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DeSoto Parish jury approves multiple resolutions including special counsel hires and a tipping‑fee waiver
Summary
The DeSoto Parish Police Jury approved several administrative resolutions—authorizing LCDBG contracts, naming Michael Norton as a local point of contact, hiring special counsel (Timothy Hardy and others) for litigation and expropriation work, appointing Cody Clark to the Fire District board, and waiving a landfill tipping fee for a nonprofit.
At its Administrative Committee meeting and related committee sessions, the DeSoto Parish Police Jury approved multiple procedural and substantive items spanning grants, contracts, appointments and operational policy.
Major votes and actions
- Louisiana Community Development Block Grant (LCDBG) resolutions: The jury adopted resolutions authorizing the president to execute contracts for LCDBG administrative and engineering services and to authorize signatory authority for the president (motion by Mr. Fuller; passed by voice vote).
- Local point of contact: The jury approved an alternate motion authorizing a resolution designating Michael Norton as the local point of contact for the local ITP committee; counsel noted the president sits on the committee by statute but a designee may be named to receive materials and convene stakeholders.
- Special counsel hires: The jury approved resolutions to retain Timothy Hardy of Bridal, Sache and Wilson LLP as independent counsel for litigation matters, and later approved retention of Lawrence Marino and the firm (Fontenot, Oates & Marino) for expropriation and right-of-way work tied to industrial park and Parks Road projects.
- Appointment: The jury appointed Cody Clark to DeSoto Fire District No. 1 board, replacing Jody Warren (motion passed).
- Tipping-fee waiver: Item 13—approval to waive tipping fees for Faith and Fostering (a nonprofit) to dispose of tree debris in the Monday landfill burn pit—was added to the agenda and approved following a motion, second and roll call.
- Budget amendment: The Budget & Finance Committee amended the budget to add $7,400 to allow coroner's office employees to be added to parish insurance at open enrollment; motion passed on committee roll call.
Other business and requests
- Bid process concern and executive session request: Juror Miss Burrell raised concerns that a quote/contract for scrap-iron handling at the landfill may have been renewed without sufficient notice. Staff explained that quotes under $250,000 follow a different procedure and asked Burrell to provide documentary proof so the president could be asked to call an executive session if appropriate.
- Vending machines, road and solid-waste policies: Committees discussed returning vending machines to road and landfill facilities (vendor interest conditional on usage), approved several road items (E‑911 naming, a 20‑mph neighborhood ordinance, cooperative DOTD turn‑lane agreements, and acceptance of Henderson Lane into the parish road system) and adopted a clarified open-top container policy limiting emergency use but allowing administrative exceptions.
Votes were generally recorded by voice vote or committee roll call when specified. The meeting included routine procedural reports and public-comment presentations; no contested formal litigation decisions were taken beyond counsel retention motions.
