That won't help me.

I didn't know who it was, I just wrote it down when I passed.

Thank you, ma'am.

And it says our disappearance actually working right now.

Oh yeah, yeah, okay, gotcha, gotcha.

Fatchy.

I said I want to sit by you.

Let me do that again.

We're gonna be deferring items three, four, five, six, seven, and twenty-six to August kid.

And we'll also be deferring items nine, twelve thirteen, and fourteen, August nineteenth.

And we're deleting items ten and eleven.

So anyone here for those items?

We won't be uh we'll be deferring and delete a couple of those, so we won't be discussing those tonight.

Um vacation plane.

Oh yeah, I got my prayer, baby.

All right.

And um forward, we come before you today with gratitude for the gift of community and responsibility of leadership.

Grant is wisdom, fairness, and unity for this council as we make decisions that affect the lives of many.

May everything we've done here today serve the common good and honor that we trust.

Amen.

Amen.

Please face the life.

And to the Republic for which he stands.

One nation under God.

Individual justice for all.

All right, roll call, please.

Here.

Here.

Mr.

Dee?

Find out.

Here.

Mr.

Mark?

Here.

We have a tell.

Before we get started, Mr.

Harvey has a presentation he'd like to make.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um, I'm asking Councilman Visanat to please join me.

Ladies and gentlemen, at this time I would like to ask Miss Shelby Juvert to come forward.

So first and foremost, um, this is not the first time that you've actually seen this phenomenal young lady.

Uh she is a Barb High School student.

And the reason that we're bringing you, first of all, congratulations again.

Yes, sir.

Um, the reason we're bringing her forward today is because she has just recently received a national honor.

Um, Miss Shelby has been named the National Senior Leadership Ambassador for the National Beta Convention, which was recently held in Nashville, Tennessee.

Um, I'm gonna let her come to the podium and speak more about um her new appointment, but I just wanted to say on behalf of myself, the mayor, the city council, and your home council, uh Councilman Visena.

Thank you.

Um we congratulate you.

There's a lot of times that we don't hear too many good things about the youth in our community, but you are definitely a true example of what it means to like to keep moving forward on and over.

So we truly appreciate you for that.

I also would like to recognize her phenomenal parents, Mr.

Jubert and Dr.

Jubert, who's also in the audience.

We truly appreciate you.

Ms.

Shope.

Good evening, y'all.

My name's Shelby Jubert.

I'm currently a senior at Barb High School.

I'm going into my senior year where I'll be serving as the national leadership ambassador for the National Beta Club.

I'm looking forward to the experience.

As Mr.

Harvey said, it's not my first time doing it.

So I'm hoping that the second time I'll be able to do it to my fullest potential, and hopefully I'll be able to represent Southwest Louisiana and Lee Charles to its full fullest potential.

I got two.

Thank you and congratulations again.

Thank you.

All right.

Um review the minutes.

Are there any comments or questions on those?

If not, please vote.

All right.

Uh first item appointment, appointed chairman to review request for proposal.

See for a developer to design, build, finance, own, operate, and maintain a food and beverage and recreational establishment on one acre more or less to be leased in track three, the lake front.

City of Lake Charles, all in the cards with and authorized by title 41, Section 1214 of Louisiana revised statutes of 1950 as amended.

Mr.

Harvey, will you take that, please?

Yes, sir.

All right.

Moving on, we will skip all the way to item 16.

Number 31323 to authorize the city of Lake Charles to modify location and scope of RCI P L D I.

Mr.

Weatherford 8 that we skipped to.

I know it's a lot of deferral.

I'm sorry, we we need to touch eight.

Okay, we need it to call.

I'm sorry.

Okay.

Number eight.

Now it's already in demolition of all the state of Lake Charles entered in agreement to demolition of the structure located at 1716 22nd Street.

Brian Keith Gilery oning council.

This is a storm damage structure.

You can see in the pictures.

There's some roof damage to the exterior, the exterior wall damage.

Winter damage to the back part of the house that has really bad roof damage to the structure.

All supposed an interior to the severe weather damage or the structure.

Mr.

President, this time I'd like to offer into the record photographs of the subject property and proof of service through mail acknowledgement.

This is a rehearing from July 1st.

I will note that the owner is a truck driver, is called in.

He's currently in Missouri and he's okay with the city demolishing it, but he's asking the council for delays of 3060, which will give him time to remove any of his belongings from the structure.

I think he's got belongings in both structures, and he he wants to get back in town to remove it before we demo it.

He's okay with the demo going forward.

Okay.

Okay.

I'm fine with that.

