Harlan Kirgan
A plan for the city to give the American Legion building on Park Avenue back to the veterans’ group took another turn at Tuesday’s meeting of the Eunice Board of Aldermen.
The Board was set to act on two resolutions involving the building, which has housed the Eunice Food Bank. One was to declare the building of no use to the city as a public facility and the other to state the city had failed to meet the requirements of a donation by the American Legion in 1976.
Vernon McManus, city attorney, said after the building transfer was advertised information was received that “the city had indeed applied for grants and the grants had been approved and that a renovation in the American Legion building in the amount of $277,950 was contracted on Sept. 14, 1976.”
McManus said the attorney for the American Legion and the person interested in buying the property have been informed of the new situation. The identify of the potential buyer has not been made public.
“The lack of knowledge about his contract is not any fault of the current administration,” McManus said. “This happened a long time ago back in the 70s. For reasons unknown some records were not recorded as they probably should have been. But now we have knowledge that these things were done,” he said.
A declaratory judgement could be sought in district court that the second donation is invalid, he said. But other options to court are being researched, he said.
In June 1971, the American Legion Turner-Mornhinveg-Moore Post 129 donated the the building to the city with the stipulation that if was not used as public building ownership would revert back to the American Legion.
In August 1976, the donation was amended to require the city to obtain a grant money to renovate the building.
The Eunice Food Bank is moving to the city-owned building that now houses the Department of Motor Vehicles. The move is scheduled to be effective Monday.
Other business,
— The VFW will hold its state convention at VFW 8971’s Post home on U.S. 190 on June 20. Don Reber, VFW 8971 Post commander, said about 120 people are expected for the convention, which will be first state convention held at a Post home.
— The city is declaring 17 vehicles surplus. Six of the vehicles are listed as starting. Mayor Scott Fontenot said the vehicles are part of the city’s recent acquisition of new vehicles.
— The 2019 delinquent tax property sale is scheduled 10 a.m. June 25.
— The July 4th fireworks display is scheduled at 9 p.m. at the Recreation Complex on Sittig Road.
— The Board began moving on a plan to convert the 200 block of West Walnut to one-way eastbound traffic.