Sick council members force meeting cancellation

Three sick members of the Bogalusa City Council forced a cancellation of Tuesday's regular meeting, which included condemnation hearings, and left those coming to City Hall greeted only by a hastily scrawled sign.

As a result, City Judge Robert Black was at the front door of City Hall, meeting persons who were coming for the condemnation portion of the lengthy agenda.

"We work to notify people and we may have someone coming from out-of-town," Black told wpnewsblog. "It would be right to contact them, tell them we were going to have a hearing and then have them show up to a locked building."

Just as Black was explaining why he was there, four members of a family walked up to the door, asking about the hearings.

"We won't have the hearing," he told them, "but we can sit down and discuss what is going on and what options you may be facing."

Tuesday's agenda was a lengthy one, including four resolutions alone pertaining to the Louisiana Community Development Block Grant Program. Additionally, business operators could be facing another cost of doing business, based on the details of an ordinance that would allow for the creation of a tax on the "pursuit of business."

There is no indication as to whether council will call a special meeting or wait until the next session, scheduled for August 16.

City puts teeth into talk about cutting off water

For years, other than for the occasional theft of service, the talk about cutting off someone's water in Bogalusa was just that ... all talk.

Until this past week.

After extending two drop-dead deadlines and after issuing a final set of pleas for delinquent customers to pay up, city crews hit the street on Tuesday and began disconnecting water.

By the end of business on Thursday, 288 customers had learned the hard way that the city finally meant what it said. Enough was finally enough. In addition to having to bring their bill current, customers who were disconnected must also pay a $25 reconnect fee.

With more than $150,000 in the 90-day delinquent account, there was little left for City Administrator Jerry Bailey to day — plus, he had the backing of the city council and his immediate boss, Mayor Charles Mizell.

Beginning last Monday, customers started beating a steady path to the city hall annex, sometimes being able to walk directly to the counter to pay up but more times than not, forced to wait in line as someone else tried to get caught up and avoid a dry tap.

And as word of the disconnects spread, more and more people came in to pay until more than $90,000 came into city coffers.

And while that's good news, there's still approximately $300,000 in water receivables that the city is trying to track down.

"People move from place to place and change the names on the accounts," Bailey said. "They may have it in one name at one place, then put it in another after they've run up a bill and moved.

Bailey said skips that can be located will be given the opportunity to pay their bill before the city begins legal action.

Food for Families gets food out

Ulysses Andrews and John Gilbert,
both with Catholic Charities, load
one of 49 boxes of food scheduled
for Linda Little's van. Little delivers
food to the elderly and those without
transportation in the Angie-Varnado
area. (Photo by John H. Walker)

The lines were long in Cassidy Park Tuesday morning, as food distribution through the Food for Families program got started shortly after 6 a.m.

By 6:20, more than 75 vehicles were in line as John Gilbert and Ulysses Andrews, both of New Orleans, took pre-packed boxes from a roller line off a truck to load into vehicles.

Linda Little of Varnado had her van backed up to be loaded.

Long lines were waiting when
distribution began this morning.
(Photo by John H. Walker)

"I'm getting food or the elderly and people who can't come in or don't have a way," she told wpnewsblog. "I've got 49 boxes to deliver to those folks to try and help them."

"She does this every month," Gilbert said. "She's doing work for God."

Volunteers are being sought to assist with Tuesday morning's Food for Families distribution at Cassidy Park. The distribution, funded by the USDA through the Department of Health and Hospitals, is administered by Catholic Charities of New Orleans. Food for Families distributes food in all 64 Louisiana parishes.

Persons wishing to assist may do so by simply showing up at Cassidy Park or can give advance notice by calling city personnel director Sandy Bloom 730-4397 or city council clerk Brenda Ford at 732-6202.

Nearly 800 families receive food through the Bogalusa distribution.

(Published first at http://www.wpnewsblog.blogspot.com)