It’s probably a good thing that Bossier Councilman David Montgomery, aka King David, missed the council meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 16.
If he had been in attendance, his normal ranting and raving could have caused him to suffer cardiac arrest.
A last-minute (literally) resolution of closing the Old Shed Road rail crossing was introduced with no prior notice to the public.
The basis of the resolution was a letter from Union Pacific Railroad denying a request by Bossier City to keep the rail crossing open after completion of the Walter O. Bigby Carriageway. Much like the last-minute resolution, a copy of the letter was not made available to the public. (A public records request was made by email at the meeting by this author.)
After much thoughtful discussion, Councilman Jeff Darby made a motion to continue the resolution until the council’s next meeting on Nov. 30.
The resolution passed on a 4-2 vote, with Darby, Jeff Free, “Bubba” Don Williams and Chris Smith voting for the delay. Interim appointee Scott Irwin and Vince Maggio voted against the delay. Irwin is always a King David tagalong, and Maggio’s political naivety was on full display. (And this guy wants to be the next mayor?)
Councilman Darby is to be commended for his initiative. Although the council clerk and City Attorney Charles “Zamboni” Jacobs opined that the Open Meetings Law allowed the oral introduction of a resolution without public notice, Darby’s comments supported the spirit of the Open Meetings Law.
