Alan McMurtry has qualified as a candidate for the October 12, 2019 election for the office of Natchitoches Parish Council District 3.
McMurtry said, “I have been fortunate to have accumulated many years of successful executive experience in a variety of professional positions. I have worked successfully on many boards and commissions and achieved compromise and consensus. I have been recognized as a superb negotiator, who creates win/win solutions even in situations that began with contentious opposing positions.
I think the Parish Council has often operated in a contentious manner, and I believe I can facilitate the operation of the Council’s business in a more orderly and respectful manner to achieve the best result in the conduct of the Parish’s legislative affairs.
Whomever the voters elect as President of the Parish Government, the Council and the Executive must operate in a mutually trusting and respectful manner. The authority granted by the Natchitoches Parish Home Rule Charter to the Executive and to the Legislative arms of the Parish Government must be mutually respected by each of the branches. It is my intention to work to achieve these ideals.
In my view there is no task more urgent than to find a long-term permanent solution to the Parish’s well documented road problems. It is clear that the overwhelming portion of the energy of the Council and the President must be focused on this issue and it is my mission that the Council and the President individually and collectively, jointly and severally, work together tirelessly to focus their energy to find solutions to solve this intractable problem.
Alan served as Vice Chair of the select Committee on Roads for the Natchitoches Parish Government. (The Council did not act on the committee’s recommendations)
The election is on October 12, 2019. I will appreciate your casting your vote in my favor.”
How come there is no article about the other candidates running for a council seat?
The others did not send a press release in!
Will being doing so early in the week. Thanks.
He’s got as much chance of being elected as any of the other candidates. Appears to have a lot of fluff in his resume though.
Fluff? What a baseless, juvenile accusation. I am proud of my accomplishments which are well earned and solid. If you have evidence that my accomplishments are exaggerated, put up or shut up.
I am astonished by mindless accusations some people are willing to just create out of….what ever…..their lack of integrity, I guess. Old Vet, why don’t you make your smears under your real name?
I will admit Mr McMurtry has an outstanding background, and so much of it spent in Houston where it is much more difficult to be so intelligent as to be chosen for all of these positions because there are so many intelligent well qualified people who could be chosen for those jobs. He seems to a very qualified person for the job. I have a couple of questions. There are a couple of difficult people on the council who have said they want it to fail so we can go back to the old police jury method of governing. One or both have walked out of meetings. Do you think you will be more effective in working with them so issues can be resolved? Our roads are past terrible and have been for years. Do you have ideas that will get them replaced or repaired, and keep people sitting in the meeting instead of storming out? You bring a lot of excellent experience to the table, but will that be enough to keep the hotheads seated in order to get things done in the parish. We need a strong person, and that might just be you. I would like to hear more, maybe ‘town hall’ type meetings so that we can learn more about your plans.
Thank you for the very thorough background information given.
I understand that a few on Council who are former PJ members would prefer to return to that form of government. They have their own reasons. Behind the scene, I worked diligently over several years to have the Home Rule Charter supplant the Police Jury. I still believe the current form of government is best for our Parish and I will work tirelessly to retain it.
At the same time, the Law, including the Charter provides a process by which the government can be changed and those on council who wish to return to the PJ have a right to attempt to do so. As long as the prescribed legal process is followed, I respect their right to follow that legal process to achieve their goal. That process includes a vote of the people and the people have the last word on the matter. I believe the effort will fail and the people will vote to retain the Home Rule Charter.
Now that we have operated under the Charter for several years, I do believe we should take a look at possible amendments to it, to make it even better. The first amendment I would advocate for is to increase the number of council members to at least seven. This could be accomplished without breaking up the districts by having the additional two elected at large.
My manifesto regarding the roads is contained in the Road Commission Report with a few modifications due to subsequent events. I am therefore posting the major portion of it here in hopes that is not too large to be included in an NPJ response. This omits certain graphics included in the original.
Many thanks to the lady and gentlemen who comprised this committee. No gratitude for their hard work was given them by the Council or President at the time it was originally published.
FINAL REPORT:
Natchitoches Parish Road Advisory Commission
2015
FIX OUR ROADS ROADS ADVISORY COMMISSION
Executive Summary
The state of the roads in Natchitoches Parish are fair to poor and deteriorating rapidly. The revenue to maintain them has not kept up with approximately 30 years’ worth of cost of living increases and is therefore inadequate. We estimate an additional $3-$4 million per year is needed to adequately maintain and upgrade our infrastructure. There are 3 options being proposed to pay for this:
• ½ percent sales tax
• 10 mills ad valorem tax parishwide
• A hybrid:
o ½ percent sales tax for 5 years then sunset.
o 10 mills ad valorem parishwide
Our findings and the advantages and disadvantages of each are discussed in this report.
