City Hall, Monroe, Louisiana
April 22, 2025
6:00p.m.
There was a legal and regular session of the City Council of the City of Monroe, Louisiana held on this date at the Council’s regular meeting place, the Council Chamber, City Hall Building, Monroe, Louisiana.
The Honorable Chairman Juanita G. Woods, called the meeting to order. She then asked the clerk to call roll.
There were present: Mr. Harvey, Mrs. Ezernack, Ms. Woods, Mr. McFarland, & Mr. Muhammad.
There was absent: None.
Chairman Woods announced that a quorum was present, and that the Invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance would be led by Mrs. Ezernack or her designee.
The Invocation was led by Mrs. Susan Cordell.
COMMUNICATIONS & SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:
(1.) Mrs. Ezernack welcomed everyone and expressed her appreciation for their presence. She thanked Mrs. Cordell for the inspirational message shared this evening.
(2.) Mr. McFarland expressed sympathy for the world at the loss of a great religious leader, the Pope. He noted that although he is not Catholic, he believes that all faiths should work together and get along. On another note, he thanked all who came out to the community meetings sponsored by the City, which were held in the Council member’s districts. He stated the meeting which concerned trash and garbage, were very productive. He mentioned he plans to have another meeting with his constituents before the Council takes up this matter on the agenda to hear additional concerns. He noted he would ask the Chair if she would allow him to have another meeting with District 4. He thanked Mr. Tommy James, Code Enforcement, for the great work he is doing and working hard in all districts identifying properties that are falling down. He further stated once this goal is achieved, they hope to bring new homes and businesses into the community. He commended Mr. Louis Tolliver for everything he is doing, and he said he is there whenever the Council calls to help constituents with different issues.
(3.) Mr. Muhammad recognized Mr. Tolliver for attending the community meetings along with City Attorney Brandon Creekbaum and Ms. Roshonda Gospel, Public Works Superintendent, for educating the community on the City’s trash and garbage situation. He noted the Council is at the point where decisions must be made, as the City is currently losing money in that area.
(4.) Chief Jimmie Bryant, sitting in for the Mayor, conveyed the Mayor’s regards. He stated that the Mayor couldn’t attend because he had been invited to speak in South Louisiana today.
(5.) Ms. Woods welcomed and thanked everyone again for coming. She stated she would be remiss if she didn’t recognize Judge Milton Moore. She piggybacked off the Council’s remarks and thanked Mr. Creekbaum and Ms. Gospel. She said they did a great job, and she said Mr. Tolliver was there getting his feet wet to better understand how the whole process work. She thanked him for being at all of the meetings and educating their constituents on what is going on. She acknowledged Mr. McFarland’s comment to have another meeting, and she said the Council may need to have additional meetings. She noted the first meetings were informational and they can take that information back, analyze it, and work toward potential solutions.
Upon motion of Mr. McFarland and seconded by Mr. Muhammad, the minutes of the Legal and Regular session of April 8, 2025, and the Legal and Special Session of April 1, 2025, were unanimously approved. (There were no public comments.)
Mr. McFarland stated that he has observed that when Council members are absent from a meeting, they abstain from voting on the minutes. He further stated it needs to be known, that the Council has a Facebook live to view the entire meeting. He said that he was able to review the meeting and was present for a significant portion of it while it was live. He noted that Council members should be aware they can still vote on minutes from meetings they missed, as they can go back and view everything that happen. He further noted that this is why he is breaking protocol and making a motion tonight to establish a new protocol the Council can do these things. (At the request of the Chair Mr. McFarland statement was entered into the record.)
PROPOSED CONDEMNATIONS:
The following condemnations were considered:
1. Upon motion of Mrs. Ezernack, seconded by Mr. McFarland and unanimously approved to remove 3805 Barlow St. (D3) – Owner: Nakisha L. Vanheflin from the agenda. The property has been cleared. (There were no public comments.)
Mr. Tommy James, Chief Code Enforcement Officer, said this property has been cleared by the property owner. He said the debris has to be removed but she was held up because of weather.
2. 927 South McGuire Ave. (D3) – Owner: James Wiggins. Notice to show cause was served. Photographic evidence was presented. There was no one present. Upon motion of Ms. Woods, seconded by Mr. Muhammad and unanimously approved, the building was condemned, and the property owner given 30 days in which to bring the structure into compliance with the Code or demolish the Structure and clean the lot. (There were no public comments.)
Mr. James noted this is an unsafe dilapidated structure. They are asking the property be condemned, giving the owner 30 days.
