U.S. Sen. Vitter holds community meeting in Chalmette, talks afterward about parish with President Peralta and Sheriff Pohlmann

U.S. Sen. David Vitter came to Chalmette on Monday for a Town Hall meeting with residents, then met afterwards in Parish President David Peralta’s office with Peralta, Sheriff James Pohlmann and members of the President’s staff to get an overview of matters relating to the parish. Items discussed included the reduced size of the parish tax base since Hurricane Katrina and its effect on public agencies, an update on crime in the parish, the new hospital scheduled to open soon and the marketing of the parish to attract business and more jobs. Shown, Peralta and Vitter are in the foreground and others at the table are, from left, parish government Chief Administrative Officer Jerry Graves Jr., parish attorney Jeanne Juneau, Sheriff Pohlmann, Director of Community Development Candace Watkins and Mike Bayhem, who is grants coordinator for parish government.