Police Jury to renew planning agency dues

By Katie Stallcup (Contact) | The Natchez Democrat

Published Tuesday, November 27, 2007

VIDALIA — The Concordia Parish Police Jury voted Monday to renew the dues for a nonprofit planning agency the parish hasn’t used in recent years.

The board agreed to pay Kisatchie-Delta Regional Planning and Development District the $4,080 dues.

“Do we get that much service out of Kisatchie-Delta here?” Police Jury President Melvin Ferrington asked.

Jury Secretary Russell Wagoner said he recommended renewing the dues because he would no longer be handling the grants and loans.

The development district serves eight parishes in central Louisiana. It assists governments with planning and development as well applying for grants and loans.

Police jury member Cathy Darden said she thought the services they provided would be worthwhile.

Ferrington said he wanted to make sure the parish would get its money’s worth from the dues.

“If we’re going to pay that much for services, I think we should start using them,” he said.

The parish has been a member of the development district for roughly 20 years, Wagoner said after the meeting. Recently the dues increased.

In past years, Wagoner has handled the duties involved in applying for grants and loans because he was more familiar with the issues at hand. He said Monday he would no longer be responsible for those duties.

In other business, the board:

4Approved advertising for gravel, culverts and chemicals.

4Approved the election returns from the propositions on the ballot in November elections.

4Voted to spend $4,900 to purchase a new server and computer for the courthouse to replace the 6-year-old existing server and computer.