BY MEGAN ASHLEY FINK

VIDALIA —Concordia Parish Police Jurors asked the sewer board Monday to investigate sewage-related flooding problems.

Police Jury Member Willie Dunbar said that water was seen coming from manholes near Concordia Park during the recent heavy rains.

“One inch (of rain), we have a problem. Two inches, we have the same problem. We got 5-and-a-half inches of rain,” Dunbar said of the recent weather.

Dunbar said that residents have been reaching out to him to take action on the issue.

“We need to get something done,” Dunbar said.

Parish Engineer Doug Wimberly submitted a plan to Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality to install an overflow pump into the system, which would move excess water into a local lagoon.

Wimberly said that the lagoon would be a short-term holding cell for storm water. When the storm season is over, the water would be drained out at a rate the existing system can handle. Wimberly said that the DEQ may not approve the plan, but alternative options were limited.

“We can do the option we submitted or let the problem keep happening,” Wimberly said.

Dunbar made a motion to write a letter to the sewer board to investigate the flooding in the interim, and the motion passed.

The Jury also passed to the finance committee the motion to investigate options for hiring an attorney specifically for the Jury. Dunbar said that the jury had lacked access to timely legal advice for too long.

Police Jury President Melvin Ferrington said that it would be possible, and that the first step would be sending a letter to the Attorney General’s office to inform the AG’s office of who police jurors seek to hire and how much the person would charge.

Jury member Joe Parker made a motion to send this matter to finance, which was carried.

Mayor of Ridgecrest Bobby Sheppard said rain has caused dangerous wear on the road at 902 Vidalia Drive that may potentially cause an accident if not fixed.

“It’s not causing a major problem at this time, but rain is wearing away ground on that side of the road,” Sheppard said.

A work order was approved to correct the problem.

In other news the police jury:

– Heard from resident Melissa Posey who asked for gravel to help a neighbor in the Monterey area safely move in and out of her residence, and to allow emergency services to access the area. Posey offered her service as a grant writer to help the board fund work in the area.

– Adopted an administrative services agreement with Oliver Schulz and Associates for the Community Development Block Grant program in the amount of $34,650, for which Ferrington said the school board would provide funding.

– Approved payment to Jordan Kaiser and Sessions, LLC for field surveys for a drainage easement for a part of Taconey Plantation in the amount of $2,642.

– Approved payment to Jordan Kaiser and Sessions, LLC s for road inspection work in the matter of the Ferguson Road in the amount of $420

– Approved payment to Jordan Kaiser and Sessions, LLC for hydrographic surveys and preliminary structure design for the GOHSEP/FEMA drainage study in the amount of $44,416.

– Approved payment to Jordan Kaiser and Sessions, LLC for topographic surveys and 30 percent of the design work for the GOHSEP/FEMA drainage study in the amount of $27,333.

Ferrington said that all money for the drainage study has been approved and is coming from a state grant.

– Signed a letter to Concordia Recreation District 3 to ask for recent meeting agendas and minutes and for budget reports, which the Ferrington said the district has failed to provide since May 2014.