City Council - Regular Meeting

What's up, my man? Good to see you. It's spring, man. It's spring. It is time. Number three.

Move out. How you doing?

Hold on. I'm good. I'm good. Good. How you doing, Mr. What's happening? What's happening?

What's going on, man? Yeah, we bed together and fell.

All right. How you to see? Oh, yeah. Without your hat. I don't know if I ever seen you. We're going to call this city council meeting to order. Mr. Harvest going to lead us in prayer. I mean in uh pledge allegiance. Mr. Fondel going to lead us in prayer.

Lord, we pause to recognize that thou are God. And Lord, we say thank you. Thank you for life, health, and strength. And Lord, we pray that your blessings be upon this country, upon this state, and upon this city. In the name of Christ, we pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. To the flag of the United States of America, to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Mr. your name. Mr. Gilbo here, Mr. Young here, Mr. Harvey here, Mr. Marks here, Mr. Viso

here, Mr. Fondell here, and Mr. Weather here. We have a quarum. Okay, we're going to defer number eight, number 11, number 17, 18, 19, and 24 to the May 20th, 2026 meeting. Defer 8, 11, 17, 18, 19, 24 to May 20th, 2026. We're deleting number 10 and number 15. Excuse me, Mr. Mark. Yes, ma'am.

On number 24, we're deferring it until May 1st. deferring until May 1st. Okay. So, correction first. Uh we're deferring 8 11 17 1819 to May 20th, 2026. And we're deferring number 24 to May 1st, 2026. We have a meeting May 1st. Huh? May 6th. May 6th. May 6th. The next city council meeting May 6th. Yeah. Yeah, we had five Wednesdays in April. Okay. So, that's You are aware that we off next week, right? Yeah. Okay. You show up by yourself.

Okay. All right. Uh, please vote on the minutes. Receive the minutes. 74. Okay. Appointments. Appoint a chairman to review requests for qualifications for the most qualified architecture engineering firm to perform professional services to prepare cost estimates, provide engineering and design services, provide construction management, oversight and other additional services as needed for the design of the construction of the indoor recreation facility. Mr. Harvey. Yes, sir.

Number two, appoint a chairman to review bids for project number CP 3538, Buddy Prejing. Craig Marx. Yes. Public hearings. Number three, public hearing and consideration of Lake Charles Planning and Zoning Commission's decision to approve a request for a major conditional use permit in order to establish a runwell matting facility in an existing commercial structure including variances to one allow use on local street versus required location adjacent to and has access to an arterial collector street. Number two, allow resin and paint application to matting product within a mixeduse zoning district at 2925 Industrial Avenue. We have some cards. Um, let's see. Mr. Bear,

I'll give you a brief of the uh the outcome of the public hearing. This was a public hearing u by this company. Uh they had an original request to do some other activities uh for the matting company which was sanding um sawing and things of that nature. They took that application, amended it and went back to the planning commission with some adjustments. Uh the planning commission heard the proposal uh and from the opposition and voted to approve the request by a vote of 3 to2. That approval has been appealed to the council. So that decision is vacated. So you're voting on the proposal as it was presented to the planning commission.

Okay. M I have a question for you. Go ahead. Mr. Why was that distance dropped from the original? The it is stated what they will be doing with the resin that is located within the residence. So that is part of this application not being on a local or arterial street and doing the matting product which is resident painting within the residence. No, the original had u a distance of a certain amount of feet. This this is an amended application from what was proposed before doing the sanding. They don't need the distance anymore.

That's correct. because we're not we we can't answer the question if it's a hazardous material. I I I I do not have that that that's going to have to be it was not in an application to call it hazardous material. That would be have to answered by the applicant. So if it was a hazard material they would be requesting a waiver for that. Then you would have the distance it would be required and it would it would it would be requesting a waiver from that. Okay. So, what it would be the required distance would have been I would have to look at the I think it's a thousand feet. Okay. All right.

I have a question, Mr. Bear, before you go. I'm I'm having trouble with this language of allow use on local street versus required location adjacent to and has access to an arterial or collector street. Explain that.

The industrial avenue is a local street which it does it's classified throughout the city. Major arterials are streets like Ryan, Lake Street, Kirkman, Broad Street. This is a local street that was designed for local traffic, but this industrial avenue is all businesses along. They're all non-conforming. So, they are on a local street, but the code requires that they be on an arterial collector, and that's why we're having the major conditional use permit. So, if this were to pass, they don't that we're not giving them permission to drive in the terrace. That is correct. So it' be legal for them to

that it would be it would be prohibited, but you can as a council can if you're concerned about that can place those type of conditions on the application. Hey Doug, can I ask you in in reference to his? So all the other that are nonconforming had to have this same conditional use in any new com any new commercial intrusion would have to go through a ma every one of them a major conditional use permit. Okay. So a lot of them are have been there for years and are non what we classify as non-conform.

If they did the same business they're doing today it'd be a major. So you said that because it's a it's not designated as a what street? An arterial or collector. And what are those? What types? Ryan Street, Broad Street, bigger streets. Bigger streets. More more capacity. Okay. Any other questions? Well, I I guess the the prior use by you services that the moving and storage they pro whenever that came into exist they went through this process

possibly. But if they how long if they if those businesses were established prior to the adoption of the zoning ordinance 1984 then they would be an existing nonconforming use. Okay. If they were to close down for more than six months, they would have to come back to get a use permit to reestablish that same type of use or something more intensive. Okay. I think that was uh the Sears at one point Sears contract a long time ago. It was Sears. Yeah, it was Sears. It was Sears contract sales and and distribution. It was a distribution company, right? And they may have done some repairs there, too, possibly.

So, that prompts another question. If this business was located there and they closed down or sold, the other business would automatically go under

that this if any conditional use approval or major conditional use is approved, the use goes with the property. They could sell it to a new owner, but the new owner would be stepping into the old owner's shoes and still have to meet any requirements set forth for this use. If the use changes, they would have to come back through the conditional use approval process again. So, a vote tonight up or down, you're voting on this specific use only. If it changes, they have to come back through the through the zoning process all over again. So just to be clear, another business comes and does the exact same thing, they don't have to come back.

If it if it's if it doesn't if it doesn't break service for 6 months, yes. But if it breaks service for more than 6 months, then you have to go back through the process again. And again, just for clarity, whatever up or down, that's just for this particular property. That is correct. You're not changing the zoning of the whole thing. No. And that's the that's the beauty of a conditional use. You don't want to change the zoning because then you have no controls over what comes after this. This applies only to this application. And one other thing, why is Industrial Avenue called Industrial Avenue? You have to ask your forefathers. I cannot answer that question.

I I have another question. What is the difference between mixed business and they're we're we're not reszoning it, but we're giving them permission to operate at in a mixeduse zone. But what what is that new zoning called? Light industry. It will be the zoning does not change. You're approving the use, but we're giving them an exception for light use, a major conditional thing for light manufacturing in the mixeduse zoning district. So, they actually will be doing light manufacturing in a mixeduse district.

Yes, that is what's on the table. That that specific use. Yes. Any other questions for Mr. Bear? Okay. have a couple of cards and a couple of donations of time. We got uh Mr. Jean Tippido and we got he's being given time, Mr. Stoops by Mr. Raymond LeBlanc. Mr. Raymond Leblanc present. All right, Mr. Tyrone Thomas. All right. Uh let's see. Maurice Spates. Okay, those three are donating time to Mr. Tippido. Mr. Tippido will have a total of 12 minutes.

Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. Tibido. Yeah, President Mark, I would like Mr. Stinbeck. I think he he also submitted a request. He's the owner. I would like for him to go first. Is that correct? You can submit. He submitted a card. I have no card for him or no donation of time. Let's see. Hold on. Let me check. If not, that's fine. If if if he wants to fill out a card, he can. Did you want to speak? You know, I would like to for you to explain to the council the nature of your business. What exactly are you doing, Mr. Council is already familiar with what he does?

It probably be good to Yeah, I think a lot of us are, but it'd be good for him to refresh us and for the audience as well. May Mr. Stinbach, I would appreciate if you would allow Mr. Stinach three minutes to explain the nature of his business. Uh, can somebody fill out a card form? Miss Stanbeck, you can come up. Where's the cards? State your name and address for the record, please.

Uh, my name is Charles Stinbeck. I go by Chuck. My address is 11:09 Laura Lane, Lake Charles, 70601. I'd like to begin by thanking the council for hearing us and the time that you guys spend up here with your public service. We appreciate that. I'd like to thank everyone here to hear us out. Like to thank the residents that have a concern because obviously everybody's concerned about where they live. So we appreciate that. We want to know we respect everyone's opinion and regardless how the council rules, we'll respect that. We respect everyone's opinion. So just understand there's no hard feelings. It's a business. We we got it. I don't always understand the whole macro point of view with everything. So we appreciate you hearing us out. So the business is a a a manufacturing/service business that supports uh primarily the US military but other allied armed forces around the world. We manufacture and provide a emergency airfield damage recovery system which the heart of the system are these mats. Now there's other things that go with it. Uh ancillary hardware and toolkits and so forth that support this system, training and you know various other things that make this whole system work here at this location where we're currently located and where we propose to move. We make a composite at what's called a thermoset composite panel. It's a very thin, lightweight composite panel that allows the military to fill a bomb a runway, a pavement if you would that's been bombed. It's got a crater. You fill the crater and these mats, these thermoset plastic, very thin mats joined together and they get anchored over the runway and hold that fill in place and allow aircraft to be trafficked, you know, on the runway temporarily. This is to be used during wartime. So think about it as a spare tire for a runway if you would during

emergency, during conflict. So all our armed forces and all our foreign operating bases are mandated to have this system and we are the sole source provider around the world for this. Okay. So that's what essentially the business is. And um you know we do a it's an injection molding process with a a thermoset plastic resin and a specially designed reinforcement that makes these things you know perform the way they need to perform. We also do some machining of the metal parts. We propose to do that over there with these big CNC elaborate CNC machines that make all the metal connecting components some of the anchoring hardware and so forth. So the primary function of the building at 2925 would be this injection molding process, machining, packaging, shipping, and uh what we call a top coating or you hear the term painting. So that's what we'd like to do there. Any questions?

He had a minute left. He's doing You got a minute left. Any questions from the council? Um the first permit you guys were y'all dropped something y'all said yall not going to do at the new building. What was that process? Yes sir. When the when these panels come out they come out of a mold. Imagine you got a mold is like a cake pan. You got a bottom and you got a top. Okay. When they come out of that mold we they has mark off and the edges are all jagged. Mhm.

And um we have to sand that down and then it goes to a water jet where it's cut to its final net dimensions. Then it's gone through another process where there's sanding involved and it can be quite a bit and it can be pretty messy business. So our first proposal, we were going to do that over there and build a big elaborate booth to collect all that dust. Um but after hearing the residents appeal to that and the experience they had with the carbon black, we said, "Look, we we've got a long-term lease down here. We're going to be here at least another 10 years. We just renewed it. Look, we'll just keep that operation over there. So, so we that's to what you're referring that phase of the operation and the water jetting will stay at our existing facility. So, because it that can be a messy business. There's no question.

Okay. And it's hard to control it.

What are the advantages of mo of where you're at now and where you're trying to go? Well, the biggest advantage is just sheer space. You know, we our guys and some of our employees are here have to do a lot of the work outside primarily a lot of the packaging and wrapping. So, for example, it's we spend a lot of time making these panels compliant to the specification and they get all coated and they look brand new and we have to set them out in the yard cuz I don't have space to keep them inside the building. These parts are big and there's a lot of them and you got big forklifts and so forth to handle them. That all has to get conducted outside the building. Now, they're stored outside the building. So, we're subject to inclement weather right in the middle while we're trying to package and so forth. So, we just she surely need we just need space. That's the primary reason. We need more room. We need more square footage. We have about 36,000 square ft of space down here now. And this gives us another 48 square,000 ft. So we'll be upwards of about 100,000 square ft of uh manufacturing space.

But you you but you will be move moving the molding process. Yes, sir. That's our intention. So let's make that clear. That is that is the the goal. The molding process, this injection process, we want to conduct that on industrial. So in that process, it does create an odor. Absolutely. It creates an odor. Yeah, there's no question. It does create a I guess I don't know how to describe the older a paint type of odor. Right. I would say it's probably close as you could get like paint. Yeah.

Yeah. And so that molding process once it hardens um you going let it dry or it dries and then you going to pack it up bring it back over here on Fornette Street where this sanding would take place where the sanding then go back over there or you ship it from there. No, it would go back over there where we would store it. Goes back over there. Correct. And so the final ship out is from over there. Yes, sir. The layown yard would be over there. Yes, sir. That's correct. So, you would have some lay down yard outside. Well, we'd like to keep the majority of it inside, but I do anticipate when the truck comes.

Yeah. And the finished package. Yeah. And I got to get it out of the building and get it on the trucks. So, I I could envision having, you know, three or four kits sitting out there waiting for the truck to show up. Sure. Yeah. And to move that, you're going to have heavy machinery. We're going to have big forklift. big big forklift ties about this high. Counter a forklift counterweighted at about 33,000 lbs. 33 a pretty big forklift. It's a Yes, sir. It is a good size machine. And and and and so that whole area be lined with your your ship out stuff and the forklifts. The 18-wheeler comes in and the big forklift picks it up and put it That's correct. Puts it on the flat bed. Enclosed.

That's what they go on flat beds. It's too hard. It's too difficult to get inside a pavement. So that operation is actually going on. That's correct. And that would take place outside on the pavement. And this is actually a manufacturing process. That is correct. We have the molding process that creates the the chemical odor. The odor. That's right. Yes, sir. We do. And then it dries. That's correct. And and that that's why it's called a manufacturing process. You are correct. It has to be shipped out. So, um, so that area would have ventilation and that odor could go into that neighborhood.

It absolutely could. Yes. Okay. Mr. Stanbeck. Yes, sir. I I don't want to label anything that is not supposed to be labeled. Yes, sir. But where you at right now, if you had to pick out the most um hazardous might be too strong, but if you had to pick out the parts of your process that would be most worrisome, what would those projects be?

Well, in my I've been doing this about 30 years. In my opinion, the the most volatile and is the it's the sanding and the grinding. You know, the the dust that gets all over you. you have to wear respiration or you you certainly should, you know, um which is why we agreed to leave it over. That's that's the dirty part. The injection molding is relatively clean. You take rolls of fabric, imagine rolls of fabric, you know, they're about 7 ft wide and you it comes off a you know, literally a roll and it's rolled out by hand and put into on a what looks like a table and then a lid is put over that and the and the chemicals are contained in a in a line if you would. It's really never exposed. It's only exposed at the point that you open the container and you stick a tube down there to to draw the container out. That's the only exposure there. The rest of it is all kind of under a lid. The guys come go to work dressed like this and they leave like this. It's it's a relatively clean process.

But also the grinding is a that's dirty work. Yeah. But also you have a chemical process. Absolutely. And that chemical is labored labeled with Yes, sir. We do have chemicals. What else is sure there you got? Flash point on uh polyester resins. Uh you know in our case we use a a very high grade of what's called a vinyl resin. Flash points are probably 175 Fahrenheit or something like that in that range. Now once it cures flashoints are up around 450 Fahrenheit, you know. So I noticed on the label it had fire inhalent and something else. I I can't corrosive. Huh?

I think it was corrosive. Corrosive. I don't remember the that and that is the molding process. That is correct. And that chemical will come over to this new Absolutely. In bulk. In bulk. Yeah. Let's don't let's don't sugarcoat this because the last thing we want to do is get over there and we have issues. No. Yeah. We buy it by the drum. Okay. Um we store it in bulk outside in ISO containers. Then, you know, we'll bring inside the building basically what we need on a daily basis. We go through about 2,000 pounds a day of this liquid resin at our current volumes. Mhm.

Now, the liquid resin that you're talking about, well, let me go back. Of the things that you mentioned that would be your most hazardous, how many of them are you taking to Industrial Avenue? Well, the operation that I would consider the dangerous part is that sanding and grinding that all that remains over at um Fornet Street. Now when I went to your facility to to to take a look at it to have better knowledge of this you had a cutting process. Yes sir. That cutting process which is done through water cool chill. Is that staying or is that going?

That stays. It's it's not pragmatic to bring that over there. It it stays over here at Fortnet. Now, the the the chemicals that you're talking about, I read in the report that your attorney submitted to the council that individually they may be somewhat toxic. That's correct. But once you put them together and they form the resin, it drops the the volatility. Once the uh once the chemicals are mixed, it causes the the scientific term would be the free radicals cross link. Okay. Then it solidifies. Can you put that in layman's terms for us?

Well, basically what happens to liquid, the two chemicals come together and when they mix, it turns from liquid to solid. That's what happens. And once it's in that solid state, it's not hazardous. You just throw it in the dumpster. All our trimmings and so forth, u the the sanding, dust, etc. that gets swept up, we collect it. And all the trimmings and little particles, that's all non-hazardous. Go straight to the landfill. And I want to be clear, I I'm we're asking these questions because we want to give as much information to the public as we can so there don't be no u no misconceptions because in in dealing with this I was confused about a lot of things. Yes, sir.

You know, like the arterial streets, I was under the impression y'all was asking for an ordinance to drive on the streets. Yes, sir. When I say streets, I mean in within the neighborhood of the terrace. Y'all won't be doing that.

No. So, we have no need to do that. We we need industrial drive to get to the building or industrial avenue, but uh the arterial streets. No, that wouldn't make any sense for us at all. I mean the I mean obviously if a UPS drive or something, you know, we can't control that. But these items are pretty big. So they're shipped out on big flatbed trucks and and it just doesn't make sense for one of them trying to maneuver through that neighborhood. It end up wrapping around a telephone pole or something. Couldn't get stuck in the street. So, I would think the route to that building is down 14 down Industrial Avenue straight to the building. Um, and it looks like a reason, one of the reasons that building is a fit for us because you can see that building's built all at dock level. It's all dock level. So, it is designed for semi-truckss to back up to it to the docks. So, that works for us and there's enough yard space on the side like he was asking, you know, to load the trucks out so we can get the the kits out. We package them up in a kit form and then you know the flatbeds can come in we can load them on the truck and so there's enough room for all that to take place more than adequate room.

So are you governed by OSHA and EPA?

There are regulations that we have to comply with. Most of them, you know, center around, you know, how you handle the chemicals, how do you store them, how do they come to you, how are they transported and, you know, all your suppliers and so, you know, like for example, if you have your resin shipped in, the truck should be placarded, for example, things like that. Those are all OSHA standard federal regulations. And then secondly, the big one that the question that I think the public would be concerned with would be emissions. In other words, what goes in the air? So we have ways of we have to maintain certain levels of emissions and you know we we've tested for that and uh now the way they conduct that testing is they go to the workers themselves they apply a monitor on the worker that's right on top of the work he's not out in the parking lot or he's on top of the work and they monitor those emissions and then they're recorded over about a twoe period and then they can tell what those emission levels were. Now based on we did that two years back to back 2023 and 2024 and the finding was that even the workers the emission levels are so low now that doesn't mean there's not an odor okay but the emission levels are so low that respiration wasn't even required so this process we use can you know it's it doesn't generate the VOCC's because it's underneath a lid there's no spraying if you would you spray paint what It atomizes the fluid, goes in the air, right? This doesn't do that. It's injected into a in a in a lid, so to speak, in a closed cavity. That's why those levels were so low. But you're Yes. To your question about OSHA requirements. Yes, sir. We have to make sure we comply with that or you know, we're subject to fines and so on and so forth.