Ms. Woods motion to condemn the property giving the owner 30 days to tear the structure down and remove all obnoxious debris.
3. 906 South 15th St. (D4) – Owner: Sam White. Notice to show cause was served. Photographic evidence was presented. There was no one present. Upon motion of Mr. McFarland, seconded by Mr. Muhammad and unanimously approved, the building was condemned, and the property owner given 30 days in which to bring the structure into compliance with the Code or demolish the Structure and clean the lot. (There were no public comments.)
Mr. James noted this is a burnt, unsecured, and unsafe structure. They are asking that this property be condemned.
Mr. McFarland motion to condemn the property giving the owner 30 days to tear the structure down and if not allow the City to move forward with tearing it down.
ACCEPTANCE OR REJECTION OF BIDS:
(a) Upon motion of Mrs. Ezernack, seconded by Ms. Woods and unanimously approved Resolution No. 8908 accepting the bid of Phantom Trucking, LLC d/b/a Phantom Construction for the improvements to the WPCC Headworks Structure Project and further providing with respect thereto. (There were no public comments.)
Mr. Arthur Holland, Project Manager, explained that the equipment in question are bar screens located at the Water Pollution Control Center, where all of the City of Monroe’s sewage is collected. He said that the screens are in bad shape and the company is capable of getting the work done. He noted the plan is to replace one screen first and place it into operation for approximately 30 days to ensure it functions properly. He said once the first screen is confirmed to be working as intended, the second screen will then be dismantled and replaced to ensure that City’s equipment is not shut down any longer than necessary.
Ms. Woods wanted to know how much is the project.
Mr. Holland said the project was estimated at $1.2 million but came in a little less than $1.1 million.
Ms. Woods wanted to know the cost of the equipment on this project.
Mr. Holland said the equipment is roughly $745,000.00, electrical work 1.13, concrete work roughly $640,000.00 and construction allowance $50,000.00. He noted with the modernization equipment added it’s roughly $800,000.00 and these are not what they call shelf items.
Ms. Woods wanted to know the DBE goal.
Mr. Holland said he doesn’t have that in his paperwork.
Ms. Woods noted Mr. Morgan McCallister, City Engineer, is away tonight, but they had extensive conversations. She said with the cost of the equipment and work the DBE goal was about 16%.
Mr. Holland noted that it is for another project.
Mr. Brandon Creekbaum, City Attorney, said this is for acceptance of a publicly bid project and the DBE goal would have been approved by the Council at the time it went out for bid. He noted this is after the bid.
Mr. McFarland noted he is not happy at all with the DBE goals. He said they kind of slip them in a head of time, but he will look at something else about the DBE goals. He said they aren’t where he wants them to be, or where he is comfortable voting in favor of certain projects. He said they really need some type of resolution, or a blanket Resolution in place, so they won’t have these issues in the future. He said he just wanted to express he is not happy with the DBE goals. (At the request of the Chair, Mr. McFarland statement was entered into the record.)
RESOLUTIONS A;ND MINUTE ENTRIES:
Council
(a) Upon motion of Mr. Muhammad, seconded by Mr. McFarland and unanimously approved Resolution No. 8909 granting an exception to the Open Container Ordinance to the Mu Tau Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity (Annual Fundraiser-Purple Breeze) pursuant to Monroe City Code Sec. 12-231 D. (Open Container Ordinance), and further providing with respect thereto. (There were no public comments.)
(b) Upon motion of Mr. Muhammad, seconded by Mr. McFarland and unanimously approved Resolution No. 8910 granting an exception to the Open Container Ordinance to the El Paso Mexican Grill (Cinco De Mayo) pursuant to Monroe City Code Sec. 12-231 D. (Open Container Ordinance), and further providing with respect thereto. (There were no public comments.)
