“I’m mad as hell,” Police Juror Alton Stevenson told his fellow jurors Wednesday night after learning the new health unit will not be constructed on the corner of Jury-owned property on Capitol Avenue, but located adjacent to the parish correctional facility in Crowley.

“I’m tired of not knowing what’s going on,” said the Crowley juror, when told that the University of Louisiana-Lafayette’s engineering department’s bio-fuel research facility would be located on the corner section.

Jury President A.J. Credeur pointed out to Stevenson that he had voted on the research facility.

Citing a plat map, Juror John Quebodeaux added that the map did not specify where the new health unit would be erected, though there were notations for the parish correctional facility and animal control site.

Jurors also approved the hiring of Terrell Crochet of Architect’s Design Studio to oversee the new health unit construction. Crochet is the architect supervising the construction of a new health unit in New Iberia upon which the Acadia unit will be modeled.

Earlier in the meeting, jurors unanimously approved the issuance of a $1.7 million certificate of indebtedness to build the new health unit. Juror Stevenson made that motion, which was seconded by Quebodeaux.

The Jury plans to also use approximately $700,000 in reserve health unit funds from the 2.12 mill maintenance tax.

The bond issue will be presented to the Louisiana Bond Commission at its August meeting.

Prior to the close of the meeting, Crowley Councilwoman Laurita Pete asked jurors to consider leasing or donating the old health unit to house a parish-wide Boys and Girls Club. Jurors appeared very receptive to Pete’s request.

In other action, jurors approved four tax elections on upcoming ballots this fall, including:

• A 1.03 mill tax renewal on the Oct. 2 ballot for Acadia-Evangeline Fire Protection District;

• A 7 mill tax renewal for the Egan Drainage District No. 7 on the Nov. 2 ballot;

• A $50 parcel fee tax election for Fire Protection District No. 7 on Oct. 2; and

• A 6.32 mill tax renewal for the 4th Ward Drainage District No. 1 on Nov. 2.

Jurors also approved construction and hardsurfacing of the road within Seventh District Pavilion Subdivision adjacent to Hwy. 90 West, with the work paid by assessment on each adjoining lot.

Jurors also accepted the recommendation of its Building and Grounds Committee regarding measures to beef up courthouse security.

The Jury approved spending approximately $16,000 to install access controls to the courthouse, issuing “swipe cards” to Jury staff members and approximately $4,000 to install a metal detector at the front entrance to the courthouse.

Public access to the courthouse would be restricted to the first floor front entrance through the metal detector, while the “swipe card” system would be used at the rear entrance and magnetic locks placed on all side doors.

Because of the committee’s concern about the recurring expense of a second deputy at the courthouse, jurors agreed to the committee’s recommendation that Jury Attorney Nicholas Bellard investigate “who is responsible for security.”

In other action, jurors:

• Adopted a resolution calling for the end of the federal moratorium on deep-water drilling within 30 days instead of six months;

• Accepted low bids for chip seal materials and awarded the contract to Associated Design Group for the installation of new courthouse chillers;

• Approved the abandonment of St. Albans Loop;

• Reappointed Sanders Senegal and named Gregory P. Dore to replace Gerhard Leblanc on the First Ward Drainage District Board, reappointed Conrad Meyers and Darryl Zaunbrecher to the Second Ward Gravity Drainage District No. 2 Board, and James Phillip Lacasse to the Iota Fire Protection District Board;

• Named Charles Labbe to replace Ronald Lynn Canino to the Region IV Human Service District Board, with the governor required to make the formal appointment;

• Asked the DOTD to conduct a study of the intersection of LA 365 and LA 367, the site of a recent traffic fatality;

• Adopted 20 mph speed limits on Pic Drive, Michael Drive and Plummage Road;

• Approved an open cut on Robe Road to install irrigation pipe as detailed in the parish ordinance;

• Directed Mader Engineering to submit a permit modification to DEQ to use tire chips as part of the landfill liner project;

• Authorized Secretary-Treasurer Terry Lacombe to solicit bids for the purchase of vegetative matter and equipment to use for cover material, in place of dirt, at the parish landfill; and

• Accepted the low bid of Patriot Construction and Equipment of Lafayette to evacuate the new cell at the landfill at a cost of $684,800.