Morgan City Council OK's BBQ Bash plans

The 10th annual Bayou BBQ Bash will be held this year with the possibility for expansion to include vendors to sell items at booths.
The Morgan City Council unanimously granted approval for the event Tuesday. It will be held July 23 and 24 under the U.S. 90 bridge from First Street to Federal Avenue. The event will begin at 4 p.m. on July 23 and continue until 10 p.m. and will continue the next day until around 6 p.m.
In addition to the contest and a Kids BBQ Contest, food vendors will be present Friday and Saturday. Alcohol also will be sold if the permit can be secured, said Bill Goessl of the Marine Corps League-St. Mary Detachment, which is handling the event.
“We expect to have 40 to 60 cooking teams throughout the South coming down,” he said.
A year ago, Goessl said, teams came from as far west as Houston and from Pensacola, Florida.
Additionally, the Krewe of Adonis plans to hold a corn hole tournament July 24, while entertainment and potential vendors also will be present. Goessl said he received many calls about vendors selling items from booths, but because the event was limited to competitors due to COVID-19, he had to turn them down. However, he has spoken with Morgan City Main Street Director Beth Price, who will be in charge of any vendors who would like to participate.
With the request, Third and Arkansas streets in the area of the bridge will be closed from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. on July 23 and from 7 a.m. until about 6 p.m. on July 24. Greenwood Street’s intersection at Second and Arkansas streets also will be closed Saturday.
Also, the Cajun Coast Visitors & Convention Bureau, in conjunction with its “Bayou Shopping Days” campaign through Monday, will be holding an event promoting Morgan City’s shopping on May 8. The event will include local artists near the Frame Shop, while other businesses will be open. Deric Anslem also will play from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.
The council granted permission to close Freret Street from First Street to the seawall for the event.
In other action, the council:
—Learned that a resolution calling for the appointment of Teddy Liner as interim city marshal was incorrect. State law requires that the chief deputy marshal hold the position. Chief Deputy Marshal Ronald Kinchen will hold the position.
Also, council members learned that the election for a new marshal has to be called by the parish. That will be considered at Wednesday’s parish council meeting. City attorney Paul Landry said that the state is required to call the election because state law says the court’s governing authority is tasked with calling for such. The city court’s jurisdiction extends beyond the city limit to the east.
“The state law says if any part of the jurisdiction of the court goes outside of the city limits, then the parish is the proper governing authority to call” for the election, Landry said.
—Approved $10,000 for special legal counsel, if needed, to handle a potential civil service issue involving personnel.
Councilman Lou Tamporello asked why the city needs a special counsel instead of using Landry.
Landry and Mayor Lee Dragna said a lot can’t be said about the matter because it’s a personnel issue.
Landry said following the meeting that state law says if a civil service complaint is filed, an investigation must be concluded within 60 days. Dragna said during the meeting the city already is in day 10 of that timeline. Landry said following the meeting he couldn’t say if an investigation had been initiated.
Dragna said he doesn’t think the city will end up needing the counsel, but wanted it just in case because there is a deadline dictated by civil service law.
The measure was approved on a 4-0 vote, with Councilman Mark Stephens abstaining. Stephens said he has a family member on the civil service board.
—Approved its financial statements. There were favorable variances in all three city accounts. Specifically, in the city’s General and Ancillary fund, Finance Director Deborah Garber noted that revenues were over budget by $99,826, with sales tax collections accounting for $78,000 of that total. The account had a favorable variance of $181,752 as compared to what was budgeted.
In the Utility Fund, the outlook changed, too, as revenues only were under budget by approximately $29,000, which Garber said was a big improvement. Operating expenses also were under budget, resulting in a favorable variance of $247,000.
“It had been unfavorable as compared to budget so far this year,” Garber said. “So things are looking up there. Our electric revenues seem to be balancing out, so that’s the improvement.”
In the Sanitation and Sewer Fund, there is a favorable variance of $75,841.
—Had the first reading of its ordinance for millage rates for the 2021 tax year. The millage rate anticipated is 16.07 mills for ad valorem taxes and 2 mills for Morgan City Municipal Auditorium expenses.
—Approved a reallocation of $50,000 to be used for the refurbishment of the La. 70 lift station. The money will come from $175,000 that had been allocated to the Water Sewer and Gas Department for the installation of a generator at the lift station at Federal Avenue and Bowman Street. However, the city received an emergency generator from the Morgan City Harbor and Terminal District.
—Adopted an ordinance for the Morgan City Development District. No public comments were offered during the public hearing prior to the adoption.
The district already was created in 2014 by state law, Landry said.
“What we’re doing with this ordinance is essentially mirroring the language and just copying the entire statute, and we’re going to make it a code for the city because our charter requires that we have an ordinance before the city buy and sell property,” Landry said.
—Authorized a signature for a cooperative endeavor agreement with the town of Berwick for the city to donate a 1996 Ferrara Freightliner fire truck to Berwick.
—Had the first reading of an ordinance declaring surplus and sale of property adjacent to 1811 Front St.
—Granted a Class A Liquor & Beer permit for Urbano-Duran Pedro, doing business as La Brisas, LLC, at 7418 La. 182 East.
—Approved Dragna appointments to boards: Micah Allen, archives; Tonya Washington, board of adjustments; Ryan Yager, cemetery; Angela Reynaud, convention, tourism and culture; Bobby Dufrene and Don Hicks, economic development; Alex McIntyre, Morgan City Main Street; Don Hick, Planning and Zoning. Bryce Merrill will be reappointed to the convention, tourism and culture board, while Deborah Price will be reappointed to the Morgan City Main Street Committee.