St. James may add seat
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VACHERIE — The St. James Parish Council has agreed to consider seating a parish Firemen’s Association representative on the parish Planning Commission.
Councilman Ken Brass said during Wednesday’s council meeting the request came from Ryan Louque, president of the St. James Parish Firemen’s Association.
Louque said during a Feb. 1 Parish Council meeting that a representative of volunteer firemen serving on the Planning Commission would aid future planning for fire services in the parish.
The commission is responsible for making recommendations to the Parish Council about adding or removing new streets, subdivisions, drainage projects and planning future growth in the parish, according to parish government’s website.
The parish code of ordinances allows 10 seats on the parish Planning Commission including one member from each of the parish’s seven council districts, each with voting privileges.
The parish president appoints one voting member and there are two nonvoting members as well, for a total of 10 seats.
One nonvoting seat is reserved for a representative picked by the parish School Board and the other is recommended by the parish’s Health Department. The School Board’s seat is currently vacant, officials said.
To add an 11th member, Councilman Brass said, the Parish Council must hold two public hearings on the proposed code change.
Brass said he hopes the Parish Council can vote by early May on a proposed ordinance adding an 11th seat to the commission.
If the recommendation is approved, the firemen’s association would name the representative, who would have voting privileges, Brass said.
Brass also asked School Board President Charles Nailor, who attended the council’s meeting, to fill the board’s vacant seat on the Planning Commission.
Other issues coming before the council included:
HUMAN RESOURCES: Council members voted 5-2 to appoint Michelle Nailor Octave as parish director of Human Resources.
Councilmen Jason Amato and Ralph Patin voted against the appointment, while Councilmen Alvin St. Pierre, Terry McCreary, James Brazan, Charles Ketchens and Brass voted in favor of placing Octave in the job.