Mansura Council refuses to pay for Cochon de Lait extra security costs

Usually the meeting after a community festival is one of mutual praise and back-patting on how great the event was and how appreciative the town is for all the hard work that went into it. The Mansura Town Council meeting May 11 wasn’t your usual meeting in that regard.

 

Mansura Chamber of Commerce President Al Lemoine did single out town  Street Department employee Roosevelt Sampson for special thanks for efforts above and beyond the call of duty for the Cochon de Lait Festival that occurred May 7-10. Lemoine also praised the efforts of the organizations and volunteers that helped make the annual event a success this year.

 

There were no such comments coming from the front table in the meeting room.

 

There was a comment that the festival crowd should be “more diverse.” There was also a comment that the music at the festival should be “more diverse.”

 

Lemoine told the mayor and council that the purpose of his visit was to repeat the request he made last month that the town help to pay some of the costs of the festival -- specifically the cost of additional security. Those costs totaled about $4,500 last year, Lemoine said. He had not received a total prior to the Monday night meeting, but said he did not think it would be that high this year.

 

“The Chamber is happy to put on the festival each year, but we would like the town to pay for the security costs,” Lemoine said. He also noted that a town “has the responsibility to ensure that everyone who visits that town is safe while they are there.” 

 

There were several comments from town officials that the town cannot pay anything toward the cost of the Chamber’s event because other organizations would want town funds to help with their event costs. Last month officials argued that state law and the town auditor prohibit the town from making any direct payments to support the annual festival.

 

Lemoine said his conversations with the town attorney and town auditor revealed there is no outright prohibition on such payments.

 

Town Attorney Alyssa Piazza Tassin advised town officials that state law does not prohibit them from making a payment to an organization, but would require that the town receive something of equal or greater value in exchange for that payment and that the event have a public purpose.

 

“The payment cannot be gratuitous,”  Tassin said.

 

During discussion on what “value” the town receives from the Cochon de Lait Festival, such things as statewide and even nationwide publicity for the town was mentioned. Additional sales tax revenue from visitors was also noted as a benefit.

 

Councilman Delas Huddleston said he had been denied town funds “of less than $100”  to purchase hot dogs and buns for a fundraising event for a nonprofit he established. He said he could not vote in favor of giving the Chamber town funds if other organizations’ requests were rejected.

 

“If we open the door for them (Chamber), we will have to open the door for everyone,” Councilwoman Judy James said. 

 

Tassin said the council should do a cost-benefit analysis on any request that comes before it, “on a case-by-case basis.”

 

Lemoine said the town used to pay the security costs and the utilities and other costs of the festival.

 

“The Chamber returned what the town paid us in support with the Cochon de Lait building,” Lemoine said.  He said the building cost about $350,000.

 

Mayor Kenneth Pickett said the Chamber was granted a $1 per year lease for 20 years in exchange for constructing that building. That arrangement ended about four years ago.

 

Pickett also displayed a T-shirt sold at the Cochon de Lait Festival that he said thanked all the sponsors except the Town of Mansura, which he said paid overtime for police and for town employees to clean up after the festival.

 

“The town is never recognized for what we do,”  the mayor said.

 

Lemoine pointed out that the T-shirt in question was sold by the Lions Club and that the businesses on the shirt paid to be listed on it. It was not an official Cochon de Lait Festival T-shirt.

 

Councilwoman Lucille Hayes said she thinks the festival “should be a joint effort between the town and the Chamber.”

 

Councilwoman Judy Bazert said she agrees with Hayes and would like to see the town be “more than a bill payer.” She said she would like the town to have more input in planning  the festival.”

 

Councilman Gaon Escude said a committee should be appointed to meet with Chamber officials and try to develop a cooperative endeavor agreement between the town and Chamber. 

 

Lemoine noted that the Bunkie Chamber of Commerce puts on the Corn Festival and the Avoyelles Arts Council does the July 4 Arts & Music Festival in Marksville.

 

“I came here tonight because I have to cut checks this week,” Lemoine said. “I want a vote, yes or no, on whether you will pay for the security costs.”

 

Pickett said the council did not have enough information on whether the value received by the town would be enough to justify the expenditure, or even a firm figure on the amount to be paid.

 

Lemoine suggested the motion set a maximum amount the town would pay.

 

A motion to pay for security costs failed 0-4 with Huddleston abstaining.

 

Lemoine said that he sat through many discussions on issues when he was superintendent of parish schools, and “I have to say, I am disappointed.”