Long as we no more delays, they got to go.

All right.

All right.

Any other questions or comments on this item?

Please vote.

74.

Oh, just one question, Mr.

Sir.

You said normal delays are 36.

3060.

3060.

Okay.

30 60.

All right.

Item 16.

City of Lake Charles.

Sorry.

The City Council City of Lake Charles amending resolution number 315.

Mr.

I'm sorry.

We have one more demolition.

15.

And okay, good deal.

Okay.

And demolition of Northwest City Lake Charles enter into an agreement for demolition of a search located at 1400 North Shaddock Street, Cleveland Nash, and all of our Nash owners.

And this is a storm damage structure.

This one's in a flood zone, too.

I won't make note of that.

Um it has severe root damage to destruction.

You'll see it as quite admitted, exterior wall damage, a lot of broken windows, and a lot of um interior damage, weather interior to the damage to the inside.

At the May 6th hearing, Pastor Lawrence Nash appeared and requested additional time to consult with family.

At that time he had stated he had recently lost a son.

I'm not sure if anyone is present tonight.

Call it out, Mr.

Pittsburgh.

Is anyone here from the Nash family or anyone representing this property?

All right.

Um I guess obviously notice is not an issue.

No.

Mr.

Harvey.

Yes.

Um last time I was actually here, and I know we we we asked we for grace from the uh family, but there's no one here.

I would not want to make a decision with them being here.

I'll go ahead and defer it one more final time for 30 days, and maybe uh we could either reach out to them or I'll try to reach out to him as well.

Just before we make a final decision.

That would be August 19th, Mr.

Harvey.

And just that we were deferred for 30 days.

Just for edification, you said it's a flood zone.

Gos Boulevard is a flood zone?

Yeah, I think there it is.

Okay.

But why you know if we're building three.

So I guess the significance of that uh if it's more than 50 percent damage, then they would have to elevate it.

And we don't know it would have to be raised up.

We are right, that's why I mean as so we and we said we don't know what the extent of the damage is at this point.

And it's on the side.

So you're saying it has to be raised because 26.

Right.

If it's if it's deemed to the flood zone or um here you have to ask Terry that's the expert.

Okay.

But but as I understand if if a structure is more than 50 percent damage, 26.

It then has to be elevated.

If it's in the flood zone.

If it's less than 50 percent damage, then you can repair your home.

They can raise the houses though on the slash.

Oh, sure.

Oh no.

Yeah, they definitely can.

Question for the record, Mr.

Stews.

If any event that we're unable to contact the owners, is it something that we can send again and certify mail just to show that we try to reach out to them again?

Yes.

Yes.

I'm asking.

Would you like we do that?

Okay, yes.

Thank you.

All right.

Any other questions or comments?

Please vote.

And RNC or Council City Electro's amending resolution number 31323 to authorize the city of Lake Charles to modify the location and scope of RCIP LDIC of Lake Charles, Lake Charles Second Harvest 0084 and further record authorizing the purchase of vacant land, parcel number 00751405 from active heart of America from the Catholic Church to construct on a primary community resilience hub and requirements.

We don't have any cards on this.

Do you have any comments from the administration?

All right.

Yes, sir.

Any comments or questions?

Yes.

I I would like my um my colleagues to side with me in the fact that I'm a I'm for this program, but I'm not for us moving forward without an appraisal being done on this property first.

uh weather if I may uh again uh I guess uh Mr.

Marks you know the city can't pay above appraised value right but we do recognize your concern if y'all wish to defer it for two weeks we're in agreement or you could also amend the resolution so that it approves it only if we pay appraised value but uh you can do it either way however y'all would prefer I would prefer to do the appraisal first before we do anything.

Any other comments can they it seems likely that you can get an appraisal done in two weeks.

We've asked for one it hadn't come in yet but we anticipate if it doesn't we'll have to re address it but I think it'll be done in two weeks.

So we've already requested it yes sir remember it's three weeks to the next meeting so a little more time it's one of the rare times we have three weeks that's right all right so Ms.

make a motion to defer yeah I'd like to make a motion that we defer this for till the August fifth meeting uh pending an appraisal on the property we have a second any other discussion yeah one other thing sir can I with with from the legal department we have a list of appraisals that we use right is it within our purview to suggest not who we use but who we shouldn't use or is that not something we can do could you could the council provide a recommendation to the administration for us not to use somebody yes I certainly think you can give us that recommendation okay well I I would like to recommend as part of that I think for it to be binding it would have to be in the form of an ordinance but certainly you can make the recommendation and the administration is here.

Ms.

