DANIEL TYLER GOODEN / L’Observateur / August 9, 2000

CONVENT – The St. James Parish Council has passed the amended Chapter106 of the Parish Code of Ordinances pertaining to subdivisions.

The amendments require the updating of services, utilities and roads on family subdivisions before the property can be sold to the public.

The amendment was passed to abate the use of declaring property as a family subdivision to bypass regulations pertaining to public subdivisions.

In another matter, Parish President Dale Hymel Jr. informed the council in hisreport that the 1999 annual report has been sent out to the citizens and should arrive this weekend.

The Vacherie Backwater Project is beginning, and workers are beginning to clear brush and start in on the project, Hymel said. Also, the DOTD hadinformed Hymel that a two-year project to repaint the Sunshine Bridge at the St. James and Ascension boundary would begin this month. The bridge will besandblasted, primed and repainted.

Hymel also informed the council of the Lutcher Health Unit closing, as well as the Department of Health and Hospitals overall cutback plans. Hymel statedthat he had set a meeting with the DHH for Monday to discuss keeping the unit open.

Glenn Millet, chairman of the parish planning commission, gave the annual report to the parish. The commission can approve of disapprove of requestfor subdivisions and send its recommendations to the council for approval.

R.M. Jackson, director of the parish Housing Authority, gave an update of theannual report given at the last council meeting. Jackson informed the councilthe Sheriff’s Department has increased patrolling on authority property. Theofficers and the new, more strict lease, are being used to make the developments a safer place. With a one-strike-out policy, the new lease doesnot tolerate any criminal or drug related activity. The officers are alsopatrolling to keep the developments clear of illegally parked cars and cars with no parking permits.

A resolution reappointed Zeb Mayhew to the Economic Development Board.

Also, Mayhew was nominated by Councilman Timothy Roussel as the council’s choice for the River Parishes Convention, Tourist and Visitors District.

Councilman Wilson Malbrough Jr. asked that the resolution to appoint amember to the district be tabled until more information on those interested in serving could obtained.

A complaint was brought up about a subcontractor for Kaiser hiring too many workers out of the parish. Councilman Elton Aubert commented that hewas receiving many calls from skilled workers. The subcontractor claimed tobe hiring one-third of its workers from inside the parish, said Hymel. Asmuch support as the parish has given Kaiser in the past, it should hire more parish workers, said Aubert.

In other news, resolutions were passed for the advertising of bids for the new west bank library and the adoption of the South Central Planning and Developments Commission’s Regional Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy.

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