August 19
August 19, 2008
Edna Breaux Uzee
August 21, 2008
As part of an initiative to make the area cleaner, Terrebonne Parish has formed a Beautification Committee headed by parish Community Problem Solver Linda Henderson.
The committee is being added to the already-existing Downtown Attractions Marketing Committee, which is a subcommittee of the Terrebonne Parish Council chaired by Councilwoman Arlanda Williams.
The new 12-member Downtown Attractions and Beautification Committee – made up of three parish council members and other parish officials – plans to meet monthly, at least for the next several months, Henderson said.
During his campaign for parish president last year, Michel Claudet made beautification one of his planks.
Members of the committee did not hesitate to criticize blighted areas of Terrebonne at the inaugural meeting Thursday, but also offered plenty of suggestions to make the parish more attractive.
Several members complained that they have to route visitors to Terrebonne away from eyesores, echoing similar comments made by Sheriff Vernon Bourgeois at a beautification town hall meeting in Houma in July.
“The bayous are garbage, though some parts are nice,” said Leo Ledet, president of the Houma Downtown Development Corporation. “We need to enforce litter laws or nothing will happen.”
Roger Bourgeois, who operates a Houma fire protection equipment supply store, said he was embarrassed taking friends to Cocodrie.
Henderson, who said she was “appalled” at the condition of the bayous in Terrebonne, indicated that the parish has been receiving 30 to 40 nuisance abatement calls a day. Sheriff Bourgeois has promised to use more prison work release crews to do cleanup tasks, according to Henderson.
Parish Manager Pat Gordon said residents need to make complaints since parish officials do not search for eyesores as part of their jobs.
In response, Henderson and Bourgeois suggested that the parish could rely less on residents to generate complaints.
Sharon Alford, director of the Houma Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, and Main Street Manager Anne Picou both emphasized the need to educate children about not littering. The parish will be distributing FACE (For a Cleaner Environment) educational materials to schools, according to Henderson.
Picou said that, compared to Texas, the culture of Louisiana does not encourage kids to keep a clean environment.
“We need to teach children there are consequences for littering,” Alford said. “Kids can influence their parents.”
She and Picou urged parish agencies to apply for available state grants, with Alford suggesting an anti-litter billboard campaign.
Cleanliness “is important for businesses relocating,” she said.
Bourgeois pointed out that the new electronic billboards popping up in Houma can be a hazard when juxtaposed with traffic lights.
Gordon said the state Department of Transportation and Development permits the electronic signs, provided they do not interfere with traffic lights.
Bourgeois wants justices of the peace and constables in Terrebonne to have greater involvement with litter laws, perhaps establishing justice of the peace litter courts. He also complained about the parish allowing signs to be placed illegally and excessively loud car sound systems on parish streets.
Henderson assigned committee members individual tasks, including researching grant applications and state anti-litter laws.
Members of Terrebonne Parish’s Beautification Committee met last week to begin work on the campaign to clean up the parish. Pictured from left are: (standing) Roger Bourgeois; Jonathan Foret, Southdown Museum director; Glenda Toups of the parish Arts Council; Leo Ledet, Houma Downtown Development Corporation president; Anne Picou, Main Street manager; (seated) Linda Henderson, parish problem solver; and Sharon Alford, Convention and Visitors Bureau director. * Photo courtesy of LINDA HENDERSON
