FERRIDAY, La. – Boys and Girls Club programs will be housed in the planned Ferriday Community Center, thanks to a Tuesday night vote by the Ferriday Town Council.

Club Director Kevin Bridgewater said such programs could include tutoring, basketball and counseling for youth. Board member Clarence Hymon also said the nonprofit needs space to house the 30 computers it now has. The club now uses space in the Doty Road sheriff’s substation, but space is limited.

The council gave its approval pending some minor changes Town Attorney Anna Brakenridge needs to make in the agreement between the club and the town.

&uot;We’re not leasing the center to anyone, because we can’t — we’re just letting them use it,&uot;&160;said Mayor Glen McGlothin. The center will be located in the old Florida Street Gym building.

The council gave its approval despite Administrative Assistant Alex Promise’s contention that the the programs the Boys and Girls Club is now talking about are different from the ones Hymon first discussed with Promise.

Earlier, McGlothin and Promise announced they met Tuesday with U.S. Department of Agriculture officials to discuss getting grants for a new fire station to be located in the center of town, as well as a new fire truck.

The town plans to apply for such grants as soon as possible.

&uot;We don’t know how much (money) we’re talking about yet,&uot; McGlothin said. &uot;I don’t even know how much a fire station could cost — that’s what I&160;have to find out next.&uot;

The council voted to ask the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development to study the feasibility of raising the level of Old River.

Water the town gets from Old River is often brown and smelly due to high manganese content when the water level is low.

Council members also voted to give McGlothin the authority to research and enter into a contract with an outside company to read the town’s water meters and find broken meters so they can be fixed.

&uot;If we locate and fix these meters, we’ll get our money back&uot; because broken meters cost the town money, said Councilman Mitch Ashmore, who made the motion.

The town is applying for a $200,000 grant to replace water meters. About 250 of the town’s meters are broken, McGlothin said.

Also in Tuesday’s meeting:

4Sammy Davis Jr., Adean Pipes and Hymon were sworn in as members of the Ferriday Housing Authority’s board.

4Billy Rucker was appointed as mayor pro-tem.

4The council voted to change the town’s livestock ordinance to prohibit the owning of animals other than pets and chickens inside the town limits.

4The council voted to advertise to lease 70 acres of town property near Poole Road for squirrel hunting.