Lincoln Parish Police Jury Tuesday Evening

The Lincoln Parish Police Jury will meet Tuesday, February 9, 2010 in the Court House, third floor. The series of committee meetings will begin with Public Property and Buildings Committee at 5:30 PM. Here is the agenda.

Public Property and Buildings Committee, 5:30 PM

This committee, chaired by District Six’s Roy Glover, consists of Jody Backus, Annie Brown, Sharyon Mayfield and Mickey Mays. They will hear from architect Michael Walpole about renovations to offices for the Tax Assessor and Clerk of Court. LPNO had reported on this issue here, here, here and here.

Solid Waste Committee, 6:00 PM

The Solid Waste Committee, chaired by District Five’s David Hammons, consists of Theresa Wyatt, Hazel Hunter, Bobby Bennett, Mike Franklin and Roy Glover. They will discuss policies and procedures and advertise for bids for a compactor truck and dumpsters.

Personnel Committee, 6:45 PM

This committee will set mileage and reimbursement rates in accordance with state travel policy.

Full Jury, 7:00 PM

Several board appointments are scheduled, including Ray Robinson to the Lincoln Parish Fire District #1, Jim Hilton to the Lincoln Parish Fire Training Center Commission, Jurors Annie Brown and Sharyon Mayfield to the Coordinating and Development council, and Mary Billberry to the Keep Lincoln Parish Beautiful.

The Jury will hear a presentation from Jay Fowler, Mill Manager at Simsboro’s Flakeboard particleboard manufacturing plant. The company is concerned that a federal incentive plan could double the cost of its raw product, and could shut down its Louisiana plant and put its 125 employees out of a job.

LPPJ Public Works Committee Meeting

The Public Works Committee of the Lincoln Parish Police Jury met this past Friday afternoon at 3:00 pm in a special meeting. The Committee, chaired by District Eight’s R. G. “Skip” Russell has the following members: Mike Franklin, Bobby Bennett, Jody Backus, Joe Henderson, Sharyon Mayfield and R. D. “Mickey” Mays. All were present except Franklin. Here is the agenda.

The committee heard a road evaluation presentation from Dr. Aziz Saber, an associate professor of civil engineering at Louisiana Tech University. He proposed teaching a class at Tech that would center on the over 400 miles of roads owned and maintained by Lincoln Parish. He will utilize the students to gather data on the condition of the roads and then systematically classify them. Once that is done, a maintenance/repair schedule could be set up using that information.

District Three’s Bobby Bennett expressed some concern that the program would be unable to address the problem of overweight trucks damaging roadways. Jury Legal Counsel Andy Shealy said that once the program documented road conditions at a point in time, then any subsequent damage by overweight trucks could be pinned down more precisely. Recovery for damages would be easier to collect, Shealy said.

A motion was unanimously passed authorizing Saber to proceed with the project. He said the study should have a minimal cost to the Jury, with likely no more than $1,500 required for miscellaneous supplies. Saber said he would report back to the Jury at the March meeting on the project’s progress

Next, the committee approved the adoption of a formal policy for standardized traffic control and street name signs for developers within the parish.

The committee authorized Police Jury Administrator Courtney Hall to advertise for bids for a 12 yard dump truck (estimated cost $80 thousand) and a used trackhoe (estimated cost $45 thousand). He was also authorized to purchase a backhoe ($66 thousand), two 3/4 ton pickups ($27 thousand each), a tractor/bush hog ($20 thousand), and also authorized to lease an excavator at $2 thousand/month. All the items were previously budgeted for.

The committee approved a cooperative endeavor agreement with the Lincoln Parish School Board for equipment rental to help with sodding a baseball field at Choudrant High School.

Last, the committee authorized Hall to retain engineering firms on a task only basis, with preference being given to local firms.

Moret to Visit Monroe Tomorrow – Wants Only Pre-Screened Comments and Questions

Stephen Moret, Louisiana’s Secretary for Economic Development will be in Monroe Tuesday, February 9, 2:00 PM at the Monroe City Council chambers. We received this email a short while ago – we plan to cover the event.

Sorry for the short notice, however we did not receive this message until about fifteen minutes ago. If you would like to attend this meeting with Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Stephen Moret, RSVP to the email shown in the announcement below.

INVITATION TO REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS

TO: NORTHEAST REGIONIONAL ECONOMIC PARTNERS
FROM: TANA TRICHEL, PRESIDENT AND CEO and THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

DATE: MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2010
RE: TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010

LED SECRETARY STEPHEN MORET OUTREACH TOUR

LED Secretary Stephen Moret will be visiting our region on Tuesday, February 9, 2010 from 2:00 pm until 3:30 pm and has asked to meet with local economic development organizations and leaders within our Region. The meeting will be conducted at the Monroe City Hall in the City Council Chambers, 400 Lea Joyner Blvd., Monroe, LA.

