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St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars said the parish is expecting an appeal courts ruling on a lawsuit regarding the zoning enforcement in the Lake Martin area. But the contract terms require Rigid to document and justify those overages, Cedars said he asked Guillory when the two spoke after the operation was completed, Cedars has since threatened to sue everyone involved. The wire transfer to Rigid came five days after LCG lost the Homewood ruling and is for work on that project. In all, the as-needed contracts value alone has ballooned to approximately $5.2 million in a few short months. St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars has vowed to sue everyone involved in the clandestine removal of spoil banks in his parish. Do I look like an idiot? Yvonne Romero said. To reach the newsroom or report a typo/correction, click HERE. St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars, who has disputed the merits and risks of removing the spoil banks, said Thursday he was given no advance notice of LCG's plans to "surreptitiously" remove the spoil banks. C) Multi-Parish Races. 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. Log In / Sign Up. U.S. President; U.S. LCGs drainage program is itself unusually massive in scope and speed. Its parish seat is St. Martinville, and the largest city is Breaux Bridge. Andre Redditt, 27, was charged with second-degree murder and obstruction of justice, the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office said in a press release. When you did not have a permit, Romero added. According to state law, change orders within the scope of the contract can be negotiated in the publics best interest or let out for bid, but change orders outside of the scope of the contract that exceed the contract limit must be let for bid., The law also suggests that it is a best use of public funds to put out for bid change orders within the scope that are more than the contract limit. Cedars said it is the parishs stance that it has rights to the road because it has maintained it for decades. LAFAYETTE, La. All Rights Reserved, Opening/Purchasing a Bar/Nigh Club/Lounge, RESTORE Act Multiyear Implementation Plan, RESTORE Act Multiyear Implementation Plan-Amendment #1. When asked if the project would harm residents of St. Martin Parish, Guillory said, We surely wouldnt bless off on a project that would hurt anybody, but the science is clear. Most of the professionals contacted for this story reviewed documents The Current received from LCG and spoke on the condition of anonymity, so as not to jeopardize ongoing relationships with local government. But the contract terms require Rigid to document and justify those overages. 2023 www.theadvertiser.com. Vicknair also notes the original December bidders could go to court to enjoin the remainder of the as-needed contract, which has options to be extended another two years, if any of that work is out of scope of the original bid work. This parish is not afraid to fight in the courts to protect the publics rights.. In an intense special council meeting attended by more than 100 angry St. Martin Parish residents, Cedars vehemently expressed his dismay toward LCG Mayor-President Josh Guillory. In February it was chosen over The Lemoine Company to negotiate pricing with LCG on the $60 million Homewood Detention Ponds project, the largest drainage undertaking in the parishs history. Something that is now possible thanks to a $14.3 million grant. 'I guess I should have,' he said to me.. Research salary, company info, career paths, and top skills for Project Coordinator Let us know what's going on! St Martin parish, is the unreasonable neighbor here, not MP Guillory. Corps of Engineers, LCG quietly purchased an undivided interest in a 41-acre tract from both the Guilliot family and Blanchet Land Company for $42,000 each (leaving a third owner out of the transaction), and it had to be only hours before Rigid was working the site (the sale was not recorded with the St. Martin Parish Clerk of Court until March 9). "We had requested, and were told, that we would get a chance to review all of LCG's models upon which this proposed project was going to be based. . St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars told News 10, "It just disrupts the ability of the public to feel comfortable utilizing our facilities." Close Thanks for signing up! First, to authorize Cedars to "pursue litigation against every single person, farm and entity that may be complicit in the removal of the banks," including LCG officials. St. Martin Parish to sue, investigate removal of spoil banks by Lafayette Consolidated Government. Box 9. Login & subscribe to unlock. firefighter Brent Haynes recovering, Best athletic wear for kids joining baseball and, How to watch all the Oscar-nominated movies in style, Best smart home devices for older users, according, First look at new 13,000 sq. Created in 1811, St. Mary Parish was originally part of the Attakapas District and St. Martin Parish. Cedars says he believes, however, more research on how it would impact their region should have been done before LCG moved forward with the project. 500 Henry C. 'Bo' LaGrange Chief Administrative Officer Henry C. 'Bo' LaGrange, is currently the Chief Administrative Officer of St. Mary Parish Government, a position he has held since 1996. "They didn't listen and unfortunately unless you take someone's money out of their pocket, they won't listen," Boudreaux says. Second, a public investigation on the regulations allegedly violated during the removal, including those ruled by FEMA and the Environmental Protection Agency. Its not all that appears on its face.. And experts agree there is good reason to question the scope, in large part because it increased the value of the original contract tenfold. 