City Council

MINUTES REGULAR TOWN COUNCIL MEETING VIVIAN TOWN HALL MEETING ROOM 112 W. ALABAMA AVE. VIVIAN, LOUISIANA MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2022 6:00 PM CALL TO ORDER - Mayor Festavan called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. INVOCATION - Alderman Michael Guthrie 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, James P. Hart – Deputy Police Chief, Kellie Morris - Town Clerk, Douglas Dominick - Town Attorney and Bobby Smith - Zoning/Condemnation & Code Enforcement Officer. APPROVE AGENDA - Mayor Festavan stated that Agenda item # 6, Review of Police Department Probationary Status, needed to be removed from the Agenda at the request of Chief Nelson. Motion to remove Agenda item # 6 was made by Raymond Williams, seconded by Angela Channell; all approved. Motion was then made to approve the Agenda as amended by Michael Guthrie, seconded by James Martin; all approved. 1. SCHOOL ANNOUNCEMENTS - Mr. Cunningham, North Caddo Elementary-Middle School Principal, made the following school announcements: 1) start of the school year, 2) Student incentive program and pay-outs, and 3) 1st Pep Rally of the year. He then announced the Students-of-the Month: a) Elementary Student-of-the-Month is Sadie Sullivan, and b) Middle School Student-of-the-Month is Chad Carroll. Mike Glover of North Caddo Magnet High School made the following school announcements: 1) the new 4-day school week, 2) football team is doing well, and the Homecoming game is October 7th, 3) volleyball is doing well, 4) all of the teacher positions are filled and 5) the new Survivor attendance incentive. He then announced the Students-of-the-Month: a) 9th grader Dakota Duncan, b) 11th grader Cara Johnson, and c) 12th grader Madison Jackson, and introduced the d) 10th grade Student-of-the- Month Madison Willis. 2. PUBLIC COMMENTS - There were none. 3. 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 Raymond Williams, seconded Angela Channell; all approved. Page 1 of 3 4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - Motion to approve the Minutes for the August 8, 2022 Regular Council Meeting was made by Raymond Williams, seconded by James Martin; all approved. 5. THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN WILL CONSIDER THE ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION # 14 OF 2022 OF THE TOWN OF VIVIAN, LOUISIANA - A RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE LA DOTD, DIVISION OF AVIATION PROVIDE FUNDS UNTO THE TOWN OF VIVIAN TO COMPLETE THE AIRPORT IMPROVEMENTS AT THE VIVIAN AIRPORT AS DESCRIBED IN CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM APPLICATION FOR STATE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE DATED AUGUST 15, 2022, AND TO OTHERWISE PROVIDE WITH RESPECT THERETO. Motion to adopt Resolution # 14 of 2022 was made by Raymond Williams, seconded by Angela Channell; all approved. 6. REMOVED FROM THE AGENDA - ZONING, CONDEMNATION & CODE ENFORCEMENT MATTERS - A. CONDEMNATION MATTER(s) - i. THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN WILL RECONSIDER THE FOLLOWING PROPERTY FOR FINAL CONDEMNATION: Lot 22, Legion Hills Sub, unit 2. Vivian, Caddo Parish, Louisiana 221636-2-22, together with all buildings and improvements therein. Municipal address of 1504 South Pardue St., Vivian, LA 71082. This Agenda item was previously considered at the August 8, 2022 Regular Council Meeting. Motion to continue with final condemnation was made by Raymond Williams and seconded by Denise Alexander. Following the motion and second Town Attorney, Douglas Dominick, asked if anyone was present on behalf of this property with no one being present. He then gave an up-date and report on the status on the condemnation process on this property and presented the Clerk with a copy of correspondence with the mortgage company’s legal representation. Following all comments made by members of the Council and Mayor Festavan a vote to follow-through with final condemnation and demolition of the property was taken with all approving. ii. CONDEMNATION UPDATE BY TOWN ATTORNEY ON THE FOLLOWING PROPERTY - 917 S. Pine St., Vivian, Louisiana - Geo # 221635-000-0221-00 Town Attorney, Douglas Dominick, asked that Mayor Festavan speak on the matter. Mayor Festavan asked the Council to look at documents and photos in their meeting binders concerning this property. Mr. Dominick then stated that Sam Goodwin had been named as curator. Mr. Bobby Jo Mitchell, whose address is 2566 Crepe Myrtle, Shreveport, LA, 71118, was present on behalf of Ms. Weston, one of the interested parties in the property, who presented to Mr. Dominick with 2 (two) Quick Claim Deeds stating that someone had purchased part of the property. Following much discussion, questions and answers it was decided that this matter would be continued until the October 10th Regular Council Meeting and that evidence of clean-up of the property must be provided or final condemnation could be possible at that time. Page 2 of 3  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) 121 Milner St., 2) 634 W. Louisiana Ave., 3) 508 W. Atlanta St., 4) 414 Camelia St., and 5) 316 Pardue St. Officer Smith also reported on The Service Center located at 407 S. Pine St. and the portable buildings on the property. Officer Smith stated that Mr. Littlejohn needed about 6 (six) months to relocate the portable buildings on the property and the Council requested that Mr. Littlejohn attend the October 10th Regular Council Meeting to answer questions concerning the matter. Mayor Festavan directed Officer Smith and/or Attorney Dominick to reach out to the owners of the property at 937 S. Pine, the old Lela’s Restaurant, concerning the parking lot and the condition of the building and property. MAYOR’S REPORT - Mayor Festavan gave a report on the following: 1) new taxi-way work on the Airport is about to begin, 2) up-date on Monterey Hills apartments, 3) 317 W. Atlanta has been demolished and cleared, 4) the app for the town is getting closer to being finished, 5) the purchase of additional property for the Airport, 6) Camelia Street has been repaved, 7) a new state-of-the-art control panel at the sewer plant, 8) cleaning of the ’wet well’ at the water treatment plant, 9) upcoming cleaning of the water tower and 10) the LCDBG grant program that will be designated for streets only. The Mayor also announced the upcoming Chamber of Commerce and plans for the National Night-Out, Scare-on-the-Square, and Santa Sunday and Christmas lighting. ANNOUNCEMENTS BY BOARD OF ALDERMEN - Alderman Denise Alexander announced that the Redbud sponsored Terrapin Neck Mini Fest activities started on Sunday, September 11th and additional activities will continue through October 16th. ADJOURN - Motion to adjourn was made by Raymond Williams, seconded by Denise Alexander; all approved. Meeting was adjourned at 7:29 p.m. _______________________________ Kellie Morris, Town Clerk _______________________________ Ronnie Festavan, Mayor September 15, 2022 Page 3 of 3