Are you doing around?

I didn't like see.

Oh, yeah.

She's with you.

Yeah, you better thanks to it.

We had our Sunday day.

Yeah.

But it was good.

I mean, what was this?

I'm sorry.

Well, I'm just I using that.

It's okay.

All of ours are right there now.

Here this is her.

Hey, Stuart.

How are you doing?

Good, you do all right?

How are you?

Are you able to take the full week off?

Or are you still working in the office?

Oh no, I'll still work.

Are you doing sure?

Oh, come on.

We're gonna call this agenda meeting to order.

Harvey's gonna lead us in prayer.

Mr.

B is now gonna lead us in Pleasure, lead you.

Father God, we come to you tonight.

First of all, thanking you for an opportunity to safely meet tonight.

We thank you for the opportunity to be able to lead our city in the way that you know that we should be leading for that.

We ask that you please got our our mind, body, soul, but most importantly, our heart to do what's best for the constituents of Lake Charles, Louisiana.

We ask for your presence.

We ask for your continuous grace and mercy during this holiday season, and we ask that you please keep everyone in our city and beyond safe from any hurt home in danger.

In Jesus' mighty name, we pray by saying amen.

Amen.

I pledge allegiance to America.

One nation, under God.

Mr.

Nay.

Oh, we're gonna we're gonna do the presentation first.

Yes.

Okay, Mr.

Mayor.

Yes.

Afternoon, Councilman.

Uh wanted to take the opportunity to let you know that this month, uh, the month of November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month, and we have a uh special presentation by Miss Uh Selena.

My uh Kanye, huh?

Yeah.

Man Sukani, okay.

And she's a student at the University of Holy Cross in New Orleans.

So Miss Selena, if you don't mind.

All right.

Yes.

Yes.

Respected mayor council members.

Thank you so much for allowing me to speak today about my concerns regarding lung cancer and lung cancer screening in the Lake Charles community.

My name is Selena Monsagani.

I am an undergraduate student at the University of Holy Cross and also a member of the National Nonprofit Organization, the American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative.

Lung Cancer is a topic that is very important because lung cancer is among one of the leading causes of cancer death in the Louisiana community in the United States.

In 2025, it has been estimated that 227,000 people have been diagnosed with lung cancer, and 125,000 people alone will die of the disease in the United States.

Lung cancer generally has a four prognosis, but with only 23% of patients living at least five years past initial diagnosis.

This is because lung cancer is often caught in the later stages of the disease progression, and people don't feel any symptoms until these later stages.

However, the only issue is that not a lot of people are aware of lung cancer treatment.

In fact, all high-risk smokers ending screen every year.

Less than 6% more games mean than the United States.

And this rate is even lower than Louisiana at less than 2%.

And this is why we believe lung cancer education and awareness are crucial.

We need to educate our community about who needs to get screened, why it is screened, and how to get screened.

Currently, annual lung cancer screening is recommended for adults 50 to 80 years old who have a 20-year pack-year smoking history and currently smoke or have quit in the past 15 years.

And given that Louisiana serves low-income and unreserved communities, it is extremely important that we educate patients, doctors, families, and nurses about lung cancer screening.

So for everyone here, we urge you to please share with your family and friends the importance of lung cancer screening.

In terms of lung cancer screening rates, Louisiana is in the bottom tier.

But I am confident that the Louisiana American Lung Cancer Screening Initiative is confident that we can do better by holding community events surrounding lung cancer and increasing access to awareness to screening.

We can educate every single Louisiana and the state of Louisiana can lead this effort to save lives.

We have worked with over 625 mayors across all the U.S.

states and Canada to issue a proclamation recognizing the water as national lung cancer awareness.

Additionally, we have worked with over 100 mayors, governors, state representatives, and state representatives to uh get one-minute public service announcement encouraging constituents to get screened.

We would be honored to work with the mayor and city council members of Lake Charles on filming the public service announcement for Louisiana constituents.

Thank you.

Mr.

Mansakani uh said, the um the incidences are the the current screening is recommended for people between 50 and 80.

But we found that more and more people uh getting lung cancer at a low at a younger age, particularly women, so it's very important that instead of waiting for the doctors to say, well, now it's time for you to get the screening, to be attention to all the preventative measures and and especially and go and get that done beforehand because uh a lot of the we've seen a lot of uh particularly women in their 40s that by the time they are diagnosed, they're at stage four, which is which is uh and is preventable.

So if they just pay attention and and get the cancer screening that they need instead of waiting for the the statistics, I think we can save lives.

I think everybody up here need the screening.

Anything else, Ms.

Mascani.

I do agree with you that a lot of uh a lot of patients we are often easy patients out in the community uh by the time they you know uh get diagnosed with lung cancer, they are already in those later stages, and so um our goal really is to increase access awareness at an early age so that they can have more time and options for treatment and increase that prognosis rate to 23 percent to have um increase uh you know uh lifespan for patients basically well we appreciate that you bring in that information to us, um, and we're gonna be the opportunity, yes.

Yes, okay.

Any questions from the council?

Thank you, ma'am.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Miss Renee.

Appointing chairman to review bids for project number CP 3237, WWTP A Basin A06, Sewer Rehabilitation, appointed chairman to review bids for project number CP 3414, Southwest WTP Backup Power Improvements, appointed chairman to review bids for project number CP 9778, LCEC ADA railing and seating, and to amend the budget as necessary, an ordinance ordering demolition and authorizing the city of Lake Charles Center into an agreement for demolition structure located at 1901 7th Street, Earl Joseph Banks Jr., James Anthony Anderson, Bessie May Joyner Estate, Emmett Joyner Estate, and Sheila Marie LeBlanc Ozan owners, subject to a tax cell to the state of Louisiana.

An ordinance amending section 24-5-307.15A1i of the Lake Charles zoning ordinance relative to Nelly Lecture District Overlay Standards.

An ordinance accepting the lowest responsible bid and authorizing the city of Lake Charles to enter into an agreement to purchase one new rear load of refuge truck for use by the public works department, solid waste trash division, an ordinance accepting the lowest responsible bid and authorizing the city of Lake Charles to enter into an agreement to purchase one new three-wheel sweeper for use by the Public Works Department Streets Division.

An ordinance accepting the lowest responsible bid and authorizing the city of Lake Charles to enter into an agreement to purchase one new six-yard duck truck for use by the public works department, grounds maintenance division, an ordinance accepting the lowest responsible bid and authorizing the city electrows center into an agreement to purchase one new four-wheel sweeper for use by the public works grounds maintenance division.

An ordinance accepting the lowest responsible bid and authorizing the city elect Charles Center into an agreement to purchase traffic control products under a 12-month contract with the option to renew for an additional 12 months for use by the public works department, communications and traffic division, an ordinance authorizing the city elect Charles Center to a professional services agreement with Allied Universal to provide comprehensive security detail coverages for City Hall, the Transit Division Building, the Downtown Lakefront, and other buildings as needed.

An ordinance authorizing the settlement of a claim against the City of Lake Charles in the suit style A SMS versus Union Car by Corporation et al.

Docket number 2024-4641 division G on the docket of the 14th Judicial District Court, Parish of Calcashu State of Louisiana.

