He says removing the spoil banks makes flooding much more likely for their residents. LCG did not turn over any evidence that the costs were negotiated within the percentages allowed by the contract, that a 5 percent retainage was withheld or that a new performance bond was posted by Rigid. The attorney general can pursue that violation. District II Wanda B. St. Martin Parish Federal Programs & Technology Annex 625 Corporate Boulevard, Breaux Bridge, LA 70517 337.332.3388. Even if it tries to maintain that the work was an extension of the existing contract, LCG has so far not produced a single record to suggest that it did anything more than accept what Rigid put in front of it. 1059 Sonny Dr. The investigation could force changes to the project to blunt its impact on the Black and low-income neighborhoods that will house it. The idea was proposed, however, long before. Invalid password or account does not exist. The council also discussed the potential sale of property within the city of St. Martinville that had been adjudicated as being co-owned by the city and the parish. The landings are privately owned. The Corps of Engineers in New Orleans said through a spokesperson that it opened an investigation into the spoil banks' removal. The St. Martin Parish facility will employ 976 direct employees with an annual salary of $38,000, plus benefits, and will result in 793 new indirect jobs. LCG has been in a tiff with the St. Martin Parish Government for months over removing the spoil banks, which LCG believes will lower water levels on the Vermilion River during storms. Apply for the Job in Project Coordinator at Saint Martinville, LA. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Tel: 337.441.0393, District IV ST. MARTINVILLE Parish President Chester Cedars said that he expects the parish should be getting an appellate ruling soon on its lawsuit against a business owner on Lake Martin. Guillory, Nepveaux, Logan, and Fortier, in my view are all heros. Let us know what's going on! I also trust in the science and all of the engineers who have spent years analyzing the benefits of restoring the natural hydraulic flow in this area. On October 14, 2021, I met with Mayor-President Guillory and several members of his staff. Cedars said studies have differed on the impact and risks of removing the makeshift levees and that he found out about LCG's quiet removal of the spoil banks Tuesday afternoon, weeks after the work had been done. I trust the significant engineering that has gone into this project. "Our interest is to ensure that the citizens of St. Martin Parish are protected from enhanced flooding risks that we believe the removal of the spoil banks creates," he told the Daily Advertiser. Cedars accused the parish government of removing spoil banks along the Vermilion River in St.. (BRPROUD) St. Martin Parish President Chester R. Cedars wrote a message addressing the community on the stark reality of this fourth surge of COVID-19. 0:36. Vice President: Kevin Martin. If LCG was to successfully pull off its plan to go into the Cypress Island Swamp area without St. Martins knowledge or cooperation, it needed to move quickly and quietly. At this point in time, there is absolutely no articulable, cogent reason most of our community should continue to refuse to wear masks in indoor setting or refuse to even consider receiving a vaccine. ST. MARTINVILLE Parish President Chester Cedars said that he expects the parish should be getting an appellate ruling soon on its lawsuit against a business owner on Lake Martin. You cant sign a contract or pass an ordinance that allows you to ignore public bid law, says one former LCG official. Lafayette Parish residents deserve to know and understand this issue. Contact information. Follow Andrew Capps on Twitter or send an email to acapps@theadvertiser.com. LCG did not turn over any construction plans for the project, saying it had no known documents responsive to our request for them. Fax N/A. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. Cedars also mentions questions he frequently receives about the local government imposing crowd limitations or a potential lockdown. Corps of Engineers, leaving a third owner out of the transaction, On Feb. 23 Rigid invoiced LCGs Public Works Department $3.7 million for the work. Something that is now possible thanks to a $14.3 million grant. Parish President Chester Cedars speaks during a meeting of the St. Martin Parish Council on Tuesday, March 15, 2022. In all likelihood, St. Martin Parish would have gone to court to stop the work, and indeed Cedars has since threatened to sue everyone involved. For more information, or to schedule an appointment, contact the Council on Aging at 337-332-3063. Local experts say they are, however, typically for more focused projects, like ditch cleaning, small drainage projects, water line maintenance, asphalt overlays those with set costs and typically make changes in the thousands of dollars, not millions. Vital I trust that my fellow elected officials in St. Martin Parish want for their constituents the same thing that I want for mine, which is to do all we can to protect life and property. Im just so happy were able to help both Lafayette Parish and St. Martin Parish, Guillory added. Army Corps inspection finds no permit was needed for Lafayette spoil banks removal, removed a March lawsuit by LCG against St. Martin Parish, St. Martin Parish wants Lafayettes lawsuit thrown out for being in Lafayette, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Now, they might win it back, Despite judges ruling, LCG uses identical quick take to seize land for detention pond, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. In other reports, the council heard from Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Executive Director Lt. Col. Billy Guidry about the projected water flow along the Bayou Teche this coming spring. Rigid CEO Cody Fortier, Rigid itself and Fortiers CF LLC each made $2,500 donations to the mayor-presidents campaign, The contract was awarded for one year, with options to renew for two additional one-year terms, soon after the as-needed contract was awarded in December, one for $9.3 million for the Bayou Vermilion Flood Control project paid via wire transfer to Rigid on May 9, with LCG paying via wire transfer only 11 times out of 35,000 payments, Rigid-half-page-quote-for-spoil-banks-removal.pdf, On Feb. 18 LCG filed with the Lafayette Parish Clerk of Court Amendment #1, before obtaining permits from either St. Martin Parish or the U.S. Flooding:Five years later, Lafayette is still defined by the catastrophic 2016 flood, "We bought the property, took the dirt off the spoil banks and put it on the Chappuis (Dentention Pond project) side," he said. Phone number 337 332 2105. The district attorney can pursue that violation. This parish is not afraid to fight in the courts to protect the publics rights.. St. Martin Parish ( French: Paroisse de Saint-Martin) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana, founded in 1811. As for rural communities dealing with water issues in the rest of the parish, there is no word from the parish government yet as to when improvement efforts will be underway. Cedars spent most of his parish presidents report explaining exactly how the issues with access to Lake Martin came into being. While it may get around the bid law, it shouldnt get around the court of public opinion, he says. Logan confirmed that it was his idea for LCG to do more as-needed contracts, which arent that unusual in public works departments. Executive Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness Lt. Col. Billy Guidry briefed members of the St. Martin Parish Council on projections so far for this years spring water levels in the parish. St. Martin Parish Parish President. Candidly, the government will impose nothing. That would mean the public would have a right to access the lake even with the typical shoreline under private ownership. St. Martin Parish Federal Programs &Technology Annex, St. Martin Parish Operations,Maintenance &Transportation. Breaux Bridge, LA 70517 DENHAM SPRINGS, La. LCG officials have said they believe removal of the banks, which risse several feet above the river, will lower river levels in Lafayette Parish. I do not need Lafayette Parish Government telling St. Martin Parish whats best for us. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. He also addressed rumors that some landowners might try to block Rookery Road around the lake. Employee Application for Summer Learning 2021, St. Martin Parish Head Start Academy Program, St. Martin Parish Early Head Start & Head Start Academy Program, St Martin Parish Type III Child Care Centers, School Based-Health Centers and School Nurse Program, St Martin Parish Virtual Learning Program, Virtual Learning Family Technology Survey, Cameras in SPED Self-Contained Classrooms - St. Martin Adopted Policy, SMPSB 2022-23 Ready to Achieve: School Reopening Plan, Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), Behavioral Health Services for Students (Act 696), Parental Access to Instructional Materials (Revised Statue 17:355). Jeremiah, I see that you failed to read the story. 600 Corporate Boulevard / PO Box 1000,Breaux Bridge, LA 70517 Do I look like an idiot? Yvonne Romero said. I look forward to continuing our work with all of our neighbors, including St. Martin Parish, to combat flooding on a regional scale. Lafayette City-Parish Attorney Greg Logan responded to the new lawsuit Thursday by saying he believes there are inconsistencies in St. Martin Parish's arguments and that LCG will make its response in due time. His statement reads, In order to successfully sue for damages in a plaintiffs case, you must show that there was harm created. Copyright 1997- St. Martin Parish turned the tables on Lafayette Mayor-President Josh Guillory 's administration Wednesday with a new lawsuit asking a local judge to order Lafayette to rebuild the Cypress. The $3.7 million project, now the subject of a barbed lawsuit with St. Martin Parish in federal court, was top secret and never competitively bid. Select from these options: Breaking News, Evening News Headlines, Latest COVID-19 Headlines, Morning News Headlines, Special Offers. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Acadiana Boil Advisories and Water Shutdowns, New Iberia community celebrates life of slain teen, Jury convicts Patterson man of second-degree murder, DeRidder man killed in Vernon Parish crash, Man sentenced after caught with over 3 lbs of meth, Acadiana Kidcasters Apply for your child to do the weather on KLFY-TV, Lafayette woman missing after reportedly driving customer to Texas, St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars, Injured Laf. He was joined at a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday (Nov. 30) in Broussard by state and local elected officials and economic development leaders as well as SafeSource Direct President Justin Hollingsworth. Check out our map of Lafayette drainage projects here. St. Martin Parish Government. Breaux Bridge City Court Marshal; Parks Chief of Police; St. Mary Parish. Turnarounds of days, rather than weeks, is atypical, according to sources. Cedars did say he had productive conversations with members of one family about their concerns and proposed a possible compromise. Why didnt you tell me? St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars said he asked Guillory when the two spoke after the operation was completed. Box 9 St. Martinville, LA 70582 (337) 394-2200 EMAIL . Login & subscribe to unlock. Follow Andrew Capps on Twitter or send an email to acapps@theadvertiser.com. residents cited for shooting geese from moving, 30 Iberia Parish jail inmates baptized behind bars, Wanted Louisiana fugitive arrested by U.S. Lawsuit:Despite judges ruling, LCG uses identical quick take to seize land for detention pond. A public records request for electronic communication between Fortier and LCG officials is pending. This Tuesday (March 7th) is ACT Testing Day on our high school campuses. ST. MARTINVILLE, L.a. Aging water systems are causing issues for small municipalities across the country, state, and even here in Acadiana. 2023 St. Martin Parish Government. And surreptitiously LCG went out and removed those spoil banks and, in our opinion, has put our citizens at peril, contrary to what they may postulate.". Why would you do that? If you materially change the original scope of the contract, then you cant just amend it like that and be in compliance with the bid law. "Not . I know it took a month, and equipment came from all over the country. Tel: 318.906.0582, District V Those spoils banks were keeping areas in St. Martin Parish from flooding, parish leaders say. On Feb. 18 LCG filed with the Lafayette Parish Clerk of Court Amendment #1 to the as-needed contract, saying the parties desire to amend the agreement to add line items for additional services. The amendment was signed by Mayor-President Josh Guillory and Rigids Fortier. St. Martin Parish Federal Programs & Technology Annex 625 Corporate Boulevard, Breaux Bridge, LA 70517 337.332.3388. Records from LCG and Open Book reveal that Rigids invoices are typically paid within days, with one for $9.3 million for the Bayou Vermilion Flood Control project paid via wire transfer to Rigid on May 9, one working day after it was submitted. Why would you do that to your neighbors? 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. It is likely a court would find, based on the facts specific to this project, how it was bid, and the quick resulting change order which appears to have changed the scope of work that LCG did not comply with Louisianas public bid law, says David Vicknair, an experienced public bid law attorney with the firm Scott Vicknair LLC in New Orleans.
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