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Grand Lake Rec District seeks $5 million parish bond; jury discusses FEMA timing and operations
Summary
Representatives from Grand Lake Rec District asked the jury to support a $5 million parish bond to build a recreation center; jurors pressed on operating costs, FEMA reimbursement timing and whether the parish should commit to moving the request to the bond commission.
Thomas Cox, speaking for Grand Lake Recreation District No. 5, asked Cameron Parish jurors to consider a $5,000,000 bond to build a new recreation facility for the Grand Lake community, saying the district lacks infrastructure and has roughly 1,000 children served across several school grades.
"We're asking to see if y'all would consider, the $5,000,000 bond for our rec center," Cox said, and explained the district has about $2,000,000 currently set aside to help carry bond payments for several years. Cox said the district consulted an architect and contractors for ballpark costs and that estimates came back in the $4.5–$5.5 million range.
Jurors asked detailed questions about operational funding and FEMA: staff and Cox clarified that FEMA has currently placed the district's claim in environmental/historic review (EHP) and that FEMA's contribution, if approved, might add roughly $2,000,000 but the timing and amount are "unknown." One juror noted that if the district issues a bond without a clear operations plan, the parish could be exposed to ongoing maintenance costs.
County counsel and staff discussed options for bond financing and tax structures. An advisor referenced a forthcoming school-board report (Dr. Dan Groff / McNeese) with long‑range revenue projections; he also noted that new LNG plants could substantially increase parish millage revenues by 2030, which could affect the parish's ability to support capital projects.
Jurors asked staff to coordinate with the bond attorney and the district to draft a plan for the bond commission. They agreed to bring a formal bond request and supporting budget to a future meeting and said staff would engage the bond attorney and report back to the jury.
Next steps: the rec district will work with the parish bond attorney to prepare a submission to the bond commission; the jury asked the district to provide detailed budgets for construction and long‑term maintenance before any final commitment.