DISCLAIMER: The recommendations we make are based upon our evaluation of data available at the time and our best good faith judgment based on that data. It is not to be interpreted as the only solution or even the best solution and other reasonable and prudent people could arrive at different conclusions and recommendations.
Submitted by the Natchitoches Parish Road Advisory Commission.
__________________________Roger Williams, Chair
__________________________
Alan McMurtry, Vice Chair
__________________________
Charles Cloud, Member
__________________________
Donna Isaacs, Member
__________________________
John A. Masson, Member
__________________________
Wayne Pleasant, Member
S
Road Inventory
• 977 Roads totaling 818 miles
• 492 Miles of Unpaved Roads (60.15%)
• 326 Miles of Paved Roads (39.85%)
• More than 90% of the paved roads are in Poor or Very Poor condition
• Includes roads within 8 incorporated municipalities that are maintained by Parish upon request. Parish does not receive funds for this service and these roads are not controlled by the Parish. This is a service based upon an existing ordinance.
• 75 Bridges that are part of the Federal Off-System Program, plus an unknown number of culverts and other drainage structures. Federal funds cover bridge replacement but does not cover maintenance. There are a number of shorter bridges (less than 20 feet) that are not covered by the Federal program but are maintained by the Parish.
Equipment Inventory
• 5 Motor Graders (Permanent Lease $3,975/month each – Total $238,500/year)
• 2 Motor Graders (Temp. 6-Mth Lease $5,000/month each – Total $60,000/year)
• 3 Tandem Dump Trucks (Owned-Unreliable) (REPLACEMENT QUOTE Permanent Lease $1,500/month each – Total $54,000/year)
• 1 “Bobtail” Truck & Mini-Excavator (Owned)
• 1 Mini-Excavator (Lease )
• 1 Tractor-Trailer (Owned)
• 1 Trackhoe (Owned)
• 1 Mechanical Pothole Patcher (Owned – Unreliable)
• 7 Contract Trucks ($75/hr. as-needed)
• 1Tractor with Backhoe and Front End Loader(Leased )
• 2 Tractor and Bush Hog
• 1 Side Boom Mower
• 8 Pickup Trucks
o 3 Administrative (1- ¾ Ton and 2 – ½ Ton)
o 5 Maintenance (1 in need of replacement)
Personnel
• 1 Director
• 1 Assistant Director
• 1 Administrative Assistant
• 1 Receptionist/Operator
• 14 Full-time Employees
• 1 Part-time Employee
o Crews:
1 In-house Cold-Mix Patching Crew
1 Inmate Cold-Mix Patching Crew (NPSO)
Road Maintenance
Why and who benefits?
The purpose of maintenance is to ensure that the road remains serviceable throughout its design life. Maintenance is important because it:
• Prolongs the life of the road by reducing the rate of deterioration, thereby safeguarding previous investments in construction and rehabilitation,
• Lowers the cost of operating vehicles on the road by providing a smooth running surface
• Keeps the road open for traffic and contributes to more reliable transport services
• Sustains social and economic benefits of improved road access.
The first purpose is primarily in the interest of the responsible government authorities. The last three are of more general interest to the inhabitants of the area traversed by the road and to the vehicle operators.
Capacity
Institutional capacity to perform efficient and timely maintenance involves the capacity to plan and carry out the works at the right time, preserving investments with solutions which are cost-effective and thereby utilizing available funding resources in the most efficient manner. This requires:
1. Technical staff
2. A thorough knowledge of road network
3. Sound procedures for road condition inventories
4. Efficient planning procedures
5. Effective procurement systems
6. Good supervision
7. Adequate logistical support
8. Transparent and up-to-date reporting
9. Reliable financial management
Asset Management Approach
The asset management approach is based on the following concept:
• A local road network has a certain value, which is estimated in money terms;
• Investments in rehabilitation and construction of roads increase the value of the network. On the other hand, road deterioration due to lack of maintenance decreases the value of the network;
• Local agencies should aim at increasing the total value of the network (and thereby maximizing access). Available investment funds should therefore be efficiently balanced between the demand for maintenance on the one hand and construction of new roads (and the rehabilitation of roads in total disrepair) on the other;
• Local decision makers themselves should be involved in assessing the results of different allocations in terms of value (and quality) of the total road network.
