MINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION OF THE CADDO PARISH COMMISSION HELD ON THE 3 rd DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2014

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1 MINUTES OF THE WORK SESSION OF THE CADDO PARISH COMMISSION HELD ON THE 3 rd DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2014 The Caddo Parish Commission met in a Work Session on the above date at 3:30 p.m. in the Government Chambers, with Mr. Douglas Dominick, President, presiding, and the following members in attendance, constituting a quorum: Commissioners Baker, Bowman, Dominick, Epperson, Escude, Johnson, Linn, Lynch, Smith, Thibodeaux and Williams (11) ABSENT: Commissioner Cox (1). The invocation was given by Mr. Michael Williams, and the Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mr. John Escude. 1. Giant Salvinia Plant Eradication in Caddo Parish ADMINISTRATON REPORT Dr. Wilson informed the Commissioners that he had requested Mr. Mike Woods, Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries to come back before the Commission to discuss the Salvinia Eradication Plan for Caddo Parish, but he was unable to get a favorable response. Mr. Wood suggested Mr. Jeff Sibley, District 1 Biologist Manager but he too was not available for today s meeting but has been invited for upcoming meetings. Dr. Wilson stated that Mr. John Bourque and Mr. C.A. Lincoln, representatives from the Water Mower Machine, are here today. Mr. John Bourque, Water Mower Machine owner, Louisiana State Hwy 154, Elm Grove, Louisiana, stated that he took his machine to Cypress Black Bayou and was able to clear approximately ninety acres in seven days. Mr. Bourque utilizes two machines: one that helps move the salvinia around and the other machine that conducts the chopping process. Answering a question from Mr. Johnson on Cypress Black Bayou, Mr. Bourque statedthat they were able to get the machine into areas where the plant was at least a foot deep, grind it up, and put back what little material was left back into the lake. Mr. Bourque also pointed out that most of the return was water and there was very little actual plant material left after the grinding. He further explained that his process grinds the material to liquid with virtually nothing left to reproduce, but with spraying, you can only get the top layers, and the bottom layers are untouched, therefore reproducing. Answering a question from Mr. Johnson on the cost for use of the machine, Mr. Bourque stated that the cost for his machine is $1,700 for eight hours of use. Mr. Bourque also pointed at that Wildlife and Fisheries is paying their sprayers $1,700 per boat for an eight hour day. Answering a question from Mr. Escude related to the comparison of cost from the Water Mower to boat sprayers, Mr. Bourque stated that the boat sprayers cover twenty-five acres a day, but they only treat and kill the top layers. His machine can grind approximately an acre an hour if there are not too many layers of the salvinia. than spraying. Mr. Escude stated that it appears Mr. Bourque s method is slower, but more effective Answering a question from Mr. Williams related to spraying and mowing, Mr. Bourque stated he believed utilizing both spraying and mowing methods would do the most to eradicate the current problem of salvinia. Mr. Bourque also said that he made a second presentation to Wildlife and Fisheries, but it appears that they did not see a way for them to work together in the future. Answering a question from Mr. Williams related to the Commission utilizing Mr. Bourque on Caddo Parish lakes, Dr. Wilson stated that he would have to check with Wildlife and Fisheries and obtain what can be done by the Commission on certain lakes in the Parish. Dr. Wilson stated that he would inquire with the City of Shreveport about Cross Lake, since it is a reservoir built to provide water to the resident of Shreveport. Answering a question from Mr. Johnson on the best time of the year to attack the salvinia problem, Mr. Bourque stated that this time of the year is best since the cold weather makes the plant is in a dormant state. 2. Metropolitan Planning Commission Dr. Wilson stated that MPC Chairman, Lea Desmarteau was invited to attend today s meeting, but she was unable to make the meeting; she is available for the February 17 th Work Session. 3. Riverboat Fund Mrs. Bryant provided a brief update on the shortfall that appears to be happening in the Riverboat Fund due to the new casino boat in Bossier and how it has affected the two Caddo riverboats. Mrs. Bryant stated that 2013 had approximately an 11% shortfall. She believes that this trend could continue into 2014; they will have better information after the first quarter in Mrs. Bryant stated that if the trend continues, there will be a budget amendment to clear up the revenue shortfall.

