Eddy LeBlanc has been sworn in to fill the late Gary “Bimmie” Champagne’s seat on the Breaux Bridge City Council.
At the May 8 city council meeting, LeBlanc officially took the District E seat left vacant when Champagne passed away on March 5. LeBlanc will hold the position through the end of the year following the November election.
Street Projects
In other business, Monique Boulet and Melanie Bordelon, representing the Acadiana Planning Commission (APC), briefed the council on projects planned for the Breaux Bridge area.
A number of grant-funded transportation improvements have been approved and are to be undertaken through the Louisiana Dept. of Transportation and Development (DOTD). These include:
•LA 31/Main Street overlay between Mills and Bridge Streets. The $800,000 project is expected to be contracted this year. No matching funds will be required from the city.
•LA 328/Rees Street corridor study, which will evaluate the feasibility of the Master Plan project. The APC and Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) will provide $400,000 for the study. A kick-off meeting for the study was held on May 3.
•Safe Routes to Public Places. The DOTD has awarded $350,000 for the construction of sidewalks serving Breaux Bridge Jr. High School on Martin Street.
•Road Safety Projects. Fully funded by the DOTD, the projects will specifically address curves deemed hazardous in DOTD accident studies. The grant will provide $100,000 for improvements such as striping, high-friction road treatments and signals.
On another matter, the owner of a day-care business complained to the council about serious problems she is having with residents of a neighboring mobile home park.
Mimi Picard, owner of La Petite Ecole Day Care on Rees Street, said residents of the park have trespassed on day care property, cut locks, thrown trash on her premises and damaged equipment. She said there have been fights, drunkenness and profanity used within the view and hearing of the children. She added that dogs, including pit bulls, have been allowed to run free at the mobile home park and many other issues with residents there are negatively affecting her business.
Mayor Ricky Calais said Police Chief Rollie Cantu and legal advisor Bart Hebert will look into solutions to the problem. He added that the park’s owner would probably be part of the solution as well, since some of the behavior is likely against park rules.
