The first meeting of the new year of the Town of Franklinton Aldermen and Mayor Darwin Sharp was held on Tuesday, January 14 at the Franklinton Municipal Building. Mayor Sharp called the meeting to order which was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and invocation. The first item on the agenda was the approval of the minutes of the December 10, 2024, regular meeting.
Next, the Board was tasked with selecting a Mayor pro tem. Alderman TJ Butler served in this position from 2016 to 2020, and Alderwoman Patrice Crain served from 2020 to 2024. Mr. Butler nominated Lee Dillon and was seconded by Ms. Crain. Mr. Butler further explained that Alderman Dillon received the most votes in the recent election, and this was the criteria that decided the Mayor pro tem in the past. Mr. Dillon was approved as the Mayor pro tem. Before proceeding, Mayor Sharp reviewed public speaking decorum rules that he will enforce in all future meetings. These include respectful language, addressing the council, sticking to time limits, relevance to topic and appropriate behavior. Mayor Sharp stated, "The town is a business, and it will be run as a business."
The Board then voted to move the January 28 meeting to January 21. Aldermen and the Mayor will be attending a conference on January 27 and 28 which makes moving the meeting necessary. The next item on the agenda was a resolution to allow the Mayor to use a private vehicle for Town of Franklinton business and mayoral duties. The Mayor explained that the truck used by the code enforcement officer has no working heater. Therefore, the Mayor used his private vehicle the previous week so that the code officer could use the mayor's official vehicle. This is a policy that may need to be utilized in the future. Alderwoman Crain did not agree. She explained that the vehicle for the Mayor should be used by the Mayor only and who should not have an option to use his private vehicle. Alderman Descant suggested tabling this for further discussion and the Board agreed.
The Board was then to vote to advertise for a payroll and accounts payable clerk. Alderwoman Crain asked if this was two positions, and the Mayor responded that it is one position. He added that he is looking at a third-party payroll supplier. He further stated that Town Clerk Ellen Waskom is currently handling payroll and accounts payable duties. At this point Attorney James Knight interjected that the Board was close to discussing individual employee information which is not necessary. He suggested a private discussion on the matter. Mayor Sharp added that this is a vacant position and not a new one. Ms. Crain expressed that this should be tabled to make a firm decision. A 3-2 vote in favor of tabling ended the matter for the night. The next item was to advertise for a utility clerk, and this was approved by the Board.
During public participation, Pat Harvey asked about an employee's dismissal. She wondered if the Board of Aldermen knew about the dismissal. Mayor Sharp replied, "We do not discuss employees in public meetings." Ms. Harvey continued asking if the dismissed employee was escorted from the building. She also asked if someone on salary can receive overtime pay. Mayor Sharp responded, "no." Her final question was about the police chief. "Is he the chief or not?" The Mayor responded, "We have a chief." Seena Chauvin next spoke and stated, "You can lose a job without a vote." She elaborated that this happened to her and the chief of police (her supervisor) did not even know as "the mayor did it."
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Pepe Tate spoke and questioned, "Who is the Chief of Police?" He referred to the Attorney General's opinion issued in 2020 when then Mayor Greg Route attempted to name Orlander Smith as chief, and Justin Brown was already in the position. Mayor Sharp encouraged Mr. Tate to come by his office and they would discuss the matter further. Mr. Tate insisted on an answer "tonight," but the Mayor replied, "You will not get an answer tonight.” James Tate spoke and asked for a professional opinion. He asked Attorney James Knight, "What do you say?" Tate claimed that the Board would advertise and take applications, but Ms. Ellen didn't advertise. Mrs. Waskom clarified that she was never given a job description to advertise for the position. Mayor Sharp told Mr. Tate he was out of order and employees would not be discussed.
In Board discussion, Alderwoman Crain shared that she spoke with former mayor Greg Route who told her that International Paper is allowing the Town to keep the $5,000 donation for a playground if the money is used for that purpose. Mayor Sharp added that Cargill returned its donation as well and it will remain in the playground fund. Ms. Crain invited everyone to attend the annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. program on Monday, January 20 at 10:00 am at the Franklinton Primary School Auditorium.
Mayor Sharp reiterated that his priority is to get employees hired to run the office. There have also been some delays on the water project in the medical district. He is also pleased that the sidewalk project, spearheaded by the Parish Government is ongoing. Sharp mentioned that the Code of Ordinances was cited in the audit and Alderman Dillon is working on updating them and then they will be looked at to amend. He also referenced the audit findings and expressed that there is much work to be done. He ended by reminding everyone once again that the next meeting will be Tuesday, January 21 at 6:00 pm.
