PROCEEDINGS
CAMERON PARISH
POLICE JURY
JULY 9, 2020
The Cameron Parish Police Jury met in regular session on Thursday, July 9, 2020, in the Cameron Parish West Annex Board Room in the Village of Cameron, Louisiana, at 2:00 o’clock P.M. The following members were present: Mr. Magnus McGee, Mr. Scott Trahan, Mr. Kirk Quinn, Mr. Curtis Fountain, Mr. Joe Dupont, Mr. Lawrence Faulk and Mr. Thomas McDaniel. The following member was absent: Mr. McKinley Guidry.
There was no Public Comment on the agenda items.
It was moved by Mr. Trahan, seconded by Mr. McDaniel and carried, that the reading of the minutes shall be dispensed with and approved.
It was moved by Fountain, seconded by Mr. Quinn and carried, that the board hereby approves to add the following
item to the agenda: (Item 14) Authorize renewal of employee group insurance policies for policy year September 2020 thru 2021:
a. Group Hospitalization (Current coverage with increase in premiums.
b. Group Dental & Vision
c. Group Life
It was moved by Mr. Quinn, seconded by Mr. Faulk and carried, that the board hereby approves to add the following item to the agenda: (Item 15) Approval to Demo Old DA Building behind Courthouse.
It was moved by Mr. McDaniel, seconded by Mr. Fountain and carried, that the applications for the following permits be and the same are hereby approved with the stipulations set forth by the respective Gravity Drainage Districts:
a. Hilcorp Energy Company – Sweetlake, Chalkley Pine Pasture Field, Latitude 29 58 58.76, Longitude -92 57 54.03, (proposed to place earthen plug, approximately (25′ x 130′) across exiting canal as a result of a permit stipulation from lease agreement), Cameron Parish, LA. (200701)
b. Luke Bart David, Jr – 1452 Highway 171, Gueydan, LA 70542, Latitude 30 0 59.6, Longitude -92 42 8.2, (propose to excavate approximately 5,000 cubic yards out of an existing pond to utilize fill material for house pad), Cameron, LA. (200702)
c. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Sabine National Wildlife Refuge, South of Hog Island Gully Canal, Latitude 29 53 39.29, Longitude -93 22 22.78, (proposed to construct eight tidal creeks within lower elevation marshes of the beneficial use area, measuring 4′ wide and 2.3′ deep to provide habitat for the at-risk saltmarsh top minnow and improve the functional values of the created marshes), Cameron Parish, LA. (200703)
d. Cameron Parish Gravity Drainage District #3 – Cameron, Section 31, T14S, R09W, (proposed installation of 24-inch culvert with flap gate on Leesburg Street to restrict saltwater influx and prevent flooding from hightide events), Cameron Parish, LA. (200704)
e. Blue Marlin Offshore Port, LLC – Sabine Lake, Johnson Bayou area, Section 16, T14S, R14W (proposed 5 geotechnical soil borings to determine soil characteristics to support the feasibility and design of proposed mainline valve installations and horizontal directional drills), Cameron Parish, LA. (200705)
f. Robert E. Trahan – Johnson Bayou, off Middle Ridge Road, Section 9, T15S, R14W, (propose maintenance to re-cap existing cattle walk that will result in approximately 1,320 cubic yards), Cameron Parish, LA. (200706)
It was moved by Mr. McDaniel, seconded by Mr. Quinn and carried, the board does hereby reappoint Jimmy Roberts to the Gravity Drainage District No. Five Board.
It was moved by Mr. McDaniel, seconded by Mr. Quinn and carried, the board does reappoint Jeffery Richard to the Gravity Drainage District No. Five Board.
It was moved by Mr. McDaniel, seconded by Mr. Quinn and carried, the board does hereby reappoint Darrell Hebert to the Fire Protection District No. Sixteen Board.
It was moved by Mr. Trahan, seconded by Mr. Dupont and carried, the board does hereby table the appointment for the expired term of Shantell McDaniel to the Fire Protection District No. One Board, and directs the Secretary to send a letter of appreciation to Ms. McDaniel for her service to the board.
It was moved by Mr. McDaniel, seconded by Mr. Quinn and carried, the board does hereby reappoint Susan Fawvor to the Fire Protection District No. Nine Board.
It was moved by Mr. McDaniel, seconded by Mr. Trahan and carried, the board does hereby table the appointment for the expired term of Mark LeBoeuf to the Fire Protection District No. Nine Board, and directs the Secretary to send a letter of appreciation to Mr. LeBoeuf for his service to the board.
It was moved by Mr. Fountain, seconded by Mr. Trahan and carried, the board does hereby reappoint Glenn Trahan to the Fire Protection District No. Ten Board.
