Bossier City Council approves citywide street bids, annexation, budget changes and emergency water repairs

The Bossier City Council on a routine vote approved contractor bids for a 2024 citywide street improvement project, adopted several budget and land-use ordinances, reappointed a member to the Metropolitan Planning Commission and approved an emergency payment for water-main repairs.

The council accepted bids opened for project P24-10, the 2024 citywide street improvements. The engineer's estimate was listed as $1,909,406.29. The lowest submitted base bid was $1,169,289.52 from Benton and Brown LLC; Ernest Contracting LLC submitted a base bid of $1,650,393.25. Council voted to approve the bids with the listed alternates; one alternate amount in the record for Benton and Brown is unclear in the transcript, while the alternate for Ernest Contracting was recorded as $229,897. The staff report said the work will use remaining funds from the 2024 budget and part of the 2025 budget; the remainder of the 2024 budget at the time the report was prepared was $1,354,275.

In separate final readings the council adopted an ordinance amending the 2025 general fund budget to increase transfers in for the engineering department's salaries and benefits; staff said that change is funded by the Metropolitan Planning Commission. The council also adopted an ordinance enlarging the city's corporate limits by annexing approximately 6.459 acres west of Barksdale Boulevard and south of Curtis Elementary School near North Caddo Medical Center in south Bossier.

The council adopted an amendment to the 2024 Water and Sewer Fund budget. A council member asked for clarification during the meeting and was told the item did not relate to any customer rate increase for water collection or service rates.

Under new business the council adopted a first-and-final-reading ordinance that declared an emergency and authorized restoration work after two 12-inch water-main blowouts and associated service replacements along Airline Drive. The council approved $67,861.26 to come from the water capital and contingency fund to cover the repairs.

Also on the agenda the council introduced (first reading) an ordinance authorizing Mayor Thomas H. Chandler to execute a cooperative endeavor agreement between the City of Bossier City and the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs; that item was requested as an add-on because the department's prior cooperative endeavor agreement had expired. The council approved an ordinance to adjust the annual salary of the Bossier City marshal (first reading). The council approved the reappointment of Art Schultz as the city's representative to the Metropolitan Planning Commission, with the term beginning Jan. 3, 2025, and expiring Jan. 2, 2031.

Votes at a glance - Approve agenda as amended: motion carried (tally not specified in the record). - Approve minutes, Jan. 2, 2025: motion carried (tally not specified). - Accept and approve bids for P24-10 Citywide Street Improvements (accept with alternates): motion carried (tally not specified). Bids: Benton and Brown LLC $1,169,289.52; Ernest Contracting LLC $1,650,393.25. Engineer's estimate $1,909,406.29. One alternate amount in the transcript for Benton and Brown is unclear; Ernest alternate listed as $229,897. - Adopt ordinance amending 2025 general fund budget (engineering salaries/benefits), final reading: approved (tally not specified). Funding source: Metropolitan Planning Commission (as stated in staff report). - Adopt ordinance enlarging city limits (annexation) ~6.459 acres, final reading: approved (tally not specified). - Adopt ordinance amending 2024 Water and Sewer Fund budget, final reading: approved (tally not specified); council clarified this item does not change customer rates. - Adopt emergency ordinance to repair two 12-inch water-main blowouts on Airline Drive, 1st & final reading: approved (tally not specified); authorized $67,861.26 from water capital and contingency fund. - Introduce ordinance authorizing mayor to execute cooperative endeavor agreement with the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs, 1st reading: introduced and approved for first reading (tally not specified). - Introduce ordinance adjusting annual salary of the Bossier City marshal, 1st reading: introduced and approved for first reading (tally not specified). - Reappointment of Art Schultz to the Metropolitan Planning Commission (term Jan. 3, 2025'Jan. 2, 2031): approved (tally not specified).

Several items on the agenda were first readings or introductions and will return for further consideration. The meeting record did not include individual roll-call tallies for the votes reported as "motion carries."