§ 20-7. Hardship cases.

(a)

Policy. Pursuant to the provisions of article 7, section 14(B) of the Louisiana Constitution of 1974 and R.S. 33:1236(11), it shall be the policy of the parish police jury to provide for the poor and necessitous within [the] parish by, among other things, appropriating each year a sum of money to be dedicated to the purpose of providing reasonable access for poor and necessitous people from their homes to the nearest public road and who will be extremely disadvantaged without such assistance.

(b)

Administration. These funds shall be administered under the following rules:

(1)

Persons who qualify. In order to qualify for assistance under this section, a person must execute an application under oath stating he or she is the owner of a home without reasonable all-weather access to a public road and is unable to provide funds of their own to obtain reasonable access; that their monthly income does not exceed one thousand three hundred dollars ($1,300.00) from all sources, that they are needy and that without assistance they will be unable to reach a public road in all weather; that they have resided in such home for six (6) months or more.

(2)

Assistance to be rendered:

a.

The assistance to be rendered under this policy is limited to the grading, graveling, ditching, installation and repair of drainage structures, and maintaining of a road not to exceed one-quarter mile in length and not to exceed twelve (12) feet travel surface in width and not to exceed forty (40) feet of culvert and/or one hundred fifty (150) feet of bridge decking and/or one hundred fifty (150) cubic yards of pit run and/or fifteen (15) cubic yards of washed gravel or limestone, not to be spread unless approved by the Public Works Director.

b.

Each hardship case is to be brought before the hardship committee for discussion and each be handled individually on an each-time basis.

(3)

Project approval:

a.

A hardship committee shall be set up to screen all applications. Such committee, after verifying the income of the applicant within sources available, shall certify in writing to the parish police jury, those persons and projects which, in their opinion, qualify for assistance under this program. Thereafter, the parish police jury, after reviewing such applications, shall issue work orders to such applications as they deem appropriate. Thereafter, the public works director, or his designee, after reviewing such applications, shall certify as to the amount of assistance deemed appropriate and its cost estimate.

b.

No assistance shall be provided to any private persons by the public works director or any personnel of the jury unless and until a work order has been issued by the parish police jury under this section.

(c)

Penalty for violation. Whoever intentionally falsifies an application or otherwise violates any provision of this section shall be fined no more than one hundred dollars ($100.00), or imprisoned no more than thirty (30) days, or both, at the discretion of the court.

(Ord. of 5-8-84, §§ 1—3; Ord. of 5-11-93; Ord. of 5-10-99; Ord. of 9-10-07; Ord. of 9-24-07; Ord. of 7-21-14(1); Ord. of 8-10-15)