Mr. Weatherford, I So, you're going to do some painting there, but for what the minutes is going to be roll painting, you're going to do all that inside, correct? We do that inside. And again, that's all been monitored being enclosed and you're going to Yes, sir. And there's going to be some sort of system that's going to take some of this. Correct. Typical ventilation, you know, like you would if you were inside your house closed. So, so the manufacturer some of that smell. Yes, sir. Or the chemical causes.

Yeah. you know, you can't control it a lot. You know, I've I've heard it both ways. So, I'm not going to dispute anyone. The the if you're on top of that work, there is a smell. Now, I've had people tell me when they're out in my parking lot, they don't smell it. And I've had others say they do smell it. So, I'm not going to, you know, obviously you get enough distance away, you're not going to smell it. But, um, I don't want to sugarcoat things. I'm here to respect your decisions and respect the residents of that place. I know they got to live with it. But

I will say this, I've been where I'm at now uh for probably 12 13 years leasing from Lake Charles Harborist. We don't have any complaints. So, and so if the smell was escaping and you guys might know there's some pretty expensive homes down River Road down there. So, um and they have to drive within relatively pro close proximity to us. Now, there's a smell over here, but it's uh what's his name over there? at the guy in the corn that bought the old uh Davidson store. You know, they make some kind of glue in there or something. Premier.

Yeah. But but anyway, um you know, I'm not you know, if somebody says they can smell it out in my parking lot, fine. You know, I guess it's just how far away are you? But I don't have people complain to me about the odor. You know, when you say there's going to be stuff stored outside, that's really and queuing up might not be the right, but I mean, it's going to be out there in anticipation of that truck getting there within. Correct. Relative short period of time. But yeah, correct. Yeah. Most of I mean you're going to store your stuff inside because you don't want it exposed. The reason you want to be here is you don't want it exposed to the elements cuz you that's what's happening now. Gets all dirty and nasty and it may get warped. I don't know if it gets rained on. It's a mess.

Yeah. Well, none of that. You know, my guys got to stand out there in the middle of August wrapping and stuff. It's It's hot. It's hot. I'd like to get them inside where it's a lot more comfortable. is one of the concern stands. Yes, sir. Uh was the um what are the shifts?

Well, our current working hours are 6:00 a.m. We start early till 4 and that's and that's Monday through Friday. That's the normal there. Again, I don't want to, you know, paint lipstick on a pig here. Okay. I get a call from the United States military and they say, "I got to have something right now." Sometimes we have to work on in a night or we have to work weekends. It does happen. We just had a emergency order for the 82nd Airborne last week. I mean, they had to have something now. We got a call in the morning. They had a truck there that night. We had to stay over late into the night to get that truck loaded out, you know. So, it it happens, but the norm 6 to 4. We like to start early cuz it's hot, you know, down here. So, that's the norm.

So, what what how many jobs do you anticipate this generating if it's allowed to go down? Well, we're currently we range between 35 and 40 now and we've got contracts stacking up. We're we're probably going to double our workforce if not triple it. And that's it's just I don't know what the climate is, but I've never seen it so busy. And and these contracts are like five years, seven-year contracts. And it's interesting thing about our business, which I never anticipated, it's it become a lot of it's international. We're talking Taiwan, Poland, NATO itself, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, you name our ally and we've probably talked to them. They're all interested. I've got another long-term contract, 5-year contract pending with the United States Air Force. Army's adopted this same system. I didn't know it, but this system has become the go-to for all the branches of the service now. And it's mandated that all our FOBs have to have a certain expeditionary airfield recovery system to support that airfield in emergency. So it's just taken off.

Any other questions from the council? Thank you, Mr. Steinbeck. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Tibido. Yes, sir. Before I begin, let me distribute this record.

Is there any way he can put it up? Mr. Toots, I don't He doesn't have it. Got to provide that to Thanks, sir.

Good evening, President Marks and members of the um council. I'm Jean Tibido, 626 Broad Street here in Lake Charles. Uh I'm I'm an attorney representing um Readymat whose honor is Chuck Stinback. You just heard from him. And Senator Mike Ree uh from Leedville. He is in the legislature. is not able to be here on this evening. Many of the questions and concerns that uh the neighbors have had you you all have addressed. I have a prepared presentation. I know that you all are familiar with the uh the the issues that are involved. And so I would like to reserve maybe two minutes for rebuttal if necessary. And I think um Mr. Fondell you were asking earlier with Mr. Bair the um what is that exactly the nature of what Mr. Standback is requesting and it's a variance from multi-use to light manufacturing but this variance is not perpetual. Okay. It's for this applicant only.

Well, he will be operating as a light manufacturer.

That is that is correct. That is correct. He but that's this is for the applicant. This is not perpetual. This not forever. Okay. Um so why why are we here? pump. Senator Ree is the managing member of an LLC that owns the 48,000 ft building on Industrial Avenue. And it's called Industrial Avenue because of a reason. There are several businesses along that avenue. There are several businesses that border that uh avenue. Right now, the as a result of the hurricanes Laura and Delta, the building was completely decimated. The building has now been re completely redone at a cost of 5.5 million bucks. It's a brand new building. It's sitting there and it's not generating any income. Mr. Stenach needs that building. It's 48,000 square ft. He's operating right now in 38,000 ft and it's going to be used primarily, as you said, for storage and for it's called painting, but it's actually rolled on. It's not it's not sprayed on um onto the surface. Um the neighborhood had some concerns. Uh the major concerns was the fiberglass emissions that has been taken away. He's transferred that to the Fornet Street. Uh there was some concern about noise. Uh the city has a noise ordinance that if that ordinance is of course broached then the city becomes involved and the law enforcement people become involved. Um the it's called VOC volatile organic compound. It's a chemical that vaporizes in the air. you know, it's found in paint, it's found in uh household items and supplies and gasoline. Those those fumes uh can be somewhat hazardous, but that matter has been addressed. In the submissions that I gave to you, there is a study by a safety and environmental

expert done in 2023 and 2024 before this issue became an issue. That's important because you know in the legal world we hire an expert to say certain things. The other side hire an expert to say certain things to they contradict each other. These studies were done before any of this came to be. So it's an objective study on the emissions from the from the paint and the study shows that for employees who are working within inches of this product and on spring I mean I'm rolling it on those emissions were below OSHA standards and he didn't even recognize or even recommend any respiratory equipment. He said it would be nice if you put on masks, same type of mask that you use during the uh the the co. So these studies were done on employees. So if these VOCC's volatile organic compound doesn't impact negatively an employee who is going to be in an enclosed climatized environment, no way will it affect folks who are outside that environment. Um there was an issue with smell. Uh the building is 42 yards from the curb. If the street is included, it's practically a half a football field. You got to have some mighty good nose to smell that 50 yards away in a building that is enclosed and climatized. And folks were out there yesterday um and the building was not enclosed. people working there and you could not detect any any smell or any uh any negative odor coming of odor coming from that building itself and I think the employees who were here can also vouch for that and one of the employees is uh

Mr. Thomas. No, Tyrone. May Tyrone Thomas Tyrone is the May I May I stop you right there? Yes, sir. You said that you got to have a mighty strong nose. But I want to be clear. It is possible that the wind can bring that smell to the neighbors. Oh, it's possible. But I mean, and if you have a ventilation system, an improved ventilation system, that you should want to suck it away from your employees out through the vent system and it's got to go in the atmosphere. Yeah. But I I just want to be clear when you say you got to have a strong nose that it it is possible for the residents to smell it.

I couldn't smell it. I was we were there yesterday and this was an open open building. But I want to make sure you're talking about on Fornet Street. Correct. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Correct. where the work is currently going on.

And you know, Mr. Steck was very candid with you all. Sir, if you paint a building, you're going to smell the paint. But now, as I said, this is about 50 yards away in an enclosed building is very unlikely. It certainly does exist. I don't want to uh I want to be very candid with you. Certainly does exist, but the extent to which it exists is not hazardous at all. And it's it's verified by the by the safety uh and environmental consultants report who did it on the employees who were like a few inches from this product. Um and you know it was below OSHA standards. So the business will be subject to the regulation of OSHA has to be subject to the regulation of the the federal EPA subject to the regulation of the state DEEQ. So there are regulations in place that governs the conduct of this type of business and Mr. Stinbeck's business has has been very successful. He's not going to jeopardize that by not complying with these uh with these regulations. What is the and you know he's he's intention to cooperate with the neighbors. He moved the most ownorous aspect of the business from Industrial Avenue to Fornet Street. And so basically the only thing that's going to be occurring on Industrial Avenue are painting and storage. And as I said, the paint will be rolled on. It will not be sprayed on. So there'll be very little emissions from that work. Um what what are we talking about here? The economic impact. It will not change the economic landscape of Lake Charles. All right. But let's but let's it's not it's nothing to sneeze at. He's got he anticipates an additional 30 employees at 22 bucks an hour. That's over 1.4 million bucks. That turns over five times in the community. So it will have a certainly positive economic impact in

our community. Now, the president's budget has $1.5 trillion targeted for the Department of Defense. We have 190 countries in this world. The defense budget alone exceeds 90% of all of the countries in the world. which means this there will be an we presume additional work through the Department of Defense and that's Mr. Stinbach's and his company's main client. So that business is is expected to expand. Who knows? It may expand to the extent that he may have to move or have another outlet other than or in addition to the outlet on Industrial Avenue. And so the economic potential well not potential the economic reality is certainly there. Um you know we always complain about losing business to to laugh at we have an opportunity now to inject economic positivity into our community. So I would wish that the council take that into account and vote favorably for the variance that Mr. sent back in his company is asking and you know I read a scripture yesterday it says for where your treasure is your heart will be also Mr. Stinbach did not come to his to this place in his career alone. Somebody helped. I have one minute. Okay.

And two minutes. And it's he is going if you look at what he does with his employees. That's a reflection of who he is. Okay. 60% of his employees are folks who have come from a halfway house. He's given them another chance in life to make a decent living for themselves and their families. Somebody gave him a chance and he's doing that exactly to his employees who are working for him now and who he will hire in the future. And uh one question. Yes sir. You said something about halfway house.

Mhm. who regulates or how is he going to regulate to make sure that if he's hiring somebody from the halfway house that they meet the proper standard to work in that area? Well, they're no longer there. I mean, they've completed all of their their uh their assignments after their time of a halfway, but but you still may have hypothetically a sex offender goes and apply. I don't think that he's going to hire sex offenders or murderers. No, I'm I'm not saying knowingly. I'm saying what is the hiring process? What is put in place to make sure there's background checks? Um, you know, I I don't know. Uh, um, President Marks, you may ask that about Mrs. Tinbach, but I I don't have that answer for you.

Let Ty Rose speak to that because he's our general manager. I think he could press. Tyrone Thomas is the general manager at the Foret Street location. How y'all doing? Okay. Process, sir. State your name and address for the Tyrone Thomas 1916 Enterprise Lake Charles Louisiana. Okay. Okay. Our hiring process we deal with is Lee Mallet through a sanctuary program and it's a deference and sentencing program. So they're not guilty or innocent until they go into their court. So he's he already screens all his employees. So he already has the designation of where they go and where they can't go. Okay. So it's done before you they even get to y'all. Yeah.

Okay. All right. And lastly, you know, LTO has been pretty good to me and I hopefully I have reciprocated. Um, not that I need the business, but I do have the business. I would never represent a client where my sister would be endangered. I have an 86 year old sister who lives in the terrace. I would never jeopardize her health by accepting a client um for anything. So, I'm open to questions. So with that, any questions for Mr. Tibid though? With that being, I'm going to try something a little bit different if with the uh Go ahead. And I just wanted to make a Go ahead. Make quick observation. Go ahead.

Um when I went and looked, I noticed of course there's businesses on the north side of the street, basically next to the railroad. And then there's one business, a transmission business on the south side of the road kind of in the curve as you're coming in. Um, and certainly there's not the volume of chemical, but certainly there's follow certainly flammable. And I I don't know if transmission fluid is corrosive. Probably isn't because it's running through the engine, but certainly there's a flash point for that. And there's probably some emissions from that. So, there's already businesses that have chemicals that they're using. You've got quality transmission, the laundry world, you've got Master Plaza, you've got a police jury building there.

You got the signs was on the corner, but you got the sign um company right there, too. I'm assume that there I don't know if they're all there certainly some chemicals. I don't know if they're painting signs there, you know. I'm not sure exact but they are they none of those businesses had to get a bearance to be there. They're within code of mixed use.

Well, I think No, I think they're I think they're all have exceptions or they're grandfathered in because they've been there prior to the zoning code or they went through this process. I'm assuming that the Bayou Storage Company that was there before was had to go through this process because they they were certainly after 1984. They were after 1984 when they came into Mr. McGaris, can you give us some clarity on that? If you know, I know you've been there 50 years, but

uh not quite 50 years. Um some of those businesses are existing non-conforming. They were established before the zoning ordinance. They may have been a different business but the same use. So they did not have to go through the conditional use or approval process. Others may have and I don't I know one um I think went through an exception to establish there. Um but to answer your questions to identify which ones did and which ones didn't, I can't do that. I mean, but the ones that are there and operating, they're probably all likelihood non-conforming uses that will continue until they shut down for 6 months.

Okay. And probably and there's no way to know that, but I'm guessing most of those businesses were there because that railroad's been there a long time and a lot of those probably did and some may still utilize the railroad to receive product there.

That's true. So, okay. With that being said, I'm going to try something. Uh, we got some cards of people who want to speak and I'mma ask judge, if you don't mind standing for the sake of time so we don't have to keep switching back and forth. If there's any questions, you can address it at the time, but I'm going ask the citizens that's coming up, address all of your comments, all of your statements to the council. If it's something that needs to be asked of Mr. Tippido, I'll ask that question to Mr. Tippido. But we don't want the engagement between the attorney and uh those who want to speak. First of all, I want to put on the record Miss Teresa Dusi Dus. D Russo.

Okay. Miss Miss Duso. She doesn't wish to speak, but she wants to let it be known that she's in opposition of it. Where does she live? My time. Withers. Miss Withers. Okay. It wasn't on here, but I That's time going to Miss Withers. All right. Uh, Donald Hatchet. What you got? Donald Hatchet. I'm to Miss Withers. Okay. Miss Withers. Where does Miss Russo live? Miss who? Where does she live? Miss Russo. Miss Dusso lives at 2913 General Collins.

2912 General Collins. Mr. Hanchet lives at 2823 General Collins. And we got Tony Eagle Miles. I'm donating my time to Miss Li as well. Okay. And I'm in opposition and I'm wanting to go.

Yes, ma'am. That's why we're reading it in now. And Miss uh Miles lives at 2712 General Vanderberg. So, at this time, we're going to call Miss Carrie Withers. Miss Withers has uh 12 minutes to speak. State your name and address for the record, please. My name is Carrie Withers and I live at 2729 North General Rainwright. I'm standing in here in opposition of readym coming into our neighborhood along with our other uh residents that are here. I have about close to 95 signatures against them locating in our neighborhood. Um

so that's 95 residents from that neighborhood. Yes. Wow. They all over the age of 18. Over. Okay. Yeah. So, it's no minus. Okay. Okay. We don't want this business coming into the neighborhood because of the use of the resin. The resin h is toxic and uh it has some health effect. It has some hazards. And um when we we went and visit the uh facility yesterday, us and me and a couple of the residents and also a couple of the uh city councilman. We went there.

Excuse me, Miss Withers. Tommy, put that mic down so she can

Okay. We went there yesterday, but to me it was a wind dressing. We could not get inside the facility. We had to stand on the outside. While we were on the outside standing, there was this odor that came through, a very strong odor. We all had to back away and get a good ways from the building. They say they have this airflow that's going to suck all the chemicals up and all the odor. It may be true, but every time I've been back there, and as of yesterday, all the doors are all open. Ever since they applied for a permit in uh November of last year, I've made several uh trips down there and every time I saw all the doors open. So, if they have this perfect air filtration to suck up all the chemicals, why are all the doors open? I went by that this morning. I went by there and I could see where one of the doors open. You had a big old exhaust fan that was pulling the air out the building behind the river. The location where they are now is a good location for them because on the east side there is a big old lot. On the west side there's a big old lot. Behind them is the Calcue River, but in the on the south end there's the residents. And these residents, they get a little smell every now and then because I've gone over there and I've talked to several of the residents and those resident did not know that Readym was actually back there. So that's why he's never gotten a complaint because they didn't know what he was doing and they didn't even know that the business was back there. Um, another thing is uh they were asking for

a major use uh conditional permit. the cards that we get in the mail, it says major use conditional uh permit. But when I went on the internet, I was surprised to see that they had a letter of intent and it included the property was going to be designed for the use of light manufacturing. I've been in that area for over 50 plus years. And when we moved back there, they had Bingle Sashin Door, which is directly behind my house. I could walk in, walk out my back door and walk right in the door. They were selling doors. They were selling windows. They were selling a few uh like door knobs and cabinet knobs and stuff like that and a few lumber. They had everything set up. We didn't have any dust. We didn't have any smell. They had everything. If we didn't know it that they were operating, we wouldn't know they were there. Right next door, they had Sears warehouse. What they did, they were retail. They would fix on small appliances, maybe like lawnmowers, weed eaters or stuff like that. We never had any problem with them. We never had any offsite down the street at the end of the street because you can't go no further was the Budweiser place. What they did, they sold uh beer and further down the street they used to have the wash interior. They had uh the car wash that never offset offsighted anything into the neighborhood. So with this company that's coming in, they bringing in a chemical that they are using resin in it. And resin has some uh chemical effects. I mean, it's uh it has some um

it has some chemicals. And I can pass this to each one of y'all. On the second page, it say a proxy. You have another one. You don't have another one. Sorry. I'm ready. Okay. I'm sorry. Here you go. They say a proxy paint can co can uh pose significant health results. Okay. I thought they had five. Okay. November.

All right. Uh pose significant health risk particularly during handling and application due to liquid component and volatile compound. But once fully cured the material is generally not toxic. But the thing is the liquid component of X approximate resin and hardener, it contains chemicals that can cause skin irritation, chemical burn, redness, itching, and uh and if you're already suffering with allergies. It can also mess with allergies. I heard that uh and yesterday when we went over there, none of the workers had these little air these little monitors. They told me if they got back there, they would give me one so I could wear so I could monitor the air. Why should I? I I shouldn't have to wear that. We're a neighborhood. We shouldn't have to go through that when they are using this uh resin. It states I I think I have the safety um data sheet in there and it says the safety data. It says it causes skin uh skin irritation and it may cause allergic skin reaction. I have bad skin and the least little thing that I go through it'll irritate my skin. So, if I'm outside and this stuff is coming and it's irritating my skin, then what do I do? Do I go to them and say, "Well, hey, my skin is irritated. Y'all going to pay for it?" No, they're not going to do that. And while we were outside pertaining to the smell, I had one of my uh friends from the neighborhood. He was with me. He has he's sort of like diabetic. So that uh smell kind of got to him. It kind of

made him kind of dizzy. So in other words, when when if they move into the uh resident uh into the on industrial, we have two homes that are right there within a,000 foot. My home is about maybe 12,200 foot. These kids are outside playing every day. Why would a business come into the neighborhood and start offsiting stuff to these little kids? We done been through that. That business so say the other business that came and brought uh a lot of home to our neighborhood, it was supposed to be grandfathered in, but it wasn't supposed they they and they came in illegally and we suffered at their hand. So, I don't think that this business would be the right place to come and locate. We have Hillcrest. When that wind is blowing, of course, they going to have to open everything over there. And when that wind is blowing and that that odor comes out, it's going right to Hillrest. And on the south side, it's going to be in our neighborhood. And on the west side, it's going to go up into the Oak Park area. So what I'm saying is why should we have to suffer because of this business that's going to make millions of dollars but in the end is going to cause harm to us. I don't believe that's right. And they also are saying uh light manufacturing. Well, light manufacturing uh according to y'all rules and regulations uh section 5-304 um-5 it talks about light manufacturing.

