Please give an update on the Maplewood Drive construction project.

The Maplewood Drive Rehabilitation project has now entered Phase II, according to Sulphur Director of Public Works Director Austin Abrahams.

This phase consists of the removal and replacement of the street’s subbase, base course and concrete pavement, he said. 

“Drainage improvements will also take place during construction,” Abrahams said. 

The project limits are from E. Diane Drive to Shasta Street.

He said a notice to proceed on the second phase was issued on Feb. 14 with 365 days to reach substantial completion.

Election update

Can you better explain why the election results were challenged in the March 26 Sulphur City Council race? I’d also like to know when the city turned in the district changes and if the registrar of voters had to pay attorney fees for the challenge?

In the March 26 Sulphur Councilman District 2 race, Nicholas Nezat received 169 votes to incumbent Mike Koonce’s 143 votes. Those results were later deemed null and void by Judge Kendrick Guidry after a lawsuit was filed citing redistricting errors.

The reason the race was challenged was duo to 30 voters out of the approximant 2,380 in Sulphur City Council District 2 were put in the wrong Sulphur City Council District, said Calcasieu Parish Registrar of Voters Kim Fontenot.

Fontenot said the secretary of state received the new Sulphur redistricting information on Nov. 24, 2021. The Calcasieu Parish Registrar received the Sulphur redistricting information from the secretary of state on Dec. 8, 2021.  

“Due to the Dec. 11, 2021, election, no changes are allowed during an election cycle,” Fontenot said.

This meant not all boundary changes were reflected in registrar records so some voters showed up at the wrong precincts. 

Fontenot said the registrar’s office did not have to pay an attorney for the hearing. 

The new election will be on June 4.

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Informer is written by Crystal Stevenson, American Press executive editor. To ask a question, call 494-4098 and leave voice mail, or email informer@americanpress.com.