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BENTON, La. — Oil and gas exploration plays a big part in the economics of Bossier Parish, and the parish Police Jury Wednesday moved to help alleviate an issue that has accompanied some of the drilling and well completion process.
A new noise ordinance designed to accommodate both the industry and residents living near drilling and production sites received unanimous approval following months of deliberation between parish staff and representatives of oil and gas companies.
“We met with consultants and members of the oil and gas industry at least a half dozen times, maybe more, to go through changes and try to meet their needs while preserving the rights of landowners in Bossier Parish,” parish attorney Patrick Jackson told jury members. “We think we have done that.”
Jackson said the new ordinance contained substantial changes, most of them industry requested. He said the process of collaboration with the industry had proved to be “…educational for both sides.”
“We consider this a living document,” Jackson said. “We tried to find a way to say yes to both sides. Noise is one of those super-specialized issues. We tried to make a working document that allows the harvest of minerals of Bossier Parish within an economic scale and allow those who don’t have mineral rights to be protected in the process.”
Jackson said the ordinance could become a model for other parishes to consider.
Also during Wednesday’s meeting, police jury members:
• Awarded bid for new athletic fields at South Bossier Park.
• Established a speed limit of 25 miles per hour on Bullfight Road, located off Caplis Sligo Road.
• Approved application of Durr Engineering, LLC, to the Haughton Parish MPC, to change the zoning classification of three tracts of land for a storage facility.
• Scheduled a public hearing on Dec. 21 to consider approval of the proposed development of Coleman subdivision located off Maggio Road, to consider designating Cypress Bend subdivision as a golf cart community and designating all roadways in Cypress Bend subdivision as golf cart friendly, to consider adoption of impact fees for water customers for Consolidated Waterworks/Sewerage District No. 1, to consider adoption of impact fees for water customers for Consolidated Waterworks/Sewerage District No. 2, to amend a resolution adopted by Consolidated Waterworks/Sewerage District No. 1 Board of Supervisors on Sept. 15 that adopted water and sewer rates, including water rates for mobile home parks, industrial establishments, and large commercial establishments.
• Accepted report on meeting of the Policy and Procedures Committee and established a parish animal control policy.
• Approved the professional services contract with Ginger Adam Corley for governmental relations for the year 2023.
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