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December 20, 2011
Mandry J. Bourgeois Sr.
December 22, 2011“Last one,” Terrebonne Parish District 4 Councilwoman Teri Cavalier said last Wednesday as she took her place for the final time. “It’s a wonderful night.”
Cavalier, who for several months had been openly vocal regarding her desire to complete service on the Terrebonne Parish Council, joined seven other members as they closed from one to three terms in leadership positions during the council’s final meeting of 2011.
“I get to be a regular guy,” District 3 Councilman Billy Hebert, who relinquished his seat to make an unsuccessful bid for the Louisiana House of Representatives. “You know, at first you’re mad about it. Then you remember, ‘I’ve got a business to run.’ So, it’s OK.”
Senior Councilman Clayton Voisin (District 7), who termed out his position and also lost a hotly contested race for parish president against incumbent Michel Claudet in October, appeared shaken during his final session as council chairman. Several times during the meeting his voice cracked and he verbally stumbled over procedural and directional activity.
Having termed out after 12 years on the council, Alvin Tillman (District 1) voiced appreciation for the opportunity to serve while he also offered encouragement to those coming into elected position on Jan. 5, 2012. “This is my last meeting,” Tillman said. “After 12 years this stuff kind of grows on you.”
“I’m the newest member of the board and one of the first to leave,” District 6 Councilman Kevin Voisin said. “It has been an honor to be part of what I consider has been the most effective council in the history of Terrebonne Parish.”
Councilmen Johnny Pizzolatto (District 5) and Joey Cehan (District 8) quietly completed this final meeting with the group after each served one term in office.
District 2 Councilwoman Arlanda Williams and District 9 Councilman Pete Lambert will return to the Government Tower for an added term beginning in January. They will be joined by Councilpersons-elect John Navy (District 1), Greg Hood (District 3), Beryl Amedee (District 4), Christa Duplantis (District 5), Russell “Red” Hornsby (District 6), Danny Babin (District 7) and Dirk Guidry (District 8).
During what was a final meeting for 80 percent of the council the agenda was expectantly light.
A fight that has been boiling in the Bayou Cane Fire Protection District, with the family of former Chief Jerry Gautreaux taking on the sitting board and current chief Charles Long regarding their feeling slighted and making yet-to-be substantiated allegations against the head firefighter and board members, spilled into the council chamber during public comments.
Complaints, to which the council took no direct action, were compounded with the resignation of Greg Hood Jr. from the fire district board. Hood, son of the newly elected councilman from that same district, said that he had grown weary of “Ignorant aggressiveness of a specific group of individuals” toward Long and the board.
Being called upon by Hebert, Hood Sr. told the chamber he intends to clean house when it comes to appointments to the Bayou Cane Fire Protection District Board of Commissioners.
In turn, the council declined to approve appointments to the Bayou Cane board, deciding instead to put the matter on the incoming council’s first agenda. Other fire protections board position appointments that were put off included those for the Coteau Fire Protection District, Houma Fire Districts 4, 5, 6, 7, 9 and 10, the Schriever Fire Protection District, Village East Fire District and Bayou Blue Fire District. None of the seated council members would say so on record, but some indicated that deferring the appointments was directly related to the Bayou Cane controversy.
Appointments approved by the outgoing council included the re-appointment of Martha Thibodeaux to the South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center Commission.
Susan Shaffer was re-appointed to the Houma Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Appointments to three vacancies on the Houma-Terrebonne Regional Planning Commission, needed due to Amedee, Babin and Navy being elected to the parish council, was deferred to the first agenda of 2012.
“Thanks fellow councilmen,” Tillman said shortly before adjournment. “[To the new council] stay focused and do your job.”
