Agency holding meeting: Calcasieu Parish Police Jury
Date: Thursday, March 23, 2023, 5:30 pm
Documenter: Carl M. Ambrose, Jr.
Summary
The jury had several conversations about planning and development and recognized local high school dance groups for their national accomplishments.
The Scene
There was a buzz in the room as seniors from the Sulphur Twisters and the Barbe Bluebells were there to be recognized for their accomplishments nationally. The chambers were a little over half filled.
The meeting was called to order by President Landry, with the Invocation and Pledge led by Mr. Hayes. The Jury secretary called roll. President Landry, Vice-President Brame, Mr. Abshire, Mr. Andrepont, Mr. Bares, Mr. Bartie, Mr. Burleigh, Mr. Guillory, Mr. Hayes, Mr. Lewis, Mr. Marcantel, Mr. Smith, Mr. Tramonte were present. Unfortunately, Mr. Stelly was unable to attend.
Presentations
Mr. Landry brought Mr.Brame and Mr. Tramonte to the podium to present the Barbe High School Bluebelles and the Sulphur High School Twisters with Certificates of Recognition for their placement at the 2023 Universal Dance Association’s National Dance Team Championship. Several Seniors from each squad were present to accept their certificates. Mr. Tramonte talked about attending the event at Disney World in February, saying,” We are Blessed to have some great athletes, some of the best in baseball, football, and basketball around in this parish, in our little corner of the state, but I didn’t realize how good our dancers were.” The Sulphur Twisters competed in three categories and finished 4th, 5th, and 14th. Mr. Tramonte noted that eighty to one hundred schools were in each category.
The Barbe Bluebelles were next, and Mr. Brame came to the podium to present the certificates. “The Bluebells are primarily known as a precision high kicking dance team and for the last two years have been top finishers in the high kick category at the UDA National Championships at ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando,” said Mr. Brame. He said that this year they entered a new category, Jazz. At the state level, they won the championship and were the first team to qualify for the finals at Nationals. Mr. Brame introduced the girls and gave them certificates. The captain of the Bluebells, Emily Wallace, thanked the Police Jury and Mr. Brame. “We were so honored to go out on the national level and represent Calcasieu Parish. We’d like to thank Mr. Brame and the Police Jury for recognizing us for that.”
Planning and development
The staff recommended approval of one new liquor and beer permit be approved. Motion by Mr. Richard, Second by Mr. Lewis. There was no discussion or objections, and the motion passed.
The Police Jury then approved a rezoning application from an Agricultural to Recreational Vehicle Park, allowing the expansion of the existing RV park submitted by David Stine. The motion was made by Mr. Bares and seconded by Mr. Tramonte; Mr. Landry recognized Mr. Bares, who said that the approval was based on all the conditions that were in place being met and added a sixth condition, that a 6 ft. wooden fence be erected. Again, the motion passed with no further discussion or objection. Mr. Landry said, “That’s the least controversial RV Park we’ve had on the agenda in the last ten years,” which brought laughter from those in attendance.
The Police Jury authorized the Director of Planning and Development to notify property owners listed below, as required by law, to show cause at the public hearing on May 4, 2023, as to why the structures identified should not be condemned. The motion for this passed, with the motion being made by Mr. Abshire and seconded by Mr.Andrepont with no discussion or objection on all properties.
District 1, Mr. Richard
-1015 SAN JUAN STREET, Moss Bluff, one manufactured home, Owner, Owen David Fruge
-1916 SOUTH PERKINS FERRY ROAD, Moss Bluff, one house, Owner, Allan David Cross
District 2, Mr. Smith
-3024 RENEE STREET, Lake Charles, one manufactured home with addition, Owner, Pat Parker
-3623 LUKE POWERS ROAD, Lake Charles, one house and one accessory building, Owner, Dollie Sue Royer
District 6, Mr. Hayes
-1022 FRANKLIN ROAD, Lake Charles, one accessory building, Owner, Jerry Nolan Baker
-7812 ELLIOTT ROAD, Lake Charles, one house, Owner, Charles Wayne Weaver
-612 SPECK DRIVE, Lake Charles, one manufactured home, Owner, Tommy Edward Warwas, Jr.