(c) Upon motion of Mrs. Ezernack, seconded by Mr. Muhammad and approved Resolution No. 8911 naming the Forsythe Park Tennis Complex the “Charlotte Bolton Tennis Complex”. (Mr. Harvey Nay)
Mr. Padg Bolton said he is the oldest child of Ms. Charlotte Bolton. He said the new facility at Forsythe is an incredible structure and something Monroe can really be proud of. He said it will allow Monroe to host major tennis events and make a positive economic impact in the community. He thanked everyone that’s been involved, and he thanked Mrs. Ezernack for putting forth the Resolution to honor his mother. He thanked Ms. Lee Ainsworth for putting together the brochure that the Council received about his mother’s career. He stated as a teenager his mother grew up in Monroe and she was one of the top ranked players in the South. She graduated from Ouachita High School and attended college at Northeast Junior college. She later started working for Curtis Wright Corporation as a draftsman building aircrafts for World War II. He further stated after the war, she played on the LSU men’s tennis team her junior year. She received the LSU lettermen sweater for her two year participation on the LSU team. He said several years after getting all five of her children into first grade she began public school teaching one year at West Monroe High School and twenty five years at Neville High School. He noted when she got to Neville they did not have a tennis team, and she started one. There were no other tennis teams in any high schools in Northeast Louisiana. Now there are eighteen tennis teams that participate in high school tennis because of Mrs. Charlotte Bolton. He further noted during the summers of her teaching years she worked in the Monroe Recreation Department introducing tennis to kids. Upon retiring from the Monroe City School System she was recognized by Mayor Bob Powell giving her the key to the City and proclaiming April 1, 1989, Charlotte Bolton Day. He said she was inducted into the Louisiana Tennis Hall of Fame in 1994 shortly before her passing in October 1995.
Mr. Wilson Campbell spoke on behalf of the Monroe tennis community to encourage and support the naming of the new tennis facility at Forsythe Park.
(Mr. Harvey entered the City Council Meeting at 6:31 p.m.)
Ms. Debbie Garner spoke in support of the naming the Forsythe Park Tennis facility the Charlotte Bolton Tennis Complex.
Ms. Woods thanked all three speakers for such compelling speeches and heartfelt thoughts about Ms. Bolton. She said she did not know her but just from the conversations she had to be a wonderful person to know.
Mrs. Ezernack echoed Ms. Wood’s comments, and she thanked the speakers for their insight into Ms. Bolton’s life. She said there were many sides of her such as a friend, a teacher, a mentor, and a lot of different things that we all respect in our world today. She stated they need more Charlotte Bolton’s, and she thinks it would help our young people. She further stated hopefully some of those people will come back to the area and be that mentor for someone.
Mr. McFarland stated Ms. Vickie Krutzer is a driving force, and he was very impressed when he met her out at the park. He thanked Ms. Krutzer for making sure the Council was informed.
Mr. Muhammad stated Ms. Krutzer invited him out as well and he was able to tour the facility. He said he received the packet on Ms. Bolton, and he didn’t know her either but if someone is somewhat a trailblazer to bring tennis to the area that’s very impactful. He noted he talked to Ms. Krutzer about bringing tennis back to all parts of Monroe and resurrecting the tennis courts. He said there are several tennis courts in South Monroe that the City need to invest. He said he is very excited about the opportunity to see if the City can expand tennis.
Mr. Harvey expressed that he has no doubts about Ms. Bolton’s resume. He said he has spoken with Council members individually on how he feels about naming things.
Ms. Woods said she toured the facility, and it is such an amazing multifunctional facility. She said Ms. Krutzer made sure everyone saw the building and they can do so much.
Addon: Upon motion of Mr. McFarland, seconded by Mr. Harvey and unanimously approved to addon item (d) A Resolution authorizing a contract with Bayou Fence and Construction, LLC, for the Carver Elementary fence project and further providing with respect thereto. (There were no public comments.)
(d) Upon motion of Mr. McFarland, seconded by Mr. Harvey and unanimously approved Resolution No. 8912 authorizing a contract with Bayou Fence and Construction, LLC for the Carver Elementary fence project and further providing with respect thereto. (There were no public comments.)
Mr. Muhammad noted this project is long overdue and fence that surrounds Carver Elementary is outdated. He said when he was on the school board he tried to get it done but he was told the fence belonged to the City. He said now that he is on the Council he wants to get their fence repaired.
Department of Administration:
(a) Upon motion of Mr. Muhammad, seconded by Mr. McFarland and unanimously approved to Passover until May 13, 2025, City Council Meeting to Consider request from the Monroe Purchasing Division for authorization for an authorized City representative to advertise for bid WPCC VTSH Pumps #1 & 2 Replacement Project. The estimate for the WPCC VTSH Pumps #1 & 2 Replacement Project is $1,650,000.00. The DBE Goal is 2.23%. (There were no public comments.)
Mr. Muhammad requested the Purchasing Division send quarterly reports to the Council. He said they are fairly new in that department, but he would like to see some quarterly reports at some point.
Ms. Woods stated as part of the agreement, the Council were to receive quarterly reports. However, she is now requesting that the Council receive monthly reports as to who they are reaching out to for projects. She wanted Ms. Davis to tell the Council what is going on with this project.
