City Council - Regular Meeting

That's a good question. Yeah, I don't want my ticket. I was asking. Well, that's why he be right here. I got it. I got it. I got it. It might not sound good, but uh full of stuff. A cocktail before. Want to make the pool?

Yeah. I'm just going to say no. We're not We don't like sometimes this one. Absolutely. I see why they went vortex up. Yeah. Got to have saved yourself. 100% seven years max because of Scott. You know, I was real close to you. Got it about three or four years ago and died two years ago. It was a tough day. Why you let me leave my glasses? You know, Todd was the best man in my wedding. Yeah, you shouldn't have to read that. Oh, we got to read something. Yeah, like I just Oh, I need to come.

Said he's been struggling with memory problems for about the last year. I'm supposed to be a judge. Anyway, really? Well, anyway, he didn't really tell me tell anybody or not to tell anybody, but he I knew you would go. I mean, I'm telling you, life just feels short.

If you want me to do it, I'll do it. You want to do it? I will do it. You don't want to do it. You wouldn't expect it. You weren't expecting that. He said wanted us to buy the fire.

And you offen um she just came back to work. You ready?

No. Did you start it? Which one? My face.

Yes, I had started it. Uh Good. Going to call this meeting to order. Ask Mr. Beast now to lead us in the pledge. Now lead us in the prayer. Oh heavenly father, I want to thank you for another day that you've given us. Father God, through your grace and your mercy, you have allowed us to see this day. Lord, I pray and ask that this meeting we be conducted decent and in order and that we may be fruitful and make the city a better place. In Jesus Christ's name we pray. Amen.

Amen. Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Yes. Miss Shelly. Yes, sir.

Appointments. Appoint a chairman to review bids to purchase firet truck equipment for use by the Lake Charles fire department. appoint a chairman to review bids for project number CP 3309 Ham Reed Road, Waterline Extension, Elliot Road to Big Lake Road. Public hearings. An ordinance ordering demolition and authorizing the city of Lake Charles to enter into an agreement for demolition of a structure located at 1517 Martha Street. Don Eric Muhammad, owner. Another demolition at 1621 2nd Avenue, Judith Lynn Pichon Estate and Amber Henry owners. Another demolition at 711 Fall Street. Rose Young Fontno and Frank Fontno owners. Another demolition at 2201 Highway 171. Jasmine Family Property LLC. Elaine Marie Landry Coldron Estate, Robert Earl Landry, Bellan Landry Jr. and Sonia Lisa Landry Page owners subject to a tax sale to the state of Louisiana. Another demolition at 1400 North Shadic Street. Cleven Nash and Elvara Nash owners. Another demolition at 18th Street. Randall Booth Whitaker and Cheryl Patricia Whitaker owners. Another demolition at 1505 McNab Street. Tyrron Gerard Nickerson owner. Another demolition at 411 Gelpy Drive. Gerard No Middle Senior owner. and nor another demolition at 317 South Louisiana Avenue. Front house Only Grace Smith, Yulick Yric, Charles Yric, Monica Minker, Russell, Marcia Minker, and Gregory Minker owners. Ordinances for final action. an ordinance accepting the lowest responsible bid and authorizing the city of Lake Charles to enter into agreement to purchase one new three-wheel sweeper for use by the public works department

streets division anorex accepting the lowest responsible bid and authorizing the city of Lake Charles to enter into an agreement for project number 401 lock park inclusive playground and amend amend the budget as necessary an ordinance accepting the lowest responsible bid and authorizing the city of Lake Charles to enter into an agreement for project number CP 3140, Millennium Park Fall Service Replacement, an ordinance accepting the lowest responsible bid and authorizing the city of Lake Charles to enter into an agreement for project number DR00002, public works new facility phase 2 and amend the budget as necessary. an ordinance authorizing the removal of the yield sign on Center Street at Sycamore Street and authorizing the installation of a stop sign on Center Street at its intersection with Sycamore Street creating a three-way stop. uh resolutions. A resolution setting date for public hearing and consideration of the Lake Charles planning and zoning commission's decision to deny a request for a special exception in order to reduce required four parking spaces to three parking spaces for existing oil change business within a business zoning district at 4820 Nelson Road. A resolution authorizing the city of Lake Charles to advertise to receive sealed bids for project number CP 3520 wastewater treatment plant A basin A02 SE sewer rehabilitation with a companion ordinance. A resolution authorizing the city of Lake Charles to advertise to receive seal bids to purchase the bus stop signage for use by the public works department transit transit division with a companion ordinance. Introduc um ordinances for introduction an or um introduction of an ordinance modifying chapter 21-2B of the code of ordinances for the city of Lake Charles, Louisiana to adopt a rate structure commensurate with the

2025 water rate study. Introduction of an ordinance authorizing the city of Lake Charles to implement a pay increase to war three marshall's office employees and to adjust the war 3 marshall's office pay plan accordingly. An ordinance authorizing the city of Lake Charles to implement a pay increase to Lake Charles city court employees and to adjust the Lake Charles city court pay plan accordingly. An ordinance authorizing the city of Lake Charles to implement a pay increase to career service non-career part-time and temporary employees and to adjust the city of Lake Charles pay plan accordingly. an or ordinance authorizing the city of Lake Charles to implement a pay increase to civil service employees within the Lake Charles fire department and to adjust the Lake Charles fire department pay metric matrix accordingly. Introduction of an ordinance authorizing the city of Lake Charles to implement a pay increase to civil so service employees within the Lake Charles police department. An ordinance authorizing the city of Lake Charles to enter into a professional service agreement with Moffett and Nickel. Another ordinance authorizing a professional service agreement with Providence Engineering. Another ordinance for entering a professional service agreement with Spell Structural Consulting LLC. Another ordinance for professional services agreement with Lonsaw Engineers, Inc. Another ordinance for professional services agreement with Elos Environmental. another professional services agreement with Blue Wing Civil Consulting LLC and number 32 and 33 are the companion ordinances and that's all I have. Okay, at this time I want to take a little time out uh before we get into the business and wish Miss Renee a happy

birthday. uh she she helps helps the uh the council to do many things and to keep us in order. So I want to know that she's want her to know that from us she's appreciated and and we value you very much. In fact, happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Renee. Happy birthday to you. talk right now. So, we'll catch you next couple weeks. You look beautiful, Renee.

All right. Uh, now that that's out the way, um, Mr. Bilbo.

Okay. I got a couple things today. Uh, a couple of meetings ago I brought up the possibility of annexing annexing the area of the south of Morganfield and southeast to see if we even looked at into it. Uh, because we always want businesses in District C, but we need population. We need homes. We need two home out two home households to bring in business. apartment complexes don't they don't look at that as when they come look at stats to bring in businesses and stuff like that just so we can check into that see where we at if it's a possibility or whatever I know we got to combine roles or can't jump over properties but at least look at it and see if we can I ain't got my glasses so I'm trying my mama sent me a picture I forgot my papers at home uh I've been getting a lot of calls on the people using the old Kroger parking lot for business and uh we figure that they're not getting permission from the people who own that whole parking lot. We need to check into it and see if there's any ordinances in place. I know we can't do this on the weekend, but come Fridays and Saturdays and Sundays, it's numerous amount of people out there just parking the parking lot cooking with barbecue pits. And that's not that's not a good look. And and I think that that being uh private property, if it's posted, no trespassing, the ordinances would apply. We'd have to get together with that property on and see what they if they're given permission.

Clarification. Mr. Bibbo, you talking about Kroger's or I just call it old Kroger's. I'm on Highway 14. That I always say Kroger's cuz that's what it was when I grew up. Yeah. Walgreens parking. Kroger. They got Walgreens. I'm thinking 12 street. You're right. 14 and Walgreens. Thank you. Both of them on weekends is just it's loaded. I don't know,

Mr. Bilbo. Just for uhformational purposes only. That site is going through a zoning review right now. It's being redevelopment by a company that's moving into there with a new new development. So maybe that will help as the new owner to to eliminate some of that uh unauthorized traffic, right? No croite. Just just an FYI.

Thank you. Uh uh since first month in office, we've the the people in O park been complaining about Miami tire. It it's almost a blight. Just last week, I saw the the tire come the truck moving through our our streets trying to get through because the fence has never been closed. I know we supposed to check to see because it has the middle street in the middle that that made it separate from having to have a fence, but look like the fence not getting cut. It's getting more and more and they they not backing up. They taking it through the neighborhood.

Uh I'm very familiar with that site. I think we have reached out to the property on Paula. I'm not I'm not speaking out of turn, but I think we required them to put up the fence and I think they agreed to do it, but we will follow up and make sure that they were going to honor their their uh agreement that they had with us. Got a new sign.

