DANIEL TYLER GOODEN / L’Observateur / November 10, 2000

CONVENT – Hoping to connect St. James Parish under one local callingplan, the Parish Council passed a resolution Wednesday to support the Louisiana Public Service Commission as it petitions the Federal Communications Commission to change district lines.

After the Bell system was dismantled 16 years ago St. James Parish wassplit by a boundary line set by federal restriction. BellSouth has not beenable to set a local calling plan across the boundary due to the federal restrictions. The end result is that many households, like those with theprefix 265, must first dial the area code to call other areas in the parish.

On Sept. 7 the Public Service Commission approved a toll-free local planto cover St. James Parish, but it cannot implement the plan until it isapproved by the FCC.

If approved on the federal level St. James Parish citizens willautomatically be able to call across their parish at the local rate, with no initial or start-up fees.

Also during the council meeting Parish President Dale Hymel Jr.

introduced the 2001 budget. In the budget meeting Hymel stated that aconservative approach has been taken for the next year because of slow growth projected in the New Orleans and metropolitan area by the Louisiana Economic Outlook, printed by Louisiana State University.

Though Kaiser Aluminum is projected to be at full operation early in the year, various layoffs and cutbacks in production at the local plants do not present too rosy a picture for the coming year, said Hymel.

The budget does estimate that about $1.7 million more in revenues will becollected then was in 2000. The budget also estimates to pay about $4.4million more in expenditures, mostly in capital projects and special revenue funds. Total revenues are projected at $26.6 million, whileexpenditures are estimated a $29.5 million, leaving a final fund balance of$17.3 million.A public hearing will be held for community questions on the budget. Thedate for the hearing will be set at the next council meeting, Nov. 15, at 7p.m. at the Vacherie Courthouse Annex.

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