WALKER, La. — There was a sprinkling of good news and bad news from Finance Director Mike Cotton at Monday's brief meeting of the Walker City Council.
Cotton, presenting the January finance report, told the council that sales tax collections for December were up 7 percent — but because of an unseasonably warm December, natural gas sales were down 18 percent. "We expect to make up the natural gas sales for January," which was a colder month, he said.
The council unanimously approved an amendment to the city ordinance providing for the closure of roadside and streetside ditches.
Public Works Director Jamie Etheridge, speaking at a public hearing held prior to the vote, outlined the proposed criteria for closing ditches in a way that would not adversely affect drainage.
Property owners would first be required to obtain a permit from the city. The permit fee is $1,500 and will be issued only after a construction layout and culvert sizing are prepared at the property owner's expense, and eligibility is determined based on potential impact to adjacent property, public drainage, and downstream constraints.
All costs associated with ditch closure — including construction, restoration, traffic control, and any necessary utility relocations — are the responsibility of the property owner. Work must be performed by a licensed Louisiana contractor meeting city insurance requirements. "The owner shall contract directly with the contractor; the city is not a party to the owner-contractor agreement," the ordinance reads.
All inspections will be carried out by the city at its expense, and upon acceptance of the work, the city will assume maintenance of accepted subsurface drainage improvements "within the public right-of-way only."
The amendment also states that "the owner shall hold the city harmless for claims arising from the elective ditch enclosure, except to the extent caused by the city's gross negligence or willful misconduct."
The council approved the introduction of an ordinance to rezone Pickleball Kingdom from RC to RC-CAB-2. A public hearing on the proposed ordinance is scheduled for the May meeting.
The council also approved an update to the 2025 Multi-Jurisdictional Program for Public Information for the Capital Region Area Floodplain Task Force. Etheridge explained that the routine update is completed every five years.
