Sorrento to begin annexation process for Orange Grove

• By KRISTIN GRANT
• Special to The Advocate
• Published: Dec 4, 2008 - Page: 5B - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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SORRENTO — The Town Council agreed Tuesday to begin the process of annexing the Orange Grove development into the town of Sorrento.

Orange Grove, which occupies a 1,023-acre site near the Mississippi River, runs approximately from the intersection of La. 22 and La. 70 to La. 44 along the river.

To annex Orange Grove, town attorney Greg Lambert said, the council would also have to annex additional land.

“Orange Grove is not contiguous with the city limits right now,” Lambert said.

“We’d have to take in the area between the town limits and Orange Grove, which means that we have to get the consent of a certain percentage of the people who live in between.”

Lambert said he believes the council would need the consent of 25 percent of registered voters to annex the land and the consent of 25 percent of the owners of the land.

The council agreed to review a map to determine the area to annex and identify the residents who live in that area who would be contacted to  request consent.

On another issue, Lambert said he researched a previous state attorney general’s opinion regarding use of a police vehicle for purposes other than official town business, a topic discussed during previous council meetings.

“If the use of that car constituted compensation, then that’s compensation that should not have been allowed that officer, and I think it’s compensation that should be returned,” Lambert said. “That’s my view.”

But there’s more than one stance that can be taken, he said.

“I do see another argument on this that in wage-and-hour laws, in dealing with what’s defined as a volunteer, a volunteer can receive expenses without losing that volunteer status,” Lambert said.

The council agreed to seek a specific opinion on the matter from the attorney general.

Also at the meeting, Councilman Randy Anny said that if the council receives assurance from elected officials that the River Parishes Community College will remain in the town of Sorrento, the town plans to proceed with installing water mains to serve that area.