City to see $2.8M in new projects
Once the city council accepts the proposed 2019-20 budget, Jennings could see $2.8 million in new projects this fiscal year beginning July 1.
The proposed budget stands at around $15.8 million, up from the current year’s $14.5 million budget. Total projected expenditures came in at around $12.3 million, leaving $2.8 million for capital outlay projects around the city.
“Two years in office and we have successfully completed many beautification projects and are planning many more,” said Jennings Mayor Henry Guinn. “The general fund has increased $3.6 million during my tenure and I intend to spend $2.8 million this year in capital outlay, major drainage, continued water meters, a new fire truck, police cars and much more.”
Guinn said much of the increase can be attributed to operational savings, positive sales tax revenue and a boost in gas royalties. The city receives money from the sale of methane gas at the parish landfill. Guinn said because that money is not legally dedicated to one area, the city often steers those funds toward parks, recreation and facilities.
The biggest project will be phase two of the digital water meter installation project. The budget has $750,000 set aside to install 2,100 new meters throughout the city. The new meters can be read more efficiently and are expected to save both the consumer and the city money. Also, with an actual awareness of consumption, the new meters will help with water conservation and eliminate waste.
The budget also includes $600,000 for a street asphalt overlays project to complete shoulder work and overlay asphalt on several city streets. The project was bid out in November, however, weather and other delays caused the project to be carried over from last year.
There is $550,000 set aside for drainage improvement from Sherman Street to La. 97 where the water drains into Bayou Nezpique.
“There has never been a defined drainage system in place for that area,” he said. “When we have heavy rainfall we see flooding in some of the surrounding neighborhoods such as 13th Street, Sherman Street and Magnolia Drive.”
He said a drain would be installed from the intersection of Magnolia and 13th Street all the way to La. 97 with embankments on both sides so that the city can access it for maintenance.
There is also $530,000 earmarked for a new fire truck for the city’s fire department.
“It has been 14 years since the city purchased a new fire truck,” he said. “As the city continues to grow we will need this to keep up with our fire rating.”
Other projects in the 2019-20 budget include:
• $360,000 for the remodel of the exterior of the public safety building that houses police and fire departments. The funds are coming from leftover bonds from the $6 million City Hall Project completed several years ago.
• $325,000 for a covered basketball court at Marcus Cain Memorial Park.
• $87,000 for a new flat bed truck for the streets department.
• $80,000 for new equipment for city police including LRC radios, laptops, taser, pistols and dash cameras.
• $60,000 for new fencing around the city pool and park area, as well as painting the exterior of the building.
• $50,000 for a new concrete parking lot on the north side of the North Cutting Park.
• $50,000 for for the Joint Service Agreement between the city and the Jeff Davis Tourist Commission which includes new playground equipment and work on the front entrance at the Louisiana Oil and Gas I-10 Park.
• $45,000 for new electrical wiring at the baseball field at Franklin Park.
The budget also includes $60,000 to update the city’s municipal code. Guinn said this would be a massive undertaking that will take around 18-24 months to complete.
“The charter was written in 1974 and there are some things that are very outdated,” he said. “We need to go through and update some areas, while eliminating anything that is no longer applicable.”
Town Attorney Kevin Millican said any amendments made to any ordinances during the process would require the approval of the city council.
Once the code is updated, it will be uploaded online and fully accessible to the public. This will also allow realtime updates to be added to the code in the event that a policy is amended.
“Along with the implementation of the GIS agreement, this is just another step towards bringing Jennings into the modern era by implementing cost and time-saving technology,” Guinn said.
Those funds will also cover the cost of hiring Architects Southwest to strengthen the historic district code in order to attract new business into the city’s downtown area.
“The current code does not include any tax incentives for businesses that chose to locate downtown in an existing structure,” Guinn said. “We want to be able to collaborate with the U.S. Internal Revenue Service to offer federal tax breaks to those who invest in our historic downtown area.”
He said the Jennings Industrial Development Board would work with the mayor’s office and Architects Southwest to draft a code that would allow potential developers to get tax credits for investment in the downtown area.
“The city can go in and handle all the streetscaping and beautification projects like sidewalks and landscaping, however, it is not financially feasible for us to refurbish all of the old and deteriorating buildings that need addressing downtown,” he said. “Architects Southwest will hold events in conjunction with the city’s industrial development board and get with the stakeholders to come up with a plan that would work for all parties.”
The budget also includes across-the-board raises for all city employees including police and fire personnel. This does not include the city council members or the mayor.
A public hearing was held Tuesday on the budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2019 and ending June 30, 2020. The council will vote to adopt the budget at a special meeting called on Tuesday, June 25 at 5:30 p.m. The budget is available for review at city hall and can be accessed by the public before it is adopted on June 25.