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Story Archives: Police Jury not happy with Vidalia recreation board no show at hearing


Police Jury not happy with Vidalia recreation board no show at hearing
posted Thursday, February 14th, 2008 @ 8:26 amE-mail Story E-mail Story | Print Story Print Story 
The Concordia Parish Recreation Board No. 3 from Vidalia will have to commit to attending a public hearing on a proposed land purchase before the Police Jury reschedules such a meeting.

The board operates under the the Police Jury.

Jury President Melvin Ferrington and other jurors were upset that not a single member of the recreational board showed up at a public hearing Monday night with about two dozens residents on hand with questions about the land plan.

"Until we get a letter from the rec board and commitment to their attendance the Jury will not call for another public hearing on this matter," Ferrington said Tuesday. "The whole reason we called for the hearing was because of their request for permission to buy property."

In a recent letter to the Jury, Board chairman Mark Archer asked for permission to purchase 20 acres -- at a cost to the district of $340,000 -- but jurors opted to hold a public hearing before considering the request.

In the letter Archer noted that the board wanted to buy 20 acres behind Walmart on Highway 84 at a cost of $17,000 per acre.

He said that 50 acres in all is available, adding:

"The City of Vidalia proposes to purchase approximately 30 acres adjacent to our 20 acres. The City would offer for lease to the Recreation Board, these 30 acres for a nominal fee for 50 years with an option to lease 49 acres at the end of the 50 year period. The leasing of this 30 acres would offer our District a total of 50 acres for future expansion, development and upgrading; thereby enhancing the facilities and recreational programs."

Attorney Jack McLemore, representing the town at Monday's meeting, said he was prepared to address the issue at the public hearing but did not want to do so without members of the recreational board on hand. He asked that the hearing be postponed until a later date.

Ferrington said Tuesday that the Jury had no intentions of giving the board permission to purchase the property until a public hearing is held to answer questions from the public.

"There are a lot of questions about this proposal and we're not about to give it our okay until the people have an opportunity to address their concerns," said Ferrington. "We had to pay for legal advertising to let the public know about this hearing and then had to cancel because not a single board member showed up. As far as I'm concerned this issue is dead until we get a letter of explanation from the rec board and a commitment on their attendance at a public hearing."

In other business during the Jury's one hour and 40 minute meeting, jurors approved spraying work on the Vidalia Canal, the Ridgecrest Canal and the ditch behind The Floor Station in Vidalia.

The work will be conducted by KMG Vegetation Control, LLC, formerly known as L64. The company specializes in vegetation and tree control in drainage ditches with a spraying and maintenance program.

Jurors agreed to contract with KMG at a cost of $100 per application up to three applications per year for the ditch behind The Floor Station; $9,000 per application, two per year, along the Vidalia Canal from Poole Road to Vidalia; $1,250 per application, two per year, on a portion of the Vidalia Canal from Hwy. 84 to the levee area; and $650 per application, two per year, for the Ridgecrest Canal.

In business, the Jury:

• Approved a three percent consumer price index increase for Diamond Disposal, amounting to $1,076 per month.

• Set a five-ton load limit on Doty Gardens Circle.

• Appointed James Foster and Eddie Roberts to the Old River North Advisory Committee to replace Herman Watkins and Laverne McPhate.

• Approved election expense for the Monterey alcohol referendum totaling $18,821 to Foley & Judell.

• Approved the transfer of $5,000 from the General Fund to the Criminal Court Fund.

• Voted to pay $15 in parish administrative dues for the secretary-treasurer.

• Reappointed Roy Wagoner and Rodney Matthews to the Board of Concordia Sewer District No. 1.

• Voted to pay $272.50 to Bryant Hammett & Associates for general work.
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