Letters to Leaders

Fri Oct 15

MESSAGE FROM THE PARISH PRESIDENT, OCTOBER 15, 2021

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Friday, October 15, 2021

Good afternoon,

Debris removal remains the top priority for St. Tammany Parish Government.

Since we started pickup on September 8, more than 740,000 cubic yards of debris has been removed throughout St. Tammany Parish. Our debris contractor, DRC Emergency Services, has recently added more trucks to their fleet, totaling more than 80 trucks daily, expediting the process.

We are fully aware of the needs of our community and I want to assure you that we will not stop until all debris is removed.

While leading this charge, I am also working to return our communities to normalcy. There are many events happening around our Parish from races to farmer’s markets and you can find the dates and times for all of them at Louisiana Northshore.

One event that is coming up, that is important for our neighbors, is the Household Hazardous Waste Day held by Keep St. Tammany Beautiful. We are excited to be able to once again give our citizens the opportunity to responsibly dispose of their household hazardous waste. It will be held on Saturday, October 23, 2021 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Park-N-Ride adjacent to the Northshore Harbor Center in Slidell.

I am looking forward to getting St. Tammany Parish cleaned up and back to normal in time for our fall and winter festivities in the coming months. We appreciate your continued patience while our storm recovery efforts ensue.

As always, should you have questions or if I may be of assistance to you in any way, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Stay Safe,
Regards,

Michael B. Cooper
Parish President

Fri Aug 27

MESSAGE FROM THE PARISH PRESIDENT, AUGUST 27, 2021

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Friday, August 27, 2021

Good afternoon,

As you know, Ida is now officially a hurricane. The National Weather Service currently has Southeast Louisiana and Coastal Mississippi under a Hurricane Watch and Storm Surge Watch.

Parish Public Works crews have staged equipment in strategic locations, cleared drainage ditches and pumped down detention ponds. We have taken all measures to ensure St. Tammany Parish is prepared.

I am encouraging all citizens to make sure that their family, friends and neighbors have a plan for severe weather. Visit our Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness page to learn more about how to be prepared, and if you have not already done so, sign up for Alert St. Tammany to receive weather updates and warnings should they be issued.

All St. Tammany Parish Government buildings will close today at 4:30 p.m. and are expected to reopen when it is safe.

Self-serve sandbag locations opened up today at 8:00 a.m. and will remain open until dusk tomorrow, August 28. Sandbag locations are at:

Covington Public Works Barn @ 1305 N. Florida Street, Covington
Koop Drive @ 21410 Koop Drive, Building B, Mandeville
Fritchie Public Works Barn @ 63119 HWY 1090, Pearl River
Airport Road Public Works Barn @ 34583 Grantham College Road, Slidell
Keller Public Works Barn @ 63131 Fish Hatchery Road, Lacombe
The Old Levee District Site @ 61134 Military Road (HWY 190), Slidell

These locations will have sand and bags provided. Residents are asked to bring their own shovels in case all shovels provided are in use. In addition, residents are asked to limit the number of sandbags to 15 per vehicle.

I held a press conference today at the EOC in Covington to provide the media with updates on Hurricane Ida and what our team is doing to prepare, you may view it on our Facebook page. I will continue releasing essential information through our social media and news outlets regularly. Please remain weather aware and have multiple sources of receiving these updates as they are released.

As always, should you have questions or if I may be of assistance to you in any way, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Stay Safe,
Regards,

Michael B. Cooper
Parish President

Wed Aug 18

MESSAGE FROM THE PARISH PRESIDENT, AUGUST 18, 2021

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Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Good afternoon,

We can officially say that more St. Tammany Parish citizens are vaccinated for COVID-19, than not. Currently 51% of our neighbors have received their first dose, while 42.6% are fully vaccinated. Vaccinations have risen substantially in the past several weeks from 43.6% (first dose), from when I held the initial press conference addressing the 4^th surge of COVID-19.

