It was nice to have a shovel in my hand to take part in the ground breaking ceremonies for our new school complex.  What an exciting time for Central.  Plans are to have this phase of the project completed by the beginning of the 2011/2012 school year.  Here’s hoping and praying that all goes well!

CITY SERVICES ACTIVITY FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE, 2010

Public works:

          The Public Work Department issued a total of 145 work requests for the month of June.

Of the 145 total work order requests:

          111 are Completed Work Orders, which is 77% of total work requests

          34 are Pending, which is 23% of total work requests

Permits:

          There were 104 Building Permits issued.  The Building Permits include but are not limited to:  (electrical, plumbing, mechanical, commercial and building).

Planning and Zoning:

          There were 38 P&Z requests processed. 

Occupational License:

          There were 16 Occupational Licenses processed.

Building Inspections:

          406  Total Inspections

                   391   Residential Inspections

                     15   Commercial Inspections

Code Enforcement:

                   25  Code Violations Investigated

                   23   Letters of Violation Issued

SPECIAL TRIBUTE:

I would like to pay special tribute to Charlotte Fergerson, my Administrative Assistant.  Charlotte works tirelessly for the City of Central, always taking her lunch break at her desk.  She has taken very few vacation days and when she does, it is to travel to Alabama to check on her mother.

Charlotte greets our citizens and visitors very courteously and will go the extra mile to assist even if their problem does not pertain to Central.

She handles my correspondence and daily schedule, so if you at anytime you have a need to communicate with City Hall or myself, Charlotte will see that your need is addressed.

Thank you Charlotte, you have been a true blessing to me and most importantly, to the city of Central! 

COURT CASE

Up to this point I purposely avoided being drawn into the controversy surrounding the request for records made by Central City News to CH2M Hill.  The Central City Attorney had originally advised me that no one in the Mayor’s office was in possession of the requested records and the CH2M Hill attorneys claimed the records were not public records.  I felt it was best to withhold comment until the matter ran its course in the court system.  The first step of that process has been completed.  The judge summarily dismissed the lawsuit filed by Central City News and assessed all court costs against them.  The only remaining question involves the amount of attorney’s fees that Central City News will have to pay to CH2M Hill, if any, and the judge will rule on that after another hearing.  Central City News can appeal the judgment if it so chooses.  Meanwhile, now that the court has provided guidance, I will work to clarify the contract between the City of Central and CH2M Hill, to assure that all truly public records remain available, as they always have been, to any person making a request.  This is a pledge.

The author grants permission to third parties to forward and/or publish the entire text of this edition of FROM THE MAYOR’S DESK including this statement.  Forwarding or publication of any edited version of FROM THE MAYOR’S DESK IS NOT AUTHORIZED.

Thank you and God Bless,

Mac Watts

Mayor, City of Central

The City of Central was created under and is governed by "The Lawrason Act", which is a group of laws included in Louisiana law is the framework for more than 75% of the incorporated municipalities in Louisiana.  The Lawrason Act sets forth the rules by which officials are elected and appointed, what the powers and duties are for each office, how ordinances and resolutions are created and passed, how courts are set up and administered, how budgets are adopted and how taxes are levied.  These laws, together with subsequent case law and Attorney General's opinions, lay the foundation and the rules by which the City of Central is governed.  CentralSpeaks.com will endeavor, over a period of time, to provide informative facts about the Lawrason Act in hopes of clearing up any misconception about the way Central's government should function.  Much like our Federal Government, Central has both a Legislative and an Executive branch.  The Legislative branch is the City Council.  While the entirety of the law cannot be reduced to a few paragraphs, an overview of the Council and the Mayor's roles in government follow below.

Council Member Aaron Moak was previously named by Mayor Mac Watts to chair a committee to develop a "Code of Ethics" for Central.  Mr. Moak reported that he and new Counci Member Messina, the vice-chair of the committee, had selected four names of citizens to present to the Council for membership on this Ethics Committee.  However, as Council Member Moak researched other state and local Ethics Boards, he came across a recurring rule in many boards requiring that Public Officials, Candidates for Public Office and even Candidates in prior elections, be excluded from membership on many Ethics Boards.  Twenty-three states prohibit Public Officials, most of those staes prohibit Candidates, and three prohibit Candidates from prior elections from serving on Ethics Commissions.
 
Mr. Moak, concerned that Central begin this effort with no appearance of impropriety, recommended that he and Mr. Messina, along with their four selections, NOT be accepted as the Ethics Committee.  He further suggested that a committee of seven be chosen to serve on the Ethics Committee, one by each Council member and two by the Mayor.  Council Members Moak and Messina have agreed to draw up a resolution for the next Council meeting to formalize this committee structure, presumably giving the qualifications and restrictions for serving on the committee.
 