The asset management approach is likely to give first priority to maintenance tasks and lesser priority to investments in rehabilitation and new construction.
Maintenance Plan
The existing maintenance plan was adopted in 1984 and is only loosely adhered to.
The asset management approach should be utilized in the development of a new written maintenance plan.
The maintenance plan should include but not be limited to the following topics and should be adopted and implemented:
1. Operation and Maintenance Policies and Procedures that utilize Standards of Good Practice
2. Legal Right-of-Way and Easements for every Road
3. Engineering for Every Road
4. Training & Performance Evaluation
5. Quality Control & Accountability: The commission recommends that:
a. Any funds received for road district be put into a restricted separate bank account and that all disbursements from it be published down to the level of individual checks.
b. A website be created for full transparency, that includes but is not limited to: Standards of Good Practice, Proposed Projects, Active Projects Status, Active Spending Plan, Completed Projects
c. That ArcGIS for Municipalities be used for project mapping and data management.
Effort Required to Repair Existing Roads
Assumptions:
Paved Roads
• 100% of the 326 miles of paved roads would be considered either fair, poor or failed and are in need of repair.
• The life-span of a paved road is 20 years although this is dependent on many factors and with poor construction/ maintenance could be as short as 10 years and with good maintenance could last as long as 39 years.
• Two lane paved roads are an average of 24 feet wide.
Proper maintenance will significantly lengthen the life of our pavement system, but eventually rehabilitation or reconstruction is required. In many cases more than one technique or combination of techniques will be used to solve a specific problem.
There are five basic maintenance operations used to care for asphalt pavement surfaces:
A. Deep patching, which consists of the excavation and reconstruction of fairly contained areas.
B. Skin patching, a surface repair for distortion, wear, settlement, and extensive surface damage.
This may consist of excavation and repair, leveling course and overlay.
C. Crack Sealing, a repair of cracking in the pavement. This consists of filling the crack with a hot bituminous material after the crack has been heat-lanced or blown free of debris and moisture.
D. Chip Seal, a repair process selected when the deterioration of the surface has gone beyond repair with crack sealing. This consists of placing an emulsified asphalt on the surface and covering it with a clean, angular, uniformly-sized aggregate.
E. Rehabilitation or reconstruction, consisting of the repair and complete rebuilding of the subgrade and wearing surface.
There is probably no more widespread maintenance problem than patching. No type of pavement is immune. If potholes do not occur from natural causes, man-made service cuts and trenches will produce them. These defects vary from shallow abrasions to deep block cracks, and from small spots to extensive areas. Patching requires skill and close supervision. It is very important that it be done properly and promptly. The prompt repair of small asphalt pavement defects will have significant impacts on reducing costs, because once an area is open to the intrusion of water, a larger failure can result.
Gravel Roads
• 100% of the 492 miles of unpaved roads would be considered fair, poor or failed and are in need of repair within the next 2 years.
• Unpaved roads are on average 15 feet wide.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
A Ditch in Time, by Russ Lanoie does an excellent job of discussing the maintenance of unpaved road surfaces.
(Source: http://www.ruralhometech.com/RoadDrivewayMaintenance/ADitchInTime/tabid/79/Default.aspx)
• The biggest challenges are drainage, drainage, and drainage!
• Ditching and canopy removal are integral to road maintenance so additional resources are being included to increase capacity in this area.
• Research indicates that an emergency fix to severely deteriorated unpaved surfaces is to lay Separation Geotextile prior to the addition of 6 inches of crushed rock.
• A pickup truck with a Rock Rake or Trail Grader will not serve as a replacement to a Motor Grader but will build capacity by increasing response time at a savings of approximately 70%.
Assumptions:
General
• All roads in the system will be checked at least annually.
• Optimally, spending of resources on road maintenance should be allocated as follows: (source?)
O 20% on emergency maintenance
O 35% on routine maintenance
O 45% on periodic maintenance
• Emergency maintenance, when required, will include but is not limited to the following activities:
O Repair or reconstruction of damaged cross-drainage structures due to floods or over-weight vehicles,
O Repair or reconstruction of damaged road sections due to wash-outs, erosion, or floods,
O Repair or reconstruction of damages to erosion protection, resulting from excessive flows of water or landslides,
O Clearing of landslides, trees or rocks from the roadway.
