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Record of Proceedings

St. Charles Parish Council Meeting – April 20, 2026

Parish Council & Boards — Monday, April 20, 2026
BodySt Charles Parish, Louisiana
SessionParish Council & Boards
DateMonday, April 20, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:28:54

Original source
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0:05

Good evening and welcome to the St.

0:07

Charles Parish Council meeting on Monday, April 20th, 2026, at 6 p.m.

0:12

in the council chambers in the parish courthouse.

0:15

Please silence all electronic devices and remove all hats.

0:18

This meeting is called to order with a prayer and a pledge of allegiance from Father Lance Campo with St.

0:23

Michael, the angel, the Archangel Catholic Church in Parody.

0:30

He's not sure.

0:35

The gentleman's not here.

0:36

Father Lance is not here, so we'll just do a silent prayer and then the uh Pledge of Allegiance.

1:01

And to the Republic for which it stands individual with liberty justice for all.

1:14

Father, you you feel free to make the prayer official.

1:21

Thank you.

1:22

We had a silent question.

1:24

Oh, okay.

1:26

Sorry about that.

1:29

In the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit.

1:32

Amen.

1:33

Heavenly Father, we thank you for your many blessings for this day for this gathering of leaders and members of our community.

1:47

We ask that you give the leaders wisdom and collaboration as they deliberate and seek the good of all our families and businesses here in St.

2:11

Charles Parish.

2:13

So help them this night to make good decisions and to always trust in you in leading them and providing for the good, especially of those who are in need.

2:36

And this we ask through Christ our Lord.

2:39

Amen.

2:46

Thank you, Father Campo.

2:48

Approval of minutes.

2:50

A motion and a second are needed to approve the minutes from the regular meeting of April 6th, 2026.

2:59

We have a motion by Mr.

3:01

Bruyne and a second by Mr.

3:03

Fisher.

3:04

Please cast your vote.

3:16

And that passes with all council members except Miss Skiba, who's absence tonight.

3:25

Special business, proclamations, canvas returns, etc.

3:29

2026-0138 in recognition, Claire Gidry Surmack, St.

3:36

Charles Parish Library.

3:39

Miss Fonseca.

3:40

Thank you, Mr.

3:41

Chairman.

3:42

The Parish of St.

3:43

Charles, April 20th, 2026.

3:45

We, the members of the St.

3:47

Charles Parish Council, and the Parish President do hereby recognize and appreciate your years of dedicated public service as an employee of the St.

3:56

Charles Parish Library, Claire Gidry Sarmack, CLSS, September 1st, 1972 to January 30th, 2026.

4:06

And we have Ms.

4:07

Hermack here this evening to receive this.

5:05

This is such an honor for me, so thank you very much from the bottom of my heart.

5:18

Thank you, Miss Aermack.

5:21

Twenty twenty-six dash zero one three nine in recognition, Brenda Gillot, St.

5:26

Charles Parish Library.

5:28

Miss Fonseeker again.

5:30

Thank you, Mr.

5:30

Chairman.

5:31

The Parish of St.

5:32

Charles, April 20th, 2026.

5:34

We the members of the St.

5:36

Charles Parish Council and the Parish President do hereby recognize and appreciate your years of dedicated public service as an employee of the St.

5:44

Charles Parish Library.

5:45

Brenda Gillyatt, November 7th, 2015 through January 5th, 2026.

5:51

And we have Miss Gilliatt here to accept.

6:42

Thank you, Miss Gillette.

6:44

2026-0140 proclamation, Little Red Church Festival Weekend.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural██████████████████████████████████34%
Water And Wastewater Management███████████████15%
Engineering And Infrastructure███████████11%
Technology and Innovation███████████11%
Floodplain Management████████8%
Economic Development████████8%
Parks and Recreation███3%
Animal Welfare███3%
Zoning And Land Use███3%
Summary of Proceedings

St. Charles Parish Council Meeting – April 20, 2026

The St. Charles Parish Council met on Monday, April 20, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers, Courthouse, Hahnville. The meeting included eight proclamations and recognitions, reports from the New Orleans Aviation Board and Information Technology, a presentation from the Louisiana Attorney General's office, passage of five ordinances, an amended resolution for flood control funding, and an appointment. All votes were 8-0 with Councilmember Heather Skiba absent. The meeting adjourned at approximately 7:28 PM.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of minutes from the regular meeting of April 6, 2026, passed unanimously.

Special Business (Proclamations, Canvass Returns, etc.)