The City Council may hold an executive session to discuss the suit style A SMS versus Union Car by Corporation et Al, Docket number 2024-4641, Division G on the docket of the 14th Judicial District Court Parish of Calcashu, pursuant to LARS 42 colon 6 ed set.

An ordinance amending Section 12-53 of the City of Lake Charles Code of Ordinances relative to permanent uses.

Resolutions, a resolution appointing a member to the Southwest Louisiana Convention and Visitors Bureau Board to fill the expiring term of hiring Zavari.

A resolution accepting project number CP 2881, 10 Pen Alley, Phase 2 as substantially complete, and authorizing the advertising of the 45-day lien period.

A resolution setting date for public hearing and consideration of the Lake Charles Planning and Zoning Commission's decision to deny a request for a major conditional use permit in order to establish a runway matting manufacturing facility in an existing commercial structure with variances to allow use on local street versus required location adjacent to and has access to an arterial or collector street and to allow manufacturing use of a fiberglass product within a thousand feet of a residential land use within a mixed use zoning district at 2925 Industrial Avenue.

A resolution authorizing the City of Lake Charles to advertise to receive SEAL bids for project number DR010, new fire training facility with the companion ordinance.

A resolution authorizing City Elect Charles to advertise and to receive SEAL bids for project number LCR 401, Lock Park Inclusive Playground with a companion ordinance.

Introduction of an ordinance amending Section 4-2055AI of Chapter 24 of the Lake Charles Zoning Ordinance relative to variances, limitations on variances.

Introduction of an ordinance authorizing CLA Charles to accept the lowest responsible bid, and to enter into an agreement for project number CP 9778, LCEC ADA railing and seating, and to amend the budget as necessary.

Introduction of an ordinance authorizing the City of Lake Charles to accept the lowest responsible bid.

And to intend to an agreement for project number CP 3224, Murphil Drive, drainage phase two, and to amend the budget as necessary.

We're going to skip down to the last item, which is introduction of an ordinance authorizing the city of Lake Charles to renew the joint services agreement with the Calcashoe Parish Police Jury for Animal Control Services.

And that's all that I have.

Thank you, Ms.

Renee.

Mr.

Weber.

I don't have anything.

Mr.

Bailboat.

First, I want to thank the City Council and all the leaders for quickly letting the city employees be off for the day after Thanksgiving.

It was the team.

Nobody had any problem with it.

So I want to thank y'all, and I hope everybody get to enjoy that Friday after Thanksgiving.

And I want to understand why it was moved back, being that we just moved, we just built an apartment complex.

It was 6th Avenue floods, like within minutes.

And minutes, I'm talking about 30 minutes.

Is it flooding on Sixth Avenue, Sixth Avenue and 6, or right across from uh Brother Red Church, I think a school board down there?

We just built a complex and I was notified that the project was pushed back to fix the drainage in the area.

Is that capstone at the oaks?

Mr.

Herman.

I'm just won't know whether it's if we just spun money on apartment complex, we would want to keep water off the street, you know.

Yeah, um, just uh I guess add some comments on this.

There was a project in the works 46th Street.

Um a lot of that funding was going to come from some round one funds from the state.

Um that funding was pulled, and it was due to um overages and other projects that the state was funding.

And so that project was sort of canceled at this point.

Um we will continue with engineering with funding that we do have.

Um we'll have a complete completely engineered package.

That way, when we do have funding, it'll be ready to go.

But currently there are no funds for that project.

Those are the those are the state funds, right?

Yes, sir.

When was the schedule to take place?

Again, it was a fully funded project.

More specifically via the Louisiana watershed initiative.

Okay.

It's kind of complicated with how the project started, kind of what it grew into, and then how it progressed from there.

But that funding was pulled.

We had insufficient funds to continue the project.

So what exactly is the issue?

Is it there's a drainage need to be replaced?

We got cracked pipes, what?

Yes, it would have been new drainage from the east side of Highway 14 across 14 around the to around the capstone apartment complex.

So that whole block.

Two blocks rather.

Two to three.

Yeah.

So we do we have a backup plan in place in case?

No, because we were sort of rug pulled last minute.

Okay.

Um completely last minute.

Normally you don't backup plan for these kinds of things.

You had state funding, it was secured, you're going to go through with the project.

So it will be engineered, and then it's on us in the city to figure out the priorities and where to get funding from.

Okay.

Once you have a project like this, you have to go and compete with other projects and other priorities.

And so um But that we will be evaluating the capital improvement plan annually, like we do every year.

The residents shouldn't experience any difference in their sewage or anything like that.

That was just drainage from this was a drainage project.

Question, follow-up, if I could.

Um so I assume that was in priority one funding, or was it out or was it something different?

It was Louisiana watershed initiative.

So it wasn't P1 capital outlay funds or anything like that.

Okay.

That was because I would think it would get pushed back to priority two, and then it couldn't come back.

Because you know, a lot of times they over they underfund or overcommit on priority one and two projects, actually.

I'm not sure this has nothing to do with it.

Yeah, I'm not sure we'll have that opportunity as far as the watershed initiative.

Um kind of seems like the program's in a tough spot right now with projects going over budget, and then they have to, you know, stop gap the other the existing projects that are in construction.

Mr.

Herman, do you anticipate any other projects that we got going on that's gonna be pool as well?

No, sir.

All right.

Doesn't mean it can't happen, but there's no reason for me to believe it's gonna happen at this point.

Okay, Mayor.

Well, I think the and yeah, and to Emily's point, we don't have anything else in the watershed initiative program.

Okay, and and I think the Louisiana Watershed Initiative uh covers a lot of projects throughout the state, and I think Plackerman's Parish was the the part that had the uh the hiccup that that resulted in the funding being cut.

That was a big controversy about that too.

Okay, uh and just to be clear, this project was approximately six million dollars, so it's not something that we easily can make up or move things around on.

I'm good.

Mr.

Bible?

Yeah.

Um also I wanted to find out the steps it takes.

You know, we've been talking about annexing a lot of areas in Lake Alls, and I had several people call, you know, you're gonna make some people happy, some people upset.

But the southeast side of Lake Alls, that Carbino Road, Tank Farm, Watercrest II, all those areas behind that area to the southeast.

Uh is that I don't know that's something we discussed here, but they was wondering how what it would take to start annexing those areas to annex them?

Yeah, annex them, yes.

Gotta have them.

Just I'm just asking.

We I can send you a brief description of the state law requirements for annexing property.

It's different if it has registered voters in it, and if it doesn't have registered voters, so there's there's two different avenues you can take.

And it has to be a petition submitted by the landowners, the registered voters for the area to be annexed.

Okay.

Mr.

Vegueras, but just on the surface, some of that area is already meet certain criteria, correct?

Yes.

Um no, I mean, I I Well, we have a portion out there that's that's already portion of water side that abuts the golf course that is in the city, but the other portion that that is along Carbena is not.

So the reason we could annex that portion uh abutting the golf course it was all vacant.

We just needed one signature to annex phase one water side, we need all the the registered voters 50 percent plus one to annex.

So if they don't sign the petition, we don't annex.

If you don't mind, can you get Mr.

Bilbo that information about that piece of property?

Because I'm sure you're gonna be getting some calls pretty soon.

But but you can also have an election, but theoretically.

We've never gone that route.

