UPDATED: Dawn Rentrop takes Patterson City Council oath; Kim Dardeau announces retirement

PATTERSON -- For the second consecutive meeting, the City Council welcomed a new member Tuesday, this time under sorrowful circumstances.
The council also picked a new city clerk after Kim Dardeau announced her retirement at the end of April.
In other action, the council asked for a look at a proposed ordinance that would effectively ban large farm animals from being kept in the city limits. And members heard that the city government budget will be ready for introduction at the May meeting.

New officials
The council unanimously approved Mayor Rodney Grogan's nomination of Dawn Vining Rentrop for the seat left vacant by the March 10 death of her husband, John Charles Rentrop.
Dawn Rentrop has been the chairwoman for the city government's Main Street program, a duty she'll give up during her tenure on the council.
John Rentrop was nearing the end of his third term on the council. The next scheduled elections for mayor, City Council and police chief are scheduled for November.
Grogan noted that Dawn Rentrop has been involved in public service even apart from her work with Main Street.
"Through the 11 years John served," Grogan said, "she was right there."
Dawn Rentrop joined the council a month after Ray Dewey Sr. became a council member. Dewey qualified without opposition for what would have been a March 26 election to fill another vacant seat.
Also Tuesday, the council heard about the retirement of City Clerk Kim Dardeau, effective April 30.
Dardeau will leave after 17 years with the city government, including almost a year as city clerk after longtime clerk Angela Shilling-Boyles retired.
Dardeau said and her husband agreed that they'd retire while they still have the chance to spend quality time together.
"We know Kim is a perfectionist," Grogan said. "She's always trying to make things better in the city."
The council approved the appointment of Damita Young, who has worked in the city's accounts department for 15 years. She will become clerk May 1.
The council approved resolutions of respect for four Patterson residents who have died recently: John Rentrop; former two-term City Council member Russell Cardinale Jr.; longtime music teacher Jackie Breaux Como; and businessman and philanthropist F.C. "Butch" Felterman.
"This has been a rough month for all of us," Grogan said.

Livestock
ordinance
City Attorney Russel Cremaldi will prepare an ordinance that would change the current city law governing the keeping of farm animals in the city limits. The proposed change would effectively ban large livestock from the city.
The current ordinance defines livestock as any animal other than house pets. Grogan said Wednesday that the ordinance has not been applied to chickens.
The current ordinance bans keeping livestock on any property of less than one acre and a half-acre for each additional animal.
The ordinance makes an exception for animals kept in barns, stables or similar buildings or in fenced enclosures that are at least 100 feet from a neighbor's home or any of a list of public buildings, including churches, schools and restaurants.
The Planning & Zoning Commission recommended a ban on large animals without the exceptions.
Grogan said problems have been caused recently by people moving into the city and keeping ponies and donkeys.
The ordinance could come up for introduction as early as May 3 and for a public hearing and passage vote June 7.

Budget
City Accountant Reginald Weary said the city's 2022-23 budget is nearing completion and will be ready for introduction next month. He asked for a budget workshop April 23 to finalize the proposal, which could be adopted in June.
Weary said the budget has a projected surplus of more than $493,000 before department heads have their last chance to make requests.
The council also:
--Went along with a Planning & Zoning Commission recommendation to approve plans by Hebert Management and Land Co. to subdivide property at the corner of Waveland Drive and Enterprise Avenue into tracts.
--Moved ahead with plans to rent space at the Patterson Community Center to 100 Black Men, a group formed to mentor young people. The organization will pay $400 a month for two years with an option for a third year.
--Gave certificates to members of the Patterson All-Stars, a 9- and 10-year-old basketball team that recently finished as runner-up in the Pelican Park Nationals in Mandeville.