Bill got a new sign. Okay. Uh, and I know things happen, but the Rose Tulip area, I call them the flower streets. Uh, the area behind Jones, Progressive, all that area. I've been getting so many complaints about things just happening. And I I know we not the police and I know but I don't know if we can get more patrol, but it's becoming to where the older people in my area is just scared to come out their house. And I I I don't know all the audences, but I would love to put something in place. I asked before that we got to hold these landlords accountable for who they rent to. You know what I'm saying? If if they rent to a home, a person, they come in and get caught for drugs, you should be liable for who you what you rent to. So you not you're not checking into what's going on in the place that you making money. So we ought to can get them occupational license or see who this is, who they are. If it's the same person keep having these same problems who landlords, we need to hold them accountable because you're you're bringing in the violence into the neighborhood by who you renting to. I don't know if you got property management or you just don't even care who you renting to, but we need to hold them accountable for who's staying in their homes. And that's why I asked one day about having like once you get two or three properties, you need to register as occupational license. That's a business. Even as a landlord, you you running a business in this in the city of Lake Charles. You collecting rent, you paying taxes. Well, we need to find out who you are. If it's the same people having trouble in your residence, in your homes. Uh, so I would love to see even look at a order and see if anything we can do uh about something like that.

Yeah, man. We've I I've heard a lot of concerns from the residents over there similarly on the flower streets. That's what we call them, the flower streets. Flower streets. And it's now starting to migrate to the area behind Jones. And before I lose the whole district, we need to get a a hold on to it. I don't know if it's more traffic, more I know we just can't dedicate cops to my area, but something that we know that's an area getting called upon more often. Yeah. Uh and it's it's not it's not homeowners, it's renters, you know. Yeah. And and that's certain that's certain uh um things that can be done, especially if there's some activity that's illegal that gone in that area. We'll talk to the chief about it. Okay.

And to add to that, Mr. Bibbo. Uh, Chief, I just wanted to be know I got two calls today and the word on the street is that there's a little gang running in the flower streets called the flower pot boys. So that there's been a lot of concern about that.

So let me just address this real quick and deputy chief God with PD. Uh, a lot of benefit comes from neighborhood watch groups and they organize with our neighborhood patrol officers. And what our NPOS do, the neighborhood patrol officers do is they do problem oriented policing. So when they identify that there's a frequent problem like kind of what you're describing, they can dig into it and then they get help from other departments and find out ways to attack those particular problems. patrolman typically aren't able to dig that deep because they're busy. They're running call to call to call. So, it's better to organize with our NPOS's, but we need people on the ground who know what's going on, too. So, you got to get your neighbors in that district involved as well. And that's always the challenge uh is getting people who are willing to come forward uh especially because they're a lot of times they're complaining about their own neighbors, getting them to come forward and cooperate and and help our NPOS's to solve the problems. But if we can do that together, we can get it done.

Okay. And Chief, just to be clear, when when you say get involved, they don't have to go out there and be front and center and confront anybody. They just need to have eyes and ears and let law enforcement see if there's unauthorized activity. Attending the meetings is always helpful, but they don't have to, right? they can just, you know, let us know things that are going on. That's helpful as well. We can work with that. They can be anonymous.

Absolutely. You see, for me, kind of taking it from the chief, I just want to go a little step further. If if I own rental property, but I I take pride to know who I rent to. my my wife go there at least once or twice a month to make sure our apartments or things kept up nice or with what's even going on inside of her. I think the person who owns the property should be liable for what's going on in his residence,

you know, and that and that probably is worth it if if people don't live in the neighborhoods but they're profiting from them but it becomes a problem for those neighborhoods. That's that's a that maybe the right to do business needs to be checked on that. So we we We we'll take a look at that. I think that's a fine line, too. I mean, a business is a business. I think what should happen is that the the violations need to be pinned on the owner as opposed to just calling them

because if I rent to somebody, I'm I'm probably not going to go check on them every day either. But now, if I got a situation with drug being run out the house, then now I need to know about that, you know, or or violence or whatever the case may be. I don't know the legalities of it. If there's any law we can put in to make somebody screen their their renters, that's more of an individual thing. Wouldn't you say? That that ordinance we were recently talking about with the business that we're having the issues with where we talked about potentially assessing the fine against the owner.

Does that apply that was like a bar restaurant establishment? To your knowledge, would that apply in a in a residential setting like this? I mean, I can check myself, but I just didn't know if you might know off the top of your head.

Well, I I've got an example where we did we had an apartment complex that was kind of getting out of control and it was it was affecting the residential area surrounding that. And, you know, we we started to organize things with our NPOS's, with the neighbors, with our with our councilmen, and then with the apartment complex itself, the the owners, the managers of the apartment complex. some changes were made with the apartment complex and they got in line with our ordinances and all we really did was we had just had to spell it all out for them and they got in line and now there's no problem. There was a potential fine that could apply to the owner.

Absolutely. Absolutely. More than that, they could have lost their their license to operate. I don't know if that would extend to the the private homes, but I mean, if it's commercial rental real estate, if you're renting it real estate, I mean, once you become a a landlord, you're commercial. Mhm. And once and and and always the best enforcement mechanism is is if people are profiting from illegal activity, by the time you find them and take the profit out, they have to come to a different type of business decision whether it's worth it making they're not making any money and people in their house doing crazy stuff.

So if if we can all get together and and uh figure it out one thing at a time, eventually the problem goes away. Okay. And just Mr. Mr. Bilbo, the uh I think we already have it in our ordinance. Miss Paula can attest to it that if we find that rental property, so many times it goes against their taxes, the owner's taxes, not the uh the rental.

Okay? Cuz I I do believe if you I know we got a lot of old ordinances, but I don't believe they got enough teeth in it. They don't have they don't bite you hard enough to make you want to do something. You know, we talk about the same things all the time. And I I go sit down, Miss Paula. We didn't find them. Or we didn't find them. I Well, if I'm getting a th000 a month and I only got to pay 50, that ain't that I'm not I'm not losing. Yes, that's right. Good. I'll take a look at that ordinance and see. I'm not losing. We could possibly amend it and put a little more teeth in.

Put more little teeth in. That's that's businesses in in the districts and everyone districts. I got one on corner of Pring Lake and that's and 14. Man, I know he had 300 ties out this weekend. He got worn and he they was all out there just everywhere. And you only can dispose what five a day. It'll take him two months just to get rid of them. And you only supposed to have so many. I don't think we have enough teeth in it when we punishment. We we bring them in then we want to be nice. But that don't stop the bllights in district C. That don't stop when we coming off that everybody about to be forced down 210. That's the first thing they going to see is that business. I don't I don't want that to be the first thing they come once they shut down this bridge and everybody forced to come too tender. I don't want that to be the first thing they see. I'm never going to grow, you know. It's just nobody going to want to come be around that.

Certainly. All right. And my last thing, um I've been having more and I didn't believe kids still did that today. I've been having more kids out of th Watkins and Opark Elementary actually walking home. So, I went and I was standing out there. They all got the four-way stop signs. I don't know what it'll take to get them little speed things. Yeah. Rumbles, them little by the schools cuz these kids really walking home now. I'm talking about

I was short but these like some little staff steppers, you know? They they they look like five, six year olds. just something hesitant, just things on the ground that may prevent you from want to run a a stop sign when these kids walking home today. I got two elementaryaries within a block of me. You know, I don't know what it takes. I hope we ain't had to do a whole study just to put some

I think we had a grant that came up maybe two years ago. There was a grant to put um the walking arrows where you punch the you punch the uh the sign and it tells you to walk. Maybe we can reach out to I think it came from uh MCAL. MCA the last time was uh the one that did that study. Maybe they have something going on that we could reach out to them. Are these areas that have lights, red lights already? Just stop signs. There's just stop signs. But I'm talking about

I I don't want to stretch it. I see 100 kids walking home today. You know, between TH Wags and Oak Park, they only two blocks. Not the junior high, they old enough, but the elementary and Oak Park ele Watkins Elementary, they got a lot of kids walking home. Okay. And mayor, just for clarification, the stop signs, the the distance between them coming and where the stop sign is is where the speed comes. Yeah. Like on 4th Avenue between Prin Lake Road and Opark Boulevard, those cars get up a lot of speed before they come to the stop sign. So that's that's what the concern is. Yeah. Mhm. Just, you know, we got to look at it. But they walking is

I mean, it's warm now. So, I only going to know it's going to get more more kids walking. More kids going to be walking before the end of school this May. Okay. We're not going to let that particular level, Mr. Fund.

The only thing I have is um the homeless homelessness. There's a a camp set up right there on Kirkman right by the interstate. This guy got at least a 30 by 20 tent set up that he lives in. I'm saying guy. I'm assuming that's a guy and it's been there. I don't The same person has called me two or three times. We It's taken forever to get him moved. Now, it's owned by the this DOT that's DOT property, but there's got to be something where we can have that. It's a city ordinance

that guy removed quicker than this. It's there probably right now. I didn't pass today, but by the turnaround, if you're going down Kirkman and Pr Lake Road right before 210 overpass, you can actually see it from Kirkman. It's a a blue tent. I saw it a couple days ago. Yeah. It's right at the embankment. Yeah.

