The Denham Springs City Council meeting on February 23rd, 2026, laid the foundation for future commission success and parish-wide student safety through several key agenda items.
Following the announced resignation of Denver Ballard, former commissioner for the Denham Springs Planning & Zoning Commission, to his new position as sports announcer/commentator, council members voted on the appointment of a replacement for his position.
Bill Lawson, Vice-Chairman for the Commission, was in attendance at the meeting to see the appointment of Ballard’s successor: Carolyn Cassidy.
At the request of Mayor Gerard Landry, Cassidy visited the governmental offices the previous week and afterwards agreed to step in to fill the vacated role. According to Mayor Landry, Cassidy “has been in the community for a long time.. and she’s been coming to the council meetings for more than a minute” as well.
Council member Lori Lamm-Williams added that she is “so excited” for Cassidy’s appointment because “if there is ever gonna be someone that is completely committed, and at every meeting, and… very thorough, it’s gonna be [Cassidy].”
“I’m just happy to be here,” Cassidy said. The appointment was approved by the council with a unanimous vote.
Afterwards, the council discussed giving Mayor Landry authorization to enter into a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement (CEA) with Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) so the organization can continue to use a city owned building at 115 S Hummel Street.
Executive Director Dylan Ivy approached the board as a representative of SADD to discuss the work being done through the program and the CEA.
The Livingston Parish branch of SADD began quite humbly over a decade ago with Ivy working out of a make-shift office in a bedroom in his father’s house.
“Maybe people would take us more seriously if we actually had a brick and mortar place where [people] could come,” Ivy remembered thinking at the time.
Eventually, Mayor Landry heard of the SADD organization’s location and worked with Ivy to bring them to a building which used to be an old Sharp’s Barber Shop. That building, located at 115 S Hummel Street, is where Ivy’s office has been located since.
Now, Ivy and the SADD organization are seeking to enter into this CEA to expand the on-site offices so they may help ensure the continuation of public benefit through the program’s preservation.
“God has played a big part… for sure” in the success of SADD, Ivy noted, “but it’s [also] been the community that’s been around us… It’s because of [the council] for allowing us to have that space, to be able to have an office there.”
The Livingston Parish branch of SADD serves over 27,000 students each school year through 33 SADD clubs across the district. Their mission is “dedicated to preventing destructive decisions, particularly underage drinking, other drug use, risky and impaired driving, teen violence, and teen suicide.”
“I want to make sure that we’re able to continue this [program’s growth],” Mayor Landry added.
Council member Lamm-Williams voiced her support, stating that Ivy and the SADD administration are “doing a phenomenal job.”
The council voted unanimously to approve the CEA agreement.
The council also approved a cooperative endeavor agreement with West Publishing Corp. and Thomson Reuters to transition the city’s legal research platform to Westlaw.
The city previously contracted with LexisNexis for legal research services. City Attorney Stephanie Hulett said the move back to Westlaw follows the company’s release of an updated platform that integrates a closed artificial intelligence system into its legal database.
Hulett explained that the closed AI model searches only verified legal materials within Westlaw’s official databases, including case law, statutes and secondary legal sources. Unlike open-source artificial intelligence tools that pull information from public internet content, the system operates within a controlled legal environment.
“It will only search the official legal databases,” Hulett told the council. “No one can add anything to those databases if they’re not employed by Westlaw.”
Hulett said the updated system is regularly tested for accuracy and performance and is designed to streamline legal research for municipal matters, including ordinance drafting, contract review and policy decisions.
Westlaw will provide the city with a trial period before the new agreement takes effect.
The council approved the agreement unanimously.
Council members approved another cooperative endeavor agreement authorizing the mayor to apply for a Local Government Assistance Program grant through the Office of Community Development. The grant would fund upgrades to a local animal shelter, including a new roof, and requires no local match.
Mayor Landry also issued a proclamation declaring March as Flood Awareness Month before adjourning the meeting.
