From the City of Central website

 I. Preliminary Business

(1) Call to Order

(2) Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance

(3) Roll Call

(4) Approval of minutes from the May 19, 2011 council meeting.

II. Unfinished Business

None

III. New Business

1) Mayor’s report and presentations.

2) Introduction of the following item (with public hearing to be held at the June 28, 2011council meeting)

a) An Ordinance granting unto Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, L.L.C. and to its successors and assigns for a period of thirty-eight (38) years, the right, privilege and franchise to distribute, deliver, sell and supply gas service throughout the City of Central, Louisiana, to the inhabitants thereof, or to any person, firm, or corporation; to construct, erect, lay, replace, remove, reduce, or enlarge in size, relocate, renew, repair, maintain (including, but not limited to, rights of ingress and egress), use, and operate a system of pipes, pipelines, gas mains, laterals, conduits, feeders, regulators, man-holes, reducers, compressors, meters, fixtures, communications equipment, connections, attachments, and all other appurtenances, accessories and appliances incidental or in any way pertaining thereto, in, upon, over, across, through, along and under the streets, roads, alleys, highways, bridges, viaducts, water-courses, public grounds, and other public places in the City of Central, Louisiana and the right to repair, replace or remove same or any portion thereof, and the right to connect any such facilities to any other such facilities for the purpose of acquiring, producing, preparing, receiving, delivering, distributing, transporting, supplying, conveying, vending, selling or reselling of natural gas into through, or beyond the boundaries of the City of Central, Louisiana, as now existing or as said city limits may hereafter be extended; and granting Entergy Gulf States Louisiana, L.L.C., the authority to use such for the purpose of distributing, delivering, selling and supplying, in such a manner as it chooses, gas service throughout the City of Central and to its inhabitants and to any other governmental agency, governmental subdivision, person, firm or corporation, wherever located within or without the city limits of the City of Central, to be used by such purchaser or purchasers, for any lawful purpose for which gas may be used; granting to said Grantee the right to adopt reasonable rules and regulations, demand deposits, charge for installation and to prevent the resale of gas by Grantee’s customers; providing for certain payments by Grantee to City of Central; and providing regulations and conditions for the exercise of said right, privilege and franchise, and penalties for violation thereof. (By Councilman DeJohn)

3) Public Hearing and action regarding the following instrument(s):

a) An ordinance amending the Annual Budget of the City of Central for Fiscal Year 2010-2011. (By Councilman Washington)

b) An ordinance adopting the Annual Budget of the City of Central for Fiscal Year 2011-2012. (By Councilman Washington)

c) A resolution selecting the Official Journal of the City of Central for a term of one year starting on July 1, 2011. (By Councilman Moak)

d) A resolution to establish a procedure and to authorize designated individuals to waive certain professional privileges and to provide for related matters. (By Councilman Washington)

4) Other items for discussion by council:

None

IV. Zoning Cases

(1) Introduction of the following item(s) (with Public Hearing to be held at the June 28, 2011 council meeting):

None

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

a) PUD-2-11 PUD Concept Plan Twin Lake Estates This property is located on the north side of Denham Road between the White Oak Run Drive and Hidden Creek Drive intersections. The applicant is proposing a Planned Unit Development Concept Plan consisting of low-density (maximum of 2 units per acre) single family residential land use according to the city of Central Master Plan. (Applicant: Jim Clark)

Zoning Commission Action May 26, 2011: A motion to recommend Approval of the PUD Concept Plan was made by Mr. Giles and seconded by Mr. Johnson. The approval included the following stipulation: The proposed diagram showing the dimensional street standard is not included as part of this approval. Motion passed with seven (7) yeas and zero (0) nays

b) RV-2-11 Revocation of Public Right of Way This property is located on Magnolia Square Drive on Tract C-2-A of Village of Magnolia Square Subdivision. The applicant is proposing to revoke an alley for a commercial use in a traditional neighborhood development. (Applicant: James H. Nunnally)

Zoning Commission Action May 26, 2011: A motion to recommend Approval of the Revocation of the alley R/W was made by Mr. Burns and seconded by Mr. Johnson. Motion passed with seven (7) yeas and zero (0) nays

V. Other Business

(1) Public Comment

* Restricted to items not on the agenda. A Public Comment Request to Speak Card must be turned in to the City Clerk prior to the start of the meeting in order to be considered. Public comment is limited to 10 speakers with three minutes each.

