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On Tuesday, August 6, the Bogalusa City Council met and discussed contracting for an updated website, Bogalusa Youth Sports, Occupational Licensing in the city, and other topics.

The council voted unanimously to authorize the mayor to enter into a contract to re-design the city website, which is woefully outdated and difficult to navigate. The new contract allows for an upfront cost of $15,000 and an annual cost of $8,000. They approved the update last year, but it was never acted on and was brought up again by the director of Parks, Recreation, and Culture.

Mayor Tyrin Truong stated that the new website would be accompanied by a phone app, allowing citizens to access information easily and streamlining online services.

Richard Brister asked the council and mayors administration about whether or not some individuals were being given special privileges regarding city property.

Brister said, “Why is your grandpa seen in there,” referring to a restricted area of city hall, “and why is he being seen in a city truck, especially on Sundays?”

Neither the Mayor or the Council responded to this accusation during the portion of the meeting set aside for their comments.

Andrew Arata, Director of Bogalusa Youth Sports, took the podium and addressed an ongoing issue in which he stated the mayor’s administration has been unwilling to work with his organization in order to keep it active for children of the community.

Arata read an inquiry email that he sent to Truong, requesting the use of city facilities and asking for cooperation, to which the Mayor simply responded, “Request denied. Tyrin Truong.”

“Preventing tax-paying Bogalusa citizens from utilizing a city complex which was made for and exists for youth sports is simply wrong,” Arata said.

Since being denied use of city facilities, Bogalusa Youth Sports have moved their practices and games to the local YMCA, where they have agreed to mow that field and one at Goodyear Park in lieu of paying a fee. The organization is a registered 501c3 non-profit, fully insured, and supported by the community.

The council commended Arata for volunteering his time and showed support for Bogalusa Youth Sports.

In his closing comments, Truong stated, “Bogalusa Youth Sports was born of our Park and Rec’s department,” and asserted that the decision to grant or deny them access to city facilities was well within his authority. They used the facility last year, although Arata stated that it was a tenuous agreement that lacked oversight from the local authorities.

Arata briefly served under Truong’s administration as recreation director before being terminated in July of last year. He fielded the idea of letting the city’s youth sports operate under separate non-profits to the administration, due to lack of organization in the way that the city was funding its sports programs, but was unable to achieve this separation before his termination.

Truong also said to the council, “I don’t have the time or desire to explain every decision that is made, and this is the last time I’ll say it; stop calling and inquiring about operations of the city and trying to direct my administration, it’s outside of the city charter.”