OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

St. Charles Parish Council Meeting - May 4, 2026

Parish Council & Boards — Monday, May 4, 2026
BodySt Charles Parish, Louisiana
SessionParish Council & Boards
DateMonday, May 4, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 32:47

Transcript — Verbatim
0:01

Good.

0:06

Good evening.

0:07

And welcome to the St.

0:08

Charles Parish Council meeting on Monday, May 4th, 2026 at 6 p.m.

0:13

in the council chambers in the parish courthouse.

0:16

Please silence all electronic devices and remove all hats.

0:19

This meeting is called to order with a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance from Pastor Thomas Hines with the Hope Church in Dastrahan.

0:38

Good evening.

0:39

Thank you.

0:40

Let's pray.

0:41

Father, we love you.

0:42

We thank you for this day.

0:43

We thank you for another opportunity to come together, Lord, and do the work that you've called us to do.

0:48

I thank you for our parish.

0:50

Lord, I thank you for the men and women who continue to serve and give and do what you've called them to do.

0:55

Lord, I pray for your wisdom, pray for strength.

0:58

I pray, Lord, for the ability to continue to make the decisions, Lord, the right decisions, the best decisions, Lord, that affect our community.

1:07

And Lord, we ask you, Lord, to continue to bless and keep us safe and protect us, Lord, and help us to do God, all that you've called us to do.

1:16

We ask you to bless this meeting, those that are being represented here tonight.

1:21

Lord, we ask you to bless them as the work that they do to make our community better and to serve others.

1:27

And Lord, we ask this in your name we pray.

1:30

Amen.

1:33

Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

1:40

One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

1:47

Thank you, Pastor Hines.

1:52

Approval of minutes.

1:54

Regular meeting, April 20th, 2026.

1:57

A motion and a second are needed to approve the minutes from the regular meeting of April 20, 2026.

2:02

We have a motion by Miss Wilson and second or by Miss Skiba.

2:06

Please cast your votes.

2:18

And that passes unanimously.

2:28

In recognition, 2026 0146 in recognition, Drayton Nicholas Nockham, Eagle Scout.

2:36

Mr.

2:36

Fisher, please read.

2:38

Thank you, Mr.

2:39

Chair.

2:39

The Parish of St.

2:40

Charles in recognition.

2:42

Whereas Draden Nicholas Nockan is a resident of St.

2:45

Charles Parish, residing in Desalmonds, Louisiana, with his parents, Blake and Mary, Sister Cheyenne and brother Broxton.

2:55

And whereas Drayton is a member of Tube 370, chartered by St.

2:58

Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Lulin.

3:01

He started his scouting career as a Cub Scout in August of 2015.

3:06

And whereas Draden has spent the last 11 years as an active member of Scouts Scouts America, spending the last seven years preparing to become an Eagle Scout.

3:16

And whereas Drayton has earned 43 Marathons from a list of 137, and has completed his Eagle Scout service project by constructing 10 outdoor trash receptacles for the St.

3:27

Charles Parish Parks and Recreation Department.

3:30

And whereas Drayton earned these 43 Marathes by showing his leadership ability as troops scribe, patrol leader, and two-term senior patrol leader.

3:40

And whereas Drayton rose to the rank of Eagle Scout on November 17, 2025, and received his medal in the ceremony on April 12th, 2026 at the St.

3:50

Anthony of Padua Community Activity Building in Lulin.

3:54

And whereas Drayton is graduating, a graduating senior at Honville High School, and will continue to grow as an Eagle Scout by attending Loyal University in the fall to pursue a bachelor's degree in fine arts.

4:07

Now therefore, be it resolved that we, the members of the St.

4:09

Charles Parish Council, and the parish president do hereby offer this tribute and recognition to Draden Nicholas Nochan.

4:17

So I think Draden's here.

4:19

Would you come up, please?

5:01

I'd like to thank the council for this award.

5:05

And I want to thank my family, my parents, and all the people that helped me become eagle.

