LaMATS Board Member, Baker Mayor Darnell Waites to Chair Capital Region Planning Commission

At the February 8, 2023, meeting of the Capital Region Planning Commission (CRPC) Baker Mayor Darnell Waites was elected as Chairman of the Commission.

CRPC, established in 1967, is the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) located in Baton Rouge that provides services to the eleven-parish Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) and serves as the MPO for East Baton Rouge, West Baton Rouge, Ascension, Iberville and Livingston Parishes. The commission performs comprehensive planning for the Capital Region in areas including transportation and drainage. The commission elects the chairman by a majority vote of the commissioners present and voting at the first regular meeting every calendar year.

The purpose of the Capital Region Planning Commission is to establish committees with specific functions, as the need arises, for the orderly and efficient implementation of planning functions. The Chairman presides at all meetings of the Commission and shall be the chief officer of the commission.

In a statement, Mayor Waites said “I am honored to be chosen as Chairman of CRPC. I look forward to working with fellow board members and staff to ensure the best use of taxpayer funds as we strive to meet our current and future goals surrounding planning for the needs of the Metro Area.”

Jamie Setze, CRPC Executive Director, had this to say about Mayor Waites’ election as Chairman of the Commission “I have enjoyed working with Mayor Waites during his last eight (8) years as mayor and I am excited to have his leadership at a time of great opportunity in the Baton Rouge Metro Area.”