• Routine maintenance will occur every 1-3 years and includes but is not limited to the following activities:
O Erosion control on shoulders and slopes;
O Clear drains to allow free passage of water;
O Clear culverts and other waterways;
O Minor repairs to culverts and retaining structures;
O Repair and replace scour checks;
O Repair, fill and compact potholes and ruts;
O Grass, bush and tree clearing;
O Repair road signs.
• Periodic maintenance will occur every 4-10 years and includes but is not limited to the following activities:
O Major repairs to structures;
O Reshaping prior to resurfacing;
O Regraveling/resurfacing of entire road;
O Spot improvement/ rehabilitation of failing sections;
O Installation of new culverts;
O Stockpiling gravel for use during routine maintenance.
Capital Improvements
The lifespan of a well maintained road is approximately 20 years after which the road needs to be reconstructed. In addition, when demands and usage change, the design of the road also needs to be changed. These projects fall under the category of Capital Improvement.
Capital Improvement Projects include: surveying, developing conceptual alignment, studies, preliminary and final design, preparation of construction plans and specifications, acquisition of right-of-way, bidding of work and management of construction activities to upgrade the infrastructure parishwide. It includes:
• The replacement or construction of bridges/culverts
• Paving and widening of existing roadways
• Construction of new regional roadway arterials
• Paving of existing local residential gravel roads.
Additional Equipment Requirements
Proposed Equipment Inventory (Restructured financing plus up to $2.0 M in grant funding currently available)
In our research, it was brought to our attention that the administration is currently leasing all of its motor graders and several other pieces of equipment at twice the cost of purchasing. These are contracts that have been in place since the old administration and it is assumed that the financial climate necessitated the agreement. We have made contact with USDA Rural Development to look into the possibility of obtaining a low-interest loan. The attached addendum to restructure equipment financing from lease to purchase shows two scenarios. One in which we acquire substantially more equipment for basically what is currently allocated for leasing and the other for purchasing a full complement of equipment to cover three zones (Campti, Robeline and Melrose) as well as meet our emergency needs. This option will cost approximately $70,000 more per year than is currently allocated for leasing but is the one recommended by this commission.
A $2M economic development grant has been identified that will open up in October 2015 that would fund the purchase of the $1M Chip-Seal System and our first year of operation of the equipment. A grant writer has been contacted who has closed over $90 million in federal grants and has submitted a proposal to go after the funds. Her fee is $7,500 and while there is no guarantee, we strongly suggest that we contract her services to go after the funds and for that matter any other grants that would help us to improve our infrastructure.
Additional Staff Requirements
In our review of parishes with similar populations we found some stark differences. The area of staffing was one of them. Several parishes had double and triple the staff to maintain their roads and bridges. The old 1984 manual also recommended about twice the current number of employees. It is not hard to see that the way they handled the diminishing budget was to reduce the number of personnel. We recommend returning to 3 zones (Campti, Robeline and Melrose) and hiring a full complement of staff to effectively maintain our roads. This includes a supervisor for each zone that would report to the Assistant Director for project planning and effective scheduling.
Cost of Ongoing Maintenance
Paved Roads
• Operation of the Chip-Seal Paving system will cost about $1,000,000/year for labor and materials and will repave approximately 32 miles/year, thereby repaving the entire paved road infrastructure every 10 years.
Gravel Roads
• Utilizing the Separation Geotextile, 6” crushed stone for periodic maintenance, along with proper routine maintenance will cost about $1,722,000/year for labor and materials and will regrade approximately 49 miles/year, thereby regrading the entire unpaved road infrastructure every 10 years.
Administration Salaries, Benefits, and Payroll Taxes; Equipment Financing and Other Operating Expenditures
• $1,524,000/year and includes required training to implement procedures based on recognized standards.
Cost of Capital Improvements
An allocation of $1.75M per year is suggested to go towards capital improvement projects and to cover the local cost share required by many grants.
Natchitoches Parish Road Funding Solutions
Our local roads and bridges are critical to business and economic development, schools and families, seniors, public safety and health care, agriculture, tourism and to revitalization of the economy. Local roads impact every facet of our lives and they are at risk.
In a brief, informal survey of other parishes around our size we made the following determinations:
• We found no indication that personnel costs were out of line and actually we are recommending that additional funding be budgeted for road maintenance personnel.
• We determined that the Director’s time and experience would best be spent planning, developing, and managing longer term plans and projects including efficiency improvements in the acquisition of materials and equipment.
