By T. Scott Boatright
Setting up a pair of public hearings was the primary order of business during a short-agended Lincoln Parish Police Jury meeting held Tuesday night at the Lincoln Parish Courthouse.
District 1 Juror Theresa Wyatt was the lone LPPJ member not in attendance for Tuesday’s meeting.
In their first order of business, Jurors convened a Board of Review to set and approve a public hearing date of 7 p.m. on Sept. 12 for the assessment of personal and public property in Lincoln Parish.
“There’s a 15-day period where that information is open from Aug. 15 to Aug. 29 at the Assessor’s Office,” said Parish Administrator Courtney Hall.
The LPPJ also approved the scheduling of a public hearing for 10 a.m. Sept. 18 at the Lincoln Parish Housing Program Office.
“This is something we do annually and includes a Violence Against Women Plan, Civil Right certifications and things like that,” Hall said. “It also discusses missions, goals, and objections of the Section 8 Housing Assistance Program administered by the Police Jury.”
In other business, the LPPJ adopted a resolution authorizing the Jury president to execute annual public Housing Authority certifications of compliance and approved a resolution to adopt Lincoln Parish’s Hazard Mitigation Plan.
As a final order of business the LPPJ amended its policy regarding public comments during Jury meetings to allow remote public participation by persons with American Disabilities Act recognized disabilities.
That can be primarily by Zoom, a communications platform requiring an internet connection and a supported device, that allows users to connect with video, audio, phone, and chat. But should a member of the public not have that ability, Hall said that it could be a simple system using a phone/speaker phone set-up.
“Anyone wanting to make public comments still has to fill out information letting the Jury know what they want to discuss, but this will allow anyone not physically capable of attending meetings in person to still make public comment if they so desire.”