Marks I might I believe it's already been assigned to someone so they're in the process of doing it unless there's just an objection and you know after the meeting I can tell you who that is if you like or if you I'll just say it like this if it's the one that appraised the property for the sports complex I'm gonna object to that appraisal so I'll just put that out there there.

Is that who's doing this one too all right any other discussion?

I have a question.

Yes sir we're talking about appraisals is this one of the people that we have a professional service agreement with that we signed at the beginning of the last fiscal year.

Yes sir it is yes sir so automatically that appraisal goes to that person because we signed those other things no sir oh we have more anybody can we have more than one we have a couple of appraisals norm typically we give it to the legal department and they deal with the appraiser and they get it appraised.

Well they're legal but they're they're legitimate appraisers that just do appraisals for the city yes not just one on the list.

Right we have more than one and let me just tell you this it is not the world's easiest thing to get appraisals.

It's it it got a little better about a year ago but after the COVID and the hurricanes it was near impossible it's getting hard again and so as far as the people that we have the approvals for more is better um that we have multiple appraisers to pull from because sometimes you can't get one of them to call you back for two weeks.

Right.

It's not a simple thing to do.

It's it's a supply and demand thing and the demand is high and the supply is low.

Mr.

President are we clear on my my motion?

Yes sir you basically you're gonna share the you want me to say it again no no you okay you just don't want whoever you didn't name by name but whoever did the appraisal on the related to the sports complex what we voted on it.

Is it binding if you vote on that I think it's we're to actually reapendable we voting on the motion to have an appraisal done by the August fifth meeting pending to defer this till the August fifth meeting pending an appraisal and I am requesting of the the administration that we do not use the same appraiser that did the uh the sport sports complex that may delay it if we are if if we are using that same appraisal I'm just letting the council know because it's been assigned to them they're working on it as we speak and I'm sure we've been called we've incurred costs at this point.

Okay.

Yeah we will not get it back by August 5th if we switch but but we don't know whether we're gonna have to switch or not or do we know that well it's it is for the council it is the same appraiser that did the Fitz and Rider property.

I'm suggesting that that appraisal not be used so you say if we're gonna do it so do we need to if we are going to go with that suggestion.

I would suggest that we defer like I said to August 5th and if it has to be delayed the administration will let us know and we can make arrangements at that point.

We could just defer it until the appraisal is complete.

That that'd be fine too.

And then well, let's just say let's just defer it to August 5th so we can notify that we could be taking action on it if we need to defer at the August 5th meeting, we'll do that.

That's fine with me.

Okay.

But I'm just saying if the work is done for the majority of it, we're gonna present the appraiser to you with COPE.

If that's the one that did it, then y'all can make a decision whether you want to approve it or not.

All right.

All right, very good.

Any other questions or comments?

Please vote.

74.

All right.

Item 17.

And ours are saying of Lake Charles allow more than 10 percent human live increase for a change or for project number CP 3426 wastewater treatment plant A, operational reliability improvements, collection system hardening.

Any questions or comments on this item?

I have a question in regards to this.

Why wasn't this found before we got started?

We we almost do a project now and it's coming asking for a change on it.

Councilman Mars, that's a very good question.

But when the project is did out, these items are all procedure.

Unfortunately, we dig into our underground infrastructure.

I I understand what you're saying, and I respect what you're saying, but for my understanding, this is a project repair.

So this was already in place.

So we've already had work done to that, and I'm saying too many things come through wastewater with change orders.

And that's that's why my concern isn't.

I I think hardening, whether or not something is hardening, we should be able to do we hire an experts to do this.

So we should know when they bid on it, what's gonna be a part of it.

You know, I I'm accept the fact that that this like you said, it was unforeseen.

I don't believe it is, but but I'll go along with it.

I'm just we need to be aware of these change orders coming at such a late date.

Any other questions?

Please vote.

74.

All right.

Item 18, in order to mending section 24 say late Charles Code of Ordinance by adding section 24-5-203.1 relative to outdoor lighting.

We do have a couple cars on this issue.

All right.

Are they just in support names?

We have we have or the can we have it what what it what are we doing with this ordinance?

I don't know if it has to be.

Can I take a stab?

Sure.

Okay.

Uh so this is an ordinance that I uh sponsored and back in April, was contacted by uh three people, uh each of whom I see in the audience tonight.

Um really concerned about light trespass, so big commercial properties that have uh parking lot lights that are pointed upward, pointing outward, creating glare in the streets for drivers.

Um the concern was that more lighting isn't necessarily smarter lighting.

