By T. Scott Boatright
The Lincoln Parish Police Jury approved measures Tuesday night to extend a 2.5% cost of living increase to parish employees while also approving funding at the requested amounts during its October meeting held Tuesday night at the Lincoln Parish Courthouse.
Those funding requests were for the following amounts:
(Paid from General Fund)
• Bayou Lake D’Arbonne Commission ($1,800; no increase)
• Sparta Groundwater Commission ($2,500; no increase)
• Council on Aging ($5,000; no increase)
• :Lincoln Total Community Action ($8,000; $2,000 increase)
• Cooperative Extension Service ($22,500; $2,500 increase)
• Lincoln Parish IT ($20,000; no increase)
• Lincoln Parish GIS ($25,000; no increase)
• Lincoln Parish Registrar of Voters ($51,000; no increase)
• Lincoln Parish Coroner ($60,483; no increase)
• Third Judicial District Court ($140,739; $2039 increase)
• Lincoln Parish District Attorney ($300.000; $55,340 increase)
(Paid from other than General Fund)
• North Delta Human Services Authority ($5,000; $3,470 increase)
• Keep Lincoln Parish Beautiful ($7,500; no increase; funded from Solid Waste Disposal)
• Lincoln Parish Health Unit ($18,500; no increase; Funded from Hospital Proceeds Fund)
The LPPJ also adopted a resolution authorizing the Jury president to sign an access and utility servitude grant between the Lincoln Parish Police Jury and the city of Ruston regarding property to be used as part of the Health Hub project.
Jurors also adopted a resolution to pay engineering and administration fees for the LCDB 2024/25 Public Facilities Program to study potential infrastructure upgrades; adopted a resolution requesting the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development to make necessary repairs to La. Hwy. 818; approved renewals from The Lincoln Agency for property insurance and Thomas and Farr Agency, Inc. for group health insurance and approved plans for a Christmas party to be held on Dec. 14 at Lincoln Hall.
In new business, the LPPJ adopted an ordinance for sale of adjudicated property; to accept the Ruston-Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau 2023 amended and 2023 proposed budgets; adopted an annual resolution from off-system annual bridge certification; adopted a certificate evidencing public approval of bonds to be issued by Capital Area Finance Authority pursuant to Section 147 (f) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 as amended, and authorizing the Jury president to sign and granted authority for Parish Administrator Courtney Hall to submit two Capital Outlay applications to the state of Louisiana before a Nov. 1 deadline.
In other business, the LPPJ also announced a vacancy in Waterwork District 2 following the death of George Park and recommended that Jay Keen fill that position through Dec. 31 and also authorized piggyback purchases of firefighter air packs off a city of New Orleans Fire Department contract at a cost of $9,000 each.