Ms. Christina Davis, Director of Purchasing, noted for this particular project the DBE is 2.32%, which embodies the entire project of the $1.65 million. She said 86% of the project is just buying equipment.
Ms. Woods wanted to know the dollar amount.
Ms. Davis noted $1.415 million is just equipment.
Ms. Woods wanted to know how much is the DBE goal based off of.
Ms. Davis noted just the work itself is 16.3% and that amount is $235,000.00.
Mr. McFarland wanted to know how they are getting the figure of 16% because he is not feeling this tonight. He said he let this go a couple times, but they are going to have to do better with the DBE goals. He said on paper it says 2.32% and he wanted to know where the figure of 16% is from.
Ms. Davis said taking out the cost of the equipment of $1.415 million would leave them with $235,000. She said $38,280.00 will be utilized for the DBE which is the 16.3%.
Ms. Woods inquired about where the City plans to advertise and what work will be advertised for DBE.
Mr. Holland clarified a correction regarding the previous project mentioned by Ms. Woods; it had an 8.75% DBE goal. He explained that for the current project, the $1.6 million and $1.4 million amounts pertain to equipment. He said the remaining work includes electrical, demolition, mobilization, and insurance. He stated that they seek DBE firms capable of handling two or three of these specific tasks. In response to Ms. Woods’ question, he noted that the DBE committee generally reaches out to certified DBE firms located in Ouachita Parish and the State of Louisiana.
Mr. Creekbaum stated this is a public bid contract, therefore, the contractor will be responsible for identifying DBE’s to meet the goal.
Ms. Woods noted typically these contracts are being rewarded to local people in Monroe and she wanted to know if the City is looking in the right places.
Mr. Creekbaum noted it is a sealed bid process and State law govern every step of the process. He said the City is required to put it in the official journal and the website for bidders to see what the City is bidding on. He said the City is not involved in how the contractors determine the amount of the bid.
Mr. McFarland wanted to know if there was a proper first and second motion on this item.
The Council Clerk said yes.
Mr. McFarland said on paper they have 2.32%. He said the last go around he went along just to go along with the expectations of these percentage, but this has to stop.
Mr. Creekbaum stated on this one there was an important step Ms. Davis may have omitted from the beginning. He said the goal is 2.32% but it’s applied to $1.65 million, which is step one. He said the goal for this project is $38,000 raw in DBE. He said $1.4 million of the whole project can’t be performed by DBE. He said he guess it is not DBE certified work but it’s equipment they are purchasing.
Mr. McFarland wanted to know if the City is getting equipment at the contractors cost.
Mr. Creekbaum said right now it just an estimate based of the engineers estimate.
Mr. McFarland said the way they are selling this; it’s like the contractors are not getting a markup on the equipment; it is not factual. He said they keep selling the Council this dream like they are doing them a favor, and he is not happy with what he is finding out down the road. He said they are painting a picture that if the equipment cost X amount of dollars that’s what the contractor is charging. He said there’s a profit being made on all of it. He said on paper the goal of the dollar value of this contract is 2.32%. He noted it says nothing about 16% at all and this dream they have been selling him is out the window. He said he need to see it in black and white to represent the whole project. He said they are not fooling him on this, and the Council aren’t getting reports. It’s like it’s being withheld but the City want the Council to come twice a month, vote on certain things, shove it down their throat, and then they have to vote for it. He said when the Council pass it and go on to the next meeting; it’s oh they had it in there the Council just didn’t catch it. He said the DBE goals are not satisfactory, and he is not supporting it.
Mr. Muhammad noted that the document specifies the prime bidder must obtain copies from Wagner.
Mr. Holland said Wagner is the design engineer and they want to make sure the contractors are bidding on the same document.
Mr. Muhammad noted he needs a report, and he hasn’t received one since he has been on the Council. He said when it comes to DBE goals he doesn’t know much about it, but 2.32% doesn’t look right.
Mr. Holland noted he is a former member of the DBE committee, and he knows for a fact when working these jobs contractors have a hard time obtaining the DBE. He said he always encourage them to exceed the DBE goal.
Mr. Muhammad stated that when it is said contractors cannot be found, efforts need to be made to address that issue, and he wants to see some movement.
Mr. McFarland said if contractors want the job, they are going to meet the goal. He said this is not acceptable.
Mr. Holland said the City have jobs that 1% DBE’s.
