MAY 21, 2025      

St. Tammany Parish Recreation district #11

22519 HWY. 36, Abita Springs, La. 70420

    Rd11director@abitasports.com, 985-888-6547

     Brandon Harrell, Board Chairman                                                      Bart Soileau 

 Scott Newton                                                                                         Larry Route

               Steve “Rock” Ruiz                                                                                Lisa Palisi, Director                              

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              Notice of Public Board Meeting

Wednesday, May 20, 2025 at 7:00 P.M.

St. Tammany Recreation District #11 Gym

Multi-Use Facility – Conference Room

22519 HWY. 36 East, Abita Springs, LA

Notice Posted:  Tuesday, May 19, 2025 at 4:00 P.M

Agenda:

1.      Call to Order

2.      Pledge of Allegiance

3.      Roll Call

4.      Approval of Minutes from last meeting/hearing

5.      Public Forum

6.      Old Business

a.       Financial Report

b.      Director’s Report – Lisa Palisi

7.      New Business

a.      Grant Schlueter, bond attorney to discuss possible election to include a recently annexed portion of property in the millage

8.      Adjournment – Next monthly regular Board meeting – June 17, 2025

 In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance, please contact Park Director Lisa Palisi at 985-871-7555, describing the assistance that is necessary.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                March 18, 2025 Board Meeting Minutes       

Called to order: 7:18

Roll Call: Scott Newton, Rock Ruiz, Bart Soileau, Larry Route, Brandon Harrell

Absent: None

Also in attendance:   Lisa Palisi

Motion to approve minutes from previous meeting: Motion by Rock Ruiz.  Second by Bart Soileau.

All in favor. Motion to approve minutes passes unanimously.

No Public Forum. 

Financial report: Financial report. 

Lisa will ask Howard to explain.   Bart asked if the concerns over how items in the budget are being organized has been corrected.  Lisa reported that Bridgett came to the office to meet with Jamie and Lisa to go over how expenses and deposits are classified.  Chris and Autumn have the financial information to go over, so if there is anything else that needs to be moved, they will let us know.  Rock asked what is allowance for bad debt on the general ledger.  Lisa will ask Howard to explain. Rock asked question about shopping insurance.  Lisa explained that the agent always shops the policies.  He offered to meet with Lisa to look at our coverages to see if he can recommend anything, and he said that we should always shop insurance to make sure we are getting the best price. 

Director’s report by Lisa.  Soccer games are going on at the park.  Baseball practices started last week.

We had a few batting clinics for baseball and clinics for softball with batting and pitching.  Practice fields are tight especially on Thursdays since we still have soccer going on, but we’re making it work.  The backflow preventer has been installed at the park.  We need to move some money out of the CBT Account. Marcus called again to see if the park is still interested in the maintenance of the Abita Golf Course.  Rock said that he would talk with the guy at first tee.  Bart reported that he saw that they are holding a camp at 365 Baseball.  He would like us to try to work with them to offer something at the park.  Brandon asked where we are on wetlands mitigation.  Lisa stated that we are waiting for the permit to be issued.  Brandon would like to start clearing and developing that property as soon as we get the permit.  Brandon also asked about the decision regarding painting the pickleball courts in the gym.  Lisa reported that she is waiting to see if Covington flooring agrees to paint 4 courts for $5,000.

Next meeting is April 15, 2025.

Meeting adjourned: 7:38

JUNE 17, 2025      

  St. Tammany Parish Recreation District #11                                                               

   22519 Highway 36, Abita Springs, La.  70420                                                          

 985-888-6547

Notice Posted:  Friday, June 13, 2025 at 4:00 P.M.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING

A public meeting will be held as follows:

DATE:                          Tuesday, June 17, 2025

TIME:                           7:00 P.M.

PLACE OF MEETING:   St. Tammany Recreation District #11 Gym

                                       Multi-Use Facility – Conference Room

                                       22519 HWY. 36 East, Abita Springs, La.

AGENDA:

1.      Call to Order

2.      Pledge of Allegiance

3.      Roll Call

4.      Approval of Minutes from last meeting/hearing, May 21, 2025

5.      Public Forum

6.      Old Business

a.       Financial Report

b.      Director’s Report – Lisa Palisi

7.      New Business

a.       Adopt 2025 millage rate

b.      Read announcement regarding July meeting to request an election

c.       Executive session to discuss possible purchase of additional property

8.      Adjournment – Next monthly regular Board meeting – July 15, 2025.

      Brandon Harrell

                                                      St. Tammany Parish Recreation District #11

                                                  22519 Hwy. 36, Abita Springs, La. 70420

                                                                                                                           985-888-6547

 In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance, please contact Park Director Lisa Palisi at 985-888-6547 describing the assistance that is necessary.

