Letter to the Editor

Letters to the Editor

May 27, 2011 at 9:47 am  | Mobile Reader | Print 

Dear Editor,

To the residents of the Sunset Drainage District, Parish President V.J. St. Pierre and I have developed two amendments that the Parish President will have added to Senate Bill 261 which allows for the Council to replace the Board of Commissioners with the Council should the day come that the residents of the District and the Council are confident that the area will see greater benefits in flood protection to the District from both tidal and rainfall events. 
The first amendment will allow the passing of an ordinance to occur after July 1, 2012. 
This will allow the newly elected Council to have time to get situated in their new position and will provide six months time to study the pros and cons to having the Council as the Board of Commissioners. 
The second amendment requires that two public hearings must be held prior to the Council adopting the ordinance (with one being held within the District) and that two public hearings must be held in advance of the ordinance being brought up again should a vote on such a previous ordinance fail. 
This will ensure that the public will always have the opportunity to be involved in the discussion regarding this issue that can have a significant affect, either way, on their safety and the safety of their property.
Please contact Sen. Joel T. Chaisson, II at websen@legis.state.la.us or (225)342-2040 or (985)764-9911 to express your support of the bill with the amendments as stated above which will ensure public input.   Also contact Rep. Gary Smith at Smith, Rep. Gary at larep56@legis.state.la.us or (225)342-6945 or (985)764-9122 and ask for his support when the bill comes before the House.
I want to publicly thank Parish President V.J. St. Pierre for the time he has invested with me with the two amendments that will ensure public input! 
I would also like to thank him for all of the support that he has provided to me with addressing all of the issues that I have brought to him during the course of my term in office. 
I look forward to continuing and growing the relationship which we have developed of the past three-and-a-half years and look forward to continuing to move this Parish forward for the betterment of all its citizens.    

Paul Hogan
District 4 Councilman