And I called Miss Paul about it. I'm just saying. And there's a lot of homelessness. Is there anything to address? Do we have anything going to address homelessness? We're trying to we're trying to deal with a number of people on the unhoused issue cuz uh one place one thing is you to find places to to uh to house them. But what we what we talking with the uh people that's that's dealing with it. Uh you can't just move them anywhere because they have they come back cuz they have to panhandle. So unless you have some some way to feed them and and do a lot of other things, they they they're going to keep coming back and going where they need to get uh uh uh so funds. There's no collective way between us, the parish, and everybody. I mean, it's it's all of our

trying we're trying to work on There is no homeless effort going. There's no there's no homeless center that that's designated for people to go to. Um Well, we we we need to we need to start addressing. Trust me, yes, we do. Um, I don't know exactly how, but cuz when the guy called me, he was complaining. It It's all over town. And he got me to look and and I can tell you I I I started to pay attention and I see them all over the place. They got little spots set up where they're somebody's living there. You know, there's a there's a lot more than people would would would imagine.

And as a city, we're going to have to do something to address that issue. I I'm I'm not I don't know what, but we have no homeless shelter other than the Salvation Army. I I know this has been an ongoing issue, but I think it's time that we we start to think about addressing it.

Yeah. And and I remember that was the effort to to uh turn uh the Rosti school area into a homeless shelter, but that that had a lot of push back from the community. Uh, so it it becomes a place where where would you put them and then how would you service them? Because if not, they're going to have to come back and panhandle. So they even New Orleans New Orleans for the Super Bowl, they clean that entire homeless population out from underneath the interstate and put them somewhere in the east. But, you know, if you come back, even where they fenced off, they're on the sidewalks now because there's until you find uh ways to feed and and provide services to them, they're going to come back wherever they can panhandle. They're trying to survive. So, it's a it's a holistic process that has to be done.

I did get a call a while back from um the pastor over there at Mount Olive, Brillin Harris. Yeah. Um he was talk he was asking about um the per the old Purple Heart um place and that so he's a part of a group that address home that they've been trying to address homeless issues, you know. So maybe we can start we can surface that group and start to have some discussions about what could we do, you know, because we're going to have to increase it somehow. Just just ignoring it is not going going to clear it up.

Yeah. I don't think it can be ignored. We're going to look into it. The um you're going to run into the same problem. The you talking about the old Purple Heart over there by by No, he just he just mentioned I told him it wasn't available. He just mentioned that he would like to do some homeless work is what I'm I'm I'm trying to uh trying to say. So, it sounds like he's in that in that effort and had some idea. So, we can call a group of these pastors and I know they got a place and they got a couple of I know the parish has a effort going with the homeless also. So, we need to all get together and see what what we can do to start addressing it.

But we'll contact and see what the parish is doing and see what what and I've been out with Catholic Charities. I know they got a big outreach going, but we just don't h we need to do more. See what we can do to help that effort. That's it. That's it. M. Mr. Young.

Thank you, Mr. President. Uh I just want to take a minute to spotlight uh a recent appointment to a state board. Uh I know we've all seen insurance rates uh property insurance specifically skyrocket especially since the storms and as I understand it the one city department that has any bearing on insurance rates uh is our fire department and that's our fire rating that uh comes into consideration. And so whenever I saw that Chief Carter uh had been the only fire chief appointed to the Property Insurance Association of Louisiana board, I was really really excited for that opportunity. Uh I know that Chief Carter is going to represent us well and I wish you luck. Um but but most of all, congratulations on that appointment, sir. That's a big win for Lake Charles. CONGRATULATIONS.

YES, SIR. MR. I'm sorry, Miss Paula. You had came up about the homeless. So, is there any way we can expedite getting that removed other than

No, I spoke with Tyson, the DOTD. Um, they actually have two laws, new laws that are in place that deal with uh homeless situations. And um he asked me about our protocol and I let him know. So he got with uh LCPD and they came up with a protocol to where they could actually remove the person from that area and from DOTD properties. Before they had nothing. Now they do. Um part of their protocol listed in the law is that they have to contact uh local agencies like the uh social services and stuff like that. So, they're waiting on feedback from them before they can actually go in and remove them and clean the area and remove all the overgrowth, which is what they're going to address on state properties if they see homeless. They're also going out and they are going to remove the overgrowth so that there won't be the encampments anymore. So, that's DOTD.

So, the overgrowth is causing the the encampments. Well, I mean, they like being hidden. Give them a place to hide. So, uh, yes, it will address, uh, most of that, but before they had nothing to address it. I mean, you would see the guys underneath the, um, you know, the overpass over there by I 10, you know, just camping out with all their little tents and stuff. So, um, now they have something in place. Um, the only thing that we have in place is our protocol. Um, where

protocol? Uh normally if we get a complaint about a homeless encampment, we contact PD. They go out there. Uh they either give citations or remove the person. Then they contact us and we get our contractor out to clean the place up. Um normally PD gives them a certain amount of time to get all their stuff out and they let us know what that deadline is and then we go in and clean it up. Um they do come back though. We have nothing in place that uh removes them from the property and keeps them away. You know, they do come back. So, well, just so we're addressing it cuz the same person has been calling me wondering

why we hadn't done he was supposed to show up. He might be in the audience just like Well, I mean, in that in that situation that is DOTD property, we have no jurisdiction over that, but I'm glad that Tyson is handling it. Um and like I had spoken to him, you know, the day before uh you had called me about it. So our process usually don't take as long. No. Okay. But council find I think the the fundamental problem is uh even if you remove people from one area unless you have a place to house them.

You're really just kicking the can down the road. So that's the that's the fundamental thing that we need to look at is is how to shelter people. And also when I talk to the people about done house, every person has their own individual story about why why they're homeless. It could be that some lost one lost track of them that they have mental health issues, other things. So it it's going to be a matter of finding a place to house them uh where the communities don't get upset, but also bring in the type of services that's going to support them and feed them. For instance, uh uh Abraham's tent. A lot of other places have have they know a lot of people know where unhoused are.

Our transit system provides uh transportation for them to get there so they can get food cuz it's a it's a humane problem that we have to address, but we have to be compassionate about how we do it. So, uh, the the first thing is to put put them in a place and get them the type of services that's going to at least help them get their on their feet the ones that can so that they're not having to go back and panhandle because there's nothing they got to survive, you know.

And I went to an event where even the state was involved, like I say, the the parish was there. um um Catholic Charities, a bunch of these um different organization that deals with the homeless group was there. I don't remember seeing the city there at as a part of that particular um thing. But we can help with that. We can join that. I'm sure that effort to address it. Yeah, there are some efforts going, but we can do we can do better at joining that effort. Yeah. And learning more about it. Okay. Yeah.

I have a question in regards to that. Uh, Chief, the um Miss Paula said something about DOTD property. So, you're telling me if somebody's on DOTD property, which is considered the sides of the highway, that the city don't have jurisdiction to make them move?

I I don't know the answer to that. I don't I don't know why we wouldn't if it's inside the city, why we wouldn't have a jurisdiction to take some kind of action. Now, homelessness is is an unusual problem and it's not local to Lake Charles either. I mean, this is a societywide problem, right? And everybody's kind of stuck where we are where we don't know exactly how to deal with it. Um, you know, you don't want to be too heavy-handed with someone who who's homeless. That doesn't have the right appearance. But if you do nothing, they don't go away either. So I I'm just trying to get some clarity on are the sides of the highway. Do we have jurisdiction or is that DOTD? I was only talking about the property standards department, not PD. Oh, okay. Okay.

That's our department. All right. Okay. Great. Before you go, I can get one more question in. I've been having a lot of problems with illegal dumping also. And is it any ordinance or any ordinance? Yeah, there's ordinances. Yeah, cuz people they they they dumping, you know. I my wife sent me some pictures. They dumping crawfish. Give us the give us the locations. Uh we sometimes I know that we used to have those with tires on the uh Fitzen rod and Goss area and we we uh we got it cleaned up, but we also put out some deer cameras and we we were we were able to identify the people that was dumping. Okay.

And also in regards to that, I learned something dealing with Mr. funale that when somebody dump on the person's property, don't just assume that the city is going to come clean it up. That property owner is liable. The property owner is liable. They will be charged. I don't know if they can see it, but I can pass it down. All those tires. It's charged. Oh, that's a PL that they y'all was working out, right? Or they just driving down the road getting rid of and just Yeah, just dropping them off. And we will find that people that want to wait to the scrap metal yard. anything that the scrap metal y'all wouldn't accept. They were just dumping them on the side of the road. So yeah, they just dumping started monitoring those areas. That's it, Mr. B. Yeah, that's it. I'll show you.

