Aside from updating the Ville Platte Council on the latest tropical activity, Evangeline 911/Office of Emergency Preparedness Director Liz Hill went through the services provided at the 911 office, and said, “If the city is interested in us dispatching for them, we want to offer that. It’s a good idea economically, and it’s a good function emergency wise.”
Her comments came in light of the fact there is no money in the police department’s budget for its dispatchers.
“It would be beneficial as far as budget wise,” said Chief of Police Neal Lartigue. “The money is not there in my budget to keep the dispatchers. I’d like to keep to them if I had the money in my budget, but it’s not there.”
Mayor Vidrine then stated, “If the intergovernmental agreement would happen, it would be a savings of $110,000.00 for the department, and the 911 services would be costing us $1,050.00 a year which would be $87.50 a month.”
Hill fielded questions from the mayor and the council members over a possible intergovernmental agreement. She said other such agreements are in place with every municipality in the parish except Mamou and Ville Platte.
As far as the four displaced dispatchers from the police department, Mayor Vidrine expressed one is already working in the school system and another one has already been placed somewhere else in the city.
“That would leave us with two who would be welcome to apply for a 911 position,” the mayor said. “We would also look to place them at other jobs in the city or the parish.”
“We’re certainly looking for ways to save money and to get the city back on its feet,”said Councilman Mike Perron.
“I think we’re covering our bases,” Councilwoman Faye Lemoine said. “I think we’d be crazy not to take this opportunity to save money for the city, and we are giving the people an opportunity to find another job.”
Councilmen Bryant Riggs and Lionel Anderson expressed their reservations on the matter, but the council voted for the 911 Board to approve the agreement effective September 1 with Councilman Anderson abstaining from the vote.
For more from Tuesday’s Ville Platte City Council meeting, pick up Sunday’s edition of the Ville Platte Gazette.
Image
TONY MARKS Editor