By LEONARD GRAY

HAHNVILLE – St. Charles Parish might be hiring a full-time litter control person, should its grant application funding be approved.

At a recent meeting of the St. Charles Parish Council, grants officer Henry Wolfe told council members the litter abatement coordinator would be responsible for establishing an educational program to inform the public about the illegal nature of littering, the harm littering does to the environment, the cost for cleanup and the harm it does to the parish’s image.

The coordinator would work with the justices of the peace and constables toward enforcement of the litter laws, as well as with the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office. A person could be in place to begin the program by Aug. 1, Wolfe said.

“I hope the parish is finally fed up with litter,” St. Rose resident Pat Elfer told the council.

Elfer heads Swamp Eyes, which has targeted littering and illegal trash dumping parishwide. Recent cleanups along St. Rose Avenue, she said, were only temporary and now, “It’s disgusting.”

In other activity, the parish council heard a report from Library Director Mary des Bordes on the past year’s activities.

During 2001, the St. Charles Parish Library assisted 163,698 patrons (up 33 percent from 2000), added 18,484 new items to its collections and circulated 243,969 items, a per-capita rate of five per citizen.

New computer-use classes have been added to the East Bank regional branch, and 26,962 patrons used electronic resources, while the library’s Web site had 35,975 visits in the past year.

Free programs, from yoga to author visits to gardening, packed the libraries, along with 300 youth programs.

Major improvements to the planetarium are in the works including permanent seating and a new star projector, one of only five planetariums in the nation to have this equipment.

The St. Rose branch library is now 45 percent complete, as the metal roof and interior walls are being installed. It is anticipated to open in early fall, according to des Bordes.

The parish council also discussed the rezoning of three lots from commercial to residential along Avenue of the Oaks, as requested by retired Judge Joel Chaisson. The lots will be given to his children for their homes.

However, the request ran into a snarl as Councilwoman Dee Abadie had lingering questions and suggested that the request be tabled.

Councilmen Lance Marino and Terry Authement pushed for approval to ensure there would be little, if any, traffic impact.

“He (Chaisson) would be impacted more than anybody, and if he wants to cut it up like this, I’ll support him,” Authement observed.

The council also approved a four-way stop sign at Milling Avenue and Third Street in Luling, near the waterworks office, recommended because of high traffic volume and frequent accidents.