But that is an op does that is an option.

Right.

Okay.

Well, you have to have like a election.

No, you well, that probably you can get that's one, but you can have yeah, if both they have enough people, uh say if you have people that really want to be annexed, they can go around and yeah, they'd want to get it approved by an attorney to make sure all the language is right, but they could go out there and have a petition and to get 50 percent plus one.

Yeah, they we yeah, then they can come to us and then we would have to either vote yes or no on that exactly.

Is that is it that low, Mr.

Begueras?

50 50 percent plus one has to be 50 percent plus one of the registered voters and an additional uh 25 percent of the representative property owners have to sign the petition all so that that the 50 percent could encompass the 25, correct?

That's correct.

And usually that's the way it works.

Okay.

Cool.

Mr.

Fundale.

Oh, yes, I do have something.

I want to uh thank the mayor and uh recreation department for the uh the new team center that we um did the ribbon cutting on today, and that's it.

Um that's over there at Macmillan Park, and that that was well needed.

Thank y'all again.

You said something about you gonna have hot dogs when?

Uh Ms.

Craig and I are gonna have hot dogs one Saturday.

Mr.

Young.

Uh no, sir, nothing for tonight.

Mr.

Vizano.

Uh just one thing, Doug, if you will.

I I asked about it maybe a month ago.

Uh, and I know it's a it's it's a big project, but the uh West MacNeese and weaver road and the ditch that's eroding in the parking lot's falling in.

Maybe a term, I don't know, but it's uh it's out of my wheelhouse.

It's it's still getting worse.

Uh and I get phone calls from the principals, and so uh if I could just get them an official update, would be great.

Um it's on the list, it's currently an unbudgeted project.

Um but we'll get to it.

No, let me say this.

Matt, I'll pitch it.

No, Mr.

Viseno, we're we we have an a consulting engineer evaluating and giving us prices.

So we are going to try to move forward with that project.

He's right.

There's no money in the there's a little bit of money in the budget, but I don't know if there's enough money to finish the entire project.

But we are going to move forward with trying to remove those utilities out of the line because it is washing out.

So we'll be giving you an update probably in the next three weeks if you give us a few weeks on it.

That'll be fine.

That'll give me something to tell.

Thank you.

Is it Mr.

Viesner?

Yes, sir.

Mr.

Harvey.

Yes, Mr.

President.

Um, I have a couple things.

First thing, while we on uh Mr.

Vegueras, I appreciate the report from the DDA.

However, what I'm asking for is more of a SWOT analysis.

That was more of how they were created, uh kind of like their bylaws, but I want to know what have they done extensively in with the dealing with the downtown uh district authority.

I want to know what have they done in the last three years.

So I would appreciate some feedback on the report, but I do appreciate what you sent me.

Um Mr.

Castillo, uh, we're trying to get a follow-up and the fent on the fence issue.

Uh every goal is to Donald Ray Stevens with the pool.

Um, I know the pool is up and everything, but that fence is still relatively low, and I know that's not the fence we originally agreed upon, but uh they're starting to have a lot of traffic kids hanging around, and I would hate for someone to try to hop that fence.

Yes, sir.

Um, like time last time we visited about it, it is taller than all the outdoor uh fences that we have at university and second avenue, so it meets and exceeds what's currently there.

Um we did have to value engineer some things, so we shifted a change order to get the uh the gas warmed to the uh heater so we can warm up the pool.

So it is something that we do want to change, it's just something we just don't have funding immediately right now.

Um but we do have plans for Gosport as a whole that we can uh take care of the fencing with that.

Gotcha, I just definitely want to prioritize.

I mean, even if we fell short on something or we underbudgeted it or over budgeted, but that fence is priority.

I mean, that's safety.

Um, and I think the picture and the renderings that we showed the public, that's not exactly what it looks like.

So I just want to make sure before the constituents start to further complain about it, they're appreciative.

I want to make sure I'm I'm letting you know they appreciative, but that low fence is definitely a safety hazard.

I mean, I'm not a uh acrobatic guy, but I can cross that fence.

I'm just saying, like I I just thinking about what's best for the children.

Yes, sir.

All right.

Um thank you.

If I may ask a question on that subject right here, wouldn't Mayor, wouldn't that fence fall under, couldn't we use Lake Charles Rebound money when we draw down?

Uh part of the parks initiative part of it.

I don't know that that park was in rebound initiative, but we can look into it.

Well, I don't think it was uh specifically parks designated, it was money given for parks.

Now I don't know unless I missed it.

It was no part, it was certain parks designated, but my understanding we could use it for parks.

Yeah, I saw uh Lake Charles Rebound dealing with uh Yuba Park, Lock Park, and I think we're taking uh one park off that list.

So yeah, we're looking to it.

I think we'll find we'll find a solution for that, Mr.

Harvey.

Also, I think it's our city policy that you have to have no trespass signs on there for the for that gate for that wrought iron part.

Shouldn't we have no trespassing signs up?

We do have we we do have signage that um on the park where talks about different rules and we will put we'll we'll put some things out there with the pool.

I think the number one thing when it comes to the pool for security purposes is uh good cameras and lighting.

The pool is well lit.

Uh we do have cameras out there, and we're we're going to put more uh cameras and lights out there.

Uh so there's things that we can do right now immediately to fix that uh the concern.

I just want to be clear because I remember last year in my district there was a house with a pool that the fence fell down.

And we were told that the owners could be held liable if somebody was to go in there.

Insurance does require that you have to have the fence around your pool.

That is the fence takes the place at another.

Immediately, yes.

Well, I mean, normally a fence is designed to to to prevent trespassing.

So uh our fence is good.

Uh just we were just concerned about the height and we can something we can work on.

I was just saying because if you look at second avenue, you gotta jump a fence and jump a fence to get to the pool.

With with gospel, one jump in you in the pool.

Understood?

Yeah.

Also regards to the furniture and the other external furniture.

So the pool itself was designed under we we we mobilized some CDBG funds, put it all together and went after it to get the best pool possible.

Everything beyond that was gonna be operational.

We got our operational uh money October, so we're going to buy we're gonna buy those things.

We actually sort of shopping and see what we can do.

So when we open it up, it was understood that we were opening up uh just because we wanted to celebrate it.

We ribbon cut and I didn't want them to wait till March to be able to get in.

I wanted something that that day of.

So when we open it up officially, it will have uh furniture out there.

All right, and the canopies as well.

The canopies were something that we had to again, we had to scale down to give the best pull possible for the money that we had available.

All those things can come.

When when when we just for the the the sake of going forward, when we scale things down, can I be notified?

And the only reason I'm asking that is because again, when we present something to the public, they're expecting it to look almost close to the.

I can tell you this much.

In the next coming years, it will look exactly how we showed it.

I got you.

Yeah.

Gotcha.

Marketplace.

Uh put a marketplace there?

No, marketplace.

You can cut back, go to marketplace.

Um moving forward.

Uh I want to uh see if we can get a traffic study done at Reed and Kirby.

Um there was a uh I don't want to say tragic, but I want to say tragic.

A family lost uh uh two of their pets uh two days ago and they've been calling and complaining about uh that intersection for a very long time with people just passing with no regards to the speed limit.

So if we can um start a traffic study on Reed and Kirby, I would really appreciate that.