• A position or function of Field and Road Maintenance Operations Supervisor should be created to manage the day to day logistics and field personnel oversight and training.
• We find that the operators are underpaid, that pay range for operators be increased and present operators who do not possess requisite skills should be given the opportunity to acquire replaced.
It is our finding that additional revenue is required to properly construct and maintain the 818 miles of roads in Natchitoches Parish. No amount of economies or efficiency improvements or management decisions can appreciably improve the road situation absent additional revenues.
We found no sources of funds within the Parish budget that could be reapportioned to RD#40. There are three scenarios being considered.
1: Do Nothing/ Stay the Course
Current Investment: $2,900,000/year
Impact:
• Continued depreciation of the value of the road network
• Increasing transport costs
• Declining rural access
• Loss of economic development and employment opportunities
2: Restructure Financing, Grant Funding of Equipment and Additional $1,346,000/year to Build Maintenance Capacity, $1,750,000/year towards Capital Improvements
Current plus Additional Investment of $3,096,000/year
Impact:
• Upgrade of entire road network within 10 years.
• Infrastructure would serve as an asset that supports economic development and employment opportunities which in turn improves the tax base
• Reduced transportation expenditures
• Improved rural access
• Improved Life Safety Response Time
• Improved overall quality of life
3: Major Capital Improvement with New Bond Issue
Current plus Additional Investment of $4,300,000/year
Issue $80,000,000 Municipal Bonds for comprehensive upgrade of infrastructure plus ongoing maintenance.
Impact:
• Facilitate contracting of services to provide system-wide improvements within 7 years
• All of the benefits of Scenario 2 within a shorter timeframe.
• Bond service cost $4,300,000/year for 30 years
If bond financing is utilized, the funds will be deposited with an independent trustee and disbursed pursuant to the trust documents.
The additional funds required per year for either Scenario 2 or Scenario 3, above is between $3 and $4 million.
Potential new Revenue Sources considered included:
• Ad-valorem Tax
• Sales Tax
• Fuel Tax
• Wheel Tax
Each of the potential new revenue sources was found to have advantages and disadvantages.
Wheel tax was eliminated because it is not utilized in Louisiana. Fuel tax is administered solely by the state. Hence, we were left with Ad Valorem or Sales Tax.
After due consideration, the commission would like to present the following three options to the Natchitoches Parish Government for their consideration with the hope that one be submitted to the voters at the next available election:
• Option 1: Sales Tax. 1/2% of sales tax parishwide will generate approximately $3.1 million annually. The advantage of this option is that 90-120 days after it is implemented but it will increase sales tax in some municipalities to 9.5-10%. While ½% is only $0.50 per $100 spent, it impacts small businesses as people will shop elsewhere.
• Option 2: Ad Valorem. A review of elections called in Natchitoches Parish over the past 30 years indicate that Road District 40 millage (4.87) has remained the same while other functions of government have been more adequately funded. The addition of 10 Mills parishwide will generate approximately $3.2 million in the parish and $1.2 million in the city of Natchitoches. The advantage is that the revenue will increase as property taxes increases, the disadvantage however, is that this option will not begin to generate revenue for approximately two years.
• Option 3: Hybird. ½% sales tax that sunsets in 5 years and 10 mills of ad valorem tax parishwide. This will address the immediate short fall with the least impact on small businesses.
The commission believes that either option will be better than the current situation.
Link to Resources
While commission members utilized several resources, including but not limited to, tours, internet searches, personal interviews and informal surveys, the following two resources are being submitted along with this report.
1. Environmentally Sensitive Road Maintenance Practices for Dirt and Gravel Roads, United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, National Technology & Development Program (http://www.fs.fed.us/eng/pubs/pdf/11771802.pdf)
2. We propose that the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development Policy be adopted and implemented where possible to promote multi-modal transportation and spur economic development through eco and heritage-tourism. The implementation of Complete Streets principals establishes policy, planning, and implementation strategies to fully incorporate bicycling and walking into Louisiana’s transportation network by planning and designing roadways that accommodate bicycling, walking and people with disabilities. Complete Streets Work Group Final Report, Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (http://wwwsp.dotd.la.gov/Inside_LaDOTD/Divisions/Multimodal/Highway_Safety/Complete_Streets/Misc%20Documents/Complete%20Streets%20Final%20Report%2007292010.pdf)
Model Websites for transparency and accountability
• http://your.kingcounty.gov/kcdot/roads/cip/
• http://www.crab.wa.gov/
As to the question of working with other Council members. I will meet personally with each and every one of them and learn their personal goals and issues for the Parish and I will share mine with them. We will find the common ground where we can compromise our positions and to the extent possible respect and support each other’s concerns without betraying our fundamental beliefs.