Light manufacturing district shall generate no objectional odor, smoke, dust, release materials, fumes, vibration, or excessive noise. Now, this is y'all rule. Y'all supposed to protect us. Y'all supposed to look out for us, for all the citizens of uh Lake Charles, and these are y'all rules. So, y'all made the rules. And as far as that building that they keep talking about, it wasn't the uh hurricane that destroyed that building. It was a tornado that passed directly behind our house that knocked the whole right side of the building apart. So that's why they had to go back and uh redo the building. So what I'm asking y'all is to consider this. Y'all have families. Y'all would not put y'all families, y'all grandkids, wife, daughter, brother, sister, mother, y'all would not want to put them in a situation like we are right now. We don't want that. We done been through that. We had to fight the coke uh dust facility and we had to get them out of there because so many people was getting sick. I got sick. I thought I was dying, but thank God I wasn't. So what I'm asking y'all is to consider the harmful effect. Not that we're against business, but we want somebody to come in that is business friendly. You know, I was told they have another place in Lacy. Why don't they take the business over there? Why come and put it in our neighborhood? We don't deserve that. And I don't think y'all would do it either if it was in y'all neighborhood. Thank you,

ma'am. If if I may, may I ask you a question? I'm just curious and and I was looking at a map while you were talking, so don't think I wasn't listening. Yes. I noticed looking at the map, there's a paint and body shop on Highway 14, right? That does back up some residential areas, right? Yeah, but it's not at within a,000 foot. It looks like there's residential areas directly behind it to the what is that to the east? Just for clarity, you are you saying is uh hunt is within certain feet from a residence or her residence? No, a residence, not your residence. Okay.

And I'm just curious in a paint body shop and I I don't know the owner of it or anything, but in a paint body shop, they're using a lot of the same chemicals. are using fiberglass or painting and they have air circul, you know, ventilation systems. Has there ever been any complaints about that particular? I don't even smell it. I don't even hardly pay attention to it. I don't even know half the time what they doing over there, but I do know they fix cars, but we don't get the smell. Okay, that's that's all I'm asking. If if there was ever any complaints about that, it's a it's a similar type operation, I think. No, that's not No, I understand that. But the manufacturing business using heat and resins and stuff to fix cars, right? Either way it go is not a light manufactur.

I understand it's not labeled like manufacturing, but it's curious if there was ever any complaints about smells or anything there. No, no, no. The only problem that we had was this uh industrial service carbon that came into the neighborhood, right? you know, and that was the only thing that since I've been there over 50 years that ever caused us a lot of concern. Yeah. I think we're well aware of what that caused. I I totally understand your

Yeah. And also with this wrestling, like I said yesterday, I mean, we were there and the wind was blowing. So, what happens when the wind is blowing to the south of the building, which is in the front, and they using resin? Guess what? We're we're the one that's going to breathe. These workers are go going to go home, but we're still going to be there and that stuff is still going to be in the air. We talked about yesterday. It's just like putting gasoline in an automobile. Once you put the gasoline in an auto automobile, you leave that scent is dispersed. But when you're in a garage and you crank your car up and you leave it there for a certain length of time, guess what? That has to come out. Same thing with odor. You cannot bottle up odor. Right now, if I was to take some pepper spray and go along and spray all right here, what you think would happen? Everybody in here would have to leave because you cannot contain it. You can't keep it from going outside. You have to open the doors. And it's the same thing over there. All their doors are open. If it's the air filtration is so good, why not close the doors? So, I'm just saying because like I said, we have small kids that's right across the street. These kids here can walk across the street and get in that yard, get to that building. So, why would we put these little kids at risk? We just don't we don't believe that we deserve to be. And we're the only neighborhood that always have to fight. We're part of Lake Charles. We always have to fight. Why is that? You're not going to put a uh this chemical on uh Lake Street. They're not going to put it by your house.

No, not yours. He lives on uh Lake Street. They're not going to put it by Mr. Weatherford's house. No. and you will not and your neighbors won't let you do it. So, I'm just asking that y'all consider. I mean, thank y'all. Thank you. Yeah. Just a few a few a few rebuttal points. I'm sorry. You want to use it on her on on this or you want to listen to all of them and Oh, no. I'm sorry. Listen to all of them. I'm sorry. Mr. Gary Paul Gary judge if you don't mind let him get right judge Paul in me as a citizen.

So by the way my name is Paul Gary I'm from 2205 Highway 14 Lake Charles Louisiana. Hey man here we go again. We had the same issue came up in North Lake Charles about this conditional change. Now I did hear I got to convin you Craig. Y'all ask a lot of valuable questions but we didn't know about up front. If this company so upfront why they didn't come to the neighbors when you come in another community you can't just show up and don't talk to your neighbors. But this a business if I had a business I go depending on what type of business it is. I go talk to the neighbors how they feel about me coming in and what my business going to be about. We didn't know anything. I got a problem with staff too. I had to hear through the grape vine cuz them signs was posted on that dead end. They should have been on the front of the road which is Highway 14 where you can actually see. They also mail letters to some of the people. Then I did see it in the zoning book. If you actually be notified, they want you to pay for being notified. A little small fee where I don't know what it is. Might be nom. I don't know. But it just every time something affect it always affect people of color and indigenous people first. And we are sick and tired. Matter of fact, in the Supreme Court, I mean not the Supreme Court, it's in the courts right now by environmental races. And that company is I want to let y'all know if y'all ignorant that is a super fun site where it exists now. It's actually a super fun site that was present there. So we got a lot of issues. You know, I'm looking forward to the new administration, but we got to change a few things cuz I asked Oh, I got another question or Craig. Do they have an environmental uh department in the city?

I don't know if we have an environmental department. No, we're generally governed by the EPA. Well, we need one cuz with the escalator all these refineries. Hey, we got a serious problem here. First of all, by the evacuation plan. They got numerous issues we got to face as a city and the city and the citizens first with the great with CP2 and all these pipelines. We got a serious problem y'all. And this is partially environmental. They say it's not. They always say that later. Then down the road everybody start getting sick. Oh, we made a mistake. How many times? One minute.

Hey man, I want to thank y'all for the work y'all doing. But look, we I need y'all to turn this down and do it together. Not one, four this way, three that way, or five, two, whichever way it go. I want y'all, I would appreciate if it be unanimous so we can send the message to the rest of them. They not, we not taking this anymore. Coming to our community, we pushing back. Thank y'all for the time. Kenneth Wright.

Good afternoon, gentlemen. Uh, my name is Kenneth Michael Wright. My address for my office is 203 West Clarence Street. I formerly lived at 3505 Lake Street here in Lake Charles until Hurricane Laura. Um, I want to just make a couple of comments. I understand that people get excited, but I've been and I've been reluctant to follow Judge Tibido, who I've known for eons and forever, uh, because he's such a good speaker. Here's the here's the facts. People have a lot of uneasiness and they have a lot of suspicion. But one of the things that we have to do in my profession, which I'm an attorney, is we have to come with facts. And they don't come with facts. They come with concerns. and they they should have concerns, but you got to follow the concerns up with facts. You know, everything dissipates in the air. So, if you live 1,200 ft away, really is it, you think you're going to be smelling it 1,200 ft away? What's the dissipation rate? How's, you know, you got to come with facts. And so, I understand that they're concerned, but you got to come with facts to support your position. And they're not doing that. They're they're coming with emotion. And I understand the emotion, but your job is to pass by the emotion and make the decision that's right for everybody. I want to say one other thing. I know Mr. Stinbeck and I've come to know him uh basically because we drink coffee together quite frequently and he's he's you don't if you don't know his story, you should find out because he's an absolute self-made man. But the other thing you should really consider is while he loves here and he likes his house over on Laura Lane and he doesn't want to he's not from here and this business doesn't have to be here. Let's just face reality. He's not selling products to local citizens.

He probably would be better off if his business was someplace like Savannah or Houston or Los Angeles or some place out like that where he's got access to a port because he's shipping stuff to Taiwan, to Japan, Saudi Arabia, and the US Air Force comes and picks it up. So the fact remains is he doesn't need Lake Charles. He wants to be in Lake Charles. You need to help him. and I appreciate your consideration.

C can I make a quick I mean he says he doesn't have access but that rail that's next to that building goes straight to city docks. I believe

he does. Um, so I I don't know that he's going to use rail to ship that stuff, but I would think if he gets big enough and that rail is controlled by at least a portion of that rail is controlled by the port of Lake Charles, I would think they'd be happy to have a rail car stop there and have it loaded up and go down to the port. I mean, I can't speak for the port, but I know a little bit about business. I think I'd want that business. Okay. Jauanetta Latiganetta Sevet Lig 2909 General Patton Street. I had no intentions of coming up here to speak. I'm not a speaker. I'm more of a singer. But anyway, may the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, oh Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Psalms 19 and 14. The fact is Industrial Avenue cannot be compared to Broad Street or Ryan Street. Is it a It is a neighborhood. One way in and one way out. Highway 14 will become congested with these large trucks coming trying to get on industrial uh avenue. I know where that area is. Another thing, there's residents that use that street to get to their backyard. So, that's going to uh be compromised. You don't have to um you don't have complaints from the residents on Fornette Street because as

Miss Carrie was saying, Miss Carrie, we thank you for uh spare heading us and helping us with this. They have no idea what's in the neighborhood. Everyone in attendance already know why this meeting is being held before the city council in opposition of readymmet coming into the Greenwich Terrace residential neighborhood repeat residential neighborhood with their hazard hazardous epoxy resident paint. I've looked it up and when it and when it's when you Google it, it says hazard and disrupting our peaceful flow of living our lives like the people on the south side of Lake Charles. I had no intentions on speaking this evening until last evening around 1900. I received a sign from the from the song for the love of money played on Pandora while I was cooking in my parents' kitchen of 60 years. My mother is going to turn 89 in September. So here I am. 1 Timothy 6:10. For the love of money is a root of all evil. For the love of money, people don't people will lie and cheat. Don't care who they hurt or beat. For a small piece of paper, it carries a lot of weight. For that mean green. Talking about talking about I know that's the love of money is the root of all evil. Don't sell your soul for the money. Mark 8:36. What does it profit a man to gain the whole world which symbolize achieving the highest level of worldly success power and wealth but forfeit lose his soul?

Mr. President, does the love of money mean more than you than the health and safety of your sisters and brothers? You need another minute? Yes. Anybody got time? Can we vote uh to give her another minute? Please vote. Okay. Thank you.

And last but not least, Matthew 19 and 23 and 24. Then Jesus said to his disciples, I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again, I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of God. Why? Because of the love of money instead of love for mankind that lives in the green witch terrace. Mr. Jean Tibido just said he validated in his briefing, it's all about the money for him and them. Rebuttal, Mr. Uh, Judge Tibido.

Yeah, Miss Lig. I did not say that. I said I don't need this money.

I mean, I'm doing it because I believe in this. Okay. Um, I just want to make that that that clear. Um, Miss Withers talked about an open facility in Fornette. That's correct. it's open as opposed to the closed climatized facility on Industrial Avenue and the residents in that neighborhood according to Miss Withers didn't even know that the business was there on Fornet Street. And so how if that business has been there for 13 years, you would think that there would be some sort of opposition to that if if this business was so hazardous. It is not. And so the open facility on Fornet can't be compared to the closed facility at 2925 Industrial Avenue. And the study that Miss Withers uh gave to you is a study on the individuals who use the resin. Okay? It's not about the the neighborhood itself. The study that I gave you from 23 and 24, the study showed that the emissions did not harm the uh employees and the monitoring device was placed near the collar of the employees. So the study that Miss Withers is is um advocating it it focuses on the employee not on the neighborhood itself. And the studies that were done and the studies that are going to be done every year are safety studies to protect the employee. And the safety the environmental expert concluded that even though the monitors were were clipped to the collars of the employees, the emissions were not sufficient to even require any respiratory equipment and all of the emissions were below OSHA standards.

Uh, any questions for Mr. Tibido? It's not really a question, but I understand Mr. Wither's concern with the skin irritant, but from the information that I have, Mr. Can you come closer to the mic? The liquid is what's the skin irritant, not necessarily the the fumes per se. It's the liquid. If you get the liquid on your skin, there's a a lot of things that are going to irritate your skin as if you're using it. Right. That's right. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, the liquid's not going to migrate 100 ft. It's not going to migrate. I guess if you have a spill, it's going to go on the floor, but it's, you know, it's highly unlikely it's going to migrate off the site.

Yeah. The studies were done. The studies were done on the employees who were actually handling the materials within inches. And that those studies concluded that the VOCC's the emissions were not harmful. And I don't want to minimize it, but if you go home and look at any of your cleaning products in your cabinet at your house and a lot of the stuff that we if if you and a lot of the medicines that we take, if you looked at the side effects, you wouldn't do take anything. I don't know what you I mean everything and it's overkill because well I don't want to uh you know attorneys have made it to where you have to put all those things on there. You know if there's a 1 millionth% chance that it would cause something negative.

So I mean there's all kinds of warnings on all kinds of labels and this paint's not in the aerosol form because it's being rolled on. It's rolled on. It's not sprayed. I mean, it's an aerosol farm at this at this um body shop that's on Highway 14. It's in an aerosol farm at I know it's not near the site, but it's in very close to an old neighborhood on Enterprise Boulevard. Old Johnny's Paint and Body, which is Corer. I don't think I think they've sold it, but the body shop's still operating. At least it was in the last few months. I assume it still is. Um so

and let me just say my clients are not unaware of the anxiety created by the the carbon um emissions that were there several years ago in that community. This is completely and totally different. Completely and totally different. And so yes, we understand anxiety, but this is different. Any other questions for Mr. Tibido? Thank you, judge. Thank you. Thank you all. Any comments from the council? Yes, sir. Go ahead, Mr. Young.

Thank you, Mr. President. Um, I also was very aware uh from residential concerns about the recent the 2015 Petco experience. And so, this is uh a decision that I have uh spent a lot of time uh on. Uh I've visited the site on Industrial Avenue three times in the last month, parked my car, and just walked around the neighborhood feeling uh like as a resident, how would I feel about this? Uh I live on West Salier Street and so the uh the train from Port Rail comes by my house dozens of times a day moving um cargo from and to uh the Port of Lake Charles's city dock. So I understand what it's like to have uh big business or industry come into your area. My grandfather always said trust but verify. So whenever I heard about the experience of uh residents going to Readymat on yesterday and some questioning was this a setup, did they stop some of the operation, I wanted to verify uh and so I uh on my way to Readymat in my car called and said, "This is uh Matt Young. I'd really like to just tour the the property." I was very surprised to be immediately let in. Standing there in the parking lot, I did not smell the fumes that are being discussed today. And I observed lots of employees just working. Um, in the first room that I went in, inside the building, the paint room, uh, no smell whatsoever could eye detect. Uh, and nobody was wearing the N95 mask in there as Judge Tibido said they weren't required to do so. In the next room, uh, the the cooling, the drying room, I did detect a faint smell, but again, it wasn't anything that I could smell outside of the building. and there was one employee in that room wearing an N95 mask uh while others were working without them. Um so I I I feel as though uh because of the jobs that this will create because of the putting back into commerce uh this

building um that this is this is a a fit uh and I don't want to give the company a free-for-all. There are city ordinances with which they will have to abide by. Uh violating noise ordinances, violating pollution uh with EPA. Uh anything that they do that disturbs the peace and is a public nuisance uh we can come in um to correct or or to stop. Um but that is one of the reasons that I I feel confident in supporting this variance and uh having that experience today helped me see that. Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. They got MO cards. No.

Well, as the uh as the councilman of district C and where they live at in the terrace, I've since November, I've went to Ready Matt several times. I've met with them. I've I've answered hundreds and hundreds of phone calls, listening for 30, 40 minutes, who want it, who don't want it. Uh, I didn't call any of my fellow councilmen. I wanted them to all have their own opinion of this business because it affects my district. So, today is going to be a reflection of what they truly feel. I'm as the councilman, I'm I'm going to support the terrorists. I'm going to support the terrorists because they voted me in and I'm a a voice of them. But I personally coming out of industry, I think it's a fine thing what they doing with the guys. When I passed by there, everybody was happy. I truly didn't smell anything. But that don't mean that it won't happen. I I don't know. I can't I don't want nobody to call me and say, "Well, look, I I caught a smell. I I don't know. I'm uh that's a hard one because you you supporting what you believe and you supporting your people at the same time. So in all fairness for myself, I got to support the people. You know what I'm saying? I I I have to of District C. So beyond that, and I'm I didn't campaign for nobody. I didn't ask nobody to side with me. I wanted everybody here, whoever got a chance to go to Ready Matt after these people. I actually, I don't know if Mr. Quiry knew, I actually had set up a meeting for everybody in the terrorist at Yuba Park to meet prior to this cuz I'm not a big fan of all the public speaking and all that. I wanted to have a closed

meeting so we could have discussed this and those things that Mr. the tibido expressed about the EPA and the the uh the allowed ordinance and the people they might hire. I asked those questions cuz I want to know those for myself and that's why he was able to answer them for everybody because I asked those questions and I sent the message to Miss uh Miss Withers letting them know every step by step when they would call me that I would try and get information so I could share. And it was the only thing I was disturbed that I I took my time to have this meeting and nobody want even they didn't want to have it. So we didn't want to have an answer. We didn't want to get to the bottom of it. I just wanted to get the bottom of it so two sides can meet and talk. But today we're about to vote on it. Right.

Mhm. So So everybody will know before y'all decide y'all going to vote. I'm supporting the ter. Anybody? Yes. Um I I got a lot of phone calls about this particular uh thing and and what what is your name again, sir?

Mr. Stanbeck. I I I I want to I want to tell you, you're a great businessman and you're a great person and and and the the thing of it is he's never tried to hide what this is. And this is a light manufacturing business. And and what what no matter what you say, do you want that in your backyard? you that that's where we have to act, you know. I mean, what makes these people an exception can you know uh we we can put this business on a main artery like Pring Lake Road, but this building would be full of people that says, "Oh, no. I don't want that that business." And I I know he will run a good business. But the people, how many people signed your your your petition?

90 something. 90. She said 90 something.

