Berwick officials sworn in

The town’s elected officials were sworn before Tuesday’s council meeting at town hall.
Mayor Louis Ratcliff, Councilmembers Jacki Ackel, Duval Arthur, Troy Lombardo, Damon Robison and Greg Roussel, Justice of the Peace Herb Mashburn and Constable J.P. Henry were all sworn in Tuesday.
During the meeting, Ackel was approved as mayor pro-tem.
At the meeting, the council approved Progress Payment No. 1 to Miller Engineers in the amount of $18,518.11 for the sewer collection system. The payment is for the initial surveying of the system and permitting, Reid Miller of Miller Engineers said.
Regarding the town’s sewer project, Miller said all survey work has been completed on La. 182 and Old Spanish Trail. Officials will have to acquire some additional right-of-ways and sewer lift station sites for the project, he said. Miller hopes to go to bid on the project by April, he said.
During the meeting, Police Chief James Richard said police responded Jan. 1 to the town’s first traffic fatality of the year on U.S. 90. A man visiting family in Berwick was killed after a westbound vehicle struck his vehicle coming off the U.S. 90 bridge, Richard said.
Lombardo said recreation committee members are in the planning stages of a gazebo by the riverfront. A couple weeks ago, work was finished on the playground equipment under the U.S. 90 bridge, Lombardo said.
Also at the meeting, the council approved the mayoral appointments including two new appointments, Vanessa Romero to the Berwick Housing Authority Board and John Tholen to the Berwick Water Works Joint Board. City officials who were reappointed included Town Clerk and Chief Administrative Officer Newell Slaughter, Police Chief James Richard, Fire Chief Allen Rink, Town Attorney Allen McElroy, City Court Magistrate J.P. Morella, and Planning and Zoning Director Gary Beadle.