The Mayor and Board of Alderman for the Town of Franklinton met on January 23. Following the invocation by Rev Kevin Golden of Sweet Home Church of Christ Holiness USA and the Pledge of Allegiance, the regular meeting began. First on the agenda was the approval of the minutes from the January 9 meeting.
In New Business the Board revisited two ordinances passed at the previous meeting. There was a public hearing on the ordinance to lease property at the Franklinton airport to John M. McNeal, Jr. It was clarified that this is the property/land that a hanger belonging to Mr. McNeal sits on. Alderman Butler spoke with Mr. McNeal and clarified once more that the hanger is owned by Mr. McNeal but sits on town property. He shared that he is hoping the town can secure funding to improve and upgrade the airport. No one else came forward and the public hearing was closed. Then the Board adopted an ordinance to lease the property to John M. McNeal, Jr.
The same procedure was repeated when the Board held a public hearing on the ordinance to lease property at the Franklinton airport to Marty L. Roberts. No one came forward and the public hearing closed. The Board then voted to adopt an ordinance to lease property within the Franklinton airport to Marty L. Roberts.
The final item on the agenda was the approval of hiring Will Dalton as a full-time patrol officer for the Police Department.
Police Chief Justin Brown made a presentation to two police officers. Recently a vehicle ran off the road at the intersection of Highways 25 and 10 near Franklinton. The car landed upside down in a body of water with three passengers stuck inside. The Washington Parish Sheriff's Office was the first respondent to the call for help and then requested assistance from the town police. Sgt Trey Johnson and Officer Jonathon Leche of the FPD responded and immediately went into the water with the WPSO officer.
While the other two held the vehicle up, Officer Leche climbed into the car and rescued the three victims. While one later passed away from injuries, the other two were saved. Chief Brown nominated the officers' for the American Police Hall of Fame Lifesaving Award which each received. Both were presented with a plaque and a ribbon to wear on their uniforms. Chief Brown was obviously proud to present this award to the two young men.
Next, the Mayor presented the employees of the year for the Town of Franklinton. Each recipient was nominated by his/her supervisor. Officer Jonathon Leche received the award for the police department. Frank Bickham from the maintenance department was selected as was Michael Washington for the streets department and Candace Bickham for the administrative department. Each employee received a beautiful plaque from Mayor Route and a heartfelt thank you for their service to the town.
Fire chief Brandon LaSalle hated to spoil the good feeling of the night with some unfortunate news. The fire department's tanker truck is down. The department has already spent around $7000 in repairs and anticipates another $20,000 to repair it completely. A technician is looking into the price to repair or replace the motor. The town fire department has owned the truck for three- and one-half years, having purchased it used. It has 300,000 plus miles on it. Rapides Parish is purchasing another surplus Franklinton fire department vehicle, and it is hoped that the money received will cover the cost of the tanker truck's repair. The tanker truck goes into rural areas for fire calls. January 1, 2024, to January 1, 2025, will determine the new rating for the fire department which impacts homeowners' insurance prices. If the tanker is unable to roll, this goes against the rating. Chief LaSalle will keep the Board updated on the status of the truck. Mayor Route added here that the Causeway Police Department is paying $12,700 up-front for use of the town's shooting range for training. This payment will be good for four years and then they will pay a yearly rate. The range needs bathrooms, and this money will be used toward that purpose.
In final words, Alderman TJ Butler congratulated the police officers and town employees and expressed how much they are appreciated. He then stated, "I want to see the best for Franklinton…It's a nice town and we want to keep it that way."
Alderwoman Patrice Crain congratulated all the award recipients of the night and was very pleased to hear positives about the police department. She acknowledges that the Franklinton Police Department works hard to keep the town safe. Alderman Seth Descant also congratulated all the employees-of-the-year. He then mentioned a problem with payroll in the police department and wants to see it resolved. He suggested an independent payroll audit for the police department to see what the issues are and possibly outsourcing the payroll. Mayor Route added that the town can outsource all its payroll, and he will look into that and added, "We want the best for everybody [employees] we have." Alderman Darwin Sharp also congratulated all the award recipients of the night and then noted there will be some weather events over the coming days. The employees will be out and about, but citizens need to pay attention to culverts and drains to help. Alderman Heath Spears added his congratulations to the employees and officers and expressed his appreciate for their work and effort.
Mayor Route ended the meeting with the announcement that Cargill has donated $50,000 to the town to be used for the proposed park. He added that the check was attached to the letter announcing the donation. Immediately after the meeting adjourned, many present sang Happy Birthday to Mayor Route with cake to be enjoyed by all.
