January 2024 Regular Meeting

Town of Farmerville
Regular Meeting
January 8, 2024

The Farmerville Town Council met in regular session at Farmerville Community Center, located at 407 South Main Street, Farmerville, Louisiana, January 8, 2024.  The council members present were Mayor John Crow, Alderman Robert Allen, Caroline Gatson, Ricky Johnikin, Kerry Hill, and Thomas Nation.  

The roll was called and with a quorum present Mayor Crow called the meeting to order and invocation was offered by Rev. Lester Sims.

 

As state law requires, Town Clerk, Gay Nell Pepper, offered the public the opportunity to voice their opinion on all agenda items at this time. There were no comments.

 

On motion by Gatson, seconded by Johnikin and unanimously approved to approve the minutes from

December 11, 2023, regular meeting.

On motion by Allen, seconded by Nation and unanimously approved to approve the payables from December, 2023.

On motion Gatson, seconded by Johnikin and unanimously approved to approve the monthly revenue and expenditure report for November as presented.

On motion by Allen, seconded by Nation and unanimously approved to adopt Resolution No 01-24 canvassing votes from fire tax election.

RESOLUTION NO 01-24

A RESOLUTION PROVIDING FOR CANVASSING THE RETURNS AND DECLARING THE RESULTS OF THE SPECIAL ELECTION HELD IN THE TOWN OF FARMERVILLE, STATE OF LOUISIANA, ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2023 AND TO PROMULGATE THE RESULTS THEREOF.

BY:  COUNCILMEMBER  ALLEN.

BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Alderman, acting as of governing authority (the "Governing Authority"), of the Town of Farmerville, State of Louisiana (the "Town") that:

SECTION 1.  Canvass.  This Governing Authority does now proceed in open and public session to examine the official tabulations of votes cast at the special election held by the Town on SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2023 and said Governing Authority does further proceed to examine and canvass the returns and declare the results of the special election.

SECTION 2.  Procès Verbal.  A Procès Verbal of the canvass of the returns of said election shall be made and a certified copy thereof shall be forwarded to the Secretary of State, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, who shall record the same in his office; another certified copy thereof shall be forwarded to the Clerk of Court and Ex-Officio Recorder of Mortgages in and for the Parish of Union, State of Louisiana (the "Parish") who shall record the same in the Mortgage Records of the Parish; and another copy thereof shall be retained in the archives of this Governing Authority.

SECTION 3.  Promulgation of Election Results.  The results of said election shall be promulgated by publication in the manner provided by law.

SECTION 4.  Election Cost.  The estimated cost of the election as determined by the Louisiana Secretary of State was $1,500.

This resolution having been submitted to a vote, the vote thereon was as follows:

YEAS: ALLEN, NATION, GATSON, JOHNIKIN, HILL

NAYS:  NONE

ABSTAIN: NONE

ABSENT: NONE

And the resolution was declared adopted on this the 8th day of  January, 2024.

John Crow, Mayor
Gay Nell Pepper, Clerk

PROCÈS VERBAL AND PROCLAMATION OF THE CANVASS OF THE VOTES CAST AT THE SPECIAL ELECTION HELD IN THE TOWN OF FARMERVILLE, STATE OF LOUISIANA, ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2023.

BE IT KNOWN AND REMEMBERED that on Monday, January 8, 2024 at five o’clock (5:00) p.m., at its regular meeting place, Town Hall, 407 S. Main Street, Farmerville, LA the Board of Aldermen, acting as the governing authority (the "Governing Authority") of the Town of Farmerville, State of Louisiana (the "Town") and being the authority ordering the special election held therein on  Saturday, October 14, 2023, did, in open and public session, examine the official certified tabulations of votes cast at the said election, and did examine and canvass the returns of the said election, there having been submitted at said election  the following propositions, to wit:

PROPOSITION

Shall the Town of Farmerville, Parish of Union, State of Louisiana (the "Town"), continue to levy a special tax of seven and ninety hundredths (7.90) mills on all the property subject to taxation in the Town (an estimated $190,724.64 reasonably expected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year), for a period of ten (10) years, beginning with the year 2024 and ending with the year 2033, for the purpose of acquiring, constructing, improving, maintaining and/or operating fire protection facilities and for purchasing fire trucks and other firefighting equipment for said Town?

LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF ELECTIONS & REGISTRATION

PRECINCTS LOCATION REPORT FOR THE TOWN 

The polling places above specified being the only polling places designated at which to hold the said election, it was therefore shown that there was a total of 592 votes cast IN FAVOR OF the Proposition and a total of 184  votes cast AGAINST the Proposition as hereinabove set forth.  THE PROPOSITION DULY PASSED.

Therefore, the Governing Authority did declare and proclaim and does hereby declare and proclaim in open and public session that Proposition as hereinabove set forth DULY PASSED by a majority of the votes cast by the qualified electors voting at the said special election held in the Town on Saturday, October 14, 2023.

THUS DONE AND SIGNED at Farmerville, Louisiana, on this the 8th day of  January, 2024.

TOWN OF FARMERVILLE,

STATE OF LOUISIANA

John Crow, Mayor

Gay Nell Pepper, Clerk

PROCLAMATION

I, the undersigned Mayor of the Town of Farmerville, State of Louisiana (the "Town"), do hereby declare, proclaim and announce the results of the following propositions submitted at the special election held by the Town held on Saturday, October 14, 2023, all as described and set out in the above Procès Verbal:

Proposition DULY PASSED by a majority of the votes cast.

THUS DONE AND SIGNED at Farmerville, Louisiana, on the 8th day of  January, 2024. 

John Crow

Title:  Mayor

ATTEST:

Gay Nell Pepper 

Title:  Town Clerk

On motion by Hill, seconded by Gatson and unanimously approved to approve the following dates for council meetings in 2024:

January 8, 2024
February12, 2024
March 11, 2024
April 8, 2024
May 13, 2024
June 10, 2024
July 8, 2024
August 12, 2024
September 9, 2024
October 14, 2024
November 12, 2024(Tuesday)
December 9, 2024

On motion by Hill, seconded by Allen and unanimously approved to be a sponsor for the 31st Annual Black Heritage Festivital. 

On motion by Hill, seconded by Johnikin & Gatson and unanimously approved to select Meyer, Meyer, LaCroix and Hixson, Inc as Consultants for our Watershed Projects on recommendation of the selection committee.

On motion by Hill, seconded by Gatson and unanimously approved to transfer the 2% fire insurance rebate to Farmerville Volunteer Fire Department.

There being no further business to come before the council Mayor Crow adjourned this meeting the 8th  of January, 2024, upon motion by Hill, seconded by Gatson and unanimously approved.

Gay Nell Pepper, Town Clerk
John Crow, Mayor