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Superintendent Search
Begins
The formal search for a new superintendent of the Jefferson Parish Public School
system can now begin, after the Jefferson Parish School Board voted to establish
a search committee. "I am so pleased that we can now move forward," says board
member Judy Colgan. "The committee is now in place and we can begin our advertising."
There had been a controversy about the composition of the committee, with some
school board members wanting more West Bank representation and others wanting
a larger and more broadly based committee. The board, however, voted to approve
the committee as originally drafted. Now, advertising for the position will begin,
and applications will be accepted until mid-December. From that point until Jan.
31, 2003, the committee will screen candidates and conduct interviews. The committee
will then select four finalists and present that list to the board. During the
month of February 2003, the school board will interview the four finalists and
make a selection by March 1.
Voters Approve New Council Structure
In a landslide last week (58-42 percent), Jefferson Parish voters approved
Proposition 2, which will alter the structure of the Parish Council from a 6-1
arrangement to a 5-2 arrangement.
With one district council person and two at-large
council members, each citizen in Jefferson Parish will now have three representatives,
which proponents believe will reduce parochialism. The next step is for the
new districts to be drawn by the council, which will submit the plan to the
Department of Justice for approval. Once approved, the new structure will be
in place for the elections of 2003.
While this proposition passed, the proposition
to alter term limits by allowing council members to garner a certain number
of petitions failed to gain the public's approval. Jefferson Parish Council
Chairman Aaron Broussard was impressed by the selectivity of parish voters.
"I thought that the ballot was so crowded that it would have generated confusion,
which usually equals defeat," Broussard says. "However, the public educated
themselves and recognized the merit of the propositions and voted accordingly."
Political Poker
Due to the passage of Proposition 2, two at-large seats will be created,
Division A and Division B, and both will represent all of Jefferson Parish.
Candidates will choose which division seat they want to run for. Aaron Broussard
still plans to run for parish president to replace the term-limited Tim Coulon.
However, with Proposition 4 failing and term limits still in place, many of
the district council members are considering a run for the at-large positions.
Definitely running at this point are council members Lloyd Giardina and
Donald Jones. Considering the race are council members John Lavarine
Jr., Nick Giambelluca and Ed Muniz.
Muniz has also been receiving calls from friends
in Kenner about running for mayor of Kenner. The current Kenner mayor, Louis
Congemi, has expressed an interest in running for Muniz's council seat next
year, which would create the need for a special election to fill Congemi's seat.
"Now I'm confused," says Muniz, who was pleasantly surprised that the voters
created the two council at-large positions. Muniz had been leaning against running
for council chairman in the old 6-1 set-up, believing the position to be long
on title, but short on substance. Now he believes the at-large council position
and the mayor of Kenner to both be attractive possibilities, so, for now, Muniz
has not made up his mind.
Bucktown Marina Project Still
on Hold
For months, a controversy has been brewing over a proposed project to develop
the Bucktown Marina area. After initial plans for office space and retail space
met resistance and a "hold" was placed on the project by the State Lands Office,
a scaled-down development plan was created eliminating the office and retail
space from the project. Parish President Tim Coulon led a delegation
of parish officials to Baton Rouge to meet with the State Lands Office and followed
up with a written request for the project to begin again; Coulon also requested
written concurrence to changes in the lease agreement with the state of Louisiana.
In response, Clay Carter of the State Land Office noted that Attorney
General Richard Ieyoub will need to concur with the agreement. Ieyoub
is requesting, prior to any decision, detailed drawings and a written statement
describing the new proposal. Therefore, the hold is still in place on the project
and will be in place until the attorney general's office and the governor's
office approve the changes.
"Our association is pleased with the actions
of the governor's office, attorney general's office and State Lands Office to
again deny this most recent attempt of parish officials to circumvent state
laws in order to commercialize the Bucktown Marina site," says Peggy Poche
of the Bucktown Civic Association, who has been loudly protesting the project.
JEDCO has been working with parish officials
to try to develop the area. Pete Chocheles, the director of port and
public affairs for JEDCO says, "We are still negotiating with a lot of people.
Right now the project is in a state of flux as we talk to developers and the
state."
| Jeff Crouere is the host of Ringside Politics, which airs at 9 a.m. weekdays on WTIX 690 AM and at 7 p.m. Tue., 9 p.m. Thu., and 7 p.m. Sun. on Cox 10 television. Email Crouere at jeff@ringsidepolitics.com; visit his Web site at www.ringsidepolitics.com. |
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