Mamou Council to consider Cameron lease Mondy

The Mamou Town Council will have a public hearing Monday, December 23, at 5:30 p.m. to vote on a lease of a storage building to Cooper Cameron and to consider hiring a full-time police officer.
Council members had concerns about the proposed lease agreement during their November meeting, mostly about issues involving liability involved with the building, located next to the town’s skating rink.
During the regular monthly meeting on December 16, the counsel’s attorney, Peter Savoy, briefed the council on changes to the lease agreement that appeared to address the council’s concerns.
Savoy said the agreement now specifies that Cameron will be liable for any damage to the driveway and parking area at the storage facility, and the company would also be liable for damage to Cameron’s property being stored at the town’s storage building due to vandalism.
Another issue the council was concerned about during the November meeting involved whether the foundation of the building was strong enough to support heavy loads. The town’s consulting engineer, Steve Tate, said core samples of the foundation showed the foundation is four to five inches think, which would be sufficient to support whatever Cameron could store there.
The other issue to be considered during the public hearing -- hiring of a full-time police officer -- was requested by Mamou Police Chief Greg Dupuis.
During the meeting on December 16, council members voted to amend the town’s 2014 budget to allow for a five percent pay increase to all full-time employees, including full-time police officers. Mayor Ricky Fontenot said the raise also was warranted because the town’s employees had “cut wasteful spending.”
The Mamou Town Council also voted to allow Cleco to have a right-of-way along First Street for an additional power feed to the town. A Cleco representative told the council the town has two electric feeds, and the third feed will provide greater protection against power failures in the event of a hurricane. Cleco will clear trees and brush along the 15-foot right-of-way leading to the new substation.
In other business, the town council:
•Voted to adopt an ordinance amending the 2013 budget and to adopt the 2014 budget.
•Approved of salary increases for the town’s gas and water superintendent and the wastewater superintendent. Savoy said the last pay increases for those two employees was in May 2007.
•Heard a report from Chief Dupuis that the Mamou Police Department responded to 322 complaints from about mid November to mid December, resulting in 19 arrests.