By Malcolm Butler
The Lincoln Parish Police Jury met last night with numerous items being discussed, approved and in some cases tabled for committees to further research.
The proposed 2023 budgets for the Lincoln Parish Library and the North Louisiana Exhibition Center were both presented during the meeting while a December 13 LPPJ meeting date was set for the Lincoln Parish Police Jury’s amended 2022 budget and proposed 2023 budgets to be discussed and voted on as well.
During this discussion, a tentative game-plan for financing the City of Ruston’s ambulance and rescue services ($645,000) was mentioned. Normally, revenue in excess of expenditures is transferred into the courthouse capital account. According to Lincoln Parish Police Jury Administrator Doug Postel, $1M was budgeted for this.
However, the plan would be to use roughly $500,000 of this to pay the difference in the original $120,000 budgeted for ambulance and rescue and the actual $645,000 price tag.This will be discussed and voted on as part of the 2023 budget during the upcoming December meeting.
In other agenda items, Richard Aillet’s two-year term on the Lincoln Parish Fire District #1 Board has expired, leaving the opportunity for an appointment by the LPPJ during December’s meeting. According to Postel, Aillet has expressed interest in being re-appointed.
“This is the position currently held by (Richard) Aillet,” said Postel. “This is just the announcement of the opening. I did receive a letter today … by the fire district recommending Mr. Aillet be re-appointed to that position. He is interested, but that will be up for reappointment next month.”
Postel said that anyone else who is interested in being considered for the appointment can send a letter to him or to the Lincoln Parish Fire District #1. The individual would have to reside within Ward 1 in order to be considered.
Dr. Tiffany Bates and Tony Young were both appointed to the board for the North East Delta Human Services Authority by a vote of the Lincoln Parish Police Jury with only Personnel and Benefits Committee chairman Joe Henderson abstaining. They will both serve three-year terms that will expire at the end of 2025.
During the Solid Waste and Recycling Committee Meeting, a concern over the life expectancy of the current CMD (Demolition and Construction) site. A new CMD site is being constructed and is expected to be ready within the next 8-15 months, but at the current rate, there is a big concern that the current site may not last that long. The life expectancy of this area was shortened due to the amount of residue that was dumped from the 2019 tornado and the 2020 hurricane.
The recommendation was made and approved to no longer take commercial debris, only residential debris, until the new site is opened. This measure could prolong the current sites life expectancy to as much as two years, providing accurate time for the new site to be ready.
“We are talking about the actual structures, and not mom and pop bringing it versus a roll off company,” clarified juror Logan Hunt. “So we are talking about what they are actually bringing, not whose bringing it.”
TJ Cranford, chair of the Solid Waste and Recycling Committee, also asked about possibly having the litter patrols cleaning up state highways, something that at one time it did but that in recent year’s had stopped doing.
“I have noticed over the last several months, especially along Highway 33 which is where I travel the most, that the debris is just building up on the roads more than normal,” said Cranford. “After talking to some folks, it seems like the litter patrol isn’t running state highways anymore.
“I want to ask that we start running it again. Some of these places look terrible, especially Highway 33 where all the garbage trucks come up. The garbage flies out of the back — and there isn’t much you can do about that — but we need to pick those roads up and clean them up.”
It was discussed about assuring the parish roads were still the priority in litter clean, but the police jury voted in favor of having the litter patrol also work some of the state roads such as Highway 33 and Highway 80 when needed.
Stephanie Miles from Enterprise Rental Car gave an annual update on the two-year partnership between the police jury and her company in regards to replacing and reviving the police jury’s work vehicle fleet.
“I am currently working with ya’ll to replace and revive your fleet, to make it a new, fresher fleet to make it safer for your employees for your drivers,” said Miles. “The focus is to help save you money. The first four or five years of the partnership its really about getting the newer vehicles in your fleet.”
investments of policy jury funds … $5M construction funds in reserves
