Volunteers who served 90 years left short of goal as council maintains standard contribution limit

Editor's Note: WBR Independent delayed publishing this story while attempting to obtain a complete list of community donors who pledged to cover the memorial funding gap. After several weeks without receiving the information, we are publishing the full account of the November 12 council meeting and community response. Additional donor recognition will be included in future coverage when the memorial is installed.

PORT ALLEN – The Port Allen City Council voted 5-0 on November 12 to contribute $2,000 toward a volunteer firefighter memorial, maintaining their donation policy despite emotional appeals to make an exception for volunteers who risked their lives protecting the community.

The decision leaves the remaining seven volunteer firefighters approximately $400-500 short of funding a $23,000 memorial at Centennial Park.

The Request

The volunteers have $20,601.80 remaining from decades of fundraising through chicken plate dinners, haunted houses, and community events. They want to spend everything on a firefighter silhouette memorial before their organization winds down.

The memorial costs $23,000 plus tax—approximately $23,980 total.

Barry Brewer, former city administrator and 49-year volunteer firefighter, made the request: "We've never asked the city for a dime. This is a one-time request. You won't hear from us again."

The Debate

Councilwoman Charlene Gordon moved for $2,000, citing policy limiting donations to any organization.

"We did vote on $2,000 across the board to any organization that came before us," Gordon said. "We will get the heat from other organizations."

Councilman Garry Hubble pushed back forcefully: "Those organizations do not run into a burning building. They do not risk their lives. These people did. It's a totally different arena."

He challenged directly: "If everybody in here does not support the people that put their lives on the line, I am prepared to pay the difference."

Gordon argued maintaining policy didn't mean lacking support: "We just set a certain amount of money. If we go beyond... it's not fair to us."

90 Years of Service

The Port Allen Volunteer Fire Department was created March 11, 1935, following a devastating 1918 fire that destroyed two blocks of downtown.

For 90 years, volunteers answered midnight calls and responded to emergencies without pay. They used fundraising money to buy equipment the city couldn't afford—portable radios, tables and chairs for the fire station, a commercial stove.

Now down to seven active members, the organization is winding down. In 2018, they sent 3,000 recruitment letters seeking new members.

"We got maybe half a dozen letters back," Brewer recalled. "They were really from little old ladies that said they'd be happy to bake us cookies. We kind of knew at that time the handwriting was on the wall."

Councilman Hubble explained their location choice: "This group was started as Port Allen. It wasn't WBR Parish... They wanted to stay in Port Allen city limits because that's the way they started. That's the way they ended."

The Vote and City Service Organization Question

Gordon's motion for $2,000 passed unanimously 5-0, with all council members—including Hubble—voting yes.

The debate raised questions about how the city distinguishes between community organizations and city service organizations when applying donation policies.

The volunteer fire department operated as a city service organization, created by City Ordinance No. 3 in 1935 and codified in city law. Port Allen still has another volunteer city service organization: the Port Allen Police Reserves, which continue to assist the police department.

The council's $2,000 policy applies to "any organization," but the debate highlighted whether city service organizations—those created by ordinance to provide public safety services—should be considered differently than community groups seeking parade funding.

This distinction was not addressed during the meeting.

Community Response

Following the vote, Hubble announced he would lead a donation effort to cover the $400-500 shortfall. Several community members stepped forward with pledges immediately after the meeting.

When asked if the volunteers could cover the remaining amount, Brewer said "Well, yeah," though he noted they were spending everything they'd saved over decades.

The city will use its tax-exempt certificate to eliminate sales tax, saving approximately $2,000.

The Memorial

Working with Grant Monument on Court Street, the volunteers designed a black granite marble monument. The memorial will be positioned to the right of the gazebo at Centennial Park, with lighting for visibility after dark. The Design is not final yet and still needs a few further tweaks.

The design honors the service itself rather than listing individual names.

The Cooperative Endeavor Agreement authorizes the city's $2,000 contribution and tax-exempt status. Volunteers will provide their $20,601.80, with the city covering $2,000 and community donors making up the difference.

The memorial represents the final chapter for an organization that protected Port Allen for 90 years.

"We decided it's probably time to look at an end game for us," Brewer said. "We want a monument that would honor the past men and women who have done this job before we go out, so to speak."

The Port Allen City Council meets on the first and second Wednesday of each month at 5:30 PM at City Hall.