Evangeline Parish Police Jury Meeting March 7, 2022 The Evangeline Parish Police Jury Monday held a public hearing to receive public comment on their election day proposal to re-dedicate funds from the Evangeline Parish Library and Health Unit. If approved by parish voters, the funds will be able to be used to assist in the funding of a new parish jail at the Ward One Industrial Park. When asked by Linda Lebsack with friends of the Library, if the jury has a backup plan should the proposal is voted down, Police Jury President Bryan Vidrine said the jury will go back to the drawing board. Vidrine said passing a new tax would be tough to do. That is when the parish determined that two of the agencies the jury oversees: the health unit had a large surplus of funds and the library had finished paying the note off on the Ville Platte Library building. The jury plans to re-dedicate .62 mills or the exact amount of money the library would have paid on their building note along part of the surplus funds in the Health Unit account. Some of the library personnel are concerned that with the loss of that funding they may be forced to call an additional tax. They explained the need for a new Basile library site and expand the current Ville Platte location. Secretary Treasurer Donald Bergeron explained to those in attendance that the only way the parish is paying its bills now is because of federal funding from the America's Rescue Plan. He said there are 157 parish inmates with 82 in out of parish facilities that is costing the parish some $2100 a day. The police jury is teaming up with Evangeline Parish Sheriff Charles Guillory to fund the proposed new 200 bed parish jail. The parish will fund 5-6 million dollars with the sheriff paying the rest of the project. The sheriff has also agreed to pay the cost of housing out of parish inmates while the new jail is being constructed. Police Jury Attorney Jacob Fuselier explained that if the parish cannot pay its bills, it goes into receivership where the state comes in and take over the entire operation, a form of bankruptcy for governmental bodies. He said a special receiver will decide which bills to pay and who loses their jobs to get the parish back in line financially. Fuselier reported that a parish jail is a state mandate. "Its not a pretty picture. It would be catastrophic for Evangeline Parish" Fuselier stated. Police Juror eric Soileau commented "We're at the end of the road. It is not the best thing in the world but it's the best we can do." The re-dedication proposal will be on the election day ballot on Saturday March 26 in Evangeline Parish with early voting beginning this Saturday. In other news, the police jury : --received good new from Jury President Bryan Vidrine on a federal NTIA Broadband grant in the amount of 35 million dollars has been awarded for Evangeline, Acadia and St. Landry Parishes. The funds will be used to bring high speed internet service throughout Evangeline Parish using underground fiber optic cable. Lafayette Utility Service will be the provider of the project. The police jury has been working on this project since 2018. The project should be completed in a 12 month period; --approved the calling for the renewal election of the Evangeline Parish Communications District millage tax for another ten years; --after much discussion approved a request pending review from their legal advisor from Wayne Vidrine to waive the 6 month renewal requirement for his proposed travel trailer park as long as the park follows the parish building code. The parish will house eight travel trailers that will be available for contractors coming in to work on the major Cabot plant project. Vidrine said some 200 plus workers will be coming in to work at the plant during the 18 month project.