By Kimberly Hopson
L’Observateur

CONVENT – Concerns about the fate of the St. James Parish Youth Detention Center, an ultimatum for bonfire participants and a handful of standard, beginning-of-the-year issues were covered at Tuesday’s St. James Parish Council meeting in Convent.
Resolutions included various authorizations for the filing and signing of applications dealing with the parish’s transportation, housing and senior services, approvals of new and revised contracts and a special resolution to acknowledge the recent death of a long-time parish employee.
The council dedicated a portion of its commentary to discussion about the impending future of the youth detention center, as the facility will no longer be in the possession of St. James parish after Jun. 30 of this year. New requirements imposed by the Department of Children and Family Services have made it impossible for the parish to uphold the cost of maintaining the facility. The council considered the concept of a multi-parish operating system, but there was no definitive judgment.
“We can’t allow it to shut down,” said Parish President Timmy Roussel. “In 2012, we spent $100,000 to spruce up that facility to turn it over to the eight parishes. I hope that wasn’t for nil.”
“The cost to operate the facility has increased due to new requirements and expectations set by the Department of Children and Family Services. The parish will not be able to meet the specified requirements. We are reviewing different options to continue operation of the facility, such as a multi-jurisdiction commission to help oversee the facility or possibly relocating the services to another location or parish,” explained Melissa Wilkins, public information officer for St. James Parish.
In addition, the council announced that permit holders for this year’s levee bonfires must clean up their locations or face the music. Any resident who built a bonfire structure in December must clean up any debris left behind no later than Sunday, Jan. 6. If any waste remains when the sites are reviewed the following Monday, the participant will be fined $100.
According to Councilman St. James Parish Fire Chief Jason Amato, residents who don’t clean up after themselves will risk forfeiting their site for the next year’s celebrations, in addition to the fine.
Lastly, the council approved a resolution of condolence for the family of parish employee Shannon Swisher Patterson, 43, who died on Christmas Eve from a pulmonary embolism. The St. James Parish Council commended Swisher Patterson for her years of dedicated service to the parish operations department and shared several personal anecdotes.
An account is available at First American Bank in Lutcher for donations in the name of the Shannon Swisher Patterson Memorial Fund.