Harlan Kirgan
The Eunice Board of Aldermen approved an additional $100,000 in the city budget for drainage work at a special meeting on Monday.
The Board had budgeted $50,000 for drainage work this year, Mayor Scott Fontenot said on Tuesday.
“We are going to target every ward ... and see if we can help some of these people with drainage issues,” he said.
“We’ve been working on this since last August and we just want to get aggressive and try to alleviate all of the problems we have around town,” he said.
In August 2016, Eunice along with much of south Louisiana was hit by flooding rains.
Over the weekend, Hurricane Harvey had turned into a tropical storm headed toward Louisiana.
Fontenot said he had been touring the city assessing drainage on Tuesday.
“I’ve put a lot of miles on my truck this last couple of days, I can tell you that. I’m just monitoring everything,” he said.
“For the most part we are looking pretty good right now,” he said.
The forecast on Tuesday was for Wednesday to be a rain event for Eunice, but that advanced to Thursday.
“We are draining good,” Fontenot said. “The gullies started getting full yesterday (Monday), but as the day went on they went down to normal levels.”
Fontenot credits city crews for their drainage work, but also said, “... the public has been doing an excellent job to do their part to clean drainage ...”
The city sent a message to residents asking them to help keep ditches and catch basins clear, he said.
“For the most part they have and to be honest with you it has really helped us out big time,” he said.
“I’ve seen people out in their front yards clearing out little ditches going to culverts,” he said.
The city does not have the manpower to get to all the city’s drainage issues, he said.
But Fontenot added, “We are not going to let a call slip past us. With this extra money we can really get some stuff done, which is needed.”
Thibodeaux appointed
For the second time Connie Thibodeaux will serve as the appointed alderwoman for Ward 4.
She was named alderwoman Monday and is expected to take her oath of office by the end of the week, Fontenot said.
The Board seat became open when Dale Soileau announced on Aug. 8 his resignation due to his moving out the city.
Soileau was elected in March 2016 to the seat. Prior to Soileau’s election, Thibodeaux served as the Ward 4 alderwoman from November 2015 until Soileau assumed the seat.
Thibodeaux was named after former mayor Claud “Rusty” Moody Jr. resigned in October 2015 due to failing health. Fontenot vacated the Ward 4 seat to serve as mayor.
Fontenot said, “Connie is easy to work with. Connie always stayed involved.”
Thibodeaux has been active in organizations such as the garden club and library, he said.
Civil service seat
Aldermen on Monday also removed a residency requirement for Eunice Municipal Fire and Police Civil Service Board members elected from the police and fire departments.