VP residents can get prescription discount cards

Ville Platte residents can receive cards from city hall that will save them about 23 percent on medications not covered by insurance in what Mayor Jennifer Vidrine described as “our Christmas present from the council to the people.”
During the council meeting Tuesday, the mayor showed one of the cards that are free to the public and are being provided to the city at no charge by the National League of Cities. The mayor said she learned about the cards during a league convention in Seattle, Washington, she attended in November.
The front of the cards identify the city and the mayor and have the city’s seal. People can obtain the cards from any teller in city hall, including at the drive-through window.
The mayor said the cards are being distributed to any Ville Platte resident who requests them, regardless of income level.
The mayor also announced that the city has received a donation of about two acres across the canal that runs along the south side of Northside City Park. The donation was made by Dr. Richard Bidstrup, an Opelousas doctor who also treats patients in Ville Platte.
The mayor thanked the donors for the property, which she described as “great land.” There are no structures on the property, which would be cleared of brush and trees. Mayor Vidrine said the property could become an extension to the existing park, possibly connected by a bridge over the canal.
The mayor reported the city is seeking a maximum $50,000 state Local Government Assistant Program grant to purchase fences that will be placed along roads where they cross over canals.
Mayor Vidrine said several fences have been placed where streets cross over the canals and they have “helped a lot” to reduce discarding of old household items. Discarded items, such as appliances and furniture, have become stuck in drainage pipes, worsening flooding in the city.
The mayor said there are 13 locations remaining where streets crossing over canals are not fenced. Most of those locations will require fences on both sides of the streets.
The city’s consulting engineer, Ronnie Landreneau, said the city will find out next summer if the state will award the grant to the city.
In other business, the city council:
•approved the expenditure of $104,000, over two years, for new computer software and a server for eight city departments. The mayor said the city has budgeted the expenditure. Some of the city’s existing software, up to eight years old, are produced by four different companies, requiring the city to pay the four companies’ service technicians when needed. The new software will be compatible with the software used with the new “smart” water meters that are being installed, and will enable utility customers to pay their bills online.
•Voted for Donald Sam as the mayor pro tempore for 2014.
•Was briefed by the mayor on progress with establishing a Girls and Boys Club of Ville Platte. The mayor has identified the old city building at West Main and Court streets as a place where club member will meet. She said the next step is to get estimates for cleaning and painting the building.
•The mayor also suggested the city council schedule its first-ever French meeting for its December 2014 monthly meeting. Earlier the day of the city council meeting, the mayor had attended the annual police jury French meeting. There were no objections from the councilmen to having a French city council meeting, although Councilman Freddie Jack asked if a translator would attend the meeting.