Term limits suit ends
Judge orders town to pay attorney’s
fees, court costs
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
The
Town of Homer has been ordered to pay the attorney’s fees and court costs for a
suit regarding the illegal vote to do away with term limits for the town
council and mayor.
The
suit, filed March 8 by Russell Mills, alleged the town improperly voted to do
away with the term limits for the mayor and the town council when it voted to
“revert” back to the previous ordinance in the town charter.
Tom
Arceneaux, outside counsel for the town, said a judgment will be entered to
“dispose” of the case and to pay the attorney’s fees for Pam Breedlove, Mills’
attorney.
“This
is the correct disposition,” Arceneaux said. “There wasn’t anything to
invalidate (because) the town had already reversed its vote.”
Breedlove
said she and her client were satisfied with the court’s decision.
“We’re
satisfied that the town has recalled its effort to undo the term limits and
admitted that it was not done correctly and agreed to pay Chief Mills fees,”
she said. “We hope that the town will start doing things correctly in the
future.”
The
town council recalled its vote in a special called meeting on March 18, the
council recalled the vote on the advice of Town Attorney Marcus Patillo.
According
to the suit, “nothing in the agenda stated that the Town was attempting to
amend the Town Charter to eliminate term limits, that the Town intended to
introduce an ordinance or resolution regarding term limits, or even which
public official’s term limits were going to be discussed. During the meeting on
February 11, 2013, the Town of Homer did not amend its agenda to list any
amendment to the Town Charter or to introduce any ordinance, resolution or motion
regarding term limits.”
During
the February meeting, Patillo explained to the public what was being done,
referring to Ordinance 842, which he said the vote would revert it
back to the ordinance previous to Ordinance 842. In 2002, Proposed Ordinance
842, although adopted by the town council in 2001, failed when it went to a
referendum vote before the people. This means the ordinance is not on the books
and is not in the town’s charter.
Sky high water bills?
Tip leads to scrutiny of elected
officials’ water bills
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
The
Guardian-Journal received a tip last week that some elected officials were in
arrears with their water bills to the tune of hundreds of dollars.
On
Monday, April 22, this newspaper did a public records request asking for copies
of the payments and delinquencies of all elected officials living within the
Town of Homer. The request was delivered in person to town hall late morning
before lunch. At that time, we were told the mayor would have to be contacted,
the town attorney would have to review the records first and that we would be
allowed to view those records at 1 p.m. Tuesday, April 23.
At that
time, we told town officials we wanted to view those records on the date of the
request as allowed by law. By that afternoon, we were told we would be able to
see those records on the date of the request, and at that time, we did view
those records.
The
water bill summaries viewed included those of Claiborne Parish Sheriff Ken
Bailey, the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office, Homer Police Chief Russell
Mills, Clerk of Court Pat Gladney, Mayor Alecia Smith, Homer Town Council
Members Patricia Jenkins, Carlette Sanford, Linda Mozeke, Michael Wade and Don
McCalman, Police Jurors Roy Lewis and Willie Young and Second Judicial District
Judge Jenifer Clason.
Of
those records viewed, for the last 18 months, which included November 2011 to
April 22, 2013, most of these officials as well as the sheriff’s office had
paid their water bills on time or thereabouts every month. However, it shows
that every month Wade’s bill has a balance of at least $30 or more for the last
18 months. On November 30, 2011, he paid $77, with a penalty charge of $5.47,
on a balance of $112.01, which left a balance of $38.10. On January 24, 2012,
he paid $75 on a balance of $104.89, with a penalty charge of $5.18, which left
a balance of $33.08. On March 20, 2012, he paid $65 on a balance of $103.07,
with a penalty charge of $5.18, with a balance of $41.58. On July 18, 2012, he
paid $100 on a balance of $183.30, with a penalty charge of $10.85, which left
a balance of $86.98. On August 23, 2012, he paid $90 on a balance of $118.78, with
a penalty charge of $5.92, with a balance of $31.97. On December 11, 2012, he
paid $100 on a balance of $168.74, with a penalty charge of $10.36, leaving a
balance of $71.93. On February 1, 2013, he paid $100.12 on a balance of
$150.12, with a penalty charge of $3.52, which left a balance of $50. On March
15, 2013, he paid $50 on a balance of $95.17, with a penalty charge of $7.04,
which left a balance of $49.34. On Monday, April 22, he paid $88.42, on a
balance of $84.89, which left him the $3.19 credit.
