Statewide initiative to help fund additional generators throughout parish

by Malcolm Butler

Lincoln Parish Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Kip Franklin said Tuesday that the third generator project submitted for Lincoln Parish as part of the state-wide 5% initiative has been approved.

Franklin said he sent out an email back in 2023 gauging who was interested in utilizing the program, and that the funding for these generators comes from the federal government as part of assistance following disasters.

“The state will take money from a disaster,” said Franklin. “This current one is from Hurricane Ida. Initially you have public assistance dollars that come from FEMA for state agencies or municipalities.

“But then following every disaster, you have hazard mitigation money coming in for every state impacted by the disaster. The money that came in from Hurricane Ida … five percent of that money can be set aside for generators; strictly generator projects.”

Franklin said that the first generator project was in 2016 and a second followed in 2018, both of those projects funded by money stemming from Hurricane Gustav in 2008.

“They still had money in that account specifically for generators,” said Franklin. “In 2016 the participants were basically government agencies. But the one in 2018 was mostly rural water systems. And this one, most of it is rural water systems with a few government agencies included.”

The current generator project was submitted in October 2023, but was just recently approved on January 7, 2025, according to Franklin.

There are 16 generators included in this project, all submitted by different agencies and municipalities located within our parish.

These include:

Fellowship Water System

City of Grambling (City Hall)

Hico Water System (Sharon Well)

Hico Water System (Barnet Well)

Lincoln Parish Police Jury (Arthur Lift Street)

Lincoln Parish Police Jury (Court Annex)

Lincoln Parish Police Jury (Expo Arena)

LPPJ Water Works District 3 (Office)

LPPJ Water Works District 3 (Airport Well 2)

LPPJ Water Works District 3 (Longstraw Well 3)

Mount Zion Water System (Office)

Mount Zion Water System (May Road Well 2)

Village of Simsboro (Water Well 6)

Village of Simsboro (Terminal Lift Station)

Village of Simsboro (Braswell Lift Station)

Village of Simsboro (Highway 150 Lift Station)

The most recent initiative allows for a 90-10 cost share with 90 percent of the expense of each of the generators to be paid with funds from the hazard mitigation dollars. The previous two saw a 75-25 cost share.

The total cost for the 16 generators in the current generator project is $1,581,680, with $1,423,494 of the total funded through these dollars. The remaining 10 percent is paid for by each of the entities receiving the generators.

The 2016 generator project benefited the City of Ruston, City of Grambling, Lincoln Parish Detention Center, Lincoln Parish Fire District, Lincoln Parish School Board, Ruston Fire Department, and the Lincoln Parish Police Jury. The total cost of those projects was $1,634,698,

The 2018 generator project benefited Great Ward 1 Water, Water Works District 3, Mount Zion Water District, Village of Simsboro, Lincoln Parish Fire District, and Wesley Chapel Water District. The total cost of those projects was $577,583.

Franklin said that all of the current projects could begin immediately and that the total cost is funded up front. However, the reimbursement for the 90 percent usually occurs within a few months.

“It’s a reimbursement program,” said Franklin. “If you are going to put a generator in your government office let’s say, and it’s $100,000, you are going to pay the $100,000 up front. Then you will get reimbursed 90 percent of that cost.

“Hurricane Ida was initially declared a 90-10 cost share when it was declared a disaster.”

Franklin also said there is a secondary program that each entity can follow up with where the remaining 10 percent of the cost could be funded.

With the addition of the

“These three projects have put generators in place to support water systems and other utility systems to keep them up and running during emergencies,” said Franklin. “It has also given backup power to government offices within our parish to support continuity during these times, so they don’t have to shut down completely.

“We could have a power outage at any time. And when we do, these generators are going to take over and help us to continue to function throughout our parish.”

Franklin added that there are three pending generator projects awaiting approval, including: