Rapides Parish Police Jury

PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

ROLL CALL

PUBLIC COMMENT ON ANY AGENDA ITEM

JUROR COMMENTS

1. Motion to adopt a resolution to consider and take action with respect to adopting a resolution amending and restating a resolution ordering and calling a special election to be held in Fire Protection Sales Tax District No. 18 of the Parish of Rapides, State of Louisiana, to authorize the levy of a sales and use tax therein; making application to the State Bond Commission in connection therewith; and providing for other matters in connection therewith. (Mr. Smith)

(UNANIMOUS VOTE TO ADD ITEM AFTER CALL AGENDA POSTED)

ADJOURNMENT

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Motion to adopt a resolution to consider and take action with respect to announcing that the Police Jury of the Parish of Rapides, State of Louisiana, plans to consider adopting a resolution ordering and calling an election to authorize the levy of a sales and use tax to be held within Fire Protection Sales District No. 18 of the Parish of Rapides, State of Louisiana, at its meeting on November 13, 2017 at 3:00 p.m. at the Rapides Parish Courthouse, 701 Murray Street, 2nd Floor, Alexandria, Louisiana.

September 20, 2017

NOTICE OF SPECIAL POLICE JURY MEETING

1. To consider and take action with respect to adopting a resolution amending and restating a resolution ordering and calling a special election to be held in Fire Protection Sales Tax District No. 18 of the Parish of Rapides, State of Louisiana, to authorize the levy of a sales and use tax therein; making application to the State Bond Commission in connection therewith; and providing for other matters in connection therewith.
2. Any other business that may properly come before the Police Jury.

BY ORDER OF THE PRESIDENT

Laurel Smith, Secretary

Police Jurors; Davron “Bubba” Moreau, Joe Bishop, Theodore Fountaine, Jr., Richard Vanderlick, Oliver “Ollie” Overton, Jr. and Richard Billings.

Absent was: Sean McGlothlin.

Also present were Mr. Bruce Kelly, Treasurer; Mr. Thomas O. Wells, Legal Counsel and Ms. Laurel Smith, Secretary.

The invocation was given by Mr. Ollie Overton.

The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mr. Bubba Moreau.

The Police Jury of the Parish of Rapides, State of Louisiana, was duly convened as the governing authority of said Parish by Hon. Richard Billings, President, who welcomed all present and then stated that the Police Jury was ready for the transaction of business.

The President asked if there was any public comment or Jurors comment on any agenda item, to which there was no response.

On motion by Mr. Richard Billings, seconded by Mr. Richard Vanderlick, to adopt a resolution to consider and take action with respect to adopting a resolution amending and restating a resolution ordering and calling a special election to be held in Fire Protection Sales Tax District No. 18 of the Parish of Rapides, State of Louisiana, to authorize the levy of a sales and use tax therein; making application to the State Bond Commission in connection therewith; and providing for other matters in connection therewith.

The President recognized Mr. Brennan Black with Foley and Judell. Mr. Black gave a brief summary of why this motion needed to be amended and what the Jury needed to do for the Sales Tax District. He stated that essentially what we are here to do today, is to amend this motion, not to approve the resolution, but to start the election process over once again at 1/2%. This is going to delay the collection of the tax by about 6 months.

Amended motion by Mr. Ollie Overton, seconded by Mr. Richard Billings, to adopt a resolution to consider and take action with respect to announcing that the Police Jury of the Parish of Rapides, State of Louisiana, plans to consider adopting a resolution ordering and calling an election to authorize the levy of a sales and use tax to be held within Fire Protection Sales Tax District No. 18 of the Parish of Rapides, State of Louisiana, at its meeting on Monday, November 13, 2017 at 3:00 p.m. at the Rapides Parish Courthouse, 701 Murray Street, 2nd Floor, Alexandria, Louisiana.

Mr. Black explained that the original motion was to satisfy the State Bond Commission in the hopes that they would give us contingent approval upon adoption of the resolution today amending the call of the election to 1/2%. Unfortunately, they didn’t accept that and they want us to begin the process over for a March election. All that is going on today is getting the required public notices that you intend to call an election. Essentially, we are starting the entire process over from scratch.

Mr. Craig Smith, President called for a roll call vote to a dd this amended motion to the agenda. The roll call vote was as follows:

YEAS: Davron “Bubba” Moreau, Joe Bishop, Theodore Fountaine, Jr., Richard Vanderlick, Oliver “Ollie” Overton, Richard Billings, Scott Perry, Jr. and Craig Smith NAYS: ABSTAINED: none ABSENT: Sean McGlothlin On roll call vote the motion carried unanimously.

On vote the amended motion that was added to the agenda carried.

Mr. Craig Smith stated the following notice needed to be read into the minutes.

Mr. Bill Wilson from the Town of Lecompte questioned why the Bond Commission denied the tax, to which Mr. Brennan Black stated that originally when the Police Jury first made application, it was a 1% sales tax. However, Lecompte did not reduce its tax, and the Town’s proposition was also brought before the Bond Commission yesterday. The Bond Commission would not approve the tax call. We offered to amend the proposition, but they felt like they needed more time and wanted us to push it to March.

Discussion ensued.

Mr. Ed Christy stated from the very first meeting, there was confusion over how much sales tax there going to be. The last he heard it would be about $189,000 to go to the Fire Department and now it will be less than half of that. We have a Fire Department that has one truck, because the Mayor won’t fix any equipment. We don’t have fire hoses, we don’t have uniforms for the Fireman. The last previous three Mayors of Lecompte. When the current administration took over they completely abandoned the Fire Department and instead are spending thousands of dollars on other issues. Nobody did anything.

Discussion ensued.

Mr. Ollie Overton stated the Police Jury is not the governing body inside the Town of Lecompte. The Mayor and the Council is. The Jury does not have any right to telling the Mayor and the Council what they should do. The only thing that we did was try to throw them a life raft and to try to give them fire protection. We are concerned with the members outside of the c ity limits of the Town of Lecompte. We are responsible for those residents. Mr. Bill ings, Mr. Vanderlick and myself Districts but up down there and we were the ones going out and trying to make sure that these gr ey areas were taken care of in the parish. When PIAL came out the report was rating you as a 10, we decided we would try to expedite the situation down there and try to bail the Town of Lecompte out as best we could. We got into a conflict and you know about that, but we cannot tell them what to do. We can advise them, but we cannot tell them what to do.

Discussion ensued.

Brennan Black stated to be clear, though, the confusion was related to the proposition being at 1% and it was, or could no longer be at 1% because Lecompte did not reduce their taxes. The confusion was caused by that, not the time, there was no confusion at the time this proposition was adopted in June by the Police Jury.

Discussion ensued.

Mr. Richard Billings stated they met with the Mayor and the Mayor Pro Tem and the Chief of Police, the Fire Chief and some others. They presented them the same scenario to them as they did for Fire District No. 17, Forest Hill.

Discussion ensued.

There being no further business, motion by Mr. Joe Bishop, seconded by Mr. Ollie Overton, the meeting was adjourned at 12:23 p.m.