[{"_1":2,"_109":-5,"_110":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86,98],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6278486,"mediaKeyId","2640968-be47280bc3ecfe57fd0718b59211a097","parentId",2640968,"title","Hospital and ambulance providers seek faster psychiatric transfers; council asks for contract review","audioSeconds",396,"startMs",2660000,"endMs",3056000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2640968-be47280bc3ecfe57fd0718b59211a097&start=2660&end=3056","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2640968-be47280bc3ecfe57fd0718b59211a097/thumbnail_2660000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6278486/Bastrop/Morehouse-Parish/Louisiana/Hospital-and-ambulance-providers-seek-faster-psychiatric-transfers-council-asks-for-contract-review","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6278486-b7d5d4bd4a71b9b47d76316bd4c308ec/orig.mp4?Expires=1771203012&Signature=brFae4Y5FTW2cNDPLjSn1COJ6XmTlzVS4XjXyKlbLYxxTX7vxpC0O2L5VYknMWkPSbJtGwjxrZtpIOLzqbKBFXvQETLDhQU4rZ1Yp4SHawPjlyKKgQ~lvQYDlRR34~t7viz93byxXZ7MEChuAidm-Dn65~OrZ3lwD4Gspt2CdxM6W-w5rHnpe3Ybxe8xso6UbYXcrABoPfnhqTjgXc~jxSohdTxikb6xww00QErSIFNY4Yp-~couRizfjPw-rBUOvqg3Y-EiLASPXBFSu4SHjqz8AuNTFZAdyHFKfLXdHFMNrtWm0LCa1ujKBLOhTp~TcTc~fbrsd8sG9M455wMyhw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-03-14T02:38:01Z","article","Hospital officials told the Bastrop City Council that psychiatric (\"psych\") patients are sometimes waiting six to eight hours for transport to appropriate facilities, creating safety and operational concerns at the emergency department.

Kelsey Petal, identified at the meeting as an ER director at Washington (Morehouse-area hospital), said the hospital’s capacity for handling psychiatric patients has been strained by a local termination of a sheriff’s office transfer agreement and limited availability from private ambulance companies. “We either need to find some other office, try to find some other form of able to get these patients transfer account, maybe revise a contract,” she told the council.

Blake Taylor, operations manager for PAPRUNS (an ambulance provider in the region), told the council a national and regional shortage of psychiatric inpatient beds is driving longer waits and long-distance transfers. He said crews try to avoid very long night transfers that take an ambulance out of service for multiple hours and increase safety risk. He asked council members to allow the city and ambulance contractor to revise contract terms so an alternate company can complete psychiatric transfers when needed.

What the council asked and directed: The ambulance provider agreed to provide the contractual monthly reports that the council said are required under the current service contract, and PAPRUNS offered to sit down promptly with the hospital ER director and the mayor to review operations and potential contract changes. The transcript records an offer by PAPRUNS to “sit down and review with the hospital ... to see what we can come to and make a resolution to move forward,” and an ambulance representative agreed to provide the requested call data when formally requested.

Why it matters: Extended waits for psychiatric transfer tie up ER resources and create safety concerns for both staff and patients, hospital officials said. The council and providers discussed options including 1) clearer contract terms to define psychiatric transfers and timelines, 2) a secondary vendor option when the primary provider cannot respond within a defined timeframe, and 3) improved reporting to allow the council to monitor performance.

Outcome and follow-up: The contract was not amended at the meeting. Providers and hospital leadership agreed to meet and share the required reports; PAPRUNS said it would involve its operations director and the hospital’s ER director in follow-up talks. The council instructed staff to ensure required monthly call reports are provided to the council going forward. No formal vote was recorded on changes to the contract during the session.

