Greetings Fellow Residents,
Happy Easter everyone! I am excited to share some important updates about our community:
Sewer Lift Station Project Update
We have made significant progress on our sewer lift station project. Our city has 13 lift stations, which were previously inoperable. By 2022, this situation necessitated the rental of bypass pumps, which has resulted in an expenditure of up to $100,000 each month.
Thanks to a generous allocation of over $5 million, secured by Representative Lacombe (along with a local match), we have almost completed the process of installing new sewer pumping stations. I am pleased to announce that by the end of this month, we will no longer be burdened with those unsustainable pump rental fees. We will soon be able to redirect these funds toward other vital projects in our community.
Grant Updates
We were awarded two $25K grants from Local Government Assistance Program (LGAP) to renovate City Hall. The interior walls and flooring needed attention, so with one of the grants, we painted the building's interior and installed new flooring. With the other grant, we replaced the decades old windows with new energy efficient windows and currently, the building's exterior is being painted.
We were also awarded two $25K grants to perform upgrades at the Scott Civic Center. The building is old and has suffered years of neglect. We recently painted the interior walls, but the condition of the floors made it hard to appreciate the new paint. So, we will use both of those $25K grants to install new flooring. This will be a major step towards making the interior of our Civic Center aesthetically satisfying.
Community Water Enrichment Fund (CWEF) awarded New Roads $30K, which will be used to upgrade an aging and insufficient water line that our Public Works department has identified.
In addition to the building renovation and water service enrichment grants, Senator Klienpeter secured $50k for police department equipment.
Vibes on False River
Our free concert series, "Vibes on False River" will be held every Friday in May from 6:00pm to 9:00pm on the Morrison Parkway Riverbank. Each Friday will feature a different genre of music. The event also includes free rides on the mechanical bull, as well as food and drinks for purchase. Mark your calendars!
Sincerely,
Theron Smith
Mayor of New Roads, LA
