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Cameron Parish police jury adopts tougher grass-and-weeds ordinance after hearing
Summary
After a brief public hearing with no speakers, the Cameron Parish Police Jury approved an amended nuisance ordinance clarifying enforcement standards, exemptions and delegation of enforcement authority to the parish administrator; the jury cited Louisiana Revised Statute 33:4754 and voted unanimously.
The Cameron Parish Police Jury on July 24 approved an amendment to the parish’s grass-and-weeds ordinance after opening a public hearing that drew no comments.
The chair read the proposed replacement to Section 9-36 (renumbered to Section 9-3 in the ordinance), saying the change aligns parish enforcement with Louisiana Revised Statute 33:4754. The text the jury considered makes it unlawful for owners or occupants of lots in recognized subdivisions — or lots adjacent to occupied residences — to allow the growth and accumulation of grass, obnoxious weeds, deteriorated or unhealthful growth, or the storage of trash and noxious matter. The proposed ordinance also clarifies enforcement criteria, exempts lands used for agriculture and parcels identified by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as wetlands, and authorizes the parish administrator or a designee to determine noncompliance under administrative guidelines.
The chair stated there were no public comments during the hearing before the jury moved to adopt the amendment. The motion to adopt, which followed the reading and was seconded, passed with the jury voting "all in favor." The chair also asked the secretary to spread the ordinance on the minutes as required.
The change specifies enforcement discretion and lists factors that may constitute a public nuisance, including property that presents a health or safety hazard or a vector/rodent infestation risk. The ordinance text read at the hearing references exemptions for parcels in agricultural use and those designated as wetlands by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The jury closed the hearing and approved the ordinance amendment. No members of the public addressed the body during the hearing, and the transcript records no amendments or dissent recorded during the vote.
The chair said the parish administrator is authorized to develop administrative guidelines and policies to carry out the ordinance; the jury provided the authorization as part of the adopting motion. The ordinance will be advertised and codified in the parish code per normal procedures.
