As the current fiscal year draws to a close in June and preparations begin for the new one in July, the Henderson Town Council convened for its May meeting to address several important topics, including new hires for the police department and ongoing community projects.
One of the first items on the agenda was the town’s upcoming sewer project, which will extend sewer lines to support new businesses in the area.
Mayor Sherbin Collette explained, “The big question that has yet to be determined is whether to simply move the existing sewer lines or to rebore a new water line due to the impact on the Cecilia Water line. The project has already been delayed by about two months, but a decision point is approaching.”
During the meeting, the council passed a resolution setting the town’s millage rate at 1.62 mills for 2025 taxes. They also agreed to explore the possibility of adding Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve as paid holidays for town employees.
Personnel matters were also addressed. The council approved the hiring of Merlin Guidry to the maintenance crew at Interstate 10. Additionally, on the recommendation of Police Chief Troy Dupuis, two new full-time officers - Brooke Patin and Breckin Millet were added to the police force, bringing the department back to full staffing.
With insurance checks received for recent tornado damage, the council discussed the need to assess the town park and determine what repairs or improvements are needed to revitalize the area.
Mayor Collette also updated the council on efforts to address condemned properties.
“We sent out 36 letters and received responses from 29 property owners, most of whom indicated they would address the issues,” he said. “I made it clear that if they don’t, the town has the authority to clean up the properties and bill the owners for the work.”
The mayor clarified recent news reports by stating that, contrary to some claims, the cleanup work will not take seven months to complete. Instead, it will be at least seven months before the work can even begin, giving property owners ample time to resolve the issues themselves.
