By JOHN E. SETTLE JR.
Editor/Publisher
Everyone knows the trains run in Bossier City regularly, and that they basically take their own sweet time when it comes to blocking traffic on Shed Road, East Texas and Barksdale Boulevard.
But it’s a rare day indeed that a Bossier councilman gets “trained,” as in delayed on what he wants to have done. So mark it down: It happened at the Tuesday, Nov. 2, Bossier Council meeting.
De facto council prez David Montgomery, aka King David, wanted to pass a resolution permanently closing the Union Pacific Railway grade crossing on Old Shed Road.
Councilman Jeff Darby wanted a 30-day delay on the resolution to allow for further discussion with Union Pacific. Darby asked cogent questions to the many speakers who addressed the council on the issue.
King David lined up his sidekick, City Attorney Charles Jacobs, to argue that there were potential legal liabilities for the city if any delay was granted. Montgomery actually left his seat at the council dais to talk to Jacobs.
And, for a change, the council actually had a real discussion of a controversial issue.
No fast train whizzed by, as more than seven people offered comments and answered questions from council members. All this without any shouting or calls for points of order by King David.
Ultimately, the council delayed the vote on the resolution with Darby, Jeff Free, Vince Maggio and Chris Smith voting affirmatively. That left Montgomery, “Bubba” Don Williams and Scott Irwin on the losing end.
Darby is to be commended for his initiative, which, hopefully, will continue in an effort to unravel how this “train” got off track. that being the requirement of Union Pacific to close this crossing in exchange for permission to complete the carriageway over the tracks.
Undoubtedly, there is more to the story than was revealed at this meeting which needs to be revealed, especially as to what Manchac Engineering Group did or did not do that led to this impasse on the railroad crossing/potential closing.