LAPLACE — Some of St. John the Baptist Parish’s top elected officials have called a truce, temporarily laying down their swords when it comes to the battle over who occupies the old parish president’s office in the Percy D. Hebert Building.

Parish President Natalie Robottom exited everyday use of the office a few months back to take up central administration operation on the second floor of the new St. John the Baptist Government Complex, which shares a parking lot with the Percy Hebert Building.

Councilman Marvin Perrilloux said it was his understanding the office would be turned over to Sheriff Mike Tregre and the St. John Sheriff’s Office as part of a SJSO expansion inside the Percy Hebert Building.

Robottom is adamant her administration is doing everything it can to assist the Sheriff’s Office by turning over use of 26 offices and nine workstations. However, she said the parish president’s Percy Hebert office must be maintained year-round under her purview, specifically for use during times of emergency management or planning.

Robottom, who is term limited and not seeking re-election in the fall, is also looking to maintain use of the old administrative receptionist area, copy area and conference room.

“We would need full access to the conference room and receptionist area, which is where we take calls, hold meetings and there must be a space to run those operations,” Robottom told Parish Council members. “We thought we were being fairly generous in providing the entire building, even offering up the (old Council) Chamber.”

Perrilloux told L’OBSERVATEUR he met with the sheriff and decided to look into other Percy Hebert renovation options, leaving the parish president to keep the old office.

“We could always come back to it and direct the parish president to have a lease agreement or CEA for that particular office, but right now it’s off the table because we’re looking for other options,” Perrilloux said.

Perrilloux, who is term limited this year as the District 4 representative, said he has long dreamed of creating a government complex so residents can get all of their parish business done in one location. He feels such a center would eliminate rent payment across the parish paid out by government entities and free up local dollars for more impactful uses.

Tregre told L’OBSERVATEUR the tone and intensity of disagreement over the issue during a March 26 Parish Council got out of hand.

“I just didn’t like how it went,” he said. “At this moment, I just asked (Perrilloux) to let it die, let it go. That’s not doing us any good for public officials to have those kinds of discussions. That is something we can discuss in private. I didn’t think it would get to that point.”

Council Chamber

Tregre said he did not initially want to repurpose the recently renovated Percy Hebert Council Chambers for Sheriff’s Office use but is now in the beginning stages of redesigning that part of the building to accommodate his office’s expanded building footprint.

The two-term sheriff, who is seeking a third term this fall, said the redesign process and progress would be open to the public. Tregre also said his attorney is drafting an agreement for district attorney review to outline the Sheriff’s Office building redesign and use.

The Council approved a $100,000 plus Percy Hebert chamber renovation in 2016 that added a new lighting grid and upgraded audio system with ceiling-mounted speakers. The Council desk was renovated, new countertops were added and the walls were sheet rocked and painted, parish officials said.

The renovations were done even though an upgraded Parish Council chamber was planned (and opened this year) in the new Government Complex.

Safe room

St. John leaders anticipate opening a new 4,000-square feet safe room by January to house employees, critical staff, first responders and other agencies on call during inclement weather emergencies.

The construction is taking place next to the Percy Hebert Building.

Robottom said future parish presidents would need the Percy Hebert office to run emergency operations manned from the safe room.

Once completed, the safe room will provide sleeping space and shower facilities for more than 100 people and can be utilized as a meeting room or training space for day-to-day operations.

The new safe room will be attached to the existing emergency operations center in the Percy Hebert Building, which houses St. John’s Department of Public Safety, Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, Office of Fire Services and 9-1-1 Communications Center.

Robottom told L’OBSERVATEUR that grant money, which is funding a majority of safe room construction, did not allow for the construction of a new parish president’s office within its design.