October proclaimed Domestic Violence Awareness Month
St. Martinville – The St.
Martin Parish Council presented a proclamation to Chez Hope and signed by Parish President Pete Delcambre in recognition of the work the organization does in support of people suffering from domestic violence.
The council approved a resolution later in its regular monthly meeting held on Sept. 2 proclaiming October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month in the parish.
Chez Hope’s St. Martin Parish Advocate, Kelli Cantu, spoke to the parish council about the services that Chez Hope offers to residents of St. Martin, Iberia, St. Mary and Assumption parishes.
Cantu said domestic violence affects more than 10 million Americans each year.
In Louisiana, 2.8 females per
1,000 women are killed in domestic situations, making the state the fifth worst in the country for that statistic.
Chez Hope
She said that St. Martin Parish was unfortunately hit by such an instance this year as 16th Judicial District Assistant District Attorney Shentell Brown was killed by her husband in February.
Courtroom No. 2 in the St. Martin Parish Courthouse was renamed in honor of Brown on Sept. 2. Brown was an advocate for children and child abuse victims in the D.A.’s office, and judges in the 16th Judicial District had asked the St. Martin Parish Council at a meeting in August for its blessing in renaming the courtroom, which was approved unanimously by the council.
Cantu said Chez Hope offers protective order assistance at the Sheriff’s Office, helping victims fill out applications for protective orders, and will go to court hearings with the victims seeking protective orders.
“It can be a bit overwhelming, so we help them with that,” she said. “We also have two emergency shelters, one in New Iberia and one in Franklin. St. Martin residents are absolutely welcome to stay there if they are fleeing from a domestic violence situation.”
In 2024, Chez Hope helped residents fill out 742 restraining orders, answered more than 4,000 crisis calls and had more than 400 residents who stayed at one of the shelters. More than 2,150 individuals were served. The St. Martin phone number to reach Chez Hope is (337) 242-6100.
Resolutions
The parish council approved a resolution to rebid the expansion and renovation of the St. Martin Parish Government Central Office Complex, contingent upon approval by the state Division of Administrative Office of Facility Planning and Control.
The council had rejected all bids on the project in August after the lowest bid came in above budgeted costs, and voted to reduce the scope of the project at a later meeting.
The council approved a resolution to execute a change order for an increase of $60,654 for the Herman Dupuis Road Improvements Project by Elliott Construction.
A change order for an increase of $22,889.02 and a seven-day contract time extension for the Spanish Trail Industrial Park Access Road Project by Glenn Lege Construction and a change order for a decrease of $22,889.02 and a sevenday time extension for the Burlington North Santa Fe railroad crossing portion of the project by also were approved by resolution.
The council approved a resolution committing funds to the Cypress Bayou Drainage Improvements Project for dredging the channel.
The council also passed a resolution awarding the contract for the Henderson Water Level Control Structure Repairs Project to apparent low bidder Reliant Industrial Solutions for $888,926.50.
Resolutions authorizing the parish president to execute Certificates of Substantial Completion for the Boon Lasseigne Road Bridge Replacement Project band the Herman Dupuis Road Improvement Project also were approved.
The council also passed several resolutions appointing board members, including reappointing Vonda LeBlanc to serve on the St. Martin Community Action Council and SMILE Board of Director; appointing Tiffany James to serve as a member of the St. Martin Parish Waterworks District 3 Board (Cade); and appointing Darrell Blanchard to serve as a member of the St. Martin Parish Water & Sewerage Commission No. 1 (Stephensville/Belle River).
The council also approved resolutions proclaiming October as Head Start Awareness Month and the week of Oct. 5-11 as Fire Prevention Week.
Ordinances
The parish council approved an ordinance prohibiting the discharge or deposit of grass clippings and lawn debris onto public sidewalks, streets, drainage or any public area within the parish and provided for penalties for violations of the ordinance.
Ordinances amending the 2025 operating and maintenance budget and amending the 2025 operating and maintenance budget for the Health Unit Maintenance Fund also were approved.
The council also introduced several ordinances for publication that will be voted on at a later meeting.
Those ordinances dealt with servitude rights for five properties in the parish.
