Police jury accepts donation of property in Basile

The Evangeline Parish Police Jury, during its monthly committee meeting on Monday, January 6, voted to accept the donation of property on the corner of West Stagg and Duplechain avenues in Basile.
Wells Fargo Bank acquired the property in a foreclosure. After unsuccessful attempts to donate the property, the bank added $5,000 to the donation, which juror Kenny Burgess said would be used to demolish the house.
He said he and Donald Bergeron, police jury secretary/treasurer, inspected the house and found no asbestos or other conditions that would require additional expense to remove.
After clearing the house from the property, a park will be located there, perhaps having a pavilion and barbecue pits, Bergeron said.
The jurors also discussed improvements that need to be made at Crooked Creek recreational area. Heaters and some light fixtures in the three cabins that were built there some 40 years ago need to be repaired or replaced.
Bergeron said that because the park does not generate enough funding during the winter months, $12,000 was transferred from the general fund to cover expenses such as water and electricity bills and making improvements.
The police jury will consider setting higher rates for admission and rent at Crooked Creek during its regular meeting next week. Juror Lamar Johnson advised the jurors to include in the new rates a percentage to be deposited into an escrow account to fund future repairs or improvements.
The police jury voted to advertise for bids for the construction of a pavilion near the boat landing at Crooked Creek. Engineer Ronnie Landreneau said the construction would be paid for with storm-related grants at no expense to the parish.
Jurors approved paying a claim for $350 to cover the cost of a cow that died after a parish crew working on a drainage project in District 5 caused the cow to get loose and become stuck in mud.
The jurors discussed the abrupt departure of Benny Dupre, who had operated a sandwich shop at the courthouse called The Docket. Bryan Vidrine, police jury president, said the Dupre did not tell anyone on the police jury about shutting down. The jurors decided to send Dupre a letter requesting payment of rent based on a three-month agreement reached when Dupre spoke to the police jury at their September meeting.
Office of Emergency Preparedness Director Liz Hill presented a report on the office’s 2013 operations. She said architects are about half way through completing the building plan for the new 8,000-square-foot OEP building at the Evangeline Parish Industrial Park. Hill said she expects bids for the construction of the new building to be advertised in early March.
Vidrine asked Hill if she was aware of what the current OEP offices, at the southeast corner of the parish courthouse, will be used for after OEP employees vacate the offices. She said she is not aware of anyone interested in using it. She also said the offices will need “mostly cosmetic” repairs, although there is no need for major repairs.
The last action taken during the meeting was approval of a new system of tracking procurement of fuel for the parish’s vehicles.