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The Morgan City Council packed a lot of legislation into a 40-minute meeting Tuesday, including passage of a 2024 budget and rules setting the service fee for trash pickup service, regulating signs and setting hours for city parks to combat vagrancy.
The council also took action that could lead to a low-interest loan for an upgrade to the city water plant.
The budget for the year starting Jan. 1 anticipates revenues of about $62.4 million, up 33% from 2023, and spending of $62.1 million, up 47%.
Most of the increase results from the 2022 Water Sector Program grant of about $4 million and the $6.9 million Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration grant for improvements in the natural gas system, according to Mayor Lee Dragna’s September budget message.
The city government anticipates tax revenue of $10.9 million, up 9% from 2023.
A summary of the budget can be downloaded through a link on this story at StMaryNow.com.
The Water Sector Program grant, the state mechanism for funneling federal American Rescue Plan Act money into local infrastructure, is paying for water plant improvements that will reduce the need for chemicals and increase efficiency.
The city is also applying for up to $7 million through the Louisiana Water System Revolving Loan Fund for the work. And on Tuesday, council members cleared the way to create a method for repaying the loan, up to half of which can be forgiven as the debt is paid down.
Council members declared their intent to issue up to $7 million in utility revenue bonds for use in repaying the state loan. Tuesday’s action doesn’t authorize issuance of the bonds, which must be done by ordinance. But it does allow the city government to put the bond proposal before the State Bond Commission, whose approval is required.
Dragna told the council that the net result is that the city will be able get the upgrade costing $10 million for $3.3 million in city money. He’s also hoping to set up a $500,000 fund to cover loan payments in the event of what he called a bad year.
Also Tuesday:
—The council introduced an ordinance amending the 2023 budget to reflect lower-than-budgeted income and spending. The changes will result in what the amendment calls net income of about $4.8 million.
The amended budget projects total revenue of about $46.9 million through the end of the year, down from $52.5 million in the original 2023 budget, and spending of $42.1 million, down from the budgeted $49.2 million.
Utility revenues are under budget by just less than $3 million this year, but so is spending for utility operations.
—The council introduced an ordinance that would forbid camping on city property not designated for that purpose without a city permit. The ordinance would also close city parks between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m.
Dragna said he’s getting reports about homeless people sleeping on tables at Lawrence Park at midday, and others sleeping on bleachers at the Jimmie Johnson Memorial Basketball Court on Greenwood.
Some parents are reluctant to let their children play at the court, the mayor said.
“We don’t want to say anything bad about it,” Dragna said, “but we can’t have people sleeping on tables at Lawrence Park.”
Under the normal procedure, ordinances introduced Tuesday will come up for a public hearing and passage vote at the next meeting, scheduled for Dec. 19.
—The council passed an ordinance setting the service fee for trash pickup at $3 for residential and commercial service. The fee is in addition to the contractor cost. The city awarded the contract earlier this year to Waste Pro of Baton Rouge at a rate of $21.48 per household per month for residential service.
The ordinance also allows charges to be adjusted according to inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index-Urban.
—Two more ordinances passed Tuesday set rules for directional boring and trenching and for certain temporary signs.
One ordinance would require a permit and a $750 fee for anyone using directional boring or trenching “for the installation of underground utilities, including pipe, wire, and cable installation with the City right-of-way.”
The sign ordinance allows signs of up to 48 inches by 48 inches to be erected in residential and commercial zones to advertise events of public interest. They can’t be displayed more than 90 days before the event and must be removed within 48 hours after the event.
—The council moved ahead with plans for redrawing council districts based on the 2020 Census results.
Redistricting proposals have been developed by the Southern Central Regional Planning and Development Commission staff. Josh Manning of South Central presented three proposals to the council Tuesday.
All five council members — Lou Tamporello, Steve Domangue, Ron Bias, Mark Stephens and Tim Hymel — expressed their preference for one of the three plans.
Their preferred plan maintains something close to the five current districts, which would range in population from 2,191 to 2,399.
The plan also increases the percentage of African Americans in District 3, the only district where a minority is the majority, from 52.0% to 52.9%. That’s an important consideration under the terms of the federal Voting Rights Act.
Manning said he’ll be back at the December meeting with an ordinance for consideration.
