City Council - Regular Meeting

Thank you, ma'am. You know, just didn't rain. I thought it was going in.

We won't need it. You're welcome. years. You don't ask on his way. probably all

unless David's coming. I said, "Oh,

I think Whenever the time comes. Keep this hot tea warm.

Yes. I said I get to come on a fun night.

Yeah. She brought some snicker bars. We're going to call this city council meeting to order. Mr. Harvest is going to lead us in the pledge. I'll lead us in prayer. Oh, heavenly father, we come before you this day saying thank you for another day that you've granted us that we truly don't deserve. Father God, we pray and ask that everyone here have a mind for wisdom, understanding, and compassion. Lord, I pray and ask that you will bless all my colleagues and all administration that we may govern according to your will, Father God, and that our decisions may be received according to the way you want them to be received. Lord, we pray and ask these blessings in your darling son Jesus Christ's name we pray. Amen. Amen. The flag to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

I've been there. I've been with my daddy.

She wasn't going to tell me. Miss Renee.

Um, Mr. Bilbo here. Mr. Young here. Mr. Harvey here. Mr. Marks here. Mr. Viso here. Mr. Fondell here. And Mr. Weatherford here. We have a quorum. At this time, I want to take a point of personal privilege, and we need to recognize two entities that have uh done some outstanding things with the city. Mr. Mayor,

thank you, Mr. President. Uh, I'd like to take the time to uh to we we since we have a lot of our firefighters in the audience today for a matter on the agenda. I want to take the time to to ask all of you councilman and the citizens of the city of Lake Charles to congratulate our fire department on achieving a class one rating on our fire rating. And this is the first time in history that the city of Lake Charles has achieved the class one. And that's very important because it means that that uh we are at the highest level of fire protection. And also uh we got together with the department of insurance uh uh and they came back and sent us confirmation that everyone should go and look at their homeowners policies now because with the fire protection rating at one, you should have a savings on your homeowners insurance. And that translates to taking care of and protecting our citizens not just from the public safety side but also the financial side. But of course without you need to put out the fire. So that thing takes us to water. And I also want to congratulate our water department because our water system achieved a score of 108 out of 100. our firefighters, all of our our public safety uh personnel, and just remember that if we have to work as one late Charles and all those that pay taxes into the city, this is what your t tax dollars do. It's not just to not just to uh to uh to not just for take for fluff. really is protecting us, making us stronger as we go through and navigate all the challenges that we have in this life. So, thank you. Thank you, Mr. President.

Thank you, Mayor.

Also, former former state senator, Miss Willie Mount, thank you for being here with us today. We go on and get started. Um, we'd like to defer 3 13 16 to May 20th, 2026. And we'd like to delete number 23. We're going to defer three, 13, and 16 until May 20th. And we're deleting number 23. Now, we're also going to start off at this time by hearing from our uh fire chief. Before we do that, please vote on the minutes.

74. We're going to ask the fire chief to come forward at this time.

Oh, go ahead, Chief. Uh what What? I'm talking home. You said you were speaking today. Oh, I wasn't ready. Okay. All right. Well, we going to give you a pass. We We'll push it back to the 20th. No, no. I I'm ready to speak. I just not this Oh, this early. Oh, yeah. We won't go get you out the way. Go ahead. Okay. Well, I will say I I thought I knew what I was going to say, but you didn't mess me up with that one. So, I will say uh if we talking about the item that's on the agenda, if you prefer to wait until that come up, we can do that, too. I I would just give me a living. Not a problem.

Thank you. All right. Appointments. Appoint a chairman to review bids for project number CP3520 wastewater treatment plant A, BAS A-02, sewer rehabilitation. Take that, Mr. Weatherford. Yes, sir. Number two, appoint a chairman to review bids for project number CP3503-2025 asphalt overlays and amend the budget as necessary. Mr. Bilbo, would you take that one? Yes, sir.

Number three has been deferred. Public hearings. Number four, public hearing and consideration of the Lake Charles Planning and Zoning Commission's decision to deny request for a variance in order to construct nine new detached town homes with lot coverage greater than 40% actual 45% within the residential zoning district at the northwest corner of West Claude Street and Ernest Street.

Uh Mr. President, members of the council, I'd like to make one u correction on this item. The planning commission approved this request by a vote of 4 to one. So this is just a misprint on the on the item. It has been advertised as an approval. Uh to be brief, the planning commission considered this request for a resubdion of property which was approved and it will be filed at the courthouse as an approved subdivision. The item before you this evening is a variance to build the homes on the lot to cover more than 40% uh of the lot coverage. So that item was appealed by some constituents. So it's before you this this evening as presented.

So what is the 40% what the a home a structure can exceed 40% uh a lot coverage. So it's a 6,200 foot lot. The maximum they can have as far as square footage of a home is about 22 2300 square feet. They want to build a little bit bigger home about an additional 300 square feet which puts it at about 45%. So what's the normal? The normal is the maximum is 40% in this in this zoning district. Okay. And then they're trying to go 45 45%. Okay. Now Mr. Weather, they could I mean you said they could build they could build a 10,000 foot home if they do a multi-story.

It's just correct. It's the footprint. That is correct. Well, I have a question. If it passed 4 to one, how did it how does it pass if we're coming back asking for this variance? They're appealing the they're appealing the approval. Okay. Okay. Gotcha. Now, gotcha. The con the constituents in the neighborhood have appealed the the approval. So, I just want to be clear. Planning and zoning approved something that needed a variance. That's correct. And so, so we're voting to undo what planning and zoning has done. Yes. Well, but you just said it was filed with the courthouse.

The subdivisions filed with the courthouse. Now, they're going to be applying for building permits. So, they're getting a request to allow them to build up to 45% of lot coverage. Okay. All right. You got it. Somewhere. Well, it's been filed as a subdivision at the courthouse. That's one part of it. Now, they went to planning and zoning and they asked for a variance to build the house larger than what the lot is, but not larger larger than what is allowed by right. They could build. Yeah.

So, in essence, we're considering something that the planning and zoning said approved needing a variance. So, they approved the variance. Correct. So, now it's coming to us. So, yeah. So residents, area residents appealed. So what about the the the building? What what is the recommendation from planning and zone? They approved it. They approved it. They're saying let them they should have the 45. Yeah, they approved the 45% lot coverage. Any other questions from the council? Okay, we have some cards. Dominique Darbone.

Are there cards from the developer because they should go first? I don't have any developer here. That's our normal process. You want to speak? I mean, I'm happy to answer any questions. Okay. Go ahead. I'm happy to let him go first. Yes, ma'am. Appreciate you. Just just as a uh a point of information, anybody that comes up has three minutes to speak unless you've been donated time from somebody else speaking on this issue. I mean, I don't basically I'll just kind of tell you how we got involved uh as a company. There was a developer that was trying to put in like 33 32 units on this uh on this plot of land

and the church was involved and a lot of neighbors in the area were not happy with it. So, we ended up uh buying the property and over the last 18 months have, you know, talked with the city, talked with the parish, spoke with the uh the library to see if they wanted to buy part of the property or the property or whatnot. And uh you know, nobody's come to the table or whatnot. The the offer still stands to buy part of the property, but in the meantime, you know, it's been 18 months. We need to we need we need to move along. uh their concerns uh as the neighborhood. I I brought them into our office. You know, we went back and forth and had great discussions. Uh and we've been able to meet just about every concern that they have. One of their big things was they wanted single family homes, not duplexes. We got single family homes. They're one-story. Uh they go great with the neighborhood. You know, I I certainly think it would be a great improvement for the neighborhood from what was there. There was a there was the church the Our Lady Queen had a church uh building there that was just dilapidated. It was you know needed to come down. We took that down and it was just time to time to move on and develop develop the property. So that's what we've come up with. We worked with I would I would tell you that a lot of the neighbors are are pleased with you know what we what we've come up with and how we would you know put build it back.

So if you could touch on it again you said the neighbors wanted what and you chose to do what? No, the the neighbors at the time that I purchased the property did not want 33 new units to go on the something about duplexes. Yeah, that that was the proposal originally. Okay. So, from you from a prior from a prior developer. Gotcha.

What we did was we came back in and we went instead of 33 units, we're building nine single family one-story homes. So that's why the the variance there is you know it's just a little bit over the what you know and technically we could build you know whatever twotory but most of the neighbors do not want twotory threetory buildings. So the way to get it down to one story is we got to go about 300 square ft more than what you know the city allows per right now. I think it's pretty common to go a little bit you know patio homes and all that sort of stuff is pretty common in that area. So I don't think it's far-fetched to go out of go out of the the realms here. And who's your company? Uh, Flavin Companies, Flavin Development. Okay, Mr. President. And he may have to I think he needs to

state your name and address for the record. I'm sorry. Bo Flavin. Uh, my home address is 1501 Hillcraftoft Drive, Lake Charles, Louisiana. Okay. 7605. Anything else you want to add, Mr. Flavin? I don't think so. I'd happy to answer any questions. Any question for Mr. Flavman? Do you Do you have a graphic? I do. Yes. Do we have that to show? No, I can provide it. I think it looks great. Sure. I just didn't know if you had if you don't mind, you can pass it. Yeah. I think there was an email that we got late sometime this afternoon. I'll And we haven't finalized the design. It's going to look very similar to that cuz I you know, so Mr. Flavin, we may need some other we may have some other questions if you don't mind holding tight. Sure. All right. I mean, you don't have to stand there, but

Okay. Yeah, no problem.

Okay. Now, Miss Darbone, state your name and address for the record, please. Dominique Darbone, 313 West Oak Lane. Um, okay. So, yes, as Mr. Flavin stated, he did have a meeting with a group of neighbors, and I will say that he did handle some of our concerns. We are grateful to not be dealing with 32 units. We are grateful to not be dealing with the two stories. Um, but for nearly the entire two years prior to the meeting that Mr. Flavin had with us in January. What was communicated to the neighborhood was that the tree would be saved and there would be like five to six single family homes on the lot and there would be a park. Um, so I'm just going to back up really quickly and I want to go ahead and respectfully relieve you gentlemen. I don't expect you to appeal this. I showed up into city council many times two summers ago with my entire neighborhood having written countless letters to you guys and a petition that had a thousand people on it to save this tree and y'all didn't do nothing. So, I'm not expecting you to appeal this today. I'm here on a matter of principle and I'm here for my community. Um, that being said, for me, I am a member of this neighborhood, so there are some neighborhood issues that concern me, but I'm also a community organizer, and I have done a lot of community organizing for the Mary Tree. Amy, would you hear me? That thing out of my bag for the Mary Tree that sits on this property. Um, again, like I told you guys last I don't know if it was Tuesday or Monday, it all runs together. But this is a legacy oak tree in our neighborhood um that is beloved and that has garnered a lot of community support which might be silly to y'all but this is something that I was gifted for Christmas 2 years

ago. And I don't know if you can see this but it's a laser cut of the tree that Mr. Flavin wants to cut down to squeeze nine homes on that lot. Just to give you an idea of what this tree means to me and what it means to the people in my neighborhood. Now Mr. Number five did tell us that we could save that tree for $200,000. Um, which I that's a that's a generous offer, but as a community, we can't afford to set that precedent for things that are important to us. Be they buildings, be they trees, be they whatever. If we set that precedent, what are we saying? Um, and to be quite honest, most of the people in my neighborhood are workingass and I don't think I need to explain to anybody in this room how expensive things are right now. I would be remiss to collect donations um to pay for a property that was going to put money in somebody's pocket instead of do something for the community. So, I'm here on a matter of principle. I'm here cuz it's wrong um to overdevelop for the sake of profit. And I'm here because I'm quite frankly tired of this expletive. And like Mr. Paul said last week, although I do greatly appreciate Mr. Young, he is a massive improvement from my former representative. Um, I don't need you guys to represent me like Mr. Paul said, cuz I'm going to be here for myself and for my neighbors. So, thank you for your time.

Amy Abear. Herbert or Abear? Herbert. All right.

State your name and address for the record, please. Amy Herbert, 2210 Ernest Street. Um, I'm here to talk about tree, too, but maybe not just this tree and a whole lot of trees. I realize that not everybody has a deep spiritual connection to trees or maybe the inspiration of a legacy that they do provide us. So, I'll speak in language that maybe we do all understand, and that's waste, fraud, and abuse. And that's a phraseology we've heard a lot of over the last year. Um, and I want to be very clear that I'm not talking about the current administration. I'm talking about something that goes back more than two decades. 2006, Andre Dwani Sharrett report, Louisiana Recovery Authority, Louisiana Speaks, Long-Term Recovery Plan, City Hosted June 22 with Green Infrastructure Center, Build Back Better, Lake Charles Rebound, Retree Lake Charles, and just imagine I'm talking about study after study after study. They all say the same thing that we've got to preserve our tree canopy, especially our live oaks. That's for our drainage, that's for our shade, and that's for the protection of our city. Just the same way our fire fighters protect our city, our oak trees do the same thing. Our firefighters are just oaks on two legs. Um, so the Lake Charles community overwhelmingly ranked shade as the number one community value of trees in a 2022 city hosted uh survey with green infrastructure center. Study after study after study paid for, adopted, and then apparently forgotten because they're telling us the same thing. There are initiatives that are available to us that have already been paid for by us that tell us how to protect our native legacy live oak trees and it needs to be put into practice

immediately. And that's all I have to say. Actually, I have one more thing to say. I've got a little bit more time. We have led a a I don't know what you call it, a prayer chain for more than three months now praying for this tree. A month and a half. All right. Feels like yeah a lifetime of prayer for this particular tree. We have led rosaries for this tree. And our prayer is that the developer in his wealth of creativity and resources can find a way to to make a development prop profitable that still protects this oak tree. Thank you.

I have a question for you. Yes, sir. Uh, I should have asked this to Miss Darbone, but she can holler. Miss Darbone said the last time y'all came that the city council didn't do anything. What What happened to that tree in the meantime when we voted against it a year or so ago? You didn't vote against it. It was deferred. It kept being deferred. There was never a vote. Okay. So, what happened to the tree in the midst of that? It was sold. Yeah. Come come to the mic. Come to the mic. Yeah. Come on up. Sorry.

So, I don't know all the legalities. Things have been changing up now. It's like Century 21 bet, whatever. But Flavin Company at the time was a real estate agent and they were the listister of that property. So, when things fell through um or not fell through, when it was pulled, Flavven just purchased the property. The same tree.

Yes. Yes. This is the same tree. This is the same tree that I was here fighting for two years ago that I collected over a thousand signatures for that I took the word of a developer for 2 years almost and wasn't out organizing looking for um answers because I thought the developer was going to save the tree to find out with maybe 3 months left that not only was the tree not going to be saved but because the property was already owned and by the way that's another reason why you don't have a lot of neighbors here tonight. They don't think there's anything they can do because we've been told repetitively by the city we don't tell property owners what to do. Well,

and I get that, right? But even when the property wasn't Oh, never mind. I'm sorry. I want to stay on task. Did I answer your question, Mr. Marks? Okay. Thank you. Yes, sir. Thank you.

Dennis Ays, please state your name and address for the record. Mr. S. Venice, 3800 Ernest Street. I've lived on um in that house, which is just on the north side of the same block for over 24 years. And um I'm retired. The last time this come up through, the developer wanted to put 36 twostory town houses on it. Well, that fell through and then this driving come through. In the meantime, he sold half of the property. He sold the back half of the property.

So now there's only the front half and on that front half, he wants to put nine houses. He's got three lots up for sale. I went and measured them.

The lots are 39 foot wide. I have a threecar garage which is 36 foot wide. So these are going to be very little like shotgun houses. But to come back to this 40% to 45%. I keep hearing everybody wants to worry about flooding and drainage. Well, you fill that up that from 40% to 45. That's 5% more that's going to go in the street. Now, if you want to stop flooding, you got to start somewhere. You might as well start right now by not letting these people over build the lots. He's going to put nine houses where five are on the other side. So, where does the water go? Does it go in the street or does it come back on the backside? and us that are living on on Nest and Live Oak. Now we got to worry about the water coming from Earnest West Oak and now with these buildings coming up, the drainage coming in from the back coming into the backside of our house. So like I said, if you're worried about flooding and drainage, which I keep hearing about, you're going to work on it. This is the best p best place to start. Make them do the 45%. You know, and and get rid of that and and do it right cuz those lots are ridiculous. 39 foot wide. That's all I got to say.

Thank you, Mr. Harris. You want to rebut that? Um, Mr. Flavin, anything? I don't want to go back and forth. Okay. Um, Mr. Young, that's your district, right?

Yes, sir. Uh, thank you for the time. Um, I appreciate the public healthy debate that this uh particular development has uh spurred and I've heard from quite a few residents on on both sides of the argument uh for and against this development. Um, I do uh want to thank uh Miss Darbone and Miss Herbert for coming and speaking up in favor of the tree. I I do think that the city of Lake Charles needs to consider moving forward a tree ordinance that helps protect legacy oaks, especially considering how many we have lost since the storms of 2020. And I do think there's been a large replanting effort, but we can do more certainly. Um that being said, we we seem to be talking about two different things tonight. The subdivision with nine homes has already been determined that's been filed with the courthouse. We're talking about lot coverage, uh 40 or 45%. And I want to thank the developer for having met with me uh number of times with the residents a number of times and really talked about possibilities moving forward. I think the main concerns with the last iteration of this development on on this property not by the current developer but by the last one was the number of units 32 that's been reduced to nine and the number and the number of stories. It was two stories. People didn't want folks peering into the backyards. is primarily singlestory family homes. And so I don't see a problem with the 45% to 40%. If we deny it today, he can come back tomorrow and build two-story homes without anybody's permission. Uh that's why I'm going to support this moving forward. But I do appreciate the debate.

Any other comments, questions? Okay. If we vote uh a yes means that the ordinance is overturned, correct, Miss uh Thomas? No. No. A yes vote is approving. A yes is approving the variance. Overturning it. No. No. You're just supporting you're you're affirming the planning commission's approval of the application on a yes. On a yes. On the no, you would be denying it. We would be denying it. Okay. Please vote. 74.

Number five, an ordinance ordering demolition and authorizing the city of Lake Charles to enter an agreement for demolition of a structure located at 1814 Eastn Street. Willie Laflu and Josephine Laflua owners, Mr. Hester. Good evening, council. And this is a storm damaged residential structure. You can see in the pictures there's roof damage, exterior wall damage, window damage, all exposing the interior to severe weather damage of this structure. Mr. President, at this time I'd like to offer for the record the photographs as well as proof of service through the marshall's office. Um, we do have one person here to speak as well as an attorney is here. Miss Losia Roberts is also present. Yes. Uh, Miss Peggy Laflura. Yes, sir.

State your name and address for the record, please. Peggy Leafur, 156 Lee Street, Lake Charles, Louisiana, 70605. Okay. What do you want to see happen, Miss Laflur? Well, at this time we can't get any help with my nieces and nephews. We done did everything we could, so we might as well just tear down. Okay. Tried everything. It says this my district. I'm just It was Huh. You sure? If I remember correct. Yes, sir. If I remember correctly, Miss East I mean Miss Laflur, you were trying to get a secession done and you needed uh I think you had a couple of more signatures to get.

No, we did the secession. Um we tried to get the partition but that didn't happen. So I tried to get the um active a donation and um they're not willing to give me my couple of nieces and nephews are not willing to give it to me so I can have it, you know. Excuse me. Um, I was trying to get it for, you know, to say help me to tear down and rebuild it for my I don't have a house, so that's our lot, right? But my nieces and nephews are not willing to give it to me. So, they do understand that once it gets torn down, it's going to go against the tax lean and they

I tried to tell them that, but for some reason, they don't see it my way. They thinking I'm being sneaky and all this other stuff. So, they being so, you know, disrespectful and stuff. So, I'm I'm I'm I'm done with it. I done tried and I appreciate you guys sticking with me and giving me more time because I tried to do everything I could. Miss Losia here has been so great with me trying to get everything done, you know, but they're not willing to do it. Anything you want to add, Miss Roberts?

Uh, no, sir. Mr. remarks. Locosia Roberts on behalf of Miss Peggy Laflur. Uh my office address is 1607 Ryan Street here in Lake Charles. Uh Miss Leafur is correct. Both successions were completed and actually recorded back in October of 2025. And since that time, there have been attempts made to have the relatives donate the property. as she stated, there has not been a partition filed with the within the courts uh because at this point, according to Miss Laflur, um to go the additional mile and additional costs for a partition, it really does not appear to be worth it at this time. There's not been a lot of cooperation with the other family members. So, at this time, she believes it's in the best interest to simply uh allow the city to demolish the property. I have been in contact with the other relatives. Um, I've done my best to explain to them what the next steps are and what those entail, including the cost of the demolition being tacked on or attached to the property as a lean. Um, that seems to be where we are. Um, there are no other ways for us to maneuver to try to resolve this issue at this point. And I obviously, as you can see, the property is definitely a hazard. Um and it's a concern regarding the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens who uh live in the area. Um so at this point, uh on behalf of Miss Laflur, we're asking the city move forward with the demolition of this property.

