Sites show all legislation sponsored by council member
Parish residents interested in the goings on in their district and the legislation introduced by their councilman or woman can now get all that information in one place – the council members individual Web sites.
Each member has a site within the parish’s Web site where residents can find biographical information, town hall meetings and sponsored legislation. Residents can also sign up to receive e-newsletters from each council member in their inboxes.
The creation of the sites was spearheaded by the parish’s Technology Office.
“When we started our new Web site, the capability was there to have individual Web sites within the site,” Parish spokeswoman Renee Simpson said. “Council members were approached about it and they were really receptive.
“It has worked really well.”
Each council member has the ability to alter their own sites however they see fit, but there are some things that can’t be included.
“They can’t put any election or campaign information on it, and we keep an eye on all the changes to make sure they comply,” Simpson said.
District V Councilman Larry Cochran was the first to add new features to his site. On his site’s home page, residents can see just what the councilman was able to accomplish in his first 14 months and can also view upcoming town hall meetings and other issues related to his district.
“I like having town hall meetings because it gives me a chance to hear the opinions of my constituents,” Cochran said. “With the Web site, I can let them know when those are scheduled and also inform them of what’s going on in our district.
“I have gotten a few phone calls about the site because they are able to get information and follow what’s going on.”
For Cochran’s next update, he plans to discuss recent beautification projects in his district.
District III Councilwoman Wendy Benedetto said that she would like her site to mirror Cochran’s.
“I would like to tweak it to reflect what’s going on in my district,” she said. “The Web site would display all the projects and events that are going on in the area and make it easier for people to report a problem.”
Benedetto would also like all ordinances involving her district to be displayed on her home page so that residents are made aware of decisions that could affect them directly.
District VI Councilman Marcus Lambert is also focusing on populating his Web site with all of the content necessary to keep his constituents “in the loop.”
“From current projects to council updates, I want the citizens of District VI to know that their voices are being heard and that I am representing them to the fullest,” he said.
In addition to adding content to the Web site, Lambert would like to add a photo gallery in the “current projects” section because he feels that pictures of progress will allow visitors to visualize future changes in his district.
“This Web site provides easily accessible information to all citizens of St. Charles Parish,” Lambert said. “Personally, my constituents now have the tools necessary to connect with me on a consistent basis.”
But one council member, Carolyn Schexnaydre, feels that the parish Web site already does a good job of keeping residents informed – though there are some things she might add to her individual site in the future.
“I might add what we are working on in the parish or a question section to get feedback from residents on different subjects,” she said. “The people I feel that go to our Web site are looking for our contact information. Because of the wonderful job our public information officer (Simpson) is doing on the Web site as a whole, everything happening is already on the main site.”
The easiest way for residents to get to the Web sites is by adding the council member’s first name to the end of the parish’s Web address. For example, to reach Dennis Nuss’ page, simply type www.stcharlesparish-la.gov/dennis.
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