At its monthly meeting Monday, the Evangeline Parish Police Jury endorsed a resolution that allows President Ryan Williams and Secretary-Treasurer Donald Bergeron to work on a grant with Acadiana Planning Commission for the railroad spur at the Ward 1 Industrial Park.
Parish Engineer Ronnie Landreneau reported, “The jury is looking at repairing the spur that is mandatory because it has to be completely repaired. In addition to that, the people who will do the repair work recommended that we can expand the spur by adding some additional rail which would provide parking for industries in the area that have been using the rail.”
According to Landreneau, the grant application will be submitted to the governor’s office, and then the governor “will make recommendations on which projects he supports.” Landreneau added, “Infrastructure projects are a very high priority.”
Public Works Director Chester Granger then reported that two of the four bridges that were rated negatively by DOTD have been replaced. The bridges that are reopened are on St. John and on Natchitoches Road.
“We’re moving to Chataignier to do a bridge in District 1, and then we’ll do one on the Bieber Road,” Granger said. “Within the next three weeks, we should have those bridges reopened.”
Granger also reported that a bridge on Leman Road needs to be rerated because “it is deficient on a federal rating.
In other business, the jury:
• appointed The Ville Platte Gazette as the official journal.
• reviewed and adopted the 2018 millages.
• reappointed Gaynelle Coates to Library Board for a five year term.
• approved Trail Ride for Piney Woods Ultimate Birthday Bash.
• adopted a concurring resolution for Vidrine Gravity Drainage District Number 7.
• recognized Taylor Walden from Evangeline Parish as Acadian Ambulance EMT of the Year.
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TONY MARKS