Ville Platte installing more crime cameras

In a meeting that was short on action items, Mayor Jennifer Vidrine told the Ville Platte City Council that additional “crime” cameras will soon be up around Ville Platte, helping to keep the city safe.
Vidrine announced during the regular monthly meeting that the City has received a $17,595 Louisiana Government Assistance Program grant to purchase the cameras. Although she isn’t sure how many more cameras the LGAP grant would fund, Vidrine said it would be “at least three more, bringing our total up to ten cameras across the city.”
After the meeting, Vidrine told The Gazette that the cameras have been instrumental in helping the investigation of criminal activities and in determining who was at fault in accidents. She does not want to disclose the location of the cameras.
In other business, park consultant Adam Perkins gave a visual explanation of planned enhancements of Hargrove City Park in the southwest corner of the city, next to the MLK Community Center.
Using a 3D digital model that he projected on a screen, Perkins explained that the enhancements to the park would progress in three phases. This spring, work will begin on Phase 1, which will add covered pavilions and shade trees.
Phase 2, Vidrine explained, will add a new playground and splash pad. Funding for Phase 2 will be included in the budget for next fiscal year. The final phase would include improving the road that passes around the park.
Vidrine told the board that after the improvements are made to Hargrove Park, enhancements will continue at Northside City Park. Already, new basketball courts have been created at Northside Park. Soon, the courts will be painted and goals will be erected.
The Council approved a resolution to add a renewal of the City’s sewage and drainage tax to the March 25, 2017 election. The renewal would extend the current rates for another 15 years.
Because she wants to have the accounts finalized before the January council meeting, Vidrine asked the Council to move the date of the meeting one week to the third Tuesday of the month. The council unanimously approved moving the next regular meeting to Jan. 17.
Council members also unanimously approved hiring three new full-time patrolmen and a part-time jailer for the Ville Platte police department.
Vidrine warned those property owners who have received letters from the City warning them about abandoned and blighted property that the City will soon be acting to resolve the situation.
“The 30-day notice has expired,” Vidrine said. “We will start demolishing in January. If the City has to clean up the property, that cost will be tacked on to the property tax bill. And it will be very, very expensive. It is much cheaper to take care of it yourself and not force us to do it for you.”