Livingston council rejects moratorium on building roads
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LIVINGSTON — A move by some Livingston Parish Council members to declare a moratorium on accepting new roads, outside of approved subdivisions, into the official parish road system was defeated by a 5-4 vote Thursday.
Councilman Buddy Mincey called for the moratorium, saying the council should stop accepting roads into the system until a citizens’ petition drive seeking to force the council to adopt a set of uniform road standards is resolved.
Backers of the initiative need about 7,400 certified signatures of parish registered voters to force the Parish Council to either vote on proposed changes to road ordinances or put the issue on the Oct. 17 election ballot.
“This issue is hotter than a firecracker,” Mincey said. “Everybody I talk to is in favor of doing something about the roads. People who never registered to vote are getting registered so they can sign the petition.”
Councilwoman Cindy Wales then proposed, by motion, that the council adopt the moratorium on bringing any additional roads, except those in approved major subdivisions, into the parish system.
Voting with Wales on the measure were council members Marshall Harris, Mincey and Thomas Watson. Voting against the moratorium were members Randy Rushing, Don Wheat, Eddie Wagner, Jimmie McCoy and Ronald Sharp.
After the motion failed, Mincey said that he would continue to bring up the moratorium suggestion at every meeting.
He asked Council Attorney Blayne Honeycutt to research the parish charter to determine if the matter could be brought up again even though it was defeated Thursday.
In a related matter, Honeycutt told the council that he was still seeking to resolve questions discussed at the previous meeting about the necessity of intergovernmental agreements with municipalities when the parish paves roads within incorporated areas.
Honeycutt suggested that before any roads are paved within incorporated areas, that an agreement be drawn up between the parish and the municipality in question.
At the previous meeting, Mincey, Marshall and Wales all criticized parish policy that allows for paving of parking lots at schools, libraries, police departments and other government-related entities.
The council has been criticized by its own auditors and state auditors for funding the controversial parking lot paving program with revenue from a 1-cent sales tax dedicated strictly for road improvements.
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