Minden City Council Finally Meets, Mayor Hires New City Attorney

Written by on May 27, 2020

After nearly two months of not being able to meet due to a lack of quorum, the Minden City Council was finally able to hold a meeting on Wednesday morning. The one item agenda, approved by the council unanimously, was a resolution authorizing the Mayor to accept Grant No. 3-22-032-014-2020 “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act-Airports Grant” from the Federal Aviation Administration. The grant helps to offset a decline in revenue because of diminished airport operations and activities at Minden Airport due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The amount is approximately $30,000 to be awarded to the city airport. The amount was in jeopardy of being lost due to the failure of the Minden City Council to hold regular scheduled meetings in April and May and several special sessions after the regular May meeting. All four members were in attendance, but none had comments following the vote. The council is scheduled to meet for their regular June meeting on Monday at 5:30 pm.

Approximately two hours after the meeting, Minden Mayor Terry Gardner issued a proclamation announcing the hiring of a new City Attorney, Jimbo Yocom. According to the proclamation, Gardner had several reasons for making the appointment.

  • A State of Public Health Emergency has been in place since March 23rd and is still in effect in the city of Minden.
  • The current City Attorney, Charles Minifield, will be retiring effective May 31st.
  • The failure of the Minden City Council to meet and appoint a new City Attorney at the last two regular scheduled meetings, plus special called meetings.

Gardner stated in the proclamation that under Louisiana Revised Statute 29:737 et. seq., that he is allowed to suspend Section 2-16 of the city’s Code of Ordinance during the Public Health Emergency, to hire Jimmy W. “Jimbo” Yocom, Jr. to serve as the city attorney. Yocom, a Minden native, graduated Summa Cum Laude from the Mississippi College School of Law in Jackson, Mississippi and returned to Minden to open a law office, Yocom Law Firm, LLC. Yocom currently serves as an Assistant District Attorney for the 26th Judicial District. In an email, Gardner stated that “I am very pleased to welcome Mr. Yocom aboard and look forward to working with him.”

See the full proclamation here.


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