Featured Photograph: Anthony Daniel, Opelousas City Manager
BOBBY ARDOIN
Editor/Consulting Writer
A budget committee has recommended sending to the Opelousas Board of Aldermen for further consideration a city administration plan that suggests spending $2.9 million in remaining American Rescue Acr funding.
During a brief Thursday night meeting, the four-member committee considered aspects of the ARA expenditure request that uses $2.187 million to cover what the city still owes in matching costs for ongoing capital outlay projects that include water, sewerage and infrastructure upgrades.
Tucked into the same prepared budget is an estimated $745,710 expense that the city administration feels is necessary to offset potential city revenue loss.
The amount of ARA funding discussed by the committee during the Thursday meeting is about half of the $5.866 million total the city received in federal COVID-19 relief money.
Committee members also discussed possibly retaining Stephen Woods as a consultant to help with the city budget preparation for the fiscal year that ends Aug. 31.
Woods is listed as a parish government employee on a personnel chart provided last week to the St. Landry Parish Council.
No action was taken by the Committee on whether seeking Woods’ advice on city financial matters.
City Manager Anthony Daniel represented the city during the Budget Committee meeting which lasted about 35 minutes.
Committee members and Daniel discussed the ARA proposal which includes the city’s remaining funding obligations for water meter replacement ($1.021 million), sewer plant upgrades ($315,000), a street and drainage project ($62,0000), Med-South storage tank replacement ($169,000), sewer pump stations ($142,000), grant-funded improvements at city both parks, Greenwood and Natchez Boulevard ($62,000), Opelousas library renovation and community center upgrades ($211,599) and another street grant for low and moderate income neighborhoods ($265,780).
Capital Outlay Discussions
Daniel said the city is hoping to spend $1 million for a community center, while providing $500,000 for library rehabilitation projects.
The overall total costs for both projects is an estimated $1.711 million, with all but $211,599 paid for by the state, according to the spending chart provided to the Committee.
Library improvement projects include $100,000 for repairing an elevator in addition to lighting and other improvements.
The administration, Daniel said, has prepared a potential list of streets that qualify for the street improvement grant project that will receive about $1.6 million from the state.
At this point progress for the park improvements has been delayed since the contract bids received are over the amounts budgeted for the project, Daniel added.
The state is agreeing to provide the city with $400,000 for the park projects which specify new equipment, according to Daniel.
Importance For The Projects
Daniel indicated that the city is receiving sufficient assistance from state officials for funding a number of projects.
“For a city to have as many projects as we have right now is unheard of. Other legislators around Baton Rouge are asking what’s going on with Opelousas, because of the number of projects. It’s just something that does not normally happen,” Daniel said.
Daniel added that Mayor Julius Alsandor has visited with state lawmakers and administration officials six times recently in order to discuss funding for city projects.
“The mayor has been on the fourth floor (of the State Capitol) three times already (to speak with Gov. John Bel Edwards) about what we need for the city. That doesn’t happen too many times,” Daniel said.
Daniel admitted that there is currently a $1 million line item in the state budget for repairing or replacing bridges.