Okay. Uh Mr. Fondelle 15:15. Mhm. Okay. Mr. Marks, I think you had another card on that one on number five. On number five. Do y'all still have it? No. should be maybe ask if there's someone else that wants to speak on it. Anyone else that wanted to speak on number five cuz I don't before we vote. Yes. Uh Mr. Fund, go ahead. She's having a problem with uh the residents, the rest of the relatives, but she's part owner that she qualified for the re rehab program with the city.

I don't think we had it anymore. I don't believe uh I think all the other uh heirs would have to participate in on the program. It wouldn't be changing the property or anything. It wouldn't be they would just be signing. What would they be sign? They It wouldn't they would not lose ownership. No, they No. Uh you talking about if they participate in the program? Yes. No. But they would have to agree to live and use the home as their primary residence. And but she would be the one with the primary residence. I don't know if she lived in that house.

She but she her plan was to uh remodel the house at some point obviously before it got into this condition and make it her primary residence. But the problem was because she co-owns the property with the city of uh with her relatives. It's my understanding that some of the programs that may have been available, she would not have necessarily been able to qualify without the relatives agreeing to donate their ownership interest property to her. She could have to donate their ownership, do they? No. If well, somebody whoever

signs the paperwork would have to use as a primary residence. If the others are not using it, then they would have to sign over here. In order for her to qualify for the program, she would have to have been living in it and it being her primary residence to get the program or agree to live in. And I was I'm not an attorney, but I know what a partition basically the it's a separation. The partition would have been would have been basically separate the property and she would have

whatever the state was worth, she would have gotten that and she may have had to pay the other. I don't know. The problem is with partitions, generally when partitions are done, the court orders the property to be sold and then the proceeds are just split among the co-owners because you can't force people to co-own property if they are no longer friendly in the co-ownership. So question, Miss Roberts, u if we go forward and we tear down, she can still partition to sell the property. Correct. Well, if it if she can file to partition to sell the real estate, correct? And then of course if once the the order is or the judgment is rendered then the property could be sold and the proceeds would be divided.

And I just want to put that on your plate because if we going to tear it down I think you would do better trying to sell it as opposed to letting it go to adjudication you know and then everybody lose. And actually I just had that conversation with the adjudication conversation with her today. So I think she's she's fully aware of that other option and I don't think she's willing to to allow that to happen. Okay. So going forward 1515 1515 please vote. Thank you. 74.

Number six. An ordinance ordering demolition and authorizing the city of Lake Charles to enter an agreement for demolition of a structure located at 1610 Graham Street. Allan J. Mitchell owner. Uh that go ahead. Well, before you say that, because you might not even have to go through it. Last time we came up with this property, this is a property that Project Build the Future is in the process of buying. They've just went through the submitted the documents. I got a call from Mr. Mitchell today, Mr. Harvey. And so, they just needing Project Builder Future needing more time to complete the sale of this property. So, Mr. You don't have to do nothing if you

I'm okay with deferring if that's if that's what's needed. That's what's needed. Defer for 30 days. Okay. Huh. How much time they need to close it? I don't He said they submitted it. So, I don't know how long it takes from the time they they did the paperwork. I would just say 30 days. 30 days and they can check back. I think Mr. Mitch, he's he's an attorney, so he can give your report and then and get that back. I'd give 30 days. We would defer to 30 days which would be when? June 3rd. June 3rd. Please vote. 74.

Number seven, an ordinance ordering demolition and authorizing the city of Lake Charles to enter an agreement for demolition of a structure located at 1400 North Shadic Street. Cleveland Nash and Elvara Nash owners. Mr. Hester. This is a storm damaged structure. It has roof damage, exterior wall damage, window damage, all exposing the interior to severe weather damage of this structure, and it is in a flood zone. Mr. President, I'd like to offer into the record photographs of the subject property and proof of service through certified mail. This is a reharing from April 15th. Mr. Harvey,

last time uh we had someone who was here and then they left. Uh but someone is currently living in this property. Uh I mean I I want to suggest 1515 but there's someone who I can say I I passed by there today there's people who live in there. Yeah there and were there as well today there's there's utilities and everything on in this house. So I think that's something um we need to check into because if it's utilities you had

Yeah. So the one of the property owners came to meet with Mr. Mayon, Terry Mayon to discuss the FEMA regulations. I don't know what transpired in that meeting, but they were told the wrong meeting date. They were told the meeting of the 20th. So that's why no one's here today. Okay. So we deferred to the 20th, Mr. Hart. Yes, that's fine. We're going to defer to the next meeting, which is May 20th. Please vote. 74.

Number eight, an ordinance ordering demolition and authorizing the city of Lake Charles to enter an agreement for demolition of a structure located at 317 South Louisiana Avenue. Front house only. Grace Smith, Urick Wide Price, Charles Wy Price, Monica Mer Russell, Marcia Mer, and Gregory Mer owners. Mr. Hester, this is a storm damage structure. You can send the pictures. There's severe roof damage on this structure, exterior wall damage, broken windows, all exposing the interior to severe weather damage of this structure. Mr. President, this is a reharing from April 15th. At this time, I would offer into the record photographs of the subject property and proof of service through both the marshall's office and certified mail. Mr. Harvey,

yes. I received a phone call from one of the heirs on this property that they're living in California. they will not be back in Louisiana until the first week of June. Um, I know when Miss Price came the last time, she was okay with demolishing the property, but she's not the sole heir of the property. So, I wouldn't feel comfortable making a decision until we get those people in town. I know they say they would be at the first meeting the week of in June. So, I'm going ask that we defer it to What's the first meeting in June? June 3rd. June 3rd. June 3rd. Deferred to June 3rd. Please vote.

74. Number nine, an ordinance ordering demolition and authorizing the city of Lake Charles to enter an agreement for demolition of a structure located at 1528 Pine Street, Delma Hill, Willie Mayill, Sadi Dodson, Eddie Lee Leoo Jr., and Floyd Mitch Floyd Michael Leoo owner subject to a tax sale to the state of Louisiana. Mr. Hester, and this one has severe roof damage. You can send the pictures. Exterior wall damage to the front of the house, exterior window damage, all exposing the interior to severe weather damage of the structure.

Mr. President, this is a rehearing from April 1st. At this time, I would offer to the record photographs of the subject property and proof of service through certified mail as well as the appointment of a curate curator for the uh heirs who whose location we are. Now, I'm who whose district is that? Mr. Mr. Fundale 1515 1515 Please vote 1515

number 10 an ordinance ordering demolition and authorizing the city of Lake Charles to enter an agreement for demolition of a structure located at 1900 Prajon Drive Baron Apartments Only Place Vendome Apartment Homes LLC owners uh we have one person Mr. Scott Chadam. All right. And if you Well, go ahead. State your name and address for the record. Sure. Uh Scott Cheetum. Address. My office address is 701 Porter Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70139. Mr. Chetm, if you don't mind, I'll explain to the council. I met with uh Mr. Cheetum and these what is the other guy? The um Jason, what what is his position? He's the keeper. He's the keeper with Glass Ratner is the company.

Can you explain to them what the keeper is? Yes. So, uh, as part of the foreclosure, we asked for a keeper. A keeper is kind of like a receiver, but not quite. They're but they're allowed to go in and secure, maintain, uh, improve the property while the lender is attempting to seize it because obviously we can't go in as lender and just start removing things without court order. At the time of the last hearing, we we had filed the petition. We were waiting on the order. We got the order about two weeks later. about two weeks ago received the keeper order and the keeper

74. Thank you'all. Thank you. Number 11, an ordinance ordering demolition and authorizing the city of Lake Charles to enter an agreement for demolition of a structure located at 1514 Graham Street. Joseph Howard Beverly owner subject to a tax sale to the state of Louisiana. Mr. Hester, you can see in the pictures, this is a storm damaged structure. It has severe roof damage. The structure is collapsed. exterior wall damage, window damage, all exposing the interior to severe weather damage of this structure. President, at this time, I would offer into the record photographs of the subject property and proof of service through the appointment of the curator. Mr. Harvey, we have any cards? No cards. 1515.

1515. Please vote 74. Ordinances for final action. Number 12, an ordinance accepting the lowest responsible bid and authorizing the city of Lake Charles to enter an agreement for project number CP 3242 Southshore lift golf highway lift station force man. Okay, this this is the one. Yeah, Mr. President.

Yeah, go ahead. We met with the uh we met with the biders. That was some questions that need still need to be resolved with the bid. We met with the uh the lowest bidder today. They're going to get that resolved either we schedule it for a special meeting before the meet uh the uh agenda meeting on Tuesday or the May 20th meeting. But I think we're going to get all this resolved. So we ask for a deferral. Okay. Uh before I move for the deferral, uh mayor, some of the council members had some concerns that they wanted to address in regards to this item. If they still want to address them, anybody? As long as we're the deferment doesn't affect the 45day. That's right. We don't cross that.

Yeah, the bid prices are good until uh until after the the Tuesday meeting. That's why it's a special meeting. If if if we can't get it resolved by then, then then uh the uh the bid the the biders would send a a written a written acknowledgement that they will hold their prices until we get this resolved. But if we set the date for Tuesday, we'll be within all the parameters. Yes. Yes.

Okay. Um I have something in regards to this. The only concern I had to this when we were discussing this was I submitted to the administration three times to get the bids and I want to go on record today every bid that comes through the city I'd like the city council to have a copy of those bids and the bid process before we decide on the bid because there's an ordinance in place 11372. It states that anytime a consultant does anything on behalf of the city that we're get that we are paying them to do, the city council can recommend any documentation in regards to that and it has to be given to the city council 14 days prior to us having to vote. And I think that a lot of things that were brought to us on this particular issue, I'm not going to say they was wrong or right, but it could have we could have understood better had we had the documentation to follow along. So, I'm just asking that going forward all bids be sent to the council and that we exercise that 14-day period so that if there's any questions, we can remedy this stuff in the bud. I mean, nip it in the bud. Any other comments or questions?

Okay. Yes, Mr. Harvey. Tuesday. We're going to move this to Tuesday. I'm requesting that Wagner be in attendance. Okay. Or the engineering firm or the consulting firm, whichever they refer to, but I would prefer they be in attendance. There's too many questions that we have that no one seems to be able to have the answers and if we're paying them and they're contracted by the city, I want to have them at the table. We have several questions for them. Okay. Any other questions or comments? Mr. Harvey, if y'all would like, uh, I can schedule a meeting before Tuesday with council members and Wagner and we can vet some of those questions in a private meeting prior to the meeting on Tuesday. If you'd like, if you don't mind, Mr. Cardone, could you send us some some dates and tentative times? I mean being tomorrow's Thursday. I will. Yeah. All right. All right. You good with that?

All right. Uh so we're coming back Tuesday. We're gonna we're we're going to amend this to make a special meeting Tuesday before the agenda meeting. So we'll have a special meeting to handle this and then we'll go into the agenda meeting. This will be as far as I know this is the only item for the special meeting. Only item. You you understand? Okay. So, we're voting first to defer. Yes, please vote. And now we're voting to have a special meeting on Tuesday the what is Tuesday? 19th. Tuesday the 19th at 5 Oh, not not the 19th. No, the 12th. No, the this upcoming Tuesday. So, 12th. Tuesday the 12th.

The 12th. At 5:30 in the council chambers. I mean, in in this chambers prior to the agenda, the regular agenda meeting. So, we're Yeah. So this is to so and I think what it has to have unanimous approval to come not not to have the meeting but to bring it up tonight. Is that how what's the process for that? It was already on the agenda tonight. Yes. Okay. So everybody good? Do you need a motion and second? Yeah. Do we we need a motion for that? Yeah. To to have the special meeting motion. Yes. The motion has been put on the floor by Mr. Young, second by Mr. Harvey. Please vote. 74.

All right. Number 13 is deferred. Number 14, an ordinance creating the positions of chief of administration and chief of operations within the administrative division of the Lake Charles fire department and to provide for the qualifications, duties, and responsibilities for such positions and other related matters. At this time, Chief, you rather go through the cards first or you going to go first? Uh uh 3 minutes. Yeah. I'll try to keep it short unless you need more. Uh uh as you can imagine, this is an emotion is emotional for me. So I'm going just say what I need to say.

Okay. As I stand up here now, I thought I knew what I was going to say, but I don't. I still. Okay. But as I look out in the crowd and I see all these firemen here, I wish that I was standing here saying that they were here for in support of a fire chief that the decision that I made. Okay.

But unfortunately, they're not, which is okay. They have a right to say what they got to say. But I'll say if you look out and you see all these firemen in here and what they do and what they represent, that's what you uh associate yourself with, knowing all these guys ride on fire trucks. These are the men that you see that ride on the fire trucks, save lives, put out fires, cut people out of cars, save babies, birth babies. They do all that. But as the fire chief, the fire chief look at the fire at the fire department from a completely different angle. I usually tell people I'm looking at it from a 40,000 ft view of the whole department. And let me tell you what you don't see when you see those trucks running.

You don't see the two mechanics that I have that that that maintains the entire fleet. Mhm.

You don't see when you see them running, you don't see the only two training officers that I have that keeps up their training, including uh training for the region for uh people that has to keep up all their training, their EMS, and has to double back and be safety officers. What you don't see is the three prevention officers that I have that has to inspect every business in this city. You only get three of them and have to again double back and be investigators for structure fires and all this and that. You don't see the one administrative assistant that I have. I got one minute. I got time cuz I see

you. You going to have some more time.

Okay. What you don't see is the one administrative system that I do have that's in char that helps me keep on track with the budget and do all the stuff that I need to do so I can focus on other things that needs to happen because again fire chiefs nowadays aren't what fire chiefs used to be back in the day just sit in the office and run a department. I'm on several different committees several different other things. So when I say what you don't see is that's that is the fire department I see because that's who I have. And when relation to that these two positions are in the administrative division what I'm in, not the ops division. These two positions are going to help me. That that that that's all what it's for. That's what uh you you don't see when you when when you uh see these guys running around on the fire department. Few months back we had

Mr. Excuse me. I'm sorry. Mr. President, did you? Yeah. If uh we give chief two more minutes. Yeah. Please vote. Let's just give him time before he can get through. Well, we have to put a timer. We can keep doing it. Unless, chief, unless you want to stop now and rebut afterwards. Get yourself get your thoughts together. Let me get it out now. Go ahead. So, uh, but basically what I'm saying is this is what decisions that fire chiefs make. I can't base my my decisions for this department is for the citizens citizens of this city, not based on what somebody like or don't like or what somebody just view from 5T in front of their face.

Right?

I have to make these decisions and they're not easy. They're hard decisions. But a few months back, we had some uh when when when uh I had some guys come here and talk and I'm just want to key on one of them that said something to the fact of there's only one problem that we have on the department and that's a staffing issue. In the fire chief's world, in the fire chief's mind, staffing is temporary because it can go as as it goes this and that. What I see is we don't It's not a staffing issue. It's a It's a problem with faith and a problem with trust. That issue happened way before any one of us sat in this one of these positions that goes back years. And and again, I get it cuz I was here and I understand where they're coming from. And that's why this is emotional for me. But I've been told by several ministers that want that that get to me. They said, "If you have enough faith, the size of a mustard seed, you can move mountains." This has nothing to do with I'm going say these two positions. how I feel, how I see it, it has something to do go way back to where the faith and the trust failed on on their eyes in the council in the administration and in past fire chiefs. So that's the way I see this has nothing to do with me. That's why I'm sticking to my guns because that's what leadership do. I make a decision and I stick by it and I can't falter because of pressure of how somebody sees something.

The the faith or something trust has to be built some kind of way by somebody by either administration, city council or whatever whatever they're asking for. But I understand the position and that's where this goes. So all I'm asking is for today is what I'm in approval of. I'm asking the council to approve the funding for these two positions for me to continue on make my decisions that I need to make for this fire department. We're talking about funding that I've already talked to finance, human resources, legal, city administrations, two city administrations because that's how long this went over. uh and all approval. I'm just asking for approval of the funds for these two positions so I can move forward and make decisions that I need to make for the department in the future.

Thank you. All right, chief. Anybody got any questions for the chief? I don't I have one for the chief, but these two positions are not currently budgeted for. So, we would have to amend the current budget. Yes. Is that correct?

Yes. So, and and we're basically we've got four months left in this fiscal year. Five months, I think. May, June, July, August, September. So, five months. We're more than halfway through the year. Is it urgent? Is there the urgency that we need to approve and and amend the budget for these positions or can we wait until the new budget year and go through that budget process then?

As far as that, I I think that's what they talking about. But like I said, this is this is not even the final step in this process. If it get approved now, it still has to go before civil service. And again that that can take and that's through the and is that the local civil service or the state civil service board? Is the local civil service is going to get it and they should just approve it because everybody the city didn't already approve the funding and then it goes to the office of state examiners who's going to put everything in legal form like they need to. So would the civil service board turn it down for any reason?

I don't see why they why they should after the city council, city administration, all already approved it. Well, that's a that's a step beyond us anyway. So, that's an that's an independent board. taken to I don't know who the members are but what what I'm asking is that chief if we should happen to approve this you are all right with us continuing it on into the next budget before you staff this or well according to civil service if you approve it I can I can put somebody in it and then we we're waiting on just for the civil service uh board or the office of state examiners to send us back all the paperwork that makes it

but I'm And in regards to the budget like uh Mr. Weatherford is talking about, you're good with that? Okay. All right. Any other questions for the chief? Okay. Are is this is this structure in place at other fire departments? Correct. Yes, it is. It's this what how it came about because again fire departments across the state are doing things different and these positions that's where they come from. I didn't have to create them. They're already on departments across throughout the state. Any other questions, comments? All right. Terrence Thomas. You have anything about the budget you want? No, not yet.

Terrence Thomas, 1912 Second Street, Lake Charles. I'm not going to go first. I got other people that's going to talk because I'm going to close it out. Okay. You are the union rep. I'm the union president. Okay. But are you the union rep speaking today? All All of us are union reps speaking today. They're not donating to all y'all. They donating to one person. So who's going to get the numbers? The uh Yeah, cuz I'm I can only go by the cards. They got a point time, point time, union rep, union rep, and then Terren just happened to be the first one I called. So that's why I'm clearing who's the union rep that these times is dedicated. Take me about five minutes to do what I got to do.

Okay. Okay. So, we'll take three and give to you, but you want that last. That's fine. Yes. Yes. All right. So, so let me let me to make it easier, I'm going to go by the cards that I have and when we get to the union rep, you know, you have six minutes that I can split between y'all along with your three, your original three. You follow me? Some of us are also residents. Do we need to change our status as far as union representation or go to I have cards here that specify like uh a pow or power or pow or power is donating his Where is he at?

He's he's donating his time to Terrence. You follow me? And that's how we that's how the cards are are filled out. So right now Go ahead. So do do they need to specify who they're donating time to? You're telling me? Yes. So do we need Do we need to amend those? Our assumption as No, no, no. When you get here, if you need more time that whoever that person fill out a card can say, I'm donating my time to them. We good? Yes, sir. All right. So, right now, you want to Right now, we got Sean Ferguson. Ready? He said he would like to speak. Sure. All right. How's everybody doing this evening? All right. State your name and address for the record. Oh, Sean Ferguson, 5717 Jean Lane, Lake Charles, Louisiana 70605.

Okay. Uh, I'm the second vice with the uh Lake Charles uh 561 local firefighters unit and I need these because I'm okay. They're getting bad. Uh, I'll try not to wander too much.

Uh, there's a lot of print and scratches out. Anyway, uh, good evening everybody. Uh, we're here today to speak about the addition of the two chief's positions of obviously. Uh however, I think it would be a disservice to the citizens if we didn't speak about the issues surrounding the subject of the two positions. Uh is the council aware that between two to eight firet trucks are being browned out or shut down every day? Now, as of recently, it's it's it's less, but that's because they're in the process of forcing guys like me who are drivers to take the overtime.

Mhm. Some guys don't want to take the overtime because they got wife, kids, family. They want to be there. So, if you take a day of overtime, you're stuck at work for three days. I typically work five days straight without seeing my kids or wife and then I go home for a day or two and then I go back to work for another five days straight. I worked out last Saturday on my long off because we're just short people. I completely understand where the chief's coming from as far as personnel. We do need we need more mechanics. We need more pre more prevention guys. We need drivers. We need firemen. I mean, it's it's I'll continue reading before I go off on a uh Yeah. Anyway, so when the trucks are browned out, uh response times a lot of times in the district slow down because you might have only one truck there or, you know, uh so the citizens in your in your district's protection is I don't mean to say neglected. We're put in a tight spot, but there's less trucks serving that area. Like I say, as of lately, things are guys are working these extra hours because if they don't, sooner or later they're going to get forced. Vacations are going to be cut, which has already happened once before and guys are told, "No, you have to work. You have to work. There's no no vacation. You've already earned it. You were told you can, but now you can't." Uh,

one minute. A good question to ask ourselves is why these units are being shut down. Uh at our current level, I I think this number is a little off. It was 40 to 42 men short. Uh I don't think it's quite that bad anymore, but it's still it's still pretty bad to have to shut those trucks down. Uh the big thing is is how do you justify creating these two positions at around 100k a piece? Just I'm giving an estimate because they have to be above a assistant chief but below the fire chief. plus perks, incentives, retirement, and all this stuff. So that's 200k plus perks and everything. If you cut that and gave it to all the guys and women across the fire department, that'd be what, an extra $1,000 a year. I mean, we we we need to get more people on, you know, not just in on the line, but across the board. Uh

Mr. President time is expired. Does he have some extra time? We got three. Just a minute or two is all I need. Okay, I'll give you two minutes uh out of this. You got put them on the clock for three. Okay, then shut me down. And that's Cody Green. Cody Green donated.

