system for south Lake Charles residents and the extension of sewer lines to Lake Charles Regional Airport.
The parish recently allocated $2 million in Ward 3 gambling money to pay for a water system for residents in Water District
12, he said.
“We’re getting a very high rate of inquiries back (from residents) saying, yes, we want this water,” Scott said.
The money will be used to upgrade a parish-owned water well, which Scott said is serving local industries. The parish spent
about $600,000 in one-time parishwide gambling funds to get the system running.
Scott said he was pleased to hear about
a $5 million project included in the state’s capital outlay budget to
extend sewer
lines from the city of Lake Charles to the airport. He said he
spent the last several years working to get the project listed
in the budget.
The State Bond Commission is expected to meet in October and will decide whether to appropriate the money for the project.
“The airport really needs a way to grow out there, and without sewer, it’s been impossible,” Scott said. “With all the potential
they have, sewer has just continued to keep it dead.”
The parish Budget Committee will consider transferring $700,000 from the wastewater reserve fund to the parishwide wastewater
fund to pay for engineering and right-of-way research.
Scott said the parish has made strides over the years in addressing malfunctioning sewer systems. But, he said, consolidating
sewer and water districts into one utility district would make that progress more effective.
“You go across the United States, they
have model after model of utility districts that have taken over,” Scott
said. “They’re
much more effective in getting infrastructure somewhere ahead of
actual development. For years that’s been a problem in this
parish.”
About two years ago, Scott said he researched the consolidation of fire districts. He said he believes the parish will make
progress in consolidating its services over the next several years.
Scott said he also wants to get people involved in working with the local government.
“As jurors, we need youth and faith
ambassadors,” he said. “If we could teach them how local government
works, then we would
have that many more people to be a conduit to all the stuff that’s
available to the parish. There are great things we could
do as a governing body to do things with people. Local government
is what matters.”