St. Tammany News

Trying to plan the future growth of Slidell in a post-Katrina world could be a daunting task, but Tim Jackson, the new Slidell director of planning, sees it as a challenge.

Even with an exploding population, increased traffic, business growth and land use problems, Jackson envisions a rosy future for the city.

Tim Jackson

"It's an exciting time to be here in Slidell," Jackson said.

He should know. Jackson is no stranger to urban planning in St. Tammany Parish. From 1992 to 1996, Jackson served as the Mandeville director of planning and development. He has also been a consultant on urban planning for the St. Tammany Parish government and the city of Covington.

Jackson started out wanting to be a historian. He graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in history from the University of New Orleans in 1976. After college, Jackson worked in construction and got interested in historical buildings and planning. He decided he wanted a career that combined history and planning. So, he earned a Master's Degree in urban and regional planning from UNO in 1989.

Besides working for Mandeville, Jackson has spent a lot of time helping plan urban areas on the southshore. From 1988 to 1990, he worked in the Kenner Department of Economic Development, starting as a planner and ending up as the assistant director. He was appointed to the New Orleans City Planning Commission by Mayor Ray Nagin in 2001 and served as chairman of the commission for three terms.

Just before taking the job with Slidell, Jackson worked as planning, zoning and land use consultant, and provided planning advice for St. John the Baptist, St. Charles and Jefferson parishes.

All that experience impressed Slidell Mayor Ben Morris.

"I hired him because of his background," Morris said. "He has great education and lots and lots of experience."

That experience will be needed in the coming years for Slidell. The city has just unveiled phase two of its master plan, and Jackson is eager to hear the input from Slidell residents on what they want to do with the city.

"I want to make sure there is lots of public input," Jackson said. "All we do is facilitate the plan and get it on paper."

He said he was also attracted to the Slidell planning position because the City Council is very supportive of urban planning; a trait he said is not always present in other city councils.

Jackson is replacing Planning Director Martin Bruno, who retired in July 31 after 14 years. Even so, Jackson has been on the job for a week, getting Bruno's advice and getting up to speed on the various planning issues facing Slidell.

Jackson is used to taking advice from Bruno. He has known the former planning director for 20 years. They both met at a conference for the American Institute of Certified Planners, and have been friends ever since.

"I've always asked him for advice. He is a knowledgeable guy, and I consider him a mentor," Jackson said.

As a historian, Jackson is excited about revitalizing Olde Towne. He is in the process of hiring a manager for the city's Main Street Program, which will plan out the rebirth of the historical area.

"This is a priority for the mayor and me," Jackson said. "It ties in with my interest in history."

He said he is impressed with how Slidell maintains the tricky balance between business growth and that country living atmosphere.

"Slidell comes pretty close to that balance," Jackson said. "The city has lots of good regulations on landscaping, and the city expects everyone to abide by them."

He said there are several goals he wants to attain during his time in the Planning Department.

"I want to get us out of these trailers and back into the City Hall. I want to see the master plan put in action, and I want a more aesthetically-pleasing community," Jackson said.

He said the latter goal can be accomplished, even with the fast-growing business community. Jackson said he just took a trip to Italy, and interspersed between the historical buildings are places like McDonalds and other modern businesses.

"But they follow strict rules, and we can do that here,' Jackson said.

A native of Lafayette, Jackson has spent most of his life in Southeastern Louisiana. He used to have a New Orleans house in Lakeview, but Katrina washed it away. Currently, he and his wife, Nancy, and their two sons are living in a house in the Faubourg-Marigny section of New Orleans.