By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – A resolution eliminating automatic salary increases for the St. John Parish President passed unanimously during a St. John council meeting Tuesday.

The measure, proposed by District 7 Councilwoman Cheryl Millet, states that any pay raise for the parish’s chief executive would require a two-thirds majority vote from the council before it could be approved.

The council adopted the automatic pay increased in 2008, when former Parish President Bill Hubbard offered a resolution that upped his yearly salary from $81,267 to $123,318. That measure had the support of all council members except Millet and District 3 Councilman Charles Julien.

In other action from Tuesday’s meeting, the council heard bid prices for improvements to the Reserve boat launch. Four construction firms submitted bids for the project, which, administrators say, will revitalize the popular recreational facility. St. John acting Chief Administrative Officer Buddy Boe said the parish will use grants and left over bond money from a 2002 bond issue to pay for the improvements.

The council also quickly awarded a $500,000 parishwide yearly drainage excavation contract to RAMJ construction. Boe said the Kenner firm would be responsible for ditch digging and other drainage maintenance parishwide. The contract includes a 30-day cancellation clause.