St. Martin Parish Council to finalize appointing Cedars as counsel

Published 6:00 am Tuesday, July 4, 2017

ST. MARTINVILLE — The St. Martin Parish Council will finalize arrangements with appointing legal counsel Chester Cedars back to the position after he retired more than a year ago.

Cedars will be replacing Andy Shealy as legal counsel. Although local government entities are provided an attorney by the 16th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, they can also choose to keep one on retainer at their own cost. That will be the case with Cedars, who had formerly acted as legal counsel for more than 16 years prior to his retirement.

The parish will vote to retroactively appoint Cedars to the position starting May 15 of last month. Cedars sat in during a council meeting when Shealy couldn’t make it due to a prior arrangement.

The resolution voted on by the council will authorize Parish President Guy Cormier to confect a written contract with Cedars that will specify his job responsibilities and compensation.

In other business, the Parish Council will temporarily act as a the parish’s board of adjustment in order to consider the request for a variance that would allow a Dollar General store sign to exceed the measurements provided for by parish ordinance.

The council will also go into executive session near the beginning of the meeting to discuss a personnel issue. 

The meeting will take place 5 p.m. Wednesday at the Carroll J. Fuselier meeting room at 301 W. Port St. in St. Martinville.