Before the Ville Platte City Council met Tuesday, there was a public hearing on a proposed ordinance to impose a fine of $100-$500 and/or 10 days in jail to anyone driving more than five miles per hour through flooded streets. Additionally, no one is allowed to remove barricades or signs on flooded streets. The ordinance is called a No Wake Ordinance and is meant to protect homeowners and business owners from flood waters going into their home/business from people who drive through flooded streets which push water outward and into buildings. The council voted to pass the ordinance. Exceptions will be made in the case of emergencies. Exceptions will be at the police officer’s discretion.
The council then went on to discuss blighted properties. At the October city council meeting, they will have a resolution that is going to cite the addresses of the properties that will be demolished. Mayor Jennifer Vidrine said there are over 200 blighted properties on the list. “By law we have to serve the owners with certified letters, and what’s been happening, a lot of people have not been picking up the letters or signing for them, but for those who we’ve tried to serve certified letters, we’re turning those over to the city marshal’s office and they’ll serve it. If the owners decide not to take the letters, that’s fine, but they are still considered being served.” She said there have been 126 houses that have been demolished in the last four years.
Community volunteer Joyce Lartigue cleans her neighborhood streets. She said she and other volunteers clean, and the next day, trash returns. She said she contacted Daniel Arvie, police juror for her district, and told him she needed grass cut along her street. He had it cut that same afternoon. She said, “This is the way to get stuff done. When somebody you vote to put in office can get it done. I was so proud of him. When I ask, things are done.”
Mayor Vidrine reminded the public that the city is not responsible for branch pick-up. People should call Evangeline Parish Solid Waste at 337-363-7254. They are still backed up from the last storm, but she said they should be able to pick up in about two days from the time of the call.
Councilman Anderson said he has a problem with tennis shoes hanging from powerlines. He said he has one on each corner of Edward Knotoe and Rozas, Martin Luther King and Rozas, West Cotton and Court Street, and Young and Edward Knotoe. Mayor Vidrine asked for Cleco to be contacted to remove the shoes. Tennis shoes hanging from wires indicate drugs being sold in the area.
Mayor Vidrine and the council commended those cleaning up their neighborhoods recently. She said when the weather cools off, she will see about getting trailers and utilizing different departments to help city residents clean up their neighborhoods.
The council heard from Len Reeves, owner and developer of the Heatherwood development being built along Tate Cove Road. The complex will consist of twelve buildings with four units in each building. The units will be town-home style, with every unit containing two bedrooms and two bathrooms. There will also be a community center with exercise room, business center with computers and internet, New-Orleans-style street lights, a quarter-mile walking trail with playground equipment, and a community garden. The development is for people age 55 and older. Average rent will be $550 a month. Three streets in the complex will be named Zydeco Avenue, Jambalaya Avenue, and Creole Avenue. Those streets will belong totally to Heatherwood, meaning the complex will be responsible for the upkeep and repairs. Reeves said they are about 25% complete with construction. The development is set to be complete by April of next year.
Fire Chief Chris Harrison said during the month of August, the fire department responded to four structure fires, one grass fire, four alarm activations, and three vehicle fires. There were no fatalities.
Police Chief Neil Lartigue said for the month of August the police department responded to 301 calls for assistance, issued 23 citations, 35 arrests, which included 17 felony arrests. Officers also responded to 33 motor vehicle crashes. There were zero fatalities.
Councilman Riggs commended the police department for stopping a large fight that was about to break out. Riggs witnessed six men against two, about to fight, with one person holding a concrete brick and another holding a bat. He followed them and called 911. He said the VPPD did a good job of responding to the incident.
The council approved the closing of Alton Locks Street from Rev. E.D. Alfred Street to MLK Street for the Disciple Baptist Church Fun Day to be held Sunday, September 29 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Mayor Vidrine announced the expenditures for July, paid in August, were $197,108.05. Expenditures for August, paid in September, were $220,047.79, which is a difference of $22,939.74 more spent. She said these were expenses that come in yearly, such as for the generator, the communication towers for the fire department, and property tax assessment, analytical support, etc. She said these were one-time payments.
In her closing comments, Mayor Vidrine addressed the accusation that she instructed city workers not to go to Ville Platte’s “Woods” neighborhood on the south side to clean up. “That’s a blatant, bold-faced lie. I have never said don’t go clean up at the Woods. We do not discriminate against any section of town. We go clean up wherever the priority is at the time.”
Vidrine also congratulated Ville Platte High for winning the Tee Cotton Bowl. Additionally, she said the city is still looking to employ workers for the street department, specifically people ages 18-24. They just need to not have a felony conviction within the last seven years, pass a drug test, and if they do not have a high school diploma, they would need to get their GED within six months with the option of an extension. They also need a valid driver’s license. She said they are having a difficult time finding people to pass the drug test.
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NANCY DUPLECHAIN Associate Editor