Sorrento residents raise stink on issue of sewer problems

• By KRISTIN GRANT
• Special to The Advocate
• Published: Nov 5, 2009 - Page: 5B

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SORRENTO — Arguments about the town’s sewage treatment system problems forced Mayor Blake LeBlanc to end Tuesday’s council meeting before the agenda could be completed.

The turmoil got to the point police officers had to maintain order by standing between individuals and ushering people out of Town Hall.

The debate started after resident and former Councilman Randy Anny submitted a petition to the Town Council demanding action to address recent and ongoing sewage overflows.

“This petition involves all the residents of the town of Sorrento involved in the city sewer backup with drainage in their homes, manhole overflows on private property, and the horrible odor of sewer being in their homes,” Anny read from the petition. “We will not stand for these problems any more. Something must be done immediately to address these problems.”

Anny said the petition contained between 17 and 20 signatures and he intended to obtain more.

“We are worried for the health of our families and neighbors and we need immediate action taken by the council. We are in an emergency situation and we need the problem resolved,” Anny said.

He also said he would be contacting the Town Hall, the state Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Health and Hospitals about the problem, which he said occurred after rain storms Oct. 29-30.

Clogged sewer lines and back-ups at treatment ponds are causing “a ‘pluggage’ problem in addition to the sludge problem,” Anny said.

Councilman John Braud countered Anny’s statements.

“I’ve got a hard time believing a man who stood in my driveway and said he would bankrupt this town,” Braud said.

Soon, audience members started shouting and other councilmen got involved.

“Call him out of order or remove him out of this meeting,” Councilman Milton “Needlenose” Vicknair said.

LeBlanc banged his gavel to quiet the shouting.