5:10

I want to thank the scouting program.

5:12

It's a very good program.

5:13

I learned a lot, and I think it's set me up for a good future.

5:16

Thank you guys.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural█████████████████████████████████████████41%
Personnel Matters████████████████████████24%
Public Engagement█████████████████17%
Public Health███████7%
Youth Programs██████6%
Zoning And Land Use█████5%
Summary of Proceedings

St. Charles Parish Council Meeting - May 4, 2026

The St. Charles Parish Council held its regular meeting on May 4, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers. The meeting included recognition of an Eagle Scout, a proclamation for the National Day of Prayer, a detailed report from the Personnel Office, introduction of several ordinances, approval of a summer food service program, postponement of a property sale and a tabled zoning change, and reappointments to the Planning & Zoning Commission.

Special Business (Proclamations, Recognitions)

  • Recognition of Eagle Scout: The Council recognized Drayden Nicholas Naquin for achieving the rank of Eagle Scout. Naquin spoke, thanking the council and his family. His service project involved constructing 10 outdoor trash receptacles for the Parks and Recreation Department. The recognition was sponsored by Councilmember Fisher.
  • National Day of Prayer Proclamation: Councilmember Skiba read the proclamation designating Thursday, May 7, 2026, as the National Day of Prayer in St. Charles Parish. Pastor Thomas Hines accepted and announced a noon prayer event at the courthouse with music and ROTC color presentation.

Reports

  • Civil Service Board/Personnel Office Report: Dayna Parker, Personnel Officer, reported on personnel activities. Key highlights included: 435 full-time civil service employees, 14 new hires being onboarded, benefits renewal with no premium increase for employees (both HMO and PPO through Blue Cross/Blue Shield), a new wellness program requiring a primary care physician visit, and an outstanding achievement merit increase of 3% for exceptional employees. Parker noted that 69 employees were honored for years of service, and two employees received Employee of the Year awards (Lacey Morris and Dwayne Williams). In response to Councilwoman Fonseca, Parker confirmed that a salary study is underway with all job descriptions being reviewed to maintain competitiveness.
  • Parish President Remarks/Report: None. Chairman Pilié recognized Christopher Rosato, Regional Representative for Senator John Kennedy.

Ordinances / Resolutions

  • Summer Food Service Program (2026-0145): The Council approved an agreement with the St. Charles Parish School Board for a Summer Food Service Program from May 29 to July 10, 2026 (26 days). Community Services Director Joan Diaz noted the cost is projected to be $3,000 less than last year, covering facility use and bus service. Councilwoman O’Daniels asked clarifying questions about costs and program details. The ordinance passed unanimously (9-0) and was enacted as No. 26-5-1.
  • Eastern Greenbelt Park Property Sale (2026-0150): An ordinance to authorize the sale of Eastern Greenbelt Park at 500 Goodhope Street, Norco, for $100,000 was postponed indefinitely by a motion from Councilmember Fisher, seconded by Councilmember Fonseca, which passed unanimously.
  • Tabled Zoning Change (2026-0104): An ordinance to rezone property at 12429 Highway 90, Luling from C-2 to C-3 was postponed indefinitely pursuant to Council Rule 8 (having appeared on two subsequent agendas).
  • Ordinances Introduced for Publication: Three ordinances were introduced for public hearing on May 18, 2026: 2026-0159 (Change Order No. 1 for Des Allemands Boat Launch, increasing contract amount by $149,223.04 and extending time by 30 days), 2026-0160 (installation of All-Way Stop signs at Monsanto Avenue intersection in Kellogg Addition II Subdivision, Luling), and 2026-0161 (sale of a portion of Eastern Greenbelt Park described as Lot 1-A, Block F-I, and Lot 11-A, Block H, Norco, for $20,000). Two additional ordinances were introduced for public hearing on June 1, 2026: 2026-0162 (sale of property described as Lots 31, 32, and 33 in Good Hope Subdivision, Block E, Norco, for $80,000) and 2026-0163 (related Sewerage District No. 1 property sale for $80,000).

