Master Plan Motion Questioned /New Appointees Sworn In

The two new appointees, J.B. Esnard and Daniel Satterlee, will be sworn in on Wednesday,December 8th at the monthly Planning & Zoning Commission meeting which starts at 6:00 p.m. at the Gonzales Courthouse.   Items 11 & 12 on this agenda are for consideration to amend/rescind two motions.  The first motion scrapped the proposed Master Plan in its entirety with its accompanying maps and language.  The second motion called for a subcommittee to be formed including citizens and other stakeholders to revise the current Master Plan. At the November 10th meeting Commissioner Howard Dalton expressed his desire to rescind his vote to scrap the Master Plan. Some on the Commission hope to resurrect the proposed Master Plan which called for high density development throughout Ascension.  


We encourage citizens to attend the December 8th meeting and continue to support those on the Commission who are listening to the people.  Citizens attendance will communicate to the Commission that we are ready to work with them to update the existing Master Plan.  

Preliminary Plat for Mossy Oak Subdivision

Item 9 on the Planning & Zoning Commission's agenda for December 8th is a public hearing for the preliminary plat for Mossy Oak Subdivision, formerly Mossy Oak Planned Unit Development (PUD).  In the plat one Hundred thirty-nine homes are being proposed and every tree on the property will be bulldozed. We  encourage Ascension Parish residents to attend the meeting. The following link on the Ascension Parish website gives more details:  
http://www.ascensionparish.net/downloads/planning/120810planmeetpacket.pdf

The Politics of Appointments

Three commissioners on the Planning & Zoning Commission were up for reappointment on October 15th.  All three supported the proposed Master Plan which was overwhelmingly rejected by the people of Ascension Parish.  Two new commissioners were approved by the Parish Council on November 18th; J.B. Esnard and Daniel Satterlee. The third and final position is yet to be filled.  


The Personnel Committee met on November 29th to discuss the remaining appointment to the Planning & Zoning Commission.  Citizens were told at the November 18th meeting that the committee would choose the third commissioner from the four existing applicants. However, Personnel Committee members Benny Johnson, Chris Loar, and Adrian Thompson decided they would not choose any of the four existing applicants, but would readvertise for the position.  This decision was contrary to past actions in making appointments.  (Readvertising in the past occurred when no applications were received for an advertised position.)  Because of this scheming decision, phone calls were made to targeted councilmen who might be open to representing the vision of the people by appointing one more new person to the Commission.  While contacting councilmen, some of them told citizens the plan to readvertise would allow Alan Krouse to reapply so that they could reappoint him to the Commission.  


Readvertising for the remaining position to the Planning & Zoning Commission was on the Council's agenda for the December 2nd meeting. Alarmed by this information, citizens filled the Donaldsonville Council chambers to once again demand that the Council follow their own established procedures and choose a new member from the existing applicants who had filled out applications, submitted resumes within the deadline and had been interviewed by the Personnel Committee. 


A motion was made by George Valentine and seconded by Todd Lambert not to readvertise and to nominate Cindy Quick to the open position. Some councilmen tried to throw a curve ball in the process by having legal counsel give solicited advice suggesting that readvertising was necessary because the Personnel Committee had not ranked the candidates according to their established bylaws.  This requirement has not been followed in the past. After further questioning from Councilmen Valentine and Joseph, it was apparent that this was all part of a political ploy by certain councilmen and Tommy Martinez's administration to readvertise and bring back the reappointment of Alan Krouse who had been rejected in a 4 to 3 vote on November 18th. In the end, the Council unanimously approved a motion to have the Personnel Committee rank the existing applicants and come back to the Full Council with a recommendation. This may be as early as the Council's December 16th meeting in Gonzales.  We will keep you posted.

Mossy Oak PUD Gone, Another Development Pending

At the Ascension Parish Council meeting of November 4th about 100 citizens wore red in opposition to the proposed Mossy Oak and all PUDS. Citizens left feeling victorious because the Council voted unanimously against the proposed Mossy Oak development on Babin Road. Three councilmen were absent (Clouatre, Joseph and Loar) As chair, Councilmen Bell chose not to vote and Councilman Schexnaydre recused himself because of his connections with the project. The next day, Friday, there was some confusion about the legality of the vote. On Saturday a written legal opinion from parish attorney, Toni Falterman, was released. She stated that according to the Charter Section 6-02 C(8)  "An ordinance shall be enacted at a public meeting, when voted upon favorably by at least a majority of the members of the governing authority..." The opinion further stated there is no reason to reconsider the matter, however, the Council may wish to reconsider the vote "out of an abundance of caution."


Because the Mossy Oak PUD was not on the November 18th agenda, we can be confident this proposed PUD is gone. However, another development is being proposed for this property by the same developer; details are unknown.  Citizens must continue to follow this proposal and attend the Planning & Zoning meeting when this item is put on their agenda.    

PUD Concept to be Discussed at Strategic Planning

Monday, November 22nd, the Strategic Planning Committee will discuss the Planned Unit Development (PUD) ordinance at their meeting in the Gonzales Courthouse at 6:00 p.m.  There will be an opportunity for the public to comment on this agenda item during the meeting.  This is the first in many steps to review the PUD concept and the high density it has brought to Ascension. The PUD overlay must also be addressed. Citizens are encouraged to attend. 

Two Commissioners Appointed, One to Go

Citizens attended  the November 18th meeting of the Ascension Parish Council to ask that three new members be placed on the Planning & Zoning Commission. Numerous citizens addressed the Council. The Gonzales Courthouse was packed with an overflow into the hall as the Council appointed two new members recommended by the Personnel Committee; J.B Esnard and Daniel Satterlee. Although recommended by the Personnel Committee, Chairman Alan Krouse was not reappointed because of opposition from the public due to his continued support for the proposed Master Plan which was rejected by the people and the Planning and Zoning Commission on September 20th.  The Personnel Committee will meet in the near future to recommend one of four remaining applicants to the Full Council for the vacant position to be filled. It appears this appointment will be made at the Council Meeting on December 2nd in Donaldsonville.  While Esnard and Satterlee were unanimously approved, the vote for Alan Krouse was controversial. Councilmen Adrian Thompson, Chris Loar and Dennis Cullen supported the reappointment of Mr. Krouse while Councilmen Dempsey Lambert, Todd Lambert, and George Valentine opposed the reappointment.  Councilman Randy Clouatre broke the tie vote by opposing the appointment of Mr. Krouse. Citizens will not rest until all three appointments of the  Commission are filled with new members. 

Appointments to Planning & Zoning Commission

Tuesday, November 2nd the Personnel Committee made up of Councilmen Cullen, Lambert, Johnson, and Thompson (Loar was absent) met and interviewed nine applicants for the Planning and Zoning Commission. There are three positions open for appointment.  The three up for reappointment reapplied; Chairman Krause, Commissioners Sliman and Barre'. All three support the proposed Master Plan that failed and was rejected by the people. Deliberations were made in private and afterwards Chairman Todd Lambert announced that the committee will recommend the following three for appointment;J.B. Esnard, Alan Krause, and Daniel Satterlee. The Full Council will vote on these recommendations on November 18th at their regular meeting which begins at 6:00 p.m. at the Gonzales Courthouse.