Broussard council unanimously approves sidewalk project, adds $32,000 to finish Southfield connector
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Summary
The Broussard City Council voted unanimously to amend and approve funding for a pedestrian sidewalk project that completes a loop on South Bernard Road and adds an approximately $32,000 segment requested by Southfield residents; council noted a state DOTD permit is needed for an Ambassador crossing.
The Broussard City Council voted unanimously to amend and approve funding for a sidewalk project intended to complete a pedestrian loop on South Bernard Road and related streets.
Speaker 3, an unidentified speaker, told the council the project would link Main Street, Morgan, Fairfield and Bernard and provide protected pedestrian crossings at the roundabout and at North Riviera. Speaker 3 said residents of Southfield Subdivision requested a short sidewalk fill‑in on Parkway and staff estimated that segment would cost “around approximately $32,000.”
The added $32,000 was not in the original funding resolution, Speaker 3 said, but the council had the opportunity to amend the budget that night. Speaker 2 and others discussed overall project scale; Speaker 2 referenced an estimate of about $1,100,000 for the full project and advised that public bidding and right‑of‑way needs would affect timing.
Speaker 3 also noted the council must pursue a state permit from DOTD to build a true pedestrian crossing of Ambassador; the council has a permit on Morgan but not for the Ambassador crossing. Council members agreed the sidewalk project aligns with the Envision Broussard master plan goal of pedestrian connectivity but that funding and permits would determine exact scope.
After discussion, the council voted in favor of a motion to amend the project budget to include the Southfield Parkway segment and then voted to approve the amended project in its entirety. The roll call recorded unanimous approval for both the amendment and the final funding vote.
According to staff comments during the meeting, the council will use staff estimates to go to bid. Speaker 3 said the local funding for the amendment would come from bond funds remaining from an earlier $8,000,000 infrastructure bond.
The council’s next procedural step is pursuing the needed state permit for the Ambassador crossing and moving the project through procurement and bidding.