Police Jury Meeting Notes: March 15, 2023

Summer recreation programs at the town of Benton are growing by leaps and bounds, and the Bossier Parish Police Jury agreed Wednesday to lend a helping hand to the town in one area to help accommodate that growth.

Police jurors voted unanimously to enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement with Benton and provide roughly 300 cubic yards of asphalt millings to be used to construct an additional parking lot at the Benton Sports Complex.

While the police jury will provide the millings, the town will be responsible for loading and hauling the millings, plus the costs of jury crews and equipment to spread the material.

At an earlier meeting where he requested police jury assistance, Benton Mayor Shelly Horton told jury members "...the good news is our recreation program is growing, the bad news is our recreation program is growing very fast."

Horton said attendance at activities at the sports complex has already outgrown available parking space. Property owned by the town will be utilized for the new parking area.

In other action at Wednesday's meeting, police jury members:

• Awarded bid for Project No. 2021-125, DR 4263 PW 910 Paved Roads, Task Order No. 13, in accordance with bids received March 9, 2023.
• Approved plat of the proposed development of Crump subdivision, located in a portion of Section 15, Township 19 North, Range 13 West, Bossier Parish; located off Linton Road.
• Approved the application of Jo Ann Touchstone to the Bossier City-Parish MPC for a zoning amendment to change the zoning classification of a certain tract of land being 0.32 acres, more or less, located in Section 15, Township 18 North, Range 12 West, Bossier Parish, from R-A, Residential Agriculture District, to B-3, General Business District, for a commercial office building.
• Scheduled a public hearing on April 19 to consider approval of the plat of the proposed development of River Square subdivision, being a resubdivision of portions of Lots 16, 17, 24, and 25, Shady Grove Plantation, in Section 29, Township 19 North, Range 13 West, Bossier Parish; located off Benton Road.
• Accepted a report on meeting of the Animal Control Committee and on meeting of the Road/Subdivision Regulations Committee.
• Approved a joint cooperative endeavor agreement regarding the care, housing, and humane handling of stray animals, and authorize the execution of documents; subject to review and approval by the Parish Attorney.
• Approved an agreement between the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development and the Bossier Parish Police Jury in connection with State Project No. H.015010, F.A.P. No. H015010, local road striping and signing, Bossier Parish.
• Approved the certificate of substantial completion for Project No. 2019-130, Bobby Byrd ditch drainage improvements.
• Approved a variance of parish regulations to allow for an addition to Kids Company Child Development Center to be built below the road surface level located at 5503 Airline Drive, Bossier City.
• Approved change order No. 1 for Project No. 2021-108, expansion of wastewater collection system – Contract “A” – Highway 80 East sewer system improvements, on behalf of Consolidated Waterworks/Sewerage District No. 1 of the Parish of Bossier.
• Approved change order No. 4 for S.P. No. H.007400.6, North Bossier Shared Use Trail, Phase II, Bossier Parish.
• Approved the use of recreation department funds to place a handicap access Port O' Let near the southern end of the Arthur Ray Teague Parkway walking/biking path.