Ville Platte-    The Evangeline Parish Police Jury Monday voted to enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement with the Evangeline Parish District Attorney over moving police jury offices away from the courthouse to the parish owned Medicaid building. The move would assist in giving the District Attorney more office space in the courthouse.

                          Parish Engineer Ronnie Landreneau estimated that the moving expenses would amount to $41,000. Assistant District Attorney and Jury Legal Advisor Marcus Fontenot said the district attorney would absorb all of the moving expenses and any improvements to the Medicaid building.

                         The Medicaid building, located next door to the parish health unit, is expected to be vacated by the state at the end of June. The parish owned facility has ample parking in front and in the rear of the building , according to Secretary Treasurer Doug DeVille.

                           Engineer Landreneau said the building improvements should not take any longer than 45 days for completion.

                           In other business, the police jury asked Thomas Drew of WTSO to prepare a long term lease agreement to take over the six parish owned sewer facilities. WTSO is a private firm headquartered out of Denham Springs that recently took over the operation of sewer systems in the Plaisance area.

                         The jury will retain ownership of the systems and keep the ability to set rates. The agreement would transfer control of the systems including all liabilities over to the private company.

                          The agreement will be referred to the parish legal advisor and discussed at the next executive committee meeting of the jury.

                         In other action the police jury:

--declared today May 14 as Catherine Briley day in Evangeline Parish in honor of the Sacred Heart High student from Grand Prairie who was a finalist on the Jeopardy Game Show Teen Challenge;

--voted to advertise for bids for the construction of a new Ville Platte branch of the Evangeline Parish Library. The contract will be awarded in June;

--approved a resolution calling a millage tax renewal election on November 6 for Evangeline Parish Water District #1 in Pine Prairie;

--voted to give a 10 percent increase in board of director fees to the Tee Mamou Water District Board;

--referred to their executive committee a proposal to renew the 2 percent sales tax for road improvements for another ten years.