City Hall, Monroe, Louisiana
August 25, 2026
6:00PM
There was a legal and regular session of the City Council of the City of Monroe, Louisiana held on this date at the Council’s regular meeting place, the Council Chamber, City Hall Building, Monroe, Louisiana.
Chairman Muhammad called the meeting to order, he then asked the clerk to call roll.
There present: Ms. Woods, Mrs. Ezernack, Mr. McFarland, Mr. Harvey, and Mr. Muhammad
Chairman Muhammad announced a quorum was present, and the Invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance led by Mrs. Ezernack or her designee Rev. Lenard Montgomery of New Faith MBC.
III. Communications & Special Announcements:
Mrs. Ezernack – welcomed those attending and listening from home. She expressed appreciation to Reverend Montgomery for attending and delivering an insightful message.
Ms. Woods – Vice Chairman – welcomed everyone and was glad to be back after missing the previous meeting. She thanked Reverend Montgomery for his message, noting that people sometimes become focused on themselves and need reminders to work together and do what is right. She also praised Mr. Jones for assisting with a recent Civic Center event and being available when needed.
Mr. McFarland – announced plans to hold a District 4 community meeting on Thursday, September 17, at approximately 6:00 p.m. The meeting would address upcoming hot-topic issues and community concerns. He stated the location had not yet been finalized, but it would likely be held at the recreation center or at a local church.
Mr. Muhammad – Chairman – thanked everyone for attending and recognized Council Staff for their hard work.
Upon motion of Mr. McFarland, seconded by Mr. Harvey, the minutes of the Legal and Regular Session of August 11, 2026, were approved. (Ms. Woods abstained) (No comments from the public)
The Chairman moved back to Communications he forgot to mention the following:
A successful senior citizen self-defense class recently held at Benoit. He thanked the Police Chief and everyone who helped organize the event, which was attended by approximately 30 seniors. He said participants learned several self-defense techniques and stated the City planned to continue offering similar safety programs for seniors. He also reminded residents to report missing or damaged stop signs, street signs, and streetlights using the contact number provided on the flyer.
VIII: Resolutions and Minute Entries:
Department of Administration:
(a) Upon motion of Mr. McFarland, seconded by Mr. Harvey and unanimously approved to Consider an Application by Courtyard By Marriott dba NELA Hotel Ventures LLC, 4915 Pecanland Mall Dr., Monroe LA 71203 for a New 2025 Class A Alcoholic Beverage Permit. The Monroe Police Department has no disqualifying records and Sales Tax has been approved. (Distance Report Cleared, cert. of Occupy Cleared) (No comments from the public)
(b) Upon motion of Mr. McFarland, seconded by Mr. Harvey and unanimously approved to Consider an Application by Courtyard By Marriott dba NELA Hotel Ventures LLC, 4915 Pecanland Mall Dr., Monroe LA 71203 for a Renewal 2026 Class A Alcoholic Beverage Permit. The Monroe Police Department has no disqualifying records and Sales Tax has been approved. (Distance Report Cleared, Cert. of Occupy Cleared) (No comments from the public)
(c) Upon motion of Mr. McFarland, seconded by Ms. Woods and unanimously approved Resolution No. 9179 approving the Louisiana compliance Questionnaire for the FY 2025-2026 audit. (No comments from the public)
(d) Upon motion of Mr. McFarland, seconded by Mr. Harvey and unanimously approved to Consider request from the Purchasing Division for authorization for an authorized City representative to advertise for bids for the Texas Ave. @ S. 8th St. Improvements Project. The estimate for the Texas Ave. @ S. 8th St. Improvements Project is $263,370.00.
Ms. Woods requested an explanation of the proposed improvement project.
Mr. Morgan McCallister, Engineering COO, explained the project is designed to improve vehicle safety at the intersection. Most accidents occur there because the turn is very tight, there is little room to maneuver, and there is no shoulder. The proposed improvements would widen the turning area and create a safer roadway environment.
(e) Upon motion of Mr. McFarland, seconded by Mr. Harvey and unanimously approved to Consider request from the Purchasing Division from authorization for an authorized City representative to advertise for bid for the Pine Street Flood Control Structure Improvements Project. The estimate for the Pine Street Flood Control Structure Improvements Project is $750,000.00.
Ms. Woods requested an explanation of the proposed work here as well.