Thank you, Cody. Uh it's a position of the union body uh that it's not a fiscally responsible move at the moment. Uh it might be different if we were fully staffed and things were going but we are we haven't been in a good way for a while. Um we did a vote on this about a year or so ago with the union body and I don't know if y'all are aware but uh 98% of our union body showed up. They were told about the positions. Uh and in the vote, uh there were four votes for the positions and 102 men of these positions. I know that might not mean anything to you guys, but I don't know, maybe it does, maybe it doesn't, but from our perspective, it just seemed like it wasn't a good use of money at the time. Um, in conclusion, our department needs substantially more men and women. Again, mechanics division, there's only two guys, a fleet of trucks, not a not a lot of them not in the greatest of shape. Uh, prevention division, again, there's a chief and two guys that are that are stuck. they have to rotate on their they're on call. So sometimes they might not be off for half the year, you know, on their week off on their weekend off, they're still like looking at the phone, am I going to get called out? What's going on? Um, yeah, these positions do nothing to fix the lack of staffing within our department. uh you know, I I I can appreciate the fire chief's uh point of view on this. And again, I'm not the fire chief, so I I I can't make those calls, but from us, from a fiscal standpoint, it just seems like with all the help we need going in the direction

of putting more people at top, when you have AC's that do one of those positions already, it it's it's it Yes, ma'am. Thank you. But that's all I got to say. Thank y'all for y'all's time. A question for you. Yes, sir. So, you saying that by taking the two positions is going to make more people go to work or did you feel those position they would come out of your your rank? No, they wouldn't come out of my rank, but they would be coming out of the ranks in the in the fire department, I would imagine. Now, I'm I'm I'm sure he might be able to I don't know if he can hire outside of the department. That's a possibility. Two people would come out of Yes, sir. the ranks. either either the ranks, but I'm not sure if it's set up where if he can hire someone outside the department.

So, you said it fluctuate. We've been talking about this for a while. So, did a class come in, some new ones come in? We've had classes come in. So, there's constantly of people coming in as classes come in. Yes, sir. So, what point do you think that what what what are you waiting? What's What will be the magic number that we have to hire before we can fill these positions? I'll be honest with you. I don't know. Unfortunately, we learn we lose people to other departments around us and and I know everybody hates talking about issue. It's always an issue whether it's these two jobs or losing people somewhere else. Yes, sir. The same issue that you're talking about. I

I think part of it is, and I hate to bring this up because we talk about it a lot, pay, money, it's it's whatever it is what it is. young people, they're all they're they care about what what does this job start at? That's that's the main thing. Every time I've ever been to a job fair, that's the first thing they ask is what does it start at? You know, you're like, well, no. And I'm trying to tell them, hey, we got retirement. We got the two position chief want to fill. Yes, sir. And your objection is that if they came out of your ranks, y'all would have to work more overtime and trucks would No, sir.

What would happen? My objection is is that we're about to spend 200k plus benefits and perks on two positions at the top that don't help that don't help where the where the the issues are, which is manpower down towards the bottom end, not the top end. Okay. All right. Thank you. Yes, sir. No problem. David May. David. State your name and address for the record, please. Uh David May. I live at 18654 Able Road in Iowa, Louisiana. Uhhuh.

Uh I've been with Lake Charles Fire Department for a little over 21 years now. Um so start off good evening. Uh I'm here tonight because you know the fire department is obviously in a breaking point. Uh we're currently facing a a staffing crisis where stations are operating well below the ideal levels. We have been closing trucks down as Mr. Ferguson was saying. Uh while leadership proposes shifting towards a certificationbased system and adding administrative positions, the reality on the ground is that our personnel are leaving for better paying jobs in smaller surrounding departments. Uh back in 1970, Lake Charles firefighters were making $2.74 an hour. Today, that pay has only reached $128. When you adjust for 55 years of inflation, our firefighters have effectively taken a massive pay cut while the job has become more dangerous and technical. This is a bluecollar job built on a legacy of mentorship and life skills passed through the generations. By prioritizing test takers over experienced workers and administrative bloat over competitive wages, you're alienating the very people who keep this city safe. We don't need more desks in the office. We need a livable competitive wage that rema that retains our experienced employees and recruits the next generation. I ask the council to help uh to hold leadership accountable and prioritize the safety of our citizens by investing in the men who actually do the work.

Thank you. So, let me ask you. So, you're saying that you don't want this position because the money that we're spending to pay these guys could be better used with raises for you guys. Not necessarily just raises, but the raises would help generate more people to come in to work for the fire department. We are 30 plus people men short if I'm not mistaken. Uh almost 40. Correction. um within the next 3 to 6 years, we're going to have 20 plus people retiring. And the objection for the chief

with these positions has to do with the money that is being spent there compared to spending it on hiring somebody. I mean, he he's actively trying to hire people right now. Correct. It's not like he's shutting down the hiring. No, sir. But as Mr. Ferguson said, the the issues right now is manpower at the bottom. We have the administration. It's not based on the pay for these salaries. The issue with manpower has nothing to do with the those two position. We just can't get firefighters, recruit enough firefighters.

True. But I'm I'm I'm assuming is what they're saying is the allocation of that money into that position isn't necessary. It needs to be allocated down below where we can get people in. Okay. All right. Thank you. We have pictures up here to show 1970 we had to fight for pay and we still going through the same thing. It shouldn't be happening in this time. Mhm. Uh put the Hold on. Hold on. Are you on the clock? No. We showing pictures and Okay. When and you'll get to show them when I call the next person. How much time did I have? Not sure what you want to say on it. He had about 30 seconds. It don't have to be him. The next one can can

I defer it to whoever else look blow that up so they can see the Yeah. 274 an hour. Okay. We still fighting the same fight today. That that don't make sense. Okay. In 55 years we went up $9. Okay. But but Mr. Thomas, when you come up as the rep, you can you can say all that. Trust me, I'm ready. All right. Andrea Af uh can I can I go ahead of if you don't mind? Yeah, you got that way I can I can ask. I seen you call. Go ahead. Yes. That way I can answer some questions. Uh uh Chief Joseph Dantley with the Lake Charles fire department. Address is 35 Joseph Datley. Okay.

Uh 35158 McKinley. um 27 years as a firefighter for the city of Lake Charles. Now, to ask uh Mr. Finder a question before I start, uh what these guys keep saying is the money that's allocated for these two positions, we can hire probably 12 or 13 guys, but we're still trying if we can find 13 guys, we would hire them. And that's and that's a true statement. That's true. That's a true statement. And I have we have no problem with with hiring the guys. So at this point we have two guys in training as chief already uh spoke about this. So now since the other guy Mr. May said that uh all those guys are going through training as as of now today.

Okay. So when you talk about guys going through training is that new hires? Yes sir. We have only two. No we have two guys that's training them. We got two training officers. We have two training officers. Correct. at this time. And then after this class, they come on. If I'm not mistaken, Chief, uh correct me, Chief, uh these guys come on June 1st. Uh then we're not going to have any more class uh this 2026. But you'll have two two new hirees, right? I'm going to have seven new hirees. Okay.

So, at this point, we're going to have seven new hirees. So in when this class come in the the two people that leave your ranks for that position you would replace them with seven guys. So two would actually No sir. So what end up happening uh so this position we've been talking like said for about a year about these two positions. These two positions come from the um you have one that's going to be in the research from the research position which is chief Kirkwood. The other one is going to be Chief Deleno that uh so he's coming from the assistant chief. Everything is a ladder with the Lakes Fire Department civil service. So that mean whenever those guys go up, somebody got to come up from the bottom, right?

Okay. So what that means there's no one to fill the positions. So at this point, Chief Kirkwood goes up, the person that's behind Chief Kirkwood not qualified to move up. No, no, no. He have to take the test. Uhhuh. and then go to the position. If he he's a captain now and if he goes to that position there, someone from the bottom has to take another civil service test to come up. So, Mr. Danley, you're saying theoretically you're bringing in seven new people. Mhm. It's is equivalent to five because two going to have to move up. Oh, no. Oh, no sir. It's more than five. How is it more than five? Because you have Chief Kirkwood have to somebody have to fill his position.

But every time you move to two move up. Every time you move, however many you move, you got to move. So those two positions are going to move five because if Chief Deleno is up for the position, then the next DC I'm Yeah, the next DC is with me, which is going to be Chief um Ross Gillery is going to move. So everybody's going to move up. Got to move. So that's five positions. But you start from the bottom. You start from the bottom. If you're bringing in seven new people, okay, and two people move, okay, that means two going to move up, two going to move up, two going up. That's not two separate people. That's just two positions being filled, but it caused a chain reaction. It caused a chain reaction. Okay. So, in essence, you're only bringing in five people instead of seven.

If Yeah. If you're talking about those five guys are not really considered firefighters when they first come on. They're probationary firefighters. So, they have to work their working test period of one year before they can become a firefighter. So, but that can happen tomorrow if one of the chiefs decided that they wanted to retire or leave that that that same scenario can happen. The scenario could always be there. But we saying that the money that is going to be spent for those to allocate for those positions be best to put guys boots on the ground. The money that more concerned about than the pe than the position actual people shortage.

The money as well as the people shortage because at this point as you said earlier I was the civil service president for for the past 14 years until I made uh district chief four year three years ago. So at this point, I could not be the the the civil service president any longer. Yes. I couldn't be any longer. That's just it's just one of the rules that we have in place. Okay. I'm in management. I can't be sitting on the board that's handling out disciplinary action and in management at the same time. You were in management? I was. Now I'm a district chief. You was promoted. I was promoted. Okay. To a district chief. Okay. Three years ago.

Okay. That was to answer one of your questions. The second question you ask, you keep saying is about the money. It's not about money cuz right now the starting position at as of April 16, 2026 is $129 an hour. That's why these guys keep saying that uh we losing guys to other departments. We we lost in the past year. We had two classes that just came on. Um we done lost how many? It was eight graduated, four people left from our department. But but I understand what y'all saying. Mhm. We have a money issue, but we're voting on two positions. So, the position is one. Okay. So, let now now let me do my part. So, put me on the clock. 3 minutes.

All right. So, my my my part of it is uh these two positions uh would is not uh it's not going to be coherent for for the department. We just uh you just recognize Chief uh Carter for doing a good job and for achieving a class one in 150 years. Okay. So at this point, those two positions wouldn't have helped us achieve a one at all. Not nowhere. How do you determine what's going to help the chief? How do how do I determine? Yes. Because number one, I am a district chief and those two positions incorporate everything that I do as well as the assistant chief does. Okay. But do you understand that the chief is over everything? I do.

And he explained from the beginning that things are different at the top when you look down. Most definitely. So, for you to say that those positions wouldn't help would be like me saying you don't need to get promoted because you're not going to help the chief. And that's a true statement. And I I like that statement you say about me not being promoted because I wouldn't help the chief. And I probably wouldn't have helped the chief if I was not in this position. But at this point, I'm helping the chief because whenever he have a problem on a lower rank, he talks to assistant chief, which is three of them. And that that is your administrative chief. Then your supportive chief, which is myself. We have nine district chiefs and it goes down the line and anything that that needs that come from the top cuz he sees everything at 45,000 ft

drops down to this 15,000 ft. So he's putting some more aids some more people like you in positions to help him govern. So and y'all saying that that's wrong. It's exactly because you have six. You have I'm sorry. You have 12 12. Is it three? Nine 369 12. So you going So we have 12 and then and we have three robo position that's never we asked them not to fill because we couldn't keep up with the uh the people coming up and coming on the fire department. Got you. So hey, quick question. Can I get some of this water cuz I'm so So the qu So the qu Well, so so basically

I understand but I need some water. So So we've got we've got we have fire chief. Then we'll have three assistant chiefs. Yes. And nine district chiefs. Correct. And three robo district chief positions that's not filled because we asked the chief not to fill them because we were short staff at the bottom. So you have some management positions that and I understand the discussion about money. Money is finite. You know we we don't print money. Federal government prints money. Correct. But we don't. Correct. So there there there's a finite amount of money that we can spend across the the city

based upon our revenues and everything else. So that's I'm so that's the question. Well, that's just the point I guess that's being made is that sure we we can create these new and I don't know what the salary is going to be. I know that I do know that that roughly um for every dollar that we we pay a firefighter a employee in the fire department rough there's about 30% on top of that to pay into the retirement system that we pay

but when I say we we as the taxpayers pay that so that's part of the compensation and and I think u I think is a point well taken that to a 22 year old guy or 20- year old guy, you could talk about retirement, but like they're more concerned about, right? You know, getting another buck, another even 10 cents an hour. Y means more to that person than the retirement does. Right or wrong or that's just the reality, right? Mr. Dantley, you can continue.

Yes. So um to answer your question, so the way it it works right now, the assistant chief make 50% below the beginning guy. So these two positions will have to be Yes, ma'am. These two positions will have to be 60% above the beginning guy. So right now the starting pay is like I say is $129 an hour. All right. So in in order to get these positions, you just don't come off the street. You can't be a mall cop and come be a police officer and be at the top deputy chief. That's not how it works. And we trying not to keep it the same way it's been. The the the city of Lake Charles, uh the union have been a part of the city for 84 years. I'm sorry, 86 years. At this point, uh I came on 9 uh March 1st, 1999 making $5.99 an hour. So at what he was saying earlier was from $599 to now, it's only uh $610. the the neighboring departments Mosluff West Lake callers

sulfur and all those guys depend Mr. President, are you going to give District Chief Dantley more time? Let me see. I got So, you're assistant chief or district? As chief, your district district. Yes. I North side of Give him two more minutes.

So, we uh so at at this point we we run we have a mutual agreement with everyone. So, we go everywhere within the city and and elsewhere. Uh on Monday, the chief at 45, which is the terrace, was headed to Hackberry for a fire on the camper. So again, we we understand that we're going to lose uh some kids, people to uh other departments. Our point and our position is simple. We don't want we don't need two more chiefs. It's not going to it's not going to do anything. He got three chiefs that he speak to constantly. two motifs in the way is all it is to me is finding someone else to um to to uh to blame. Meaning if something something fails, we got to we got to go that way.

Mr. Danley, is that safe to say that that is your opinion? No, sir. It's safe to say that I I am I'm a chief over 18 guys on the north side and if something happens and it's gonna come back to me, correct? So, I don't know how the hierarchy works. It start at the top though. It start at the top. Okay. But you said that putting those two people in those positions would just be two more people to blame. That's correct. And I'm asking that is your opinion. That is my opinion. Okay. Of 27 years. Correct. My opinion. Okay. So if that with me governing the north end of town. So if I if something happens, I'm the first one besides the the captains to get

griefed on and then my chief Yes, ma'am. My chief's uh finish. No, no. I I stay on the corner. So my my chief is con is going to be the one that's going to have to stand before you guys or before the civil service and defend what have what happened as well as Chief Carter. He got to defend what happened and why he believed that his position was favorable. Right? Our position is simple. It does not it it's not going to help us for two more chiefs at all. Okay? Because at at this point you got nine. Two more is going to what is it going what is two more going to do? Okay. besides clog up the communications. And that's my position. All right. And I'll move away for somebody else to talk. No problem. All right. Unless you got a question and I'll answer. No, sir. All right. Any questions?

All right. Let me get this in some water. All right. We got u we got Jared Chandler. State your name and address for the record.

Jared Chandler, 11:05 Counc Lane, Lake Charles. Uh good evening, city council mayor. Uh thank you for this opportunity to speak. Uh, I'd like to say this is something we've talked about, you know, tonight singularly, but it's not the case. This is something we've been harping on, uh, like a dead horse, as the saying goes, for years, decades. Um, this department has been, as of this year, in operation for 150 years, since 1876. And you've just seen on the pictures up there, pictures of guys back in 1970 going to the streets and saying, "Hey, I need more than 274 an hour." I have been with this department for 13 years. I got off this morning at 6:00 a.m. after being there for 72 hours straight. I have a one-year-old and a three-year-old and a wife who works two jobs and I have two jobs myself. I pay a house note for child care for them for for me to have the opportunity to work here like I do. My wife is a single mother most of the time because of that. You have guys that are sacrificing more than what they were asked of originally. their lives to just scrape by. I make $1646 an hour. Been here for 13 years. I'm a driver. So that's with one promotion. That's what I make. That's before any overtime now. And we work 2,912 hours a year. The average work week is 40 hours is 280. almost a thousand hours we work as a base salary before the average working man's 2080. Now tack on overtime and I can pull up the statistics of every department the amount of overtime that they work. It is egregious and it's egregious from many standpoints the taxpayer to you. We talk about these dollars that you know anytime we ask for raise dollars have to be justified. It's coming from the taxpayer. We have to justify this money and as you spoke, you

know, 30% coming for retirement and all these things. How do we justify $200,000 in perpetuity, mind you, annually for two positions um whenever we currently can't fill a position? We have 133 men aotment uh online. We are nearly 40 guys short today. May 6, ladder one, engine four, ladder four, ladder six, and tanker nine. That is five trucks out of 15 that are online. Those trucks don't have a hoseman. Ladder one, that's Enterprise if you're familiar with Central Engine 4. That's creel on 18th if you're familiar. Uh ladder four, engine four and ladder four, same area that they serve cre on 18th. They don't have a hoseman on those trucks. There's a captain and a driver. And I know that it's really hard for me to educate everybody how the fire department works. And I encourage you to look into this. Um, International City Management Association, ICMA, uh, managing fire service, second edition, they say a fivep person company is 100% effective. A fourperson company is 65%. A threeperson company is 38% effective. Now, who here would like to say that they'd like to have a truck show up at their house? 38% effective of either saving their property or saving a life,

sir. Yeah, I see. Thank you. 38%. That's with three. What do you think it is with two? They don't even list that number. You know why? Because professional fire departments don't operate that way. And I don't want to look a gift horse in the mouth as far as the fact that we have attained a class one rating. Miracle. I've had fire departments and other unions call me go, "How did y'all pull that off?" They know how short-handed we are. I'll tell you how. You got the men and women of this department that have really dug deep and and and and checked the hydrants and did the pre-plans and did all the work that we were trying. We're trying to just save the two rating we had. Some of us like myself can barely afford to live in this city and might also receive the benefit of of that insurance permit at least being sustained if not you know, god forbid worsened. Somehow we pulled off a one. Pulling off that one is great. We got to maintain it. We got to retain that rating. How we do that is getting more guys. I'm telling you, they warned us for years and preaches. You need two more stations. You need more guys. You need more manpower. We pay $128 an hour. Go to suler. They start off at 1465 an hour. Sulphur. We're Lake Charles. Moss Bluff Carass. Hell some of the volunteer departments around here that have man people pay more than that. We are the lowest paid department in a five person five parish area. We're one of the biggest cities in that five. We are the biggest city in that five parish area. How can we claim to be so proud of that one rating when we are really struggling. I'm going to say this again. I got off at 6:00 a.m. this morning after having been there at Sunday at 6:00 a.m. Hadn't seen my kids. You know what I did when I got off 6 am? I pulled my tool trailer to a house and I worked nine hours remodeling a house at my other business. Never got to see my either my kids. They

haven't seen me since Sunday. Actually, no, Saturday because they were sleeping. I left at 5:00 a.m. This is a problem and it's not singularly unique to me. It's across the board. You have guys Okay, Mr. Chandler. Yep. Your minute is up. I'd like to have some What's your name? Tyran Tudson. Tyrone Tudson. Tyran Tudson. Tyran Tudson. Okay. you on the clock. Three minutes. Thank you.

