The Natchitoches Parish Council discussed road projects, capital improvements, budget amendments and other parish business during its regular meeting Monday, Aug. 17.
During the Public Works report, council members discussed the parish’s need for additional grader operators. Public Works Director Joey Creamer said the parish currently has two grader operators.
A resident asked about the qualifications and pay scale for grader operator positions, saying he knew people who might be interested in applying. Creamer said the Highway Department could provide applications and that the current pay was around $21 to $22 per hour as the parish considers the cost of increasing the pay scale.
Finance Director Julie Lockhart reported that sales tax collections were slightly below the previous year but that the parish had made up some ground. She also presented two budget amendments for introduction.
The amendments addressed the East Natchitoches Drainage project and the Natchitoches Regional Medical Center generator project, both of which had been pushed to 2027, as well as the Lateral Lane project, which was budgeted primarily for 2025 but was taking place in 2026.
Lockhart said the NRMC generator had been delayed because the generator was on back order. She said the East Natchitoches Drainage project would require acquisition of servitudes, preparation of bid documents and bidding before construction could begin. She said construction could potentially begin in December if everything lined up, but the majority of the funding was being moved to 2027.
The Planning and Zoning department has experienced significantly more activity than anticipated. During the previous two months, the department received 18 distinct applications, including 13 subdivisions, repartitions and other property matters and four or five rezoning or special circumstance requests. The department is also investing in automation to provide answers about parish ordinances, rules and regulations concerning resubdividing and zoning.
The council was also updated on the International Property Maintenance Code. The Planning Commission is reviewing the ordinance and is expected to make a recommendation at its next meeting.
Parish President John Salter then discussed road projects, including work on Lateral Lane and other roads that had been submitted for consideration but were not included on the council’s agenda. Salter said seven roads had been submitted and that work had already been done to obtain prices for the projects. He said he was prepared to move forward with the roads if the council members agreed on which projects they wanted addressed.
Much of the discussion centered on whether the road work constituted capital improvements requiring prior council approval under the parish’s Home Rule Charter.
The parish attorney explained that previous legal opinions had been based on the information provided to him that included information about the proposed work, while another involved a list of roads that contained only road names and did not include project specifications, estimated costs or other details. He said those details were necessary to determine whether the projects were subject to the Home Rule Charter, public bid law and capital-improvement requirements.
Council members discussed the need to determine the scope of work and estimated cost for individual roads before deciding whether they required council approval.
The council also discussed available funding and the parish’s ability to move money between budget lines. Salter said there was money available through sales tax funds after solid-waste needs were met, while council members discussed the need for a budget amendment if additional funds were to be moved.
The parish also discussed its remaining ability to purchase hot mix. Lockhart said the parish had spent nearly $60,000 and could not purchase additional hot mix without going through the bidding process. She said the parish could bid for additional material, but that process would take additional time.
The council also approved the reappointments of Mark Waskom, Nicole Taylor-Casida, Johnny L. Possoit, Mike Dawson and Kirk Leone to the Natchitoches Parish Fire District 6 Board.
Under old business, the council voted to overturn the parish president’s veto of Ordinance 018-2026 concerning the abandonment procedures for Felise Lacaze Road from the parish maintenance road system. The measure passed.
Under new business, the council introduced Ordinance 019-2026, a budget amendment addressing FEMA and state funding for the East Natchitoches Drainage and NRMC Generator projects, which had been pushed to 2027, and moving revenue and expenses for 244 Lateral Lane into the 2026 budget.
The council introduced Ordinance 020-2026 to reduce the speed limit on Patrick Road from 35 mph to 25 mph for safety reasons. The ordinance passed.
The council also introduced Ordinance 021-2026 for an application by Vintage Design Group LLC to survey and rezone two tracts of land for the purpose of building an indoor recreational facility. The property, located in Section 14, Township 9 North, Range 7 West, is currently zoned IA, with B3 zoning requested. The rezoning request has gone through the Planning Commission and they recommend the change. The ordinance passed.
The council introduced Ordinance 022-2026 to acquire necessary drainage servitudes for the East Natchitoches Drainage project.
The council approved a resolution to participate in the State of Louisiana Community Development Block Grant FY 2026 Program administered by the Division of Administration. The resolution addressed financial management, requisition of funds, equal opportunity, Section 504 coordination, residential anti-displacement, language access, grievance procedures and communication with persons with sensory impairments.
During public comment, a resident of Johnson Chute Road raised concerns about trash along Highway 1 and Johnson Chute Road. He said the area had previously been cleaned by prisoners but that trash has accumulated again. He asked the council to work with the Sheriff’s Department or another appropriate agency to address the issue.
Another resident raised concerns about trash along Highway 504 near the Texaco station. She said her husband had begun picking up trash along the road because of the amount present and asked whether anything could be done to address the problem.
The council adjourned following the meeting.