By ROBIN SHANNON
L’Observateur

The following is part three in a series of stories regarding St. John the Baptist Parish’s plans for the $29.5 million bond issue, which will appear on parish ballots for the April 4 general election. Early voting in the election begins today and runs through March 28. The money, which is going to a multitude of capital improvements parishwide, is divided among five propositions that voters can accept or decline as they see fit.

In an effort to update government buildings that have not seen full-scale improvements since the 1960s, St. John Parish officials are asking the voters to approve about $7 million for upgrades to complexes on the east bank and west bank of the Parish.

The funds fall under Proposition 2 of Parish President Bill Hubbard’s $29.5 bond package, which is going to a wide range of infrastructure improvements parishwide. The bond propositions, which are on the April 4 election ballot, will be financed by existing property taxes.

The building upgrade plan includes $1.5 million for a complete renovation and expansion at the Edgard Courthouse in an effort to provide better safety to the parish judges and more privacy to victims involved in a court case.

St. John Public Information Officer Buddy Boe said the upgrades include office expansions for the clerk of court, district attorney and judges as well as an increase of space for jury deliberation quarters. There are also plans to add conference rooms for lawyers to meet privately with clients to discuss a case.

“At the present time attorneys and clients converse right in the lobby of the courthouse,” said Boe. “Often times, families from both sides of an issue are intermingling and can hear what is being discussed and that isn’t fair to the court process.”

The upgrades also include installation of security cameras and the creation of private entrances for judges so that they don’t have to follow through the same doors as the criminals on trial.

Boe said whatever is left after the improvements to Edgard will go toward a government complex to be built on the east bank of the parish that will include space for all government entities in the parish.

“The building would be set up as a one stop shop for residents to come in and take care of all government business,” Boe said. “The complex is the result of a building use study we conducted in March to determine what each government office needed.”

Boe said the parish is looking at several options for locations to build the facility, but said the most likely spot would be the area directly in front of the Percy Hebert Building in LaPlace.

Although plans call for improvements to facilities on both sides of the river, a handful of St. John councilmen who feel that the West Bank is not getting a fair share of improvements have spoken out against this and other propositions on the ballot.

At a council meeting Tuesday, District 1 Councilman Haston Lewis, who represents Edgard and the West Bank, said he fears that the building proposition could lead to movement of the St. John Parish seat.

“They say, ‘If you build it, they will come,’ and if you build this complex on the East Bank the parish seat will come with it.”

Lewis referenced an artist’s rendering of the east bank complex that showed plans for three new courtrooms and had strong questions for the reasons behind it.

“There is no way the sub office should be bigger than the main office,” said Lewis. “I figure why put three courtrooms if you don’t have that on your mind. Don’t clean us out completely.”

At the meeting, Hubbard reiterated to Lewis and the parish that he has no intention of moving the seat to the East Bank. He said that the building is an opportunity to consolidate all parish services into one building.

“The East Bank deserves consolidation,” Hubbard said. “Over 90 percent of the population lives over here, and they need a better place to do business.”