A large group of citizens from the Shady Acres subdivision attended the Ville Platte City Council meeting Tuesday complaining the city is moving too slow in improving the drainage problems in that area of the city. Faye Lemoine said flooding took place in homes last August and again in April of this year. She felt the city  does not have place drainage as a high priority.

     Ville Platte Mayor Jennifer Vidrine told Lemoine and the residents “You have my word as mayor that the flooding is a high priority. We have to follow procedures and sometimes it takes time to accomplish the plan of action.”

    Engineer Ronnie Landreneau , who lives in the same subdivision, is recommending the city bid out a part of the project to a contractor with the proper equipment to clean out all of the ditches in the area and remove and replace about a half mile of 12 inch pipe.

   Residents were also asked to attend police jury meetings to make sure jurors  are cleaning the area canals that the city water drains into. Mayor Jennifer Vidrine said the city is also working on other areas that are prone to flooding such as Railroad, MLK and Soileau Streets  .

   In other business, the mayor announced:

--the city spent $31,000 more in August than in July because of an insurance premium was due;

--the hiring of four new part time officers in the police department: three jailers and one dispatcher;

--that seven abandoned homes were torn down including the Dr. Dupre home on West Main and seven over grown lots were cleaned up;

--received news that a grant was approved to construct a subdivision of ten single family homes that will be sold to first time home buyers or rented;

--that the police reported for August that 641 calls came in, worked 38 traffic accidents and 35 people were arrested;

--the fire department announced that in August, they received 12 fire calls including one house fire.