So, we're going to disregard these residents that lives in that neighborhood and say that we know better than these residents, even if it's not toxic. I'm sitting in my backyard. I I I was going to buy some property once and I seen a city uh pumping station, a sewer station. I didn't buy it because I didn't want to be sitting in the backyard and smell no no no no sewer odor. You know that is it it's a it may not be hazardous, but we're asking them to put up with something that they did not have to put up with before. And that's what we're asking these people to do. We're saying you make the sacrifice for us and we disregard. Now, and I got too many. This is not my district, but I got calls from people that ask me to speak for them. And I have no choice. I'm an elected official, you know, and I I not only I have to speak for them. I have to advocate for these people and I would not want it in my backyard. And I'mma tell every council member, not a one of us would want this in our backyard. Now, it's a mixeduse district. They have some other things, but we're making a choice. And the owner told me, "Be realistic." And and let me tell you, I drove back there and I got a little small car and and I was at his place and he he got this thing with this big old wheel on it. I I'm sitting in my little car looking up at this big old wheel track vehicle

and it's not that far from somebody's backyard. I'm looking at it from the road. And and the question is, do I advocate for it or or not? And and I have no choice. I I I I'm against putting it there. I mean, it's a great he's a great businessman and he's a great person and I do not believe that this would cause any direct harm to those people, but it would be a nuisance to that neighborhood. it will create something that they didn't have before. Thank you. I I must say um it's hard being in these positions because sometimes you got to make some decisions that not too favorable. May cost you getting elected again. You know, it may cost you a lot of that stuff. But the one thing I vowed when I took this office is I'm going to do what's right. I'mma do what the laws say we can do. We can't just go out and start making decisions based upon emotions because we'll lose a lot of stuff. We might gain a lot of stuff, but we have to make sure that we're dealing with the facts. what I did. It's not my district, but I've been communicating m with Miss Withers for over a month and something and I I listened to everything she said and everything she said had me. I I because I work in industry, too. Been there for 20ome years. I know all of the things that you that we go through with, you know, uh polluting the air and all these different things. That's why I'm conscious of going out and finding out for myself. I don't care if you tell me your your speed bump is broke. I need to go see it. I I just can't take your word for it. So, I set up some meetings with Mr. Steinbeck. And

I invited residents to go out. First, I went out by myself because I caught him off guard. I just popped up and say, "Hey, I want to visit your plant." They let me in. I walked through the whole facility. I saw how it operates. Compared to where I work, it's clean. It's clean. Now, to say it's not going to be any smells, yes. But what I listen for is it that is that smell going to be hazardous. Is it going to affect me? Because I smell church's chicken. It I like church's chicken. That's why I tolerate the smell. But you can still smell it. And when we making these decisions, we have to be conscious of facts. It's a hard thing to go against people that you represent, but we take vows as city councilman of Lake Charles. We get elected in districts, but we represent the city. And sometimes we have to look at the facts of the matter. I went out there, no smell. I went out there the second day, it wasn't as much noise. One of the residents that was with me would say, "Hey, they toned it down cuz they knew we was coming." cuz I called ahead on this, you know, and I I just didn't believe that that was the case because I work in industry. I I know how this go. You can't hide hazardous stuff. You can't hide the noise that's going to take if you working full-fledged at 12:00 noon. You can't hide that sound. What was there is what's going to be the difference that that that I'm leaning towards is the fact that we going to a different facility. the facility we visited. If I had to vote on that again, I probably wouldn't because of the way it's set up. The doors are open. It's it's all open. It's vacant, you know, to the people out there, you know. Um the sanding that takes place, it's out there to the people. But they're moving to a facility now that is closed, is

contained. I cannot say that it won't be a smell. I cannot say that. But we got to take we got to learn to handle every situation differently. That carbon plant my the plant that I work for sold the carbon to those people. But when you working for a big refinery like that, you don't know who the customers are. When I found out that was going on in the terrace, I was upset just as upset and went talk to the people on my job. But that's a business to them. This situation is totally different. We We can't create things. It it could be a bad smell later on down the road or it could not be. You could not. You could have a truck tip over or you couldn't. We could sit here and go back and forth. We have to deal with the reality of it. And the studies that was presented showed that it's not. And I know from working in the refinery that certain things that may appear hazardous to people in the layman's world is not that way. those studies where what they did for the person that's working over this and it wasn't hazardous to them. That's what it was. And I know it's not going to be for me. It's not going to be a popular position because I I'm I'm a big mouth. I run my mouth and and I love my community, but I want to do what's right. I want to make it the same for my residents as it is for my businesses that we are all getting the same chance because I mean man in this day and time we can be alarmed by a lot of things. You know we we don't want parks in our neighborhoods anymore because fighting is taking place in the parks but realistically can we stop putting parks in neighborhoods? So I just urge I I ain't urging nobody. I'm telling you, my vote is I cannot vote against this company. I cannot. There's no facts that I've seen. I went

out there. I witnessed it. I breathed it. I walked into the facilities. I seen it all. I can't I can't in good conscience vote against it. That's just me. Mr. Harden. Thank you, Mr. President. Excuse me. Um, I've been intentionally quiet tonight because I definitely want to be able to listen to everybody, but I just have two questions that does not speak directly to this issue. How many people are here tonight who lives in the neighborhood along Industrial Avenue? Would you please raise your hand? They just walked out. Well, some of them did, but most some of them got it. I got you.

Okay. I do want to say this. I do want to commend the people for coming tonight. Um, and as you know, I do not represent you guys district, but I represent district 8. And there's a lot of times that we beg people to come and speak up for the community. So I do want to commend you guys for coming tonight and my vote will reflect how I feel about the situation. Thank you, Mr. Weatherford. Um, go ahead, Mr. V. Mr.

Well, I I could say a lot. I agree with everything that that you said, Craig. I think it's a good fit. I I think I understand their anxiety about what happened in the past. I just don't think this is the same thing. Uh, and it's hard to pass up somebody like this that's pumping money into our local economy. It's going to help that area, businesses in that area, which we all know it needs. So, uh, I I I totally appreciate everybody's concern and their care about their community, and I think this thing will, all the evidence we see says this will be a good fit there. And if it's not, come back down here if it passes.

Come back to this city council meeting. Thank you, sir.

Mr. Weather, um the they're talking about this wouldn't be in other neighborhoods. This is relatively unique um because it's right next to a railroad track and railroad tracks are meant for businesses and that's why those businesses have located there in the past. they may or may not use that rail at some point. I would assume that if if his business gets big enough, he will because it's rail is the most efficient way to ship anything. Certainly a lot more efficient than putting on 18 wheelers. Certainly if you have enough volume. Um so this does differentiate from other areas that it's immediately adjacent to a railroad track that access to the port. Um right going the other way it can get you down industrial canal. So, it's very much accessible to um interodal ways to move the freight out of there, whether it's by truck, by rail, and I get if it needs to get somewhere fast enough around the world, it could get to Chanel relatively easily from there. So, I think it is a good fit for the area. Um I think that um Mr. Stinbeck did listen to the residents because he was going to bring more of his operation there because it is a closed environment. It's um heat and cool. So, it's a lot better work environment for his workers, but he understood the angst and the concern that would be caused by the sanding and the cutting and everything. So, he decided not to bring that over there. So I think that that says a lot for him. Now to be fair, he probably um it was he looked at it as it probably beneficial to him because he knew that it would be very difficult to get support if something that was going to have a wider spread effect than what this does. He said the fact that in an open

environment uh where the doors are open and the residents didn't complain about his they may not have known what the business was but if there was a problem they would know they may not know who was call what the name of the business was but they know that the problem was coming from that building. So I think that says a lot for the fact that it hasn't been overly obtrusive to the area that is in. And I think that this facility actually is set up to be even less obtrusive than where it is today. Um, Mr. Stouts, I want to know, can I make an amendment to this this uh, you can with a motion in a second?

Propose. I want to make the motion first. Yes, please. Okay. I want to make a motion that included in this it will say that you will not move the cutting portion of the of the uh process. You will not move the sanding and you would make an effort to put a monitoring system up at the industrial site on Industrial Avenue. Okay, that's that's the motion on the floor. And I have a second. Second. Second. Okay. He'll need to vote on the motion, please. Now, we need to vote on the motion, please vote.

Can I make another quick point relate to um

and it may have been lost in the discussion, but uh Mr. Bergar's it did pass at zoning. So, we are I understand that I don't like the term that it that it's set aside because I like for things that come from zoning to come as they are. And we've had this discussion a couple times. We had passed or we at least talked about that. Yeah. So that people don't come in and make wholesale changes when they bring it here that and it may be legal leads. It may be just legal terminology. It may just be semantics. But I've always been uncomfortable that an appeal sets back um the the decision of the zoning commission. The way I look at it, it comes from the zoning commission intact as is and it's being appealed. So it doesn't really vacate that decision. It just means that someone appealed the decision and we're going to hear the merits on that particular project. if they had come in and made a bunch of wholesale changes that were especially if it it I just think that those need to go back to zone. He I guess the short story is it passed zoning and so here we would be supporting what the zoning decision was who heard this as I say they heard it for more time than we did but we spent a lot of time on this a lot of these topics that were brought up then have been brought up here again

but but can I offer to be clear that the vote was 3 to2 and the application that has been appealed to you has not changed at all. It's the same application. So you're and and to be clear cuz I want to avoid the confusion we had with the first sports complex vote. I want Miss Renee a yes vote tonight on the motion as amended would be in favor of allowing the conditional use. Correct. That is correct. Yeah. So you'll have to vote yes or no. And a yes vote I want to make this very clear. A yes vote tonight in favor of the motion as y'all just amended would be to allow them the conditional use. A vote no would be to disallow them the conditional use.

And I I want to take this opportunity to inject right here based upon what Mr. Weatherford said because I think it's some confusion amongst the councilmen about this thing things coming from the planning and zoning. I think Mr. Weather Mr. Weatherford correct me when when things come from the planning and zoning. A while back Mr. Weatherford said we don't want to entertain things in a change state which means that however it went to planning and zoning when it's appealed to us it has to come to us that exact same way. I don't think he meant that if something comes from the planning and zoning and let's say they voted for it but we got facts to show that that vote was wrong that we don't change that vote. I want that to be clear. I agree

that that's not what Mr. Weatherford is saying. He's just saying that when it comes for planning and zoning, it's appealed to us. It should be the exact same application that that we entertain. Correct. So everybody is correct. I agree with clarification. Mr. I I I I still want the council to understand that we are altering the the set mixed use. We're making a decision to alter that that process to allow this business over the objection of those people.

Mhm. and I want to respond to you. Go ahead. Go ahead. Okay. So, the the the thing of it is is it's not like the the the business wanted to come and and and the people just don't want it. I it it's not like that. And the owner is the reason why I'm voting against it because he say, "Let's be realistic.

I am operating a business." and he don't want to have to he let's just be straightforward with what we're doing. And based on that, you know, he didn't lie to me and I'm not going to lie and and and I really a I would hate to be in my backyard until and the government saying trust me the odor not going to bother you. You know, I mean I I I mean that that's not that's just not good. And the other thing, what we do for one,

we'll do for all. That that's that's all I want to say. I want to make a a response to Mr. Fondelle. Mr. Fondel, what we do for one, we don't do for all because facts determine what you do in certain situations. You cannot blanket it because these people have more people than this. Our job is to deal with the facts. That's why I encourage councilmen to go out and look at these issues. Go into the neighborhoods and see because I can make an emotional decision that's wrong.

So, we have to be mindful of No, I'm not saying you are. I'm saying I'm I'm I'm saying that the decision that I make as a councilman is going to be based upon facts that I go out and see for myself. Now, another issue could come up in the same neighborhood with the with another business and we rule totally different because the facts say something different. Now, hold on, hold on, let me finish. The law allows for us to make variances to do certain things. Yes,

I noticed you kept saying it's light industrial. It's light industrial. That doesn't change the law cuz it's light industrial. All it does, it tells us that we can have a a a business that's not zoned for a particular area, but we're giving it permission to function in that area as long as it meets certain criteria, which is determined by the council and checking their facts. Is it hazardous? Is it poisonous? Is it going to be all these different things? Now, it's an opinionated thing when it comes to smells because I work at a plant that I deal with smells every day. And I realized that, hey, that smell is bad, but it's not harmful to me. Yes.

So, I'm not going to quit my job cuz it's funky. You know, I I have to go have make them do checks on my job. We can go and make them check every piece of equipment. Mhm. If I think it's unsafe, and they're going to shut it down until they find out if it's unsafe. Now, when they come back and say, "Craig, it's safe. We got the so the OSHA regulations. We got all this." Now, you get in it and it's still shaking, but it's safe. So, I want to be mindful that I try to keep my personal opinions out of it. Sometimes I can't. Mhm.

But when it comes to times that I can use facts, we have to use it on whether it's an individual, a community, or a business and apply it across the board. That's just my opinion. Go ahead, Mr. And and I'm I want to I I'm using facts. Mhm. Fact is there is an odor. I smelled it. It's a tox close up is a toxic odor. But the fact is this lady has lived at that address for 35 years and she didn't have to put up with this. Mhm. And we now we're asking her to put up with that. And just be clear, I'm wrong. I'm on the council. Mhm.

But the thing of it is is why why should they have to sacrifice? Why should we and and we know it it's like going to a doctor and and you're telling the doctor, "I got a pain." But he looking at you, "No, you ain't got that pain. Don't worry about it." I mean, these are the that lady is is been in this community quite a while. She know exactly what she wants in her neighborhood and what she does not want in her neighborhood. And I don't doubt that.

That's it. Okay. Anybody else? So, we we voted as amended. Discussion has taken place. We're voting on this ordinance as amended. A yes means you're in favor of the company operating in the area. A no means you're not in favor of it operating in the area. That is correct. Please vote. 44 three against.

Moving on. Number four, a public hearing and consideration of the Lake Charles Planning and Zoning Commission's decision to approve a request for a major conditional use permit in order to construct six town home units with a variance for front setback of 20 ft versus the required 25 ft within a mixeduse zoning district at the north side of the 2200 block of East Prin Lake Road. Mr. Begaris,

I'm going to make this short so we can get the ball rolling. Uh, this item was again uh considered by the Lake Charles Planning and Zoning Commission. They voted in favor of the request for this major conditional use permit which applies to this uh increase in density uh by a vote of 3-2. Okay, they voted for it.

For it, that is correct. All right, we have some cards. We have Miss Sharon Tippido, 2308 23rd Street. She does not wish to speak, but she has something that she want read into the record. Addition of these town houses would add to congestion in the alley that is already congested with traffic from the current residents. I oppose this addition and support echo the sentiments of others who have spoken in opposition. Okay, we have Miss Deborah Alexander. I

think we need to let I'm sorry. Let the applicant speak on behalf of the project and I Oh, well the applicant I don't have anything from him. Who's that? Uh Mr. Okay, Mr. Herman, state your name and address for the recommend.

I just want to clarify a couple thing. I had a couple of questions today from some council members. Uh, the property is zone mixed use. So, I'm going to talk about what's allowed as of right, what's allowed with a major, what's allowed with a minor. as of right without any public hearings. He can build a triplex, three doors, three residential units attached or detached with a minor conditional use permit, which is an in-house review that could be appealed. He can build four units. No, five units. I'm sorry. Wait, say say that again. With a minor conditional use from the beginning when you said about the doors, three three dwelling units, attached or detached, a triplex or three single units.

Okay. because of the mixeduse zoning district allows that density. With the minor, he can go up to five doors, five dwelling units. He's having to apply for the major because he's at six. So, he's in the major use category. That's why this is before you this evening on an appeal from the from the uh councilman for the district. So, Mr. Doug, he's asking for six. He's asking for a variance to increase a conditional use. Conditional use and a setback. The variance is for pushing the building from the required 25 to 20. Okay. So, he's got two requests, a variance and a use. Conditional use and a variance.

Okay. And and he's pushing that forward to Prian Lake Road, not back towards Al.

That is correct. Correct. Herman Stevens, 2912 Mcnes Farm Road. Um, I guess I'll uh start from the beginning. Um, I purchased most of the land on the north side of East Prian Lake Road between Fifth Avenue and the old Hobby Lobby site. Um, when I purchased most of that, um, it was wooded. Um, homeless people had set up camps in there. Um, the trees were partially dead from the freeze and the hurricanes and that sort of thing. Um, I purchased the land. and I cleared almost all of it myself. Um, nearly died a couple times in there, including on a tractor with a 7-year-old in it. Um, I pushed out the homeless people. Um, I basically addressed the complaints of the citizens that I had spoken to, a Mr. Pulard and a Mr. James. Um, and since then, those lots have kind of sat for the last 5 years. Um, the next step is to, um, start developing. So, uh, this first step is a small lot, 28 acres. I would like to put six town home units on it. This would be a very typical um development for Lake Charles. Extremely similar to the six town home development on Enterprise and 15th Street. Um extremely basic. Um I have gone above and beyond sort of the minimum standards. Um, this will be built with Hardy siding, similar to other town home and um, duplex developments uh, in the country club area. Um, my minimum would be metal siding, but I know the community doesn't like that per the single family residents on Oak Park Boulevard. Um, I think at minimum there is some potential where I could request gravel parking. That will not be the case. It'll be asphalt or concrete. Um, yeah, that's that's pretty much it. Um, oh, with respect to the density, um, as

Doug mentioned, a minor conditional would be five units on this lot. I'm asking for six, which pushes me into the major. Um, the maximum allowed under major conditional is 30 units per acre, which would be eight units. So, I could ask for more. I'm not. Um, I could do cheaper siding. I'm not. I could do lesser parking. I'm not. Um, and then with respect to the front setback of the property, um, normally it's 20 feet on this type of corridor. The reason why it's 25 ft is for future expansion. This is East Prian Lake Road. There's no planned expansion or widening of East Prian Lake Road in the works. So, I'm simply asking to reduce that 5-ft buffer that was for future expansion. It will still be at the 20 ft which is typical for similar roads in Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Any questions for Mr. Herman? Is is there is there a house to the uh to the west and to the east of this lot?

There is a house to the west that is on an extremely large lot. There would likely be 90 feet between these buildings, which is a a full lot in between these buildings and the nearest home. Um to the west, there are two lots in between um my property and a single family residence to the east that is currently functioning, I guess, as a home/ uh psychic reading type business establishment. I just I know the setback when you change it, you change the look of a street have some houses.

Yes. Um so if my buildings Yes. If my buildings are 20 ft from my property line, there's an additional footage to the curb of the road. There are other structures I believe at 7 and 12 ft from the property lines along this section of Pri Lake Road. This would not be the closest uh building to uh the front property line by far. And you plan on the you plan on putting the parking in the parking would be in a rear. Um and there's multiple reasons for that. Um aesthetically speaking, you want sort of a wall of buildings um along a main corridor like this. You do not want um a sea of of uh concrete or asphalt parking. It doesn't look good. You want you want parking

try to back out on the prel. And you also do not want um people you want to reduce people pulling out in prelick road. You do not want a Ryan Street situation where you have multiple entrances and exits and curb cuts. Um, in this particular section um of Prian Lake Road, there are three small lots right next to each other and then the um psychic establishment I think has a a horseshoe driveway with two entrances. If these three lots get developed separately with uh entrances on Pan Lake Road, you will have backtoback entrances and exits on Pan Lake Road and it will be it it won't be good. It's the exact type of thing that the city of Lake Charles is trying to address along other corridors.

The added pressure you're adding to that alley. With respect to the alley, um that alley or that that block that surrounds that alley is uh just slightly more than 50% developed. Okay. Today.

Today. Adding this property um does not overload that alley. Um I've spoken to the residents. Um, if I was to develop the 1.8 acre lot on the corner or some future owner of that lot was to develop that uh that lot on the corner, it would likely come back to the planning and zoning commission or the planning and zoning department where there could be some discussion about having to enter and exit on Prian Lake Road. And it probably would make more sense because it's a larger lot where you could have a single or one or two entrances on a very wide lot that's probably 500 ft wide. You do not want to do it on these three particular lots because you'd have a 20ft drive, uh, 30 foot gap, and a 20ft drive, and a 30- foot gap in a 20ft drive. This is just not the right way to do this.

I missed in that area, there's actually 13 houses facing 23rd Street and only one house facing um, Grand Lake Road. the rest of the well two houses facing Crown Lake Road. So, like you said, it's relatively empty compared to the rest of the neighborhood where they got homes on both sides.

Well, I want to ask you about you're telling us a lot of things that may happen in the future. You said if if we do this to your property, then the next ones you would have three in a row, the curb cuts, you would have three in a row on that block. Correct. Potentially. I do not own the in terms of those three lots that are next to each other. Um I don't own the one in the middle. Right. Um so I can't speak for that one or if it would ever get developed cuz none of this has been developed. Right. But you are saying that potentially for your property and potentially the other ones would make it bad if they had to be three in a row. It would be Yeah. If it was to exit onto Pri Lake Road. Yes.