Uh still looking, I know we had small conversation, but I still would like to know uh long-term plan for district A as far as the ditches is concerned.

Um I'm planning a community meeting um in mid-December, and I definitely would like to give my constituents an update uh as far as what we as a city plan to do, whether it be short term or long term to address the ditches uh in district A.

Also, again, I would also like uh, and I'll send this out an email, but I'm looking for maybe uh small updates from a departmental standpoint as it pertains to district A.

So um whether it be uh public uh works, whether it be um uh LCPD, um I'm looking for departmental updates so I can prepare to speak to my constituents.

I also would like to maybe know um the the ultimate vision from the district, I mean from the city's administration as it pertains to district A.

Um, just to make sure we're speaking the same language um and making sure that we all on one accord.

I definitely would like to be speaking the same thing, but also want to speak to some things that we started all talking about that we're not talking about anymore.

Uh so I definitely would like some updates.

I'm potentially having this community meeting on December the 18th.

Um, but again, I'll put this in email as well.

Um also if possible, if I can get some updates as it regards to the enterprise extension.

I've heard many different things from many different people, but I myself, I would like to know where we are in regards to the right-of-way project the timeline.

Um, if we're gonna stay three-lane, four-lane, whatever it may be, um, I would like something on that just so again, I can speak to the constituents to make sure they're not getting misconstrued information.

Um we're starting to have another issue with dumping along Railroad Avenue.

Um the constituents are constantly posting on social media.

Um I know it's not like really our fault, but at the same time, um, there's an issue.

People tend to just dump old tires, uh old refrigerators, oh anything just to get rid of that's along the Railroad Avenue area.

Which part, which part you know what the area is.

It would be the along the whole railroad avenue.

I want to say uh you can go from uh Kirkman, the intersection of Kirkman and Railroad Avenue all the way to Rhine.

It runs directly along the feeder road around Railroad Avenue.

Um we haven't dumping all the way across there.

Um I've actually went out there today.

Um there's a couple of refrigerators out there um and it's all on agendicated property.

So whoever the dumpers are, they know that it's not being maintained or being looked at by private owners.

So um I know again, constituents have complained about that.

They've come on Tuesday nights and mentioned that as well.

Can I get an update on the dead end?

I think it's the 1400 block of Salamake Street.

That was a project that was started maybe three years ago, funding fell.

Um it was recently bidding and awarded, maybe about 60 days ago.

Um, that was on the the dead end of Salamake Street.

Yeah, that project's been awarded, and so we have to go through the contracting process.

Okay.

Um being that that project started stop, started stop.

Um, I have previously asked that we communicate with everybody on that block.

Could we ensure I think it was SGA or uh sorry, CRS C S R S C S R S.

Yeah, they were supposed to send letters to everybody who was on that block.

Could we ensure that they did that just to kind of calm the constituents down?

Um I'll reach out to them and make sure it gets done.

Okay.

And the last thing I had uh was similar to what Mr.

Bilbo said, I was gonna bring this up tonight.

Um, maybe about a year ago before the election, um, there's several constituents uh in the northern part of town who's interested in being annexed into the city.

Um I would like to see District A be extended from Bramer Lane all the way to 397.

Um Braymar Lane is where district A ends.

That's right uh near the uh Conbre Funeral I mean graveyard, right before you get to United Christian Fellowship.

That's District A ends right there on my Chicago.

Yeah, I would like to see it go all the way to 397 to encompass uh the Lake Carolina area, uh the new subdivision that's on the left hand side uh of the interstate all the way to 397.

Both sides?

Both sides, both sides, both north and south of Appaloosa Street.

So all the way to Appaloosis meets 397.

Um and again, I know there was many residents who would have liked to have seen that before the previous election, the last election, but I definitely would like to see it before the next one to get them included.

Um that's all I have, Mr.

President.

Can I speak on something with Harvard?

Is it any way that we can send stuff out?

We got we got a lot of people want to come into the city who never been in the city, so they must be excited about something.

But I don't think I don't think the old door-to-door signing a petition gonna get people, it was hard enough to get people to answer the door when I was campaigning.

But I get the calls that they want to do.

Is there anything we can mail out to them to on either side, district A or district C to say, hey, who who interested in this can we instead of this, you know, signing a petition.

I think what the best way to handle is because that that to have to have a comprehensive annexation plan, let's just get together and set up the geographics and then figure out how to do the notification and identify the registered voters and the property on it so we can do it by the book, and then when the time comes, we can we can get together and pull the trigger.

I got one thing.

I missed something.

I'm sorry.

Going back to DDA.

When we when we are recommending people for these boards, are we taking into consideration people who may live in the district, people who may own a business in the district, or people who have like a vested interest in the business when we appointing people to these boards?

Yeah, what my the three recommendations that I made to you, that those were the considerations that that they uh either lived in the district, but primarily that they had businesses in the district.

Okay.

And the reason I'm asking is because based off the reports that I received um from Mr.

Bigueras' report, there was no one is a resident in District A.

Yeah.

That's on the board.

Yeah, that's and that yeah, that's not the case.

But if they're business people, we try to.

He has a business in District B, but he's not in district A, based off the people that's on the board.

Yeah, and I think the the traditional boundaries of the downtown development uh district.

I'm trying to expand those.

That's why I brought in property on this along the nearly lucky culture uh parkway, the enterprise boulevard area, because I I think that the downtown area that we should be looking at shouldn't be just uh and that's based upon our discussions from the from the uh sports complex that I want to make it more inclusive of of all the businesses along that corridor, I-10 corridor, net luchiculture district to downtown.

I think there's an opportunity to bring more together.

So I'm bringing that that that more diversification of interests and views to uh make sure that the DDA addresses all concerns.

Okay.

So what I hear you say is in the near future we plan on expanding what's considered the downtown district.

Yeah, I mean, I've I've all I've always looked at the downtown district as the commercial corridors of the area.

I I think the entire down, I think the entire I-10 corridor uh should be considered downtown.

So I've never kind of geographically located it like that.

So this this administration looks at things a little bit differently, and and the appointees that you see are gonna reflect that change and shift.

That's all I held, Mr.

President.

With that being said, Mr.

Mayor, we might want to update the Rick the um the rules of it so that we won't have this issue if you're gonna expand them.

Yeah, you know, let's make it so this board that's on there right now will fit into the criteria whenever we get time to do it.

And we're having and we're having we're actually having those discussions now because uh there's we have a number of we've got a number of uh of uh number of bodies that uh involved with decisions that are made in terms of development of the downtown, the lake front, and these areas.

So I'm we we're gonna re-two, we're looking at the whole thing because even things as as germane as the smart code, you know.

Uh I was on the council when we adopted the smart code and it was supposed to be a guide for development, but now it seems to be the end all be all, and and sometimes it just doesn't make sense.

So we're we're looking at all of that because I think it's very important that we have a living breathing document and how we develop our city and it's not trying to fit everything into a s uh every round round uh round peg into a square hole.

Uh also I want to make mention of when we talk about annexation, what I learned a few years back, some parts of the city, like when you go to Corbino Road, it's a different style of annexation.

What I mean by that, that way have more water wells.

When you go down Opolucia Street, they have plumbing and stuff that's already in place.