And so uh I looked at Baton Rouge's light pollution ordinance that they passed in 2020 and based it off of that, working with planning director and assistant planning director in the city.

Um we are essentially revising if approved tonight section 245203.1 tonight to require uh light be facing inward, downward at a certain height and uh not to exceed 10 10,000 lumens.

Uh that triggers another couple of regulations that really controls where the light extends.

So I think that residential property owners shouldn't really have to deal with spotlights coming into their bedroom windows from a next door commercial property.

Um drivers deserve the chance to drive safely.

Uh you've all been driving at night and been blinded by this light uh that's coming at you and really makes it difficult to see uh the street.

And so asking my colleagues to support this revision of the ordinance, and again, it's it's not new to Louisiana, there's a precedent set in Baton Rouge when they adopted a very similar ordinance that seems to have worked well for them.

And and I would note to if I could add to that, Mr.

Young, there are exceptions in the revised ordinance for things like emergency vehicles, police, fire, um FAA, and other necessary federal functions.

Mr.

Stutz, is this applicable to residents as well as commercial?

I believe that it would be anybody, well, not many residents are gonna have that type of lighting.

They do, yes.

It doesn't it doesn't distinguish between someone having that type of lumen power okay.

Commercial or residential.

Yes sir.

Normal yes right no sir.

This is 10,000 lumens.

So you have to requested from energy or buy it no the the the light yeah the lighting just wonder you can't walk into Walmart by it.

Oh okay.

Not typically I I'm just don't I'm just wondering who's going to be impacted by Mr.

Burgers can explain it.

Mr.

Fondale is generally commercial establishments and when they submit for a building permit as part of those plan packages they have a lighting type plan generally speaking for for large commercial projects so they will they will identify those lumens and and what type of uh structures will be in in parking lots and on the building so we're going to inform these guys that we have a mis from a commercial perspective it's it's standard practice for them to submit for uh for construction purposes to have that in there it's that's a general it's a general rule.

Okay.

Well one of the other reasons uh that residents brought this to me and I think it's worth pointing out is you know we we're in the Mississippi flyways so a lot of bird migration in our patterns and uh lights just pointing up really limits that kind of limits the effectiveness of the wildlife refugees that are just to our south and so this really helps us be true to the sportsman paradise that we like to tout in protecting wildlife there the the three cars that I have that are in support um don't wish to speak and we'll provide information if requesting so do we have any questions for any of uh support all right I think we're are we ready to vote if you want to speak no okay yeah if he yeah if we have any questions or or concerns okay yeah the three people that submitted cars are Jacob Rafferty Leslie Fain and Ernest Monso or Monset Morso I think it's Monset all right ready to vote yep please vote 74 item 19 or the annual property tax millages for the city of Lake Charles for the tax year 2026.

I have a question Mr.

President yes sir Mr.

Cordon it this this millage here is that something we vote on or is that automatically renewed like does it go out does it go out to vote like the like the other millages these are the property tax millages that uh were in place are in place for 2026 these are the same millages that did fail in the election but we have to authorize them so that we can collect 2026 property taxes.

Oh so we we're voting on it later but we authorizing it right we didn't put this before you earlier because we needed the vote and then and so now we're going before you to adopt the current millages okay any other questions please vote one four all right item 20 an ordinance enter to a cooperative endeavor agreement with the country sheriff's office to fund two sheriff office employee position to the real time crime center again I have a question.

Mr Cardone I you probably got too busy I sent you an email I'm just wondering when you calculated the salaries out those are those positions in the line of progression or can a new officer come in and get that position with the salaries I did answer the question and I thought I said it to all so my fault my apologies but the the the pay rate that that was given to us was a zero to three year employee.

Okay.

And I don't know what the sheriff's intent is but I think he had to give us a number so he chose a zero to three now that don't mean the person that's actually assigned to us on our desk employee it could be anybody there's seven to ten you know whatever their matrix is but we're getting billed at the rate of a zero to three deputy okay so well that brings another question so we're approving to pay a sheriff to do this.

We couldn't pay that to a city police officer to be in that room.

Well, and if you look at the salaries, it was broken down in a couple different ways.

One of them is without state supplemental, because it was my understanding from talking to the sheriff that he could hire someone that is just coming in and they don't qualify for state supplemental.

He may have someone that is already there that could do it.

Uh but the salaries that I gave you is not just the salary that you see it's the salaries, the benefits, it's the insurance, it's everything that goes along with that.

So it's there's a lot of it's all the benefits, it's the retirement benefits.

So I mean, if you plug those into what we pay our people, it's really reasonable.

Yeah, because mostly the same.

I'm not gonna say it's level, but it's very close to being level.

