Patterson cuts hour off work week to save money

Starting Friday, City Hall will close an hour early every Friday, and beginning March 17, police department personnel will work two fewer hours per week to make up for declining city revenues, Mayor Rodney Grogan said.
“Everything is down, down, down,” Grogan said, referring to city revenues during Tuesday’s city council meeting. Employees affected include personnel in the streets, drainage and gas departments, city administration and police department staff, Grogan said.
This Friday, City Hall will begin closing at 3 p.m. instead of 4 p.m., Grogan said.
The cut in hours affects 45 city employees and 26 police department employees, Grogan said.
Cutting the hours alone would save the city $24,000 to $25,000 in payroll costs from now to June 30, Weary said. City officials are also looking for other areas to cut, and Weary plans to present amendments to the city’s budget at April’s council meeting, he said.
These cuts would be only a short-term fix to the budget shortfall for the fiscal year ending June 30, Grogan said.
Compared to this time in 2015, city sales tax collections are down at least 18 percent, Grogan said. The city’s law enforcement tax is down about 20 percent, and collections for fines and forfeitures decreased 44 percent, Grogan said. Natural gas revenues are down 25 percent.
General fund revenues as of Feb. 29 were down by about $110,000 compared to the end of February 2015, Weary said.
Grogan asked the council to support his decision to continue to make cuts for at least the next 15 months, due to projections of the economic downturn’s duration.
Grogan assured residents that cutting police department personnel hours won’t put the city at risk of an increase in crime, he said.
“We can’t do anything but make these cuts now because we see what’s going on from Washington on down to Baton Rouge, from Baton Rouge to St. Mary Parish to Patterson,” Grogan said.
Sales taxes are projected to be down at least 40 percent “by the time we get out of this 15-month crisis,” he said.
Grogan met with his staff and “told them what we have to do,” he said. The alternative would be letting go city employees, Grogan said.
“I would rather have people working than having people unemployed,” Grogan said.
Police Chief Patrick LaSalle wasn’t present at Tuesday’s council meeting. The Daily Review called LaSalle this morning for comment on the cuts, but hadn’t received a call back as of 11:30 a.m.
During the meeting, the council approved an ordinance designed “to minimize the risk of potentially dangerous interactions between humans and wildlife in areas issued wildlife-resistant containers.”
St. Mary Parish Bear Conflict Officer Catherine Siracusa said the ordinance addresses the bear-proof garbage cans residents are using south of U.S. 90 in Patterson and encourages residents to lock their cans all the time.
If a bear gets into an unlocked can, a person could be charged with feeding a bear, which is against state law, Siracusa said.
“This ordinance actually gives that law some teeth,” Siracusa said. Officials plan to give residents a warning the first time they leave their cans unlocked, and after that, officials will start issuing citations, she said.
The council also heard from residents Patricia Jennings and Bobby Jennings, who asked the council to consider passing an ordinance to allow people to drive golf carts on public streets in neighborhoods. They referred to a state law passed in 2015 that allows “neighborhood vehicles” to be driven on public roads with a speed limit of 25 mph or less, Patricia Jennings said.
Grogan said the city will study the matter and possibly introduce an ordinance to allow golf carts on public streets.
In other business, the council
—Approved the city entering into a contract with Burk-Kleinpeter Inc. to provide architectural, planning, contract review and oversight and other services in connection with developing and improving Morey Park in the city.
—Approved the city to enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement with the state to receive $75,000 for the Morey Park project.
—Accepted a proclamation supporting Leaders Against Litter cleanup March 18.
—Approved placing for sale signs on surplus city property.
—Introduced an ordinance amending Volunteer Fire Department qualifications.
—Tabled action on a taxicab permit for Mo’ City Cab.
—Approved the city engineer to prepare a property description of proposed annexation of property at 2142 La. 182 and 2200 La. 182 to develop a subdivision.