By T. Scott Boatright
Approval of change orders for the Lincoln Parish Park Bike Flow Trails Hub project as well as taking action toward road and sewer improvements were primary focuses of the Lincoln Parish Police Jury as it held its September meeting Tuesday night at the Lincoln Parish Courthouse.
The first change order was in the amount of $4,800 to lengthen bike trails under construction at the park.
Next up was approval of Change Order No. 1 for the Love Louisiana Outdoors program Mountain Bike Flow Tails in the approximate amount of $87,500 contingent on LCDBG approval.
“We want to use all the grant money available in the project and the water project is pretty much completed,” said Parish Administrator Courtney Hall. “So whatever money is left over we need to utilize in change orders to maximize what we can do out there.
Project engineer Paul Reilly said there are two grants involved in the project, one for the water improvements and another for the bike trails.
The initial change is for the $87,500, but Reilly asked for even more money expected to be available to be included in the permission to make the change orders.
“What we’d like to do is spend all the money,” Reilly said. “So what I’d like to get from y’all, assuming you approve the change order for the water, and after that’s approved we’d still have $163,870 available with nothing out of the Jury’s pockets. So what I’d like to get from you is permission to spend up to that amount with of course everything being contingent on LCDBG approval.
“So there will probably be two more change orders before it’s all done, and I’m trying to get that done now so we have to come back. So we’re just asking for permission for the parish administrator to be able to make change orders up to the $163,870 that’s available.”
The third parish park change order the LPPJ granted Hall to have the authority to sign off on was in the amount of $15,156 for replacement/upgrades of water lines within the park.
“This is a very much needed project,” Riley said. “Y’all had leaking water lines that were done with inmate labor when the park was first developed. So we replaced that, but there were a lot of unknowns with that project but we didn’t know where a lot of stuff was underground.
“We were able to do it and did all the changes we needed, which amounted to that $15,156 we’re asking for. And again, this is all out of that block grant funding.”
The LPPJ also approved acceptance of a low bid of $1,282,594.07 from Amethyst Construction for Capital Improvement Program (CIP) hot mix overlays.
LPPJ Public Works Committee Chair Logan Hunt said the jury had budgeted $1,285,000 in the CIP for this year.
“So it’s right there within the budget,” Hunt said.
Hunt said the roads that will receive the hot-mix overlays are a 8,400–foot section of Gohegan Road at a cost of $535,000, an 11,000-foot portion of Works Road at a cost of $715,000 and a total rebuild of Old Wire Circle in Vienna for $35,000.
The LPPJ also granted permission for the parish administrator to authorize advertisement for a sewer consolidation project contingent on Water Sector Program approval.
“All systems are go on that, we’re just waiting for the letter of approval so we’re just proactively asking for permission to be able to get the advertising going as soon as we receive that letter,” Hall said.
The LPPJ also authorized submittal of a project permit asking the Louisiana Department of to Transportation and Development to patch and chip seal select (rural) Interstate-20 bridge approaches along with permission for the LPPJ to participate in a road transfer program with the Louisiana DOTD on select (rural) I-20 bridge approaches.
Those select roads do not include any within Ruston city limits but are aimed instead at rural, lesser-used roadways.
Also approved was a motion authorizing bids for HVAC improvements at the Lincoln Parish Detention Center and introduction of an ordinance for sale of adjudicated property for a small lot on South Pine Street in Choudrant.
Jurors also authorized the LPPJ president to sign a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement with the state of Louisiana regarding receipt of $90,000 for firefighter air packs and to sign an application with the Louisiana DOTD for H.E.L.P. Agency funding while also authorizing the parish administrator to sign documents necessary to obtain full ownership of property for the Health Hub project.
In addition, the LPPJ adopted a Citizen Participation Plan for the Fiscal Year 2024-25 LCDBG application, while setting a public hearing for 5 p.m. on Sept. 26 at the Lincoln Parish Library Events Center for discussion of that plan.
