Jury asked to support youth club

By Paul Kedinger

LSN STAFF WRITER

CROWLEY – Crowley Alderwoman Laurita D. Pete brought her campaign to start a Boys & Girls Club in Crowley to the Police Jury Tuesday night.

With hopes of opening the youth center under the auspices of the Acadiana organization based in Lafayette, Pete asked jurors to become “a contributing financial member” and also aid in finding a suitable building.

Because state law forbids the Jury from making donations to private groups, jurors wanted assurances that the club, if established, would serve all parish youth. Pete confirmed the center in Crowley would serve all.

Juror John Que-bodeaux moved to take Pete’s request under advisement and consider the Jury’s options when preparing the next annual budget. The vote was unanimous.

Pete presented a proposed budget of $185,500.

In other business, jurors approved the sale of $3,025,000 of sales tax refunding bonds to Hancock Bank at a rate of 3.45 percent.

Jurors appointed Raymond Trahan and Frank Menard to replace Charles Melancon, Jr. and John Hoffpauir on the First Ward Drainage Board while reappointing Terry Faul.

Dwayne Gossen, Leonard Habetz and Gerald Leonards were reappointed to the Second Ward Drainage Board, and Conrad Meyers was appointed to replace his deceased father, Henry.

Jurors approved applying for three Local Government Grants, specifically, $65,000 to change one of two air conditioning chillers in the courthouse, $60,000 for the Iota Long-Point Drainage District and $50,000 for the Consolidated Gravity Drainage District.

Jurors agreed to spend about $5,000 to repair three tractors used at the LeGos Airport instead of buying a new tractor.

Jurors rejected a $777 bid for a engine-less gradall excavator after learning the potential value of the salvage steel and directed their secretary-treasurer to investigate a better sale.

Juror A.J. “Fatty” Broussard cast the sole negative vote to declare a Cessna airplane, a car and six Ford F-150 pickup trucks used in the in-house mosquito control program as surplus.

Jurors accepted the recommendations of the Road and Bridge Committee to repair the Hazelwood Bridge at a cost of $29,935. They also agreed to purchase a used motor grader from Doggett Machinery for $138,000.

Jurors accepted three recommendations from the Building and Grounds Committee to install an automatic door opener on the north entrance to the courthouse, to instruct Lee Hebert, Office of Homeland Security to study grant options to install video cameras around the courthouse. The committee will review professional cleaning services in the courthouse next month to determine if complaints have been resolved.