City Council OKs budget amendments

The Crowley City Council approved an ordinance that amended the budgets for the city for the fiscal year beginning Sept. 1, 2013 and ending Aug. 31, 2014. 

In recent years, when the city’s finances were far less stable than they presently stand, there was plenty of debate between council members and citizens alike. So to have this years budget amendments approved unanimously surely pleased those on the council. 

During the Public Works Committee’s report, City Engineer Tim Mader said that the work that has closed down much of West Northern Avenue for more than a year is winding down. The only thing holding it back are the lack of stripes which separate the east- and westbound lanes as the council and Crowley residents alike have been patiently awaiting the completion of the street, which passes in front of Crowley Elementary,

Mader, however, is looking into getting temporary stripes until the permanent ones can be put down. 

“We are getting so close,” he said. “I know you’re getting tired of hearing me say that. We’re dealing with only a matter of days.”

Alderman Vernon “Step” Martin said that he has already seen people driving down the road who apparently didn’t  know it was closed. 

“It concerns me that we could be held liable if something were to happen before the street is open,” he said. 

Both Mader and Crowley Chief of Police K.P. Gibson said that people have been moving the blockades and not putting them back where they belonged. 

“A lot of people who live in that are have already been using the road, but we have other vehicles that are just passing through,” said Gibson. 

“With the temporary striping being placed tomorrow (Wednesday), this really isn’t a serious problem,” said Alderman Elliot Doré to the laughter of those in attendance.

In other news regarding roads in Crowley, it was announced that plans for the long awaited I-10 service road are 99 percent complete. 

“We’ve been told by the Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) to expect the final plans to be approved by the appropriate personnel in August,” said Mader. “This is the last step in the process to get to a bid letting. 

“The DOTD has pushed their official bid date back to October 8,” he said. “Under the federal funding program which is giving us $1.8 million for this project and the city’s subsequent agreement with them, it is required that the bid date is determined by the DOTD.

“We don’t like their timing, but we like their money,” Mader added.

The next Crowley City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 12.