MINUTES
REGULAR TOWN COUNCIL MEETING
VIVIAN TOWN HALL MEETING ROOM
112 W. ALABAMA AVE.
VIVIAN, LOUISIANA
MONDAY, APRIL 14, 2025
6:00 P.M.
CALL TO ORDER - Mayor Festavan called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
INVOCATION - Alderman James Martin opened the meeting in prayer.
PLEDGE - Mayor Festavan led all present in the Pledge of Allegiance.
ROLL CALL - VERIFICATION OF QUORUM - Board of Aldermen present for Roll Call were James Martin, Denise Alexander, Samuel Hodge, Raymond Williams, and Robert Green, Jr. Following Roll Call the Town Clerk verified that a quorum was present.
Also present were other elected officials and/or staff members: Mayor Ronnie Festavan, Town Clerk Kellie Morris and Town Attorney Douglas Dominick.
APPROVE AGENDA - An amendment to the Agenda was needed to include the Council's approval to close a checking account, which would be added as Agenda item # 10.
Motion to amend the Agenda by adding Agenda item # 10 was made by Raymond Williams, and seconded by James Martin. Following the motion and second, Mayor Festavan opened a Public Hearing for public comments FOR or AGAINST amending the Agenda; none were made. He then closed the Public Hearing. Following the Hearing the vote to amend the Agenda was taken with all present approving.
Motion was then made to approve the Agenda as amended by Robert Green, Jr., seconded by Raymond Williams; all present approved.
PROCLAMATION - Mayor Festavan read into record a Proclamation declaring the Month of April 2025 as 'Fair Housing Month' in the Town of Vivian.
1. PUBLIC COMMENTS - 1) Mr. Adam Johnston, President of Citizens Bank & Trust Company in Vivian, was present to speak to the Council on Financial Literacy Month, and 2) Ms. Guadalupe Mendez of Vivian was present to speak on a matter concerning her residence which would be coming up during the Zoning/Condemnation Report.
* Councilman Samuel Hodge entered the meeting at 6:05 p.m.
* Police Chief Ryan Nelson entered the meeting at 6:07 p.m.
2. 2023-2024 AUDIT REPORT - VICKIE CASE with COOK & MOREHART, CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS, Shreveport, Louisiana.
Ms. Case presented the Council Members, Officials and Staff with printed audit reports and letters to the Legislative Auditor concerning the Yearly Financial, and the Standard Agreed Upon Procedures audits. Ms. Case stated that there are four findings for the current year audit period ended June 30, 2024 which are as follows: 1) 2024-001 Finding - Budget; "Actual expenditures and other financing uses for the Sales Tax Fund and the Industrial Development Funds were more than budgeted expenditures by more than 5%.", 2) 2024-002 Finding - Late submission of audit report; "The audit report for the year ended June 30, 2024 was not submitted timely in accordance with the state law.", 3) 2024-003 Material Weakness - Bank Reconciliations; "During our audit, we noted that bank reconciliations for three of the Town's bank accounts were not completely accurately or timely. Significant additional time was needed to reconcile the bank accounts, and material adjustments were required to reconcile those three bank accounts.", and 4) 2024-004 Material Weakness - Utility Fund Accounts Receivable; "During our audit, we noted that the utility fund accounts receivable per the subsidiary billing software was not being reconciled to the general ledger. Significant additional time was needed to reconcile the accounts receivable per the general ledger to the subsidiary billing software, and material adjustments were required to reconcile the accounts receivable balance per the general ledger.".
3. MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT - Financial report including budget-to-actual comparisons was presented by Mayor Festavan. Following the report and discussion, a motion to accept as presented was made by Samuel Hodge, seconded by Raymond Williams; all approved.
4. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - Motion to approve the Minutes for the March 10, 2025 Regular Town Council Meeting, and the March 18, 2025 Special Called Council Meeting in globo, as a unit, was made by James Martin, seconded by Samuel Hodge; all approved.
5. PUBLIC HEARING ON ORDINANCE # 803 OF 2025 OF THE TOWN OF VIVIAN, LOUISIANA - AN ORDINANCE FOR THE CODE OF ORDINANCE, TOWN OF VIVIAN, LOUISIANA, TO AMEND AND SUPPLEMENT CHAPTER 10 LICENSES AND BUSINESS REGULATIONS, ARTICLE II OCCUPATIONAL LICENSE TAX; to include section 10-34 short-term rentals to obtain an Occupational License.