I'm going to be quick. I want to say thank you for yesterday for the public meeting about the the Seal Street Bridge project. I was hoping more people would come. I know I'm going to get phone calls about it, but I appreciate the effort. Uh and that was all I was going to say, but I also brought it up yesterday. There is an area that's going to be in the closed street area between Holly Hill and Timberlawn where there is the same thing that's going on that Mr. Fondell talked about. There's an area right there by our lift station that has been used as a homeless encampment. I'd like to see us take advantage of the fact that the traffic's going to be gone and clear that so that that's not an issue anymore. I know we cut the grass there anyway. It's going to it's going to have to be cut or whatever, but if we take advantage of that opportunity when there's no traffic there, it should be relatively easy to do. So, just consider that

this area a lot of overgrowth. Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. And it and and it has some of the neighbors have have talked to me about homeless people putting tents up and this and that. Uh, and it just seems like it'd be a good opportunity to take care of that when there's no traffic there. So, thank you.

All right, I'm going to continue in that same spirit. On the corner of Warren and Fifth, Warren and Print Lake Road, there's a tire shop. That tire shop seems to be turning into a junkyard. They got trucks, they got vehicles in the front and on the side 24/7. If it's a tire place, they shouldn't be storing. I'm going say that many cars shouldn't be storing there. They even got for sale signs on some of the vehicles. This is the second or third time that I've reported this particular site and it's getting worse and worse. There's also a truck in the lot next to it. I'm assuming the truck comes from the tire place and it's stalled in that in that in the middle of the lot. So, I think something needs to be done some attention. I think we should be at the finding stage with this particular piece of property or business because this has been reported two or three times in the past. Um the other thing is Miss Paul I have a question in regards to the O park area. I know we're a little different. We got the alleys in the back and the the ordinance states that parked cars with no license plates can't be in the front of the house. But the way our alleys are made is just as visible as the front of the house. So, does the the parked cars being on not on the proper surface, being in the driveway, uh that's been there for some time with no license plate, does that still apply in the alleys to the back?

It's um it has to be out of public view. So, it doesn't matter if it's in the front or back. Okay.

It has to be out of public view. Um, I do realize that, uh, if it has an expired inspection sticker and no license plate that those are should be enforced. Um, but there are numerous people that can't afford their insurance or their child is in the military and they cut the insurance off, but they want to keep the car. You know, there's different circumstances that we look into to allow them to keep the vehicle. Now, if it's no license plate, we tell them to park it where the back of the vehicle is towards the house where we can't see that portion to keep it um and we like it on an improved surface. So, each case is different, but yes, we do enforce that. Um but like I said, each case is different. We do give leeway for some special cases, but it has to be out of public view, you know, as far as um like inoperable vehicles. If the vehicle's inoperable,

absolutely, that's a violation. You know, we would prefer for it to be off the property. Well, I got two. 21101 22nd in the alley and 2120 21st Street in the alley. Both of those are cars that have been there for a while. Now, I don't know if it's military related. I don't know

or what, but those cars um I'd like to report those property standards issues. 2806 Warren Street. You'll know this house when soon as you turn off of V Park Boulevard on the warrant, it got about seven cars in the front yard and one of them is on. They got four bricks under it and then there's a car in the street, a Cadillac that's been wrecked in the back and covered. It's been sitting there for a while. So, if we could take a look at that. um 12041 18th Street. That's right across from the um the center where they they do uh when people get hurt, athletics get hurt and they go there. That yard, you'll see the house. They got stoves, ice boxes, everything just right there visible. And you can see that from Enterprise Boulevard. That's a high visible area uh right there. um 21 20 at the corner of 21st and 4th Avenue. I didn't get the particular address, but it's the first house on that corner on the south side of 21st Street. The overgrowth in the alley is that house has been it appears to be vacant, but I reported this house on several occasions. But when you turn down the alley, your car is going to get all scraped up because the trees are now growing into the into the alley. So, if we could um take a look at that.

Mr. Mark, is that First Street or First Avenue? Would you? Well, Warren and First Avenue. I mean, uh 21st and 4th Avenue. The one I just said about the overgrowth. Yes.

That's 21st and 4th Avenue. And it'll be the south corner first. Also, when you turn off of 4th Avenue on the 21st Street, the other thing is Walmart. I know we talked about Walmart before, but I've been to several Walmarts. The one on Nelson, the one on uh 171. None of them are like the one on Highway 14. They got to do a better job of cleaning up this parking lot. Um on a nightly basis, it's a lot of trash. It's a lot of everything going there. I know I reached out to corporate before and it still had doesn't seem like it's anything being done. And now that they have uh the delivery and all that other kind of stuff, it's making it worse, especially around the gas station area uh behind um the restaurants. So, if it's some way we can reach out to corporate and get them to uh get on board with us or find them, treat them like a a regular business

without commercial letter. So, yes. Um, I want to go in a different direction now. Is there any funding that comes to the city, I don't care where it comes from, that it does not have to come before the city council before the money is spent? All money that is spent is in the budget or has a budget amendment. We I don't Can you maybe

let's say we get some money from OCD or we get some money from some other entity and it comes into that into our pot and we want to take X amount of that money and use on whatever project it is. Does the city council have to have review of that? You have review in that most most grants such as OCD is a reimbursement grant. So the money has been spent before OCD ever gives money back to the city.

So so for something like OCD and we're spending money in uh for grants, we have to the whoever we are working with with the grant will show us the expenses, then we show that to OCD, then OCD reimbures us. Well, we've had situations such as um we've been given money that wasn't reimbursement. We may have gotten it from, let's say, on the fifth floor, they give us a pot of money, right? No, sir. No. So, every every dollar we get is reimbursement. Yes, sir. There was one grant that we received from the US Department of Nature or something. What was it?

Forestry. They gave us $400 and something thousand for a tree grant. We had to park that money until they told us it was okay to use it. The uh current presidential administration took the money back and so we never spent it. So when we getting our money for like to build elderly houses and things like that, that's reimbursement money. Yes, sir. That's new to me. So we get no dollars from the federal government. That's not reimbursement. Correct. our every money that we get back from FEMA, OCD, HUD, whoever else from the fifth uh that works on the through the fifth floor, that's all reimbursement.

So, okay, let me say it this way. The projects we got coming up with the um we're working on the subreient agreements form. All of that funding coming in is reimbursement money. Yes, sir. None of it comes to us until it's spent. Maybe I said I I guess I'm not understanding when we're giving these money to to uh Second Harvest and Greater St. Mary and all these places, we've already spent that money and the government is giving it back to us.

Once we spend it, we haven't really spent much yet, but once we spend it, yes, we have to make a claim to either the state uh OCD or HUD to get reimbursed for those expenditures. Yes. Well, I understand what you're saying. You're saying we we work we we do something and we apply to the government to get paid back. Correct. But I'm talking about when we initially spend it, does that does that have to come under the purview Yes. of the city council? Yes. That that's what I was asking. Okay. So, have we gotten Oh, I'm through with that one. Okay.

Have we gotten the documents for the site approval of the sports complex? I've been asking for that for three months and I was told one time we had it, one time we got a verbal agreement, the next time it'll be ready in two weeks. We three months later and I have still yet to or the council has still yet to see that documentation.

So Mark, I spoke to uh OCD today about that. They're waiting. There's a final approval of the entirety of the application because it's not this isn't a a project by project. OCD is it's their money. We're subreient. So they they're requesting a couple of other things and then they're going to do a total authorization. They said that that site has been approved, but if you're looking for actual formal letter that says uh this site has been approved, it's going to talk about sites, funding, everything else. So they they want to do it all in one shot. They don't want to just send out a letter that says I told them the city council wants to see an actual uh confirmation from you that the site has been approved for movement. They said that's already done, but we want we're not going to do separate things. We're going to do the entire authorization. So, they

I'm not understanding that, mayor. I'm I'm not When we did this initial project, we got a documentation saying site approval. Everything was in it. Mhm. And this one, we just applied to move and we can't get confirmation in some sort of writing that says, "Hey, this site been approved. We can go forward." as as far as if you're talking about something from the state office of community development saying uh the site of the of the the complex has been moved from Fitz and Rider to exactly the the lakefront

that's they they've approved it but they said if a a formal approval comes in with the entirety of these these things so there there's no individual document that says that but we got an individual document that said Fitzerado Road was approved I I haven't seen that document. That was the original document that we presented in the discussion that it said that this site here has been approved for the sports complex. Now, we're moving it and all I'm asking for is that same document and they say they can't give it to us until I don't know what the totality of the the program is. They

they've got uh the financial assessments program, income uh application, those things, and they said they're going to do the the approval of everything. Okay. So, are we spending money on the project? No, the city is not spending any money moving forward with that. You talking about on the sports complex? We sent out the RFP that you guys authorized for the design group. For the architect, right? Yeah, for the architect. When did we close that bid? Uh, that's the deadline for that to come in is I think sometime in April. So, what did we send out to the architect to You have to because it's federal dollars, you have to qualify an architect. Okay. We're just qualifying. So, we hadn't spent any money on that.

