Mayor Randy Roach said it’s time to start the process over when it comes to creating an ordinance focused on basketball goals on city neutral ground. Roach’s comments came at the end of Tuesday’s City Council agenda meeting, which featured a lengthy discussion on various aspects of the ordinance and its recent amendments.

“I have not signed it yet. I had 10 days to sign it, and I anticipated there would be a discussion tonight,” Roach said. “I think perhaps the best thing to do would be start over. Place a new item on the agenda for a new ordinance, and we’ll just deal with it at our December meeting.”

At the council’s regular meeting Nov. 19, some amendments were approved to the original ordinance, including a section on civil penalties. Calcasieu Parish School Board member Mack Dellafosse, along with his wife and two sons, attended Tuesday’s meeting to voice concern over the ordinance’s approval and how it would affect local young people.

Dellafosse was worried the ordinance wouldn’t be equal to all of the people in the city who may play basketball in their neighborhoods. His son Morgan, 16, made some of the more poignant points of the evening when he addressed the council. He talked about how he and his younger brother have always played basketball outside in the street and they have always made sure to clear a path when vehicles pass through the area. Morgan also mentioned the nation’s obesity rates and how the idea of making it more difficult for kids to find ways to exercise outdoors would add to the growing numbers.

“No exercise means obesity rates go up. And as you know, obesity rates are at an all-time high in our country,” Morgan said. “I think we can add revisions to this, maybe focus on areas that are having problems with this, but to go and take away everybody’s rights, even the ones who aren’t doing anything wrong, I don’t think that’s fair.”

Roach said the council will start the discussion about the ordinance again at the next regular meeting.

The council was also given an update on the construction taking place on Sale Road. Councilman John Ieyoub began the conversation, saying it would be good to provide local holiday travelers with information on what to expect.

City Administrator John Cardone said officials recently met with representatives from the state Department of Transportation and Development and were given an update on the project’s status.

“It’s our understanding that tomorrow evening, Sale Road will be open to through traffic. The road will not be complete. We anticipate the final completion to be the end of December,” Cardone said.

He said that while there will still be barricades and minor work being done on the roadway, the road would be open during the Thanksgiving holiday.(MGNonline)