PC establishes road district, proposes tax rededication

An ordinance creating St. Mary Parish Road District 1 was adopted by the St. Mary Parish Council Wednesday.
The district encompasses the entire parish with the exclusion of the Morgan City city limits.
Voters in the remainder of the parish will be asked in March to approve the levy of just under 1 mill that would be dedicated to road improvements. The millage, though, would not be a new tax but would be shifted from the current 1.25 mills currently levied by the library district, according to bonding attorney Jason Akers.
“The .35 (mill) is still what is necessary to pay debt service on the bonds for the library that are still outstanding,” Akers said. He added that creation of the district, which has the same boundaries as the library district, will restrict usage of the millage for road improvements.
Akers said the first bond package would be for $6.5 million that would be shared with the Baldwin, Berwick, Franklin and Patterson governments.
Morgan City is excluded since it levies its own three-tenths percent sales tax for road maintenance. It also is excluded from the library district since it operates its own library.
Councilman Kevin Voisin of Morgan City opposed creation of the district and levy of the millage.
“The millages are so high,” Voisin said. “We finally can drop a mill off the taxpayers of this parish and the land and property owners … personally, I’m anti-tax … I think we ought to give the taxpayers a break and try to lower these mills.”
“I think everybody is tired of driving on terrible roads and streets,” said Council Steve Bierhorst of Patterson. “I don’t have a problem with this millage if it’s dedicated strictly to roads. I don’t think less than one mill is going to kill anybody.”
Chief Administrative Officer Henry “Bo” LaGrange noted that the last road improvement bonds were in 2000 and will be paid off in 2015.
The ordinance passed on an 8-3 vote with Voisin, Councilman Tim Tregle of Morgan City and David Hanagriff of Centerville in opposition.
In other business the council:
—Heard from Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser on efforts to speed up the Corps of Engineers permitting process in regard to coastal restoration.
—Heard from Blake Sonnier of Boy Scout Troop 405, who is working on an eagle scout that includes installation of mile markers along the levee for the Atchafalaya Basin Wilderness Bike Trail. Sonnier said there will be 55 mile markers along the trail between Henderson and Calument, 20 of which will be in St. Mary Parish. He asked the council to fund those 20 markers at a cost of $556.80. The council agreed to manufacture the signs for Sonnier as long as he has the cooperation of the Levee District.
—Introduced an ordinance on a servitude agreement with Morgan City Harbor and Terminal District in connection with the Morgan City Industrial Road project.
—Adopted ordinances on the 2015 fiscal year budget and five-year capital outlay plan; creation of a regional planning area; a specific use permit to Tony Booty for operation of a gentleman’s club in an industrial zone in Amelia; and increase of the council clerk’s hourly wage to $24.83.
—Passed resolutions on a change order with Gray Construction on the Patterson sewer project; a change order and notice of substantial completion by Glenn Lege Construction on the patch and overlay of Iberia Street in Franklin; an agreement with Byron E. Talbot Contractor on installation of culverts and associated infrastructure on Middle Road Drainage Canal in Bayou Vista; an amendment to the professional services agreement with LJC Planning and Design on the runway approach project at Harry P. Williams Airport; a certificate of substantial completion on the cleaning and waterproofing project on the courthouse; and a renewal contract with revision for solid waste services with Fourrier Consulting Engineering.
—Passed resolutions authorizing the call for special elections on March 28 for renewal of taxes by Consolidated Gravity Drainage District 2, Sewerage District 8, Ward 4 Fire Protection District 2, Waterworks District 5 and Mosquito Control District 1.