Town Meeting Minutes – Monday, May 9, 2016

May 9, 2016
Town of Brusly
Brusly, Louisiana

The regular meeting of the Town of Brusly was held this date, May 9, 2016, at the Brusly Town Hall, at 6:30 p.m. Council Member Andrè led the Pledge of Allegiance. A roll call determined the following officials present:

Mayor: Joey Normand
Council Members: Scot Rhodes, Joanne Bourgeois, Terry Richard, Shane Andrè, Don Neisler
Town Attorney: Thomas Acosta, Jr.
Absent: None

A motion to approve the minutes of the Town’s regular meeting of April 11, 2016, was made by Council Member Andrè and seconded by Council Member Neisler. Mayor Normand opened the floor for public comment. Hearing no comments, the motion passed with a unanimous vote.

Public Works Committee: None

Planning and Zoning Committee: None

Finance Committee:
Mayor Normand presented his 2016/2017 Town & Sewer Budget messages to Council Members.

Personnel Committee: None

Recreation Committee: None

Police Committee:
At the request of Police Chief Jonathan Lefeaux, Mayor Normand deferred item F.1, Consider Hiring Jewel Cazes as a Part Time Officer, to a later time.

Governmental Affair Committee:
Council Member Bourgeois presented the following homes, recommended by the Landmark & Heritage Commission, at its April 18th meeting, to receive Landmark Plaques:
947 East Main St. – Known as Morales Grocery, originally George Hebert’s Store
332 East Main St. – Owned by Leslie Purnell Jr. – Built by Warren Crocket
A motion to approve the Landmarks was made by Council Member Bourgeois; seconded by Council Member Richard. Mayor Normand opened the floor for public comment. Hearing no comments, the motion passed unanimously.

Council Member Bourgeois also presented the following site, recommended by the Landmark & Heritage Commission to receive a Former Landmark Sign:
402 South Kirkland Dr. – Former Site of the Dr. Eugene & Eva Bourgeois Residence/Physician’s Office
A motion to approve the Former Landmark Site was made by Council Member Bourgeois; seconded by Council Member Andrè. Mayor Normand opened the floor for public comment. Hearing no comments, the motion passed unanimously.

A motion to appoint the West Side Journal as the Official Journal of the Town was made by Council Member Bourgeois; seconded by Council Member Neisler. Mayor Normand opened the floor for public comment. Hearing no comment, the motion passed unanimously.

Consideration of Vetoed Ordinances: None

Hearing and Final Action on Ordinances:
Mayor Normand read aloud and opened the public hearing for Ordinance 3 of 2016, Recognizing the final form and execution of the bond purchase agreement. Hearing no comments from the public, the Mayor closed the public hearing. Mayor Normand directed the matter to the Council for consideration. A motion to approve Ordinance 3 of 2016 was made by Council Member Andrè; seconded by Council Member Rhodes. Mayor Normand opened the floor for public comment. Mr. Jim Ryan thanked Debbie Berthelot for all her help in getting the information needed for the bond purchase. Hearing no further comments a roll call vote was had with the following result:
Yeas: André, Bourgeois, Neisler, Rhodes, Richard
Nays: None
Absent: None

Ordinance 4 of 2016, to amend the appropriations ordinance of 2015-2016 to provide relative to appropriations for the income and expenses of the Town was read aloud and opened for Public Hearing by Mayor Normand. Hearing no comments from the public, Mayor Normand directed the issue to the Council for consideration. A motion to adopt Ordinance 4 of 2016 as presented was made by Council Member Andrè; seconded by Council Member Neisler. A roll call vote was had with the following result:
Yeas: Bourgeois, Neisler, Rhodes, Richard, André
Nays: None
Absent: None

Ordinance 5 of 2016, to amend the appropriations ordinance of 2014-2015 to provide relative to appropriations for the income and expenses of the Town of Brusly Sewer System was read aloud and opened for Public Hearing by Mayor Normand. Hearing no comments from the public, Mayor Normand directed the issue to the Council for consideration. A motion to adopt Ordinance 5 of 2016 as presented was made by Council Member Neisler; seconded by Council Member Bourgeois. A roll call vote was had with the following result:
Yeas: Neisler, Rhodes, Richard, André, Bourgeois
Nays: None
Absent: None

Introduction of Ordinances:
Council Member Rhodes introduced Ordinance 6 of 2016- General Funds 2016/2017 Budget.
Council Member Andrè introduced Ordinance 7 of 2016-Sewer 2016/2017 Budget.
Council Member Bourgeois introduced Ordinance 8 of 2016-Retiree Health Insurance.

