HISTORICAL COMMISSION CONCERNED ABOUT TRUCKS

By: Howard J Castay, Jr.

The chairman of the historical district here is worried cane trucks could wreck into more than 40 white lampposts which are planted in the middle of the City of Franklin’s Main Street, while the city’s biggest sugar cane farmer disagrees.

Judy Allain supports an audience that prohibits cane trucks from travelling down Main Street.

Chairman of the Historical District Commission of the City of Franklin, Allain expressed her support for the prohibition during a City Council Meeting where leaders were presenting a new ordinance that would prohibit all oversize vehicles from travelling down the thoroughfare, as some members of the council argued the previous ordinance discriminated against cane farmers, because they were the only ones mentioned.

Allain explained her concerns are great during high traffic periods, when the truck drivers have to “negotiate tight spaces,” along what she calls, “the great white way,” in describing the lampposts.

Allain said the route has 38 original lampposts and an additional 17 lampposts that the historical commission recently added “we need to preserve what is important to the city,” she said.
“It’s time we stand up for what we hold dear, and do all we can to protect it,” she said.

Reginald Thomas of Sterling Sugars, the city’s largest cane farmer, was also at the meeting although he did not speak.

Afterword, Thomas said that none of the 26 cane trucks that he maintains, have turned over, or wrecked along the historical area. “While we appreciate Ms. Judy Allain and her different committee members looking at what they feel is best for the area, however we did not know that tourist dollars are more important that the tax and payroll dollars we generate within the City of Franklin,” Thomas said.

“Downtown Main Street is part of La Hwy 182, a state highway, and therefore no one can prohibit any vehicles from travelling thru it,” he said. Sterling Sugars of Franklin owns 26 cane trucks during grinding season.

Also present with Thomas that night was his brother Sidney, who also commented after the meeting. He said that their company pumps a tremendous amount of money into the Franklin and St. Mary Parish economy. “Last year, our fuel bill alone for diesel gasoline was $180,000,” Thomas said.

“We only need one person to run Franklin here, not a committee,” Reginald Thomas said.

“There is no proof that our trucks are tearing up this road,” he said.

According to the minutes from last month’s council meeting, the issue arose after the city council had received an opinion from State Attorney General Buddy Caldwell .

City Attorney Vincent Borne said the opinion state there are two problems with prohibiting the cane trucks from travelling down Main Street . One problem is that the ordinance intends to regulate or impose additional regulations on a state maintained highway and municipality is without authority to do. The second is that it applies, as it is written, to only one industry – cane farmers.

Councilman Kenny Scelfo said he agrees that there are problems. “Regulating them (cane farmers) extensively, adds expense and burden to the farmers and their workers …the ordinance is not justified.”

Meanwhile, Franklin Mayor Raymond Harris said there will be no enforcement prohibiting the cane farmer from using the highway. “There is going to be dialogue between the city, the state Department of Transportation and Development and the cane farmers to hopefully work out the situation. The conclusion has already been made that the ordinance as it is will not work,” he said.

Thomas said he expects the City Council to take up the issue again in December, as the proposed ordinance to prohibit all “overweight vehicles,” did not pass.