2 Page 2 Answering a question from Ms. Lynch relative to Riverboat funds, Mrs. Bryant stated that the Commission budgeted $1.8 million in 2012 and $1.7 million in She projected with the expansion of the Margaritaville Casino, the Caddo boat revenue would be affected, but did not know to what extent. Ms. Lynch believed the Administration should have seen more clearly the possible revenue shortfall that is occurring. Ms. Lynch also pointed out that the Commission may need to look at other funds to take Debt Service and Capital Outlay Funds out of and not use the Riverboat Fund for that type of use. Answering a question from Mr. Epperson related to the MPC Chairman not being available for today s meeting, Dr. Wilson stated that he was made aware of this information approximately an hour or two ago. time today. Mr. Dominick stated that he had not been contacted by the MPC Chairman as of meeting Mr. Lucky stated that he spoke to Mr. Stephen Jean earlier. At that time, Mr. Lucky informed Mr. Jean that the Chairman had not contacted anyone from the Commission. Mr. Williams would like to see the Administration get the Riverboat Fund back up to the 2012 levels of at least $1.8 million to give the taxpayers an opportunity to put more money back into the community. Mr. Escude commended the Administration and Finance on their work they do on forecasting revenue for various funds. He stated, They are usually right on the mark. When they are not, it s usually because of events beyond the Commission s control, such as casino revenues. Ms. Lynch stated that she was not taking a swipe at the Administration earlier with her questioning on the Riverboat Funds. She feels it is important as a Commissioner to ask and seek out all reasons and alternatives when it comes to spending the taxpayer s money. Ms. Lynch pointed out that all Commissioners have that right and should question items pertaining to the budget, revenues and expenditures. That concludes the Administration Report. My staff and I will answer any further questions that you may have. COMMUNIQUES/COMMITTEE REPORTS Mr. Thibodeaux requested that Commissioners complete and turn in their listing of priorities for Thursday s meeting, so they can provide a 2014 Legislative Priorities list for the Northwest Delegation Luncheon that will be held on Friday, February 14 th. Ms. Lynch announced that a Personnel Policies and Procedures Committee Meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 6 th, immediately following the Regular Session. Mr. Thibodeaux stated that the Special Projects Committee will meet on Thursday, February 6 th, at 2:00 p.m., to review lobbying services and legislative priorities; and, on Tuesday, February 8 th, at 12:00 noon, the Committee will meet to review the Bond Election issues and Capital Projects. He also announced that the Alcohol Beverage Committee will meet on Monday, February 3 rd, at 1:30 p.m., to hear nine cases forwarded from the Caddo Parish Sheriff s Office. Mr. Epperson requested the status of the problem with roadside sales of puppies on Jefferson Paige and Pines Road in west Shreveport. Director Harris stated that they spoke with the individual who had just moved from Texarkana and was not aware of Caddo s regulations on non-permitted sales of animals. Mr. Harris stated that the individual was ticketed for the violation, and he complied by removing his setup. Mr. Epperson, in a follow up to the Administrator report, reminded Commissioners of the long and grueling task of adopting a budget in the days of former Commissioners Dumas and Leonard. Mr. Epperson pointed out that they lined the directors one after another and grilled them on their budgets until they were satisfied that a good budget existed. PRESIDENT S REPORT President Dominick stated that he attended Mr. Epperson s Annual Informational Meeting last week and was impressed by the amount of material provided to District 12 constituents; Mr. Dominick also had the pleasure of attending the Southern Hills Business Association with Mr. Cox and Smith.