The base salary is 485, I think.

What the city or the sheriff?

The sheriff when we're reimbursing for is 48,500 a year.

So if anybody knows, if we had to pay a city police that same salary, how long would he have to have been employed?

Oh, I don't I don't know that number.

Okay.

It depends.

I mean, I can I can let the deputy speak to that, but it depends on what position it is.

Right.

Uh we felt that it worked well because uh it's managed by the sheriff's department.

Okay, and this these two people will be assigned to the city of Lake Charles, so they're working for us, but they're reporting, you know, basically to the sheriff, not reporting to the different agencies.

We do a lot of this.

We work real well with the sheriff's department on a lot of other endeavors are good partners of ours.

They work with us on Mardi Gras and other events, and he's offered to do this, and you know, we think it's gonna have a lot of benefit for the so we will still have access to them like we have to the city police.

Absolutely.

Okay.

I think I think if you look at it, and I'm gonna I'm gonna take the opportunity to make this book.

We're getting a lot for our dollars.

We're gonna have access to that center on an absolute basis, not whenever they have time.

We're gonna have dedicated spots, and we're only paying for two salaries.

We're only reimbursing it for two salaries.

Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, takes more than two salaries.

So it's almost a 50-50 match.

Right.

He's contributing some man hours, and we're paying for it.

So it's a it's a very good deal, I think.

Okay.

Question How long would the cooperative endeavor agreement last?

We haven't written a corporate endeavor agreement, but typically we'll do it for three years.

It'll be one year at a time, and it'll continue to roll over uh until somebody gives uh 30 days written notice.

Lastly, I did ask Captain Tyist here, who's hands-on in the real-time crime center and the management of if you'll have any questions about the operation.

I just have a question for Mr.

Codon.

In your experience, would it be better for us to do it at the terms of the mayor or the three years would would would be better?

I think we ought to go ahead and do it now.

It doesn't have to end with the mayor.

We'll see what kind of benefits we get from it.

We think there's gonna be a lot of benefit to it, but if down the road we see it doesn't work, we can cancel it.

Okay.

Okay.

And I'm just gonna suggest if if some of the council members haven't been to the center, it is really impressive how it's set up.

And we think about the economies of scale, it's way better than us trying to open our own real-time crime center because it's a lot more efficient.

A partner.

All right, any other comments or questions?

Please vote.

Seven four.

Thank you, Deputy East.

Uh, item 21, an orange amendment in the city of Lake Charles Code and Arsenal Act Section 13-37.5 to provide for a prohibition against larding on border like drive, the lakefront promenade, and all other city-owned property not specifically addressed by ordinance during designated hours.

Again, I have a question.

I just want to be clear.

When we first brought this up, uh, I think Mr.

Bisenal had give us some clarification that the officer or whatever entity is called out there to find this is at the discretion of them.

Absolutely.

So, Mr.

Stutz, do we have a a fine scale for this or how do we determine the penalty?

I think we actually wrote that.

Um, that actually would be do you know uh chief?

What the what the He's asking the summons, what kind of ticket is it?

What kind of what it's a misdemeanor summons, right?

What the max would be, yeah, would it be it would depend on what's written into the ordinance?

So we can determine what the max can be.

Typically, yeah, for uh some kind of criminal violation, absolutely.

And I'm asking that chief, because if we doing this to get teeth, it has to have some teeth.

You and you understand what I'm saying?

Sure.

And I'm saying that I guess for the edification of the council and the administration, when we determine how much the fines are going to be, I would just like for us to consider that.

Yeah, because I mean I assume we have a we we have a lawyer.

And it has established fines that we're looking for.

Okay.

So I guess looking on Munich.

I know there's a remaining after forbidden, which is a state statute.

When you tell somebody to leave and they don't leave, you can charge them with that state statute in addition to any other ordinances.

Am I right?

You can, but uh I I saw the language on this one.

It it includes similar language to remaining after forbidden.

Okay.

And trespassing.

Uh those types of conditions are covered under this one as well.

Mr.

President, we do uh under the code of ordinance is section one-eight uh is a hundred dollar thousand dollar fine or six months in jail.

Okay.

For any just a max, yeah.

For any laudering fine.

Correct.

All right.

Um I I have a question.

Now at this behind the Civic Center, the young lady brought up the last time there are people out there that's fishing doing different stuff.

That's what we were talking about, right?

So tell me what's the difference between someone out there fishing and we just lauter.

Well, this particular ordinance does not necessarily make any uh distinguishment between those two different types of people.

