Parish President's Welcome
Welcome to St. John the Baptist Parish
May 1, 2010 marked the beginning of a new era for St. John the Baptist Parish and it is an honor to serve as St. John’s Parish President. Since being elected, my administration has been committed to working in partnership with the Parish Council, citizens, stakeholders, and our state and federal partners to rebuild the trust of the community and to ensure that government operates in a manner that is ethical and ensures transparency.
My administration hit the ground running and has overhauled the way we do business in St. John Parish. Presidential Advisory Committees (PACs) held numerous public meetings to gather input on and to study parish policies and procedures. These committees were comprised of a diverse group of citizens who volunteered their time to analyze current functions and make recommendations to enhance parish operations in finance, community development and neighborhoods, human resources policies, economic development, infrastructure improvements, public safety and recreation. These recommendations will be used to develop a Five-Year Strategic Plan for the future of St. John Parish.
Our goal is to develop programs that promote economic development, improve the quality of life for our citizens, and support Parish growth. The pursuit of economic development opportunities for local residents and marketing our parish to potential employers and homeowners remain a top priority. We must also continue to support our small businesses, by providing programs and guidance to assist with rentention and expansion. The recent census figures indicate significant growth since 2000. Our parish is home to 46,000 people, suggesting that St. John is a great place to live and work.
However, to support continued growth and prosperity, a commitment has been made to invest in long-standing infrastructure needs. To that end, millions of dollars in capital projects are underway to make substantial improvement to our roads, drainage, water, and wastewater systems. Additional improvements address our parish buildings, recreational facilities, parks, and boat launches. Canals, such as the Hope Canal in Garyville, which have not been cleaned in decades are not in process, with some 23 more canal permits in the works. Miles of ditches and culverts throughout the parish have been cleaned to help with overall drainage, while water capacity needs are being addressed through plant upgrades, storage tank repairs and implementation of preventive maintenance systems at all treatment facilities.
We are working hard to ensure that government operates in an honest and open manner while providing services as efficiently as possible. In an effort to do this, the first annual governmental ethics seminar was held for all administrative staff and elected officials. Additionally, uniform standards for purchasing and contract procurement were established and are available for public review. A new website has been launched to increase the number and scope of services available over the internet and all contracts, documents, procedures and capital projects have been made available online for review and monitoring.
We continue to work with our neighboring parishes, the Port of South Louisiana, the River Parishes Tourist Commission, and the River Region Chamber of Commerce to promote and enhance the region. We welcome public – private partnerships and look forward to continuing to make St. John the Baptist Parish the best place to live, work, and raise a family.
Natalie Robottom
Parish President
St. John the Baptist Parish