CULLEN, La. – Water problems can be added to the list of concerns going on in Cullen.
KTBS received a call from a Cullen water customer Tuesday morning who said the water was out in the town.
Calls and texts to Mayor Hoof were unanswered. Calls to Town Hall have been met with a busy signal. An email to the town’s email address has not received a response.
KTBS reached Alderwoman Floydean White at her home. She said the water was running there but it was “real slow.”
White said she called Town Hall to find out what was going on and was told the town was having problems with the water system. The extent of those problems is unknown.
White said contractors were called to work on the system.
She said the pressure at her home this afternoon was improved from this morning.
The water issues come a day after the mayor apparently abruptly cancelled the Town Council’s regularly scheduled meeting without providing a reason.
The meeting was supposed to be held at 6 p.m. Monday; however, the required 24-hour notice for publicly posting the agenda didn’t happen. The town’s website indicated a meeting would be held, but still no agenda was provided.
Some of the town’s citizens who showed up to find the doors locked said they had heard the council was supposed to discuss possible increases to customers’ water and sewer bills.
How the town is operating is still largely unknown. Hoof has not responded to calls or texts. Some of the council members also have said they have information about town operations.
The town is the subject of an ongoing investigative audit. No date has been given for its conclusion.
But at a council meeting earlier this year, the former town clerk said at least $100,000 in public funds had been misappropriated.
Within recent months, some of the town’s bank accounts have been frozen, employees have been unpaid, checks that were issued have bounced, state and federal tax liens have been levied and police cars are idled because there’s no money to purchase gas.