Mr. McFarland said he isn’t talking about some jobs; he is talking about the job the City want the Council to pass on tonight.
(Mrs. Ezernack leaves Council meeting at 7:01 pm)
Mr. Holland noted they don’t have control of equipment cost, which is the bulk of the job.
Mr. McFarland wanted to know who put the document together.
Mr. Holland said Wagner’s engineers.
Mr. Creekbaum said the DBE calculation for this particular project is included in the packet and reflects the unit price for the equipment where they identified DBE work for this particular project. He said again these are based on the engineers estimate at this point because they don’t know the actual cost until there are bids received. He noted the engineer estimated $92,000 worth of work for existing demolition of pumps and motors and to reach the DBE calculations there are 38 contractors in DOTD district that can provide the work. He said four of those firms are registered as DBE.
Mr. McFarland wanted to know what is in the advertisement for bid.
Mr. Creekbaum noted it would be the DBE goal that has been stated.
Mr. McFarland stated the front page says 2.32%.
Mr. Creekbaum said $1.65 million of this project is not 2.32% of 235,000 it is for the entire project.
Mr. McFarland said they need to update the number because it is to low. He said when the kitchen get hot they want to run and that it is alright he will still say what he has to say, and this is not acceptable. He said they have been saying this for the longest and been asking for reports they can’t get like pulling hen’s teeth. He said the Council need these things to make very intelligent decisions.
Mr. Harvey asked Mr. McFarland how he would want to see it presented.
Mr. McFarland said he want to see it in black and white. He said he doesn’t want to see 2.32% and it is either going to be 16, 18, or 20% and he want to see all reports of everything that has happened in the past eight months they have been on the City Council. He said he doesn’t need to be begging for information it need to come forward.
Mr. Harvey asked, in relation to projects, whether Mr. McFarland would like to see in scenario 16.1% of the project is attributed to DBE participation and contract work. He said it breaks the equipment out because 14.2% of the contract is service work.
Mr. McFarland stated Mr. Harvey can pull the wool over some folks eyes but not over his. He said it clearly states that the goal for this contract is 2.32%.
Mr. Harvey noted he was just asking how Mr. McFarland would like for it to count for equipment.
Mr. McFarland said he want to see it on the front page. He said the wool has been pulled over to many times, but it won’t be pulled over tonight. He said he is not supporting this because again this goal is not right.
Ms. Woods wanted to know if the DBE goal have to reflect the whole project or can the equipment be broken out.
Mr. Creekbaum stated as a mechanical matter you can physically separate the items of work. He said his understanding the reason that they apply the percentage to the entire project is because they wouldn’t know what the contractor is ultimately going to bid. He further stated that getting the weighted goal is getting an amount that applies to entire project, which accounts for increases and decreases on various items.
Ms. Woods stated she guess she needs to better understand the project. She wanted to know if the City is buying from somebody, the contractor is building this equipment, or is it being ordered from somewhere.
Mr. Holland stated it is being manufactured and once the contractor receives the signed contract he will place the order for the material.
Ms. Woods wanted to know if someone else build the equipment then ship it to the City.
Mr. Holland said yes, they build the pumps and the motors.
Mr. Creekbaum noted the contractor is installing and DBE participation comes from helping the contractor install these particular items.
Mr. Muhammad wanted to know if the contractor could provide the equipment from a DBE.
Mr. Holland there are no DBE suppliers for this job . He said normally a contractor can buy the material from a manufacturer, but he is going to say no.
Mr. Creekbaum noted if there is an identified contractor, yes.
Mr. Muhammad wanted to know when the Council can get a report.
Ms. Davis said next week.
Ms. Woods said she would like to see in the report all the projects the City had and the people they contacted to get bids.
Ms. Kenya Roberson, Northeast Louisiana Chamber of Commerce, said she appreciated the conversations tonight. She said for about three years she has asked if the Black Chamber specifically could be included in some conversations and meetings that are being had about DBEs. She said they had about 2 or 3 conversations and that was it. She said from a City’s perspective she would hope they could have some educational classes and certifications classes to help their people be able to be in positions to get these type of things. She said she thinks under Mrs. Ellen Hill’s umbrella that it would fall perfectly in terms of some classes that could be funded to help business owners to actually be certified. She said she would ask that at least the City invite her on behalf of Chamber to be a liaison to assist. She further stated she promise she would do everything that she can to help the City. She said she believes it has been people the City normally use and are already qualified that the City reach out too.