Mr. McCallister explained the project is in District 4 near the Ouachita River and the Louisville area. The Pine Street stormwater pump station includes river levee sluice gates that are currently inoperable, although staff can manually close one of them. He stated this condition creates a safety concern. The City had previously submitted a grant request through LWI, but the process has been slow, so officials are proposing to move forward with the project using Capital Infrastructure Tax funding without waiting for the grant. When the river reaches approximately 30 feet, the gates are closed and the pump station moves stormwater over the floodwall into the river.
Mayor’s Office:
(a) Upon motion of Mr. McFarland, seconded by Mrs. Ezernack and unanimously approved Resolution No. 9180 authorizing a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement with Red White and Blue Airshow Inc. and further providing with respect thereto. (No comments from the public)
Police Department:
(a) Upon motion of Mr. McFarland, seconded by Mr. Harvey and unanimously approved Resolution No. 9181 accepting $51,100.00 in funding from the United States Department of Justice for the 2024 Project Safe Neighborhood Program and further providing with respect thereto. (No comments from the public)
Engineering Services:
(a) Upon motion of Ms. Woods, seconded by Mr. McFarland and approved to pass over an item authorizing the City of Monroe to enter into a Master Professional Service Agreement with Lazenby & Associates, Inc. for engineering, surveying, and related professional services, and further providing with respect thereto. (Mrs. Ezernack voted nay)
Mrs. Ezernack asked why the Master Professional Service Agreement was being passed over again, noting that this was the third meeting since the item was originally expected to be addressed within two meetings.
Ms. Woods explained she requested additional time because she had begun reviewing the master service agreements more closely and had identified several provisions in both agreements that she wanted clarified before taking action.
Mr. Harvey asked how much additional time Ms. Woods believed was necessary to complete her review.
Mrs. Woods said she wanted approximately 60 days and wished to have further discussion with someone knowledgeable about the agreements before voting.
Mr. Harvey expressed surprise that the matter was still unresolved after already being discussed for several weeks and referenced the possibility of extending the review to approximately six weeks.
Mrs. Ezernack asked whether someone could explain to the full Council the specific concerns Ms. Woods had raised regarding the agreements.
Mr. Brandon Creekbaum, City Attorney, stated he had not participated in any meetings concerning the substance or terms of the contracts.
Mr. McCallister explained questions about the agreements had been presented during a meeting attended by Mr. Tony Little. He said he reviewed the concerns carefully and did not believe the Council had historically negotiated the terms of master or professional service agreements. He stated he did not intend to renegotiate the contracts and believed the agreements were fair, even though the contracts were not identical. McCallister explained that the Lazenby agreement is a basic on-call master service agreement used when the City needs engineering assistance for matters that are not necessarily capital improvement projects. He stated state law requires professional service providers to be selected based on qualifications rather than price and that the City considers experience, qualifications, and reasonableness when selecting engineering firms.
Mr. McFarland asked what Lazenby & Associates’ primary function is for the City.
Mr. McCallister stated Lazenby’s work is primarily related to streets, although master service agreements can cover other general engineering needs such as water, sewer, and related infrastructure.
Mr. McFarland asked Mr. McCallister what he meant by Lazenby’s street-related responsibilities.
Mr. McCallister explained Lazenby recently worked on the Texas Avenue and South 8th Street project and has also handled projects involving roadways, drainage, paving, and the Civic Center parking lot. He stated the master service agreement allows the City to issue task orders directly for these types of street and drainage-related engineering services. He also stated the master service agreements expired in June 2026. He said the City was currently completing projects that had already been contracted, but no new work was being initiated under the expired agreements.
Mr. McFarland stated even if the Charter could be interpreted that way, the Council had previously approved the agreement, so Council review was still important. He suggested that Ms. Woods and Mr. McCallister meet promptly and return with a resolution within about 10 days so the item could be placed on the next agenda.
Ms. Woods stated she was simply asking to extend the existing arrangements long enough for her and Mr. McCallister to discuss the agreements.
Mr. Harvey asked whether Ms. Woods still wanted to pass over the Lazenby & Associates agreement.
Chairman Muhammad stated a motion was already on the floor.
Mr. McFarland raised a point of order and stated that the Council had not yet moved to the second agreement. He explained parliamentary procedure required the Council to finish the pending agenda item before discussing another item and that a valid motion and second were already before the Council.