—Four firefighters were singled out for praise by Assistant Fire Chief John MacDougall for saving a woman’s life.
Capts. Pat Haller and Curley Dupuis and Operators Dale Crouch Jr. and Justin Rogers administered CPR to keep the victim alive until she could be airlifted to a hospital. The woman is recovering, MacDougall said.
—The council approved a resolution accepting the results of an Oct. 14 proposition election.
The proposition updates the city’s charter to acknowledge that City Council members are now elected from districts. The charter originally called for at-large election of council members, but they’ve been elected from districts since 2000 under a settlement in a voting rights case.
The proposition passed 1,927 to 636.
—The council approved an April 13 date for the Basin Brew Fest, which raises money for improvements at Lawrence Park.

Terrebonne General's Vanessa Davidson, RN, Madeline Denning, RN and Cindy Hebert, RN, were honored at the Annual Great 100 Nurses Celebration of Louisiana held at The Pontchartrain Center.
Founded in 1986, the Great 100 Nurses of Louisiana Foundation recognizes outstanding nursing accomplishments and successes. The honorees are selected based on their concern for humanity, their contributions to the profession of Nursing, and their mentoring of others.
Vanessa Davidson, RN, is the nurse director of the Cardiac Progressive Units on 4 South and has been with Terrebonne General for almost 12 years. Madeline Denning, RN, works in Critical Care and has been with Terrebonne General for seven years. Cindy Hebert, RN, was in Care Management as an admit assessment case manager nurse who is now retired; she worked at Terrebonne General for almost 25 years

Big news about all the trash in the Bayou State. Government is going to study the problem.
LSU is going to take the lead according to an announcement, made last week, to “help find ways to rid the state of all that trash.” That’s just what we need. Another study. Right?
I’m certainly not diminishing any need to clean up our trashy state. The nonprofit Keep Louisiana Beautiful organization says that there are nearly 144,000,000 pieces of litter on Louisiana roadways, and for every mile a Louisianan drives on the interstate they pass an average of 10,178 pieces of trash.
Am I a bit skeptical about any significant results? That would be an understatement.
State government has been talking about cleaning up the trash around the state for decades, with little to show for it.  And what’s all this about forming an LSU-based initiative?  Just drive around the LSU campus. You will find loads of trash all over the campus.
A few years back, a Chinese group was considering investing in an industrial site located in northeast Louisiana along I-20. The group flew to Shreveport, and state officials drove them through Monroe to the site in Richland Parish.
After looking over the site, the group decided against building on that location. I asked one of the state representatives why the Chinese Group turned the site down. I was told there were two reasons. First of all, Louisiana did not have an adequately trained workforce. The second reason was roadway conditions. “You have such a trashy state,” our state representatives were told.
Nov. 18 was election day and campaign workers were on the neutral grounds, waving campaign flags. As I went to vote, a number of campaign workers had plastic and paper drinking containers in their hands. When I came back an hour later, the containers were tossed all over the middle ground, and into the street itself.  So candidates were offering themselves to represent the public, and their supporters were dumping trash all over the streets.
I went to a grandson's soccer game last week, and a number of volunteer workers were walking  over the field picking up large bags of trash. I complimented them for their devotion and diligence. One week later, when I went back for another soccer game, the field had been littered with more trash than the week before.
So what do we do? It’s obvious that educating the public and getting volunteers to pick up the trash just is not working.  In a state with Louisiana’s mindset of lack of litter concern, there’s only one way to keep all this litter from being dumped on the roadways. Prosecute, prosecute, prosecute. The state needs to profile those who dump trash, and bring criminal charges against them. First offense $500 fine. Second defense, 30 days in jail. No exceptions and no probation. Unless the Bayou State shows it means business, the trash will continue to pile up.
So how do you do it? Profile 15 or 20 heavily littered roadways in the state. They’re easy to find. Post cameras along those sites that can be monitored around the clock. When a driver is filmed dumping his or her trash on the side of the road, make a high-profile arrest.  Call a press conference. I would initially even go one step further, and assign several unmarked state police vehicles to undertake surveillance.
Look, if there’s a will, there’s a way. If these suggestions sound too tough to you, then maybe you are part of the problem. I’m sick and tired of living in a state filled with trash that has become the eyesore of America. We need to show we mean business. No more studies. No more education programs. Let’s start cleaning up our state by profiling those we are dumping trash, and sticking them with a large fine, or getting them off the road altogether. I’ve had enough. How about you?
