– The St. Martinville City Council introduced an ordinance to strengthen the city’s ordinances against abandoned and nuisance vehicles on private property in the city at Monday’s council meeting.
Mayor Jason Willis introduced the ordinance, reading it to define for residents and property owners what the city is restricting.
“In the first team we talked about this,” Willis said. “We have nuisance vehicles on the streets. People park them, meaning that they’re on flats. They have the license plates off. They just park them on the street, but we can handle that. The police go and put a sticker on the car. Within three days if they don’t pick it up, (we) tow it.”
But some people have abandoned and dilapidated cars in their yards, he said, and it’s becoming more of an issue.
The amendment adds section 22-97 to the ordinance, which gives the city additional authority to deal with such vehicles that are on people’s property.
“The City Council finds that the storage or abandonment of motor vehicles which are totally inoperable and whose value is less than the cost to repair such vehicle constitutes a public nuisance, and is hereby defined as a ‘Nuisance Vehicle.’ Furthermore, the storage of any such Nuisance Vehicles on any property within the city if the Nuisance Vehicle is within view of a public street is hereby also prohibited,” the ordinance reads, in part.
If any such vehicle remains for 30 consecutive days on private property, a city law enforcement officer or other authorized city person will attach a notice on the nuisance vehicle directing that it be removed from the property within 10 days of the date on the notice, the ordinance adds. The city may place a sign on the property as close to the nuisance vehicle as practical, as well, providing the notice to remove the vehicle.
Any nuisance vehicle which remains on private property for more than 10 days after such notice is placed — even if the notice is removed — shall be considered as abandoned to the city and disposed of according to law, the ordinance states.
Any vehicle not removed after 10 days of notice being placed may be removed by the city or by a tow truck operator authorized to act on the city’s behalf. In such a case, the city or tow truck operator will store the nuisance vehicle and may dispose of the vehicle pursuant to the Louisiana Towing and Storage Act.
If the nuisance vehicle has been left on property without the consent of the owner for three days or more, the notice to be posted on the windshield of the nuisance vehicle will direct the nuisance vehicle be removed within 24 hours from the posting of the notice. Any such vehicle not removed with 24 hours may be removed by the city or a tow truck operator authorized by the city, and shall be stored and can be disposed of, the ordinance states.
Nuisance vehicles in the city at the date of the adoption of the ordinance are not exempt from the provisions of the ordinance.
The ordinance also states “The City shall have no responsibility or liability with regard to the vehicle once it is attached to the (tow) truck, and, by attaching the Nuisance Vehicle after a request to do so from a City law enforcement officer or other official of the City, the tow truck operator is fully authorized to proceed according to the Louisiana Towing and Storage Act.”
Willis said that a nuisance vehicle is any motor vehicle located on private property that is inoperable, wrecked, dismantled, partially dismantled or missing essential components such as wheels, tires, engines, hoods, doors, windshields and other parts necessary for lawful operation; and does not display a license plate or valid registration as required by law.
Such a vehicle is incapable of being legally operated on public roadways; is parked, stored or maintained in a way that creates an unsightly condition, health hazard, fire hazard or safety hazard, or otherwise adversely affects the public health, safety, welfare or neighboring property values, he said.
It also is not stored properly according to city ordinance.
A vehicle is considered properly stored only when it is fully enclosed within a permanent garage and parked on a concrete, asphalt or other approved paved surface and located beneath a permanent carport or similar structure, located behind a solid privacy fence that substantially screens the vehicle from view from public streets and adjoining properties, or stored in another location on the property where it is not visible from any public street, sidewalk, alley or adjoining property.
Any vehicle not stored according to that ordinance shall be considered a nuisance and subject to enforcement under the ordinance.
Water projects
The council also heard a report from Pam Granger of McBade Engineers and Consultants, who updated the council and mayor on the city’s water, sewer and pump station projects.
The water consolidation project that will combine the city’s water system with that of the Catahoula area and the St. Martin Industrial Park, is continuing with only 100 water meters remaining to be installed in the city after more than 2,000 have been installed.
The two existing water wells are being rehabilitated, with the first one complete and the second one being worked on currently with work expected to be finished within a few weeks.
Several sewer projects have been worked on, with the rehabilitation completed last year and the extension along Main Street largely done with only dress-up work and concrete driveway pouring to be finished. That work will be completed by the contractor after the state catches up on its payments, Granger said.
Work on the pump stations continues with completion expected in the next 30 days.
Work on raising the levees around the wastewater treatment plant and five additional pump stations is awaiting approval from the state with plans mostly complete and modeling done on the no-rise work on the pump stations.
In other business
The council also had a moment of silence in honor of former St. Martinville police officer Todd D’Albor, who had been serving as Chief of Police in New Iberia since 2017. D’Albor, a St. Martinville native, died on Saturday (see related story).
The council honored former Police Chief Ricky Martin, who left his position recently, with a Presentation of Service Award.
The city received five applications from people seeking to become the new police chief, and the civil service board looked over the applications to make sure they were all qualified.
Applicants will take a state test and then a fivemember panel will interview the applicants who pass the test. Members of the interview panel include former St. Martinville Interim Police Chief Brandon Williams, Broussard Police Chief Vance Olivier, former District Attorney and St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars, former law enforcement officer and current Parks Mayor Kevin Kately and one representative from the St. Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office.
The panel’s recommended candidate will likely be recommended to the council to be hired.
The council voted to appoint Councilman Jonas Fontenette as an Alternate Director of Louisiana Energy and Power Authority (LEPA) Board if the mayor is unable to represent the city.
The council also was told that a record 160 kids attended the annual pool party and recognized the Hall of Flame Smokers organization that awards scholarships to students. Ten students were each awarded $1,000 on Sunday.
