From the City of Central website

AGENDA

CITY OF CENTRAL BOARD OF ADJUSTMENTS

Thursday, June 24, 2010 5:00pm

Kristenwood Building

14025 Greenwell Springs Rd.

Central, LA 70739

1. Call to Order

2. Recitation of Rules

3. Approval of Minutes from May 27, 2010 Meeting

4. Consent Agenda

None

PUBLIC HEARING CASES (NEW BUSINESS):

None

PUBLIC HEARING CASES (OLD BUSINESS):

5. BOA-09-10

8982 Arleen Avenue Tract R-2-A-1-B-1-B, Richard O. Rush Property

Applicant: Patrick Fruge Rural

The applicant requests the Board of Adjustment grant an extension of a waiver, granted June 29, 2006 as BOA-06-12, of Section 8.213 (C)(5)(c) of the Unified Development Code in accordance with Section 3.2 (B)(5)(b)(1) to allow a hardship in conjunction with the housing of aged, ill or otherwise incapacitated, or handicapped family members, or wards for which the existing residents are or may become responsible.

6. BOA-13-10

12418 Devall Road Lot 12, Central Estates Subdivision

Applicant: Galen Mixon Rural

The applicant requests the Board of Adjustment grant an extension of a waiver, granted March 29, 2007 as BOA-07-04, of Section 8.213 (C)(5)(c) of the Unified Development Code in accordance with Section 3.2 (B)(5)(b)(1) to allow a hardship in conjunction with the housing of aged, ill or otherwise incapacitated, or handicapped family members, or wards for which the existing residents are or may become responsible. An extension of a waiver of Section 8.213(C)(5)(a) of the Unified Development Code is also being requested so as to reduce the 25 ft. yard setback.

7. BOA-14-10

10285 Lovett Road Lot 16-A, Terry Wilson Property

Applicant: Kate Wilson Rural

The applicant requests the Board of Adjustment grant an extension of a waiver, granted August 24,2006 as BOA-06-16, of Section 8.105 of the Unified Development Code in accordance with Section 3.2 (B)(5)(b)(1) to allow a hardship in conjunction with the housing of aged, ill or otherwise incapacitated, or handicapped family members, or wards for which the existing residents are or may become responsible.

8. BOA-15-10

17123 Hooper Road Lot B-1-A-2, William H. Martin Tract

Applicant: John Hawkins Rural

The applicant requests the Board of Adjustment grant an extension of a waiver, granted July 26, 2007 as BOA-07-11, of Section 8.105 of the Unified Development Code in accordance with Section 3.2 (B)(5)(b)(3} to allow a hardship in conjunction with the need for housing of security personnel for protection of public, institutional, commercial or industrial properties. An extension of a waiver of Section 8.213(C)(5)(a) of the Unified Development Code is also being requested so as to reduce the 25 ft. yard setback.

9. Announcements

10. Adjourn

From the City of Central website

City Council will meet at 6 p.m. this Tuesday, June 22nd at Kristenwood on Greenwell Springs Road.

The rules for conducting such public hearings are as follows:

1) The applicant will speak first for a period not to exceed 10 minutes. Other proponents

will speak next, then the opponents. Each speaker will be allowed not more than three

minutes. The speakers are requested to limit their remarks and to avoid duplication in

their presentations.

2) The proponents will be allowed three minutes for rebuttal.

3) The Council Members may ask questions and make comments but are urged to cooperate

in an effort to spend not more than 30 minutes on any one matter before the Council.

I. Preliminary Business

(1) Call to Order

(2) Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance

(3) Roll Call

(4) Approval of minutes from the June 8, 2010 council meeting.

II. Unfinished Business

None

III. New Business

1) Mayor’s report and presentations.

2) Introduction of the following item(s) (with public hearing to be held at the July 13, 2010

council meeting)

a) An ordinance placing a moratorium of up to six months on the zoning of C-AB-2

(Commercial Alcoholic Beverage Two District) properties within the City of Central.

