City Council Votes for Bayou St. John

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Ordinance to amend the City Code to prohibit the mooring or abandoning of boats along Bayou St. John for longer than 24 hours, and establishing impounding and disposal provisions, procedures, and relative fees.
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Article below by Charlie London
bayou-guitar-2014feb21Today the City Council took the opportunity to make Bayou St. John a better place for the citizens of New Orleans to play. Since “the storm”, use of Bayou St. John has grown exponentially. That’s a good thing.

However, as with any good thing, there are those who believe it is their appointed duty to take every advantage for themselves. Folks love seeing the bayou being enjoyed by all. Folks love seeing boats out on the bayou.

What folks don’t love are those same boats stored on the bayou month after month, year after year. It’s no different than if folks began storing their cars in City Park. You can bet those cars would get removed.

The City Council accepted the opportunity today to level the playing field that is Bayou St. John.

The ordinance passed today asks folks to enjoy the bayou but take all their toys home with them when they leave.

Today, the City Council voted FOR Bayou St. John.

This ordinance is the result of years of research, investigation and hard work by Councilmember Susan Guidry and her staff.

Thank you for helping to move New Orleans forward.

Charlie London
https://fsjna.org | http://katrinafilm.com

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Summary below courtesy the New Orleans City Council website.

Prohibited Long-Term Boat Mooring Along Bayou St. John

Councilmember Susan Guidry
Councilmember Susan Guidry
The Council adopted Ordinance Calendar No. 30,288, authored by Councilmember Guidry, to amend the City Code relative to the mooring and abandonment of boats along Bayou St. John and the bridges that cross it.

Abandoned vessels pose public health and safety risks and can act as breeding grounds for mosquitoes after prolonged rainfall. Boats may also harbor snakes and vermin, and can become dangerous projectiles during severe weather.

The Ordinance suggests amendments to the City Code to:

Prohibit the mooring or abandoning of boats for longer than 24 hours along Bayou St. John and along the bridges that cross it; Establish procedures for the impoundment of boats in violation of the City Code after 48 hours of notice; Delineate an impoundment fee of $150.00 and, after the first 24 hours, a storage fee of $10.00 per day of impoundment (total fees, excluding impoundment fee, shall not exceed $250.00 per boat).

District “A” Councilmember Guidry said, “Our Bayou is a beloved public space, enjoyed by so many of our citizens, and it is our collective responsibility to be good stewards. It is my hope that this ordinance will contribute to improved quality of life for all citizens who regularly enjoy the beauty of Bayou St. John.”