Master plan funding said to be on hold

Funding for a Eunice master plan is hold, Mayor Rusty Moody said.
“The way the economic situation is right now, we need to kick back and take a look at the revenue coming in and what we are putting out,” he said.
Don Reber announced at a recent Eunice Economic Development Committee meeting that the master plan funding had stalled.
“Rusty is not against this, but Rusty doesn’t want to go against the council,” Reber, committee chairman, said. “If the council is saying not to do this you got to assume the city doesn’t, but I don’t think the people in the city understand this.”
Launey Griffith, a member of the economic committee, said at the April 2 committee meeting, “I like to look at the master plan as kind of a business plan. You wouldn’t start a business and hope to get a loan without a business plan.”
At the committee’s March meeting Reber said he expected to present a proposal to pay South Central Planning and Development Commission over 18 months to develop a master plan at a cost of $95,000.
At the time Moody said, “I think it is needed if are going to continue to grow. Eunice already has a lot of positive things going for it. I think this would just put the icing on the — matter of fact it would put another layer on the cake and the icing to boot. It is needed. We are sort of like the flag flopping in the wind.”
Reber suggested the economic committee become linked to the Eunice Chamber of Commerce. The move would help the chamber achieve a stronger voice in economic development, he said.
Reber said economic growth in the Lake Charles area is affecting Eunice and the city should develop a plan.
“On the good side, all this stuff is going to come sooner or later,” he said.
Moody said city finances are not as healthy as they were last year, however, he added, “Come July when we redo the budget, we’ll see.”
Economic Development Committee members include Reber, Celeste Gomez, David Pulling, Francine Hughes, Dr. J. D. Miller, Kenneth Elliott, Lance Pitre, Launey Griffith, Lloyd Antoine, Missy Grimmett and Tony Baltakis.