The Acadia Parish Police Jury authorized the sale of $1.7 million in certificates of indebtedness earmarked for the construction of a new parish health unit on Capitol Drive in Crowley during its meeting Wednesday night.

Jurors accepted the recommendation of bond attorney Alan Offner to accept the bid of St. Martin Bank and Trust Company at 3.09 percent, the lowest of four financing bids received.

Offner noted the interest rate was lower than originally estimated and represented a projected savings of $62,000 over the ten year span of the bond issue.

In a related action, Juror John Quebodeaux requested that an attorney general’s opinion opposing the construction of a trauma center adjacent to American Legion Hospital be read into the record.

“I want the public to know,” said Quebodeaux about the opinion requested by Stephen Stefanski, a member of the hospital board.

Assistant Attorney General Lindsey Hunter summarized in her conclusion the cooperative agreement did not comply with the Louisiana State Constitution or state statutes.

In other action, jurors authorized advertisements for renovations to the former parish jail on the courthouse circle in Crowley into office space for the Police Jury administration.

Jurors authorized the Louisiana State Mineral Board to execute documents for oil, gas and mineral leases on approximately 44.5 acres in the vicinity of Midland and approximately 697 acres in the vicinity of LeGros Memorial Airport.

Phillip W. Thomas, representing Petro-Land Resources, Inc. told the jurors he assumed that bids would be accepted Wednesday night, based on information shared by the jury’s legal counsel Nicholas Bellard,

Bellard responded he attempted to speed up the process, but, under state statutes, the lease process could not be done any earlier.

Though Thomas said the delay could adversely affect his financial backers and residents in the lease areas, jurors did not reverse the process they previously used.

A request from the Acadia Parish Sheriff’s Office to adopt an parish ordinance setting curfews for juveniles was referred to the Jury’s Legislative Committee after Juror Quebodeaux said the issue needed further study. The curfew suggested by the Sheriff’s Office was 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 12 midnight on Friday and Saturday for all youth under the age of 18. The curfew would be lifted at 6 a.m. the following mornings.

Jurors agreed to explain the road tax renewal proposal on the Oct. 2 ballot for road maintenance in advertisements and letters to the editor in all parish newspapers. Jury President A.J. Credeur said the tax renewal was critical to the parish’s road maintenance program.

Jurors granted an extension to Le Talley Ho Construction to finish clearing a collection pond at the parish landfill and hired Mader Engineering to prepare plans for a third phase landfill liner.

Acting as a board of review, jurors accepted the parish property assessment with Assistant Assessor Mike Goss indicating there was a single objection and property in Acadia Parish has held its value “in good shape.”