Eunice master plan advances

The Eunice Board of Aldermen voted to have its legal counsel draw up an ordinance to create a planning commission.
The board also asked for discussions with Steven Moosa, a Eunice accountant who advises the city on its budget, to see if the city can afford to pay for a plan.
Tuesday’s board action capped months of discussions about developing a master plan for the city.
The move came after the Rev. Clinton Sensat delivered a report from a board-appointed committee directed to study the feasibility of a master plan.
Sensat, chairman of the study group, said, “Everyone on the feasibility committee immediately said, unanimously voted, this is something we want and need in the city.”
Aldermen approved the 15-member study group in September. Tuesday’s meeting was the first public report.
“With all due honesty there wasn’t a whole lot of clarity to our mandate as to what we were supposed to do,” Sensat said.
“We realized that if we were going to answer the question of feasibility we would have to narrow it down to three marks of feasibility,” he said.
Someone would have to be accountable for making the plan happen and carrying it out, he said.
The second mark is a need for strong community support, he said. “This is something that can’t be merely top down. If we are going to have economic development in Eunice it can’t be done merely by ordinance and resolution, but it has to be done with civic pride, civic love, civic energy,” he said.
Thirdly, there is a question of financing the plan, he said
The committee discovered the mayor and aldermen can form a planning commission, he said. The commission would have decision-making powers subject to being overturned by a super majority of aldermen, he said.
“We don’t think that it is something the city council can do by themselves,”he said. “You all have enough to do to run the city without having to simultaneously plan for the future of the city.”
Sensat said many feasibility committee members are ready to serve on a planning commission.
“I’m no expert on political strategy, but knowing that it is an election year I have a feeling that if someone were able to announce that they were able to put together a planning commission for the future of the city of Eunice that this might generate a lot of public support,” he said
Sensat said a variety of planning organizations made proposals to the group.
The Acadian Planning Commission has offered a one-year contract for $26,000 to help the city develop a plan, he said.
“Ladies and gentlemen, quite frankly for $26,000 a year if you want me to run bake sales downstairs in the lobby and pick that up for you I would be happy to do it for you. I don’t think this is an overwhelming amount,” Sensat said.
Sensat’s presentation urging the creation of a planning commission included information that the city had a strategic plan years ago.
Jack Burson, alderman at-large, said he suspected the strategic plan may be related to the city adopting zoning when Wilson Moosa was mayor.
“I’ve seen it save neighborhoods since I’ve been on the council,” he said of zoning.
Sensat requested a city budget and said the study committee needed one more meeting to determine a plan’s finances.
Among the other agenda items Tuesday, the mayor and board heard from Shirley Vige, CPA, of Vige, Tujague and Noel, on the city’s annual audit.
“The city did pretty well,” he said, noting the city has $3 million available in a fund for capital expenses.
But in findings, Vige said the city should fix a problem with reconciling bank statements.
“The bank reconciliations were a number of months late,” he said.
The lateness postponed the audit, he said
“You really need to get it fixed because they have a new rule with the Legislative Auditor’s office that if they have the same finding three times in a row they can withhold funds,” he said.
Vige said the same problem in 2014 resulted in the loss of $5,571 due to an out-of state-identify theft. If the city had found the problem sooner in 2014, the band would have refunded the money, the 2014 audit stated.
Other board action included:
— A proclamation making March 18 “Leaders Against Litter Day.”
— Asking the Postal Service to provide handicapped access to the Eunice Post Office.
— Requesting the state Department of Transportation and Development to expedite bridge repairs on La. 91.
— Approved the Police Chief Randy Fontenot’s request to promote Michael Dunn from sergeant to lieutenant, Stephanie Myers from patrol officer to sergeant. and Lt. Tony Kennedy to chief of detectives.