(By Council member Moak).

b) An ordinance to amend and re-enact the schedule of fees applicable to building

permits, inspections and plan review and to provide for related matters. (By

Council member DeJohn)

3) Discussion and action regarding the following instrument(s):

a) Confirming the appointment of Suzonne Cowart as Finance Director for an

amount not to exceed $65 per hour as needed.

b) An ordinance adopting the amended Annual Budget of the City of Central for

Fiscal Year 2009-2010. (By Council members Lansing & Ross)

c) An ordinance adopting the Annual Budget of the City of Central for Fiscal Year

2010-2011. (By Council members DeJohn, Lansing, Moak, Ross & Washington)

d) To consider approval of an engagement letter to perform the City of Central's

financial audit.

e) A resolution commending Joan Lansing for her service on the Council for

the City of Central. (By Council member Moak)

f) A resolution commending Lynn “Lucky” Ross for his service on the

Council for the City of Central (By Council member DeJohn)

IV. Zoning Cases

(1) Introduction of the following item(s) (with Public Hearing to be held at the July 13, 2010

council meeting):

a) RZ-03-10 Rezoning This property is located at 12249 Hooper Road on Lot 5,

being on the north side of Hooper Road east of the Joor Road intersection in Section

6, T-6-S, R-2-E, GLD, EBR, LA. The applicant is proposing to rezone from R

(Rural) to LC1 (Light Commercial One District) for a real estate firm. (Applicant:

Clarence Fruge, Jr.)None

(2) Discussion and Action regarding the following case(s):

None

V. Other Business

(1) Swearing in ceremony for the City officials elected to serve from July 1, 2010 through June

30, 2012.

(2) Announcements

(3) Adjournment

NOTE: Pursuant to the requirements of La. R.S. 42:7, no matter may be discussed by the Central City

Council unless it appears on the agenda published at least twenty-four hours prior to the meeting unless

the members of the council vote unanimously to take up the matter.

By Dave Freneaux with Submissions by David Barrow and Wade Giles

In HB-2 Capitol Outlay bill the House approved a little over $6 Million in funding for continued studies of the Baton Rouge Loop.  Last Friday a Senate committee removed all Loop funding from the bill.  As this article is being written there is action in Senate Finance committee to add back some Loop funding  and proponents of the Loop are pledging to try to restore the funding on the Senate floor or in Conference Committee.  HB-2 is expected to come to a vote on the Senate floor in the next several days.
In researching to write this article it has become apparent that the sheer volume of documents, studies, legislation, opinions, articles, charts and graphs encountered on the subject of the Loop make this a very complicated issue.  There are, however, three recurring themes which bear printing.  1) There are serious questions about the financial viability of any BR Loop.  2) The people of Central object to even considering a loop unless the collective voice of this City is heard and heeded, and even then, a route which disrupts or divides the City of Central will meet stiff opposition.  3) Central, in order to build a tax base sufficient to maintain a growing city and school system, needs economic Development.

Financial Viability – The Livingston Parish group organized to keep the Loop out of their area supplied CentralSpeaks.com with a great deal of data based on traffic counts, toll rates, and construction costs which were used by the BR Loop Commission in its presentations.  If you wish to delve into this data yourself please email info@CentralSpeaks.com.   In a nutshell, the traffic counts produced by the Loop studies are not sufficient to support the building of a toll road that would pay for itself.  Further, the entire project is based on a guarantee by the government that the investors will make a 12% profit.  This means that tax dollars would have to be used to guarantee that investors got their money back, plus a 12% profit.

Central’s Objection – Public sentiment generally heard around Central is that a major problem with the whole Loop concept is the lack of consideration that seems to be given to what the people of Central want and will support.  The single largest objection is often heard when there is any discussion of a Loop anywhere near the heart of the city.  See also the City of Central’s Press Release below.

Economic Development – Setting aside for a moment the pitfalls of financial viability and Central’s objections, there are potentially meaningful economic benefits for the City of Central should there ever be a major thoroughfare through some part of Central.  See also comments from Wade Giles of the Central Economic Development Foundation below.

With the Loop issue again being considered by our legislators, you are encouraged to contact your elected representatives and voice your opinion, whether you are for or against the Loop.

