Blighted property worries council

The Morgan City Council voiced concerns Tuesday over the long process for getting rid of blighted property.
Anthony Governale, the city’s planning and zoning director, mainly discussed the blight property of 711 Duke St.
Governale said the property is located on three different parcels with eight property owners.
Mayor Frank “Boo” Grizzaffi said that all efforts must be exhausted to contact the owners before the city can take action.
Grizzaffi also said Morgan City has a lot of blighted properties, which could cause the expense of legal action to become too high of a cost for the city.
“You got to pick and choose because we’ll go broke trying to fight these things,” said Grizzaffi.
Governale recommended that legal counsel be contacted so that the process of taking care of the property can be expedited. The council agreed to give him that permission. Governale said the city is currently working on nine blighted properties.
Also Tuesday, the council approved two financial committee recommendations that Councilman James Fontenot presented.
The first recommendation was to allocate $12,026 to purchase billing and receivable software module for City Hall and the auditorium. The module would be an extension to the current software in place but make the current software up-to-date.
The second recommendation was to allocate $9,329 to purchase a hydraulic breaker attachment to be used by Public Works.
During the meeting, the council approved four resolutions and adopted one ordinance. The council adopted an ordinance approving millage rates for the 2017-18 fiscal year. The millage rate is 14.75.
The first resolution approved Tuesday calls for the city to continue in an updated citizen participation plan for the Louisiana Community Development Block Grant Program. The citizen participation plan emphasizes that citizens, especially those of low income, will be notified of public hearings through the use of the city’s official journal.
Also, the city will hold at least one annual performance hearing. Citizens will be able to request an interpreter with proper notice, technical assistance, and access to all key documents.
The council approved in a separate resolution that The Daily Review was to be the official journal for the city for the next fiscal year in which legal publications and notices from the city will be placed in the paper for the public.
Council members also approved resolutions to grant a certificate of substantial completion for the Front Street Wharf to Larry Doiron LLC and renew a lease agreement with G&J Land and Marine.