Yes. And that's not how we do things. We always hope that something is going to be developed because if we start taking that mentality that hey let me do don't do it here because the rest of them not going to do it or let me do it here cuz the rest of them not going to do it. then we virtually saying there's nothing coming to that property. I understand it took a long time to develop and I and I applaud you for buying it, but um in regards to the asphalt and the the um you said it'll be asphalt or concrete. What are you going to use? I'm not sure. It comes down to pricing and that's that changes dayto day. It's changed quite a bit since we've even started this planning and zoning. Does it have to be in your plans?

No sir. This is simply planning, zoning, site plan and uh that type of discussion. This is so you discussing even the hardy sighting and that sort of thing. This is very premature but the I had already made my decision but the citizens wanted to discuss it. So that's why I brought it up. Okay. They wanted to ensure that I wasn't doing metal siding because it happened on Oak Park Boulevard and it really doesn't look good. But I can do that by do metal siding. My understanding was that we can do that by right. You can do architectural metal potential. Architectural metal. But the architectural metal, I think that's on the Oak Park situation, they they can do that.

Okay. But you said that because it's not developed, that don't put any pressure on the alley, the parking. Is that not what you said? That alley is underloaded and this single development would not overload the alley as was claimed. But you do know about the ordinance about having room enough for a safety vehicle to get through. Okay. I'm not shrinking the size of the alley. No, I'm not asking you that. I'm saying you are aware of that ordinance. I'm not aware of it, but I will not impact the ability of a safety vehicle to get through the alley. But you also dealing with renters. Yes, sir.

So, unless you're going to be there to regulate it every day on how many cars can park in those parking spots, somebody could have a party there and block it off. Could that not happen? But that could happen with any rental estab or even any personal residence that's owned by a homeowner at anywhere in the city. And that's the same thing I'm telling you about what you say about the frontage. You say these these frontages if you put three in a row, it could have three curb cuts on the front. That could happen or it could not happen. Fair enough.

The same thing is with the the cars 12 more cars going in the alley because when those houses in Oak Park was built, we had covenants. There were covenants that you couldn't do certain things. So those streets, those alleys, which are technically streets, but they're not legal size. So they were put there in order for residents to get to their carports because in OPAC, you couldn't have a driveway in the front of your house. So now we have a situation that's renters. I could understand if it was houses, but we got renters that are going to be changing in and out. I don't know how periodically hopefully you just get one render and it stay there forever.

But the reality of it is there's a potential for 12 new cars or 12 cars cuz you need two parking spots per door to clog up that alley when it wasn't made for that. So I'm asking would you consider turning it around? So, one thing, um, I think if we were to count the vacant lots that would be typical Oak Park lots right now, it would likely exceed six housing lots, but they would be permanent housing. Correct. But the loading would still be the same.

Okay. But you're saying that you didn't want that look. So, we don't know what could come there. Right now as it stands, we know because we we live there. So we know the impact. I live in the alley and I know that's the reason I had no parking signs put all throughout OARK because of the alley. You can't have a person parked in a yard and drive by. So we have to think about the potential of 12 cars being there on a regular basis. Not not just that, they have to come in to park. That's going to be a frequently used thing. These are single family residences. Um, this is low traffic. People leave, go to work, come home. Um, this is not a business where I'm going to turn over 50 people a day.

I understand what you're saying, which is an alternative for the the mixeduse property, but it's renters. I really struggle with the um the like the the renter comment. Um um I've been a renter um both as a uh low-income college student and both as someone that's probably, you know, doing pretty well. And um I've never been problematic. Um you can always you can always report these people. I live in town. You can call me personally and I'll have them towed. Um but we have these issues at single family residences every week at the city council meeting. So um

I I I struggle with this. It it almost feels like if a single family homeowner had to come to council, we would criticize them about possibly parking on the street. But because you say we deal with it on a regular, because I'm a councilman for that district, that's why the parking signs were put up, because it was a struggle, because some of the areas were renters. And when I say renters, it's not being biased toward renters. It's the fact that you could potentially have a situation where different mentalities and different people go into the your your rental establishment. You can't say, "I'm gonna have all good people going to rent. They're not gonna throw parties. They're not gonna park on the street." But people have to rent. I

I understand that. I'm not denying that. I'm saying the reality of it is because you may have a uh a turnover greater than someone living in a a regular house, it could potentially cause a problem with the parking in the blocking of the of of the uh alley. Is that not reasonable? I think it's reasonable for any lot in the city of Lake Charles. Okay. Any other questions for Mr. Herman? So, uh, right across from Old Southern Link. Uhhuh. What's the name of that apartment company? Madrid. Madrid. Now, don't everybody Madrid pulls out into Print Lake Road.

They they have enough room where they could drive in and back out and drive out forward

on the Print Lake Road. So, with this setback, this 20 or 25 ft, would it be allowed that you could back up in the Prin Lake Road? cuz everybody called me had a problem with the the alleyway and they had a problem with not forcing you to have concrete. We don't they didn't want you to have a discretion whether or not you going to put concrete. They don't want you to have a discretion on what you going to put on the building. They want it said what you going to put on the building cuz we ain't going to get through this then one day you say you don't have to abide by these rules cuz it wasn't done in planning and zoning. So, we want to know exactly what you going to say. And I don't I don't agree with 12 cars going down that alleyway either when right down in Madrid they back up to Print Lake Road. So, if you back it up to the uh alleyway, you should have room to back up.

That's what we That's what we got to Yes. But you you would be discharging um citizens. Madrid does it. It's not ideal. That's the way Madrid is. It's not ideal to do that going forward. Um, in particular, I would hope to have probably some senior residences, uh, senior residents. Um, I would not want them pulling out into Pan Lake Road. Um, or really anyone. I wouldn't want my wife, uh, my wife pulling out into, uh, Prian Lake Road. Um, and I think from a design standpoint, it's not we put in place what he must have.

Yes. Yeah, I was going to suggest that we can we can put a stipulation that it must be hardy or brick. You know, we can say what we want it to be or we can say what we don't want it to be. To me, sounds like he's committed to doing Hardy. uh he said if it's feasible but but I think we can put a stipulation that to give this grant this major conditional use that if you want to make that I'm just ask I'm just you could certainly you can certainly put that in there and that

I he'd have to get a variance to do something other than a hard surface. So but we can put in there it has to be concrete or asphalt. I guess theoretically you could say it has to be concrete. Personally, I don't have I I kind of like asphalt. I have an asphalt driveway at my house. I like driving on asphalt because it's a heck of a lot smoother and it's easier to repair. You can repair a lot more quickly and you have a much smoother ride on asphalt than you do on concrete. especially after and we all see the checkerboard streets that we have where you have to cut out saw out concrete and put in pipe if the roads were and I'm not a proponent of necessarily a proponent of asphalt but there are certainly advantage and disadvantages to both

well types of I would suggest in all fairness to uh Mr. determine is we hear from these residents so he can have an idea of what the complaints and the the things are and then he can make his decision on what he wants to do with his property at that point. But to pin him down and make him answer it right now without him knowing what the options are, I I don't disagree with that. I think that's we have the prerogative to do that now or before we make a decision, right? Mr. And um yes sir. A regular house if it was built would the driveway have to be they have a choice whether the driveway be from the rear or the front?

I'm not sure. Um but most of the houses in that area uh discharge to the alley more than likely because you don't want to pull Well, it's probably the old covenants you couldn't discharge to the front. You had to discharge to an alley. So that's probably why it's set up that way. Um but

the covenant really wanted alleyway. it wanted a certain look and that's what I'm trying to do by having the buildings to the front of the property as opposed to a parking lot in front and the buildings pushed to the back. Also, if you push the buildings to the rear of the property, um internal noise to those units would be way closer to the actual structures um across the alley. Right? If you have the parking lot on the alley, those buildings are removed or further uh distance from the other citizens. Okay. Um, and then just a point about um, single family residences. Um, whether it's me or if I sell these lots, no one's going to put single family residences here.

It makes no mathematical sense. It's no economic sense. It would have to be a charity, okay? Like Project Build a Future. Um, where you might build a house for 250,000 and sell it for 150. There will never be single family. Well, these are single family homes. They're town homes, but there will never be single family detached houses here. It's why they were never built to begin with. And I know people with houses on similar types of roads, even two-lane roads, they can't get renters because the traffic's too high. The speeds are the volumes are high, the speeds are high, and people don't want their kids on a highway.

And that's the problem I have, Mr. Mr. Herman, is the fact that we want to make a decision saying this not coming. It's not going to be there. We don't know. It could potentially go against everything you saying. You could build yours, we could approve it, and somebody can come and buy the other two lots and do it totally different. That's why I don't want us to make a decision based upon you can't put this here and this don't look good and this that I'm I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt but at the same time it's it's and when you say that you're talking about the driveways to the front versus the rear. Yeah. Both of them. Both uh the asphalt uh all the things we talked about

with respect to the driveways um there's three vacant lots right there. Um I own the two on the outside. So that will get developed and if we do have to go to Prin Lake Road, you will have those two curb cuts close to each other along with the entrances and exits for the psych um psychic uh business. So you would that's a fact. You would do it in that case if we forced you to do it. If I was forced, I may have to re-evaluate. What I'm saying is that this will get developed. So it's not a whatif. Okay. That oh there might be more curb cuts. There will be more curb cuts if I have to go to the front. And I just want to understand, you said the curb cuts down the front, it was it wouldn't it's not what the city wants or what.

Generally speaking, you want to reduce these curb cuts on a major U corridor like this so you don't have a lot of people breaking and stopping. You want to move people through the area. Gotcha. And again, if it was a larger, for example, if I own the lot in the middle, then I could have a single curb cut to support multiple facilities. that would make more sense because then you'd have fewer curb cuts um and you wouldn't have that issue with having two or three jumbled up next to each other. Gotcha. Um and if someone's willing to donate the middle lot, I'll take it. All right. Um Mr. Herman, we going to call you back. Yes, sir. Afterwards. So, you got another question?

So, having the parking lot on Pin Lake Road would cause people to want to stop to make the turn. So it would it would create some there's a there's a traffic issue. The city actively and DOTD tries to reduce these types of things. Um if you look at projects on um like Ryan and Nelson, you'll you'll pull into a big brand new building and you can't turn directly into it. You have to turn on the side street to get into it. And it's because they're trying to reduce those curb cuts. They're trying to reduce it, but it's not illegal. But they It's not No, but like in a lot of cases, DOTD won't let you do it on a lot of these main corridors. And they're trying to reduce the curb cut to to protect traffic.

Yes. And safety incidents. These things lead to safety incidents because you have people stop, turn, and immediately stop again at another curb cut. These these are all facts. Okay. Any other questions for Mr. No, I was It's a safety It's really a safety issue not to go out on the safety and throughput issue. and and you've got the and you've got the um I know DOTD doesn't like um points of conflict might not be the exact terminology, but yeah, that's part of why you do these traffic circles because when you do have you you don't you don't want people stop. That's what causes accidents and potentially bad accidents.

Yes. So, I understand the concern about going out in the alley because it's so narrow, but it is a safety issue for just the general driving population on a four to five lane road. Yes. To enter an exit on a four-lane road, right? Yes. And one other question, you're saying the likelihood of us needing 25 foot setback is not going to be in the future is not likely. Correct. All right.

Correct. Uh, and just to be clear, um, after, um, it was approved at the planning zoning commission, I was told by the neighborhood that it was going to be appealed, um, they wanted to talk. I met with them in the parking lot. Um, you know, we discussed it. We're going to agree on some things and we and we won't. Um, and then I also met with them at Oak Park Middle. I maybe last week. I'm losing track of time. Um, so, um, on some level, I did meet with the community. Okay. All right. We'll call you back, Mr. Uh Deborah Alexander, she does not wish to speak, but she want to donate three minutes to Kimberly Delos and Miss Kimberly Delos. Mhm.

One donation. One one donation. One donation. And I have uh Miss Stephanie Morris said she'd donate her time to whoever needs it. Okay. Hello everyone. How's everyone doing this evening? Do you have the state name and address? Kimberly Delos, 1917 19th Street. And what street is that? 1917 19th Street.

Yes. So before I actually begin reading what I I've typed up, I want to say a couple things. Oak Park was initially built Yes. with those alleys for family members to access. But you have to recall that when that subdivision was built, it was for typically the family had one car, right? When you think about when Oak Park was designed, very rarely did families have two cars. So that alley was actually designed for what might be 13 to 15 houses, but one car per house. And so now those residents on 23rd Street have two and three cars. So that's already overloading the alley. Now you're going to add additional parking or additional residents from the apartments. Now the thing about 23rd Street, even though the covenants are in place, the residents can park on the street, right? So you have a situation where yes, they're using the alley, but because that alley is congested, they're parking on 23rd Street. So with Mr. Stevens's development, the challenge is you really don't want to access the alley because the infrastructure wasn't designed to be a street. It's an alley. It's very narrow. if we we we drove it and attempted to back up and almost hit the fence of the person right across the street and then he's saying it's unsafe to discharge onto Pan Lake Road. So what does that tell you about the development? If the infrastructure to the back of it is not really designed for heavy traffic and it's unsafe to be discharged on the other street that's in front of it, is that project really designed to go there? So that was just my preface. So I want to start by

stating that Oak Park neighbors are not opposed to development at all. We're not. We just want good development. It's a request for appropriate development that aligns with infrastructure design standards and the long-term growth of Oak Park. Because what you have to remember is that when people move to an area, they want to move to an area that's predictable and stable. I don't want to move to an area if I know that within the next 6 months to 12 months a gas station might come or someone might come in an apartment complex that compromises how I live within my my my residence. So, what we're looking for is something that gives us stability in the Oak Park area. So, this proposal places six town home units on a 28 acre parcel and requires multiple adjustments to make it possible. When several standards have to be adjusted at the same time, it should raise a fundamental question. Is the property limited by its physical characteristics? It's one question you could ask. or is the design simply too intense for the site? So, I'll address the variances directly since that's what we've been talking about. In standard planning practice, variances are intended to address hardships tied to the land itself, not the design, not the e economics, and not the number of units a developer wants to build. A hardship by planning terms means there is something about the property itself that prevents reasonable compliance with the ordinance. And the American Planning Association, the standard of planning, right? Not my

motion, not y'all's ordinance, the standard of best practices says variances are meant for types of conditions, right? that deal with the land, not for convenience or for maximizing use. The size of this property in this case does not create a hardship. No, the issue is that what's being proposed on this small lot is too intense. There's limited infrastructure, right? Limited infrastructure, including that alley access. So by right, no hardship exists. The land is not a problem. It's just that what's being proposed is too difficult, too intense. It's like forcing a square into a circle. The next issue is access. Okay. Thank you. The development relies entirely on an alley for ingress and egress. This alley, like I said, was never designed to function as a primary or sole access point for multiple residential units. In fact, when you look at where Prian Lake Road is now, it's actually more designed for commercial, right? That's why you have one house right now. You have the spiritual advisor, the rest is blank. Then you have a chiropractor commercial, right? And that commercial could be designed where you could access off of Enterprise Book, excuse me, off of Print Lake Road. But routing daily traffic daily residential traffic through a space that already creates predictable problems creates constrained movement, vehicle conflicts, and limitations for emergency access. Like I said, we drove down the alley and wanted to back up and go back the way we we went and just a standard truck and almost hit the fence trying to back out in the the neighbor's um

garage. Just an issue. Mr. President, time is expired. 6 minutes. Does that include Miss Morris's? I didn't know if he she was donating it to her or not, but to uh Miss Morris wants to donate her time to Miss Kimy and she has three minutes remaining. Okay. Thank you. Mhm.

Parking is also a concern. So, while the plan that Mr. Stevens proposes meets the minimum requirements on paper, it does not reflect realworld use. Additional vehicles, guests, and regular activity will create overflow below beyond the site. And think about this, the culture we live in, Louisiana's culture, people gather, people have parties. There are always going to be or regularly going to be more than 12 people at that site. We passed down that site on Good Friday, right? And I don't I I'm glad no one had a heart attack because the emergency vehicle wouldn't have been able to get down there cuz there were so many cars blocking up the alley access. Add this and the problem is compounded. But we asked Mr. Stevens at our meeting about the parking and he indicated that parking outside of the property was not his responsibility. He would manage his on-site property, but if there was any problem problems with parking that overflowed that like went into the alley or into places that did not need to be that we should call law enforcement. And I'll tell you ladies and gentlemen, that response is not a planning solution. We should not approve a development where known impacts, we know the impacts right now are shifted to public resources, right? When public resources are already constrained, why are we approving this instead of addressing that through the design? You don't approve a problem knowing that it'll create a greater problem when you already don't have the resources with what you're going to need to address the problem. like we just we just shouldn't do that in a city. There's also the issue of how this

project presents along East Pon Lake Road. This is a major corridor and residential developments along this corridor are consistently designed to face the street. There are some side-f facing buildings along the corridor, but typically those are located on corner lots where there are also intersecting streets like that chiropractic place and even the Hobby Lobby where it used to be. But this site doesn't have that corner condition. So once again, you'll have like what we have on Ryan Street, a side of a building facing a major corridor, right? That makes the corridor look inconsistent. And when people once again are looking to invest or move, they'll say, "Well, what's going on with that neighborhood?" To me, that triggers downward spiral when you allow corridors to begin to look inconsistently. So, the question here is whether this right whether this project is right for the site. Not saying the project in theory is bad, but is it right for the site?

The time is expired, Mr. President. Okay. Okay. You you can I get all of these people donating your time now? Oh yeah. Okay. All right. I just need one minute. So Okay. Go ahead with the one minute. One minute. Just need one minute. So the question here is whether this is the right project for this site. Oh, I'm sorry. I mean vote to give another minute. Please vote. Sorry.

All right. So given the reliance on an alley for sole access, the need for multiple variances without a demonstrated hardship tied to the land as ordinance requires, and the functional concerns related to parking and layout. There's a clear misalignment here. So variances are meant to solve problems with the land, not problems with the design. And what we have here is a problem with the design. When multiple variances are required to make a project work, it is a signal that the project that the project should be reconsidered. So based on these concerns that I presented to you, I'm asking you to deny this request as proposed because once again, we want to protect the integrity of Oak Park. We want development that allows additional development to come that uplifts the area that does not diminish. Thank you for the time.

I want to read into the record uh some people that didn't want to speak, but they're in opposition. Miss Ron, I mean Ron Miller, that's uh 2442 Oak Park Boulevard. David Jones, 22223rd Street. Barry England, 223313th Street. and Miss Stephanie Morris. She don't have her address, but she lives on 22nd. 21st. All right. Um, Mr. Alan Fno, name and address for the record, please.

I hope I can get up. Good evening. Good evening. I I'm going try not to to repeat a lot of the issues that Miss Delifal brought up. So, I'm just going to skip through a lot of my presentation and just go through the facts. Uh while recognizing the need for a responsible development, I believe the proposals raises several concerns and could undermine the qualities that make Oak Park special. Invest in investors interest. The project appears to be driven by external investors rather than by local interests. Potentially prioritizing profit over community well-being impact on the community. It increased density may and strain communal resources alter neighborhood character and disrupt established way of life. Restrictive covenants and ordinance. Oak Park is governed by restrictive covenants and local ordinance designed to preserve the integrity of our community. Those legal instrument define define permitted land use and types of development. Private protected private property rights and ensure harmonious coexistence. will require diligent enforcement to prevent misuse, disregard, which this proposal may challenge. That alley we we talked that she mentioned was developed when old park development came into existence. Along with that alley came the covenants that alley intent was a private entrance way. It's not a public road. It's a private interest rate for entryway for the Oak

Park homeowners. That that that that alley, what we call alley really is a private entryway. It's not a public street. The maintenance and all everything's just there is connected to the title of the deed. I know some of us say that the covenants is no longer valid, but that's not a fact. Covenants goes with the title. It has to be removed. If it's going to be removed, if you use the I've heard abandonment, abandonment is a cause when everybody move. It's not when uh a large a certain population move out of the community, the covenants is abandoned. The development intent and the property owner intent in developing Oak Park was for those covenants to be in existence. If someone wanted to take take away the covers that they can use the legal for or they can use or they could be some of the covers are now avoidable due to federal and local laws. But that those those those town houses they are that will be the only town houses on the north side of Oak Park that's that will have access to to the private entryway of of the alley all the way up to Enterprise on the north side. I mean the south side there are some colleges cottages and there's businesses.

