In Morgan City, blighted property ordinance will be reviewed

The Morgan City Council on Tuesday moved toward a more effective ordinance for dealing with blighted property.
The council also voted to adopt new district maps that will be used for the elections coming up later this year, and approved plans for two holiday events – the annual Irish Italian Parade and, with time to spare, the 2024 Christmas bonfires at Lake End Park.
Blighted property
The council is hoping its new deal with The Coastal Trust Inc. will provide quicker resolution in blighted property cases first, and then review other ordinances.
The 501(3)c bills itself online as offering “equitable and affordable access to conservation services and management, technical, and financial assistance for governments and non-profits, with a focus on areas of poverty, pollution, and flood vulnerability.”
The council has struggled with the legal procedures required to condemn and tear down decrepit buildings. Aside from the delays, Chief Administrative Officer Charlie Solar told the council, the city has been able to recover very little of the cost of tearing buildings down.
At a rate of $150 an hour, an adviser will look at Morgan City’s ordinances and compare them with the solutions found by other local governments.
The council passed a resolution authorizing Mayor Lee Dragna to sign an agreement with The Coastal Trust with a cap of $5,000.
Councilman Mark Stephens had a suggestion for the next set of laws to review: those governing animals in the city.
New map
The new maps of the five council districts make no drastic changes in the previous maps, although they do result in a slight increase in the proportion of Black voters in District 3, the only district with a majority of African American voters.
District maps are generally redrawn after each U.S. Census in order to ensure each government’s districts are equal in size within 5%.
A text description of the new districts is available by clicking on a link attached to this story at StMaryNow.com.
Also Tuesday:
—The council gave Black History Month recognition to a regular attendee at City Council meetings, police Capt. Betty Augman. She is the first woman, and the first African-American woman, to achieve that rank in the Morgan City Police Department.
—The council approved plans for the annual Krewe of Dionysus Irish Italian Heritage Parade at 1 p.m. March 16. Dionysus member Heath Landry said the parade’s vehicles are limited to golf carts. The parade will move from Second and Onstead to Second and Everett.
—The council gave a preliminary OK to plans for the 2024 Christmas bonfire at Lake End Park.
Lee Price told the council that the 2023 event, the first, drew a crowd estimated at 400. Like the 2023 bonfires, the 2024 edition will be Dec. 23. Price said the lessons learned include a need for portable restrooms and a roped-off section so people can view the fires from chairs rather than staying in their vehicles.
The town of Berwick provided portable lights for the 2023 bonfires, and the Morgan City government added some pallets that had been stored at the Petting Zoo.
—The council authorized Dragna to sign a cooperative endeavor agreement with the Youth Center at South Louisiana Community College. The program offers homework help, field trips and other activities for junior high and high school students.