Resolutions and Commendations:
Mayor Normand read aloud Resolution 2 of 2016 and a motion to Discontinue Collection of Ad Valorem Taxes for the Year 2016 was made by Council Member Rhodes; seconded by Council Member Richard. Mayor Normand opened the floor for public comment. Hearing no comment, a roll call vote was had with the following results:
Yeas: Rhodes, Richard, André, Bourgeois, Neisler
Nays: None
Absent: None

Resolution 3 of 2016 to Appoint Wright, Moore, Dehart, Dupuis & Hutchinson LLC for 2015/2016 Fiscal Year Audit was recommended by Mayor Normand. A motion to approve was made by Council Member Andrè; seconded by Council Member Bourgeois. The Mayor opened the floor for public comment. Hearing no comments, the motion passed unanimously.

Resolution 4 of 2016 to declare a 2005 Ford F150 Super Cab as surplus with a minimum price of $4,500 and a 2007 Ford Crown Victoria with minimum price of $1,500 was recommended by Mayor Normand. A motion to approve was made by Council Member Richard; seconded by Council Member Rhodes. The Mayor opened the floor for public comment. Hearing no comments, the motion passed unanimously.

Police Department Report:
Police Department Report for the month of April was given by Asst. Chief Southon. There were seven (7) alarms, two (2) 911 hang-up calls, one (1) assault, three (3) assists to other departments, one (1) suspicious person, four (4) civil complaints, two (2) disturbances, one (1) fraud, one (1) harassment call, one (1) medical emergency, three (3) miscellaneous calls, one (1) noise complaint, one (1) private property crash, three (3) thefts, four (4) traffic accidents, seven (7) traffic stops leading to an arrest, one (1) suspicious vehicle, one (1) vehicle unlock and eight (8) warrant arrests. For the month there were 52 total complaints, 217 citations, 287 violations and seven (7) no insurance tows.
Correspondence: None

Mayor’s Report: None

Remarks of Personal Privilege:
After addressing many accomplishments of Police Chief Jonathan Lefeaux since his election into office, Asst. Chief Southon presented Chief with a plaque of appreciation from the Brusly Police Department, citing positive efforts in rebuilding the Department’s moral and public image by setting forth an example of excellence and public service. Corp. Dan Cipriano, speaking for the entire Department, stated that his appreciation for Chief Lefeaux goes beyond words. Corp. Cipriano also thanked Asst. Chief Southon for his guidance and hard work, presenting him with a token of appreciation from the Department. Chief Lefeaux thanked everyone, adding his appreciation for the Mayor and Council for support, help and guidance. Mrs. Rosa Stelly thanked Chief Lefeaux and the entire Department on behalf of the citizens of Brusly, expressing gratitude for the good working relationship between Town Officials and the Brusly Police Department.
Mayor Normand added that he is appreciative of the atmosphere of partnership between the Town administration and the Police Department since Chief Lefeaux took office.

Announcements:
There will be an Open House at the New Police Station on May 28th from 12:00 PM till 3:00 PM.
The Town Hall will be closed May 30th in observance of Memorial Day.
There will be a Memorial Day Program at the Port Allen Court House at 10:00 AM.

A motion was made by Council Member Rhodes to adjourn; seconded by Council Member Richard. Hearing no comments, the motion passed with a unanimous vote. The meeting adjourned at 6:54 PM.

____________________________ _________________________
Joey Normand, Mayor Debbie Berthelot, Town Clerk