Police jury briefed on Agcenter programs

The Evangeline Parish Police Jury, during its monthly meeting Monday, April 13, was presented with an annual update of programs offered by the LSU Agcenter.
Keith Fontenot, AgCenter chair, briefed the jurors on the various services they offer.
Juror Lamar Johnson asked Fontenot about efforts the AgCenter is making toward ensuring young people are being made aware of the need to reduce the amount of trash being thrown along roads and other public places. He said the parish is “spending a lot we shouldn’t have to,” to remove trash. He said younger people, from seven to nine years of age, should be made to understand why littering is harmful before they form bad littering habits.
Fontenot said the AgCenter will look into possible programs to instill proper attitudes regarding littering, and that the AgCenter does teach young people about the problems to wildlife caused by littering and pollution in wetlands.
Fontenot said the AgCenter has assisted nearly 40 teachers about littering and pollution involving wetlands, reaching about 1,400 students this year.
The AgCenter has also assisted schools in improving football and baseball fields to reduce the hazards of fire ants. among other problems. Fontenot asked the jurors to refer their constituents -- whether homeowners, farmers or business owners -- to the AgCenter if they have any questions.
Agent Tina Guillory briefed the jurors on the Evangeline Parish AgCenter’s support of the 21 traditional 4-H school clubs, including 90 youth volunteers participating in statewide service projects.
She said 700 students have participated in the AgCenter-sponsored health educational program, “Body Walk,” and that young people have been taught the importance of etiquette and good manners.
Juror Bryan Vidrine asked Guillory if young people are being taught the importance of proper etiquette involving use of cell phones. “That’s the first thing,” young people are being made aware of regarding etiquette and manners, she said.
Agent Todd Fontenot told the jurors about livestock and beef cattle shows and the importance of the facility on Chancey Pitre Road for those activities He also briefed the jurors about the growing youth participating in shooting programs offered by the AgCenter that are improving skills of young people.
Jurors were briefed on various insurance issues by independent insurance agent Phillip Lemoine, including workmans comp compliance, vehicle insurance and other policies.
He said compliance regarding parish employees affected by the Affordable Health Care Act is difficult because standards “seem to change every month.” Lemoine said the basic compliance issue involves coverage of all employees working 30 or more hours a week unless employees sign a waiver excluding them from the overage mandate.
Jurors also were brought up to date on operations at Crooked Creek by Ken Johnson, park manager. He said people have been bringing in golf carts after hours to avoid having to pay a fee for bringing them into the park. He and the jurors discussed requiring golf carts to have either a sticker or tag verifying the carts have been properly checked into the park. Juror Johnson said when Crooked Creek is busy, up to about 50 golf carts are in the park.
Acting on Johnson’s request, the jurors approved setting quiet hours at the park -- when loud music or other public disturbance is prohibited -- from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Jurors passed the 2015 budget with an amendment that will allow the updating of the two Evangeline Parish District 13 courtrooms. Judge Chuck West, who attended the police jury meeting, said the sound system needs to be updated because the wires criss-crossing the courtrooms constitute a hazard of people possibly tripping over them.
Chester Granger, parish public works director, reported there is an emergency repair needed to a bridge on Stage Coach Road, off Highway 167 south of Bayou Chicot. He also said repairs are needed to a bridge on Four Mile Road, but he is trying to determine if the bridge is in Evangeline Parish or St. Landry Parish.
Granger asked for, and received, permission to hire -- through Acadiana Works -- a crew to chip seal roads. He said that due to recent rains, chip sealing has been delayed and may not start until mid-May. He said chip sealing will begin in the south part of the parish, then crews will move to the L’anse Meg area, then the Mamou area, then around Ville Platte, and in the north part of the parish in July or August.
Ronnie Landreneau, consulting engineer, reported that the parish is ready to call for bids to harden -- with stronger doors and glass -- 10 fire stations in the parish. Authorization for the bidding process was approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency to prepare key community facilities in the event of hurricanes or other natural disasters. Juror Eric Soileau said the efforts to secure the grants to pay for the project “have gone on for years.”
Donald Bergeron, police jury secretary/treasurer, told the jurors that the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality had approved the parish’s request to designate an area at the Evangeline Parish Industrial Park as a temporary dump site for debris resulting from a hurricane or other event.
Just before the police jury meeting ended, Ryan Ardoin, police jury president, asked for the jurors and the public to oppose HB 438, which was referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources and Environment the same day as the police jury meeting.
The bill, authored by Representative Eddie Lambert of Gonzales, would limit the size of crawfish sold to the public to 3.5 inches or more.