City Council

MINUTES REGULAR TOWN COUNCIL MEETING VIVIAN TOWN HALL MEETING ROOM 112 W. ALABAMA AVE. VIVIAN, LOUISIANA MONDAY, APRIL 11, 2022 CALL TO ORDER - Mayor Festavan called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. INVOCATION - Alderman Raymond Williams opened the meeting in prayer. PLEDGE - Mayor Festavan led all present in the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL - VERIFICATION OF QUORUM - Board of Aldermen present for Roll Call were James Martin, Denise Alexander, Michael Guthrie, Raymond Williams, and Angela Channell. Following Roll Call the Town Clerk verified that a quorum was present. Also present were other elected officials and/or staff members: Ronnie Festavan - Mayor, Ryan Nelson - Chief of Police, Kellie Morris - Town Clerk, Douglas Dominick - Town Attorney and Bobby Smith - Zoning/Condemnation and Code Enforcement Officer. APPROVE AGENDA - Motion to approve the Agenda as presented was made by Raymond Williams, seconded by James Martin; all approved. 1. SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS - Mr. Cunningham, North Caddo Elementary-Middle School Principal, made the following announcements concerning the Students-of-the Month: 1) Elementary Student-of-the-Month is Kennedi Hodges and 2) Middle School Student-of-the-Month is Davion Buffin. Annie Cherry, North Caddo Magnet High School Principal, made the following school announcements: 1) testing is in progress, 2) a blood-drive will be held on April 28, and 3) the ‘Slime for Shyne’ fundraiser. She then introduced the Students-of-the-Month as follows: a) 9th grader Madison Willis, b) 11th grader J’mya Myles, and c) 12th grader Dakariya Thomas. 2. SPECIAL RECOGNITION - BLACK HISTORY ESSAY AWARDS - Dr. Ann Lars, Black History Essay Committee Chairperson, Mayor Festavan and Ms. Marilyn Abraham presented awards, including cash awards sponsored by Rev. Melvin Lars and Ms. Abraham, to the winners that were recognized for their writings. 3. SPECIAL RECOGNITION - FAIR HOUSING MONTH PROCLAMATION - Mayor Festavan read aloud into the official record a signed Proclamation recognizing the 53rd Anniversary of the National Fair Housing Law - Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, and proclaiming the month of April 2022 to be ‘Fair Housing Month’. 4. PUBLIC COMMENTS - Mr. Charles Patrick of 202 Rebel Rd. in Vivian came before the Council with comments regarding 4-wheelers and horses being ridden at night on Rebel Rd. Page 1 of 4 5. MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT - Financial report including budget-to-actual comparisons was presented by Mayor Festavan. Following the report and discussion, motion to accept as presented was made by Michael Guthrie, seconded by Raymond Williams; all approved. 6. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - Motion to approve the Minutes for the March 14, 2022 Regular Council Meeting was made by James Martin, seconded by Angela Channell; all approved. 7. INTRODUCTION OF ORDINANCE # 773 OF 2022 OF THE TOWN OF VIVIAN, LOUISIANA - AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND ORDNANCE # 727 OF 2019 BEING AN ORDINANCE TO REVOKE AND SET ASIDE TWO (2) ALLEYS LOCATED WITHIN THE TOWN LIMITS OF THE TOWN OF VIVIAN, CADDO PARISH, LOUISIANA. Motion to introduce Ordinance # 773 of 2022 of the Town of Vivian, Louisiana was made by Raymond Williams, second by James Martin; all present approved. There will be a public hearing prior to the adoption of Ordinance # 773 at the regular Town Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, May 9, 2022 at the Vivian Town Hall, located at 112 W. Alabama Ave. in Vivian, Louisiana. 8. INTRODUCTION OF ORDINANCE # 774 OF 2021 OF THE TOWN OF VIVIAN, LOUISIANA - AN ORDINANCE TO ADOPT THE MILLAGE RATES FOR THE 2022 TAX YEAR IN AND FOR THE TOWN OF VIVIAN, LOUISIANA. Motion to introduce Ordinance # 774 of 2022 of the Town of Vivian, Louisiana was made by Raymond Williams, seconded by Angela Channell; all approved. There will be a public hearing prior to the adoption of Ordinance # 774 at the regular Town Council Meeting at 6:00 p.m. on Monday, May 9, 2022 at the Vivian Town Hall, located at 112 W. Alabama Ave. in Vivian, Louisiana. 9. THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN WILL CONSIDER THE ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION # 4 OF 2022 OF THE TOWN OF VIVIAN, LOUISIANA - A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO SIGN A COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT WITH THE BLACK HISTORY PARADE ORGANIZATION. Motion to adopt Resolution # 4 of 2022 was made by James Martin, seconded by Angela Channell. Raymond Williams, an officer of the Black History Parade Organization, abstained, recused himself, from the vote. All voting approved. 10. THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN WILL CONSIDER THE ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION # 5 OF 2022 OF THE TOWN OF VIVIAN, LOUISIANA - A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING NATIONAL COMMUNTIY DEVELOPMENT WEEK AND THE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM. Motion to adopt Resolution # 5 of 2022 was made by Angela Channell, seconded by Raymond Williams; all approved. 11. ZONING, CONDEMNATION & CODE ENFORCEMENT MATTERS - A. CONDEMNATION HEARING(s) - i.) THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN WILL CONSIDER THE FINAL CONDEMNATION OF THE FOLLOWING DESCRIBED PROPERTY, TO WIT: Page 2 of 4  Lots 19, 20, 21 & 22, blk. 14, Christian Heights addn., and having a municipal address of 509 South Pardue St., Vivian, Caddo Parish, LA together with all buildings and improvements located thereon (Geographical Number 221626-127- 0032-00) and, Lots 23 & 24, blk. 14, Christian Hts. addn., and having a municipal address of 509 South Pardue St., Vivian, Caddo Parish, LA together with all buildings and improvements located thereon (Geographical Number 221626-127- 0033-00). This case was continued from the November 8, 2021 and January 10, 2022 Regular Council meetings. Town Attorney Douglas Dominick reported that he had met with two family members sometime prior to the meeting to discuss this matter. Ms. Shaka Thomas of 933 Deer Park Rd. in Shreveport, Louisiana was in attendance and spoke on behalf of this Agenda item and presented Mr. Dominick with a payment in the amount of $783.38 to redeem 1 (one) of the 2 (two) properties at this address. Motion to continue this case at the August 8, 2022 was then made by Raymond Williams, seconded by Angela Channell; all approved. B. COMPLETE ZONING/CONDEMNATION & CODE ENFORCEMENT REPORT – Zoning/Condemnation and Code Enforcement Officer Smith presented the Council and others at the bench a written report. His report included the following properties: *1) 250 E. Texas St., 2) 210 Rocky Ln., *3) 325 W. Arkansas Ave., *4) 1012 Lillie St., 5) 804 W. Georgia Ave., 6) 920 N. Pine St., 7) 14651 Old Atlanta Rd. and 8) 210 Edward Dr. (Items marked with * are on the Docket for Administrative/Environmental Court on Wednesday, April 13, 2022 at 4:00 p.m.) Following the report Mayor Festavan requested that 317 W. Atlanta St. be returned to the condemnation list, that the property be demolished and cleaned up. Denise Alexander also asked Officer Smith to check on the property at the corner of W. Nevada Ave. and Redbud Ln. 12. REVIEW OF POLICE DEPARTMENT PROBATIONARY STATUS - DeAveon Benjamin - Full-time Officer - Probation date, January 12, 2022 Police Chief Nelson recommended that Officer Benjamin be removed from probationary status. Motion to approve Chief Nelson’s recommendation was made by Angela Channell, seconded by James Martin. Following question(s) and answers(s) vote was taken with all approving. OPEN DISCUSSION - HORSE ORDINANCE(s) - Mayor Festavan opened the floor for discussion concerning horses and the Ordinances that govern them after having been contacted for the last couple of months about this matter. Following a discussion, question and answer period, Denise Alexander recommended that a meeting be set up with Council Members, Mayor Festavan, Police Chief Nelson, Town Attorney Dominick, officials from Caddo Parish Sheriff Department Livestock Division, Caddo Parish Commissioner Todd Hopkins, and Caddo Parish Animal (Control) Services. Others present were in agreement. MAYOR’S REPORT - Mayor Festavan gave a report on the following: 1) a request to replace the YIELD sign with a STOP sign at Old Atlanta Rd. & Upper Stateline Rd., 2) location of the new Police department, 3) the Chamber of Commerce Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 16th, 4) the First Responders lunch that was held on Thursday, April 7th, Page 3 of 4 5) Adjudicated properties that are listed with Civic Source for sale, and 6) Ordinances uploaded to Municode! ANNOUNCEMENTS BY BOARD OF ALDERMEN - There were none. ADJOURN - Motion to adjourn was made by Raymond Williams, seconded by James Martin; all approved. Meeting was adjourned at 7:54 p.m. _______________________________ Kellie Morris, Town Clerk _______________________________ Ronnie Festavan, Mayor April 22, 2022 Page 4 of 4