LEONARD GRAY

HAHNVILLE – Councilman Barry Minnich led the way this time to raise sewer rates in St. Charles Parish at Monday’s parish council meeting – still not what a rate study called for by the parish administration. “We need the money to fix this deplorable system,” Minnich declared. “We’ve taken a Band-aid approach to the sewer system for the last eight years.” The vote followed a short parade of protesting citizens, all against raising sewer rates while pushing for more cuts in parish spending. “We can’t pay no more; how do you ask for more?” asked Dorothy Jenkins. Milton Allemand added, “It’s really pathetic. We all know what going on here and it’s a sad, sad deal.” The newly-approved rate is $4.05 per 1,000 gallons, up from $3.24 – an average increase for households by $5.67. On May 21, the parish council voted 5-3 to not approve a sewer rate increase, with Minnich siding with Terry Authement and Dee Abadie. That rate increase would have established a $5.06 per 1,000 gallon rate, effective June 1. Councilman G. “Ram” Ramchandran was absent from that meeting, but joined in the opposition in Monday’s vote. An attempt was made by Authement to table the matter, but the move failed in a 5-4 vote. Voting to table were Authement, Lance Marino, Ramchandran and Abadie. David Wedge of Bayou Gauche outlined that since the 3/8-cent and 1/2-cent taxes for the sewer system were approved, $108 million has been collected. What’s more, with the opening of the two regional sewer plants, seven local plants were shut down, yet six more employees have been hired. “How far do we sock it to the people?” declared Ramchandran. Parish President Albert Laque replied, “We really should have more people working, but I’ve been holding back.” Laque said the parish’s General Fund, attacked by critics as being wasteful in spending practices, outlined a litany of one-time and unexpected expenses, which drain the fund and make it hard to commit funds toward the sewer system – A $4 million payment to the St. Charles Sheriff’s Office toward the construction of the new correctional center, $500,000 to the 9-1-1 Center to upgrade its radio system, A mandated increase of $700,000 to more that $1.3 million to hold up to 200 inmates at the correctional center per year, In 1998, $1.4 million drained from the emergency contingency fund to sewer treatment, In 1999, $400,000 was transferred to sewer treatment, In 2000, more than $2.7 million was transferred to sewer treatment. “I point out these numbers to emphasize that we don’t just dump money or throw away’ money from the General Fund,” Laque stated. “These are valid expenses. This money has been spent for the good and safety of the citizens of St. Charles Parish.” Councilman Clayton Faucheux agreed with Laque and pointed out the fund balance has been dropping like a stone with demands placed upon the General Fund. “In a few more years, there won’t be a General Fund. We cannot continually go to the General Fund.” Abadie protested the speed in which the new rate was being implemented, going into effect immediately. “The DEQ is willing to allow us to phase in the rate increase,” she said. “You can’t do it all at one time.” Finance director Lorrie Toups said she was “offended” by Abadie’s remarks and pointed out the parish has known of the problem since 1997 and had the opportunity to phase it in since then – “but instead we snowballed it.” Former parish president Kevin Friloux observed that since he left office, no parish president or council member has discussed the problems with wastewater financing with him. “I still today say the (original local) plants were designed right, but they were not maintained. They were allowed to go to pot. They didn’t maintain them.”