EVANGELINE PARISH POLICE JURY

JANUARY 13, 2014

       The Evangeline Parish Police Jury, Monday, referred to its road committee a list of parish roads presented by the parish 9-1-1 office. Jurors are anxious to name parish roads, both public and private however 9-1-1 officials are asking the jury not to give a road the same name that is already on the map.

        Liz Hill, Evangeline Parish Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness, said her office staff at 9-1-1 spent 111 hours to prepare the list of parish roads for the jury to review. She is urging jurors to contact her office before naming a new parish road. “You are only responsible for your district but I am responsible for 1400 roads throughout Evangeline Parish. There are a lot of Fontenot and Lafleur roads.”

        Ward Five Fire District Chief Bobby Guilbeau and Police Juror Kenny Burgess both asked the jury to support Hill’s position on the naming of parish roads. Guilbeau said there are two roads that sound alike: “Beaver road” and “Bieber road” that causes problems to the fire service and other emergency officials. Burgess, who has been working in the EMS business for more than 20 years, said “it is confusing and causing delays because of identical road names”.

         In other action, the police jury:

--elected  Ryan Ardoin as new President replacing Bryan Vidrine and Ryan Williams as new Vice President replacing Ryan Ardoin;

--referred to committee a proposal raising fees for campers using Crooked Creek Park: $5 a night increase for campers and $2 a night increase for seniors;

--approved its committee meeting authorizing jury employees 18 paid holidays despite objections by juror Kenny Burgess who felt there were too many holidays;

--approved attendance for jurors to attend annual state police jury conference in Baton Rouge in February and the National Association of Counties Legislative Conference in Washington DC in March;

--received a report from Parish Engineer Ronnie Landreneau that the work on the new parish library building is being completed by the contract surety company. The contract has been terminated by the police jury since the general contractor did not complete the project. Landreneau said the sub- contractors have been contacted to complete the small amount of work remaining.