Dr. Pat Savoy, newly elected coroner of Allen Parish, briefed the Allen Parish Police Jury on ways he plans to make the office more self-sufficient.
During the jury meeting on Monday, February 5, Dr. Savoy stated the coroner’s office has gone over budget every October for the last several years. As a result, the new coroner began investigating what costs were associated with the office.
“The last thing I want to do is come here in October and say that we need more money,” said Dr. Savoy. “When I stepped into this position, my main goal is to figure out a way this coroner’s office can support itself. There’s got to be a way.”
After taking office, Dr. Savoy initially levied a fee on funeral homes for every death certificate. As he told the police jury, other coroners in the state are doing the same thing with success. However, this was met with some resistance along the way. “Apparently,” he said, “some people were not happy with that. They accused me of abuse of power and all kinds of other things.”
Because of the rumbling, Dr. Savoy did not send out bills or collect any checks, and he did not include the death certificate costs when he submitted his fees to the courthouse.
As he said, “I was just trying to figure out a way to get this business to support itself, which is going to be very hard.”
Dr. Savoy told the police jury he then devised an idea to increase the costs of commitments from $10 to $100 for Allen Parish Hospital. He explained, the hospital was previously paying $100 for every commitment prior to the former coroner taking office.
“We have proposed legislation that will allow me to ask Allen Parish Hospital to pay $100 for every commitment because they’re making money on it,” he said, “and I think it’s only fair to do that.”
The coroner’s office, according to Dr. Savoy, has already purchased a rapid toxicology machine that will cut down on the office’s expenses. The machine will be able to test for enzymes that are produced when someone has a heart attack. This will cut down on the number of autopsies which are performed.
Dr. Savoy estimated the number of autopsies will be reduced by half this year because of the rapid toxicology machine, “which is going to save a lot of money.”
The new coroner went on to say, “I look forward to working with you. I promise you I will be above table. Everything I do, you will know about it. And, we’re going to make this work one way or another.”
The jury then heard economic development updates from Matt Fontenot as well as Jonathan Dean and George Swift from the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance.
Dean, the vice president of economic development, told the jury his organization sees Allen Parish as being a hub for green energy based on its proximity to infrastructure, natural resources, and skilled workforce.
Fontenot then said, “The whole purpose of economic development is to create jobs and also to increase the taxable value of our property. When we increase the taxable value of our property, we can provide higher quality services for our constituents.”
Later in the meeting, Hunter Hinds told the jury the property insurance premiums on 14 parish buildings increased another $33 thousand this year. One option to reduce costs would be to take buildings off of the schedule and not have them covered with property insurance. Another option would be to place a $5 million loss limit on any occurrence. As it stands now, one policy is for $5 million and a second policy is for the other $9 million and change.
Hinds said, “Everything on the schedule would remain insured, but there would be a cap at $5 million. I think the $5 million lost limit is a very viable option that will save you about $73 thousand a year. The only caveat is we have one building on the schedule that would cost significantly more than that to be replaced. That is the courthouse.”
As the discussion continued, the jury voted to take Roland Hollins’ recommendation to pay the extra $33 thousand this year and to reassess the situation next year.
In other business, the jury:
•Approved to pay Prestige Plumbing Repair LLC $7,400 to install a sump pump in the basement and the elevator at the courthouse.
•Approved to pay Cotton’s Heating and Cooling $13,723 for repairs to three units at the Oberlin Family Clinic to be paid from economic development fund.
•Approved to pay Cotton’s Heating and Cooling $5,231 to replace the four-ton heat pump system in the meeting room to be paid from the general fund.
•Approved to pay Service Lumber $4,032 for a scrap tire shed at the Kinder Solid Waste site.
•Approved to pay Fontenot and Sons Roofing $51,750 to replace the roof on the district attorney building.
•Approved to pay Phillip Mark Swinnea $2,500 for repairs to the roof at the civic center.
•Approved to pay UNEEDA Shed $15,645.43 from Solid Waste for a building at the LeBlanc Dumpsite.
•Approved to pay Bayou Forest Products $26,598.64 for materials to construct a ramp at the Oakdale Solid Waste site.
•Approved to pay Abel’s Enterprises LLC $39,169 for labor to construct a ramp at the Oakdale Solid Waste site.
•Approved a joint service agreement with the City of Oakdale for grass cutting, pothole patching, and trash pickup for the month of February 2024.
•Approved a joint service agreement with the Allen Parish School Board for material, labor, and equipment to repair the bus turnarounds at 280 Payne Road in Oakdale, 275 Mattie Reeves Road in Reeves, and Daisy Englund Road in Kinder.
•Heard an update from Kelia Bingham with the Acadiana Planning Commission on the Acadiana Watershed District initiatives.
•Heard from Mark Daigle with Daigle’s Paint and Body Shop.
•Approved 2024 Liquor License Renewal for AR Petroleum, LLC d/b/a Indian Village Quick Stop.
•Accepted the resignation of Everett Lovejoy from the Allen Parish Ward 5 Fire Board and appointed Matt Dyer to complete his term.
•Appointed Sharon Grundy to the Allen Parish Ambulance Board.
•Requested an Attorney General’s opinion concerning reappointment of Water Board members.
•Approved the following LGAP and CWEF applications: LGAP- NW Allen Water District $28,625.68 to replace frozen shut off valves, and Allen Parish Police Jury $50,000.00 for a drum roller; CWEF- NW Allen Water District $30,802.99 to purchase back up well motors and replace frozen shut off valves.
•Adopted a resolution in support of opening the line of sight at the intersection of Hwy 377 and Hwy 112.
•Authorized advertisement for bids for the Allen Parish Police Jury 2024 Asphalt Contract.
•Awarded Master Service Agreement for Engineers for Airport projects and services.
•Adopted a resolution to adopt the updated Hazard Mitigation Plan.