Mayor Festavan opened the public hearing for comments FOR or AGAINST Ordinance # 802. LaCaze of Vivian was present and directed his comments to concerns over the Occupational Licensing requirements and how they relate to Council Members. Following his comments, with no other comments for or against the Ordinance, Mayor Festavan then declared the public hearing closed.
6. THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN WILL CONSIDER THE FINAL ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE # 803 OF 2025 OF THE TOWN OF VIVIAN, LOUISIANA - See previous Agenda item.
Motion to adopt Ordinance # 803 of 2025 was made by Robert Green, Jr., seconded by Raymond Williams; all approved.
7. THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN WILL CONSIDER THE ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION # 5 OF 2025 OF THE TOWN OF VIVIAN, LOUISIANA - A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND DEVELOPMENT (LA DOTD) FOR IMPROVEMENTS AT THE VIVIAN AIRPORT.
Motion to adopt Resolution # 5 of 2025 was made by Robert Green, Jr., seconded by Raymond Williams; all approved.
8. THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN WILL CONSIDER THE ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION # 6 OF 2025 OF THE TOWN OF VIVIAN, LOUISIANA - A RESOLUTION TO REQUEST THE ZONING COMMISSION OF THE TOWN OF VIVIAN CONDUCT A COMPREHENSIVE STUDY TO ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY AND IMPLICATIONS OF AMENDING THE ZONING ORDINANCE TO ALLOW SINGLE OR MULTI-FAMILY DWELLINGS AS A USE BY RIGHT WITHIN THE B-2 NEIGHBORHOOD DISTRICT.
Motion to adopt Resolution # 6 of 2025 was made by Robert Green, Jr., seconded by Samuel Hodge; all approved.
9. THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN WILL CONSIDER THE ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION # 7 OF 2025 OF THE TOWN OF VIVIAN, LOUISIANA - RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE TOWN OF VIVIAN AND EMERGENT ENFORCEMENT SOLUTIONS, LLC.
Motion to adopt Resolution # 7 of 2025 was made by Samuel Hodge, seconded by Raymond Williams; all approved.
*10. THE BOARD OF ALDERMAN WILL CONSIDER AUTHORIZING THE CLOSING OF THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDS CHECKING ACCOUNT at CB&T - for the purpose of opening new account at FGB.
Motion to authorize the closing of the American Rescue Plan Funds checking account at CB&T was made by Raymond Williams, seconded by Samuel Hodge; all approved.
ZONING & CONDEMNATION MATTERS - Officer Bobby Smith
A. THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN WILL CONTINUE TO REVIEW THE FOLLOWING PROPERTY:
Trailer Park @ 402 Memory Lane - Jessie Heard, owner.
No one was present on behalf of this property. Following discussion, motion to continue this matter for further review at the July 14, 2025 Regular Town Council Meeting was made by Raymond Williams, seconded by Samuel Hodge; all approved.
B. ZONING/CONDEMNATION REPORT - Officer Smith's written report, presented to the Council by Town Attorney Dominick, included the following addresses - 1) 305 E. Texas Ave., 2) 124 Finley St., 3) 510 S. Pine St., and 4) 207 E. Texas Ave, which was previously brought up by Ms. Mendez during PUBLIC COMMENTS. Following questions, answers and discussion on 207 E. Texas Ave., motion was made by Robert Green, Jr., and seconded by Samuel Hodge to continue the matter for review at the June 9, 2025 Regular Council Meeting; all approved.
CODE ENFORCEMENT MATTERS - Officer Johnnie Hough
A. Code Enforcement REPORT - Officer Hough gave the following written and oral report: 20 (twenty) properties; 13 (thirteen) cases have been closed, and 5 (five) new cases have been opened. 3 (three) new cases and 3 (three) cases for review would be heard in Environmental Court on Wednesday, April 16th. Additional properties discussed were 1) 201 N. Spruce St., 2) 435 N. Walnut St., and 3) 325 W. Arkansas Ave.
MAYOR'S REPORT - Mayor Festavan gave a report on the following: reminders for 1) all elected figures to take the yearly Ethics training, 2) all elected figures to file their Personal Financial Disclosure reports by May 15th, and 3) the Good Friday Holiday for employees on April 18th.
ANNOUNCEMENTS BY BOARD OF ALDERMEN - There were none.
ADJOURN - Motion to adjourn was made by Denise Alexander, seconded by Robert Green, Jr.; all approved. Meeting was adjourned at 7:33 p.m.
Kellie Morris,
Town Clerk
Ronnie Festavan, Mayor
April 28, 2025
THE CADDO CITIZEN: May 1, 2025
307-25
Cost of Notice: $195.50