Mr. President, time is expired. Businesses. You need another minute? Pardon me. Do you need another minute? Uh yes. Uh please vote if you want to give him a minute. 74.

So so so so what I'm saying is there's there are some some town houses uh apartment complexes uh about uh less than a mile down from that from the existing one that they proposed. They does not use the alley. The alley doesn't uh order entry uh oak park entry for the homeowners. is not connected to those those apartments. That apartment take up the whole area from 23rd Street to Print Lake Road. There's no alley in between. There's no houses in between. And if we allow uh this project to to be there, we have to have to be concerned about the other vacant lots. So, if they put up some of more town houses in that little area, then that's going to be really a burden on the property owners there. And my question is, would you like your home that you bought and you've been living there and most of us been there quite a while? Would all of a sudden lose our private entryway? I kind of um just, you know, uh in in the parking in Oak Park, you can't park on the street due to city ordinance and the covenants. That's why that private driveway was was was that excess way was there was put there in the first place. Now, if your car on the on the street is there over over 3 days, it's considered sturge and they will sight it and they will pull it away.

Mr. present. The minute is expired. And the question would be where would where would the the people that own the people the folks that own that the developers that trying to develop that those town houses? Tell me your name. David Jones. David Jones is donating his time to Mr. Futner. Uh one more minute and I'll be finished. Okay. Uh where where where would uh see I get brain fog. Y'all y'all keep stopping me. where uh uh the development's intended, like I say, I I don't I missed my point, but I think y'all got the essence of it. Yes, sir.

It's illegal. I mean, it's not going to benefit the homeowners. It's not going to benefit the the tenants in the apartment. Their children will have nowhere to play. They're they can't play in the front on Oak Park Boulevard. So, they they have nowhere to play but in the alley. then we gonna have problems with with with basketball nets and children up and down the alley and it's going to interfere with the homeowners and their privacy. So those are the things that is concerning the neighborhood of Oak Park and we trying to keep the integrity of our community and I appreciate y'all give us consideration. Thank you. Thank you Mr. Bundo.

Will your mayor you need a question? What? Well, this is really for my um clarification. Understand that that the parking alley would be very problematic because there's no place to park on East Brand Lake Road, but the the alleys are not private. They're public. Correct. I mean, so No, it's not. It's not public. It's No, no, let me correct that. Dedicated. The the the alleys belong to the city. Yeah, it's dedicated belong to the city. It's just not it's not ideal for

future. No, I No, I I'm not disputing that. But but but it's if it were private, we wouldn't we couldn't put speed bumps there. We wouldn't be maintaining it. So So I understand it's I understand it's it's limit. I understand it's narrow and I understand that this will generate parking issues potentially like more than likely you not but my point is it's not a private. What Mr. Futno is saying though Mr. is that originally when they were created uh the both residents owned half of the street and then the city came in and took it over. Well, they donated in in the development. When I bought my house, I got a stack of covenants. This why

in that covenant it gave the breakdown how the property was distributed, how how was the covenant written and the purpose and and in that breakdown those alleys was donated to the city. Right. Right. The streets was also donated by the property owner to the city. But those alleys weren't private. That's why they don't have a name. Understand? Because they are private. Well, they're not sir. They go with the covenants. No, they're not private anymore. You donate them to the city so they would maintain. That's the way most that's a contract though. See, they donate to the city. That's part of the contract of the development.

Mr. Wait, hold on one second. Point of clarification. If anything happens to those streets, those alleys, the city is responsible for repairing. That's correct. So, it belongs to the city technically. You're saying they were originally designed for private use. Uh it was donated to the city for private use of the property owners.

No, that's not true. That's not true. You can't you can't do it's not legal to do that. Most new development today, the developer builds the roads and then they turn around and donate them to the city and probably from the standpoint of the city. We'd probably rather build that road and then keep it give it to the not give but have the property owners maintain that road because over time it's probably going to cost more to maintain that road over time than it did to actually build that road. So, and I'm not I'm not arguing with you. I'm just and just for point of clarification, we're just establishing that that is not a private road, right? And notice, Brad, it's just William. You're you're the right.

Yeah. State your name and address for the record, please. William Mayo. Wait till you get to the 221st Street. I've been up since 3:30 this morning and I'm tired. Now, repeat it for me. Repeat it for you.

Yes, sir. William Mayo, 23421st Street. Um, I'm standing in opposition. Whether the city own them, whether the uh people in the community own them, it makes no difference to me right now. But when you go to adding 12 cars in an apartment complex or townhouse, is what you want to call them, you have you're going to have issues. You're also going to have issue with trash pickup because for you to turn that big truck into that apartment complex from an alley, you're going to have to maneuver to get in and out. I pulled out of my driveway at about 4:00 this morning heading to Baton Rouge for work and the first thing I saw was the trash truck picking up at the chiropractic place. He came in off of 7th Avenue, rolled up to the truck, picked it up, dumped it, backed up, and went out on Freon Lake. That is how it's been designed. So, I'm against it for parking. I'm against it for the ideology that I can do whatever I want, but I'm doing this. I'm doing your favor by doing this. This is not the place to do it. A person's home is their biggest investment. And we want to keep our value to our homes. It's not running people out because they're renters or but we want to keep value to our home. And nobody's going to buy a house where they got to fight all this traffic in a place they park. Last, the great thing about old park is it was built with wide streets in the front. I benefit from that because I throw a Christmas party every year. My guests park on the street, not in my alley. Pion Lake Road, they will not be able to

park on the street and they will congest the alley. So, thank you. Thank you. I have a question for you. Um, hold on. We going to come back to him. Hold your question. We want to get to get Mr. Herman all of the information. So when he speak, Magdala Falls, state your name and address for the record. Magda Falls, 1917 19th Street, Lake Charles. Uh before I get started, Mr. President, uh Shauna Tippido did donate some time. I think you have a card in there. Um Oh, hold on. Let me see. There's no Shauna Tippido. Yeah,

I'm just picking Don't worry. So, so I have some prepared remarks because I wasn't sure if everybody's going to give their time to my wife. So, okay. I'll just uh read what I have. Are you ready? Yes. Okay. First and come back.

You can. First off, I want to thank you for the opportunity to be heard and I respectfully ask for your support in protecting the character and long-term stability of the Oak Park community, a neighborhood that I've called home since 1996. Over the years, I've seen my neighborhood change, and it's not always been for the best. However, I am pleased to say we have more active and involved community members than I can ever remember. Uh, a lot of them are here. We did have some that go home because we do have a lot of elderly people that once it gets nighttime, they're not getting on the road. So, um, we do have a lot of people that are just heavily involved in the community. Um, we want to be able to walk on our sidewalks without the fear of dogs. who want to be able to live in a safe and clean community and most importantly have housing options that allow families to purchase a single family residence and not a future defined by increased rental saturation. I've come to believe that investors only see Oak Park and nearby communities as a way to try to make a buck regardless of what the community needs and wants. This is evident that we've had gas stations that's tried to come in. We're fighting one right now. We have housing. and we have all kind of investors that are just trying to come in and take advantage of of our our property. So, the disconnect is evident in the continued to push for projects do not align with the needs and priorities of the people who live, work, and play in the community. We do appreciate you, Mr. Stevens, uh for meeting with us and taking the time to go give us an explanation of your proposed project. uh some investors don't do that. But doing that your discussion, it raised several concerns that underscore why this project is not a good fit for the Oak Park neighborhood. First off, as it's been stated, these are six large units on a 2 acre lot. That's 95x 45. That's extremely small. Uh resulting in density

that is inconsistent with the surrounding neighborhood. Construction quality at the time was uncertain. when he met with us, uh, he wasn't sure what he was going to do. He did mention Hardy back, but he said, but he could always change because the way the market was was going to dictate what he was going to do. He said he would also would do gravel if the price of of oil and everything was high. He would put gravel uh down as a parking area and this is just unacceptable. The layout of the units is not compatible with the existing residential design, thereby disrupting the established character of the area. The front of the existing homes on Pin Lake Road face south. His apartment units will be facing east and west, basically facing each other with the side facing Prin Lake Road. And we did ask him about an entrance and changing it up to do P lake road entrance and he said he it was too costly. No investor would p that much concrete to come out the front. So um that was not an option for him. He also mentioned the potential for further expansion of his apartments on the remaining lots on Print Lake Road. So, we talk about adding more apartments, rental units, what does that do for the alley? Now, he doesn't own all of it as he stated, but he said if this investment does well, he's going to do some more apartments. Beyond these specifics, we urge you to consider the broader implications. The potential negative impact on the surrounding property values, how the added concrete would increase flooding, how limited parking would spill over into the alley, the long-term effect of continued apartment development on a community that has historically supported strong owner occupied home ownership. existing market conditions, including a high number of apartment vacancies, indicating it's overly saturated and there's is there really a need for

these. Oak Park has remained attractive to families because of its high percent of owner occupied homes. Approving these developments will surely shift this trend. We want to be clear, as my wife stated and many others, we welcome thoughtful investment in our community. However, this particular project does not reflect the vision of the residents of Oak Park's future. We would ask that Mr. Stevens Stevens be a good neighbor and a community partner and withdraw his proposal. And uh that's really it. So, the only thing that I would add, um you guys uh turned down some town houses I think last month and we would just ask for that same courtesy and we think we have even more compelling case for you to turn these down also. Thank you. LACRICIA JONES.

State your name and address for the record, please.

My name is Lacricia Jones. I reside at 222223rd Street, which is directly behind this property that he wants to build those six town houses. And my house is the only properties that's directly behind where he wants to build his six town houses and have an entrance and exit to the alley. Currently the alley when you use the alley only one car can pass at a time. So, if you got a car coming in a different direction, that other car either has to pull back into their driveway or pull into the vacant lot and let you pass so they can pass. So, he mentioned about uh having 12 parking spaces. I would say that's 12 extra vehicles that would just be in and out constant in addition to our already traffic for the family members that live there now whose kids have grown up and they drive cars and it's just going to be extremely congested. That's my main concern. It's directly behind my house and also that it will be a lot of congestion and safety issues in that alley. I asked him when I had a conversation with him about putting it to the front, but it was just mentioned that he had he told us that it was more cost effective for him to put the access in the alley versus Ple Lake Road. Uh all I can say is uh it's not anything about personal feelings or issues. The issue is safety and it's going to become my quiet neighborhood cuz my house is there is going to become a busy area

because now you have six town houses, 12 parking spaces, and it's going to always be a traffic going in and out the alley. My fence is like right right next to the alley and where his entrance and exit is going to be. It has to come to my property because I'm the only house there behind his property. So, and to me that would decrease the the property value when he mentioned about uh the driveway being uh gravel cost effective. And tonight he said uh probably uh pave or

asphalt asphalt concrete or asphalt. All I'm asking if the property if this project is passed that I feel personally that there should be a requirement for the for the entrance to be from Prin Lake Road and it really should be a fence. There's no talk about a fence be put up. It's just going to be open and uh I don't see where it would benefit the homeowners that live in this area. It's definitely a safety issue in the alley cuz it's a safety issue now and those additional apartments are not built yet. Thank you.

Thank you, ma'am. Austin Delifals. Um, good evening. Probably the Well, Austin Delos, 1917 19th Street, uh, Lake Charles, Louisiana. Um, I come to you in this room, probably the youngest person in here, and I'm a part of the group known as Jinzy. um and moving into cities that are trying to attract and keep our generation. When my people my age decide where to live, we're not just looking for housing. We are paying attention to how a place is put together. We notice where whether areas feel organized or crowded and whether development looks planned or simply squeezed in like this proposal is looking like because those things affect daily life as the neighbors have mentioned. how it's affecting potential traffic in their neighborhood. What gets built today matters for the future. If projects are approved that truly do not fit the site, whether it is access, layout, or design, it creates problems that do not go away and instead become a part of the area. This project raises those concerns. It relies on limited access, tight space, and multiple adjustments just to fit. And it doesn't provide space for basic needs like recreation or for children to safely play. That matters because it reflects whether development is designed for real everyday use or simply to maximize what can fit on the lot. For my generation, that is something we pay attention to. We want to live in spaces that feel functional and well thought out, not just places where everything is pushed to the limit. This is not about stopping development. As we said, we want to

invite things into our neighborhood. It is about making sure what gets approved now actually holds up over time because the decisions made here affect whether people like me and my generation choose to live here in the future or move somewhere else. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Gentleman. Yolanda Beasley and Miss Fay Fay Cooper has uh donated three minutes to Miss Beasley. State your name and address for the record, Miss Beasley.

Yolanda Beasley, 25251 17th Street. Okay. I didn't come with any data. I didn't come with any uh written written anything written down. I'm going speak from my heart. I guess that's emotion.

But I could not imagine somebody thinking, "Oh yeah, I'mma build some apartments and uh disrespect." And that's disrespectful. He's going to disrespect our community. He don't even live there, I don't think, because we had a town hall meeting and he said he had four acres. Well, the one of them four acres, he can put that apartment where he couldn't get out of. Put the put the apartment like your house is right here. Put the apartment right behind it, the driveway. But you're not going to do that. But you going to do it to us if you don't mind. Can you You want me to scoot over?

No, no, no. I want you to direct your stuff to us. Oh. Oh. I was just looking at him. Hey, Mr. It's okay.

No, I'm just trying to direct, you know, speak to everybody, but nobody wants that. Nobody wants to get up 4:00 in the morning, 5 whenever you get up and then you drive out your driveway and there's cars there. And on top of that, it's probably going to be young people. Then that boom, boom, boom. We are trying to get our neighborhood under control. We fighting dogs right now. We don't want to have to fight something like this with the uh uh where we can't even get out of the yard. Our community is nice and we would like for it to stay that way. I mean, like I said, he can move it in his neighborhood, but he can't get out of his driveway. And that's all I have to say, though. Right, Miss Beley. Sheila Handy. Miss Cooper, you still have your three minutes because uh Miss Beasley didn't use it.

Oh, yeah. Miss Handy. Okay. Good afternoon. My name is Sheila Handy. I live at 25720th Street and so that is in the Oak Park area.

So, yes, we are, you know, grateful that we had the opportunity to meet with Mr. Stevens to have him give us an overview of what his project entailed. But still in all, you know, and in listening to the other residents about the project that was going to be their neighborhood, we are passionate, the residents of Oak Park Boulevard, we are passionate about Oak Park. I have lived in Oak Park for almost 40 years. I purchased my house. So, I am proud of my house. You know, I make an effort to make sure that I keep my house up. The thing is we are trying to maintain a certain aesthetic of the Oak Park neighborhood and that's what we are definitely striving for. The project for the town houses does not fit with the aesthetics of the neighborhood that we are trying to maintain. It will affect our property values. Even though I live on 20th Street and they're more closer to uh Pr Lake Road, it affects all of us in that area in terms of our um property values. You start building apartments, excuse me, within that area, it affects our property values. And in addition to the alleyway, I live directly behind apartments where there is an alleyway. And let me tell you, when residents have a party, it affects you being able to get in and out of your driveway. So, that is an issue. So, they have a valid concern in terms of whether or not there's additional people in that alleyway. Also, just as a um a note, just to to let you all know, even with my alleyway, I just recently had to request speed bumps because people were zooming in and out of that alleyway. So, when you step out of your driveway, you need to be I'm going to be finished. Um you need to be careful of stepping out or backing out of your driveway just to

ensure you're not hitting someone that's coming speeding through that alleyway. So just for me to summarize, it does not fit with the aesthetics of our neighborhood. And again, as you see all of us that are here, we're very passionate. We want to keep our neighborhood the way we the way it is supposed to be. Thank you so much.

Thank you, ma'am. Lowina Grace. Hello, my name is Lanna Grace and I live at 23 251st Street. And I almost feel like we're having a come to Jesus meeting tonight. But I'm grateful for being here tonight. And you know what? I when I think about Oak Park, me and my husband, we were looking for a place to live. And so we drove around the city and things like that because I actually wanted to live in a nice neighborhood because if I'm going to work all my life and invest my money, then I need to live somewhere where it's feasible for me to live. And it's kept up real nice. And so we decided Oak Park. And so I love living in Oak Park. And me and my husband does everything in our power to keep our house up. It may not be worth a million dollar, but I bet you I make it looks like a million dollars. And so when I think about we're having apartments and I talked to the gentleman and I said, "You know what? I don't oppose anything growth in there." But I said, "What about some houses? It would be really, really nice on uh Print Lake Road." Cuz I'd buy a property and build a house on Print Lake Road cuz I think it would be really, really nice to have homes on Print Lake Road. But for appointments and like we said, you know, we're not sure who's going to live there. I mean, kids, I mean, we have all kind of problems when we have apartments. And I'm not saying everybody's bad and I'm not saying everybody's good, but sometime when you have apartments, you have problems. And so, and then in a neighborhood when we're going to build and stuff like that and the taxes and the flooding, it floods in Oak Park. When I bought my home, I didn't have to have homeowners insurance, flood

insurance. And now I have to have it. So when you're building something, so it's gonna probably cause more problems for the drainage systems in our area. And then I'mma have to spit out more money. And I'm trying to retire. So that mean I probably have to go back to work just to pay the city taxes and all them taxes y'all asking us for. So I'm just asking that we would oppose to not having Okay. Thank you, sir. that in our neighborhood. And I it's not against you at all, but it's against, you know, I want to protect Oak Park because I like where I live and me and my husband is investing in our home. Thank y'all. Y'all have a blessed evening.

Thank you, ma'am. Miss Barbara Miller. Good evening, Barbara Miller, 2442 Oak Park Boulevard here in Lake Charles. Okay, you guys, I got all of this and um so much of it so much was mentioned by all of um my neighbors and everything, but I do want to say that um I was even a little triggered a little while ago because some of us worked very hard to combat something that kind of got under the radar, that metal building on Oak Park Boulevard. Sheila Handy, Alan Fontnau, um myself and others um because of the storms and what happened that got away from us. So, we have a structure that does not conform to our neighborhood at all. Uh the way it's facing the way uh Mr. Steven said his, you know, building will be facing Pion Lake Road and all that. So, I was a little triggered by uh what Mr. Steven said earlier. No, I could use that metal if I wanted to because I have the right to. And uh just like uh uh one of my neighbors that just spoke up, it just felt so disrespectful to us as homeowners in Oak Park Boulevard because like people can just come in and do whatever they want as investors and the hell with the rest of us, you know. So, um, I had to get that off my chest and also to say nobody's ever going to build a home, any, uh, single family residence on Pon Lake Road. Nobody's going to do

that. Never. Never. Really? What do you know that the rest of us don't know because there are homes on Pon Lake Road? Plenty of them. And there are also very good businesses on Pon Lake Road that don't interfere with our quality of living, that don't interfere with our property values, that don't interfere with our peace of mind. Okay? So, I want you to know even though these particular uh structures aren't going up right where I live, I live near existing condos and apartments. And um I see firsthand the kind of problems it can cause. Matter of fact, I really hesitated and I wasn't 100% sure I wanted to buy this home because they're right across from some apartments. And perhaps that's why it was even on the market for as long as it was. It was on the market for quite a while, well over a year. And which isn't good when you're trying to sell a home. And that was my hesitation. apartments, you don't know who's coming and going. It changes the vibes. The investment for them is not the same as it is for homeowners. Um, so trying to wrap it up because like I said, you don't want me to say all this, right? So, you know, we're not opposed to growth, y'all. We're opposed to to decisions that permanently alter the character and stability of an existing neighborhood that we are trying to build up, not continue to tear down. We are tired of people coming in

and just doing whatever. I'm going to go ahead. Go ahead.

