Parish employees get a raise in proposed budget

FRANKLIN — The St. Mary Parish Council on Wednesday introduced its proposed budget for 2022, anticipating general fund revenue and spending both to total about $13.7 million.
Also Wednesday, the council added resurfacing of a west St. Mary road heavily used by cane trucks to its list of requests for state capital funding, and heard about plans to house the parish’s female inmates at jails other than the one in Morgan City.
The council also heard from a Patterson-area resident who is concerned about the chemical used by the parish to spray for mosquitoes.
Budget
The $13.7 million in revenues and expenses in the proposed budget are both down from the $14.3 million in the amended budget for 2021.
The budget includes a 5% raise for parish employees, “which is in keeping with the Council’s and the Administration’s desire to provide competitive wages with the private sector in order to maintain a trained, experienced workforce,” Parish President David Hanagriff said in his budget message.
The 2021 budget was amended to give employees another 5% raise. Together, the two raises would be the first for parish workers in more than three years.
The message also said the parish will transfer $1.2 million of the money it receives under the federal American Rescue Plan Act to pay for water and sewer infrastructure projects in unincorporated areas of the parish.
The council has called for a public hearing on the budget for 5:30 p.m. Nov. 17 at the council meeting room at the Parish Courthouse.
Jails
Morgan City and the parish are parting ways when it comes to housing parish prisoners at the Morgan City jail.
Morgan City has housed the parish’s female inmates because the second floor of its jail allows for isolation from male inmates. But in August, Mayor Lee Dragna told the council that the $14 per day per prisoner rate paid by the parish was costing the city money. Dragna asked for what he called a break-even rate of $19 per day.
Hanagriff countered with an offer of $16 per day. Dragna came back with a request for a $19 rate by Oct. 22, or the city would begin charging $22.
On Wednesday, Chief Administrative Officer Henry C. “Bo” LaGrange said Dragna notified him that the city has decided not to house parish inmates other than those held temporarily after arrests in Morgan City. But Dragna rescinded the Oct. 22 deadline and asked the parish to make other arrangements as soon as possible, and no later than by the end of the year.
The parish is looking at housing prisoners at the Berwick and Patterson jails at a $16 rate, and possibly at the Iberia Parish jail.
Resurfacing
The council passed a resolution adding the resurfacing of Gibby Road in the Sorrell area to its requests for state capital outlay funding.
The road runs near the St. Mary Parish Sugar Co-op and is used by dozens of trucks each day during fall cane season, raising dust.
At its Oct. 13 meeting, the council passed a list of 20 proposed projects for consideration by the Legislature.
Our coverage of the Oct. 13 meeting incorrectly stated the name of Gibby Road.
Mosquitoes
Dwayne Broussard, who lives near Patterson High School, came to the council to offer a warning about the chemical used for spraying in the parish’s mosquito control program.
He passed out what he said was information from manufacturer ADAPCO about a chemical called PermaSease UC. The description warns against prolonged exposure to skin or use around food preparation, blooming plants, pets or bodies of water.
Broussard said the chemical was used to spray near the high school on Sept. 10, the day of a home football game with Franklin. Players would have been running and breathing heavily during the game, he said.
He praised Hanagriff for accepting numerous calls about the spraying. But “I don’t like chemicals, and I don’t want it. Period,” Broussard said.
He suggested installing mosquito “zappers” on utility poles as an alternative to spraying.
“That’s a lot of zappers,” Councilman Rodney Olander of Franklin said.
Hanagriff said he understands Broussard’s position.
“I know you’re passionate,” Hanagriff said. “I respect that.”
But he said the spraying before the Franklin-Patterson game happened Sept. 9, the day before the game.
And the majority of complaints received by the parish say there is too little spraying, Hanagriff said, not too much.
If Broussard wants to end spraying, Hanagriff said, he’ll have to persuade a majority of parish residents to agree.
In the meantime, the drivers of spraying trucks have been instructed to turn off the spray as they pass in front of Broussard’s home.
Respect
The council passed a resolution of respect for Clarence Peter Hebert Jr. of Bayou Vista, who died recently. He was the brother of Councilman Patrick Hebert of Morgan City.