Adjudicated property, vandalism discussed at Police Jury meeting

The Evangeline Parish Police Jury may have found a way to make money off of adjudicated properties.
Bryan Barrios with Civic Source appeared before the EPPJ at Monday’s meeting to inform the police jury of how Civic Source can help sell adjudicated properties for the EPPJ without costing the police jury any money.
Adjudicated property is property that has been placed in possession of state or local government bodies because the property taxes have not been paid by the owners.
According to Barrios, Civic Source would take the adjudicated properties that the EPPJ have ownership of and will find investors interested in the properties.
Civic Source would take care of mailing a letter to the previous owner of the property which would allow them 60 days to pay back taxes and fines to reclaim their property. If the property is not reclaimed by the previous owner then Civic Source will find an investor interested in purchasing the property.
EPPJ member Lamar Johnson asked, “Do we share any money that it’s sold for?”
Barrios said, “Essentially the cost of the sale, on average would cost the investor around $3,100. This includes closing cost, insurance, and the pre-sale research related cost. Anything above that cost, you guys get.”
EPPJ Kenny Burgess made a motion stating, “Pending Mr. Marcus’ approval of the contract I move that we go into contract with this since we can abandon the contract at anytime.”
EPPJ attorney Marcus Fontenot said, “I need to review the contract and have more time to advise the Jury on what to do.”
After hearing what Fontenot said, Burgess made a motion to “table the item until the attorney has had time to review the contract.” This motion was unanimously agreed upon by the police jury.
During the Public Works Director’s report, Police Jury member Bryan Vidrine mentioned a reoccurring problem he faces in his district concerning stolen and vandalized street signs. Vidrine said, “We need to do something to stop this.”
Replacing these destroyed or stolen signs according to the Public Work’s Director Chester Granger is “costing taxpayers right at $30,000.00 a year.”
To make way on resolving this issue Vidrine asked, “If we have any camera’s I would like to have them put in the back part of Pine Prairie to try and catch who is doing this.” If the individuals committing these crimes are caught then the police jury will look into having criminal charges brought against the perpetrators. “These people need to know that there are consequences for doing this,” said Vidrine.
Other major items on the agenda, which were all approved unanimously, were:
•Approve the reappointment of Alfred Oliver to the Board of Directors for the Evangeline Parish Water Dist. No. 1. The term is from September 2015 to September 2020.
•Approve the reappointment of board members: Ronnie Broussard (D2), Patrick Derouselle (D5), and Tony Rozas (D1) on the Evangeline 911 Board.
•Approve hiring of J. Ronald Landreneau & Associates, Inc. as the Administrative Consultant for the Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG) for the 2016-2017 fiscal year.
•Approve hiring of J. Ronald Landreneau & Associates, Inc. as the Engineering Services for the Louisiana Community Development Block Grant Program (LCDBG) for the 2016-2017 fiscal year.
•Adopt a resolution calling for a special election for the exemption of Ad Valorem Tax and Homestead Exemption tax to property which is owned and occupied by a veteran. This will be for the November election.
•Approve Trail Ride for Sierra Posse Riders on October 18, 2015.
•Approve speed bumps for Henry Cole Lane.
•Approve the Public Works Director’s Report.
•Approve the Engineers Report.
•Approve the Secretary-Treasurer’s Report.