That's correct. It's it's a very because this is a very specialized facility, we sent out a request for qualifications for people that actually build these types of facilities. It's not it's not just anybody can build this type of facilities. So, we got to make sure that they're qualified. Okay. So, uh the the the document that we received before actually was approval of the facility itself as a project, not necessarily the site itself. not that you know that site was in that particular application but it wasn't necessarily saying hey we're approving this site we're assu approving the project

but in that documentation I got the copy that says Fitzer Road is approved so all I'm asking it was just because it was listed as the site okay so now we we what the mayor said I'm just trying to understand what totality is what do we have to wait so they just I mean they're not going to send you They're not going to send you anything that says this site is approved. Okay? You know, I mean, it's just it's assumed, you know, they pretty much said everything it, you know, they've told us that it was, you know, that the site was a, you know, it was approved in terms of us being able to put it or that it was an eligible uh location.

So, that that's as far as they've gone. And and keep in mind with these things, unfortunately, they roll these these some of these programs out and they hadn't figured everything out yet. So that's that's where we currently are. Will we I mean, we may get one one day. I'm not sure, but I've never seen anything, you know, where they made any indication that they'd be. So I guess because we're spending that money, it's no it's no really risk. Yeah. And until they figure it out, I mean, if we're just kind of in limbo waiting on something like that. Okay. All right.

All right. The second thing I have is we approved almost 3 months ago to give the Lake Charles North uh some money. I've I've asked the the administration for the document we were supposed to come up with a cooperative endeavor agreement. Uh I was told that we had did one and we were having a meeting and nothing has ever come up with it. I mean, so we sent it to Ezra Pettis probably um probably about a month ago and I just got a response from him on Thursday or Wednesday. Okay. And I ran that by the mayor. He had a couple of suggested changes and I actually need to get back to him this week. We we're fine with this changes. Okay.

So, I mean the document as as I appreciate it, all we have to do is make a couple changes and it's going to get signed. Okay. Good deal. So, you heard back from Lake Charles the last week last week. That's the attorney that they in agreement with whatever. Well, yes, they are. They had a couple of small changes that I felt like I needed to run by the mayor and administrator and they were good with those changes and I was good with those changes. So, I'm going to contact Ezra either tomorrow or Thursday and let him know we're good to go. I'll make those changes and we'll get it signed.

Okay. Appreciate that. The amphitheater. I've heard talk that we've got renderings done, all this stuff about the amphitheater. And just for clarity, I went back and I checked the records. The last time we discussed the amphitheater was in 2023. That's when we approved it so that it could be a part of Lake Charles rebound. Now, I I have a problem with us moving on the amphitheater at the civic center when this council hasn't voted on that yet. We hadn't approved that site. We approved to spend money for an amphitheater, but there there were a lot of questions from the last council and I don't know about this council because we haven't discussed it. My concerns with spending money on that site is the fact that we need to make an amphitheater where we can generate funding. Unless somebody can show me, I don't see how unless we close the street or something at the civic center, how are we going to make that any more beneficial to the city where it is now by injecting $20 million in it? We we may beautify it. We may do a lot of things to it, but my thinking, this just my personal thinking, is that we need a facility that will generate income back to the city. And I I can't see that in this ample theater here. So, long story short, I think I would like some discussions to go because to hear it being said that we voted on that, that's not so that's inaccurate, unless I'm wrong and I stand to be corrected, but I was on the council previously. I remember when it was proposed. I remember when we voted on it. It was supposed to be a part of Lake Charles rebound. Now, we going to draw down on Lake Charles rebound and go forward when this council hadn't had a time to discuss. I mean, we just going on, hey, man, that's it's at the civic center. That's what we're going to do it.

Mr. Mars, the um Council Mars, the the uh the the people of the city voted on Lake Charles rebound. So, the the um the amphitheater as a project itself was voted upon. Yes.

The location was being uh discussed and it was one that was one proposal and and the city had hired consultants to take a look at placing a amphitheater on the site of the Capital One. uh that that that was never voted upon and the Capital One Tower is now site is now going to be where the sports complex is. The now we did get back with the consultants and talked to them about that and basically what they did they looked at whether that concept that they were working on would fit at the uh at the the current site of the amphitheater. They reorient and it fit. So that's the that's the site.

I'm going to use what you just said, Mayor. We didn't vote on it at the Capitol One site and we didn't vote on it at the civic center site. We voted to do an amphitheater as a project as part of the Lake Charles rebound. What I am saying is that this council should have a chance to discuss location. There may be a better location. Me my personal opinion is this site what we have right now is not conducive to injecting $20 million into. How are we going to make money off of it? We can't block it off. If if there's a concert going on, you can sit out at the beach or at the at the uh the river and listen to the concert. You ain't got to pay to go in. We've tried. My organization has tried to have things over there and and it's just not conducive. Now, if that becomes the the decision of the council, I'm fine with it, but I think that we just can't move forward saying that, hey, because the the consultants decided that it could fit there. That was just voted on as a project. I tell you what, I I'll go back and look at what was because I'll go back and look at what was done for Lake Charles rebound and what the parameters are. I know that u and and the amphitheater was part of the 2006 bond election, too. And I I remember that that was specifically to take the existing amphitheater and upgrade it, make it a modern facility. I'll see what the parameters were for that.

But 2000, let's not confuse 2006 with Lake Charles Rebound. I'm saying I saw the presentations for Lake Charles rebound and those presentations to the public that they voted upon was for that existing amphitheater to be retrofitted. So, well, I don't know what they showed on film. When we got behind the closed doors and we voted to put this in Lake Charles Rebound, we sold it to the people for a new amphitheater, which was the excitement of the Capital One site. So, when the sports complex was decided to move, we never discussed what we're going to do with this project. We just assume we're going to go to the Lake Charles site and all I'm asking is give this council a chance to listen see if $20 million in that site is worth it. Mr. Marks. Yes, sir.

Listen, we're good with that. And I've met with all the council members. The only one I haven't met with is uh Mr. Harvey. We started meeting last week and we got another meeting set up tomorrow. And all those presentations were talking about rebuilding what we saw that was going to the Capital One site at the old site. So yes, it's up for discussion, but that's why we had the meeting. I was going through phase one and all those phases. I said our proposed site is the existing location and the intent is to build it exactly what you saw.

When it went to LC rebound, it was not to find where it was going. In fact, the intent was at the time probably rebuilding it where it was at, but we were also going to wait hold on a second. We were also going to look at other sites along the uh near the event center that was available to say is there a better site? But all these when it went before LC rebound and the voters, it was a project. It was to rebuild the amphitheater and it did not say it was going to to the CM Tower site or any site. Mhm. So, when we sat down with you guys, I was trying to let you know that was our proposal right there is to go to the existing site. And you're right, it's up to the council. I mean, y'all got some say on where it goes, but that's why we were having the discussions.

Okay. If you remember, if you remember, Miss Cardone, when I met with you, I questioned this very thing that I'm questioning right now. And I also said because you told me it wasn't a final draft. I said we'll wait to see what the final draft, be clear, final draft of the listing of the Lake Charles rebound projects. not that particular issue. So when we discussed it in 23 when this proposal first came out, it was presented to us and the council, the whole council at the Capital One site. That's what sold it. Everybody on the council we and I think if you go back and you check the vote, it was 70. We all agreed that that Capital One site would be the ideal place for that project. That didn't happen. New council come in, things change. All I'm saying is that before we start infusing money into this project where it is now, we need to look at all these things, not just to have a a project.

I agree. Okay. I I agree. And what I'm trying to say is that's what I was met with the council. I'm trying to get input from the council. You voiced your concerns. Some some others had some, some didn't. Some was good with over the location. It's up to the council and we just haven't gotten that for you yet. That's why you don't have the final draft yet. Okay. Go ahead, Mr. Funny. I I was in the meeting. I hope that wasn't a discussion of We didn't get into any detail in the meeting I was in. Everything was preliminary. Look, it was never said that anything was finalized.

Mr. Fondell, you are absolutely right. I just told Mr. Marks when we sat down in the meeting, I said, "This is a draft to sit down with the council members and explain to y'all what our proposal is for phase one." And I said it's not in stone yet because we haven't even met with all the council members. So I tried to say that in beginning of all those council members and I'm not and I'm not denying that. What I am saying is I am hearing that we didn't sent out for rendering. We done sent out for this. We done sent out for that. Now that's what I was told. We have not we have not no

so nothing has been done on the Okay. Only thing we did was talk to the consultants about what whether it would fit in the whether the rendering they had would fit in that amp. They have no design as anything. Well, I just want to be clear or what I'm what I'm bringing it up for is before once the final draft of the Lake Charles rebound stuff is done for the first trunch. I would before that or even when we decide we know we want to do the project, correct? I just want to sit down and give this council a chance to look at everything to do with that site over there cuz $20 million is a lot of money to put into something that we can't get to maximize. I I agree with that and I want to make sure the council supports the other projects that we have in the first $60 million. Correct. That was the goal of meeting with the council. Correct.

