Ascension planning members sworn in
GONZALES — Six of seven newly appointed Ascension Parish Planning and Zoning Commissioners were sworn in Wednesday in the body’s first meeting since mid-December when the outgoing Parish Council threw out the old commission.
Commission attorney Lindsey Manda administered the oath of office for the council appointees as planning commissioners.
Manda did not swear in the six appointees as members of the Zoning Commission because the body did not have an advertised meeting Wednesday.
Though all the members are the same, the parish commission actually meets under separate agendas as three different bodies: the Planning Commission, the Zoning Commission and the joint Planning and Zoning Commission.
The commission could not meet last month because of the ouster of the old commissioners, a move greeted with controversy and complaints the council was trying to take control of the commission.
The commission also selected Donald Songy, of Prairieville, as Planning Commission vice chairman.
Others sworn in Wednesday are Jackie Callender, of Geismar; Morrie Alec Bishop, of St. Amant; Gasper Chifici, of Geismar; Paul J. Nizzo, of Gonzales; and Joshua Ory, of Gonzales.
Appointee Robert Burgess, also of Prairieville, was not present Wednesday because of a family emergency that took him out of town.
The commissioners had hoped to name Burgess chairman.
But Manda cautioned the council appointees against doing that in a legal advisory meeting that started an hour before the Planning Commission meeting Wednesday.
“I wouldn’t nominate Mr. Burgess until he is sworn in,” Manda said.
Burgess actually observed the legal meeting, held in the Parish Council antechamber, through the Internet phone and video service Skype and the use of a well-positioned laptop on the meeting room conference table.
Manda made clear that Burgess, though he was personally observing the meeting, could not vote via proxy.
During the subsequent commission meeting and after the swearing in, Songy announced that it was the commissioners’ intention to nominate Burgess as chairman.
The commissioners adopted a motion without opposition to postpone election of the chairman until the next meeting.
The commissioners handled a few matters, including a historic overlay review for a planned chapel at Bocage Plantation that got commission backing.
During the earlier legal meeting, Manda reviewed a handout on basic legal concepts related to planning and zoning matters.
That discussion included that her legal opinion, those of past commission attorneys and the courts is that the commission can reject a subdivision plat only when there is a factual existence of issues of health, safety and welfare.