Parish council deals with busy agenda

Tommy Thiebaud, parish
director of Homeland Security,
explains the need for a burn ban.
(John H. Walker photo)

FRANKLINTON — Members of the Washington Parish Council methodically worked their way through a busy agenda here Monday night.

By the time council members were finished, they had held three public hearings — without any public input — introduced four ordinances and three resolutions.

Most prominent was an emergency, 30-day burn ban (see top right column) implemented parishwide. Council members also held a public hearing and approved Ordinance No. 11-546, which keeps the parish tax levy at 28.42 mills, the same as last year.

Additionally, Resolution No. 11-549, which will allow Parish President Richard Thomas to enter into an agreement with Landworks, Inc. for the operation of the Choctaw Road Landfill.

After the meeting, Thomas told wpnewsblog he was comfortable with the process undertaken to advertise for and review proposals for the operation of the landfill.

"We held three public meetings where people could attend and ask questions,” he explained. "These proposals were reviewed and it was a studied decision ... it wasn't done like it was in the past,” he said.

A public hearing and vote will be held on the resolution when the council next meets on June 6.

(Published first at http://www.wpnewsblog.blogger.com)

Bogalusa City Council handles brief agenda

Members of the Bogalusa City Council faced a brief agenda at its regular meeting Tuesday in the Municipal Courtroom at City Hall.

Two ordinances were introduced, a public hearing held on a third and the agenda was amended to allow modification of the city's engagement letter for the annual audit.

  • Following a motion by Council member Oneita Graham, the agenda was amended to allow for the change to the audit engagement letter. Prior to the unanimous passage, Graham explained that the changes dealt only with the start and end dates.


  • Introduced an ordinance to re-enact Sect. 4-31 of the Code of Ordinances, which provides a 300-foot distance operational restriction for certain alcohol-related businesses in regards to church, synagogue, public library, public playground, school, full-time daycare center or correctional facility or halfway house. A public hearing will be held June 7.


  • Introduced an ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter into a contract with the successful bidder for operation of the Choctaw Landfill.


  • A public hearing — with no comment — was held to change property located at 607 Rio Grande Street from A-2 Residential to C-Commercial for the purpose of constructing commercial building (sic) for assorted business (sic) at this location. The ordinance reads that the Planning and Zoning Commission requested the change —not that the change was requested of P&Z by the property's owner.


Neither the ordinance nor the agenda mentioned the owner by name, but a check of the Washington Parish Assessor's website shows two tax records for the property — one to Laurel Lane Farms, LLC and the other to Timberland Broadcasting Corp.


According to www.hoovers.com, Gardner Adams is president of Timberlands Broadcasting and Bill Adams is vice-president. The Timberlands Advertiser, a division of Timberlands Broadcasting, lists G.S. (Buddy) Adams, Jr. as owner/publisher and William "Bill" Adams, Sr. as owner. Gardner Adams, Jr., 14194 Hwy. 1075, is listed as the primary owner of Laurel Lane Farms.


Council will next meet Tuesday, June 7 at 5:30 at City Hall.


(Published first at http://www.wpnewsblog.blogspot.com/)