The Oberlin Council met for two hours Tuesday evening to deal with town business that involved approving projects and adopting ordinances, resolutions and community center rules.
The council did approve utilizing funds from Act 120 to repair North Fourth St. (1,320 feet) and 13th. St. (1,520 feet). The town received those emergency funds, totaling $126,000, through Act 120, House Bill No. 516, which was done in the 2021 Regular Session of the Louisiana legislature to make supplemental appropriations for the fiscal year of 2020-2021. There were questions asking if these funds could be used in other areas, and members of the audience and council learned it was not possible since it came from the legislature and was signed into law by the governor specifying the exact use of those funds.
“I’ve taken a hard look at the roads. They are terrible. I know I have to drive on them too. I hope we make a big dent in it,” Mayor Joseph “Moochie” Manuel said. He said this project was a good start toward fixing roads.
The council also received information on a street repair project underway that may repair several streets in Oberlin. Council members learned there is a list of streets being considered by the town and FEMA, which would be repaired by Safework, if those streets were damaged through flooding and winds associated with previous hurricanes. The list for consideration includes North Sixth, Fourth, North and South 13th, 12th, 10th, Ninth, Seventh and Third streets; Ninth, Eighth, West Fourth, Third and Fifth avenues; Garcille, Cottongin and Lamont roads; King, Chrissy, Taylor, Tiger and Gradney lanes; 26 East, MLK Drive from ninth to fifth streets, Smith Loop, Main Street near the courthouse and Industrial Drive.
The council took another step in possibly improving additional streets by hiring Carl Carpone to apply for and administer capital outlay funds, if awarded, with a cap of $500 for his initial fees. Capone believes his fees would total between $400 and $450 to complete the application for capital outlay funding, which must be completed by November 1. If awarded, he would receive four percent of the grant total to administer the funds. He outlined a plan to identify streets in different districts of the town and rate them from one to six to determine which roads needed repairs as soon as funds were available. Then he said the town would apply for the monies and slowly fix streets in each district based on this formula until all streets were repaired. He noted that additional fees would be associated with the project, because of the need to hire an engineer to complete the process.
Capone spoke about ways to fund the town’s necessary matching funds to secure the capital outlay funding including asking to waive the requirement, seeking funding from other government bodies in the parish that utilize the roads in the town or asking if capital improvement funds could be used with the outlay plan.
Tina Maddox, the new finance clerk, shared a report she had compiled in her first few weeks on the job. She located expenses totaling $249,260 during her first week; then expenses totaling $67,437.55 in August and $62,899.37 in September that are past due. On October 4, she said her total for the month was at $49,965.72. She also spent time with each department and found total spending in September were $93,212.84 minus fuel bills for police and maintenance.
“We didn’t get here in six months and we’re not going to get out in six months,” she told the council. She has a plan to create a total footprint of what is being spent each month and taken in by next month, so the town can plan and save when possible.
Councilman Bobby Thomas asked Charlotte Artis, city clerk, if she knew how much revenue the city received each month from water and sewer utilities. Artis explained it runs from $78,000 to $84,000 a month.
Artis also said Oberlin still had $25,000 in reimbursement fees through CWAP (Clean Water Action Plan). She said they found only $3,000 had been repaid of the $28,000 awarded to the town. She said they would be applying for the rest of reimbursement this week.
The mayor’s proposal to use some of the ARP funds for sewer improvements on Fuselier Lane, Taylor Road, Crawfish Plant Station and Waste Water Treatment Plant was discussed and how often the town is working on lift stations. Daryl Reeves, city superintendent, explained pumping trucks had to be utilized to pump out the lift stations when they were full due to the infiltration of rainwater and natural drainage. Until the infiltration issues were solved, the town would continue to deal with this problem.
He also said the town needed to find a way to prevent the flushing of foreign objects (such as baby diapers) into the sewer system like the recent discovery of a mop head. He pointed out the lift station at the Crawfish Plant already had work totaling $10,000 and it still needed to be rehabilitated. He said previous work appears to not have been performed correctly yet the work was signed off.
Reeves pointed out a customer where the town paid for a mechanical station to be installed a few months ago, and the homeowner contacted him that it was backed up again. He said these costs could increase quickly. The matter was tabled until the town can review the issues and decide how to proceed.
Other issues the council tabled included:
•Approving October’s bills.
•Discussing Hockrider Subdivision.
•Changing the name of Joe Pete Ave. to M & N Ave., until the town can speak to 9-1-1 about the impact of name changes in a community and how notification works for those living on said street.
•Hearing a complaint from Britt Wilson until more information was received regarding water that went into a home during the change of a meter and which agency would be responsible for the damages.
Reeves also addressed the condition of the chlorine system in the town, and DEQ’s recommendation to build a new building, put new doors to secure th location and put other security measures in place. He was asked if new doors on the present location would work. He said he would do what the council wanted, and it was agreed that he should try new doors to see if that brought the system up to code.
The council added an item to the agenda to allow Artis to open a new account to collect the surcharge from customers for water usage. She said the cost is $12 a year and was broken into increments of $3 every three months to assist those on fixed incomes. She said those funds collected need to be paid quarterly to the state under the Department of Health and Safe Water Drinking Act. The council approved the action.
The council approved:
•Adopting an Election Resolution for the December election asking voters to levy a special tax of 15 mills on all property subject to taxation in the town. This revenue will total $88,861 per year for the town with 60 percent earmarked for the town’s use and 40 percent for acquiring, maintaining and/or operating the waterworks system and the sewage collection and disposal system for the town.
•Adopted a Backflow Ordinance to meet guidelines set by DEQ and DHH. The town had 90 days to come into compliance and only seven days remain on the deadline. Turnage hired a company for $9,000 to survey the system and create a list of those business that will require installing a system to prevent backflow. This will prevent contamination. The town sent certified letters to all affected businesses giving them a time limit in meeting these guidelines. They were unsuccessful in contacting only two businesses. There is a list at town hall on which types of businesses will be required to install a backflow. At first Councilman Romelzy Willis Jr. didn’t want to approve this resolution, because he did not have a list of those businesses required to meet this requirement. After discussion, he told the mayor he would approve the action.
•Adopted rules for use of its community center including fees, pre and post inspection lists, security requirements, etc..
•Heard from Abraham McCleon about a property on Eighth Street that needed to be cleaned. Thomas said he would visit the courthouse to learn who owned the property.
•Heard from Susie Tyler, who represented the Joe Illes Subdivision. She addressed the issues surrounding a proposed RV park which could add more problems to collection at lift stations. She learned no zoning ordinances existed preventing the RV park. She also worried about how the RV park would affect utilities and public safety. In the future, she asked the council to consider being proactive instead of reactive to issues affecting the town.
•Learned Willis had donated paint for the community center. The mayor said they also were going to get some used cabinets. He believed once a sink was installed along with cold and hot water and possibly a stove in the future, the center would be really nice.
