Homer Council Votes To
Separate Restricted Funds
Votes To
Rescind Motion To Cancel Contract With AWM
BY SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal
At a Special Called Meeting on Wednesday, February 4, the Homer
Town Council voted to place all restricted funds (Street, Fire, Police,
Recreation, Contingency) except the Industrial Fund
into separate bank accounts effective immediately, and to place all future
sales tax collections for the Industrial Fund into a separate bank account.
Jesse Ford's motion to rescind the motion approved at the
previous Council meeting
to give American Wastewater Management (AWM) 30 day notice they
were canceling their contract was approved 3-0. Billy Kirk Jenkins and J. C.
Moore were absent.
Marios Popadoupalos,
General Manager of AWM, said the recent influx of rain was causing the sludge
to spill over the drying beds, which is causing the smell. The drying beds were
full and had needed to be emptied for months. Although it was the Town's
responsibility to transport the sludge for disposal, Popadoupalos
took full responsibility and even agreed to pay the expense for the Town's
driver to haul the sludge.
Ford said in the future the mayor will make sure when it is dry
enough, the Town crew will shut down whatever they are doing to get the drying
beds cleaned out.
Marios told the Council he had no problem with
having DEQ inspect the plant, in fact he encouraged it. He said he had nothing
to hide and preferred DEQ was aware of any problems they might have.
Lawson Wilder thanked the Council. He said after seven meetings
of the Financial Advisory Committee, the two councilmen serving on the
Committee had been unable to explain to the Council that the Town was out of
money.
Wilder said although the present Council had been given more
notice on the law regarding the spending of restricted funds such as the
Industrial Fund, the previous Council had also been warned by their auditor they
could not spend those funds. Under the definition of errors and omission
policy, malfeasance is covered under the Town's insurance policy. He recommended they instruct their attorney
David Newell to contact the insurance company and take action on it.
Board Proceeds With
Next Phase Homer School Project
BY SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal
Architect Rice Gregory gave an overview of Phase II of the Homer
School Project to the Claiborne Parish School Board prior to their regular
meeting on Thursday, February 5. Plans include the addition of a Junior High
wing behind the existing Homer High School building, south of the football
stadium. Two state-of-the-art science labs would be constructed on the east
side of the auditorium and two computer classrooms on the west side.
A new circle drive would be constructed off Edgewood Drive at
the entrance of the Junior High. Junior High offices would be located at the
west end of the wing. Renovations to the old gymnasium would include
installation of new windows. The building would extend beyond the existing
fence at the south end of the football field and would eliminate several
parking spots. Parking would also be eliminated in the circle drive on the east
side of the building.
The Board approved advertising for bids for Phase II of the Homer School construction project which would
include building a new junior high wing on the north side of the Homer High School building with new classrooms, new
offices for junior high principal and office personnel, and the renovation of
the old gymnasium and the rooms beneath. Bids should be opened around April and
construction could begin by summer. This phase of the project should be
completed by the beginning of fall semester of 2005.
Renovation of the existing high school building and construction
of a new track would be addressed in the next two phases of the project.
Jury Moves Ahead On Multi-Parish Lake
Project
Approves Resolution To
Reconsider I-69 Corridor Selection
BY SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal
The Claiborne Parish Police Jury approved joining the Webster
Parish Police Jury in establishing a program that will set up a joint committee
for the purpose of economic development through the pursuit of new lakes to be
located in the two parishes and any other parish that may wish to join in the
future and the residential and recreational development of those lake areas.
Jurors authorized Dr. Alice Stewart, Dr. James Robert Michael,
Herb Byars, and Robin Bridges to work as a committee
to begin research to determine the best location of lake and dam sites, as well
as other measures necessary to bring the project to fruition. They will have
authority to discuss with outside parties and negotiate tentative agreements
regarding work they might do with the understanding final approval must come
from the Police Juries.
Michael said as soon as they have developed the layout of the
lakes, they will provide that information to the public so potential landowners
of shoreline or lake bottom will be aware. His plan
provides landowners of potential land under the lake to have a share in the
benefits of the lake development.
Michael asked permission to work with the road committee and
Attorney Danny Newell to coordinate the lake projects with the road committee
so as money becomes available, some funds could be used on lake-related road
projects. He would also like to defer payment until the bonds mature when the
cash will be available. He expects the project to be funded by the new tax
revenue that will be generated by the people who will move into the parish to
retire on these new lakes.
Great Backyard Bird Count Findings For
2003
BY ALLISON WELLS, Cornell Lab of
Ornithology.
Last winter, as part of the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC), bird
enthusiasts across North America submitted some 50,000 checklists totaling more
than four million birds of 512 species. The event, one of the largest
citizen-science projects in the world, documented regional declines of the
American Crow that may be the result of West Nile virus in those regions.
Crows, for example, are particularly vulnerable to the virus and
were reported in far fewer numbers in Illinois and Ohio, where West Nile virus
has had a strong presence, backing findings from the Christmas Bird Count and a
winter-long citizen-science project, Project Feeder Watch. "This decrease
may or may not be related to West Nile, but the situation is certainly
something we need to pay attention to," says John Fitzpatrick, director of
the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
Instructions for participating in the 2004 Great Backyard Bird
Count which will be held from Friday, February 13 to Monday, February 16, participants can go
to www.birdsource.org/gbbc. There's no fee or
registration. Those who would like to participate but aren't online can try
their local library, Internet cafe, or other public online location.
Parish Highway Projects Need To Be
Pushed
February Is Financial Aid Awareness
Month
Homer-Claiborne Chamber of Commerce President J.T. Taylor and
Police Jury President Weldon Kilpatrick attended the Highway Priority
Construction Program for the fiscal year 2004-2005 in Bossier City on January
28. Taylor said they were the only representatives from Claiborne Parish.
Although the preliminary highway program for Claiborne Parish does list the
Homer Bypass construction which is 100% state funded, it will depend on whether
the state can come up with the money as to whether bids will be let in May or
June of this year.
The Homer Bypass is needed to alleviate the danger for large
trucks traveling around the Courthouse square and Taylor recommends citizens
contact their state legislators to make sure they include the project in the
funding this year. He suggested writing letters and/or calling them before the
Special Session begins March 7. He also recommended contacting Dr. Kam K. Movassaghi,
DOTD Secretary, and Bruce Easterly, District Administrator for the DOTD.
To Contact Your State Legislators:
Rep. Rick Gallot 800-676-2111
P. O. Box 1117
Ruston, LA 71273
Sen. Robert Barham 318-728-6830
P. O. Box 249
Rayville, LA 71269
Sen. Robert Adley 800-878-8005
716 Main Street
Minden, LA 71055
To Contact DOTD District Office:
Bruce Easterly 800-762-1852
P.O. Box 38
Shreveport, LA 71161
New $5 Flat Rate To Be Added Town Of Homer Water Bills This Month
At their regular meeting on February 2, the Homer Town Council
voted to add a $5.00 flat rate charge to all water bills beginning with the
next billing cycle at the end of February. The $5 rate will be added to every
meter, both inside and outside the city limits, in addition to the present
$5.00 FMHA charge. Present water and sewer rates will stay the same.
