Patterson mayor, parish president give local update

By JANELL PARFAIT
The St. Mary Parish Chamber of Commerce hosted a luncheon at The Forest in Franklin on May 24 for the parish mayors and leaders to give updates on their respective communities.
Mayor Rodney Grogan of Patterson announced his city is getting a new water plant at a cost of $4.5 million. The plant was originally going to produce 1.5 million gallons of water per day, but because of a grant, the plant will now be able to produce 3 million gallons per day.
“It has been a long road; it has been a long haul,” said Grogan.
The first pilings will be driven down for the new plant on Monday.
Grogan confirmed that gas rates and sewer rates will increase for the next five years.
“In 1996, we were told that we needed to increase the gas rates,” he said. “We built a subdivision south of the railroad, but found out that there were homes with no access to gas.”
Grogan said while Patterson is receiving money with water utilities, they are losing $500,000 annually in fuel revenue.
According to Grogan, Sid Moffett and the Felterman family pooled in their private money in order to financially assist the city. Their donation has contributed to the construction of a strip mall, a Pizza Hut and a Boost Mobile. The Felterman Foundation is also helping to expand Morey Park with two pavilions and an amphitheater. They already helped build a wharf in the park.
On July 1, teachers will be moving into the new $15 million Patterson Junior High School.
“To help with the (school’s) maintenance and so forth, we have partners with St. Mary Community Action Agency… along with St. Mary Council of Aging,” Grogan said.
St. Mary Parish President David Hanagriff also spoke at the chamber luncheon.
According to Hanagriff, energy providers CLECO and Cabot Corporation will work together to construct a new power generation system at the carbon black plant. St. Mary Parish will receive an influx of 400 contract employees during this period. CLECO will provide 12 full-time jobs whereas Cabot will have eight full-time jobs.
In regards to the current economy, Hanagriff said that the parish is slowly transitioning to other interests.
“If you look at what’s happening right now, you’ll see how St. Mary Parish is evolving from building rigs to building boats,” he said. “One of the things we’re looking at and what we’re trying for St. Mary Parish is going towards more chemical plants.”
Hanagriff mentioned that the parish is embarking on building two chemical plants on each end of St. Mary.
“So we’re working every day to try and diversify our economy, because we can’t wait on the oilfield,” he said.