Billing
dates were shown on the first day of each month.
According
to the customer financial summary, there were no adjustments made. Billing
patterns show Wade’s bills run between $30 to $40 per month.
Chief Mills’
summary shows a $0 balance as of April 17, 2013. His customer financial summary
also dates back 18 months. His payment record is as follows. On November 15,
2011, he paid $34.98 on a balance of $31.80, with a $3.18 penalty, which left
him with a zero balance. On March 23, 2012, he paid $78.12 on a balance of
$76.10, with a penalty charge of $7.12, which left him a balance of $0. On
August 7, 2012, he paid $100 on a balance of $91.15, which left a credit of
$8.45. On March 11, 2013, he paid $134.13 on a balance of $134.13, including a
penalty charge of $16.28, which left him with a zero balance. On April 17,
2013, he paid $22.78, including a penalty amount of $2.08, on a balance of
$20.70, which left him with a zero balance.
Billing
dates were shown on the first day of each month.
According
to his customer financial summary, there were no adjustments made. Billing
patterns show Mills’ bills run between approximately $17 to $25 per month.
Mayor
Smith’s summary showed $749.48 was paid on April 22, showing arrears of
$749.58, with a zero balance. Her customer financial summary also dates back 18
months. It shows that she made a payment of $100 on December 14, 2011, with a
balance of $288.02, leaving a balance of $188.02. On January 23, 2012, she paid
$100 on a balance of $274.27, leaving a balance of $174.27.
On
January 26, 2012, an adjustment of $25.80 was made to her bill, leaving in
arrears $174.27, with a total balance of $148.47.
On
January 27, 2012, she paid another $100, on a balance of $148.47, leaving a
balance of $48.47. On February 28, 2012, she paid $70 on a balance of $134.72,
leaving a balance of $64.72. On March 20, 2012, she paid $100 on a balance of
$129.42, with a penalty charge of $5.56, leaving a balance of $35.90. On May
22, 2012, she paid $100 on a balance of $175.45, with a penalty charge of
$12.10, leaving a balance of $82.10. On July 16, 2012, she paid $200 on a
balance of $285.01, with a penalty charge of $18.04, leaving a balance of
$93.64.
On
August 10, 2012, two adjustments to her account were made, one for $38.70 and
the other for $50.40, leaving a final balance on this date of $184.84.
On
August 29, 2012, she made a payment of $100 on a balance of $184.84, including
a penalty charge of $17.44, leaving a balance of $84.84. On September 28, 2012,
she paid $100 on a balance of $194.08, including a penalty charge of $8.53,
leaving a balance of $103.21. On October 31, 2012, the transaction listed after
the bill for November 1, 2012, she paid $100 on a balance of $306.12, with a
penalty charge of $14.80, leaving a balance of $206.12. On January 31, 2013,
she paid $200 on a balance of $466.36 with a penalty charge of $24.61, leaving
a balance of $279.32.
On
April 5, 2013, an adjustment of $66.25 was made to her account on a balance of
$815.83, leaving a total balance of $749.58.
On
April 22, 2013, a payment was made of $769.48, including a penalty charge of
$50.91, leaving a zero balance.
On the
morning of Tuesday, April 23, The Guardian-Journal sent a public records
request to the Town of Homer asking for the billing adjustment request forms
for Mayor Smith. According to the records we viewed and received, there were no
adjustments on any of those accounts, except for the mayor’s.