In other business before the Council, Mayor Watts opted not to call for a vote for Mayor Pro-Tempore, meaning that Council Member Washington remains in that position.  An ordinances was passed expanding parking violations to include blocking access to mailboxes.  Another ordinance strengthened rights to post no trespassing signs to deter door-to-door selling and limiting hours for such activities to 9AM – 5PM.
 
Two ordinances introduced by Mr. Washington, one to reduce the budget for the City's Master Plan, and one to eliminate the City's budget for Economic Development, were both deferred by Mr. Washington to allow for further study and negotiation.
 
The Council voted unanimously to appropriate $23,058 for a traffic study for the possible Hooper Road extension over the Amite River.  The Council also unanimously accepted the $982,105 Road Maintenance bid by Barber Brothers Contracting to repair various roads in central.  Finally, the much-discussed permit fees for the Central Schools renovation and construction were set by a resolution authored by Council Member Louis DeJohn.  The total of all permit fees on the renovations and construction will be approximately $86,000. The combined projects will cost in excess of $40 million.

The Central City Council will hold a public meeting this Tuesday, July 27th at 6 p.m. at Kristenwood on Greenwell Springs Road.

The rules for conducting such public hearings are as follows:

1) The applicant will speak first for a period not to exceed 10 minutes. Other proponents will speak next, then the opponents. Each speaker will be allowed not more than three minutes. The speakers are requested to limit their remarks and to avoid duplication in their presentations.

2) The proponents will be allowed three minutes for rebuttal.

3) The Council Members may ask questions and make comments but are urged to cooperate in an effort to spend not more than 30 minutes on any one matter before the Council.

I. Preliminary Business

(1) Call to Order

(2) Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance

(3) Roll Call

(4) Approval of minutes from the June 22, 2010 council meeting.

II. Unfinished Business

None

III. New Business

1) Mayor’s report and presentations.

2) Selection of Mayor Pro- Tempore.

3) Report from Moore Planning Group on services provided to the City of Central.

4) Introduction of the following item(s) (with public hearing to be held at the August 10, 2010 council meeting)

a) An ordinance to amend the 2010-2011 Fiscal Year Budget of the City of Central to appropriate the sum of $10,000.00 to the Chaneyville Fire Department. (By Council Member Moak)

b) An ordinance to amend the 2010-2011 Fiscal Year Budget of the City of Central to increase the budget for Economic Development. (By Council Member DeJohn)

c) An ordinance amending the Annual Budget of the city of Central for Fiscal Year 2010-2011 to appropriate $1,100,000 for the 2010 Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Program for PEC Project Number 10820 and engineering and related services to be paid from the Green Light Plan ½-cent sales tax Street Rehabilitation portion. (By Council Member Messina)

5) Discussion and action regarding the following instrument(s):

a) An ordinance to amend and re-enact Section 415 of Chapter 28 of Title 11 relative to parking violations and to provide for related matters. (By Council member Washington)

b) An ordinance to amend and re-enact Chapter 3 of Title 12 relative to trespass and peddling and to provide for related matters. (By Council member Washington)

c) An ordinance amending the Annual Budget of the City of Central for Fiscal Year 2010-2011 to reduce the budgeted amount for City Planner Services from $100,000.00 to $50,000.00. (By Council member Washington)

d) An ordinance amending the Annual Budget of the City of Central for Fiscal Year 2010-2011 to delete the $50,000.00 budgeted amount for Economic Development. (By Council member Washington)

e) An ordinance amending the Annual Budget of the City of Central for Fiscal Year 2010-2011 to appropriate $23,058.00 for Hooper Rd-Livingston Parish Connector Traffic Study according to Resolution 2010-2. (By Council member Moak)

f) Acceptance of Low Bid for the 2010 Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Program (PEC Project Number 10820): (Streets in Bellingrath Lakes, Morgan Place West, Morgan Rd, Landmor Dr, Empress Dr and Old Wax Rd).

Estimated Cost: $1.14 million

Barber Brothers Contracting Co., LLC $ 982,105.00 * (Low Bid)

Barriere Construction $ 991,621.00

Coastal Bridge Company, LLC $ 993,670.00

Diamond B Construction Co., LLC $1,096,695.00

R.J. Daigle and Sons Contractors $1,123,888.80

Dub Johnson Paving Contractors Inc $1,290,570.00

F.G. Sullivan, Jr. Contractors, LLC $1,389,250.00

Industrial Enterprises $1,448,621.70

g) A resolution to set the permit fees for construction of a new intermediate school and a new middle school and to provide for related matters. (By Council Member DeJohn)

h) Approval of the Ethics Committee. (By Council Member Moak)

