With a 6-1 vote, the Allen Parish Police Jury approved a plan that would merge the parish’s precincts and consolidate them into voting locations. Under the proposal, which was approved, on Monday, November 6, four precincts in the Oakdale area would vote at the Mowad Center; three precincts in the Oberlin area would vote at the Allen Parish Civic Center; and three precincts in the Kinder area would vote at the Kinder Community Center.
Voting against the proposal was John Strother, who raised issues with closing Precinct 10. He pointed out the precinct has more than 300 voters.
Parish Administrator Jacob Dillehay replied the plan is efficient in consolidating as many precincts as possible. He stated Precinct 10 is not closing but, rather, moving to a different location.
Strother then stated there has been a lot of money spent over the years on the building at Precinct 10.
As the discussion continued, Dillehay conceded Precinct 10 is one of several precincts in the parish that would be affected even though they have over 300 people. “This is an opportunity to put them all into one location as well as eliminate the small ones.”
Strother replied, “That precinct has been there all of my life.”
Juror Heath Ardoin cited the low turnout for the previous election and said “I don’t think this is going to really affect us that much with 33 percent of the people voting.”
Juror Chad Sanders echoed Ardoin and said, “I don’t see it getting worse than it is now.”
Stacey Hurst, clerk of court for Allen Parish, then told the jury the proposal would affect her office in a good way in regards to finding commissioners to work the elections and delivering the voting machines to the voting locations. “There are a lot more positives than negatives,” she said.
Before the vote, Strother said, “If the rest of you police jury members are satisfied, I’m not going to vote against that. But, I am voting against closing Precinct 10. If it takes me to vote against all of it, then that’s what I’ll do. Y’all will hear about this when election time comes.”
Strother later said he wants to revisit this issue.
At the onset of the meeting, a public hearing was held on the proposed ordinance to merge the precincts.
During the public hearing, Dillehay pointed out the parish would be responsible for paying $3,300 per election per every precinct with under 300 voters beginning next year. That would cost the jury about $55,000 per election if it chose to take no action on merging precincts.
Dillehay went on to say he consulted with demographer Mike Hefner, who has drawn the parish’s redistricting maps, in regards to the precinct merger.
Hefner expressed, “You have an extremely efficient system proposed here. It consolidates the area’s precincts into one voting location.”
He then told the jury the plan was already pre-cleared by the secretary of state’s office. “They’re actually thrilled with the number of precincts that this will reduce down to and the efficiency of your voting locations,” Hefner said.
The jury then held a public hearing in regards to the LCDBG (Louisiana Community Development Block Grant) Program for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.
According to Dillehay, the funding associated with the program is $2.1 million the parish received as part of hurricane recovery.
Ross Hughes, a grants consultant, explained to the police jury the specific guidelines on how the funding can be used and explained the jury has until Monday, November 13, to receive public comments on the program.
With regards to the LCDBG program, the jury adopted a resolution for the Citizen Participation Plan and a resolution for the Procurement Policy.
In other business, the jury:
•Approved to pay Scott Equipment $1,807.93 for parts to repair the motor grader for Road District 1.
•Approved to pay Southern Tire Mart $1,979.62 for backhoe tires for RD5.
•Approved to pay Bayou Forest $2,112 for pilings for Chinquapin Creek Bridge in RD1.
•Approved to pay Covington Sales and Service $1,642.01 for parts to repair the pot hole patcher in RD3 and $5,814.93 for parts to repair the boom axe in RD5.
•Approved a joint service agreement with the City of Oakdale for grass cutting, pothole patching, and trash pickup for the month of November 2023.
•Approved a JSA with the Town of Oberlin for material, labor, and equipment to repair JJ Storer Road.
•Approved a JSA with the Town of Oberlin and with the Allen Parish Ambulance Service for material and equipment to repair a section of Tiger Lane.
•Heard an update on the Allen Parish Hospital.
•Adopted a resolution approving the issuance of $500,000 of water revenue bonds for West Allen Parish Water District.
•Approved a special event permit for the Festival Fete Du Void 2023 Krampus Gumbeaux Cook-off at the Hardwood Mill Restaurant in Oakdale for December 8, and December 9.
•Called for public hearings to abandon a portion of Shorty Odom Road and George Turner Road and to adopt the 2024 budget.
•Adopted a resolution approving the annual certification of compliance with the state for the Off System Bridge Replacement Program.
•Adopted a resolution to award the Hometown Revitalization Grant Engineering Services.
•Authorized to bid the Park Road Bridge project.
•Approved the resignation of Adam Hussong from the Water District 1 Board and appointed Caleb Hussong to complete his term.
•Approved to accept the resignation of Weston Monceaux from the Bayou Blue Drainage District and appointed Sherwin Carrier to complete his term.
•Approved to appoint Emily Earl to the Allen Parish Library Board for a five-year term.
•Approved to amend the existing policy on sexual harassment to include a mandatory state approved sexual harassment training course.