Lincoln Sheriff’s Plans for Complex Shown

Lincoln Parish Sheriff Mike Stone was at the Lincoln Parish Police Jury’s (LPPJ) Public Property and Buildings Committee last night to show preliminary plans for the proposed Public Safety Complex, and ask approval to proceed with site preparation work. The location is on Road Camp Road across from the Lincoln Parish Detention Center.

The new complex would have about 30 thousand square feet. The existing Lincoln Parish Court House has about 43 thousand square feet.

According to Stone, the facility would cost about $5.5 million to construct. He has about $1.1 million on hand (state and federal grants) and another $1 million committed (but not in hand) from the state to begin the work.

The site work would consist of rough grading, utility extension, removal of existing structures and fill work.

Jurors expressed skepticism on the overall project, as they would be required to pay for operation and maintenance of the facility. District Eight’s R. G. “Skip” Russell said the “we (the jury) have very shallow pockets” going forward. The committee voted unanimously to allow site work to proceed, but was non-committal toward providing any significant funding toward construction.

Earlier, the solid waste committee voted to seek proposals for the solid waste hauling contract. There was also discussion of the possibility of hauling to the Waste Management landfill in Ouachita Parish.

District Three’s Bobby Bennett brought up the issue of the jury buying trucks and using jury personnel to do the hauling. He said up to $250 thousand/year could be saved by the jury doing the work instead of contracting it out.

The Public Works Committee recommended awarding the Della Road bridge project to Louisiana Bridge at a price of about $770 thousand, which was below the $830 thousand budgeted for the project.

The finance committee had a spot of good news brought to it by Alan Offner of Foley Judell, LLP. The bond refinancing got a better interest rate than expected, resulting in a savings of about $300 thousand over the remaining eleven year life of the loan, instead of the original estimate of $260 thousand savings.

The winning bidder was Hancock Bank of Louisiana. Argent Trust is the escrow and paying agent for the bonds. District Twelve’s R. D. “Mickey” Mays abstained from voting, as he is a director of Argent.

The full jury made only two of the six appointments scheduled, Dr. Augusta Clark to the Library Board of Control, and Dennis Ford to the Lincoln Parish Communications District. The jury requires that prospective appointees come to the jury meeting – Ford and Clark were the only two to show up.

We were wrong in thinking the library tax resolution might be contentious – it whizzed through without a peep of debate. The new tax of 5.99 mils for ten years is the same rate as is the existing tax set to expire at the end of 2010. The election will be on the November 2 ballot.

Another resolution that passed supports Constitutional Amendment No. 2. It will also be on the November 2 ballot and would send a greater share of severance tax on minerals to the parish, instead of to Baton Rouge. Lincoln Parish would realize about $1 million annually if the amendment passes. No taxes would be raised or lowered by the amendment.

During the public comments period, Ruston resident Terry Lewis spoke about his unsuccessful bid to become the parish Homeland Security Director. He said he applied, submitted a resume, but was never called for an interview.

Lewis had previously unsuccessfully litigated with the Ruston Fire and Police Civil Service Board in 2005 when Lewis was an unsuccessful applicant for the position of Fire Chief. Lewis is the retired RFD training officer.

No travel report was submitted by any of the attendees to the the National Association of Counties (NACo) junket in Reno, NV.