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Vidalia, La. — The Concordia Parish Police Jury voted unanimously on Monday to continue its cooperative endeavor with the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs for just under $15,000 in order to provide services to 953 veterans and their families living in the parish.

Per the agreement, the parish pays LDVA a total of $14,534 for one year in minimum monthly payments of $1,211.

This covers 27.85 percent of all expenses incurred from salaries, travel, supplies, postage, equipment maintenance, telephone and internet services.

With the police jury’s support, LDVA’s “Veteran’s Assistance Counselors helped to bring in over $7,292,000 in compensation and pension benefits from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs” to the parish, Regional Director Earnest Buckner Jr. said in a letter to police jurors.

During the Feb. 12 meeting, District 1B Police Juror Wilbert Washington moved to table the matter of approving the cooperative endeavor until the police jury could gather more information on the amount that it would pay to LDVA. The motion was seconded by District 4A Police Juror Genesia Allen and passed unanimously.

On Monday, Washington moved to un-table the matter and accept the agreement without any further discussion. The agreement was un-tabled and subsequently approved unanimously.

In other matters during Monday’s meeting of the Concordia Parish Police Jury, the jury unanimously authorized the Police Jury President Collin Edwards to execute Cross-Cutting Federal Authorities for the Concordia Parish Sewer District to receive a loan from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund.

“This is something that comes through us in order for the sewer district to get the bond,” said police jury secretary and treasurer Ariella Carter.

According to the FY2024 projects listed by the Department of Environmental Quality, Concordia Parish Sewer District is receiving $500,000 for sewer treatment improvements, “including the construction of a facultative lagoon system with a primary and secondary diffused aeration system, insulated cover, baffles, polishing reactor, chlorine contact chamber, rehabbed gas chlorine system, dredging primary cell, site work and associated items.”

The police jury also unanimously selected Silas Simmons to begin the 2023-24 audit and discussed work orders for the parish’s road superintendent.