(2) Announcements

(3) Adjournment

June 6, 2011 – A Few Questions for Mayor Watts

What new businesses are looking seriously at locating in Central?
    Mike Anderson’s is coming to Greenwell Springs near Sullivan.  They should be breaking ground by October and it is going to be a really nice restaurant.  Of course we have Louis DeAngelo’s coming to Sullivan Road just south of Wax and Louis runs a first class restaurant.   Also, two of the investors are from here in Central, Mike Breaux & Charlie Kinsley.  Those two restaurants we know for sure.  Taco Bell is on go but have not committed.  They received a petition from the Central Private students and already have aerial photos of Central and are looking for property.  Huddle House, very similar to Waffle House, also wants to come to Central and is looking for a location, but has not made a formal commitment.  Finally, I welcome the Marinos who have bought Central Florist from Melissa and Marty Guilbeau.

Can you give us an update on the Cooking in Central property?
    It is absolutely going to be ready for next year.  They are working hard on the project.  The pavilion will be built and they are working on the layout for the roads.

What else is going on that you would like to share with the Central Community?
    I would like to thank everyone who helped in any way with the Memorial Day service, including the Republican Women of Central, Grace Pentecostal Church and Pastor Glen Murphy, Bill Parsons, Billy Thompson and Central Florist.
    I am also excited about the upcoming Our Lady of the Lake Children’s Hospital Mansion Fundraiser.  The house is being built in Village Lakes Subdivision right here in Central.  I would especially like to thank all of the banks here in Central for supporting this effort by selling tickets.

 
Above: Central Mayor Mac Watts and Shyam Choudhary (seated right), CFO of IBTS, execute a five year contract to provide Central's City Services.  Selection Committee Chairman Wayne Leader (seated left) and members of the Contract and Selection Committees and City Council attended the signing Wednesday at City Hall. – Photo by Michael Spangler of Expressions Photography

    After nine months of planning, six months of committee work and countless meetings and hours on the part of many citizens, Central has a new contract for City Services.  The Institute for Building Technology and Safety, or IBTS, and the City of Central have signed a five year deal to provide Central's City Services.  The contract takes effect on July the first, with IBTS opening an office in the La Centrale shopping center at the corner of Greenwell Springs & Sullivan.  All City Services activities such as permitting and inspections which were provided by CH2M Hill at the office at the corner of Hooper and Greenwell Springs will now be handled by IBTS at the new location.  A final thank you goes out to the dedicated team of volunteers recruited by Mayor Watts to see this process through from beginning to the final recommendation to the Mayor.  The contact phone number for City Services will remain 262-5000 and City Services should continue uninterrupted through the transition.

Submitted by Chad Brewer

    The Recreation and Park Commission for the Par ish of East Baton Rouge (BREC) approved updating their agreement with the City of Baker to improve their downtown City Park trail. In other action, the BREC Commission approved a bid to begin the construction of Central Community Sports Park. In addition, BREC invites the public to celebrate the Zachary Community Park Phase II ground breaking and Grand Opening of the Raising Cane’s Dog Park Saturday on June 4, 10 a.m. to noon at 20055 Hwy. 964 in Zachary.

    In Baker, BREC will install exercise equipment an exercise system for older and disabled adults along a trail in the park. The BREC Foundation collected $18,000 thus far for the equipment. Donors include the Main Street Pilot Club, Baker Charitable Foundation, Knights of Columbus Council 4085, Community Care Center, Peoples Health and Mary Sue Stages, APAC. BREC will use $8,000 in public funds for pads and installation. BREC will maintain the equipment, per the agreement. According to Carl Stages, BREC Foundation Executive Director, "Working together, this public-private partnership between community allies will create another way that citizens, especially seniors and those with disabilities, can enjoy the park and improve their health."

    In the City of Central, the BREC commission awarded a bid to DRC Emergency Services for $2.9 million to construct the first phase of improvements for the Central Community Sports Park. Phase One will begin construction in about six weeks and will last about a year. The park will open in the fall of 2012 with the completion of Phase One. According to Assistant Superintendent, Ted Jack, "We are really excited to begin this portion of the construction on what will be a great park for the Central community."

