Montz residents are forming a new civic association and plans are underway to create a separate booster club for the children who live in that community.
According to Chris Kennedy, the president of the Country Cottage Estates Homeowner’s Association in Montz, there will be a civic association formed to address community concerns. With the increased growth in the parish since Hurricane Katrina, there are also enough kids to form a booster club just for children.
“The majority of the kids that play recreational sports in the parish with the Norco Booster Club are from Montz,” Kennedy said. “According to the parish recreational department, about 60 percent of the kids come from that area.”
Kennedy says the parish has told his group that they will commit to upgrading the ballpark, which is located on River Road and C-C Road directly before the Bonnet Carré Spillway.
“The ballpark needs a lot of improvements,” he said. “It needs new mud, turf, bleachers and new lights.”
Kennedy says Holly Fonseca, parish grants coordinator, and Duane Foret, the parish’s parks and recreation director, met with him about the park’s issues.
“The batting cage is in poor condition and the park needs lights,” he said. “The parish is working on getting new bleachers and is also considering going to the organization KaBOOM! for some playground equipment for the park.”
Kennedy says that last month the newly formed Montz Civic Association held its first meeting in an effort to foster a spirit of goodwill and build relationships amongst the residents of Montz.
“The association hopes to maintain and improve the rural atmosphere that residents have come to enjoy for many years,” he said. “The monthly meetings will be a place to meet neighbors, exchange ideas, prioritize projects, propose solutions and implement plans for the city.”
Kennedy adds that the civic group hopes to effectively deal with issues that affect the quality of life in the community.
“This can include issues such as zoning regulations, infrastructure improvements or traffic improvements as well as events that strengthen neighborhoods,” he said.
Sponsoring neighborhood festivals, block parties, crime prevention activities and upgrading neighborhood parks are important projects for the civic association.”
The group also plans to provide the city with an effective communication link with government officials and other influential groups.
“We want to empower residents to work together in improving their neighborhood and organizing the community to form a collective, united voice,” he said. “A well-organized group of people can be a powerful and influential force.”
Kennedy says at the first meeting in March there was one issue that needed some clarification and that was if this association was essentially a homeowner’s association.
“We went door to door passing out flyers and some of the senior citizens thought that we were trying to form a homeowner’s association where restrictions and rules would be made, but that’s not what we’re doing,” he said.
Kennedy says the association is open to all residents living in the Montz community.
“We plan on treating all of our members with respect and integrity, with the hope that many residents will get involved in the organization” The group will meet every third Thursday of each month, with the next meeting scheduled for April 17 at 7 p.m. at the Norco Civic Hall.
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