ERIK SANZENBACH / L’Observateur / September 3, 2000

LAPLACE – In a rare show of compromise and cooperation, the St. John theBaptist Parish administration and the St. John Parish Council have decided tolet the courts decide a difficult legal question over whether the council can hire more than one employee.

The question arose several weeks ago when the council secretary Audrey Millet filed suit against the parish over a local zoning ordinance. To avoid anyconflict of interest council attorneys advised the council to reassign Millet to another job. Millet was sent to the parish office in Garyville, and theadministration loaned the council one of its workers, Jackie Landeche, to fill in during Millet’s absence.

Landeche became sick for several days, and due to her absence council work piled up and was not getting done. In a special meeting the council passed aresolution that would establish a procedure for the council to hire its own staff.

This went against the advice of council attorney Barry Landry, who told the council the parish charter only allows the council to hire one secretary.

Shortly after the special meeting Parish President Nickie Monica vetoed the resolution saying it went against charter rule and he couldn’t allow it.

At last week’s council meeting Monica offered the council anybody from his administration to help out during Millet’s absence.

However, Dale Wolfe said the charter allows the council to establish and create a staff.

Landry said that was an agency, not an individual, and that a special ordinance has to be presented to create an agency.

Lester Rainey claimed that the wording of the charter says, “We may have a secretary and a legislative assistant to provide clerical work.”Rainey then made a motion to have the 40th Judicial District Court examine entire chapter two of the charter and make a declaratory judgment.

“At least we will have a legal decision,” said Rainey. “All this interpretation iscausing confusion.”The motion passed unanimously.

In other parish council business: Parish Engineer Charles Savoie got permission from the council to proceed with design plans for a larger generator to be installed at the Lions Water Plant.

Monica got authorization to seek bids for the demolition of the Chopin Water Tower behind the Red Cross building on West Fifth Street.

The council agreed to advertise for the sale of the parish building on West Fifth Street.

Monica got council authorization to go ahead find a site for a welcome center for St. John Parish. Monica said it is needed because over 80,000tourists travel through the parish each year.

Monica asked the council to make three nominations for the Lake Maurepas Commission.

The council re-instated the consent agenda it had voted out in the previous meeting. However, the consent agenda will be limited to permits, meetingminutes and proclamations.

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