At December's Westlake City Council meeting, two ordinances were introduced concerning the issuance by the city of water and sewer revenue bonds. One ordinance establishes a relationship between Westlake and DHH and the other concerns the actual issuance of the bonds, which will be structured in a series of two. The first series is for $875,000 and, according to bond attorney Jay Delafield, the Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) would forgive 100 percent of the principle value of that transaction. The second series is for $2,030,000, maturing over 20 years at a taxable rate of 3.45 percent, and issued as Build America Bonds under the national stimulus package passed last February. However, according to Delafield, the actual rate is lowered to around 2.30 percent as long as the city sends a tax return every six months to the Treasury Department, which in turn rebates the city one-third of the interest spent on the bond.
On Monday, the ordinances were each brought up for public hearing and with no public comments forthcoming, each were unanimously approved.
In other business:
•The Council voted to accept the lowest bid for the Jones Street Water plant project, awarding the job to M.P. Dumesnil Construction Co., LLC. The Lafayette-based company put in a bid of $2,228,341, placing it as the lowest bid and under budget.
•A change order request in regards to the golf course development was tabled until next meeting. City engineer Vernon Meyer would like the city to request more time from the Department of Transportation and Development in placing the sidewalk on the west side of the development. He stated that they cannot make it dry or compact enough to place the sidewalk.
"I see failure coming," he said.
"I think it would be foolish to place sidewalks on mud."
As well, he sees a conflict in regards to the utilities, desiring to wait until those are completed.
"I want to suspend time until the weather permits and the other utilities are replaced," said Meyer.
He stated that he foresees starting back up in April or May, pointing out that they are "essentially at the end of the project as far as time goes."
Westlake City Council agenda meetings are scheduled for the second Monday of each month with full Council meetings on the third Monday of the month.
Westlake, La. —
