Quick take
- The Dubach council voted Monday to discontinue the town food pantry and stop further supply deliveries. Mayor Mona Wilson will ask volunteers from the Dubach School classes of 1980 to 1982 about running food help on their own.
- The council approved settling the lawsuit with the Municipal Police Employees’ Retirement System. The case is dismissed with no payment beyond the $586.54 the town already paid, the mayor said.
- A USDA SEARCH grant of up to $30,000 could pay for a water and sewer engineering report. Taking it would not commit the town to a USDA loan.
- Ballpark rental rates are expected back at the next meeting. A mobile home ordinance is expected on next month’s agenda.
The Dubach Town Council in Lincoln Parish voted Monday to close the town’s food pantry and approved a settlement in a police pension lawsuit, the Lincoln Parish Journal reports.
Food pantry
The council voted to formally discontinue the pantry and stop further supply deliveries. The paper says the decision followed concerns about liability, food storage, recordkeeping and the town’s role in running it.
Mayor Mona Wilson said volunteers tied to the Dubach School classes of 1980, 1981 and 1982 want to keep food help going. She agreed to contact them about running it on their own, in their own location. Leftover food had been boxed for Christian Community Action in Ruston, but the council did not settle on a final recipient.
Pension lawsuit settled
The council approved settling litigation with the Municipal Police Employees’ Retirement System (MPERS). According to the town’s latest audit, MPERS said in June 2025 that Dubach was delinquent on $140,672 in contributions. The town challenged that in court, and MPERS sued to hold Dubach responsible for death benefits that could top $500,000. The dispute was over benefits for the widow of Officer Russell Croxton. He was killed in the line of duty in April 2024.
Wilson said the town’s attorney negotiated a dismissal of the case with no payment beyond the $586.54 the town had already paid. The town will keep filing the reports the law requires.
Water and sewer
A USDA loan specialist from the Monroe office spoke to the council about a SEARCH grant. It could pay up to $30,000 for an early engineering report on the town’s water and sewer systems. Accepting it would not obligate Dubach to take a USDA loan. Wilson also said state environmental inspectors recently found the town’s sewer ponds in good condition. The town is waiting on the written report.
Still pending
- Ballpark rental rates: proposals for field, lighting and concession stand fees, plus a liability insurance requirement for renters. No fees adopted yet.
- Mobile home ordinance: the town attorney is revising it for next month’s agenda.
During public comment, residents asked for regular police reports and asked about past water system spending. Wilson said she would pass along the police concerns and that the spending question needs a review of town records.