Patterson City Council sets tax rates, examines street improvements and vicious dog ordinance

PATTERSON — The City Council on Tuesday approved property tax rates for 2021, prepared to launch a new round of street improvements and talked about a tougher law to deal with vicious dogs.
The council also enlisted two local ministers to serve on the Planning & Zoning Commission and the Patterson Public Housing Authority boards.
After a public hearing preceding its regular first-Tuesday meeting the council passed two ordinances on the tax rates. One sets the general-purpose city tax rate at 8.3 mills, and another sets a rate of 14 mills to pay off the bonds that financed the city’s new water plant.
Both rates are unchanged from 2020. The bond issue millage has gradually been reduced from 16 mills as the debt has been paid down.
The 2012 bond issue raised $5 million for the plant. In September 2020, the council refinanced the bonds with a reduction in the interest rate from 3.79% to 1.9%, saving about $348,000.
A mill is 1/10th cent of tax applied to each dollar of assessed valuation. The assessed valuation of residential property is set by law at 10% of market value.
Dogs
The city’s vicious animals ordinance is coming under review.
Joe Lewis, the city’s animal warden, told the council Tuesday that he’s been called to handle 31 incidents involving dogs this year, eight of which were pit bulls.
Councilman Travis Darnell said he got a firsthand look at the vicious dog problem recently when he had to take shelter from an aggressive animal.
“I had to lock myself in my truck …,” Darnell said. “The pit bulls are out there.”
Councilwoman Sandra K. Turner pointed to the opposite case. Turner said her son-in-law follows the city ordinance as he cares for pit bulls and has no problems.
Council members generally agreed that the ordinance should apply to all dog breeds without singling out pit bulls.
Mayor Rodney Grogan said he feels the ordinance gives the owners of dogs known to be vicious too much time to make their case that the dog shouldn’t be removed.
Streets
The council passed a resolution accepting the work performed by Barriere Construction Co. on a series of street improvements financed with the proceeds of a parish government bond issue. Barriere came in for some praise, too.
“They came and did the job,” Public Works Director Steve Bierhorst said. “They were especially concerned and did a good job with the transition to driveways.”
That work included portions of Hurst, Church, Waveland, Pietro, Veterans, Hickory and Carmen streets.
Barriere is also the low bidder for more street improvements to be paid for with a federal Community Development Block grant. The grant is for $800,000 and targets J, K, L, M, N, O, Lawrence, Kemper, Rosario, Guyther, Live Oak and Railroad.
Barriere’s bid was for $608,000. The city’s consulting engineers are working with federal authorities to allow the remainder of the grant to be used for moving a waterline from beneath the center of Railroad Avenue to accommodate future work on the line.
CDBG funds have rules that require the money to be used for work in low- and middle-income areas.
The council is also considering issuing up to $570,000 in bonds to pay for improvements on 24 smaller streets. Grogan asked council members to review the list of streets in need of repairs.
COVID aid
The city government is expecting $2.1 million over the next six months from the American Rescue Plan Act passed by Congress last month, Grogan told the council.
One likely use will be to offset COVID-related expenses and the loss of revenue, the mayor said.
The direct expenses to the city government amount to $65,000 to $70,000. The bigger impact came from the closing of St. Mary Galvanized, which cost the city $7,500-$9,000 per month, and a drop in video poker proceeds, which cost about $9,000 a month, Grogan said.
Appointments

The council approved the appointments of the Rev. Richelle Lewis Castine to the Patterson Housing Authority board and the Rev. Mark Gowan to the Planning & Zoning Commission.
Castine is the pastor of Zion Chapel AME Church, and Gowan is the pastor of Word of Life Family Church.
Castine succeeds Frank “Percy” Jones, who died March 9.