The Madison Parish Police Jury met Monday and approved resolutions related to bridge replacement, E911 millage administration and routine financial matters. Juror Jane Sanders of District 5 was absent, and all other members were present.
Jurors approved the consent agenda, including minutes from the Nov. 24 meeting, and adopted a resolution authorizing the E911 Communications District to administer its millage. The Legislative Auditor requested the resolution. The approved millage rate is 2.96 mills for the 2025 tax roll.
The jury also adopted its annual resolution for the state’s bridge replacement program for fiscal year 2026.
Vice President Johnny Hughes reported that he and District 3 juror Dave Wilson attended a Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development meeting in Monroe on Dec. 1. DOTD presented information on bridges on West Bear Lake Road, four Highway 80 projects between Tallulah and Waverly, Bayou Macon crossings, the bike trail project and several I-20 structures expected to undergo repair in 2026 and 2027. Hughes said they also discussed truck traffic and related road impacts. He said the state could be coming in to fix roads using taxes.
Jurors discussed whether temporary access routes may be used during the West Bear Lake Road bridge project and revisited earlier use of rail cars as bridge structures.
District 1 juror Jerry Hicks said gravel roads across his district were in poor condition after recent rain. He said the jury’s lot in Delta needs cleanup work and referenced road and bridge concerns raised during a recent Chamber of Commerce meeting.
District 2 juror Stanley Ogden raised concerns about a curve south of Waverly where visibility is limited. He said DOTD advised the parish not to clear vegetation outside the state right-of-way without authorization.
District 3 juror Dave Wilson said DOTD’s current contractor will leave the region in about a year. He said new contractors will need to reestablish asphalt routes in northeast Louisiana, which may affect amounts allocated to each area. He also relayed safety concerns discussed at the DOTD meeting regarding truck traffic on uneven roads.
District 4 juror Hughes asked about the status of the old health unit building. The secretary-treasurer Margarett Dew said health unit funds can only be used for health-related purposes and no grant updates had been provided. Hughes also raised concerns about Lee Street, which school buses use, and said the city, school board and parish may need to partner on repairs.
Police Jury Superintendent Clinton Epps reported the jury is short on truck drivers and equipment operators. He said the shortage is delaying ditch work, debris removal and equipment hauling. Some road repairs will move into next year due to weather and staffing conditions.
Kimmeka Sterling, assistant director and secretary-treasurer of the Madison Parish Port Commission, presented the port report. She said the port has several active grants, including $2.2 million for additional rail work at the port, $1.2 million for road and sewer rehabilitation, $433,000 for dredging, $1.3 million for a Highway 65 turning lane, $15 million in capital outlay for Port Road and $5 million in CDBG funding for the Port Road land addition. Sterling said the port is working with the levee board on access for fertilizer season and noted that trucks will be required to travel the levee unloaded. She also reported completion of an $18,000 rail-tie replacement and said the port is operating $663,000 under budget for the fiscal year.
In public comment, Herman Haywood asked about cleanup timelines for properties in the Buckner neighborhood. Epps said crews plan to finish two lots before returning to other areas and said further work will depend on next year’s budget.
A budget meeting is scheduled for Dec. 11 at 3 p.m. The jury’s annual ethics training will be held Jan. 28 at the community center.
