Residents of Shady Acres received an update on drainage issue repairs during the City of Ville Platte’s council meeting on Tuesday.
Back in September 2017, Shady Acres resident Faye Lemoine addressed the council regarding problems with flooding and requested that the city improve the drainage issues in their subdivision.
During the Tuesday meeting, Ville Platte Mayor Jennifer Vidrine shared that progress had been made on improving drainage. The mayor reported that a bid to dig three ditches through the subdivision to alleviate flooding had been approved and that once the ground is dry enough work would begin.
At the meeting, the council also discussed abandoned properties throughout the city.
Mayor Vidrine said, “We are getting aggressive with abandoned properties as well as overgrown grass and abandoned cars. The cost to clean up these properties is tacked on to the property owners property taxes.”
The mayor then shared that three abandoned houses were torn down last week.
As it relates to the remaining abandoned property, the mayor also shared that “majority of the properties you see belong to the police jury and not the city.”
The mayor said, “We have been asking the police jury to do their part since we are doing our part.”
Arthur Sampson also addressed the council during its recent meeting to discuss water bills.
Sampson’s issue with this topic arose when he attempted to hook up water at a family members home. Before having water though, Sampson said that he was told that the unpaid water bills from his brother would have to be paid first. The total amount to be paid is over $1,000.
Sampson asked the council and mayor how the water bill could have gotten so high and why the water was not cut off after six months of no payments.
The mayor said this was something that could not be discussed in public because it involved a customer. She then asked that Sampson visit city hall to figure out this situation.
Finally, the council heard from a mother who expressed frustration over the fact that she and her son still had not received information on a crime they reported on Mardi Gras day.
The mother shared that her son’s car tires had been slashed in February while he was at her home. She went on to say that when Detective Dunn with the Ville Platte Police Department arrived the day of the incident, he reviewed footage from a camera nearby, and said that he could see her son getting out of his car but he did not see anyone slash his tires.
In regard to this matter, Chief of Police Neal Lartigue declined to comment because he said this incident “is still under investigation.”
In other business:
• Joel Manuel was promoted from full time firefighter to captain and Zachary Johnson from volunteer firefighter to full time firefighter.
• The city received a $20,349 grant for water improvements that has already been used on fixing broken equipment.
• The city spent $206,211.36 last month, while this month the city spent $308,648.44. The increase was attributed to putting a new roof on the fire department and insurance premiums.
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ELIZABETH WEST