Official: Child-support hearings program working

• By MARTEL ARDOIN
• Special to The Advocate
• Published: Nov 10, 2009 - Page: 3BA

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VILLE PLATTE — A new program dealing with parents who do not pay their child support so far appears to be working smoothly, a hearing officer told the Evangeline Parish Police Jury on Monday.

Gary Ortego provided the update on the expedited hearing program, which the jury is funding for the first time this year.

Ortego said he is hearing from 30 to 40 criminal nonsupport cases per month referred by the District Attorney’s Office. In addition, he is scheduling 10 to 12 civil cases each week dealing with child support and divorce matters.

The expedited hearing program began in March at the request of the two district court judges who felt this program would permit them more time to schedule more criminal trials each year. Ortego said the judges have been able to schedule an additional six to eight jury weeks per year.

The Police Jury is budgeting $58,000 a year to operate the program from fees collected from court costs.

In other business, the Police Jury discussed implementing a mosquito spraying program in rural populated areas of the parish. The jury is looking at targeting areas such as schools, churches, nursing homes and camping areas.

The Police Jury also is considering updating the parish speed limit ordinance, with a parishwide speed limit for blacktop roads, another speed limit for gravel roads and a third speed limit for roads in subdivisions. The jurors were also notified by their attorney that if there are variances from the parishwide ordinance, those roads would have to be posted.

In other action, the Police Jury:

• Called a special meeting and public hearing for 5:45 p.m. Dec. 28 to adopt a new 2010 budget.
• Authorized the Mamou Health Unit as the site where Mamou area students may receive their H1N1 vaccines.
• Set the 2 p.m. Dec. 8 Police Jury meeting to be conducted in French.
• Accepted the resignation of Amanda Fuselier as Ward Four Justice of the Peace and approved the appointment of Maxine Gautreaux to replace her until a special election is called.