March 29, 1994
THE PARISH BOARD OF VERNON PARISH LOUISIANA CONVENED IN SPECIAL SESSION ON TUESDAY, MARCH 29, 1994, IN THE BOARD ROOM OF THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING, 201 BELVIEW ROAD, LEESVILLE, LA PRESIDENT WILLIAMS CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER AND ON ROLL CALL THE FOLLOWING MEMBERS WERE PRESENT:
CAROLYN WILLIAMS, PRESIDENT
MARK SMITH, VICE PRESIDENT
GERALD BURNS
PHILIP GUNN
BETTY WESTERCHIL
T.B. PORTER
ARVIL HARVEY
MURPHY O'BANION
B.R. HARVEY
WALLACE MCRAE
BENARD MCKEE
ABSENT: ALVIN C. "CHUCK" DOWDEN, JR., ILLNESS
There was also present Mr. Sammy L. Hinson, Secretary of theBoard.
Superintendent Hinson read the attached Call Notice:attached
At this time President Williams opened the meeting for discussion of the reapportionment law suit.
Superintendent Hinson stated that the actual law suit had not been served to him nor the Board. He said that the District Attorney's office received a copy of which he sent to the Superintendent.
Superintendent Hinson asked that Asa Skinner, Assistant District and school board attorney, address the Board.
Mr. Hinson reported that Morris Insurance Agency is presently reviewing the Errors of Omission's insurance for coverage in this matter. Mr. Morris will apprise the Board of this coverage and the deductible fee, which he stated is possibly $5,000.00.
Mr. Skinner stated that a law suit has been filed in Federal Court in Lake Charles, LA. He said that all members, the Superintendent, the Vernon Parish Clerk of Court, and the Secretary of State of Louisiana have been named in this suit, however, he continued that the Board had not been personally named in this suit, only in their position as board member. He stated that there will be a preliminary hearing before Judge Tremble on April 6, 1994 in Lake Charles in District Court. This hearing is for the Judge to determine whether or not he will call for an injunction to postpone a school board election scheduled for the fall of 1994. Mr. Skinner stated that in his judgement, the Board should hire a legal counsel with experience in reapportionment and one who has dealt with reapportionment in the past.
On recommendation of Superintendent Hinson, and on motion of Mr. T.B. Porter, seconded by Mr. Gunn, the Board voted to employ Mr. Mike Juneau, of The Juneau Firm, Lafayette, Louisiana, as legal counsel in the Reapportionment Law suit, due to the fact that a lawsuit has been filed claiming unconstitutionality of the Reapportionment Plan adopted November 10, 1992, by the Vernon Parish School Board, and that there is a necessity for an experienced legal counsel to deal with the technological aspects of such a case, and that the fee to be charge by Mike Juneau shall be $100.00 per hour, plus travel expenses, and offices fees and that the Vernon Parish District Attorney's office recommends the hiring of this special counsel.
Mr. Juneau addressed the Board and related that he has experience in reapportionment and works closely with Errors and Omissions Insurance.
Mr. Gary Joiner, Reapportionment Consultant, addressed the Board. Mr. Joiner stated that the pre-clearance letter from the U.S. Justice Department was approved May 24, 1994, however, due to the failure of the Department to send the letter to him and to the Board until January 1994, some of the needed corrections to be made have been delayed. Mr. Joiner read a resolution dated this date and reviewed it with the Board. Superintendent Hinson noted additions to be made on this resolution.
On recommendation of Superintendent Hinson, and on motion of Mr. Porter, seconded by Mr. Burns, the Board voted to adopt the following resolution:
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, the Vernon Parish School Board Reapportionment Plan has been precleared by the U.S. Department of Justice, and
WHEREAS, errors of omission occurred in the list of precincts comprising the school board districts in the Vernon Parish School Board resolution dated November 10, 1992, the correct listing of precincts by district will be:
DISTRICT 1 SHALL BE COMPRISED OF TWO SUB-DISTRICTS
DISTRICT 1-A:
A. 2-1A
B. 2-2
C. 2-3
D. 2-3A
E. 2-4B
F. 2-5
ONE MEMBER TO BE ELECTED
DISTRICT 1-B:
A. 2-1
B. 2-4
C. 2-4A
D. 2-6
ONE MEMBER TO BE ELECTED
NOTE: Sub-districts 1-A and 1-B shall consist of separate precincts for residency requirements for candidates seeking school board positions from these precincts. Registered voters in sub-districts 1-A and 1-B shall be able to vote for one candidate of their choice from each sub-district thus creating two districts.
DISTRICT 3:
A. 3-1
B. 3-2
C. 3-3
D. 3-4
E. 3-5
F. 4-1
G. 7-2
ONE MEMBER TO BE ELECTED
DISTRICT 4:
A. 4-1A
B. 4-3A
C. 4-3B
D. 4-3C
ONE MEMBER TO BE ELECTED
NOTE: Although for statistical purposes census tract 9507 was excluded for parish population totals to prepare the reapportionment plan, all precincts in the parish, including those on Fort Polk military reservation are covered in this reapportionment plan. All registered voters in Vernon Parish are enfranchised to vote in all school board elections.
NOTE: Due to a delay in response from the U.S. Department of Justice for the preclearance letter, federal and sate preclearance has been initiated but no action from the federal government has been approved. Upon acceptance by both federal and state authorities precinct 4-3C will become a portion of District 4.
DISTRICT 5:
A. 4-2
B. 5-1
C. 5-2
D. 5-3
E. 5-4
F. 7-3
G. 7-4
H. 7-5A
ONE MEMBER TO BE ELECTED
DISTRICT 6:
A. 1-9
B. 6-1
C. 6-2
D. 6-3
E. 6-4
F. 6-5
G. 8-1
H. 8-2
I. 8-3
ONE MEMBER TO BE ELECTED
DISTRICT 7:
A. 7-1
B. 7-2A
C. 7-5
D. 7-5B
ONE MEMBER TO BE ELECTED
DISTRICT 8:
A. 1-2
B. 1-2A
C. 1-4A
D. 1-5A
ONE MEMBER TO BE ELECTED
NOTE: There shall be four at-large school board positions to be created from the precincts in District 9.
DISTRICT 9:
A. 1-1
B. 1-1A
C. 1-3
D. 1-3A
E. 1-4
F. 1-4B
G. 1-5
H. 1-5B
I. 1-6
J. 1-6A
K. 1-7
L. 1-7A
M. 1-8
N. 1-8A
O. 4-3
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Vernon Parish School Board does adopt the clarifications described above for pertaining to the reapportionment of the Vernon Parish School system in accordance with Vernon Parish Policy Jury Ordinance No. 16 dated November 16, 1992, and with pending precinct approval of Precinct 4-3C.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that if any provision or item of this resolution, or the application thereof, is held to be invalid, such invalidity shall not affect other provisions, items or applications of this ordinance which can be given effect without the invalid provisions, items, or applications, and to this end the provisions of this resolution are hereby declared severable.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that all resolutions or parts of resolutions in conflict herewith are hereby repealed.
Superintendent Hinson invited all members to the Spring Teachers' Meeting, at 1:00 p.m. on Thursday, March 31, 1994, at Leesville High School.
On motion of Mr. McRae, seconded by Mr. B.R. Harvey, the Board voted to adjourn.
____________________________________
CAROLYN G. WILLIAMS, PRESIDENT
ATTEST:
_____________________________________
SAMMY L. HINSON, SECRETARY