Bob Brotherton has been elected president of the Bossier Parish Police Jury for 2017.
Brotherton, who represents District 1 on the police jury, replaces outgoing president, Wanda Bennett. District 2 jury member Glenn Benton was elected vice president for the new year.
In addition to naming a new slate of officers, jury members voted unanimously to renew the contract of Parish Administrator Bill Altimus for another year. Altimus has served as administrator since 2002.
Police jury members also gave unanimous approval to the parish’s hazard mitigation plan, the comprehensive guideline for emergency response. Ian Snellgrove, director of the Bossier Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness, said this plan is different from those submitted in the past.
“This year’s plan is different because all the various cities and towns came together in one unified plan rather than submitting individual mitigation plans,” he said. “It’s a common plan for all Bossier Parish.”
Snellgrove said the unified plan would also represent a savings since each entity would not be responsible for individual plans.
Parish Engineer Butch Ford told jury members his office was still meeting with representatives from the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (GOHSEP) to talk about funds to help individuals who received serious flood damage.
“They’re trying to get about $2 million approved from 2009 and 2015 hazard mitigation funds available to Bossier Parish residents so we can purchase homes,” he said.
Ford said the money is a 75/25 percent match. Staff members from the engineering department will be attending a Disaster Recovery Resource Fair in Shreveport next week to talk more about topics involving flooding and recovery funds, he said.
In other action at the jury’s regular meeting, members:
-Approved plats of proposed developments at Cypress Bay Subdivision, Jamestowne Subdivision, Nathan Cash Subdivision and Riverbend-on-the-Turf Subdivision; approved partition of a portion of the O’Daniel Estate and approved minor plats for SWF Red River Land, LLC and Clint Chachere Butler.
-Scheduled a public hearing Feb. 15 to consider approval of the application of Willis Knighton Health Systems to the Benton-Parish MPC for zoning amendments on a 74.496 acre tract and an 80-acre tract for the WK Palmetto Development.
-Adopted an ordinance amending Ordinance 4612 of May, 2016 to include Bossier Parish Precinct 4-11C.
-Adopted a resolution of support for Glenn Benton in his election to Second Vice President for the Louisiana Police Jury Association.
-Accepted the resignation of Cindy Dodson from the board of directors of the Bossier Parish Communications District No. 1.
-Accepted the resignation of Jeanette Edmiston from the Human Services District Board; appointed George Sewell to fill the vacancy on the board.
-Ratified approval of proposal from Professional Service Industries, Inc., for subsurface exploration for Bossier Parish roads.
-Approved establishing a 10 mph speed limit on Miller Rd.
-Approved a change order on the wastewater collection system for Consolidated Waterworks/Sewerage District 1.
