Henderson – The Henderson Town Council held a relatively brief and uneventful August meeting, though several key updates were shared.
City Attorney Jerry Mallett addressed the council on two matters. He confirmed that he had communicated with attorneys for MPERS but did not provide details, citing potential litigation. He also reported that Mayor Collette and the Mayor Pro Tem recently attended a Louisiana Municipal Association meeting in Lake Charles.
One outcome of that meeting is the town’s consideration of hiring a magistrate to oversee Mayor’s Court, since Henderson collects 10 percent of all fines issued. Officials also gathered information on how to access federal funding and better serve rural and economically distressed communities. Following this, the council approved motions authorizing the mayor to apply for grants through available community programs.
In other business, the council voted to raise monthly garbage rates by $1—from $19.26 to $20.26—to offset a 5.2 percent increase in Republic Services’ fees for trash collection. Police Chief Troy Dupuis reported that July citations were down due to officer vacations and one officer beginning POST certification at the police academy.
Mayor Collette noted that cleanup efforts at the park remain ongoing, new concrete is being poured for a storage building, and Park Commissioner Marvin Serrette intends to resign “sometime next year.”
With no further business, the council adjourned until September.