According
to the Town of Homer’s Customer Utility Accounts Policies, under customer
billings, part D, “All billing adjustments must be clearly documented on a
Customer Billing Adjustment Request Form, and evidence the written approval of
the mayor and/or treasurer.”
Under
termination of services, parts A and B, the policy is clear on violations of
the terms of services.
“A.
Customers who violate the Town of Homer Application Agreement shall be subject
to a 10 percent late fee.
“B.
Services are to be terminated on all customers who do not pay their bills in
full by 12:00 P.M. on the third Monday of each month. The customer’s account
will become delinquent and acquire a $25 disconnect fee.”
It goes
on to say that any customer checks that are returned for non-sufficient funds
(NSF) for utility payments “will be automatically terminated for services until
the $25.00 NSF is collected plus the amount of the check. The Town of Homer
will not accept checks for a year from customers who have a maximum of two NSF
checks per account. Services cannot be resumed for a customer until all arrears
are paid in full.”
Utility
bills include water usage, sewer usage, garbage collection as well as an annual
Safe Drinking Water Program (SDWP) fee.
Man shot in arm, no arrests made in case
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
A Homer
man was treated at the hospital for a gunshot wound two weekends ago, and
police are looking for the person(s) responsible.
According
to Homer Police, Officer Ray Yetman was dispatched to Homer Memorial Hospital
on Saturday, April 13, to meet Officer Willie Knowles in reference to someone
being shot. Upon arrival, Yetman met with Knowles and the victim, Vincent J.
Williams.
According
to reports, Officer Knowles explained to Officer Yetman that when he arrived on
Lisbon Street earlier, he found Williams had been shot in his right arm.
Reports say Williams told police that an unknown black male walked towards him,
and when he opened the door of his vehicle the unknown assailant shot at him,
striking him in the arm.
Homer
Police Chief Russell Mills said the incident is still under investigation and
if anyone has any information regarding this incident, they should contact the
Homer Police Station.
“This
time it was arm,” Mills said. “Next time it could be an innocent bystander. We
encourage anyone with any information to come forward and help us solve this
case. We don’t want your name, just your information.”
If
anyone has any information that will lead to the arrest or arrests of the
person or persons responsible, please contact police at 318-927-4000.
In a
separate incident, on Wednesday, April 17, Alisha Dunn, 17, of Homer, was
arrested for disturbing the peace, with bond set at $500 and introduction of
contraband into jail, with bond set at $5,000.
According
to reports, Knowles and Yetman were dispatched to Beardsley Street in reference
to a fight. Upon arrival, Officer Yetman observed two women in the street
yelling loud profanities towards several people in the yard.
While
the two officers were investigating the incident, they asked everyone to calm
down. Everyone complied but Dunn, reports say. She continued to use loud
profanities towards the women and continued to act in an agitated manner.
She was
asked several times to cooperate and she still refused, reports say. Dunn was
then placed under arrest for disturbing the peace.
She was
transported to the Claiborne Parish Women’s Jail, and during a search, one
plastic bag of suspected marijuana was discovered. Dunn was then charged with
introduction of contraband into the jail.
Traffic stop leads to drug charges
The Guardian-Journal
A
traffic stop led to the arrest of a Haynesville man after a search of his
vehicle revealed suspected drugs.
According
to a news release from the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office, Rodney Ladell
Easter, 45, was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated with bond
set at $750, simple possession of marijuana with bond set at $500, speeding
with bond set at $500 and no driver’s license with bond set at $500.
Claiborne
Parish Sheriff’s Deputy Shane Huffstetler initiated a traffic stop for improper
lane usage and speeding. Upon coming into contact with the driver, Huffstetler
detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from his breath. The
deputy conducted a search of the vehicle and discovered a small plastic bag of
what appeared to be marijuana on the driver’s floorboard.
