Okay, no 25 years you can get 75% of your insurance So 20 years is 50% and you got to pay the other 50% correct, okay? Okay My name is Becky soprano, and I'm the admin for water and fuel commission three There's a caveat in the resolution That makes provisions for in the event any future event that this Cannot be borne by the budget that within a 60-day notice to retirees it could be rescinded by the board Yeah, I see a section 11 Paul y'all have this in your policy I think this is a great policy. I mean you can't get it like and I know I know some Once you get vested you eligible for the benefit this year. You got to put some time in to get anything Yes, sir Also, so you'd also do you also protecting the district by having this Section 11 in there where if you don't have the money 60 days, okay, they got to get their own insurance, correct We also made sure that we made contact with parish HR department as well as mr. Gouvernal We made sure that the verbiage complied with all of the parish ordinances because we know that there are ordinances that stipulate that Sub-entities can't offer greater benefits than the Council offers their employees. So What we did is cleared all of that before it ever came to a vote and we also submitted it to Mr. De Plante's office for clearance as well and I have written confirmation that that was acknowledged and approved When they passed the consolidation ordinance Did if I remember right they went around and made every board Adopt the parish handbook. Is that the personnel handbook? Correct. Okay So Make it out the handbook then you get the benefits. Well part of part of the ordinance I think just required that It didn't require benefits be offered by the sub-entities But it did stipulate that any benefits that were offered could not exceed the parish's That what offered to them parish employees, right? Morgan is that correct? Yeah Paul can you give some clarification on on this handbook because when he the first statement He said it didn't it didn't exactly sound right. You want to give a little bit of clarification? the retirees For the parish it's an ordinance that was passed back in 1998 so it's about 27 years ago and I believe and what I've been told the intent was to keep Employees employed something to work towards at retirement because we weren't able to offer at that time and still even today To start we don't we weren't able to offer large salaries. So it was a perk the Retirees insurance benefit is not addressed in the personnel policy. It's not part of the personnel policies. It is a separate ordinance For that we can offer I'm sorry, would you repeat that? Okay in the handbook it does give us the option as a board to offer our employees Insurance no greater than what y'all are offering correct? Right, okay This one to verify that but the policy doesn't address retirees and specifically Does the order say it has to come before the council before to be enacted? No But we're here asking permission instead of rescinding our decision My name is Len clutz on the vice president of sewer water three Out of ten Ten and ten out of twelve employees We have two people with more than ten years So you're not talking about we're gonna get flood and hit with a bunch of everybody retiring and taking all this money It's gonna be a long time Like I say we have two over ten years one is like 15 one is 20 22 And You know, we're just trying to have We're just trying to present them a low incentive because I know the salaries are high But they're less than another They're less than some of them in the parish and we have been trying to hire supervisor for eight years Advertising it in They have something that you know, what is it? Okay, Louisiana or our water association we've been advertising this for eight years and we have gotten one Reply to this for somebody with the qualifications these guys have to work to get it. We just lucked out that Joe Joe Keller sort of grew up into the position and was able to take James because If we wouldn't had him We would be in a bind. I'm gonna tell you centerville. I've never had a ball water I Will take when they when a pump goes down and they replace it they take that oh If they have to like that I had to lift them. I think it's been like eight hundred thousand dollars of Patterson And You They rebuild them and so then they have These pumps like this following that we've got a power pumps to help But like I say we We are one of the most efficient efficiently run Probably in the state and our water is second to none They have people would come from other parts of the state To see how Jamie and I'm ran it so well I mean most months we have a 4% loss some people is 70 something percent some people's 20 30 percent and Can take that in consideration you want good hands you got to pay for it and This is minimum. I mean you're not talking Madam chair and You know we're Keep they talk about we got this money in the bank it took 30 years of Glen blood and misspelling and all and put that in there And I mean by the end next year with all the improvements. We're gonna have about two million dollars left We're doing some serious water project because in like Garden City where I live they have a four inch water line That feeds now we're gonna put a 10-inch in there that's gonna cost Yeah, at least two million dollars, we're redoing this Allen's redoing the Sewer treatment problems that's gonna