Claudette Olivier / The Church Point News
The Church Point Council approved the replacing of water lines on Marie and Michelle streets during its regular meeting on Jan. 6.
Mayor Ryan “Spanky” Meche said, “This has been a problem for 19 years. It was the reason why last year the whole town went under a boil advisory. The pipes are very weak. They have been under there for 50 years, and they are breaking for what reason, we don’t know.”
He continued, “It’s (the water pipes in the Michele and Marie street areas) at the end of its life, its working life, down there. The people in these neighborhoods are getting boil advisories two and three times a month here lately, so we really want to focus this year on getting a couple of those old sections that are no good, maybe fixing it.”
Meche asked Town Engineer Pam Granger with McBade Engineering to speak on the subject.
“It started out, there were a bunch of water line breaks along Michelle, and there’s also been some on Marie,” McGee said. “When we actually looked, you had more on Michelle than Marie in a certain amount of time, but you have to fix Michelle if you want to fix Marie. You have to fix Michelle first or in conjunction with it because, unfortunately, if the part that is serving it water — you don’t fix — then everybody is still going to be out of water.”
McGee said McBade Engineering worked with Meche and Water Department Superintendent Jonathan Murphy to come up with a set of plans for replacing the lines on Michelle and Marie streets, and McGee said the permit for the project has been submitted to the Department of Health and Hospitals for review.
“Once they allow us the permit, we can phase the project in any way that we need to from a standpoint depending on how you are able to fund it, if you are able to fund the whole thing or not,” she said. “We recommend that all or both of them need to be done based on the amount of breaks that you have.”
McGee said that more valves are needed in the proposed system to help isolate areas in the event of a leak so that whole neighborhoods will not be without water.
Meche said the approval of the agenda item is to get estimates of the work and get the ball rolling on getting hard numbers for the project’s cost. McGee said permitting for the project will take from 30 to 60 days, and she hopes to present prices for the proposed work at the council’s regular meeting in February. McGee said she will also be applying for two grants that will help fund the work.
During the Town’s Engineering Report, McGee also said she had submitted projects for the Louisiana Watershed Initiative, and those are retention pond drainage projects and a project for flood proofing at the town’s sewer treatment plant.
Water Superintendent Johnathan Murphy gave the town’s Water Department Report, and eight water leaks were reported in December.
Murphy updated the council on the town’s fire hydrant inspection, which was completed last fall. Murphy said 177 hydrants were inspected, and 28 are in need of repair.
Murphy also informed the council of the Louisiana Rural Water Association’s water meter accuracy test, which was completed in December.
“The meters are not very accurate,” Murphy said. “Out of 14, we had like a 21 percent loss.”
Murphy said the town should look into changing the water meters.
“They (the meters) are getting to the end of their life,” he added.
During the Police Department Report, Church Point Police Chief Dale Thibodeaux recognized the department’s auxiliary police officers.
“These men and women sacrifice a great deal of family time to come out and assist with functions in the town and also provide much needed help in patrolling and keeping the citizens of this town safe along with the full time officers,” Thibodeaux said.
Thibodeaux said the department’s reserve officers worked 4,000 hours last year, saving the town about $40,000.
“I commend them and to tell you the truth, I don’t think this town could do without them,” Thibodeaux said.
The police chief also spoke to the council about new equipment the department has purchased and will purchase. Thibodeaux said a local merchant, who wished to remain anonymous, donated $2,000 to the department, and the money was used to purchase a carbon fiber, Level 3A ballistics shield. The department was also awarded a grant, received with the assistance of Church Point Volunteer Fire Department Fire Chief Raymond Ledoux, and the $3,600 grant will be used to purchase trauma packs for the department’s patrol units.
During the Mayor’s Report, Mayor Meche announced that the town will breaking ground on a new basketball court at MLK Park.
The council also unanimously approved the following items:
• Termination of Gregory Mouton Jr. from the CPPD.
• New sexual harassment policy and procedures for CPPD.
• Request to move two CPPD officers to patrol pay following their completion of the police academy.
• Declare CPPD Unit 1 Dodge Charger not fit for public purposes.
• Declare surplus CPPD Unit 1 Dodge Charger.
• Security/street light placements on Rue Iry Lejeune/Beinveu and at Canal/POW Mia intersection.
• Liquor license exemption for 2020 Church Point Saddle Tramp Mardi Gras.
• Liquor license approval for renewal of all current liquor license holders.
• Revision to add discussion of special meetings and how the meetings are called.
• Motion to discuss special meetings and how the meetings are called.
• Approval of previous minutes.
• Approval of November 2019 financial reports.