Submitted by Jerry Bell
Upon request by Mayor Riley Smith and facilitated by Representative Mike Reese, US Senator Bill Cassidy, along with some of his congressional staff, arrived at DeQuincy City Hall Monday, Sept. 28, around 11 a.m.
Sen. Cassidy was greeted by the Emergency Operations Officer, Major Jerry Bell and escorted into the council chambers. There, the Mayor’s team had been assembled to help answer any questions that then Senator had regarding the recovery of DeQuincy from the effects of Hurricane Laura.
Mayor Smith welcomed the Senator and gave him a quick briefing on the needs of DeQuincy at the present time. The Senator commented that DeQuincy had already done a lot in regards to recovery, especially concerning the debris removal.
Police Chief Casey Whitehead expressed concerns about the housing situation regarding our displaced citizens whose homes had been destroyed. Mayor Smith also stated that DeQuincy needed housing for those people in order for them to stay in the DeQuincy area and not be placed outside of town.
Chief Whitehead also expressed concerns about our daycare facility and the impact that it had on our single mothers having no place to leave their children.
Many more concerns were brought to the Senator’s attention and he offered suggestions and directed his staff to provide answers to some of the problems facing DeQuincy. The Senator was briefed on our internet problems and stated that 5G was the way of the future and that DeQuincy should do whatever it took to get that system for future development. Rep. Mike Reese offered input as to what the state could do to help.
The first question that Sen. Cassidy asked the Mayor was he satisfied with the Federal and State response. The Mayor replied that he was presently and was working with some great FEMA officials.
After meeting with the Mayor and his team, Chief Whitehead, the Mayor, Rep. Mike Reese, and Sen. Bill Cassidy went for a tour of the damaged areas. After returning from the tour, Sen. Cassidy conducted a video interview with Mayor Smith and in that interview, Sen. Cassidy urged all our citizens to turn their census in so that DeQuincy would get credit for our population.
Before leaving, Mayor Smith asked Sen. Cassidy to do all that he could to help DeQuincy. Sen. Cassidy had earlier stated that he had spoken to President Trump right after the hurricane and that the President had promised that he would help Louisiana. Mayor Smith thanked Sen. Cassidy for coming to DeQuincy.
