District Three’s Richard Durrett was last night unanimously elected President of the Lincoln Parish Police Jury. Likewise unanimously elected as Vice President was District Ten’s Milton Melton.
Durrett was nominated by District One’s Theresa Wyatt and seconded by District Twelve’s Annette Straughter. Melton was nominated by District Eight’s Skip Russell and seconded by District Eleven’s Sharyon Mayfield.
There were no other nominees for either position.
Elected last November in a special election, Durrett is no stranger to LPPJ’s workings. He served as Parish Administrator for 17 years, from 1989 to 2006. He is a civil engineer by vocation, graduating from LA Tech in 1964.
Durrett thanked outgoing President Joe Henderson (District Nine) for serving.
Said Durrett, “I want to thank Joe for serving last year, and the job he’s done, and I look forward to working with everybody on the jury, as well as the people in the parish, and hope that I can contribute. Truly it’s an honor that I appreciate – I’ll try to do the best job that I can.”
Administrator Doug Postel was reappointed for another year, but when Treasurer Chris Hyde’s two-year appointment was considered, the matter was tabled with no discussion until next month’s jury meeting.
This was a marked difference from the tone at last month’s jury meeting where the two were publicly evaluated. Hyde was almost unanimously praised on his job performance, while Postel received significant criticism.
Stay tuned until next month.
The jury granted final approval of the 2021 budgets for the jury and the Lincoln Parish Library, and reappointed Richard Aillet to the Board of Commissioners for Lincoln Parish Fire District No. 1.
During the Parks, Recreation & Tourism Committee Meeting, Chair Glenn Scriber reported on a proposed archery course for the Lincoln Parish Park.
Scriber said he envisioned a series of 3D archery targets on a 10 acre section in the northwest corner of the park, with sponsors providing funding for the equipment, and volunteers providing manpower.
Competitive archery is a growing sport, and would significantly increase park traffic, Scriber said.
The committee voted unanimously to proceed with creating a study group to do more planning.
The Health & Welfare Committee heard from Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office Animal Control Deputy Rob Sasser.
Most of the problems he encounters are a result of dogs running loose, he said. He recommended that the parish’s ordinances be updated to reflect the growth of the parish, and the corresponding reduction in open, rural area.
The jury voted to proceed with drafting a comprehensive plan to address the issue, along with funding estimates to carry out the plan.
On hand for the committee meeting was City of Ruston Mayor Ronny Walker.
01/13/2021 at 1:53 pm |
So Postel is throwing Hyde under the bus now. No surprise there.
01/13/2021 at 2:59 pm |
What he’s best at doing. Has to make himself look better somehow.
01/13/2021 at 3:10 pm |
Well…he does squeak more. Hyde has the cooler tattoos…
01/13/2021 at 3:31 pm |
Hyde should worry.
01/13/2021 at 3:45 pm |
“Don’t worry. Be happy!” Postel says as he stabs you in the back.
01/13/2021 at 4:35 pm |
Hyde doesn’t need any help at looking bad and Postel doesn’t throw people under the bus. Please know your facts. That is an idiotic remark.
01/13/2021 at 5:29 pm |
So what did Hyde do that’s bad? Inquiring minds …..
01/13/2021 at 6:57 pm |
He’s too young for one thing. Not enough years to handle an entire parish that old geezers control.
01/13/2021 at 7:37 pm |
Hyde doesn’t look bad—unless his boss makes it so. Hyde is actually a decent guy.
01/15/2021 at 4:39 pm |
I know the facts, and that remark is not so idiotic.
01/13/2021 at 2:38 pm |
Knew it would happen
01/13/2021 at 7:17 pm |
We do what we want. Screw you taxpayers. Screw you voters.
It’s a small club and you’re not in it.
01/13/2021 at 7:58 pm |
Definitely the ones that join that club get what they deserve. Naïveté has a price to pay.
01/13/2021 at 10:10 pm |
Calloway learned that lesson. Good guy. Too good for this jury. They needed a stooge. And got it.
01/13/2021 at 10:23 pm |
Calloway needs to thank his stars he’s not part of this mess. Hyde is about to have gotcha moments . Should have stayed at Daddy’s cpa office .
01/14/2021 at 5:12 pm |
I can assure you that Calloway is very content to leave the inner workings of Nimrodell to the nimrods. He has bigger fish to fry.
