Month: January 2023

January President’s Report

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STCA January 2023 President’s Report Hello neighbors!  Here’s hoping that everyone had an enjoyable holiday season. The new year brings with it lots of opportunity. We are excited about continuing to improve our neighborhood and making Old Jefferson the best place to live in Jefferson Parish!   November 2022 Meeting Recap We had several speakers from Jefferson Parish at our last meeting. Here … Read more

January President’s Report
STCA January 2023 President’s Report
Hello neighbors! Here’s hoping that everyone had an enjoyable holiday season. The new year brings with it lots of opportunity. We are excited about continuing to improve our neighborhood and making Old Jefferson the best place to live in Jefferson Parish!
November 2022 Meeting Recap
We had several speakers from Jefferson Parish at our last meeting. Here is a short recap of the information they presented:
Department of Inspection and Code Enforcement
Tramone Chetta, Assistant Director, represented her department. She explained that her department is responsible for issuing building permits and inspecting for building safety among other duties.
The mission statement for the Department of Inspection and Code Enforcement is:
To ensure compliance with laws pertaining to structural development within Jefferson Parish in an efficient manner, and to abate abandoned and blighted structures for the overall safety of our citizens and visitors.
In 2022, this department employed 28 inspectors, issued 2500 residential building permits and 1100 commercial permits. To learn even more about what they do, please visit their website at: https://www.jeffparish.net/departments/inspection—code-enforcement
Property Maintenance/Zoning/Quality of Life
Liza Caluda, Director, spoke about her department’s responsibilities.
This department is responsible for property maintenance and zoning such as the disrepair of soffit, facia, roof, siding, as well as high grass, parking on sidewalks and other issues. The department issues violations for these as well as other issues that are detrimental to our quality of life in Jefferson Parish.
Once a violation is issued the property owner will have 5 days to remedy the issue. After that time, the property will be reinspected. If the violation is not resolved within the 5-day period, a legal process begins. Complaints can be made by phone or online. Please visit their website to learn more:
https://www.jeffparish.net/departments/property-maintenance-zoning—quality-of-life
Flood Plain Management and Hazard Mitigation
Maggie Talley, Construction and Facilities Management Director spoke for her department.
The mission statement of the Department of Flood Plain Management and Hazard Mitigation is:
To strive to lessen the risk of flooding and implement long-term actions now to reduce the loss of life and property from the impacts of future disasters in Jefferson Parish.
They provide the following services:
Flood Zone Determinations and Flood Map Inquiries
Education and Outreach for Natural Hazards
Guidance on Various Mitigation Methods
Oversight of Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) Programs
Coordination of Natural Hazards Resilience Efforts
Jefferson Parish’s Hazard Mitigation Plan Update
Community Rating System (CRS) Program for unincorporated Jefferson Parish
Floodplain Solicitation of Views
Elevation Certificate and Flood Insurance Declarations Page Analysis
Maggie acknowledged that there will be many changes in our flood rating coming in the next few years. This will result in an increase in our flood insurance premiums. The criteria used for issuing these ratings is not clear. Currently, there is legislation pending on several aspects of this new rating program.
To check out the latest information, please check the website frequently:
https://www.jeffparish.net/departments/floodplain-management—hazard-mitigation
Neighborhood News
Angela Callais, Assistant to Councilman Deano Bonano, gave us updates on several projects.
The abandoned carwash on Jefferson Highway and Dodge has been demolished along with the empty frame that previously held its sign.
The gas station/tire shop at Jefferson Highway and Causeway has been issued a demolition notice. The parish will demolish the building and a lien will be put on the property. Update: We have since learned that the property owner has filed for his own demolition permit. It remains to be seen if this is yet another stall tactic or if he will follow through. The STCA board continues to monitor this situation. We are grateful to Councilman Bonano’s support on this issue.
As we continue with the beautification of our neighborhood, Chappie Eppling has informed us that the “Welcome Sign”planned for installation on the median at Jefferson Park Ave. and Jefferson Hwy. was delivered but was damaged. Chappie is working with Bryan Parks on a replacement. Bryan assured us that the replacement is in the works.
Suzanne Falgout, STCA Advisory Board member, has undertaken a huge project. For years we have talked about the lack of proper sidewalks along our stretch of Jefferson Hwy. Some sidewalks are there, some are not. Some are in good condition, some are not. The ability to safely walk on the highway is of great importance to many of our residents. Suzanne has begun the process of investigating to find out exactly who is responsible for their sidewalks and how we can go about having them installed or repaired. This requires sifting through governmental red tape to identify responsibility. We wish Suzanne luck in her endeavor; we are here to support herand we will keep you updated on her progress.
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All memberships are up for renewal! If you paid in the last few months of 2022, it would carry over to 2023. Please check with our STCA Treasurer, Rhonda Gauthier if you are unsure of your status. Dues are $10.00 for a single person and $20.00 for a household. Dues can now be paid via PayPal, (a $2.00 fee is accessed for online payments), by mail, or in person at the meetings. You can check out these options at our website: https://suburbanterrace.org/members/
A reminder! Suburban Terrace Civic Association has a new Facebook page! Please search for us on FB at Suburban Terrace Civic Association (STCA). Ask to join and invite your neighbors. The page will be a great way to keep you up to date on all the happenings in the neighborhood! We thank Charles Jarreau, STCA Vice-President, for monitoring and maintaining the information on the page.
January 2023 Meeting
Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, January 10, 2023, at the Pink House (Thomas C. Laughlin Building) located at 4518 Jefferson Hwy. We are using this building until further notice.
The doors open at 6:30 pm and we will start promptly at 7:00 pm.
Our guest speaker will be:
Emily Arata with Ochsner Health System
Emily will speak about the new expansions that Ochsner has planned for 2023 and beyond.
Word has it that the STCA Hospitality Committee headed by Jeanie Knesel will be serving king cake at this meeting! Hope to see you all there!
Sincerely,
Judy Wolf
STCA Advisory Board
Suburban Terrace Civic Association

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