[StBernard] St. Bernard Parish Council juggles various disasters that have hit the parish

[Westley Annis]

http://bit.ly/16lG0s5

St. Bernard Parish Council juggles various disasters that have hit the
parish Benjamin Alexander-Bloch, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune

The St. Bernard Parish Council on Tuesday evening (April 2) fielded various
matters related to past disasters: Council members heard local fishers'
concerns in the wake of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the council
introduced an ordinance to sell another round of post-Hurricane Katrina
vacant lots that still dot the parish.

Hurricane Isaac also came up, with Parish President Dave Peralta discussing
the FEMA National Flood Insurance Program meeting last week and the new
flood maps and insurance rates in the pipeline. "While many of us walked
away with positive news, some of us were not as fortunate," Peralta told the
public. "The new law eliminates some artificially low rates and discounts
which according to the NFIP are no longer sustainable."

Also on Tuesday, the council introduced the 20-mill fire tax that voters
approved last November. That tax, which essentially allows the Fire
Department to become self-sufficient financially, was pushed through after
the parish administration told the public it would otherwise have to make
drastic Fire Department staffing cuts.

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