CITY OF CENTRAL PRESS RELEASE- LOOP LEGISLATION UPDATE

A state senate committee rejected additional funding for the Baton Rouge Loop on Friday after nearly an hour of testimony.  The Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee was considering House Bill 2, which contains hundreds of individual appropriations, by Rep. Hunter Greene.  State Senator Dale Erdey, who serves on the committee, recommended deleting the $5.2 million appropriation for the loop and move that funding towards an I-10 / LA415 connector in West Baton Rouge Parish .
 
Senator Erdey said there are three possible routes that the loop could take through Central, yet no one on the Loop steering committee could ever provide him with enough information that he wanted.  According to John Carpenter, who is EBR Mayor-President Kip Holden's Assistant Chief Adminstrative Officer, the northern loop is the only part of the project under consideration now, and the price tag has dropped from near $5 billion to $757 million.
 
Senator Buddy Shaw of Shreveport told Carpenter that, "It's a shame that the route has to be determined by where it's most beneficial to the builder," referring to the fact that this would be a toll road built by a private company.  Carpenter named at least 5 firms that have expressed interest in building the project, including several firms from Europe.
 
Erdey also stated that one of the proposed routes goes right through the proposed downtown area of Central near Hooper Road.  Carpenter responded by saying that route isn't really under consideration anymore and won't happen without extensive workshops with the citizens in the area. "It will have to be a route that is acceptable to a large group of people," Carpenter stated.  Erdey stated that the loop committee has made no attempts to come to Central lately to set up public meetings to gather input.
 
In response to Carpenter's comments, Erdey stated, "if the loop's not going through downtown Central, then why is that route still on the map?  We have asked them to take it off, but they won't."
 
Erdey also stated that over $6 million has been spent so far studying the proposed loop, with over $4.5 going to consulting engineers and this project was a dead-end street. 
 
Livingston Parish President Mike Grimmer, who has dropped his support for the loop after hearing from citizens in his parish, testified that it's not really a loop anymore. "It's just a bypass that chops up the fastest growing parish in the area," referring to the fact that all the southern routes of the loop have been abandoned and only the northern section across EBR and Livingston Parish would be constructed.   Grimmer agreed with Erdey by stating that no one can tell him where it's going and he cannot get any answers from anyone.
 
Erdey told the committee that there are other options to the loop such as widening Florida Blvd and building a new bridge across the Amite River at the end of Hooper Rd.  Erdey concluded by stating, "This is a quality of life issue that will destroy Central, Watson, and possibly Walker.  Hear the cry of the people who say 'No Loop'."
 
At least a dozen citizens from Livingston Parish and Central attended the hearing and filled out cards voicing their opposition to the continued loop funding.  Rep. Clif Richardson and Rep. Bodi White also attended the hearing.
 
The committee voted 8-2 to stop the funding.  Senators Heitmeier, Erdey, Riser, Adley, Kostelka, Shaw, Morrell, and Morrish voted in favor of the amendment to delete the loop funding.  Senators Rob Marionneaux and Yvonne Dorsey voted against the amendment.
 
It is possible that Rep. Greene will seek to bring up the funding issue again before the legislature convenes in two weeks.

THE LOOP- AN ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE

Thanks for bringing the facts to light.  One of the facts is that there is a widespread opposition to any sort of Loop.  The portion of a loop that would affect Central is a “Northern Loop Portion”.  I don’t disagree that the two Southern alternates shown on the Loop maps would bring unwanted division and/or congestion to our present infrastructure.  However the Northernmost alternative seems to be the best solution to bringing needed economic development to our city.  If our school system is to thrive, we must increase the economic tax base.  Without a major Interstate-like thoroughfare it will be extremely difficult to persuade major retailers to locate in the city.  Most successful developments require that it be in close proximity to an Interstate system or similar infrastructure. 
 
By locating the Loop in the Northern part of the city, we could establish a Regional Shopping Center, such as “Town Center” that would attract retail spending from the surrounding areas of Zachary, Baker, St. Francisville, Denham Springs, as well as the rural areas to our north.  Currently, we have a sales leakage of 49%, where a development such as this would create a negative leakage and bring additional spending to our city.  Sales taxes are included in this spending and goes a long way to support our schools and city.  The only opposition to this project has been political.  I only hope that our legislators revisit the funding issue and  refrain from politicizing the project. 
 