    Phase One will include the park infrastructure, five ball fields, two parking lots, four lakes, a walking path, restrooms, and a concession building. Phase I was funded through East Baton Rouge Parish voters’ support of the "Imagine Your Parks" strategic plan in 2004. Phase Two, unfunded at this time, includes a playground, two additional ball fields and three-to-four practice fields. BREC’s Landscape Architects developed the Central Community Sports Park master plan in house with the construction documents completed by CSRS Engineering Cons ulting Firm. DRC Emergency Services will serve as the general contractor for the project.

    In Zachary, the groundbreaking ceremony for the Zachary Community Park Phase Two renovations is scheduled for Saturday, June 4 from 10 a.m. to noon. Located adjacent to the backside of the Zachary City Park, this unique community park will provide outdoor fun for everyone on 43 acres of land. The Raising Cane’s Dog Park will open at the Zachary Community Park at the same time.

     Completed Phase One renovations of the park include site infrastructure, lighting and drainage, the Great Lawn, Raising Cane’s Dog Park, basketball courts, a sand volleyball court, family picnic areas, walking paths, a modu lar skate park, and a fishing pier on the large lake. The second phase of renovations will include the recreation facility and park signage. The park will also offer a variety of outdoor recreation activities and interactive programming such as canoeing, kayaking, and outdoor music concerts. The park will also be available to host many of BREC’s special events as well as community sponsored events.

    The master plan for the Zachary Community Park was developed in house by BREC landscape architects.Construction costs for the Zachary Community Park totaled roughly $1.9 million. ABMB Engineers completed the construction documents for the Zachary Community Park. BREC Landscape Architects led the design of the Zachary Community Park. Block Construction, L.L.C. served as the General Contractor for the project.For more information on all o f these park projects, visit brec.org/construction.

From the City of Central

    Building permits continued at a brisk pace in May within the city of Central. A total of 13 new residential permits were issued.  The total valuation of these permits was $3,467,124. 

    Within these permits, four were issued in Village Lakes with an average valuation of $259,386; four in Woodstock with an average valuation of $251,842; one in Village at Magnolia Square with a valuation of $302,170; one in Morgan Springs with a valuation of $165,230, and one in Northwoods valued at $316,602.  There were two permits issued on private parcels of land around the city with an average valuation of $319,103.  So far this year, a total of 65 new residential building permits have been issued.

    One of the homes permitted in Village Lakes subdivision will be the home for this year’s Children’s Miracle Mansion.  The 3900 sq. ft. home is being donated by the developers and is being constructed by KM-Ron Builders and 4 others (see article on facing page.  No building permit fees were collected on this home.

    Also, Rabalais Homes last week purchased 19 lots in the Village Lakes subdivision for $1.07 million. The builder bought the lots from Titan Development Holdings, which developed the neighborhood off Magnolia Bridge Road. Steve Rabalais says his firm already purchased 15 to 20 lots in Village Lakes. Rabalais says the homes will sell for between $240,000 and $350,000.  Rabalais is a local Central resident.

By Dave Freneaux

Fact: Making Central’s government bigger by adding two Council Members would cost the Taxpayers of Central approximately $130,000 every four years.

Fact: If Central’s City Council elections are changed to five Districts, approximately 800 votes in a District would elect a Council Member.

Fact: If Central opted for seven Districts, approximately 575 votes would put a Council Member in office from that district.

    Three Council Members, LoBue, Messina and Washington, were elected on a platform supporting a move to Districts.  Central’s other two Council Members, DeJohn and Moak, have recently stated that they have heard the people’s support for Districts and that they too can support a move to City Council elections by District.  Under the Lawrason Act Central’s current City Council makes the decision as to how many Council Seats there will be in the 2014 election.  Given this information, it seems very likely that a move toward Districts will take place before 2014.

