Scott Walker, the new president and CEO of the Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance, told Calcasieu Parish police jurors at their most recent meeting his plans for the area’s future.

“If you think about it and what’s happened since COVID, we feel that here Louisiana has lost population, our region has lost population,” Walker said. “We’re trying to build that back, but we’re not where we used to be.”

According to Walker, regional success has common factors — winning regions are strategic and have a long-term focus because they invest in themselves, they’re organized for collaboration, they have a customer-service focus and they continuously improve.

Walker said he has a strategic plan that kicked off in May to help the region rebuild.

“We can’t rest and we can’t just accept the status quo,” Walker said, and sentiment echoed by Judd Bares, president of the jury.

“I’ve sensed from the few times we’ve met that you’re here to work and it shows and we’re excited,” Bares said. “We can’t wait to collaborate and help in any way we can.”

Also at the meeting, the jury adopted a resolution approving the submittal of a grant application to the state’s Department Children and Family Services for participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Education and Training Program for Oct. 1-Sept. 30. The move would also mean a cost reimbursement share for the grant.

Erika Garrison, assistant director for the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury Human Services Department, explained what this means for those qualifying.

“This is essentially for individuals who are receiving SNAP benefits, they can connect to our program and we work with them to provide access to different types of training to receive a certification where they can then go and apply for a higher paying wage job and get off of benefits essentially, so it’s a way for them to achieve economic stability,” Garrison said.

The Police Jury rejected a resolution on bids received by the Parish Purchasing Agent for the paving and exterior improvements at various Calcasieu Parish Libraries Project due to budgetary constraints and requested permission to readvertise with a revised scope of work.

The Calcasieu Parish Police Jury will meet again on June 26 at 5:30 p.m.