Propane choice deemed 'not that important' at St. Joe council meeting

The Ordinance allowing residents of St. Joseph the choice of using natural gas or propane was not decided upon at the town meeting on June 8.
The proposed ordinance, #15-326, was tabled until further information could be provided to the Board of Aldermen in regards to public safety and liability issues the town might face.  
“Natural gas coming into the town has been the reason we have been able to subsidize sewer and water, because in the past we had made so much money from natural gas, that's not the way it is today.  I would hope they wouldn't do it at this point in time because the simple fact is that we have not had, in my opinion, sufficient time to go to the State dealing with liabilities, and whose going to be responsible for whatever it is.  I am reluctant to recommend it,” stated Mayor Brown.
Mayor Edward Brown clarified several things about the Joint Gas Line, ownership of which is shared with the Town of Newellton.
He stated that the ordinance was being proposed after Locust Ridge Gas Company, through the aid of the Town of Newellton, the District Attorney, and Sixth Judicial District Court, interrupted gas service to the town, and caused hardships to its residents.
 The Mayor also stated that the ordinance addresses the Temporary Restraining Order which was served after the gas had been discontinued.  He said that when the town’s attorney sent a letter to the attorney for Locust Ridge Gas, he wasn’t sure what would happen. “I was thinking, if I terminate the contract, then I terminate the pipeline,” Brown added.
Alderman Jackson stated in regards to the letter that after 90 days, Locust Ridge Gas was given the option of turning off the gas, not being required to turn it off.
The letter which was sent to attorney Doug Wheeler on January 29, terminated the contract at 7 a.m. on May 1, and gave more than 90 days notice of doing so.  Residents were not informed that their gas service might be interrupted.
“St. Joseph, not the Joint Gas Line had to pay a $35,000 deposit.  You have an outside individual telling you, actually doing it, ‘I’m gonna cut your gas off, but I’m still gonna use your pipeline.’  
“There are other things I have to prepare myself to tell the gas company, I see that now, because the courts have ruled in favor of the gas company.  Until that day comes when I can secure another source of gas, I’m going to pay what they ask for, I have no other choice.”
St. Joseph is still 50% owner of that pipeline. I thought it was borderline extortion”, said Brown.
He stated that the hostage event in 2013 was worthy enough of a reporter from CNN coming to St. Joseph from the east coast, but “now the entire town is being held hostage.”
“At least, St. Joe has been relieved of any management oversight of the pipeline”, stated the Mayor.  
The Joint Line checking account, which the Town of Newellton requested to be dissolved, was not addressed in court.  
The Mayor was asked if the ordinance was being proposed because there is not currently natural gas available.  He responded, “I guess the best way to explain the situation is the natural gas cost to St. Joseph and to the Town of Newellton, is $2.25, and has been $3 per1000 cubic feet, is higher than it should be.”  
He then added, “think about a person using that pipeline to make money, a private individual, and then, but the pipeline is yours, but he’s charging you to deliver your own gas through that pipeline, and when you look at the numbers, for the amount of money that’s been made, in his benefit, it’s astronomical.”
Mr. Jarrell Godfrey was in attendance at the meeting, and asked if the town had spoken to the Public Service Commission about regulating the cost of natural gas.
“We have asked a couple of times, and even when the gas service was discontinued, Foster was aware of it. I have not gotten a return call and to my disappointment, I have not gotten a call from anyone at the State level.  I am aware that the PSC has said that this is a private matter,” stated Brown.
When asked if Locust Ridge Gas pays the town rent for use of the pipeline, he responded, “That is something I wish the Legal folks of the state of Louisiana would look into.  As you know, I’ve been raked over the coals for donating $500 to the public school system.”
“‘That’s against the constitution, that is breaking the law.’  Well, am I donating money to the gas company if they pay the towns 15 cents per 1000 cubic foot, but the towns have to pay them $2.25 per 1000 cubic foot.  I think that’s worthy of someone outside of St. Joseph, hopefully the Attorney General, perhaps the feds and anyone else need to look into that, to make sure that I am not violating the law, because right now I don’t know if I am.”
He stated that he wanted to table the matter, because at this point it is not that important.
Also addressed in the meeting were several items that had been brought to the Mayor’s attention, including stray animals, trash pick up, the Walking Trail project, the Bread of Heaven Outreach Ministry and the Mayor’s notes of his discussion with the Attorney General’s office in regards to Louisiana Board of Ethics investigations.  
In new business, two ordinances were introduced, both of which dealt with the town’s General Fund Budget.
A hearing for public comments was scheduled in the meeting for 4 p.m. on June 10, however, no piublic notice was posted for public view.
The budgets are available at request to the public at Town Hall in St. Joseph.  More information regarding this will be presented in the upcoming weeks.

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