    The reason most often stated for wanting Central to have Districts is equal representation.  Currently, all five of Central’s Council Members live within two miles of the corner of Sullivan and Greenwell Springs in the southern area of the City.  Under Districts, Central would be divided into areas of equal population and the voters in each District would elect someone living in that District to serve on the City Council.  Dividing the approximately 8,000 voters in the last election into five districts yields 1,600 likely voters, and with about 800 votes a candidate living in each District becomes a Council Member.  Similarly, seven districts means about 1,150 likely voters, with about 575 votes putting a candidate in office.  As the numbers show, adding two Council Seats does give slightly better representation to the individual voters, but it carries a $130,000 price tag each four years.

    At the current Council’s rate of spending, Central’s City Council will cost about $330,000 over a four year term.  If two Council Seats are added this cost would rise to near $460,000, an increase of $130,000 over the four year Council term.  The decision to add two Council Seats does give each voter a stronger voice in the choice of their District’s Council Member, but it also comes at a cost of $130,000 over four years.  Since this decision is, by law, left to the current Council Members themselves, any citizen wishing to be heard on this issue should start by calling a Council Member and letting him know whether you support creating additional Council Seats.

EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH REPUBLICAN ROUNDTABLE
Thursday – June 2nd, 2011
At 12 NOON
La Madeleine

Secretary of State J. Thomas "Tom" Schedler will be the guest speaker.  J. Thomas “Tom” Schedler was sworn in as secretary of state on Monday, Nov. 22, 2010, when then-Secretary of State Jay Dardenne was sworn in as Lieutenant Governor. Schedler was appointed first assistant secretary of state in December of 2007 by Dardenne.
 
Schedler was first elected to the Louisiana State Senate in 1996 and served three terms representing Senate District 11 which covers parts of St. Tammany and Tangipahoa parishes.
 
His governmental experience consists of serving on the Slidell City Council from July 1990 to January 1996, having been elected president and vice president of that body during his terms of office. He was also the president of the St. Tammany Municipal Association in 1995 and served as chairman of the Slidell Board of Zoning and Adjustment from 1984 to 1990.
 
He received numerous awards and honors during his legislative career, including Legislator of the Year from numerous health care related groups in the state such as the Rural Hospital Coalition, the Louisiana Hospital Association, the Metro Hospital Council of New Orleans, State Hospice Organization, several mental health associations and the nursing home industry. He has also been honored as a champion of business several times over. He was named Legislator of the Year by the Alliance for Good Government in 2000 and Republican of the Year in 2006 at the Annual Lincoln/Reagan Banquet. He was elected to two terms as a member of the Republican State Central Committee; by his peers in the Senate to serve as chairman of the Republican Delegation; and attended the 2000 Republican National Convention in Philadelphia as a George W. Bush delegate.
 
Professionally, he is a licensed Louisiana real estate broker, serves on the Board of Trustees of a 156-bed regional hospital and medical center and serves on the advisory board of Whitney National Bank of New Orleans. He held the position as director of a hospital health foundation and was the director of managed care services and business development for a 172-bed St. Tammany Parish hospital. He served as president/chief executive officer and a member of the board of directors of a local savings bank, board member of an $800 million regional national bank and president of the Rotary Club of Slidell and is a Paul Harris Fellow. He was also a member of numerous civic organizations and is a CASA trained court appointee.
 
Schedler was born and raised in New Orleans. He graduated from De La Salle High School in 1967 prior to receiving his Bachelor of Science in marketing from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette in 1971. In 1999, he was honored by his high school as one of De La Salle High School's 125 outstanding graduates over the school's first 50 years. In 1991, he graduated from the Leadership Louisiana program sponsored by the Council for a Better Louisiana. In that same year, he was also honored as Slidell's Citizen of the Year and Slidell’s Employer of the Year. He and his family were also nominated for the Slidell Family of the Year.
Schedler is married to his wife of 39 years, the former Stephanie Gelé of Lafayette. She owns and operates hospice programs in Louisiana and Mississippi. They have three daughters and two grandchildren. He and his family are Roman Catholic and members of Our Lady of the Lake Church in Mandeville. He resides during the week in Baton Rouge with his primary residence in Mandeville.
       
It is now very helpful to RSVP for the EBRP Roundtables; I would appreciate you dropping me an email at EBRPGOP@aol.com if you think you will attend. We will send you another email reminder prior to the meeting.  Please send this email invitation to your friends and invite them to attend. 
 