Whatever. What was that? You're donating time. Okay. Oh, thank you. Thank you. We We're just tired of people coming in dumping on Oak Park that don't live there, don't care. And I don't care what we bring to the attention of people that don't live there and voice our concerns, they just throw it back out. Oh, nobody's going to do this or that for y'all over there. just you know I mean it is it does feel disrespectful and insulting. This isn't judging anyone. It isn't judging renters. It's simply acknowledging a pattern pattern that comes with higher density housing. a pattern I've seen firsthand. Mi Miss Handy has seen this firsthand living near existing complexes. The pattern has real implications for safety, traffic flow, and the overall character of single family of a single family um subdivision. So, you know, um I just hope that you take our concerns seriously and bring something more viable. I would rather see more businesses on Pon Lake Road than to see this come to our community. I'd rather see single family homes that are all up and down Pion Lake Road than to see this type of uh investment um in our community. So, thank you so much for hearing me out.

Thank you, Mr. With that being said, Mr. Herman, you got any uh issues that you want to address that you heard?

Yes, sir. Um, with respect to, um, I'll just kind of go through this list and I'll try not to make it too long. Um, there's a comment made about me not knowing the quality of construction or some of these details. Generally, it's not ideal to design something like this to the detail prior to getting approval because I could sink in thousands of dollars into design and then get shut down via the planning and zoning commission or the city council. This is pretty normal. typically a planning and zoning approvals based on an actual site plan and certain things like density and variances. So that's why I don't have those details. Um with respect to the metal siding comment, um the comment was that by right I can use metal siding but I personally don't want it because I don't think it looks good and I know you guys don't like it. It wasn't that I can do it by right and I will do it. Um, Miss Delas made a comment about variances are only for hardships. That's not true. The city approves variances all the time that are not associated with hardships. Um, variances allow you to um um it allows you to have a code that is somewhat restrictive but has flexibility to allow development to happen. Um, there was a comment about the difficulty associated with having a dumpster in the alley. Um, and I get it. If it's a um a large dumpster, it might be hard for a truck to turn 90° or at some angle to pick up that dumpster. Um, at the meeting with the Oak Park Neighborhood Alliance, I discussed that I could also procure um I can rent residential style trash cans that could be side loaded into a trash truck so we wouldn't have any turnaround issues. Um, again, kind of early to be uh designing that. Um, with respect to the gravel, um, when I met with the neighborhood alliance, I made it pretty clear that I was sick and

I think the comment was, um, I possibly could request gravel via a variance, but I won't. And instead of saying I will do asphalt or concrete, I accidentally said, uh, gravel or concrete, so I misspoke. Um, but I know multiple times I've said asphalt or concrete. Um, a comment was made that I said I did not want to spend extra money for concrete um to have people to have the curb cut on Pan Lake Road. Um, that's not what I said. Um, the one of the citizens mentioned, can you put the parking in the back so that you can have the um buildings on Pri Lake Road and then have a driveway going to the back? That would be a huge cost burden on the project. And honestly, I don't think you have the geometry to have a driveway from the front to get to parking in the rear. So, we did discuss some sort of compromise. Parking in the rear, but the driveway on the front doesn't make sense financially or uh geometrically. Um, let's see here. Um, a comment, uh, I was asked, would I want this near me? Um, yeah, I'm a huge proponent of infield development. Um, I live on 4 and a2 acres in the city. It's zoned mixeduse. Um, I spent a lot of money for it, more than I ever would on a house because of the future development potential. If the city was to run a sewer line down my down my road, yes, I would immediately start developing on that property near my house because we need it.

Um, Mr. President, time is expired. Okay, we can vote to give you another minute, Mr. Herman. Good. Yeah, I'll take it. All right, I'll skip some comments. Please vote. 74.

Okay. Um, a comment was made that external people are coming into Oak Park and developing. Um, I really do take offense to that. Um, maybe the goal is for only an investor that was born and raised in Oak Park. I mean, maybe that's the goal. If you're born and raised in Oak Park, you can develop these lots. That does not make sense. U, I grew up on Balboa Street, Goss Boulevard, Clarinda Street. When I moved to South Lake Charles, I still spent more time in North Lake Charles. I went to Immaculate Heart Mary Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School, Sacred Heart Catholic School and St. Louis. I've done the work on these properties myself. I've invested more money into the community probably than most people in Oak Park. Um I don't think you can say I'm not part of your community. I really do take offense to it. Um and uh I would say good luck on finding someone that will develop that is more a part of your community than I am.

Say Mr. Yes, sir. I appreciate you. I I have a question for him. Um to the the the property the it'll be six houses facing Pri Lake Road, right? No, sir. It's three units and they face each other like a courtyard. This would be called um missing middle housing. It's not the giant apartment complexes that uh most citizens don't like. It's not single family housing. This is a middle ground um of affordable housing. Okay. And the idea would be there' be some type of nice courtyard where people can commune and hang out.

So they when they back out, they would already be turned around where they can go out. Yeah. They be able to pull forward out. Yeah. Yes, sir. Okay. It's tight. You agree? It's it's typical for other town home developments in Lake Charles. Um, I've probably lived in worse. And uh, personally,

I'm looking at it and and and I want to support you because you you do have the right to ask for all these things. I'm looking at it and I'm telling you, you talk about citysiz trash cans. Do I look at it right? And and my vision is not that great. From the edge of the parking to the property line is 2 ft 6 in. from the edge of the parking to the It depends on what what section you're looking at. It's 12. Doug said 12. I don't have the drawings in front of me. 12. The lines running through the one lines running through the what? Through the one. The one on there. He's saying the lines running through the one. Okay. Okay. Looks to be like 2' 6 in.

I don't even know how you can fit a city trash can in there. But there should not be a single dimension on that drawing that is 2 feet. So that's more than likely 12. Without me looking at it, it's 14 ft. Um, Mr. Viso is what it shows in green space. The parking lot in green space from the south edge of his north edge of his parking to the to the alley. Well, this line's running. Okay. I knew I saw a tool on there. Okay. Thank you, Doc. I was like, holy, there's no way you can have a courtyard or a chair there. But I read it wrong. Yes, sir. Here it is. I got But it's tight still. In what particular? The the courtyard or the parking lot?

The whole thing? Yeah, there's there's there's probably some there is room for sure to expand the parking lot to make it more comfortable. Again, we are planning and zoning stage. I can make that wider, right? I can look at my budget or I can spend more time with the plans and decide that I don't like that. This is a minimum set of site plans. And you're planning a zoning stage. You can go from four units to two units. I mean I'm from six to four, from four to three or down to two or no? No. No. Well, he can go to three because he could do three by right. Yeah. But he have to come back. Not not to do three. Not to to go down in use.

Not to go now. No. He would have to if he went down. Correct me if I'm wrong. He would have to have a minor conditional. You should do four. But he can he could no five for a minor. If if he altered this plan, he has to No, he can do three by right. He he could come in tomorrow. This could fail tonight. He come in and pull a permit and do three. Oh, I'm not doubting that. On that house on that line. That's my Yes, that is a true statement. He can do three as of right. But I'm saying that when we vote tonight, we're voting on this plan. Exactly. So now, in order to do that, he has to resubmit again. I would say not to do three to do four I would say yes because that's a minor conditional use. That's right. Mr. Stoopes.

So what what y'all are both saying the the correct thing but he can do three. He all he would need is a building permit. He does not need a variance or conditioning to do three. He'll need a building. And just just to expand on the three um those three can be extremely large units. They can be four, five bedrooms plus. I can put four nonrelated people in each unit and I can do that with only six parking spots. You could do that and I don't want to do that. But that's my point, Mr. Mark. For you to say that and to give that option, it gives off the impression that you could. No, the point is No, listen. Listen, please, please,

hold on. Hold on. Please. The point is is that I've gone the step further. I've not taken taken the cheapest and lowest route in this. I've not done the metal siding. I've not asked for gravel. I didn't try to uh cram four people into a single family residence. That's the point I get. And I and I think it's it's easy for people to say, "Oh, he's doing six units and uh he's just trying to squeeze the community." No, there's there's a cheaper route. And I'm communicating that I didn't choose the cheaper route because I don't think it's known that that cheaper route exists. And and I respect what you're saying, but I also understand that cuz you didn't do the cheaper route doesn't take the the reservation that the residents had. No, that's fine. Okay.

That's fine. I think the way it's taken is I'm being disrespectful by saying that I'm just going to come in and do the three units. That's not what I'm saying. Got I just brought that up because you talked about there might be some changes when you get to design phase. Yeah, there there is flexibility um outside of the you know I'm limited to what you guys approve here and then there can be changes but I I I committed to the um Oak Park neighborhood alliance that the building would be hardy. Um anyone that knows me I don't go I don't go against my word. It just is what it is. And there are developments in the country club area that are party siding. No problem with it. I don't I don't I don't

What does that have to do with Oh, because it's it's nicer. I'm doing something at a similar level that you might see in the country club area. I'm not doing something that's cheap. I'm not doing the metal siding. That's the point. Okay. I'm putting something on this building that I would put on my home. Okay. Any other statements?

No. Unless you have qu I'll answer questions if needed. What uh I'd like to make an amendment at this time and the reason why I'm making the amendment because we can't vote and pass and then come back and amend it. So we have to make the amendment right now so that it can be voted on if it's passed or if it's failed. I'd like to amend this one that it says you said you could extend there was room more to make the courtyard bigger or No, it would be the parking lot. Um I would hesitate to do that here because we're not sitting looking at drawings. Yes. Well, I I would like you to widen the parking lot and make it concrete as part of

this project may not be feasible. U but you guys have every right to amend it how you see fit. Um and it it'll it just it'll be what it is. Mhm. But I I would probably I would disagree with committing to concrete at this stage. And then I would also question if this is a precedent that the planning and zoning department and the council is setting for all developers throughout the city. been the president. We could add these things always. But setting concrete just for my development versus other developments and it makes it difficult on future developers to come in. They look at the code. They say, "Well, I could do asphalt, but the council has a history of upgrading these things." And then you can't budget or even base your finances on these things. It's it's this is challenging. This is tough.

You don't think you you would be all right with widening the road? Widening the parking lot? The parking lot? Well, I keep No, I would I' I'd really need to look at the the the drawings. The parking lot's sufficient. The the the parking stalls are to code and the driveway should be 24 ft wide or something along those lines. That's all standard. That all works. So, there's no need for it. Now, I could if I said, "Okay, I might get a few trucks in here. That's a decision I can make so that I can support more tenants." But you're saying this is standard and feasible for the money you're willing to spend on the project, not necessarily because of the neighborhood. Correct. I'm I'm sorry. You got to say that again. It's getting late.

It's it's it's a certain amount of money you want to spend on the project. Yes. So, the project meets at best the bare minimum of our requirements and what you're willing to spend. It It's It exceeds the bare requirements. the bare minimum. I'm saying bare because you can you can't go no less than that. Yeah, but I'm concerned because then people misconrue that as me doing the bare minimum. No, no, no. I'm just saying that cost is is everything that's faced in. Cost is everything returned. You're limited by your rental rates. Um if you're in a different area and your rental rates are $300 a month higher, you can spend more money.

And I stand corrected. I I don't want to make that amendment. I want us to vote on it as is. Thank you. So, any other questions or comments? I guess to just to this is the the the driveway has to be concrete. He can't have a gravel driveway. I don't think he can ask for gravel. I've never considered gravel. He said as or concrete, right? I I I don't think there's you can get a variance to have a parking surface off of a main thoroughare to be gravel, but it has to have a concrete apron. Correct. And it has to have a I don't know that you can have a gravel drive. I think

we're not doing gravel anything. I understand you're not, but I don't even think taking I don't think you would even be allowed to ask to have a gravel driveway. You could do gravel parking with a concrete. We're not doing any of it. Right. Right. And that's just my point is that you don't even have the option of doing a gravel driveway. Yeah. Generally, we're talking gravel parking. That's kind of what the conversation was about, but I understand what you're saying and we're not considering gravel. Any other comments? So, we're voting on this amendment as is stated in our books. I mean, this uh this huh what number? Whose area is it? I think it's Mr. Bilbo.

And and a yes is the same as the last one. A yes vote allows him the the variance and a no vote disallows it. Any other questions or comments? You need more time. You need more time. I didn't a week. All right. Please vote. The the vote is for six. You didn't vote against and one abstension. Mr. Fondell's abstension. Okay. I didn't see that. All right. Number five. Number five.

An ordinance ordering demolition and authorizing the city of Lake Charles to enter an agreement for demolition of a structure located at 7-Eleven Falls Street, Rose Young Fontno, and Frank Fontno owners. Mr. Fundale, I mean Mr. Hester. Good evening, council. And this structure, you can see in the pictures, the roof's okay on this structure, but there's some damage to the exterior walls. There's some damage to the windows. Um, the structure was open to the public, and there's some interior with some weather damage.

Hold on, Mr. St. At this time, I'd like to offer into the record photographs of the subject property. This is a re-her. Yeah. Being that it was open to the public 30 um 1530 1515 or 1530 1530 1530 I have a question before you uh before you vote on this. Is that as best of shingles on that uh particular piece of property? I think so. Yeah, the shingles or the siding. You talk about the side. Those are on the side or the roof? The side, not the shingles.

And do we take into account that uh that that they have to that has to be uh there has to be an abatement with that so that the dust doesn't get into the neighborhood.

That's only this is a single family home. So, they don't have that. It doesn't regulate that. If it's like multiple homes, yes. Yeah, I I received some concerns from people about the fact that that some of these homes that are being uh torn down may have asbests in the uh in the siding and that is a a concern because uh any just one asbestos of fiber getting into somebody's lung can cause lung cancer. So, we may we may need to revisit that because I think uh anything that's that's coming down in these neighborhoods, especially uh uh in in close proximity, uh they they should handle the asbestous in a way that's going to not create a public hazard.

Do we put that in our um contracts? Yeah, like I said, the a single family home is not regulated by that. But if it's like a lot of homes were demolishing, it's regulated by that. And and is that regulation from the city or is it from DEEQ or EPA? DEQ. It's regulated by the state. And I have a pamphlet that we print up and that's with the contract. So it's not an ordinance. We don't have an ordinance. It's So did they start working on this house? Mr. Fondell, this is a house where it's part of a succession and Skipper Drossst had come. Sorry,

Skipper Dross, the attorney had come. It's part of a succession and there was there was a donation that was verbally done to Mrs. Walker who actually did apply for a permit back in November, but she's still waiting for Skipper to get two signatures because the donation is not valid under Louisiana law unless it's done in writing. that. So, how much time did I give her? You gave her 1530. You want to give us 3060? At least 30. Yeah. Or do you want to That's You want to defer it for 45 days to get or there there is a plan that's been in check. I mean, there So, they permit plan check. They have a permit that's in plan check with Robert's office. I'm sorry.

Robert, would you help? So, so it's they want to renovate or rebuild or I think that's the plan. want to keep if if there's a he has a permit in plan I mean a plan a plan to build to refurbish repairs Mr. Sts can we contact them and tell them to come here in 30 days and give us a report absolutely yeah that'd be better Mr. Fondelle let's give her 60 days 60 days and we'll have her back at the uh the June 17th meeting I'll have Mrs. Apple be reach out to her. Please vote. 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 1400 North Shadic Street, Cleave Nash and Ala Nash owners. Mr. I mean Mr. Hester. This is a residential storm damage 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. This time, Mr. President, I'd like to offer in the record photographs of subject property and proof of service through certified mail. This is a reharing for March 18th. And I will note that the grandson of the owner was here at the meeting earlier and left. They had requested additional time to pull a permit. No permits been pulled to date. Mr. Harvey.

So you say we you say we did communicate with him and they just didn't they didn't adhere to it? He he we gave him additional time and to pull a permit and they did not pull the permit. He was here earlier tonight and I think he left because of the length of the meeting. I don't I don't know for certain that that's why but I'm assuming that's why he left. He had to go to work. Yeah. Okay. Okay. The fact the fact that he was here I mean I would like to hear what he had to say. Um it is an issue though. Uh, we want to defer for 30 days. Yeah, we can defer for 30 days. Okay. Can we notify till the next meeting which is

Yes, we will notify him and hopefully he'll he'll be here to to discuss his plans in 30 days. We can do the next meeting. We do it to May 6th. Hello. The family is coming in town actually on the 24th and they're going to meet with Terry Mayon to discuss the ele if the property needs to be elevated or not. So the family is going to meet to decide what they're going to do to the property. She'll be coming in town. One of the siblings. So if we defer to May 6th, they may be able to give us an update. Okay. And we can contact the family and communication with the family. I do. Okay. Yes. I'm defer defer to May 6 or 30 days or May 6.

I mean May 6th, I'm sorry. Defer to May 6th. Please vote. 74 number seven. An ordinance ordering demolition authorizing the city of Lake Charles to enter an agreement for demolition of a structure located at 1505 McNab Street. Tyrron Gerardo Nickerson owner Mr. Hester. This is another residential structure and you send the pictures. It is in a flood zone. Um there's roof damage, exterior wall damage, window damage, all exposed in the interior to severe weather damage of the structure. Mr. President, this time I'd like to offer in the record photograph subject property and proof of service through certified mail. This is a rehearing for March for March 18th. Wow. No, this no cards. Oh. Oh, no. No cards. Of course.

Uh, no more delays. No more delays. Please vote. Number eight is deferred. 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 317 South Louisiana Avenue, Front House Only. Grace Smith, Urick L. Price, Urick Ypric, Charles Ypric, Monica Maker, Russell, Marcia Maker, and Gregory Maker owners. Mr. H. This is a storm damaged structure and you can send the pictures. It has significant roof damage to the structure, exterior walls, some broken windows, all exposing the interior to severe weather damage of this structure.

At this time, Mr. Mr. President, I'd like to offer in the direct record photographs of the subject property and proof of service to the marshall's office and certified mail. I think Mrs. Price was supposed to be in attendance. Can you Yeah. Is she here? Can if if I'm not mistaken, Mr. Stew, didn't some family call from California? No, from New Orleans. They applied for a permit today and said they could make plans to be at the May 6 meeting and they requested that we defer it to May 6th. That's cool. I'm okay with granting. Okay. Defer till May 6. Please vote. 74.

Number 10 has been deleted. Number 11 is deferred to May 20th, 2026. Number 12, an ordinance ordering demolition and authorizing the city of Lake Charles to enter an agreement for demolition of a structure located at 1729 Broadmore Drive. Larry Jean Thomas, owner, Mr. Hester. Storm damaged structure. You can see the pictures. There's some roof damage to the structure. There's exterior wall damage. There's several broken windows on the structure. It was open to the public and it's all exposed to the interior to severe weather damage of the structure. Mr. President, at this time I'd like to offer in the record photographs of the subject property and proof of service through Marshall's office. There there has been no contact with the owner on this property. Mr. Bill

1515 1515. Please vote 74. An ordinance order ordering demolition and authorizing the city of Lake Charles to enter an agreement for demolition of a structure located at 3704 Brentwood Drive Esther Jane Aquain owner subject to a tax sale to the barios investments LLC. And this is another storm damage. It has some roof damage, exterior wall damage. You can see there's some broken windows and some border windows. All exposed to the interior to severe weather damage of this structure. Mr. President, this time I'd like to offer into the record photographs of the subject property and proof of service through appointed curator. 1515. Please vote

74. Number 14. An ordinance ordering demolition and authorizing the city of Lake Charles to enter an agreement for demolition of a structure located at 2725 Louisiana Avenue. Holly Ryder Brulette and Zo Gasport Ryder owners Mr. And this one has some roof damage, exterior wall damage, exterior window damage, all exposing the interior to severe weather damage of this structure. Mr. President, this time I'd like to offer in the record photographs of subject property and proof of service through personal service. If you could please call out Mrs. Holly Ryder Barrett was supposed to be in attendance. Mr. Barrett, I mean Mrs. Buret. She just wrote on that.

