Hutchinson joins Morgan City Council

The Morgan City Council, seated for this term five months ago, already has a new member.
Thomas Hutchinson Jr. was appointed Tuesday to fill the seat left vacant by the resignation of Eriq Blanchard.
Hutchinson was one of four applicants for the interim position. He’ll serve at least until a special election April 18. If necessary, the runoff would be May 30. Qualifying will be Jan. 14-16.
“I felt like when the seat came open, it was my duty as a resident of Morgan City,” Hutchinson said.
Councilwoman Bonnie Leonard moved to appoint Hutchinson, who was approved by the council on a voice vote with no objections. Leonard’s husband, Judge Ed Leonard, administered the oath of office.
Blanchard, a businessman and former police officer, won the District 5 seat by defeating five-term incumbent Lou Tamporello by a 62%-38% margin in November 2024.
In his resignation letter, Blanchard said he is accepting a job in state government.
“Though my time on the council has been brief, I am proud of the work we have accomplished together,” Blanchard wrote in his letter. “We have laid the groundwork for several meaningful projects that I believe will benefit our community for years to come.”
Also Tuesday:
•Cassandra Romo came to the council with criticism of remarks made by an emcee at the June 10 Boujee Bingo event at Morgan City Municipal Auditorium, an event promoted by Morgan City Main Street.
Romo cited remarks she said are offensive to Hispanics, including jokes about Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the federal agency taking part in a Trump administration effort to deport undocumented immigrants.
“While I realize there was no malicious intent,” Romo said, “the remarks cannot be ignored.”
Romo asked for a public apology, a review of city events and more involvement by representatives of various cultures in city activities.
There was no immediate response from the council.
A Morgan City Facebook post for the event said “Boujee Bingo -- FIESTA STYLE is coming to the Morgan City Auditorium.”
•The council moved toward tidying up neighborhoods with action on three ordinances.
The council adopted an ordinance setting out the rules for removing abandoned junk vehicles from any property in the city. The ordinance allows the city to remove abandoned vehicles after giving at least 10 days’ notice to the property owner and charge up to $2,000 for the removal.
The council has struggled with cumbersome legal requirements as it seeks to deal with blighted property.
The council also introduced a pair of ordinances targeting overgrown property.
One ordinance would lower the height of weeds or grass that can trigger action by the city from 12 inches to 7 inches. The second allows the city to cut the grass or weeds in violation of the ordinance at the owner’s expense.
Under the normal course, the two weed ordinances would come up for a public hearing and passage vote at the council’s July 28 meeting.
•The council voted to authorize a 25% city match for a $6.6 million Army Corps of Engineers grant for which the city has applied.
The money would go for a sewer system upgrade. In a letter to the Corps, the city government says the upgrade would prevent sewage from leaking out of the system and prevent other water from infiltrating.
The city proposes to inspect sewer mains and manholes and repair deteriorating lift stations.
The goal is “the elimination of sewer discharges onto developed areas and into the environment, eliminating the general threat to the health and safety of the citizens of Morgan City.”