Peace and Justice
Jim Brown
Jim Brown’s syndicated column appears each week in numerous newspapers throughout the nation and on websites worldwide. You can read all his past columns and see continuing updates at http://www.jimbrownla.com. You can also listen to his regular podcast at www.datelinelouisiana.com.

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A U.S. House Energy and Commerce subcommittee highlighted how the U.S. oil and natural gas industry is a global leader in clean energy production at a Wednesday hearing.
In a memo to members of the Subcommittee on Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Material, Chairman Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Washington, highlighted the strength of the American energy industry.
“Blessed with tremendous natural resources and an economic system that fosters the free flow of capital to support its innovative and technological capabilities, the United States has developed and maintains the most sophisticated, efficient, and productive systems of energy production and delivery in the world,” she said. “Its vast and complex electricity systems deliver uninterrupted power to the public, manufacturers, and industry – all of which serve to provide the affordable, reliable energy, feedstock, and power necessary to expand and protect America’s economy, security, the environment, and the public welfare.”
The U.S. energy industry “has fostered world-changing entrepreneurial and innovative activity” that has driven economic growth, more efficient energy production, and reduced pollution, McMorris Rodgers notes. Over the last 50 years, combined air pollutant emissions dropped by 78%, according to the EPA. Emissions reductions occurred as the national GDP increased by 304%, vehicle miles traveled increased 183%, the U.S. population increased over 60%, and energy consumption increased 48%, she said.
McMorris Rodgers also cites reports showing how U.S. air quality levels are superior to those reported in countries worldwide, largely credited to the U.S. shale revolution, which “serves as a lesson in the benefits of American energy expansion and accompanying environmental benefits, including reductions in carbon dioxide emissions.”
“There are limits to what regulations accomplish without negative consequences, particularly as emissions standards push beyond technological and economic feasibility,” she argues, pointing to subcommittee reports. The subcommittee’s findings are similar to those first reported by The Center Square.
The U.S. oil and natural gas industry made accelerated progress in emissions reductions, according to an analysis published by the Environmental Partnership, The Center Square first reported. From 2011-2021, U.S. operators reduced methane emissions relative to production by 66% in the largest producing regions. The industry not only leads the world in oil and natural gas production, but “methane emissions from petroleum and natural gas systems have fallen,” the Partnership notes, because of “industry leadership, a motivated workforce and investment in new technologies.”
Risko also points to data published by the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program, which shows that between 2018 and 2022, total methane emissions volumes in each oil and natural gas producing basin in the U.S. declined significantly across the board. The Anadarko Basin (located in Oklahoma, Texas, and Kansas) saw the largest decrease in total volume of emissions, the group notes, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 77% over five years.
“Notably, operators were able to reduce absolute methane emissions while increasing domestic production to record levels,” Risko said. “It is possible to have energy security and reduce emissions – a fact the U.S. oil and natural gas industry continues to demonstrate.”
Texas-based organizations also argue companies in the Permian Basin produce some of the cleanest natural gas in the world. A recent Texans for Natural Gas report found that among the top 12 oil and natural gas producing countries, if Texas and the Permian Basin were their own countries, they’d rank 10th and 13th, respectively, for having the lowest flared volumes. Russia has the greatest volume, followed by Iraq and Iran.
From 2011 to 2021, methane emissions intensity in the Permian Basin fell by more than 76% as production increased by over 345%, the report found. It also fell by 20% from 2020-2021, according to the Texans for Natural Gas analysis.
To put this in perspective, the Permian Basin accounts for nearly 40% of all oil production and nearly 15% of natural gas production in the U.S.
“The increase of more affordable natural gas in electric generation especially helped the United States achieve the largest absolute reduction in carbon dioxide emission of all countries in the world,” McMorris Rogers added, which reshaped world energy markets.
The Center Square first reported that the Texas natural gas industry provided a lifeline to European countries with nearly 75% of all U.S. exports going to Europe in the first of half of 2022. By the first half of 2023, the U.S. exported more natural gas than in any other previous six-month period, led by Texas and Louisiana. U.S. petroleum exports also set a new record in the first half of 2023 with record production coming from the Permian Basin.