St. Martinville to vote on bonds for recreation Nov. 21

City Council on Aug. 17 called for a special bond election on Nov. 21 to raise money for improvements to recreational facilities in the city.
If approved by the voters, the general obligation bonds will have a value of $1.5 million at an estimated 8 percent interest rate for 20 years. Property taxes under the proposal will rise less than a mill, from the current 3.59 to 4.57 mills. This would be a return to the millage rate that existed before 2014.
Capital improvements stipulated in the proposal include “purchasing, acquiring, constructing and improving parks, playgrounds, recreation centers, meeting halls and other recreational facilities.”
Specific projects being considered by the council include improvements to the swimming pool, the possible construction of another restroom facility at Magnolia Park and visual improvements to the old pool office at the park. Adam Carlson Memorial (Southside) Park would also be upgraded, but no specifics were given.
In other business, the council discussed a pending five-year contract for electric power for the city. The attractive-sounding offer from CLECO, purported to offer savings for customers, ran into a snag under examination by city attorney Allan Durand.
A contract provision addressing potential liabilities for damages, Durand said, might leave the city liable for problems caused by CLECO and outside the city’s control. CLECO representatives told Durand that they will “work with the city” to solve the issue.
District 2 councilman Craig Prosper also questioned the specifics of the contract with regard to tree trimming. Under past contracts, the power providers, who can get a much better price on tree work, passed the expense on to the city at their cost. Prosper asked for that to be clarified and said that tree trimming was behind schedule.