3 Page 3 NEW BUSINESS It was moved by Mr. Johnson, seconded by Mr. Williams, that Ordinance No of 2014, amending the Budget of Estimate Revenues and Expenditures for the Capital Outlay Fund and the Public Works Fund for the year 2014, to provide an appropriation of $775,000 for the construction of a road to Wal-Mart in North Caddo Parish be moved to Thursday s agenda for introduction. Motion carried, as shown by the following electronic vote: AYES: Commissioners Baker, Bowman, Dominick, Epperson, Johnson, Lynch, Smith and Williams (8). NAYS: Commissioners Escude, Linn and Thibodeaux (3). ABSENT: Commissioner Cox (1). It was moved by Mr. Escude, seconded by Mr. Linn, that Ordinance No of 2014, amending the Budget of Estimate Revenues and Expenditures for the Economic Development Fund for the year 2014 to provide an appropriation of $150,000 for the I-49 Corridor Study be moved to Thursday s agenda for introduction. Answering a question from Ms. Lynch on the signing of the contract, Mr. Ken Ward stated that the contract has not been signed. Comeris needed to be a Louisiana registered corporation before a contract could be approved; the contract should be finalized in a few weeks. Answering a question from Ms. Lynch on when the contract was authorized, Dr. Wilson stated that he did not remember exact date, but stated that it was in the fall of Answering a question from Mr. Williams on minority subcontracting, Mr. Ward stated that a local minority contractor was utilized by Comeris to help with the local outreach on this project. sealed. Mr. Williams stated that he would like to see the contract once it has been signed and Answering a question from Mr. Epperson on the subcontractor handling the outreach work, Mr. Ward stated that the subcontractor was on the City of Shreveport s Fair Share Program and that is why Comeris wanted to utilize them. Mr. Epperson pointed out that they should have tried to provide one of the Parishvendors, not the City of Shreveport s, for this project. Mr. Escude pointed out that the UDC was originally tasked to engage Comeris for a UDC study, then the Parish decided to piggyback the I-49 Corridor study with them. Comeris had already secured a minority contractor for the outreach portion on the UDC project, so it was natural that the minority contractor be used for the I-49 Corridor Study. Answering a question from Ms. Lynch relating to Comeris choosing the outreach coordinator, Ms. Dara Sanders stated that she assisted them in looking through Shreveport s Fair Share Program vendor list. She also pointed out that she has work experience with Ms. Dudley on other projects, so it was her suggestion that led Ms. Dudley to be retained for the UDC and I-49 Corridor Study. Ms. Sanders also stated that the fee for the UDC Project was $50,000, or 20% of the project cost, but she is not aware of the cost of the I-49 Corridor Study fee. At this time, Mr. Escude s motion carried, as shown by the following electronic vote: It was moved by Mr. Williams, seconded by Mr. Escude, that Ordinance No of 2014, to deem property surplus and authorize the sale of surplus property owned by the Parish of Caddo be moved to Thursday s agenda for introduction. Motion carried, as shown by the following electronic vote: AYES: Commissioners Bowman, Dominick, Epperson, Escude, Johnson, Linn, Lynch, Smith, Thibodeaux It was moved by Mr. Johnson, seconded by Mr. Williams that Ordinance No of 2014, to accept the streets in Northport Subdivision Unit 4 into the Parish of Caddo Road System be moved to Thursday s agenda for introduction. Answering a question from Ms. Lynch on accepting streets into the Parish Road System, Mr. Ward stated that typically a developer builds a road to Parish specifications and has a bond on the road. After two years, if everything holds up as expected, the Parish accepts those streets into Caddo Parish Road System and maintains them from that point forward. Before it is accepted into the Parish Road System, the right-a-way and road is considered private. Answering a question from Mr. Linn on the difference from Ordinance No and Ordinance No. 5385, Mr. Ward stated that Ordinance No is the normal process where a developer builds the road to specifications and the Parish accepts that road; Ordinance No differs because a company, like Wal-Mart, is asking the Parish to build the road and pay the costs involved.

