Aldermen turn eyes to neglected property

Image
Body

Aldermen turned their eyes to dilapidated property as they planned to put three such parcels on their Tuesday meeting agenda.
An order of condemnation for property at 1050 Faris Street is to be considered at the meeting scheduled at 6:30 p.m. at the Eunice Municipal Complex.
The Board is also to consider notices of show cause for 120 and 130 W. Bacciochi Street.
The agenda item drew the attention of Jack Burson, alderman at-large, who said it would take about 15 minutes driving in Eunice to find 10 buildings that need attention.
“If we allow infrastructure to deteriorate like that it has all kinds of consequences — none of them good,” he said.
The properties on Bacciochi had faced condemnation in 2013, but the orders were cancelled.
“With all due respect we shouldn’t cancel,” Burson said. “We ought to have them come to the meeting, get the building inspector there ... to give us some pictures so we can see what has been done and give them a timeline because if you don’t, I can tell you from 22 years of sitting at that table that is going to be stalled and forgotten in six months.”
The Board met Thursday to set is agenda, which includes a 6:15 p.m. public hearing on amending the current budget and adopting a budget for the 2017-2018 fiscal year that beings July 1.
Thursday’s meeting dwelled more on neglected property problems, but Mayor Scott Fontenot noted the city has cuts its spending about $250,000 in the past year and continue to trim expenses in the next budget cycle.
“Every department has to take a cut this year,” he said.
The proposed budget includes a statement from Fontenot that revenues are expected to be down 4 percent mainly due to decreases in sales tax collections and utility sales.
The budget does include capital outlays of $175,000 for the police department; $50,000 for the fire department; $125,000 for community centers; $540,000 for street overlays; $225,000 for wastewater; $50,000 for the gas system; and $204,000 for other outlays.
Fontenot questioned the police department plan to continue its program to lease five vehicles.
“The last two years this council has bought more police cars than they bought in the last seven years prior to that,” he said.
Police Chief Randy Fontenot said the new cars save on maintenance and fuel costs.
The police department has 40 vehicles. Fifteen of the vehicles have been acquired in the past three years.
Other items on the agenda include a contract with LAWCO, drainage and appointment of an economic development committee.