A Crowley citizen took exception to one city councilman’s claim that the city was responsible for sewer improvements on the east side of town.
“There was a recent article in the Post-Signal where a council member said that one accomplishment for 2019 was getting the sewerage line run up to Rice Capital Parkway,” Dave Bratton said in a prepared address to the council Wednesday night.
The Crowley Post-Signal had extended invitations to all nine council members and the mayor to outline accomplishments and goals prior to the start of the new year.
Only four council members responded.
One of those, Brad Core, cited “extending sewer service to and along Rice Capital Parkway to promote new economic development along the Interstate 10 corridor” as an accomplishment of the past year.
“That was not an accomplishment for the City of Crowley since they did not contribute anything to the cost of getting the line run to Rice Capital Parkway. That cost was 100 percent paid by the landowners, Dixie Field Property and the Hoffpauer Family.”
According to Bratton, Dixie Field Property (DFP) wanted to run a line from where the sewer main enters the property at Interstate 10, go north across the field and under Rice Capital Parkway to the lot 5 site so that the “utilities in place requirement” would be met, enabling the property to be sold.
“DFP got cost estimates from their engineer of $64,389 for this project, but the Crowley city engineer wanted the line run on a route that would be more beneficial to the city in the future,” said Bratton.
The project, following the city’s plan, ended up costing the property owners nearly double — $117,700 — the original estimate, according to Bratton.
“I was told by the city engineer that the city wants the line as far east and as deep as possible so the city can extend the line to the Tourist Bureau at Highway 1111. While I agree with the plan, I do not feel that it was my obligation to finance the city’s wishes,” he continued.
Bratton said he was told that the city would not issue a permit for the line to be run as he originally wanted.
“I feel that this was not legal,” he said. “I was not asking for the city to give us anything. I also feel that this is an example of bullying: ‘We have the power so we will tell you what we want done.’
“The city needs to realize that the citizens are its customers and you don’t treat your customers this way and stay in business.”
Going back to the reason for his address, Bratton concluded, “The City of Crowley did not contribute anything to defray the cost, but it sure did add to the cost of this project.”
The council took no action.