During the Ville Platte City Council meeting Tuesday, the council heard from Arthur Sampson about a lawsuit he filed against the city over the meeting held where the utility rates were raised.
Documents from the Evangeline Parish Clerk of Court office show the lawsuit was filed in the 13th Judicial District Court on June 28, 2019.
The lawsuit alleges the council and the mayor violated state’s Open Meetings Law by disregarding “the rights of the public to offer comments” during a public hearing which took place before the vote.
Sampson’s lawsuit outlines three violations of the Open Meetings Law. According to the first violation, a quorum of the council was present during the public hearing which “constituted a public meeting.” Added to this, “no notice of said meeting was posted within 24 hours of the meeting and ‘at the place of the meeting.’”
The second violation deals with the council not giving the public an opportunity to speak, and the third violation deals with the council voting to move the item of the utility rates increases up in the agenda without comments from the public.
The lawsuit, then, outlines two remedies which can be taken in response to the violations.
One remedy is for an injunction to be issued “directing the defendants to strictly adhere to and abide by the Open Meetings Law with respect to public comment.”
The other remedy is for the court to “declare null and void without legal effect the ‘ordinance prescribing rates, charges, and deposits on water, sewer, and gas services accounts served by the City of Ville Platte.’”
The lawsuit is before Judge Gary J. Ortego, and no hearing date had been set as of this past week.
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Tony Marks
Editor