Parish Council meets for the last time

The Ascension Parish Council held their regularly scheduled meeting, December 19 at the Gonzales Courthouse. There were two councilmen absent, Councilman Dempsey Lambert and Councilman Travis Turner.

For several council members and Parish President Kenny Matassa, this was their last meeting on the Ascension Parish Council.

"I just want to tell the people of Ascension Parish it's been an honor and a pleasure to serve, and may God bless Ascension Parish," Matassa said.

The council members voted in favor of an authorization to increase the parish's contract with Breazeale, Sacshe and Wilson, LLP by $100,000 dollars. Councilman Todd Lambert opposed this authorization.

The council then voted in favor of the quotes provided for repairs to the Lamar Dixon Expo Center. This includes solar lighting repairs quoted at $55,255 dollars. The other item was in regards to insulation replacement for the Trade Mart Building quoted at $137,950 dollars.

"We had leaks, it got wet, it's falling down," said Matassa in regards to the insulation replacement.

The next item on the agenda was a change to the parish's contract with Schexnaydre Restoration and Construction for the relocation of the skate park. The council approved an $11,360 dollar increase to the contract, which resulted in a total contract amount of $36,110 dollars.

Next, the council approved an increase of $13,050 dollars to the contract regarding the re-roofing of the Ascension Parish Jail. The total amount is not to exceed $161,250 dollars.

The council then approved a contract with Kean Miller, LLP Attorneys at Law to prepare trust documents for retiree medical plans for the Fire Protection District Number Three. This contract will not exceed $8,000 dollars.

The council then discussed the approval of an intergovernmental agreement between Ascension Parish Government and the Ascension Parish Sheriff's Office toward the expansion of the Ascension Parish Prison female dormitories.

The Sheriff's Office has agreed to contribute $80,000 dollars toward the expansion in order to meet the growing need for more space. They also contributed $45,000 dollars toward the design for the expansion.