DeVillier looks for help with decrepit buildings

Rep. Phillip DeVillier, R-Eunice, said help is needed is to deal with decrepit buildings in Eunice and employers need information about job opportunities.
DeVillier made the observations at a meeting of the St. Landry Parish Economic Industrial Development District board meeting Tuesday in Opelousas.
DeVillier, District 41 representative, and Dustin Miller, District 40 representative, attended the board meeting held at the Economic Business Incubator Center.
DeVillier and Miller took office Jan. 11.
“Whenever we see economic development or development in general what was there before gets left and no one seems to worry about it any more and it becomes a health hazard,” he said.
DeVillier was referring to the old Moosa hospital in Eunice, but said the issue includes schools that are no longer in use.
“Buildings like that we need to see about trying to locate some type of funding to get them torn down,” he said.
DeVillier’s questions about funding were directed to Monique Boulet, regional administrator of the Acadiana Planning Commission, who attended the meeting to provide an overview of the commission’s mission.
Boulet said federal money may be available, but it would likely require a plan that results in jobs.
The planning district can be work to bring local projects together with federal resources, Boulet said.
Developing a new hospital was a great thing for Eunice, but the old hospital is a safety issue and an eyesore, DeVillier said.
DeVillier also asked the economic group to keep small businesses informed about job opportunities.
“As a small business owner I probably get 15 to 20 applications a day,” he said.
DeVillier said it would be helpful if he could tell applicants of openings and opportunities. That would allow people to obtain training when jobs develop.
“LSUE could use the students,” he said. And, having time between now and the jobs opening up “is not necessarily a bad thing” referring to training.
In Boulet’s presentation, she noted St. Landry Parish has addressed the top frustration, which is transportation, of the other six parishes in the Acadiana Planning Commission’s district.
The planning district includes the parishes of St. Landry, Acadia, Evangeline Lafayette, Vermilion, Iberia and St. Martin.
“It is a huge plus for you guys to be able to have the resources to take care of your roads,” she said. “The frustration expressed across the board everywhere else is large. They don’t have the resources identified.”
Boulet added, “You might not realize you are leading the way and doing some good things.”