Because there's a little bit in every district. We're just trying to make sure we cover the priorities. Yeah. One more question. I was under the assumption that the uh enterprise thing had priority. So, but it doesn't mean that we going to complete it cuz now I'm here and we don't have enough money to complete that project. It's been redesigned from the original. It was a one or three lane with a center lane train and they got the the drawing on the website. Now, we we're redesigning it and we don't have the money to complete it. What in that project?

If I if I may say, Miss Fund, this is this is why I'm saying what I'm saying. Me and Mr. M me and Mr. Cardone in a meeting can talk about some things that the rest of the council can't talk about because we have history to talk about it. Mr. Cardone explained to me that we're going to do it, correct me when I'm wrong, section by section. So, by the time we get to the second section, we'll be ready to draw down on the next phase of the money to continue on from that far. But we have the money to complete a fulllane project all the way to without going anywhere else. I I wouldn't say that because the original, if I'm correct, the original design wasn't four lanes.

The original the original design was a two-lane boulevard. Mhm. And I'm having conversations with uh Mr. Harvey about this about phase one and looking at the other phases at a later date when we draw down on the additional funds. and I haven't had hadn't finished that meeting with him and it's his district and I'm trying to get it ironed out with him first and I shared with all y'all in that meeting what our proposal was was for phase one right and and I just want to be clear I don't want to get into the weeds like you say cuz that's Mr. the harvest district. But I I'm back to the same thing.

If it has priority, then it that to me that means it should be complete. And that's my question. Are we going to complete that project or not without having to go back to the voters and find more money or the state? You know, in in the writing it says that uh uh enterprise has priority. So I'm assuming most folks think that it has priority to complete it, not to start it, to restart it.

Mr. Fondell, I think all the priorities in LC rebound that were identified and given us by council members in other districts are priority to all of them. Okay. So even if it's not Enterprise Boulevard, it's a priority to them because that's what they approved and Enterprise is a priority and our intent is to finish Enterprise. The intent is to complete it.

I I do want to make a notation right there, Miss Mr. uh Cardone. I'm going just say it like this because we can go back and forth. This council needs to have a tutorial on the Lake Charles rebound covenant. And I think once we all read it and have it explained by the administration, we can get a better understanding because when we hear priorities, yes, everybody's projects are priority for them. But when we soulless to the community, we sold it to them on the basis of certain things being primary in this passing of the bond. And I think this council by right should have the opportunity to understand that and know what we're we're voting on. So, if we could do that at some point before we start, you know, before we get the money in,

and and in those meetings, just so you know, I had a covenant resolution and I walked through that covenant resolution with all the council members. Uh, I even walked through it. I was able to finish out with Mr. Harvey. So, I tried to explain to it. I'll be glad to meet again and walk through that covenant resolution on what the projects were. There was four different categories and what it changes, what it requires to change a project if it's if it's ruled that it's not a viable project right now. and how the council can either vote to do something different with it. So, uh, if y'all just give us an opportunity to get through the meeting with Mr. Harvey, which I haven't completed because I've met with everybody else. We'll come back and make another round with all the council members. I'll just close with this in the late Charles, Mr. Marks. Yes, sir.

We're on y'all's team. I get you. Well, I've said that, but I think understanding and transparency is key. I agree. And uh, so I just wanted to be clear that priority and priority is different. I mean it may sound crazy but when you read this covenant priority is not the same thing as my priority in my district. It's a priority that we soulless to the public on. So just to be clear with that. Okay. The other thing I have was the conf the uh covenant resolution. The gospel rec center and I'm not getting into Mr. Harvest district but I'm asking what's prevalent to the council. We we bought some property for parking and to my understanding there's conversation. And if I'm wrong, correct me, mayor, about redoing the Gospel Center. Yes.

And we plan to take that money from somewhere else and move it to the Gospel Center. Is that correct? Yeah. Well, that's what we're looking at. That's what we're exploring. We we did a uh when we did a concept a concept drawing of what would what could be presented and presented that to Councilman Harvey since that's in this particular district. But again, uh it's a concept. So, it's pretty much just a running of what would happen. uh at that park. We're doing one with uh with uh with Yuba Park. We're doing that with a number of different parks to see what the what what what would fit for those communities at these particular periods of time. And so where are we planning on taking that money from or moving it from?

Well, some of the money that that's going now for the splash pad came from that was the CO funds, right? It was the CO funds that was moved from JD Clifton and and this other money where is it going to come from? But we're still exploring that. We we we you can't talk money until you know exactly what you want to put up.

So, it's no definite it's not going to be taken anywhere. Okay. Well, I I've been getting calls because I have relatives live on um Railroad Avenue and I know we kind of we had plans for that whole area and it kind of fell fell apart right when you came in on this administration. But I want us to be mindful uh if we need to do something with Railroad Avenue. I mean, it's it's it's horrible. and eventually it's going to become a problem. And if we're talking about one Lake Charles, we got to consider that as part of it. So, I don't know how much funding I know we had a a pot I don't know if uh Miss Emily could tell me. It escapes me. We had a pot of money for Railroad Avenue. I don't know what all the parameters was because that's not my district what it's tied to. But if we're planning on moving that money for that recreation center, I would hope that we would reconsider at least used portion. But we got to do something with those streets if we want those people. I'll give you an example. My auntie has a house on um Railroad Avenue and she's in hospice now. So, because she's out, the uh the assessor goes out and re redo everything. Now, her house is appraised at $169,000 on Railroad Avenue. You understand what I'm saying? We can't have a $169,000 house being appraised by the tax assessor and the streets falling down. That don't match, you know? And I'm saying if if if the streets are not going to be fixed, that house can't be $169,000. So when we start moving, I'm just asking that we be considerate of those things. You know, if if we moving towards your vision of one Lake Charles, we need to be mindful of these places that have been dilapidated for a long time.

That is part of that vision. Yep. Okay. We're going to address everything. I mean, it is one lake. Uh let's see what else I got that that's oh the the um when we sent out for architects now that's just me Mr. quot on. We talked about the PSAs a couple of weeks ago in depth, but some of these projects are going to require more money. Like for instance, let's say we send out a rendering of the amphitheater. That could really be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars for that rendering. Am I correct? To to get them to do the work.

How does that work into a PSA? I mean, if the PSA is supposed to give us a set price at the beginning, how do they come back and finagle that down the way? Typically, if you know you're designing an amphitheater or another large project like that, they're both the A&E agreement and the task order are both PSAs, professional service agreement. But we would not do a PSA, a task order. We would just do an A&E agreement. So, if we have somebody that say they they charging $2, that's their minimum price. when that when that project comes out, they're allowed to step outside of that PSA and bid on that.

No, sir. I think you're mixing up the contractor with the designer. The designer, we have our own A&E agreements, architect engineering agreement. That's different from the PSAs. That it is a that is a PSA. A PSA is professional service service agreement, right? And we have different PSAs. You got a professional service agreement that has what they call a task order or one call, which is small jobs where like we had somebody re-evaluating uh the uh the uh parking garage, the capital one parking garage. Well, there's no design. They're not building anything. We just said, "Go evaluate it. Tell us what you think needs to be done." Right? So, that's something small. So, you do what they call a task order

or um but it's it's still a PSA. Once you know you're going to design a project, you enter to an A&E agreement. We have our A&E agreements. There's they're uh they're uh one format and the rate schedule is the same for everybody. So, so the A&E agreement is part of anytime we do a a real project where they're designing a project like an amphitheater building a road if it's an engineering project. We do what they call A&E agreements. It's still a PSA, right?

Professional service agreement because they're all professionals, but it's a architect engineering agreement and it's not a task order that's done by the hour because it's a small job. But I guess where what I'm asking is the A&E agreement when we go out for that, you can use other people that may not have a PSA. Correct. We typically have PSAs with all of them. Yes, sir. So when we bid these projects out for Lake Charles Rebound, we are narrowing it down to the pool that we have the PSA to do the work. Well, it's it's it's any orchid. I'd like to be able to meet with you.

I'd like to meet meet with you on the side and try to explain to you how it works because I think we're kind of mixing up a couple of things and I and let me try to explain it to you. Whoever maybe it's mixed up because I'm saying PSA and A&E. I'm just simply saying if a bid comes up for the amphitheater and we go out for bid, are we bidding it out to the public or to the people who are bid? Is it for the contractor? That's not That is You don't bid to You don't bid uh an A&E agreement.

Okay, that's that's that's the problem right there. Okay, I got you. I got you. All right, with that being said, that's all I have at this time. We'll move on to the uh public comment section. We have three cards at this time. How would you like me to pronounce your name? Uh Mr. Miles. Just regular. Mr. Miles. He left a note on my on his card about how I pronounce his name. They here. Yes. Okay. Who is it? Let's see.

Terrence Prudin. All right.

