FERRIDAY, La. – Ferriday does not have a legally operating housing authority because Director Charles Bell has refused to recognize members appointed by Mayor Odeal Montgomery, the mayor said in Tuesday’s Town Council meeting.

Attempts to reach Bell at both his home and office Tuesday night were unsuccessful.

According to Montgomery, state law provides that the mayor has the sole authority to appoint members to the board of a housing authority. Montgomery appointed Angela Schneider, Cleveland Payne and Police Chief Eddie Newman to the Ferriday Housing Authority’s board last year.

&uot;But the director (Bell) told Ms. Schneider she was not on the board and told Chief Newman he could not serve on the board because he is a town employee,&uot;&160;Montgomery said.

Instead, Bell said housing authority tenants voted to appoint Antoinette Brown to the board to fill Irene Collins’ position on the board after Collins’ term expired, Montgomery added.

But according to an opinion the mayor requested from the Attorney General’s Office and brought to Tuesday’s meeting, state law does not give tenants the authority to vote for board appointments.

Montgomery said her comments were made so that Mayor-Elect Glen McGlothin would be updated on the situation before he takes office July 1. McGlothin was not present at Tuesday’s meeting. Earlier in the meeting, the Town Council voted to approve the hiring of Derrick Wilson as superintendent of the town’s water plant to replace former superintendent Mary Farmer, who has resigned from the position.

The council also voted Tuesday to enter a $129,000, 10-year lease/purchase agreement for a fire truck pending a review of the contract by Town Attorney John Sturgeon to see whether State Bond Commission approval is needed.

Also during the meeting:

— A representative of Diamond Disposal said that if town crews place trash, such as limbs and other yard debris, at the same sites where residents leave their garbage — on streets instead of in alleys – Diamond crews will pick it up.

At past meetings, council members have said constituents have complained about trash in the alleys not being picked up in a timely manner.

— The council voted to approve occupational licenses for Lewis Auto, White’s Laundrymat and the Bowl Cut Salon.

— The council voted to approve the transfer of $6,000 from a U.S. Department of Agriculture revolving loan fund to help cover the cost of downtown lighting project by Ferriday Chamber of Commerce.

— Councilman Bob Jones told resident Dorothy Ulman he should know by the end of this week what the town can do to fix a leaky fire hydrant near her Woodland Avenue home.