Central City Council Agenda Tuesday, July27, 2010 Page 3 of 3

IV. Zoning Cases

(1) Introduction of the following item(s) (with Public Hearing to be held at the August 10, 2010 council meeting):

a) RZ-04-10 Rezoning This property is located at 9718 Shady Bluff Drive on Lots 1&2, being on the east side of Shady Bluff Drive southeast of the Hooper Road intersection in Section 11, T-6-S, R-1-E, GLD, EBR, LA. The applicant is proposing to rezone from LC1 (Light Commercial One District) to C-AB-1 (Commercial Alcoholic Beverage One District) for a restaurant to serve alcoholic beverages. (Applicant: A. Harold Laird)(Pit Crew Barbeque).

b) RV-1-10 Revocation of Drainage Servitude This property is Tract A-1-A-3-B-1, formerly of the O. K. Bozeman Property, located on the south side of Hooper Road between the Alena and Ida Street intersections in Section 82, T-6-S, R-1-E, GLD, EBR, LA. The applicant is proposing to relocate existing drainage servitude in order to further develop the property.(Applicant: Brandon W. Rogillio)

c) SPUD-01-09 Small Planned Unit Development Revision. This property is located on Lot 4-B-2-A, being on the west end of Wax Road Extension near the Sullivan Road intersection in Section 68, T-6-S, R-2-E, GLD, EBR, LA. The applicant is proposing the second phase of a Small Planned Unit Development consisting of office, commercial retail uses, and townhomes. (Applicant: Jeff Couvillion)

(2) Discussion and Action regarding the following case(s):

None

V. Other Business

(1) Public Comment

(2) Announcements

(3) Adjournment 

NOTE:

 The Fire Department and Central's Department of Public Works report that they are in the process of checking equipment, fuel and supplies in preparation for any cleanup and relief effort that may be required.  Council Member Aaron Moak, who is Central’s primary point of contact for the Parish EOC (Emergency Operations Center), is in the process of notifying all Council Members of the plans being put into place.  Mayor Watts' office encourages all citizens to take reasonable measures to be prepared for a possible storm event and to keep an eye out for your neighbors who may be less able to make preparations.

 Bear in mind also that tropical storms do not necessarily follow projected paths or expected strengthening.  What is expected to bring 30 MPH winds on Sunday could turn east and miss our area entirely, or could stall, strengthen, and bring hurricane force winds to south Louisiana.  Being prepared is an easy task.  The cost of unpreparedness can be high.

Campaigning for the fall elections is getting started, so officials with the city-parish Department of Public Works are once again dealing with the problem of political signs going up in the wrong spots. "It's something we go through a couple of times every single year," says Pete Newkirk, East Baton Rouge public works director. Newkirk says political campaigns are supposed to get sign permits. When campaigns pick up the permits, they receive a list of posting rules and regulations. Those rules forbid putting signs in right-of-ways, medians, and boulevards and between the street and the sidewalk. Generally, if DPW has a problem with sign placement, Newkirk says the first step is to let the campaign know. "After that, we just start picking up a bunch of signs," he says.

As you know, DOTD and LMA have been sponsoring monthly webinars for the past few months on various DOTD polices and procedures.  These webinars take place on the 4th Monday of each month.  I thank those of you who have come to city hall to view and participate in the webinars.   They are having one on roundabouts next month in August.
 
The next webinar is next Monday, July 26 (see info below).   I will not be sponsoring the webinar at city hall this month, as I have instead been invited by DOTD to be a guest speaker in this webinar to discuss Central’s implementation of access management and roadway designs.  However, if you would like to view the webinar, you may sign up at the link at the bottom of this page.  I will forward to you the powerpoint presentation of this webinar next Monday when it becomes available by DOTD.

The Louisiana Municipal Association Presents Access Management Webinar
July 26, 2010

Bids were opened on Tuesday, July 13 for the city of Central’s Street Rehab Program 2010.  We were pleased to have 8 bidders on the project.  The estimated cost was $1.14 million.  The low bid was submitted by Barber Brothers Contracting Co., LLC in the amount of $982,105.00.   PEC has reviewed all of the tabulations and recommends acceptance of the low bid.  This item will be placed on the next council agenda for approval so that this work can be started.
 
   Once again, the streets involved in this project are:
 
1)       Bellingrath Lakes Ave (Greenwell Springs Rd to Station 28+52)
2)       Lake Stream Dr
3)       Lakeside Dr
4)       Lake Court
5)       Lake Vista Dr
6)       Landmor Dr
7)       Morgan Rd
8)       Old Wax Rd
9)       Spring Meadow Dr
10)   North Milstead Place
11)   South Milstead Place
12)   West Milstead Place
13)   Empress Drive (Landmor to Audusson)
14)   Lake Pass Dr
15)   Lake Port Dr
 
    This represents approximately 4.82 miles of roadway.  Once the contract is signed, the contractor will have 90 days to complete the project.