                    Board Meeting Minutes May 21, 2025

Called to order: 7:15

Roll Call: Bart Soileau, Rock Ruiz, Scott Newton, Brandon Harrell

Absent: Larry Route

Also in attendance:   Grant Schlueter, Lisa Palisi

New Business:  Grant Schlueter reminded the board that the current millage goes through 2032 which gives the board seven years of borrowing potential.  He stated that since Recreation District #7 released a portion of their district to Recreation District #11, the board can do what is called an in lieu of millage election which substitutes for the old tax.  The purpose would be to include the annexed area in taxes.  This in lieu of tax could be for 10 years or 20 years.  The next available election date is November 15, 2025.  If the board would like to go forward with an election, two board meetings are required.  At the first meeting, the board must declare the intention to have an election.  The intention must be read aloud at the board meeting, published in the official journal, and sent to the Parish council.  At the second meeting, the board would declare the intent to have the election.  Two things are needed for the second meeting.  From the Assessor’s Office, the taxable assessed valuation of the entire recreation district is needed to be able to state the dollar amount the millage would bring in to the district.  From the Registrar of Voters Office, the list of polling places areawide, including polling districts in the newly annexed area, is needed for the election.  Grant then went on to inform the board that they may purchase land, but prior to disbursing any money for projects or a purchase, he advises the board to adopt a resolution to reimburse expenses with a future bond.  He informed the board that there are actually three (3) dates to levy on the 2026 tax roll; November 15, 2025, and two spring dates, April 18, 2026 and May 30, 2026.  For the April election, the state will pay half the cost of the election.  Grant and the board discussed this information.  The board discussed informing the public, and Grant reported that the school board put information on their website that was very informative regarding their bond election.  He also stated that we can prepare a flyer with information and send it to him to make sure the rules regarding elections are followed so that we do not have any violations in the information. He suggested giving as much information as possible since transparency is important. Brandon thanked Grant for attending the meeting to discuss these matters with the board.

Motion to approve minutes from previous meeting: Tabled until next month.

No Public Forum. 

Motion to accept the financial report: Scott Newton made the motion to accept the financial reports from the past two months.  Second by Rock Ruiz.

Public Forum:  None.

Brandon asked Lisa to plan for an executive session at the next board meeting, and to ask Emily Couvillion to attend so that the board can discuss the land purchase.

Director’s report by Lisa.  Baseball season is mostly finished with Lee Road still having a couple of rescheduled games to play.  8U and 10U all stars started practicing this week, and will participate in a tournament in Pearl River.  They will play two games each week, then have a single elimination tournament the first week of July.

Lisa mentioned that she has concerns about 6U baseball due to having low numbers, and the catcher’s equipment doesn’t fit them properly, so you can’t start teaching catching until 7/8.

Lisa brought fall registration flyers to the schools last week since registration takes place over the summer from July 1 through July 30.  We will have the summer camps in July for football conditioning and soccer on Mondays and
Wednesdays.  Lisa then reported that the Town of Abita Springs had to give a comment period until April 20 for the town engineers to look at our plans regarding developing fields next to the gym.  They sent a letter to Kelly with some questions about managing runoff.  Kelly McHugh sent Lisa an email today regarding addressing the town’s concerns, so he will need to redo the site plan and hydrology analysis which means we’ll have more ponds and less fields.  Mr. Brown’s office asked Lisa to write a letter to the Army

Corps stating why we should be allowed to develop the land which Lisa provided to the board.  Lisa informed the board that when the electrician came out to the gym to look at gym lights that were blinking, he discovered that the lights we have are obsolete.  He can no longer get the replacement fixtures, so he prepared an estimate to replace them.  Scott Newton made a motion to accept the Case bid.  Second by Brandon.  Motion passes unanimously.

Next meeting is June 17, 2025.

Meeting adjourned: 8:35

JULY 15, 2025      

                      St. Tammany Parish Recreation District #11                                                                                     22519 Highway 36, Abita Springs, La.                                                                                                                              985-888-6547

Notice Posted:  Monday, July 14, 2025 at 4:00 P.M.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING

A public meeting will be held as follows:

DATE:                          Tuesday, July 15, 2025

TIME:                           7:00 P.M.

