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Story Archives: Ferriday seeks probe of town water operations for past 23 years
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Ferriday seeks probe of town water operations for past 23 years
The Ferriday Board of Aldermen voted Tuesday night to ask the U.S. Attorney General's Office to investigate present and past administrations concerning the operations of the town's water plant.
The Council's resolution essentially asked that the probe go back 23 years. That would include the administrations and aldermen serving during the tenures of Mayor Glen McGlothin and former mayors Odeal Montgomery (1996-2000) and Gene Allen (2004-2008).
The Council's regular meeting was marked by heated exchanges between various groups, including aldermen, the mayor and members of the audiences.
Justin Conner led the delegation requesting the federal investigation, alleging that $20 million had been spent "and we ain't got no water. We can't get no businesses here. School was shut down for a week and businesses are closing down. We've got the same jackrabbit running. This has been a gold mine for somebody."
The Rev. Raymond Brown from New Orleans, who said he was with the National Action National representing Al Sharpton, appeared at the meeting with Conner.
"I spoke to Rev. Sharpton," Brown said. "If you don't correct the problem, we're going to come and take it over."
McGlothin said the accounting of the water plant's operations have been consistently cleared by state auditors.
The Town of Ferriday has been under a boil water notice since Aug. 18 and the water was shut off for long periods of time during the past week as a new filter was being installed.
McGlothin said he is hoping to get off the boil water notice by today (Wednesday).
At the outset of the meeting, alderman Gloria Lloyd asked for an accounting of expenditures of income from Walmart. The retailer, which left Ferriday a few years ago, has been providing the town income for the past years to help offset the loss of sales tax funds.
Lloyd offered a motion, which was passed at a prevous meeting, to use some of the Walmart funds for emergencies relating to the water plant.
McGlothin said CPA Jerri Sue Tosspon could provide those figures. He also put together a fact sheet on the water plant which stated that Ferriday's current cost per month towards the water plant equals approximately $52,000. Average revenues per month from the water plant equal approximately $30,000.
Lloyd asked about the bid for the water storage tank being $400,000 but McGlothin explained that $700,000 had to be paid for the tank itself, to engineers and for other parts and services.
The breakdown showed $225,000 going to the water in-take structure, $275,000 going to maintenance, pumps and upgrade tech, $210,000 for new filters and $150,000 in a special account required balance to total $1,560,000.
"The USDA requires we keep money on hand for emergencies," he said.For the full story, subscribe to the The Concordia Sentinel's NEW E-Edition! |
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