From The Ville Platte Gazette
The Mamou council unanimously voted to accept the donation of vehicles from the Evangeline Parish Sheriff’s Office and the City of Bossier City at its Nov. 9 meeting.
Mayor Ricky Fontenot said, “These are vehicles that were donated. I went out and took a look at them. We certainly want to thank the sheriff’s department and the City of Bossier City for helping our police department out.”
Chief Brent Zackery was absent from the meeting, and no police department personnel action recommendations were taken.
The town voted to add rescinding Town Ordinance 10.24.040 relative to parking in public rights-of-way to the agenda for the next regular meeting. The council tabled a discussion to retain an outside service for collection of outstanding court fines.
The council discussed an ordinance relative to permitting of booths for the annual Mardi Gras celebration. Council member and mayor pro tem Leisa Deshotel said vendors are already calling about booth permits for Mardi Gras 2017.
Council member Robin Young said, “For the community of Mamou and the non-profits and the people of Mamou — these groups wait all year for one day.”
Deshotel said, “I agree with that, but they wait for one day and we have three days of people.”
The council members discussed serveral options that would benefit the community, non-profit organizations and the people of Mamou and allow them to have first dibs on the day of setting up shop on the day of their choice. Outside entitites would likely have the option to open booths on other days. Fontenot said the outside entities would not be allowed to sell alcohol, and that only local business and non profits would be permitted to sell alcohol.
Young and Deshotel volunteered to be on a two-person commitee to reach out to previous Mardi Gras vendors and develop a permitting plan for Mardi Gras 2017.
The council also approved:
• Approved the proceedings of the regular meeting of October 12 and the special meeting of October 14.
• Approved the police activity report.
• The adoption of proposed ordinance 9-2016 increasing fees for police department services.
• The action to declare a vacant building on Savoy Medical Center grounds as surplus and having no public purpose and authorize the seeking of proposals to remove the building from the site.