01/14/2021 at 5:35 pm |
Hyde will be too eventually
01/14/2021 at 5:57 pm |
I heard. And is making a pretty penny to do it. Best thing that could have happened to him.
01/15/2021 at 8:07 am |
Lincoln parish most corrupt parish in state!
01/15/2021 at 8:13 am |
Not even close. You must know nothing about south Louisiana.
01/15/2021 at 8:45 am |
And you are naive. Open your eyes.
01/15/2021 at 4:43 pm |
Not true, but the LPPJ does have problems. Voters like you can help to fix their problems by voting against your current juror in the next election. If the new juror doesn’t work out, keep voting them out until you get one that is worthwhile.
01/16/2021 at 12:21 pm |
I get it.
Be the change.
You can do it.
You matter.
01/16/2021 at 12:21 pm |
I get it.
Be the change.
You can do it.
You matter.
01/15/2021 at 9:05 pm |
Orleans and Jefferson has more corruption because of their population numbers but Lincoln parish has more corruption per Capitol.
01/15/2021 at 8:44 am |
Small minds do small work. Remember that.
01/17/2021 at 12:26 pm |
Wouldn’t you be uneasy if your job was tabled and you had to wait a month to see if you still had it? I smell a skunk.
01/18/2021 at 9:45 pm |
Postel the most likely skunk
01/19/2021 at 8:01 am |
According to the Leader, Hyde has resigned. Would love to know what all his cryptic quotes meant. Anybody want to speculate? I have a few thoughts.
01/19/2021 at 9:05 am |
I do: Get Jerri Web out of my business and Get rid of Postel.
01/19/2021 at 8:35 am |
His request for more compensation probably didn’t settle well. Youngun with big ego.
01/19/2021 at 8:52 am |
I don’t see Hyde that way. The thing that comes to my mind was during the hurricane when he was scurrying around like a mother hen asking everybody and anybody if they needed something and wouldn’t take compensation when he bought it.
01/19/2021 at 8:59 am |
Don’t elevate him. Many people did that. He has not worked at the jury long enough to request additional compensation for anything.
01/19/2021 at 9:10 am |
Many people did that for a reason. It has not been published anywhere that he actually asked for that so you must be someone in the know trying to justify something. It’s all very suspicious.
01/19/2021 at 9:14 am |
Paper today said he asked for more compensation . Us Rustonites need to stick together.
01/19/2021 at 9:20 am |
True. Just reread. Missed that with my first reading without my glasses! 🤣. Thanks for the heads up. Still doesn’t change how I see Hyde.
01/19/2021 at 9:23 am |
Are you his mother? Waiting until the P J members speak to form opinion.
01/19/2021 at 9:34 am |
I don’t trust a damn thing they say or do. And no I’m not his mother.
01/19/2021 at 11:44 am |
The new parish administrator got a $20K raise over what they published they would pay on his first day of the job. And that’s without any previous parish administrator experience.
The treasurer had been there almost a year and has plenty of accounting experience. What’s the problem?
01/19/2021 at 12:50 pm |
He’s not an equal to Postel so shouldn’t expect to be paid more. Or even the same.
01/20/2021 at 9:31 am |
So you are someone who’s trying to justify something. Nobody talked about the number so how do you know. First you have that office saying Doug and Chris are the best things that happened to this parish and can fix things. Then you have that office—I assume Postel is part of it—throwing him under the bus. It’s hard for the pj to escape the messes they’ve created in the last few months. And don’t tell me they’re inexperienced. These were deliberate decisions made by people who knew exactly what they were doing.
01/20/2021 at 10:05 am |
The number is public record
01/20/2021 at 10:37 am |
Do I need a public records request to get that number?
01/20/2021 at 11:57 am |
Affirmative
01/20/2021 at 1:41 pm |
Them logically the current point stands. Whoever is posting is someone from within the org.
01/20/2021 at 1:43 pm |
Think again. Logically.
01/19/2021 at 10:52 am |
The business and professional leaders of the parish at one time served on the police jury and school board, not for compensation but to help the community. Now they want nothing to do with either and I completely understand why. Now, with a few exceptions, the main qualification is whoever will run and get the most votes. That is why we see this stuff happening. It’s not corruption, it is just plain people, many of who have never worked in a professional or managerial capacity, not having a clue what to do with issues like personnel, and not understanding the courtesies and ways of professional life.
Richard Durrett is the first light at the end of the tunnel which is not an oncoming train.