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Council issues proclamations, recognizes volunteers and employee of the month
Summary
Council adopted proclamations recognizing telecommunicators, CASA's child-abuse prevention month and fair housing month, received a Big Brothers Big Sisters presentation and recognized an employee of the month.
NATCHITOCHES, La. — At its April 14 meeting the council adopted multiple proclamations and recognized local volunteers and city staff.
The council adopted a proclamation declaring the week of April 2025 as National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. Daquan Johnson, supervisor of communications for the Natchitoches Police Department, thanked the council and described training and certification work, saying the communications team had "been putting in a lot of work with getting in compliance with the law." The police department noted that the communications center answered 19,503 calls last year, including reports of accidents and calls for service.
The council also adopted a proclamation declaring April 2025 as National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Emily Dahl, director for CASA of Central Louisiana, told the council that during the past year the CASA program "served 20 children who experienced abuse or neglect" and that most of those children were under age 10. Dahl described the CASA volunteer process (background check, training, swearing-in and monthly visits) and asked for volunteers; she also described a pinwheel campaign and other awareness activities.
Council members adopted a proclamation declaring April 2025 as Fair Housing Month; the resolution text cited federal fair housing law and state implementation. Mayor Ronnie Williams Jr. noted the proclamation is sometimes required for grant applications to the state Office of Community Development.
The council recognized a Big Brothers Big Sisters of Natchitoches match during the meeting. Jelissa Lloyd, mentoring specialist, introduced volunteer Sarah Rashel and her mentee, Isis McZeal, and Rashel described their match and how the mentoring relationship has benefited the child.
The council presented an employee-of-the-month recognition to Sharon Durham, who works in community development, and asked for photographs to promote the recognition.
All proclamations and recognitions were adopted or presented by unanimous voice or roll-call vote as recorded in the meeting.