-5402 POWELL LANE, Lake Charles, one accessory building, Owner, Robert Leonard McCauley, Jr
District 7, Mr. Landry
-2780 AMBER SKY DRIVE, Lake Charles, one manufactured home with addition, Owner,
Joseph B Heacook, Jr., c/o Heather Marie Liotard
District 10 Mr. Stelly
-6446 BARTON DRIVE, LeBleu Settlement, one manufactured home, Owner, K & Q Properties, LLC,
c/o Kelsey Richard, 5239 Goos Ferry Road
-6468 BARTON DRIVE, LeBleu Settlement, one manufactured home with addition, Owner, David Earl Brinson
-805 TOPSY ROAD, Gillis, four manufactured homes, lots 19, 39, 68, and 120, Owner, Country Oaks Park, LLC,
3374 Shore Parkway, Suite 2C, Brooklyn, Ny.11235
District 11, Mr. Marcantel
-3912 ETIENNE DAIGLE ROAD, Sulphur, one manufactured home, Owner, Mary Jenell Cormier
-3894 GILL DRIVE, Sulphur, Ward Four (one manufactured home and one accessory building,
Owner, James David Weldon
-233 CYPRESS LAKE ROAD, Sulphur, one manufactured home, Owner, Leland H. Hinman, II
District 12, Mr. Bares
-1136 BEACHCOMBER ROAD, Carlyss, one house, Owner, Juan Carlos Devicente,
2248 North Lake Michele Circle, Lake Charles, LA 70607
-2123 MACK ROAD, Vinton, one house, Owner, Don, and Sheila Snider Ministries, Inc.,
1301 Center Street, Vinton, LA 70668
-4991 JAY JARDELL DRIVE, Vinton, one house, Owner, Kevin Roy Martin, c/o Angela Martin
District 14, Mr. Burleigh
-3719 EAST VERNON STREET, Sulphur, one house and two accessory buildings, Owner, Hayes Andrew Trout Estate
-479 HIGH HOPE ROAD, Sulphur, one house, and one accessory building,
Owner, Kristi Diane Troesser Doucet
Administration
The Office of the Administrator requested approval of the Regular Meeting of the Police Jury held February 16, 2023. The motion was made by Mr. Guillory and seconded by Mr. Bartie; the motion passed. No discussion or objection.
The next couple of items on the agenda concerned approving the Industrial Tax Exemption Program, which is a state incentive program that offers tax incentives for manufacturers who make a commitment to jobs to the state. With approval from the Board of Commerce and Industry and local governmental entities, the program provides manufacturers an 80% property tax abatement on qualifying capital investment in the state.
The first resolution up for approval was for the Crying Eagle Brewing Company. Mr. Abshire made a motion, which was seconded by Mr. Bartie. When Mr. Landry asked if there was discussion, Mr. Tramonte sought clarification on the Brewery’s status as a “Retail Micro Brewery,” asking, “Where does that become manufacturing?”
Mr. Beam, the Parish administrator, said,’ “Mr. Avery, the Owner of Crying Eagle, is here.” Mr. Eric Avery began by saying, “Yes,Crying Eagle opened in 2016 and our initial focus was on being a large scale manufacturer of our own beer brands. Hopefully to sell our beer brands in Louisiana and beyond. During the pandemic, we made a pivot shift in our business model to become, we’re still a manufacturer on the state and federal level, but we also have a retailer’s license to sell wines and spirits etc.” He went on to explain that on a federal level, Crying Eagle is still able to distribute their brands outside of Louisiana.He noted,” However, Louisiana law prohibits us, currently, from distributing inside the state of Louisiana.” He discussed how the state law required that 50% of his brand be manufactured at the retail location. This requirement was changed from 100% a year ago through lobbying efforts. He also said, it is “our hope that we will be able to distribute within the confines of the state of Louisiana, and we do distribute outside of Louisiana.”
Mr. Avery brought attention to the application, which only included the $2.3 million and 5 job investment as “only the manufacturing component” of the project. The total investment up to date, with a few exclusions, is $12 million and will produce 80 jobs. He hoped that they would take that into consideration.
Next, Mr. Beam clarified some information concerning ITEP, as Mr. Tramonte had asked earlier if the 5 jobs were the ITEP requirement. Mr.Beam went on to outline the yearly review process to see if the requirements are being met and what the protocol is concerning the process, and that it only applies to the manufacturing part of the business. Finally, Mr. Avery spoke about improving the quality of life with the projects on the lakefront. There was no further discussion or objections, so Mr. Abshire’s Motion, seconded by Mr. Bartie, passed without objection.
