With the start of summer growing closer, the town of Franklinton has already begun preparing for the community's impending increase in temperature, travel, and unfortunately, bugs. At the latest Franklinton town council meeting, during the departmental reports, the board of alderman and the mayor were informed of some of the new improvements and changes being made by the Public Works department. Some of the most pricey improvements being another dump truck; freshly paved roads, paid for through taxes; and the annual truck sprayed mosquito insecticide. Regarding insecticide, it was announced at the meeting that the spraying for mosquitoes would begin by the end of the month.
The Public Works department also announced during their report that in a recent survey completed on one of the town's new well, that it is in great condition with no issues, and that the water quality in the town, despite its color, is good. On the other hand, it was reported that the town found gas leaks, but is working on fixing any that are detectable.
Also reporting at the town council meeting, was a representative from the Louisiana Spirit Crisis Counseling Program, a FEMA funded program, who advertised their services to the town of Franklinton. Louisiana Spirit, founded after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, provides Louisianians with access to mental health services in times of crisis. This includes stress or mental illness caused by natural disasters, burnout, and even the loss of a loved one.
The services provided through this program are also preventative, as they do presentations for schools and offices on how to avoid certain situations that may increase the likelihood of a mental health crisis. Because of the stress and trauma caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and last year's busy hurricane season, the Louisiana Spirit program has volunteered their services to the town of Franklinton until December of 2022.
Also scheduled to retire their services by the end of 2022 from Franklinton is FIREHOUSE Software, a program that allows fire departments to log hours, certifications and reports on one platform. Though necessary to the department, this service will become obsolete by December, as it has been bought out by a larger software company called ESO. In order to best serve the people of Franklinton, the fire chief, Brandon Lasalle explains that picking a new software that has the most resources and permanency is important. Chief Lasalle explains that picking a software that is a bit more expensive than others may be the best route, since the program offers more amenities and services. The software ESO, according to Chief Lasalle, is the program that best fits the needs of the Franklinton Fire Department, but it comes at a yearly cost of $6,581.75. Though expensive, according to Alderman Darwin Sharp, the department will be within budget to pay for these expenses as they have enough in savings and in their yearly budget to cover the cost. A decision is to be made at the next town council meeting, June 14th, regarding the use of ESO's software.
Similarly to the fire department, the town of Franklinton is also looking for an upgrade. Rather than paying traffic tickets and utility bills in person, the town has approved the purchase of a kiosk machine that would allow the citizens of Franklinton to pay their fines and balances with the benefits of social distancing. Alderwoman Patrice Crain explains, "It reduces the amount of physical interactions." Therefore, in a world experiencing a multitude of health crises, it seems this socially distant option may be the safest. These machines provide other benefits as well, such as their safety features. The kiosk machines will each have 3 cameras on them and they take photos at every point during the payment process. This is to ensure that no theft or fraud can take place. Also, for those who overpay their fines, it is a current possibility that the excess money paid may be credited to the individual's town of Franklinton account to pay their bills and expenses.
Once the aldermen of Franklinton discussed these recent topics and issues, the meeting was concluded for the evening.
