Leesville Council looking to curb park vandalism

By Emily Burleigh

The Leesville City Council is asking residents to help curve vandalism in Myrtle Park, 1103 King’s Rd.

At the City Council meeting on Monday, Councilmember-at-large Phillip Hunt expressed aggravation at ongoing vandalism in Leesville parks, specifically Myrtle Park — a park that features a basketball court, frisbee golf course, pickleball courts, playground equipment and a covered pavilion.

He said that recently the park has experienced the defacement of a new mural and damages to the recently installed pickleball courts.

The Leesville Police Department will be installing cameras in Myrtle Park to gather footage of the vandals, he said. In the meantime, he requested the residents keep an eye out for suspicious activity.

“The people that live around there, be a little observant. If you see somebody with a can of spray paint going towards that park, then they’re probably up to no good. Contact somebody, because we can’t just keep repainting everything every time they do it, it’s costly. We’re trying to take pride in our town, and we want to improve our Parks and Recreation.”

Grant development

The city of Leesville plans to apply for the Brownfields Multipurpose Grant Program.

At the meeting, the council voted unanimously to authorize the city to work with Terracon Consultants Inc. free of charge to develop and submit a grant proposal for the program to redevelop local communities.

Housed under the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Brownfields Multipurpose Grant provides funding to communities that have identified a discrete area with one or more brownfield sites — a “property, the expansion, redevelopment or reuse of which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant,” as defined by EPA.

These grants are set aside for communities to conduct eligiblity assessments, clean-up activities and planning for revitalizing brownfields.

Applicants can apply for up to $1 million with a performance period of up to five years.

Millage rates

The council unanimously adopted the adjusted millage rate for general alimony, sewerage systems and streets in the city of Leesville for tax year 2024.

The millage rates are 5.120 mills for general alimony, 8.460 mills for sewerage systems and 4.180 mills for streets.

Councilmember Nicole Ybarra, District 3, was not present for the meeting.