ERIK SANZENBACH / L’Observateur / July 29, 2000

LAPLACE – The St. John the Baptist Parish Animal Shelter has one moreemployee, but the parish is still a far way from getting a new shelter built.

Henry DiFranco, director of public works, told the parish council this week he has hired an animal control officer to help Melissa Vial, the kennel master.

Kenneth Hicks, a resident of Reserve, will be in charge of nabbing stray animals in St. John Parish. Hicks will be paid an hourly wage and berequired to work weekends.

“He doesn’t have a problem working weekends,” said DiFranco. “He knowsthat both he and Vial will share that responsibility.”This brings to two the number of parish employees at the animal shelter.

However, a private citizen, Vicky Tauzin, said she had concerns about DiFranco. She also wanted to know if Vial was Hicks’ supervisor, and saidif so then Vial should be compensated for being a supervisor.

DiFranco said Vial did monitor other shelter employees.

Tauzin inquired about Hicks’ qualification as animal control officer, and DiFranco said Hicks met the qualifications posted when the job was first opened.

In other animal shelter matters, Melissa Faucheux asked the parish’s chief financial officer Jeff Clement if there was any progress made on finding funds for a new shelter.

Clement responded, “We have $63,000 for animal control, and we have committed $20,000 to refurbishing the present animal shelter. As tobuilding a new shelter, the parish does not have the money to do so.”An impatient Lester Rainey told Clement, “Go back into the budget and look in the economic development fund and get the money.”Clement replied, “The money for economic development was passed by the voters and dedicated for roads and bridges and to help the general fund.”Rainey was not satisfied with this explanation.

“If I remember correctly,” Rainey said, “if the money is not used for economic development, it can be used for other departments like public works. The animal shelter falls under public works and it should be easyenough to get the money. If you can’t find at least $100,000 from economicdevelopment for the shelter, I’ll come help you look.””We may have to cut off other services to get the money,” Clement shot back.

But Rainey was undeterred.

“Go back and look for the money,” he told Clement. “I think it is wrong tobudget economic development money before we use it. The more we takeout, the less we have.”

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