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The Patterson City Council hit a roadblock in its plan to fix some of the city’s lesser-traveled streets.

The council will scale back its plans after learning Tuesday that bids for resurfacing of up to 11 city streets came in twice as high as expected.

Also Tuesday, the council moved toward a compromise that has eluded members since the spring on an ordinance governing large animals kept in the city limits.

The council also took the first step toward giving Police Chief Garrett Grogan a $5,000 annual raise.
Roads

The council had plans to use $551,000 from a bond issue to turn Shady Grove and Bridge into asphalt-covered streets; pave part of Jake with asphalt and put limestone on the rest; and put down limestone on Eighth, Ninth, 10th and 11th streets, Taft, St. Mary, St. Lucy, Tall Timbers and Fern.

Doing all the work identified as needed was estimated to cost $633,000, but council members were hoping for a possible break on the bids that would have allowed all or nearly all of the work to be done with the money already available.

Instead, engineer Melanie Caillouet told the council Tuesday that the lowest of two bids received for the 11-street program was nearly double the original estimate.
Huey P. Stockstill LLC of Picayune, Mississippi, turned in a base bid of $1.08 million and a bid of nearly $1.3 million for the core work plus alternatives.

Barriere Construction of Boutte submitted a base bid of about $1.2 million and $1.7 million for the base plus all the alternatives.

The council voted to reject both bids. Mayor Rodney Grogan recommended that the city take on two projects each year based on priority.

Animal ordinance
The current city law governing the keeping of large animals in the city limits allows farm animals to be kept in the city provided the landowner has at least one acre for the first animal and half an acre for each additional animal.

After complaints involving horses and donkeys, the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended doing away with the land requirement language in the ordinance, effectively prohibiting large animals from being kept in the city.

But some council members objected, including Councilman Joe Russo, an agricultural science teacher who worried about the impact on students who were raising animals for school or 4-H projects.

On Tuesday, members introduced an ordinance that would keep the current ordinance in place but require a Planning and Zoning Commission permit to keep horses on land inside the city.

If the ordinance follows the normal course, the proposal would come up for a public hearing and passage vote Oct. 4.

Police chief pay

On March 26, 83% of Patterson voters approved a charter amendment that would allow the police chief to receive a council-approved pay raise immediately rather than wait for the end of the four-year term in which the raise was passed.

On Tuesday, the council introduced an ordinance that would raise Police Chief Garrett Grogan’s pay $5,000 a year to $59,000. The chief also receives $6,000 in state supplemental pay.

Councilmen Russo and Ray Dewey Sr. both said the raise would put Grogan’s pay in the average range for area police departments.

December 13, 1960 — September 5, 2022

Barbara Ann Ackman, age 61, of Belle River, Louisiana passed away on Monday, September 5, 2022. Barbara was born December 13, 1960 to the late Dalton Sr. and Glady White Ackman in Morgan City, Louisiana.

Family and friends of Barbara were invited to the Visitation on Friday, September 9, 2022 at Hargrave Funeral Home from 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. with the Memorial Service immediately following.

Barbara loved spending time with family but her greatest earthly joy came from being with her grandchildren. She enjoyed music, dancing, watching movies, and having sleepovers with her grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her parents; sisters, Estelle Caro, LeeDonna Atchley and Jenny Ackman; brothers, Thomas, David, Jerry, Joe and Wallace Ackman.

She is survived by her daughter, Magan Verret and her husband Justin; sisters, Rita Ackman, Dianne Sauce, Laura Barbier, Pamela DeHart; brothers, Rufus, Daniel, Ulysse, Dalton Jr. and Ben Ackman; 2 grandchildren, Evangeline and Halleck Verret and a host of nieces, nephews and other relatives and friends.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.hargravefuneralhome.com for the Ackman family.

Submitted Photo
The Morgan City Open Fishing Rodeo makes a $500 donation to the Nicklaus Bolner Foundation. The Nicklaus Bolner Foundation provides educational materials and resources addressing addiction and mental health issues to all the schools in St. Mary Parish. Shown from left are Barry Bolner, Rob Radtke and event Chairman Sammy Cannata.

Terrebonne General Health System’s community nurse educator, Kalie Gisclair, RN, was honored with the Child Passenger Safety Hero award.

Gisclair is the community clinical educator in the Terrebonne General Wellness for Life Department.

Terrebonne General Health System, in conjunction with Louisiana State Police and Louisiana Passenger Safety Task Force, offers free car seat inspections at Terrebonne General Women’s Health Center on the first and third Wednesday and first Saturday of every month.

The team can teach you to select the proper child restraint, ensure that your child is placed into the restraint properly, and confirm that the restraint is correctly installed in your vehicle.

It is estimated that 96% of child restraints are installed incorrectly; Terrebonne General is eager to change that through this free service to the community.

The Child Passenger Safety award honors technicians and instructors for their considerable knowledge and expertise in various community-based activities, such as child safety seat checks, where parents and caregivers receive education and hands-on assistance.
Louisiana has over 630 child passenger safety technicians; three techs from each region are awarded annually the CPS Hero Award for their exemplary efforts.

“We are proud to have Kalie on our Wellness for Life team and excited to have Terrebonne General as a Car Seat Fitting Station as a community resource,” said Phyllis Peoples, president and CEO.