Engineers brief jurors on grants and demolition program; jurors delay awarding recreation complex bid pending match confirmation

Delta Engineering and outside consultants told the Avoyelles Parish Police Jury on March 5 that several infrastructure grant applications are active and that demolition and clearance funding is being pursued for blighted structures.

Jacob Gillery of Delta Engineering said the parish had submitted LGAP and CWF applications (limestone and a 100,000-gallon ground-storage tank rehab) and a $7 million federal BUILD grant to fund roadway projects across districts; he said BUILD-award notices were expected no later than June 28. "Weve also submitted your BUILD grant. That was the $7 million roadway project... expect sometime in September maybe to hear something back on those (LGAP/CWF) and BUILD notices no later than June 28," Gillery told jurors.

Gillery also discussed the CDBG clearance grant process for demolishing blighted structures and gave cost guidance: demolition without asbestos removal averages about $5,000 per structure; with asbestos abatement, costs can rise to about $10,000. He recommended identifying 10–15 candidate structures per district so the parish could meet likely grant minimums.

On the multipurpose recreation/education complex, jurors reviewed bids submitted March 2. The engineersreport recorded a low base bid plus an additive as $3,976,160, but jurors flagged inconsistent figures presented later in the packet (a different base figure of about $3.57 million appeared in staff notes). Jurors asked staff to provide written confirmation about the funding package, citing a $750,000 match tied to one capital-outlay item that may be required. "We will get something in writing," one juror asked staff to confirm before a Tuesday vote.

The meeting record shows jurors paused any final award because of those funding and match uncertainties; staff said they would obtain documentation from the funding source and return with a clarified total and any required match amount.

What happens next: staff will seek written confirmation about how the capital-outlay match (reported at roughly $750,000) should be handled and will present corrected totals at the next available meeting; BUILD/LGAP/CWF application award notices are expected this summer, per the engineering update.