Regards,
Wade Giles
President
Central Economic Development Foundation

From the FUTUREBR website

There will be a FUTUREBR meeting on Wednesday, June 23rd at the Greenwell Springs Road Library.  This is part of a process wherein consultants are creating a plan for the future of East Baton Rouge Parish.  The consultant are seeking public input and responses as they continue to work on this plan.  The workshop will run from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.  The order will be as follows: 4:30-5:00: coffee social with parish staff and consulting team; 5:00-6:00: FUTUREBR update presentation and feedback; 6:00-6:30: Q&A.

I submit to you the budget for the new fiscal year, beginning July 1, 2010. I consulted with our Finance Director, Suzonne Cowart, and my Executive Assistant, David Barrow, in preparing this budget. This budget for the fiscal year 2010-2011 represents small changes from the 2009-2010 budget in most expense categories.  The budget is a conservative one, and expenditures are budgeted within anticipated revenues.  The amounts included within the budget are based on cash estimates.  The budget documents attached include anticipated revenues and expenditures for the General Fund and three Special Revenue Funds.  I will cover the major aspects of the budget in separate categories below.

GENERAL FUND HIGHLIGHTS

Revenue

Due to the current state of the national economy, we are projecting only a 1% increase in General Sales & Use Taxes.  For the first ten months of the 2009-2010 fiscal year, General Sales & Use taxes grew by approximately 1.7% within the city of Central as compared to 2008-2009.  We chose a conservative growth estimate of 1%.   Auto Sales Taxes were up slightly this past year, part of which was due to the “Cash for Clunkers” program last summer. However, we are not projecting any growth in this category as vehicle sales have been fluctuating the past few months.  An internal audit for the calendar years 2006 and 2007 conducted by the City-Parish resulted in over $60,000 in additional motor vehicle sales tax revenues to the City of Central which was recorded this year.

Occupational license revenues for businesses decreased by a small amount last year, and we budgeted a slightly lower amount for the upcoming year.  We will continue to pursue those business owners who do not pay their annual license fee as part of our Administrative Hearing Court. 

As part of our contract with CH2MHILL, residential and commercial permitting fees are collected and deposited into our city account, and in return, CH2MHILL is reimbursed 90% of these fees as their payment for operating our permitting and inspection division in conjunction with Safebuilt.  With the completion of several new subdivisions in Central this past year, the growing commercial building projects, and the large number of residential lots on the market, we are projecting building permit fees to grow for the next fiscal year.   Please keep in mind that there will always be uncertainty in projecting the actual amount that will be collected, but we feel that new construction will keep this category on the rise. 
 
We will continue to pursue grants to help fund projects and purchases of equipment for our city.  We have received our annual Louisiana Governmental Assistance Program (LGAP) funds for traffic counting and sign equipment for the city and equipment for Central Fire Department this upcoming fiscal year, thanks to our state legislative members and Governor Jindal. The Central Fire Department is always a shared recipient of this state funding. Also included are grants to fund the Hooper Rd extension study; Curve Safety improvements on Devall, Denham, Lovett, and Frenchtown Roads; Traffic Calming on Durmast Drive; and additional funding to design a new administrative building and City Hall.  Additionally, our Public Works Director, Roy Hutchinson, has secured state funding for drainage improvements to sections of Beaver Bayou, and Police Chief Browning is anticipating a grant for police equipment.  Total of all anticipated grants is near $344,000.

Zoning and Subdivision fees are retained 100% by the city of Central as part of our contract with CH2MHILL.   We budgeted a higher amount than last fiscal year, although these fees are also difficult to project an exact amount.  This larger amount is due to the fact that construction of single family homes is on the rise in Central, and we see this as a continuing trend with several new projects on the horizon.

We are investing some of our money with LAMPS to possibly provide a better interest rate of return on our money.  We are also looking at changing our fiscal agent bank in order to provide a better rate of return on our investments.