The purpose of this meeting is for Secretary Moret to give those responsible for economic development throughout the region an update on regional and state economic development activities as well as to have a dialogue with those present about recent developments and issues in their parish.

Each of our partners will be able to address comments to Secretary Moret and the group. Since we were unable to hear from all who attended the August meeting last year, we are asking speakers to be prepared to limit their comments to three (3) minutes each. We would appreciate if each of you would also provide written commentary to present to Secretary Moret and provide a copy for Northeast Louisiana Economic Alliance. We want each partner to have an opportunity to speak and to keep within Secretary Moret’s schedule; we will provide a timekeeper and everyone will have 3 minutes. Paula Walker will be the Event Coordinator and will serve as the timekeeper.

We look forward to seeing you on the 9th. Please RSVP by Friday, February 5, 2010 to Paula Walker at pawalker@nelea.us or by calling Bridgette Mikell at 1-800-686-6733 extension 14. Please also tell us who will be the spokesperson for your organization.

Moret is the architect of the controversial V-Vehicle project in Monroe. Lincoln Parish News Online has reported extensively on the controversial company and the Monroe project. Archived stories can be found here. We will continue to report on this ongoing story.

Moret set to Violate V-Vehicle Contract

Stepehn Moret, Louisiana’s Secretary for Economic Development says he is inclined to commit more taxpayer money to the controversial V-Vehicle project in Monroe, despite clear language in the contract forbidding the move. In a story in today’s The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune, Moret says “conditional approval” is sufficient to trigger state and local grants of more than $80 million dollars.

The environmental study is near its end, he said. Even if the study is not completed in time, he said, the energy department can grant a conditional approval that would qualify the company to meet the state’s requirements.

“A conditional approval for both of those loans would certainly be sufficient to meet the (state) requirement,” Moret said.

The capital financing goal would trigger the state’s pledge to provide its main grant, which would be used to help prepare the plant site, as well as $15 million in support from Ouachita Parish.

However, here are the terms of the contract signed by all parties involved last June.

Section 4.03 Phase III – Facility Completion
(A) Commencement.
Phase III shall commence upon the State and Local Entities receiving written confirmation from the Company’s Board of Directors and reasonable evidence verifying the availability of cumulative equity funds and debt financing adequate for production launch and break-even Operation, which shall be a minimum of $350 Million (exclusive of State Investment and Local Entity Investment), or such lower amount as indicated by the Company and agreed by the State (which agreement will not be unreasonably withheld) is sufficient to achieve production launch and break-even Operation. This amount shall include all previous equity raised by the Company.

The contract language indicates the money must be available, or “in the bank,” so to speak.

V-Vehicle has applied to the U. S. Energy Department for an Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing (ATVM) loan of about $340 million to finance design and construction of a car the company alleges it will build.

Earlier, it was reported that the Energy Department could be as much as nine months away from approval of the loan.

If Moret approves the deal, he will be in a similar situation to that of Department of Transportation and Development Secretary William Ankner, who resigned yesterday amid controversy. See the stories in The (Baton Rouge) Advocate and The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune.

Lincoln Parish News Online has reported extensively on the controversial company and the Monroe project. Archived stories can be found here. We will continue to report on this ongoing story.

Ammon Unopposed for 4th JD Judge

Monroe City Court Judge Fred Ammon was unopposed today for election to the Fourth Judicial District Court, Division E. Several names had surfaced as potential candidates, including District C Ouachita Parish Police Juror Walt Caldwell and Laurie Burkett, wife of District E Ouachita Parish Police Juror and President Shane Smiley.

Biggs-Bullets Blogspot had reported last November that Ammon had received “The Nod” from the area’s political/legal Mafia-style Combine. Reportedly, The Combine had to use considerable muscle to prevent opposition to Ammon, but in the end all opposition was stamped out. We suppose the other potential candidates were made offers they just could not refuse.

LPNO had reported on the story here and here.

Ouachita Citizen: March 1 Deadline for V-Vehicle ATVM Loan “may be impossible”

The Ouachita Citizen’s Scott Rogers is reporting today that the Energy Department may delay approval for a V-Vehicle Company Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing (ATVM) loan for at least six to nine months.

