PORT ALLEN — For years, auditors have flagged the City of Port Allen for handling utility payment arrangements informally, with no written policy and no legal authority in the city's code of ordinances to do so. On Monday night, Finance Director Adrian Daigle told the council he is ready to fix that.

Daigle presented a draft policy to the Finance Committee on May 4 that would amend Section 86.3 of the city's code to create two formal options for utility customers: extensions for those who need a few extra days past the monthly due date, and contracts for customers hit with an unusually large bill from a water leak or extreme weather.

The contracts would spread the balance over a maximum of 12 months. Customers would be limited to one contract at a time and could not renegotiate an existing agreement. The underlying problem — such as a water leak — must be verified as repaired before the city will sign.

Councilwoman Charlene Gordon pressed the point directly.

"We don't want to give them a contract and the problem had not been resolved," Gordon said.

Daigle said the policy applies only to current amounts — not customers who are chronically behind. If a customer defaults on a contract, the deferred balance moves back onto their utility account immediately.

"This is to help those that have a one-time water leak or the gas charge or lost their job," Daigle said.

He pointed to this past January, when gas bills spiked during extreme cold weather, leaving customers who had been paying on time suddenly facing bills they could not cover in a single month.

Because Port Allen qualifies as a large municipality under Louisiana's government budget law, the ordinance amendment requires introduction at one meeting and adoption at a subsequent one. Daigle is asking to introduce the ordinance next week with a final vote in June.

The committee meetings also covered a Lexipol billing correction, four new police hires, a departing inspector the council wasn't told about, and a budget that puts sewer plant repairs front and center.

A salesman's mistake saves the city $13,000

A miscommunication between the Port Allen Police Department and policy management company Lexipol resulted in $13,000 in additional services being provided to the city for $0.99, Police Chief Mitchell told the Finance Committee.

The Lexipol contract has been in the works since at least February, when the council first discussed adopting the system to update and maintain the department's policy manual.

Mitchell said the city signed the agreement and began the process. But during the first working session, the department discovered the company's salesman had been using the word "onboard" without specifying which tier of service it referred to. What the city thought it was buying — a full program where Lexipol would build and tailor the department's policies — turned out to be a partial service.

Mitchell escalated the issue to Lexipol's management. They acknowledged the salesman had misrepresented the product and agreed to provide the full service tier at no additional meaningful cost.

The result is an addendum adding $13,000 in services for $0.99. It requires the mayor's signature and goes before the full council next week.

Four new officers join PAPD

Chief Mitchell introduced four new hires to the Personnel Committee.

Kendrick Beverly and Kevin Deloch Jr. will join as uniform patrol officers at Step Grade 110-A. Neither has prior law enforcement experience. Beverly previously applied to the Baton Rouge Police Department, and Deloch is a recent Southern University criminal justice graduate who grew up in Brusly.

Quinesha Perkins, who was not present Monday, brings 30 years of experience with the Baton Rouge Police Department and will serve as a detective at Step Grade 112-I.

Matthew Hall has five years of law enforcement experience, including time with the Tulane University Police Department. He joins as a POST-certified officer at Step Grade 112-A.

Councilwoman Gordon welcomed the officers but was direct about retention.

"I don't know y'all pay rate," Gordon said. "I want y'all to be here six months. We want y'all to stay right here and grow with us."

Inspector gone, council wasn't told

During the nuisance violation report, Mayor Terecita Pattan told the council she has been conducting property inspections herself alongside city employee Lynette, noting that inspector Lance Guidry is "no longer with us."

Gordon said she had not been informed. Pattan said the information had been sent to the Personnel Committee, but Gordon said she did not receive it.

Pattan reported on more than a dozen nuisance and condemnation cases, including two properties — 451 Harry Brown and 1205 Avenue C — with deadlines in July after the owners requested additional time. A property at 1029 Avenue B has a deadline of May 7 and will need to be addressed at next week's council meeting.

The HUD home at 336 Michigan has been referred from the senator's office to Congressman Garret Graves' office, Pattan said.

Budget puts sewer repairs front and center

Daigle said the proposed 2026-2027 budget, which must be introduced next week and adopted in June, will prioritize more than $1 million in improvements at the city's wastewater treatment plant. He said the mayor is working to fit as much of the identified repairs into the budget as possible to avoid a catastrophic failure.

The same evening, Mayor Pattan hosted a town hall meeting where she and city engineer Tony Arikol presented residents with two potential sites for a new sewer plant — a decision that carries a $6.6 million price difference depending on which location the city chooses. Full story here.

Also on the agenda

The city received only one response to its request for qualifications for engineering services related to a Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration grant. Daigle asked the council to ratify the administration entering negotiations with the firm at next week's meeting.

City engineer Tony Arikol recommended the council accept a Certificate of Substantial Completion for the road rehabilitation project on Avenues D and E. A final change order decreases the overall contract price by $8,766.86.

Daigle asked the council to approve the same ad valorem tax millage rates as last year — 7.180 mills on the general alimony and 5.020 mills for the police department — so the resolution can be sent to the assessor's office for the 2026 tax rolls.

The general fund and the low-income housing fund both require budget amendments before the end of the fiscal year. Sales tax revenue fell below 95 percent of projections, and low-income housing expenditures exceeded 105 percent. Both will be introduced next week.

Rose Roche announced upcoming events including Family Day in the Park on May 23, the Miss Juneteenth reception on June 18, a Juneteenth celebration on June 20, a Heritage Park dedication on June 19, and the Mayor's Leadership Camp running June 15 to 26. The city's 110th anniversary celebration is scheduled for September 4-6.

The Police Department reported 206 calls, approximately 15 arrests, and 64 traffic stops in April.

Daigle also noted the city is exploring wireless meter reading technology. Upgrading every water and gas meter would cost approximately $500,000 for the hardware alone, not including installation, but would allow customers to monitor usage online and receive alerts before bills become unmanageable.