Police Jury sets winter rates for Crooked Creek

The Evangeline Parish Police Jury officially set Crooked Creek Recreational Area’s winter rates during its meeting on Monday, November 5th.
The police jury approved the following decreased rates for campers at Crooked Creek: senior citizens and military rate, $15; regular, $22.50; and cabins, $65. These rates began on November 12, 2018 and will remain until January 31, 2019. These rates will not apply for the Thanksgiving holidays.
Crooked Creek Park Manager Kim Ortego then gave an update on the total number of campers who have stayed at the park this year in comparison to last year.
According to Ortego, from January to October in 2017 the total number of campers was “a little more than 1,700,” while this year the park has seen a total of 48 more campers between January and October of 2018.
Ortego also stated, “We are about $18,000 gross income more this year than we were last year in October.” The park manager also reported a total of 150 campers for the Halloween event.
While income remains steady at Crooked Creek, Ortego still needed to request assistance from the police jury to purchase replace items that were stolen from a shed recently at the park.
According to Ortego, a little more than $3,000 worth of tools and other items were stolen.
Ortego said, “We are in the off season right now and funds are low. We replaced what we could, but there were some things that we couldn’t replace. I was wondering if the general fund could maybe help us out?”
The police jury agreed to provide assistance with replacing stolen items at Crooked Creek as well as look into ways to deter criminal activity.
During the meeting, the EPPJ Section 8 Housing Director Anna Frank shared they will begin doing direct deposit to all landlords starting January 1st.
Police juror Daniel Arvie asked Frank whether landlords would still receive a check stub even though how money is distributed to landlords is changing to direct deposit.
Frank shared that Section 8’s new system will allow for a print out of every payment to be provided to landlords.
While addressing the jury, Frank also introduced her new assistant, Trameca LeDay, and thanked the police jury for hiring LeDay. Frank said, “She is doing a wonderful job.”
Another fairly big item discussed at the EPPJ meeting concerned contributions made from the police jury to the Veterans Affairs Department in Ville Platte.
According to EPPJ Secretary/Treasurer Donald Bergeron, the local veterans affairs department has recently gotten a new administrator, who would like to make the veterans affair department contract with the EPPJ fit the local veteran organizations fiscal year.
The new contract and increase in funding the police jury will provide to the veteran affairs will become effective January 1, 2019.
According to Bergeron, the police jury will give a total of $3,241 a month to support veterans. Bergeron also shared the impact VA has had on the communities in Evangeline Parish. He said, “In the fiscal year 2016, which was the last year of their report, our local service helped to bring in $8,578,000 in VA compensation and pension payments to Evangeline Parish households. We also contributed to a statewide total of $1.35 billion. That represents an average return on investment of $1,120 for every dollar contributed by Louisiana’s local governments.”
Police Juror Bryan Vidrine asked what the total amount of money had been given by EPPJ to the VA during the 2018-2019 fiscal year. According to Bergeron that total will be $49,119.92.
Other items approved:
•Reappoint George Broussard and Sheriff Eddie Soileau to E-911 board.
•Reappoint John Bihm, Shane McGee and J.D. Fontenot to Duralde Gravity Drainage District #4.
•Appoint Michelle Messer and Caleb Gautreaux to Ward Four Fire Protection District.
•Appoint Tommy Jones to replace Curley Dossman on Evangeline Parish Solid Waste Commission.
•December French meeting set for December 11, 2018 at 2:00 p.m.