Chataignier council hears about sewer, drainage issues

The Chataignier Village Council, during its monthly meeting Monday, March 16, heard from their police jury representative, Rocky Rider, and from the parish’s consulting engineer, Ronnie Landreneau, about various ongoing projects in and around the community.
Rider said work on clearing a canal running through the village has been suspended due to an equipment problem, but that he hopes work will resume next week.
He said work on a walking trail that includes a pedestrian bridge, should be completed between mid-April and early May.
Rider said people throughout the parish incorrectly believe the parish can apply gravel to the driveways of new homes and can provide culverts.
He said homeowners have to purchase pipes that will be used on private property, and that the parish can excavate culverts and install the pipes, but can only cover culverts or driveways with fill dirt -- dirt that is removed when ditches or other excavations are made.
Landreneau said the parish can use its equipment and labor but it would be illegal for the parish to improve private property by applying gravel or other material it purchases. He said the parish may have done that in the past, but does not do that now.
Landreneau briefed the council on a total of $50,000 in grants the village is qualified to apply for.
Half of those grant funds are part of a water enrichment grant that could be approved in as many as six months, and the other half could be received sooner and would be tied to the village declaring an emergency.
Following Landreneau’s recommendation, the council passed a resolution approving of the application of the grant based on an emergency situation.
The village has been struggling with deficiencies with its sewer plant, and during Monday’s meeting, village administrator Gail McDavid and sewer maintenance supervisor, Robert Perron, briefed the council on steps being taken to correct deficiencies.
The state Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has informed the village that, based on the results of lab tests, the village’s sewer treatment facilities are not in compliance with state regulations.
The village has entered into an agreement with Cenla Environmental Science in Alexandria, which is accredited by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and DEQ. McDavid said Cenla informed DEQ the village would be brought into compliance by June 31.
Perron reported on several issues regarding water flows and how they affect the village’s sewage treatment plant. He said that he inspected the plant during a recent heavy rain and found “water running through the sewer plant like a river.”
One of the problems he found was run-off from the elementary school’s paved parking lot. He said instead of flowing into a ditch, which was up a slight incline, the water drained into a lift station, which he said was a “major problem.”
He suggested -- and the council members agreed -- that the village request the school board take corrective action so that the parking lot drain properly.
McDavid said that while he was investigating drainage problems in the village, people asked him why he was on their property and that he replied he was trying to find where particular problems were originating.
In other business, the village council:
•Voted to move the time of the monthly meetings to 6:30 p.m. after the court hearing that will start at 6 p.m.
•Approved new improvements being made to the community center. Mayor Jackie Thomas said the village will have an open house when the improvements are completed.
•Was briefed on domestic violence by Faith House Outreach Advocate Marie Guidry. Among the numerous aspects of domestic violence she spoke about were that domestic violence is not just physical in nature, but can be verbal, emotional, economical and involves power and control.
•Was briefed on the status of the village acquiring a new police car by Chataignier Police Chief Paul Allen Jr. to replace the old one, which is no longer working. The new car is being purchased with a USDA grant of $30,000. The car itself is $22,000 and the remaining money will be used for a radio and other equipment for the car.