St. Landry poised to regulate operations of group homes in the parish
St. Landry Parish President Jessie Bellard is expected to sign a revised parish-wide ordinance that he said he thinks will provide better oversight at regulating group homes.
Bellard said Friday he is reviewing the final draft of the ordinance adopted unanimously by parish council members Wednesday following a public hearing.
The newest ordinance that monitors the operation of a group home, Bellard said, provides tighter authority in regulating the services and care that group homes provide to residents.
“Our biggest problem before we passed this new ordinance has been we have never known exactly how many of these group homes were operating in the parish,” Bellard explained, "and what type of services they were providing to those living there. Also we didn’t know the sources of their funding."
Previously all group home providers needed from parish government to operate was an occupational license. Now those who operate homes, half-way houses and treatment facilities will be required to obtain a permit application from parish government in addition to receiving final permission from the Parish Council, said Bellard.
The new ordinance, Bellard added, is not effective inside the corporate limits of the 13 municipalities in St. Landry.
“If a group home is located inside a town or city then it will be up to them (city governments) to provide the enforcement and regulation,” said Bellard.
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Bellard said after years of hearing complaints about non-regulated group homes and treatment centers, he felt it had become necessary for St. Landry to revise its permitting procedures.
“What we have done with this new ordinance is model it after what was done in Livingston Parish. They were having the same problems as (St. Landry),” said Bellard.
Equipped with the new permitting procedures, Bellard said, parish government has the authority to visit group homes unannounced and perform routine inspections and ensure residents are receiving proper care.
“I’m sure that we are still going to have issues come up if we try to deny a permit. What we are going to have in place now though is a lot better than what we had before,” added Bellard.
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According to the revised ordinance approved by the council, group homes must now provide the specific purpose of the facility, the number of people living there, how the facility addresses the health care needs of occupants, copies of federal and state licenses and fire marshal office approval. They must also indicate how the facility is handicap-accessible.
Amended prior to adoption
During the public hearing at the Wednesday meeting, council member Mildred Thierry offered an ordinance amendment that was later approved when the item was offered for final adoption.
The council approved Thierry’s amendment, which prohibits locating group homes in residential subdivisions.
“We have so many subdivisions now that are being developed, it would be unfair to have people buy these homes and then later have a group home open up,” Thierry said. "I would also like to know how far a group home can be located from any residence."
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Council Attorney Garrett Duplechain said federal government regulations regarding the establishment of group homes are sensitive to providing services for individuals with disabilities. Duplechain added that federal regulations indicate that people undergoing drug rehabilitation qualify as individuals with a disability.
Closing the loopholes
However, Bellard said he thinks the new parish group home ordinance cannot deny a permit if the home is located within an apartment complex.
“I feel pretty certain we can deny a permit where there is a subdivision with single-family dwellings. We can’t do that in an apartment or where there is a place for multiple families to live,” Bellard said.