– The St. Martinville City Council approved waiving its rental fees at the Sterling Alexander Community Center so that Acadiana Workforce can hold a job fair there on Nov. 10.
The council agreed to grant the waiver at its meeting Monday night after hearing from Cheri Adams, the local WIOA (Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act) Dislocated Worker Program manager.
“We have been supported very well from this community,” Adams said. “We are holding this event in hopes to connect job seekers to jobs, and also those who want to find skills, we have resources that will be available to help them get a higher-paying job.”
The job fair is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at the community center located in Adam Carlson Park on Isadore Street.
Julia Castle of Acadiana Workforce Solutions also discussed partnering with the city to address business workforce needs.
“We have a plethora of services that we do offer to businesses,” she said. “My particular division works directly with business owners. We just want to promote awareness because we feel like a lot of businesses are not aware of the services we offer.”
Job fair
Castle particularly highlighted the on the job training program.
“This particular program is geared for businesses for new hires,” Castle said. “They have the opportunity to identify potential hires that may qualify for the on the job training program. We actually could reimburse up to 50 percent of their starting salaries, up to $5,000.”
The program is for new hires and must be for permanent hires. Workers are referred to the job center where they meet a career coach.
“I just really want to be very resourceful to the cities and want to make sure that I’m promoting awareness and that businesses are aware of the benefits that are offered to them and that they are actually taking advantage of it,” she said
Garden Club events
The St. Martinville Garden Club requested permission from the city council to hold its annual Tour of Homes on Dec. 16.
The council approved the request and the closing of Evangeline Boulevard during the tour.
The club also requested permission to plant a Native Bed planing behind the African-American Museum, near the Evangeline Oak.
Amber LaPierre of the Garden Club said there is a sign already in place from a previous Native Bed.
“We partnered with the Acadiana Native Plant Project,” LaPierre said. “They do a lot of work in Lafayette helping design landscapes and stuff to bring native plants in, and they’re going to give us some guidance on what we should plant there that will grow well and attract pollinators. We want to put a bench and like a little bird bath so that you can actually sit and enjoy it and take a little break on the boardwalk.”
The club would like to label plants for visitors as well, LaPierre said.
The council approved planting of a Native Bed behind the museum.
Abandoned property
The council heard from Planning & Zoning Director Otis Chatman about abandoned property off Honore Street and opted to have Chatman get bids on removing the mobile home from the property.
The council also approved having Chatman get quotes for clearing adjudicated properties at 130 Labbe Street, 1012 Knight Street, 215 Mary Ann Street and 720 St. Ann Street.
Mayor Jason Willis said the city was awarded $50,000 in direct appropriations for blighted property and suggested using that money for the city’s adjudicated properties.
Councilman Brad Horton asked if the fire department could do a controlled burn to demolish some properties but some of those properties are in tight quarters that would not allow such burns or might have hazardous materials inside that would not allow for a burn.
The city would get quotes from contractors, rather than bids, and then decide if it could afford to go ahead with the work on those properties.
In other business
City Culture and Tourism director Michelle Broussard told the council that the beautification project along Evangeline Boulevard was completed on Friday.
“And then on Saturday morning when we arrived for the Cancer Walk, we were notified that someone had (driven) on half of our boulevard and everything that was fixed,” Broussard said. “They did damage two trees, one of the light poles and quite a bit of the area of the landscape that we have done. So we will have to go back in and get that all refurbished and get that all fixed again. We’re getting quotes to make sure all the irrigation is back up, all the electricity is back up. We had to turn all that off.”
She thanked interim Police Chief Andrew Broussard and his staff for arresting the person responsible.
Horton said city work crews were out quickly Saturday morning cleaning up the area.
Broussard said that a large cypress tree along the walkway behind the African-American Museum measured 17 feet in diameter was inspected by Sierra Club Delta Chapter member Harvey Stern and qualified to be recognized as part of the Louisiana Purchase Cypress Legacy Project. The project identifies and landmarks old growth bald cypress trees in the state that are at least 215 years old, or alive at the time of the Louisiana Purchase (1803).
“He was able to tell us that this tree has been here since the Louisiana Purchase in 1803,” Broussard said. “So he provided us with a plaque and our tree is now registered. So I wanted to let everybody know that. When you’re walking on the boardwalk you can go and check out the plaque. I’m excited to have that here.”
Broussard also highlighted more events this month, including:
• an Art Walk on Oct. 24 handled by the Main Street Association, with participation from St. Martinville Senior High and the St. Martin STEAM Academy, and including music by Chubby Carrier;
• and Trunk or Treat on New Market Street in front of City Hall and the museums, from 2-6 p.m. on Oct. 31.
