Traffic problems concern council

Published 12:00 am Monday, November 15, 2004

By SUE ELLEN ROSS

Staff Reporter

EDGARD – An ordinance approved by the St. John Parish Council on Tuesday brings to light the high cost of unauthorized parking in handicapped spots.

The new Ordinance 04-73, introduced by Council Member Sean Roussel, states that, “Whoever unlawfully parks in clearly-marked handicapped parking places shall be fined not less than $275, plus court costs, and an additional $25 for the Disabilities Affairs Trust Fund as per LA R.S. 46:2583(A)(2).”

“Hopefully, this will deter people from illegally using these spots,” Roussel told the council. “With the holiday season approaching, we need to be mindful of this.”

The current St. John Parish law states that the fine for unauthorized use of a handicapped space cannot be more than $10. Roussel said he just wanted Parish law to be stated similar to state law. The wording for the fine is now in line with the state ordinance covering this matter.

“What we are doing is changing our local ordinance to match theirs,” said Council Attorney Jeff Perilloux.

In other news at the meeting, the topic of speed bumps was discussed.

A carry-over agenda item from the last Council meeting, which was introduced by Councilwoman Jaclyn Hotard and Chairman Joel McTopy, asked for the installation of a speed bump in the 700 block of Camellia Street as per a work order issued over two months ago.

Both Council members were absent from Tuesday’s meeting and it was suggested that this item be tabled until they were present to discuss the matter.

At the Council meeting on Oct. 26, Administrative Assistant Natalie Robottom said that she and Public Safety Director Paul Oncale and Public Works Director Virgil Rayneri had reviewed the targeted area on Camellia Street.

She said that the 700 block is the last block to the levee

and leads to a dead end. There are no speed bumps the entire way to the front, she added.

She also stated that, at this point, Administration is not sure what good it would do to put speed bumps here, but they would welcome discussion with any council member.

At that same meeting, Oncale commented that he is not a proponent of speed bumps. He doesn’t believe they work, he told the Council.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Councilman Dale Wolfe said he wanted to talk about old work orders that involve speed bumps.”I have a 4-year-old request for a speed bump,” he told the council. “Where does that leave me?”

He added that if he asks for this, he would expect that the speed bump would be installed. “A request from a council member should be honored,” he told Administration.

According to Robottom, each speed bump request is looked at individually.

She added that they want to discuss the viability of installation with the resident and council members requesting it.

The current Parish ordinance on the books also involves Rayneri and Oncale.

In Section18:19 (Speed Bumps) of the current Parish Ordinance on traffic areas, it states, ‘The installation of speed bumps on any Parish road shall not commence before a comprehensive study of the area in which the speed bumps are to be installed is performed by the St. John the Baptist Parish Departments of Public Safety and Public Works, in order to assure compliance with the marking, signing and appropriateness relative to speed zones.’

Parish President Nickie Monica said Tuesday that he has received both requests to put speed bumps in, and requests to take them out. Cost estimation to install a speed bump is $750 per bump, he added.

He told the Council that he was planning to bring an ordinance rescinding the speed bumps to their next meeting.

Wolfe questioned Moncia about this. “Your getting into our business,” he said. “I want the law to be followed. That’s why we passed the (original) ordinance.”

The request by Hotard and McTopy was tabled by the Council.