City Council

August 18, 2022 Regular Meeting Minutes Page 1 of 6 Regular Meeting Minutes Thursday, August 18, 2022 7:00 P.M. Members Present: . Alderman Simeon Profit Alderman Leola Keys Alderman Wysinger Cleveland Alderman Janice Fleming Alderman Wilbert Reed Jr. The Town of Richwood met for a Regular Meeting on August 18, 2022 at 7:00 p.m. at the Richwood Multi-Purpose Center, 2710 Martin Luther King Drive, Richwood, Louisiana to consider the following business: I. Meeting Called to Order by Mayor Gerald Brown at 7:09 p.m. II. Prayer- Mayor Gerald Brown III. Pledge of Allegiance - recited in unison IV. Roll Call- Mayor Gerald Brown called roll with the following results: • The record shall reflect all (5) Aldermen present at roll call. Present: Alderman Simeon Profit Alderman Leola Keys Alderman Wysinger Cleveland Alderman Janice Fleming Alderman Wilbert Reed Jr. V. Adoption of Agenda : Mayor Gerald Brown- requested the agenda be amended to remove Southern Youth Movement discussion Item # X from the agenda due to Mr. Epting indicating he would not be able to be present due to a medical situation and replace Item X presenter as Representative Pat Moore to the agenda. August 18, 2022 Regular Meeting Minutes Page 2 of 6 It was motioned by Alderman Simeon Profit and seconded by Alderman Janice Fleming to amend Item X of the agenda; to remove SYM Discussion and add Representative Pat Moore as Item # X. • The record shall reflect a vote was taken to amend the agenda with the following results: (5) yes Votes to amend the agenda. Alderman Wilbert Reed Jr. Yes Alderman Simeon Profit Yes Alderman Janice Fleming Yes Alderman Leola Keys Yes Alderman Wysinger Cleveland Yes It was motioned by Alderman Simeon Profit and seconded by Alderman Janice Fleming to adopt the amend agenda. • The record shall reflect a vote was taken to amend the agenda with the following results: (5) yes Votes to amend the agenda. Alderman Wilbert Reed Jr. Yes Alderman Simeon Profit Yes Alderman Janice Fleming Yes Alderman Leola Keys Yes Alderman Wysinger Cleveland Yes VI. Adoption of July 21, 2022 Regular Meeting Minutes: It was motioned by Alderman Simeon Profit and seconded by Alderman Janice Fleming to adopt the July 21, 2022 Regular Meeting Minutes as presented. • The record shall reflect a vote was taken to adopt July 21, 2022 Regular Meeting Minutes as follows: All (5) Votes Yes to Adopt July 21, 2022 Regular Meeting Minutes. Alderman Wilbert Reed Jr. Yes Alderman Simeon Profit Yes Alderman Janice Fleming Yes Alderman Leola Keys Yes Alderman Wysinger Cleveland Yes August 18, 2022 Regular Meeting Minutes Page 3 of 6 VII. Adoption of Financial Reports: It was motioned by Alderman Simeon Profit and seconded by Alderman Janice Fleming to adopt the Financial Reports as presented. • The record shall reflect a vote was taken with the following results: All 5 Votes Yes to Adopt the Financial Reports as presented. Alderman Wilbert Reed Jr. Yes Alderman Simeon Profit Yes Alderman Janice Fleming Yes Alderman Leola Keys Yes Alderman Wysinger Cleveland Yes VIII. Public comments as they relate to the agenda: • No Comments* Agenda proceeded. IX. Mayor’s Dialogue: Mayor Gerald Brown- advised the forum Entergy assistance program which was providing $ 150 one-time payment assistance toward Entergy bills had exhausted it funds and was no longer accessible. Mayor Gerald Brown- advised the forum on September 27th at 10:00 a.m. we will be having our State of Town address this will include recognition of our Community Partners and great achievers in the community. Mayor Gerald Brown- advised the forum Motion Captured Camera Speeding Enforcement which went in force on August 3rd; since that time we have already seen a huge decrease in the number of speeding violators that have come across that system. Mayor Gerald Brown – advised on the 1st day there was some 200 odd violators caught on that day and yesterday I think our number there was approximately 14, the purpose of this program is to slow people down, make sure people understand it is important to control speeding, we have had accidents with fatalities, and this is acting as a deterrent. August 18, 2022 Regular Meeting Minutes Page 4 of 6 X. Presentation of Information: Representative Pat Moore Representative Pat Moore- addressed the forum and thanked the Mayor and Board for allowing her to stop by and share information from this session. Representative Pat Moore – advised the information provided is good news; at the Louisiana Bond Commission’s July 22nd meeting it was approved for a capital out-lay project planning and development of the municipal building complex, and Richwood would be receiving $ 150,000 . Representative