By MOLLY DRYMAN

Staff Reporter

LAPLACE — St. John the Baptist Parish Council held a workshop on Thursday night to discuss possibilities of temporary housing issues due to Hurricane Katrina.

On Sept. 23, Parish President Nickie Monica signed an executive order stating the process of getting temporary housing, along with planning and zoning regulations.

At the council meeting Tuesday night, questions were raised to whether or not this issue was being held the way it should have, because according to Councilman Dale Wolfe, “Nothing was being done for the people.”

The workshop was schedule to discuss further options to the executive order to enable more travel trailers/mobile homes to the area for displaced citizens. The workshop was open to the public and were allowed to speak on their concerns about helping the people.

“Administration met with F.E.M.A and was given permission to put trailers in certain areas, so they did,” said Councilman Allen St. Pierre. “The thing is, though, F.E.M.A never responded to the proposal Planning and Zoning gave them regarding room for other people in the Parish.”

St. Pierre said the main concerns for the Parish is with the water and space for sewage.

“We want to help, but we have to be careful,” he said. “Our Infrastructure cannot take much more than it has already.”

Councilman Sean Roussel said Parish President Nickie Monica will be meeting with attorneys to discuss amending Monica’s executive order and see what space can be used in the Parish without having to do away with Planning and Zoning regulations.

“We can’t just react,” Roussel said. “We can act quickly, but we need to act responsibly.”

St. Pierre said if F.E.M.A accepts the proposals put together by administration and attorneys, they will have to respond with full cost of the areas they take over and fund the whole process.