You have guys that currently don't get to go home and I'm going to I'm a very passionate person. I'm going to use passionate words here and and it's not being overly flagrant. It's emotional and financial extortion what this city is doing to keep guys on that truck so that people are safe. So that you, mayor, and anyone else in this in your constituency, address us. No, I I'm address us. That's all I'm asking. Okay. You, city council,

I know where all you live. I know where your areas are. You know, which of you wants to have that fire truck show up with two guys on it. There's a captain and a driver. I'm the driver. I have to stay on the pump panel and operate that that pump panel and and pressurize the hoses and get everything set up. While the captain's making a 360 round house, I'm going to try and explain this really quickly because I can't explain the fire service to you in this three minutes. Who do you think's going in and saving you, your kids, your pets, your property? There is nobody. There's no hoseman. They need a hoseman and a captain. Technically, by an FBA, you need two in and two out. Two people go in, you got two people on the outside because we also have to protect ourselves. If those guys go down, you need two guys to go in and get them so we don't die. We sacrifice a lot to save a lot. you're in there. What do you think happens? And I'm not going to name names. What do you think has happened whenever we show up and we've only got a captain and a driver and there's somebody in that house? Do you think that we follow an FPA and put our hands and go, "Man, wish I could go in there and save them. Don't have enough guys." You know what we do? because I have to look myself in the mirror at night and live with the fact that we didn't have enough guys to go in and go, "Man, no, I'm going in." And we've had singular captains, one guy go in while I'm manning the pump panel, throwing gear on, trying to feed him hose in 110° heat outside in Louisiana. The next nearest truck 5 minutes out. We don't even have a water supply yet. We got 1,000 gallons on the truck. Maybe if we're lucky. If it's one of those pumpers got 750. If you're pumping 250 gallons a minute, how many minutes you got? Three. Not much, is it? I don't know about you, but I live in this town. That's not what I want showing up. I know the reality as a firefighter. What's showing up to my house? I know the caliber of the guys.

We're going to do what we have to do, and we're going to do it despite not being given the resources that we need. I would like to say no. I I would love to be in support of my fire chief. I want us to have the type of department that is cohesive and on the same page. We don't have even a department as it stands because we're almost a third of our department short. But I want to support having those two extra positions. The departments that we're comparing to, mind you, Baton Rouge, Shreveport that have these positions. Do the math. I can't give you the metrics right now, but we don't have the size of department they do to justify those positions. I want that though. I want that for our citizens. I want that for this this city. We're putting the cart before the horse. Nobody is saying we don't need those positions. We're saying we don't need them right now. I want to support those positions. A lot of guys would like to have that.

Time up, Mr. Chandler. Donation to time. Y'all want to give if you want to speak? Ronnie Sonier Simeon. Simeon, you want to give him your time? All right. Thank you, Simeon. Excuse me. I'm get back on my point. Can I make a point? Yes, sir.

I understand the passion of all y'all. I sympathize with y'all, believe me. But we're talking about two positions. y'all wasting y'all time arguing about salaries. I agree with y'all. We could do better on salaries. We need to hear some arguments about why these particular job all we voting on tonight is filling these two positions. I'm getting to that point. That's why I need the other three minutes if you Okay, you got it. Start. Yeah. Go ahead. Okay.

Well, three minutes. Let's Let's squeeze them. We're comparing ourselves with departments like Baton Rouge and Shreport. Now sh what I won't say they're in a similar position but Baton Rouge we have guys that left here to go there that no longer work here mind you two years into the job making more than a captain does here because they pay better and it's written in black and white. I mean let's be real like we said earlier you apply for a job. What's the first question people ask? What does it pay? Do you think that we can really get guys fresh out of high school, hey would you like to go risk your life for $128 an hour? Most of them come here because the position is available. We'll pay for the training. That's a waste of tax dollar money. You know why? Because Bulmont pays 70k a year starting out. And I can sit here and list all the departments that list more. They come here, they get the certifications, and then another department benefits from our tax dollars because we wasted them. And I don't want to see more money wasted. $200,000 on salaries that you're asking the the reason behind it. We don't have the size of department of the man. The span of control in any system is what? Seven people. We have 133 online. You do the math and break down. We've got 12 chiefs as it goes. Now, it doesn't make sense in black and white to throw two more chiefs in that. And not to, you know, it's a poor phrase, but too many chiefs. You know, we don't have enough people to justify these positions yet. I want to have that department as much as the next guy. And I would love whenever we get that department to be in support of these positions when they're justified. I would love to hear from the fire chief if he's able to rebut what's the justification for these two positions because I we've asked and to be frank in the meetings the justification being told is because I want it. I'm the chief. I've not heard any metrics to justify we got to justify tax dollars, right? What are the metrics

and what is the direct correlation of $200,000 and a direct benefit to the taxpayer spending that kind of money? And it's not a oneanddone over positions for for a year. No, this is perpetuity in going forward. We have to justify that, right? And that's what we're told every time we ask for a raise. We got to justify the tax dollars. I would love to hear a direct metric comparison of justifi just justification for tax dollars. How does that play out? I don't see it. I've not heard it. I'd love to hear it. We've asked. We've not been told both behind private doors and here publicly. I didn't hear anything from the fire chief that says, "Hey, this is directly how this is going to help both the department and the taxpayer." I don't see it. I want to support these positions in the future if we have that kind of department. We don't have the size of department that justifies these two positions. Baton Rouge, we're not on the same level as them. Not even close. We're not just talking about the money. We're talking about safety. We're talking about guys that are showing up with only two guys on a truck to save you, your house, your kids, your wife, your husband, your grandparents.

Time is How is that acceptable? I I don't want to look a gift horse in the mouth. We We got the class one rating. That's great. Anybody want to give him three more minutes? No, not frustrated at all. Okay, you got time. You want to give it to him? This would be the last three minutes. He can have up to 12. Correct. That's what I'm asking. If anybody else want to give him time, I understand. We got Mr. Marorrow. Marorrow. Mr. Marorrow. All right. Simple.

I'm going to try and reel it in here. I'm so passionate about this because we've been beating this dead horse for a long time. And I'm going to I'm going to give you some more justification. Safety. It's an issue and and it's not just a money thing. We're like Chief Dantley said, we're pulling two guys offline essentially to fill these two positions. It's a cascade effect. We're already short there. Common sense dictates if you're already short in an area and you can't justify the new area you're trying to create, why would you pull from a bucket that's almost empty? It doesn't make sense. And we can't refill that bucket. I'm telling you, we lose. The attrition rate here is over half in most cases of all the classes we bring on. In some cases, more than that, three quarters. It's ridiculous. The only guys we're able to keep are people like me that really care about the community and have stayed here and have some loyalty in it and have some skin in the game, but it's getting worse and worse with inflation. 1208 an hour. Who wants to sacrifice? Not only, okay, maybe let's not get too embellished on sacrificing your life, but you're sacrificing your life as far as quality of life. I'm never home. These guys are never home. They never get to see their wife and their kids. It's emotional and financial extortion because these guys feel indebted to their community to make sure that we don't walk away. I have a business that outstreaks well what I make here that I've developed. How much longer do you think that I'm going to stay here? How much longer you think I'm going to look at my one-year-old and three-year-old and go, "Hey guys, barely scrap them by. Daddy's never home. I'm going to keep being a firefighter." Eventually, we have to walk away. We don't want to walk away, but it's a breaking point. We're losing not just guys on the bottom end. We're losing guys at the top end. 20-year guys that are going and going, "You know what? I'm going to go make real money." Justify tax dollars. It's what's always harped on us when we ask for a raise. I'd love to hear your justification as city council members and the chief why

we should spend $200,000 annually when nobody that I've heard has given a direct correlation at the benefit of those positions. The fire chief maybe he's I don't is he not able to perform his duty as it sits now and needs to delegate? I'd love to hear the metrics on that. What is it directly these people are going to be responsible for that he is not already responsible for? out. Departments that have these positions are significantly larger than ours. Safety. Two guys on a truck. Five trucks out of 15. A third of the department right now has no hose in the on. And that's today. This is a Wednesday, the beginning of the cycle. By get two weeks and end the cycle. It gets worse. Guys are burned out. They've been here for four, five, six days straight. Pull up the metrics again. I encourage you to call. Call on a regular basis and ask how many trucks are not just short, brown out. Brown out. I'm going to educate that means an entire truck for your area is not in service because by laws you have to have a driver and a captain. You don't have a driver cabinet, that truck cannot legally move. That means there's a truck in your area that's not being serviced. Not to, like I said, not to look at gift horse in the mouth. You know, it's great. We got the class one. We really scraped together to somehow make that miracle happen. Maybe we will retain it. I guarantee you if we don't get those numbers up on the bottom end and keep throwing money at the top end, it's never going to happen. time. I I will give you three more minutes.

That's all right. I think I've beat this dead horse again for the eenth time. All right. Thank you for your time. Thank you for your consideration. I hope that you all justify these tax dollars. Mr. Frederick Parnell, state your name and address for the record, please. Frederick Parnell. Uh I live at 117 Brier Court in Sulford, Louisiana. Mhm.

I would like to start off saying thank you for allowing me this time to talk and speak to everyone. Uh for being on for nearly 20 years, I see that this is an issue and y'all can see as well, but these are some of the things I'd like to inform you'all about. The LCFD is facing severe frontline staffing shortages. The fire chief is asking you to support him in creating more administrative positions when the union overwhelmingly voted against this creation of two positions which does not address the staffing deficiencies and safety of the online men and personnel of this fire department. As they stated earlier, as a union whole, only four of the members voted for this. Our argument is that the department's priority should be addressing the manpower shortage in the field rather than expanding administration at this time. Maybe if it was a bigger department, I could I could see that would be fine, but it's not. Burnout and safety is an overwhelming experience and it's extreme because some of these guys are working for almost a week at a time without, like he said, addressing and seeing your family. We have families. You can go and look on the records of how many people have worked overtime, which is a staffing administrative. It's not administrative. It's staffing of manpower. As we were addressing earlier with this last class, we had eight recruits. Three of them lost and then we also lost

another two people that have been here for over 15 years. That's an issue. Mary Simeon, if you'd like me to address you for just a second and just to put put a point. Isn't there a need for a ladder truck on the north lakes? All your questions come to the council, please. Isn't there there there's supposed to be a ladder truck that's supposed to be on the north side of our department.

There's also a need for Morgan Field to have another truck or actually two, which would be 18 employees. Where is that coming from? When we give administrators, there's no need for that. As my closing statement, if the council allows this to take place, it will be a disservice to the citizens and shows a lack of concern for the safety and the citizens and the firefighters of this department. Furthermore, a more prudent action for the council would be to listen to the facts of the case rather than to listen to an inane position which is no merit and no purpose for up. You need more time?

Nope. Okay. Thank you, Steven Willis. Oh, Miss Miss Off, I'm sorry. I called you earlier. Come on. State your name and address for the record, please. Steven Willis, 1825 Topsy Road, Lake Charles, 70611.

Uh, says Steven Willis. I'm a district chief. I've been here for 27 years. Uh, I'm coming at, you know, I thank y'all for y'all's time first of all, and I'm coming at a little different point of view. Probably might make a f a lot of my fellow guys a little upset with me. I'm not totally against these positions. I think it's a horrible timing. Uh, a few years back, Chief Carter asked me to to start looking into and and helping build our critical stress team. I don't that y'all know what that is. Critical stress debriefing stuff. Every time we have a critical incident, we go and we talk to them. Uh, oh, since 2022, I I don't know how many people I've met with and talked with, but I just want to give you a few stats on firefighter mental health struggles. Uh firefighters experience mental health struggles including PTSD, depression, suicidal ideas at a significantly higher rate than the general population. Some studies show approximately 20 to 40% of firefighters struggle with these issues. This is high uh and it's attributed to the exposure to the traumatic events that we do as firefighters uh which average non-traumatic events a year. Uh the human body is not made to to see this every day. Uh roughly 20% of the firefighters meet the criteria for post-traumatic stress at some point in their career. Uh 6.8 lifetime risk of general uh is the regular of general population. Some studies indicate that it's as high as 37%. Uh suicidal thoughts Florida State University found that 47% of US firefighters have considered suicide. 19 has actually made planned. 16% has actually attempted some time of this uh suicide in their career. uh anxiety and depression. Approximately 40% of firefighters report some type of clinical levels of anxiety and depression. Sleeping disorders, at least 307% have sleeping disorders, which is linked to three to six times higher likelihood of developing mental health disorders. uh the morale and and other things. Over 50% of firefighters are some have

suffered some kind of psychological distress from actions or lack of as uh driver Chandler was saying when you get somewhere and you don't have the manpower issues uh the manpower there you can't do your job and that that man that beats you to death. I I can't tell you how many people I've met with that has issues with that. Uh and then so saying that uh you do stuff that you don't want. Uh 30% of firefighters nationwide have an alcohol dependence. They try to find a way to cope with it. Alcohol is their thing. Uh what I see and what the the nation sees is uh we don't see single incidents. It's just repeated and that just gets to you gets to you. And these guys are working tons and tons of overtime. Uh if if you all asked about numbers a little bit earlier, if if we could get it down to we're only holding five or you know we get that number from a lotment from one whatever it was like 30 something people short to maybe 20 uh only being 10 or 15 short then maybe these positions could could be uh in my opinion thought about. But until then we're putting too much stress on our guys.

So So you just said what what number would be the magic number for? I don't know the magic number. That would be something with the chief, but in my personal opinion, I if if and I'm just saying I don't even know the numbers. Say if we're 40 people short, if we right now, we're 40 people short. I don't know that. I don't know the exact number, but I know we're close to it. I mean, y'all y'all know this more than I do. Uh so if we're 40 people short, if we could be 10 people short, if we could find 30 extra employees right now,

that would significantly help our our stress levels and and the stuff. Uh what you see is you see a lot of sleep deprivation. Uh and I'll use myself example. I worked overtime the other night in a 12-h hour period on a Friday night to to 6:00 Saturday morning. You need another minute. Just 30 seconds maybe. All right. Go ahead.

Uh I made eight calls. The following night was a Saturday night. That was my regular shift. I worked it. We made seven calls that night. driving down Broad Street, going to a call, I can't even respond like I should be because sleep deprivation. Uh, and we're asking these guys to do this seven days, 8 days, 9 days, 10 days, some of them even do it 14 days in a row. It's it's getting to a critical point. Uh, and and saying that on the on the stress point, I've met with a lot of these guys and and they're they are at a breaking point and it's hard to sit there and go back home and they all know I just finished a class with the police department. That was a great class they put on. Uh, I wish more people would go to it. Uh, they say like, "You have to turn my telling me I have to turn my phone off." I can't do that cuz these guys need a need need somebody to listen to them. We're just at a point right now we can't afford to lose any more people and and rely and put more stress on the guys that's there at work.

Thank y'all for y'all's time. I appreciate it y'all. Good night. Okay, I need Let's see. Andrea Off. Please state your name and address for the record, please. Andrea Orphy, 7058 Bowman Road in Eighway.

Most of the things I'm going to read off of here have already been said, so it's basically just a reiteration. The Lake Charles Fire Department is facing a critical staffing shortage with vacancies reaching one-third below ideal levels. To manage this, current leadership has begun cancelling earned vacation time. This ill- advised measure will only further the following. Extreme burnout suppression personnel work 2,912 hours annually. That's 33.24% of the year, significantly higher than the 2,80 hours or 23.8% worked by office staff or administration. Loss of morale. Forcing overworked employees to forfeit rest adds dangerous psychological and physical stress, increasing the risk of workplace injury and sleep deprivation. Loss of confidence. There is a decline in trust toward the administration due to a perceived preference for punitive scheduling over competitive compensation. in recruitment and retention. Sulfur starting pay is around 36,500 per year. Carless starting pay is around 42,000 per year, while Lake Charles starting pay is around 35,198 per year. The nearby smaller departments are taking our trained personnel with better pay. We believe instead of restrictive scheduling, the administration should immediately decrease cancelling vacations and restore the ability for employees to recharge, preventing long-term disability and further resignations. Implement a pay scale that meets or exceeds the regional average to stop the bleeding of trained employees leaving for surrounding departments. implement a

pla a plan to reach the optimal staffing level of 182 people without relying on canceled vacations and overtime. The safety of Lake Charles residents depends on a fire department that is mentally sharp and physically ready. Relying on staffing through exhaustion is a liability, not a solution. We urge the council and mayor Simeon to refocus on solving the root cause, recruitment and retention through fair pay and respect for employee well-being, not two new office positions. I don't have time to read my second one, but I do want to say addressing the two positions if someone mentioned a breakdown in communication. We already are struggling with communication through up through the ranks to chain of command. I feel like that would just muddle the chain of command communication even more.

Any questions? One more minute. One more before I call Terrence up. I need one more minute. I think he wants me to read the second one. Does anybody have a minute? They can You can take one of Terrence minutes. One of my Okay, I'm taking and I I'mma rush through this. All right.

I'm here representing the men and women who protect this city. We are the people who sacrifice our own health both physically and mentally to ensure the safety of the community. We miss the birthdays, the graduations, sporting events, and the holidays because the job doesn't stop. But right now, we are asking for your help because we can no longer sustain the pace you are demanding of us. We are here tonight to formally ask you to reject the creation of these two new administrative positions. For over a century, the department's administration has gotten the job done with the current structure. What has changed is our ability to keep people. We are currently facing a retention crisis because we cannot recruit and keep personnel with our current wages. Adding two more people to an office does nothing to help the firefighters who are working countless hours of overtime and running on empty. Staffing shortages aren't just a workplace issue, they are a public safety risk. When we don't have enough boots on the ground, response times are threatened. And the safety of every citizen in Lake Charles is on the line. Every dollar spent on a new office position at this time is a dollar that isn't going toward competitive wages that would keep our train employees from leaving for better paying small departments nearby. Please stop taking our sacrifices for granted. Please help us help you fix the staffing shortage, address the wages, and put the focus back on the front lines. Please vote no on these administrative notes roles and yes to the people doing the work. Thank you.

Thank you. Uh, he gave me his up. I have four cards that only one of them. Oh, got I got six cards. No, this is Terence here. It's uh he appointing uh Mr. Lloyd Hanks. Before Mr. Hanks comes up, Caleb Dantley, Brandon C, and Dylan Fruge. Are y'all um donating? Donating time. Donating time. Okay.

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

My name is Lloyd Hanks. My address is 25414th Street, Lake Charles, Louisiana. Um I'm one of the three assistant chiefs on duty. Um I'm representing local 561 and um and also like I said, I'm a citizen. So, this is to the mayor, to the city councilman, to the public, other representatives, and I just wrote this uh briefly, maybe about four or five hours ago. So, just beware of my grammar. It might be a little off, but I'm here. Uh so, at work, I'm going just read what I have here. Um first, I'm going to talk about what they were saying, the shortage. Um so, you'll be pulling three guys from suppression. So, one of the guys will be coming from assistant chief to uh one of the positions. One person is coming from administration from planning. Uh a captain is going to be filled that spot for planning. Uh so that's three spots there. And then the chain reactions goes down uh filling the slot. So somebody has to take the assistant chief position from the district chief and the captain's moving into the district chief position and then a driver going to a captain position. And then you will see, well, you're going to have a driver going up to that a firefighter going to driver position, but you're really not because we don't have the adequate staff in that one position. Okay. So, what I wrote down here um is valued versus devalued. Um, I like to say I'd like to commend the chief and the rest of the staff members that are here um on our class rating and um they did a a good job. Uh uh one of the guys that's standing behind me that but was passionate about it. He was there and and uh I gave him uh hats off to him. So um so the first thing I'm going to just go ahead and read value versus devalued at work. The experience of being valued

or devalued often boils down to mattering. The feeling of being def sufficient and adding measurable value to a group and or business. Valued employees recognitions, respect and growth. Devalued employees are ignored, interrupted, excluded. That devalues an employee. Okay, I don't know if I kind of scrambled all that in there. So valued employees are recognized, respected, and grow devalued is interrupted, excluded, and ignored. Not everything I'm saying here is not attack to anybody. I hope nobody take this nothing personal. Uh uh most of the stuff I'm going to say is is according to feedback. Okay, I did scratch out a few little things there because I think they told me it was too strong. But like I said, I just written this just recently. Uh signs of devalue, micromanagement of slack, of lack and trust, being closely watched or having resources deliberately withheld, exclusion is not being invited to key meetings or being ignored when you provide suggestions. Social de deval dev valaluation uh is stereotype based on age, gender, orientation that leads to someone pass over regardless of merit and or senior and seniority and our department is based off of seniority and like I said I wouldn't even go on speaking of uh reputation of damage is staff undermining staff in front of peers leading to lower status. Disengagement is lower low morale, reduces productivity and increases asism.

Time. Mr. President, Mr. Hanks, you need more time. Yes, sir. I still got Yes, if you don't mind. Mr. Michael Robinson has donated his time.

Okay. The impact of feeling value uh employee experience and mattering effect that builds loyalty and innovations. Acknowledgement, the frequent meaningful recognition beyond manual receipt or review. I'm sorry. Trust, being able to manage and handle tasks without excessive supervision. Professional growth, access to development of opportunities, and a clear path for advancement. Respectful communication. Ideas are heard and professional opinions are respected. So, like I say, I'm not here to attack nobody. Like I said, I wrote this earlier. So, so keep in mind of value and devalue. So, Mr. H, go for everybody. I have a question.

