L’Observateur / August 12, 2000

DEAR EDITOR: At the Aug. 8 meeting of the St. John the Baptist Parish Council, a motionwas made to do away with the consent agenda. The consent agenda wasadopted by the previous council to try and streamline the meetings. Thispolicy is followed by the Jefferson Parish Council and the City of Kenner.

Essentially, the consent agenda lists items such as approval of the minutes, committee appointments, special events permits, authorization to advertise for bids, negative change orders, notices to proceed – the type of ordinary business that needs council approval but is not complicated or controversial and allows it to be passed in one motion.

This procedure has saved up to 30 minutes of meeting time.

The public is given the opportunity to comment on any item as well as any council member can remove an item for discussion if they have questions.

The format has worked well and helped to condense any otherwise cluttered agenda.

However, with a 6-to-3 vote, the council did away with this progressive change. Current council members have requested that the agenda containpersonnel information. They wish to see the name, salary, pay grade andposition of every employee hired, fired, promoted or retired. What aregressive move.

This would go against the primary intent of the home rule charter empowering the administration to handle the day-to-day operation of the parish and its employees.

Isn’t it ironic that the first council of the new millennium would embark on a path to take us back to the days of the police jury form of government?

Duaine Duffy Councilman-at-Large, Division B LaPlace

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