After
concluding his investigation, Huffstetler arrested Easter on the above charges
and transported him to the Claiborne Parish Detention Center where he was
booked.
3rd annual Team Cade Benefit May 4
Tour de
Claiborne
The Tour de Claiborne Cystic Fibrosis benefit ride that
was to be Saturday, May 4 has been rescheduled for a later date.
Poker Run
Registration for the poker run will be at 8 a.m. at the
Courthouse Square with the first bike out at 9 a.m. Riders will return to the
Courthouse Square by noon. The registration fee is $25 per person, with the
grand prize at $250.
Raffle
Raffle items include a $250 gift certificate to Delta
Interiors for $2, a four-gallon fish fryer for $2, a Cajun grill for $5 and a
52” Exmark lawn mower at $10.
Silent
Auction
During the Team Cade Cystic Fibrosis Benefit, a silent
auction will be taking place with lots of great items including autographed
sports memorabilia, a day of golf, gift baskets, kids’ toys and much more!
Items will be on display in the police jury building during the benefit.
Chicken
Plate Lunches
While everyone is out and about looking at all the silent
auction items, or putting their money in the hat for raffle prizes, or
returning from the bike ride or poker run, chicken plate lunches will be served
for everyone! At $7 each, plates will include chicken, baked beans, potato
chips, bread and a cookie. Deliveries to local businesses will be available as
well. For more information, please contact Holly Liles at 318-548-2659 or Tommy
Sanders at 318-548-2681.
Claiborne Jubilee set for May 25
Above, under the direction of Charlesetta Johnson,
these members of the Gospel group, The Faithful Eight, performed at the
Claiborne Jubilee in May 2012. Jubilee organizers are pleased to announce that
this fine group has once again agreed to share their talents at the 2013
Jubilee to be held May 25. Right, this chair was painted by Becky Lowe for the
“We’re Saving a Seat for You” auction held by the Claiborne Jubilee in 2011.
Artists and chairs are again sought for this year’s auction which will take
place on May 25, during the Jubilee celebration on the courthouse lawn in
Homer. For more information or others interested in performing may contact
Cynthia Steele, 927-2566.
‘Potluck @ the Fair’ set for May 10
The third annual “Potluck @ the Fair”
fundraiser will be held Friday, May 10, 2013 at the Claiborne Parish Fair
Complex in Haynesville.
Tickets to the event are $20 each. They can
be purchased from any CAC member, at Haynesville City Hall, Killgore’s
Pharmacy, Carla Smith’s Cut and Curl, and from Jackie Roberts at the
Haynesville News Office in Homer.
This year’s event will begin at 6 p.m. with a
“potluck” dinner featuring a wide, delicious variety of foods prepared by the
great cooks of our town and area. During and following the dinner, a silent
auction will be held with many great items to bid on.
The silent auction will start at 6 p.m. and
close at 7:30 p.m. Then starts the evening’s entertainment. We are pleased to
have the talented “Lisemby Family Gospel Group” from New Eddinburg, Ark., as
our guest entertainers this year.
The proceeds from the fundraiser will be
dedicated to the maintenance of the fair complex roof as the top priority.
There are major maintenance issues with the roof at the present time, as it is
nearing 30 years old. The neoprene fasteners on the metal roof have
deteriorated, as well as the skylights. The white factory coating has worn off
over time exposing bare metal panels on the roof. The original insulation and
acoustic material has deteriorated inside and will have to be addressed. All of
these areas will require significant maintenance soon.
The proceeds from the past two fundraisers
have been used to remodel the bathrooms, tile and paint the hallway, and to
tile the floor of the kitchen. Additional tables and chairs were purchased for
the facility. New and energy efficient air conditioning has been installed at
the complex in addition to four interior circulating fans, each with their own
controls. A significant electrical upgrade was made when the new air and fans
were installed.
