Bogalusa Council set to meet Tuesday

Members of the Bogalusa City Council face a brief, agenda when they  meet at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Municipal Courtroom at City Hall, located at 214 Arkansas Ave.

First up is the repeal and reenactment of Ordinance No. 1961, which, because of the nature of the ordinance, requires a 30-day layover until the July 19 meeting.

After that, council will consider an ordinance to authorize Mayor Charles Mizell to sell a specific parcel of land to the State of Louisiana at its appraised value.

The third action item will be a public hearing on an ordinance to re-enact Section 4-31 of the Code of Ordinances to provide for a 300-foot distance operational restriction for certain alcohol-related businesses in regards to church, synagogue, public library, public playground, school, full-time daycare center or correctional facility or halfway house.

The final action is an ordinance to allow Mizell to enter into a contract with the successful bidder for operation of the Choctaw Landfill. This contract will be with the landfill’s current contractor, Landworks, Inc.

On Monday, the Washington Parish Council is expected to authorize Parish President Richard Thomas to enter into the contract after it holds a public hearing on Resolution No. 11-549.

Persons wishing to speak before the council are limited to three minutes and are required to sign up prior to the start of the meeting.

Help needed Tuesday with Food for Families

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.

And part of the agreement that brings the program to Bogalusa is that manpower is provided to help distribute the food on the first Tuesday of every month. In the past, city workers have helped but, because of personnel reductions, the city no longer has the manpower.

Thus the call for help.

"I understand some of the youth at First Baptist Church are going to help," said District D City Councilamn Teddy Drummond. "But we need to make sure we have adequate help out there, because the crowds are large and growing."

Nearly 800 families receive food through the program monthly and distribution runs from about 6:30 a.m. until 10 a.m.

It's a call echoed by Mayor Charles Mizell, who has encouraged volunteerism in the community and has been seen himself, picking up trash along Louisiana Avenue.

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.