Chickens running loose in a Henderson neighborhood have residents sick and tired of hosing off their porches and walkways.
At the Feb. 11 town council meeting, Mayor Sherbin Collette said he has again been getting calls complaining about the free-running poultry. “We don’t have a problem with people keeping chickens,” he said, “But they have to be in pens.”
The issue had been brought to the council months ago but efforts to get cooperation from the birds’ owners do not seem to have worked. Attorney Jerry Mallett reported that he is drawing up a new ordinance to address the problem. “We can probably just do it as a take-off from the existing nuisance ordinance,” he said.
In other business, Police Chief Leroy Guidry received approval to hire a second reserve patrol officer. Seth Theriot, 21, who is also a volunteer fireman, recently moved to Henderson. He told the council he is hoping to become a full-time officer in the future.
Mayor Collette also reported that, after more than two years, a solution to the collapse of the Henderson Levee Road that has it reduced to one-lane, is still being sought.
He said officials have discussed the possibility of trying to get the road declared a hurricane evacuation route.
Such a declaration would require paving the road all the way to Charenton. This would provide an alternate route to US90 for evacuation from the Morgan City area and Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes.
Councilman Jody Meche remarked that it could provide a valuable route and that both lanes could be made northbound-only in emergencies.
Flood Concerns
Meche also expressed concern about the prospect of flooding risks when the spring snow melt begins flowing into the Mississippi River. “I hope we don’t see another year like 1973,” he said. “I’m not trying to cause a panic, but residents need to pay attention and have a plan.”
Water stages are unusually high for this time of year and snow accumulations in the upper Mississippi Valley are deep. Collette said he hopes the Corps of Engineers will act more quickly than in the past to open flood-control structures if flooding conditions begin to develop.
Meche added that crawfishermen stand to lose traps when the water rises quickly. “I lost a whole line of 500 traps in 2011,” he recalled.
Finally, flooding at the I-10 LA347/Grand Point Hwy underpass was discussed. Police Captain James Thibodeaux said he had taken measurements at the lowered area between the roundabouts and found that they are right at the same level as the top of the box culvert installed last year along LA352/Henderson Main Hwy.
“So when you see the water at the top of the culvert in front of McDonald’s, don’t expect to be able to cross under he interstate,” he said.
Collette said DOTD officials have reassured him that drainage should be much better when the project is finished, but more will be done if necessary. The law required that Grand Point Hwy be lowered more than one foot to increase the I-10 bridge clearance to the current standard of 16’ 6”.