The Department of Energy recently notified the Ouachita Parish Police Jury it would conduct an environmental assessment of the V-Vehicle project before it makes a decision on whether to approve V-Vehicle’s loan. The loan was sought to provide financing for V-Vehicle’s plans to establish an automobile manufacturing operation in the former Guide plant in eastern Ouachita Parish.

Ebony Meeks, an Energy Department spokesperson, said Wednesday that an environmental assessment study could take six to nine months to complete. She said the Energy Department was in the beginning stages of the process regarding the V-Vehicle project.

Last week, LPNO had reported that a January 8, 2010 memo from the U. S. Department of Energy notified the Ouachita Parish Police Jury that an Environmental Assessment was needed. We suggested the study could delay the project, instead of being a sign of progress.

Lincoln Parish News Online has reported extensively on the controversial company and the Monroe project. Archived stories can be found here. We will continue to report on this ongoing story.

UPDATE: 6:00 PM

Meanwhile Deputy Press Secretary for Government Mike Hasten files this “news story” late this evening. Here’s the pull quote:

“It wasn’t a drivable car,” Moret said in an interview after the meeting. “It was not set up to demonstrate the full drivability.

“Show Car?” “Mock-up?”

In today’s The (Monroe) News-Star a story by Deputy Press Secretary for Government, Mike Hasten.

Jindal has seen V-Vehicle model

Stephen Moret, secretary of the Department of Economic Development, told a legislative panel Wednesday that he and Gov. Bobby Jindal have seen a “show car.”

“A full-sized mock-up came to the governor’s mansion,” Moret said.

Did it run? Did the windshield wipers work? The world wonders…

There is more in today’s The (Baton Rouge) Advocate on the legislative hearing at which LED Secretary Steven Moret testified.

Lincoln Parish News Online has reported extensively on the controversial company and the Monroe project. Archived stories can be found here. We will continue to report on this ongoing story.

Is Letten the new Nifong?

Is Jim Letten, the U. S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana the 2010 version of Mike Nifong? You will recall Mike Nifong is the former Durham, NC District Attorney who framed three innocent Duke University Lacrosse players and charged them with raping a local prostitute, Crystal Mangum. Nifong was later disbarred and spent a night in jail.

Extensive information on the Duke Lacrosse Frame can be found at Durham-in-Wonderland and Liestoppers.

So were James O’Keefe, Robert Flanagan, Joseph Basel and Stan Dai “Nifonged” by Letten?

From Fox News:

O’Keefe was “framed” by the media and the U.S. attorney’s office, Andrew Breitbart, publisher of BigGovernment.com, told Fox News.

“James O’Keefe sat in jail for 28 hours without access to an attorney, while the U.S. attorney leaked the information about his arrest, helping the media frame it as ‘Watergate Junior,’” Breitbart said.

This is the exact modus operandi used by Nifong: blab to the newspapers and TV stations who all lap it up without question. And then try and isolate your intended target from legal counsel. We saw it all in the Duke Lacrosse Frame.

And if anyone here in Louisiana wants first-hand information on what went on at Duke, just ask LSU Athletic Director Joe Alleva. He was in the big fat middle of it.

City “Working on a Plan” for Utility Refund

Two Ruston city officials told Lincoln Parish News Online last night that the city “is working on a plan” to refund the $3.75 million in overcharges from Entergy Services. The money was a result of a lawsuit filed by the city for billing errors from 1992 to 2007. LPNO had reported on the story here, here and here.

In other business, the Board of Aldermen approved the several resolutions without much discussion.

The Professional Services Agreement with Hunt, Guillot & Associates will be for about $112 thousand for design of Phase V of the Ruston Downtown Revitalization Project. That part of the project will rehabilitate Mississippi Avenue from Vienna Street to Monroe Street.

The Utiliworks PSA will be for about $217 thousand and the Vector Disease Control agreement will be for about $143 thousand.

The Vector agreement was changed from a three-year to a one-year contract. There was discussion among the council members about how much the contract had escalated since the city first hired the company several years ago. Last year’s contract amount was $140 thousand.

Ward Three’s Jedd Lewis suggested that next year mosquito control contract be put up for bids. Lewis said that “with everyone having to cut back” that the city might could save some money.

After the reports and hearings on code enforcement, the council adjourned at about 6 PM.

Lincoln School Board Cancels Tuesday Meeting

The Lincoln Parish School Board has canceled their regular meeting scheduled for Tuesday night.

According to Superintendent Danny Bell, several staffers who normally would brief members during the meeting are ill and at least one Board Member is unable to attend.

The next Board meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, February 17, 12:30 PM at Dubach High School.