be another couple million dollars and then it goes just on and on So I mean and we have not as long as I've been in there. We've never asked we've never done a bond We when it's done we pay 1850 thousand Yeah, and then we lost two other people recently so we're trying to hire two people for that And Yeah, I mean I don't think anyone here will argue did you have good employees I Mean you won't you won't get it over from anyone. Everything I saying is true But when all these employees were hired on Nowhere did it see you were going to be provided this health care I mean you keep saying somebody gives 30 years they should get it Well, you know, I know a lot of folks up here that work It worked more than 30 years, you know what they get when they retire Medicare Okay So I'm just saying we have this one Entity here if y'all do it we have a lot more inside the parish that's gonna come to us and they're gonna want it You can't afford it. We can't afford to provide it and a lot of those can afford to provide it So we just want to stop it it's not like it was promised and now we're saying well you can't have it It was never promised and that's what my argument is Are y'all saving money? Yep, they're saving money. Just this four inch line that needs to be changed Six years ago when I got in office, we were waiting on right away I bet you six years ago this Tim two million dollar job was a lot less than two million dollars Now it's two million dollars and keep talking about the savings. This job was done years ago It would cost a lot less So you want to talk about savings that savings right there? Now keep talking about your 12 employees. You got to keep your 12 employees happy What about the 2,000 plus customers y'all have do you think about them to be honest? They're the ones that's paying for it property taxes and user fees Myself I pay for a water and sewer Commission three Only got water and that's a piss poor ass four inch line that should have been changed years ago But you know, I don't I don't say that I pay my tax I pay my property tax when I'm paying for water and so and I don't even have so what and to be honest I don't want the sewer. I've got a sewer system. So I Said what I said at all the previous meetings and I'm still holding to it if it would have been promised when they were hired on Wasn't promised all these guys up here that collected on the fifth floor and other entities that are parish when they got hired on They were promised these benefits and they're holding to it It's not like they changed it later on and the benefits they got all said it was done 29 years ago Not in the last five years got can assure you if we had to do it all over again Probably wouldn't happen They say that they did it for the lower, you know lower paid employees and all So you have to give them a little incentive what everybody including up the boat died And retired You know, I just don't think see something. I don't see anything wrong I think my main idea was to keep our influence Like I said, we've had one of the best retired at 40 years with the company And where he's at and work for somebody else Why did he retire I'm wondering why did he retire was he forced to retirement No, no, but if he would have kept his job he would still be insured correct If he would have kept working, but he had still been on insurance Okay, so he didn't say one forced to retire and he Volunteerily retired and he voluntarily gave up his insurance because he knew he was retired Okay, so we're still insured with a different company But he could have kept his job But he could have kept his job, you know I live in the real world and I don't know any company that gives insurance when you retire None. I don't I Have the next so many people Board pays a portion. Yeah $99 Well, my point though is When you started, you know, like these guys had started with the parish that was their plan You know, and then you said well, we want to do it to keep them you're talking about giving them insurance To ones are saying we ready to retire so we want them the insurance so we now can retire so Offering it isn't gonna keep them offering. It's gonna say good. I get it now. Here's my notice I'm retired so I don't see how that's gonna retain an employee by offering it I get it Telling the guys has been at five years. Hey look guys used to give for 30 years. This is what you're now getting This is gonna be you package part of your package. This is what we're gonna give you But after I worked 30 years and then say okay, hey If you don't give me this then I'm a retire But soon as you give me I'm retiring anyway, but I get I get to get it Been requesting but Until now We can afford it and like I said what it's costing us look at look at our budget and what we're paying for two thousand one percent Illegal and I get that Man, we got forty some odd boards that It'd be virtually impossible for these boards to all of a sudden say, you know what? Hey, we all we all gonna start doing that In in in if in any of really hiring people I guess if the word got out to some of the employees that work for the parish Knowing what they could step up and go make with you guys They may leave the parish to be quite honest with you because the pay is drastic Well, I know you try not to but the reality is the people that's willing to do it making 25 30 35 thousand dollars a year They could go get educated get the education