DeSoto Parish sheriff's office construction halted after contractor files for bankruptcy

MANSFIELD, La. — Construction of the DeSoto Parish sheriff's office has been halted temporarily after the project's general contractor filed for bankruptcy, but officials said the development will not affect construction of the parish's new detention facility.

Sheriff Jayson Richardson said Tuesday the project is insured so getting a new contractor in place is now in the hands of the insurance company, which should award a bid to a new contractor within the next couple of weeks.

Up until the contractor, Russell J. Stutes Construction Co. of Lake Charles, filed for bankruptcy about a month ago, Richardson said he would have said the company was doing good and timely work. His only notification about the work stoppage, however, was without notice and sent via an email.

Richardson estimates the slowdown could add about 60 to 90 days. Still, that could put the completion in line with the detention center portion.

The new sheriff’s office and detention center are combined buildings, but separate projects. The Police Jury is paying for the detention center work with its contractor, Ratcliff Construction, and Richardson is footing the cost of the sheriff’s office.  Total price tag of both: $35 million.

Richardson won’t incur additional expense with the change in contractors.

“The project will cost us the same but it could cost the insurance company more money because they have to pay to have it finished,” Richardson said.

Parish Administrator Michael Norton told police jurors during Monday night’s regular meeting that construction of the new detention facility continues, with work underway on masonry, mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, gutters, interior framing, recreation yard steel and underground chiller lines. Crews are preparing for concrete decks and multilevel framing, while exterior door and window frames and recreation yard roofing are being installed.

"Our project is moving forward 100% and is not affected at all," Norton said.

The current schedule calls for startup power on Oct. 12, and substantial completion on Jan. 20, Norton said.

Groundbreaking was held in June 2025.

Police jurors took up a number of other matters during Monday night’s meeting. Here’s a recap

IP avoids penalty over 2021 job shortfall

The Police Jury voted to take no action against International Paper after the company fell short of a job-creation requirement tied to a state tax incentive in 2021.

Parish officials said International Paper was required to maintain a 727-employee baseline and add three additional employees under an Industrial Tax Exemption Program agreement. The company did not meet the requirement in 2021 but exceeded the job and payroll requirements in subsequent years.

A Police Jury member said the parish could potentially have sought about $50,000 in taxes that International Paper was exempted from paying for 2021.

Robert Wege of Sumit Credits, which assists International Paper with its tax incentives, said the shortfall occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, when employees were unable to report to work and the company had difficulty hiring.

Wege said the company timely submitted its compliance paperwork to Louisiana Economic Development. He said the agency reviewed and approved the company's compliance for 2022 through 2024 but did not review the 2021 filing until later.

"This is a state error and that's the reason for the delay in notification," Wege said. "It had nothing to do with International Paper or the paperwork that we submitted to the state. Everything was submitted timely."

Wege said International Paper has exceeded the employment and payroll requirements since 2022 and asked the Police Jury not to impose a penalty.

The Police Jury ultimately approved a motion to take no action.

Road projects, 2027 budget

Officials said preparation of the 2027 parish budget will begin soon, with preliminary budget committee meetings tentatively scheduled to begin the week of Oct. 12.

The parish also provided updates on several road projects.

The Brown Road project is expected to be advertised in early September, with bids anticipated to be opened by the end of September. The Police Jury previously approved increasing the project's budget from $1 million to $1.9 million.

A hydraulics report has been completed for Cotton Belt Road to allow for culvert replacement at a creek crossing, while a survey has been completed to begin roadway reconstruction design.

The Louisiana Community Development Block Grant project is underway, with culvert work completed and soil cement work expected to begin soon on what’s called the “bird streets.”

Linwood Road and White Springs Road have been awarded to APEC Construction.

Construction also is underway on Park Road and Interstate 49 Industrial Park infrastructure improvements. Dirt work has begun to elevate the roadway, and utility right-of-way relocations are underway.

The Ramsey Drive project in Old Hickory Subdivision is being designed to address subsurface drainage and ponding water.

