August/September 2023
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LOUISIANA MUNICIPAL ADVISORY AND TECHNICAL SERVICES<br />
LaMATS, LACPC Announce Developments, New Officers<br />
The Louisiana<br />
Municipal Advisory<br />
and Technical<br />
Services<br />
Bureau (La-<br />
MATS) and the<br />
LaMATS-administered<br />
Joint<br />
Commission for Cooperative Purchasing<br />
(LACPC) held productive concurrent<br />
meetings during LMA’s 86 th Annual<br />
Convention. The LACPC, which fosters<br />
cooperative purchasing agreements to<br />
LaMATS Procurement Consultant Paul<br />
Holmes addresses members of the LACPC<br />
and LaMATS Board at a meeting held in<br />
Alexandria, <strong>August</strong> 2, <strong>2023</strong>.<br />
lower costs on municipal services and<br />
materials, lists more than twenty mayors<br />
among its membership, with several<br />
also serving on the LaMATS Board.<br />
David Butler<br />
Woodworth Mayor,<br />
President<br />
LaMATS Procurement Consultant, Paul<br />
Holmes, led the LACPC meeting, the<br />
Commission’s second in-person convening<br />
since its inception. Holmes reported<br />
the LACPC will soon receive its incorporation<br />
as a 501(c) nonprofit organization,<br />
a best-practice that will assure<br />
transparency for the quasi-governmental<br />
entity and ease of operation on behalf<br />
of member municipalities. An initial<br />
Board of Directors for the new nonprofit<br />
will include current Commission Chairperson<br />
Suzanne Williams, grant writer<br />
for the Town of Many, along with Councilman<br />
Nathan<br />
Martin of Pineville,<br />
and Mayors Rick Allen<br />
(Leesville), David<br />
Butler (Woodworth),<br />
and Jimmy<br />
Williams (Sibley).<br />
Holmes also reported<br />
on the<br />
LACPC’s success to<br />
date in establishing<br />
seven cooperative<br />
contracts,<br />
now in use by numerous<br />
Louisiana<br />
municipalities to<br />
secure competitive<br />
pricing on items<br />
like utility tractors,<br />
boom trucks, street<br />
sweepers, police tasers, and certain bulk<br />
chemicals including quick lime. Holmes<br />
explained these contracts originated<br />
from Commissioner requests and were<br />
bid out on their behalf by LaMATS in<br />
accordance with state bid laws. “Our<br />
members felt it would be good to have<br />
cooperative contracts on these items in<br />
place for all to use,” he said. “We knew<br />
that cities would need and buy them if<br />
available, so that’s what we’ve done.”<br />
Following adjournment of the LACPC<br />
LMA Immediate Past-President and former<br />
LaMATS Board President, the Honorable<br />
Jennifer Vidrine, with commemorative gift<br />
reading, “Thank you for your years of loyal<br />
service to the LaMATS Board of Directors.”<br />
LaMATS Board of Directors<br />
Jimmy Williams<br />
Sibley Mayor,<br />
Vice President<br />
Michael Chauffe<br />
Grosse Tete Mayor,<br />
Secretary/Treasurer<br />
Incoming LaMATS President Mayor David Butler (center), with<br />
incoming Vice President, Mayor Jimmy Williams (left), present<br />
Immediate Past-President Councilman Nathan Martin with<br />
commemorative service plaque.<br />
Page 10<br />
LMR | AUGUST/SEPTEMBER <strong>2023</strong>
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