Mayor Reeves, City of Plaquemine continue general cleanup of the city

Holding true on a campaign promise and with the support of the Board of Aldermen and the City of Plaquemine’s employees, the City of Plaquemine becomes cleaner, has fewer blighted houses and generally has a better appearance than it did a year ago.

The most recent significant task completed by the city is the cleaning of the COPAC stadium seats.

“It was very time-consuming but it was worth it,” Reeves said. “The stadium really looks good.”

The stadium seats were so dirty, the mayor said he didn’t believe they had ever been cleaned, but was reminded by Chief Administrative Officer Richard Alleman that they had been, but it had been seven or eight years.

“It was certainly time for them to get done again,” Reeves said. “It’s hard to believe they got that much ick built up on them that quick, but apparently so.”

The mayor was proud to say the city had demolished another condemned house in the city recently, has another demolition underway and has another condemned house slated to be demolished in the coming months.

Four houses contributing to the city’s blight were demolished last year, Reeves’ first in office.

“I’m now tearing down my sixth house,” he said proudly. “It’s almost done and the city has another one in that same block.”

Two more houses were condemned at the Board of Aldermen’s March meeting, so they’ll be the next up on the chopping block. One is on Government Street and the other is on Gauthier Street.

The demolition of the dilapidated houses in the city and other improvements were part of Reeves’ platform when he ran for mayor.

“It’s a promise I made to the people when I was campaigning,” he said. Reeves admitted it did not expect the process to get a condemned house demolished – it was eight months before the first one came down. “It’s a lengthy process to get it done.”

There are other projects underway to make Plaquemine cleaner and more attractive too.

In preparation for the upcoming Apr. 21 car show, the median of La. 1 as the city’s entered from the north has been cleaned and now almost looked like new concrete.

“We power washed it – it was black,” Reeves said. “We’ve been concentrating on Waterfront Park and the area around it because of the car show.”

He’s also pleased with the progress being made at the city’s parks.

The playground equipment for Herman Graham Park and North Plaquemine Park is being put together now and should be in place by the end of the month, Reeves said.

Staying on the topic of parks, during a tour of part of the city, the mayor pointed out a plot of land at La. 1 on the Mississippi River side between Desobry and Robertson streets.

“The city is purchasing that land and we should close on it any time now,” Reeves said. “At this point, though, I’m afraid about all we’re going to be able to do for the park this year is hopefully cut down some of its bad trees and put up a basketball goal.”

He said a park on that side of La. 1 had been a request from not only the residents of the area, but the aldermen who represent it.

“The kids who live on this side of La. 1 now have to cross two sides of a busy state highway to get to a city park,” Reeves said. “This will keep that from happening.”