Chairman Muhammad acknowledged the point of order and confirmed that the pending motion was to pass over this item.
(b) Upon motion of Ms. Woods, seconded by Mr. McFarland and approved to pass over an item authorizing the City of Monroe to enter into a Master Professional Service Agreement with S. E. Huey Co. for engineering, surveying, and related professional services, and further providing with respect thereto. (Mrs. Ezernack voted nay)
Mr. Tony Little, 1315 Forsythe Ave., stressed concern over which the S.E. Huey contract had been handled. He argued although the Council may not negotiate professional service contracts, it still has oversight responsibilities and should understand significant contract provisions before voting. He raised concerns about rate increases, recurring contract provisions, Council approval thresholds, and provisions he believed reduced Council oversight. He stated the contract contained numerous issues that could be corrected and argued that major increases or expenditures should return to the Council because the Council ultimately appropriates public funds and must be able to forecast the budget.
Mr. Creekbaum read Article 6 of the contract in response to the concerns raised.
Chairman Muhammad stated Mr. Little’s concerns were noted but said the issues should be discussed further with Ms. Woods in a separate meeting. He encouraged the parties to revisit the matter, document the concerns, and then bring the matter back before the Council.
Mr. Harvey stated for the record the contract rates are contained in Exhibit A.
Mr. McCallister cited Louisiana Revised Statute 38:231.1.
IX: Introduction of Resolutions & Ordinances:
(a) Upon motion of Mr. McFarland, seconded by Mr. Harvey and unanimously approved to introduce an Ordinance approving the annexation of ±0.38 acres; extending and enlarging the boundaries of the City of Monroe, Louisiana; providing for recordation of the revised boundary: establishing an effective date; and otherwise providing for related matters. (No comments from the public)
(b) Upon motion of Mr. Harvey, seconded by Ms. Woods and unanimously approved to introduce an Ordinance amending Section 9-24 (Permit Fees) of the City of Monroe Code to provide relative to permits for the placement and transportation of mobile homes, manufactured homes, buildings, and other structures; to require applicable state licensure; to require a transport moving permit for the movement of certain structures over public streets, alleys, and rights-of-way; and further providing with respect thereto.
Shannon Futch, Planning and Zoning Director, explained the City already has a $100 transport permit fee but had not consistently collected it. Recent cases involving mobile homes moved into the City without permits prompted staff to begin enforcing the fee. The ordinance would also allow the City to require proof of a state transport license and contractor licensing for new construction, remodels, additions, and similar work. He added language referring to the Office of the Building Inspector would be updated so permits are obtained through the Permits and Inspections Department.
Ms. Woods asked whether Sections K and L of the proposed ordinance created additional fees.
Mr. Futch explained those sections primarily authorize the City to request a transporter’s license and require a transport moving permit before a mobile home or house is moved into the City.
Mr. McFarland asked why the ordinance was being revisited if the requirements were already part of existing law.
Mr. Futch explained the amendment mainly updates outdated language referring to the Office of the Building Inspector because the City’s chief building official is now outsourced. The revised language would direct applicants to the Permits and Inspections Department instead.
Chairman Muhammad suggested the mobile home moving fee should be incorporated into the overall permitting process so it is not overlooked and asked whether these violations had become common enough to justify bringing the ordinance before the Council.
Mr. Futch said when an applicant obtains the permit, the transport fee can be included as part of that process.
Mrs. Ezernack asked how mobile homes are legally placed on residential lots within the City, and that in the past, some mobile home placements required additional review or approval before permits were issued.
Mr. Futch stated the first thing they do when somebody calls in and say they want to move a mobile home in is find out what the address is and then determine where its zoned, to see if its allowed in that district/zone. And that’s how it’s determine which type of manufactured home they can put in there.
Mrs. Ezernack asked whether the recent cases involved people bypassing the normal zoning or Board of Adjustment process and placing mobile homes without first confirming that they were allowed.
Mr. Creekbaum stated some individuals are moving the mobile homes without regard to whether the zoning allows them. He explained mobile homes are allowed in some parts of the City but restricted in others. He said one of the most common Board of Adjustment requests historically involved residents seeking permission to place an older manufactured home when the applicable rules limited the age of the unit.
Mr. McFarland asked whether the main change was simply enforcing the transport fee.
