Construction is expected to be completed by the end of this year for a new $2.1 million state-of-the-art animal shelter for Jeff Davis Parish.The shelter will feature 40 dog runs, 34 cat enclosures, areas for intake, isolation, stray animal care and surgical procedures. (Doris Maricle / American Press)

Jeff Davis Parish Administrator Ben Boudreaux is nearing completion of his first year as the parish’s first ever administrator.

In reflecting on his first year, Boudreaux presented a progress report at a police jury meeting Wednesday. He highlighted significant accomplishments from the past year and shared his vision for the future of the parish.

“I think we’ve accomplished a lot,” Boudreaux said, expressing his satisfaction with the progress made. “Hopefully more than past years.”

He acknowledged that many of these achievements were a collaborative effort, with some projects initiated before his tenure and others benefiting from the expertise of the parish engineer.

He emphasized that every accomplishment represents a win for the parish, and extended his sincere gratitude to the staff for their dedication, teamwork and willingness to embrace changes in a short period. He also thanked the police jurors for their invaluable input and participation, encouraging them to “keep pushing us, don’t stop.”

“When I first came to the parish, one of the things I was told is we had a back arena extension project that we wanted to be completed (at the fairgrounds),” he said.  “I know it was in the works and was a high priority for Rep. Troy Romero.”

Additionally, he mentioned a bridge that required shutdown for repairs as per the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development’s directive.

“I didn’t know I was going to get my engineering stamp wet right off the bat, but these two things, I did the engineering plans for, and we kicked off with a bid for the arena canopy. It came in about what we estimated and as y’all know, as of this week, they completed that project, on time, on budget and it looks great. I think it is a great addition to the parish.”

From an economic development standpoint, Boudreaux said both water infrastructure and road improvements have been top priorities.

“We need infrastructure improvements, especially by the interstate,” he said. “It was a high priority for a lot of people. “

Boudreaux is particularly excited about the new water filtration system being installed by the Jeff Davis Central Water District in Woodlawn. The water well has been drilled, and the plans and permitting are complete, he said.

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds provided by the police jury were instrumental in launching the project, he said. Additionally, the parish is looking forward to receiving water sector funds, which will supplement the project and reduce the need to draw solely from their own funds.

Furthermore, Jeff Davis Parish Water and Sewer Commission #1 has finalized plans for a Phase One booster station project at the Lacassine water treatment plant, The project is expected to go out for bid by the end of the year, according to Boudreaux. The police jury has allocated funds from both ARPA and the state’s capital outlay to support the project.

“One of the things that kind of helped this project, just like the Jeff Davis Central, was the ARPA money the police jury gave, and also the donation of the five acres where the water plant is going to be built,” he said. “That’s going to be a great addition for that area.”

Boudreaux also highlighted the poor infrastructure around the interstate, attributing it to boundary issues.

“When we have boundaries, it doesn’t benefit them to build a lot of infrastructure right at the tip of those boundaries,” he said. “So we’re going to have an opportunity with these (Senator Bill) Cassidy funds. That’ll be a project through the police jury where we can work around and through those boundaries.”

He stressed the need to strengthen those areas where the boundaries exist.

Boudreaux also shared his excitement about the parish’s chip seal program, which allows for improvements to gravel roads at a fraction of the cost of asphalt.

“I think it’s very beneficial to growing our parish,” he said. “Nobody likes a dusty road.”

The parish is collaborating with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development on several bridge projects, which will be fully funded by the state. Work has either been completed or is scheduled to begin on bridges on Lyons Road, Ardoin Cove, Pecan Orchard Road and Payton Road, West Racca Road and Theo Road.

The 2022 road project has been successfully closed out, including the completion of Farm Supply Road which was funded through capital outlay funds. In-house maintenance crews also finished 6.5 miles of chip seal work, and a draft list for additional chip seal work and paving projects in Topsy are pending bids. Nearly three miles of roads in Topsy are currently in the design phase for paving.

Boudreaux said the Topsy road improvement project will enhance property value in the area and help reduce maintenance costs.

“Overall I think it is definitely a win for the parish and those people over there,” he said.

The police jury was awarded $1 million for the Topsy road improvements. Additional grants were secured for new trash receptacles, generators, drainage on Plantation Road in Lake Arthur, and a hurricane safe room at the police jury office.

The parish is also seeking grants for a local road safety program to provide signs and striping, arena improvements, sewer implementation, building improvements, and health unit generator.

In other developments and improvements, Boudreaux said construction of a new $2.1 million state-of-the-art animal shelter is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The facility, designed for future expansion and funded without additional taxes, will feature receiving rooms, a surgical room, 40 dog runs and 34 cat enclosures.

“I’ve never run an animal shelter before, but I think it’s good that we thought ahead and we added those things initially and designed it such that we could expand it easily in the future,” he said. “A small animal shelter is definitely better than none at all, and we had to start somewhere.”

In addition, Boudreaux said the parish has successfully updated and replaced equipment, leading to increased maintenance output. This was achieved by implementing a new work order system to manage and track complaints, dedicating personnel to digging ditches, patching, and operating equipment and utilizing part-time labor for weed spraying. The parish is actively monitoring output for accountability and incorporating advanced tools, such as a fleet management system to track vehicles and heavy equipment.

“We’re buying all these things to improve, but we’re also trying to save money at the same time,” he said.

He said the parish has made significant strides in cost savings, including a $200,000 reduction in health insurance and a $400,000 reduction in fixed assets insurance. Additionally, the parish is performing more in-house repairs and maintenance with its own employees and increasing investments.

Boudreaux also highlighted several improvements to parish-owned buildings, including the hiring of a maintenance supervisor and repair person. This is expected to help with small maintenance and repairs, and save the parish money.

Repairs were made to the fairgrounds’ arena roof, and many signs throughout the parish have been cosmetically fixed, including the registrar of voters office, the 911 building and the health unit. Small improvements, such as the addition of fans and new padded chairs, were also made at the multipurpose building at the fairgrounds

“We’re trying to make our parish look good,” he said.

Changes and improvements have also been made to the police jury office, including a new phone system and a new file sharing system to improve efficiency. Additionally, offices have been rearranged for smoother operations, regular staff meetings are being held to keep employees updated, and job titles and descriptions have been updated.

“And for the first time, we are doing employee evaluations, and that is very important because it gives employees feedback on how they’re doing and what they need to improve on,” he said.

The parish has also been focused on updating ordinances including those related to dirt pits, injection wells, and utility permits. Code enforcement has also been improved with the introduction of spreadsheets to track violations and documentation worksheets for tracking projects.

Permit processes have been streamlined to accept online and credit card payments. Boudreaux also prioritized improving customer service, updating the parish website, and implementing new forms for driveway, logging and utility permit. Procurement and purchase order policies have also been updated.

Regarding audits, Boudreaux said the parish successfully submitted all overdue audits from the past three years within a 10-month period. The 2024 audit is scheduled to be submitted by its due date.

To enhance public communication, the parish is now actively using its social media page for updates and streaming meetings online.

Looking ahead, Boudreaux said the parish will continue to improve road maintenance and drainage projects. A key goal for the end of the year is to clean up all maintenance yards.

Improvements are also planned for the fairgrounds, Houssiere Park, Roanoke Park, and water infrastructure projects.