4 Page 4 Mr. Escude stated that Ordinance No would accept the portion of the road the developer built to specs and paid the costs, unlike the other proposed portion of Northport, where Wal- Mart is asking that the road be built and paid for by the Parish of Caddo. Answering a question from Mr. Johnson on the length of road in question, Mr. Ward stated that the road to be accepted would be approximately 200 feet in length. Mr. Ward stated that this is the normal procedure for accepting roads in the Caddo Parish Road Maintenance System. Answering a question from Mr. Thibodeaux on the specifications for non-residentialroads, Mr. Ward stated that the specifications are typically higher for non-residential roads because of the likelihood of heavy traffic. For instance, the road in question was built with concrete instead of asphalt, therefore, the maintenance cost would be lower and the life of the road would be longer than if it were constructed with asphalt. Mr. Linn encouraged all Commissioners to vote in favor of Ordinance No of 2014 because is exactly how the Parish should do business. Mr. Dominick agreed with Mr. Johnson to move this issue forward, and reminded the Commissioners not to confuse it with Ordinance No of Answering a questions from Ms. Lynch on whether these guidelines are in writing, Mr. Ward stated that there are guidelines that outline the process for accepting streets in the Subdivision Section in the Code of Ordinances. At this time, Mr. Johnson s motion carried, as shown by the following electronic vote: It was moved by Mr. Dominick, seconded by Mr. Williams, that Resolution No. 5 of2014, authorizing the Caddo Community Action Agency, Inc. to administer the Headstart Program for the Parish of Caddo for the year 2014 be moved to Thursday s agenda for approval. Motion carried, as shown by the following electronic vote: AYES: Commissioners Bowman, Dominick, Escude, Epperson, Johnson, Linn, Lynch, Smith, Thibodeaux and Williams (10). NAYS: None. ABSENT: Commissioners Baker and Cox (2). It was moved by Mr. Dominick, seconded by Mr. Johnson, that Resolution No. 6 of 2014, to authorize the Caddo Parish Administrator to request and authorize the Louisiana State Mineral and Energy Board and the Office of Mineral Resources to accept nominations and advertise for oil, gas and mineral leases, accept bids, and award and execute oil, gas and mineral leases on certain mineral interests owned by the Parish of Caddo as requested by Tacoma Energy Corporation be moved to Thursday s agenda for approval. Answering a question from Ms. Lynch on this lease location, Mr. Glass stated that this location is in the area of State Highway 1 and State Highway 173 (Blanchard area) and it entails streets in a Parish Subdivision that is not densely populated. At this time, Mr. Dominick s motion carried, as shown by the following electronic vote: It was moved by Mr. Thibodeaux, seconded by Mr. Bowman, that Resolution No. 7 of 2014, notice of intention to construct and improve a water line within the right-a-way of a portion of Maggie Lane being located in a portion of lots 10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18, and 19, Woodstock Estates said subdivision being located in Section 16, Township 16 North, Range 13 West, Caddo Parish, Louisiana be moved to Thursday s agenda for approval. Answering a question from Ms. Lynch on the size of the subdivision, Mr. Ward stated that there are ten homes involved that would like to have water. Mr. Ward also stated that the subdivision is approximately thirty years old. Answering a question from Mr. Linn on the cost that homeowners would bare, Mr. Ward stated that like the project on Goldsberry, the property owners would bare 90% of the cost to have these lines installed. Answering a question from Mr. Williams on the demographics of the proposed area, Mr. Thibodeaux stated that most are working or retired individuals, and this subdivision is an older one. Mr. Thibodeaux also pointed out that this is consistent with the Goldsberry Project from Mr. Ward stated that the estimated cost of the project is about $81,200; Caddo Parish would pay $8,120leaving the property owners a shared cost of $73,000. Ms. Lynch requested a copy of the petition from Public Works.

5 Page 5 At this time, Mr. Thibodeaux s motion carried, as shown by the following electronic vote: Ms. Lynch brought to the table matters relative to a joint Fairgrounds Complex Ad Hoc Committee with the City of Shreveport, State Fair Board and other key stakeholders. Ms. Lynch stated that there was discussion on this matter at the last inter-governmental meeting. She further explainedthat there seems to be an interest by both the City and Parish to work on creating a group to address the needs for the Fairgrounds and Hirsch Coliseum, and also ensuring that all stakeholders in the Fairgrounds Complex be invited to participate. Ms. Lynch wanted to make sure at least the conversation begins on this subject. Mr. Dominick stated that he will meet with Ms. Lynch to try and secure members of the City Council to be part of the process in the near future. Mr. Smith stated that since most items have been taken care of on today s agenda there is no need to have a Natural Resource Committee Meeting after the Work Session There being no further business to come before the Commission, the meeting was adjourned at 5:12 p.m. Todd A. Hopkins Commission Clerk