Grants increase Morgan City budget

The Morgan City Council packed a lot of legislation into a 40-minute meeting Tuesday, including passage of a 2024 budget and rules setting the service fee for trash pickup service, regulating signs and setting hours for city parks to combat vagrancy.
The council also took action that could lead to a low-interest loan for an upgrade to the city water plant.
The budget for the year starting Jan. 1 anticipates revenues of about $62.4 million, up 33% from 2023, and spending of $62.1 million, up 47%.
Most of the increase results from the 2022 Water Sector Program grant of about $4 million and the $6.9 million Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration grant for improvements in the natural gas system, according to Mayor Lee Dragna’s September budget message.
The city government anticipates tax revenue of $10.9 million, up 9% from 2023.
A summary of the budget can be downloaded through a link on this story at StMaryNow.com.
The Water Sector Program grant, the state mechanism for funneling federal American Rescue Plan Act money into local infrastructure, is paying for water plant improvements that will reduce the need for chemicals and increase efficiency.
The city is also applying for up to $7 million through the Louisiana Water System Revolving Loan Fund for the work. And on Tuesday, council members cleared the way to create a method for repaying the loan, up to half of which can be forgiven as the debt is paid down.
Council members declared their intent to issue up to $7 million in utility revenue bonds for use in repaying the state loan. Tuesday’s action doesn’t authorize issuance of the bonds, which must be done by ordinance. But it does allow the city government to put the bond proposal before the State Bond Commission, whose approval is required.
Dragna told the council that the net result is that the city will be able get the upgrade costing $10 million for $3.3 million in city money. He’s also hoping to set up a $500,000 fund to cover loan payments in the event of what he called a bad year.
Also Tuesday:
—The council introduced an ordinance amending the 2023 budget to reflect lower-than-budgeted income and spending. The changes will result in what the amendment calls net income of about $4.8 million.
The amended budget projects total revenue of about $46.9 million through the end of the year, down from $52.5 million in the original 2023 budget, and spending of $42.1 million, down from the budgeted $49.2 million.
Utility revenues are under budget by just less than $3 million this year, but so is spending for utility operations.
—The council introduced an ordinance that would forbid camping on city property not designated for that purpose without a city permit. The ordinance would also close city parks between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m.
Dragna said he’s getting reports about homeless people sleeping on tables at Lawrence Park at midday, and others sleeping on bleachers at the Jimmie Johnson Memorial Basketball Court on Greenwood.
Some parents are reluctant to let their children play at the court, the mayor said.
“We don’t want to say anything bad about it,” Dragna said, “but we can’t have people sleeping on tables at Lawrence Park.”
Under the normal procedure, ordinances introduced Tuesday will come up for a public hearing and passage vote at the next meeting, scheduled for Dec. 19.
—The council passed an ordinance setting the service fee for trash pickup at $3 for residential and commercial service. The fee is in addition to the contractor cost. The city awarded the contract earlier this year to Waste Pro of Baton Rouge at a rate of $21.48 per household per month for residential service.
The ordinance also allows charges to be adjusted according to inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index-Urban.
—Two more ordinances passed Tuesday set rules for directional boring and trenching and for certain temporary signs.
One ordinance would require a permit and a $750 fee for anyone using directional boring or trenching “for the installation of underground utilities, including pipe, wire, and cable installation with the City right-of-way.”
The sign ordinance allows signs of up to 48 inches by 48 inches to be erected in residential and commercial zones to advertise events of public interest. They can’t be displayed more than 90 days before the event and must be removed within 48 hours after the event.
—The council moved ahead with plans for redrawing council districts based on the 2020 Census results.
Redistricting proposals have been developed by the Southern Central Regional Planning and Development Commission staff. Josh Manning of South Central presented three proposals to the council Tuesday.
All five council members — Lou Tamporello, Steve Domangue, Ron Bias, Mark Stephens and Tim Hymel — expressed their preference for one of the three plans.
Their preferred plan maintains something close to the five current districts, which would range in population from 2,191 to 2,399.
The plan also increases the percentage of African Americans in District 3, the only district where a minority is the majority, from 52.0% to 52.9%. That’s an important consideration under the terms of the federal Voting Rights Act.
Manning said he’ll be back at the December meeting with an ordinance for consideration.
—Four firefighters were singled out for praise by Assistant Fire Chief John MacDougall for saving a woman’s life.
Capts. Pat Haller and Curley Dupuis and Operators Dale Crouch Jr. and Justin Rogers administered CPR to keep the victim alive until she could be airlifted to a hospital. The woman is recovering, MacDougall said.
—The council approved a resolution accepting the results of an Oct. 14 proposition election.
The proposition updates the city’s charter to acknowledge that City Council members are now elected from districts. The charter originally called for at-large election of council members, but they’ve been elected from districts since 2000 under a settlement in a voting rights case.
The proposition passed 1,927 to 636.
—The council approved an April 13 date for the Basin Brew Fest, which raises money for improvements at Lawrence Park.