August 2023

ENJOYING THE SUMMER WILDLIFE IN BREAUX BRIDGE

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Summers in Breaux Bridge are often hot and wet, but there are many activities residents and visitors can enjoy that involve the outdoors.  Breaux Bridge has an abundance of wildlife, from the native crawfish making dirt chimneys in our ditches to the cicada chirping that accompanies summer evenings on the porch, wildlife is everywhere.  Recently, drivers spotted an alligator on the highway basking in the sun. With wildlife is all around us every day, it’s easy to forget that there are designated activities that bring us closer to wildlife and their natural habitats.  Lake Martin is a beautiful lake formed in 1952 when a ring levee was built around the swamp.  At 580 acres, Lake Martin has become a refuge for wildlife and especially birds.  Lake Martin is a popular destination for bird watchers in Acadiana with over 200 species of birds, including the great blue heron, snowy egret, and the roseate spoonbill. Cypress trees create enough shade for visitors to keep them cool while kayaking or exploring the shore of Lake Martin.  In addition to its abundance of birds, Lake Martin is a popular spot to search for alligators. They can be spotted by simply driving the dirt road around the lake or even kayaking in the water.  Swamp tours for tourists create a safe way for visitors and residents to view alligators and wildlife from the safety of a larger boat as well.  The Atchafalaya Basin is also a refuge for wildlife and brings many people to fish in its waters every day.  To avoid the heat, many people will go bow-fishing at night.  People will tell you spotting alligators at night is easy because their eyes glow in the beam of a flashlight. Hunting for bullfrogs is also a great nighttime summer activity in Breaux Bridge. If your family wants a more leisurely outdoor activity for the summer in Breaux Bridge, the Bayou Teche is a great waterway for kayaking and boat riding.  However you choose to spend your time this summer in Breaux Bridge, the wildlife will be there to follow you: whether it’s the sound of the cicadas, the dastardly mosquitos, or the beautiful birds and intimidating reptiles, Breaux Bridge has them in abundance. 

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HOW CAJUN MUSIC AND CAJUN FOOD INTERTWINE IN BREAUX BRIDGE

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It is well documented that Louisiana has an obsession with festivals. There are more festivals in the state than there are days in the year, and the state celebrates anything from food, to music, to unique cultural and regional activities. What makes festivals so popular among residents and tourists alike? Most people will tell you it is the combination of good food, good music, good drinks, and good people. Louisiana loves a good time, and Breaux Bridge is no different. Festivals celebrate everything Louisiana loves on a macro level. They are huge expressions of everything Louisianans love in one place, but Breaux Bridge knows the town can’t wait around every year for the annual Breaux Bridge Crawfish Festival to roll around to have a good time. In Breaux Bridge, “festival life” is present every day. Many restaurants in Breaux Bridge combine good food with live music events to entice residents and tourists through their doors, and there is good reason to. Music is known to forge emotional connections in the mind, turning a simple dining out experience into a happy, heart-warming outing in more ways than one. Live music and great food foster a sense of community, and Cajun jam sessions are popular both at home and in cafés. Open jam sessions are, like the name says, open for anyone, with amateur and professional musicians alike gathering in a circle and playing where the music takes them. Breaux Bridge’s Cajun music heritage is rich and, like other forms of folk music, passed down from one generation to the next. Cajuns are known for their joie de vivre, and find profound enjoyment in the slow life: meals taken at a leisurely pace with Cajun and zydeco music frequently in the background, long days cooking down many dozen ears of corn into a delectable, century old corn maque choux recipe, laughter and music wafting from the front porch with a cup of coffee or a chilled bottle of beer. The Cajun culture in Breaux Bridge is as much a draw for tourists as the food and the music, with many out-of-towners noting that Breaux Bridge is a town where time stands still, with modern amenities but with a history and a culture that thrives.