So when we're talking about annexation, we need to make those people know it may be some time before they get city utilities, even if they annex into the city.

And that might be a determining factor whether they really want to come in.

I think you hit the nail on the head because uh a lot of people want to come into the city, but they immediately expect water, sewer, police protection, and everything else.

We can get them trash.

Mr.

Marks, sir.

In fact, when when we annex certain areas today, and if we know we cannot provide service for a period of time, we make them sign something where they recognize and acknowledge that we can't get them service immediately.

Okay.

Um I want to go back to the ditches.

A while back, we had uh a representative from the gravity drainage came in and he made a statement and had I'm assuming he has some documentation with him that said that it's not always good to cover ditches.

So I hear a lot of talk about ditches, and we always talk about money to do that.

I think we need to uh drill down on that study for the councilmen that have that problem in their district so that we can see are we hurting ourselves if we close these ditches?

You know, when it comes to storms and different things like that.

I know by the last time me and Mr.

Harvey was on the council, we were just going off the weather.

You know, when it flooded, the ditches this and this.

And when uh TA Jones came and gave us that thing, it drew my attention to the fact that I don't want to be hurting my district by covering a ditch and causing flooding, you know, if it's not supposed to be there.

So I I think if we can drill down on that and find out which parts of town is it really needed, not not needed, is it gonna hurt or is it not gonna hurt us?

I I think it uh it it all and when I remember looking at those, it looks like more from a collection standpoint.

Most open ditches almost act like retention ponds do for commercial businesses.

But uh if you look at uh different roads, like if you look at Goss Boulevard, Goss Boulevard, the water collectors are are at intersections, there's no collectors in between, and though sometimes it's a long block.

So when there's a rain, there's a that's a lot of water trying to get to a single point.

So when we designed the enterprise extension and continue to design it, we put uh eight foot by eight foot uh uh culverts in there, but there's a collector every hundred, every hundred feet.

So that no matter what type of rain, there's a lot of collection that goes in there, and then the underground cover is all the retention areas until the municipal systems can catch up.

So I think when we look at the ditches, it's not just a matter of uh of whether the ditches should be closed, it's a matter of how do we make that functional.

Uh the one of the places that we that we did experiment with was on uh it's uh it comes right up to Conbre Findel Pair Street.

We didn't uh we didn't do the curb in concrete, but we did put the uh the underground piping and and we put uh grates, but the grates are close enough where we didn't where we can collect water and it doesn't back up in the system.

So uh we that's all part of how we need to start looking at how we if we want to close the ditches, we need to be able to collect the water and at least hold it and retain it till it it till the systems can catch up with it if they're not able to do so.

And I say that because I know I got that problem on Leginger Street, it is is becoming real expensive to get that water off the streets.

Um if we're gonna if we do that, and I know I know I think I has uh spoke with Ms.

Emily a while back.

Then we qualify for the brick grant that was a while back that was supposed to be like an analysis of what we should or should not do for the ditches.

I think the brick was a study that did that led to grant opportunities.

So the brick uh my understanding is the brick study has been done now.

We're looking for the grants to uh to go with that.

So the other thing too, and in Hess Alton is Katie and what they're doing from the PR standpoint, but maybe we can do uh I don't know, commercials or reels or something on social media that can educate people on why we don't close indicts because as long as we don't educate them on why we not making it a priority to close ditches.

Maybe we need like a I I learned much about our uh wastewater plant just from watching a video.

Um so I'm just saying there's a lot of people in that community that either they were promised ditches be closed by previous people or whatever they may be.

They just feel like, hey, we've neglected the ditches, and it may they may not know the real reason why.

So I'm just saying maybe as a city we put together an initiative to educate them on why we haven't closed the ditches up.

Yeah, that's a good idea.

And I think we'll we'll we'll drill down and make sure we find all the all the reasons why or why not funding and everything else and put that as a PSA so that the public can understand.

Because I I agree that's we've been talking about closing ditches since I'm since I was a kid.

And I and I and I know that did some of them unsightly, but we've also seen places where when they were closed, it led to certain type of flooding problems.

So we need to, especially in the area where you have gravity drainage, but it's basically flatlands, you know.

And I'd like to uh know can the council get a copy of the brick done the study that they came up with the final analysis.

Can we all get a copy?

Uh also Ms.

Shelley, the packet that you gave me this week, I appreciate it.

But can you get the same packet to the councils?

To the council, other council members?

Uh excuse me.

I gave it to you.

No, you gave it to me.

Yes.

That's what's for all the council?

No.

It was just for you, I think Miss Wendy gave it to me to give it.

Yeah, I got it, but I'm saying all the other council when I asked for it, I wanted all the council to have it.

Okay.

And Mr.

Fundale said he didn't get it.

Which one was it?

No, I did the payroll and all those things.

He just she just sent it to you.

She only sent it to you.

She can send it.

Okay.

Yeah.

That's all.

The uh What is the status of Place Vendome?

I know we talked about it.

We we um we declared it ready to be demolished.

Any news on when we're gonna do it?

I know it was all that media had it.

Yeah, for sure.

There was a lot of satisfied people.

Uh Mr.

Hester, good evening, counsel.

Um, Mr.

Hester, our building safety guy, um, just today sent out an email uh requesting do we go out for bids, or you know, what's the plan for it?

Um I do know that there were the pool, the pool house and the office and building H were not included in um the request, like it should have been.

So um I'm not sure I sent out an email if we want to wait to go out for bids whenever everything's included.

Well, why wouldn't those other places be in it?

I don't know.

Whenever I went and reviewed it, um I noticed those were not included in the original um request and ordinance.

Oh, well that gotta be a clerical because when I requested it, I requested the whole property.

Yes, yes.

So um to make things legal, uh, we need an ordinance that includes those also.

So my question that went out today was do we want to wait to go out for bids whenever everything's included, or do um do we want to go ahead and get an estimate now?

I guess what I'm what I'm not understanding is wouldn't it just be a simple clerical thing putting the rest in?

Um I don't know.

Whenever I whenever I sent out um the question, I was told that we needed an ordinance to include those because it wasn't initially included.

Let me ask you.

Let me ask the question.

The the office or the pool house area and the pool, was it part of the condemnation process?

Um no, it had six that were listed.

That that's the answer.

It was uh the buildings that were condemned, we can go out for bid and tear down.

The other buildings that did not come before the council, you can't just tell us to go tear it down, I don't believe.

It's got to be a hazard, and there's a process you have to go through.

So I'm not understanding how we have a property that's divided.

You know, that's like saying we we can tear down house.

You can have two houses on one lot, and if one's condemnable, you can tear you tear it down, and the other one you cannot.

We also have buildings on there that do not meet condemnation standards.

There's I think three buildings on there that do not meet condemnation.

So the whole thing is not gonna be demolished.

Mr.

Marks.

Because they have buildings that don't meet it.

This just came up today, some emails went back and forth.

But what we do know is the the buildings that came before the council that were posted and condemned, we can tear those down.

There are some other buildings that have not gone before the council, and we're having that conversation with the legal department.

If you just give us a few days to vet it, we'll we'll let you know what the complicating factor is there were the property itself was the subject of multiple legal descriptions.

Okay.

So apparently when Mr.

