Directing traffic

At recent meetings, the Rotary Club of Ville Platte heard from officials who direct commercial traffic in the parish as well as election day traffic.
On Tuesday, January 19, the club heard from Tobin Deville who is the new executive director of the Evangeline Chamber of Commerce.
Deville said he is currently working with Cajun Broadband on providing Internet to rural areas that are experiencing problems.
He is also working with Chamber President Dr. Gwen Fontenot on membership goals. “One of the goals is to add more diversity to the Chamber members,” Deville expressed.
The plan is to attract more minority businesses to join. As Deville said, “We have a list of people we’re going to start contacting and see if we can provide resources for those who aren’t familiar with what it takes to incorporate and get the benefits of COVID relief packages.”
A week later, the Rotary Club heard from Registrar of Voters Lucas Buller and Clerk of Court Randy Deshotel about election day procedures.
Buller said voters in the state who have been in contact with COVID or who are concerned about getting the virus can log on to the COVID app to request a mail in ballot. “Traditionally to vote by mail,” said Buller, “you need to meet one of 13 provisions.” He added the COVID app “technically opens up mail voting to anybody.”
Buller then spoke about possible reapportionment in the parish once the census numbers are calculated.
“Once the numbers come in,” he said, “the police jury, as the governing authority of the parish, is the first to reapportion before school board, the city, or any municipality.”
Deshotel then spoke about his office’s role and the role of the parish’s Board of Election Supervisors on election day.
He said, “Once the polls close, the commissioners come into my office with their cartridges from the machines, and we load them into the system. You can watch the numbers change on the secretary of state Website as the numbers come in.”