Red River is getting additional equipment to control weeds and brush along roadways. The Red River Parish Police Jury Monday night approved acquisition of a spray truck. And they are looking into the purchase of a replacement dump truck.
Jurors cite aging equipment in their inventory, and the purchase a couple of used vehicles as an opportunity not to be missed. Juror William Brown says the truck to be used for spraying is already equipped, but needs minor repair to the spray equipment.
Juror Ben Taylor presented figures on the cost of purchasing a new spray rig at $22,500 to $23,500. And that does not include the vehicle. The jury is looking at purchase of two used vehicles, of which Taylor said “buying a new spray rig is half the cost of the two used trucks, including the truck already rigged out to spray.”
As for the dump truck, Brown said the jury could trade in or dispose of a small dump truck it now has. Brown says the dump truck under consideration will haul a larger load and has a crew cab, meaning it could carry all workers to the jobsite.
Jurors decided to buy the used truck with spray rig. They decided to look into the dump truck purchase in the near future.
The jury discussed the condition of parish roads, the impact oilfield and coal mine traffic is having on them, and the need for repairs that last. Jury president Shawn Beard said “oilfield people are tearing up the roads with their heavy equipment. They say they will fix the road when they get through working in there. Meanwhile the people living along that road suffer.”
There was a discussion of the condition of several parish roads leading into the coal mine. Again heavy traffic is the reason cited for repairs or resurfacing not holding up. Liberty Church Road was mentioned as an example of repairs that are not holding up.
Several suggestions were made including applying blacktop instead of chip seal to get a longer life out of the repair. And several jurors wanted a tightening of permitting and weight limit enforcement. Parish Manager Jessie Davis was asked to look into revising the weight limits on parish roads.
