Sorrento compiles book of ordinances

• By C.J. FUTCH
• Advocate River Parishes bureau
• Published: Jul 9, 2009

• Print
• Email
• Save
• Reprints
• Twitter
• Share

• Del.icio.us
• Digg
• Facebook
• Reddit
• 

SORRENTO — Since the town of Sorrento was incorporated, officials have been compiling town ordinances.

After 50 years or so, the code book has gotten a little outdated.

As part of their last official act in office, the outgoing mayor and council completed the two-year process of codifying the town’s ordinances into one book.

Outgoing Mayor Brenda Melancon said the binding of an official code book was one of the things the town attorney recommended “the first time I was mayor.”

They found a company specializing in publishing code books, and were allowed to pay for the process as they went.

“It has taken some time,” Melancon said. “We did a section at a time. (The publishing company) would write up our codes section by section and send them back to us so we could check it over and make changes. We were able to make sure it read the way we wanted it.”

When town officials were certain their ordinances — addressing everything from dangerous dogs to grassy lots to video bingo — said what they intended, they sent it back.

The council adopted the new official code of ordinances at its June 30 meeting, Melancon said.

Two copies of the code book are in place at Sorrento’s town hall, and the Police Department and judge’s office have a copy each.

“It’s just more professional. This copy eliminates all the old ordinances, so if you charge anybody from the town ordinances, everyone can go look it up. It’s definitely more convenient,” Melancon said.