  • 2026-0138: Recognition of Claire Guidry Cermak for her years of public service at the St. Charles Parish Library (September 1, 1972 – January 30, 2026). Ms. Cermak spoke and thanked the council.
  • 2026-0139: Recognition of Brenda Guillot for her service at the St. Charles Parish Library (November 7, 2015 – January 5, 2026). Ms. Guillot accepted.
  • 2026-0140: Proclamation declaring May 1–3, 2026 as “Little Red Church Festival Weekend.” Jordyn Posey, Miss Little Red Church Festival Queen XIII, spoke in support.
  • 2026-0141: Proclamation declaring May 2, 2026 as “Bayou Des Allemands Blessing of the Fleet Day.” Mitzi Petit spoke, inviting all watercraft to attend.
  • 2026-0142: Proclamation declaring May 2026 as “Older Americans Month” and May 7, 2026 as a celebration day. April Keller, Executive Director of the Council on Aging, spoke and invited the community to the event.
  • 2026-0143: Proclamation declaring May 2026 as “ALS Awareness Month.” No speaker; the proclamation was passed to the ALS Association.
  • 2026-0144: Proclamation declaring May 2026 as “Flood Risk Awareness Month.” Michael Albert, Planning & Zoning Director, spoke about the parish’s flood mitigation efforts, including a CRS 5 rating that provides residents a 25% discount on flood insurance. He urged residents to purchase flood insurance.
  • 2026-0148: Resolution calling a special election on November 3, 2026, to authorize the renewal of a recreation tax (currently 2.68 mills, originally 3.02 mills) and the levy of a combined Council on Aging tax (1.25 mills, replacing two existing millages totaling 1.48 mills). Jason Akers, bond counsel, explained the items. Councilwoman Fonseca commended the decision to reduce the Council on Aging millage. The resolution passed (Enactment No. 6905).

Reports (Finance and Administrative Activities)

  • 2026-0135 – New Orleans Aviation Board: Kevin Dolliole, Director of Aviation, reported on airport achievements, including five consecutive years as best in North America for its category, new air service additions (Breeze, Southwest, JetBlue, British Airways, Alaska Airlines), concessions revenue up 35% from 2019 despite lower enplanements, and ongoing construction projects (runway reconstruction, express shuttle connector road, baggage system upgrades). He noted that the master plan draft has been submitted to the FAA.
  • 2026-0136 – Information Technology: Anthony Ayo, Executive Director of Technology and Cybersecurity, reported on 2025 accomplishments (Waterworks Call Center, security camera upgrades, network consolidation, cybersecurity improvements) and 2026 goals (citizen request management system, additional security cameras, mobile command unit upgrade, phone system resiliency). He highlighted a SOC that analyzed logs, resulting in 91 investigations and 69 reported items. Chairman Pilié asked about ADA compliance; Ayo confirmed the Public Information Office is leading that effort.
  • 2026-0137 – Parish President Remarks/Report: President Matthew Jewell provided updates on the Fish Stat Rodeo (May 9), sand volleyball court groundbreaking ($660,000, completion by mid-August), Dow Discovery Deck opening, PVC pipe replacement on First Street in St. Rose, animal shelter emergency training, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra concert, Trash Bash (over 400 volunteers, 206 bags of litter collected), Slumber Party fundraiser (raised over $4,000), rabies drive (300 vaccinations), and America 250 t-shirt sales. He then introduced Alli McGuinness from the Louisiana Attorney General’s office, who described the 10 divisions of the office and offered resources on elder fraud, consumer protection, and youth anti-vaping initiatives.

Ordinances / Resolutions Introduced for Publication / Public Hearing (May 4, 2026)

  • Two items were introduced for publication: 2026-0145 (Summer Food Service Program agreement with School Board) and 2026-0150 (sale of Eastern Greenbelt Park for $100,000).

Ordinances Scheduled for Public Hearing (Introduced at Previous Meeting)

All five ordinances passed unanimously with 8-0 votes (Councilmember Skiba absent).

