By T. Scott Boatright
Grambling’s City Council passed a motion Thursday night that will result in the dedication of the road off of “Old Grambling Highway” (La. Highway 150) leading to Lincoln Preparatory School and the under-construction Traditions subdivision and the naming of it in honor of the late Dr. Birdex Copeland.
In other business during Thursday’s monthly City Council, Grambling’s City Council approved adoption of an ordinance incurring debt and issuance of a Taxable Excess Revenue Bond, Series 2024, in the amount not to exceed $547,000 by the city of Grambling.
Gordan Ford, CEO/Executive Director at Lincoln Prep, told Grambling’s City Council that the Louisiana Department of Transportation (DOTD) suggested because of the high level of traffic on “Old Grambling Road” that the subdivision and school work together so there would be only one road that will lead to each.
“It was decided the best way to do that would be to create a public road that will come from Highway 150 to the school and then Traditions would branch off of that with their own public roads that would eventually become part of the city infrastructure,” Ford said.
Ford then requested once the city officially accepts and dedicates the naming of the road in honor of Copeland.
“He was the chairman at the time we started the charter school and was a pillar of the community and education for so long, we felt his memory deserves that,” Ford said.
Grambling’s Council unanimously passed dedication of the road along with the stipulation of it being named in honor of Copeland.
The Taxable Excess Revenue Bond issued by the Department of Environmental Equality will be 100% forgivable, said municipal finance attorney Hardy Andrews from the New Orleans-based law firm Foley and Judell.
“Basically it’s a draw-down loan from the DEQ,’ Andrews said. “How that works is, you do the work, submit a pay request to the DEQ for it, they write you a check to pay your vendors, you pay your vendors and then (the DEQ) forgives that portion throughout the project period.
“So, basically it is still a bond, but because there’s 100% forgiveness there’s much less obligation by the city than would be for any other type of revenue bond.”
Grambling Mayor Alvin Bradley said the work will begin by rehabbing the “Hills of Grambling” sewage lift station.
“There is also some work that will be done on R.W.E. Jones (Drive) coming through campus with a force main being put down,” Bradley said. “They’ll be rehabbing various lift stations throughout Grambling — 12 to be exact.”
Bradley said work on the project is hoped to begin by mid-January.
The City Council also received reports on two matters from City Attorney Ronald Lattier — putting motions in place to better govern short-term rental locations in Grambling and an update on legal matters regarding the Grambling Economic Development Corporation (GEDC).
Lattier said he has worked with others to come up with two templates for governing short-term rentals he hopes to present to the city’s Planning and Zoning Commission during its Jan. 22 in hopes of the City Council being to vote on one in February.
He then discussed the ongoing situation with the GEDC.
“In December of last year we filed for a petition of involuntary dismissal of the GEDC basically on the grounds that they didn’t have any transparency that applied to the purpose for which it was created,” Lattier said. “That included the fact that they are using taxpayer funds that we’ve seen and we have seen no economic development that would benefit the city of Grambling and its citizens.
“In response to our petition they filed a ‘No Right of Action’ motion saying that essentially, the city of Grambling nor the Grambling City Council didn’t have any right to file this action.”
Lattier said the city then filed a response that he summarized.
“This is not a classic private corporation, it’s a non-profit public, economic corporation — that was the purpose for which it was created,” Lattier said. “Under a revised statute it specifically says that no such corporation shall be organized, do any business or exercise any power until the legislature or governing authority of a local governmental subdivision — which is the city council — shall declare a need for such a corporation.
“Based upon the inaction of the GEDC, it is our contention that there is no longer a need for the GEDC.”
Lattier said that while the GEDC held no meetings last year, the GEDC has spent some of its funding, and said it appears the GEDC improperly purchased a vehicle for GEDC President Edwards Jones, Grambling’s Mayor from 2011-23.
He also said a hearing on the matter has been set for Jan. 11.
In other business, Grambling’s City Council also passed a motion giving Bradley authorization to sign all contracts with the state of Louisiana, facility planning and control — an annual move — and also agreed to hire Kayla Currie as a non-certified probationary police officer and Cosherie Houston was a dispatcher trainee for the Grambling Police Department.