This family-oriented event will be once again
sponsored by the Town of Haynesville’s Citizens Advisory Committee and the
Haynesville Beautification Committee.
The CAC members are Keith Killgore, Will
Maddox, Mary Presley, Martha Trinko, Mollie Coleman, Linda Baremore, Ricky
Torrence, Claire Traylor, Laurie Smith, Mary Alexis, Linda Levingston and Linda
Knox.
Call Keith Killgore at 318-624-1122 for more
information. Food and silent auction inquiries should be made to Linda Knox at
318-624-1606.
All ticket purchases, donations and
contributions are tax deductible and appreciated. You do not have to cook or
bring any kind of food to attend! If you would like to prepare a dish, please
contact Linda Knox at 318-624-1606.
‘Riders for Lupus’ Parade set for May 4
‘Color Purple’ May is Lupus Awareness Month
A “Riders for Lupus Parade” will be at 10
a.m. on Saturday, May 4, in Haynesville.
A $5 donation entry fee will be for all
riders: cars, trucks, four-wheelers, motorcycles and horses. All floats are
welcome.
If you’d like to walk, that’s ok too. We will
line up at First Baptist Church on Highway 534 at 9 a.m. (the big brick church
behind Piggly Wiggly in Haynesville).
For those who’d like to donate to this event,
an account has been set up at Capital One Bank in Haynesville and Homer under
the name “Riders for Lupus.”
All donations are greatly appreciated and
will go to the Lupus Foundation of America, a charitable organization with tax
exempt status under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code, Federal ID
1131436.
Barbecued ribs, chicken and fish plates will
be for sale to help raise money for “Life Photographer,” Live D.J., Bouncers
for kids and educational forms about lupus. Raffle tickets are $1 for a $100
Walmart gift card.
Lupus is a chronic inflammatory disease that
is caused by autoimmunity. Patients with lupus have in their blood unusual
antibodies that are targeted against their own body tissues. Lupus can cause
disease of the skin, heart, lungs, kidneys, joints, and nervous system.
For more information, please call
318-433-0100 or 318-927-0001.
Mayfield Pool to open for summer
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
The discussion of preparing to open Mayfield
Pool topped the agenda at Homer’s Recreation Committee meeting.
Recreation Director Fred Young recommended
leaving the operating hours of the pool the same as last summer with the pool
open from 1 until 5 p.m., with a later time to close on Saturdays. The pool
will be open six days per week, with two Red Cross certified lifeguards on duty
at all times and one “on patrol.”
The intention is to open the pool the week
after school lets out for the summer and to close it no later than the week prior
to school opening.
Homer Police Chief Russell Mills also
attended the meeting to reiterate security protocol at the pool and to make
sure people can or can’t use the pool for parties or making any money from the
parties on town property. Young told Chief Mills the same rules apply to the
rental of the pool as they do to the rental of city hall.
Mills said, according to Town Ordinance
11-906, no alcohol is allowed on town property and it can’t be sold on town
property -- period.
Young recommended they revisit the issue of
alcohol on town property now that alcohol sales are legal within the corporate
limits of Homer.
“We try to follow the same guidelines with
the pool as we follow with city hall,” Young said. “As far as I know, that’s
what we’ve done -- whatever is in place for city hall, that’s what we use for
the pool.”
Mills said at one time, town property could
not be used for profitable gain unless it’s a charitable event, a political
event.
“You can use it, people can have these
events, churches, etc.,” Mills said, “and people can have parties with their
children at the pool as long as its signed off on, but they can’t charge
admission to make money off these things. I think that’s something that needs
to be addressed, because summertime is right around the corner, and a lot of
people have ideas to have concerts, car shows at the parks, music contests. We
put a lid on that a couple of years ago, then a young lady did it and was
stopped in the middle of the process because she was going to have a film crew
out there making a movie.”
