LMA presents awards to Louisiana Municipalities

Twelve Louisiana municipal governments – Grosse Tete, Patterson, West Monroe, Lake Charles, Simmesport, Addis, Pineville, Alexandria, Woodworth, Carencro, Gretna, and Monroe  – took home Community Achievement Awards, the Louisiana Municipal Association's most prestigious award for outstanding municipal improvements and accomplishments in the categories of Community Development, Economic Development, and Basic Services.

The Village of Grosse Tete took home the Community Achievement Award in Community Development for its Veterans Memorial and Walking Trail Project. The Grosse Tete Memorial Park and Walking Trail was designed to enhance and beautify the community and meet a critical need for recreation incorporating health and physical fitness activities for residents of all ages.

"The Community Achievement Awards allows communities to highlight great things that occur in communities over a period of a year," said Immediate Past President, Mayor Harry Lewis. "It is always good to be recognized among your peers for doing something that is an asset to your community. It’s great that they can get this kind of recognition."

The LMA's annual awards program recognizes municipalities for outstanding achievement in basic services, community development, and economic development. Within these categories, awards are presented in four population subcategories.

"The Community Achievement Awards mean a lot to the cities," said John Gallagher, LMA Executive Director. "Many folks, when they develop their projects, do so with the idea of entering it into the Community Achievement Awards competition, so there is a lot of thought that goes into the development of projects with the hope of being recognized by the LMA. It's like the Academy Awards for Louisiana municipalities. These folks are very proud, and we're proud to recognize their efforts."

Entries submitted were judged by a committee of judges from Louisiana Economic Development, Louisiana Industrial Development Executives Association, Capital Region Planning Commission, the Louisiana Main Street, and the Louisiana Office of State Fire Marshall.

Contributed by Louisiana Municipal Association