Ms. Sonya Jacobs, 700 University Avenue, said this has been extremely painful to watch and endure. She said they don’t need another class they need what works here. She said the City have consultancy agreements for everything but this and yes, they have been kicking this can down the road for a quarter of a century. She stated this has not worked and the City has not put out one RFP to bring in an expert or experts to help with economic development. She said any comprehensive economic development plan will never exclude small businesses within the local economy. She said they have a lack of outreach, less than adequate approach, and it was painful to hear the misinformation from those in such fiduciary roles and positions. She further stated let the record reflect that the City has not gotten this right in over a quarter of a century. She said she can fill half this room with DBE certified firms throughout Northeast Louisiana; therefore, what is the problem with the City of Monroe? Why the City can’t do that? Where is the outreach? She said outreach is not having a conference call 20 minutes in advance and sending an email to say the City is going to have a DBE conference call. She said that is what happened recently, and if they want economic development they will have to do a much better job. She said when they become DBE certified they are not being utilized, and she said the City should do what they know they need to do.
Mr. Cliff Thomas, 500 Hudson Lane, NAACP, said as he was listening to the conversations and heard the passion of Bishop McFarland and others. He said they were begging for information to be given to them, not just in a package ahead of time before Council Meeting, but they need the information so they can make decisions properly to represent their people. He said he stands with them on that, and they have to stand strong to get that information. He said they need some change and some action because they have been begging forever. He said they should get those reports and shut it down because they can’t keep approving two point something percent, that’s crumbs. He said he not anti-administration, but he is anti be good for their people.
Mr. Muhammad made a substitute motion to Passover this item until he gets a report next week.
Mr. McFarland second the motion.
Department of Planning & Urban Development:
(a) Upon motion of Mr. McFarland, seconded by Mr. Harvey and unanimously approved Resolution No. 8913 authorizing the City of Monroe to accept a grant from and enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with Southern Cities Economic Initiative. (There were no public comments.)
(b) Upon motion of Mr. Harvey, seconded by Mr. Muhammad and unanimously approved Resolution No. 8914 authorizing a contract with Perspective Building Solutions, LLC for lead remediation at 210 N. 7th Street and further providing with respect thereto. (There were no public comments.)
Mrs. Ellen Hill, Director of Planning & Urban Development, stated this is a lead hazard reduction project and it’s a property in West Monroe. She said the grant covers the City and two census tract areas in West Monroe. She said this is a property that they tested for lead and have identified it as a lead hazard. She further stated the plan is to expend the federal funds awarded to the City, but they are not expending any community block grant funds on this particular home.
Mr. Muhammad wanted to know if West Monroe is doing something similar.
Mrs. Hill said no, the grant is a national competition, and you have to have a certain amount of properties and percentages of lead risk was in several census strikes in the City. She said then those two particular census strikes in West Monroe are low to moderate income, so they have beyond 50% low to moderate income residents. She said it is also a place with a high percentage of lead risk meaning majority of the properties were built before 1978. She noted this is the first property coming to the Council that is more than 30,000, but they particularly said they would help 20 families that reside in West Monroe through the grant. She said the goal is 130 properties and they have to qualify income wise, have a child six or younger residing in the home or visiting, or an expecting mother. She further noted it could be a homeowner or a renter.
Mr. Muhammad wanted to know if the family is present.
Mrs. Hill said no, they allow the family to keep their privacy.
Mr. McFarland wanted clarification that in the grant it was written that they were going to help 20 on the other side of the river.
Mrs. Hill said yes, that helped the City be competitive and Monroe is three times the size of West Monroe. She said this is an opportunity for the City to reach across the river and help those families that are also in need with federal funds.
Mr. McFarland stated there were two concerns he had, and he apologized for not calling Mrs. Hill in advance. He said one being in West Monroe and the dollar amount of 46,000.00. He said then read further down to $52,000.00 and he wanted to know if Mrs. Hill is aware of the amount.
Mrs. Hill said they put out an estimate for the job and then the contractor gives them the number. She said based on experience they usually build in a 15% contingency. She said the federal government only allow the City to spend $45,000.00 of funds without approval. She said the $52,000 is because it gives them the chance to deal with the unexpected, but the plan would be to stay at $46,000.00.
(c) Upon motion of Mr. Muhammad, seconded by Mr. Harvey and unanimously approved Resolution No. 8915 authorizing a contract with Bright Construction, LLC for lead remediation at 1305 Florida Street and further providing with respect thereto. (There were no public comments.)
