- ital outlay priority list for the state legislature at Monday's council meet ing. The council heard from Greater St. Martinville Economic Development District President Kimya Cruz, who went over the list of items for which the city is look - ing to get capital outlay funds from the state.
Cruz said she went over the list with Mayor Jason Willis and also with a representative of the engineering firm Fenstermaker & Associates to see which items would remain on the list. The city council ap proved a resolution to present the list to legislative representatives from the area.
Some adjustments are being made to the Main Street Improve- ments project, Cruz said.
That includes work on sidewalks and lighting along Main Street that is currently being worked on in phases.
Cruz said that rather than making capital out-
lay requests for a new project on the list, re- quests will be for a sec ond phase of the current project. Cruz talked with Fenstermaker to get approximate costs for extending the work from Dernier Street toward Joyce's or beyond.
The mayor said that city electricity stops at Joyce's so the project would have to stop there.
Phase II would re- quest $1 million, willis
said. The city would have to match 25 percent of that cost to receive the funding. The original $1.6 million project is about 70 percent done.
Future grants will pay to continue the project north past St. Martinville Senior High School.
Cruz said a Safe Lights for Public Spaces grant is paying for sidewalks through the Longfellow-Evangeline State Historic Site, going from the high school to Magnolia Park with a capital outlay re - quest for lights in the state park.
The St. Martinville Public Works Renova- tions request will be changed to add con- struction to the request for about $1.5 million.
St. Martinville water and drainage work for Durand Subdivision also was discussed with Gov.
Jeff Landry getting an additional $1.1 or $1.2 million added to that funding.
Another request is for funding for sewer extension to South Louisiana Community College. Cruz said that is im portant because getting water and sewer service extended that way could lead to new business developments in the area.
Street repairs and overlay funding may be
(Chris Landry) available from another source, and if so that would be removed from the capital outlay request.
SMCC
Several other items have not been approved for capital outlay funds but are still on the list of requests, Cruz said.
That includes the infrastructure and master plan project, which totals about $14 million but will be addressed in phases and not as one lump sum.
Requests for park improvements also will be reduced to $200,000 apiece so it’s not such a large request at one time.
Councilwoman Flo Chatman asked if improvements for Adam Carlson Park could include work for handicapped children and for elderly residents. Cruz said she would keep an eye open for additional funding sources for those projects.
A new request for renovation and modernization of municipal buildings to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disability Act, including elevator replacements and upgrades to bayouside walkways.
The council also passed a resolution declaring October to be Domestic Violence Awareness Month in the city.
The council presented the proclamation to Kelli Cantu of Chez Hope, a domestic violence crisis center that serves St. Martin, Iberia, St. Mary and Assumption parishes.
Engineering projects Pam Granger of McBade Engineers & Consultants updated the council on projects the city is doing on water and sewer systems.
The consolidated water district project is nearing completion, she said, with a third water well near the drilling phase. The project is 70 percent complete and is expected to be completed by year’s end.
The renovation of the city’s two current wells is about 98 percent complete.
Installation of isolation valves is completed but additional valves are going to be added, including ones that would help in areas that affect schools, businesses and the parish jail.
Water meter installation is about 99 percent complete with only 34 remaining to be installed.
The sewer line extension project is also nearing completion with dress-up work ongoing.
Work is continuing on the Durand Subdivision Drainage project in three phases.
Phase II work is continuing and Phase III, “Old” Durand Subdivision work, is in the planning stages.
In other business
City Tourism Director Michelle Broussard highlighted the events in the city that took place in September and upcoming events in October.
Among the October events are the St. Martinville Senior High homecoming parade on Oct. 16, a Cancer walk starting at 7:30 a.m. on Oct. 17, a Creole Festival with food trucks at Magnolia Park from 3-8 p.m. on Oct. 17, a ribbon cutting for the renovated Old Castillo Hotel on Oct. 21, an artwalk on Oct. 24 and Trunk or Treat on New Market Street from 2-6 p.m. on Oct. 31.
City planning and zoning director Otis Chatman updated the council on a nuisance property at 725 N. Martin Luther King Drive. The state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has begun removing concrete culverts from the property, Chatman said, with some other agencies and municipalities also possibly interested in taking some of the culverts.
The city tabled action on abandoned property owned by heirs of the previous property owners.
The city also made a Service Award Presentation honoring longtime city employee Clifford Robinson for his 19 years of service. Robinson is retiring.
