Harlan Kirgan
Eunice Mayor Scott Fontenot launched the city’s eight-member Economic Development Committee on Thursday with a challenge that “You all are going to be crucial to the future of our city.”
Fontenot added, “I’m glad you all are on board.”
The committee replaces one that disbanded after Fontenot took office in March 2016. Each mayor is to appoint the committee.
In April, the Board of Aldermen approved an ordinance creating the new committee.
Committee members are Jacob Bergeron, Holly Bertrand, Launey Patton Griffith, Drake Kelly, Broch Leger, Jerrod Prather, Ezekiel JH Thomas and Brent Vidrine.
Prather was named chairman, Bergeron was named vice chairman and Bertrand was named secretary at Thursday’s meeting.
The committee set its next meeting at 11 a.m. Oct. 5 at City Hall.
Fontenot said, “We want to get with the times and get real aggressive with this because we are all part of this. We want to see it grow. We not only want to bring new business here, but we want to retain the existing businesses.”
Fontenot said he wants to focus on possibly redeveloping downtown using tax increment financing, known as TIF. The financing targets an area to develop infrastructure using a tax collected in the district.
“The are doing these things all over the state and even the country,” Fontenot.
Recent developments utilizing TIFs are in Scott, Carencro and north Lafayette.
“I would like to see us expand our corporate limits. We’ve been talking about that for years,” he said.
“We really need to look at the bigger picture and see ... there is no more room to grow within the city,” he said.
Fontenot challenged the committee to determine how the La. 13 corridor in Eunice can be improved.
“There is so much I see that we can do, but I need you guys to help us put all of this vision forward,” he said.
The city has a master plan adopted in the early 2000s, he said, but the plan was not utilized. He urged the group to pick the plan up and tweak it.
Robert Johnson, city recreation director, also addressed the committee.
“I believe what we do at the recreation department has a huge impact on what goes on here,” Johnson said.
“My point was we are looking for the smokestack to come in with a big industry to set up and make our town go ‘boom.’ My belief is the grass is green, the kids are going to play. Let’s take advantage of that. I’m not saying take your ideas off that big smokestack, but we’ve got something already here. Let’s make it work,” he said.
Johnson said the LSUE softball team is holding a weekend tournament with about 60 teams from Louisiana, Texas and Mississippi. Within the year, there are about 20 tournaments scheduled at the softball and baseball complex on Sittig Road, he said.
The tournaments bring in visitors who spend money in Eunice, he said.