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VIDALIA, La. — Following numerous complaints about sewer rates going up without improvements to service in Concordia Parish, the police jury on Monday called the sewer board to Monday’s regular meeting to offer help.

Eddie Nugent, chairman of the sewer district, said the district has been operating on a “shoestring budget” and patching leaks without the necessary equipment to fix major issues. “Every time it rains, that water gets back in our lines and there is nothing we can do,” he said at Monday’s meeting.

District 2 Police Juror Kenny Simpson said he and Eddie Nugent, chairman of the sewer district, spoke earlier Monday and discussed better communication was needed between the parish police jury and the sewer board.

“We are here to help and I say we help in any way possible,” Simpson said to the sewer district at Monday’s meeting. “I know in certain parts of District 2, I get complaints every day and it’s mostly the same complaints. So, after a while, it gets to be problematic.”

In November 2024, the Concordia Parish Sewerage District No. 1 raised rates for customers from $40 to $50. These rates are different from commercial businesses, which vary based on their size, the district branch manager Kristie Sherbia said at the time.

Simpson said after the price hike, constituents want to know where their money is going if they continue to experience leaks.

“I don’t blame them,” he said. “I tell them they can call me anytime. They pay for it and they want service. … They still have the same problems and the service hasn’t gotten better.”

Nugent asked for “a little more time” to allow the sewer district to work.

“We can only take it one day time, you know,” Nugent said. “As far as your help, I’d like to talk to you a bit more about that and just see how we go about getting this done.

During the October 2024 board meeting Cornell Lewis had asked for a letter to be sent to the sewer board requesting they put a halt to the increase, questioning its legality. However, the sewer board did not need the police jury’s approval for the rate increase to move forward provided the increase is below legal range, police jury members said.

Lewis was formerly on the sewer board before he was elected to the police jury and now serves as the police jury president.

“One of the problems I see is planning,” Lewis said on Monday. “We’re here to help you. When there are sewer issues, people call us. People elect us and want to see results. If you all just work with us and plan these things out, we’d be glad to help. We just got to be upfront with everyone and move forward.”

In other matters during Monday’s meeting of the Concordia Parish Police Jury, the board heard a presentation from Latosha Ward, who owns a vending machine company, about placing new vending machines in the Concordia Parish Courthouse and the Concordia Parish Health Unit in Ferriday. Depending on how well the machines do, Ward said she’d like to donate 10 percent of their proceeds to a non-specific Ferriday charity. The board referred her proposal to the courthouse committee for further consideration.

The police jury also heard from Larry Edwards, a Ferriday resident, who complained of delipidated property in Shady Acres Circle which the police jury agreed to look into.

The board adopted a resolution implementing the renewal of a 0.24% sales tax approved during the Dec. 7, 2024, election that funds the parish health unit. The board also approved engaging Silas Simmons to conduct the 2024 audit.

The board accepted a lone bid received Monday for clay gravel and chemicals for spraying weeds and rejected bids for cleaning and clearing trees from ditches. The board said they would advertise a new Requests for Proposals asking for a clear cost on the projects.

The board also discussed work orders and ordinance violations for dilapidated property, grass and weeds and illegal dumping of tires on properties on Skipper and Bayou Drives.

For new business, Lewis said the Public Works Committee would meet with Hometown Waste to discuss problems residents have had with their trash being picked up on time. The board acknowledged some delays had occurred with trash collection during holidays and during extreme winter weather last month.

The board entered into an executive session for approximately 30 minutes to discuss the maintenance department. Executive sessions are not open to the public or to the media.

After returning to the public meeting, the board adjourned without any further action.