Natchitoches Parish Council Chair William Allen gave an update about the trains that’s blocking the tracks into the Brickyard Road community at the Council’s Sept. 18 meeting. A camera will be installed near the railroad crossing to help monitor and resolve the problem. Union Pacific said they’re committed to helping, but they need real time alerts so they can do something about it as it’s happening.
Re-appoint Herman Tatum and Jesse Rachal to the Natchitoches Parish Fire District 2 Board.
Re-appoint Juliette Moffett to the Natchitoches Parish Library Board.
Re-appoint Jimmy Atherton to the Saline Lake Game and Fish Preserve Commission.
Re-appoint Justin Martin to the Natchitoches Parish Fire District 8 Board.
Re-appoint Billy Shugart Jr. and E. Marc Custis to the Natchitoches Parish Fire District 4 Board.
Re-appoint Greg Duggan and Ralph Hernandez to the Natchitoches Parish Fire District 5 Board.
Re-appoint Monty Trichel, Aulbry Graves, and Troy Gardner to the Natchitoches Parish Fire District 9 Board.
Re-appoint Joseph Jones, Dewayne Colston, Lamarr McGaskey, Travis Brossette, and Ricky Sanders to the Natchitoches Parish Fire District 1 Board.
Re-appoint Carol O’Quinn and Carletta Jones to the Natchitoches Parish Waterworks District 2 Board.
First Introduction of proposed Ordinances:
Introduce Ordinance 019-2023 to dedicate all gaming revenue from the State of Louisiana to the Highway Fund. This will be every year and there is talk of making it occur monthly.
Introduce Ordinance 020-2023 to affect a zoning amendment of two tracts of land that are being divided from an approximately 10.85-acre parent tract (parcel# 0010291790) to B-3 zoning
for the use of starting a short-term rental business. The property is in Section 24, Township 9 North, Range 8 West with no physical address, as shown on the Survey attached hereto, approved
by the Parish Planning Commission on September 11, 2023. This property is located on Wilkerson Road on Sibley Lake.
TABLED Adopt Ordinance 013-2023 to add back Levy Taylor to the Natchitoches Parish Road System. Work will need to be done to the road to bring it up to design standards and make it passable for a school bus.
Adopt Ordinance 015-2023 for the 2024 Operating and Capital Budgets.
Adopt Ordinance 016-2023 for 2023 Budget Amendments for the General Fund ($1.5 million), Coroners Fund ($33,000), and Criminal Court Fund ($98,000).
Adopt Ordinance 017-2023 to amend the Natchitoches Parish Personnel Manual to make all employees “for cause.” The current manual is conflicting, labeling some employees as “at will” and some as “for cause.”
Adopt Ordinance-018-1-2023 An Ordinance amending Ordinance No. 007-1- 2023 adopted on May 15, 2023, to modify the boundaries of Economic Development District I, II, III, and IV Parish of Natchitoches; and providing for other matters in connection therewith.
Conduct a public hearing with the Natchitoches Parish Council Sitting as a “Board of Review” to hear any and all protests or complaints on values of property for assessment purposes fixed by the Natchitoches Parish Tax Assessor (SEE DOCUMENT BELOW).
Other Agenda Items:
TABLED Enter into a CEA between the Natchitoches Parish Government and the Robeline Heritage Society, Inc. for usage of a building in Robeline vacated by the Waterworks District about a year ago on land owned by the Parish. This item was tabled until the exact building can be identified as there was some confusion on the matter.
Enter into a contract with Geotechnical Testing Laboratory, Inc., of Alexandria, LA, for the soil boring and testing work associated with the design of the 2023 LCDBG Street Improvement project for the resurfacing of American Way and Independence Street.
TABLED Amend the CEA to add the issuance of not exceeding of Capital Area Finance Authority Revenue Bonds in one or more series (the “Bonds”) to finance loans to first time homebuyers within the jurisdictional parishes of the Authority and such other governmental units (the “Participating Jurisdictions”) whose governing authority authorized and directed the execution of a cooperative endeavor agreement (a “CEA”) with the Authority under the provisions of the Act and other applicable constitutional and statutory authorities.
REMOVED Pay the reduced penalty and interest related to the 2017 non-filling of 1095 forms. $142,302 and the reduced amount due is now $78,918. The Parish was informed that it now owes a zero balance.
Sign the Road Project Agreement and Financial Plan between the Parish of Natchitoches and USDA, Forest Service, Kisatchie National Forest in the total amount of $101,536.