Darrel LeJeune / The Basile Weekly
At the April 13 meeting of the Basile mayor and town council, councilwoman Latoya Howze read aloud a letter presented to the board by Police Chief Allen Ivory, Jr.
The letter notified the town officials that the police salaries line item will be exceeding the budgeted amount for the present fiscal year.
The letter requested a redistribution of other funding, consideration of new income, and other areas of funds on hand.
Referring to recent expenditures for police salaries, Town Clerk Heather Putnam showed the council that the average per month police payroll for the fiscal year has been $22,399.66.
According to Mayor Mark Denette’s calculations, after subtracting the police chief’s salary for the remainder of the fiscal year, approximately $45,900 is needed in additional funds if that average continues for the remaining months.
Chief Ivory added that Assistant Chief Wilbert McClinton has been out for some time now for medical reasons and has exhausted his sick leave. His absence along with the hiring of an auxiliary officer, who is paid less than the patrolman he replaced, has recently decreased the monthly salary expenses of the department. This should reduce the police payroll for the remainder of the year.
The council responded by granting McClinton a leave of absence without pay.
Howze then introduced an amendment to the budget for police salaries, noting the specific items elsewhere in the budget where funds might be obtained including the police capital improvement funds and monies dedicated to property demolition.
To that end, the council passed a motion to call for a public hearing at 5:45 p.m. May 11 to allow public comment on the budget amendment for police department salaries.
In other business, a discussion was held in reference to the Annual Pipeline Gas Report. The town has experienced an increase of 13% unaccounted for gas loss, up from 5% from last year.
According to the town clerk, Shirmer Durio from the local Louisiana DNR/Pipeline Division has recommended that the elected officials explore options and make plans to have the town’s aged and outdated meters replaced so that fines may be avoided in the future.
The mayor thanked the Department of Transportation and State Rep. Phillip Devillier for recent assistance in cleaning out ditches on both sides of Ryan Street and along Highway 190. He also thanked Mayor Jennifer Vidrine of Ville Platte for continued assistance with cleaning out clogged culverts. He said that a significant improvement should be noticed in drainage.
Ivory also made comment about a possible curfew being set for juveniles during the COVID-19 pandemic as other towns have enacted. However, he did not advise such action at this time.