New Maps for Redistricting

At the public hearing on June 1st, two new proposed maps were presented, setting aside the three previous proposals. Changes in the new Plan A and Plan B are focused in Districts 1 and 2. There will be a final public hearing on June 16th at the regular Ascension Parish Council meeting in the Gonzales Courthouse at 6:00 p.m. The Council will then decide which map will be sent to the Justice Department for approval.

2011 Proposed Redistricting Maps

These three proposed maps related to redistricting were presented to the Parish Council at their regularly scheduled meeting on May 19th.

The Council has scheduled two public hearings for the public to review these maps and make public comment. The first will be held in the Donaldsonville Courthouse at 300 Houmas Street on Thursday, May 26th at 6:00 p.m. The second hearing will be held on May 31 at 6:00 p.m. in the Gonzales Courthouse at 828 S. Irma Blvd-2nd Floor.

Read the presentations which were given at the May 5 and May 19 council meetings to look at statistics and demographics related to redistricting.

Present Councilmen and their Districts:

District #1 Oliver Joseph

District #2 Kent Schexnaydre

District #3 Adrian Thompson

District #4 Pat Bell

District #5 Dempsey Lambert

District #6 Randy Clouatre

District #7 Chris Loar

District #8 George Valentine

District #9 Todd Lambert

District#10 Dennis Cullen

District #11 Benny Johnson

Council Rejects Recommendations of Commission

At the May 5th meeting in Donaldsonville, the Ascension Parish Council rejected the unanimous recommendations of the Planning & Zoning Commissions to repeal the Planned Unit Development (PUD) and Traditional Neighborhood Development (TND) ordinances. These ordinances along with changes to the zoning tables which would have reduced density from 20 to 10 units per acre and removed future residential development in the crossroads commercial category were sent back to the Council's Strategic Planning Committee. The vote to allow PUDs to continue was 7 to 3 on all three recommendations with Councilmen George Valentine, Todd Lambert and Randy Clouatre voting no. The Chairman, Pat Bell, did not vote.

Councilman Valentine had made the original motion which was seconded by Todd Lambert for an up or down vote on these recommendations. However, the substitute motion made by Kent Schexnaydre and seconded by Dennis Cullen prevailed to send these recommendations back to the Strategic Planning Committee which Schexnaydre chairs. Voting to continue PUDs, TNDs and high density were Councilmen Joseph, Schexnaydre, Thompson, Dempsey Lambert, Loar, Cullen and Johnson. Although voting with Valentine and Lambert, Clouatre's comments during discussion were not favorable for the repeal of the PUD & TND ordinances or reducing density.

Citizens will continue to watch the Strategic Planning committee and any discussion related to these issues in the months to come. Strategic Planning meets the fourth Monday of each month at the Gonzales Courthouse at 6:00 p.m.

Council Refuses to Fund Master Plan Efforts

At their regular meeting of April 19th, the Ascension Parish Council in a five to four vote refused to fund the Master Plan Subcommittee budget of $28,000 to review and revise the current Master Plan. The budget primarily included funds for meeting rooms, clerical staff, and photocopying of documents which are charged to the Commission by the parish administration.

Councilman George Valentine made a motion to provide the funding with a second from Councilman Todd Lambert. Councilman Loar immediately made a substitute motion to deny funding with a second from Dennis Cullen. With Councilman Clouatre absent, Councilmen Kent Schexnaydre, Dempsey Lambert, Chris Loar, Dennis Cullen and Benny Johnson voted for the substitute motion denying the request of the subcommittee. Councilman Oliver Joseph, Adrian Thompson, George Valentine and Todd Lambert voted against the motion which denied funding. Chairman Pat Bell chose not to vote. Had he voted with the four councilmen he would have created a tie vote. The substitute motion would have failed and opened the door for a vote on the previous motion which would have funded the committee. It was obvious that Bell did not favor funding the efforts of the Planning Commission. These six councilmen (Pat Bell, Kent Schexnaydre, Dempsey Lambert, Chris Loar, Dennis Cullen and Benny Johnson) demonstrated by their actions that they are unwilling to harness the uncontrolled growth in Ascension and address our infrastructure needs. Citizens need to remember councilmen's voting record on important issues such as this when casting their vote in the upcoming October elections.