Pat Moore- provided information pertaining to several bills that will affect our children. One of the bills that passed is HB-911. In the State of Louisiana 24% of our kids are reading on a 3rd grade level, that means 76% of our children are not. HB-911 is to try to give assistance and what that means is that we need to screen our kids earlier, like in grades k-3rd grade and make they are the correct level in the 3rd grade. Bill HB269 passed in the House and went to the Senate but did not pass because they ran out of time, and what this bill does, it says when a child is in the 3rd grade, regardless of if they have made all A’s, B’s or C’s whatever, they are going to be tested, and if they do not pass the reading test they will not be moved on to the 4th grade, that is the reason the 911 Bill is so important, because we want to catch our children early. There is a reading program from Atmos Energy, and it is excellent for children ages 3-6, it is sent to you electronically, it is free for 1 year, it helps them(children) to read. We need you to make sure your loved ones are registered to vote, with the redistricting that is happening and there are elections coming up. Representative Pat Moore- also shared with the forum we have a safety issue where commercial trucks are parking their vehicles on state roads and it is tearing up our roads, City of Monroe roads and Richwood roads, this is causing some safety issues with our roads. XI. Discussion of MPC: Rentals Alderman Wilbert Reed Jr. – stated, he had some concerns about an event that happened a little over a year and a half ago, if a rental fee had been received from an event which was held last year at the Multi-Purpose Center? I asked why this individual had never paid his rental fee like everybody else. *** For the Record: *** Alderman Wilbert Reed Jr. stated, for the record, I’d like to know why didn’t this individual I could call the name if it is necessary, pay their rental fee like everybody else? August 18, 2022 Regular Meeting Minutes Page 5 of 6 Mayor Gerald Brown- advised, no, I can speak to that, if I’m thinking about the issue you are thinking about, the individual has a non-profit, and we allow non-profits to have use of the facility 1-time per year. Alderman Wilbert Reed Jr. – stated, that is why I asked, I needed to know why they didn’t pay, because they were a non-profit. . I’ll accept that answer. XII. Discussion of the Richwood Police Department: Alderman Wilbert Reed Jr. – stated he had a question, which had been brought to him, why was the RPD doing private security at Ra-Ra’s Mud Ride? I just need to know were they working for Richwood or who were they working for? That’s out of our jurisdiction, and I just need some clarity. Chief Johnny Cleveland- advised officers were working off-duty work, this has not just started, if they are off duty, they can do off duty work. Alderman Wilbert Reed, Jr. – stated I have no problem with them doing off-duty work, but they should not be using Richwood vehicles, our vehicles should not be out there, all I am saying is just watch that. *** For the record*** I have a problem with that, that’s why I asked the question, if we are doing it, we got to do it right. XIII. Adoption of Ordinance 2022-04 ( An ordinance Adopting the Town’s Expenditures for the year beginning July 1, 2022 thru June 30, 2023 Mayor Gerald Brown- stated, it had come to his attention that several Aldermen wanted to table this issue until last year’s audit was complete. It was motioned by Alderman Wysinger Cleveland and seconded by Alderman Leola Keys to table Ordinance 2022-04. • The record shall reflect a vote was taken to table Ordinance 2022-04 with the following results: (4) yes and (1) no vote to table: Results Ordinance 2022-04 Tabled. Alderman Wilbert Reed Jr. Yes Alderman Simeon Profit No Alderman Janice Fleming Yes Alderman Leola Keys Yes Alderman Wysinger Cleveland Yes August 18, 2022 Regular Meeting Minutes Page 6 of 6 XIV. Executive Session: Discussion regarding :Public Works Building It was motioned by Alderman Simeon Profit and seconded by Alderman Janice Fleming to go into Executive Session. The record shall reflect a vote was taken to go into Executive Session with the following results: All (5) Aldermen voted Yes to go into Executive Session @ 7:46 p.m. Alderman Wilbert Reed Jr. Yes Alderman Simeon Profit Yes Alderman Janice Fleming Yes Alderman Leola Keys Yes Alderman Wysinger Cleveland Yes • It was motioned by Alderman Simeon Profit and seconded by Alderman Janice Fleming to exit Executive Session @ 8:31 p.m. XV. Adjournment It was motioned by Alderman Wysinger Cleveland and seconded by Alderman Janice Fleming to go adjourn @ 8:32 p.m.