Good Afternoon,

We have been reminded throughout this week of the continued prevalence of COVID-19 in our community. Positive cases continue to increase. I ask that each of us continue to relay messages of prevention through the use of face coverings, physical distancing, the avoidance of large gatherings — particularly with people outside of our households, and the practice of personal hygiene. The key is continuing to work together toward the same goal — protecting the most vulnerable among us, and slowing the spread of COVID-19.

Last evening, Safe Haven reached a milestone. After a Call to Artists earlier this year, 31 healing arts collections by local artists were installed and showcased at the Percent for Art Open House at the Safe Haven Health and Wellness Complex. The Wellness Center houses Louisiana’s first 24-bed Crisis Receiving Center, as well as a third Federally Qualified Health Center to serve the people of St. Tammany.

Over 40 artists with 250 proposals responded to the Call to Artists in the summer of 2020, and five-member Art Advisory Panel selected the final pieces for installation. In addition, several pieces as well as time and expertise were donated by local philanthropists Carlos Sanchez and David Fennelly. In addition to adding a healing component to the Safe Haven Health and Wellness Center, this Call to Artists offered an opportunity to our arts community to find work during this uncertain time, and to add to the success of Safe Haven.

The artwork was funded through the Percent for Art Program at a cost of $24,400. This program stems from an ordinance passed in 2002 which authorizes the allocation of funds for art in the construction of public buildings. For this project, selections were made specifically to enhance the healing environment of the facility. All artwork was installed in adherence to required guidelines for a Behavioral Health facility. You may view the Safe Haven Collection here.

I hope you all have a safe weekend. Should you have questions or if I may be of assistance to you in any way, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Regards,

Michael B. Cooper
Parish President

Good Afternoon,

Earlier this week, we welcomed the end of the 2020 hurricane season. What a season it was! We also announced the approval of our updated, multijurisdictional 2020 Hazard Mitigation Plan by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. This approval secures St. Tammany’s eligibility for Hazard Mitigation grants administered by FEMA including: Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) post-disaster-funding; pre-Disaster Mitigation (PDM), a nationally competitive program for mitigation projects and planning grants; and Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA), a nationally competitive program for Flood Mitigation projects. Continued eligibility for Hazard Mitigation Assistance Grants administered by FEMA — both pre and post-disaster — is vitally important to the resilience of our community.

The significant amount of coordinated work that went into updating this plan cannot be understated, especially in an environment where COVID-19 was a factor. Several municipalities as well as our citizens — through public input meetings — worked together to formulate, update, and prepare the document. The approved, participating jurisdictions include: unincorporated St. Tammany Parish, the Town of Abita Springs, the City of Covington, the Village of Folsom, the Town of Madisonville, the City of Mandeville, the Town of Pearl River, the City of Slidell, and the Village of Sun.

I want to thank everyone involved for making sure St. Tammany remains prepared with a working plan moving forward. You may view the plan here.

As we all know, our COVID-19 numbers are increasing. We, like the hospitals in our area, are closely watching these numbers. We can all help to flatten this new curve, contribute to the recovery, and help our hospitals manage the care of all patients by taking personal responsibility and doing simple things. We all need to continue to physically distance, avoid large gatherings — especially gatherings with people you have not been in contact with recently. If you are out in the community wear a mask — especially when inside local businesses and restaurants. I will reiterate what we have been saying, and that is that I continue to work to balance the health of our community with the health of our economy.  I ask each and every citizen to continue to work with me to achieve this balance. I hope each one of you will continue to help me spread this message.

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

Regards,

Michael B. Cooper
Parish President

Good Afternoon,

I want to wish all of you a safe and Happy Thanksgiving. As I said in my statement early last week, we know these holidays are going to be different due to COVID-19. Based on the Governor’s announcement yesterday of a move to a modified Phase 2, we now have some idea of just how different.

The State of Louisiana is facing an increase that, if not addressed, could lead to further increases and strains on our hospitals. We are back to flattening another curve. St. Tammany Parish’s Percent Positivity Rate is above five percent for the last two reported weeks. For the week of 11/5- 11/11 we stand at 6.20 % and for the week of 11/12- 11/18, reported today, we stand at 8.10%. With this information in-hand, it is evident that in addition to asking citizens to wear their masks, physically distance, and avoid large gatherings with people from outside their own households, we can add that we should avoid the scheduling of public events and festivities that will draw large numbers of people. Hopefully by discouraging such events we will see a stabilization of our numbers.

The Governor has provided a synopsis of the major changes to Louisiana’s COVID-19 restrictions here. In addition, the St. Tammany Economic Recovery and Resiliency Advisory Council has updated our Live Safe. Work Safe. Shop Safe. Action Plan to reflect these changes. You may view it here.

I again want to thank Dr. Charles Preston for joining me to provide a video message urging best preventative practices during the holiday season. You may see and share both messages here: President Cooper PSA , Dr. Preston PSA .

I continue to work to balance the health of our community with the health of our economy, and I ask each and every one of you to join me in appealing to every single citizen to continue to work to achieve this balance by taking the steps necessary to slow the spread of this virus. It is imperative that we take personal responsibility to protect ourselves, one another, and most importantly — the most vulnerable among us.

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

Have a safe, happy, and healthy Thanksgiving!

Thursday, November 19, 2020

Good Afternoon,

The holiday season is essentially upon us, and unfortunately we are simultaneously managing a rise in COVID-19 numbers throughout not only the State, but the nation as well. We have known since the start of 2020 that COVID-19 would impact all aspects of our lives, and the holiday season is no exception. The good news is we are all aware of the mitigation measures in place, recommended by medical professionals, and that will help us slow the spread of the virus. As we have done through every new phase of reopening, we will exercise these measures through the holiday season. Our goal is — and always has been — to balance the health of our community with the health of our economy, and to do our parts to ensure our hospitals have ample resources to treat not only COVID-19 patients, but also patients who have other needs as well.

Each one of us can play a part in helping to protect the most vulnerable among us through personal responsibility. I ask every one of you to help me spread this message. We can do this with a few simple steps. Please keep COVID-19 protective measures in mind when planning your holiday. Physically distance, avoid large gatherings — especially gatherings with people you have not been in contact with recently. If you are out in the community wear a mask — especially when inside businesses and restaurants. Our local businesses need us all to help them mitigate the spread within their establishments so their staffs can stay healthy, and their doors can remain open under Phase 3 guidelines. Thank you all for your help in getting these messages out. Dr. Charles Preston was kind enough to tape a Public Service Announcement (PSA) as a companion to one of my own, to augment this message. You may view them here: President Cooper PSA, Dr. Charles Preston PSA. Please feel free to share these links.

The subject of Mardi Gras planning has been at the forefront this week. I remain in coordinated discussions with the municipalities, public agencies, and medical professionals of St. Tammany as we make decisions to determine the safest possible way to go forward with Mardi Gras 2021. No decisions have been firmly made because much discussion remains. Because of the uncertainty, we will continue to monitor how COVID-19 impacts the Parish and base our decisions on what’s best for the entire community.  May you all have a safe, happy Thanksgiving. Should you have questions or if I may be of assistance to you in any way, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Michael B. Cooper
Parish President