Consolidation delay urged; Franklin event lauded

Lee Dragna, chairman of Consolidated Dist. 2, appealed to the St. Mary Parish Council to hold off on consolidation of Consolidated Gravity Drainage Districts 2 and 6, creating a new District 2a.
Dragna said while he is in agreement with the consolidation move on the agenda Wednesday, but the timing was an issue. “Our district is in the middle of certifying levees, certifying internal drainage, because we have a completely different system than everybody else,” he said. “When it rains, you’ve got minutes to pump it out, not hours for us to get to the pumps and get it out. We’re also about to start a $6.5 million pump station. So the timing’s bad.”
He urged the council to consider these situations in passing the consolidation resolution.
“Franklin, I don’t want to be in charge of both districts,” he said.
In other business, Diane Wiltz and Ed “Tiger” Verdin, addressed the council regarding Franklin’s upcoming bicentennial celebration that will run throughout 2020.
Verdin thanked the council and parish president, as well as parish employees, for their assistance. He noted that Hanagriff’s Machine Shop constructed a historic lamp post replica, with working light globes, that was lowered from the top of the courthouse to the awning at the entrance, which set off a splash of confetti and fireworks across Bayou Teche.
“It’s being talked about all over south Louisiana,” Verdin said. “There wasn’t a dry eye. It was a very proud moment.”
He said such events are growing and participation is high.
Wiltz added, “To see something go from paper to planning to developing it, to its full fruition, was not only a proud moment for us, but also a humbling moment.
“It would not have come to fruition had you, each and every one of you, not been a part of it some way…we’re turning around, we’re turning around in a good way.”
Also, Councilman Craig Mathews announced that the West St. Mary Civic Center in Sorrell will be dedicated renamed in honor of former police juror and parish council member Joseph “Tooney” Davis on Feb. 8 at 3 p.m.
—Councilman Paul Naquin resigned from the St. Mary Community Action Board of Directors and was replaced by Councilman J Ins.
—The February meeting date was moved to Feb. 11, on Tuesday.
—Council Dale Rogers requested a $20,000 allocation from the Wards 1, 2, 3, 4, 7 and 10 3/10ths sales tax fund to the City of Franklin for improvement in fire protection, public safety and public health facilities, which was approved.
The latter part of the meeting was concluded by statements from the outgoing council members: Sterling Fryou, Gabriel Beadle, Kevin Voisin, Ken Singleton, Glenn Hidalgo and Dale Rogers. Councilman Naquin, also outgoing, was not able to be present.