Pam Cannatella This is Me

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1. 1. www.dailyworld.com

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   Published on: 3/23/2008   Last Visited: 3/23/2008

   Attending the event were standing, from left, Arnaudville Mayor Kathy Richard, alderman James Fontenot - Town of Melville, Melville Mayor Pam Cannatella, Melanie Lee - City of Opelousas, Kim Fontenot - CLECO, Francine Sias - St. Landry Parish Government director of finance, John Slaughter Jr. - Town of Grand Coteau, Dorothy Worthy - Town of Washington, Trey Thibodeaux - Evangeline Downs, Pam Gautreau - St. Landry Parish Council Member District 8, Frankie Bertrand - Opelousas St. Landry Chamber of Commerce.

2. 2. www.dailyworld.com

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   Published on: 1/8/2008   Last Visited: 1/8/2008

   Melville Mayor Pam Cannatella remembered him as a man who "had a positive effect on so many people.

3. 3. www.dailyworld.com

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   Published on: 4/12/2007   Last Visited: 4/13/2007

   MELVILLE - Melville Mayor Pam Cannatella made improving operations in the city a mission of her first 100 days in office.
   
   "My number one goal has been to get our finances in step and my number two goal was to hire a maintenance supervisor and get that department running smoothly," she said Tuesday.
   ...
   Taking hold of city finances was really a very simple thing to do, Cannatella said. "Basically all spending was cut out, all unnecessary overtime," she said. "Police department cost for dispatchers was reduced. Instead of employing dispatchers to work 24/7, we use sheriff's office dispatchers now."
   
   In addition, Cannatella said, "We started a cut off list for water and gas customers. We asked, if you are behind we'll work something out, but bills are no longer being allowed to go months without some effort to pay."
   
   Cannatella said after the first cut off list went out, and customers realized the city was serious about collecting its money, $5,000 in past due bills was collect. "People are starting to realize they have to pay bills, and it's not the elderly on fixed incomes who we have problems with. It's just the slackers."
   
   As a result, Cannatella has reduced town debts from a total of $119,000 in January to $72,500.
   
   Realizing that a small town depends on the help of many volunteers, she began a monthly newsletter as a means of keeping constituents informed and now sells ads to local businesses as means to fund the printing and distribution of the letter.
   
   Her March newsletter encourages residents to call Town Hall for instructions on how to discard tires, old cars and other junk items. That same newsletter announces dates and times for a six-week First Responder Course. "We have 17 people in that class," she said.
   
   Melville's Volunteer Fire Department had four core members when Cannatella took office and its chief was out sick. It's fire rating was 10, which is the lowest any department can have.
   
   Cannatella's January newsletter called for a return of volunteers and informed residents that she was seeking state help with obtaining matching funds for a new fire truck purchase.
   
   The previous fire chief applied for and received a $131,250 USDA grant, but of that money, 25 percent was to be paid by the town, she said. "Last August state Rep. Eric Lafleur found $68,000 for the town to use as matching fund, but the paper work had not been completed.
   
   "That's being done," she said.
   
   Cannatella also is working to complete an online grant application that could provide the town's fire department with needed equipment, all necessary to improving the department's fire rating.
   
   In March, she and Lavonya Malveaux, director of Southern University's Rural Initiative Center put their heads together and came up with the idea for a weekly after-school tutorial and enrichment program for kids ages 6 to 11. That program now meets at the Melville Civic Center every Thursday afternoon for two hours.
   
   "They do homework and learn life lesson skills and character development skills," she said. "I met Lavonya when I served as town tourism ambassador. She's from Palmetto."
   
   Cannatella said it is her hope to see work started on the city playground sometime this year. "It needs a lot," she said. A horse was being kept there and the ground is uneven, she said.
   
   In addition, she said, the bathrooms need to be renovated and protected so vandalism does not continue to be a problem there.
   
   "Melville is a good place," Cannatella said. "There are wonderful people here and there is opportunity. Melville will never be a big city, but we can do things to make people want to come here.
   
   "We have a history and a good quality of life can be found here," she said.
   
   At 6 p.m. on April 16, Cannatella is conducting her first "listening session" at the town civil center.
   
   "I want people to come and say what they want done. I want their ideas," she said.
   
   In May, she is attending a two-day economic development workshop in Baton Rouge and already is scoping out the town for someplace to open a tourism center.
   
   "I would like to have someplace where people can stop and get information on Melville," she said. "There is just so much potential here and people need to know more about us."
   
   "Sometimes I wake up at night and say to myself, 'Oh, my God, what have I done?'" she said.
   ...
   Nevills was replacing Witness Meche, a 17-year employee and 80-year-old resident, who as Cannatella put it, "Has been looking to retire."