(d) Upon motion of Mr. Muhammad, seconded by Mr. McFarland and unanimously approved Resolution No. 8916 authorizing an agreement with (CHDO) AHAYAH Community Development Corporation Inc. for the reconstruction of 802 South 12th Street and further providing with respect thereto. (There were no public comments.)
Police Department:
(a) Upon motion of Mr. Muhammad, seconded by Mr. McFarland and unanimously approved Resolution No. 8917 authorizing the City of Monroe to enter into a service agreement with Motorola Solutions for law enforcement recording equipment. (There were no public comments.)
Before moving to the next item on the agenda with no objection from the Council, Mr. McFarland stated the City is still kicking the can with the Fire Department. He wanted to know if they have another appointee or nominee for the Council to vote on. He wanted to know if the Mayor has said anything about when he will get that to the Council.
Chief Bryant said he thinks the Mayor have some ideas, but he would hate to try and speak for him right now. He said he will be back in the office late Thursday, and they could take it up first thing Friday morning.
Mr. McFarland stated the City may be in violation because the Mayor is supposed to resubmit a name, and it can’t be indefinite. He said he feels it’s a conflict of interest with Mr. Creekbaum being the Mayor’s attorney and the Council’s and they really need separate attorneys. He said who will push the envelope to say hey you need to get this done. He said one time there was conversation that the Fire Department may go down due to the fact the Council didn’t accept the first nominee and now months have passed and it’s crickets. He wanted to know what the Council need to do in order for the Mayor to move forward with submitting another name. He said this is getting ridiculous and are they going to not have a chief.
Mr. Creekbaum said he would be happy to provide any legal advice at any time.
Mr. McFarland said the Council need advice on what to do in order to get another nominee from the Mayor. He said the charter clearly states that the Mayor would make the nomination or the appointment, but it takes the Council to confirm there’s no way around it. He said now the Council is being ignored, they don’t want to talk about it, and somebody need to say something. He further noted it is time now for the Council to get another nominee.
Ms. Woods stated she has spoken to the Mayor on this, and he is aware he has to do something. She said he is out of town right now and he will get with her she believes within the next day or so. She said they will talk about it and with Mr. McFarland being the Vice Chair the Mayor will talk to them both.
Engineering Services:
(a) Upon motion of Mr. Harvey, seconded by Mr. Muhammad and unanimously approved Resolution No. 8918 accepting as substantially complete work done by Grindstone Construction, LLC for the Forsythe Tennis Court Facilities Improvements Project and further providing with respect thereto. (There were no public comments.)
(b) Upon motion of Mr. Harvey, seconded by Mr. Muhammad and unanimously approved Resolution No. 8919 accepting as substantially complete work done by Bentz Construction Group, LLC for the DeSiard St. Improvements (S. Grand St. to N. 6th St.) Phase I Project and further providing with respect thereto. (There were no public comments.)
(c) Upon motion of Mr. Harvey, seconded by Mr. Muhammad and unanimously approved Resolution No. 8920 accepting as substantially complete work done by Dixie Overland Construction, LLC for the replacement of Bayou Bartholomew Pump No. 2 Project and further providing with respect thereto. (There were no public comments.)
Mr. McFarland wanted to know if there is an update on the Georgia Street pump.
Mr. Holland stated this particular pump is where they are pumping water from one bayou into another. He said the pump station on Georgia Street is a stormwater pump station and they are waiting on FEMA to give them the final approval. He said they had brief zoom call meeting today and showed them pictures from the last rainfall. He said it needs to be moved up asap but it’s still a work in progress.
Mr. Muhammad wanted to clarify this is for the water system.
Mr. Holland said yes, this is the City’s drinking water supply.
Mr. Muhammad noted this is the Bartholomew pump that’s on its last leg.
Mr. Holland said yes, they replaced it several years ago and this is pump number two. He noted it is installed and online.
(d) Upon motion of Mr. Harvey, seconded by Mr. Muhammad and unanimously approved Resolution No. 8921 approving Change Order No. One (1) for the Barbados Blvd. & West Deborah Drive Drainage Repair Project and further providing with respect thereto. (There were no public works.)
Mr. McFarland wanted to know the scope of the change order.
Mr. Holland said the City had to replace some storm drainage and in the process of putting in the new storm drain they had to relocate the existing water main. He said it involved having the new line lower to accommodate space for the new storm drain.
Mr. McFarland wanted to know the cost.
Mr. Holland said this job was estimated at $1.2 million and came in at $804,000.00.
Mr. Muhammad wanted to know if this change order will complete the project.