Yes, sir. Help me to understand. Yes, sir. Are you saying that's how you treat it? Say it somewhat. So, you saying the chief devalues y'all and belittles y'all? Yes. That's what y'all saying the chief does. Can I speak? No. When your time come cuz they might be afraid of That's all right. They up there now. My question is for Mr. Hanks. Well, and and the reason why I didn't want to speak is because of what he just said. Uh I don't I don't like retaliation. I'm not a person that uh buck the system. Everybody in here that knows me. They know how I work. So you saying the chief, if you're talking about the chief, he would retaliate.

Talking. Yes or no? Yeah. Okay. Anything else? How long you been on? How long you been on? So hey Rick said keep in mind in the value everyone including city councils I'm I'm trying to go go somewhere with this in here uh everyone that city councils mayors judges or selected representatives are in positions due to the citizens of Lake Charles having the right to vote and the outcome we choose we choose you. So when you sit in the office, do you feel valued?

Are you feeling value at this time? No. I'm just answering your question. Go ahead.

I'm just that's that's what I have here. You should feel valued because you are overseeing your district and the mayor is seeing the city of Lake Charles. You are serving the community right now by letting me voice my opinion and anyone else for or against it. I got you with reasons when you were when when this was already voted on by the fire department union body. While we still discussing this right now when we the community of Lake Charles clearly move more important we have more important issues to resolve. I heard somebody say about a tree earlier. I know about the bridge. We talked about the community center. Uh last time I was here some industrial business up there in the terrace. Uh flooding issues, highways and street problems, homeowner properties. Every time I come here, we're talking about beautifification. And that's just a few things the top of my head. Uh we are discussing a topic within our fire department to you. I'm pretty sure other departments within the city of Lake Charles have issues, concerns, topics, and will not bring them to the city council meetings. If you don't feel devalued, I'll feel devalued for you.

Me standing here, I feel devalued. You need more time? Yeah. I'm almost done. Okay. I'm I'mma give you Caleb Dentley 3 minutes.

Me as a taxpayer, our taxpayers money right now is being spent on voting on something that already has been voted on. We should be moving forward, not idle, not backwards, which leads to insult, but feedback to solutions. I haven't heard a solution yet. good idea at this time, but we have bigger concerns and this will not make the community of Lake Charles any better. And I think that's what one of the drivers said earlier. We are worrying about the wrong things. And then I got a little human thing in that. I was just playing around with it. So, uh, like Allan Iverson say, you know, you know, we we're talking about practice. We're not talking about a game. We're talking about practice. And to us, the fire department, we're just practicing because we have bigger issues, real life situations. Thank you for your time. Okay.

All right. Union rep. Yes. State your name and address for the record. Terrence Thomas, 1912nd Street, Lake Charles. Okay. For starters, this is a booklet of all the brown outs we do on a regular basis. Anything you see in yellow is missing personnel. Mhm.

Unacceptable. Now, I'd like to start off by thanking y'all for the funds into our water infrastructure to help us do this class one rating because that's what helped us get across the hump. This success clearly demonstrates that our current workforce is capable of meeting high standards without the addition of new administrative roles at this time. Chief of administration and chief of operation is not needed. It is a duplicated service. Me as an assistant chief, I am over administration in the absence of the chief. I am over operations every day that I work. There is no need for these two guys to come in and try to do what I do. Our staff has achieved these goals despite being short staffed, undercompensated, overworked, and low morale. However, we are now at a critical juncture where burnout, canceled vacations, and low morale are threatening our operational stability. That's the safety of every citizen in this city. To maintain this class one, the city must prioritize compet competitive pay to improve the recruitment and retention, especially as we are already two years into the next grading period. So, we got this one, but we already two years into the next grade and we've already been instructed that if we don't do something about manpower, we're going to fail. We're going to lose that one. Our primary need is not additional executive oversight, but rather boots on the ground and support. Investing in our frontline personnel is the only way to ensure the continuous safety and excellence of our city's infrastructure. Since we're talking about PIL, PIL evaluates several aspects of the

fire department. emergency communications, training, personnel and staffing, water supply, equipment. Just to the main points of it for property insurance in Louisiana, the PIL does not provide specific credit for the number of chiefs a fire department has. Instead, credit is based on officer certification for those with the rank of lieutenant or higher. So, we do not need those positions because they don't help us with our PIL, which y'all was just bragging on. So, the chief has yet to explain how this helps with our crisis of manpower and safety of the citizens because that's my main focus. My family lives here. We cannot do this any longer with working like this. Our guys sacrificed everything to improve this class one. The chief was not even here for the grading. So that's why guys are upset and feel the distrust and the lack of faith in his leadership. It is pathetic. I'm an assistant chief who's right under him. In the two years since I've been assistant chief, he does not come to me and talk to me about any leadership things dealing with the department. He goes to Chief Deleno who he wants to put in that position. What Chief Hanks was trying to say is he don't talk to him either. This is a lack of leadership. We don't need other chiefs up here for him to be able to put in between us to give orders. If he can't fulfill that need, maybe he need to re-evaluate being the fire chief because we don't need more chiefs. We need more Indians. Our department is dying and we're here to ask y'all to stop the bleeding. If y'all vote for this, y'all basically telling the citizens you don't care about their

safety because we care. That is our main concern. The money, I don't care about all that. Money is what drive the community and the world. If you don't pay these people, these people not staying here. I talk to young people all the time trying to recruit them to come here. But when you tell them that we make $35,000, which is $128 an hour, they laugh at me. They laugh at me. I've gave the chief a written contract for when we get new hires to retain them for at least three years. We have yet to see that contract go into effect. So, we are doing everything we can on this side of the line to protect this community, but we are being let down at the top. If y'all vote for this, it's gonna be a tremendous disgrace to this city.

Hold on. You need more time. Whatever you willing to give me because I got a lot to say. Okay. But do you have a lot to say about this issue? Oh, yes, sir. Okay. Well, continue on. You got He had a question. Okay. Go ahead. Yeah. Um the the the my question is are you aware that we don't handle administrative? We have a mayor and and the chief. We're not the administr we we don't take care of folks jobs. You know that that's not what we do. I know that. And we have to trust the mayor is elected by the citizens to run this thing. the city council.

All we do is approve what he puts in front of us or not. Okay. Okay. Number one. And evidently the mayor and the police chief decided that it would be in the best interest of the city to have this position and they're asking us to pay for it. Okay. That that's our role. Okay. Now, can I respond? That's all I'm saying. Before you get too far. Yeah. I might forget something. So, let me respond to that. Number one, the mayor knows nothing about the fire service.

Number two, the fire chief was on fire line for four years, went to training for 21 years. So, he has a disconnect with the men. I work with the men. And if you take a vote of hands right now, these guys would tell you that they don't have confidence in this chief leading this department because he thinks because he's the chief, no matter what the men need, if he don't want it, we don't deserve it. Well, that's what I'm saying. And that is not how it goes. That's exactly what I'm saying. It's not our job. But it's your job to vote. I mean, all we are voting on is whether to approve the spending the money. The chief's record is not on trial here.

Well, we wait. The mayor's record is not on trial for the council. The council is only to decide whether we going to spend this money at the mayor's recommendation and the chief recommendation. You're not 100% correct in that statement. Your job as the council, yes, is to protect these citizens. Yes. We are here pleading to you to protect the citizens from this error that's being made in our leadership. So, it is your job to listen to the facts, the evidence I'm listening that we're presenting. Now, if I and make a decision off of that, not off of the chief because he's the chief.

If I was the administrator, I can't change nothing that's going on there. That's not my role. That's not what I'm asking you to do. I'm asking you to listen to the facts, the law, the NFPA standards, everything that we're presenting because the chief has presented nothing to show where these positions justify the correction of the errors we have with the staffing. Now, if I can move on before she tell me I'm out of time, I need the chief to come to the podium because I have questions for him. No, you talk and then he comes back for his rebuttal. That's the way we conduct this meeting. He won't be able to remember all these questions, but that's not up to me for him to remember you. If he need to ask you something, he ask you something. But we not going back and forth.

Well, first of all, Chief, correct me if I'm wrong. We have three assistant chiefs that do administrative and operational duties is the first question, which he's going to say yes because he has no choice because of our operational chart. Can you pull up the operational chart of the fire department on there, please? Mr. President, while they're doing that, can you tell me how much time is this? More minutes on there. Somebody else got some time. You didn't You didn't exhaust it. I'm counting the minutes. That was three minutes. Okay. That's why I say you got three more. I was unclear as to how much time you gave him. He He had a total of nine minutes. Nine. Okay.

Yes. So, if he's creating these two positions to do what I do now, what will I be doing? That's a question. So, you're worried about your job? I'm not worried about my job. But you just asked that question. No, the question is if you're going to take my duties and give them to somebody else, what is my new duties? Do what are the duties of this new job? The new duties would be over operations and over administrative. So we can't have two then. I already do that job. But we can't have two. What you mean? No sir. No. So you don't know what can have it? No. Chief Delano and Chief Okay. But but you but what I This chart right here shows y'all a structure.

Okay. That's as it is now, right? No, that's with these madeup positions that he's trying to put in here. Uhhuh. Cuz first of all, he's want to put create these positions. Baton Rouge has 602 employees. Okay, I understand that point. I'm simply asking the positions that he wants to create. Are they in this with this chart? Yes. But with our regular chart, they're not there. Take that operations out. That's the three assistant chiefs. That's the formation. Now that comes down at the top, it's him and then when he's not here, the assistant chief is in that position, too. So, what are these two new positions are going to be doing?

They're going to be over all administrative duties and all over operation duties, which I do. So, it's duplicated service, wasted tax dollars. What I'm asking you, you saying duplicated, has the chief said this is how it's going to be and this he going to take your position. Did the chief say that? He he can't take my position, but these are the guidelines of civil service. Okay, it has a list of the things that the assistant chief does. Okay, he's going to incorporate these positions to do what I am doing now. So, he would have to come up with another job for me to be doing, which he already has us doing payroll that is not our job.

What I'm trying what I'm trying to get you to understand is if he creates another position, he could very well take a duty from you and give it to this other thing. He can do that. That's not the purpose of it. But you but we don't know. I know. We No, you're telling us what you think it is because you just told me it wasn't in the uh in the in the operations. Yes. Okay. So, it's a new job being created and all I'm asking you is it's possible for all how many it would be three four what these two people going into the same position or different positions? Different positions. The administrative person would be over the support chiefs in their division. Uh-huh. The operations person would be over the operations of the suppression people who I am over right now.

Okay. So now, can he take the job that you do and the job that's coming up and divide it evenly? No. How he can't? No. How can he not? Because number one, number one, I'm over all suppression work right now. These positions do nothing to fix our problem. You You're trying to mislead the conversation. This is about safety. Hold on, Terrence. Hold on a second. We're talking about two positions. I'm asking you about these two positions. What are their jobs going to be? Your your response was they're going to take they're going to do what you doing. I like that. And I'm asking you based upon what you know, if we hire two new positions, that mean we got four people in those positions right now. Correct?

Yep. So now, can the chief divide all of the duties up evenly where all four people would have a job? No. You're sitting here talking about ifs and what ifs. The chief is standing right there. How about he come to the podium and describe what he's going to do? Because I don't have to do that. I'm asking you based upon what you're saying. You're telling me that this person is going to take your job. I didn't say he going to take my job. You say he's going to be doing the job description that I fall under. And all I'm asking you is if we got four positions, can we divide all the jobs up where they be evenly distributed and each one of these positions have duties? Let's say hypothetically, yes.

Okay, that ain't no hypothetically. That's hypothetically. So, all I'm saying is when we say what these positions are going to be, we have to ask the chief and say, "Chief, what are the going to be the positions of these four positions?" Now, you may not have a job that you have right now. You may have something else. And the new person may have what you're doing and so on and so forth. That's all I'm asking you. Is that possible? Fine. Yes. Okay. That's that's my question. I need to ask you a question. Okay. When he come up here and do his rebuttal, do I get a chance to come back up here and go at it again? No, you don't. Why not? Because that's unfair. That's not the way the meeting works. That's unfair.

That's not the way THE MEETING WORKS. YOU'RE COMING INTO a meeting that have established protocol already. We're not creating new. I know y'all might feel like we're doing something new, but that's the way it is. But let me ask you this question. How many of y'all ever used the fire service before up there? What you mean about fire service? If you ever had an emergency where you called us to come to me.

Let me ask Let me let me let me let me let me answer that question this way. I value the fire department. We need the fire department. I'm not diminishing nothing y'all saying. What I am saying in this position is we're asked to vote on two new positions. For the time that we've been hearing y'all, we've heard every complaint what's going on with the fire department. And I know personally, I can speak for Craig Marks in District F. I have went to the stations. I have sat down with y'all for going on six years now. The first time y'all came, y'all told us it was the fire departments. Me and Mr. Harvey went there. We sat down. We evaluated the fire departments. We came back. We got the council to vote to repair and buy new suits and all kind of other stuff. Then it became about pay. And then we went back and we talked again about pay. and y'all got a raise. Then we come back and it was about something else. Then the term switched over. We gave y'all instructions based upon the council say, "Hey, when the new mayor come in, sit down, go renegotiate the things that you didn't feel you can get from the last administration." You remember we we talked about that. So when y'all came back this time, it was about pay. So the mayor came back and gave a raise. Then it came back about the two jobs. And then it came back about something else. So what I am saying right now, you y'all ask about our positions. Our positions, you right, is to sit here and evaluate the facts.

Mhm. Now, I've had a chief come up here. I've had the union president. Well, you're another chief, right? Chief, too. You're a chief. I had two chiefs come here and tell me. They actually had four chiefs, though. But I had two chiefs come tell me that their boss is disrespectful. Don't value them. Don't do any of this. And prior to this, we had a meeting right in that meeting room and we asked y'all sit down with the chief and the chief sit down with y'all cuz we went to the chief as well and say, "Hey man, this doesn't look good. Let's sit down and talk about this." WE'VE ASKED THAT ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS,

but every time it appears to me, and I can speak on this because I this is my uh going into my sixth year of being on the council. It seems like every time we reach a plateau, instead of negotiations happen, it become a bullying tactic. I'm part of a union. I worked in the union. So, I understand the rights and and privileges of being in a union and y'all doing what y'all supposed to do. But at the same time, I have never heard of a union that don't want new jobs. Now, us bringing in other people, like Mr. Funell said, all we can do, we can do better. I ain't gonna say we can do better. We have to go through finances and all that to find out can we pay. We have the same gripes y'all have. We're fighting for the same things y'all have. The police want a raise, public works want a raise,

fire department want a raise, management want a raise, the council want a raise. You know, all of these things are what we we we're going to deal with. You understand what I'm saying? And and and I sympathize with y'all. So I don't want it to be demeaned that I don't care. What I am tired of is the bickering. We have to come to a point to where we can sit down and negotiate this. Last time we had the same scenario. We asked y'all, "Let us talk." You know what happened? The firemen end up in front of city hall picketing. Mhm. Right. So, the only way we get our point.

Okay. But, BUT YOU YOU GETTING YOUR POINT ACROSS. Y'ALL Y'ALL TALK ABOUT PATIENCE and understanding and value and all that. We telling y'all we negotiating. We telling y'all we working behind the scenes, BUT Y'ALL DON'T BELIEVE IT. BUT Y'ALL GOT TWO RAISES in less than six years. That come BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT it was. I'm saying, no, let me let me rephrase that. It matters to y'all the amount. But I'm saying we are making progress, but every time y'all say y'all not. But but if we didn't do what we did, would y'all have anything? Would y'all have the raises? We didn't get it. We didn't get the full 3% that you promised.

But that's okay. If that's something else now, that's something you need to come to the council and say, "Hey, y'all said y'all was giving us 3%. Y'all didn't give us 3%." And we can rectify that. That's something we can rectify because we voted on it. All I'm asking y'all to do in my opinion is just my personal opinion. This is not a good look. It's not for no for but but what I'm saying is y'all want respect, but y'all came in here and disrespected the chief. No, the chief the chief did this first. Let me address some of the stuff you said, please. Hold on. Hold on. Let's Let's be straight. Let's be straight. Y'all came in here and said everything y'all wanted to say. Right. I have not said everything.

I'm not saying you through. I'm saying you've been given the opportunity to speak your I asked Mr. Danley from top. I said this is your opinion. Mr. Danley was the only one said this is my opinion. Okay. So now I'm giving you my opinion. I still got to render a vote. So what I'm taking from y'all I have to factor into my vote. Mhm. You're right. That's all I'm doing. I'm not saying you wrong, y'all right, wrong, or indifferent. I am saying this is not the proper way. We going Hold on. I see. He was the one last time that we had to that we had to PUT OUT FOR DISRUPTION. CAN I have a chance to rebut some of the stuff you said? Yes, you can. When I get through, just like I gave you Oh, you're right. I'm on your minutes. Go ahead. You done ate my minutes now.

No, you going to get them back. YOU GOING TO GET THEM BACK. YOU GOT THEM BACK. NUMBER ONE, you talk about us having a conversation about meeting with the fire chief. We met with the fire chief. He did not come to the meeting with anything to tell us about why these positions make this department better. How they were going to fix our problems or anything. When we asked him those questions, his answer to us was, "I don't have to answer to y'all. I'm the fire chief." So you tell you talking about like we went with a bad attitude. It's his attitude. say y'all went there with a bad attitude. I say now it's him who don't want to work with us. Okay,

that's why he's trying to create these positions to put a buffer between me and him. He want yes men beneath him. I'm not a yes man. Okay. I'm a actual facts man. Okay. Everything I said had to do with these jobs. You you you got some more to talk about these jobs? Oh, I most definitely do. First, I need to respond to you talking about the bullying. This is a memorandum from the fire chief to our department. Mhm. This is very unprofessional and this is bullying. And I wrote him a letter letting him know that I will be contacting civil service and everybody else because this is bullying. He's threatening people to force them to do things because he failed as a leader in managing our retention and recruitment.

Mhm. That was quick. I'm going to give you some more time. Stay focused. We'll be all right. Well, she flashing me with the car. She throwing me off. Good job. Hey, so can you pass the letter down? You want to see this? There you go. Y'all can read this. Is that the only copy you have? Yes. Cuz I had no plans on going there till Mr. Marks made that statement. Mhm. And I'mma stand on it. Okay. And I'm standing on this is rude and Is that the one that came through the email where he respond? That's what he sent us and and and he responded to a letter. No. Well, you want I got that letter, too? No. I'm asking you is that the same one? That's not a response to a letter appropriately. The letter I wrote to him and the mayor and to y'all was about the safety of the citizens. This is his response and his answer to correcting my letter. Uhhuh.

Because and I read it because he tried to act like I was being breaking the chain of command by coming through y'all. I'm the union president. I never have to speak to him ever to come talk to y'all. Automath. We do that out of courtesy for him and the respect we had for him. Mhm. But because he chose not to show respect back, we are choosing to duplicate it back to him. Okay. I respect who respect me. Mhm. And just to get into a little bit of that before I go into this, he was the one who was supposed to evaluate me to confirm me for my assistant chief position. My ninth month and 12-month evaluation was done on the same day. I have to struct I have to struct you back. Is that going to be relevant to these two positions?

It's showing the lack of leadership. Okay. You work on a job. Mr. Harvey work on a job. Y'all know if you evaluate somebody, you're supposed to sit down and go over the evaluation with them. So y'all both could critique and say what your feelings and or your suggestions is. I didn't get that opportunity. He waited till my 12th month. Did both of my evaluations on the same day. Left them on my desk in a folder. Mhm. And when I came back from lunch, he was gone. And I didn't see him for a week. They was bad. I don't know. I never even read them. I never even signed them because that's not the way you take care of business as a leader. That is not how you do business as a leader. Time is

and this is what everybody is complaining about. Our leadership is crumbling this department. You play jingle before? Play what? Jingga. Yeah. Okay. What happens when you keep pulling from the bottom and putting it on the top? It collapses, right? Collapse. This department is at that state right now because we keep on pulling from the bottom to try to make the top operate smoother or better. Let me ask you a question. How long you been on the force? 31 years. How long he been chief? He been the chief four years. And in four years, we lost more people Uhhuh. than we've lost in my other 27 years here. Y'all didn't have them issues under the last chief. No. So it was a perfect department. No, it was not. What was wrong? We had disagreements with the other chief.

What? Why? How did you handle it differently? because he actually sat down and talked to us. This chief refuses to try to communicate. The only person he communicates with is Chief Deleno. But what about these two jobs? Those two jobs is because he wants some yesmen. Mhm. Services. It's duplicated services over and over and over again. The citizens already compli complaining about duplicated services. So the fire department don't need to fall in that category and start duplicating services. Mhm. We need y'all to vote these positions down. These positions are not needed at this present time. Mhm. We have a staffing issue that creates safety issues.

