By Bonnie Culverhouse

Minden City Council members voted Monday to award bids for construction of a new public utilities/control center office that will be located on city property off Shreveport Road.

Testament Construction Services LLC of Shreveport was chosen with a bid of $797,500. The other bid was McInnis Brothers Construction at $885,000. The city plans to use $650,000 from the American Rescue Plan Act, which is up from the original $500,000.

Mayor Nick Cox said he talked with Public Works Director Tyler Wallace, and they felt there must be a way to consolidate several departments and make them more efficient.

While Light and Water billing will remain at City Hall, all other departments under Public Works, as well as Wallace and his assistant Kathy Newer, will be moved to the 3,200 square-foot building with a control center, conference room and offices for department superintendents.

“At this time, we have one person at the Steam Plant 24-7,” Wallace said. “He is on the third floor of that old building, that costs us $5,000 a month in utilities.”

The Steam Plant will be completely closed and Superintendent Russell Poole and other workers will be moved to the new building.

“Our plan is to cross train these people,” Cox said. “That way, everything is always covered – water, electricity, everything.”

The control center is considered Phase I, which includes eventually moving other departments – like water and streets – to the new location. Phase II may come soon after when an area is constructed to park trucks and keep other equipment and parts.

The city council tabled the resolution that would’ve awarded a bid for street improvement projects.

“Bids came in higher than we expected,” said Cox. “The lowest bid is over budget.”

Fort Street from East Union to Homer Road, Germantown Road from Kennon Street to city limits, Mignon Street from Talton to East Union streets, Talton Street from East to East Union streets and West Street from Shreveport Road to dead end and Chandler Street from Lewisville Road to Elm Street. 

In other business, the city council unanimously approved the following items:

• Condemned properties on Main, Linda, Plateau and Lee streets;

• Declaring certain City of Minden property as surplus and fixing terms of sale (water meters);

• A resolution rescheduling Minden City Council’s April meeting from April 1, 2024 to April 2, 2024;

• Authority to execute an engagement agreement to retain Katherine W. King of Kean Miller LLP to serve as outside counsel for the City of Minden under the supervision of city attorney Jimbo Yocom;

• Authority for Mayor Cox to execute an exchange deed between City of Minden and Webster Parish School Board for property on Clerk Street;

• Decommissioning and leveling of Clerk Street Water Plant;

• Minden Police Department of new hire Branthony Brown;

• Budget/financial report for January 2024;

• Fire report for February 2024; and,

• Police report for January 2024.