PLACE OF MEETING:   St. Tammany Recreation District #11 Gym

                                          Multi-Use Facility – Conference Room

                                       22519 HWY. 36 East, Abita Springs, La.

AGENDA:

1.      Call to Order

2.      Pledge of Allegiance

3.      Roll Call

4.      Approval of Minutes from last meeting/hearing, June 17, 2025

5.      Public Forum

6.      Old Business

a.       Financial Report

b.      Director’s Report – Lisa Palisi

7.      New Business

a.       Adopt Resolution Calling for a Special Election to authorize the levy of a special tax.

8.      Adjournment – Next monthly regular Board meeting – August 19, 2025.

      Brandon Harrell

                                                      St. Tammany Parish Recreation District #11

                                                  22519 Hwy. 36, Abita Springs, La. 70420

                                                                                                                           985-888-6547

 In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance, please contact Park Director Lisa Palisi at 985-888-6547 describing the assistance that is necessary.

Board Meeting Minutes June 17, 2025

Called to order: 7:00

Roll Call: Bart Soileau, Steven Rock Ruiz, Scott Newton, Larry Route

Absent: None

Also in attendance:   Emily Couvillion, Lisa Palisi

No Public Forum. 

Motion to approve minutes from May meeting: Scott Newton.  Second by Rock Ruiz.

Motion to accept the financial report: Scott Newton. Second by Larry Route.

Director’s report by Lisa.  8U and 10U All Stars are still playing in the Pearl River Tournament.  Bart informed the board that the 8U team is having a wonderful experience playing in the tournament. Registration starts July 1 through July 30 for fall sports.  The town had some questions about the development plan regarding drainage.  Kelly McHugh, Thomas Brown, Zack Rudolph, and I met with the town engineers to discuss the town’s concerns, and for Kelly to respond to the questions.  It looks like we will need to add more drainage.

Paused meeting to wait for Brandon Harrell who was still at work. Meeting resumed at 7:43 P.M. Brandon Harrell is now present.

New Business: Adopt the millage rate for 2025.  Brandon read the resolution to adopt the acquisitions and maintenance millage rate of 9.26 for 2025. 

Vote:  Yeas:  5; Bart Soileau, Scott Newton, Rock Ruiz, Brandon Harrell, Larry Route

        Nays:  0

        Abstained:  0

        Absent:  0

For the next item on the agenda, Brandon read the following notice:

Notice is hereby given that at its meeting to be held on Tuesday, July 15, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. at its regular meeting place, the Recreation Gymnasium, 22519 Hwy. 36 East, Abita Springs, Louisiana, the Board of Commissioners of St. Tammany Parish Recreation District No. 11, State of Louisiana, plans to consider adopting a resolution ordering and calling an election to be held in St. Tammany Parish Recreation District No. 11, State of Louisiana to authorize the renewal or replacement of an ad valorem tax therein.

The board then entered into executive session at 7:47 to discuss the preparation of a purchase agreement with Emily Couvillion.

The meeting was resumed at 8:05 to state the results of the executive session. The purchase will be contingent upon an appraisal of the property and on wetlands credits that have already been issued.

Next meeting is July 15, 2025.

Meeting adjourned: 8:06 P.M.

August 19, 2025      

No meeting due to not having a quorum.                                                        

september 16, 2025      

     St. Tammany Parish Recreation District #11                                                                      22519 Highway 36, Abita Springs, La.                                                                        985-888-6547

Notice Posted:  Monday, September 16, 2025 at 5:00 P.M.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETING

A public meeting will be held as follows:

DATE:                          Tuesday, September 16, 2025

TIME:                           7:00 P.M.

PLACE OF MEETING:   St. Tammany Recreation District #11 Gym

                                          Multi-Use Facility – Conference Room

                                       22519 HWY. 36 East, Abita Springs, La.

AGENDA:

1.      Call to Order

2.      Pledge of Allegiance

3.      Roll Call

4.      Approval of Minutes from last meeting/hearing.  No meeting August due to not having a quorum.

5.      Public Forum

6.      Old Business

a.       Financial Report

b.      Director’s Report – Lisa Palisi

7.      New Business

     a.  Discussion of wastewater treatment plant on STPRD#11 property.

           b.  Pitcher and Catcher tryouts for baseball and softball

           c.  Parent requests for coaches – all sports

           d.  Adopt reimbursement resolution

8.      Adjournment – Next monthly regular Board meeting –October 21, 2025.

      Brandon Harrell

                                                      St. Tammany Parish Recreation District #11

                                                  22519 Hwy. 36, Abita Springs, La. 70420

                                                                                                                           985-888-6547

 In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance, please contact Park Director Lisa Palisi at 985-888-6547 describing the assistance that is necessary.