However, our officers are going to be targeting people who are causing trouble and not citizens who are out enjoying uh the promenade.

Well, if you're fishing, you're not really loyal.

But but the but the audience doesn't distinguish the officer do right.

The officers will have discretion.

I just want to be clear in what we're putting in place.

Okay.

Uh it's not that I understand we got problems.

I'm not I'm not arguing against it, but the public need to be aware that what whatever that officer, if you out there, whatever that officer determines is laudering, that is laudering.

Right.

Mr.

Fondell, that that's a true statement.

And a reminder that the time frame it uh starts at 12 o'clock midnight and is at 5 a.m.

That's the same.

So it's it's really late at night, and we're trying to stop the activity that's been happening at the event center along the promenade along the beaches and stuff like this.

We think this is gonna put the teeth in place for us to do it.

But my whole point is that the public understand what's going on because you know, no they hadn't been a you had officer work was not approaching them before, and now they can't.

Yes.

That's a true yes, sir.

That's a true statement.

And that's the tools that we need to deal with the problem at hand.

Understand that this is a big change that's happening, you know, and it's left up to the discretion of the officer.

So ultimately, you're right.

We we don't come back later and say, you know, I didn't understand.

We we have to inform the public somehow that this has changed.

But we can also put signs, can't we?

Yes, sir.

There'll be signs out there saying but the sign yeah, and I understand.

And and let me just say this you're adopting an ordinance.

We think this is gonna give the police department the tools to take uh a responsibility and to clean up what's some of the activities have been happening along uh uh the border lag drive and along the lakefront.

And if for some reason we want to revisit this at a later date, we can come back to the council, we can revisit it.

So what we're trying to do is clean up what's happening now, and then we can address future changes.

And like I said, I have no objection.

I'm just raising the question, and hopefully the public would be aware that things are changing.

I think that's a smart idea.

You know, previously they the officer would not have approached them now, he can't.

Yes, sir.

And and I might add that all throughout the city we have laundering signs.

You know, it's it's this is new to the civic center.

Yes, but laudering is laudering throughout the city.

We have city parks signage, that's right.

That's right.

So this is just an extension of what we already had.

Right.

We're just putting this within the geographic.

But it wasn't it wasn't a laughtering signal.

You're right.

Not you're right.

Not until we if we adopt this.

But currently, just uh just to remind the council that the parking lot at the event center, the parking lot, not border like drive, is no laudering there.

So that's currently in place at the event center.

This just takes it from the parking area to border lag drive.

We've been having all those issues.

That's here.

And I mean, there is a uh definition, a general definition in a way of what lawyering is probably subjective to some extent.

I'm not talking about national.

This is certainly a certain level of subjectivity in this for sure.

Any other comments or questions?

We didn't have any cards, so let's go ahead and vote.

Seven four.

All right.

We have um some resolutions.

Um deferred.

Do we have any of the 22 through 24?

Or through 25 and 27.

Does anyone want to pull any of the 25?

You want to pull 25?

Yes, sir.

Okay.

And so we do have part on 27, so we'll pull that one as well.

Neither part than a second on 25.

Okay.

Um I'll go ahead and read 25 in.

Um resolution ordering and calling a special election to be held in the city of Lake Charles, Louisiana, the city on December 12th, 2026 was Mr.

Weatherford.

I think typically you have a first and a second to pull.

Yes, sir.

Okay.

I thought I'd read it in then ask for a first or second.

I mean, we need to know what the first and second is.

Okay.

Okay.

And calling a special election to be held in the city of Lake Charles, Louisiana, the city on December 12, 2026, or such other election date prescribed by the legislature of the state of Louisiana as an alternative for such date in accordance with law for the purpose of submitting to the electors residing in the city qualified under the constitution and laws of state of Louisiana.

Propositions for authorizing the renewal of the levy and collection of certain special ad forum taxes for the purpose described here in making applications of the state bond commission in content connection there with and providing for other matters in connection there with.

All right.

We have a motion.

Make a motion that we accept this.

We have a second motion or Mr.

Mark, second by Mr.

Vizano.

Um any discussion from the council.

Yes.

Yes, sir, Mr.

Morris.

Um a while ago we were told, maybe I just overheard it, that we can't ask people to vote for this.

Is that correct?

You c you cannot lobby for it.

You can provide facts to anybody that asks that what the taxes are used for, but we're not allowed to lobby people to vote in favor or against.

But we can we can go out and provide information about what these taxes are utilized for, what they're what they fund, and what funding might be affected if these taxes are not renewed.

I would like to urge the administration along with the council that we start immediately educating people on on this because I get a lot of calls asking about what the last taxes was.