The Red Bluff Phase 1 project, from state Highway 175 to just past I-49, has been delayed because of planned development, with officials hoping to advertise the project in September.

The Wallace Lake Road project is being designed in-house and is expected to move toward construction after oil field and gas operations are completed this fall.

Litter crews collect 1,291 bags of trash

Parish litter crews picked up approximately 72 miles of roadway during the April-through-June quarter and collected 1,291 bags of garbage.

Roadside grass-cutting operations remain behind schedule because road crews were diverted to cleanup and recovery work following the winter storm disaster.

Officials said crews are working to return to the normal roadside maintenance schedule.

The parish also is preparing for roadside herbicide applications targeting roads with bridges.

Detention facility nutrition contract saves $32,000

The parish ended its agreement with Keystone Nutrition for dietary services at the detention facility.

The Sheriff's Office found a replacement, Benny Keith, who will provide the same services at no additional cost.

Officials said the change will save the parish about $32,000 annually.

State law requires the detention facility to maintain a specific meal plan for inmates.

Landfill nearing capacity

The parish's current landfill cell, Cell 9, is nearing capacity.

Officials expect to move operations into Cell 10 by the end of September or early October.

The Police Jury also was told the parish has recorded a record amount of landfill billing.

Lobbyist discusses oil and gas water use

Lobbyist Chance McNeely told jurors he is researching a potential legislative effort involving the reuse of water used in hydraulic fracturing.

McNeely said Louisiana's rules appear to be more restrictive than those in some other states, where water used by one company may be transferred to another company for additional use before disposal. He said allowing additional reuse could reduce the amount of water transported by trucks on parish roads.

Police Juror Jimmy Holmes  raised concerns about the need  for restrictions on the use of groundwater for hydraulic fracturing, saying companies are depleting the groundwater “fast.”

“I do know there's a lot of people around me that have dug ponds and they sell frack water, and I'm all for it. But they also pump it out of the ground into the pond and then sell it. And I'm not for that. I don't like that. I don't agree with that,” Holmes said.

McNeely said Louisiana has limited regulations governing both groundwater and surface-water use and that lawmakers have discussed the issue previously. He agreed to research the issue further.

McNeely also said he and parish officials are researching potential grant opportunities beyond the state's Capital Outlay program.

Parish finances

The treasurer reported that the General Fund received $6.4 million in July revenue and recorded $5.7 million in expenses, resulting in a net change of $645,043.

The Road Fund received $16.1 million in revenue. Operational expenses were about $5 million, while capital expenses totaled $6.9 million.

The treasurer said sales tax collections remain above projections.

The Road Fund also submitted its first reimbursement request for the federal Economic Development Administration grant associated with Parks Road.

The parish received a $234,000 reimbursement related to patching George Hunt Road. The payment will be reflected in the August financial statements.

The Jail Fund received $1.2 million in revenue, with operational expenses at 62%, about 4 percentage points above projections. The parish reported $5.27 million in expenses paid toward the correctional facility project during the period.

The Solid Waste Fund received $9.7 million in revenue and had a net change of $4.57 million.

The parish also has paid about $1.79 million for storm-related farm cleanup through its disaster relief fund, excluding force labor and equipment costs. The parish expects about $1.39 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursement.

Police Jury approves adjudicated property program

The Police Jury approved an ordinance establishing the DeSoto Parish adjudicated property program and procedures for the sale, donation and administration of adjudicated properties and tax lien certificates.

Jurors also approved a cooperative endeavor agreement with ENTP Consulting Services LLC to administer and manage the program.

The Police Jury also approved an agreement involving the Louisiana Department of Health, the Office of Economic Independence and SNAP.

The board accepted the immediate resignation of Randy Rogers from the DeSoto Parish Planning Commission and considered two candidates to fill the remainder of his term.

Timothy McInnis and Tasha Shelton were nominated to fill the vacancy, with McInnis getting the most votes. During the discussion, Police Juror Jeri Burrell criticized past attendance by some of the planning board members and said those who are appointed should attend meetings.