In order for us to be able to protect and serve this community like we need to, we need men on the trucks, not sitting in the office behind the door or playing golf on TV or hanging out. We don't need that. We need workers. Quick question. If we don't do these jobs, we don't fill them, what next? How about y'all look at the contract that I gave the fire chief and see if we can enact that contract? Because even though we training people and they're leaving, that contract would hold them here for however many years we choose, 3 years, 5 years, whatever it is. Would Would you believe that the council has already brought that up? I wrote the contract. Do you I'm just asking. Would you believe that the council has already made that president?

Since you brought it up and I wrote it, when we gonna enact it because it helps us hold people until we can get new people. It does. It does. But it's not an overnight thing. It's not just you. But you're making it seem like the administration can just do something and it's done. We got to consider finances. We got to consider all of these things that y'all talking about. We got a whole lot of things to consider. The contract don't cost y'all anything though. What the? Yeah, but it to enact the talking about our contract. No, we're not. I'm not talking about that. To enact any for us to change anything. It's not just simple like that. We got to go through legal. We got to go through a whole lot of We have a legal team. I turned this contract in to the previous administration. Okay,

that was eight years. I turned it in to this chief to give to this administration. Okay, so far we have nothing. So far, you could say nine years of a contract sitting there being wasted. Okay. when we're steadily losing people. Okay, we're doing everything on this side of the eightball, okay, to help this city win, but we're not getting help from the other side of the table. I'm not cutting you off, Terrence, because you know this could go on forever. Oh, yeah. Cuz I still got some stuff. What is your What is your final take on these two jobs? We do not need those two jobs at this present moment. Okay.

We need men on the trucks because I got four and a half years left. But I'm trying to do all I can do for this city and these citizens before I leave. Mhm. And it would be a failure on my part to not come up here and argue against these positions when I know they don't help our department. Everybody else was humping on the money. We need money. My number one problem is safety of these citizens that we are supposed to serve and protect. We can't do it if we don't have the men on the truck. So just to be clear, it jeopardizes the safety of the citizens if we move if we create those two positions.

Yes. Because they do nothing to help our problem. All I'm asking you, if we create these two positions, it affects the safety of the citizens. Yes. Because we're still pulling from the bottom. Listen to what I'm asking you. If we create these two positions, does it affect the city's safety? Yes. Yes. I disagree with that, but you're pulling from the bottom. That's already sh I think I think the department's topheavy, so don't I'm not Well, then you understand what I'm talking about. We don't need no more people at the top. We get the job done. I think I think the fact that we have a fire rating of one means we're safe. I don't think we're these guys out here. We agree. I agree. I agree.

It's not because of the administration. It's because of these guys because of Terrence. Terrence. Yeah. All I'm asking you, listen to the question closely. If we create these two positions, does it affect the safety of the citizen? Yes. In my professional opinion, are you saying that because if we move them two people or if we create the positions that affects the city, we are still pulling from where we're hurting the worst. We're hurting the worst at the bottom. I understand what you're saying. So if you pull up, the bottom is getting weaker. Mhm. And then it collapses. I agree. But all I'm asking is if we create the two positions, Yes. it affects the safety of the citizens.

Yes. And I'll say it a thousand times. Now, can I ask the audience a question? No. Why? Because you don't speak to the audience. You talk to us. Well, one of the councilman cannot get you to ask the audience about their opinion of morale on our department. But this is not a public debate. You come here. No, it's not. We don't engage with the Terrence. Now, one thing we going to get straight in the city council chambers. We have protocol. Uhhuh. That protocol is the people come up and talk and y'all address the council. We don't take a poll of the citizens to see if what we talking about is popular. It's a lot of firemen in here. I know that's going to happen. But you're not even taking the time to listen to the question.

Yes, I did. I I told you my answer. I said yes and I'll tell you yes a thousand times. But you're saying because it's my professional. But you're saying if But you're saying if we pull people up. Correct. Exactly. That's all. I'm done with the question. All right. Now, let me move on to some other stuff before y'all tell me I'm out of time. You You about to be You took all my time. I gave it back to you. You gave me a minute and a half. Go ahead. How much more time, Mr. President? I need an hour. I mean, when he's asked questions, that doesn't go against his time. I need an hour. No, I don't. Go ahead. All right. Since 2000. Mhm. Since 2000, we've added ladder four, ladder 8, engine 8 to our fleet. So that's three new trucks.

Mhm. So that's nine people per truck. Mhm. So that's 27 people, right? Right. Everywhere we go to our fleet, manpower is still hovering around the same number. We used to have four people on a truck. Mhm. Can you pull that duty the duty rock, Terrence? Can we do this for the second time? I'm I'm agreeing with you about the the need. I need to put this out here because this need to be known by the citizens, not just by you, okay? Cuz that's who I represent, okay?

Now, we must pray for two men on a truck when we used to have four men. The shutdown of trucks never happened in the history of Lake Charles Fire Department until two or three years ago. Mhm. New administration, new fire chief. Last year, yeah, on this chart, you can see the hoseman position has two hosemen on almost every truck. That's in year 2000. Mhm. So, in 2000, we were maning the trucks with four people. Today, we can't get two. Mhm. That's a serious problem. Again, we're talking about hiring, correct? Yes. Okay. So,

I just I just want to focus on these two jobs. Let me go into these numbers because this all of this is relevant to our argument. He hasn't made an argument. Well, I think we've been browning our trucks longer than 30. No, sir. Before his No, sir. I think we have been. Even under Chief Murray, the last fire chief, we never browned our trucks. We've came very close. Rarely, but we did not It has happened. No, not when Chief Murray was the chief. We did not. Only time we shut trucks down was to go to training out there in the Quincy or Cerechech or whatever y'all want to call. All I'm saying is this to expedite time. We I'm taking for granted everything you're saying is true about we're short. Oh, it's facts.

It's short. I'm not denying that. We understand that you are short and that we need to hire and we need to pay more. That's a given. Mhm. Now, I'm asking you to narrow down to these two jobs. It's about Can I finish this report because we put time in to get these facts for you? I understand that, but we only got a certain amount of time. this g if you let me go and stop cutting me off, it won't take that long. You're right. My button them up.

So, with all these trucks being added last year in 2025 up to September, we had 3,697 calls that we responded to. We made a little over 4,000 at the end of the year. Back in 2000, when we had four people to a truck, we only made 1938 calls. We doubled the work and we went half of the staff. It's not sustainable. And my guys are only here to plead to say we can't continue this. We can't. And putting office jobs is not going to fix that problem. We need to take that energy that he's putting into those jobs and put it into him getting out here and help us recruit people. Mhm.

Because he can say what he want about the department. He doesn't help us recruit. I feel these rosters on a daily basis. I got to call these guys and beg them to stay 6, seven, eight days at the station without going see their family. Mr. President, I'm starting to feel guilty. I apologize, but we have He has reached a maximum of 12 minutes. I didn't get 12 minutes. He took six. We paused. You still got 12. Whether I took six or not, you still got 12. Go ahead. Don't finish up. Wrap it up if you don't mind.

So, that being said, how can we sustain this? We got half of the people on the truck that we had in 2000. This is 2026 and we doing double the work. These guys are dying out here. And they're asking you to step up to the plate and tell him no because it's not the time. We need men on the truck, not in the office. I'm getting my job done in the office. We can get more done in the office if he was available to me when he's supposed to be at work. Everybody in this room can tell you when I work, he don't come to the office. That's not good business. It's not good management. It's not good leadership. He does Chief Hanks the same thing. That's why he was up here hesitant to speak because he likes to retaliate like that bullying thing he sent out in the memorandum. I'm not scared of his retaliation.

Terren, stick to the two jobs, man. This is about the two jobs, but that's that's another issue. These positions don't need to be created. Okay. So, so tell me that I've told you a thousand times and I'm asking you for the last time. All of you think about what these guys sacrifice. I'm not the one who out there working like them. But when they call, I'm there to help them. Okay?

They can't keep this up. And if somebody go out there tired, fatigued, overwhelmed, and go hurt and kill somebody, the city's going to be at fault because we overworking our guys and then we thinking about creating office jobs when they're begging for help so they can go home and see their family. And that's all I have to say. Think about that when y'all voting. Got you. Thank you. Thank you. Any questions? Any other councilman? He

coming back. Chief, you got a rebuttal, chief? I will say as the fire chief, it just it's hard

being in this role of making these decisions of doing what we have to do and making the decisions that we have to make. And it's hard when you sit here and you listen to you guys, which I'm trying I'm trying to go there. Even though they said I was in the training division, I'm disassociated from what they do this and that. I still been here 27 years, been watching all this all this time. So, a lot of the decisions I make was based on that time of me watching and seeing what was happening. But it doesn't change the fact that these decisions by the fire chief still needs to be made. Now, he was correct when he said, I wasn't going to remember all what he what he said, but I know a few things. What I've heard some people say, I'm not going to walk into a room where I know it's just going to be an argument as we've been talking as we've been hearing just for anything when I still have to sit there and say I have to follow a law. I have to follow a rule. Whatever you want, you can ask me. everything they gave me. I came and gave to the you know gave to the thing but then we still have to sit there and say well lawfully or policy or this this is how this how we work. Uh, I I I I I I seriously cannot run a department based on how your people, you know, how they feel about something when I still have to make a hard decision. This what he sent,

what he gave y'all. What was that about? That's the memorandum. Mhm. That again by law according to their words, you heard Chief Thomas just say thousand times, we short. We short and he told you he's the assistant chief who handles this. So by civil service law, that assistant chief position is afforded the right to manage his shift, right?

So if he see his shift coming up short, he has to do what he need to do to make sure that his shift is full for the safety of the citizens of the city of Lake Charles. Well, obviously that's not being done. So, with all what was said, the chief had to make a decision and say, "We have to cancel this. If it's that bad, like you're saying, and I'm so disassociated and I don't know what's going on. If it's that bad, cuz I'm listening to you, then you need to cancel vacations. Then you need to call people back. Then you need to hold people over. You You see what I'm saying? This This is a decision that the chief had to make because the people in that in that position wasn't making the decision. That's what that was all about. It's not bullying. That's just me making the decision. As far as I don't know what else was it, like I said, I

I can't remember it. Yeah, it was a lot. Well, one of one of the main questions that nobody's yet answered what these two positions going to even do. So, exact. Okay, that's a good one. That's what we really want.

So, as it was said that these positions are going to do the same thing they're not doing. They're not these positions as he said, one is to be over the administrative divisions and one will be over the three assistant chiefs. He won't be doing the same thing he do. He'll be managing them. It's not me trying to buff us and put somebody in between us. It's now I can only talk to one person that's talking to those three. You know what I'm saying? So when something needs to be done, if we talking about you can see that they really want to talk to the fire chief, but the fire chief has a lot of other stuff on his mind and I can't talk to you about fire truck stuff, station stuff.

I need a guy there that can talk to them about that. He put it in report. We have a meeting and now I can focus on just talking to that one person cuz he to talk to the three collectively. That's that's what he's going to be doing. So make me understand. I see they got about 50 firemen here. Why these guys such against it? So I I got to look at 50 guys and they such against it and I understand that you and I really don't want I don't know. I get I completely get you. I don't want to go there. Don't cuz like you said it does look bad and I don't want to put it out there like that but because of the questions being asked

what they what they voted on was 102 to four that he said elected officials y'all are like this they had a vote. So they said they had a vote. Just imagine when you were campaigning when a vote come up but you were never able to speak and then was the vote. What is that? It's a one-sided vote.

That's what it was. Cuz none of them out of the 102 that voted for this never heard me say the affirmative side the you know of these positions. It was only heard. They only heard one side and that's what they voted on. So in my opinion, let's hear it. It was it was it it was a one side vote. So that's why I never heard about that's why I never said anything about it

because it was automatically a negative from when I just said that we was going to do it. So even if I was going to sit there and explain it, oh no, no, no, no, no. That's not your decision. It's my decision. What I see as the fire chief, not to sit there and say because I said so. That's not how this is going on. It's seriously because I see as the fire chief how I want the head the the head to run. These two positions are going to help me to help the department. That's all this is. That's

si That's my report. But I I can't Okay. Any other questions from the council? Well, Chief, I'd like to say, look, and and and guys, I' I've talked to a lot of y'all. I come from a first responder background. Y'all understand that I feel a kinship with all of y'all. Uh, and I agree with the president. This is a bad look. This is not how we fix the real problem that's that's facing us today. The elephant in the room is pay and benefits. And we know that. We all agree on that. Nobody's going to argue that. And that and and and the mayor knows that too. And everybody up here knows that.

But coming here just this constant friction for year after year after year. And I've talked to a lot of y'all. Understand this. It's not how we help the mayor, help the citizens understand. We need to focus our money on priorities. Wait, let me let I I No more talking. It's nobody else.

Our priorities need to be public safety, public works, the things that really help these citizens quality of life, not pretty, not fluffy stuff or anything like that. Nice stuff. Okay, that's where I think that I'm pretty conservative and I want to focus on those things. But this argument does not help us ask our citizens to give away more tax dollars when we're at 10.75 or whatever and say we need to pay these firemen. We need to pay these policemen.

We we're not going to do no more stuff about giving money away to organizations that don't do the basic fundamentals that this city tax dollars are supposed to do. Okay? And and look, I I'm relatively new at this. This is a tough position to put us in. I got my K. I'm I'm stuck in the middle of this. And I hate that we're deciding this, excuse me, right now. But the basic problem is paying benefits. It's that way with the police department. It's that way with the public public works people that are there when we need them. And those things are in emergencies. Uh the fire department's there. The energy, you know, paying benefits is where it's at. I know they don't see it when they're young, but but that's the big elephant in the room that y'all want to walk work around and come up with all this stuff, but you got to remember this. I started from the ground floor. I started in the jail in 1991, made $1,000 a month. So, I understand it. And I worked my way up, never dealt with civil service, but I was in administration and I worked for an agency. And I'm not going to say it who it is now because I don't want to drag them into it. But I understand what it takes to run an administration of 11 of a thousand people. Uh and it takes a span of control. Originally my span of control when I took when I when I came to work as a commander was 15 to one. 15 departments under me. And they were small department. They were specialized. But it's challenging. But I understand that an administrative decision when the sheriff said, "I'm going to make this many people in my administration, the sergeant of patrol, how does it affect him?" If it takes away from his pay and benefits, he's got a right to say, "I don't know if that's right." But that that's not his role. He's not the administrator. The administrator hopefully somewhere in here is about having one of these guys that's going to be a deputy chief. better have some accounting and some and some fiscal thought to help us and the

mayor and Emily and Mr. Cardone figure out how can we get more money. That's one of the things that I think an administrative position should do. But I I I it's hard for me to tell the chief man I don't care how you want to run your administration. These guys don't want it. I I I'm I'm mad as hell to be bit in this position. But this is what I volunteered for. So I'm not complaining about it. But damn, man. We we we got to get through this. So, I just wanted to say that. Any other council?

Um, you know, and and and I'm the same way. I I uh our job, I figure, is to support the the the the running of the city. The mayor's responsibility is it is the everyday running of of the of the of the uh of the city. And and we set policy. So when when you talk about the the chief and this that that's really I I I really don't don't don't have any I can't step over the mayor cuz the mayor's that's the mayor's role. I can't step over the chief that solve your what what's going on on your shift.

That's the chief's responsibility. Okay. And and it's like he said, now we were just talking and what he just said was we we need to quit spending money on on on a lot of things when we can't pay the employees of the city. A and that's what policy does. Okay? And he just made the statement again. So what you're seeing is a shift in policy for the city where we we we we can't be fixing up all these little minor things while our employees suffer, our fire department suffer, our police department suffer. Now, but that don't happen overnight. A and and and and the the problem is a big problem. There's no single person at fault

at all. It it life is full of problems. A and we like to say it's is as simple as do this and everything will be magic. That that that that's a salesman and he's he's selling you something in Florida with water on it. You know that that's not it's hard work and it's unfair to to to to just throw this all on us, you know? I mean, and I know with the chief myself, we've talked about recruiting. I know he's actively recruiting. Maybe not be what you want, but I done talked to the chief a couple of times by going to school. He already there now. But the the the thing of it is it's not our job to judge him because he's not the problem. The problem is a shortage of people and keeping people retained. That's the real problem, right?

If y'all had all the people, this wouldn't be an issue.

Okay. So, people that's all I'm saying. You know what I'm saying? And and like like my uh the councilman said, our thing is to set the policy to make sure it works, right? You know we love the citizens. We are concerned about the citizens you know I mean and one vote is not not judge me my whole life or who I am because I vote one on one issue. My whole life is not summed up to just one vote at a council meeting. my my my love for people, my love my responsibility to this city, my responsibility as an elected official is not based on one vote. Okay? And and and it it's unfair for for us to be put in that situation, you know. Uh the the the thing of it is I have to trust the chief. I even have to trust the mayor. It's that's that's difficult. Not all the time I agree with either one of them. But to make this work, I have to work at trusting the mayor.

I have to work at trusting the chief. I I can't just jump over their jobs and blow them out the waters. You ain't doing nothing. Just is over with, you know. So that that's just me. Thank you. Anybody else? Yes, sir. Mr. Young. Uh thank you. Tonight has been insightful and uh obviously we've learned there's a lot of problems in the department. Low morale, low pay, inadequate equipment, trucks, substance abuse, all of the above. Substance. Somebody said substance abuse. I I heard that he was quoting the statistics for mental health.

I understood. I'm demonstrating the extent I'm demonstrating the extent of the problems. Um I do I I've got to echo uh Mr. Fondell. there there's a lot of distrust in the organization and I can't think that a new recruit is going to help write grants to bring in extra funds. I can't think that that person is going to work on an employee morale program. I can't think that a new recruit is possibly going to be responsible for fixing this broken system as it is. I do think that that's going to require some management uh to make that happen. And you know, I would ask for the department to give him a chance to make this work in in creating the positions. I do think there's a possibility to remove them at some point if they don't work. Uh if they're inefficient, you you said you're not feeling district chief positions right now. So I think we could not fill a position.

Okay. Shaking your head. No, obviously that's not the case. We have three district chief positions not filled. Not filled positions. Okay. So those are positions that are not filled because we have the city is not paying them. So, I'm saying with these director positions, with these chief positions, uh, you could eliminate them by not filling them. No, because those guys actually go out and work.

So, let's let's let's uh look, I'm a union guy. My dad was president of local 1226 Boise Paper Company in Derritter, and I came in here tonight uh with the belief that I was going to really, really lean your way and hear you out. But just hearing every vocal criticism of the chief, right, I would be fired tomorrow morning in my organization. Um, I've got to ask you to give him a chance and just see if he can make this thing happen because obviously something's got to improve. Question on the So there's Are there nine district chiefs plus three rowers or is that included in the No, that's plus three plus. So you got 12 if we ever filled them

if you filled them. But you got 12 positions.

Yes. that that goes towards my concern that and I know it's civil service. I understand that there's some not restraints in the right word, but that comes from I I think the department's topheavy. I mean, and that's my job as a councilman. We we are the legend, but we control the purse strings and we vote on the budget and I look at the I just think it's topheavy. It's nothing personal. It's I I don't It has nothing to do with lack of trust. I I don't know the inner workings of the fire department. I just look at it as an accountant being physically responsible. I think the department's already topheavy. Now, y'all probably won't like I mean, and y'all I know that y'all have some disagreements with me. I I pointed 30% going towards retirement. There's not another there's not a private entity that does that that can do that

and understand we have to do that. I'm not saying that we shouldn't do it but that's part of compensation and I think people do overlook that. So, um, but because that is part and I understand that that that may be part of their thing with recruitment is that we need to assess and re and look at that package and maybe for new guys not have a defined benefit plan. I'm not saying that. But regardless of that, the issue is the department's too topheavy. That's why I don't support adding to new positions. Thank you. Any anybody else? Yes.

Yes. So, first and foremost, I want to say tip my hat to to Go ahead. No, go ahead. Oh, you good. No. No. Yeah. Go. Go. Go.

I want to tip my head to both sides and say wholeheartedly I appreciate the fire department. Um, since my time as a councilman, I don't think there's any firemen that can disagree. I've tried to go beyond the call of duty. You guys call, meet, hear you guys out. um and and and try to work towards solutions. Um I'm I'm going agree with my colleagues tonight and say, man, it it's it it's a bad look um for the city and for recruiting. Um I'm I'm in administration and my my job and and and I understand that operations and administration is two totally different things. Sometime people take it and say it's just one organization but a lot of times we make decisions in administration that affect operations but a lot of times we do things in operations that reflect how we see administration.