Total anticipated revenues from all sources is approximately $6,234,000.  

Appropriations

The Legislative expenses are projected to remain close to the same this upcoming year.  We have discovered that the city does not have to pay federal and state unemployment taxes on the council payroll. This will result in a savings, and we have requested a refund from the IRS for the past three years.

New expenses for the new Administrative Hearing and Mayor’s Court are included in the budget.  This number may need to be revised based upon the number of cases that appear before the court.

The Executive expenses will increase by 1.3% due to a small cost-of-living raise for the mayor’s Executive Assistant and Administrative Assistant, an increase in required retirement contributions to the Municipal Employees Retirement System, and a dues contribution to the Capital Region Delegation.  Payroll taxes will be reduced due to the fact that city no longer has to pay its contribution of federal and state unemployment taxes.

Financial Administration is expected to stay the same.  Accounting, payroll, and legal fees are all budgeted the same as last year.  Our legal fees are subject to change depending upon unanticipated legal matters that may arise during year.

City Operations and Services costs will decrease by over $150,000 due to our new contract price with CH2MHILL.  The contract is budgeted at $3,561,700 for the next fiscal year.   We also budgeted 90% of the expected building permit fee revenue as an expense as part of our contract with CH2MHILL to operate our permitting and inspection division.  There is pending legislation before our city council to reduce some of these fees.  If this legislation is passed, adjustments to the budget will be made accordingly.

Planning and Zoning expenses are expected to remain the same. The remaining phase of our Master Plan Land Use Plan by the Moore Planning Group is scheduled for completion, as we will seek their advice as well on extra requests for planning the growth of city arises.  Our zoning attorney, Mark Balkin, will update our new zoning code to present to the Zoning Commission and City Council for approval as well.  We have applied for a grant through the Louisiana Recovery Authority to help fund our Master Plan and zoning attorney fees.  These grants will be awarded by the end of June.

General Administration is budgeted to decrease by nearly $30,000.  The largest amount of this decrease is due to anticipated decreases in our general liability and insurance policy. We have recently leased space in Suite 7 next to our current offices for a new office and evidence room for the Police Chief and Administrative Hearing Court.  Increases in rent and utilities have been added to the budget for this expansion at a cost of approximately $10,400 annually.

Included in the budget is a Public Safety request to improve fire hydrants and water flow in certain areas of the northern part of the city where fire hydrants are severing lacking.  $2,000 has been placed in the budget to help fund these improvements.

The Police Department budget was submitted to me by Chief Browning and represents a 10% increase over this past year’s projected budget.  Chief Browning has requested a small increase in insurance coverage for his reserve officers as well as increases for equipment purchases, some of which will be purchased through a reimbursable grant.

In the Sanitation division, $60,000 has been appropriated for weed-spraying of certain ditches within the city.  This amount is based upon the contract that the City-Parish awarded in May 2009 to Louisiana Vegetation, Inc.  The City-Parish has allowed us to piggyback on their contract amount for a period of three years.

Economic Development has become a priority within our city.  We continue to budget $10,000 for publicity for our city in order to attract new businesses and jobs, as well as $50,000 to be used to hire an economic development coordinator to assist us on a monthly basis with economic development in our city as well as additional economic development tools for enticing new businesses to locate in Central.  There is currently a state appropriation in House Bill 2 in the amount of $50,000 to help cover these costs.

Several Intergovernmental Expenditures with other agencies are included within the budget.  This includes sales tax collection fees for the City-Parish Finance Department,  East Baton Rouge Animal Control Center contracted services, and Extra Duty Deputies labor from the EBR Sheriff’s Department.  I have met with Sheriff Sid Gautreaux several times recently, and I am recommending an increase to $100,000 per year for the Sheriff’s Office to provide additional deputies to patrol our streets through the Central Substation.

This budget also reflects other expenditures of Furniture, Fixtures, and Equipment of the grant purchases referred to above, as well as general equipment purchases that may be needed for the city and renovations to the newly acquired Suite 7.  

