Ville Platte mayor gets OK to sell land

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The Ville Platte City Council gave Mayor Jennifer Vidrine the authority to negotiate and conclude sales of city property for the purposes of developing detached single-family homes. It also agreed to review the fines associated with failure to wear reflective gear at night.
At the regular July meeting, Vidrine asked the Council to allow her to conclude an agreement to sell city-owned property located at the dead-end of North Dossman Street, abutting the canal across from the Civic Center.
The heavily-wooded land will be bought by DCI, a non-profit development company, using funding from the Louisiana Housing Corporation. According to the terms of the sale, DCI will build ten single-family homes on the lot. These houses will then either be sold or rented out.
The Council also gave Vidrine the authority to negotiate and sell any future lots that become available throughout the city.
The lots would all be sold at fair market value for the purpose of building single-family homes. Vidrine said there are nine other properties that will soon be available to sell to developers.
“We want to get away from building apartments and clustering people together,” Vidrine explained. “Living in a house with a yard develops communities and civic pride. Plus, it increases the property values of the neighborhoods.”
Arthur Sampson addressed the Council about reflective gear, and animal control.
Sampson requested that the Council revise fines associated with the ordinance that requires people to wear reflective gear if they are walking the streets between dusk and dawn. Sampson said that the fines plus court costs can be over $400.
“That just doesn’t make sense,” Sampson said. “The fine for disturbing the peace is just $175. Maybe the fine for not having a reflective vest could start low on a first-time offense and go up from there.”
Sampson also complained that people were not just getting citations for failure to wear a reflective vest but were sometimes also being arrested.
According to Police Chief Neil Lartigue, people are arrested if they are not carrying proper identification and the officer cannot positively ascertain that person’s identity. He also clarified that the ordinance does not specifically call for a reflective vest. Any kind of reflective gear, like a wrist- or head-band, is acceptable.
Vidrine explained that the fine is up to $200, but that most of the time the fine is suspended to $100. The City does not have control over the court fees, she said. The Council did agree to consider amending the ordinance to reduce the fine for first-time offenders.
Vidrine said that the ordinance is all about safety.
“We’ve had two people die on our streets because nobody saw them walking,” she said. “This is about safety, for the walkers and for the drivers of the city.”
Sampson also complained about a city resident who keeps horses and goats in the city limits. He said that the horses were engaging in “indecent exposure activity” that was visible to everyone, including children. He also said that the goats were escaping from the enclosure and the smell was bad.
The city currently does have an ordinance making it illegal to allow animals and fowl to roam at-large. Vidrine said she will look into what can be done about the horses.
Concerning public safety and law enforcement, Vidrine announced that the city now has seven wireless street cameras that “are being monitored 24/7.” She also said that more cameras are on the way.
Vidrine said that she is looking into prices for purchasing tasers for the police department. “We want our police officers to be as equipped as possible, and make the weapon a last resort,” Vidrine said.
The Council approved hiring three new police officers. Chief Lartigue said that his department now has 30 officers, just three short of his goal.
In other business, the Council approved liquor permits for two Dollar General stores in Ville Platte. The permit will allow the sale of packaged liquor, but not consumption on the premises.
Vidrine announced that she is beginning to assess priority areas for the upcoming street overlay project. She asked the Council members to give her a list of the priority streets in their districts. The project will begin as soon as work is completed on the waterline replacement project.
The mayor also said that prep work is being done to improve the city’s drainage problem. She said that a new tool for blowing out culverts will soon be delivered to the City.
Vidrine also invited everyone to attend the Boys and Girls Club Banquet and Closing Ceremony on Aug. 4. The banquet, which costs $20 per ticket, will feature food made by participants in the Flat Town Culinary Academy, led by instructor Chef Terryl Jackson. There will also be a silent auction. The money will be used as a fund-raiser for the Club. Tickets can be purchased at the Boys and Girls Club or the District Attorney’s office.