The Regular meeting of the Franklinton Mayor and Board of Aldermen was held on May 13.
The Board voted to approve the minutes of April 22 Regular meeting and then voted to move the June 10 meeting to June 9 due to a conflict with Louisiana Municipal Association's district meeting on June 10 in Madisonville.
Next, the Board voted to change the status of Sonya Angelo from part-time to full-time dispatcher, change the status of Chelsea Taylor from part-time to full-time police officer, and change the status of Phillip Varnado from part-time to full-time police officer. The Mayor expressed his pleasure that these individuals want to move from part-time to full-time. This will help tremendously with the workload at the police department. Alderman TJ Butler Jr. questioned that after these changes, "How many are we down?" The Mayor responded that this brings the police "shortage" to three. He also encouraged anyone interested in becoming a police officer to meet with Chief Justin Brown and explore the idea further.
The final item of business was the Board voting to authorize the Mayor to sign an MOA with the LSU Ag Center.
With no public participation, the meeting then moved to Council Discussion. Alderman Seth Descant gave an update on recent work by Jack's Tree Service at the animal shelter and the boat launch area. A tree was removed, and the area cleaned up at the animal shelter which will provide room for more dog runs. Descant remarked how improved the area is now. The boat ramp was dredged, and Jack's Tree Service crews also reworked the road to the area and made for a smoother passage. Descant concluded with, 'It was safely done and executed on time."
Alderman Butler questioned how much has been spent on the area in the past two years. Descant estimated about $35,000. He added that it is an area that citizens utilize and is the only boat launch on public property in this area. It is also used by first responders and law enforcement when there are problems on the river. "It is definitely a gem," said Descant.
Alderman Lee Dillon announced that on May 25 at 3:00 pm there will be a gathering at the Veteran's Memorial Park to honor veterans as this will be Memorial Day weekend. He also urged everyone to be safe on the holiday.
Alderwoman Patrice Crain urged all residents to be vigilant with children and be aware that even in a small town like Franklinton, bad things can happen.
Mayor Sharp reported that the water project in the medical district is ongoing and expected to be completed in the next 30 days. He added that there is a leak under Riverside Drive and piping must be replaced there also. To fund this, approval will be sought by Delta Regional Authority, the funding source for the larger project. Alderwoman Crain cautioned that this will be the third time asking for money for this project and the Town may need to apply for a second project to encompass a wider area.
The sidewalk project on Main Street is finishing but Sharp warns motorists to be cautious in that area. The Balloon Festival will be May 30 to June 2, and he urges locals to support this great event. The Watermelon Festival is July 11 through 13 with fireworks on the evening of July 12.
The meeting was ready to be adjourned, but the Mayor allowed Rev. Pepe Tate to come to the podium to discuss storage of the floats for the Krewe of Pepe. The krewe has utilized the old armory building for the past nine years. However, the Town was cited on the audit for this. The Lighted Christmas Parade floats have been moved as well as the Waverley Club Santa Float. The Mayor said he is eager to have this resolved before the upcoming audit.
Rev. Tate presented a prospective lease agreement to continue to use the storage area for $400 per year. Mayor Sharp explained that rental and lease property in town is much more expensive than the amount suggested. The discussion led to questions about leases at the airport and the amount the town collects for those. Rev. Tate explained that he started the Krewe of Pepe parade nearly 50 years ago for children to enjoy Mardi Gras and the parade brings revenue into the town.
Tate also took issue with calling the office to be on the agenda and this was not done. Mayor Sharp explained that he did not feel it necessary to put this on the agenda and cited a recent case with adjudicated property that was not on the meeting agenda. The Mayor added that there are others who have expressed interest in leasing the armory property. If leased, procedure dictates that this must be advertised and go through a bid/proposal process. Mayor Sharp ended with stating he will not allow the audit to result in a fine and being written up because of the floats not being removed. The board will look at the lease proposal and take it under advisement.
Rev. Tate said he is praying that the board will do the right thing. He added that the Mayor stated to him in a phone call that the auditor is a friend of his (Sharp's) wife, and she (auditor) said the floats must be moved. Rev Tate believes this is a conflict of interest and another auditor should be contracted. Mayor Sharp remained adamant that the floats must be moved from the town-owned property. There being no further business, Mayor Sharp then asked for a motion to adjourn.
The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, May 27\.