  • 2026-0124: Cooperative Endeavor Agreement with Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs for office space in the courthouse. President Jewell noted it was a renewal. (Enactment No. 26-4-5)
  • 2026-0129: Cooperative Agreement with LSU AgCenter for Cooperative Extension Service support through November 1, 2030. President Jewell highlighted services to farmers and urban growers. (Enactment No. 26-4-6)
  • 2026-0128: Donation of a 30-foot drainage servitude and revocation of a 15-foot servitude from Stephen O. Vial and Leon C. Vial, III to improve drainage in the Fashion subdivision. Public Works Director Miles Bingham explained it is part of the master drainage plan. Councilmembers Wilson and Fonseca thanked the Vial family and the administration. President Jewell noted it will help advance a future jack-and-bore project. (Enactment No. 26-4-7)
  • 2026-0130: Intergovernmental Agreement with CPRA to continue OMRR&R of the Davis Pond Freshwater Diversion Project. Bingham said it covers 100% of costs, reimbursed by the state/federal government. President Jewell added the agreement provides up to $3.62 million. (Enactment No. 26-4-8)
  • 2026-0132: Professional Services Agreement with Digital Engineering & Imaging, Inc. for Willowdale Blvd. Overlay and Widening, not to exceed $137,335. Bingham explained the road will be widened from 21 feet to 27 feet (12-foot lanes with 1.5-foot shoulders). (Enactment No. 26-4-9)

Ordinances / Resolutions Which Have Been Tabled

  • 2026-0104: Zoning change from C-2 to C-3 for property at 12429 Highway 90, Luling (Wolford request). The item remained tabled; no motion to remove was made.

Resolutions

  • 2026-0147: Resolution to prepare and submit a pre-application to the Statewide Flood Control Program for flood damage reduction in St. Rose. An amendment was approved to remove “Fairfield and Oakland Subdivisions” from the first whereas, expanding the area to “the residential area of St. Rose.” Grants Officer Carla Chiasson explained this allows submitting two applications (pump station and conveyance improvements). Councilwoman O'Daniels thanked the administration for including multiple problem areas. Councilwoman Fonseca noted the program previously funded Willowridge levee and pump station projects. The amended resolution passed (Enactment No. 6906).

Appointments

  • 2026-0086: Kevin Gauthier was appointed to the St. Charles Parish Communications District representing Emergency Medical Services, filling the unexpired term ending August 19, 2026. (Enactment No. 6907)
  • 2026-0133 and 2026-0134: Vacancies were announced for the Planning & Zoning Commission (District I and District VII representatives). Nominations will be accepted at the May 4, 2026 meeting.

Key Outcomes

  • All five ordinances and both resolutions were approved unanimously (8-0).
  • A special election for recreation and Council on Aging millages was called for November 3, 2026.
  • The pre-application for flood control funding was authorized, with an amendment to broaden the project scope.
  • Kevin Gauthier was appointed to the Communications District.
  • Two Planning & Zoning Commission vacancies were announced.
  • The meeting was adjourned at approximately 7:28 PM.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening and welcome to the St. Charles Parish Council meeting on Monday, April 20th, 2026, at 6 p.m. in the council chambers in the parish courthouse. Please silence all electronic devices and remove all hats. This meeting is called to order with a prayer and a pledge of allegiance from Father Lance Campo with St. Michael, the angel, the Archangel Catholic Church in Parody. He's not sure. The gentleman's not here. Father Lance is not here, so we'll just do a silent prayer and then the uh Pledge of Allegiance. And to the Republic for which it stands individual with liberty justice for all. Father, you you feel free to make the prayer official. Thank you. We had a silent question. Oh, okay. Sorry about that. In the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. Amen. Heavenly Father, we thank you for your many blessings for this day for this gathering of leaders and members of our community. We ask that you give the leaders wisdom and collaboration as they deliberate and seek the good of all our families and businesses here in St. Charles Parish. So help them this night to make good decisions and to always trust in you in leading them and providing for the good, especially of those who are in need. And this we ask through Christ our Lord. Amen. Thank you, Father Campo. Approval of minutes. A motion and a second are needed to approve the minutes from the regular meeting of April 6th, 2026. We have a motion by Mr. Bruyne and a second by Mr. Fisher. Please cast your vote. And that passes with all council members except Miss Skiba, who's absence tonight. Special business, proclamations, canvas returns, etc. 2026-0138 in recognition, Claire Gidry Surmack, St. Charles Parish Library. Miss Fonseca. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The Parish of St. Charles, April 20th, 2026. We, the members of the St. Charles Parish Council, and the Parish President do hereby recognize and appreciate your years of dedicated public service as an employee of the St. Charles Parish Library, Claire Gidry Sarmack, CLSS, September 1st, 1972 to January 30th, 2026. And we have Ms. Hermack here this evening to receive this. This is such an honor for me, so thank you very much from the bottom of my heart. Thank you, Miss Aermack. Twenty twenty-six dash zero one three nine in recognition, Brenda Gillot, St. Charles Parish Library. Miss Fonseeker again. Thank you, Mr.

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