By T. Scott Boatright
Money matters to wrap up 2022 and prepare for 2023 were the main orders of business Tuesday night as the Lincoln Parish Police Jury held its December meeting at the Lincoln Parish Library Events Center.
Jurors Skip Russell, Joe Henderson and Hazel Hunter were all absent from the meeting.
The LPPJ approved adoption of the Humanitarian Enterprises of Lincoln Parish 2022 amended and 2023 proposed budgets, the LPPJ 2022 amended and 2023 proposed budgets, the Lincoln Parish Library 2022 amended and 2023 proposed budgets, the North Louisiana Exhibition Center’s 2022 amended and 2023 proposed budgets, and the 2022 amended and 2023 proposed budgets.
All of that voting was unanimous.
Humanitarian Enterprises of Lincoln Parish’s estimated expenditures and other financing for 2022 totaled $982,009 while estimated 2022 revenues stand at $977,166.dl’;
The LPPJ’s total budget for 2022 expenditures and other financing as well as revenues and other financing balanced out at $25,635,965 each.
Jurors also approved appointments of members to the Tremont Water District and Waterworks District No. 2.
Reappointed to the Tremont Water District was Wayne McNabb (five-year term) while Paul Brazzel was appointed to that district, also on a five-year term.
Appointed to the Waterworks District No. 2 were Harold Parker (five-year term), Darryl Johnson (four-year term), Billy Jack Talton (three-year term), Lisa Mangum (two-year term) and George Parkman (one-year term).
“We announced (the Waterworks District 2) vacancies at our last meeting and I will note that one of the things I was asked about was staggering those terms,” said Parish Administrator Doug Postel. “We did contract the officials at Waterworks District No. 2 and they did agree to provide us with names with those staggered terms.”
Jurors also approved its Capital Improvement Plan for 2023-25, amending it by adding a portion of Monday road that Postel said he and other officials visited recently and found that deterioration was significantly worse than the last time it was studied.
That plan includes $2,817,433 in expected costs for 2023, $3,600,090 in projected costs for 2024 and $2,609,090 in predicted expenditures for 2025.
In other business, the LPPJ approved use of coronavirus funding from the state for the Lincoln Outdoors program for design of mountain biking trails at Lincoln Parish Park.
“This company, Dirt Coasters, did the designs for the trails at Bogue Chitto State Park, which has seen an increase of more than 50,000 visitors per year for the purpose of riding on those trails,” Postel said. “They’ve been recognized throughout the South as one of the top design companies around, so we’re going to enter into contract with them to design this project.
Engineering consultant Henry Shuler also presented a Water Sector Grant report to jurors during the meeting.
“Lincoln Parish has two water sewer treatment plants and what this plan does is connect those systems into one treatment plant. I think that’s the best move y’all can make for the sewage system.”
Shuler said that the $2 million project will include around a $250,000 expenditure to the LPPJ to combine with other secured funding.
“I wish I could get it for free, but this will be 20 years at 0.95% interest,” Shuler said. “What I’m telling you is that this is as good as you could possibly do. … For us, based on population numbers, to get the kind of funding we did — this was a home run and I could not be any prouder of finding a way to make this happen.”
