ADDIS — Editor's note: This recap was delayed due to recording issues with video and audio from the July 14 meeting. We apologize for the late publication. Due to the volume of business covered, this is a longer-than-usual recap.

The Addis Town Council approved the purchase of a property on 5th Street, donated two older police vehicles to the Port Allen City Marshal's Office and held a lengthy discussion about enforcing the town's noise ordinance during its regular meeting July 14.

Moment of silence

Mayor David Toups opened the meeting with a moment of silence for Paris Williams, calling the death a "senseless tragedy." Toups also recognized Fitzgerald Day, observed each year on July 9 to honor members of the Fitzgerald family from Addis who were among those killed when Pan Am Flight 759 crashed in Kenner on July 9, 1982. He noted the family recently suffered another loss.

All five council members were present: Rusty Parrish, Bliss Bernard, Rhonda Kelley, Kevin LeBlanc and Dustin Hebert.

Town buys 5th Street property for $50,000

The council unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the purchase of property at 7867 5th St. for $50,000 in cash.

Town Attorney Karen Day White told the council the property belongs to Charles H. David Sr. and sits in a "very desirable geographic location" with development potential. She said the purchase price falls in the middle of the appraised range.

White said there had been discussions about buying the property years ago when Dana Larpenteur served as town attorney, but the deal never materialized. The house remains in poor condition, but the sellers agreed to remove personal property and debris by dumpster rather than placing it on the roadside.

The town already owns an adjacent property.

LeBlanc made the motion. Bernard seconded. The vote was unanimous.

Police vehicles donated to City Marshal

The council declared two police department vehicles as surplus and authorized their donation to the Port Allen City Marshal's Office: a 2017 Chevy Tahoe (VIN ending 9352) and a 2019 Chevy Tahoe (VIN ending 0651).

Chief Jason Langlois said both vehicles are older models with high engine hours and increasingly expensive to maintain. The department already received and outfitted two replacement vehicles purchased in this year's budget.

Langlois said Port Allen City Marshal Sonny Massey understands he will need to invest money in the vehicles to make them road-worthy but expressed appreciation for the donation.

White noted that donating law enforcement vehicles to another governmental body for law enforcement purposes is specifically authorized under the state constitution.

Hebert made the motion. Parrish seconded. The vote was unanimous.

Council authorizes sale of third surplus vehicle

In a separate discussion, Toups said the Port Allen Police Department had offered $10,000 to purchase another previously surplused vehicle.

White walked the council through the legal requirements for selling surplus property, explaining that sales above $5,000 normally require a public auction. But because both sides are government bodies, the town can use a cooperative endeavor agreement instead, a contract that allows direct sale between public entities.

The council authorized Toups to execute the cooperative endeavor agreement and any related documents to complete the sale at fair market value. If the buyer changes, Toups would need to return to the council for new authorization.

Harris drainage, road project bids coming

Toups reported on two upcoming projects under the engineer report.

The Harris Street drainage project will accept bids until 2 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 12, with the bid opening at Town Hall.

A road project has a final bidder deadline of Aug. 13, with bids opening Aug. 25 at 10 a.m. at Town Hall. The council is expected to vote on the winning bid at its Sept. 8 meeting.

Toups said he spoke with the parish about coordinating timing so the town's project would be completed before the parish begins its related work in the area.

Council approves Cain property subdivision

The council held a public hearing on a request by Walter Cain Sr., represented by Court Bradford, to subdivide two tracts of property in Section 28 and 70, T8S R12E.

Bradford presented maps showing the plan to divide a narrow strip of property north of existing lots and add portions to four adjacent tracts, including property owned by the Bernard and Kelley families. The subdivision and sales to adjacent landowners would happen simultaneously.

White said she could not identify a legal obstacle to the subdivision and confirmed the lots meet the town's minimum lot size requirements.

No one spoke during the public hearing.

Because two council members have interests in the adjacent properties, Toups called for a roll call vote:

• Rusty Parrish — yes
• Kevin LeBlanc — yes
• Dustin Hebert — yes
• Bliss Bernard — abstain
• Rhonda Kelley — abstain

The subdivision was approved.