and get bumped up to you know, with where these guys are at I Can see where that incentive would be there? Very likely could be Will we deal with the same thing in Five and eight right we got Mickey retired. So we got a final replacement for him All right In they said the same thing they were gonna have a ties in that in that little book that That I don't know who reads that other than people that's in that industry. But why would you not try to get? Anybody is send them the training. I don't know Oh So everybody needs to be at that level I Right, but the guys below that they can't move up to those positions Okay, and if somebody's got to replace him all the way down to Somebody that don't know nothing and they get hired, you know a 20 year old kid wants a job Hey, we're gonna put him to work and let him work his way up. And by the time he's 50 He's got the 30 years of experience Now making the big bucks, right? I mean that's kind of way would wind up at I Mean, I guess if you're trying to say no, we want to replace the supervisor That's a whole like Different position, but I would think you would want to promote from within Moving people who's been there at 10 12 15 years to move them up to those positions It takes years to get these certifications I totally get that I totally get that I Water side so the total five certifications and there's four levels I Well, I guess I guess my point is Making that offer Doesn't necessarily retain the employee. I Don't see where it retains the employee unless they get a sign of five-year commitments And we willing to continue to stay here five more years because now we're gonna get this benefit when I retire Is that it offers incentive for more qualified people to apply because we really can't compete with the private sector when it comes to trying to recruit employees and that's that's the benefit of having some benefits that you can offer because We can I get that any new employees coming on guys. This is your package. This is what you get I mean, I totally get that He had an opportunity somebody came by Somebody came by Security because if he had cancer now anybody that has had or has cancer You don't think they think about that every night when they go to bed, you know when I retire I'm not covered That's the reason Jamie because he did not have and we've been trying to do this for five years and we weren't So that's the reason Jamie Madam chair I know I mean companies change benefits all the time for employees trying to recruit employees And it's just it's just a nature of the beast. I mean name one company, you know The industry does anybody up here work for a company that gets kept insurance when you retire anybody They got a couple but I won't name who they are I know a couple that do that Well, the ones work for the parish I'm talking about the council members No, I know companies that do that for the employees until it gets 65 if they retire early They do help them. I don't know any but I mean that not the next a lot of people about it Anyway, if you're gonna go by just it's like when you hire somebody you don't expect to stand to salary or they get you're gonna Keep eating raises. You're gonna do this. You're gonna do that. I Just Have any of these people been getting raises on the way superb job. I'm curious of these have they been getting raises? I don't know what their pays are but I'm curious It's part of their benefits as they've been Employed have they been getting raises over the years? But every other year, yeah, okay, so they are compensated right, okay But but but when mr. Olanda says they didn't guarantee is they're not even guaranteeing this Because it says if they don't have the money they can rescind it in 60 days. You ever heard of any industry Especially government rescind anything. I Haven't I have look we we deal with that almost every meeting how we got cut back Look at the look and we talked about cutting employees back. We talking about cutting industry, you know The different departments but organizations cutting back miss Beverly gets cut back everybody come up here got cut back You know difficult that is now we started going to the employees said hey guys, we got to take out y'all benefits away. I Mean that's my take on it. That will never happen. I work for the city. I work for the city of Morgan City We took cuts back in the day what time got tough And someone was pretty steep, but we did it and we survived Something they have deserved and I guess but I don't Yeah, uh No, I'm Quick statement I'm gonna play devil's advocate real quick right here You know, we keep we keep referring to this as there's no other industry across the parish You know that does that as far as a private entity the child aren't a private entity our public entity Y'all are a subdivision of this parish, you know And according to that ordinance it gives you the authority to offer that just like the parish offers their employees And I mean if you actually research what it costs us Budgetary wise when we look at the numbers, you know We're talking about a whole lot more than hundreds of a percentage that it cost the parish annually To maintain for the parish employees, but y'all are a subdivision of us, you know So I think if we're comparing you to private industry, we're not comparing apples to apples at that point You know That's apples to oranges because this isn't a private entity and I think miss