Tammany Together has adopted the resolutions and issued the position statements shown below.
Resolution by the Board of Directors
of
Tammany Together, Inc.
June 11, 2007
Ordinance Number 3571, "…amending…the Home Rule Charter…to provide with respect to term limits for Parish Government Elected Officials", was introduced at the Parish Council meeting on June 7, 2007. In introducing the ordinance, its author said its purpose was to allow voters to decide whether the Parish President and the Parish Council would serve under equal conditions with respect to term limits. The ordinance would place a multiple-choice amendment on the October, 2007, ballot in which voters would decide whether term limits would be imposed equally on both the Parish President and the Parish Council, or, alternatively, whether term limits would be eliminated altogether. By defeating both proposals, voters could also exercise the option of maintaining the status quo, with the Parish President remaining limited to three consecutive four-year terms, and Parish Council members serving four-year terms without term limits, as they do now.
However, independent analyses of the actual wording of the amendment revealed that a vote "for" term limits would restart the "term limit clock" for the Parish President, giving the incumbent the opportunity to serve a total of five consecutive terms, assuming the amendment were approved by voters in October of 2007. Several members of the public expressed their disapproval of this aspect of the amendment at the Council’s June meeting.
Tammany Together, Inc. is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that seeks to identify issues of importance to the citizens of St. Tammany Parish, to educate its members and others on these issues, and to exert a positive influence on their outcome by speaking out with a unified voice.
In consideration of the foregoing, the Board of Directors of Tammany Together, Inc. hereby resolves as follows:
(By defeating both proposals, voters would elect to maintain the status quo.)
Resolved at a regular meeting of the Board of Directors of Tammany Together, Inc. on June 11, 2007.
(Signed) Sandra Slifer, Interim Secretary
Resolution by the Board of Directors
of
Tammany Together, Inc.
June 11, 2007
"Access St. Tammany" is the government access channel of St. Tammany Parish Government. Its stated purpose is "to educate citizens about parish government, parish government services, and general information regarding St. Tammany Parish." 1
Access St. Tammany televises live and recorded coverage of various parish public meetings, including Parish Council meetings and meetings of the Planning and Zoning Commission, over Charter Communications’ cable channel 10. However, many parish residents and other interested parties do not or cannot subscribe to Charter Communications cable television.
Access St. Tammany has recently added the capability to view an archival copy of the most recent Parish Council meeting over the Internet at the parish web site, www.stpgov.org.
Tammany Together, Inc. is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that seeks to identify issues of importance to the citizens of St. Tammany Parish, to educate its members and others on these issues, and to exert a positive influence on their outcome by speaking out with a unified voice.
In consideration of the foregoing, the Board of Directors of Tammany Together, Inc. hereby resolves as follows:
Resolved at a regular meeting of the Board of Directors of Tammany Together, Inc. on June 11, 2007.
(Signed) Sandra Slifer, Interim Secretary
1 Source: www.stpgov.org/departments_channel10.php
DRAINAGE ISSUES POSITION STATEMENT ON
DEVELOPMENT IN WETLANDS
TAMMANY TOGETHER, INC.
(Adopted - October 15, 2007)
Drainage in St. Tammany Parish depends on gravity flow to channel rainwater runoff into conveyances such as rivers, streams, bayous, and ponds, eventually reaching Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Borgne. These are all part of a vast natural wetland system that serves the entire Parish to prevent flooding by storing water runoff in flood plains, forests and water systems to meter the flow of runoff.
These storage areas are also very important filters that preserve the water quality of receiving streams as well as serving to recharge aquifers and provide critical habitat. Together, these natural systems not only drain St. Tammany and protect its citizens from flooding but also serve to maintain St. Tammany’s unique flora and fauna that make it such a desirable place to live.
Over the years, as St. Tammany Parish has grown, many of these natural systems have been modified, compromised, or obliterated, resulting in ever-increasing flooding problems. This is evidenced by the fact that St. Tammany ranks 8th on a list of the 25 most frequently flooded communities in the United States, as measured by the number of "repetitive loss properties" reported by FEMA 1. Other negative effects include the degradation of water quality and loss of habitat.
In 2000 the Parish began the process of accurately defining the drainage basins across the Parish and developing plans to rectify many of the flooding problems caused by past development. However, Parish and municipal governing bodies continue to permit development that removes more wetlands from the natural system and replaces them with impervious materials such as pavement and buildings. The remaining conveyances are then overburdened, causing roads and houses to flood. Moreover, trees, which are worth millions of dollars of artificial drainage improvements, are no longer in place to absorb water and lessen the amount of water disposed.
If development that directly impacts the natural systems is allowed to continue, it will offset the expected gains from planned improvements, leaving the Parish with a continuing drainage problem. This will further imperil the homes, lives and safety of St. Tammany residents, who trust and expect their government to allow development only in a safe and planned manner.
It is therefore imperative that the land use regulations and decisions made by Parish and local governments preserve and protect those natural areas that serve to retain water, filter pollutants, serve as critical habitat, and maintain the eco-systems upon which citizens depend for flood protection.
1. Chu, Kathy (2007/08/22). Katrina renews calls for change in rebuilding rules. USA Today, from http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/housing/2007-08-21-repeat-losses_N.htm
REFERENCES
St. Tammany Parish’s plans:
"Drainage Improvement Update" - http://www.stpgov.org/newsletter_archives.php?id=359
"Ecology and Conservation" - http://www.stpgov.org/about_ecology.php
"2007 Drainage Projects" - http://www.stpgov.org/pdf/1190146080.pdf
Engineering Department's "10-Year Infrastructure Plan" - http://www.stpgov.org/departments_engineering_10year.php
Protection of wetlands:
St. Tammany Parish - Ordinance No. 92-1607 - Coastal Zone Management Regulations – http://www.stpgov.org/pdf/1178900915.pdf
Andres Duany – "Smart Code - A Comprehensive Form-Based Planning Ordinance" - http://www.tndtownpaper.com/images/SmartCode6.5.pdf
Dept. of Natural Resources "Louisiana Costal Facts" - http://www.americaswetland.com/assets/CoastalFacts.pdf
Coastal Protection & Restoration Authority of Louisiana (CPRA)"Integrated Ecosystem Restoration and Hurricane Protection: Louisiana's Comprehensive Master Plan for a Sustainable Coast" - http://www.lacpra.org/masterplanfinal
Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation (LPBF):
"A Citizens Guide to Protecting Wetlands in the Pontchartrain Basin" - http://www.saveourlake.org/pdfs/cg_book.pdf
"Habitat Protection Program - Development Review" (Permit Responses) - http://www.saveourlake.org/habitat_protection_dev.htm
"Sprawl Brochure" - http://www.saveourlake.org/pdfs/urban_full.pdf
(With the Nature Conservancy) "Priority Conservation Areas in the Lake Pontchartrain Estuary Zone" - http://www.saveourlake.org/pdfs/Estuary_zone_final_s.pdf
Habitat Protection Program – "Habitat Change in St. Tammany Parish’ - http://www.saveourlake.org/pdfs/Fact Sheet on Habitat Change in St. Tam.pdf
"Urbanization Effects On Habitat Change In St. Tammany Parish 1982 – 2000" - http://www.saveourlake.org/pdfs/St-Tamanystudy2000.pdf and http://www.saveourlake.org/pdfs/HabitatChangePrint.pdf
Trust For Public Lands "Greenprint" maps for St. Tammany - http://www.lwvstissues.info/