Commissioners press staff on who will enforce vegetation buffers and permit maintenance

The proposed ordinance specifies vegetation standards — for example, a combination of trees and shrubs with a target of six large trees and a three-year timeline to reach a minimum 6-foot shrub height — but commissioners repeatedly raised enforcement concerns. One commissioner asked plainly, "Who's gonna police this?" and warned the parish cannot shoulder open-ended maintenance responsibilities without funding or staffing.

Staff responded that permit fees are intended to pay for administration and that many provisions are designed to make operators self-police to maintain their permit status. Staff also said an arborist review and realistic attrition allowances would be part of implementation, and commissioners pressed for clearer language distinguishing natural attrition from operator negligence.