Two major items dominated the Parks Village Council’s August meeting: the town’s water system and the condition of blighted properties in the community.
Mayor Kevin Kately said the council voted to begin the process of raising water rates, noting it would amount to only a small increase for residents.
“It’s not going to be much—maybe a dollar or two more per month,” Kately explained. “The issue is that for many years, under previous administrations, water rates were never increased. Because of that, the system has been operating at a loss each month. What we’re doing now is raising the rates gradually so we can stop that loss and have funds available for needed repairs or changes.”
Another major waterrelated item was the start of bidding for a new well, expected to cost about $2.4 million.
“We have enough in the account to cover part of the cost, and we are actively pursuing a grant that we believe will bring in about $1 million to help pay for the project,” Kately said.
The mayor also reported that new water meters have begun being installed in the Cypress Island area.
“They finally started putting in the new meters, and over the next year or so, we’ll be replacing all the old ones with new ones,” Kately added.
Beyond water system updates, the council also addressed blighted properties in the village.
“There are at least 10 properties in the village and surrounding area that need to be torn down,” Kately said. “For some reason, in previous administrations, tax money that could have been used for this purpose was redirected elsewhere. I’ve already talked with St. Martin Parish President Pete Delcambre about the issue to see if anything can be done.”
Kately acknowledged that the problem is a significant one. “It’s a big issue, and we are just trying to figure out what can be done about it,” he said.
With no further business, the council adjourned the meeting until September.