*Note: the Louisiana Board of Commerce and Industry approved the application on March 1, 2023.
Indorama Ventures Olefins, LLC.’s ITEP proposal is anticipated to create three new direct jobs with a capital investment of $69,531,417 for modifications and upgrades at their Westlake facility. The motion was made by Mr. Andrepont and seconded by Mr. Tramonte. Mr. Landry recognized Mr. Burleigh, who had a question for the Indorama representative Mr. David Hext, Director of Site Operations, concerning fulfilling the terms of the original ITEP agreement. “We haven’t met the stipulation yet, we were short, but we are actively hiring and have onboarded six people since the beginning of the year.” He said they are working with Sowela and McNeese to meet the job requirement goal and anticipate reaching it by April this year. There was no other discussion or objection, so Mr. Andrepont’s motion, seconded by Mr. Tramonte, passed.
*Note: the Louisiana Board of Commerce and Industry approved the application on March 1, 2023.
The Police Jury also approved an ITEP application for LACC, LLC US to install a boiler and other equipment that ties into the Westlake facility’s manufacturing process. A motion to carry was made by Mr. Marcantel and seconded by Mr. Tramonte; there was no discussion or objections, motion passed.
The Police Jury adopted a resolution that amended the Accounting and Grants Manual to include Policy and Language Access Plans, which comply with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Mr. Abshire made the motion, seconded by Mr. Andrepont; there was no discussion or objection, motion passed. Approval of submitting the Title VI Act of 1964 for grant funds under the RESTORE Act (Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities and Revived Economics). Mr. Smith made the motion, seconded by Mr. Richard, with no discussion or objections; the motion passed. The last administrative item was adopting a proclamation recognizing April 9-15 as National Telecommunications Week in Calcasieu Parish. The motion was made by Mr. Hayes, seconded by Mr. Lewis, with no discussion or objections; the motion passed.
Engineering and public works
The Engineering and Public Works requested approval of Amendments to several Professional Engineering Contracts between the Police Jury and contractors and consultants. The first was with Providence Engineering and Environmental Group, LLC, for additional service work for the Forest Avenue Drainage Improvement Project in District two. Mr. Marcantel made the motion to carry. It was seconded by Mr. Smith and passed with no discussion or objection.
The amendment was approved with Manchac Consulting Group, Inc. for additional services at the Mallard Junction Water Treatment Plant, Pressure Filter Rehab Project in District Two. Mr. Smith made the motion to carry, seconded by Mr. Richard, and passed without discussion or objection. The contract was amended and approved for the Calcasieu Parish Wastewater Lagoon Cleaning Project in District two with Machac Consulting Group, Inc., with Mr. Smith’s motion and Mr. Marcantel’s seconded motion. The motion passed with no discussion or objections.
The resolution to acknowledge the annual MWPP(Municipal Water Pollution Prevention audit has been completed for Sewerage District No. Eleven Wards Three and Eight Wastewater Treatment Plants were passed without discussion or objection. Mr. Guillory made the motion, and it was seconded by Mr. Richard. The final Engineering and Public Works item was an amendment to the Code of Ordinances to establish a pretreatment policy manual and operational rules for Sewerage District No. Eleven Wards Three and Eight. The motion was made by Mr. Brame, seconded by Mr. Marcantel, and passed without discussion or objection.
Human Services
The Police Jury proclaimed April 2023 is Fair Housing Month in the Parish. Mr. Guillory made the motion to carry, seconded by Mr. Lewis, with no discussion or objection.
A motion passed, made by Mr. Marcantel, and seconded by Mr. Guillory, certifying that the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) was excluded from any activities listed as a tenant-based rental assistance program.
A multi-Jurisdictional Agreement outlining the actions and responsibilities for all the services to be provided from the allocation of funds from March 23, 2023, through December 31, 2023, through the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. The motion to pass was made by Mr. Burleigh, seconded by Mr. Bartie, and without discussion or objection, the motion carried.
Ms. Nicole Miller, CPPJ Program Manager for Disaster Housing Recovery, was there to discuss the Rental Restoration and Development Program. The Louisiana Housing Corporation and the Office of Community Development announced a $32 Million Community Development Block Grant Restoration and Development award. Funding is available to repair, reconstruct, rent, and in the rural parishes, build new, affordable housing.
