Home Rule Charter advisory committee elects chair, adopts meeting rules and schedule

The newly formed St. Tammany Parish Home Rule Charter Advisory Committee elected Kevin Davis as chair and Arthur Laughlin as vice chair at its first public meeting, approved meeting conduct and public-participation rules, and set recurring meeting times and an initial schedule to begin a line-by-line review of the parish's home rule charter.

The committee, convened by the St. Tammany Parish Council to review the charter and recommend any changes to the council for possible placement on a ballot, also adopted Robert's Rules of Order for meeting procedure and agreed to follow the council's public-comment rules (three minutes per speaker, with the chair empowered to extend time). Staff told the committee a change in state law now requires committee meetings to be broadcast live and that audiovisual staffing and related costs affect whether all meetings can be held in the evening.

The advisory body's work is purely advisory: any charter-change recommendations must go to the parish council, require a two-thirds council vote to be put on a ballot, and then must be approved by a majority of St. Tammany voters. Staff cited administrative deadlines the committee should consider: proposition language deadlines for the Secretary of State (noted in the meeting as June 11, 2025 for an October 2025 election and September 22, 2025 for a November 2025 election) and an internal target date discussed in the council resolution of May 1, 2025. The committee decided the May 1 date originates with the council's resolution but is not a legal hard deadline and can be adjusted by council action.

Committee members and staff emphasized process and public outreach. Parish President Mike Cooper and several committee members said the goal is to review the charter section-by-section, surface a short list of priority recommendations for the council, and pursue broad public engagement rather than place a large package of proposals on a single ballot. Staff said a public folder/FTP site and a new website tab for the Home Rule Charter materials will hold documents and examples of other charters for public review. The committee asked staff to provide a fiscal estimate of additional costs if the committee elects to hold evening meetings beyond the normal daytime schedule.

The committee set a recurring schedule and near-term calendar. Members voted to meet twice monthly: a daytime meeting and an evening meeting each month to balance staff availability and public participation. After discussion of calendar conflicts, the committee voted to hold its next meeting on February 13, 2025, at 2:30 p.m., and to publish a meeting schedule and agendas in advance. Staff said agendas must be posted at least 24 hours before meetings under Louisiana Open Meetings Law but recommended members submit proposed agenda items earlier (suggested deadlines were the Thursday between meeting weeks) so staff can assemble agendas and materials for public posting.

Votes at a glance - Kevin Davis and Arthur Laughlin: Committee nominated Kevin Davis to serve as chair and Arthur Laughlin to serve as vice chair. Motion to nominate Davis as chair was moved by Mister Lofland and seconded by Councilwoman Cheryl Tanner; the chair declared the nominations and the committee accepted them with no objection. Outcome: approved (declared by nomination; no roll call tally recorded). - Robert's Rules of Order: Motion to adopt Robert's Rules of Order was moved by Jeff Shane; the committee approved the motion by voice vote. Outcome: approved (voice vote; no recorded roll-call tally). - Meeting schedule: The committee adopted a recurring schedule of daytime and evening meetings (default: second Thursday afternoon and fourth Thursday evening, subject to staff calendar review and later adjustments). A motion to adopt recurring meeting days and times passed. Outcome: approved (voice vote; no recorded roll-call tally). - Public participation rules: Motion to adopt the parish council's public-comment rules (three minutes per speaker, speaker cards required, chair may extend time) was introduced and approved by the committee. Outcome: approved (voice vote; no recorded roll-call tally). - Homework/topics list: Motion that members submit proposed topics/homework items to staff for agenda planning passed. Outcome: approved (voice vote; no recorded roll-call tally).

Discussion and public input Members repeatedly urged broad public outreach and recommended the committee limit the number of ballot propositions it ultimately advances so voters can understand each proposal. Several members noted the 2015 charter review had produced many propositions with low voter passage and said the committee should avoid repeating that outcome. Public commenters asked that the same document set be available to the public as to committee members, urged in-person evening meeting times so working residents can attend, and offered to help circulate meeting notices through neighborhood and homeowners association networks.

Staff and legal guidance Council staff (Katrina Buckley, council clerk; Christine Shear, assistant council administrator; Mary Bercow, council administrator) and Emily Cubion, deputy chief of the civil division for the district attorney, said staff will support the committee, that meetings are public records and subject to Louisiana Open Meetings Law and public-records rules, and that staff will publish meeting materials and maintain a public folder. Staff also noted the legislative auditor's office documents in the committee packets that explain limits on charter authority and that some items discussed could be addressed by ordinance rather than a charter amendment.

What's next The committee asked members to read the charter and supporting materials, submit suggested agenda topics to staff, and expect a meeting schedule and documents posted on the council's website. Staff said BGR (Bureau of Governmental Research) has offered to present at a future meeting and that other outside resources (the Police Jury Convention, other parishes' experiences) will be used as reference material. The committee also asked staff to provide fiscal estimates for evening-meeting broadcasts if needed.

The committee's next meeting was scheduled for February 13, 2025, at 2:30 p.m.; the committee expects to begin a section-by-section review of the charter and to schedule follow-up evening sessions for topics that generate substantial public interest.