St. Tammany Parish

The primary discussion focused on Tammany Utilities Operations, including PowerPoint presentations detailing projects, improvements for TU East and TU West, decommissioning projects, and progress towards regionalization goals. Public comment highlighted numerous concerns from residents regarding water quality, specifically high chlorine levels allegedly causing health issues in families and pets, sewer backups, and lack of adequate notice for water advisories. Staff and LDH representatives addressed the concerns, confirming sanitary tests showed water was safe to drink despite some room for improvement in chlorination procedures. Recommendations made included conducting an audit of Tammany Utilities, posting daily test results online, implementing auto-dialers, and considering SCADA integration to re-establish public confidence. The Chairman announced that monthly meetings would commence to address these ongoing issues.

The committee meeting involved a review of the Monthly Finance Reports, which included the HR Staffing report, the Budget-to-Actual report, and the Sales Tax Collection report. Key discussion points centered on reviewing proposed Finance Ordinances and Resolutions scheduled for the subsequent Parish Council Meeting on November 04, 2021. These ordinances primarily concerned amendments to the 2021 Grants Budget, the 2021 Capital Improvement Budget across various Capital Assets and Sales Tax Districts (including Animal Services Facilities and the Justice Center Complex), and amendments to the 2021 Operating Budget. The committee subsequently moved to refer all finance Ordinances for Adoption to the full Council.

The meeting agenda included several presentations, such as Certificates of Recognition for Lakeshore High School's first graduating class, Pope John Paul High School's Power Lifting Champs, and individuals for poetry competition participation, alongside a proclamation declaring May 2012 as Mental Health Month. The agenda included Ordinances for introduction, some of which proposed moratoriums on Agricultural Use Permits in District 5 and an extension of a moratorium for Serenity Oaks subdivision. Various ordinances concerned amendments to the Unified Development Code related to billboards, zoning reclassifications across multiple districts, and the authorization to acquire parcels for drainage management. Resolutions covered amendments to the Capital Improvement Budget and Program, concurrence regarding a Pearl River Annexation, establishment of performance obligations, requests for bridge replacement funding, and the appointment of a Director of Human Resources. The agenda also listed appeals related to Zoning Commission decisions and Ordinances for adoption covering budget amendments, road inventory corrections, and public facility district reclassification.

Key activities during the meeting included issuing notices regarding potential ordinances to levy Jail and Justice Center sales and use taxes, contingent upon voter approval in the March 24, 2018 election, with the adoption planned for March 27, 2018. Presentations featured the Employee of the Month, the annual report from the Veteran's and Military Affairs Advisory Council, an overview from the Greater New Orleans Senior Olympics Committee, and an introduction of the Junior Council Member. Several appointments were confirmed, including new commissioners for Drainage District No. 2 (postponed), Recreation District No. 4, Water District No. 2, and Recreation District No. 12. The Council introduced several ordinances for public hearing on March 1, 2018, covering zoning map amendments, extending a moratorium on submissions in Ward 9, amending rules for Tammany Trace, and amending the 2018 Operating Budget. Resolutions were adopted to address matters such as vacating a moratorium on a portion of the Bayou Dc Zaire Basin and amending performance obligations. Several ordinances introduced previously were adopted, including those related to budget amendments, declaring tax adjudicated property as surplus, and various zoning reclassifications. Appeals concerning Zoning Commission decisions were addressed, resulting in the override of one approval and concurrence with one denial, with both resulting in adopted resolutions.

The Finance Committee meeting focused on budget discussions with various parish agencies. The St. Tammany Parish Library presented their budget, noting that income from overdue fines is minimal and anticipating fluctuations in ad valorem taxes and grants for 2022, while outlining planned merit raises. The 22nd Judicial District Court expressed concern over budget reductions, particularly regarding cost of living raises, leading to discussion on the methodology used by the Revenue Review Committee for budget figures. The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's office highlighted a significant budget shortfall of $5.2 million for jail expenditures in 2022 compared to their requested amount, explaining that they have largely maximized their current budget. The District Attorney's office also conveyed serious budgetary concerns, discussing potential revenue increases through diversion programs and the possibility of filing a lawsuit if funding constraints persist.