The Master Plan Subcommittee then met on April 25th and made the decision not to hold regular meetings for now. They are considering looking at firms located in the state to assist the Subcommittee. As dictated by the Parish Council's motion, the steering committee will work on finances for review and revision of the Master Plan for the 2012 budget.

Though efforts have been put on hold, the subcommittee will remain intact. When further decisions are made, we will inform citizens.

Meetings for Master Plan Revision Begin

The first meeting of the Master Plan Subcommittee to review and revise the Ascension Parish Master Plan was held on April 11th at 6:00 p.m. at the Department of Public Works Auditorium on Churchpoint Road.  All appointees from business, government and the public sectors were present as well as six Commissioners.  Rules for public comment were adopted. Any citizen wishing to address the Subcommittee will be given three minutes at the beginning of a meeting prior to discussion. 


Good progress from the diverse group was made reviewing the purpose and guiding principles with all members participating. Discussion for the next meeting will begin on page eight of the present document and proceed as time permits.
  
Review and Revision Meeting Schedule


Monday, April 25, 2011  6:00 p.m. at DPW Auditorium 
Monday, May 9, 2011 6:00 p.m. at DPW Auditorium
Monday May 23, 2011 6:00 p.m. at DPW Auditorium  


All Ascension residents are welcome to attend. The current thirty-nine page Master Plan is placed here for your reference and review.  

Public Hearing to Consider Abolishing PUD & TND Ordinances

The Planning & Zoning Commissions will meet and have a public hearing on Wednesday, April 13th at 6:00 p.m. at the Gonzales Courthouse.  Up for consideration will be recommendations to the Parish Council for the PUD & TND ordinances to be abolished. Changes in the zoning tables will also be considered. The Commission is proposing lowering the present twenty units allowed per acre in Mixed Use to ten.


The clip below is from the April 7th Ascension Parish Council meeting held in Donaldsonville.  Ascension Parish Planning Director, Ricky Compton, is giving the definition of what a PUD is.  After listening to his description you will understand how the PUD is a loophole that circumvents current parish Zoning Codes and Subdivision regulations. 


Citizens are encouraged to attend.  

Budget for Master Plan To Be Discussed

On Monday, April 4th at the Gonzales Courthouse the Planning Commission will meet after the 6:00 p.m. Drainage Board meeting. Their discussion will center around the proposed budget of $28,000 for the Master Plan review and revision.


Councilman Chris Loar has refused to place the budget for the Master Plan on the Finance agenda later this month. All items requiring appropriation of funds must go to the Finance Committee first before being considered by the Parish Council.  By State law, the Council is responsible to provide all assistance necessary for the updating of the Master Plan.  Commission Chairman Michael Marchand is hoping to clear up any confusion on Monday, asking the Council to consider the Master Plan Budget this month as meetings for review begin on April 11th. 


Read the recent Advocate article.

Master Plan Subcommittee Formed

On March 23rd representatives where chosen from business, government and the public to work with the Planning Commission on a review and revision of the current thirty-nine page Master Plan.  These representatives will take part in discussion, but will not vote.  Only the nine appointed Commissioners on the Planning Commission will vote.  The following were chosen by citizens who attended meetings from those nominated:


Business Sector: Wes Ashworth, Clint Cointment, Roy Domangue, Mike Eades and Gary Fontenot


Government Sector: Scott Duplechin and Brad Walker


Public Sector:  Kathryn Goppelt, Cindy Quick, John M. Robert Sr., Tim Theriot and Samantha Thibodeaux  


The first meeting is set for April 11, 2011 at 6:00 p.m. in the DPW Auditorium.  Citizens are welcome to attend and make public comment while monitoring the progress of the subcommittee. 

Planning & Zoning to Begin the Master Plan Process

Meetings to begin the process for the review and revision of the current Master Plan will start on March 21, 2011, 6:00 p.m at the Gonzales Courthouse.  This first meeting will be to give an overview which was missed by the community when the February P&Z meeting was not aired on Channel 21.  


