The Allen Parish Police Jury discussed road issues during their public meeting held on Monday night. The main item that began the discussion was an item that had to be added to the agenda.
Brandy Thomas if Reeves was present and brought the road she lives on to the jury’s attention. She claimed that she had spoken to her juror Kent Reed about Greeter Parker Rd and Brandy Thomas Lane several times over the past 15 years. She claimed that he refused to even address the flooding situation.
“I saw no efforts to maintain our road until I informed you all that I got a lawyer. I feel like the neglect of this road is becoming a malfeasance issue,” Thomas stated. “We are not in a flood zone and didn’t have these issues until your office removed cattle-guards and filled them in.”
Thomas requested the jury look into several projects which consisted of adding culverts, dig ditches and provide ways for the road to get better drainage. She also asked for future work to include chip sealing the road.
“I have two special needs children that require medical attention often. There have been times we have had to miss appointments or have not been able to get emergency assistance due to the flooding of this road. There are also elderly families that depend on this road being open and passable. I feel like the condition of this road is due to years of neglect.”
The APPJ engineer Jacob Dillehay spoke informing Thomas the police jury has begun the process of elevating the road and is exploring their drainage options. “We have to find a place for the water to go, unfortunately in your area there aren’t many feasible options,” he stated. “Most of the water in your area seems to go to this road.”
He went on to tell her that the jury has taken steps to begin her project, however it will not be truly completed until spring 2020. “We have to wait for dry weather. If we begin bringing in dirt right now it will just be a mess.”
Thomas accepted this result and thanked the jury for their time.
The jury moved on to address other agenda items such as approving new bylaws for the Allen Parish Ambulance Board. The bylaws haven’t been updated since 1995. The only changes made were to go from seven board members to five, they added term limits where there previously weren’t any, the updated employee terminology and approved for employees to make emergency purchases with a phone request.
The jury accepted the resignation of Jaimie Landry as the Secretary for Recreation District Five and appointed Jana Young as the new secretary.
They also approved LGAP and CWEF grant applications, one for Ward Four Fire District No. Three for $25,000 for truck bays, one for APPJ $80,000 to purchase two excavators for road district no. one and four and for $14,626 for West Allen Water District to buy four isolation valves.
The jury approved a resolution for the Louisiana Watershed Initiative. This allows the jury to enter into a cooperative endeavor to find new ways to divert water and prevent future flooding.
Parish engineer Jacob Dillehay was authorized to sign grant documents for Delta Regional Authority for the new GIS parish mapping system.
The Finance Committee had several requests for the jury to approve:
•Approve to pay Truck N’ Trailer $1,532.74 for repair work to a truck and trailer for road district two.
•Approve to pay Doggett $3,594.55 for repairs to a motor grader for road district three.
•Approve to pay Cottons A/C $4,772 for repairs to air conditioner in the courtroom.
•Approve to pay Cottons A/C $3,000 for repairs to the air conditioner at the jail.
•Approve to pay Covington Sales & Service $1,586 for repairs to a boom ax for road district two.
•Approve to pay Woodland Fluid Power $3,245 for hydraulic parts for a trac hoe for road district one.
•Approve to pay Kenjabruck $1,623.25 for parts for a PTO shaft for road district one.
•Approve to pay CenterPoint Energy $5,874 for the installation of a natural gas line at the DA’s office.
The Road Committee had two requests for the jury to approve:
•Approve a joint service agreement (JSA) with the City of Oakdale for grass cutting, pothole patching and trash pick up for the month of November, 2019.
•Approve a JSA with the Allen Parish School Board for manpower, equipment and material for bus turn-around at 456 North Blacktop Ext. in Oakdale and 575 Smokey Savant Rd. in Kinder.
Also at the meeting:
•Lane Coker was hired full time in road district no. five at $12 an hour.
•Jacob Lacour was hired as an investigator for the Allen Parish Coroners office to replace Ron Craiger.
•Inmate housing report was read, there were 100 parish inmates and eight department of corrections inmates. The budget for the month is $17,300 and expenses were $12,529.84. The jail is $85,143.35 under their expense budget for the year.
