FERRIDAY — Ferriday Mayor Gene Allen said he plans to use the recommendations given to the town by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor’s office to help iron out some issues the town is having with its third-party water contractor.

Allen said at Tuesday’s Board of Aldermen meeting that he plans for himself and town attorney Myisha Davis to sit down with JCP and discuss the current water contract that was signed in April.

“We need to talk about the contract with JCP about some of the things we need to do. (The auditors) strongly discussed that with us,” Allen said.

The audit stated that Ferriday work with JCP to ensure that both parties are keeping up their end of the contractual obligations, something that Allen said is being done.

“The town is obliged, and they are obliged to adhere to the contract,” Allen said. “They are doing what the contract says. Is that good for the town? No it’s not, but that’s the contract we let. There are things we disagree with. There are things that are good for the city and some that are not.”

The town is required to have a third-party contractor in order to receive grant funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a water plant.

A few members of the community had complaints with the contract and how JCP was keeping up with its end of the deal. The board heard a few concerns, but the Allen requested that members of the community submit their complaints in writing and they will be discussed with JCP.

Allen said he hopes to meet with JCP and discuss the contract and come back to the board with recommendations at the next meeting.

Also at Tuesday’s meeting, Allen recommended that the board make a request to the Louisiana Department of Transportation to put stopping lines at the traffic lights at the intersection of E.E. Wallace Boulevard and Louisiana Avenue.

“There are trucks trying to turn that can’t turn, and people have to back up,” he said. “It would be good to get stopping lines at all three points of traffic.”

In other business:

-The board gave Allen and Davis the authority to get some parcels of land in the town labeled as surplus, in order to place those lands up for bid.

– The board renewed its sewer contract with William McKeel.

– The board tabled a decision on hiring building inspection permitting enforcement firm IBTS until the next meeting.

-The town added a fourth health insurance plan to its list of potential providers. Allen said Allstate has given the town a plan, and the board will now consider four plans.

“We do need health insurance, it’s a mandatory thing to have,” he said. “We do need to come up with a plan and make sure we get health insurance in place.”

– The board tabled a discussion on a Crime Stoppers program, because Alderman Johnnie Brown originated the idea, and he was absent at Tuesday’s meeting.