Ending: Hospital representatives asked the council for an “ASAP” solution to limit patient wait times; ambulance providers agreed to meet and to produce contract reports on request so the council can monitor response times and assess whether the service contract needs amendment.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","March 13 - Bastrop City Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Hospital and ambulance providers told the council psychiatric patients were waiting multiple hours for transfer, and the council directed staff to secure reports and set a meeting to explore contract changes.","taxTitle","Bastrop, Morehouse Parish, Louisiana","taxId",69771,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6278492,"Council members press administration for clarity after ARP payout list leaves some employees unpaid",1701,1194000,2895000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2640968-be47280bc3ecfe57fd0718b59211a097&start=1194&end=2895","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2640968-be47280bc3ecfe57fd0718b59211a097/thumbnail_1194000.jpg","/articles/6278492/Bastrop/Morehouse-Parish/Louisiana/Council-members-press-administration-for-clarity-after-ARP-payout-list-leaves-some-employees-unpaid","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6278492-9184ed3d6c459d36bb1bab1e37221e99/orig.mp4?Expires=1771203012&Signature=mBllaMAPc5XXJ7hGSRiO0q2GWDd7ZQRCgNEN22RqTXlkMdhMtMyjn6dZIBTY~xIlQ9uym-vv3qS-U-2vgfODzPB-Bs6v4HwxzO2qvqDBvO8THFqFhIVwN~oQE3E6gu3Vhy177wlTQksCeO0Kek3UoaUfQ8aWxX-EnAV8FGxX87C5ugZsDuwsuFzTiMLIzO60U38D3dYqZwbDR2Eryqeu83CQmxl9l6~RtkR1l1DRfXBM7a19Zu181bH~mCVEVkZZvLiLbvFSwMui3ks1tbOuHg5RlI2m0X0MMOSMg87aRxfDw9W6fsfIUz5UDPtAY~SvqImJyhW56z15R5j96erpqg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Council members and residents pressed for clarity on how the city’s ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) premium-pay distributions were assembled after a packet listing recipients and non-recipients prompted questions about who was eligible and why some workers were paid while others were not.

At the meeting, multiple speakers said the administration — not the council — selected the people who ultimately received payments. “It was up to the administration to determine the ones that was gonna get paid,” a speaker told the council, describing the list as prepared by the mayor’s office and the administration.

Why it matters: The council asked for an accounting because payments were made before some members said they had seen or approved the lists, and residents said people who worked during the ARP-eligible period were omitted. Council members voiced concern that paying some employees and not others could create legal and budgetary problems and asked staff and legal counsel to clarify what rules and timelines governed the payments.

City Attorney Attorney Jones told the council he supplied the ARP rules when asked but did not pick recipients: “I did not have a seat at the table in that decision. I don't make those decisions,” he said, adding that his role was to advise on what ARP rules allowed. Council members and residents repeatedly asked for documentation showing the administration’s eligibility criteria and any approval votes or minutes that led to the payouts.

Several current and former employees and residents spoke during public comment. One resident, Carolyn Harris, said she had been employed by the city during the relevant timeframe and expected to be included in the distribution. Other commenters said they saw inconsistencies in the list of paid and unpaid employees.

Council direction and next steps: A motion was proposed that a council member work with the mayor and administration to “narrow down these names” and return to the council with a full accounting and recommendations about funding sources for any additional payments. The motion was made on the record; the transcript records the motion being moved but does not record a formal recorded vote or tally. The council also discussed whether funds that were obligated after the ARP obligation deadline could be reallocated; Attorney Jones and staff advised that funds obligated under ARP by the federal deadline cannot be reallocated without federal approval and that any additional payouts likely would have to come from the city’s general fund, which would require later council action.

What council members emphasized: Council members repeatedly stressed fairness and transparency. Several asked that Laura Hart, the CPA who prepared the ARP computations and who appears in the meeting packet, be asked to return to explain how she compiled lists and figures. Council members also expressed a preference to reconcile the list before authorizing payments from non-ARPA sources.

Evidence and provenance: The council packet included a letter from Laura Hart that was discussed at the meeting. Attorney Jones summarized the legal framework for ARP premium-pay and described the limits on un-obligating funds after the federal obligation deadline.