SPECIAL REVENUE FUND HIGHLIGHTS 
 

Roadway Tax (Half Cent Sales Tax)

As of June 30, 2010, we anticipate the Parish of East Baton Rouge will have collected close to $4.2 million in this fund.  We are budgeting an additional $930,000 to be collected in the 2010-2011 fiscal year.

Of this amount, 70% is dedicated to the Hooper Rd/Sullivan Rd Green Light Plan widening project.  This is an agreed-upon shared effort between the city of Central, DOTD, and the Parish of East Baton Rouge.   27% of these funds are dedicated to street rehab and overlay, and 3% to sidewalks and beautification, according to a parish wide vote. 

On June 8, 2010, the city Council authorized advertisement for bids to rehabilitate approx. 4.5 miles of roads within the city at an estimated cost of $1.2 million.  This project will be funded through the roadway tax, franchise fees, and budget surplus if necessary. 
 
Traffic Contributions

The City receives these funds from local subdivision developers to assist with traffic related matters impacted by their developments as they arise.  Because of several new residential developments in the works, we are anticipating contributions in the amount of $33,000 for this new fiscal year. 
 
Franchise Tax

The City now collects franchise fees from Cox Communications, Entergy, and Demco.   Based upon projected revenues provided by each of these entities, it is anticipated that we will receive $300,000 from Cox Communications, $400,000 from Entergy, and $600,000 from Demco annually.  The City Council passed a resolution in May 2009 requesting that a minimum of 50% of these funds be set aside for drainage and roadway projects within our city.  In the budget, we have dedicated 30% of these anticipated franchise tax funds towards drainage projects, 25% towards road improvements, 10% for bridge repairs, and 35% for emergencies that may arise during the year. 
 
The 2010-2011 City of Central budget that I propose today continues to deliver basic city services as we continue to grow.  We have attempted to present a budget that will be helpful in your formulating a financial plan for the next budget year.  This budget projects a surplus of over $1.1 million, which will place the city in a very comfortable position in having excess funds available for public works and capital improvement projects as well as for unanticipated emergencies and expenditures.   I have prepared this presentation to the best of my ability and knowledge of the financial circumstances the city enjoys at this time. 
 

Thank you,

Shelton S. “Mac” Watts

Mayor of the City of Central

The City-Parish Metro Council will hear this Wednesday, June 16, 2010 a request for a rezoning of property at the corner of Hwy 64 (Zachary-Deerford Rd) and Tucker Rd to allow group homes for troubled teens.  This property is just outside the city limits of Central.  The city limits of Central run along the southern part of Hwy 64 to the Comite River.  This proposed project is on the northern side of Hwy 64.  The requested rezoning is from Rural to Planned Unit Development (PUD) to allow the group homes on the property.
 
The City-Parish Planning Commission recommended approval of the project at their May 24, 2010 meeting by a vote of 7 yeas, 1 nay, and 1 absent.   Seven residents in the area spoke against the project, and two people representing the developer spoke in favor.
 
The development is called Heritage Ranch Christian Children's Home and it will be located on a 52-acre site.  The project could serve as many as 60 youths, ranging from ages 8 to 18.  The project would serve children in crisis who have mild to moderate behavior problems or academic issues according to the program's executive director Vicki Ellis.  She said Heritage Ranch would basically be a series of foster homes where children could live for up to a year and a half while receiving treatment and counseling services.
 
Metro Councilman Trae Welch said he expects there to be a large crowd at the council meeting.  Welch has stated his opposition to the project and will urge other council members to vote no as well. 
 
The meeting will be held starting at 4pm Wednesday in the Metro Council Chambers in City Hall, 222 St. Louis Street, 3rd floor in downtown Baton Rouge.

Submitted by David Barrow

Relief is finally on the way for motorists traveling across the Amite River on Magnolia Bridge Road (LA64) to and from Livingston Parish.  The Louisiana Dept. of Transportation and Development (DOTD) will accept bids on June 23, 2010 for the widening of the bridge to 4 lanes.  The estimated cost is $20 to $30 million dollars.  The project involves building a brand new 2-lane bridge with shoulders slightly to the north of the existing bridge first.  Once that bridge is complete, traffic will be routed onto the new bridge, and demolition and replacement of the existing bridge will take place.   This is a project similar to the widening of the Amite River bridge on Florida Blvd (US190) that is currently underway.
 
