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Votes at a glance: East Baton Rouge Metro Council approves settlements, contracts and an emergency ABC waiver
Summary
At its April 8 meeting the Metropolitan Council approved multiple settlements and contracts, accepted donations, deferred and deleted items per staff recommendations, and adopted an emergency waiver allowing La Brew House Coffee & Grocery to proceed with an ABC permit application.
The East Baton Rouge Metropolitan Council wrapped a full consent and action agenda on April 8, approving several settlements, contracts and administrative items and recording a small number of abstentions and deferrals.
Key formal actions recorded at the meeting included: the deferral of the Paula Williams settlement (item 64) for 30 days at the parish attorney’s request; deletion of item 65 (Shawana Duncan et al.) with council abstentions noted; approval of settlements for Delzeio Banks (item 66) and Latasha M. Surf (item 67); deletion of a CDBG HUD economic development item (item 68); acceptance of a $15,000 gift for a police explosives-detection K9 (item 69); approval to accept a recovered 2023 Dodge Charger (item 70) valued at approximately $52,000 for undercover policing purposes; approval of multiple design and construction contracts and change orders including the street-and-road inspection contract (item 72) and low bid awards for road projects (item 88); and adoption of an emergency item (item 90) to waive a distance restriction and allow La Brew House Coffee & Grocery (3101 Government Street) to pursue a packaged beer and wine retail permit.
Several personnel and pay-plan items were deferred for two weeks while administrative items and board appointments were confirmed with no public objections. Council members repeatedly used the “any objections?” process and many approvals were made by voice with no recorded roll-call tallies. On at least one deletion (item 65) the clerk recorded abstentions by two council members.
What happens next: deferred items will return to future agendas on the timetable specified by the chair; administration will follow through on bids, contract signings and settlements per the approvals recorded.
Votes at a glance (selected items): - Item 64 — Settlement Paula Williams: deferred 30 days (parish attorney request). - Item 65 — Settlement Shawana Duncan et al.: deleted; two abstentions recorded. - Item 66 — Settlement Delzeio Banks: approved (amount reported by parish attorney). - Item 67 — Settlement Latasha M. Surf: approved. - Item 69 — Donation of $15,000 for police K9: approved. - Item 70 — Transfer/acceptance of recovered vehicle (2023 Dodge Charger, est. $52,000): approved. - Item 72 — GEC, Inc. contract for construction supervision (street/road rehabilitation): approved. - Item 73 — Intergovernmental transfer agreement for local provider participation program (health funding): approved (appropriation up to $136,000,000 reported in staff presentation). - Items 85–87 — Change orders approved (pest control, tenant buildout, road change orders); item 85 was reconsidered before approval. - Item 88 — Low bid accepted for US 61/LA 408/Swan Avenue project: approved. - Item 90 — Emergency waiver for La Brew House Coffee & Grocery ABC application: emergency declared and adoption approved.
Approvals that lacked detailed roll-call tallies were made by unanimous voice vote where no objections were recorded; any specific roll-call tallies or recorded votes should be verified in the official minutes for legal or audit purposes.
The council adjourned following announcements and community event notices.
