Carolyn Roy | News Editor
During a special called meeting Aug. 30 via teleconference, the Parish Council unanimously voted to award IBTS the contract for Certified Building Official and Flood Plain Management Services. Patsy Ward-Hoover motioned to accept the services of Rapides Parish Planning Commission but it died for lack of a second.
Jim Kilcoyne then motioned to accept the services of IBTS and received a unanimous vote. When negotiations began to find a new firm, Parish President John Richmond calculated that the IBTS annual contract would be $71,820. IBTS will include a 50 percent rebate when a threshold of fees of $90,000 is reached in a fiscal year.

In past meetings, IBTS offered staff on call seven days a week with an inspector employee based in Natchitoches five days a week.