They may sometimes be my opponent on issues but they will not be my enemies. They will have my respect even when we disagree.
Regarding your concern about council persons walking out of meetings and otherwise disrupting the the proceedings and appropriate decorem, the council must adopt some form generally recognised rules of order. My preference would be Roberts because most people have been exposed to Roberts Rules of Order at some point in their experience. However any generally accepted alternative would be fine with me. Then there must be a commitment by all to comply with the adopted rules or suffer some specified sanction.
I don’t favor ‘town hall’ type meetings …. too easy for a few agitators to interrupt and disrupt.
However I will answer any and every question posed on this forum or my Facebook profile
L Alan McMurtry.
I have spoken to the Walter Ledet Coffee Club and my Campaign manager is booking presentations at Lions, Rotary and Kiwanis.
A few more details about the candidate’s executive experience would be helpful.
M3 I am happy to provide the following information in response to your remark. Alan McMurtry
Alan earned his MBA degree in Finance at Northwestern State University, and he studied Architectural Engineering at Washington State University and Law at Vanderbilt University Law School.
After graduating NSU Alan moved from his Natchitoches home to make his career in Houston, Texas. He earned his Certified Public Accountant license and spent ten years with Peat Marwick Mitchell and Co., a big eight Certified Public Accounting and Consulting firm specializing in Real Estate, Banking and Finance.
After being recruited to join the Texas Medical Center, Alan served as Vice President of Finance and Administration and held the Office of Corporate Secretary of TMC. Alan was involved as CFO in the issuance of several public issues of Tax-Exempt Revenue Bonds.
McMurtry appeared before the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service in DC and successfully argued and achieved a favorable Revenue Ruling regarding qualifying a Subchapter T Corporation issuing Tax Exempt Bonds. Alan presented financial data to both Moody’s and Standard and Poor’s Rating Agencies on Wall Street and achieved AAA bond ratings.
Upon the sudden death of the President of TMC, Board Chairman Leon Jaworski tapped McMurtry to serve as interim Chief Executive.
As Senior Vice President of Ben Franklin Federal Savings Association, Alan headed the Commercial Real Estate Equities Division and served on Ben Franklin’s Senior Assets Review Board.
Under his own CPA Consulting Practice, he successfully contracted with the Resolution Trust Corporation and Coopers and Lybrand, to lead the management and disposition of an extensive portfolio of senior commercial real estate assets located all over the United States. This included shopping centers, medical and office buildings, hotels, apartment complexes, as well as industrial and manufacturing assets and large commercial and residential real estate developments.
Alan was concurrently President of BOLA, Inc, a Nevada corporation whose sole asset was the Bourbon Orleans Hotel in New Orleans, Louisiana. Alan was the CEO of the Bourbon Orleans and led the operation and effectuated the sale of it to the Patriot American Investor Group.
He served on the Board of Directors of Westbury National Bank and its Asset Review Committee.
President Ronald Reagan appointed Alan to the Houston, Harris County Public/Private Initiatives Committee on Employment and Job Training and he was recognized by the Texas Employment Commission for his distinguished public service to that agency.
McMurtry was President of the Houston Gulf Coast Chapter of the National Foundation for Ileitis and Colitis and a member of its National Board of Directors in New York.
Since Alan and his wife Marilyn McMurtry returned home to retire in Natchitoches in 2005, they have both been involved in civic minded activities. Alan has served on the Natchitoches Historic District Commission; The NSU President’s Council; Board of Directors, Kiwanis. He is a Charter member and Vice President of the Natchitoches Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution. Marilyn was elected a NATCHITOCHES TREASURE in 2009, President of the Symphony Society and Vice President of the Association for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches and was appointed to the Natchitoches Tourist Commission Board of Directors and elected its Treasurer.
Thanks.
I do not see how McMurtry if elected can work with the Parish Council in ” a mutually trusting and respectful manner” (his words) when he is currently involved in a lawsuit against them. Thank goodness District 3 now has a choice.
Great question .
Hopefully he can get elected along some of the new faces running and then drop the suit. Getting the 3 stooges out will be a start!
Lawd
Ms. Lady Blue Dog
My action against the Parish President alleges wrong doing. You would not suggest apparent wrong doing by public officials should go unchallenged, would you?
Alan McMurtry