To The Towns Of Ridge And Judice, I’m (CJ) Sorry [PHOTOS] Updated

To my fellow citizens in the unincorporated towns of Ridge, La. and Judice, La., I'm sorry.  For an area and people who take so much pride in family, culture and community, we should not accept this kind of neglect.

Having lived in the Judice, La. area for about a year now, I am highly disappointed by the condition of the ditches in the Ridge, Judice and Duson areas.  Most are horribly unattractive, do not drain properly, cause unnecessary flooding and hold stagnant water which I can only imagine could pose a health risk for adults and children alike.

A few days ago, I expressed my disgust on the air and received numerous emails from listeners thanking me for talking about this problem.  Later in the morning, I received a call from Lafayette Public Works from a sweet lady who wanted to know all the areas that had drainage or aesthetics problems.  My reply was, "Almost Everywhere".

Tom Carroll, director of Public Works, has an enormous amount on his plate but these issues need addressing ASAP.  He's a smart man and I am confident he can get the job done.

I have done my part by doing a little complaining and I would be delighted if you would support me in my love and concern for our communities and call Public Works if you see anything that needs addressing.  The phone number is (337) 291 - 5619.

These are pictures which show the deteriorating conditions of ditches on Ridge Rd., Fieldspan Rd and Golden Grain Rd.

Ridge Rd. (Culvert Hardly Visible)

Ridge Rd. (Vegetation Higher Than The Truck Passing By)

Ridge Rd. (In Front Of Dollar General, Disgusting)

Fieldspan Rd. (At Ridge Rd. Intersection)

Golden Grain Rd. (Tree Limbs Have Fallen And Been There A While)

Golden Grain Rd. (Weeds And Stagnant Water Always Remains)

Golden Grain Rd. (A Ditch Or Swamp?)

Golden Grain Rd. (The Ditch Is Not Visible)

Duhon Rd. On The Side Of Judice Middle School After Days Of Sunshine

Today, May 15, 2013, I received the following email from Mr. Tom Carroll, director of public works.  After I was off the air, I contacted Mr. Carroll and had a most enjoyable chat.  A pleasant man with experience and much knowledge and concern about the condition and needs of our community.

Even though some of the problems outlined in this article are definitely his responsibility, not all are.  About a week ago, I spoke of these issues on the air and received a call from his office but not Mr. Carroll directly.

After a very nice conversation, I have a better understanding as to why things are the way they are.  It's a shame, because we pay our share of taxes, but that's just the way it is sometimes I guess.

Here is the email I received from Mr. Carroll this morning, I'd like to share the email with all of you and in addition give you the name of the man whom we must continue to contact so that these problems get rectified.  His name is Bill Oliver.  His number is (337) 262 - 6100.  If you live in the Judice, Ridge or Duson areas and have deplorable ditch conditions like tall grass, debris, or problems with flooding, you must call and ride this man like a Shetland pony at 6-year-olds birthday party.

Now the email from Mr. Carrol...

I was told by staff that some drainage issues were brought up on your show in the past couple of weeks.  Although I have never spoken to you, it is my understanding that someone from our Drainage staff did contact you last week.  If that is not accurate, please feel free to call me at any time at 291-8502 to relay your concerns.  I would be happy to go on the air or even visit to review the issues.

From what the post on Facebook noted, the roadside ditches in question were located on Ridge (LA 342), Fieldspan (LA 724), Duhon (LA 724) and Golden Grain (LA 342).  All of these roads are under the jurisdiction of LA DOTD.  However, LCG does have jurisdiction of Ridge west of Fieldspan and of Fieldspan south of Golden Grain.  Our local LA DOTD District (03) covers 8 parishes and unfortunately is hard pressed to keep pace with the maintenance needs of this area.

Please understand that we do care about the appearance and function of the drainage systems in this area.  I am in the field on a regular basis with many of our Council members and constituents reviewing issues such as these to see what can be done, in this case either by LA DOTD, LCG or LCG working in concert with LA DOTD.

We’ve tried to call the station this morning (237-5839) but haven’t gotten through.  Please give me a call to see what can be done.  Or you can contact Terry Cordick, Associate Director of Operations, 291-8509, or Jeff Angelle, Drainage Superintendent, 291-8525.

Thanks.

Thomas R. Carroll, III, PE, PLS | Director of Public Works

1515 East University  Avenue   /  P.O. Box 4017-C   /  Lafayette,  LA 70502

p: 337.291.8502   /  f: 337.291.8592   /  tcarroll@lafayettela.gov