Parish Council finally has a redistricting consultant

FRANKLIN — The St. Mary Parish Council finally has a redistricting consultant. And it’s neither of the companies that had wrestled over the contract earlier this fall.
The council voted Dec. 15 to give the $25,200 job to the South Central Planning Commission, after a bit of negotiation.
Also Dec. 15, the council tabled, for the second time, an ordinance that could open the council chairmanship to any council member; and heard Parish President David Hanagriff offer an olive branch to council members.
Redistricting
After each census, political entities that elect leaders from geographic districts must redraw district boundaries if populations within districts have changed by more than 5%. That usually means hiring a demographer to put together a remapping proposal for approval by the governing board. The resulting maps must meet the guidelines established in the 1965 Voting Rights Act.
On Nov. 17, the council was at the point of hiring Geographic Planning and Demographic Services, the Lafayette Parish company that is acting as the St. Mary School Board’s consultant.
But a competitor for the job, Cedric Floyd of Data Center in Kenner, objected, saying owner Mike Hefner had developed a 2000 redistricting map that would have reduced minority representation on the council. After a long debate, during which Hanagriff was nearly removed from the meeting room by a sheriff’s deputy during his attempt to defend Hefner, the council voted 5-4 against hiring Geographic Planning.
On Wednesday, Keven Belanger of South Central Planning offered to do the work for $28,000 with a four-person staff that he said has expertise in both redistricting and the computer software required.
“We have sustainability,” Belanger said. “We’re not going to go out of business in four years. We are an extension of your government.”
Belanger pointed to extensive experience with governments in Terrebonne, Lafourche and other bayou area parishes.
Councilman Rodney Olander of Franklin liked the proposal but not the bid price, which he said was higher than those submitted by the other companies.
Belanger said his bid included an extra 10% for follow-up work that might be required after voting precinct changes or consolidations. He said he could offer to do the original work, but not the follow-up work, for $25,200. The council voted to hire the commission for redistricting at the lower price.
Leadership
ordinance
Councilman J Ina of Franklin has introduced an ordinance that would seek voter approval for a change in the St. Mary charter.
The charter currently limits the council chairmanship and vice chairmanship to members elected at large. The council is composed of 11 members, eight of whom are elected from separate districts within the parish.
The other three members are elected at large. The current chairman is Dean Adams, and the vice chairwoman is Gwendolyn Hidalgo. The third at-large member is Dr. Kristi Prejeant Rink.
Ina’s ordinance, if passed by the council and approved by voters, would change the charter to allow any council member to be elected to one of the two leadership positions.
Ordinances putting charter amendments on the ballot require approval from eight council members. At the Dec. 8 meeting, when Councimanl Patrick Hebert was absent, Ina moved to have the ordinance tabled until the Wednesday meeting, hoping all 11 members would be there. But on Wednesday, Ina himself didn’t make it because he was at meetings in Baton Rouge related to his job as a school administrator.
The ordinance could come up again as soon as Jan. 12.
Hanagriff
After recent disputes with Adams over the redistricting consultant and Councilman James Bennett over Gravity Drainage District 2A, Hanagriff sought to patch things up during the president’s report.
“It’s been a tough year,” he told the council. “It’s been tough for the council and the administration and everybody else.”
Hanagriff apologized to anyone he may have offended.
“I will make a commitment to work together with everybody,” he said.