Bossier City Council: Police pay and 'wasteful spending' trigger tense exchange
Plus — Loose trailer kills Benton man. Bossier residents continue to complain about discolored water; officials apologize.
Bossier City weather — Today: Mostly sunny. A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon. Hot with highs in the mid 90s. Chance of rain 20%. Heat index values up to 106. Tonight: Partly cloudy in the evening, then becoming mostly cloudy. A chance of thunderstorms. A chance of showers. Lows in the lower 70s. Chance of rain 50%. Thursday: Mostly cloudy. A chance of showers and thunderstorms in the morning, then showers and thunderstorms likely in the afternoon. Cooler with highs in the lower 80s. Chance of rain 70%.
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Bossier City Council: Police pay and 'wasteful spending' trigger tense exchange
Pay raises for Bossier City first responders came back in focus for the City Council Tuesday, though the matter wasn't on the agenda. The issue was teed up when Councilmember Chris Smith asked CAO Amanda Nottingham if the salary study had been completed.
"There are a few little questions that we had, follow-up things, and then they're going to provide the complete final copy that we will then disseminate to everyone," Nottingham replied. "So I would expect we should have all of that done, I would think, by the end of next week, probably."
It was a brief exchange, but a little later in the meeting, frequent council meeting attendee, commenter and Bossier City resident David Crockett dove into the topic with both feet.
"According to FBI Bossier City crime statistics, it would be risky to remove police officers from your books, as you did during the 2009 financial crisis," Crockett said. "Every policeman will admit that they are understaffed because of the force that was already reduced. The Fraternal Order of Police in Bossier City survey showed that the police feel underappreciated by many of the council on this dais. One of the council is apparently surveying the public to run for mayor. Yet no one is standing up – "
At that point, at-large Councilmember David Montgomery interrupted Crockett, asking how his comments were relevant to a resolution about to be voted on that would adjust salaries for sales tax department personnel.
After a bit of give-and-take between Crockett and Montgomery, Council President Bubba Williams suggested Crockett get to the point of his comments.
"Well, my point is that the Fraternal Order of Police in Bossier City survey showed that the police feel underappreciated by many of the people on this dais," Crockett said. "One of the people in the council is apparently running a survey for the public, because he's going to run for mayor. Yet you don't stand up publicly and demand urgent solutions that will solve the police's problem, even though you've given bonuses."
Crockett urged the council to unrestrict the money held in the Casino Trust Fund so that the city could use a portion of the $30 million in the account to give first responders a raise.
"The budget cycle's coming up," Crockett added. "I think the people have a right to know and have input into how that money is used. And I think the city ought to be careful about its wasteful spending."
Montgomery could contain his ire no longer.
"No one was laid off. But yes, we had a 10% correction in the budget because we were $6.8 million in the hole. So it was a necessity. And the reason, in a nutshell, it would take days to explain, is that we overspent and gave raises when we couldn't afford it," Montgomery said.
He added that was one reason the council is "so cautious" these days.
"No one was laid off. But yes, we had a 10% correction in the budget because we were $6.8 million in the hole."
"We make sure before we give these raises that there's a revenue stream that is appropriate to fund the cost of these raises."
Montgomery estimated that it would cost $4 to $5 million annually to provide individual raises of $400 to $500 per month.
"You cannot have deficit spending. It's against the law, and it puts you in a critical position of failure," Montgomery said. "And I think we all remember that day in 2009 when this room was full of crying babies and wives and husbands, and from all sectors of the city, not just police and fire, but from all the various municipal employees. And we made that promise that day that we would do anything within our power never to have to witness that or act upon that again."
BossierNow context:
Montgomery was referencing an October, 2009 council meeting when, as KSLA then described, "More than a hundred people packed the Bossier City council meeting this afternoon. Many there were anxious to speak out against the proposed police and firefighter layoffs."
KTBS also reported in 2009: "Earlier this month, the council approved the city's 2010 operating budget, which includes citywide spending cuts and the layoffs of approximately 80 city workers. Layoffs at the end of this year will be citywide but the Fire Department will lose the most employees. It, along with the Police Department, are the city's largest."
Montgomery then added:
"I will stand here today and fight for that until the day that I'm not elected or in office again. So I want to make that very clear. We do not wastefully spend. I am proud of what we've done and accomplished over the last 15 years."
Loose trailer on Highway 3 claims Benton man's life: Charges pending
A seemingly routine home mowing chore turned deadly on July 4th when a detached trailer struck a Benton man on Louisiana Highway 3.
