January 26, 2023, Special Meeting Minutes
Town of Pollock
Town Council Special Meeting Minutes
January 26, 2023
5:00 P.M.
The Mayor & Town Council met on said date in a Special Session at 5:00 P.M. in the Pollock Municipal Building Council Room, Pollock, La.
The following members were present: Mayor Douglas Beavers, Councilwoman Dee Thorne, Councilwoman Kayden Lamkin, Councilwoman Kassandra Hooter, Councilman Sheldon Smith, and Councilman Alan Williams.
Mayor Beavers called the meeting to order. The Pledge of Allegiance led by Councilwoman Lamkin, followed by the Lord’s Prayer led by Councilwoman Thorne.
Mayor Beavers welcomed guests.
" Public Comments - the mayor asked if there were any citizens that wanted to make comments or ask questions on any of the agenda items.
No one asked to make any public comments.
Mayor Pro Tem Thorne and Councilwoman Hooter then proceeded to report to the Council and the Mayor their findings to date for their Ad Hoc Council on Reviewing & Updating Town Policies, Procedures, & Ordinances.
They reported that they had met with several town employees and had obtained records from Town Hall, and had met with the Town CPA, Town Engineer, and Town Attorney. They noted that there were several areas where there had been changes in the way the Town operated in over 20 years. They proceeded to report to the Council and the Mayor on several of their findings as well as make recommendations: the Town Fines for Misdemeanor offenses which had not been updated in several years and provided a new Fines schedule in accordance with what the State charges for the fines; the need for signage of the Town corporate limits & No Trespass & No Hunting that are needed out at the Town airport and surrounding wooded areas; the LRWA draft study that showed the need for the Town to install meters at all Town owned facilities to meter the uncharged water that is currently being reported as a "loss" - which has never been done; the Town Compensation rates set by old Ordinance 03-99 adopted on March 1, 1999 (24 years ago) - the Town Employees have never had a built in CPI (Consumer Price Index) annual compensation raise to help them keep up with inflation, which is running rampant the last few years, and a CPI raise needed to be done, and that the aldermen compensation and mayor compensation has never been changed since 1999, and the Town Clerk was not included in that ordinance but should be included - and the Committee presented recommendations made in accordance with a survey & consultations with the Town CPA; the need to update the Town license & permit fee charges, including occupational, building, Alcohol, & Vape license/permit fees; the need to amend the Town Zoning Code Residence District R-1 to better define "modular homes" and requirements for same; the need for the Town to designate an employee as the "Deputy Clerk" which is required and a position which has not been filled by the Town in many years; and the results of the State required water rate study and the Town's current water rates - the new revised LRWA Water Rate study which had just been received was distributed to the Council and Mayor and it was recommended that the Council and Mayor take home and thoroughly review the study and further meetings on the recommendations will be required.
Following the presentation of their findings, the Ad Hoc Committee advised Council and Mayor that they had proposed ordinances prepared to address the issues that had found and had just now reported on to the Council and the Mayor. Councilwoman Hooter then made a motion to add to the Agenda the following proposed Ordinances for Discussion and Introduction for Publication - stating that the proposed ordinances were not prepared at the time the agenda had been posted:
ORDINANCE NO. 23-0001 TOWN OF POLLOCK ORDINANCE TO UPDATE TOWN ORDINANCES, OPERATIONS; AND PROCEDURES FOR A NEW TOWN ADMINISTRATION RELATED TO; MISDEMEANOR OFFENSES, ORDINANCES, AND FINES FOR THE TOWN OF POLLOCK; ORDINANCE NO. 23-0002 TOWN OF POLLOCK ORDINANCE TO UPDATE TOWN ORDINANCES, OPERATIONS AND PROCEDURES FOR A NEW TOWN ADMINISTRATION RELATED TO SIGNAGE FOR MUNICIPAL CORPORATE LIMITS, NO TRESPASS, AND NO HUNTING PROPERTY AREAS FOR THE TOWN OF POLLOCK; ORDINANCE NO. 23-0003 TOWN OF POLLOCK ORDINANCE TO UPDATE TOWN ORDINANCES, OPERATIONS AND PROCEDURES FOR A NEW TOWN ADMINISTRATION RELATED TO WATER METERS FOR TOWN FACILITIES FOR THE TOWN OF POLLOCK; ORDINANCE NO. 23-0004 TOWN OF POLLOCK ORDINANCE TO UPDATE TOWN ORDINANCES, OPERATIONS AND PROCEDURES FOR A NEW TOWN ADMINISTRATION RELATED TO AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 03-99 COMPENSATION RATES FOR THE TOWN OF POLLOCK; ORDINANCE NO. 23-0005 TOWN OF POLLOCK ORDINANCE TO UPDATE TOWN ORDINANCES, OPERATIONS AND PROCEDURES FOR A NEW TOWN ADMINISTRATION RELATED TO LICENSE AND PERMIT FEES CHARGES FOR THE TOWN OF POLLOCK; ORDINANCE NO. 23-0006 TOWN OF POLLOCK ORDINANCE TO UPDATE TOWN ORDINANCES, OPERATIONS AND PROCEDURES FOR A NEW TOWN ADMINISTRATION RELATED TO TOWN ZONING CODE OF ORDINANCES FOR RESIDENCE DISTRICT R-1 FOR THE TOWN OF POLLOCK;
The motion was seconded by Councilwoman Thorne and a roll call vote of the Council was taken. The vote of the Council was unanimous to add to the agenda for Discussion and Introduction for Publication the proposed ordinances as read by Councilwoman Hooter. A copy of each written proposed ordinance was then distributed to the Council and the Mayor.