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. Receive the digital, interactive PDF of the newspaper in your inbox. P.O. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. One former public official is willing to give LCG the benefit of the doubt on the contract amendment. Angelle was elected at the age of twenty-five to the St. Martin Parish Police Jury, the local governing body known as the county commission in most other states. The three measures were approved by all nine council members. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars said Tuesday evening that the administration is looking to fund several ambitious initiatives using funds from the American Rescue Plan Act: Water system consolidation $1 million Broadband expansion $3 million Water infrastructure in Water Works District 5 and along Highway 94 $3.8 million It is also my understanding, as Ms Turk mentioned, St Martin has been an obstacle to the removal of the spoil banks and restoring the natural floodway. The contract was awarded for one year, with options to renew for two additional one-year terms. . 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. He was eventually taken into custody by the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff . Corps of Engineers to remove the spoil banks along the Vermilion River in St. Martinville, but that request was ultimately withdrawn, according to Cedars. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This story has been edited to include Fortier's $10,000 in donations to Mayor-President Josh Guillory's campaign and to note that the original as-needed contract was limited to work "throughout the Lafayette City-Parish." Box 9 St. Martinville, LA 70582 (337) 394-2200 EMAIL . You have permission to edit this article. 1059 Sonny Dr. 337-909-2990, REPORT CHILD ABUSE: 1-855-4LA-KIDS (1-855-452-5437) St. Martinville, LA 70582 Her work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Acadiana Advocate, The Daily Advertiser, Baton Rouge Business Report, Louisiana Illuminator and Gambit. "This is the most incredible, unprofessional thing that I think one governmental jurisdiction can do to the other. . Over the last 25+ years various government agencies have spent many hundreds of millions of dollars on flooded homes, many of which could have been avoided by simply restoring the spoil banks to its original level, along with spot dredging and maintaining the required natural depth of the river. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. 120 East Refinery Street Invalid password or account does not exist. No records of such documentation have been produced in our records requests, besides the half-page bid table pricing the rush-ordered work. Steve Fuselier D) St. Martin Parish ( French: Paroisse de Saint-Martin) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana, founded in 1811. Fax N/A. 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. Attorneys for St. Martin Parish Government wrote that the spoil banks were removed without a parish permit and asked a local judge for an order requiring LCG "to restore, replace and reconstruct (at [LCG]'s sole expense), the spoil bank Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government illegally removed in St. Martin Parish.". 'Did you remove them?' ALLother St. MartinParishSchoolswill beopen on Tuesday, March 7th,for IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION. You have to go out and re-bid it, says former Louisiana Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera. 1.2k. Just $4,800 was spent on tree clearing and $260,000 on excavation and fill. Rigid billed $1.9 million for expedited mobilization, a sum that, according to the original contracts terms, should have been included in the contract pricing. Executed and paid for in days, the spoil banks operation is emblematic of the quick pace of government the Guillory administration has bragged about but has nonetheless landed it in legal trouble. Open Books 10-digit check numbers, which seem to indicate wire transfers, show Rigid as the sole contractor paid by wire transfer this fiscal year, with LCG paying via wire transfer only 11 times out of 35,000 payments made so far this year. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Create a password that only you will remember. I did see something that it was done in two days, but the equipment that was brought in from as far as Idaho, and a lot of that Rigid had to pre-pay I remember was going on. St. Martin Parish residents who live near the area where the spoil bank once stood agree this may not benefit them. var year = today.getFullYear() Vital St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars said it seems to him that "There is a large number of our citizens who are not participating in the mandatory waste program." Lafayette organization. Why would you do that to your neighbors? St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars said, however, it will not help their region and called it an act of misconduct.. St. Martin Parish Library Board of Control Tommy Romero, President,Appointment 1992, Expiration July 2027 Freda Harrison, Vice-President,Appointment 1980, Expiration July 2025 Charlene LeBlanc,Appointment 1989, Expiration July 2023 Georgie Blanchard,Appointment 1998, Expiration January 2027 15 LSU Softball shuts out Minnesota, 3-0, Tigers hit four homers in 26-4 win over Central Connecticut, LSU Advances to Semifinals in SEC Tourney, Skenes tallies career-high 13 Ks in 12-2 victory, Geaux Nation Wrap: LSU advances to SEC Semifinals, Best athletic wear for kids joining baseball and, How to watch all the Oscar-nominated movies in style, Best smart home devices for older users, according, Black seniors invited to health fair in Baton Rouge, Marianne Williamson officially launches 2024 bid, Southern