Abbeville Councilman ‘cautious’ on spending

Sales tax revenue is under the microscope for communities around Louisiana.
The downturn in the oil and gas industry has resulted in the decline of sales tax for many municipalities. While not as drastic as other areas, the City of Abbeville saw a six-percent decline for its December sales tax report.
With that in mind, Abbeville Councilman Francis Touchet Jr., District B, said during Tuesday’s regular council meeting that every dollar spent by the city should be scrutinized.
Touchet brought up the issue during discussion about the purchase of a well and pump that would regulate the water level at the retention pond located near Franks Alley. Plans have been discussed to turn the pond, designed to take in excess rain water from the flood-prone Franks Alley area, into a recreation site for the city. The price tag for the well and pump is $12,000.
Touchet asked why such a pump is needed. City Engineer Gene Sellers explained that water will evaporate and seep into the ground. The pond covers 12 acres.
“For every foot, it holds four million gallons of water,” Sellers said. “You are going to have to have a water supply to maintain that.
“You are not going to get enough rain water from Franks Alley to maintain that.”
Touchet then went to his point of spending money where it is heavily needed.
“Maybe it’s just me and I’m overly conservative,” Touchet said. “I see this agenda and I see a lot of money that we are spending.
“I see money that is coming out of sales tax dollars.”
The council approved more than $30,000 Tuesday night for needed improvements at the water plant and to the electrical system.
“I have no problems with things that are going to infrastructure and things that are needed to continue services,” Touchet said. “I see $12,000 for a well for the retention pond. My question is if this is something that is needed at this time?”
Touchet said uncertainty with the trend of sales tax revenue is the basis for his argument.
“We really don’t know the status of sales tax dollars after the first quarter,” Touchet said. “We had a
six-percent decline in December, a time when people usually spend money. Come April, I promise you those numbers will be much dwindled from the first three months of (2015).
“I could be wrong, but I just think we need to be very careful how we are expending because we don’t know what is going to happen later in the year.”
Councilman Brady Broussard Jr., District C, said the pump and well could serve an important role that could save time and money in the future.
“The pump and well can keep vegetation and trees from growing in the pond,” Broussard said. “That would cause the pond not to be able to hold the volume we expect. Then we would have to use bulldozers and excavators to take out that vegetation.”
Councilman-at-Large Francis Plaisance has backed the idea of the pond becoming a recreation area for fishing and other activities since its construction more than five years ago.
“Way back when we dug the pond,” Plaisance said, “I brought up how nice it would be to develop it into a recreation area for the city and the whole community. We could have some RV spots and a playground.
“I think it is something that can be a benefit to the city.”
New developments regarding liability in regard to the pond prompted the city council to table the purchase of the well and pump for a later meeting.
To be clear, whether or not the city purchases the well and pump, it will have no impact on the effectiveness of the drainage system for the Franks Alley that has been in place since ‘11.
“If that would have caused flooding in Franks Alley or any of those areas,” Touchet said, “by all means I would support it.
“I am just being overly cautious.”