Hester originally put it on the res the ordinance, it Xed out some of the buildings to be condemned, but not all of them, and they were multiple legal descriptions.

So we definitely would have to bring it back to the council for another ordinance to condemn the other bills.

Well, I'm all for that, but in the meantime, if I my opinion, our recommendation is turn down everything that can be torn down.

Right.

Right now, go out for the I I mean, I don't know if I have the authority to tell you.

I mean yes, I understand, I understand.

Yeah.

Um I'm just waiting on that email for uh for us to go out for the S.

My sentiments, Mr.

Cordon, but thank you for the sediments.

I don't know.

No, we'll come we'll take that under advisement, and that's probably what we're going to do.

What we're looking at is is it cost us how much more to go out for a second bid?

Okay.

And so that's what we're trying to evaluate the difference in the cost, what we think we could save by doing it all together.

Absolutely, you want to tear it down as quick as possible.

Okay.

The uh do we have an idea, Ms.

Paula, on how many houses we still have on backlog to be torn down.

I know a couple of years ago we was at like three, four hundred have actually um the houses that were initially red tagged after the storms, all of those have been uh torn down, either by the owner, by the PPDR program, or by the city.

Um just last year we tore down 120 houses.

You know, I can give you all the total since the storms.

Um right now we're working on a lot of the places that were deemed as housing codes with blue roofs, they're slowly moving into condemnation status.

So that's what we're working on right now.

We also are bringing a lot of properties before our administrative hearing officer that are deemed as housing codes, and we walk those through until they're repaired.

Okay.

So a question for legal.

I was thinking those houses that we're tearing down, it's no way that the city can um do we have to let them go through the adjudication process before they can be taken.

I'm not aware of any process by which we can accelerate that.

I mean uh I don't I don't know of any legal mechanism in place where we can like Well, I'd like us to look into that because what we doing, we tear them down and we paying for them, and then now the grass sit there, and we got to start paying for them all over again.

So if it's a it's a way I I guess I'm just looking at a way to maybe we can start selling them or giving them or whatever we're gonna do with them so we don't have to put them in our budget.

Oh, you mean like condemn them, demolish them and adjudicate and sell them all in kind of one package?

Quick as possible.

I can look into that.

Okay.

It might it would probably require some some amendments to the ordinances, but but I certainly will look into that.

Okay.

You we we were I want to be careful because we can certainly amend ordinances with a vote of the council.

I would have to look at a lot of this stuff can involve the 14th Amendment and some due process issues.

So some of it I'd have to look at might be out of our ability to control, but the extent we can control it, I'll look into how we do that.

Mr.

Marks, I think we may have looked at it in the past.

Uh and I think it may take some state uh legislation to be able to do something like that.

We've had had some conversations because this this isn't unique to Lake Charles.

This is a statewide problem, and we would love to be able to take those properties over and get them into commerce quicker than waiting three years.

Right.

Matter of fact, Mr.

President, we uh we sent a uh a request out to one of our consultants, consultants that deal with a lot of legislative issues.

You have my recommendation on how to try to get these properties uh moved quickly back into commerce and uh and clear the title so they can be developed and they'll be working on that.

Okay.

The other thing is I got a bit uh oh a big ask.

I'd like to have the sales tax from each district, the sales tax that each district generates and what businesses we get those sales tax from.

And I like that each to be sending to each council member.

I I may be able to help you a little bit with that because I've been doing the sales tax work for the school board for the last 30 years.

Um of that data you can obtain, some of that data by taxpayer is actually considered confidential by state law.

Okay.

So as far as how much what taxpayer is paying, some of that is going to be confidential as far as how much sales tax revenues generated in a district.

But by taxpayer, I don't think we're going to be able to provide that.

You think we can get it by a general business?

Like if that's a gas station's that is possible, yes.

Well, I don't think I can tell you, I don't think I'm going to be able to tell you how much the What is I was just trying to find out how much Mr.

Harvey bringing in over.

708 Prater Street is by.

Same activity, same everything.

Mr.

Lloyd would definitely appreciate if we can address that, but is like it's back to square one.

I know that we have to bring him back to administrative hearing.

Um has anything happened when he comes, he's come to the hearing before.

Yes.

Him and the property owner.

They come and they've been fined heavily.

Um unfortunately, um the mindset is that it just keeps happening.

So with cases like that, we do bring them to city court.

Um with the last case, the property on Broad Street.

We brought him to city court, we got a restraining order, you know that.

And we finally got him to understand that this is the way it needs to be, or else, you know, you're not gonna have a business.

So unfortunately, this is not a business, it's a uh a residential area that he is um chopping cars and selling them, you know.

Um and with a with a person like that, you can't really get them to understand that they can't do it.

They'll just continue to do it.

So um we do have it scheduled for administrative hearing, and they're gonna be fined heavily.

We can find them now per day.

Isn't that something we can do on when I say legal, like the police go on their side as opposed to property, I mean uh the hearing.

Um I don't know the answer to that question.

Yeah.

Is it's criminal?

It had to be criminal to get law enforcement baller, yes.

Otherwise it's um anything that he they put on the neutral ground or the sidewalk or the street, uh, we do turn into PD, and they go and take care of that immediately.

But um, you know, with with a tenant, it's a tenant that's doing it.

With a tenant like this, um, like I said the last time, the only time that we did not have issues with him is whenever he was in jail.

So now that he's out, the issues have started again, and it is a struggle um to get things cleaned up and to go do process legally to be able to find him and get it cleaned up.

The the the neighbors, they they are really frustrated.

They frustrated with me too.

Yes.

Um, because they call a councilman and obviously I've exhausted everything I can't do nothing.

They call LCPD, LCB, LCP, uh, LCPD tell them something.

It's just like if we leave here right now and we all get in a convoy to go there, we we gonna see the same stuff I've been complaining about for three years.

Yes.

Yes.

That's that's bad.

Like, I agree.

I I just I don't know.

I'm I'm I mean, Simeon, you you've been to see Mr.

Lloyd.

Uh like what do we do at this point?

Because we got good constituents who are homeowners who are being punished by a transit population that basically the councilman can't fix the problem, the police officer can't fix the problem, the city can't fix the problem.

So, what do we tell these people?

Right.

It's an ongoing situation.

This is a tenant who's renting a place.

Um the tenant is renting the place from a um I don't know, I shouldn't say it, but Slum Lord, that feels like he's not responsible.

Um, but the tenant is he is running a mechanic chop shop there at that property.

Um of course we can't prove it, but we know he is.

I think I I think we'll take it out.

I think we'll we'll seek about uh law enforcement won't get involved unless they're violating something.

So if we were able to get an injunction against that type of activity and they violate the injunction.

But also the fees, by the way, too.

Because the big music is a business without a business permit there.

Absolutely.

He has no occupational.

I mean, he he can't run that type of business there, period.

Um I've been told that we can't prove that he's doing it, but we visually we can see he's doing it.

Um sometimes the place is a mess, sometimes it's not.

Um you know, and we brought him to hearing several times.

We find uh the property owner because he's ultimately responsible.

Does the property owner pay the fines?

No, he hasn't paid anything.

So we'll do something about it.

Okay.

I don't really take it.

Thank you, Miss Paula.

Okay.

Okay, we're at the portion now.

Uh if any councilman got anything else?

