Jurors retain former officer

The transition to a new secretary-treasurer for the Acadia Parish Police Jury will be a smooth one thanks to action approved by the jury at a special meeting Tuesday morning.
The jury voted to retain the services of Richard “Dickie” Latiolais through the May 10 meeting. Latiolais had held the position for four years prior to the jury appointing Laura Faul on Feb. 10.
Through an agreement proposed by Faul and Latiolais and subsequently approved by the full jury on Tuesday, the secretary-treasurer’s annual salary of $50,000 will be pro-rated for that time period with each receiving half.
“That will mean no additional cost to the parish,” Faul said as she explained the proposal to jurors.
Jurors unanimously adopted the pay schedule.
“I think we should thank both of them for working together on this. I applaud them,” said Juror Richard Faul.
“It speaks volumes of how they both consider the parish above themselves,” added David Savoy, jury president.
“I really appreciate Mr. Dickie staying on like he did,” said Juror Charles “Chuck” Broussard. “He didn’t have to do that and I know the (administrative staff) appreciates it, too.”
In an unrelated matter added to the agenda, Tim Benoit, parish animal control officer, was authorized to take into custody a dog belonging to a resident in the Church Point area for “behavior analysis testing.”
According to Richard Faul, a constituent of his alleged that a neighbor’s dog threatened her 6-year-old son and, had it not been for the presence of her 21-year-old step-son, the dog could have seriously injured the young child.
Benoit explained that the same dog, about six months ago, had allegedly attacked and killed that constituent’s pet Yorkie.
“But no one saw the actual attack,” Benoit said. “We don’t know which yard the Yorkie was in when it was attacked and killed.
“Actually, (the constituent) could have been cited for having a dog at large.”
He said the dog in question, a Shepherd mix, “is chained up every time I go by,” adding that, when he last responded to a call there, the dog showed no aggression toward him.
Benoit said the behavior analysis usually takes anywhere from 10 days to two weeks.