Ouachita Parish adopts comprehensive plan; planning commission ordinance introduced

The Ouachita Parish Police Jury adopted Resolution No. 26-22 on May 18, 2026, formally adopting the "Ouachita Parish Comprehensive Plan" as an advisory policy guide for growth, infrastructure, drainage, transportation, housing, economic development and related public matters in the parish's unincorporated areas.

The adopted resolution, presented to the Jury during the regular meeting, specifies that the Comprehensive Plan is advisory only and does not itself impose zoning, alter property rights or create mandatory land-use restrictions without further lawful action or voter approval. The document includes goals, maps, implementation strategies and guidance for parish departments, the Planning Commission, developers and regional partners.

Separately, the Jury heard the text of Ordinance No. 9551, introduced by Mrs. Toni Bacon, District A, to establish an Ouachita Parish Planning Commission. The ordinance as drafted would create a seven-member advisory commission composed of one nominee from each of the six Police Jury districts and one at-large member nominated by the Jury president. Initial terms are staggered (four initial two-year terms; three initial four-year terms) to move to four-year terms thereafter.

Ordinance No. 9551 lays out the commission’s powers and duties: reviewing and updating the 2025–2026 comprehensive plan, conducting studies and public meetings on transportation, drainage, utilities, housing and economic development, coordinating with regional planning partners, and making recommendations to the Police Jury on capital improvements and planning priorities. The draft also requires compliance with Louisiana Open Meetings Law, sets quorum rules, allows the Jury to remove members for cause, states members shall serve without compensation unless authorized, and requires at least four hours of annual training in duties and ethics.

Resolution No. 26-22 was adopted during the meeting. Ordinance No. 9551 was introduced and read; the minutes in this excerpt do not record a vote on the ordinance. The Jury directed the Planning Commission, once appointed, to assist with continued study, prioritization and implementation of the plan.

Why it matters: adopting a comprehensive plan provides an official, long-range policy framework to guide future public investments and land-use decisions in unincorporated Ouachita Parish. The proposed planning commission would centralize advisory review and intergovernmental coordination, but the ordinance as introduced preserves that adoption of the plan does not in itself change zoning or property rights.