The proposed ordinances having been added to the agenda for discussion and introduction for publication, Councilwoman Hooter then read the title of each proposed ordinance 23-001 through 23-006 to the Council and the and the Council then had discussions on each proposed ordinance. The Ad Hoc Committee then asked if there were any further comments from the public or the Council members on the proposed ordinances.
Councilman Smith then made a motion to introduce for publication and set for Public Hearing on February 6, 2023, at 5:50 p.m., at Pollock Town Hall, each of the following ordinances:
ORDINANCE NO. 23-0001 TOWN OF POLLOCK ORDINANCE TO UPDATE TOWN ORDINANCES, OPERATIONS; AND PROCEDURES FOR A NEW TOWN ADMINISTRATION RELATED TO; MISDEMEANOR OFFENSES, ORDINANCES, AND FINES FOR THE TOWN OF POLLOCK; ORDINANCE NO. 23-0002 TOWN OF POLLOCK ORDINANCE TO UPDATE TOWN ORDINANCES, OPERATIONS AND PROCEDURES FOR A NEW TOWN ADMINISTRATION RELATED TO SIGNAGE FOR MUNICIPAL CORPORATE LIMITS, NO TRESPASS, AND NO HUNTING PROPERTY AREAS FOR THE TOWN OF POLLOCK; ORDINANCE NO. 23-0003 TOWN OF POLLOCK ORDINANCE TO UPDATE TOWN ORDINANCES, OPERATIONS AND PROCEDURES FOR A NEW TOWN ADMINISTRATION RELATED TO WATER METERS FOR TOWN FACILITIES FOR THE TOWN OF POLLOCK; ORDINANCE NO. 23-0004 TOWN OF POLLOCK ORDINANCE TO UPDATE TOWN ORDINANCES, OPERATIONS AND PROCEDURES FOR A NEW TOWN ADMINISTRATION RELATED TO AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 03-99 COMPENSATION RATES FOR THE TOWN OF POLLOCK; ORDINANCE NO. 23-0005 TOWN OF POLLOCK ORDINANCE TO UPDATE TOWN ORDINANCES, OPERATIONS AND PROCEDURES FOR A NEW TOWN ADMINISTRATION RELATED TO LICENSE AND PERMIT FEES CHARGES FOR THE TOWN OF POLLOCK; ORDINANCE NO. 23-0006 TOWN OF POLLOCK ORDINANCE TO UPDATE TOWN ORDINANCES, OPERATIONS AND PROCEDURES FOR A NEW TOWN ADMINISTRATION RELATED TO TOWN ZONING CODE OF ORDINANCES FOR RESIDENCE DISTRICT R-1 FOR THE TOWN OF POLLOCK;
The motion was seconded by Councilman Williams and a roll call vote of the Council was taken. The vote of the Council was unanimous to introduce each ordinance for publication and set them for Public Hearing on February 6, 2023, at 5:50 p.m. at Pollock Town Hall.
The Ad Hoc Committee asked if there was any further discussion and there was none. A motion to adjourn was then made by Councilman Smith and a second by Councilwoman Thorne and the Council then voted unanimous to adjourn. "
