Harlan Kirgan
A six-year, $3.4 million plan for improvements at the Eunice Airport was approved by the Board of Aldermen at a meeting Tuesday.
Drew Miller, airport manager, said, “Basically, when we do this the city of Eunice really doesn’t put up anything. It is all state and federal monies.”
Aldermen also approved a new 1,200-square-foot terminal building as substantially complete. The $336,000 building was paid for through a state Department of Transportation and Development aviation grant.
The funding included paving and utility work at the airport.
Mayor Scott Fontenot said, “Drew has really been on top of it.”
And, alderman Marion “Nootsie” Sattler said, “Hey Drew, just to give you a little shout out there, you have done a tremendous job on getting these federal grants or money.”
But Miller quickly gave credit back to the mayor and Board of Aldermen.
“It is really because of the mayor and council. When the state asks us to do something on our airport that’s our expense I come to you to do and there’s never any question.”
The city’s readiness to do its part at the airport clears the way for state and federal projects, he said.
“We really have on of the nicest small airports,” Miller said. “We don’t have the busiest. We don’t have the biggest, but we have one of the nicest.”
The 2018 to 2023 plan ranges from new hangars, lighting systems and paving projects.
“If I had 10 hangars I would have them full. If I had 20 hangars I would have them full. It doesn’t matter how many hangars we build, I can fill them up. It is kind of an amazing thing,” Miller said.
Hangars were built at the airport about five or six years ago, he said. They were the second set of hangars federally funded in the state the 40 years, he said.
In other business, aldermen:
— Voted to increase the speed limit on East Street from 25 to 35 mph between U.S. 190 and Maple Avenue.
— Approved liquor licenses for Dave’s Mini Market, 1750 W. Laurel Ave.; and Mama M’s Fried Chicken, 1640 W. Laurel Ave.
— Voted to buy a 2016 Ford Explorer police vehicle from the City Marshal’s Office for $20,000. The vehicle has about 10,000 miles on it.
— Heard from Bill Thompson, code enforcement officer, about his efforts. “I’ve got a lot of places that I’m sending out letters for,” he said.
Vernon McManus, city attorney, noted a recent success with code enforcement is rehabilitating a house at 1050 Faris Avenue.
“Because of the use of our code enforcement ordinances property owners have put an application for $70,000 worth of repairs to that house,” McManus said of the structure that damaged in a fire.
Fontenot thanked aldermen for approving additional money for drainage work in the city.
“The council has been aggressive in approving funding to address a lot of these drainage problems we have around town,” he said.
Aldermen amended the city budget in August to add $100,000 for drainage work.
Fontenot also said the city is spraying against mosquitoes Monday through Friday. The spraying occurs from dusk to early night beginning in April and lasting about eight months or longer as the need demand, he said.