Eunice paving program approved

The contractor for 20 street improvement projects was approved at Tuesday Board of Aldermen’s meeting.
Karl Aucoin, city engineer, said there were five bids. The low bid was from Elliot Construction, of Grand Coteau, and it was approved by aldermen.
Elliot Construction’s base bid of $784,725 was within 1 percent of the estimated construction cost, Aucoin said.
At Aucoin’s recommendation, aldermen also approved an addition to the base bid for a modified asphalt which will add about five years lifespan to road surfaces, according to Aucoin. The bid addition cost $21,600.
The next lowest base bids were from Glenn Lege Construction, of Youngsville, $789,037; and Diamond B. Construction Co., Alexandria, $795,592.50, according to a bid tabulation sheet released by Ginny Moody, city clerk.
Mayor Scott Fontenot said Wednesday that work should begin in 30 to 45 days depending upon the weather.
The meeting at the Eunice Municipal Complex also included approval of a resolution to the state Department of Transportation and Development asking for road work on Maple Avenue and La. 13.
Jack Burson, alderman at-large, said, “I think it will be the seventh one that we’ve had in the last four, five years regarding this same area.”
Maple Avenue, which is La. 91, “... is unquestionably the worst street we have in town. Of course we can’t do anything to fix the holes,” Burson said of the state-owned highway.
“We seem to have had since (Gov.) Mike Foster left Baton Rouge pretty much a total neglect of the state highways through Eunice ...” Burson said.
Burson asked that the resolution be sent to the two state senators and the representative representing Eunice and they be requested to meet the mayor and Board of Aldermen after the legislative session ends.
On another road-related issue. Alderman Dale Soileau said the city needs to clean culverts.
“If there is no flow through culverts we don’t have anything,” he said about drainage.
The mayor said he would look into a culvert-clearing machine. Fontenot noted that the city contracted someone from Lafayette recently to clear a culvert on Dean Street.
Alderwoman Germaine Simpson, who was elected mayor pro-tem, said she has received several requests for speed bumps, but noted they cannot be placed on every street. She requested police write more tickets.
Police Chief Randy Fontenot said police are working more traffic as his department’s staffing improves.
Other board action included:
— Resolutions to property owners to address problems at 201 E. Oak Ave. and 130 Gaspard St.
— Declared Saturday as “Fun Day” at the Southeast Center.
— Appoved an ordinance for a four-way stop at North 2nd Street and Magnolia Avenue and removing stops signs on North 2nd Street at its intersection with Camelia Avenue.
— Authorized the Eunice firefighters to conduct investigations into the cause and orgins of fires.
— Accepted the donation of .116 acre from Coburn’s on Magnolia Avenue.
— Introduced an ordinance to abandon the Betty Street Extension to facilitate an expansion of the McDonald’s restaurant.
— Approved a resolution for a utility right of way for Detel Communications, which is installing fiber optic cable to schools.
— Approved police department hirings of Devin Johnson as reserve officer; Victor Fontenot as a jailer; Robert Carron, Alex Andrus and Brandon Gauthreaux as provisional police officers; and Kevin McFarlain as a police officer.