St. Landry Parish Council minutes

ST. LANDRY PARISH COUNCIL
SPECIAL MEETING
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2015
OLD CITY MARKET, 131 W BELLEVUE ST
OPELOUSAS, LOUISIANA

MINUTES

The meeting was called to order by Chairman Leon Robinson

Roll call: PRESENT: Jerry Red, Leon Robinson, Fekisha Miller-Matthews, Huet Dupre, Ronald Buschel, Hurlin Dupre, Alvin Stelly Pam Gautreau, and Wayne Ardoin.
ABSENT: Dexter Brown, Timmy Lejeune, Jimmie Edwards and Gary Courville.
*Dexter Brown, Timmy Lejeune and Jimmie Edwards were not present during Roll Call but later joined the meeting.

• Councilman Jerry Red informed the Council he requested this meeting be called by the Chairman in order to receive clarification on the votes made at the Special Meeting held February 11, 2015.
Councilman Wayne Ardoin asked if this was the Executive Session meeting.
Council Clerk Laycie Alfred commented the motion made by Councilwoman Pam Gautreau regarding one clerk attending the Council Meeting and that same clerk must transcribe the minutes. She informed the Council Mrs. Mona Courville and herself made an agreement that Clerk Laycie would attend the meetings and Clerk Mona would transcribe the minutes.
Councilman Red stated the reason for this was because the motion made by Mrs. Pam is that the clerk who attended the meeting had to transcribe the minutes but if they made an agreement and something else is in the minutes it must reflect one another.
Councilwoman Pam Gautreau stated she just made the motion because of the problems occurring with the minutes not reflecting a lot of what was going on in the meetings. She said two Council Clerks were present at every meeting but each were doing part of the minutes so it was to only have one person do it. She said if the Council wants to rescind the motion she does not have a problem with that because Mrs. Mona has experience in transcribing. She said the reason was because one Council Clerk was injecting her feelings into the minutes which was improper and unprofessional. She said she would not have problem with changing it to have Mrs. Mona transcribe the minutes.
Councilman Red stated either that or have them take turns attending the meetings and asked Mrs. Mona if there was a reason she could not attend the meetings.
Mrs. Mona Courville answered no sir not particularly just was offering the overtime to Laycie so if Laycie would prefer to do the meetings she would not mind doing the minutes.
Councilman Timmy Lejeune questioned Mrs. Gautreau if her intent was so the person who types the minutes was the only one typing the minutes so they would not share.
Councilwoman Gautreau answered she does not understand that question.
Councilman Lejeune stated the question is she did not want both of them to type the minutes so she could point the finger at only one who typed the minutes.
Councilwoman Gautreau thanked Mr. Lejeune.
Councilman Alvin Stelly commented it should be only one person doing the minutes so if there is a problem they could talk with that person doing the minutes which should be between the two clerks.
Councilman Wayne Ardoin stated he agrees with what Mr. Alvin said and looking at the situation where Mrs. Mona is yielding so Laycie can make overtime. He said now that they have went down to two clerks maybe they should look at the situation. He said he knows what Mrs. Mona is making and what Laycie is making and should look at this where Laycie can possibly get paid more so she would not have to work just overtime because there is a gap between what the two are making.
Chairman Leon Robinson requested adding to the motion both clerks make the same salary.
Councilman Lejeune stated he does not think that would be fair because one is a paralegal and the other is not.

• A motion was made by Councilman Ronald Buschel, seconded by Councilman Timmy Lejeune to rescind the previous motion and allow a mutual agreement between the two clerks on who will attend meetings and who will transcribe the minutes.
Votes Were: YEAS: Jerry Red, Fekisha Miller Matthews, Huet Dupre, Ronald Buschel, Hurlin Dupre, Alvin Stelly, Pam Gautreau, Wayne Ardoin, Dexter Brown, Timmy Lejeune, and Jimmie Edwards.
NAYS: None. ABSENT: Gary Courville. ABSTAINED: None.
This motion carried and was adopted on the 4th day of March, 2015.

• A motion was made by Councilman Wayne Ardoin, seconded by Councilman Huet Dupre to forward to Regular Meeting to increase Council Clerk Laycie Alfred’s salary by two dollars an hour.
Votes Were: YEAS: Jerry Red, Fekisha Miller Matthews, Huet Dupre, Ronald Buschel, Hurlin Dupre, Alvin Stelly, Pam Gautreau, Wayne Ardoin, Dexter Brown, Timmy Lejeune, and Jimmie Edwards.
NAYS: None. ABSENT: Gary Courville. ABSTAINED: None.
This motion carried and was adopted on the 4th day of March, 2015.

• Councilman Timmy Lejeune commented Mrs. Mona is driving a lot further than she was with her salary at where it was and would like to take into consideration the expense traveling.
Councilwoman Gautreau stated they are both driving from Eunice.
Councilman Lejeune stated he knows they are both driving from Eunice but Ms. Laycie took this job driving to Opelousas and Mrs. Mona transferred to Opelousas because of the closure of the office in Eunice in order to keep her job she had to incur extra expense.

• A motion was made by Councilman Timmy Lejeune, seconded by Councilman Dexter Brown to look into travel expense for Council Clerk Mona Courville.
Votes Were: YES: Fekisha Miller Matthews, Ronald Buschel, Dexter Brown, Timmy Lejeune and Jimmie Edwards.
NAYS: Jerry Red, Hurlin Dupre, Huet Dupre, Alvin Stelly, Pam Gautreau and Wayne Ardoin.
ABSENT: Gary Courville. ABSTAINED: None.
Motion Failed.

• Councilwoman Matthews questioned the reason the motion failed.
Chairman Leon Robinson stated he thinks both Clerks should be making the same salary.
Councilman Wayne Ardoin stated if they remember right he asked for a credit card but no one would go along with him. He said he did discuss the driving from Eunice when it brought up about Mrs. Mona coming here. He said Laycie has been driving from Eunice and yes she took this job because the Council hired her. He said you have to look at the situation of giving Mrs. Mona money to travel then Laycie should be offered the same package.
Councilman Lejeune stated it was not about the travel the point was that Mrs. Mona was employed in a location in Eunice where she took the job therefore she had to transfer so if they are assisting people in expenses like it was done with Laycie which he is not against but needs to be fair to everyone.
Councilman Buschel offered a motion to have this matter investigated and reported next month at Finance Committee.
Councilwoman Gautreau stated the motion failed and they are always told the prevailing side is the one that would have to bring it back up however it is a dead issue. She said with all due respect to Mrs. Mona and Ms. Laycie they both know what the job duties are and they are getting paid to do that job; it is not sales or oilfield it is the public sector taxpayer money. She said the Council does not hold Parish Administration accountable for their mileage so these ladies need to just come to work; it is only fifteen minutes it is not like they are asking them to drive three hours.

• A motion to adjourn was made by Councilman Huet Dupre, seconded by Councilman Wayne Ardoin.
Votes Were: YEAS: Jerry Red, Fekisha Miller Matthews, Huet Dupre, Ronald Buschel, Hurlin Dupre, Alvin Stelly, Pam Gautreau, Wayne Ardoin, Dexter Brown, Timmy Lejeune, and Jimmie Edwards.
NAYS: None. ABSENT: Gary Courville. ABSTAINED: None.
This motion carried and was adopted on the 4th day of March, 2015.

I HEREBY CERTIFY THE FOREGOING TO BE EXACT AND TRUE
LAYCIE ALFRED, COUNCIL CLERK