Louisiana State Police responded to the crash north of Kingston Road involving a man operating a lawnmower in his yard and a northbound 2008 Chevrolet Silverado pulling an empty flatbed trailer.
Investigators determined the trailer became unhitched from the truck, veered off the roadway, and collided with 66-year-old Donald Ward. Ward sustained severe injuries and later succumbed to them on July 14th. The driver of the truck, 48-year-old Mark Foy of Benton, was unharmed.
While investigators suspect no impairment on Foy's part, standard toxicology tests were conducted. The investigation remains ongoing, with charges pending.
This crash highlights the importance of properly securing loads on trailers. Louisiana law (L.R.S. 32:383) mandates secure fastening to prevent hazards for other drivers.
Troop G has investigated six fatal crashes in 2024, resulting in seven deaths.
Bossier Parish: Water discoloration complaints continue; officials apologize
Some Bossier Parish residents are continuing to complain about "dirty-looking drinking water." The problem has been going on for weeks, particularly for customers of Consolidated Waterworks/Sewerage District 1.
In a meeting nearly a month ago, Parish Engineer Eric Hudson told the Police Jury, "We did not get ahead of it early enough — flushing these mains. It just happens this time of the year. We should have flushed them a little sooner than we did. But we are flushing the mains and getting all this stuff out."
Butch Ford, Parish Administrator, Nguyen Kha, Public Utilities Director, and Larry Landry, Utility Technical Director issued a statement saying, "The discoloration is due to a temporary and unanticipated disturbance in our water distribution system."
The officials said the issue can occur for several reasons, including:
Sediments settling in the system.
Upgrades to the wells, booster stations, variable pumps, and modernizing treatment equipment.
Repairs to two wells.
"Please be assured that despite its appearance, the water remains safe for all purposes, including drinking, cooking, and bathing. The discoloration is usually caused by iron and other minerals that are not harmful at the levels observed. However, we understand that it may be unpleasant and are working to resolve the issue as quickly as possible," the officials said.
Ford, Kha and Landry offered some steps residents can take if they notice discolored water in their home:
Running cold water from your tap for a few minutes. This can help clear the discoloration.
Do not use hot water until the cold water runs clear, as this can help prevent discolored water from entering your hot water tank.
If possible, avoid doing laundry during this time to prevent clothes from staining.
"We are committed to providing you with the highest-quality water and service. After acquiring Village Water System last year, Consolidated Waterworks/Sewerage District No.1 is investing $7.7 million to address the issues you may be facing," notice to customers said.
"Our team is conducting a thorough investigation to prevent future occurrences and ensure the integrity of our water supply system," Bossier Parish officials added.
If you continue to experience issues or have any concerns, contact customer service at (318) 742-9748.
Bossier Parish K9s receive donation of protective vests
Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office K9s Bady, Django, and Magnum will receive bullet and stab protective vests thanks to a donation from the non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc.
The nonprofit was established in 2009 and provides protection and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. The potentially lifesaving body armor for K9s is U.S.-made, custom-fitted, and NIJ-certified. Since its inception, the firm has provided over 5,627 vests to K9s in all 50 states at a value of $6.9 million, made possible by both private and corporate donations.
The program is open to U.S. dogs that are at least 20 months old and actively employed and certified with law enforcement or related agencies. K9s with expired vests are also eligible to participate.
There are an estimated 30,000 law enforcement K9s throughout the United States.
Vested Interest in K9s accepts tax-deductible contributions. A single donation of $985 will sponsor one vest, which weighs an average of 4-5 pounds and has a five-year warranty. For more information or to donate, call 508-824-6978 or visit www.vik9s.org.
Bossier City traffic updates
DOTD says that LA 72 (Old Minden Road) has been REOPENED following necessary work related to the ongoing I-20 major rehabilitation project in Bossier City.
The northbound inside (left) lane of US 71 (Barksdale Blvd.) is closed from Riverbend Drive to Golden Meadows Drive in Bossier City. This lane closure is necessary to allow the City of Bossier’s contractor to construct a new left turn lane located in the 5400 block of Barksdale Blvd. This lane closure is anticipated to be in place for approximately 60 days.
Intermittent lane closures will occur on the US 80 (Texas Street) bridge over the Red River in Caddo & Bossier Parishes for routine bridge inspection. Those lane closures have been scheduled for Saturday, July 20th and Sunday, July 21st.
The 5000 block of Shed Rd. at the railroad tracks near I-220 will be closed from July 18 through July 20 as work is done to repair the portion of the road at the railroad track. Drivers should be prepared to take an alternate route during this time.
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