City of Monroe, LA

Monroe City Council Legal and Regular Session

January 26, 2021

6:00 p.m.

City Council Chambers-CityHall

MINUTES

There was a legal and regular session of the City Council of the City of Monroe, Louisiana held this date, January 26, 2021 at the Council's regular meeting place, 400 Lea Joyner Memorial Expressway, City Council Chambers/City Hall Building, Monroe, Louisiana.    

The Honorable Douglas Harvey, Chairman called the meeting to order.

The roll call was done by Ms. Riley, Council Clerk.

Council members present for roll call: Mr. Douglas Harvey, Mrs. Gretchen Ezernack, Ms. Juanita Woods,

Mr. Carday Marshall Sr., Mrs. Kema Dawson.

Council member(s) absent: NONE.

Chairman Harvey declared a quorum. 

The Invocation was by Mrs. Ezernack’s designee, Rev. Lenard Montgomery and the Pledge of Allegiance by Mrs. Ezernack.        

          COMMUNICATIONS & SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS:

          1. Mr. Harvey welcomed all that were present; he recognized in memoriam on behalf of Mayor Ellis, two city           employees, Ms. Wilma Smith and Ms. Brenda Addison who both worked in the Utility Division.

          2. Mrs. Ezernack welcomed each present and extended her prayers to city employees, Ms. Addison and Ms.           Smith.

3. Ms. Woods thanked everyone for attending; she spoke and offered prayers to the families of the two city utility employees, Ms. Smith and Ms. Addison; she thanked Chief Zordan and Corporal Heckard for their assistance with the neighborhood watch program in District 3; she acknowledged the Black Lives Matter letter mural by local artists presented at ULM.

          4. Mr. Marshall thanked everyone for attending; he acknowledged the lives of Ms. Addison and Ms. Smith; he           thanked Team Monroe for their assistance with a cleanup in Districts 4 and 5 along with ULM students and Omega           Psi Phi; he thanked Corporal Heckard for his assistance with the Neighborhood Watch program and they are     enlisting captains for the program.

          5. Mrs. Dawson offered condolences for the families of the City of Monroe employees, Ms. Smith and Ms.           Addison. 

          Upon a motion of Mr. Marshall, a second by Mrs. Ezernack, and unanimously approved to add to the agenda           to approve the minutes of the Legal and Regular session of  January 12, 2021. (There were no public comments).

Upon a motion of Mr. Marshall and a second by Ms. Woods, the minutes of the Legal and Regular session of  January 12, 2021 were unanimously approved. (There were no public comments).

PRESENTATION:     NONE.

          PUBLIC HEARINGS:     NONE.

PROPOSED CONDEMNATIONS:     Public Comment:  NONE   

     ACCEPTANCE OR REJECTION OF BIDS:      Public Comment     NONE.

          RESOLUTIONS AND MINUTE ENTRIES:

Council:     Public Comment:  NONE.

Department of Administration:         Public Comment:

(a) Upon a motion by Mrs. Ezernack, second by Mrs. Dawson and unanimously approved to Adopt Resolution No. 7889, authorizing the City of Monroe to enter into an agreement with Enterprise Fleet Management, Inc. and further providing with respect thereto. 

Comments:  Mr. Mike Duffey, Enterprise Fleet Management was present to discuss the agenda item. He explained the fleet style management that would replace the current vehicles over course of next few years which; over next eight years would be a $1.3 million net cash of a budget reduction for the total fleet cost.

(b) Upon a motion by Mr. Marshall, second by Mrs. Dawson and unanimously approved to Adopt Resolution No. 7890, requesting to reject all bids received on December 17, 2020 for the Temperature Scanner Kiosk and repackage and quote using the City of Monroe Purchasing Policy, further providing with respect thereto.  (There were no public comments).

Department of Planning & Urban Development:    Public Comment:

(a) Upon a motion by Mrs. Ezernack, second by Mr. Marshall and unanimously approved to Consider request from Tejani & Dahal Investments, LLC for a Major Conditional Use Permit that authorizes the use of the location (2300 Forsythe Avenue) to sell alcohol for off-premise consumption for a proposed convenience/liquor store. The Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance allows alcohol sales for off-premise consumption as a Major Conditional Use in the B-2, Neighborhood Business District. Major Conditional Uses are those uses that require another level of approval; therefore, this request comes before the City Council for their approval in addition to that of the Planning Commission. (There were no public comments).

