By T. Scott Boatright
Money matters dominated Tuesday’s Lincoln Parish Police Jury meeting, from wrapping up yearly budgets to approving slight increases for a few services at Lincoln Parish Park.
The LPPJ passed a motion during the meeting held in the Police Jury Room at the Lincoln Parish Courthouse to increase park entry fees from $3 to $5 with a family cap of $20, rental rates for RV spots with hookups for water, sewage and electricity from $35 to $50 per night and from $40 to $60 per night for premium rental spots.
All other park fees will remain the same.
Parish Treasurer Michael Sutton said the changes were recommended because it will increase revenue knowing that the Ruston-Lincoln Convention and Visitors Bureau is planning to primary its park funding at specific projects and because even after the increases, the fees are the same if not less than a majority of comparable sites in the region.
Park Director James Ramsaur said it’s been 12-15 years since fees were last adjusted for the park.
The LPPJ also voted to designate remaining ARPA funding to specific areas as it is obligated to do by the end of the year per regulations to receive the funding.
Sutton said there is a little more than $800,000 remaining in the funding provided to Lincoln Parish.
President Joe Biden signed the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), the latest federal stimulus bill to aid public health and economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, on March 11, 2021. The plan included $350 billion in emergency funding for state, local, territorial and tribal governments, known as the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds.
The LPPJ designated $350,000 of the remaining ARPA funding to offset a sewer rate increase that would have gone up from $45 to $63 monthly that would have been required due to a state sewer rate study recommendation that was performed as part of previous funding received for parish sewer system improvements.
City of Ruston water users will see a 26.5% increase in rates beginning in February due to a state water rate study recommendation made for the same reason.
The LPPJ also obligated $175,000 of the parish’s remaining ARPA funding to the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office for surveillance equipment, $150,000 for sewer building renovations, $50,000 to upgrade lighting at the Lincoln Parish Exposition Center, $50,000 for furniture for the HELP Agency with its upcoming move to the Health Hub and $25,000 for spay/neutering vouchers to provide to parish pet owners.
Also approved was authorization for Parish Administrator Courtney Hall to accept the lowest bids on gravel materials.
The LPPJ also approved 2024 amended and 2025 proposed budgets for Humanitarian Enterprises of Lincoln Parish and the Police Jury itself and authorized LPPJ President Glenn Scriber to execute 2025 Cooperative Endeavor Agreements with the GIS and Parish IT Offices, and for Scriber to execute an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Coroner’s Office to determine/clarify payment responsibilities.
Adoption of an ordinance for sale of adjudicated property on Bennett Road was also approved as was relocating an election polling site from the Luffey Catholic Life Center to Cypress Springs Elementary School.
The LPPJ also made multiple Board and Commission appointments, with Scott Futrell being reappointed to Waterworks District No. 1, John McCain being reappointed to the Tremont Water District, Walter McElduff being reappointed to the Tremont Water District to replace Brenda Dubose, Stephanie Smith being appointed to an open seat on the Lincoln Parish Library Board of Control, Anthony Garrison and Clark Canterbury being reappointed to the Lincoln Parish Fire Protection District No. 1, and appointing Patrick Patton to replace Jerry Moore on the North Louisiana Exposition Center Commission.
Jurors also learned that they will have to find a Northeast Delta Human Service Authority replacement for Dr. Tony Young.
The LPPJ tabled considering four candidates for three positions on the Mt. Olive Waterworks District.
Three of those candidates, Shalena Johnson, Mertrude Douglas and Charlie Hudson are incumbents, while Charles “Butch” Crain had also expressed a desire to be appointed to one of the positions for a better representation of all residences within the district.
The LPPJ tabled a decision this month in hopes that the Mt. Olive Waterworks District can decide internally on three candidates to be recommended for appointment by the Jury.