Mr. Futch stated the transport fee is already part of the City Code staff discovered that while reviewing the ordinance.
Mr. McFarland asked Mr. Futch to email each Council member the details of the three recent cases that led
him to bring the item forward.
Mr. Futch stated the three cases were different from one another and stated the transport fee was not new; it already existed in the ordinance.
Chairman Muhammad asked whether the City had ever operated an Office of the Building Inspector, and Mr. Futch said yes.
Mr. McCallister explained the three recent unpermitted mobile-home cases revealed a need for clearer procedures. He said the proposed ordinance would add protections by requiring licensed contractors and transporters moving mobile homes into the City to provide proof of their credentials, and it would place more responsibility on those transporting and placing the units and give the City an additional way to verify compliance before a mobile home is installed.
(c) Upon motion of Mr. McFarland, seconded by Mr. Harvey and unanimously approved to introduce an Ordinance amending Section 32.5-42 (Definitions) of the City of Monroe Code to define wireline telecommunications facilities; adding section 32.5-51 to provide regulations governing wireline telecommunications facilities; and further providing with respect thereto. (No comments from the public)
(d) Upon motion of Mr. McFarland, seconded by Mr. Harvey and unanimously approved to introduce an Ordinance approving a Collective Bargaining Agreement by and between the City of Monroe and the International Union of Operating Engineers, AFL-CIO, Local 407. (No comments from the public)
(e) Upon motion of Mr. McFarland, seconded by Mr. Harvey and unanimously approved to remove the Ordinance approving a Collective Bargaining Agreement by and between the City of Monroe and the Amalgamated Transit Union Local No. 1160, AFL-CIO.
Ms. Woods wanted to know why they were removing this item.
Mr. Creekbaum explained that comments had been received identifying typographical and other issues in the documents. He said officials also spoke with the International Vice President about additional items that needed to be cleaned up, so the item was being removed and would be revised for a future meeting.
XI: Citizens Participation:
Lester Paster 100 South Pointe Dr Apt. 301, apologized for his conduct at the previous Council meeting but again raised his long-standing legal complaint.
Robert Johnson, 2608 Coolidge St., President of Local 2388 Union, said disagreement among Council members is expected but urged the Council to function cooperatively. He expressed concern that employee and union issues were not receiving adequate attention and said he had requested meetings with Council members about the union contract and employee concerns. He expressed frustration that the union contract had remained unresolved.
Troy Greer, 210 Grayling Ln., raised a safety concern about a tree next to a disabled resident’s home at 4507 South Grand. He stated that large limbs were overhanging nearby property and the roadway, creating a risk of injury or damage. He said the issue had already caused damage to the neighboring home and asked the City to take further action beyond trimming the tree. Troy Greer stated that the tree is located on an adjudicated, overgrown lot.
Mr. McFarland agreed that the situation presented a serious problem and said someone could be injured if
the tree is not removed. He asked what relief the City could provide because the property is adjudicated.
Mr. Creekbaum explained adjudicated property is not automatically owned by the City. He stated the City generally does not obtain ownership until it follows a legal process to take corporeal possession.
Mr. McFarland questioned whether adjudicated property should still be treated as private property and asked how the former owner could regain the property. He asked whether cleanup or nuisance-abatement costs could be attached to the property’s tax obligations.
Mr. Creekbaum explained the former owner can reclaim adjudicated property by paying the delinquent
taxes until the City formally takes corporeal possession. He further explained the City must follow the environmental court process to address a nuisance and recover costs. He stated if the tree is declared a nuisance, the City must provide proper notice and follow the required legal steps before abating the problem and attaching related costs.
Melody Reed, 1905 Howard Dr., she and her grandchildren experienced ongoing stalking and harassment around her Howard Drive home. She said she had repeatedly tried to contact the Mayor’s Office but had not received a return call.
Mrs. Ezernack asked Ms. Reed to provide her contact information after the meeting so she could follow up.
There being no further business to come before the council, Chairman Muhammad adjourned the meeting at 7:34PM.
Verbon Muhammad Sr.
Chairman
Carolus S. Riley
Council Clerk
Erica L. Moore
Staff Secretary
For extended details on the council meeting, please call the Council Clerk Monday-Friday at 318-329-2252 to schedule an appointment to listen to the minute recording.
