Eunice aldermen are asking St. Landry Parish Council’s legal counsel, Garett Duplechain, what the parish can do about blighted parish-controlled property in the city.
The issue came up at Tuesday’s city meeting when the Board of Aldermen considered properties in the process toward condemnation.
One of the properties, 521 Fred Street, is controlled by parish government.
Bill Thompson, code enforcement officer, said a letter was sent to Parish President Bill Fontenot asking for permission to tear the house down, but no reply has been received.
Alderman Ernest Blanchard said there are three other properties turned over to the parish. “They are not acting on their property,” he said.
Later in the meeting, Alderwoman Germaine Simpson said there are seven blighted properties controlled by parish government in the city.
Vernon McManus, city attorney, said the only recourse for the city may be to go to court to get an order to make parish government do something with the properties.
“Here’s the problem,” McManus said. “There is no state law that demands that a public body demolish dilapidated property that poses a danger to the public.”
The blighted properties ended up being controlled by government because heirs don’t claim them and they are of little value, he said.
McManus said it is problem in every town in the state.
Mayor Scott Fontenot said the problem extends to the parish not cutting grass on the blighted property it controls.
McManus was directed to write a letter asking the parish legal counsel what can be done to tear blighted structures down and asking the Parish Council to condemn properties.
Recently, the city Board asked the Parish Council to take action on the abandoned Moosa Memorial Hospital. The Parish Council voted to ask the Acadiana Planning Commission to seek grants to deal with the building.
In other properties on the Board’s agenda:
— 721 Carron Street was condemned, which means the city can tear the structure down.
— 301 Boudreaux was given a 30-day extension before it faces a condemnation vote.
— 242 Julia Street is scheduled for a show cause hearing at the Board’s November meeting.
— 251 College Road will be torn down by its owner within two weeks, Thompson said.
Other business at the meeting included:
— Halloween trick-or-treat is scheduled from 6 to 8 p.m. Oct. 31. The mayor said the Halloween event on 2nd Street is planned by merchants.
— Noel on the Prairie is scheduled Nov. 9 and 10. The event is the official opening of the Christmas shopping season in Eunice.
— Ordinance amendments were introduced to increase inspection fees. The fee increases range from $5 to $10.
— A request from Police Chief Randy Fontenot for a budget amendment was tabled for study. The police budget calls for $80,000 in overtime and a letter from Fontenot stated overtime cost $60,814 in the first quarter. Fontneot asked that the budget be reset for $225,000 in overtime.
Mayor Fontenot said the police department has expended 24% of its budget in the first quarter and is “still in good shape.”
The request will be presented to city’s financial advisor, Steve Moosa, he said.
— Fire Chief Mike Arnold is to organize a study of ambulance response times in the city. Arnold said in one instance it took 40 minutes for an ambulance to arrive in downtown Eunice.
— Arnold also said an announcement of the city’s fire rating is expected around. Nov. 4.
