Council passes series of routine measures: drainage manual, bid award, tax-levy ordinance introduction, school zone, road priorities, and board appointments

The Livingston Parish Council approved several routine but consequential items in one session: adoption of the parish drainage criteria manual by resolution, acceptance of a low bid for the Drainage Improvement Program, first reading/intro of an ordinance to renew a drainage district sales tax, a school-zone resolution for Cecil Drive and Olivia Drive (including Blades/back road), additions to the road-priority list, and multiple board appointments.

Drainage criteria manual: Parish President Robert Dugas said the council previously adopted an ordinance related to flood provisions but omitted the actual manual; the council adopted a resolution to formally adopt the Livingston Parish drainage criteria manual to accompany the earlier ordinance. A motion to adopt the resolution was made by John Wascomb and seconded by Lonnie Watts; the transcript records that the motion passed.

Drainage Improvement Program bid award: The Department of Public Works recommended accepting the low bid from LA Contracting Enterprise LLC for the Livingston Parish Drainage Improvement Program (2024). The presenter said the scheduled bid opening had been rescheduled because of weather and that the low bidder had been confirmed. The transcript includes a dollar figure expressed unclearly in the record (the audio/text shows “$4,133,000 $33,068.10”); the transcript does not provide a clean, confirmed bid amount. The council voted to accept LA Contracting Enterprise LLC as the low bidder; the transcript shows the motion passed via electronic vote.

Drainage-district sales tax ordinance introduction: The council introduced proposed Ordinance No. 25-01, described in the title as ratifying action taken by "grama Drainage District No. 1" to renew the levy and collection of a sales and use tax as approved by voters on Dec. 7, 2024. The ordinance was read by title; a public hearing was scheduled for Feb. 27 at 6 p.m. The transcript copy of the ordinance title contains wording as read into the record and the date for the hearing; the council voted to set the ordinance for introduction.

School zone for Cecil Drive and Olivia Drive: Council members debated procedure before adopting a resolution to set a school zone for Cecil Drive and Olivia Drive (and the back road known as Blades). There was confusion at the meeting about whether a sign can be installed by resolution but that enforcement and prosecution of tickets is more secure if the regulation is adopted by ordinance. A speaker identified as Fred — referenced in the discussion in relation to the DA’s office — confirmed that signs can be posted by resolution but ordinance adoption is more legally secure for prosecution. The council adopted the resolution and said the item will return as an ordinance at a future meeting so the district attorney’s office may proceed with prosecutions.

Road priorities and board appointments: The council adopted a resolution adding Nan Wesley Road, Fontainebleau, and Catholic Church Road (and other roads submitted by council members) to the priority list for consideration for maintenance/repaving. The council also appointed Jonathan Davis and Trey Cowell to the library board of control and accepted a resignation from Recreation District 3; all appointments and changes were adopted in separate motions recorded in the transcript.

Votes "at a glance": - Adopt Livingston Parish drainage criteria manual — Motion by John Wascomb; second by Lonnie Watts; outcome: approved (resolution adopted). - Accept low bid from LA Contracting Enterprise LLC for Drainage Improvement Program — Motion by Ricky Gough; second by Shavers (transcript wording); outcome: approved (council accepted low bidder; bid amount not clearly recorded in transcript). - Introduce Ordinance 25-01 (Drainage District No. 1 sales tax renewal) — Introduced; public hearing set Feb. 27 at 6 p.m.; outcome: introduction approved. - Adopt resolution requesting parish president seek grants for Denham Heights sewer — Motion by Mister Magnus; second by Mister Gulf; outcome: approved (separate article covers this item). - Adopt school-zone resolution for Cecil Drive/Olivia Drive/Blades — Motion by Ron Shaver to adopt resolution; second by Mister Erde; outcome: resolution adopted; ordinance to follow for prosecution authority. - Add Nan Wesley Road, Fontainebleau, Catholic Church Road to priority list — Motion by Mister Shavers; second by Mister Magnus; outcome: approved. - Library board appointments — Jonathan Davis and Trey Cowell appointed; Recreation District 3 resignation accepted.

The transcript records motions, seconds, and that items passed via the council’s electronic voting system (iPad) but does not provide numerical vote tallies for these items. Where the transcript text is unclear (for example, the bid amount reported for the Drainage Improvement Program), the article indicates that the amount was not cleanly recorded and should be confirmed in the council’s official bid tabulation and minutes.