Ending: The council asked administration and legal counsel to provide documentation of the eligibility rules and the timeline of actions; council members said they would reconvene on the matter when the mayor’s office and staff return the requested materials. The meeting record includes motions to have a council member work with the mayor and administration to reconcile recipients and to report back to the council; the transcript does not show a recorded roll-call vote on those specific motions.","Council members and residents pressed for clarity on how the city’s ARPA premium-pay distributions were assembled after a packet listing recipients and non-recipients prompted questions about eligibility.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6278481,"Council debates Clearstream solar project and zoning special-permit process; attorney to draft options",4458,2407000,6865000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2640968-be47280bc3ecfe57fd0718b59211a097&start=2407&end=6865","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2640968-be47280bc3ecfe57fd0718b59211a097/thumbnail_2407000.jpg","/articles/6278481/Bastrop/Morehouse-Parish/Louisiana/Council-debates-Clearstream-solar-project-and-zoning-special-permit-process-attorney-to-draft-options","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6278481-5f02f604387436c65e4aee8ecc0ae2d2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771203012&Signature=OP6zxere7957yvWNIIEavfet-LQ5FSOXQt2rh0gNcT1O5doZxLUCX5ngkJqTZNmijXJeAilorDcum~bmwl64258TuxD1fDvMOAk9EtvcHUJmt41sterWYKYjY4WSDQD8OXaPd5lfjQKaMkq8pz~DfJwBqmF0TkBWwWowI43AL7PJdQyBl1xHRh~h-RW14R0dXf1O8s3ZkzU1fSSf0xR1OHYA4IItGLx4AbTW0qsdU55q-NY48FFYsy3En8p7MhF2Kx0epEwbCrq5RJzdQsPvI9zfYkpY6quWTHvJ9i43nNc0~VgEygxezXPsYy29m7zD4Ubl9CrAS4EpiBTo0v22iQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Council members and residents questioned whether the city’s permitting and zoning process gives the council enough transparency after a Clearstream solar project on former industrial property drew public concern about loss of industrial land and long-term job prospects.

A project manager for Clearstream Solar, who identified himself as the company’s project manager, said his firm bought the former International Paper parcels (excluding a 22-acre tract owned by another party), followed required zoning procedure and obtained approvals. “We’ve been here for a year. We’ve worked with municipality. We follow procedure. We dotted our i’s. We crossed our t’s,” the project manager told council members.

At least one council member cautioned that converting prime industrial land within the city to solar could limit space for future job-creating industrial development. “If you occupy all of your land with panels...what’s gonna happen when a job comes on the brink? ... Where do you think those jobs gonna go to if you have nowhere to put them because you're gonna fill up all your spaces with panels?” the council member said, urging the council to weigh economic-development tradeoffs.

Legal and procedural discussion: Several council members raised the role of the zoning board and the use of “special permits,” which some described as a loophole that allows projects to proceed without final council review. City Attorney Attorney Jones said the council can change what the zoning board may approve and that variances or special permits can be moved to require final council action. He said the council can adopt ordinances to alter the approval pathway going forward but cautioned such steps generally cannot invalidate permits already relied upon by third parties.

Council motioning and next steps: A motion was made requesting the city attorney prepare an ordinance or other legal option to require that future special-permit approvals be subject to final council action (or to otherwise limit special-permit authority). The transcript records a request and legal discussion but does not record a final roll-call vote on a moratorium or an immediate stop to existing permits. Attorney Jones advised the council that while the council could enact a moratorium or change the rules going forward, previously granted permits where builders already relied on approvals could create legal exposure if revoked.

Why it matters: The debate balances immediate economic development and property rights with longer-term planning and potential job creation. Council members said they want more transparency and the ability to evaluate tradeoffs before special permits are granted on industrially-zoned land.

