Posted: Jun 20, 2018, 4:28 PM
Bossier Parish Police Jury members took the first step Wednesday to begin a major addition to the Parish Camp on Lake Bistineau with a unanimous vote to accept the low bid to drill a water well at the site.
Once the well is completed and water is available, plans call for construction of a bathroom at the camp that features a public boat launch, camping ground and picnic areas. The camp is located on the southern end of Lake Bistineau on Parish Camp Rd.
Jury member Bob Brotherton said drilling a well on the site was the only way the parish could provide water for the future bathroom facility.
“There’s no public water service in this area; everybody provides their own water well,” Brotherton said. “We can’t put the cart before the horse. We have to have water before we can build the bathrooms.”
Jury members had one hurdle to clear before deciding to go ahead with the project. The low bid of just over $63,600 was more than the amount that had been budgeted. Parish Engineer Butch Ford said parish consultants had recommended the specifications for the project and bids received were higher than expected.
But, he added, the consultants also recommended that the jury go ahead with the project.
Parish Supervisor of Parks and Recreation Warren Saucier told the jury that the higher than expected cost of the well should not delay construction of the planned bathroom. While estimating costs, Saucier said he had budgeted the bathroom construction a little higher than the facility at Tall Timbers.
“I thought the well would be much less, but in looking at the budget we do have the money to do the well. And if bids on the bathroom come in under what we’ve figured, we can do both,” he said. “If it comes in over that, we’ll have to look again.”
In other business Wednesday, police jury members:
Retired Dist. 2 Fire Chief Kenny Tyson (right) receives a certificate of appreciation from parish police jury member Bob Brotherton during jury meeting.