District 5 police jury member Jack “Bump” Skaggs announced his retirement from the public body Wednesday, telling his cohorts that a career move made it necessary for him to step aside.
He is currently in his third term on the jury and has served for 10 years.
Skaggs is President and CEO of the Coordinating and Development Corporation (CDC), a private, nonprofit, member-supported corporation that serves the economic, community, workforce, transportation, and business development needs of 10 parishes in Northwest Louisiana.
Plans have been approved to merge the CDC with the Northwest Louisiana Council of Governments (NLCOG), an intergovernmental association of local governments that helps coordinate for sound regional development.
“We’ve been working for two years to morph the two organizations into one,” Skaggs explained to the jury. “One organization will mean continuity of services and combined resources.”
Skaggs said he will serve as CEO and Kent Rogers (current executive director of NLCOG) will serve as President. Both will lead the new organization.
“I can go to each one of you and tell what you have done for me,” he told jury members. “I have played on many athletic teams, but this has been the best team I’ve ever been on.”
Once his resignation has been forwarded to the Secretary of State, applications for a temporary replacement in District 5 will be accepted. An election, most likely in October, will be held to fill Skaggs’ unexpired term.
Also at Wednesday’s meeting, police jury members:
- Named the Bossier Press Tribune as Official Journal of the Bossier Parish Police Jury for the period July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022.
- Agreed to go out for bids for Project No. 2021-106, Winfield Road improvements, in accordance with bids received May 27, 2021.
- Scheduled a public hearing on July 21 to consider reducing the speed limit on Joe Lewis Road, located off Parker Road, from 25 miles per hour to 15 miles per hour.
- Accepted reports on meetings of the Capital Improvements/Building and Grounds Committee, and Road/Subdivision Regulations Committee.
- Announced the police jury’s intention to hold a public meeting in the Police Jury meeting room on July 21 to adopt an ordinance levying the 2021 ad valorem property tax millages.
- Approved rental renewal to Cyber Innovation Center and considered amendment to agreement with Cyber Innovation Center accordingly.
- Agreed to await an opinion from the parish attorney concerning a driveway located at 21 Edwards Street, Edwards Subdivision in Benton.
- Adopted a resolution supporting Alloy Piping Products, LLC, 1036 Jack Wells Blvd., Shreveport, and allowing them to receive the local benefits of the Quality Jobs Program.
- Declared a 2015 Chevy Tahoe, VIN 1GNLC2EC6FR629969, as surplus and approved the donation of said vehicle to the Red River Parish Police Jury on behalf of the Red River Parish Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Unit.
- Approved the request of Sportspectrum for a letter of no objection to the selling of beer at the annual Rivercities Triathlon on August 1 at the Cypress-Black Bayou Recreation Park, 135 Cypress Park Drive, Benton.
- Approved change order No. 1 for Project No. 2019-115, Bossier Maximum-Security Jail Touchscreen Locking Control and Camera System Replacement.
- Adopted a resolution indicating the intention of the Bossier Parish Police Jury to become a participating political subdivision in the Louisiana Local Government Environmental Facilities and Community Development Authority and appointed Philip Rodgers as police jury representative to the Board of Directors for said authority for a term of two (2) years.
- Approved supplemental agreement No. 1 to the Contract for Professional Services between the Bossier Parish Police Jury and Lazenby & Associates, Inc., for the Bossier North/South Corridor Project, Swan Lake Road (Flat River to Crouch Road) Clearing & Grubbing Plans.
- Adopted a resolution authorizing the Parish Administrator to execute a federally funded HMGP State Agreement for FEMA-4263-DR-LA, Project #15, Lucky Estates drainage improvements project.
- Adopted an amended fee schedule for Code Inspection Plus for residential and commercial fees.
- Adopted a resolution recognizing 30 years of service by Beverly Miles, librarian of the East 80 branch of the Bossier Parish libraries.
- Agreed to draft a letter to Bossier Parish’s state representative and senator asking their help to make the area around the Lake Bistineau spillway safer.