Debris left over from Hurricane Isaac lines the street’s of Avenue H. At Tuesday’s Crowley City Council meeting, several members of the council expressed their anger at the length of time it is taking for workers hired by the Acadia Parish Police Jury to remove the unsightly garbage from Crowley’s streets. Police Juror Julie Borill came into the Post-Signal’s office on Wednesday to dispute several of the facts regarding the pickup of the debris.
Much of the blame was placed on the Acadia Parish Police Jury who is in charge of hiring the people who clean up the parish.
Police Juror Julie Borill, chairman of the Solid Waste Committee, responded by coming to the Post-Signal Wednesday afternoon to say she disagreed with some of the facts that were discussed at the council meeting.
“People need to understand that the parish trucks take care of the entire parish, they’re not in Crowley everyday,” said Borill. “We only have five full-time trucks and one part-time. Cleco hired contractors that came into Crowley to cut down the branches around the power lines before and after the storm. It is the contractors responsibility to dispose of the trees, debris and any other branches. Also some of the trucks pick up differing debris some pick up trees and branches others pick up white goods (appliances, etc) and others pick up disposable waste.”
“Contractor trash is not the parish’s responsibility,” she said. “Taxpayers should not have to pay twice.”
“I want to reassure the citizens that they can call the landfill at (337) 783-4834 and that we are working overtime to make sure that all bulk waste that is the responsibility of the parish is and will be picked up,” added Borill.
Also during Tuesday’s city council meeting two properties were brought before the council for condemnation proceedings.
The first property discussed is located at 522 East Jeanette St. and belongs to the Eugene Estate and Laura Trahan. One of the property owners (Trahan) was deceased and one of her heirs, Loretta James, was in court and said that there was a dispute with another relative, Henry Solomon, about the property.
When asked by City Attorney Tom Regan about the condition of the home, City Inspector Danny Hebert described the property as ‘very deplorable with people living there that shouldn’t be there’ including another heir, Henry Solomon. Solomon, according to James, was told by his mother to leave the property.
James said that it was her wish to have the property torn down. However, Regan said that until she retains an attorney, and the legal ownership of the home was established that nobody ‘owns 100 percent of the property.’
Mayor Greg Jones suggested that the matter be tabled until it could be resolved. The council agreed and passed a motion to continue with the subject at next month’s meeting.
The next property discussed is located at 605 West Hutchinson.
“This house is basically a nuisance,” said Hebert. “It’s never been boarded up. The doors are wide open and people can come and go as they please.”
Alderwoman Kitty Valdetero suggested that they expedite the process ‘because this house has been a nuisance for a long time.’
The council agreed and condemnation proceedings will begin in 30 days.
Other items the council discussed were the closing time on the contract rentals of the Rice Festival and Martin Luther King buildings. Apparently, the closing time on the buildings was misprinted as being 12 a.m. when it should have been 2 a.m.
“It’s always been 2 a.m.,” said Crowley Chief of Police K.P. Gibson.
It was also announced that the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Glady Trahan Tennis Centre would be on Saturday, October 20.
The next Crowley City Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 5.
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