Ending: The council instructed legal staff to draft language for council consideration changing the special-permit/variance approval pathway; no emergency injunction or citywide halt on solar projects was adopted during the meeting.","Council members questioned whether Clearstream Solar followed a process that left the council uninformed and asked the city attorney to draft options to move special permits to council review.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":102,"_47":103,"_49":104,"_51":105,"_53":106,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":107,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":108,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6278476,"Council discusses code enforcement, occupational-license enforcement and targeted demolitions for condemned houses",0,10533000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2640968-be47280bc3ecfe57fd0718b59211a097&start=10533&end=10533","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2640968-be47280bc3ecfe57fd0718b59211a097/thumbnail_10533000.jpg","/articles/6278476/Bastrop/Morehouse-Parish/Louisiana/Council-discusses-code-enforcement-occupational-license-enforcement-and-targeted-demolitions-for-condemned-houses","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6278476-c1dbe02db069c75f4cac40d5ff6b7edd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771203012&Signature=Xe5ZahKLcH6v8DHmT1OaMsqVVJx0oFJ-kL8vTcOBU4UT-P-M2h~wbUjBExILJGax~g511EO1tMC-ypkk0bTj~4qu~ww9SGhHxJeDTBb5cA07SR8htr2GOunDLiW2uvdb1v-t48zyIyqakVuCmldzhilgLHi29eBOH3kQPkPzdc2MfXB9j0PoOn1wqxT~0QfPBVNWfoKq4Zcow-J4Av5-70dSHChOe7ufZD7lWNAF3L85pe1lfU2~Bxw6thyzdN-s2-rcgxQ7f79Y~KbD5Ikih62Xx2blFKUFsN~7ANn4Ryu6nq~56I~Rd~L5~NHYV7zWTwCKk-XcBLYrJLNviNGzuA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Council members raised prolonged code‑enforcement and blight issues during the meeting and discussed new tools to hold property owners accountable, including revoking or declining occupational licenses for owners who maintain multiple properties in dangerous or dilapidated condition.

Background and council concerns: The council said multiple properties are in advanced disrepair and that existing letters and notices have not progressed to environmental court or cleanup. Council members urged a quicker enforcement path and suggested the council needs a tool that can compel owner action or remove economic incentives for owners who hold blighted properties without remedying violations.

Legal option proposed: City Attorney Attorney Jones outlined a potential ordinance to allow the city to decline, suspend, or revoke an occupational license when the licensee owns property that is in violation of city property-maintenance ordinances. Jones said such a procedure would include notice and an opportunity to be heard and could be used to compel property owners to address dangerous structures or public‑nuisance properties. The attorney indicated he could draft proposed ordinance language for council consideration.

Demolition and cooperative agreements: For several condemned properties on Marable Street the council considered contracting with a nonprofit contractor to perform demolitions at an estimated total not to exceed roughly $8,500 for multiple houses (specific quote in the meeting included line items such as $3,000 and $2,500 per house). Council members said those properties have been condemned by prior council action and that demolition or cleanup would improve public safety and neighborhood conditions. The city attorney described the standard condemnation process — citation, hearing before the council, engineer’s report and then a council order — and said the city can place a lien for demolition costs if the owner does not pay.

Council direction and follow-up: Council directed the city attorney to draft an occupational-license ordinance that links compliance with property-maintenance requirements to issuance or renewal of business licenses and to prepare cooperative‑agreement paperwork for targeted demolitions and repairs so work can proceed as funds and approvals allow. The transcript records motions and discussion but does not record roll-call voting tallies on final adoption of any new ordinance at this meeting.

Ending: Council members asked for a draft ordinance and a timetable to present it at a subsequent council meeting and asked code-enforcement staff to move the most severe condemnation cases toward the hearing and demolition steps already described in ordinance.","Council members pressed for stronger enforcement of blight and code violations, including a proposal to tie occupational licenses to property‑maintenance compliance and to fund demolition of condemned houses. Attorney Jones said the council can adopt an ordinance to withhold or revoke occupational licenses from owners with properties","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Hospital and ambulance providers seek faster psychiatric transfers; council asks for contract review

Council members press administration for clarity after ARP payout list leaves some employees unpaid

Council debates Clearstream solar project and zoning special-permit process; attorney to draft options

Council discusses code enforcement, occupational-license enforcement and targeted demolitions for condemned houses