Village Administrator Gail McDavid, on behalf of the police department, reported to the Chataignier Village Council Monday that Chataignier Elementary School has been broken into again.
“This time the camera system worked, but they had hoods, masks, gloves, and boots.”
Village Chief of Police Clint Brasseaux, who was not present at the meeting, had suggested purchasing a fingerprint kit and digital cameras for the police officers along with security cameras facing the highways and around buildings because of the increased crime rate in the village.
Mayor Justin Darbonne stated he would like to add another security camera for the village hall.
The council tabled the motions to purchase the equipment until all the quotes can be received.
As for the fingerprint kit, McDavid, as he pointed to where the council and other village officials are seated, quipped, “You have to fingerprint everybody who sits on that row up there just in case so we can eliminate them. My prints are already on file as a policeman.”
The mayor also urged residents of the village to “be aware and to look around when driving around town.
Sewer problems which have plagued the Village of Chataignier since the new filtration system was installed continue to persist.
Village Administrator Gail McDavid reported to the village council Monday the system is still down since November. He stated the manufacturer of the system claims “the pump will not handle the solids or sludge coming into it which is clogging it up.”
McDavid added the manufacturer further claimed the village is at fault for not properly wasting which allows unfiltered water into the pump.
The council, at last month’s meeting, voted to authorize Mayor Justin Darbonne to seek permits from the Louisiana Department of Health to waste into drying beds.
McDavid also reported the system is “tripping out” which means “it stops spraying and stops rotating” causing the system to overflow. The unfiltered water then “goes into the clean water side and sucked in by the pump.”
He continued, “If the filter system operated constantly, we should never get sludge into the suction side of the pump because it would all be filtered out and put down the drain.”
The system, according to McDavid, has tripped out 40 times since it was installed in April, and he has documentation of each time.
“Currently,” he said, “the manufacturer is denying it’s their fault, however, the contractor, who removed and installed the new spray pump, is looking for somebody to pay a $4,000 or $5,000 bill.”
McDavid suggested a meeting with himself, the mayor, Village Attorney Greg Vidrine, and Village Engineer Ronnie Landreneau to discuss how to proceed with this issue.
He also clarified issue deals with the sewer system not the village’s drinking water.