With five months remaining in the fiscal year, the City of Ville Platte is conducting fiscal reviews to see where it can cut back on expenses to help balance its budget before the fiscal year ends on June 30.
The news came during the city council’s meeting Tuesday. Mayor Jennifer Vidrine said, “We’re looking at some departments where we will have to make amendments and even some cuts.”
City attorney Eric LaFleur said the cuts are necessary because “the law essentially requires a balanced budget within a range of five percent.” He added, “We’re at little over halfway through the fiscal year, and property taxes have already come in. That’s one of the main annual revenues we looked at, but with everything else it’s not going to work.”
LaFleur then commented it is better for the city to address the issues now instead of waiting until the end of the fiscal year. He said the city, from now and then, will have to make “some pretty severe cuts that are spread out over five months.”
The city will introduce the ordinance during its next meeting in March. There will then be a public hearing in April before the council votes to adopt the ordinance at its April meeting.
During the same five month window, the city will look at ways to address the coverage ratio of the bond covenants on the city’s utility systems.
As LaFleur said, “One thing we will have to address soon is the bond covenants and the rates we charge for our utility systems.”
He explained the gas system and water and sewerage systems borrowed money to redo the lines in the city. Because of that, there is certain language in the agreements that say “the systems have to generate a certain amount of money that’s above what the debt service is.”
LaFleur continued, “We are going to have to adjust our rates because we’re behind on what the covenants require. We’re going to work on a rate ordinance that will make sure we’re in compliance.”
The increased rates would be passed by an ordinance that will be introduced during the March meeting and voted on during the April meeting.
Earlier in the meeting, the council heard from Natalie Maples on behalf of AT&T about a proposed third cell tower to be located in the city between Wal-Mart and the Stage shopping center.
Maples said AT&T is requesting the tower “to address the specific coverage and capacity demand from customers in the area.”
She added, “Although your cell phone might work just fine outside, it may or may not work inside. With two-thirds or three-fourths of 911 calls being made from cell phones, it becomes a public safety issue because at least half of homes now don’t have landlines.”
When asked why AT&T is not considering upgrading their existing two towers in the city, Maples replied “there are engineering constraints.”
She fielded other questions from the mayor, council, and the public especially on the safety of the tower. “The fall radius of this one is quite narrow,” Maples said. “It’s not going to impact any of the surrounding area.”
Maples continued, “They don’t fall like a tree. They’re designed with break points along the way. It’s designed to fall over on top of itself. This fall radius is designed to be within the tower compound. If you’re outside the fence, you’re not going to be impacted. It’s going to fall within the fence.”
In other telecommunications news, the council heard from the mayor that the legal department is still looking at the possibility of a third Internet provider in the city.
Mayor Vidrine said, “Last night we had a public meeting that was well attended about the additional Internet service by Universal Communications, and the consensus was the people do want a new choice in that.”
In other business, the council:
• heard from public works director Don White who said the street sweeper is up and running.
• changed the March meeting date to March 19.
• approved a cooperative endeavor agreement with Prairie Heritage Inc.
• heard from Evangeline Chamber of Commerce Director Renee Brown about a check list for opening new businesses.
• and approved a liquor permit for the Swamp Pop Reunion Dance on March 4.
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TONY MARKS Associate Editor