It was moved by Mr. Trahan, seconded by Mr. Fountain and carried, the board does hereby accept the resignation of Spencer Owens from the Fire Protection District No. Ten Board, directs the secretary to send a letter of appreciation to Mr. Owens for his service to the board, and tables the appointment.
It was moved by Mr. Faulk, seconded by Mr. Quinn and carried, the board does hereby table the appointment for the expired term of Dana Pesson to the Recreation District No. Five Board.
It was moved by Mr. Trahan, seconded by Mr. McDaniel and carried, the board does hereby reappoint Guy Murphy Sr. to the Waterworks District No. Seven Board.
It was moved by Mr. Trahan, seconded by Mr. McDaniel and carried, the board does hereby table the appointment for the expired term of Brenda Boudreaux to the Lower Cameron Hospital District No. One Board, and directs the Secretary to send a letter of appreciation to Ms. Boudreaux for her service to the board.
It was moved by Mr. Trahan, seconded by Mr. Fountain and carried, the board does hereby accept the resignation of Jonathan Trahan from the Johnson Bayou Recreation District Board, directs the secretary to send a letter of appreciation to Mr. Trahan for his service to the board, and appoints Calise Romero for the remainder of term.
In response to an advertisement for the acceptance of bids for the Kings Bayou Water Relief Structure – Phase II Project No. 2018-72, the following bids were received:
CONTRACTOR; BASE BID
M & C Oilfield Services, Inc.*; $781,771.00
B & J, Inc.; $973,900.00
Cycle Construction; $1,423.240.00
Considering the bid of M & C Oilfield Services, Inc as the lowest responsible bid and on a recommendation of Lonnie G. Harper & Associates, Inc., it was moved by Mr. McDaniel, seconded by Mr. Trahan and carried, the board hereby accepts the bid of M & C Oilfield Services, Inc., with a base bid of seven hundred eighty-one thousand, seven hundred seventy-one dollars and 00/100 cents for the Kings Bayou Water Relief Structure – Phase II Project No. 2018-72, and hereby authorized, empowers and directs the President or his designee to execute all contracts pertaining to said bid. Mr. Quinn recused himself from voting on this agenda item.
It was moved by Mr. Trahan, seconded by Mr. Quinn and carried the board hereby accepts and approves the Audit Report for the year ending December 31, 2019 as submitted by the CPA firm of Gragson, Casiday and Guillory, LLP.
It was moved by Mr. Dupont, seconded by Mr. Quinn and carried, that the following resolution is declared duly adopted:
RESOLUTION
STATE OF LOUISIANA
PARISH OF CAMERON
BE IT RESOLVED, that the following millages are hereby levied on the 2020 tax roll on all property subject to taxation by Cameron Parish Police Jury:
DISTRICT; MILLAGE
General Alimony; 3.87 MILLS
Health Unit Maintenance; 0.00 MILLS
Courthouse and Jail Maintenance; 2.00 MILLS
Garbage District No. 1 Maintenance; 5.00 MILLS
Library Maintenance; 4.00 MILLS
Road & Bridge Maintenance; 6.57 MILLS
Hackberry Fire Protection District No. 1 Maintenance; 4.25 MILLS
Fire Protection District No. 1 Maintenance; 4.08 MILLS
Fire Protection District No. 1 Maintenance; 8.01 MILLS
Fire Protection District No. 7 Maintenance; 3.97 MILLS
Fire Protection District No. 9 Maintenance; 2.69 MILLS
Fire Protection District No. 10 Maintenance; 7.97 MILLS
Fire Protection District No. 14 Maintenance; 3.98 MILLS
Fire Protection District No. 15 Maintenance; 8.16 MILLS
Fire Protection District No. 16 Maintenance; 11.32 MILLS
Fire Protection District No. 7; 0.00 MILLS
Hackberry Fire Protection District No. 1 Sinking; 0.00 MILLS
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the proper administrative officials of the Parish of Cameron, State of Louisiana, be and they are hereby empowered, authorized, and directed to spread said taxes, as hereinabove set forth, upon the assessment roll of said Parish for the year 2020, and to make the collection of the taxes imposed for and on behalf of the taxing authority, according to law, and that the taxes herein levied shall become a permanent lien and privilege on all property subject to taxation as herein set forth, and collection thereof shall be enforceable in the manner provided by law.
The foregoing resolution was read in full, the roll was called on the adoption thereof, and the resolution was adopted by the following votes:
YEAS: Joe Dupont, Curtis Fountain, Scott Trahan, Magnus McGee, Kirk Quinn, Thomas McDaniel and Lawrence Faulk
NAYS: None
ABSTAINED: None
ABSENT: McKinley Guidry
ADOPTED AND APPROVED this 9th day of July 2020.
