Letter to the editor:

Greetings: Residents of Natchitoches Parish, please read this.

My Under Told Story 

During a walk along the riverfront on Front Street in late 2015 with my friend Mayor Lee Posey, I said, “Look, if you plan to increase attendance for City events, you will need to bring in big-name stars and renovate the entire downtown riverfront, or at least put a top on the stage. Artist and band members fly with their $5,000 to $9,000 guitars or keyboards between their legs on the plane. Trust me, they are not going to let them get wet.” What happened next was the Cane River Waterway Commission stepping up to the plate. 

(Article in the NPJ)

“Riverbank renovation will be a game Changer for Natchitoches”

June 6, 2016/ NPJ

By Corey Poole

Riverbank 1

The master plans for the Rue Beauport Riverfront Project were unveiled at a press conference June 6 at the Events Center held by the City and the Cane River Waterway Commission. 

“This is going to be a game changer for the downtown riverbank,” said Mayor Lee Posey.

The city will begin work to relocate a sewer line that runs down the middle of the riverbank July 4-11. This line needs to be moved anyway as the city looks ahead to the future downtown bridge construction project.

Bidding for the Rue Beauport Project will begin Oct. 1 and construction will start Jan. 1. It is scheduled as a 10-month project. At $3 million, the CRWC is funding the majority of the project. Chairman Jim Rhodes said the Waterway Commission feels this project will change the dynamics of the whole riverbank as it will become more used.

“We just want to make sure the cane river is everything it can be,” he said. “We knew that we needed to be a part of this.”     

In 2022, the CRWC stepped up and decided to enter into a cooperative endeavor with the governing authority for the parish of Natchitoches to assist with maintenance of the Fish Hatchery and Bermuda Roads for a cost of $3,904,087.59, even though they did not have the power or authority. Those 2 roads are in District 2. I went to the CRWC monthly meeting and personally thanked the commissioners for their decision to help with overlaying parish roads in my District. I encouraged them to keep up their excellent decision-making on road maintenance. I waited 2 months to see what roads would be next, and nothing happened. “What has happened?” I said to myself, and during my research I found that some members had become a bit nervous because supporting activities like this was not part of the powers and authority of their responsibility and they might get negative findings during yearly audits. Two telephone calls later I was in the office of the CRWC attorney seeking advice on what I could do to help. The answer was to have assistance with road maintenance added to CRWC powers and authority. The next phone call I made led to the following landing on the Senate floor.

(Senate Bill No. 53)

SLS 23RS-205 

2023 Regular Session

Senate Bill No. 53

By Senator Bernard

SPECIAL DISTRICTS. Provides for the powers and authority of the commission of the Cane River Waterway District. (8/1/23)

(14) To enter into cooperative endeavor agreements with the governing authority for the Parish of Natchitoches for the purpose of providing assistance with maintenance of public roads that are in the road maintenance system of Natchitoches Parish and provide access to properties that have frontage on Cane River Lake.

Cane River Waterway Commission, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You continue to improve the appearance and quality of Cane River by supporting road maintenance and using some of the money collected from residents’ property taxes in the best way possible. You have also accepted the challenge and adapted to employee and staff changes. I encourage all residents, especially those who live on our beautiful river, to get to know this team and thank them. Since its inception, $9,077,718.14 in road maintenance has definitely made a difference. There is more to come regarding proper repair and preventive maintenance of CRW access roads. We should let the 20-year road vision die and focus on a 40- to 50-year surface before another major overlay is needed. Then residents will be driving on surfaces similar to those in one of our adjoining states.

William “Mr. Bill” Allen

Natchitoches Parish Councilman District #2

Phone # 318-527-6278

e-mail, bestplanb@yahoo.com

---