Okay. I was never informed of a condemning of 2725 Louisiana Avenue. No one called me, nor did I receive a letter up until a week ago because I came up here to find out what was going on. I would like sometime some time to take my items out of the house that I use for storage. No one occupies this house. I do live in Texas. I have people that want to buy the house, but if they do not, I will have it demolished for myself. Miss Miss Bruette, I'm gonna have to ask you some questions. Could you please come up? I'm not going to make you talk too much.

Yes, sir. It's Mr. Funell's district, but what we need to know address for the record. Oh, yeah. Name and address for the record. Uh, Holly Briette. Um, I want my Texas address. 410 Woodlon, Vider, Texas. The reason why I called you up is because we need some confirmation for you of what you'd like to do with the house because you if you just want your stuff out, we're going to rule the tear down. But you said someone is potentially buying it. I have three different people that do want to buy it. So, you would need a little bit more time. They need to come and look at it and I need to explain to them that it's red tagged, but if they do not buy it, then we're going to take it down.

Okay. So, how much time you think you need to do this? I need to move. I have work during the week, so I'd have weekends just to move stuff out. I have a lot of stuff. So, c can we defer this, Mr. Funell, for 30 days and give you time to check with your buyers? Correct. Yes, sir. Come back in 30 days. This will be your only notice. I think if if we're going to do 30 days, it'll be the 20th of May. Correct. It's May 20th, and this would be the only notice you receive to come back on May 20th. And then on that you can get the uh demolition tear down. Yep. Yep. At that time. Okay. You good with that? Yes, sir. We'll see you May 20th. Thank you. Please defer for 30 days. Please vote.

74 15 has been deleted. Number 16, an ordinance ordering demolition and authorizing the city of Lake Charles to enter an agreement for demolition of a structure located at 1021 15th Street. Eva Christina Russell, owner, subject to a tax sale to the state of Louisiana. Mr. Hester, and this is a storm damaged residential structure. You can see in the pictures, there's roof damage to the structure, exterior wall damage, some broken windows, all exposed in the interior to severe weather damage of this structure. Uh, Mr. President, this time I'd like to offer into the record photographs of subject property and proof of service through certified mail. And Mr. Be no contact with the owner on this one. Mr. Fundale. 1515. 1515 please vote

74 number 17 has been deferred number 18 has been deferred number 19 has been deferred ordinances for final action I want to ask yes sir was McNav Street in my district or Mr. Harvey District. I'm just No, I'm just asking. Depending on what's last time y'all brought it up, I think I said it wasn't and y'all said it was So, we had McNab on here. Which number? There was one that was Magnav. We voted. Oh, if it's not, I just wanted to make sure. And Mr. When you number seven, do you agree with Mr. Harvey? 15. What? Oh, I Yeah, I thought it was my We could We I think we share that.

Okay. Well, they had Mr. They had Mr. Harvey name. So that's yours. Yes. Just for is it is it 33rd? Middle Florida mid of McNab or is it on what did we do side of highway 14? It's on which one? Number seven street is on. Huh? You did 30. We did 3060. We're going to go back and put 1515. We revot for number seven. An ordinance ordering demolition and authorizing the city of Lake Charles to enter an agreement for demol. Do he do I need to get him on the record? Reconsider. Reconsider. You got to do a motion in a second to reconsider.

I want to do a motion to reconsider number seven because of the fact that it was in Mr. Bilbo's district and not Mr. Harvey. Second. Second. Please vote. Okay. Now, now you got to vote again now that you you consider and you can vote again on number seven. Number seven, an ordinance ordering demolition and authorizing the city of Lake Charles to enter an agreement for demolition of a structure located at 1505 McNab Street. Tyrron Gerard Nichlson owner Mr. H already done it, but Mr. Bilbo 1515 1515. Please vote 74.

Ordinances for final action number 20. Number 20. I'll tell you what I'm doing, Mr. Stoops. Sure. I'mma go ahead on and read it. I want to discuss it or I got I got some few questions. Yeah. And if we don't get our questions Well, we're going to get our questions answered. We'll go on and defer it. Okay. Make sense? Sure. Number 20. An ordinance accepting the lowest responsible bid and authorizing the city of Lake Charles to enter an agreement for project number CP 3242 Southern Sewer Loop Golf Highway Lift Station Force main. The question I have is, has a bid been given out? The the bids have been received. Yes, the bid they've been received, but have we awarded a bid?

No, we have not. We haven't awarded the be. Okay. I have a card number 20. Uh, subject Gunter Construction Incorporated. Now, tell me your name for and address for the record. Jason Gunner, 1330 East Napoleon Street, South Louisiana. Mr. Gunner, it would be my recommendation that whatever you have to say, you would wait until because the bid hasn't been awarded. So, any information you might have, we might need to let that go through before I I agree with you.

Okay. So, at this time, going to make a motion to defer this for how many days, Mr. Stouts? Um, let's let's defer it to May 6th. And if we need more time, I won't be here at that meeting, but if we need more time, I'll Well, let's do it when you're here in case we have any legal. Are you good with the 6? You're not being here. I'm good with the 6. Miss Thomas is going to handle the meeting and I'm confident. Bring it when you're here. Okay. Well, then we'll do it May 20th. Okay. Let's do May 20th. Deferment. Please vote. Oh, I'm sorry. Who? Go ahead. No, we needed to do it on the six. Oh, you need to do it on the sixth.

I think you can only defer these so long to uphold the bid, right? Cuz we the bids. Have they been opened yet? Yes, they have been opened. Okay. Yes. So, we know some So, we know who the low bidder is. I assume that there's a a concern that come legal. The engineer has not yet recommended an acceptance uh of honest. So we need to I understand that. So so it has to the sixth is the mandated date. Six is what we Yeah. Okay. So we'll push it back until May the 6. I mean uh I have a question Mr. Harvey.

So was there a public bid meeting? Were these were the was the lowest bidder ever re revealed? Not not awarded but revealed. No, they've they've opened the bids and it's making sure that all bids meet specifications. Okay. Okay. So, wouldn't we have made sure that they made they met the specifications before we accepted their bid before before they went to the bing bing process? No. No. Anytime we receive bids and open them, we got to make sure that all the bids spec meet specifications under the ordinances. It's a 10day package that comes in after the bids are accepted and that is the 10-day package is considered part of the bid documents and the engineer has some concerns that I haven't had a chance.

So, just to be clear, we've received the bids, we've opened the bids, but it's some sort of some more conversation needs to happen for the Yeah. For all of them. It's probably it was premature to put it under normal circumstances. it wouldn't have been an issue and we'd be voting on it tonight because it's on our agenda. But that's a true state. But but we we should well whether we should or shouldn't have put it on tonight's agenda is immater it. We're not in a position to be able to award the bid because the engineer hasn't passed judgment on it yet. So we're going to defer until May the 6th. 6. May the 6th. Can I get a Can I get a clarification? Yes, you can.

What is the difference between lowest bidder, lowest responsible bidder, and most qualified bidder? Well, most qualified really doesn't play into it. It's really lowest bidder, it's responsible, and it's responsive bid. So, those are the three criteria. So, can I get just just for how we differentiate the two?

Okay, lowest bid is simple. It's just the lowest bid. A responsible bidder is if there are concerns with the actual contractor's ability to carry out the work and do it in a proper and workmanlike manner. Responsive bid is whether or not all the documents are in compliance with the bid documents, the bid specifications, the the engineering and all the contract documents. That's responsive. So you have to be lowest responsible responsive. That is correct. That is absolutely just for clarification. The lowest bidder doesn't necessarily fit that that mold. That's right.

That is correct. But most all the time, yes, but not all. So what makes me responsible? Responsible is really much more subjective in terms of is there some significant issue that the engineer is aware of that makes him feel like this contractor is not a a contractor that can be counted on to do it in a workmanlike manner. So go ahead. I'm sorry. The the responsive is is everything in compliance with the specifications. Got that correct. So when you say engineer, who are we talking about, Mr. Herman? It's Wagner Consulting. We have an outside consultant decides it. That is correct. We have an outside engineering firm on the project. Wagner. Okay.

And I guess like response would be if let's say someone has done work for us or we're aware that they've done um shotty. We're just saying they're in a lawsuit. They have shot. Yeah. They've done um responsible work, right? And and we may decide, hey, we don't know that he can do it to spec. So, we're not going to accept that bid. And I'm not saying that the contractor that did the sale road bridge fit that criteria, but for whatever reason, they wasn't done to spec and we're having to redo that. And of course, that contractor is having to pay for that or had to put up money. But that's kind of what that would be to avoid if we can see it coming down the road.

And to be clear, I don't know exactly what all the concerns the engineer has yet. Right. So, but but it's it it has to I remember having this discussion before. It has to be something more than just you work for the city before so we know you're responsible, right? Okay. That's correct. Oh, I'm sorry to involve you in this, Mr. Mr. Dun. I forgot you. So, so, so for clarification, on the 6th, we're going to have Wagner's response on the 6th. Yeah, we should have Should be before that. Should be before that. Know who the correct Yeah, that hop and have this figured out in a few days. Okay.

Yeah, I hope so too. In between this bid process and this meeting right now, I've been through a lot of lot of bids. You know, I've been doing this for 26 years. I have never had to turn in supporting document other than my responsive bid and the 10day paperwork until this week. Yeah, I don't I don't really know. I mean, Mr. when the engineer when he gets briefed on this, he knows. Okay. So, we can have this discussion at on the 6th. Okay. Okay. In other discussions, too. And and you you you can reach out to the administration before the 6 to get some clarity if you'd like. I've been trying. Okay. Yeah. Okay. Yeah. But the six definitely we going to have some answers for you. That's perfect.

All right. So, we're voting. We're deferring number 20. I want to make a statement,

Mr. Harvey. couple months ago, this actually came up when we were talking about different agreements and things like that. And not saying in this case in particular, but we're starting to have many questions about contracts and bidding. I I think we need to be a little bit more clear about some of the things that we're saying because you're starting to get a lot of companies. No, not again, this is an isolated situation, but even when I'm getting comments and question from constituents and small business, local businesses, they're starting to they're starting to question the city's bidding process and how we awarding contracts. Um, this has been over talking from minorities to small businesses. And I'm going to be honest, just as an elected official, I'm even starting to ask questions like more for clarity for myself. But at the same time, we're starting to have just a lot of gray area and when it comes to contracts and awarding things and stuff like that. So, I'm thinking maybe we need to be just a little bit more transparent or maybe educate the people who are like trying to get these bids and trying to get these awards because it seemed like it's a lot of uncertainty and it keeps going back to certain companies that just having a lot of questions. I'm just saying I'm I'm I'm speaking on I'm I'm not speaking for everybody else, but just saying I it's starting to be a lot of questions about our bidding process, how we are awarding things, and it just seems like I don't know if people are just monitoring what's happening, but these questions have been coming up a lot in recent meetings and and and I know I I feel the calls about it too. So, I'm just saying even just to educate myself, but to educate the businesses out there who are trying to apply for these jobs and apply for these bids.

A point well taken and we'll get together and and see what those concerns are. We're going to iron all that out because it's important. We have to get these bids to get the work done and we want as much competition as we can cuz it's going to benefit the tax.

Absolutely. And I I do want to say this too, and one thing that I've never understood in my my four years, and this this not this no disrespect to nobody, not to point the finger at anybody, but I always had the question of how do I ever get the opportunity to be the most responsible or say I've I've I've gotten a leg in the door to do the work when I've never gotten the opportunity to do the work. I've always questioned it, not just in just for the city of Lake Charles, but sometimes you you can't truly measure the scope of the work that I do if I never had an opportunity to do that. I mean, as long as I'm insured, I'm bonded, um, I got a good track record as far as business, how do I ever get the opportunity to do business with the city if I'm never given the opportunity for major projects? So, we've done I know sometimes we give them sub work, but we don't give them the actual

We've done a lot of major projects for the city, for the parish, we've done it for the government. Yeah, you know, we've been doing it for a long time. And and in this case right here, our the question in this case right here is the responsibility of this of this project of us not being able to handle this project. And this is what's going to come forward of my discussions of what I've had with the engineer. And I I would want to know this. Does the the consultant that makes this decision or that that we use for this do they consult with our city engineers when they doing this? Yes. The consulting designing engineer will consult with all of us. Okay.

Their job is to make a recommendation. They had a couple of concerns. They asked for a deferral to give us additional time to re-evaluate this to make sure what we do is correct. and they have not had an opportunity to go through that with us or our city attorney or the uh uh finance and purchasing department. So, there's a process you go through. So, we just ask for a twoe deferral to give us opportunity to evaluate. Okay? And the consultants don't don't they make no decisions. They they consult with us and give us recommendations. But the ultimate decision is for us to drill. If they have concerns, we have to deal with those. Okay?

And if they have concerns, that's if they have concerns, that's one thing. But when you're asking for supporting documents in between now and then after the 10day paperwork in, I've never heard of it. Okay. Well, I can't speak to it right now, Mr. Gunter, but we'll have some answers for you on that. Sounds great, Mr. Somebody had a comment. No, I'm fine. Yeah. All right. We're deferring until May the 6. Please vote. Sorry about that, Mr. Gun. Thank you. Appreciate it. Uh 21 is rejected and re Mr. Young didn't vote. I appreciate it. Oh, all right. Reject and rebid. Are we Do we just say it like that, Mr. Stuts, and we move on?

That the bids rejected and it's being let out again. Number 21, we rejected and rebid 20. Yeah, there were the reason we are is because there was no responsive bidder. Okay. Number 22, an ordinance accepting the lowest responsive and responsible bid and authorizing the city of Lake Charles to enter an agreement to purchase 400 PSI ready mix material for use by the public works department streets division. Mr. fund. H I move that we uh accept funding price the as the lowest responsible bid and responsible bidder for the 4,000 PSI ready mix material

in the amount to the amount of in the amount of $416,362.50.

Any questions or comments? Please vote. Number 23 has been rejected and rebided. 74. Number 24 is deferred until May 20th. You said May 6th. I said May at the beginning of the meeting. I got two different dates. So is it May 6th or May May 6th? May 6th. This the wrong date.

All right. Number 24 is deferred till May 6th. 25. An ordinance enlarging the boundaries of the city of Lake Charles, Louisiana by annexing property generally described as the south side of the Fort 600 block of East Prin Lake Road containing 97 acres more or less defining with certainty and precision the territory to be included in the corporate limits of the city of Lake Charles, Louisiana and otherwise providing with respect there too. Any questions or comments? Please vote. 26

26. An ordinance assigning zoning classification of the business to property generally described as the south side of the 4600 block of East Pri Lake Road containing 97 acres more or less defining with certainty and precision the territory to be included in the corporate limits of the city of Lake Charles, Louisiana and otherwise provided with respect there too. I need to offer a request an amendment for this to go from a business zone to an industrial zone. I need to I need an amendment to change that. Doug, can you explain why the uh the the classification has to match what it's zoned in the parish when we annex a piece of property

so they're they're consistent. So the zoning in the parish is I1 industrial. So we need to assign the industrial. So East Pin Lake Road, how far down that is? This is Chanel property. Okay. Okay. Okay. Amendment. Second by Mr. Bilbo. Amen. Amendment made by Mr. Young. Second by Mr. Bilbo. Please vote on the amendment. 74. Please vote as amended. I think just a point of clarification. Did did anybody uh uh uh u nom uh second the uh original amendment? I think it was read and then we I mean not the amendment the the actual original uh resolution.

We didn't have to. We amended it. We made it at the original once we voted. Okay. All right. Number 28, an ordinance authorizing the city of Lake Charles to 27. 27. You didn't do 27. 20. Oh, I got another part to that. An ordinance assigned council minute district B to property generally described as the south side of the 4600 block of East Prin Lake Road containing 97 acres more or less defining with certainty and precision the territory to be included in the corporate limits of the city of Lake Charles, Louisiana, and otherwise providing with respect there too. Any questions or comments? Please vote 74

28. An ordinance authorizing the city of Lake Charles to purchase three parcels of property from the record owner located at 1621 Broad Street, parcel number 05930001, parcel number 01343244 and 16005 East Broad Street, parcel number 00599689. Any questions or comments? Please vote. 74 29. An ordinance authorizing the city of Lake Charles to purchase property located at 1635 East Broad Street, parcel number 0592501 from the record owner. Any questions or comments? Please vote

74. The following resolutions may be adopted by consent. Anybody got anything they need to pull? Number 30. The hearing date is set for May 1st, 2026. May 6th. May 6th. I made a mistake on that. May 6th.

May 6. The hearing date is May 6, 2026. A resolution setting date for public hearing on consideration of the Lake Charles Planning and Zoning Commission's decision to deny a request for a variance in order to construct nine new detached home town homes with lot coverage greater than 40% actual 45% within the residential zoning district at the new northwest corner of West Claude Street at Nest Street. 31 uh 31 through 36. The hearing date is June 3rd, 2026. A resolution setting date for public hearing on condemnation of a structure located at 902 North Simmon Street. John A. Parker, owner, subject to a tax sale to the state of Louisiana. 32. A resolution setting date for public hearing on condemnation of a structure located at 1509 Par Street. Edward Gallion Jr. and Jules J. Gallion owners subject to a tax sale to the state of Louisiana. 33. A resolution setting date for public hearing on accommodation of a structure located at 621 Bank Street. Earl Melvin, at Anthony Wilts, Danielle Milo Wilts, and Monnique Michelle Wilts, owners. 34. Resolution setting date for public hearing on condemnation of a structure located at 2123rd Street. Cecilia Petri, owner. 35. A resolution setting date for public hearing on condemnation of a structure located at 2344 C Street. Marlene Mars. Mar Marishia El Marx and Kendall Wayne Mars owners. 36. A resolution setting day for public hearing on condemnation of a structure located at 808 Golf Street. Melvin Reyes and Yolani Reyes owners. 37. A resolution authorizing the city of Lake Charles to advertise to receive seal bids for project number CP 3051-2025 citywide striping package. Mr. Weatherford, would you take that?

Yes, sir. 38. A resolution authorizing the city of Lake Charles to advertise to receive seal bids for project number CP 3251 University Aerial Purple Subbasin sewer rehabilitation. Mr. Visar, would you take that? Yes. A res 39, a resolution authorizing the city of Lake Charles to advertise to receive seal bids for the purchase of water infrastructure maintenance and repair parts for use by the public works department water division. Mr. Fondell, would you take that? No. Yes. Number 40, a resolution authorizing the city of Lake Charles to advertise to receive seal bids to purchase one new sewer inspection system camera and crawler for use by the public works department wastewater division. Mr. Young, will you take that? Yes, sir.

41. A resolution authorizing the city of Lake Charles to assume full responsibility for providing the required local match for design engineering for construction engineering and inspection C and for managing and maintaining the project relative to the Pin Lake Road pedestrian bridge project. 42. A resolution by the city of Lake Charles authorizing the city of Lake Charles to complete an application on behalf of the Lake Charles Police Department for grant funding under the fiscal year 2025 justice assistance grant local solicitation program administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance for Police Related Equipment. Any questions or comments? 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.