The one that got away
January 10, 2012
Roy Ivey
January 13, 2012
Terrebonne Parish President Michel Claudet was sworn in for a second term and a new parish council took its oath of office Thursday to officially begin a new four-year term of office for local government officials.
Ceremonies were conducted Thursday morning at St. Francis de Sales Cathedral in Houma, under the officiating of Terrebonne Parish Clerk of Court Robert Boudreaux and were followed by a celebratory mass led by the Most Rev. Sam G. Jacobs, bishop of the Diocese of Houma-Thibodaux.
Newly sworn-in council members include John Navy, Dist. 1, Arlanda Williams, Dist. 2 (who is returning for a second term), Greg Hood, Dist. 3, Beryl Amedee, Dist. 4, Christa Duplantis, Dist. 5, Russell “Red” Hornsby, Dist. 6, Danny Babin, Dist. 7, and Dirk Guidry, Dist. 8. Returning Councilman Pete Lambert, Dist. 9, was absent from the morning’s activities due to a death in the family.
All council members were present when a second swearing-in ceremony and transition of previous and new councils was held that evening at the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center.
“It is very exciting and I am very nervous,” Hornsby said moments before the ceremony. “I can’t wait to get it over with so we can get started with the meetings.”
During his message, Jacobs told the newly elected officials that they should seek God’s will for the usage of their skills in their daily activities and to remain focused.
“We can be politically correct, but will we act ethically correct?” he said. “We can go on our own wisdom or we can go God’s wisdom. It may not be what people want, but it will be the right thing to do.”
“I’m really pleased that today is the beginning of a new four years,” Claudet said.
Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster, a drilling moratorium, backwater flooding from the Atchafalaya River and Tropical Storm Lee highlighted the parish president’s first ever term as an elected official. He credited the previous parish council’s ability to work together in making it possible to overcome challenges, and said he expects the same cohesiveness from the new council.
“I’m really looking forward to working with the new council leadership to move Terrebonne Parish and make it as progressive as it should be,” Claudet said. “I have every hope and belief that will happen with this council. I believe they are going the mesh very well.”
“I’m looking forward to serving,” Navy said. “We have a good bi-partisan council.”
During its evening session, the new council went through formalizing procedural policies for the conducting of their meetings and leadership among themselves.
Williams was selected unanimously to be council chairwoman for 2012. This will be her second time holding that position. The full council also selected Councilman Pete Lambert to serve as vice chairman.
“The incoming council is going to bring forth a lot of enthusiasm and a lot of energy,” Williams said. “Everyone has different ideas and great ideas. The most important thing [is] that we are going to have to make decisions and be courageous in our decisions. I always refer back to ‘Profiles in Courage’ because you have to be courageous to go with the right, even when it is not popular. As long as we are going to the right for the betterment of this parish, everything is going to be OK.”
“I look forward to working with the new council and the parish president,” Guidry said.
“It is an honor and a privilege to be elected to serve,” Babin added. “We have a really good group of people that can move the parish forward, but we do need public participation. The public needs to help us help the parish.”
“I’m feeling good and am happy,” outgoing District 1 Councilman Alvin Tillman said. “People of the district gave me 12 years and I hope I gave them my best.”
Outgoing Council Chairman Clayton Voisin, who lost to Claudet in a bid for the president’s seat, said he feels comfortable with what he has done during three terms of service.
“I feel fortunate to have served with three great councils,” Voisin said. “With the leadership of those three councils I think we have done very well to make Terrebonne Parish a better place. I think [the new council] is going to learn and do very well.”
Voisin said he is going to remain active in civic circles. “My libido for Terrebonne Parish remains extremely high,” he said. As for plans for a future return to parish government, Voisin said he would play that by ear.
During his inaugural address, Claudet told those in attendance at the civic center that he was calling for unity over division and hope over fear.
“Four years ago I remember that I said we have great challenges for Terrebonne,” Claudet said. “Great challenges for levees, coastal restoration, drainage, highways, infrastructure, quality of life and many other things. I mentioned if we worked together we could make progress in those areas. I feel proud tonight to actually say that I feel our working together with the council for the last four years the work of parish employees and the work of the administration, that we have met some of the challenges in that area.
“For the new council I want to point out that we still have some of those challenges [and] I look forward to working with you,” Claudet added. “Synergy is a term that means if you work together as a team you do much better attaining goals than if you approach this individually. I believe that if we work together as a council, administration and the citizens of Terrebonne Parish we can truly move forward.”
