Police jury approves road improvement projects

The Evangeline Parish Police Jury approved of a road resurfacing and upgrading plan prepared by the police jury’s engineer over the objections of three jurors who said it unfairly favors the more densely populated areas of the parish.
Jurors Lamar Johnson, Kenny Burgess and Eric Soileau were the only negative votes among the nine jurors. They objected to the priority the plan places on resurfacing blacktop roads and pointed out that in the rural areas they represent, gravel or chip seal roads in need of improvement are included in the second phase of the plan, using funds left over from the first phase.
Burgess said rural areas “continue to be neglected,” for road improvements. Johnson said when voters approved the tax that will pay for the bond issue, they didn’t know the priority would be on improving paved roads. Soileau questioned the cost of the project, which he said “tripled” since the last 15-year bond issue. He said the area he represent also doesn’t have the industry that would generate revenue that other areas of the parish have.
The police jury voted six to three to approve the plan, and the road improvements will now be advertised for bids.
Jurors also discussed ways to improve collections for sewer service, which are running more than $125,000 in delinquencies.
Donald Bergeron, police jury secretary/treasurer, said the parish’s legal advisor recommended the police jury enter into cooperative endeavor agreements with water distribution systems. The agreements would specify when water service can be turned off to residents who are delinquent in paying for their sewer service. The police jury appoints board members to water service boards in rural areas of the parish.
During a discussion about the legality of turning off water service, juror Bryan Vidrine said the U.S. Supreme Court had affirmed a governmental body’s right to do so, in a case that originated in Tennessee. The police jury asked its legal advisor to draft a cooperative endeavor agreement for water boards to review.
Chester Granger, parish public works director, reported that parish crews will begin chip sealing Monday, June 16. He also asked for, and was given, permission to add three or four part time employees to road crews while chip sealing is being done this year.
Ronnie Landreneau, the police jury consulting engineer, reported that the new pavilion at Crooked Creek Recreational Area will be framed this week. That project is being funded by a federal hurricane recovery grant.
Bergeron reported the parish’s audit report “is down to a single page.” He said the parish’s new computer system is allowing the police jury staff to prepare records that greatly simplify the auditing process.