Ville Platte City Council Meeting

November 5, 2014

The Ville Platte City Council held its monthly meeting tonight (Wednesday) at City Hall.  The meeting was held a week early due to the Labor Day holiday.

Connor LeBlue, Secretary of J.A.G., sang a beautiful version of the National Anthem and lead the meeting in the Pledge of Allegiance to open the city council meeting.

The Sacred Heart School drop-off/pick-up traffic re-routing was discussed.  There was much opposition to the re-routing expressed by parents and others.  Mayor Jennifer Vidrine announced that they have had a total of 331 parties against the re-routing and 0 for it.  Initially, when the plan/map was brought before the council, the Mayor asked if the plan had been presented to parents for their input.  It had not been and the administration of the school said it would be sent out to parents and a meeting would be called.  That did not happen and the Mayor said she has continued to gain information stating the plan, which includes using city streets, would be changed beginning Monday by the Administrator, without the approval of the council or Mayor.

Mayor Vidrine stated:  “I find it disrespectful to the Mayor, the council, the parents, grandparents and residents in the area to attempt to circumvent us in any attempt to use city streets for any change.  We will not be bullied or dictated to.  We are happy to sit down with parents and/or the administrator of the school, but this plan will not be approved.  Any re-routing plan that affects our city streets or blocks, or impedes our businesses on Main Street will not be approved.  We will make sure we have officers in place Monday to ensure there is no re-routing attempted.”  She also said that if there are any plans to use the “Rainy Day” Solution for any purpose other than when it is pouring rain outside that will not be permitted.

City Attorney, Greg Vidrine, was asked to send a notice to Sacred Heart in the form of a letter.

On a positive note, the city received a refund check in the amount of $37,137.00 from LWCC.  Also, the sales tax collections were up 7.1% from October of last year.  

A retail liquor permit was approved for Nick’s (The old Brass Rail), and there are two new businesses that have opened: Tiger Trax and Mia Hacienda.

Mayor Vidrine announced that the “Video” promoting Ville Platte has finally been finished and is now on their website:  www.cityofvilleplatte.com  The video will air on LPB sometime next year.

Residents can now pay their utility bills online on the same website under utilities.

She also announced that she received notification that the long awaited street sweeper will be delivered in January.