VIDALIA — Representatives of the U.S. Corps of Engineers said Monday evening they’ll work with property owners near Lake St. John to see if they can slightly relocate Maxwell Road following the completion of a levee improvement project.

Residents expressed concern during a public hearing with the Concordia Parish Police Jury that Maxwell Road will be built back in the same place following the levee enlargement.

Once the levee berm — a barrier area — is extended, it will cut off portions of row crop fields, residents said.

One area farmer said if the road is moved to the edge of the new berm, however, farmers will at least be able to fence it off and use the land for cattle, but if the road is left in the middle of the berm, that won’t be possible.

When those at the meeting asked if the road could  be moved, Corps project manager Rick Shelton said the levee design and the funding tied to it being discussed were all based on pre-approvals at the federal level.

“We can go back and talk and see if they can complete the redesign on it,” Shelton said, but added he thought the redesign would delay the start of the project.

Corps officials said any design — including the current one — would also depend on the cooperation of landowners in the area.

District Attorney Brad Burget, who said his wife owns property in the area to be impacted, said no rights-of-way have yet been acquired from the landowners.

“Nobody has gotten notice about the servitude,” he said. “There is no way we can cooperate with that, something we have no knowledge about — where the road is going to be done, put in the place that is most advantageous to the jury, to the public.”

Police Jury President Melvin Ferrington said the jury didn’t mind if the road was moved from its current location to the edge of the berm.

“To us it is immaterial to where the road goes as long as it goes through there and gets it all connected,” he said.

Landowners from the area also expressed concern that the construction — which Shelton said could start as early as mid-October — could impede crop harvesting in the area.

Shelton said the three-phase plan will include the construction of a temporary ramp that will allow traffic on top of the levee while the widening of the berm is being completed.

Corps officials met with concerned landowners outside the meeting Monday night, but said they would have to discuss any changes to the plan with other stakeholders before seeing if it can be redesigned.

If everything follows an ideal timeline, the contract for the project can be awarded in September, Shelton said.

In other news:

The jury authorized Ferrington to enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement with the State of Louisiana to receive $420,000 in capital outlay funds to improve the parish courtroom.

The jury voted to enter into a contract with Archon Information Systems, a company that will host online tax auctions for the parish.

The jury voted to reappoint Josephine Washington and Johnnie Woodruff to the Concordia Recreation District No. 1 board, with one juror — Willie Dunbar — voting against.

The recreation board had sent the jury a letter requesting the reappointment of the members. Dunbar said he objected to the idea of an up-or-down re-appointment based on the letter because he had not been given an opportunity to make a suggestion for someone to serve on the board.

The jury presented Dr. Jarrod Gregg and Dr. Justin Gregg a resolution of appreciation for the life and work of their father, Dr. Ron Gregg.

Ron Gregg was the surgeon at Riverland Medical Center in Ferriday for 39 years. He was also a long-time Concordia Parish farmer.