EPPJ revisiting ordinance to require fencing for junk car lots

During its committee meeting session Monday, November 3, the Evangeline Parish Police Jury discussed several issues that it will bring up during its regular meeting next Monday or at later meetings.
The first was an ordinance that would require fencing off unsightly junked vehicle lots so they could not be seen from adjacent roads.
An ordinance had been drafted about two years ago, but after meeting with opposition, the jurors took no action on the ordinance. Existing junked vehicle lots would be “grandfathered in” but new lots would be required to have the fencing, according to the ordinance being considered.
Ryan Ardoin, police jury president, said people visiting the parish get a bad impression when they see the unsightly vehicles. “It’s the first thing they see,” at some locations, he said.
Juror Kenny Burgess said that now, as opposed to two years ago, the parish has an inspector who can help enforce an ordinance. He also said the issue also involves farms where old, inoperable tractors are being kept that can be seen from roads.
Another issue that has drawn opposition -- especially from parish farmers -- is road use permits. The parish had sought to extend permitting beyond pipeline and logging haulers, but failed to pass an ordinance last month after representatives of parish farmers came to the police jury meeting to object.
Juror Eric Soileau presented the jurors with copies of an ordinance he received from a representative of the oil and gas industry.
Jurors said their constituents had contacted them with information about suspected overweight loads and the damage they had caused to parish roads. Burgess said he has become aware of trucks hauling agricultural products that exceed the 80,000 pound limit by up to 35.000 pounds. Soileau said he has become aware of at least one construction contractor hauling loads that exceed the weight limit.
Jurors discussed several options for identifying haulers who damage roadways, including parish residents who witness the haulers and identify the resulting damage. They also discussed ways to make truckers known to have caused damage to parish roads to be fined or be made to pay the parish for the cost of making repairs.
Juror Bryan Vidrine said the parish does own scales but is not using them at this time. The scales are portable, and a parish ordinance could involve the use of the scales.
Vidrine said farmers sometimes have to exceed weight limits to transport equipment needed to adjust levees after heavy rains, “or lose their crop.” He said in such cases, farmers can be granted variances.
Chester Granger, parish public works director, said the parish should set high enough bonds in order for haulers to consider the impact of damaging roads as part of their business expenses. Now, he said, “I have no enforcement at all.”
Granger said the jurors have discussed the problem of damage to parish roads due to overweight truckloads long enough. “The longer we delay, the further we get behind.”
He also said about 90 percent of the truckers abide by the road use weight limits in the parish and “want to get along,” when he asks them about their load weights.
The jurors did not decide to bring up the issue during its regular meeting next week, but agreed with Vidrine’s suggestion that they need more specific examples of possible solutions before taking action.
Another issue the police jury has discussed is what to do about people who fail to pay for sewer service provided by the parish. Police juries have discussed that problem since the early 2000s.
The sewer fees average between $20 to $25 a month, but the total delinquency is approaching $150,000. There is some uncertainty about whether bills that are more than three years old have to be written off. Audits of the parish finances have cited the delinquencies as a problem that needs to be addressed.
The police jury had decided to ask for the public and private water distribution systems to turn off water to residents who do not pay their sewer bills.
However, Donald Bergeron, police jury secretary/treasurer, said while some water systems are willing to cooperate, some are not.
Jurors discussed the option of charging landowners or landlords a deposit, or making them responsible for paying sewer bills.
Burgess said that would not be fair to the landlords. “They aren’t using that bathroom,” residences use who refuse to pay their sewer bills. Juror Rocky Rider said landlords can simply raise the rent to cover the cost of the sewer bills.
Bergeron said there is no solution to the problem that will please everyone. However, he said the Louisiana Attorney General’s Office had issued an opinion stating landlords or owners of rental structures can be held responsible for the collection of charges for services provided by local governments.
The jurors decided to pay $1,196 to replace a commercial water meter along Highway 167 North near Alligator Road. The road crew doing the work failed to call the state’s 811 Call Before You Dig phone number.
Jurors were told all parish work crews have been instructed to call the number before doing any digging. Burgess said the parish could have been charged a lot more than the water meter cost if a fiber optic line had been accidentally dug up.
Jurors were also told that Crooked Creek has reduced its office staff to a “skeleton crew” and the recreational park had a very successful Halloween attendance and activities.