Police report: 117 citations, 4 felony arrests in June

Chief Langlois reported the following activity for June 2026:

There were 117 citations issued and 225 calls for service. Officers made two misdemeanor arrests, including one for reckless operation of a motor vehicle and one DWI assisted by Louisiana State Police. Four felony arrests included domestic abuse battery with child endangerment, two charges of aggravated cruelty to animals in a single case, one armed robbery and one aggravated second-degree battery. Officers responded to 16 auto accidents.

Langlois said July was already off to an active start.

Golf cart compliance improving

Asked about the town's golf cart ordinance, Langlois said complaints have dropped since the council adopted the new rules.

He said officers used the period after adoption to educate residents about the new requirements rather than immediately issuing citations. Most residents have complied with state law requirements for golf cart operation.

Langlois said there are still occasional issues with four-wheelers, but riders tend to leave the area before officers arrive. He described one recent incident on Bird Height Ave where two juveniles on ATVs fled through yards toward Plantation Ave when officers attempted a stop.

Noise ordinance debate

A resident raised ongoing concerns about extremely loud music coming from a vehicle on Riverboat Ln.

Langlois said officers have responded to the area but the music is never playing when they arrive. He and Toups said they believe the vehicle belongs to someone who visits the area, not a resident.

Council members and White discussed whether the town's existing noise ordinance provides enough tools for enforcement. The ordinance prohibits noise that disturbs the "quiet, comfort, or repose" of others, with stricter rules between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. But White said it lacks an objective standard for measuring violations.

White said a decibel meter, similar to what other municipalities have used, would give officers a measurable threshold and help citations hold up in court. Without one, she said, enforcement comes down to one person's word against another's.

LeBlanc said the problem is not isolated and comes up regularly. A resident noted he can hear the music from three streets away, inside his bedroom.

Langlois recommended that residents document incidents with video or audio and file a formal complaint with the police department or West Baton Rouge dispatch. White said video and audio evidence would strengthen any citation.

A separate complaint about train horns was raised. White said horn use is generally protected as a danger or warning signal.

Public works and sewer report

Public Works Superintendent Travis Bourgoyne reported 12 jammed residential pumps for June, with two pumps replaced due to age.

The collection system had 13 jams. A grinder pump on East Nic Drive failed due to flushing of wipes. That pump station serves only East Nic Drive, and crews used a vacuum trailer to clean out every manhole station in the area. West Baton Rouge Parish assisted because the station was full.

Bourgoyne said a replacement grinder pump costs about $6,000. He has one new unit on hand and is having the failed unit rebuilt for approximately $3,500.

Other work included drain line repairs on Rue Isle St. Jean and at 3825 Bird Height Ave, and culvert installation at 3612 Bird Height Ave. Two zero-turn mowers were out of service in June but are back in operation.

Toups said Town Clerk Jade Simpson wrote an article about flushable wipes for the next quarterly newsletter, reminding residents that products marketed as flushable still damage the sewer system.

Drainage: nearly 9 inches of rain this month

Under drainage, Toups told the council about the WeatherSTEM app, which pulls data from local weather stations in Addis, Brusly, Port Allen and Erwinville.

Toups said the VFW station recorded nearly 9 inches of rain so far in July, with year-to-date totals approaching 52 inches.

A council member raised concerns about residents cutting trees and placing debris in drainage ditches for pickup. Bourgoyne said crews pushed the material closer to the road and the parish collected it two days later. Toups said the issue could be addressed in a future public service announcement.

Reserve officer introduced

Under the police committee report, Langlois introduced a deputy with the Iberville Parish Sheriff's Office who lives in Addis. The deputy has expressed interest in serving as a reserve officer for the Addis Police Department. Langlois said details are still being reviewed.

Executive session: Acadian Crossing drainage

The council entered executive session to receive privileged legal advice from White on the possible acquisition of a drainage servitude at Acadian Crossing. A drainage servitude is a legal right to access private property for drainage maintenance.

No action was taken following the executive session.

Other business

The council approved the June 10 meeting minutes on a motion by Kelley, seconded by Hebert.

A motion to pay bills was approved on a motion by Hebert, seconded by Kelley.

A resident thanked Toups during public comment for getting street lights installed in the area.

The meeting adjourned on a motion by Parrish, seconded by Bernard.