We're at the portion now where it's the community side where you can speak on whatever you need to speak on.

Have some cards.

Miss Carrie Withers.

Please state your name and address for the record, please.

My name is Carrie Withers, and I live at 2729 North Jen Wainwright.

And my concern is when it used to be, I don't know how it is now.

Uh when people would kind of come up for a zoning permits, they used to put signs.

They still have two.

Well, I haven't seen any sign in my neighborhood because there is something that's coming up next month concerning our neighborhood, and there is no sign.

Well, let me get clarification.

Mr.

Mayor, maybe you can ask.

Are you talking about the uh the industrial yes?

That's a situation where those signs have not gone out yet.

The notification requirement doesn't start until uh seven days before the hearing date.

So uh there will be a sign placed on the property when it when it that time uh starts.

I was just gonna ask, being that it's coming on appeal, do they put signs out when it goes to appeal to?

Yes.

Okay.

The same notification happens for a appeal to the council.

So Ms.

Withers, you got three, five, yeah.

You got about two more days before that sign needs to be put up.

Okay.

Because the neighbors were concerned about it.

Yes, ma'am.

All right, thank you.

All right.

Correct.

Yes, sir.

To my understanding, they we taking it off.

We're gonna take it off and they gotta go back to zoning, planning and zoning.

Cause I told him that uh me personally, I wasn't gonna even bring it up to the council if the people in District C and the terrorists wasn't happy because he said that he was changing how he was gonna manufacture or paint or something.

So I asked him to bring it back to Planning Zone for them to discuss it.

Okay, just for the purposes of this.

This meeting we won't get into it.

Okay, but you that is the intent as it stands right now.

As it stands right now, that is an intent, but I have not received a notice to pull it yet.

Okay.

That is the intent.

Okay.

Darrell Robinson.

State your name and address for the record, please.

Down Robinson, I live at 3554 Monroe Street.

And my concern is the streets lights up and down Monroe Street.

I had one across the street from my house before the storm and after the storm.

They never they took it on and never put it back up.

I called energy.

Energy told me I had to call the city.

Okay.

Now, who do I get in contact with the city to call in order to get the street light back?

Mr.

Robinson, before we start, tell me where Monroe Street is.

Oh, you in my district.

I got you covered.

Give me the address.

Uh the house, yes, your house.

3554 Monroe Street.

3554 Munro.

Yeah, because the street light was on the south side of the street at uh 3561.

And it was one there previously.

It was one there, and after the storm is it's been down, and we don't have no lighting in between Truman and Coolidge at all.

Okay.

Uh uh, Mr.

Robinson, I'm gonna take care of that in the morning.

Give me a little time.

Okay, because they generally go through the process of rescheduling, reschedule, rescheduling, then they pop up.

Okay.

So I'm gonna take care of it.

All righty.

Thank you, man.

Appreciate it.

Kevin Franklin.

State your name and address for the record, please.

Kevin Franklin, 3613 Monroe Street.

Same area as Mr.

Robinson.

Okay.

My concern is we have the guys who be at Walmart, the homeless guys.

Uh-huh.

And houses, they know this isn't the houses back there.

They weren't on Monroe.

They were over where Toward the Fifth Avenue.

Housing Authority, all of those houses.

And like I say, where I live at, I'm right at Roosevelt.

There are only four houses right there in my before Truman.

And I'm a homeowner.

The person across from me is not a homeowner, and the one on the other side of me is not a homeowner.

And the one on the other side of me is not a homeowner.

The guy next to me, he just got in the neighborhood maybe three, four months ago.

And I'm like, hey, y'all don't belong back here.

They need to go somewhere else.

Now I see just on the other side of where he lives, where Rob lived, then I broke into an empty house there.

And I have my wife.

And I don't want to hurt anyone.

I don't want nobody hurting me.

And I feel it's a big concern about them walking through.

They casing.

I'm from New Orleans, and I'm like, hey, I still got that mentality.

Right.

I know when I know when I see craziness about to happen.

And I don't want to have to go.

My house is lit up.

If any of the police officers who patrol that area over there, when they hit 3613, they say that's the house that lit up.

My house is lit.

Like Rob saying, after you pass me, I got a light pole right at my driveway.

There's one at Truman.

You go down, and as you go into uh 14, the trees is like this.

It's a tunnel.

And you can't see nothing.

You know, and I'm my concern is for my whole neighborhood.

You know, it's you don't belong back there, stay from back there.

If you know, you know, like I say, one of my neighbors didn't have a lawnmower taken.

I have a piece of property across the street that I haven't had nothing because they say I'm crazy, and yes, I am.

I play that role very good with them.

You know, don't come asking me for nothing.

I don't know, you don't ask me.

But if I offer you some food, they don't want food, I want money.

I'm not supporting your habit.

But it's they leave from over there by Walmart and come on through about us.

Like I say, they're getting closer to me now.

So we were in this house right next door.

That house is vacant?

It's a vacant lot now.

It's a vacant lot.

They finally tore it or somebody tore it down.

Well, that's what I was gonna bring to your attention.

I I'm I know I might be asking a bit much.

First of all, is the chief here?

Chief Kirk.

It a while back, maybe about a year and a half, two years ago, we had a patrol to go by periodically.

To clear that uh they hover underneath the gas station, them trees that's there, they hover there, they hover by um they go following.

Stripes, yep.

The the the gas station by the tire shop, the uh used to be Logan's.

Yes, Roadhouse.

Roadhouse.

That's their area.

Well, well, here's what I'm gonna ask Mr.

Franklin.

I'm gonna ask the chief if we can look into having a patrol start that up again.

I mean, it making a pass if we can.

That's the first thing.

I'll give that to the uh operation deputy chief and also neighborhood uh policing.

Okay, so that they can go ahead and get their extra parole uh patrol our signal 11s and then take whatever action that needs to be taken after that.

We'll get neighborhood patrol to go out there to try to see.

Do we know who owned it these properties or anything like that?

Housing has the ones back around Roosevelt on back to Fifth Avenue.

They have a lot back there.

I see they then started tearing down a few.

That's the second thing I was finna ask you.

The uh this week for the last month, the housing authority has been going in and taking out the wiring and abatement.

They got to do all that before they tear it down.

Right.

Last Monday, they officially started tearing those houses down.

They could they're finna get all of them.

So it's gonna clear up.

The third thing I'm gonna do, I'm gonna call integers because they're going around the city now clearing trees from the lights.

And I'm gonna see if I can get them to come to that area, and hopefully we can generate some light if we can cut those bushes that you're talking about.

Yeah, if we can get them cut.

Because that's at 14 and to go out to Fifth Avenue.

It's right that first.

You're talking about um 14 to you talking about on the Fifth Avenue side north.

No, it's on uh Monroe.

It's on Monroe, uh like you got 14 and whatever that street that turns to go into Fifth Monster.

Oh, Van Bureau.

That's it, Van Bier.

Van Vampire.

Going into the curse.

Yeah.

It's it's dark in there.

Okay, and there's elderly live up that way.

Okay.

Give me, we're gonna get that patrol.

I'm gonna get with uh entity about the trees, and the housing authority is gonna do that part, and we may have to come back again to see what we got now.

Because it's gonna be a lot of space in there.

All right.

So just give me.

