On Monday, the Washington Parish Council met for their regular meeting.

The meeting’s agenda had no new or old business on it, so the meeting consisted primarily of updates and reports.

At the top of the meeting, Public Works Director Leo Lucchesi said a water pipe on a county bridge is in danger of bursting and will be relocated.

Parish council attorney Wayne Kuhn informed the council that the parish has a cooperative endeavor agreement with the Bogalusa Water Works, the water district responsible for the pipe, and the pipe will be moved to an existing easement and buried.

“The water line is attached to the wooden bridge and the bridge is falling down, which is why we’re repairing it,” Lucchesi said. “It’s an essential water line to that community.”

Lucchesi said that as bridge repairs had begun, the water line was beginning to fall apart.

“If we do any more work were going to damage that line and cause serious problems,” Kuhn said.

A grant is paying for the relocation, but Lucchesi said it will add about two weeks extra to the time the bridge will be out.

After that, Franklinton resident Jessie Morton said the parish should hold a referendum to repeal part or all of the gas tax. Morton said the tax was levied to widen state highways locally, but that hasn’t happened. So, he said, he would like to vote to get rid of the tax.

“That will get the state moving on the highway,” he said.

Morton said he would like to see a wider highway, as he believes it would bring jobs to the area.

“Y’all’s biggest export is people who leave,” he said. “And I’ve been one of those people who make money and then bring it back to spend it.”

After that, transportation manager Donnell Merritt gave an update on ongoing road repairs and trash pick up, and Parish President Ned Thomas asked the council to notice the straighter signs around the parish.

“If ya’ll will notice across the parish you’ll see signs getting straightened up,” he said. “We’re straightening up the signs to make them look a little better. I don’t like driving around the parish looking at signs that are at a 45-degree angle.”

He reminded the council his office will be closed on Monday, Feb. 15 for President’s Day. The next parish council meeting will be Monday, Feb. 22 at 6 p.m.