Mills said he was concerned about the rental
of the pool after it closes. He was also concerned about security issues, and
Sgt. Van McDaniel spoke up about it, saying he was concerned about kids
drowning in the pool and no one being there. The fence surrounding the pool is
at maximum regulation, and Jenkins said they are still discussing that issue to
come up with a viable solution.
Another note is the fact that the pool and
the parks are open to the public and access to these areas cannot be restricted
during normal operating hours.
Other issues asked about included the pay for
lifeguards. Young said with the rental of the pool, they pay extra for the
lifeguards in addition to the rental fee, because lifeguards must be on duty at
all times when there are people around the water.
Another issue brought up was insurance, and
Young said the pool is covered under the same insurance as city hall as long as
the town signs off on it.
Mills reminded Young that general liability
insurance for the town was dropped in March 2012 and is now self-insured. Young
responded, saying they will have liability insurance by the time the pool
opens, and it had insurance last summer.
“We will not open the pool until it has
insurance,” Young said.
In other recreation news, the committee
discussed the job description and expectations of the pool manager, with some
of those expectations being that the manager be on site prior to opening and at
closing time. The recreation committee will take applications and the hiring
will be done at the approval of the town council. The deadline for applications
is three weeks prior to the opening of the pool.
They also have openings for a volunteer
soccer activities coordinator, flag football coordinator and lifeguard
positions. All certified lifeguards who worked last year, please pick your
applications at the Town of Homer. For others interested, they may also pick up
an application as well.
Also to note, the Homer Baseball League and
the Homer Co-Ed Softball League have been ongoing activities the town hopes to
continue, so please make your request in writing to the Town of Homer as soon
as possible.
In other news, Young says they have some
ground cover ordered and paid for and they are waiting for some liners for Joe
Michael Memorial Park (formerly the Jaycees Park). Last year, new equipment was
installed at the park and they also purchased rubber ground cover to go under
the equipment.
“We have to get a liner out there and it was
suggested that we get a liner like the ones that go in flower beds. We just
need to double it so that it breathe and the water can go through it. We
already have the ground cover, but we need to make a determination to get the
liner so we can get that work done.”
Patricia Jenkins, recreation committee chair,
said Balar Engineers suggested getting a thicker liner and spraying with
Roundup to keep the grass from growing underneath. However, there were health
concerns about using the pesticide, and while it’s considered safe, Young said
you just don’t know what people’s allergies are.
The decision was to get the double liner
instead of using the Roundup. They will look into using a product called Rodeo,
but they will move forward with the getting the double liner under the playground
equipment. If the double liner doesn’t hold up, then they will revisit the idea
of using the Rodeo.
Also discussed was having a contact person
from all organizations for organized activities at the parks as well as
securing schedules from the teams and organizations. This way, Young said, they
will have a better idea of how to run the parks more efficiently. This allows
organizations to have their activities without restricting access to the
general public.
They also discussed the maintenance of the
fields for Homer High School’s baseball team. Young said they generally
maintain the fields at the discretion of the coaches, but because of the recent
high turnover of coaches at the school, the town has maintained the fields as
they could. Young said some coaches prefer the fields to be cut a certain way,
the dirt to be “dragged” a certain way, and for years, that has been an
agreement between the coaches and the town.
However, he said, since the turnovers at
Homer High School, those coaches did not know about the general practice
between the two entities. Young said they would continue to take care of all
the major work on the fields for the high school.
The next recreation committee meeting will be
at 6 p.m., Thursday, April 25 at City Hall. For more information, or for
questions, please call 318-927-3555.
‘American Pickers’ comes to Athens
Submitted photo
History Channel’s hit show “American Pickers” were in
Athens to “pick” the building seen in the background of this photo. Mike Wolfe,
center, and Frank Fritz, Wolfe’s sidekick, were in Athens on Friday, April 12
looking for hidden treasures. According to sources, the episode will air within
a few months. Pictured with Wolfe are Gracie Goodwin and her son, Jeremy Goodwin,
both of Athens.
