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Vermilion Parish Police Juror does not want to tell people what to do with their property

Abbeville Mayor Mark Piazza approached the Vermilion Parish Police Jury to ask them to create a sign ordinance for five unincorporated ‘islands” in the city limits.
Abbeville Mayor Mark Piazza and two council members, Brady Broussard Jr. and Roslyn White, attended Monday night’s police jury meeting to ask if the police jury could create a special sign ordinance. The new ordinance would not allow electronic billboards on the four other unincorporated pieces of land in Abbeville.
“These islands have been in existence for many, many years,” said Piazza. “I do not think that Erath, Kaplan, or Gueydan have this same problem. It is unique to Abbeville.”
Piazza explained to the police jurors the” islands” were created more than 50 years ago. They are still unincorporated because the landowners never wanted to be in the city.
“The mindset with some jurors is that they do not want to tell people what they can do or can not do with their property,” added Piazza. “I can understand that. Remember, many of you live out in the country because it is not restricted, which is why people live in the city because they have restrictions.”
Mayor Piazza requested the police jury approve a moratorium that would immediately stop someone from placing another electronic billboard on one of the four remaining islands.
Piazza said by the police jury adopting a moratorium, it would allow the Abbeville police jurors and council members to sit down and figure out a way to stop future construction of electronic signs on the islands.
But the jurors did not agree with Piazza.
“At what point is the government going to stop telling people what they can do with their property?” asked police juror Errol Domingues, who lives south of Erath. “We have no industry left in Vermilion Parish. People want to advertise, and now we tell them how to advertise.”
Police Juror Scott Broussard, who has four islands in his district, said he took a survey in Abbeville about the new electronic billboard on Park Avenue in Abbeville. He said he heard many positives about the electronic sign, but there was some negative feedback.
“I asked people their opinion,” said Scott. “I think the jurors need to be better informed on the future of billboards in the parish. We need to study the issue, so I think we need to table it.”

Vermilion Today

Abbeville Meridional

318 N. Main St.
Abbeville, LA 70510
Phone: 337-893-4223
Fax: 337-898-9022

The Kaplan Herald

219 North Cushing Avenue
Kaplan, LA 70548

The Gueydan Journal

311 Main Street
Gueydan, LA 70542