On March 23rd the Master Plan Subcommittee will meet at 10:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. for representatives of government, business, and the public respectively. At each of these three meetings, five individuals will be chosen to represent their segment of the community on the subcommittee. The nine members of the Planning and Zoning Commission will be the voting members.


WE ENCOURAGE CITIZENS WHO WERE PREVIOUSLY INVOLVED IN THE PROPOSED MASTER PLAN TO ATTEND THIS MEETING AND INVITE OTHERS ON MARCH 23RD, 6:00 P.M. AT THE GONZALES COURTHOUSE!

Commission Subcommittees Meet

On Wednesday, March 16th the subcommittees of the Planning & Zoning Commissions will meet at 5:00 p.m. (Subdivision) and 6:00 p.m. (Zoning) at the Department of Public Works on Churchpoint Road.   Five amendments to the PUD, SPUD and TND ordinances which the Parish Council sent on March 3rd to the Commission will be discussed at the Zoning subcommittee. Citizens will continue to attend these meetings in hopes that the ordinances related to the PUDS will not just be amended, but abolished. 

Public Hearing for Abolishing PUD, SPUD, & TND Ordinances

The Planning & Zoning Commission has set a public hearing on Wednesday, April 13th at the Gonzales Courthouse at 6:00 p.m. to consider a recommendation to the Parish Council to abolish the PUD, SPUD and TND ordinances. Changes to zoning tables are also being considered that will reduce residential density. The Zoning Subcommittee has recommended abolishing all three ordinances and strengthening the Subdivision Regulations in order to address development issues.   

Discussion of PUD, SPUD, & TND Ordinances

The joint monthly meeting of the Planning & Zoning Committees is scheduled for Wednesday, March 9th at 6:00 p.m. in the Gonzales Courthouse.  They will discuss the PUD, SPUD and TND ordinances now in place.  The Zoning Subcommittee has recommended abolishing all three and strengthening the Subdivision Regulations in order to address development issues.   


On Thursday March 3rd, the Parish Council sent five ordinances that were up for adoption to the Commission for consideration.  These ordinances came from the Strategic Planning subcommittee and would have amended the PUD and SPUD ordinances now in place.  Citizens continue to monitor the efforts of the Council to circumvent the Commission. We are hopeful that the ordinances related to the PUDS will not just be amended, but abolished when the Council receives the Commission's recommendation.

Moratorium Ordinance Pulled From Strategic Planning Agenda

As fast as it appeared, an ordinance to place a twelve month moratorium on residential, commercial and industrial development in Ascension was removed from the February 28th Strategic Planning Agenda. Representatives from industry, business and the public attended this meeting because of concern.  The people who attended were told that the ordinance was an educational exercise to educate the community on just what a moratorium is.  Just where this came from was not divulged at the meeting, but it was revealed after the meeting that Chairman Schexnaydre and Parish President Martinez directed in-house attorney, Toni Falterman to draft the ordinance.  Why this was considered is not known at this time.

Planning & Zoning Subcommittees Meet at DPW

On January 12th the Planning & Zoning Commissions had announced that their subcommittees would be meeting the third Wednesday of the month back to back at 5 and 6 p.m. at the Department of Public Works on Churchpoint Road. Previously these committees had met at 8 and 9 a.m. on Friday. At their first meeting they were informed by planning staff director, Ricky Compton, that he had not been authorized by the administration to give them a meeting room or staff after 5:00 p.m.


After a month of delay, Parish President Martinez finally agreed to give the Planning and Zoning Commissions a room to meet at the DPW Building on Churchpoint Road for their subcommittees.  The committees met on February 16th and discussed topics related to both planning (5:00 p.m.) and zoning (6:00) p.m.  


This an opportunity for public input that is essential in making our community better.  Citizens are encouraged to attend.

Commission Meeting Held in Absence of Video Programming

The February 9th Planning & Zoning Commission meetings were held at the Gonzales Courthouse without being video taped.  It was known prior to the meeting that President Martinez had decided not to video record the proceedings even after some commissioners and at least one councilman requested coverage.  


Citizens did, however, tape some of the meetings. The first clip is from the opening Public Comment Period.