Mr. Holland said yes, they are in the process of doing a closeout on everything for this particular job.
Addon: Upon motion of Mr. Harvey, seconded by Mr. McFarland and unanimously approved to consider request from SLHLA, LLC/Two J’s for a Major Conditional Use Permit to allow the sale of alcohol for consumption on premises in the B-2(Neighborhood Business) District. The applicant intends to operate a new restaurant at this location (2219 Forsythe Ave.) The Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance allows this as a Major Conditional Use in the B-2 (Neighborhood Business) District. Major Conditional Uses are uses that require a second level of approval: therefore, this request comes before City Council for their approval in addition to that of the Planning Commission.
Mr. Creekbaum stated this was a request for a conditional use permit to sell alcohol at 2219 Forsythe Avenue and someone is looking to reopen it as another restaurant. He said it went to the Planning Commission April 7th and under ordinance Planning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the conditional use permit. He said under ordinance that started a 30 day clock for the Council to act and normally that would be a two meeting window but due to some personal issues with the person who normally handles the agendas items it was not sent over to him. He further stated normally that it would not be a problem because they would have a meeting two weeks from now, but there is an extra week in between meetings. He said May 13th which is the Council’s next meeting which falls outside of the 30 day window. He said if the Council don’t add this on tonight it won’t be considered before the 30 day clock runs out and it would be automatically approved.
Mr. McFarland wanted to know if the Engineering Department sent it on time.
Mr. Creekbaum said the Planning and Zoning division did not send it to him for the agenda.
Mr. McFarland wanted to know whose district this in, and he wanted to know if they are aware.
Mr. Harvey said his district and he is aware.
Mr. Tyler Moses, 2115 Forsythe Avenue, thanked the Council and he said it was going to push his client to where maybe they couldn’t afford to continue forward. He said he is here for any questions, and he would appreciate the Council approving the conditional use permit. He asked that the Council please add it, and it has become a financial burden to his client. He noted they already started paying rent and he started this process for them two months ago.
(e) Upon motion of Mr. Harvey, seconded by Mr. McFarland and unanimously approved to consider request from SLHLA, LLC/Two J’s for a Major Conditional Use Permit to allow the sale of alcohol for consumption on premises in the B-2(Neighborhood Business) District. The applicant intends to operate a new restaurant at this location (2219 Forsythe Ave.) The Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance allows this as a Major Conditional Use in the B-2 (Neighborhood Business) District. Major Conditional Uses are uses that require a second level of approval: therefore, this request comes before City Council for their approval in addition to that of the Planning Commission.
Mr. Muhammad wanted to know the name of the business.
Mr. Moses noted Two J’s.
INTRODUCTION OF RESOLUTIONS & ORDINANCES:
(a) Upon motion of Mr. Harvey, seconded by Mr. McFarland and unanimously approved to Introduce an Ordinance declaring certain property in the Monroe Air Industrial Park no longer necessary for public use and authorizing said property to be sold at private sale to Hiland Dairy Foods, LLC and further providing with respect thereto.
Mr. TJ Walker, said they have been trying to acquire some new property and working on this almost two years now. He said the property they are at now is being leased but has been sold. He said they are extremely excited about the property, and he is here to answer any questions.
Ms. Woods thanked Mr. Walker for choosing district three to relocate and coming to Monroe adding to the tax base. She said she serves on the Air Industrial board, but she was not in town and couldn’t make the meeting. She wanted to know how many employees they will have.
Mr. Walker noted fully staffed twelve.
Ms. Woods wanted to know if the operations are 24 hours a day.
Mr. Walker said no, they will have route that will run 12 to 3 in morning, and it is basically a dock situation. He said their main operation is based in Little Rock, AR and they pasteurize everything there and send it down here.
Ms. Woods wanted to know if the distribution is here.
Mr. Walker said yes.
Before the meeting was adjourned with no objection from the Council, Mr. Muhammad recognized Mr. Damon Williams.
Mr. Damon Williams, 102 Whippoorwill Drive, said First Sunday is going down next Sunday at the Zoo. He said they will have crawfish and a live band.
There being no further business to come before the council, the Chairman adjourned the meeting at 7:52 p.m.
Ms. Juanita G. Woods
Chairman
Ms. Carolus S. Riley
Council Clerk
Ms. Ileana Murray
Staff Secretary
For extended details on the council meeting please call the Council Clerk Monday-Friday at 318-329-2252 to schedule an appointment to listen to the minute recording.
