For most government entities, the first council meeting of the new year is usually a perfunctory affair, with the selection of officers and a few minor resolutions to be tackled.

But Tuesday night’s St. Martin Parish Council meeting was also a celebration of the life of Renee Landry Hoffpauir, a longtime victim assistance coordinator for the 16th Judicial District Court in St. Martin Parish.

Hoffpauir, who spent more than two decades helping the families of crime victims in the parish, was killed in November in an all-terrain vehicle crash.

Parish President Chester Cedars, who worked with Hoffpauir for most of her tenure when he was an assistant district attorney for the 16th JDC, was visibly moved as he read the resolution the council passed naming the first day of spring each year as Victims Rights Day in St. Martin Parish.

“I cannot emphasize how important she was to victim’s rights in St. Martin Parish,” Cedars said.

In presenting Hoffpauir’s children, Ariel and Drake, with a copy of the proclamation, Cedars related a story of finding a card he gave her when he left the District Attorney’s Office.

“I stole this from her desk, but it is probably just a misdemeanor,” he joked, “but it is a capsule of what people said after her death.”

The card, which he read, emphasized Hoffpauir’s positive energy as she worked for those affected by violent crime.

“I will miss you so much,” Cedars read. “You have an uncanny ability to put a smile on your face no matter what adversity you may be facing.”

He said a framed copy of the resolution, with Hoffpauir’s photo, would hang in the St. Martin Parish Courthouse for at least as long as he serves as parish president.

“Thank you for the recognition,” 16th JDC District Attorney Bo Duhé said. “It goes without saying that Renee is irreplaceable.”

The council passed the resolution honoring Hoffpauir with a unanimous second.

In other business, the council selected District 5 Councilman Chris Tauzin as chairman for the coming year, while District 9 Councilman Daniel Richard retained his role as vice-chairman. District 8 Councilman Dean LeBlanc, the outgoing chairman, will serve as the temporary presiding officer in the event that Tauzin and Richard are not able to chair a meeting.