The reconsideration for Mossy Oaks was scratched from the agenda, because of a consent order from Judge Holdridge.  
Comments by Commissioner Satterlee are recorded here.





The final approval for Stonegate Subdivision was denied because all the paperwork was not in order.  The same developer, Kevin Nguyen, of Mossy Oaks is developing Stonegate.  





The long awaited organization of the subcommittee for the Master Plan revision was presented by Chairman Michael Marchand.  





As soon as the master plan meetings are scheduled, we will post the dates and times on the blog. 

Subcommittee for Master Plan on P & Z Agenda

The P & Z Commission has placed the formation of a subcommittee to address possible revisions of the present 39 page Master Plan on their February 9th agenda.  Citizens are encouraged to attend and support the formation of this committee and the inclusion of citizens in the process.  The meeting begins at 6:00 p.m. at the Gonzales Courthouse.

Council Plans to Amend PUD Ordinance

The Parish Council meeting of February 3rd was cancelled due to inclement weather and rescheduled for Wednesday, February 9th at 6:00 p.m. in Donaldsonville.  The agenda for this meeting includes four ordinances to amend the current PUD ordinance.  The Strategic Planning Committee, chaired by Councilman Schexnaydre, has not consulted the Planning Commission in these recommendations.  


The Zoning Subcommittee of the P & Z Commission met on January 26th and is recommending that the PUD/SPUD ordinance be repealed.  The Full Commission will address this item under subcommittee reports at their meeting on February 9th.  

Developer Drops Mossy Oaks Litigation

Although neighborhood residents surrounding the proposed Mossy Oaks development on Babin Road hired legal counsel to represent their interests, they never had their day in court.  The developer, Mr. Kevin Nguyen, chose to drop his litigation against the Planning Commission as of Tuesday, February 1st.  The Postponed hearing of January 31st was not held on February 2nd. Ms. Lindsey Manda, represented  Michael Marchand, Chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission, and Ricky Compton, Director of Ascension Parish Planning & Zoning Department.


The developer essentially accepted the vote of the January 12th Planning & Zoning Commission with an approval including the two conditions: 1) two entrances onto Babin Road and 2) no lots accessing directly onto Babin Road.  Ms. Manda included in the agreement removal of the reconsideration of Mossy Oak from the Commission's published February 9th agenda.   Mr. Marchand recently quoted in The Advocate that he had not agreed to this stipulation of removing the reconsideration of Mossy Oaks from the agenda. Does Ms. Manda as the defendant's attorney have authority to negotiate stipulations without approval from her client,  Chairman Marchand?  Citizens encourage Chairman Marchand to file a complaint with the Disciplinary Board. 


The Planning Commission's next meeting is Wednesday February 9th at 6:00 p.m. at the Gonzales Courthouse.

Hearing for Mossy Oaks Rescheduled

The hearing to determine if the plat for Mossy Oaks must be certified/signed by the Planning Commission Chairman has been rescheduled for Wednesday, February 2nd, at 9:00 a.m. at the Gonzales Courthouse in Judge Holdridge's court. 

Mossy Oak Developer Sues Planning Commission

On January 12^th the Commission approved the Mossy Oak plat with conditions.  A motion to reconsider the Mossy Oak proposal is on the agenda for the Ascension Parish Commission’s February 9^th meeting. 

On Monday, January 24^th American Homeland LLC of Baton Rouge sued the Commission seeking an order from the 23rd Judicial District that would require Chairman Marchand to certify the preliminary plat for Mossy Oak Subdivision as it was submitted to planning staff on November 9th.  At the center of the controversy is Louisiana Revised Statute 33:113.  It states: “A planning commission shall approve or disapprove a plat within 60 days after the submission thereof to it; otherwise such plat shall be deemed to have been approved, and a certificate to that effect shall be issued by such commission on demand.”  There is a disagreement between the developer and the parish when the 60 days starts. The court will decide when the 60 days begins on Monday at the Gonzales Courthouse in the courtroom of Judge Holdridge at 9:00 a.m.