Comments:  Mrs. Ezernack moved to grant the Major Conditional Use Permit upon acquisition of the property at 2300 Forsythe by the applicant, Tejani & Dahal Investments, LLC. based on the following conditions:

(1) Commencement of construction to conform with timeline in the existing city ordinance.  (2) No drive-thru window.  (3) Hours of Operation:  Monday – Thursday, 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.; Sunday, Noon to 7:00 p.m.

Legal Department:     Public Comment:    NONE.

          Mayor’s Office:    Public Comment:     

(a) Upon a motion by Mrs. Dawson, second by Ms. Woods and unanimously approved to Adopt Resolution No. 7891, authorizing the City of Monroe to enter into a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement with the North Louisiana Economic Partnership and further providing with respect thereto.

Comments:  Mrs. Ezernack asked NLEP representative, Liz Pierre if this was the same type agreement as in the past; Mrs. Pierre said it was the same type agreement.

Mr. Marshall asked if this agreement would apply to all Districts and Mrs. Pierre said that it was for all districts within the City.

Department of Public Works:    Public Comment:   

(a) Upon a motion by Mrs. Ezernack, second by Mrs. Dawson and unanimously approved to Adopt Resolution     No. 7892, authorizing the renewal of a Service Agreement with Electric Motor Repair for the Public Works     Department for jobs in the amount of $4,999.99 or less on an as needed basis and further providing with     respect             thereto.  (There were no public comments).

Department of Community Affairs:    Public Comment:    NONE.

Police Department:  Public Comment:   NONE.

          Fire Department:     Public Comment:   NONE.

          Engineering Services:   Public Comment:

(a) Upon a motion by Mrs. Ezernack, second by Mrs. Dawson and unanimously approved to Adopt Resolution No. 7893, authorizing an authorized city representative, to execute Change Order No. One (1) to the Water Distribution System Improvements Contract, between the City of Monroe and Jabar Corporation, for various changes to the work with no net change in cost and an increase in the contract time of 54 days  and further providing with respect thereto. (There were no public comments).

(b) Upon a motion by Mr. Marshall, second by Mrs. Dawson and unanimously approved to Adopt Resolution No. 7894, authorizing Stacey Rowell, Director of Administration, to execute an Railroad Engineering Agreement with Kansas City Southern Railway Company to provide necessary railroad engineering and/or design services for the Kansas Lane-Garrett Road Connector I-20 Improvements State Project No. H.007300 Project, and further providing with respect thereto.  (There were no public comments).

Comments:  Mrs. Sturdivant noted additional information to Section A, Item 4 as: the railroad costs are not to exceed the estimate contained in this agreement without prior approval from the City.

BREAK IF NEEDED:

INTRODUCTION OF RESOLUTIONS & ORDINANCES:      Public Comment:    NONE.

RESOLUTIONS AND ORDINANCES FOR SECOND READING AND FINAL ADOPTION AND SUBJECT TO PUBLIC HEARING:

Open Public Hearing/Public Comment/Close Hearing: Chairman Harvey opened the public hearing and seeing no one come forward, the hearing was closed.

(a) Upon a motion by Mrs. Ezernack, second by Mrs. Dawson and unanimously approved to Finally adopt an Ordinance No. 12,040, Rescinding Ordinance Number 12,005 and accepting the donation of real property into the City of Monroe from Peters Family Urban Properties, LLC and Osprey Properties, LLC, and further providing with respect thereto. (Legal) (There were no public comments).

Citizens Participation:     There were no public comments.

There being no further business to come before the Council, the meeting was adjourned at 6:30 p.m., upon a  motion of Mrs. Ezernack and seconded by Mr. Marshall.  (There were no public comments).

Mr. Douglas Harvey

Council Chairman

Ms. Carolus S. Riley

Council Clerk

Ms. Jacqueline Benjamin

Council Secretary

*For extended details on the Council meeting please call the Council Clerk, Monday-Friday at 329-2252; also, a recording of the minutes can be sent via email to you.3.5.3226