By Shantelle Breaux

ASSISTANT EDITOR

MORSE – Wednesday night’s meeting of the Morse Town Council began with a motion to apply for a Community Water Enrichment Grant, of which there is a limit of $25,000, for help in the completion of construction on the town water system. The motion passed.

Jonas Harrington with Mader Engineering updated the council on several ongoing projects. In regard to the towns water treatment plant, Harrington stated that a letter had been received by the Facility Planning and Control Corporation with questions about the project, and that a reply was being drafted and would probably be sent sometime next week. According to Harrington, the next step is authorization of the project.

Harrington stated there was nothing to report on the towns Block Grant application.

Harrington also asked Mayor Robert Istre to sign a letter the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development is requiring the chief elected official of the town to sign stating, in summary, that the infrastructure project the town hopes to accomplish with possible stimulus monies has been thoroughly veted. This anticipated project is the complete overall of all the towns roads at a total cost of $2 million. Mayor Istre complied with the request and signed the letter.

The council did not pass a motion in regards to the pay for a town sewer plant employee, with a second to Alderwoman Peggy Romero’s motion to accept $175 per month after taxes not being provided by either Alderman Wade Clement or Alderman Randall Bertrand. This was not without controversy, as several citizens attending the meeting voiced their displeasure at the lack of action by the council.

The council did pass motions to accept raises for town employees and the village clerk which had been discussed during a previous executive session.

The towns water/wastewater clerk wages will be increased to $7.55 per hour and the wages for a laborer will be increased to $7.55 per hour.

Village Clerk Cynthia Cormier will receive a .50 raise, a 3 percent cost of living raise, and a possible merit raise.

Alderwoman Romero asked the council to pass a motion requesting the Acadia Parish Police Jury to apply for a Community Water Enrichment Grant for the town. This motion passed.