Mossy Oak Subdivision was previously Mossy Oak PUD, which was denied by the Ascension Parish Council early last November. This is the same developer, Kevin Nguyen, who is developing the controversial Keystone PUD.  

Citizens are encouraged to attend the hearing.

P & Z Subcommittees Meet This Week

On Tuesday, January 25 the Subdivision Subcommittee of the Planning & Zoning Commission will meet to consider issues related to new subdivision development in Ascension Parish.    

On Wednesday, January 26th the Zoning Subcommittee of the Commission will meet to discuss issues related to zoning.  The  Planned Unit Development (PUD) Ordinance and others will be discussed along with zoning tables.  Both meetings will begin at 5:00 p.m. in the conference room at the Department of Public Works at 42077 Churchpoint Rd.  

Subcommittee Chairmen Bob Nance (Zoning) and Milton Clouatre (Subdivision) were appointed at the January 12th meeting.   It was stated that these meetings will be open to the public and that public input is encouraged.

Motion to Reconsider Mossy Oak

On Wednesday, January 12th, at their regular meeting the Planning & Zoning Commission voted seven to one to approve the preliminary plat for Mossy Oak Subdivision between Babin Road and Hwy. 74 with two conditions.  Commissioner Clouatre objected. Considering the preceding discussion of concerns regarding the proposed development, the outcome was surprising.The following day, January 13th, Commissioner Satterlee requested that a motion to reconsider the vote on Mossy Oak Subdivision be placed on the February agenda.  Chairman Marchand conferred with Planning Director Ricky Compton and the motion to reconsider was placed on the upcoming February 9th agenda.   

At the request of Parish President Martinez, Chairman Marchand called a special meeting of the P & Z Commission on Friday, January 21st at 4:00 p.m.  The developer's counsel was threatening legal action if their plat for Mossy Oak Subdivision was not certified by 4:00 p.m.   Because of the lack of a quorum, the special meeting did not occur.  Certifying the plat at this point in the process is highly questionable!   Who was the parish president representing with this request- the developer or our community?   

It is not known at this time if another special meeting will be called or whether the developer took any legal action.  As the situation changes we will post updates.

Residents Oppose Mossy Oak

On Wednesday, January 12th, at 6:00 p.m., the Planning Commission will consider the proposed Mossy Oak Subdivision on Babin Road. At their December 8th meeting the Commission directed the developers to communicate with residents to address their concerns. However, to date, the builder has not made any effort to talk with residents. 


Concerned citizens are asked to attend and wear red to the P & Z meeting on Wednesday to support residents in Council District 8 who oppose the development. The meeting will be at 6:00 p.m. at the Gonzales Courthouse.
  

Keystone Residents See Progress

On Thursday, January 6th, the Ascension Parish Council granted final approval to the developmental contract for the Keystone Planned Unit Development (PUD).  The outcome was favorable because of the many efforts of citizens throughout the parish. Meetings with the builder are soon to follow for Keystone residents.  Property owners have formed a group and will remain vigilant and work with the builder to insure that future decisions remain as close to the concept of the original development as possible. 

Keystone Public Hearing Scheduled January 6th

The Council will hear public comments on the the Developmental Agreement for the Final Approval for the Keystone PUD at their regular meeting on January 6th, 6:00 p.m. in  Donaldsonville.


A letter from the developer threatening to sue the Council was discussed in Executive Session at the December 16th meeting. This developer has refused to come to the table and consider concessions being proposed by residents.


Citizens are encouraged to attend and wear red to show their opposition to this proposed development and all PUDS.

Meeting Rules of Conduct Questioned

Citizens believe that recent interpretation of rules being used by the Martinez Administration is an attempt to silence the public!!


Chief Administrative Officer, Beth James, chided the public at the December 8th Planning and Zoning Commission about "decorum" in public meetings and rules related to the Ascension Parish Council.  CAO James followed with a dear editor letter in the December 17th issue of the Gonzales Weekly Citizen.  James stated "It is against the parish ordinance to mention a member of the Council, committee, staff or other elected officials in a meeting." She further stated that citizens are "free to speak outside of public buildings and say whatever they wish about whomever they wish,...but within the sanctity of a public meeting, there are rules that everyone should follow."