And so those two different perspectives is something that I'm thinking about and I keep hearing the fact that we cannot bring people or make people want to work for the fire department. But I'm going be honest if we was making a commercial tonight or Miss Katie was making a commercial tonight. I don't think we going to get a lot of view. We going to get a lot of views on social media, right? The comments is not going to be becoming because tonight was a pure display of maybe this is part of the reason that we do not have people knocking down the door to be a fireman like Charles. Um, I'm an educator. I knew when I decided to be an educator, I was not going to be rich. I knew exactly how much money I was going to make. I knew how to set my family living arrangements. I knew what budget to make because I could not go into my job saying that, hey, I I I think I deserve more because I just knew that was the standard. That was the expectation coming in. And it's not to knock what you guys do because you guys risk your life every single day um when you don't want to. You don't. Um my heart goes out to you guys. I know a lot of you guys personally, I know you guys do second jobs and third jobs and and things like that. But I think sometimes like I listen to everybody tonight and one of the things that I had to tell myself when when when trying to process everything was take the emotions out. You know, I think a lot of things that was said tonight would we were focusing on the fact of do we add two positions from an administrative standpoint, but a lot of the things that we heard tonight was the war cry about some of the things that we we fallen short as a city of whether we not paying you guys. And and and you guys know I've said that from day one. Yes, we have to find a way to pay the firemen. I agree it's never going to discredit that but I think we have to focus on the main thing and I think a lot of times what we try the things we tried to do to help the operation side whether it was air conditioning or equipment or truck or whatever I think when we tried to find solutions for that we tried to find a solution right but at the same time it

it to me listening to the chief and and and I will say chief as a leader of organization I I clearly see there's some climate and culture issues you know it's hard being a leader It's hard being a leader because nobody really sees what it's like to be in a leader shoes until you actually got to get into those shoes. But I also would say this too. I don't know. Somebody asked it earlier, do you know how to be a fireman or do you know anything about fire? I'm one of them people. No, I'm scared of fire. I'm going to be honest. That's why I feel like we got you guys right. But I want to say this. Sometimes you have to give somebody an opportunity to be able to implement their vision and their mission. And as a leader, sometimes people don't understand the fact of what we're trying to do because they only see it from what I would have, could have, should have done if I was in that position. Mr. Thomas, I'm going to be honest, man. You're a very intelligent man. But I tell I'm listening to you tonight and it's kind of like a double sword, but because of your expertise and your knowledge and your skill set as a chief, but you also wear the other hat as a union representative. So, I'm listening to you speak about the particular position, but also know that that's the person you got to answer to, but at the same time, you also get another hat where you can talk to him the way you want to. That's kind of like it's a double sword. It's almost like if I can I can talk to my boss or I can talk to my superintendent any way I want on Saturday and Sunday, but Monday and Friday, I got to switch the code and I got to talk to him a certain way. I know that's a double-edged sword, but to me that that kind of that kind of sent shock waves to me because at the end of the day, I do see him as a leader, right? The city sees him as a leader. We see you as a leader as well. But we have two of our highest leaders in this organization going back and forth. And at the same time, we talking about trying to find a common denative of how we recruit people, how we raise the funds, how we pay people. That's when I'm saying like I I got to ask myself, man, like do you stay in between or do you take a side? It's not about taking a side. I think how you fix this is that

you strengthen the administration. And the reason why I'm saying that is because PE and I see some people shaking their head and it's okay. We can agree to disagree, but like we talk about if we keep pulling from the bottom, we make the bottom weaker. We I think you referenced Jingga,

right? One thing about it too, if you don't strengthen the top, you'll never strengthen the whole organization because again, administration and operations are two totally separate things. That's just my opinion as the councilman. But I I I want to make sure that I don't discredit what you guys do and on behalf of my district, I appreciate what you guys do. Even though I know that we need to make several repairs to that station, I hear from those primemen all the time. But at the same time, I'm just gonna say I think that as a councilman tonight, I gotta voice my vote and just say I'm okay with that in the two positions in administration. Mr. Bilbo.

All right. For me right now, I'm a I'm a guy. I'm a people's person. I'm I'm more what the people want. And it seems like I'm like with Mr. Weatherford. We too topheavy. And we we we five months from going into another budget. We just gave you a raise and you want to come ask for two positions that's going to increase 200 more thousand a year in the next five years. We done spent a million dollars on two spots that's already been taken care of proving that we didn't need it because we got a number one rating. So we got a number one rating without these two positions. Now if we was the size of Baton Rouge, I've been sitting here googling the size of Baton Rouge and Shreport and what these positions need. I said, "Yeah, they got 300,000 people." You know what I'm saying? Sheport got 250,000. We got 84,000 people in Lake Charles and we creating two jobs that we already got the best rating in the Louisiana without. So I would say before we spend $200,000 on two men, they only make 35,000 a year. We can spend that getting eight men. You see what I'm saying? But so to spend the 200 right now when it evidently it's in a disarray is just going to bring more disarray because they not in agreement right now. So I would rather see them come to some type of agreement or get something home before we just put 200 more thousand into the city budget. To me it's about it's business. It's about it's a city budget. We we vote on the what it's going to cost the city, right? I'm not voting on a position. I'm saying what it's going to cost the city. It's going to cost the city another $200,000 a year and ain't nobody yet said what the job going to do that ain't been done already cuz we got a number one rating without it. Now we got a number three rating, number four rating, then I'd have been like, man, we need something because we

rated too low. But being that we got the highest rating, I don't know what else this two positions going to do today. To me, I got to not support it. You through, Mr. Bill? Yeah, I'm through. Okay, this is why facts are important whenever we discussing and I I'll just carry Miss Emily, could you please come forward? I got a few questions for you. I learned this when we was dealing with the police. Let's say, for example, we got 20 slots for a police department. Yes, sir. But we only hired 10. Yes, sir. In our budget, we have the money for 20. Yes, sir. So, we're not creating more money.

Correct. Those positions are already created. Let me let you explain it.

The positions are in the budget. Um the titles I believe you were voting on the titles so that civil service can approve the titles. The bud the the positions um one of the positions currently resides in our support. Um admin currently has an open position that is not filled. So there are three actual I'm sorry there are four departments in the fire department. You have admin, you have fire suppression, cage and country and then you have uh support which is your um f um and so the actual 402 where suppression is um they're not losing any positions. So to there's no actual creation of a position. You're voting on the titles of the positions. So in other words, the money is already there. We just given a title to a position.

Yes, sir. So the the argument on the fireman part was we could pay other people with that, but that's already allocated money. We just ain't fill the positions. That's one of the unique things about this. We're just taking money and renaming it that's already in the budget. Councilman, do y'all Well, but what what they saying is by creating these two jobs, every got to move up and it requires the the little man at the bottom to work more. I I come from overtime. I come from shift work. If you create these jobs and everybody beneath them got to move up,

where you already short at the bottom. So instead of this man working 72 hours, now he may be working 84 hours or 90 hours just to put somebody in the office that it ain't proven that we even need because of the number one rating. So when they go to move up, it's going to create more work

for the guys at the bottom. And that mean those guys got to get forced. They got to not take their vacation. They got to not to see these kids. they gotta not do this for two people to come up to hold a title that I ain't yet heard from anyone what they actual job gonna be. So now we just paying somebody for a title that I don't see we need because we got a number one rating already. So I got nothing against it. I believe in promotion. I'm saying right now is not a good time because we're short and all that's going to do is put more work down on the young man who's not going to want to retain. So, we're going to keep the circle going because they're never going to feel it.

So, until you get your number, now once you get your numbers up to whatever this number is, whatever this number may be, whether it's 10 guys, 20 guys, whatever it be, then I would say, man, make that move. But long as we short at the bottom, I wouldn't I wouldn't advise it because the the me will get tied.

I'm I'mma answer it to this. If y'all are right with never getting promoted, if we have shorts at the bottom, nobody get promoted, nobody move, then that's a good thing. So, I'mma take the liberty this time. I'm going to amend the budget. Amend this thing. And and Miss Emily, you may have to help me if I'm saying it wrong. I want to amend this to reflect that we do what this um agenda item states, but we delay putting people in the position until the at the very minimum the end of the year. So, we'll come back and re-evaluate this at the end of the year. That's going to be a problem.

Well, no. Um just can you qualify end of the year, fiscal year or calendar year? Calendar year. Okay. That's December, right? Yes. Okay. So before we already in the budget before m I'd like to hear from you what what's your stand on this

if you don't mind I think better when I stand up. Thank you, Councilman. Uh, firemen, those in the audience, uh, I I'll give you the the bigger picture because, uh, Chief Thomas said, I didn't understand fire services. I I am not a fireman. I support our fire department. I support public safety. My job as mayor is to make sure that our citizens in our city get the services that their tax dollars pay for. And that means getting you the the equipment that you need, the support that you need, trying to get you the salaries that you need. This council gave a a raise to all of our departments just a couple of meetings ago. Fire, public safety, police, public works, everyone. Only one person did not get a raise and that's the mayor because I don't need the raise.

Council didn't need two council. Okay, that's seven of them. I don't want to raise. I didn't think we counted on almost four hours.

And and the reason for that is because our fiduciary responsibility is to be good stewards of the taxpayers money to deliver the services that they pay for. As Miss McDaniel said, the positions that are available, the 40 positions that we're short, those are already budgeted. We just got to get people in. And to do that, we've got to attract people. But I want to say that you gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen, are members of the Lake Charles Fire Department. You have a noble call to this city. Uh some have told me I don't do it for the money. I do it because I want to protect people. And that is what I will go to the mat on. I may not I may not understand fire services, but anybody comes and tells me anything derogatory about our Lake Charles fireman, we're going to the mat. I'm going to jail that night because that's not going to happen. Not as long as I'm mayor, not as long as you're on this council. We are dedicated to one person and that is the the citizens of this city. Because I tell everybody all the time, and it's not it's not saying a it's not a saying we don't you don't work for the city of Lake Charles, you work for your families. That is what drives me every day. That's what that said that look, let's let's get a raise. I never realized that getting a raise this at this point would be so complicated all across the board. Pay matrixes, uh, uh, civil service, uh, all these other things. It's a complicated mix, but we're going to navigate that. And it's a start. It is a start because this city has to grow. This city, we are we are working day and night trying to find new sources of revenue to pay our people. The other places, they've got plants, they've got all kind of different alternative revenue sources. We are the city of Lake Charles and I'm going to take care of us. But understand too that my job and your job is not to focus on one single group. The other day

the city of Baton Rouge gave their policeman a 15% pay raise. They didn't give anybody else in those departments. I don't know what that's going to do to that city. No. Maybe they needed that because they hadn't gotten a raise. I wish we could do that. I I I wish I could take $200,000 and go buy some lottery tickets to find more money for us. But we're going to work with what we have, but to do that to do that every day, we have to focus on what we do and work together because the class one rating that we got wasn't just because of the equipment that we have, the personnel. We've got fire hydrants out there. We've got fire. We've got a fire. We got a water system that got 108 on a scale of one to 100. That pushed us to the to the rating. What we do in terms of moving personnel, not having to take a vacation because we need the help. No, not having to do. Everyone's getting paid. It may not be what you want. We're trying to find it. And as we get more revenue sources, we're going to give more payraises because we're gonna make sure that we make sure that you do what you do and support your families because that's who you work for, not the city of Lake Charles. We benefit from the fact that you're going to do what you need to do to to uh support your family. You're going to show up every day. Chief, your guys are going to show up every day. Look, 3% raise, 4% raise. Look, if I could give everybody a raise every single day and fix this, I could. And I'm not going to stop until we fix it. But what I heard tonight disturbs me deeply because I'm I'm seeing a department that, you know, most people when they go and get a job, guess what they going to do? They want a reference. And who's going to be their reference? You work for these people. What do you think of them? I am shocked that this is coming out in this kind of forum. I would much rather have I when when this all came out, I gave the chief one

directive. If I said, "Chief, go talk to your men." You are department head. I rely on department heads. I think our department heads do the job that they need to do. But they answer to me. I answer to you. We answer to the citizens. In the private sector, this would not be tolerated. I can tell you that right now. Nobody would put up with this. And it's not because of anything that you're doing because you have to advocate for your people. You have to advocate for your families. But the way to go about it is to have this is I was expecting a constructive discussion about these two positions. How does that benefit the guys in the line? How does that make the department shine so that we can recruit more people? How do we protect the citizens of the city of Lake Charles, which is our ultimate goal? And I I saw that get kind of convoluted in different ways that I just never expected. And as mayor, I'm going to work on that because we have to come together. This city is growing. We've got a lot of things going on. We've got a lot of people here. We've got a lot of responsibility. You know, if somebody gets shot, you can ask the chief. I'm not sleeping that night. If somebody has a fire and you guys have to go in there and pull somebody out and you didn't have the right type of coverage, I'm not sleeping that night. We're not sleeping that night. We go back and forth. We're pulling money to find ways to pay people to get the equipment to maintain what we have and to grow. So my take on this is that I wish that we could focus on what is going to make this fire department, which I think can be the best fire department, a class one rated fire department, fire system live up to that, not just on paper, but also in what's happening in those hallways, in those rooms. When you wake up in the morning, I would lock you guys in the room. I'd get in there with you and just say, "Don't come out till you come up with a solution." Because if you keep talking about problems and

problems and problems with no solutions, by definition, you don't have a problem. Because if you don't if you do not have a solution, by definition, you cannot have a problem. I want to recruit people to our fire department. I've looked at I forgot the movie with Kurt Russell. I watched that movie and I thought that was the best recruiting movie for a fireman I had ever seen. It showed the nobility of the profession. It showed the the the heroism and the valor that you bring every day to work. And you're right, you spend time away from your family. That is the ultimate sacrifice because those times you can't get back. And I would like for us to collectively go out there and sell this department to people out there who would make excellent firemen and protect our community. But we can't do that if our house is not in order. So the chief, we talked about this when he first told me about these two positions. I said, "What are these two positions going to do?" We don't take that lightly. We don't. But as a department head, I'm going to give him the benefit of doubt because he's looking at the he's looking at the administrative side of it. I'm looking at how does how does the the public works department, fire system, support the fire department so that we can get the people the ratings that we need so they so our citizens can get better rates on their homeowners insurance. How do we get situations where people can save under the flood insurance? How can we take a I I've got the fifth floor the other day. I'm talking to them about we've got a home program that specifically targets first responders. How can we take that program and make that part of the recruiting package to say, "Look, come and join our fire department. This is how much you're going to make a year, but guess what? There's also programs and benefits that the city sponsor that can get you into a firsttime homeowner. Well, now you're paying yourself because you work for your family, not for the city." I would ask that we as a city, as a department, as a council focus on what are we working with and is this going to make this department better? We've got a class one fire rating. Now, we have to

maintain it. We are one of the few people in this state that have that rating. I started off this meeting getting up here with a celebratory note that we that we were a class one city with a 108 out of 100 water system. Go to Sulford. But look, they may want to be work fires over there, but they're complaining about the water that's coming out. So, at the end of the day, I want to focus on the solutions. We can hear about problems all day long, but if we don't have a solution, we don't have a problem. That's that's that's my take on it. Thank you. So, Mr. Mayor. Yes, sir.

U So, you are in support of the the positions? I'm in support of whatever the whatever the chief needs to make this fire department stand alive where we can maintain this class one rating. I don't I don't I don't get into the the the weeds of it because I think there's a lot of work that needs to be done within the department itself to get the morale to get the camaraderie. That's why for each of those meetings when we when we deferred this I specifically asked the chief chief go talk to you guys every time. And it wasn't it wasn't a ask it was a command. you need to go and talk to you guys. Uh Mr. Thomas sent me an email that I thought was well, I'm not going to get into it. I'll just say that I responded to it in kind. I I think that we need to get I think we need to really back away from the table just a little bit and figure out why are we here and what are we trying to accomplish and let's focus on that because I think we can get there. We're going to find the money. We're going to find the money from somewhere. We're going to this city is growing. We're identifying places to revenue and just like this, we didn't wait till the budget to give a raise. We gave what we could right now. And I'm still hearing complaints about I said I've never seen you trying to uh get a raise to people and it becomes a problem. I mean, last week we had a class, we got the letter, class one fire rating, we got the water, uh the razors were in place. This is a time for us to to say, "Okay, now we're moving forward. We're making progress." But you can't you cannot move your ship forward if the anchor is still dragging.

Thank you. Thank you, man. So, I'm going to stand on what I said. I want to amend this um ordinance ordinance creating the positions of chief of administration and chief of operations within the administrative division of the Lake Charles fire department and to provide for the qualifications, duties and responsibilities for such positions and other related matters not to begin or not to be filled no sooner than December 31st of 2026. That's my civil service rep. Say something. The civil service uh guy sit on the board for the Lake Charles fire department. Say again.

Casey Leblon. Uh I'm the civil service board representative for the fire department. And um you cannot enact it or fill it until it goes to our board and we vote on it. Well, I'm what what I'm saying is that December 31st is the date upon approval. We said at the beginning that all of this had to go to civil service anyway. Yes, sir. So, I just want to make that for what we're voting on. Now, once it pass all y'all, let's say y'all pass it tomorrow, it still can't go into effect until December 31st. Yes, sir. I don't think we'll hear before December 31st, though. We're backlogged right now with grievances. Okay. It's going to take months.

December 31st is the date we're going to enact it. Now, at when December 31st hit, whatever time y'all hear it, then it'll just enact it to be able to go to my board. Yes. not put people in the position. Yeah, that's that's what it mean. No, you can't put people to work in a position until they approve it. No, that's Yeah, he's saying he's put it in motion to be approved. Yes. Got you. Yes, sir. All right. No, so everybody understand what I'm asking? I think earlier he said he wanted to put somebody in a position, but I'm amending it. If I get a second, then that's what we vote on. If nobody don't second my amendment, then we have to vote on what it is now. He asked earlier,

he didn't he wasn't worrying about it. He wanted to be able to move somebody into the position before it was going over there. Before it was going over there. No, what I what he explained correctly, the chief hadn't said about putting anybody any certain person in any position. I was just saying that so the guy can work in in the saying the guy can't work in the No, that's what I'm saying. He not That's what he's saying. He's not going to work on he's not going to move into the position which you if I'm understanding this right at the beginning you told us even if we pass this it still had to go to civil service and all these other kind of things. So what I am saying now as of December 31st they're eligible to be filled once they're approved by everybody else.

Right. Do do we understand what I'm what I'm asking? No, I fully understand. I second. Yeah. It may be much later than that, but it can't happen before December 31st. I second. Got a second by Mr. Funddale. Now we need clarity. This is the discussion point. Do nobody does there anybody that don't understand what the amendment is? Nobody. Okay. They got a second by Mr. Fondelle. We're voting as amended. Please vote. 64. Mr. Bilbo. I did. I'm sorry. Okay.

All right. Now that it's been amended, we're voting as amended. Please vote.

Please vote to All right, moving on. Number 15, an ordinance accepting the lowest responsible bid and authorizing the city of Lake Charles to enter an agreement for project number CP 3538, Buddy Prejing. Any questions or comments? Oh, I I got it. She gave it to us.

35. Okay. Okay. The total contract price will be 154,300. The next lowest bid of preferred electric would be 198685. I'm making which one we using. Clear now. We should I'm not understanding. Miss Emily, are we using the 154300? Cuz on the other sheet they got some more names. Apparent little bit of gun. That's what I'm saying. 154

of 154 3. Okay. We're accepting the lowest base bid from Gunter Construction at 154 $154,300. Please vote. Number 16 has been deferred till May 20th, 2026. Number 17, an ordinance authorizing the city of Lake Charles to enter into cooperative endeavor agreement with the state of Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development for West Sier Street from Lake Street to Stanton Street project, state and federal aid project number H016736. Any questions or comments?

Mr. President, I just want to acknowledge uh the administration and uh regional planning commission's involvement in getting money for this is a tip uh close to $3 million that we're getting toward this project that will be applied locally. So, big win for us. Uh question. This is a $3 million outside of the money we already had. It's $3 million in federal funds that are coming down to help support this project. For Mr. Marks, if you recall, when we were going through LC Rebound, Uhhuh. And we talked about starting this project in phase one. It's because of the tip funding we're able to obtain. And so instead of doing the entire project, we're doing part of the project so we can utilize the tip funds. But I thought we were using the money from a bond.

We are, but it's a $8 million project, but we had $3 million from TIP funds. And that's why we moved this up into phase one to try to get that project initiated. You got to capture that money when you Yes, sir. Okay. So, but this this was a new tip. We just got that tip or No, sir. Okay. No, sir. All right. Please vote. 74.

Number 18. An ordinance of the city of Lake Charles authorizing the expropriation of property for a permanent utility servitude from on and with respect to property for any and all uses necessary for the highway 14 waterloop project. said property believed to be owned by Shujat Holding Company. All pursuant to Louisiana revised statute 19 semicolon 134 at SEC and providing further there too. Any questions or comments? Please vote

74. Number 19, an ordinance of the city of Lake Charles authorizing the expropriation of property for permanent utility servitude from on and with respect to property for any and all uses necessary for the highway 14 waterloop project said property believed to be owned by 71 core all pursuant to Louisiana revised statute 19134 and providing further thereto any questions or comments please vote 74

number 20 an ordinance authorizing the city council of the city of Lake Charles to declare parcel number 00750832A no municipal address as a surplus property and further authorizing the city to enter into a ground lease agreement for the use of this surplus immovable property for the transmission and receipt of wireless communication signal including the construction of a structure and tower along with the operation of the equipment. Any questions or comments? Mr. President, I would I'm sorry.