Can you give me your phone number right quick?

337.

Oh, yeah.

You get that after the meaning.

Doing it right now.

Write it down again.

Oh, not on the public.

He don't want no more calls.

All right.

Just the homeless problem is coming from the Walmart area.

Yes.

Yes.

All right.

Thank you, Miss Franklin.

You're welcome.

Louella Franklin.

Pretty much covered in.

Oh no, he ain't covered it.

You know you got something to say.

Luella Franklin 3613 Monroe Street.

My concern is something has to be done quick.

Because they are hitting every last one of our neighbors.

And they're doing it in the daytime when they're going to work.

Now nighttime, I don't know what they're doing.

Right.

So as soon as they go to work, they hitting the houses.

And I'll tell you this, I'll be honest, and I I'll just put add this to your uh your list, Chief.

I drive by there quite often and I watch them.

And they disappear, and I don't know where they go.

You know what I'm saying?

Abandoned houses.

Yeah, because that's that's how they get lost.

That's that's why they can creep and nobody can see them.

Once they leave Walmart, they day shift is over with.

Any house that's abandoned, well, because since they're doing a renovation on, I mean demolition on Roosevelt, now they kicking in other doors that's empty.

I don't know the homeowner.

All I know is Mr.

Rock Petrie, but we all talk.

Right.

Roosevelt, the font knows, we all talk.

Everybody done has something taken away from them.

Okay.

So, Craig, go ahead.

Are they at Walmart?

Yeah.

Okay, so that's where they work at the Walmart.

That's their job.

That's where they hover.

That's what it works.

So can we do anything about them?

That's with the patrol.

Yes, that's that's their job.

Not at Walmart, but by Murphy by the tree.

But Walmart gas station got a tree.

Yes.

That's in back of the.

And that's where they sleep at.

But no, but they're not a person.

Can we can we do something while they at Walmart?

Yes, that's when we have that's when we're asking uh panhandling legal.

It was supposed to be illegal.

Yeah.

Come back to the mic, please.

I mean, because that's what they're doing.

I see that when I leave Friday to go referee football games.

You got a guy, it's and it's at the It's not just there, it's at the um 210 accident Nelson.

You got people panhandling.

That's those same guys.

Yeah, they leave from there.

Or do that and they go all the way out to Nelson Road.

Yes.

Okay.

Yes.

How do they get there?

I guess they have a car.

Buy a ticket.

It's taking people bikes.

They making enough money.

Like I told one guy, a little young kid.

I told him, I said, man, you a young kid.

I said, uh, you playing this role.

You got a watch on, like it's bling bling as this role they saying.

I say, here I got a little cheap watch that goes to my phone.

You walking around with nice $50 pair of jeans.

I said, man, why don't you go in the military?

Oh, yeah, you know.

But then the next day or a few minutes later, because I cuts a few yards for some folks.

I see him and he's walking like going across 14 like this, and car stopped.

And I'm like, look at this roll, this young kid playing.

You know, it's a bunch of them.

Like I say, you got a tall one that got a limp.

You got one that has three fingers.

I know him.

This dude told me he made $500 in a day.

They got electric bike, they got these bicycles with the electric bikes.

I'm like, why should I?

They like, why should I go to work and I can do this?

I get your point, Mr.

Franklin.

I'm like, but also one other thing.

Just my wife didn't say it.

Just last week.

There was shooting in our area.

We got cameras.

My house up, like I say, I'm I hear help, help.

And then pow, pow.

I've been back there 18, almost 20 years.

Never heard none of that.

Other than uh New Year's.

You know, like I say, you come inside you mine.

But I've never heard this before.

Back there.

Not on Monroe.

Right.

Now maybe, but never in 18 to 19 or 20 years I've been back there.

It's changing.

And something got to be done.

Well, because we used to have these meetings back at the park.

Uh-huh.

That has stopped.

What you mean, the community meetings?

Yes.

No, no, no.

They still go on.

Still go on.

We just moved them to a bigger place.

Now I'm gonna get in touch with you so you don't miss the next one.

I don't receive those letters.

All right.

I'm gonna get them to you.

All right.

I got your number.

All right.

Appreciate you.

Any other questions or comments from the council?

Mayor?

Nothing.

Nothing.

Oh, I will say this.

Yes, sir.

Mr.

Weatherford asked me a question.

The fine was recently increased for panhandling in Louisiana to 200 bucks.

First time is a warning, second time is 200.

It is it is a misdemeanor.

Kirby Street.

Okay.

I just I didn't have a call.

Come on.

Uh, you miss the state your name and address for the record, please.

Hi, I'm Tammy Palmer Edwards, 905 Kirby Street.

And we were part of the incident that you spoke about, and I appreciate you listening to our email.

Um I'm just really concerned with the traffic and the lack of following the speed limit on Kirby Street.

It's it's been going on for far too long, and I'm pretty upset with myself for not speaking up before now.

Um I'm advocating for the 10 children that just live on that road.

Um I lost a dog.

Um he was my person, my secret keeper.

And uh my son was seven seconds behind the dog.

It could have been him as well.

He was here, he had to go to a soccer game.

Um I just you know, it's not a right to have a driver's license.

It's it's a privilege.

And distracted driving, that's what happened to my dog.

Um, just if we could get, and I think we're gonna get the traffic study, yes.

Yes, sir, that would help.

A stop sign right there at Reed and Kirby would have saved the life of my dog.

Um, and I'm not here to blame or get revenge or or whatever.

I just want to advocate for change just so that my child can play in the street and be okay riding his bike or a scooter like he has been doing, and my across the street neighbors, they don't have to worry about these cars coming sometimes 50 miles at a clip.

I mean, they hit that bank street dip, and you see sparks fly.

Yes, ma'am.

It's mind-blowing.

I sat on my front porch and watched the past two days, and I probably looked like an insane woman yelling at cars to slow down, but something's just gotta be done.

There it's gonna be a life of one of our citizens.

Yes, ma'am.

The the street traffic is is huge.

People walk their dogs.

We uh communicate out on the street, it's really nice.

We we bought this property back in 2010, and I love the downtown area.

Yes, ma'am.

So many people are moving in with young children.

And I just want it safe for everybody.

I just want to advocate for change.

Mr.

Harvey's gonna get with the uh administration to put that traffic study in place, and it'll take us a couple of weeks, generally, a couple of weeks, and we'll have some information if you keep checking back with us.

Yes, sir.

We have somebody, but do me a favor, state your name and address for the record.

Tammy Palmer Edwards, 905 Kirby Street.

You did that already, didn't you?

Yes, sir.

Okay, that's okay.

Uh sent a reply updating what I just spoke about in the email as well.

Great.

Thank you so much.

I really appreciate it.

I just I'm I'm sad this had to happen, but there's a reason.

This is a reason.

Gotcha.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Mr.

Washington, you wanted to speak?

Yes, sir.

Uh Colin of Washington 2127 Beautiful Street.

I was just wondering what y'all will put on the docket about the new uh material list.

It's on the list.

Okay.

It's on that for this week.

Okay.

Yeah.

Okay.

It's number five.

Number five.

Okay.

Okay.

All right.

All right.

Any other questions or comments?

Meeting adjourned.

Kind of behind the police.

Yeah.

I mean,