DENHAM SPRINGS, La. — Denham Springs mayoral candidates John Cavalier and Jim Gilbert found broad agreement on the need for a city master plan, clearer rules for businesses, and a thriving downtown during a debate that highlighted different approaches to achieving many of the same goals.
The two candidates fielded questions from the public during the September 1 event hosted by Mustard Seed Creamery and moderated by McHugh David, executive director of the Louisiana Press Association and publisher of The Livingston Parish News.
The third candidate in the race, Ben Harris, withdrew from the debate, citing concerns about ongoing litigation between the city and Mustard Seed Creamery seeking clarification of the city’s alcohol ordinance. The News has sent Harris the debate questions and will publish his responses if he chooses to answer them.
Four of the 10 questions focused on more detailed policy issues and were provided to the candidates in advance, while the remaining six were asked in a traditional debate style, calling for off-the-cuff, unscripted responses.
Gilbert pointed to his City Council service, decades of industrial and emergency response experience, and work as chief of staff to Parish President Randy Delatte. He emphasized his many years of experience in operations and the strength of his ongoing relationships with state and federal officials.
Cavalier, a downtown bookstore owner and member of the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission, emphasized his experience navigating city ordinances as a business owner and the need for clearer rules and greater public participation.
“Operating a small business is basically problem solving,” Cavalier said.
Both returned repeatedly to the need for a master plan to guide decisions about development, infrastructure, and public services, admitting that they might "sound like a broken record at times," but emphasizing their agreement that this is an essential part of moving the city forward.
When asked about the Denham Strong recovery initiative, a community planning effort to guide Denham Springs’ long-term recovery from the August 2016 flood, Cavalier said the plan should provide the foundation for a city master plan, incorporating its unfinished projects alongside existing bicycle, pedestrian, and park plans, along with updated plans to fit the current reality of the city a decade later. He described participating Denham Strong initiative and said he wants to recreate the community involvement that shaped it.
Gilbert agreed that Denham Strong should be central to a broader master plan, and stated that he still had the original plan from 2017 saved on his computer hard drive. He added that progress on the plan had plateaued and the city should be further along in carrying out its goals.
On traffic, Gilbert described a regional approach involving the state Department of Transportation and Development, parish government, and legislators. He discussed proposed changes around Interstate 12 and connecting roads, saying large projects would require outside funding and city money for grant matches.
Cavalier agreed on the need for those partnerships but said a master plan would give the city a stronger basis for communicating its priorities. Residents should help determine what improvements they want, including whether and where additional interstate exits should be pursued, he said.
“It’s not for me to determine. It’s for all of us to determine,” Cavalier said.
Both said they would consider annexation, provided the city carefully weighs the benefits and costs of expanding its boundaries. While one question referenced a declining population, documentation provided by the city showed a drop-off of roughly 1,000 residents - most likely caused by the flood. However, current estimates from the State of Louisiana show that the city has bounced back to pre-flood levels.
Cavalier said that annexation discussions should include both financial considerations and questions about community identity and representation. He identified the Cook Road extension corridor connecting with Juban Crossing as an area worth discussing.
Gilbert said he would look north and east, using feasibility studies to assess areas with commercial potential and any residential areas that might be included.
Asked about improving the city’s Community Rating System standing to help reduce flood insurance costs, Gilbert emphasized regional flood-control projects, property elevations and acquisitions, and continued coordination with the Amite River Basin Commission and other officials.
“We just passed the 10-year mark. This is where people start to get complacent, so we have to keep pushing for these projects,” Gilbert said, referring to the 2016 flood.
Cavalier supported regional efforts while also calling for stronger local stormwater requirements, more pier-and-beam construction, and greater use of permeable pavement to reduce the amount of impervious surface in new development.
Downtown’s future drew support from both candidates, who supported preserving historic properties while encouraging businesses and community activity.
Cavalier called for better pedestrian connections, stronger use of the city’s historic commission, and efforts to fill vacant storefronts. He also proposed exploring a small-business incubator along City Hall’s Range Avenue frontage, creating space to help new businesses get established.
Gilbert said private enterprise should help determine downtown’s direction within a framework of city planning and ordinances. He supported seeking grants to restore historic buildings and improve public spaces, while emphasizing that downtown should remain family-friendly.
He described attending karaoke at Mustard Seed Creamery, where children and older adults participated together, as an example of the family-friendly community atmosphere he wants to encourage.
In response to the question of what change longtime residents might initially find uncomfortable, Gilbert pointed to newer downtown gathering places, including Mustard Seed Creamery, and said he supported the community activity they bring.
Cavalier identified reducing dependence on cars and improving connections between neighborhoods. He said development requirements should encourage walkability and avoid creating isolated neighborhoods with only one way in and out.
The candidates also agreed that the city should work toward reclaiming its Cleanest City recognition through volunteer cleanups and greater civic involvement.
Gilbert proposed reviving efforts to adopt public spaces, organize trash pickups, and bring residents together to clean and maintain downtown. Cavalier endorsed volunteer cleanup efforts and joked that he would drive the city’s street sweeper to work.
The discussion produced one of the debate’s clearest disagreements when Gilbert raised the possibility of stronger tools to address persistently neglected properties.
Gilbert said he would favor reconsidering a proposal that, as he described it, would allow such properties to be sold, with the owners receiving proceeds after fees were deducted. He said it could help address recurring problems with properties whose owners fail to maintain them.
Cavalier said he understood the intention but favored using existing cleanup and lien procedures, which he described as effective, rather than expanding state involvement.
Gilbert responded that repeated cleanups can leave the city caught in a cycle of legal costs and renewed neglect. He described a sale as a last resort to return properties to productive use.
On permitting, both candidates called for changes that would make requirements easier to understand and navigate.
Gilbert said he wants staff to help applicants identify options and work through requirements, with checklists and better communication. He said his approach would focus on supporting existing employees and improving procedures.
“We need to coach people through things,” Gilbert said.
Cavalier called for a unified development code, saying the current process requires applicants to piece together rules from different ordinances. Consolidating those requirements would make expectations clearer for applicants and the officials enforcing them, he said.
“My wife says all the time, clarity is kindness,” Cavalier said.
Asked about their first 30, 60, and 90 days in office, both candidates said they would review the budget, work with department heads, and begin the master planning process.
Cavalier also emphasized filling Planning and Zoning Commission vacancies resulting from the election and involving council members more directly in gathering public feedback and developing plans.
Gilbert proposed immediately forming committees on the master plan and business climate, while reviewing departmental training, equipment, and procedures. He called for a work-order system to track residents’ requests from the initial call through the city’s response.
For the final question of the debate on how residents should judge their administrations, Gilbert identified greater unity, new business activity, and more effective city services, including lasting road repairs and quicker attention to maintenance problems.
Cavalier named adoption of a master plan, growth in independent businesses, and a public-facing system that would let residents track service requests and hold the city accountable.
In closing, Cavalier emphasized accessibility and a desire to make city government’s rules and decisions clearer. Gilbert returned to his management experience and relationships with other officials, saying those connections would help move projects forward.
“You build relationships,” Gilbert said. “You work with people.”
