VIDALIA — Monday night’s Concordia Parish Police Jury meeting was one those in attendance are sure not to forget.

The topic at hand was the past week’s flooding, and the current drainage situation that has left many area residents in a less-than- happy mood.

After more than 10 inches of rain in a 24-hour period, Concordia Parish suffered from severe flooding. Residents who suffered from the rain’s wrath gathered Monday to ask one simple question of their police jury members.

“What are you going to do to fix this problem?”

Melvin Ferrington, president of the jury, said money is the main reason nothing can be done to help the problem.

“It would take millions of dollars to fix and the parish does not have that kind of money,” he said.

Angered citizens did not accept this answer, and Ferrington said the police jury did all they could to help area citizens.

“We have taken responsibility for what we can control,” he said. “Ten inches of rain in 24 hours is something you can’t control.”

With many residents still with standing water and trash floating around their yards, Vidalia Mayor Hyram Copeland said there was one possible solution to try.

“Look at what it is going to cost to fix this problem, and take it to the people,” Copeland said. “We need to work together if we are going to get anything done.”

Ferrington said there is a possibility the jury could put the issue of a drainage tax to a vote.

“If we do put up a tax it will probably be a sales tax,” Ferrington said. “It is everybody’s problem in the parish and that is the fairest way.”

In other news:

4The jury approved an ordinance that will require all lots being used to store junk vehicles have a privacy fence around the property.

The ordinance the jury adopted was a state ordinance, and local police juries had the choice to adopt it or not.

4The jury voted to add a portion of U.S. 84 in Wildsville to the Concordia Parish road system.

Ferrington said the parish would receive 40 percent of the reclaimed asphalt on the road.