As more St. Tammany Parish residents make the decision to receive the vaccine, it is critical that we continue to maintain social distance and mask up when in public. Our main goal right now is to relieve the immense amount of pressure that rests on the shoulders of our hospitals and medical staff. It is my sincerest intentions to keep St. Tammany Parish open for business, but it will require the efforts of us all together.

St. Tammany Parish Government has made great strides to improve infrastructure, procedures and continue operations since March 2020.

Recently, we began upgrading Soult Street in Mandeville. The $2.6 million renovations include a mill and asphalt overlay of Soult Street, turn lanes at U.S. 190 & LA 1088, and other turning lane and radius improvements. The project is expected to be complete in Spring 2022.

Furthermore, Public Works crews recently completed erosion repairs on the levee near Oak Harbor Boulevard and U.S. 11 in Slidell. In addition to providing fresh dirt, the crews fertilized and hydro-seeded the area, which has proven to be beneficial in stopping erosion.

Parish employees completed approximately 5700’ of lateral ditch clearing behind the Tuscany subdivision, near I-12/I-59 interchange. I anticipate the cleaning will greatly improve drainage for the neighbors of Tuscany.

As always, should you have questions or if I may be of assistance to you in any way, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Stay Safe,
Regards,

Michael B. Cooper
Parish President

Thu Aug 12

MESSAGE FROM THE PARISH PRESIDENT, AUGUST 12, 2021

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Thursday, August 12, 2021

Good morning,

This past Monday I gathered our Parish medical professionals to inform our community on the COVID-19 pandemic, especially with the rise of the Delta variant and hospitalizations.

Without a doubt, this fourth surge of COVID-19 is the most dangerous and prolific we have endured. Within two weeks, one St. Tammany Parish hospital reported an increase from 66 to 115 hospitalizations. Hospital beds are dwindling rapidly and staff are exhausted.

Now more than ever, we are asking our citizens to keep their guards up regarding COVID-19. As our doctors shared on Monday, taking all mitigation precautions to slow the spread of this highly transmissible virus is strongly recommended. Please consult with your medical professional to see if vaccination is a viable decision for you and your family.

Our schools, businesses, and churches are open. It is my most sincere intention to keep it that way, but the efforts to do so will require all of us together.

While we continue the fight against COVID-19, St. Tammany Parish Government remains open and is diligently working to improve our Parish. On the latest edition of my monthly show, Open Mike, I spoke about one of the many creative ways we are addressing current and future needs in upgrading water quality in St. Tammany Parish. Our Parish Landscape Architect, Spaff Goodnow, provided insight into pond maintenance, which has a multitude of benefits.

While water hyacinth may seem like an ordinary plant, it has taken over some of our ponds, especially the Turtle Creek pond in the Slidell area and the Del Sol pond in the Covington area. By removing the water hyacinth from the pond, we were able to improve drainage and eliminate mosquito hot beds.

These are just a few of the ways we are working to improve our natural water ecosystem and infrastructure. If you wish to hear more about how we are improving the water system in your community, you may view this month’s edition of Open Mike here.

As always, should you have questions or if I may be of assistance to you in any way, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Stay Safe,
Regards,

Michael B. Cooper
Parish President

Fri Aug 6

A Parish Update Addressing Executive Order 08.04.2021

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Friday, August 6, 2021

Good afternoon,

As I am sure all of you have seen, there have been countless posts distracting from the efforts of St. Tammany Parish Government to mitigate COVID-19. Through misinterpretation of the Executive Order that I signed on Tuesday, August 3, 2021, these posts have redirected the focus of our plea to MASK UP.

While the purpose of the Executive Order provides for an indoor mask mandate, the third paragraph on the last page details Parish government’s abilities to assist citizens in an emergency situation as provided for in state law.

Thursday evening, social media posts contained false information, which was a clear misunderstanding of that statute.

All of the fear-mongering is deflecting from the most important, real issue St. Tammany Parish is dealing with currently – the steepest surge of COVID-19 in the past 18 months.