APPROVED:
MAGNUS MCGEE,
PRESIDENT
ATTEST:
MARY B CARROLL,
SECRETARY
It was moved by Mr. Quinn, seconded by Mr. Fountain and carried, the President is hereby authorized, empowered and
directed to sign the Public Assistance Match Agreement PA2016-0067 termination letter and close out documents.
It was moved by Mr. Faulk, seconded by Mr. Quinn and carried, that upon review by the Jennifer Jones, District Attorney, and her statement of no objection to the settlement offered in the form of this resolution, the following resolution is declared duly adopted:
RESOLUTION NO. 1122
STATE OF LOUISIANA
PARISH OF CAMERON
A resolution concerning the Cameron Parish Police Jury’s approval of a settlement in the matter entitled Charles J. Natali, et al v. BP America, et al, No. 19202, 38th Judicial District Court, Cameron Parish, Louisiana, in which the Parish is not a party, but in which the Parish may elect to participate in a settlement in that matter.
WHEREAS, the Parish of Cameron owns an aggregate 0.5555-acre undivided interest in a 40-acre tract of property, more particularly described as the East Half of the West Half of the Northwest Quarter (E/2 of W/2 of NW/4) Section 12, Township 12 South, Range 9 West, Parish of Cameron, State of Louisiana (hereinafter “the subject property”).
WHEREAS, the Parish of Cameron acquired its aggregate 0.5555-acre undivided interest in the subject property by default as a result of certain undivided interest owners failing to pay their taxes, no private citizens or entities purchasing said interests at the tax sales thereof, and no redemption thereof by the previous undivided interest owners within the statutory time period.
WHEREAS, the Parish of Cameron is not currently and will not become a party plaintiff to the subject lawsuit but may elect to participate in the settlement agreement.
WHEREAS, the Parish of Cameron recognizes that neither the law firm of Mudd, Bruchhaus & Keating nor the law firm of Talbot Carmouche & Marcello has represented the Parish of Cameron nor will represent the Parish of Cameron in this matter, and nor will either of said law firms charge the Parish of Cameron a fee or any expenses, as the necessary statutory approvals from the Louisiana Attorney General have not been procured.
WHEREAS, the Parish of Cameron acknowledges that counsel for landowner plaintiffs, Matthew P. Keating, contacted Parish attorney Jennifer Jones prior to this meeting to advise of the circumstances herein and further provided Ms. Jones with a copy of the settlement agreement proposed for signature by the Parish.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Cameron Parish Police Jury:
SECTION 1: That the Police Jury agrees to accept the settlement terms as presented by counsel for the plaintiff landowners, Matthew P. Keating.
SECTION 2: That the Police Jury authorizes President Magnus McGee to execute the settlement agreement presented to the Police Jury for execution, and to have signed and filed with the Court any and all pleadings and other papers consistent with the terms of that settlement, and take any other actions necessary or advisable to effectuate that partial settlement.
The resolution having been submitted to a vote, the vote thereon was as follows:
YEAS: Joe Dupont, Curtis Fountain, Scott Trahan, Magnus McGee, Lawrence Faulk, Thomas McDaniel and Kirk Quinn
NAYS: None
ABSENT: McKinley Guidry
The resolution was declared to be adopted on this 9th day of July, 2020.
APPROVED:
MAGNUS MCGEE,
PRESIDENT
ATTEST:
MARY B CARROLL,
SECRETARY
It was moved by Mr. Fountain, seconded by Mr. Dupont and carried, that the Treasurer is hereby authorized, empowered and directed to pay the June 2020 bills.
It was moved by Mr. Fountain, seconded by Mr. Trahan and carried, the board does hereby approve renewal of the following employee group insurance policies for policy year September 2020 through September 2021:
a. Group Hospitalization Insurance – Blue Cross Blue Shield, 9% rate increase, no change in benefits
b. Group Dental & Vision Insurance – Guardian Insurance, no rate increase, no change in benefits
c. Group Life Insurance – Unum Life Insurance, no rate increase, no change in benefits
It was moved by Mr. Fountain, seconded by Mr. Quinn and carried the board hereby authorizes the demolition of the old District Attorney’s office behind the Courthouse.
There being no further business, it was moved by Mr. Quinn, seconded by Mr. Fountain and carried, the meeting was declared adjourned.
APPROVED:
MAGNUS MCGEE,
PRESIDENT
ATTEST:
MARY B CARROLL,
SECRETARY
RUN: Aug. 13 (Au 35)