Upon arrival, please be seated and your lunch will be served to you promptly. We would like everyone to be seated by 12:10 in order to begin our program.  Cost of the luncheon is $20. 
 
See you on Thursday

THANK YOU
I want to take this time to offer my sincerest “Thank You” to CH2MHILL. When our city was starting up, we advertised for a company to provide Central city services, and CH2MHill was the only company to submit a proposal.  CH2MHILL carried us through several declared disasters and the day to day maintenance of our city. 
To the employees of our City Services Department, I can never show the appreciation I feel for all the assistance you have shown me and my staff in getting this city up and running.  To each of you, most of whom are Central residents, I wish you the best of luck and God speed on your next venture. 

WELCOME
As Mayor of the City of Central, I extend a warm welcome to our new City Service Company:
THE INSTITUTE FOR BUILDING TECHNOLOGY AND SAFETY, “IBTS"
I look forward to working with you in the coming years to make the City of Central all she is meant to be. 

CONGRATULATIONS 
To all our graduating seniors in Central, I say congratulations and job well done!  I wish you the best in the next chapter of your life and sincerely hope that you will remain a citizen of Central and bless us with your future acquired skills and hopefully one day your family.
You truly are:
CENTRAL PROUD!!
CENTRAL STRONG!!

KIDS TIME WITH THE MAYOR
Last Saturday, we held our second annual “Kids Time with the Mayor” at Village at Magnolia Square.  The time you allowed me to share with your children was truly a blessing.  We want to thank the following contributors who made this day possible.
Village at Magnolia Square
Winn Dixie
Oak Point Grocery
Coca Cola
Kleinpeter Dairy
Kenny and Susan Acosta
GM Cable
Bill McLin
Georgia Pacific
EBR Sheriff’s Dept.
EBR Clerk of Court                   
Central Fire Dept.                    
Pretty In Paint
Les Jummels De Central 

MEMORIAL DAY SERVICE
This Thursday, May 26, 2011, we will be holding our Memorial Day Service at 9:00 A.M. at Grace United Pentecostal Church, located directly across from the Central High football field on Hooper Road.   I extend an invitation to each of you to come join us in honoring those who gave their all in order that we might enjoy the freedom to live in this wonderful community and country. 

Remember we are:
CENTRAL PROUD!!
CENTRAL STRONG!!

God Bless Central,
Mac Watts, Mayor

The purpose of “FROM THE MAYOR’S DESK” is to disseminate public information to as many citizens as possible.  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 said document is not authorized by the author.                 

From the City of Central

   The city of Central will join local and national law enforcement officers for the 2011 national Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement mobilization that begins Monday, May 23rd. During the mobilization, which runs through June 5th, law enforcement throughout the country will be cracking down on motorists who fail to obey all traffic laws – especially seat belt and child safety seat use. Wearing your seat belt is the single most effective crash protection available. Spread the word to your family and friends to always buckle up – both day and night. Not only could you save them the cost of a ticket, you could even save their lives.

By Dave Freneaux

    They did not serve for recognition.  They did not serve for personal gain.  They served because they saw an opportunity to make a difference in Central.  Committee members, look at this the same way you do at a Sunday dinner when the family brings in the birthday cake blazing brightly with more candles than you wish were there, singing out of tune and making you the center of attention.  They don't do it because they think you want or expect it.  They do it to show you that they appreciate you.  So, settle back in your chair and let us point out that you gave up family time, ball games, sleep, hobbies and even work, to spend many hours crafting a comprehensive contract for Central's City Services, then carefully selecting the company who will give the people of Central the best value and provide the best services for our tax dollars.  With a nod to Mayor and Committee Chair Mac Watts for assembling this capable and dedicated group, we offer heartfelt thanks on behalf of so many here in Central to the members of the City Services Committee and the Selection Committee:  Ti Barnes, Jeanie Barnett, Rodney Bonvillain, Paul Burns, Keith Cranfield, Louis DeJohn, Jay Dykes, Pete Firmin, Michael Hooper, Rusty Jacobs, Tara Landry, Wayne Leader, Mike Mannino, Gil Matherne, David Medlin, Mark Miley, Neal Paul Miller, Buddy Ragland, Fred Raiford, R.J. Saucier, Mike Stephens, and Ralph Washington.