All right. Miles Brown204th Avenue. Um, I know lately I've been speaking on public records, but I do want to say I've been seeing some vast improvements for the past month and a half. And uh, you know, a lot of times I'm looked at as a scoundrel for bringing up state laws. And I'm told it's not true, but I'll give credit when credit's due that lately I've been getting acknowledgements in time. I've also been getting receipts. Uh, whenever there's a record that might be kind of flawed, it gets fixed. I'm not told it's subjective. So, it's just really just to let people know that things have been improving over some time. Now, I'm not saying it's perfect. I'm not saying it's uh wonderful and everything like you want it, but I I'm glad to see there are some improvements. So, I just want to put that out there. And uh another thing I wanted to uh I know y'all talked a lot on some stuff and I've been wanting to say it for a while, but I'm glad y'all saying it so I'm not looking like the bad guy every time I bring it up. But I know you mentioned for quite some time about the Capital One project and trying to get documents and I've been waiting to see why you still haven't gotten them either. But the thing is now I'm kind of worried listening to y'all. Is this project still going to be finished in time? Because I remember in October they said that y'all needed to get this project done. Y'all needed to vote on it. But I was told uh or at least what it sounded like that it needs to get done by a certain period of time or you got to get that money back. So hopefully just going out there. I know I might have had a disagreement of it going to Capital One going somewhere else, but I do want to still see this project go forward. So hopefully whatever is going on, just listening that it gets done in time because all that hoopla about it having to be done in time and then all of a sudden it's not built and all that, it just looks bad. So I'm just that's just coming from my perspective. And another thing I want to bring up too is um another thing I not noticed that

y'all have asked for quite some time. Have y'all gotten uh any paperwork about the enterprise over the past 20 years as far as the funding goes? Yes, y'all have. So, that's public record now. I don't know if it's public record because I don't You're asking, do we know where we getting the money from? Well, you you remember how over the past few weeks y'all asked about um you want to see every year how much money has been put into the Enterprise project and the West? Yeah. Have y'all gotten that yet? No, we haven't gotten it. Is there a reason why? Yes, because Michelle has been swamped and she hadn't been able. She sent me an email stating she's going she's working on it and I'm good with that.

Okay. I'm just making sure cuz I like I said I noticed a lot of times y'all ask for stuff some meeting they say they'll get back with you just like the sports thing. So, I'm just kind of just making sure that there is some kind of progress as to why y'all haven't gotten it. So, I just just one of my things I was just curious on. And uh another thing I know y'all brought up about the homelessness and all that and I'm going to say just growing up um I'm not going to say it's it's never going to be perfect. No matter where you go, it's always going to be homeless problem. People going to be panhandling, squatting, whatever. And I'll say at least over the past few years from where I've been at, it's gotten better in some aspects. Uh now it's not going to be perfect nor will ever be. But I think until you start seeing uh well put it like this because I around the city a lot. I've noticed that when you go to certain areas that are fluent, you don't see as many squatters or many people going and breaking into people's homes like you are in certain areas. And I noticed that the only time that that's going to stop is whenever it goes in certain neighborhoods. Now, I'm not saying that they're purposely allowing it to go in certain people's areas and whatnot, but I remember somebody said they go where the money is. If they go where the money is, why is it not going in all areas where people are breaking in or knocking on people's doors and panling certain areas I go to, I don't have to worry about leaving the store and looking on my left and right trying to figure out if somebody going to ask me for money or uh go right by my car and ask me for money. But in certain areas all the time, I've listened to people for the past 2 years come up here in certain areas and they will come up as a group and say, "Look, we have this issue here. We have this issue there." But in certain areas that are more affluent, I've never seen that happen. People come here and do that same thing. So, I'm not saying that this problem is ever going to get fixed, but I do notice in certain areas you never have this problem.

Mr. Brown, can I ask you a question? I interrupt you. Where is it not happening at? Well, I'm not saying it's not happening nowhere. I'm I'm saying in more areas there are more pan handling, more squatters. Okay. Well, I don't I don't feel the need to. Okay. So, for example, um once you start going south of Freon Lake Road and west of Ryan Street, it's a vast uh difference. You don't spend enough time there. Oh, I I spend a lot of time there. Well, cuz I take the the road exit every day and I have for the past 35 years. They're there every day. They're on they're on a schedule. They're on shift work. They're there so much.

I understand. I'm not I'm saying on certain it happens everywhere. Exactly. I understand. It happens everywhere. Throwing stone. It happens everywhere. But I' i've noticed that quite a bit of times in certain areas.

What were you going to say, Council? I've noticed quite a bit of times in certain areas and I've been there a lot. there. You don't have people coming up to you asking for money or trying to knock on your door random times at night or do anything. And I'm going by just coming from these city council meetings a group of people that have come here and many occasions. And I'm not talking about anybody's district, but I've noticed it. I've never seen in certain areas a group of people come, but in certain districts, they have a group of people that always come randomly. where this January 7th, 2025 meeting when I believe you was here council before you were councilman. You were here because we can can go back on the video. Mr. President, time of the gentleman has expired.

And and pretty much that's all I pretty much had to say. I have one more minute to close out. That'll be fine. But what did you need to close out? Well, I just wanted to say that again, I think I made my point on the homelessness and and like I say, and the pan handling, but uh again, it's really just me starting out saying I have seen improvements with the public records. It's not perfect, but hopefully it gets better as time goes, and I'm not trying to out here trying to call anybody out. So, we appreciate you. Yes, sir. Thank you, Mr. Andrew Smith. State your name and address for the record, Mr. Smith.

Name is Andrew Smith. Address is 4121 West Javon Lane here in Lake Charles. Okay. Okay. Uh, I'd like to speak on the homeless.

Okay. Uh, I heard that what I I on 3928 I called Congressman Clay Higgins office and I filed a complaint concerning the homeless problem here in Lake Charles. Uh now according to uh pending bills they they still pending uh they have not passed and that's the house bill 619 and it's the senate bill 196 uh which have not been passed in the law yet that would but that would have banned a homeless encampment throughout the city of Lake Charles uh where you would be able to make arrests if if they would pass. Uh, what I would like to ask you guys is what ordinance is in place to help prevent this plague of the homeless encampment in our city? Do we have an ordinance

Mhm. in place? Yes, there's an ordinance in place uh under the nuisance abatements law. There's the ordinance in place about where people can and cannot be on different properties. Now, it doesn't necessarily streamline to homelessness, but some of the things that the homelesses are doing breaks the law. Okay? It breaks the law, but they're not being uh they are still there uh in place. If if if we can have those two laws, and I don't know if you guys are familiar with the House Bill 619 and uh Senate Bill 196. I'm not familiar with those.

Okay. The only places I have not seen uh I thank someone that asked. The only places I have not seen the homeless here in Lake Charles is the Greywood area in the Chel Beach Drive. Mhm. I uh the gentleman that came up, he spoke way longer than I did and I Excuse me. Mr. Smith, let me explain to you how how this works. Yes, sir. Please. when you come up, you can have time donated to you, which means that another citizen gives you their time to speak. Okay? That's how he was able to do it. Now, if you need more time, we can give you more time. All right. Please. Okay. And and and I'm about uh what I have to say is under two minutes. Okay.

Uh I have brought my concern up to this city uh to city councilman Donald Fondale uh in which he stated and uh so that will be taken care of. Yes. And chief, could you now? Sure. We contacted he contacted our congressman um property standards. Property standards. But if he had called the police department, they would have reacted quicker.

It's possible. I I don't I don't know what the call was. So, but we do have ordinances about vagrancy and panhandling and and those people can be cited for

being vagrants and and that's what we used to call homelessness, vagrants. Uh there's a softer edge to the whole thing now. But there is no place that we can put them. The jail is not going We can't arrest somebody for being homeless and go put them at the CCC and then they're out of your sight. Nobody's going to take homeless people into their jail because we don't have enough staff at the jail and we don't have enough space at the jail to put all of them. Right now they're prior prioritizing violent crimes over there. So the issue was he contacted me twice and we we we and the people are still there to date. That's who they are. And and my question

we run them off and they return. he had called your office and reported that homeless people was living there, you guys would have responded and he would have moved quicker. But there's no guarantee it would have solved the problem. We we could have gone, we could have cited them, warned them that they needed to move on and they may move on and they may not. Okay. So, but that's still faster than what we were going through streamline things. I don't know what the process was with with them, but it's it's you get what I'm saying? It's not necessarily going to be successful no matter how you go about it.

And just to answer Mr. Fund's question, yes, you may get you may call the chief and he may send somebody out and they may go out there and cite the people. Yes, that may happen faster than going through property standards, but what the chief is saying that not going to necessarily make them move. You may still have the problem. you have a reaction faster, but the problem may still be there. They can pack up, leave, and come back. And that did happen. Uh the police did go go out there and they went out there a week ago and once I was on my way here to the meeting, I passed there. They still there. And they have a trash can on site as well. So, uh

they probably got cited for littering. So now they have a trash can so they can avoid that that trouble in the future.

