The Sulphur City Council introduced three ordinances to accept state legislative allocations through Cooperative Endeavor Agreements (CEAs): $50,000 for senior center upgrades, $100,000 for fire hydrant replacement, and $125,000 for a project to be determined. The items were introduced for later final action; the final CEAs were not attached to the documents presented.

Several residents raised questions at the introduction. Wendy Wingate, a local resident, asked why the CEAs were not attached and requested details about scope and timelines. “I definitely wouldn't sign a blank check,” Wingate said, noting prior legislative allocations and incomplete work on earlier funds. Wingate asked for evidence that the funds would be spent and tracked according to state requirements.

A city official explained the city received allocations through state legislation (referred to in the meeting as Act 461 of 2025 and earlier acts) and that the CEAs are prepared by the Louisiana Department of the Treasury. The official said the council was taking a procedural step to introduce ordinances now to avoid missing state deadlines and that the final CEAs would be reviewed before final approval. “We’re initiating the process. It's a procedural issue,” one staff member (Mister Lofton) said.

Public speakers pressed for project timelines and reporting. Wingate asked whether projects would be complete by June 2026 and sought the hydrant inspection results; the mayor replied that hydrant inventories are ongoing and that the city conducts hydrant condition inventories twice a year. “It's better to have it on and ready than to miss the opportunity,” a council supporter said in explaining the introduction step.

Councilmembers voted to introduce the ordinances for final consideration at a future meeting. The actions were recorded as introductions (first readings) rather than final contract approvals; council members and public speakers said the final CEAs would be provided for review and that the council could defer final approval if the agreements did not meet expectations.

The record shows the following allocations introduced by ordinance: senior center upgrades ($50,000); fire hydrant replacement ($100,000); and a line-item appropriation for a project to be determined ($125,000). Residents and some councilmembers requested that the final CEAs include project descriptions, timelines, receipts for expenditures, and clear plans for reimbursement compliance with state requirements.

The council’s next steps will include review of the CEAs once received from the state and opportunity for final vote and public comment at a subsequent meeting.