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August 8, 2023

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PROCEEDINGS OF THE MEETING OF THE MAYOR AND BOARD OF ALDERMEN OF THE CITY OF BREAUX BRIDGE HELD AT THE CITY HALL, 101 BERARD STREET, AT 6:00 P.M. ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 8, 2023. Mayor Ricky Calais called the meeting to order, the invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance were recited. Monthly budget-to-actual comparisons on the General Funds, Sales Tax Funds, Park and Recreation Fund, and Utility Funds were distributed to the councilmen and Mayor. PRESENT:  Ryan Breaux, Scotty Borel, Albert Menard, Neil Melancon, and Eddy Leblanc. ABSENT:  None Upon motion of Ryan Breaux, duly seconded by Albert Menard and unanimously carried, the Board of Aldermen approved the addition of the following item to the agenda:            Item #16- Accept the bid from Athletic Turf Solutions, LLC for the Park Hardy Baseball Field Artificial Turf Project. Upon motion Albert Menard, duly seconded by Scotty Borel, and unanimously carried, the Board of Aldermen approved the minutes of the July 11, 2023 City Council meeting. Upon motion of Ryan Breaux, duly seconded by Scotty Borel, and unanimously carried, the Board of Aldermen approved the request to grant Mayor Calais permission to sign approval of final plat for Atchafalaya Trace Phase III Development with the provision that the bond be set at $203,500 and the contractor be given 18 months to complete the agreed-upon work. Upon motion of Albert Menard, duly seconded by Ryan Breaux and unanimously carried, the Board of Aldermen adopted a resolution of acceptance for the Belle Terre Force Main Project. RESOLUTION OF ACCEPTANCE             A resolution authorizing and directing the Mayor to execute for and on behalf of the City of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana an Act of Acceptance from Bihm Construction Company, Inc., of Opelousas, LA, Contractor, pertaining to the completion of the Belle Terre Force Main Replacement for the City of Breaux Bridge, LA.             WHEREAS, Bihm Construction Company, Inc., as Contractor, has substantially completed the Belle Terre Force Main Replacement for the City of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, in accordance with the plans and specifications contained in the Contract Documents pertaining thereto; and             WHEREAS, the City of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana acting through its Mayor and Councilmen, desires to accept the completed work;             NOW, THEREFORE, IT BE RESOLVED by the Councilmen of the City of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, acting as the governing authority for the said City of Breaux Bridge, that the Mayor, be and he is hereby empowered, authorized and directed to execute an Act of Acceptance for and on behalf of the City of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, accepting the work as being complete, and that he be authorized and directed to have a copy of said Acceptance recorded in the Conveyance Records of the Parish of St. Martin, State of Louisiana.             The foregoing resolution was offered by Albert Menard and seconded by Ryan Breaux. This resolution having been submitted to a vote, the vote thereon was as follows: YEAS:             Ryan Breaux, Scotty Borel, Albert Menard, Neil Melancon, Eddy LeBlanc NAYS:            None ABSENT:       None               AND the resolution was declared adopted on this the 8th day of August, 2023. ATTEST: By_______________________________                 BY      __________________________                                Secretary                                                                                 Mayor NOTICE OF ACCEPTANCE             TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, and especially to all subcontractors, workmen, laborers, mechanics, and furnishers of materials: Public Notice is hereby given according to law that the undersigned Owner has accepted, as substantially complete, the work done on the Belle Terre Force Main Replacement by Bihm Construction Company, Inc.., Contractor, under his contract with the City of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, dated January 13, 2023, and recorded under Book No. 1738, page 457 in the Records of the Clerk of Court, Parish of St. Martin, Louisiana;             All subcontractors, workmen, laborers, mechanics, and furnishers of materials must assert whatever claim they may have against the said Contractor, growing out of the execution of said Contract, according to law, within 45 days from registration hereof.                                                             CITY OF BREAUX BRIDGE, LOUISIANA                                                             BY:_______________________________                                                                         Ricky J. Calais, Mayor Date:  8th  day of August, 2023. Upon motion of Ryan Breaux, duly seconded by Albert Menard and unanimously carried, the Board of Aldermen opened a public hearing for Ordinance #2288 (An ordinance to amend Chapter 3 of the Code of Ordinances, by the repeal, amendment, revision, enactment, and/or re-enactment of Sections 3-1, 3-27 and 3-40, applicable to alcoholic beverages, permits for the sale thereof, the location and operation of alcoholic beverage outlets and matters related thereto.). Planning and Zoning Director, Jeremy Broussard explained that the current ordinance prohibits some types of restaurants that include a bar feature to be opened within 300 feet of schools, nurseries, playgrounds, etc. The wording of the current ordinance would prohibit restaurants that are primarily restaurants, but include a bar area in them. He explained that this amended ordinance would alleviate the strictness of the original ordinance so as to allow these businesses to operate within this zone. Bart Hebert, the City Attorney, explained that this ordinance would be mimicking the state law on this matter and the City would no longer be more restrictive than state law. He also stated that the language of the ordinance needed to be clearer and that this amendment would clarify any confusion of the original about how to measure the distance from the business to daycares, schools, etc. Alderman Melancon pointed out that in this version of the ordinance, the City would only allow the restaurants to serve alcohol until 11:00 p.m. He requested that be changed to 12:00 p.m. midnight. Upon motion of Albert Menard, duly seconded by Ryan Breaux, and unanimously carried, the Board of Aldermen closed the public hearing for Ordinance #2288. Upon motion of Albert Menard, duly seconded by Scotty Borel and unanimously carried, the Board of Aldermen adopted Ordinance #2288, with the change that the businesses must stop selling alcohol between the hours of 12:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. unless a special permit is granted by the council. ORDINANCE NUMBER 2288  An ordinance to amend Chapter 3 of the Code of…

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