[StBernard] St. Bernard Council to introduce vacant lot sales and fire millage rate

[Westley Annis]

St. Bernard Council to introduce vacant lot sales and fire millage rate

Print By Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune 

The St. Bernard Parish Council on Tuesday evening (April 2) is expected to
introduce an ordinance to sell various post-Hurricane Katrina vacant lots as
well as one to levy the entire 20-mill fire tax that voters approved last
November. In terms of the vacant lot sales, interested parties have through
Friday to express their interest in various properties.

"The St. Bernard Housing Opportunity Program III gives purchasers in the
region one last chance to purchase a lot that may not require an auction,"
Parish President Dave Peralta said last month in introducing the third round
of the program. "This is a great opportunity to purchase a lot at fair
market value in a remarkable place to live."

A list of the 115 available lots, and detailed instructions on how to
express interest, are available on the state Louisiana Land Trust's website,
http://www.lalandtrust.us. The state acquired about 4,500 lots in St.
Bernard under the Road Home program from homeowners who decided not to
rebuild, and the Louisiana Land Trust in turn sold about half of the lots to
neighboring property owners in what was dubbed the Lot Next Door program.

But under the Lot Next Door program, properties could be used only as a yard
or for home expansion, such as a pool, garage or an attached guesthouse, not
for new home construction. People who buy the Louisiana Land Trust lots this
go-round will have no developmental restrictions for their property.

Before the sale period ends on Friday, people must express interest with a
signed interest statement and a deposit of $325. Then, individuals will be
notified in writing of the appraisal amount and given the opportunity to
sign a purchase and sales agreement and place a 10-percent down payment. 

They must close within three weeks of signing the purchase agreement.

If more than one person wants to buy the same lot, all interested parities
will be invited to an auction at 10 a.m. April 20 in the Parish Council
Chambers, 8201 W. Judge Perez Drive in Chalmette.

In other matters at the 7 p.m. Tuesday council meeting, the Parish Council
is expected to introduce an ordinance to levy the full 20-mill fire tax that
voters passed in November.

When the Parish Council passed the original 2013 budget in December, it had
proposed keeping the parish Fire Department at its current level of funding,
in other words, not having to levy the full 20-mill fire tax. That initial
decision largely was based on the $1.75 million federal SAFER grant money
coming in this year and next.

But after talking with administrators and fire personnel last month, the
council changed course, and the newly amended 2013 budget passed last month
fully levies that fire millage. All parties have agreed, though, that any
additional money above regular personnel and operating expenses will go
toward capital improvements and into a rainy day fund in case larger
departmental repairs are needed down the line, especially after the SAFER
grant money expires.