DANIEL TYLER GOODEN / L’Observateur / August 19, 2000

VACHERIE – The St. James Parish Council voted Zeb Mayhew, member ofthe Economic Development Committee as its representative for the River Parishes Convention, Tourist and Visitors District Wednesday.

The vote was not unanimous, with councilmen Wilson Malbrough Jr. andRalph Patin Jr voting against. The issue had been tabled from the lastmeeting after Councilman Timothy Roussel nominated Mayhew, with Malbrough requesting a chance to review the other prospective candidates.

Patin and Malbrough nominated Larry Roussel, also of the EDC, for the position. Malbrough felt Roussel would bring new perspective to the newdistrict committee.

Patin, after the vote, voiced his disappointment with the process that mayhew had been chosen, feeling the choice had been a done deal from the beginning. Roussel responded that the list of prospects and their resumeshad been available for two weeks. Mayhew had simply been the obviouschoice due being the only candidate with experience in tourism. Patincontinued to state that the “way it was presented was as a done deal.”Councilman Elwyn Bocz assured Patin that it was not a done deal though it may have seemed like it.

In another matter, Glenda Jeansonne, economic development director for the Louisiana Airport Authority, presented the status of the intermodal airport being considered for the River Parishes. The LAA is askingAscension, St. James, St. John the Baptist and St. Charles parishes tospend $25,000 for risk analysis study. The airport would be a majorshipping outlet, coordinating rail, road, air and overseas cargo shipping into one major facility.

The some members of the council were still wary of the project after a proposed plan from St. Charles councilman Ganesier Ramchandran namedthe east bank of St. James the site of the airport and quoted the council asbeing in support. Various council members stated that in no way did theysupport Ramchandran’s proposal.

Jeansonne and Parish President Dale Hymel Jr. assured the council that theLAA was not associated with Ramchandran’s proposal or possible investors, though the LAA is after the same goal of the airport in the River Parishes.

The $25,000 is just for the chance to move the project ahead and see what options are available in the River Parishes, Jeansonne assured. The$100,000 would give the LAA the ability to start working full-time on the project. The St. John council has already voted in favor of giving the LAAits $25,000.

The council was assured by Jeansonne that it would be aware and involved in the project as it advanced. Public hearings would be held when thepossible site had been discovered through the analysis, she said. Malbroughrequested that a whole picture and a complete packet of both the positive and negative effects that the proposed airport would have. Jeansonnereiterated that the study would be performed by an independent company and there would be no biased or undisclosed information.

For eight years the LAA has been working on this project. The completionof the project would bring an estimated 90,000 jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars to the River Parishes. “We’ve been working on it, and ifwe don’t at least get the study down, we’ll never know,” said Jeansonne.

Chairman of the council, Elton Aubert, wrapped up the discussion saying that the study should be done and that much of the questions about the project would be answered in the study. Voting for or against the $25,000grant to the LAA will take place during the next meeting.

Also, Honora Gravois was commended with a plaque for his 12 years of service on the South Louisiana Port Commission. “He always kept meinformed and served his parish well,” said Hymel. Gregory Gravois was onhand to introduce himself to the council. Gravois replaced Honora Gravoisas the governor’s appointee for the position.

The Personnel Policy Manual was reviewed by the council, and Bocz asked that certain redundancies be fixed in the manual. Some of the organizationof the policy needed to be looked at, he said.

Ordinance 00-12, setting and designating the adjusted property tax millage rate for the year 200, was amended to include the accurate personal property value of industry and public services. The value, beforearound $9.5 million was accurately appraised at $3.2 million. The drop invalue was due to standard equipment and inventory depreciation, said parish assessor Glenn Waguespack. The change in value will not affect St.James Parish citizens who have been paying the accurate value of their property in the last few years, he added.

The council passed a resolution supporting Roussel for third vice president of the executive board of the Police Jury Association of Louisiana.

The board also passed a resolution authorizing a joint agreement with the St. James School Board for the collection of sales and use taxes betweenJuly 1, 2000 and June 30, 2001.

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