The Parish Council held a Special Called Meeting Thursday evening, Jan. 30 to consider authorizing the Parish President to take the next steps necessary for the Parish of Natchitoches to accept the donation of the Payne Sewer System from Total Environmental Systems, Inc.
The ordinance was the only item on the agenda and it passed. There were many residents from Payne Subdivision and other districts of the Parish that came to speak before the Council. Some were for and some were against.
In the end, it seemed everyone agreed that the Parish needed to take care of its residents and give them a chance to fix a failed sewer system.
One of the first things that will have to be done is the creation of a board to oversee the Parish Sewer District No. 2 and set up billing for future maintenance and taxes for the district to raise funds for general upkeep.
Council Member Jim Kilcoyne said this particular case isn’t setting a precedent. It would be called District No. 2 because there is already a sewer system under the Parish. He also said the ordinance does not obligate the Parish to accept the donation. There’s still time for the Parish to back out. The ordinance also states the Parish won’t be funding any more money into the system.
why is Sylvia Morrow still on the board ?
Why hasn’t Payne been annexed in to the city?
For what purpose?
John Richmond are you going to veto this vote?
Just to clarify, since I want to keep the public informed about what is going on in parish government. Mr. Richmond has no reason to veto this vote since all this action did was authorize him to look into the donation of the sewer system in more detail and to negotiate a favorable transfer deal that the parish can accept. In other words, the ball is in President Richmond’s court right now. If, in his opinion, the deal doesn’t work he has only to say so and the deal is dead. Then it would be up to the parish council to either it let it stay dead or restart the whole process over again.
This is how the parish government, the Home Rule Charter, is supposed to work. The Office of President, currently held by John Richmond, is the CEO of the parish and has the authority to make executive/management decisions on behalf of the parish. The HRC requires the council (5 elected members) to grant the President authority to act in many circumstances. This was one of those.
Whatever decision President Richmond makes in this case, I will support. I trust his judgement given his credentials and background in project developments.
I hope this helps explain the vote made on Thursday night.
Thank you.
Jim Kilcoyne
Parish Council District 3
I’ll just ask the question everyone wants to know!
Mr.Richmond are you going to veto this decision?
Much like the city council,the parish looks like they are going to work the same.They agree to take the time to listen to the people all day long but then do what they want to anyway. But it’s not their fault,that’s right it’s not! It’s ours for continuing to vote them in. Now Mr.Richmond who ran his campaign on that he would do what’s best for the entire parish has the opportunity to live up to that promise and shut this down. Will he break his campaign promise fresh out of the gate or will he do the right thing?
Again what happens when the residents can’t or refuse to pay the money needed for repairs and maintenance? Seems to me that this is the reason(s) for the situation that they are in at present. Only difference is we will have another “board”, probably with paid members or at least a paid director and secretary with the end result being that we will eventually have to pay for someone’s bad decisions. I resent the idea that it is my responsibility in the name of the “Parish” needing to take care of “people”. Again it is past time for the Parish (and the City) to pass ordinances that require developers to install and maintain the infrastructure of their “investments”. You want to be like Texas you have to pay like Texas.