soprano said it perfectly they have employees and even their superintendent if they wanted to go to the private sector and Purify water they would be making a ton more money than what they're making right now So I think this gives them an additional incentive to try and stay Locally keep our local people and give them you know Give them additional Reasons to stay here in st. Mary parish and continue to work for our parish Subdivisions, you know, you're not private. You're public I'd like to address the issue that I think Rodney mentioned about the Offering to other people it might have been Patrick You know our budget can afford it if there's other people in the parish other water districts if their budget can't afford it Then they can't offer our budget is is can afford that and we have a stipulation That if our budget ever came to the point where we could not afford it We would give that employee 60 days to find other insurance. So that's a stipulation we made but You know You're saying about other water districts coming to your sewer dip If they can afford it then they can put it in their budget That's the way I look at it You know we can afford they've done well for us for the past 30 40 years and I just feel as though it's a way of rewarding these guys So that's my take and I apologize. Thank you for the time. Madam chair Yeah, I would act since we already had all this discussion that we go ahead and move up 13 B I'm second Hey there This is a resolution authorizing the st. Mary parish council to request water and sewer Commission number 3 rescind their action regarding employees insurance Ready for a roll call 13 B discussion any more discussion So what if what if we would send this request do they have to do it What if they don't do it well then we'll move on to the next item Okay, all right best but Doesn't mean it stops here Okay, have other avenues. So we're gonna remove another board. I'm not seeing any I just say we have other avenues Okay Another 13 B Mr. I know he's absent. Mr. Olander. Yes, ma'am. Mr. Heel. Yes, ma'am. Mr. Rolfe. He's absent Mr. A bear. Yes, ma'am. Mr. Davis. Yes, ma'am. Mr. Do on. Yes, ma'am. Mr. Adams. No, ma'am Dr. Reen. No ma'am. Mrs. Hidalgo ma'am and Reverend Matthews. He's absent We have five two three two three and it fails wait no no no six seven eight nine. I'm sorry One two, three five one two, three five two three nays and then Yep, three absence Motion fails resolution fails Got a majority of the council It's got to be six votes no matter what Six votes no matter what? Six votes no matter what And moving on to item eight report from mrs. Jones our past president I Said earlier make some announcements coming forward, but that's all I have Item nine report from personnel Thank you madam chair you have my report before yours informational the only thing I want to do is to wish all of you a happy and blessed Thanksgiving, and I hope you enjoy some time with family and friends Thank you Okay, item ten report of council meetings Yes 10a is the advisory budget finance committee report November 12th 2025 5 p.m. 5 p.m. B is a public hearing report November 12th 2025 5 45 p.m. And C is a public hearing report November 12th 2025 5 50 p.m. Any discussion all in favor Any opposed motion carries item 11 report of meetings other than council meetings one item 12 introductions of ordinances 12 a is for introduction and ordinance amending and reenacting ordinance number two three seven nine Adopting the 2025 combined budgets of revenues and expenditures for the parish of st. Mary state of Louisiana So moved by dr. Rink I know 13 13 C is a resolution approving and authorizing the parish president to execute task order number six Of the MSA with quality engineering and surveying LLC dated April 12th 2023 Relative to the st. Mary parish hazard mitigation plan update Also motion by mr. Adams I'll second it second by dr. Rink Question Thank you, this is on item 13 C. Mr. Olander Yes, ma'am, mr. Hill. Yes, ma'am. Mr. Rolfe. He's absent. Mr. A bear. Yes, ma'am. Mr. Davis. Yes, ma'am. Mr. Duhon Mr. Adams. Yes, ma'am. Dr. Rink. Mrs. Adalgo Reverend Matthews he's absent and mr. I know is absent and we have eight days and three absence and the resolution carries. Thank you I am 14 business. There's none item 15 new business appointments of the following boards and commissions A is all dated gravity drainage district number one Iberia st. Mayor parish line to Wax Lake outlet has Two openings. I'm so sorry two vacancies Junius P a bear junior present member and Craig a pelican present member has submitted their names Madam chair, I'd like to move on juniors a bear and Craig pelican We have a motion by mr. Olander seconded by dr. Rink any further discussion all in favor Any opposed motion carries. Thank you. Next we have st. Mary parish water sewer Commission number one and Amelia Syracuse area two vacancies Carla gag Leanna present member Charles Chuck Walters present member and Rose Johnson has submitted their Mr. Duhon So we not yet we're not gonna table the rest we're just gonna move on Rose Johnson Okay, we have a motion Yeah, I'm sorry who second it. Okay by mr. Hill. Okay, we have a motion by mr. Duhon seconded by mr. Hill Okay, thank you sir, I was just about to ask you that you can't have camera in that Okay, we're motion is second all in favor all right any opposed motion passed thank you 16 I moved it with a journey