Assuming all bid documents are in order and the project is awarded to the lowest responsible bidder, work should begin in the last quarter of this year and last about two years.  The intersection of Greenwell Springs and Magnolia Bridge Rd will have lanes reconfigured to accommodate traffic on the new bridges.  DOTD will restripe Greenwell Springs Rd southbound to provide two left turn lanes onto eastbound Magnolia Bridge Rd; restripe Greenwell Springs Rd northbound to provide two right turn lanes on eastbound Magnolia Bridge Rd; and restripe eastbound Magnolia Bridge Rd to provide two through lanes at the intersection.

By Beth Fussell

In today’s increasingly electronic-based society, phishing is becoming more of a problem every day.  Phishing is the criminal act of tricking people into giving sensitive information, like passwords and account numbers, by pretending to be a legitimate company or website.  One of the biggest ways that people are losing money and information to phishing is through emails that seem to be from a bank or the IRS.  The victim is fooled into giving their financial information, thinking that their bank or a government agency is requesting password verification or account numbers.  Websites like Facebook are also an easy target for phishers, since users readily provide so much personal information that can lead to identity theft. 

Usually, phishing comes in the form of either a fake email or a link to a website that seems legitimate but is actually set up by phishers.  Pop up windows in front of legitimate websites can also fool a victim into entering personal information.  Phishing even happens over the telephone.  Criminals can leave voicemails, apparently from a bank or business, asking the victim to call a phone number to verify information or answer some questions.  The number leads to an automated service that asks victims to enter account numbers or passwords on the phone.  Victims lose millions of dollars each year in the United States to phishing attacks, though most of these incidents are preventable.

The following are tips to help you avoid phishing attacks and identity theft: Be sure that you are being directed to a legitimate website by holding your cursor over the link that a company provides you.  In most browsers, the web address that the link leads to will appear at the bottom of the screen, and you can see if the link leads to a familiar website.  Instead of clicking on a link to a website you use regularly, just type the web address in your browser.  Never give personal information or passwords through an email or in response to a voicemail.  If anyone contacts you and asks you to “verify” personal information, call the company in question to be sure that the requests are legitimate.  If you use Facebook or Twitter, do not post personal information that could be used against you in a scam later.  If you receive an email from a lottery, sweepstakes, etc. saying that you have won a prize when you have never entered (these emails come around fairly often), do not respond to the email, and certainly do not give them your contact information.  Simple steps like these will help you avoid financial and personal loss.

Submitted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture

      (CENTRAL, LOUISIANA), June 9th, 2010 – Mayor Shelton “Mac” Watts issued a proclamation today recognizing June as “Homeownership Month” in Central.  In his proclamation, Mayor Watts urged all residents to consider homeownership because it promotes strong neighborhoods and improves the quality of community life.

      “June is National Homeownership Month, and throughout the month, there will be many activities across the nation promoting homeownership,” said Mayor Watts. “I want to applaud Central’s men and women who have achieved homeownership and encourage others to consider the benefits of homeownership.”

      Mayor Watts recently visited with Gaye Glass and Melissa Hawes of USDA Rural Development to discuss Rural Development’s single family housing programs. 

      “One of the best federal programs for homeownership is through USDA Rural Development,” said Mayor Watts.  “Qualified applicants can receive 100 percent financing—with no down payment—to purchase homes; and homeowners may qualify for loans or grants to repair their homes.”

      “Rural Development is committed to preserving homeownership in America by providing financial opportunities for homebuyers and homeowners,” said Glass.  “I commend Mayor Watts for recognizing the importance of homeownership and issuing this proclamation.”

      The City of Central partners with federal, state, and local lenders to assist the citizens of Central in becoming homeowners and to expand homeownership in Central.  To find out more about federal home financing programs through USDA Rural Development, call 985-748-8751 ext 4.

In the picture: Melissa Hawes of USDA Rural Development, Mayor Watts, and Gaye Glass of USDA Rural Development.