Photograph: Flo Hammond shows photos of property blight to Parish Council members. (Photograph by Bobby Ardoin.)
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
Unusually high grass and blighted residences in an area north of Opelousas are testing the patience of a woman who says she is tired asking St. Landry Parish government for assistance in mitigating the situation.
Flo Hammond who addressed Parish Council members Wednesday about an area near McNeese and Johnson streets that she described as unsuitable for those who live there.
Hammond, who resides in the vicinity of McNeese Street, criticized what she said is the delayed response of parish officials in helping her and those living in nearby residences clean up the area.
“This makes no sense. Who can help me? I’m here for help. I have been (to Parish Council meetings) and asked for help. We have blighted property, high grass. No one can live like this,” Hammond said.
Hammond did not resist being escorted away from the speakers’ podium by a parish deputy after she engaged in an extended exchange with parish president Jessie Bellard towards the end of her presentation.
As she was ushered from the meeting, Hammond promised she would return to subsequent Council meetings. Hammond also told a St. Landry Now news reporter that she would be contacting the website for further updates on her attempts to clean up the McNeese Street area.
Hammond brought photographs of the high grass on one property and distributed the images that she left for review with council members.
Some of the area has been cleaned by property owners at various times, but Hammond said that has not been done regularly enough.
Parish code enforcement has not responded with any urgency to her complaints Hammond said.
Bellard told Hammond there is a process involved in cleaning up private property. Part of that protocol, said Bellard, involves sending registered letters to property owners explaining that their properties need to comply with parish ordinance codes.
Also Bellard said property owners don’t always respond promptly to registered letters.
Council Attorney Garrett Duplechain explained there are parishwide ordinances describing fines and penalties for violating regulations.
Hammond asked Bellard to explain the process for getting owners to clean up their properties, but Bellard said he would provide an explanation only during a face-to-face meeting with Hammond.
“Come to my office. I am not going to disclose the process for an issue (at the meeting) that I can handle in my office,” Bellard said.
Council member Nancy Carriere said the area that concerns Hammond is located in (Carriere’s election district).”
Carriere said she spoke previously with Code Enforcement Director Richard Lewis about the area that has Hammond concerned.
There is no record that parish Code Enforcement sent a letter to the property owners, said Carriere.
Carriere asked that Council Clerk Sherell Jordan be allowed to mail the registered letter to owners.
Bellard said sending out registered letters and anticipating responses could take as long as three months.
“Although we send out a letter, we can’t just go out and cut the grass,” Bellard added.
Council member Jerry Red, Jr. complimented the job that Lewis is doing since Lewis was appointed Code Enforcement director.
Carriere said regardless, the issue that Hammond presented to the Council matters to Hammond and her neighbors.
“You (Bellard and Lewis) are familiar with it. Let’s move forward on this. We are supposed to be doing better,” said Carriere.