The critical care units at our hospitals are at capacity. Our doctors, nurses and medical personnel are spread thin. Emergency medical service providers are short-staffed and over-worked.

As we all know, COVID-19 does not discriminate when it chooses its next victim.

I am a man, who passionately cares about my community, but I am not a medical professional. I adhere to the advice of our medical advisors when making decisions for our Parish as a whole.

Click this link to view a message that I sent to the citizens of St. Tammany earlier today.

Regards,

Michael B. Cooper
Parish President

Wed Aug 4

MESSAGE FROM THE PARISH PRESIDENT, AUGUST 4, 2021

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Wednesday, August 4, 2021

Good afternoon,

With the interest of the health and safety of our citizens in mind, I am following the advice of medical professionals in re-issuing the mask mandate in St. Tammany Parish.

Over the last 18 months, we have made remarkable efforts in mitigating the spread of COVID-19, however, all progress has been lost. Sadly, COVID-19 cases continue to skyrocket, well beyond previous records set earlier this year. Local hospitals have also reported record hospitalizations with no signs of slowing down. The Louisiana Department of Health recently reported a 17.7% positivity rate in St. Tammany, which is the highest since December 2020 (16.7%).

Now is the time to refocus our efforts once again on mitigating the spread of the virus. In order to move forward together, we are encouraging all able citizens who have not been vaccinated to do so and wear a mask when with others.

I am pleased to share that single-dose vaccinations in St. Tammany have risen steadily for the last two weeks to 47%. While we have made great strides, they are simply not enough. With an exponential surge to our average daily case count per 100,000 residents, Louisiana is currently ranked as the highest in the country. We must act now more than ever.

Soon, schools will once again be filled with faculty and students. We are encouraging all parents to consult their medical professionals regarding vaccinating their children before they attend school and follow CDC guidelines with regards to masking.

By working together, we can overcome this public health crisis. I know our citizens are exhausted. We all are, but we have not crossed the finish line yet. I challenge each of you to take personal responsibility and to help us move forward towards a healthy and normal future.

As always, should you have questions or if I may be of assistance to you in any way, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Stay Safe!

Regards,

Michael B. Cooper
Parish President

Fri Jun 11

MESSAGE FROM THE PARISH PRESIDENT, JUNE 11, 2021

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Friday, June 11, 2021

Good morning,

It has been six weeks since the Governor’s decision to lift the statewide mask mandate, leaving masking policies up to local governments. As you know, we opted out of the mask mandate and no longer require masks, with the exception of those places and agencies remaining under the Governor’s Order.

I am pleased to report -- our percent positivity rates have remained around 2%. Our vaccination rates are still among the highest in the state, although we have seen a reduction in the amount of vaccines we are dosing at each event. I believe it is important to get the word out about vaccination events and the availability of vaccines in order to keep our percent positivity rates low. Vaccines are also available at local pharmacies.

Hurricane season is upon us and we are continuously monitoring activity in the Gulf of Mexico. As you know, we can never be too prepared for extreme weather. Our desire for preparedness is why we choose to keep our citizens informed about the vaccines. Should we have a situation where storm shelters are activated and our citizens are kept in close proximity to one another, vaccinations could be a factor in mitigating a spike in COVID cases.

Our community has been diligent with their efforts to fight against the spread of COVID-19 and because of their hard work, we have been able to balance the health of our economy with the health our community. We will continue that balance going forward, in working with the citizens of St. Tammany to be as healthy as possible.

As always, should you have questions or if I may be of assistance to you in any way, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Stay Safe!

Regards,

Michael B. Cooper
Parish President

Wed Jun 2

MESSAGE FROM THE PARISH PRESIDENT, JUNE 2, 2021

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Wednesday, June 2, 2021

Good afternoon,

The 2021 Atlantic hurricane season has begun. We have been working year-round to ensure that we are prepared for any situation that may arise. I ask that you also be prepared by reviewing your plans and checking supplies.