Yes. I would offer for the record a copy of the affidavit of publication that was um ran in the Lake Charles American Press for the record with regard to notice that this property would be declared as surplus property. Okay. I just have a question. I looked at the picture. Where is this located exactly? Is it is it east of uh Highway 14? This is a parcel of property that we have for a future fire station that was we did an exchange with MC State University and AT&T approached us and they wanted a piece of that to be able to put this tower on top of it. We had our architect look at the site. It's big enough to allow them to put the tower on the site

and still do and still do the fire station. And Mr. Bergier, if you want to add anything east of 14 though, it's right before you get to the traffic circle in Morgan Field. Okay. Yeah, right across right across from the lift station. I don't want to delay this meeting any longer, but I still want to ask my questions. So, I'm sorry. It's where is where the concrete area turns into asphalt. I know exactly where

I I got a quick question and it it's going to be something we discussed in the past. So, AT&T is who we going to lease it to. Can we I know that there was a time that AT&T was trying to get back into the city. Is it any kind of way we can tie this in to try and help our our uh bargaining, you know, with with getting back into getting them back into the city? Yeah, we have a meeting coming up with them, but I think we're going I think we're going to work really hard at getting all this stuff on track. So So you still want us to vote on this? Yeah, if you don't mind.

And and one other comment I'd like to make. I read it and I think in a lease agreement it says we can utilize that tower for some things that may benefit us of a communication tower that we don't have to build for emergency purposes. That is emergency. That's a true statement. Yeah. So it could benefit us there too. Any other questions or comments? Please vote. Number 21. An ordinance authorizing the city of Lake Charles to enter a cooperative endeavor agreement with Sella Technical Community College to contribute funding for a flight school at the Sella Technical Community College Shannot International Airport facilities. Any questions or comments? Yes, sir. Yeah.

I'm going to mess up your meeting again and I apologize everybody. I had a question too. Number 21 and 22. I will never question what the voters of Lake Charles have done. Okay? It's not my job. But when I look at this particular project and the next project, I want to say that I support Sella 100%. I attended some classes there. I think what they've done is great and I'm glad they're they're focusing on some educational training that you can't get at McNiss or four-year university. I think it's great and I think the STEM center at Lake Charles Boston Academy is important.

I looked at some of the things that, like I said, and I'm gonna make it short. I think we need to focus on our priorities, which are the fire department, the police department, the public works. Those things, these two things are the citizens and the taxpayers of Lake Charles giving away $3.25 million and getting almost nothing in return. I know it's great for economic development and and and a lot of things. Uh, and I maybe can't stop it, but I'm going to vote no because I think we need to focus those dollars on priorities. I know that won't change it, but I'm going to stick by my conservative roots and say we need to focus on important things like that gentleman sitting over there in the uniform. So, thank you.

Okay, for number 21, if I'm not mistaken, Sella is asking us for some money for something else. Yeah. In addition to this,

Sella Sella identified a $15 million grant to build uh basically they want to build a a facility like a plant and get people trained in it by working shift work. Basically, you're working as if you're working at a plant, pipe fillers, baller makers, but you're working shift work. And I think it's I think it's an excellent uh grant that they have, but they want to buy the property. It's the uh I think it's a it's a fence company or something, roofing company right on the entryway and they want to put it right there. So, they asked us and the police jury to participate in buying that property and turn it over to them to to uh go ahead and and uh build that there. I I had asked about whether it be possible to just take some of this this money that was going to do that, but this was this is out of the Lake Charles rebound pot. So, it's different.

21 is Lake Charles rebound. Yeah. 21 and 22 21 and 21 and 22 are both projects that were approved by the coun previous council when it was adopted. So and a vote of the people. Yeah. As well.

Yes. With the vote. So that's Yeah. I like anything you know when I vote for a budget I vote for the budget in general. I'm not Yeah. I can't say I don't like this part of the budget. I guess I could I guess if it was had a strong enough opinion by say I'm not going to vote for the budget because I don't like this one particular item. So yeah, some of these projects I didn't think were the best things to be involved in, but that's what the council voted for and that's what the people voted for. Um so to understand there's a visa no concerns with it but basically the the people have spoken on these two projects but I I think what happened just going back to number 21 Sella has moved forward with the project they acquired the they got the EDA grant in order to do this project is under design right now with their funding with the understanding that it was approved previously under LC rebound. So, does this force us to have to pull down Lake Charles rebound any earlier?

Yes. No, this is in the first trunch that we pulled. Okay. When we went through it, both of these were in phase one and we donated 2 million. Excuse me. What's the portion? What portion? We're not going to donate 2 million of I think and and the EDA grant originally was for three million. I think the project's actually more than a little bit more than 5 million from what I understand. But the city of Lake Charles portion is 2 million. Yes, sir. Yeah. Any other questions or comments? Number 21, please vote. Number 22.

641 against the one against. Number 22, an ordinance authorizing the city of Lake Charles to enter in a cooperative endeavor agreement with the CoxU Parish School Board to contribute funding for the enhancements of Region 5 STEM Center and the Lake Charles Boston Academy of Learning at 1509 Enterprise Boulevard. Uh, I do have a question in regards to that. I understood what Mr. Weatherford said, now it's coming back to me. But when we first did the Lake Charles rebound stuff, we didn't consider things that the city could use it for. Is there is it too late for us to ask for some, for lack of a better word, perks of the city?

I don't know what those perks would be. And and I'm just thinking about that. Um

I let maybe I can help. uh recently uh uh there was a it was a statewide uh STEM competition robotics competition that that happened at Lake Charles Boston and it's pretty obvious that the the school was too small to handle that. So we did talk to I did talk to uh Miss Mr. Harvey Mr. Van Ma about as those competitions to host those competitions that we can bring them into places like the new uh sports complex that we're building because I think that can handle those kind of things. So if if we're if we're going to put money into a STEM center uh and that's going to be an attractor to bring those kind of competitions in and you know at at Comry Fondale we have a a STEM program. I'd like to see those programs uh in other schools. I think that would help because anything that we can do is this if this is an investment that's going to make it more attractive to bring these type of competitions here and and and uh engage students that may become engineers which is the hottest profession going. I think we'll get I think we get a return off of it.

Well, I was thinking uh in lines of two things. One, they had a group of young people that came here not long ago and talked to us about um doing some things for a age group. Remember Mr. Fondelle? They came and they said they wanted to formulate an organization or or something like that. And I was just thinking if we wanted to use the theater, could we on behalf of the city use the theater or uh kick uh rent it? We giving millions of dollars uh as like Katie does her uh her videos and things like that, you know, could we take our technical department over there and make a commercial uh make some things like that in the facility? That's the type of things I'm talking about.

You know, Mr. Marsh, we do have a pretty good working relationship with the school board and I got to believe that if we had a conversations with them about something like that, we may not have an issue, but it was not part of rebound. And I think if those things come up, we would have to just reach out to the school board. Okay. Number 22. Any other questions? Let me add it to the record again. Yes. I fully support the school board and still I just don't think it should be one of Lake Charles tax dollars priorities. Understood. Thank you. Statement. Yes. Just for the record, Mr. President, I'm uh going to abstain from this vote. Um just to You abstain? Yeah. Mhm. do the ties because of the

I think he I think he should abstain. Yeah. Reject the money then. Number 22. Please vote.

One against and one abstension. All right. Number 23 has been deleted. The following resolutions may be adopted by consent. Just for clarity, I think there's one there. We need to state who the appointee is. Um, that's why Mayor M or said it in the fact sheet. Yeah. It said what? In the fact sheet. Senator Mount. Historic commission. Historic commission. Yeah. Resolution. We probably pull that one separate. I'll say

25. We'll pull that one out. And 20. 24. Huh. 24 and 25 will be pulled out. And just for clarity, we're just setting the date on this United Way uh agenda item. Correct. Yeah. Uh for 24, we don't have a nominee yet. That's it's just it's just authorizing to to appoint somebody. I don't have res. Oh, really? Oh, okay. I didn't But we we don't have a name yet. Or do we? Yes. Yes. How many res? No, I thought it was expiring. Jason, no. His term is expired. His term is expired. Right. But he I'd like to 38 and 39. Jason is Oh, he reapplied.

Yes. Okay. I thought he was expired. Okay. Okay. So, do we have to plug the name in before we vote? I think it's I think he reapplied it. So, Oh, Jason Bale did. Yes. So, he's automatically going to be appointed. He was the only. Okay. He was the only applicant. Okay. So that can stay. Uh I think we still have to approve it. I mean, if he doesn't get four votes, I'm not saying he's not going to, but if he didn't get four votes, we'll pull 24 and 25. Um 26. Well, we going to have to do 26 individually. 27 28 individually and we pulling 38 and 39. Okay, so let's do it. Number 24, arrest. A quick question on

we just um 26. I thought about this when we read it. Okay. So, all of them, we can't do none of these consent. We have to do them individually. Yeah. Can I ask a question about 20 six? Yes. I guess it's the same project, but unless I'm confus Unless there's another Oaklan Street drive road. Oaklan is off of Mcne Street. Ory is up by the river, right? Yeah. I think I think it I think the fact sheet showed I know it's got one number but it looked like it was two projects. I mean yeah would it should it have two numbers or is it one and the same because it

I mean maybe there's another Oakland but I mean Ory Drive is is is Oklahoma's off of Magne or I think is it off Fitz right? It is off is or or Fitz right there. Yeah I maybe it's a different I don't know but it's Mr. Stewart, I would leave it the way it's written under 1CP number and let's vote on it. Oh, I'm fine with it. It was just I thought it was odd when I saw it before. I'm sorry. It could be possible that we are paying for two lift station upgrades out of one CP number. Yeah, that does happen. It just it understand because I didn't know where Ory Road was, but I mean I understand what you're saying. Logistically, you probably couldn't have a lift station on McNiss and a lift station off of Fitz.

I mean, it's a circuit, so I mean they do work in probably are upgrading. We are probably upgrading two lift stations under one CP number. Okay. Number 24. Good. Mr. uh Weatherford. Yes, I'm fine. A resolution appointing a member to the personnel. A resol can we amend this and say uh make it say um a resolution appointing Jason Bale for another six-year term on the personnel board because he's already been appointed, right? I mean, he's reappoint he hadn't been appointed yet a resolution reappointing Jason Bale for another sixyear uh

six-year term on the personnel board that's the amendment please vote on the amendment 64 now as amended a resolution appointing Jason Bell to another sixyear what you said term on the personnel board. Jason Bale, did y'all get it? Please vote. 64. She say seven. 74. And now the v the for the amendment it was 70 as well. Yes. Yes. Say 64. Six. I'm sorry. Okay. That's okay.

You think about 25. Do we have a name? Will he mount? And we have an amendment. Okay. No, no, we don't. We a resolution approving the mayor's appointment of a member to the historic preservation board. I mean, preservation commission, which will be Willie Mount. Question or comments? Please vote. She was mad. A resolution authorizing this 26. a resolution authorizing the city of Lake Charles to advertise to receive

I'm sorry. It's my understanding that number 25 really should say members because you're appointing all of them. Yeah, he has uh he still votes on the ones that are appointed by the or nominated by the other a by the historic commission. So he put So far to clarify there's reappoints there's reappointments and one new appointment which is Willy Mount. So, we have a group of reappoints. We have two reappoint, is it Blake? And then, but the mayor is doing the mayor is appointing Willie M. That's correct. So, that's what we're talking about here. I think we confirmed the other ones, right? The the council does, correct?

Yes. So, the council still needs to reappoint the other members. So, do we need to have their names? I think it's names are in the actual resolution. So we can just do this uh a resolution. We have to amend this then. No, no, I I would do them separately because this is this is the ones the the um his appointment is Willie Mount the other two re asking to be reappointed. Charlotte Blake and Jeff Cutler. What what's CHPS mean? Cuisto Society.

But I'm I'm saying for the sake of what we're doing today, this one says the mayor's appointment. Where do we read in the other appointments? Is that correct? We probably need to amend the resolution to clarify that you are appointing the ma that you're approving the mayor's appointment as well as reappointing. Yes, the reappoint because and what is the representative from the CalU Historic Preservation Society. Okay. Who are the two names? Um, the two reappoints are Charla Blake and Jeff Cuddler and and and she is from

and she's from this KU Parish Historic Preservation. Yes. Okay. So, here's the amendment. A resolution approving the mayor's appointment, Willie Mount, and reappointing of Charlie Blake and Jeff Cutler to the Historic Preservation Commission. Yes. Thank you. Please vote for the amendment. Uh, second it. All right. Okay. And now we're voting as amended. 74.

Number 26. A resolution authorizing the city of Lake Charles to advertise to receive seal bids for project number CP 3070 Oaklan Drive and Ory Road sewer lift station upgrade. Mr. Weatherford, would you take that? Sure. Do we need the vote or are we just appointing it? We're just appointing the chairman. Well, no. I mean, you just did. I mean, it's to given the Yeah. permission to advertise, but I'll gladly be the chairman of it. Okay. Well, but Okay. Number 27. A resolution authorizing the city of Lake Charles to advertise to receive seal bids. M Mr. Marks, I believe you got a vote on it. Okay. Cuz you're advertising if you would. All right.

Number 26. A resolution authorizing the city of Lake Charles to advertise to receive seal bids for project number CP 3070 Oaklan Drive and Ary Road sewer lift station. Please vote. Mr. Weatherford, would you take that one? Yes, sir. 27. A resolution authorizing the city of Lake Charles to advertise to receive seal bids for project number CP 3400 18th Street reconstruction Lake Street to Creole Street phase 1. Please vote. Mr. Mr. Young, would you take that? Yes, sir.

28. A resolution authorizing the city of Lake Charles to have a sides to receive seal bids to purchase annual supply of public safety uniforms for use by the Lake Charles fire department. Please vote 74. Mr. Bilbo, would you take that one? Yeah. 29. 29. We're setting a hearing date of Excuse me. We need to modify that. Mr. Harvard just made me aware that we have to push that back to June 3rd. Yeah, the downtown businesses asked that that be pushed back to the 3rd of June, that meeting. Any objections? How about for item 29? Yes.

Yeah. No objection. Why they want to back it up? I guess so they can have some people here. 28, not 29. 29 resolution that you see it this one. This one. Oh yeah.

Yeah. So the hearing date will be if anybody no end no objections. The hearing date will be June 3rd 2026. A resolution setting date for public hearing and consideration of the Lake Charles Planning and Zoning Commission's decision to deny a request for a variance in order to construct a new addition United Way. One, construction of a singlestory building versus required twotory. And two, allow channel letters and a 6in logo, thereby exceeding the allowable three three foot in in height within a T5 urban center transex zoning district at 8:15 Ryan Street.

Mr. Marks, it's just you said 6 in is six foot. Six foot sixoot logo. Correction. A resolution setting date for public hearing and consideration of Lake Charles planning and zoning commission's decision to deny a request for a variance in order to construct a new addition United Way. One, construct a singlestory building versus required twotory. And two, allow channel letters and a six-foot logo, thereby exceeding the allowable three-foot in height within a T5 urban center transact zoning district at 8:15 Ryan Street. And that day is June 3rd. and that the hearing date is June 3rd. Yes, sir. M Mr. Various. So, what did Plan is on send this back? They denied it.

They denied it. 40. Yes. Okay. But they did. This is where I have a um a problem with Okay. Did they deny both of them? Yes. I know one. Okay. All right. That answers it. So, my question is, we originally set the hearing date for May 20th. Yes. It was originally May 20th, but the business owners asked it to be pushed back to June 3rd. I personally say you already said that. I mean, I'm just conveying the constituent message. Is that a problem? Hold on. It has to be heard within 30 days. Is uh from what day? The hearing date. What was the hearing date? April. Let me

You're asking some hard questions. We've been here a very long time. I mean, if if it's not it's going to be more than 30 days cuz it would have been the second Monday in in um May 20th was in compliance. So, we might need to go with that day. Stay with me. Yeah, we may not be able to go to June. I think we're okay. The the appeal was filed. Oh, from the date of the appeal. I'll have to look at the ordinance. Did it last week? You just did the appeal. That was on They said April 13th. They just filed the appeal. Plan zone commission denied the request 40 April 13th. So they have they filed the appeal the 28th of April of April. It won't make it. So they'll be too late. They got till May.

I think if the this is my professional opinion if they've asked for the extension I think we're okay with it. Okay. But but the but the United Way didn't ask. I don't know who asked who asked for I'm assuming Yeah. constituents and business constituent business owners and constituents. I I would not It's different. That's different though. That's going to be a war. Hey, I'm just I think I think we're Who f Okay, they filed the appeal. That's right. The applicant has filed the appeal. This is their application. So, unless they requested the extension, I would keep it the 20th. Got the councilman requesting it off of based off what the constituents and business owners. They've already filed it though.

It's I think it's I think it's their application. In all fairness, it should delay it. Yeah. that has not been I think I think as long as it as long as it doesn't run the 30 days I think it's if if the councilman Oh, you asking for I'm only asking on behalf of the for the extension. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. I thought you talking about the appeal. No, no, no. He's asking about the the extension. So, we good with June 3rd? It won't take you to June 3rd, not 30 days. I I don't April 28th. Yeah. It take you to make 28. Oh, June 3rd. Yeah. the uh you know in my professional opinion it's the applicant's application that they are following through with the understanding that it was going to be on May 20th.

I I think you may can set the the date for for May 20th and then and then defer it. Yeah. I I think I think to meet the the day requirement it's got to be May 20. That's unless we do a special meeting. Yeah. And then you can defer it. So, so just for clarity, the rule is once an applicant files the appeal, you have to hear it within 30 days. Correct. Can the legal department pull up the uh I don't have my book with me. Sorry. Pull up the ordinance.

The batteries go out on the cameras. Shel, do you have a code of ordinance with you? I'll run upstairs. Okay, let's defer. Let's postpone. Let's go through the other stuff and we'll come back to that. Yes, please. That's what he said by them filing the appeal. They they you under their time frames. Yeah. What you say? Can you come back to that one? Yeah, we can come back. Yeah, let's let's let's go through the other stuff and come back. Number 30.

Answer. A resolution expressing the support of the Lake Charles City Council for the economic development, the expansion of film, and the entertainment industry activity, and the enhancement of educational opportunities related to film and media production. I I I just need clarity. What is this? I don't know what it means.

I can speak to it. Uh that's that's uh hometown product, local local product. Uh Mr. Michael McGawwin, he's he's been venturing back into the city. Um he's been actually working with the school board, working with the youth, working with MCN. Um and basically this is a letter of support um for some of the things that he's trying to do here locally. He's not asking for any financial incentives. Basically a letter of support that's going to go to Baton Rouge in support of bringing the projects to Lake Charles. And and and I'll add a little bit to that. Uh I think Mr. McGawan identified he he's got a a potential grant opportunity with the Louisiana Department of Economic Development, but he needs a resolution from the city of support. Okay, that's what I wanted to be clear on. What is it that he asking from the city?

He wants to bring a a film school in CGI training uh to either Swell or Magnes. Okay, number 29. Vote. So, give me number 30. Oh, number 30. Please vote. Oh, that's our last one. I'm waiting on Doug. Doug is the Hold up. It's hard for the old man to work a little bitty phone. You must be a five. Looking it up, too. Hold on. Here it is. Oh, no. You got the same problem I have. He needs to look under his glasses to see that. Munich code.

What happens when you get old? If you can't find it right now, Doug, with the permission of Mr. Harvey, we can set that date as the 20th and just ask Mr. Harvey to ask them about deferring it. You got to ask United Way. No, no, no. I'm saying United Way ask United Way about deferring. Oh I'm telling you. No, I'm saying just ask we got the book. The rest of them got to be ready. Oh, yeah. We're This is the last thing and when we vote on this, we can make a say it's going to be ready in tomorrow morning. We can go home.

It's 9:30 hour. I can't read it. can make it easy. Let it happen and then we defer I mean Mr. Harvey asks we we just got to have justification of what we if we say no

okay I'll call hey Mr. Big I think he's I think he's getting I'll contact him I'll just tell him hey You say we just going do go with May 20th right now. I just trying to order what the for the record I was just trying to honor what the constituents ask me for. So it's fine.

We going to Okay. Number 29. A resolution setting date for public hearing and consideration of the Lake Charles Planning and Zoning Commission's decision to deny a request for a variance in order to construct a new addition United Way. One, construction of a singlestory building versus required twotory. and two allow channel letters at and a 6-foot logo thereby exceeding the allowable 3-fft in height within a T5 urban center transact zoning district at 8:15 Ryan Street. Uh the date for the hearing is set to May 20th, 2026. Please vote 74.

The following ordinances are for introduction by consent and will be read into the record the day following this meeting at 100 p.m. in the city council chambers. I've got I've got an answer. What's what's the answer? Eating adjourned. They could say June. There's no 30-day term. The 30-day requirement is more than so So there So we could have ext we could have extended it. Um Mr. Harvey Ronnie. Ronnie.