Veto of councilman's rezoning holds up

The St. Mary Parish Council on Wednesday upheld Parish President Sam Jones’ veto of a rezoning for one of the council members.
But Councilman J Ina of Franklin, who wanted the rezoning to accommodate a group home for young men at a home he owns on Franklin's Robert Street, says he has a new business plan, and neighbors may like it even less.
The council approved the rezoning from agriculture to neighborhood commercial Sept. 10. The Planning and Zoning Board had recommended approval. The group home was to be licensed and regulated by state officials.
The passage came by a 6-2 vote. Ina and Les Rulf of Patterson abstained, and Gwendolyn Hidalgo of Bayou Vista was absent.
The council’s approval came despite opposition by some of Ina’s neighbors. Some cited safety concerns in an established neighborhood where many seniors live, and others said they worry about what might come after the group home if the project failed.
“Our concerns are having a business like that, and I know kids need homes and everything, but we wouldn’t want that home to be a business like that,” Hospital Drive resident Alice Freeman said Sept. 10.
Later in September, Jones vetoed the council action, setting up Wednesday’s override vote. Jones cited widespread opposition among the Robert Street home’s neighbors.
The parish charter requires a three-quarters majority, or nine of the council’s 11 members, to override a veto.
On Wednesday, five people appeared to speak against the attempt to override the veto. Freeman was back, along with Charmaine St. Germane, who spoke at the Sept. 10 meeting.
Freddy Fournet, another property owner in the area, also asked whether Ina’s role as both a councilman and a rezoning applicant might represent a conflict of interest.
Councilman Dean Adams of Morgan City said that the ethics training required of council members led him to believe that officials who stand to gain from an issue should neither vote on the question nor take part in the discussion.
The council’s legal counsel, Morgan Guillory of the 16th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, said the DA’s Office is prohibited from making ethics law determinations.
On Sept. 10, Ina abstained from voting but took part in the discussion. On Wednesday, he was silent during the discussion but voted in support of the veto override.
Counselor Dr. Tanya Johnson spoke in favor of the group home project.
“We believe that every child is worthy of a second chance,” Johnson said.
Jeffery Beverly, a housing official with the St. Mary/Vermilion Community Action Agency, spoke in general terms for expanding the availability of housing in the parish.
The final vote was 6-4 in favor of the override, which fell short of the needed three-quarters majority. Voting to override were Ina, Mark Duhon of Amelia, James “Jimmie” Davis of Morgan City, the Rev. Craig Mathews of Jeanerette, David Hill of Bayou Vista and Patrick Hebert of Berwick.
Rulf, Adams, Dr. Kristi Prejeant Rink of Centerville and Rodney Olander of Franklin voted to uphold the veto. Hidalgo was absent.
“I’m glad the public was able to see that one small group of opponents doesn’t represent the feelings of the entire community,” Ina said as he thanked those who supported his proposal.
Ina, who is African American, said he believes Jones’ veto was racially motivated. Jones answered that if as many Black residents opposed a rezoning, he’d take the same action.
Ina is also considering a complaint that he didn’t specify.
“But in the meantime,” Ina said, “I anticipated this might happen, so until the legal action has taken its course, I’ve decided to move forward with an alternate business plan that is fully compliant with the [Uniform Development Code] for St. Mary Parish.”
That plan is to work with the St. Mary Re-entry Coalition and the Louisiana Prisoner Re-entry Initiative, and to rent the house to people whose incarceration has ended. Ina said renting the home requires no licensing or zoning approval.
People trying to rebuild their lives need safe homes in good neighborhoods, Ina said. And he plans to encourage his new tenants to introduce themselves around the neighborhood.