By T. Scott Boatright
Tough questions — and even tougher answers.
That was the situation facing the Lincoln Parish Library (LPL) Board of Control’s Events Center Committee as it met Tuesday night in the George Byrnside Conference Room at the LPL.
Much of the discussion centered on developing policies to recommend to the full LPL Board of Control regarding the use of newly acquired kitchen equipment at the Events Center, including food warmers and a commercial oven.
By the end of the meeting, however, there were more questions than answers.
The LPL Events Center recently purchased an industrial convection oven, four 5-foot warmers and two cases of trays that caterers will be able to use during events.
Those purchases were made at the recommendation of Lincoln Parish Police Juror Chris “Moose” Garriga, a restaurant owner and caterer. During a previous Lincoln Parish Police Jury meeting — when the LPPJ approved the LPL Board’s request to amend regulations allowing alcohol to be served in the building — Garriga said such equipment could increase rental use of the facility.
Now, the LPL Board of Control is working to establish policies governing that equipment.
The oven has not yet been installed in the Events Center kitchen. LPL Director Jeremy Bolom said no bids for installation have been received.
Bolom added that additional electrical work is needed, as using two warmers in the same area has caused circuits to trip.
The board also must approve the purchase of additional warming shelves before individual trays can be fully utilized. Each warmer has space for eight shelves, meaning 16 shelves are needed.
Currently, the Events Center does not have enough. Bolom said the facility has one case of shelf trays, with 12 trays per case, meaning at least four more are needed for full use of each warmer.
The kitchen also has a linoleum floor that Events Center Director Kacie Richard said must be taped down. The committee advised Richard and Bolom to obtain estimates to replace the flooring with the concrete foundation underneath.
A significant portion of the nearly hour-long meeting focused on how to address trash being left in the parking lot outside the Events Center.
The committee discussed adding more garbage cans to the front of the LPL/Events Center building but expressed concern that placing cans in the parking area could lead to damage from vehicles.
Members also discussed potential issues involving noise from DJs or concerts during events such as proms being held at the same time as quieter gatherings.
“I’m not there a lot on weekends because I work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.,” Richard said. “So the board has to tell me if I’m the person who has to tell people putting on a prom or an event like that we need to turn the DJs and music down.”
Committee Chair Bill Jones asked Richard to check with city officials on how similar situations are handled at events held at City Hall.
All of those matters will be presented to the full LPL Board of Control at its May meeting, scheduled for 5 p.m. May 21.