University celebrates 143 years of institutional, Fire at substation in St. James Parish forces road, Police up charges for man allegedly tied to deadly, Coincidence prompted Powerball winner to buy ticket, Driver dead after MD tanker explosion, fire, Ja Morant investigated by NBA over Instagram post, Mortgage rates have little reason to fall in March, Destination Louisiane: Antiques Roadshow; deadline, LSU Womens Basketball signees named Naismith All-Americans, $200K winning ticket sold at BR convenience store, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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). "We were told that additional modeling had been done and that we would get a chance to review it. We have one of the best procurement lawyers in the state that works for us out of New Orleans, attorney Logan says. Romero said that she saw the first equipment coming to St. Martinville in February, but she thought LCG had permission to do the work. "Not . What is clear is that advertising the operation would have put LCGs furtive plans in the public eye, something it had an interest in avoiding. All 10th & 11th graders must bring their fully charged Chromebooks to school on Tuesday for testing. in Breaux Bridge, will host a groundbreaking ceremony today, Tuesday, July 30 at 11:00 a.m. to celebrate the start of an $11.2 million expansion and renovation project. Russel C. Foti Why? The update, which was posted at about 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, says that "as stated in. 1844-1852: Principal, Adelphian Academy, North Bridgewater, MA: 1854-1855: Teacher, Dunbarton Academy, Washington, DC: 1855-1859: Principal, Western Academy . 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. 337.332.2105, St. Martin Parish Federal Programs &Technology Annex As the spoil banks are already gone, Cedars says theyre trying to fix this. There can be a myriad of violations, says Shaye, who declined to comment on whether her office has been alerted to LCGs contracts. LCG did not turn over any construction plans for the project, saying it had no known documents responsive to our request for them. Website Other questions:subscriberservices@theadvocate.com. Sign up for our free newsletter. Contact her at (337) 207-4312 or [emailprotected]. 2023 www.theadvertiser.com. View the job description, responsibilities and qualifications for this position. And certainly going from $300,000 or $400,000 to $3 [million] or $4 million would be a material change in the contract. 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. LWDB #40 is one of 15 local workforce development boards in the State of Louisiana and services . Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. http://dss.louisiana.gov/page/109. Lafayette Mayor-President Josh Guillory said a spoil bank removal project on the Vermilion River that prompted harsh criticism by St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars and will likely lead to LANDRY PARISH, La. Candidly, the government will impose nothing. Lafayette Consolidated Government removed spoil banks along the Vermilion River last week. Lafayette Consolidated Government beat St. Martin Parish to the punch Wednesday by suing over the removal of the Vermilion River spoil banks at the center of the two parishes' recent feud . According to St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars October 19, 2021, President's report, Josh Guillory was no longer pursuing the spoil bank removal project. As of Tuesday afternoon, Jamie Angelle, Guillorys spokesperson, did not respond to questions regarding the removal of the spoil banks and didnt provide any comment about the alleged phone call. 314 Elmer St Our restaurants offer authentic, renowned, and award winning Cajun cuisine. (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. The district attorney can pursue that violation. Contact information. Coupons are available only to seniors who reside in St. Martin Parish. TOLL-FREE,24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK of our parish leaders are excited about the decision of Ochsner and Trax Development to locate this PPE facility in our parish," said St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars. Thank you for the well written synopsis of this million dollar project. Although there are concerns from high water that has moved south from Cairo, Illinois, and through Jackson, Mississippi, Guidry said it is expected most of those floodwaters will remain north instead of cycling through the Teche. Rigids $390,000 bid last year for the 2021 LCG as-needed excavation and disposal contract for work throughout the Lafayette City-Parish (the contract does not allow for work outside of the parish) was the lowest among five bids; four other contractors sent bids that ranged from $568,000 to $1.1 million. How a civil rights investigation could alter the I-49 Connector, LCG settles federal panhandling suit for $42,000, Here are the 2023 Current In Design winners, Rigid has been paid a total of $37 million from LCG for various projects, $1.6 million in all of the previous fiscal year, 2021 LCG as-needed excavation and disposal contract. 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. St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars said Thursday his government is aiming to have LCG restore the spoil banks as an immediate remedy and said it may seek other remedies as the case progresses. I guess I should have, Guillory reportedly told him. "Let me just say this, St. Martin Parish is not gonna sit on their ass and allow this to go unremediated.". Now, they might win it back. This would have saved many hundreds of millions of dollars of property damage, reduction in property values and tax base, not to mention the risk to public safety. At 3 oclock as of today, a week ago, we discovered that Lafayette Consolidated Government decided to remove the spoil banks, Cedars said, describing a phone call with Guillory that he said took place two hours after the discovery. Individuals interested in applying for positions may stop by the agency during those times. ------------------------------------------------------------Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere. Cedars accused the parish government of removing spoil banks along the Vermilion River in St.. This Tuesday (March 7th) is ACT Testing Day on our high school campuses. 301 West Port Street. If you are a St. Martin Parish resident, take a moment to enjoy our many recreational sites and renew your valued acquaintances. In conclusion, I welcome all, and I look forward to sharing the very special and unique resources which St. Martin Parish has to offer. Waste Connections is taking over trash pickup in St. Martin Parish. At issue is the removal of half of a 12-feet levee structure left behind from the last time the Vermilion was dredged that has for decades protected St. Martinville from flooding. But rather than bid the markedly different contract, LCG accepted a single quote from Rigid valued at $3.7 million, the sole documentation for which appears to be a half-sheet of letter-sized paper with seven line items Rigid refers to as Bid Item(s) with an eighth line it calls Total Base Bid. To be clear, there was no advertised bid. He has been Departments Read More The problem a challenging bidder is going to have in a damages claim, which LCG may have assumed when they structured the contract this way, is that theres a lot of case law from various appellate courts and the Louisiana Supreme Court requiring a losing bidder in a damages claim to show good cause on why they did not seek injunctive relief to stop the work before making a claim for damages, Vicknair continues, so the question really is could they have known within the very short period of time from when that change order was publicly recorded until the work was performed to file for injunctive relief?. Patrol boats, barges, cranes, ramps and an on-call mechanic were among the charges billed to Lafayette Consolidated Government for a February operation to dig up spoil bank levees on the Vermilion River. According to Cedars, LCG had initiated a study for a potential project that entailed the removal of the spoil banks in April 2021. Pending the governors signature, both the spoil banks project and the catchall Bayou Vermilion Flood Control project are set to receive more state dollars in the 2022 capital outlay budget. 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. The parish seat is Saint Martinville. His reasoning for writing to the community about his concerns for the parish during this COVID surge sparked after reading a local newspaper article online describing the pressure local hospitals are feeling at this time. 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. Cameron P. O. It has also been corrected to reflect additional reporting confirming that LCG purchased land for the project from two property owners, intentionally leaving a third landowner out of the transaction. Both local and state officials have been in support of St. Martin Hospital and its expansion efforts since . Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Select from these options: Breaking News, Evening News Headlines, Latest COVID-19 Headlines, Morning News Headlines, Special Offers. I did not get a formal response, Cedars said. Cedars said he continued with a second question: 'Why didnt you tell me?' 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. Otherwise, St. Martin Parish will most assuredly oppose any attempt to remove the spoil banks.. For more information, or to schedule an appointment, contact the Council on Aging at 337-332-3063. Copyright 2023 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Vicknair, who says by law the project should have been re-bid, believes the losing bidders could have standing for damages if they sued, with the runner-up bidder in the best position to succeed. Ballotpedia provides comprehensive coverage of the 100 largest cities in America by population.This encompasses all city, county, and special district elections appearing on the ballot within those cities. Cedars cites the latest COVID hospitalization data in the Acadiana Region 4 and positivity rates within the parish. The idea was proposed, however, long before. The Oscars will air on ABC and can be streamed on ABC.com and the ABC app as well as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV or FuboTV. " Cedars said he asked. St. Martin Parish Government officials and community members are now angry, as they say LCG removed the spoil banks without any warning and without permits. {0} important information hidden . A no-trespassing sign is displayed near a blocked off area of the parking lot near the boat launch at Lake Martin Monday, November 23, 2020, in St. Martin Parish. One contractor interviewed by The Current defended the pricing in the contract, noting its what he would charge for the work. There was hesitation. var today = new Date() You have permission to edit this article. Tel: 318.906.0582, District V "I have memories growing up, we'd drink out of the hose outside, could never do that anymore, and neither can our kids," 52-year-old Boudreaux says. Nobody is going to block Rookery Road without a visit to the courthouse, Cedars said. In recent months, private landowners around the lake have tried to block access for the public, either out of a fear of liability should an accident occur or, as in the case of the litigation the parish is engaged in, for commercial purposes. The operation was done just weeks after Lafayette's City Council voted on Feb. 2 to offer $500,000 as a match to $1.5 million in state funds to get the spoil banks removed.