For information on hurricane preparedness, visit our Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness webpage. You can view links to Evacuation Routes, Emergency Supplies Check Lists and a sign-up link for Alert St. Tammany. While we are not in control of the weather, we can do our part to engage with our citizens and disseminate critical information on how to be properly equipped and weather aware.

Being weather aware goes hand in hand with being hurricane strong. Hurricane strong is about working together within our communities, practicing personal safety, family preparedness and damage prevention, while communicating the importance of these efforts with our neighbors.

St. Tammany Parish has been recognized by the National Weather Service as a StormReady Community, which means being prepared when severe weather strikes through advanced planning, education and awareness. No community is storm proof, but being StormReady can help save lives.

We pray that this year is less active than the last, but we are prepared as leaders and emergency personnel to guide St. Tammany through any hurricane season.

As always, should you have questions or if I may be of assistance to you in any way, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Stay Safe!

Regards,

Michael B. Cooper
Parish President

Thu May 27

MESSAGE FROM THE PARISH PRESIDENT, MAY 27, 2021

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Thursday, May 27, 2021

Good afternoon,

We had a tremendous turnout last week at our groundbreaking for the new Training and Education Center on our Safe Haven Campus. Governor Edwards, Archbishop Gregory Aymond, and Safe Haven Foundation Chairman Jack Donahue were all in attendance, along with many other state and local elected officials and community leaders.

If you were unable to attend and would like to view the press conference from the event, you may click here.

Our COVID-19 positivity rate for the past week is at 1.4%, the lowest rate we have seen this year. With our vaccination rates among the highest in the state, we are proud of our citizenry for taking advantage of the vaccine and maintaining personal responsibility to continue mitigating the spread of the virus.

On Monday, May 31, all St. Tammany Parish Government offices will be closed in observance of Memorial Day. I ask that all of our citizens take a moment to honor our nation’s fallen heroes. I will be attending the Memorial Day Ceremony at 10:00am, hosted by the Robert H. Burns American Legion Post #16, at the St. Tammany Justice Center. You may find more information about the ceremony here.

As always, should you have questions or if I may be of assistance to you in any way, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Stay Safe!

Regards,

Michael B. Cooper
Parish President

More...

Fri May 21

MESSAGE FROM THE PARISH PRESIDENT, MAY 21, 2021

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Friday, May 21, 2021

Good morning,

Yesterday, I presented my State of the Parish Address before a sold-out St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce event. In attendance were many local dignitaries, community leaders and members of the Chamber of Commerce.

In my address, I covered a wide variety of topics including: our drainage and infrastructure projects, mental health initiatives, our Comprehensive Plan update process, improvements at the Department of Animal Services, and more! We looked back on 2020 and the events that taught us so much, but more importantly, we talked about the first quarter of this year, and the progress that we have made thus far. If you would like to stay in the know about what is happening in our Parish, you may subscribe to our newsletter here.

This morning I will be attending a ceremonial groundbreaking at the Safe Haven Campus for the Training and Education Center. I will be joined by Governor John Bel Edwards, Archbishop Gregory Aymond, and the Safe Haven Foundation Chairman Jack Donahue. All are invited to attend the 11 a.m. event.

The Safe Haven Training and Education Center will provide innovative learning and focus on behavioral health, as well as provide a state-of-the-art meeting and conference space.

The Training and Education Center is scheduled to be completed in the Winter of 2022. For more information about the Safe Haven Campus, please visit www.safehavenstp.org.

As always, should you have questions or if I may be of assistance to you in any way, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Stay Safe!

Regards,

Michael B. Cooper
Parish President

Thu May 13

MESSAGE FROM THE PARISH PRESIDENT, MAY 13, 2021

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Thursday, May 13, 2021

Good morning,

This week is Hurricane Preparedness Week; a perfect time to review plans and check supplies before the official start of hurricane season on June 1, 2021.

