Caddo Parish Commission advances multiple ordinances and economic‑development resolutions, refers some items to committees
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Summary
At its April 6 work session the commission voted to advance several ordinances and resolutions (including measures related to welcome signs, zoning, the I‑49 economic district and a cooperative endeavor with Edgemont Holdings), referred ordinance 66‑17 to committee, and split on other committee referrals.
The Caddo Parish Commission on April 6 moved to advance multiple ordinances and resolutions and to refer several items to committees for further discussion.
Among the items considered was Ordinance 66‑13, an amendment to the public works and capital outlay funds to appropriate money to install welcome signs on I‑20 eastbound. Commissioner Epperson moved to advance the ordinance and Commissioner Jones seconded; the clerk recorded a favorable vote and the motion carried (the transcript’s tally for that motion is recorded as "10 9 in support, 2 in opposition, and 1 absent" and is unclear in places of the record).
Why it matters: Advancing ordinances places them on the schedule for formal introduction or public hearing and signals the commission’s intent to consider measures that affect parish zoning, budgets and economic development.
The commission approved a global advance to move forward with a set of measures (ordinances 66‑14 through 66‑16, resolutions 21–27, special resolutions and the internal audit plan). The clerk announced the global motion carried "with 12 in support, none in opposition." The commission also agreed to refer Ordinance 66‑17 (a proposed noise ordinance intended to align Caddo’s noise rules with those of Bossier Parish) to the special projects committee for additional discussion; that referral passed with unanimous support as recorded.
A motion to refer Ordinance 66‑18 to the public safety committee failed on a tie, recorded in the transcript as 6 in support and 6 in opposition. Commissioners debated whether the item was premature given ongoing city purchases of police vehicles and argued about appropriate committee vetting.
On tax and economic‑development matters, the commission referred Resolution 28 (a request urging state legislation to exempt state and local law enforcement officers and first responders from Louisiana state income tax) to the public safety committee; the clerk recorded the referral as passing 9–3. The commission also advanced Resolution 1 of 2026 to formalize the I‑49 North Corridor Economic Development District and to enable execution of associated cooperative‑endeavor agreements; that item advanced with the clerk’s recorded tally of 11 in support, 1 in opposition.
Finally, an agenda‑addition item (now Resolution 29) authorizing a cooperative endeavor agreement with the I‑49 North Corridor Economic Development District and Edgemont Holdings — intended to reimburse Edgemont for infrastructure improvements at a proposed travel center near the I‑49/I‑20 interchange — was advanced, with the clerk recording 11 in support and 1 in opposition. Commissioners said the item will be further processed under the district’s authority.
Next steps: Several advanced ordinances will proceed to formal introduction or placement on a future meeting agenda; items referred to committee (66‑17 and Resolution 28) will return after committee consideration. The commission did not adopt Ordinance 66‑18 at this meeting.
Votes and formal actions recorded in the meeting audio and transcript were used to prepare this summary; where the transcript’s numeric tally was unclear the article reports the clerk’s recorded outcome or notes the ambiguity.