Ms. Miller briefly discussed the program saying,” It’s open to small landlords, non-profits, and landowners…it is an excellent opportunity for the mom and pops to redevelop their abandoned rental property.”
She added: “This is not an acquisition program; it’s a redevelopment program.” She described how you must finance the units, and it’s a “take-out” loan on the back end that is entirely forgivable. In addition, you must make the units affordable housing for local residents.
You can learn more about the Rental Restoration and Development Program here.
Procurement
The Police Jury approved the payment of all current invoices. Mr. Andrepnt made the motion, seconded by Mr. Brame, and passed without discussion or objection.
The staff recommended accepting the bids from Prairie Contractors, LLC, and R.E. Heidt Construction Co., LLC for Hot Mix. Motion to accept made by Mr. Burleigh, seconded by Mr. Marcantel, passed without discussion or objection. Next, action was taken on a bid for Water Level Monitoring Station Parts. Staff recommended accepting bids of Advanced Environmental Monitoring, dba High Sierra Electronics, Inc., Blue Water Design Technologies, LLC, and KISTERS North America, Inc. Mr. Marcantel made the motion, seconded by Mr. Hayes, and the motion carried without discussion or objection.
The Jury also acted on a bid by Alfred Palma for the Health Connection Generator Project for $479,100. The two lowest bids were not considered due to their failure to submit proper forms. The motion made by Mr. Richard, seconded by Mr. Bartie, passed without discussion or objection.
The Highway 397 and James Sudduth Road Waterline Loop and Replacement Project approval was given, and the bid of Blake D. Hines, Inc. was recommended and accepted for $1,402,403.00. Mr. Bartie made the motion, seconded by Mr. Brame; it was carried without discussion or objection. The Public Works East and West Side Paving Improvements Project bids saw Gunter Construction, Inc bid recommended and accepted for $427,000. Mr. Marcantel made the motion, seconded by Mr. Richard; the motion passed without discussion or objection.
Coburn Supply Company, Inc., Ferguson Waterworks, and Lafayette Winwater Works Co. bids were recommended and accepted for Distribution Pipes and Fittings. Mr. Tramonte motioned, seconded by Mr. Richard; the motion passed without discussion or objection.
The staff recommended rejecting the non-responsive bid and requested readvertising for bids on purchasing four 2023 or newer Tandem Dump trucks for Engineering and Public Works. Mr. Burleigh’s motion was seconded by Mr. Brame and passed without discussion or objection.
Bids for Ready Mix from Dunham Price, LLC and PAIReady Mix LLC were accepted, the motion made by Mr. Marcantel, seconded by Mr. Bartie; it was carried without discussion or objection.
Apeck Aggregate Supply, LLC, DP Aggregates, LLC, and Port Aggregates, Inc. bids were accepted for Crushed Stone. Mr. Richards’s motion was seconded by Mr. Hayes and passed without discussion or objection.
The last issue in procurement was a request for proposals for the CDBG Disaster Recovery funds Program Management Services. Mr. Abshire made a motion that was seconded by Mr. Burleigh. Mr. Smith was recognized and inquired whether it was a consulting service to look at the funds and how much they would be distributed among the parish. Mr. Jennifer Cobian of the Grants Dept. said the parish received $26 million, and there are strict stipulations under the program. She said this was the first step in submitting a proposal to the state of possible plans and narratives to review, all this with input and approval from the police jury along the way. The motion carried with no further discussion or objections.
Mr. Landry advised that the adjudicated property will be sold on April 25, 2023, and that the regular meeting scheduled for April 6, 2023, has been rescheduled to Tuesday, April 4, 2023, at 5:30 pm.
Executive Session
The Police Jury went into Executive Session to discuss Tammy Cole vs. Calcasieu Parish Police Jury civil case. Mr. Burleigh made the motion, seconded by Mr. Bartie. The executive session lasted 30 minutes, and the meeting was adjourned by Mr. Landry.
Links
You can find the agenda for the meeting here:https://granicus_production_attachments.s3.amazonaws.com/calcasieuparishla/52037d9fe6b86afb74ad2a774ebf6b2a0.pdf
Video
You can find the video of the meeting here: https://www.facebook.com/CalcasieuParishPoliceJury/videos/1580201935834856