Delcambre reapportions districts based on Census

DELCAMBRE — The Delcambre Board of Aldermen introduced an ordinance on Monday to reapportion voting districts based on 2020 Census population numbers.
Todd Vincent of Sellers & Associates explained the process to the board, beginning with the town population dropping from 1,866 in 2010 to 1,793 in 2020.
The town is required to have an equal number of residents in each of its districts, within a 5 percent plus or minus range, Vincent said. The number would be 359 if each district is exactly the same size, but the required range within the 5 percent margin is between 341 and 377 people per district.
That meant four of the five districts had to be adjusted to be in the required range.
The adjustments made in the ordinance move eight blocks on the southeast end of the current District 1, located north of La. 14, into District 3. One block on the west end of District 3 moves into District 2, and three blocks on the southeast corner of District 3 move into District 5. District 4 remains unchanged.
“Once these are finalized we’ll send them to the state and to the Census Bureau so the maps that will be released for the next census will be these correct districts,” Vincent said.
District 1, represented by alderman Garrett Frederick, was required to have at least 82 fewer residents to be in the proper range. The district proposed for 2022 would have a population of 372.
The proposed new District 2, with Sarah Trahan serving as the representative, needed to add a minimum of 10 people and would have a population of 359 in the 2022 reapportionment plan.
District 3, with Christopher “Tipper” Esponge serving as alderman, needed a minimum increase of four residents to be within range. The proposed new district would have 342 residents.
District 4, represented by Steve Broussard, was within range and remained at 365 residents.
District 5, with Bryan Glatter serving as its alderman, needed an additional 40 residents within its borders and would have a population of 355 in the 2022 proposed ordinance.
District 2 remains a minority-majority district under the plan.
The board unanimously approved the introduction of the ordinance.
In other business, the board:
• approved the introduction of a proposal to annex Bayou Carlin Cove, with the exception of two acres of RV park property, and put it up for a public hearing next month;
• tabled a decision until next month after discussion of costs of constructing a sewage line, lift station, and meter platform to bring utilities into Bayou Carlin Cove for a proposed Dwight’s restaurant and bathroom facility; Port Director Wendell R. Verret said the Twin Parish Port Commission would cover whatever costs the town does not pay for to bring the utilities there;
• heard from Glenn Armentor of Benefits Copliance and Support Services LLC on three alternate employee insurance coverage plans, all less expensive than the option of renewing the existing plan; the board opted for a plan that would reduce costs 7.39 percent from the year before, which combined with the previous year’s 23 percent reduction in cost meant a savings of 30 percent over two years; dental, eye and life insurance remain unchanged;
• discussed the town trash ordinance, deciding to work on clarifying the ordinance and giving it more teeth;
• voted to revise the abandoned house ordinance and voted to revise the ordinance to tear down and clean up said houses;
• discussed the town noise ordinance, adopted in 2020, and decided enforcement of the ordinance was a better plan than revising it;
• got an update on property needing to be cleaned up on N. Central and E. Hickman streets; the owner is cleaning one up, and the town has been unable to contact owners of the other property;
• approved an IT service contract with E Solution Group;
• approved purchase of a 2022 Kawasaki Mule