The Washington Parish Council most recently met on Monday, September 11. In the absence of Council Chairman Shawn Rice, Vice Chairman Joe Culpepper presided. Prior to the prayer, the council and all present shared in a moment of silence in remembrance of the anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. This was then followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and roll call with the council voting to approve the minutes from the meeting on August 28, 2023.
Mrs. Casey Allen, candidate for judge, introduced herself to the council and outlined her qualifications for Judge of the 22nd Judicial District Court Division B. This district covers all of St. Tammany and Washington Parish and the election winner of the seat will be replacing retiring judge August Hand. Mrs. Allen has been a criminal prosecutor for the past ten years and likened the district to an island.
She said is willing to fight to protect the "island community" from crime. As a mother, safety is a dominant concern for her. She explained that she has tried cases from murders to simple burglaries and just about everything in between. Mrs. Allen has been endorsed by Sen. John Kennedy, district attorney Warren Montgomery, chiefs of police for Mandeville, Madisonville and Covington, and the Alliance for Good Government. She has worked closely with state and local law enforcement agencies and feels she is a trusted partner with law enforcement agencies.
Next, the board received an update on the animal shelter from Manager Kelsey Knight. Mrs. Knight first recognized that because of the parish council and government, she and her staff have been able to achieve some awesome things. In August they attended the Best Friends National Conference in Texas and had a terrific experience. This month the shelter is on schedule to spay or neuter 112 animals, cats and dogs, all of which are residents of Washington Parish. Lots of student volunteers are spending time at the shelter to obtain service hours and there are monthly events planned. She invited anyone with young kids to the October event, trick or treating with the pups. Mrs. Knight noted that Washington Parish's rural shelter oftentimes ends up with animals from surrounding areas that must be accommodated along with those animals from the parish. She was also pleased to inform the council that the shelter has reached a benchmark that over 90 percent of shelters have not reached. The Washington Parish Animal Shelter has reached the no-kill benchmark of 90 percent or above. Mrs. Knight is pleased that the shelter is taking in animals and supporting the community. Compared to other municipalities and rural areas in Louisiana, the Washington Parish Animal Shelter is ranked first. However, she and her staff want faster response time, the ability to utilize more tools to keep pets in homes and to expand the education of pet owners and those who are employed or volunteer at the shelter. She also noted the desire to develop more partnerships with the community. Mrs. Knight's entire staff was on hand at the meeting, and she expressed her pride in the hard work by these folks. She ended with, "We are not the shelter that could; we are the shelter that is." The entire staff was introduced to the council and their duties were explained.
Another candidate for Judge in Division B, Ms. Tara Zeller, lifelong resident of St. Tammany Parish, introduced herself and listed her qualifications for the position. She feels experience is what sets her apart in this race. Ms. Zeller has served in many capacities for Judge Fendalson and Judge Schwartz. As a Court Commissioner she has presided over various hearings including non-support and protective order cases of domestic abuse. She said her knowledge of both criminal and civil law makes her the best candidate for this position.
The council then voted to adopt a resolution for annual certification of compliance with the State of Louisiana Off-System Bridge Replacement Program as well as adopt a resolution by the Washington Parish Council to authorize the Parish President to sign agreements and all other necessary documentation between the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development and Washington Parish Government for funding of sidewalks in downtown Franklinton through the Louisiana DOTD 2023 Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) for Washington Parish Sidewalks Segment D&E. The final item of business was the adoption of a resolution authorizing the Washington Parish Government to execute documents for and administer a grant through the 2022/2023 Louisiana Governor's Assistance Program (LGAP) for the upgrade of the Washington Parish Government Fleet Maintenance Shop. This shop is located at Sheridan.
During public participation, Kendall Amacker who lives on Lee Road expressed his concern and those of residents who were in attendance with him about the development of a mobile home park in his community. According to Mr. Amacker, a gentleman from St. Tammany Parish is in the process of constructing a park for 16-20 mobile homes on approximately 15 acres. Mr. Amacker believes mobile home parks are a thing of the past. He did note that he has lived in two mobile homes as he became established and was blessed with a home of his own. His concern is some "loose' zoning and stipulations, and the owners could potentially install mobile homes dated as far back as 1993. Mr. Amacker has nothing against mobile homes but is concerned that a mobile home park should not be allowed in Washington Parish. He is concerned about the type tenants such a park might attract and problems that may exist such as litter, improper waste disposal and animals not properly secured. The location is on the corner of Lee Road and Highway 439. Mr. Amacker is asking for the Parish Council to help with this concern.
According to Ken Wheat, the individual has not applied for a permit, but noted that such a park will be commercial and not residential. Mr. Wheat has made code enforcement and the permit department aware and if anything beyond lot clearing is done, they will investigate the matter closely. The council outlined the process that must be followed to establish such a park. The proper channels must be followed in situations such as these. Resident of the area Charles Fussell also spoke on the matter. He has been in contact with many of the people who are his neighbors in the community, and all are opposed to such a development. He ended his comments with, "Would you like this in your backyard?'
In the Parish President's report, Dwayne Magee was allowed to introduce himself. He is running for Parish Council District 6. He noted issues with roads and bridges and would also like to see more activities for the youth of the parish. President Thomas also thanked Ms. Allen and Ms. Zeller for attending and introducing themselves to the council. He noted the great work by Mrs. Kelsey Knight and her staff and their exemplary work at the animal shelter. Mr. Thomas explained his excitement for the new sidewalk projects and how these projects will enhance the town of Franklinton. The parish has been awarded $103,000 from LGap program for the fleet maintenance3 shop. President Thomas added, "Good things are happening for Washington Parish."
Director of Finance Donna Graham made available to the council an overview of the parish funds without details. At the next meeting she will have a detailed report through August 2023. Also, the parish received its first installment of sales tax percentage from sports betting in the state. The amount received was $53,000, and it was deposited into the general fund. Mrs. Graham also noted that work is about to begin at the Atoka athletic fields. This is funded through a federal grant with an additional allocation of $300,000. There will be a groundbreaking there before the end of the year.
Public Works Director Ken Wheat issued kudos to Mrs. Kelsey Knight and her work at the animal shelter. He is also extremely excited about the grants received and the hard work of those working on these projects. Borrowing from Mrs. Knight's presentation, Mr. Wheat deemed Washington Parish as "the little parish that could."
Mr. Danny Knight informed the council on the work that the parish workers have gotten done in the past month.
Quality Control Officer Alex Sumrall reiterated on what Mr. Wheat said about grant money. He also thanked the council for passing the bridge program. He spoke with Mrs. Barbara Arceneaux from the DOTD, and the parish will be receiving $704,000 for the bridge program to use on parish bridges through September 2024.
President Thomas concluded his report with information about two other fires in the parish and how they were well-handled.
Following brief council discussion, the meeting was then adjourned.
