Landfill hours may be reduced

CROWLEY - The Acadia Parish Sanitary Landfill may be open only six days a week in the foreseeable future.
The police jury has approved alternate operating hours for the Egan-based facility if the permit can be modified with the state Department of Environmental Quality.
“It’s a money-saving move,” said Laura Faul, secretary-treasurer for the jury, following Tuesday night’s meeting. “Cost and liability ­— we only have two people working out there on Sundays, one at the window and one in the back.”
Faul added that, if ultimately approved, the Acadia facility would fall in line with other landfills in the area.
“I called all the landfills around us and there’s not one of them that’s open on Sunday,” she said, adding, “and we’re only open half a day on Sunday anyway.”
Brett Bayard, engineer with Mader Engineering, will submit the application for permit modification, Faul said.
“This isn’t something that’s going to happen overnight. It’s probably going to take two or three months.”
In other business during Tuesday’s brief meeting, the jury approved entering into a contract with Roadside, Inc., for “vegetation maintenance” at LeGros Memorial Airport near Estherwood.
The annual contract will cost the parish $28,500 and the company will guarantee to kill all vegetation on the runways, taxiways and apron and control vegetation in the remainder of the airport allowing for a clear line of site between the runways and taxiways year round.
Roadside, Inc., also will control wildlife activity on the airport as require by the FFA, according to the contract.
“Right now we’re using our road crews and tractors to go out there and cut the grass,” Faul said. “This will save us money on equipment use and man hours.”
Jurors put off authorizing President David Savoy to execute an agreement with the state Department of Transportation and Development and Acadiana Planning Commission for the transfer of Louisiana 1112/Louisiana 12 (Bayou Plaquemine Road) to the parish system.
William Nevitt asked that the jury reconsider its plan to use funding from the state program to improve and maintain Holland Road and Indigo Lane.
“That area floods every time there’s a decent rain,” said Nevitt, who owns property along that area of roadway. “It will cost the parish a lot of money to maintain these roads.”
The jury had agreed to repair and maintain the Holland Road / Indigo Lane corridor upon completion of the project on Louisiana 1112 and Savoy said he wasn’t sure if there was a way to now change that agreement.
But Hannah Credeur, records keeper for the jury, pointed out that the matter before the jury Tuesday “basically just spells out the responsibilities of the parish and the state in regards to repairs that will be made to local roads by applying the credits from the state that will be received once La. 1112 has been completed and transferred.”
She said a phone call to DOTD Wednesday morning would probably clear up any doubt.
Mid-year budget adjustments reflected the savings the parish is realizing with the low cost of fuel.
In a number of department budgets, money budgeted for fuel was transferred to other line items.
“At mid-year most of the department have only used about 30 percent of their fuel budget,” said Peggy Romero, budgeting director.
In other business, the police jury:
• Accepted and approved the recommendation of the Airport Committee amending the leases for Hanger Units 1, 2 and 3 at LeGros Memorial Airport to reduce the monthly payments from $250 to $150.
• Accepted the recommendation of the Finance Committee approving Change Order No. 1 for the new Morse Village Hall in the amount of $13,492 to be added, bringing the adjusted contract price to $384,492. Completion of the new municipal building is expected in about three months.
• Accepted the recommendations of the Road and Bridge Committee to:
- purchase an extended warranty for one backhoe used at the Iota Barn in the amount of $3,300 and an extended warranty for one backhoe used at the Branch Barn in the amount of $4,150; and
- accept the low bid of Quality Equipment Co., Inc., in the amount of $127,600 for the purchase of one new 195-horsepower tractor to be used at the Crowley Barn.
• Authorized the advertisement to receive proposals for the 2016 audit.
• Appointed Brandon Leger to the Egan Drainage District to fill the unexpired term of Joseph Leger Jr.
• Appointed Wallace Fontenot Jr., Allen Credeur and Frank Menard to the First Ward Drainage District.
• Appointed Dwayne Gossen, Leonard Habetz and Gerald Leonards Jr. to the Second Ward Drainage District.
• Appointed James Philip Lacasse to the Iota Fire Protection District.
• Appointed Sheriff K.P. Gibson to the Acadia Parish Communications District.