By Bonnie Culverhouse
An ordinance that would define Bed & Breakfast facilities was put on hold at Monday’s meeting the Minden City Council.
“I just need more clarification and would like this to go back to a workshop,” said District B councilwoman Terika Williams-Walker. Her motion to table the agenda item passed 3-2, with District A councilman Wayne Edwards and District C councilman Vincen Bradford voting with her.
District D councilman Michael Roy and District E councilwoman Pam Bloxom voted against the delay.
In an agenda workshop last week, Building Official Brent Cooley explained the difference in a Bed & Breakfast business and lodging.
“Our home occupations ordinances don’t even say anything about a Bed & Breakfast,” Cooley pointed out. “The ones (B&Bs) we have now have gone through the planning commission as special exceptions.”
Cooley said if it is a house used for lodging (as a Bed & Breakfast), it can be rented by the room and does not require rezoning to commercial.
A boarding house is when no one lives in a house and the bedrooms are rented separately, hotel style.
“That is a commercial venture, regulated under commercial construction and development,” Cooley said.
Another category falls under Air B&B, which Cooley explained is nothing more than a website where Bed & Breakfasts, lodging houses and hotels are advertised.
“It’s a good time to talk about all of this because it’s coming to us,” Mayor Terry Gardner said at the first workshop.
In other business Monday, the Minden City Council voted unanimously to approve the following items:
- Amendments to the 2020/2021 budget;
- A lease purchase agreement for a backyard bucket truck;
- A lease purchase agreement for a cab tractor and mowing implements;
- Adoption of the 2021 Webster Parish multi-jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan;
- Adoption of a Louisiana compliance questionnaire for the audit period 10/01/2020 through 09/30/2021;
- Authorization for the mayor to enter into a contract for 2022 redistricting project;
- Award surplus bids for two vehicles;
- Budget/financial report; and
- Police report for December 2021.
Adoption of the minutes of the January 2022 meeting and a special session held on January 13 passed by a vote of 3-2, with Walker and Bradford casting the no votes.