Appointments & Resignations

  • Planning & Zoning Commission District I: Councilwoman Wilson nominated Marilyn K. Ross for a four-year term (May 31, 2026 – May 31, 2030). Nominations closed unanimously.
  • Planning & Zoning Commission District VII: Councilwoman deBruler nominated Richard J. Folse, Jr. for a four-year term. Nominations closed unanimously.
  • Communications District Resignation: The Council accepted the resignation of Lt. Mikel Melton from the St. Charles Parish Communications District representing the Sheriff’s Office. Vote unanimous.
  • Communications District Appointment: The vacancy was announced; nomination will be accepted at the May 18, 2026 meeting from the Sheriff’s Office (Lt. Devin Lavergne recommended by Sheriff Champagne).

Key Outcomes

  • Approved minutes from April 20, 2026, unanimously.
  • Approved Summer Food Service Program ordinance (26-5-1) unanimously.
  • Postponed indefinitely the Eastern Greenbelt Park sale ($100,000) and the tabled zoning change.
  • Reappointed Marilyn K. Ross and Richard J. Folse, Jr. to the Planning & Zoning Commission.
  • Accepted resignation of Lt. Mikel Melton.
  • Adjourned at approximately 6:32 PM.

Meeting Transcript

Good. Good evening. And welcome to the St. Charles Parish Council meeting on Monday, May 4th, 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 the Pledge of Allegiance from Pastor Thomas Hines with the Hope Church in Dastrahan. Good evening. Thank you. Let's pray. Father, we love you. We thank you for this day. We thank you for another opportunity to come together, Lord, and do the work that you've called us to do. I thank you for our parish. Lord, I thank you for the men and women who continue to serve and give and do what you've called them to do. Lord, I pray for your wisdom, pray for strength. I pray, Lord, for the ability to continue to make the decisions, Lord, the right decisions, the best decisions, Lord, that affect our community. And Lord, we ask you, Lord, to continue to bless and keep us safe and protect us, Lord, and help us to do God, all that you've called us to do. We ask you to bless this meeting, those that are being represented here tonight. Lord, we ask you to bless them as the work that they do to make our community better and to serve others. And Lord, we ask this in your name we pray. Amen. Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Thank you, Pastor Hines. Approval of minutes. Regular meeting, April 20th, 2026. A motion and a second are needed to approve the minutes from the regular meeting of April 20, 2026. We have a motion by Miss Wilson and second or by Miss Skiba. Please cast your votes. And that passes unanimously. In recognition, 2026 0146 in recognition, Drayton Nicholas Nockham, Eagle Scout. Mr. Fisher, please read. Thank you, Mr. Chair. The Parish of St. Charles in recognition. Whereas Draden Nicholas Nockan is a resident of St. Charles Parish, residing in Desalmonds, Louisiana, with his parents, Blake and Mary, Sister Cheyenne and brother Broxton. And whereas Drayton is a member of Tube 370, chartered by St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in Lulin. He started his scouting career as a Cub Scout in August of 2015. And whereas Draden has spent the last 11 years as an active member of Scouts Scouts America, spending the last seven years preparing to become an Eagle Scout. And whereas Drayton has earned 43 Marathons from a list of 137, and has completed his Eagle Scout service project by constructing 10 outdoor trash receptacles for the St. Charles Parish Parks and Recreation Department. And whereas Drayton earned these 43 Marathes by showing his leadership ability as troops scribe, patrol leader, and two-term senior patrol leader. And whereas Drayton rose to the rank of Eagle Scout on November 17, 2025, and received his medal in the ceremony on April 12th, 2026 at the St. Anthony of Padua Community Activity Building in Lulin. And whereas Drayton is graduating, a graduating senior at Honville High School, and will continue to grow as an Eagle Scout by attending Loyal University in the fall to pursue a bachelor's degree in fine arts.

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