We didn't get uh give them a good explanation, all these other kind of things.

So to head that off, I don't want us to have any excuse why our citizens wouldn't be in favor of this when it comes time to vote.

So I think we need to start early, educating them in some way, whether it be public forums, commercials, whatever it may be.

I agree with that, and I've had conversations with the mayor, and he agrees with that as well, Mr.

Mark.

So we'll we'll be doing that.

Mr.

Marks, you thought maybe uh just so we could start that process.

I was asking Miss McDaniel if she could just go through the list of what these taxes we can start tonight real quick and provide the public that information, even though the election is five months off.

I mean, I think one good opportunity, I don't know when the um police are hosting the um night out night out.

That might be a good opportunity to present some of that information.

I'm sorry.

No, go ahead.

Um I do want to say this too.

I agree with Mr.

Marks is saying um I too just recently had a community meeting where I took the time to thoroughly explain what each one of them meant.

I think the questions that's coming from the public was the possibility of a low voter turnout on the December 12th versus having it on the ballot with several other things that's happening in November.

Um I don't know how we made a decision to just say that's how a special election on the twelfth.

I can address that if if you would.

Um under state law, we were we were not eligible to bring this back up for a vote within six months, so we couldn't put it on the ballot with the things that are on the ballot in October.

We had to do it for what would be the runoff date for the October elections in in December.

Um and then if we went past December, we would have to, this would no longer be a renewal and it would be a new tax.

So we kind of got caught in a state law would not have allowed us to put it to a vote in October.

It was not possible.

And if we go out past December, it we will have to call this a new tax and not a renewal.

That was a true statement.

And we it's the cooling off period is what he was describing.

The three property taxes very broadly, because I don't have I don't have any information in front of me, so I can't speak in absolutes.

But the three property taxes, one is for streets and keeping up the streets of the city.

The other is for recreation, goes straight into the recreation fund to fund the wonderful things that the recreation department does for the city.

And then the other is uh salaries for employees of mainly of the police department, and then if there's additional salaries, it can go into other into other departments.

But it's uh so streets, salaries, and recreation are the three property taxes that are being voted on by the public.

And the one you just we just spoke about, right?

There's only there's only well there what I don't know the uh property tax.

You say we was authorizing it.

Correct.

It's the same three property taxes that are authorized for that you just authorized to adopt for 2026.

Those are the exact same property taxes that would be authorized uh for us to collect in uh for the next 10 years.

Yeah, that's what I was saying.

They were levied.

They were levied January 1, 2026, they are collected in November, and if we don't renew them, they will no longer be levied January 1, 2026.

Yes, sir.

So the impact will not be on current fiscal year.

Well it will not be on current calendar year.

Ms.

McDaniel, could you remind the council of what those villages make to the city in dollars?

Uh in total it's about $13.6 million dollars, which of the city's general fund revenues, that's about 13%.

13 point million per year.

Correct, yes.

So it would be a 13 percent decrease in revenues each year for the next 10 years.

Okay, so we could we could re review this at every meeting.

Um talk about sure.

It's your meeting.

Sure, yeah.

Ms.

Emily, I I just want to be clear.

That's fine.

Uh Mr.

Stew said if for some reason it don't pass, it becomes a new tax, correct?

That is correct.

And I forgot that fast.

The next year it would become could we come back next year?

We could come back, but it would be a new tax.

If we don't pass it this time, it is currently considered a renewal because these taxes have been on the books for quite a long, you know, quite some time for at least the past ten years.

And so this is a renewal.

And we have until December to consider these renewals.

And like Mr.

Stutz said, if it comes back, if we if the uh millages do not pass in December, we will have to ask that we will have to ask the public for a new tax because at that point the state considers it a new tax.

So technically we could ask for a new tax that's not an increase.

Just the same tax, but it's called a new tax.

Right.

It would have to be called a new tax, yeah.

Gotcha.

Just wanted to be clear on that.

I've heard it said a few times, but it's a renewal, so it doesn't raise tax rates for anyone.

This is maintaining the current millages.

No, no raises.

14.98 mills are our total tax our total property tax millages.

And and oh in the past has been higher on that.

Oh, absolutely, yes, sir.

We to my recollection we accepted all the one rollback, maybe.

Um in 2010, uh prior to 2024, the millage was 15.12.

In 2024, there was a uh a re-evaluation of all properties in Calcutta Parish.

The assessor did a re-evaluation, and at that point our millage dropped to 14.98.

In essence, what that means is that w whenever you renew the tax or wherever you have the the new um assessment, the new assessment cannot the taxes collected cannot be higher than what it was in the prior year.

