Mayor Jennifer Vidrine addresses fellow Rotarians

By: HEATHER BOGARD
Lifestyles Editor

January 5, Meeting
Ville Platte Mayor and Rotarian Jennifer Vidrine addressed the January 5, meeting of the Ville Platte Rotary Club. She wished everyone a very Happy New Year and then gave an update on the various projects and other happenings in Ville Platte.
Vidrine stated that as of the last audit, the city has a surplus of $427,000.
She noted that phase three of the $13 million water system project is underway and that phase four, which includes Main Street and LaSalle Street, will begin once phase three is complete. She also said that other repairs are estimated to be $1 million, but the city has applied for a $5 million loan at a low interest rate just to have the funds available should the expenses go over the $1 million mark.
She noted that she is hoping to secure $50,000 in grant funding in order to purchase more security cameras to place throughout Ville Platte and “blanket” the city.
The issue of blighted properties was discussed, and Vidrine stated that a first letter went out to property owners and they have 30 days to respond to the letter. If no response is received by the end of 30 days, the city will go in and clean up the property. The cost of the clean up will be added to the property owner’s property tax at the end of the year.
Vidrine said she spoke with the “hotel people” out of New Orleans when they visited Ville Platte last week to discuss the feasibility of the expense of a market survey to determine the need of a hotel in Ville Platte. The cost of completing a market survey is between $10,000 - 12,000, so they visited the area to help decide if it would be worth it for the city to spend the money on the market survey. She and the representatives also visited 22 possible locations for a hotel site, which will then be narrowed down to five.
She said a new batch of red bilingual street signs will be going up along LaSalle Street and then throughout the neighborhood streets to eventually have the signs located on every street throughout the city.
The Boys and Girls Club will be open beginning June 1, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. The club will be open to children ages 10-18, with a barrage of activities available during the first session, which will begin June 1 and end August 6. Just a few of the activities that will be available include French and Spanish language lessons, golf lessons and cooking lessons. She added that she hopes to eventually build a new location for the Boys and Girls Club at the recreational park, along with four new fields.
Vidrine said two new police units have been purchased and that she is trying to give the police department everything it needs so the officers can do a better job.
In regards to the fire department, she said she is trying to obtain funding for a new fire department building to replace the current location on Magnolia Street, which is old and needs maintenance. She added that the ladder truck from 1982 breaks down on a daily basis and she is working on getting funding for a new one, which will cost approximately $700,000.
She said a free tax preparation service will be available on Mondays and Wednesdays at city hall beginning at the end of January.
She noted that a new accounting system will be installed which will allow for easier and more accurate accounting and bookkeeping.
Vidrine also noted more city workers will be hired in February and March to assist with projects.