[StBernard] Council's quick fix ends lease conflict

[Westley Annis]

In an effort to save a $300,000 volunteer-sponsored rehabilitation of the
Edward A. Kattengell Center gym and accompanying field in Arabi, the St.
Bernard Parish Council met in special session Tuesday to iron out a
disagreement between the council and Parish President Henry "Junior"
Rodriguez's administration over the wording of a long-term operating lease. 
 
Operation Blessing, the humanitarian arm of Pat Robertson's Christian
Broadcasting Network, donated $200,000 to repair the wooden gym and has
coordinated volunteers and raised an additional $100,000 in donations for
the entire facelift, said Jody Herrington, the group's director for U.S.
disaster relief. 
 
The parish owns the circa-1932 facility, but, once rebuilt, it will be
maintained and operated by the City of Hope, the nonprofit humanitarian arm
of Adullam Christian Fellowship, a Chalmette nondenominational church, under
a lease approved by the Parish Council last week. 
 
Although volunteer work is expected to be completed in mid-May, Herrington
said the national funding would cease if the lease was not signed
immediately.
 
"That's not a threat, but I answer to people myself," Herrington told the
council. "We are committed to it, but at the same time, we cannot go forward
if it is not signed today." 
Per parish attorney David Paysee's advice, the Rodriguez administration said
the parish lease should include a paragraph requiring City of Hope to get
all groups that use the facility to sign an agreement that the activities
would be nonsecular. 
 
The council strongly objected and deleted that clause last week because
council members said it was cumbersome. But Parish Chief Administrative
Officer Dave Peralta wouldn't sign without seeking additional legal advice. 
 
Ultimately, the council decided to reinstate the clause Tuesday so the lease
could be signed. 
 
Adullam Pastor Randy Millet, who also is president of City of Hope, said the
requirement will be burdensome, but he appreciates the cooperation of the
council and administration, and would abide by the clause. 
 
"I personally am very thankful to the parish government, the council and
respect their authority and leadership, and I'm not going to let the extra
paperwork stop us from having a park like this for the children and the
citizens of this parish to help them return to normalcy," he said. 
 
Last week, Millet told the council the gym and park will be used solely for
recreational purposes for all children and residents of the parish. 
 
The gym will house a recreational boxing program, as well as informal
volleyball and basketball games that will be open to the public. The
adjacent field has been leveled and reseeded so it can support an adult
soccer field and two youth soccer fields. Adjacent to the field will be a
half-mile walking path from the park to the Mississippi River.