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VIDALIA, La. — On Monday, the Concordia Parish Police Jury moved to closeout its contract with Jordan Kaiser & Sessions and pay them the $94,000 owed for Phase 1 of the Brushy Bayou drainage project, the design work that allowed the project to be submitted for federal funding.

FEMA awarded $6.2 million toward the project after the police jury had fought since 2011 to secure funds.

Earlier this month, the Police Jury tapped Bryant Hammett & Associates as the engineers on the plan to alleviate flooding parish wide by diverting stormwater into the Tensas River through Brushy Bayou, away from Cocodrie Bayou. 

Construction could wrap up around June of 2024.

Work on the project may soon commence as the police jury authorized its president Collin Edwards to sign off on the engineer’s contract during Monday’s meeting.

In other matters on Monday, the police jury accepted a $55,200 bid to repaint the entire courthouse and re-caulk all its windows. 

The bid was awarded to Premiere One Painting of Clayton.

Additionally, the police jury authorized Trane Heating and Cooling Systems to make $7,458 worth of repairs to the air conditioning in the Concordia Parish Jail.

The police jury also authorized Edwards to sign a 72-month bumper-to-bumper warranty on a new tractor for $6,800.