Berwick gets $600K grant for road work

The town of Berwick is set to do much-needed repairs to some streets thanks to a nearly $600,000 state grant.

During Tuesday’s town council meeting, Angela Kraemer of Firmin Architects said that officials learned Monday that town government will receive $599,560 from a state Community Block Development Grant to be used to for road improvements. Town officials have agreed to pay for engineering and inspection fee costs of $84,142, grant administration costs of $35,000 and pre-agreement costs of $3,700.

Construction will include work on Fourth, Fifth, Francis, Texas and Ehrlich streets. Officials have to go through an environmental review process, which will take four to six months, before work can begin, Kraemer said. The grant is meant to be used for complete reconstruction of streets and not just patchwork, she said.

Officials applied for the grant under former Mayor Louis Ratcliff’s administration, and hope to be able to start construction with the grant funds by the end of the summer, Mayor Duval Arthur said.

Council members adopted a resolution to allow for the creation of a cultural district in Berwick. Such a district provides a sales tax exemption on the sale of certain original works of art, individual income tax credits for eligible expenses incurred during the rehabilitation of certain owner-occupied mixed use structures and income and corporate franchise tax credits for eligible expenses incurred during the rehabilitation of certain historic structures.

There are also other benefits, such as grants, businesses can get, Mayor Pro Tem Lud Henry said. Cultural districts don’t have as many regulations as historical districts in terms of restrictions on buildings, he said.

The proposed district takes in areas along 6th Street, Pacific Street, the railroad track, the riverfront , Fairview Drive and La. 182 around the civic complex, Henry said.

Town leaders are in the process of applying to establish a cultural district and still need approval from the Louisiana Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism.

Also at the meeting, the council introduced two proposed ordinances. The first ordinance would amend an ordinance regarding Berwick trash pickup, which mainly refers to tree branches not in garbage cans. The amended ordinance would require customers to cut tree branches to be no longer than 5 feet for pickup.

The second ordinance would require that political campaign signs be displayed not earlier than 60 days before an election and be removed within 30 days after an election.

The council approved changing the council’s monthly meeting time to 6 p.m. instead of 7 p.m. The change will go into effect for the April 9 meeting, and the council will still meet the second Tuesday of each month.

In other business, Public Works Director Rafael Lopez said Gilmore Street will remain closed for a drainage project until the end of March when traffic will be opened in one direction.

The council approved First United Pentecostal Church to hold an Easter Festival for local youth from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 20 under the U.S. 90 bridge between 1st and 2nd streets.