Council rejects Home Rule Charter advisory committee

Without specifics given about what changes might be made to the St. Landry Parish Home Rule Charter, the Parish Council turned down a request for an advisory committee to study the charter. 
Councilwoman Nancy Carriere proposed forming an advisory committee  to make amendments to the charter. 
“There is no specifics,” she said. “It is really to just look at the charter.” 
Carriere said its been 13 years since the charter was adopted “We can always make improvements. Things have changed. It is nothing personal. It is not any specifics,” she said. 
Councilman Jerry Red noted Carriere did not offer any specifics for a committee to consider. “We first need to know what we want to change in the charter,” he said. 
Councilman Wayne Ardoin added to Carriere’s motion with an intent to steer it to the Administrative-Finance Committee, but even with that the advisory committee idea fell flat. 
Carriere was joined by Alvin Stelly in supporting the formation of an advisory committee. Voting against the advisory panel were Red, Mildred Thierry, Ken Marks, Ardoin, Jimmie Edwards, Coby Clavier, Timmy Lejeune and Dexter Brown. 
Chairman Harold Taylor did not vote. 
Councilwoman Vivian Olivier was absent and Fekisha Miller-Matthew had resigned. 
The Council voted 10-0 to appoint Madeline Taylor of Opelousas to fill Miller-Matthew’s District 3 seat until an election is held. 
Also applying for the seat was Emily Boudreaux, the daughter of the late Bruce Boudreaux, who served as police juror and parish councilman. 
Taylor retired in 2015 from the St. Landry Parish School Board as a Title 1 instructional specialist. 
A primary election for the seat is scheduled Nov. 8 and a general election is set on Dec. 10. Qualifying will be held July 20 to 22. 
Miller-Matthews faced a residency challenge prior to her resignation on April 6. 
The Council approved the following roads for speed bumps: Belmont Drive, Opelousas; paved protion of Jessie B. Road, Church Point; Thelma Drive, Sunset; Petite Rue De Landon; Alexis Drive; Pavy Road; Tecumseh Loop; Perry Drive; Thibodeaux Street from the 238 block of Thibodeaux Street to the 534 block of McClelland Drive; Chardonny Drive; Mahogany Drive; OG Track, District 5; Garnet Drive from 139 Garnet Drive to 266 Garnet Drive; Flag Station Road; Zinfandel Drive, District 11; Olivier Road, District 1; Jennings Road, District 1; and Lafayette Avenue, District 12. 
An ordinance was approved to relocate the Ward 6, Precinct 10 polling place, from Amy Fire Station in Eunice to Highland Elementary, 1341 Duck Ave., Eunice.