So that's why when you you probably values go up, that's why you would have to roll back to a lower millage to the sir.

They try to maintain revenue neutrality.

Right.

So appreciate.

All right.

Any other comments or questions?

Please vote.

Seven four.

All right.

Let's go ahead and um do item 27 now.

And 150-9 section 10 regarding the rules and regulations covering the city council of the city of Lake Charles for procedures relative to comments by the public during city council and agenda meetings.

And Mr.

If you could um refer to mayor of what we are proposing to the changes we're making.

We're just tightening up the rules to make it clear about donation of time that the donor that this has been in the rules, but they are further clarifying that someone who donates time to another has to be in attendance at the meeting whenever the person they've donated the time speaks.

It also uh makes it clear that the council can extend the time allotted to a speaker by a two-thirds vote.

Um other than that, oh, and then uh the there was a max time limit of twelve minutes.

Cumulative if someone you had three people donate time to you, that also isn't will be nine minutes, which also can be extended for good cause with a two-thirds vote.

All right.

Any questions or comments from the council?

We do have one card looking for clarity.

Um got uh Fiz Gerald Darbone.

Fitzgerald Darbone 2523 Hagen Street.

Uh just needed more clarity on exactly what this was uh uh pertaining to.

The um you okay, Miss Marks, I'm not in your space, am I um so um again I'm glad you're basically answered the question what I wanted to know is oh one thing I wanted to add that we had mentioned at one time that uh having a display clock so that the presenters could actually see and adjust their um presentation based on a visual rather than on somebody raising a card.

We um we have considered um adopting that into uh I know somebody had brought that maybe a month or so ago.

Yeah, we've talked about that.

Um I think it might be in the tax, Miss McDain was just talking about, so hopefully we can renew that tax.

We'll get that clock.

Okay, all right.

That's fine.

Thanks.

Appreciate it.

Thank you, Mr.

Dalbone.

Appreciate you.

Thank you.

Any any other comments or questions?

Please vote.

All right, let's go back.

Um did you have any other pool, Mr.

President?

We do not uh you can vote on them in global.

Yeah, let's yeah, yeah, I'm sorry, let's go ahead and vote on because I have another one to read in after y'all do that.

You gotta read them in, don't you?

All right, so we voted on we did vote on 27, correct?

Right, correct 257 and 25.

25 and 27 were approved.

Yeah, yeah.

So now we'll and 26 has been delayed in the same.

And right.

So now we'll go ahead and address items 22 to 24.

Yes.

Um item 24, the hearing date for it will be September 2nd, 2026.

Item 22 relationship accepting project number CP 3242, Southern Sewer Loop, Sunset Lift Station Rehabilitation is substantially complete and authorizing the advertising of the 45-day lien period.

Item 23 a resolution accepting project number CP 3339, Lakefront Parking Garage Phase 2 is substantially complete and authorizing advertising in the 45-day lien period, and resolution setting date for public hearing on accommodation structure located at 740 Cleveland Street.

Russell Foster owner, and once again that hearing date will be September 2nd, 2026.

Please vote.

I have I have 28.

You got one more to read in.

One sorry, yes.

One to for me to read in, Mr.

Weatherford.

Um this is uh for introduction only to be approved at the August 5th, 2026 meeting.

This is an ordinance authorizing the settlement of a claim against the city of Lake Charles in the suit styled Nicholas Buck and Katie Buck individually and on behalf of their minor children, Caden Buck and Carson Buck versus the City of Lake Charles and Jeffrey Floyd, docket number 2025 4984.

Division B as in boy on the docket of the 14th Judicial District Court Parish of Calcashu State of Louisiana.

All right.

Is it we need to go ahead and vote?

You need a you'll need a second and a vote.

That's it.

We need a first motion section.

We got a motion, a second.

Any discussion, comments, please vote.

Seven four.

All right.

Items 28 to 36 will be read into the record tomorrow afternoon at 1 p.m.

in the city council chambers and city hall.

So yes, sir.

The court I got a these that are for introduction.

We don't get to talk about those.

Not not until we not until we that they'll be introduced at our um meeting on the um you introduced them that they'll be discussed and voted on for the August.

These are yeah, we're in there tonight and the discussion will be out.

In our books, do they have any information on those particular ones in our book?

Whatever information that I've received as so far is in the book.

Yes, sir.

So they like e each one of them has a a page with the And it's probably minimal it's probably minimal information at this point, but we'll get it before before our meeting three weeks from from now.

Okay.

Any other questions or comments?

Meeting adjourned.