By Stacey Tinsley, Press-Tribune
During its regular meeting on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, the Bossier City Council approved the first reading of an ordinance related to the construction of a new maintenance building at Walbrook Park. The approval did not come without some opposition, as it was opposed by two city council members.
“I’ve been against this project from the beginning so it’s not a shock that I’m speaking on this. I don’t see the need for this. That we are building a building for a Dixie baseball league and Little League that has nothing to do with the City. I don’t think it’s the right time for us to be spending $479,000 on a building. We have employees quitting every day from the City, going elsewhere for higher-paying jobs. I don’t see the need for it. We have buildings down at Tinsley if they need to house equipment. It can be moved back and forth. I think it’s bad timing for the City to be spending this kind of money, no matter where we are getting the money from. We don’t need to be doing it,” said Brian Hammons, Bossier City councilman for District 1.
Following Hammons’ remarks, Bossier City Councilman At-Large Chris Smith said, “I’d like to echo Mr. Hammons’ comments. I won’t beat a dead horse.” The City of Bossier City Parks and Recreation Department managed the design, construction, and completion of the Walbrook Park Maintenance Building Project. Bids were received for the Walbrook Park Maintenance Building Project on February 27, 2024. Blocker Builders, LLC submitted the lowest responsive base bid in the amount of $479,000.
The Bossier Parks and Recreation Department appropriated $320,000 in the 2023 Sales Tax Capital Budget for construction of a new maintenance building at Walbrook Park. Ordinance No. 2 of 2024 allocated an additional $130,000 in funds from the Riverboat Capital Projects Fund. An additional appropriation of $100,000 from the Riverboat Capital Projects Fund is needed to supplement the original appropriation to complete the project.
Below is the approved ordinance from the Bossier City Council’s April 9 meeting regarding this issue:
Introduce an Ordinance to amend Ordinance 2 of 2024 appropriating an additional $100,000 from the Riverboat Capital Projects Fund to supplement funding needed to construct the new Walbrook Park Maintenance Building and awarding the bid to Blocker Builders, LLC in the amount of $479,000.
During the April 9 meeting, the Bossier City Council also approved the following:
- Adoption of an ordinance amending Ordinance No. 133 of 2018 by changing the zoning classification of a certain tract of land, being 50.668 acres, more or less, from R-A (Residential Agriculture) to R-MD (Residential Medium Density), located in Section 33, Township 19 North, Range 13 West, and in Section 4, Township 18 North, Range 13 West, Bossier City, Louisiana, for a residential development called Folia.
- Adoption of an ordinance amending Ordinance No. 133 of 2018 by changing the zoning classification of a certain tract of land, being 2.2 acres, more or less, from R-A (Residential Agriculture) to B-3 (General Business) at 4911 Commerce Drive, Bossier City, Louisiana, for a proposed convenience store/gas station, located in Section 13, Township 18 North, Range 13 West, Bossier City, Louisiana.
- Adoption of an ordinance approving a Conditional Use Approval for the retail sale of low-content alcohol for off-premise consumption at a proposed convenience store, located at 4911 Commerce Drive, Bossier City, Louisiana.
- Adoption of an ordinance to declare that an emergency existed in the City of Bossier City which affected property, public health, and safety due to the requirement to repair damage to pumping equipment for Bossier’s Water Treatment Facility at a cost of $49,732.75 to come from the Water Capital and Contingency Fund.