Meeting Minutes
Tallulah Special City Council Meeting
Tuesday, March 13, 2025
5:30 PM
A Special Meeting of the Mayor and City Council was held on Tuesday, May 13, 2025 at 5:30 P.M., in the Council Room Chamber of Tallulah City Hall. The meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance followed by a prayer by Councilmember Wells.
A roll call of councilmembers is shown as follows:
Scott Present
Houston Present
Harris Absent
Day Present
Wells Present
There were no Public Comments on the Agenda
Approval of Occupational License for Dorothy Day, DJ Wings & Things made by motion from Councilmember Wells and seconded by Councilmember Day. Motion passed unanimously. Ms. Day was absent due to meeting scheduling. She will be contacted and advised of approval.
Approval of Painting of Parking Lines in the 600 block of Depot Street made by motion from Councilmember Houston and seconded by Councilmember Scott. Motion passed unanimously. Citizens Lisa Crockett and Janet Wall will be contacted and advised of approval.
Approval of Tallulah Construction Contract for Expansion at Tallulah Police Department made by Councilperson Houston and seconded by Councilperson Scott. Vote included 4 yeas (Scott, Houston, Harris and Day) and one nay (Wells).
Item # 8 was skipped until 6:00 pm for a Zoom scheduled for John Murray’s audit presentation.
Approval of minutes of the April 10, 2025 Regular Meeting, with corrections, made by motion from Councilmember Houston and seconded by Councilmember Day. Corrections included the following to paragraph five: “Councilman Wells also question why the audit report wasn’t mailed to the council members earlier.” Those words were stricken and the following corrections made “Councilman Wells asked the question was Mr. John Murray directed to mail the audits to the councilmembers home address because the Clerk Gerald Odom and Mayor Finlayson said that they were to be mailed to the home addresses.”
There was also a lengthy discussion with regard to the LCDBG Park Project report given at the April 10, 2025 meeting and mentioned in these minutes. Councilmember Wells questioned two subcontractors listed in the contract and whether or not they were in good standings with their contractor licenses and business licenses.
Approval of April 10, 2025 minutes, with corrections, carried unanimously.
Minutes of the April 17, 2025 and April 24, 2025 meetings were not approved as neither of those meetings were held due to no quorum.
Approval of Change Order #3 FY 22 LCDBG Street Project made by Councilmember Day and seconded by Councilmember Houston. There was a lengthy discussion and Councilmember Wells reiterated previously statements and issues he found with the project (to include but not limited to length of project, previous change orders, road conditions during heavy rain events, pre--assessment of road conditions). Ms. Cinnamon Gooding of McManus Engineers was present and answered questions directed to her. Roll call vote for the item followed:
At this time, the audit presentation was given by John Murray of LaPorte CPAs and Business Advisors to include the actual audit and the Agreed Upon Procedures. Councilmembers asked detailed questions to both Mr. Murray and to Clerk Gerald Odom about the audit and the Agreed Upon Procedures as the presentation occurred. During the presentation, the issue of Madison Pointe LLC, Mr. Archie Jones and Mr. Jones’ continued refusal to provide detailed financial information to the City about the housing development. Councilmember Wells and the Council asked the Mayor to officially direct Attorney Grady to send a demand letter to Mr. Jones for requested information to include information on tax returns, financials, tax credits sold (if any) and to remind Mr. Jones of the Louisiana Audit laws.
Further discussion regarding the audit brought a motion from Councilperson Wells that a forensic audit be added to the agenda and the motion was seconded by Councilperson Harris. Roll call vote followed:
Scott Nay
Houston Nay
Harris Yea
Day Yea
Wells Yea
Motion failed.
Approval of Change Order # 2 FY 23 LCDBG (Chester/Elm/Tampa) was made by motion from
Councilmember (name) and seconded by (Councilmember (name). A lengthy discussion on this subject came with questions from Councilmember Wells and Citizen Antonio Wilson to Ms. Cinnamon Gooding of McManus Engineers. Roll call vote for the item followed:
Scott Yea
Houston Yea
Harris Nay
Day Yea
Wells Nay
Motion carried.
Change Order #1 for the Dabney Street Project made by motion by Councilperson Houston. Motion to approve amended by Councilperson Wells to include tabling the approval until documentation is provided by DRA showing their approval of the sidewalks being taken out of the project. Councilperson Wells amendment seconded by Councilperson Day. Roll call on amendment:
Scott Yea
Houston Yea
Harris Yea
Day Yea
Wells Yea
Amendment to motion passed unanimously.
Amended motion to table approval of Change Order #1 until a letter is received from DRA showing their approval of the sidewalks being taken out of the project made by Councilperson Houston and seconded by (name). Roll call vote:
Scott Nay
Houston Yea
Harris Yea
Day Yea
Wells Yea
Amended motion carried.
Selected meeting dates for FY 25/26 Budget Committee brought a discussion from Councilperson Wells regarding his email request for information of the budget process. Selected dates for the FY 25/26 Budget Committee are: Tuesday May 26, 2025, through Friday May 30, 2025, at 9:00 am at City Hall. Citizen Antonio Wilson asked if a private citizen could also attend and he was told yes by City Clerk Gerald Odom.
Councilperson Wells advised of information that he had requested from Chief McCoy. After discussion about the issue, and that of the current curfew, the two agreed that Councilperson Wells would come to the Police Department on Wednesday, May 14, 2025 in the morning hours.
With no further business the meeting was adjourned.
Attest
Gerald Odom, City Clerk Charles Finlayson, Mayor
Published in the Madison Journal in
Tallulah, Louisiana for a total cost
of $323.23 on July 17, 2025