The 2020 Atlantic hurricane season was the most active season ever recorded with 30 named storms - 14 developing into hurricanes - and recorded damages of more than $51.146 billion. While we cannot control the weather, we can do our part to engage with our citizens and to disseminate critical information about how to be properly equipped and weather aware. I recommend visiting St. Tammany’s Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness website for tips and information. On our site, you will see many links to documents such as Evacuation Routes, Emergency Supply Check Lists, and a sign-up link for Alert St. Tammany.

Alert St. Tammany is a great tool to show our citizens that when an emergency threatens our community, St. Tammany Parish is ready to respond quickly. It is one way you may receive updates and warnings should they be issued; however, we recommend everyone have multiple ways to receive information in case of an emergency. Being hurricane strong is about working together within our communities. We must practice personal safety, family preparedness, and damage prevention, while communicating the importance of these efforts with our neighbors.

St. Tammany Parish has been recognized by the National Weather Service as a StormReady Community. Being StormReady means being prepared when severe weather strikes through advanced planning, education and awareness. No community is storm proof, but being StormReady can help save lives.

As always, should you have questions or if I may be of assistance to you in any way, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Stay Safe!

Regards,

Michael B. Cooper
Parish President

Thu May 6

MESSAGE FROM THE PARISH PRESIDENT, MAY 6, 2021

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Thursday, May 6, 2021

Good morning,

At the Parish Council meeting tonight, I will be presenting a Proclamation recognizing this month as Mental Health Awareness month in St. Tammany Parish. It is a priority of mine to increase public understanding of mental health and to promote identification and treatment of mental illness in our communities.

As community leaders, it is important that we take initiative to promote mental health awareness. With the easing of masking restrictions and Phase III guidelines, there will be more opportunities for our citizens to reconnect in our community. It is my hope that during the month of May, you will join me in encouraging safe and responsible ways for citizens to unwind, take care of themselves, and socialize with others, as recommended by the CDC.

There are two events this month that highlight mental health in our communities:

On Saturday, May 8^th, Safe Haven Foundation will hold their annual fundraiser, Picnic with a Purpose. The beneficiary of this year's event is the new Training and Education Center. For complete details, you may visit picnicwithapurpose.org.
On Saturday, May 22^nd, NAMIWalks St. Tammany will be hosted on the Safe Haven Campus. NAMIWalks Your Way: A United Day of Hope is an event that celebrates mental health for all. A virtual option will also be available for those who cannot physically attend on campus. For more detailed information, visit NAMI St. Tammany here.

As always, should you have questions or if I may be of assistance to you in any way, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Stay Safe!

Regards,

Michael B. Cooper
Parish President

Thu Apr 29

MESSAGE FROM THE PARISH PRESIDENT, APRIL 29, 2021

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Thursday, April 29, 2021

Good afternoon,

On Tuesday, April 27, Governor Edwards announced his decision to ease some of the restrictions of the statewide mask mandate, leaving decisions regarding stricter masking policies to our local governments. I am happy to announce, St. Tammany Parish will be opting out of the parish wide mask mandate. By signing an Executive Order easing Phase III restrictions, wearing masks will no longer be required, with the exception of mandates remaining under the Governor’s Order.

You may read Proclamation No. 79 JBE 2021 here.

I am confident in our citizen’s commitment to health and safety. We are among the highest in the state for vaccinations, and we are seeing sustained decreases in our percent positivity rates as well, currently at 1.9 percent. If you would like to learn more about the vaccine or how to make an appointment to get vaccinated, you may do so here.

I want to encourage our citizens to keep taking the necessary safety precautions to continue mitigating the spread of COVID-19. We are making great progress, but we are not out of the woods entirely yet. Masks are still encouraged for those who wish to continue wearing them.

My top priority is to keep us moving forward, by balancing the health of our community with the health of our economy.

As always, should you have questions or if I may be of assistance to you in any way, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Stay Safe!

Regards,

Michael B. Cooper
Parish President