Police Jury Meeting Monday, 1 February 2021 At February’s monthly meeting, the Evangeline Parish Police Jury Monday night talked about forming a special committee to discuss the building of a new parish jail. As of Monday’s meeting, Evangeline parish averages 144 inmates per day outside of the parish jail, averaging out at $3,800 per day going somewhere outside of our parish. Sheriff Charles R. Guillory spoke, stating that he will back the jury’s decision regardless of the outcome, but also posed a question to the jury: Do they want to own a jail, or do they want the sheriff’s office to own a jail? He asserted that jails are not cheap to build and that they require constant upkeep and repair. However, he assured everyone that he is in 100% agreement that a new jail is necessary, regardless of who owns it. He ended by saying that he’s glad the jury is discussing options but says it’s time to stop talking and start acting. In other news, State Representative Heather Cloud attended the meeting to request that Evangeline Parish, along with every parish in the state of Louisiana, show their support of rural broadband access across the state. She also requested that the Jury set aside a significant amount of funds for infrastructure, stating that we have more than enough devices in the parish to access internet, but that we are lacking in broadband access for rural areas. Mayor Jennifer Vidrine sent a letter to the Jury requesting a cooperative agreement to clean canals in the city of Ville Platte. However, jury member Bryan Vidrine stated that an agreement was reached 4 years ago when it was determined through trial and error that the Police Jury’s equipment would break the concrete canals. Police Jury President Ryan Williams said he spoke with someone from the City Council and that the council is working on getting the necessary equipment. The jury therefore has tabled the issue until the City Council confirms that they have the necessary machinery to clean the canals. The Jury also: • Carried a motion to have nursing services available 7 days a week for the Evangeline Parish Jail, and • Approved of a water line to be ran along the bridge guard rail on Green Valley Road in District 5.