The “rules” posted on the podium during the December 8th Planning & Zoning Commission Meeting were addressed again at the regular December 16th Ascension Parish Council meeting.  Speakers addressed the Council concerning the agenda item related to Review of Rules of Meeting Conduct. One man in the crowd, who identified himself as a veteran, spoke out from the crowd that these rules infringed on the first amendment rights of citizens which he and others had fought to preserve while serving in the military.  At the order of Chairman Pat Bell, the veteran was escorted from the room by a sheriff's deputy.  Another veteran was so shaken by the removal of his fellow veteran that he removed himself before the situation escalated further. Chairman Bell tried to defend his action of having the veteran removed with a long futile explanation.  Attempts were made by Chairman Bell in the beginning of the meeting to stop applause; however, by the end of the meeting Bell’s gavel was silent while citizens continued clapping.  

The six rules on the original document are listed below.  Only the first four were posted by the administration. We will see how these are applied at the next Council meeting on January 6th, 6:00 p.m. in Donaldsonville.  




Ascension Parish Council 
Rules of Meeting Conduct


The Ascension Parish Council, the governing authority for the Parish of Ascension, finds the need to implement rules for the orderly conduct of its meetings and participation by the audience.  The following rules will be recognized and enforced:


1.  Ascension Parish Council meetings are for the conduct of business of the Ascension Parish government.  The meeting will be conducted and order maintained by the Chairman of the Council, or his successor in his absence.


2. Public attendance and participation are encouraged, but the public's discussion of issues is limited to 1)public hearings, 2) public comment period, and 3) placement on the agenda of a regular meeting.


Guidelines for Public Comment Period and Public Hearings are as follows:
a)  Public comment shall immediately follow roll call                  
      of the members.
b)  All individuals wishing to speak during the public       
      comment period or public hearings must sign in with               
      the Ascension Parish Council secretary giving the               
      name, address, and agenda item number which   
      they will speak on.  The Chairman of the Ascension                   
      Parish Council will announce when the sign-up                   
      period is completed, after giving adequate notice               
      that anyone wishing to speak should sign in with                
      the council secretary.  Once the sign in period is              
      closed, no one else will be allowed to participate.
 c)  Once an individual signs in to address the council             
      during the public comment period or public                      
      hearings, only that individual is authorized to                 
      address the council during that allocated time.  No             
      one may relinquish this time to another individual              
      or substitute speakers.  If the person who signs in             
      to speak does not address the council when his or               
      her name is called, that person will forfeit their              
      right to speak.
d)  Public comment shall be limited to those items on               
      the agenda.  In the event the agenda is amended                 
      during the meeting by 2/3 vote, the public shall be             
      permitted to comment at that time, prior to the                 
      commission acting, since the item was unknown at                
      the beginning of the meeeting.  If an agenda item               
      is set for public hearing, then the public shall                
      only comment during the public hearing, and not                 
      during the public comment period.  
 e)  Parties shall be limited to three minutes per                   
      person to speak.  The Chairman shall be vested with               
      authority to regulate the public comment period and             
      shall be permitted to request that those speaking               
      not be repetitious.  The Chairman shall indicate to             
      the speaker when his/her time limit has expired.  


3.  The following acts are prohibited by audience members:


a)  Speaking or addressing Parish Council, or any                   
      member, at any time during the conduct of the                   
      meeting in the meeting room;
b)  Yelling, shouting, cheering, or other such                      
       disruptive conduct during the meetings of                       
       the Ascension Parish Council;
c)  Clapping, applauding, or other such disruptions or              
       sudden noise during the conduct of the meeting,                 
       except at time of ceremony, recognition of                      
       individuals or groups for special achievement or                
       other such customary or appropriate circumstances;
d)  Use of profanity or vulgar language;
e)  Physical threats or intimidation.


4. Any person violating these rules may be asked to leave the meeting room.


5.All members of the public are asked to turn off cellular     phones, two way radios, pagers, or other such communication devices during the conduct of meetings.


6. A copy of these rules shall be published in the Official    Journal and posted on council meeting rooms to adequately     advise the public of their content.