If I may, I think the the fundamental problem is is we don't have a homeless shelter in our in our city. You can make people move on and and they're going to come I mean to them that's they don't have a home. This is the only place they can survive in. Until we do a homeless shelter, until we provide places for them to eat, uh uh provide some sort of support mechanisms, your homeless problem is just going to continue. Uh uh it's going to move. It may migrate, but you're never going to solve it. So, we're really I'm really putting a lot of energy into working about the unhoused situation. And it's not a it's not a one-sizefitit all because like I said, each person has their own story. um and they need different types of support to to to get them out of that situation. But until then, they're they're not criminals. Uh they they whatever whatever hand life dealt them, they're just trying to navigate with it. And I'm not like overly compassionate because I understand what it does to communities. I've seen homeless folks, but it's really going to take a a a lot a a joint effort by everybody to address this situation. I mean, there was a a attempt to purchase a place and provide a homeless shelter, which was a start, but there was so much blowback in the community that kind of fell apart. Uh maybe you can't put them near residential areas, but that that is something that needs to be worked on. That's that's you've got Wat's Edge, Catholic Charities, all these different nonprofits that's willing to do support for these people. Uh but until you find a a place to give them to lay their head, the they're they're they're just trying to survive. Uh yes sir. Uh and the reason that I really brought it up, I have property on Kirkman Street and I have it up for sale, but with all the homeless there and with the encampment that's uh he mentioned it's hard to sell my property.

Sell your property. Yes, I understand. Uh it's hard to do business when you're coming out. If you're coming out of a business and people are waiting, asking you for money and you don't feel safe, that's going to affect those businesses. It is it is a uh it is a societal problem that societal remedies are going to have to come in and address. Yes,

sir. I have one other thing and I'm going to finish. Uh there's an agent that's uh with Centure 21. He's selling my trying to sell my property on Kirkman and he said that he has property that he's showing and one of the houses he is showing is burned on the inside. uh and he found some homeless was occupying the structure on the inside of the house and a neighbor had extended an extension cord to provide electricity and they were making meth. Uh he called Lake Charles police department and had them arrested but then later on as you guys stated they came back and so we have a bad Do you have that address?

Uh he told me he was going to send it to me. Okay. And I guess he got tied up. But I will and I pray that I can meet with you, mayor. Uh I have some ideas in place for the homeless. Yeah. Uh jobs. If somebody's homeless and they're selling meth, uh they won't be arrested because they're homeless, but they definitely should be selling meth. Okay. Thank Thank you. Thanks for the uh extended time. Yes, sir. Miss Yolanda Beasley. You broke the trash, man.

State your name and address for the record. Yolanda Beasley, 2525 17th Street, Lake Charles, Louisiana. I'm here because I was here a year ago concerning the tires uh on 14, the tire shop. I don't know because I did I called the state about other stuff but I didn't call how many tires should be sitting there every day. It's at least 25 open. Is that 14 in Lake Road? No. You talked about Miami tires.

Miami tire and I came last year concerned about a fence. There's no fence and it's a year later. So, what do I need to do now? Call the state. Uh, and it's not just that property. Miss Beasley, you just to answer your question, you came in after Mr. Bilbo was talking about that very issue. Um, yeah, the fence was the company was mandated to put the fence up. They hadn't followed the rules.

Okay. So, what's my next what do I have to do next to get a fence from all the way across because now they're leaving their garbage can opens on the and the trash is coming in our neighborhood at the end of the street where I think Miss Paula that's her name she got in contact with these people and the whole and it it got it was corrected

for a minute yesterday I passed there's trash all on the ground I I have a picture of it. I don't know what kind of silver stuff. You still can't see when you turn the corner on 18th Street because the little alley access because they still have their cars parked where you can't see when you pull out. They so close to the uh the curb. Curb. Yeah. Well, I don't think it's it's anything you can do right now. It's on us to enforce make them do what they need to do. Okay. What about Okay, I know I got one minute left. I want to discuss that Kroger thing again. Okay. So, they're selling washing powder, uh, food trucks, uh,

perfume, whatever. I mean, I don't want to see that. Mr. Bearish just informed us that there's a company that, uh, Mr. Bear, can you repeat to her what you told us about the Kroger parking lot, the new Highway 14? Somebody was looking at it tells you about all the people. Yeah. Or the one on 14 trampoline place, whatever you want to call street. I see. That's what that's the confusion. Okay. Well, my concern was and now she has the same concern about everything they selling in the parking lot. The parking lot on Gerson Memorial where you got the Fondale Bank for Fondelle. Not a bank. It was a bank.

The insurance company. The insurance company. And you got a Sunshine liquor store. I think the quickest remedy, Chief, if I'm not mistaken, can a call be made about them doing illegal if you got to have a permit to to do that, correct? To sell to to solicit anything in the uh in a parking lot like to sell food or you're supposed to have a you're supposed to be permitted. Yes, you're supposed to have a permit to go out and sell food. So, that would be the first thing I would tell you to do. Call it in and let the police go out there and remove them from the site. That's that's a start. Other than that, we'll have to call the um the owners. There's also food trucks there. Yeah. That and you know, I'll call the state on this one.

There's food trucks there and they're supposed to have a commissary so many feet and there's none. They're cooking it on site. They're cooking it on site. And I mean, I just I would like to have it cleaned up. And I am with the neighborhood watch. And we did meet. We got one thing done there at TH Watkins. There were hot boxes with AT&T. Can I get some time? Mayor and Mr. Cardone, this is Miss Beasley. She is the president of the O park alliance. Okay. I know. No, not the alliance. Neighborhood watch. Neighborhood watch. I know Miss Beasley. I'm on the Alliance, too, though.

Mr. Mark, Miss Beasley, we're going to send these violations out to the various departments. Okay. And they'll all go out there and investigate it for occupational license, for junk, debris, any violation that may exist out there. Mr. Cardone. Okay. One of the places that we may need to call is the health unit as well because if they're not licensed to operate those food trucks, if if they're not, then they don't have an occupational license and it's our violation as well. Right. And it's not the uh the health cuz I went there too. It's not like the health unit on Prim Lake is one that's further up cuz I went they would be operating a business without a license which is against our ordinances. Yeah. and and one person did stop because I went to the state and I told them and then I came here and complained. So,

but they if they have an occupational license and they don't have the approval from health from to be out there on Gerson Memorial, if the if the if the property owner uh considers that a trespass and post their property, then that would be a violation of our ordinances and that might be something to do too. Have the get in touch with the owners and have them post the parking lot. Yeah, cuz and and look and eventually eventually theoretically if there's a lot of things going on out there that causes any type of issues with the uh with the uh the citizens of the city, that's also nuisance abatement ordinances. So, there's a number of different tools, but everything has to be set up properly for enforcement.

So, just real real quick, Miss Beasley, you got your food truck. What are the other potential violations at the Kroger site? Yeah, there's food trucks. There's people on weekends selling uh washing liquid uh bundles of stuff. I'm sure y'all seen that. But uh I'm just asking for help. That's all. Just to uh cuz it shouldn't take a year to get a fence up a glass. It makes it harder to makes it harder to develop properties if potential investors coming out there. They can't that kind of activity is going on. We'll get with the property owner cuz that's the first step is we need to uh tell them that you have some things going on in your property that we're going to start taking enforcement action and and you know we'll see where that goes. Okay, we'll go with them.

Thank you all for your time. Thank you, Miss Beasy. Mr. Bears, you have something to say. Just to clarify, uh the tire shop has been to administrative hearing. We'll send him back uh to make sure that he's uh maintaining compliance and we'll just keep which tire shop? The Express. The Miami. Okay. Yeah. So, so that has been before. So, they are they are a continue a problem, but we will continue to send them to the hearing and find them as as as strictly as possible. But I was my concern was how many times do we bring them hearing till it hurts? Until we lock their doors or something. There's come to the mic.

Yeah. Come to the mic. So, there's been a truck there for a year. It's um there's vehicles. There's vehicles all there all the time. One has been there for a year. I have all my pictures. And there's now it's adding up. More tires. More tires. So, when you walk out your drive, when you drive out your driveway, that's all you see is a dump. Thank you. Okay. Well, Mr. Beach, I'm letting you know I just spoke on that. All right. All right.

Close out. Chief, uh, one quick question. I've been getting a lot of calls and and we had this issue on on Ernest Street with the, um, is that Kroger's Albertson's parking lot. When these 18-wheers come into town and they park in certain areas and they just idle all night, they get their wrist. Is that something that the city can go out and if we call on those vehicles, you can go out and make a move or or This this is something I know that just in my time here, we've gone round and round. I believe signage has been placed on the fences behind Albertson to let these truckers know that they need to park a certain distance from the fence. But the short answer is yes.

Well, I'm I used Albertson's as the example. Now they're doing it uh by Morgan Field in the roundabouts. They parking on the side of the roads now and just idling all night and residents can't sleep. So is I mean is that a violation? Parking on the side of the road is a violation all by itself. If if they're just parking there, yes. Uh the noise, it just depends. Okay. Uh if it's if it's plainly audible, if it's disturbing, uh then yes, it can be enforced. Okay. Got you. Any other questions or comments? Meeting adjourn.