Grambling tables vote on short-term rental rules

By T. Scott Boatright

After the primary order of business on the agenda for Thursday’s Grambling City Council was tabled, the only vote made by the Council was adopting a proclamation making April Fair Housing Month in the city.

The tabled order of business would have been adoption of an ordinance for Grambling to establish standards governing the short-term rental of immovable property for lodging or sleeping purposes and regulate all persons engaged in the business of short-term rentals, including without limitation, property owners, operators and guests.

During a public hearing on the matter before the Council meeting started, Councilwoman DeVaria Ponton said she had a number of questions about the wording of the proposed ordinance and City Attorney Ronald Lattier advised tabling a vote until May’s Council meeting.

The Council plans to meet prior to April’s monthly Planning and Zoning Commission at 5 p.m. on April 15 to resolve questions about the ordinance so that the Council can hopefully vote on the ordinance in May.

Mayor Alvin Bradley provided an update on what he termed a major water leak at the intersection of Main Street and MLK Drive and warned that the city’s water system might have to be shut down to make that repair.

“The contractor that makes those repairs for our city is working with us to come up with a game plan as to how we’re going to attack fixing that leak,” Bradley said. “It may require us to bring the system down again to make that repair.

“We would love to do it (while keeping the water on), but I think the pressure is going to be too high to fix it without bringing the water down. Once we get our heads together and map a plan of action, we will notify the citizens as well as business owners as to when we will be bringing the system down and what the expected time expectancy of the repair will be.”

Bradley said it could end up being an overnight repair job.

“I was told some municipalities do these kinds of repairs at night, like starting at 10 at night and by 5 o’clock the next morning the system should be back up and running again,” Bradley said. “So that is another option other than shutting the water down during the day to make the repair.

“But however we do it, residents and business owners will be notified via CivicReady, KGRM, our (city) website and Facebook.”

As far as the one order of business the Council did approve during Thursday’s meeting, this month marks the 56th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in the sale, rental and financing of dwellings, based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, and familial status.

The state of Louisiana will commemorate the 56th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act, the historic legislation passed on April 11, 1968 by holding a summit to raise awareness about fair housing rights and provide a platform for discussions on the current state of fair housing in Louisiana.

Those wishing to view that Louisiana Fair Housing Summit can do so virtually via Zoom starting at 10 a.m. on April 11.

The link for that Zoom showing of the summit is listed below:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84818500115?pwd=wPqK5Njfno2qPuaRDtlt4xT4maQfZ0.1