Police hires tip attention to a revenue proposal

Several police department personnel actions approved at the Eunice Board of Aldermen meeting Tuesday tipped attention to a plan to raise city revenue.
Police Chief Randy Fontenot gained approval for three hires and the promotion of officer Jade Broussard to sergeant at the meeting held at the Eunice Municipal Complex.
Fontenot said he has other positions open, but has to wait until other new hires are trained, a process that can last from six to 12 months and cost up to $20,000 for each trainee.
The cost include salary, benefits and training, he said.
Jack Burson, alderman at-large took the opportunity to raise the issue of police pay.
“The problems that the chief just got through outlining about retaining good young officers are directly related to one cold fact. Our pay scale is too low when compared to the people around us and we desperately need to do something about that,” Burson said.
Burson said Mayor Scott Fontenot has something in mind, but he did not want to get into details.
The mayor wants a program to update the city’s infrastructure, including streets, and that can only be done with additional taxes, he said.
“Mentioning that so that people will start thinking about it,” Burson said.
“The most important function of government is law and order and that requires good policemen and maybe the second most important job is streets so you can get around your town without hitting a pothole every other roll of the wheel,” he said.
The police chief said police officer hires are required to sign a contract stipulating they must serve two years from the time their training ends or reimburse the city for the training costs.
Eunice police officers start at $9.75 an hour and a year after they complete the police training academy the receive a $500 a month stipend from the state, Randy Fontenot said.
In other business, Karl Aucoin, city engineer, said a street improvement project is about six weeks from being completed.
Aucoin said the scope of work in University Place changed from an overlay project to reconstruction of streets in the subdivision across from LSUE.
Other board action included:
— Approval of rezoning a lot at 130 N. 6th St., by Turner’s Conoco, to allow for a storage building;
— Authorizing a contract with the Eunice Food Bank;
— Renewal of high alcoholic beverage permits for 2017;
— Reminder that the holiday shopping Noel on the Prairie is Saturday and Sunday;
— The Kiwanis Christmas Parade is scheduled at 5 p.m. Dec. 8. The parade begins at North 2nd and Peach streets, goes south to Park Avenue, turns at 7th Street and returns to the Eunice Municipal Complex.
— Applications for Toys for Tots are being accepted through Nov. 28 at the Eunice Fire Department’s Central Fire Station on Park Avenue.