Changing of parish council meeting dates fails yet again

Once again, St. Mary Parish Council members voted on an ordinance that would change the date of the council’s meeting days from the second and fourth Wednesday to the first and third Thursdays.
Councilmen Glen Hidalgo and Kevin Voisin moved for the adoption. It was defeated again in a 4-7 vote.
The agenda item noted Councilman J Ina as the sponsor of the ordinance, but Ina stated that he “took the initiative to introduce these ordinances” but that he would not support them. The second ordinance was to designate the time of the meetings, and due to the failure to the first, the second was not voted on.
“Thursday is a big middle school athletics day and for high school athletics,” Ina said. “I just wanted to clarify that. I know that I took the initiative to introduce that, I did not write the ordinance, I will not be supporting it.”
Hidalgo said he didn’t believe Thursday activities “should be a big deal, because people that have things on Thursday night do not come to our meetings on Wednesday night. So I don’t see where the conflict is.”
He said he knew there were conflicts with church services on Wednesday nights, “My deal is these are all tax-paying people,” he added. “I can’t vote against something that they’ve been asking for and take the opportunity away for people to be more involved in parish government.”
Also, Councilman Paul Naquin said he voted against the move previously and would again, urging the sitting council to let the upcoming, new slate of councilmembers to be elected this fall tackle when they take office.
Hidalgo countered that the group asked the current council to take action, not a future council.
Chairman Gabriel Beadle declared that he authored both ordinances. “As chairman I can’t officially put my name next to that, but I can publicly say that my intention was to listen to the ministerial alliance, so that we could provide a meeting that was more inclusive,” Beadle said. “I believe that this ordinance becomes more inclusive for people.”
Beadle added, “This is something that will increase the population that’s able to come here…no resident should be able to have to choose between their faith and something with their property.”
He insisted that the decision should be made by the sitting council.
Councilman Patrick Hebert said, “This exact council has been here for four years. I’m the only person that’s new on this council in four years. When I first heard (about the request) I said the same thing: Why didn’t you do this four years ago?”
Hebert said that school principals also told him that they have functions on Thursday nights, adding that a softball coach at a school who considered running for parish council did not qualify for the ballot because of her school duties.
“This will affect every member of this council,” Hebert said, in terms of family members or friends in school activities.
The final vote was, against, Ina, Dale Rogers, Ken Singleton, Hebert, James Bennett, Sterling Fryou and Naquin; in favor were Hidalgo, Kevin Voisin, Beadle and Craig Mathews
In other business:
—An ordinance was passed setting the speed limit on Irish Bend Road from the Sterling Bridge Road to Blackburn Curve to 30 miles per hour.
—Resolutions of respect were approved in memory of Jack Anthony Pratt and Anthony Boudreaux; proclaiming Aug. 21 as National Senior Citizens Day; declaring an election in Recreation Dist. 4 to renew a tax; declaring an election in Recreation Dist. 5 to renew a tax; cooperative agreements with municipalities for the next round of road and street repairs and engineering agreements for several of those road and street repairs; financial banking matters; acknowledging a change order and substantial completion of Flattown Road from Chitimacha Trail to Ralph Darden Memorial Parkway; and others.
—Bayleigh Barbier was appointed to the Recreation Dist. 3, Bayou Vista area, board; LaGenia Darnell Bradford was appointed to the Recreation Dist. 4, Patterson area, board; Ricky Armelin was appointed the Recreation Dist. 5, Four Corners, Sorrell and Glencoe area, board; and William Hidalgo Jr. was appointed to the Wax Lake East Drainage District board, Berwick, Bayou Vista, Patterson and Calumet area.
—A $10,000 allocation from the Wards 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 and 10 3/10ths sales tax fund was approved for the City of Franklin for Caffery Park improvements; $1,500 from the same fund was approved for Recreation Dist. 5 for recreation activities for senior citizens and families.