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Residents press Terrebonne Parish for drainage fixes, time to comply on mobile home, and action on abandoned houses
Summary
Several residents told the council on Aug. 13 that plugged ditches and blocked drainage persist since Hurricane Ida, asked for an extension to bring a mobile home into compliance and urged the council to address more than 60 abandoned East Side properties and appraisals associated with Finding Our Roots.
Multiple residents used the council's public-comment period Aug. 13 to press the parish for immediate help with drainage, to request more time to bring a mobile home into code compliance and to demand action on long-neglected abandoned properties.
Tung Pham, speaking for his brother Bao Pham, apologized for a prior outburst at a July meeting and asked for an "extension accommodation" so his mobile home could be brought into compliance. Pham said he had been working with planning and zoning and the parish attorney, and noted the mobile-park application process "usually take[s] 4 to 6 months." He asked the council to consider extra time while he completes the required process.
Resident Adam Trostclair described persistent flooding and plugged ditches in a stretch of roadway that includes South Van and Thompson Road, saying neighbors had obstructed drainage channels and "the water won't drain." Trostclair said he had sent photographs to parish staff and requested action; a staff member told him the parish would collect his photos and that officials meet with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) in September to review problems.
Aprille Wallace raised concerns about more than 60 abandoned houses and properties on the East Side and asked that each property receive a recorded number so it would be eligible for demolition review. Wallace also pressed the council about appraisals tied to the Finding Our Roots program and accused officials of racial bias: "This is a racist issue." Parish leadership responded that several properties are on a condemnation list and that Finding Our Roots "was approved for the money," while urging Wallace to follow up with staff for appraisal records and next steps.
Council staff and the parish president pledged to follow up: staff said they would obtain Trostclair's photos and inspect the drainage issues; the parish president said he had placed properties on the condemnation list and would make appraisal information public when available.
Next steps recorded in the meeting included outreach by staff to the affected residents and a DOTD meeting scheduled for September to discuss state-road drainage matters. The transcript does not record any binding action to extend mobile-home compliance deadlines; council members directed staff to follow up with the residents.
