Two of the items involve Riverside Drive, although the items are unrelated. One is an ordinance to be introduced by Councilman Michael O’Ree that would authorize the mayor to “enter into an agreement with Mile Branch Investments, Inc. for the purpose of obtaining a 50’ Right-of-Way on Riverside Drive.”
That item is a formalization of an agreement between Joey Knight and the city of Bogalusa to allow a 50-foot right of way on property owned by Knight.
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The property in question belongs to Doy Cothern and is a vacant lot located between his home and that of his daughter, Ann Scott Mizell. The lot became a point of contention when Olympia Construction, builders of Columbia Street Station Apartments, pumped runoff on it. Additional problems were created in the neighborhood when the apartment site was apparently built up to an elevation higher than that of adjoining properties, causing flooding during periods of heavy rain.
Cothern obtaining a restraining order that restricted access to the property then bought it outright from the owner. James Hall, public works director for the city, says the flooding problem has existed for a number of years and that a ditch along Riverside Drive has been in place for a number of years as well.
Residents disputed Hall’s statements before the council and photographs of the street prove the ditch is a relatively new addition to the landscape.
Mizell distributed more than 500 flyers throughout the city on Thursday, encouraging the public to attend the meeting and warning them that their property “could be next,” inferring to the expropriation possibilities.
She said she also attempted to be placed on the agenda Friday morning, but was told it was too late because the agenda had “been sent to the newspaper.”
Other items on the agenda include:
• An ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter into a maintenance agreement (mowing and litter pick-up) between the city and the state highway department.
• An ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter into a lease agreement with Antill Pipeline Construction Co. of Houma for the lease of Lots 2 and 3 in the Bogalusa Industrial Park.
• An ordinance revising the 2008 budget.
• An ordinance requiring a permit for use of municipal property for business operations in the city.
• An ordinance setting the franchise fee for those entities providing cable or video service with (sic) the city’s municipal limits under a state-granted franchise authority.
• An ordinance requiring the payment of public, educational, governmental access programming support to the city of Bogalusa by cable or video providers.
• An ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter into an agreement with Capital One Bank for the purchase of eight police patrol cars.
• A public hearing on an ordinance authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement with the state department of transportation and FAA for improvements at the airport.
• An ordinance authorizing the mayor to enter into any and all contracts necessary and incidental in the operation of the Choctaw Road Landfill in partnership with the Washington Parish Council.
• An ordinance setting fines of up to $500 and/or disconnecting city services of FEMA trailers.
• An ordinance requiring the administration to furnish an itemized and detailed statement of all credit card bills for the last three years.




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