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So it sounds to me like theyre in violation of the bid law.. Tel: 318.906.0582, District V 1005 Big Apple Lane Moreover, I believe that under the current circumstances, there is no reason why adults should not take the vaccine except for those with medical issues which prevent them from doing so, said Cedars. 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. It leaves a lot of questions, especially with the $1.8 million mobilization charge., A founding editor of both The Independent and ABiz and senior editor at The Times of Acadiana in the 1990s, Leslie Turk is an award-winning investigative reporter who has worked in the newspaper business in Lafayette for more than three decades. Anytime we can be good neighbors and we can help out folks and help anybody in the region and defnitely not hurt anybody, were going to do that, Guillory said. (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. "Not . And certainly going from $300,000 or $400,000 to $3 [million] or $4 million would be a material change in the contract. Cedars also mentions questions he frequently receives about the local government imposing crowd limitations or a potential lockdown. St. Martin Parish Operations, Maintenance & Transportation 775 West Bridge Street, Breaux Bridge, LA 70517 337-909-2990. 301 West Port Street. "With so much of our daily life revolving around internet connectivity, we are making fiber infrastructure modernization a priority for our parish. Three days later, on Feb. 21, before obtaining permits from either St. Martin Parish or the U.S. TOLL-FREE,24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK Make a Donation . Cedars accused the parish government of removing spoil banks along the Vermilion River in St.. The spoil banks removal is the latest in a series of fast-paced measures taken by Mayor-President Josh Guillory's administration to address drainage in Lafayette. 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. Sign up for our free newsletter. The district attorney can pursue that violation. The spoil banks are makeshift dirt levees, nearly 4,000 feet long, that follow the river's southern bank around the Cypress Island Swamp in St. Martin Parish, isolating the river from the low-lying swampland and preventing floodwaters from dumping out of the river and into the swamp during storms. four other contractors sent bids that ranged from $568,000 to $1.1 million. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars has promised to hold responsible Lafayette officials and anyone connected to the secretive spoil levee removal, which he fears may send more flood water . Serious allegations from St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars, against LCG over flood control. The wire transfer to Rigid came five days after LCG lost the Homewood ruling and is for work on that project. Rigid played a limited role in the Lake Farm Road detention project that first landed LCG in court over property rights, having been paid $61,000 to clear and burn trees on the Randol family land near Costco in May 2021. Its unclear how much information the bidders were given about potential projects to come and whether they knew of LCGs plans for St. Martin Parish. P.O. It's uncalled for and unwarranted," Cedars said Thursday. 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. "They didn't listen and unfortunately unless you take someone's money out of their pocket, they won't listen," Boudreaux says. In the days and weeks before the contract was signed, Rigid CEO Cody Fortier, Rigid itself and Fortiers CF LLC each made $2,500 donations to the mayor-presidents campaign, as did another company associated with Fortier, Sunshine Homes LLC, for a total of $10,000, according to campaign finance records. Of course, I fully recognize that my remarks will ignite a flurry of criticism and comments. Tel: 337.394.4436, District II Email Davide Mamone at dmamone@theadvocate.com. 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. There was a problem saving your notification. Well, guess what? St. Martin Parish to sue, investigate removal of spoil banks by Lafayette Consolidated Government. 0:36. The current modeling of the spoil bank removal project shows that there is no threat of harm to St. Martin Parish.. "We believe that we need to proceed as quickly as possible to protect the citizens from being harmed. 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. St. Martin Parish President brushes off 30-year-old lifeguarding skills during NACo Annual Conference Like any good executive, Parish President Guy Cormier has to delegate to get things done, day in and day out, in St. Martin's Parish, La. The spoil banks have been a point of contention between LCG and the St. Martin Parish Government for months as the two have debated the drainage merits and risks of removal. One for the removal of the spoil banks in Lafayette Parish and the other for the spoil banks in St. Martin Parish, according to Cedars' reports. You can experience nature at its finest and tour the Parishs natural gifts such as Bayou Teche, Lake Martin, and the Atchafalaya Basin. Nevertheless, I cannot sit idly by and not articulate about a critical situation.. The Army Corps of Engineers did not require a permit for this, Guillory told News Ten. St. Martin Parish School Board Breaux Bridge, LA 2 weeks ago Be among the first 25 applicants See who St. Martin Parish School Board has hired for this role It is my understanding that the overflow of the Vermilion R to Cypress Island swamp is the natural flow of flooding relief. var today = new Date() Chester Cedars, the St. Martin Parish President, speaks at a Parish Council meeting, at which the council voted to pursue litigation against Lafayette Parish for the removal of a spoil bank along the Vermilion River in St. Martin Parish. 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. Vital Still, this only covers three of several water systems throughout the parish and they are not the only ones with a cry for help. Romero said that she saw the first equipment coming to St. Martinville in February, but she thought LCG had permission to do the work. As for the spoil banks, theyve stood by the merits of the project and accused St. Martin Parish of trying to obstruct it. Vital . 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. Parish President Chester Cedars speaks during a meeting of the St. Martin Parish Council on Tuesday, March 15, 2022. Individuals interested in applying for positions may stop by the agency during those times. Steve Fuselier We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Contact her at (337) 207-4312 or [emailprotected]. We don't want anyone to be harmed, and therefore we believe that the way to mitigate that is to restore the property to its state before the removal of the spoil banks," he added. 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. All Rights Reserved, Opening/Purchasing a Bar/Nigh Club/Lounge, RESTORE Act Multiyear Implementation Plan, RESTORE Act Multiyear Implementation Plan-Amendment #1. Drainage:LCG took their land and razed it in a week. The auditors office places the facts out there. Photo by Travis Gauthier 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. Cedars did say he had productive conversations with members of one family about their concerns and proposed a possible compromise. Negotiations stall for public access to Lake Martin boat landing, St. Martin council to seek Supreme Court review of Lake Martin lawsuit, Acadiana Regional Airport fuels up F-18's, Homicide suspect wanted after car crashes with person dead inside, Winning back-to-back Opens starts with OBriens bass-zilla, Big man, big moment: Randall-Bashay's bucket seals win for Yellow Jackets, Jordan brings experience, discipline to Athletic Director role, Louviere finds a slow approach key to nailing big bass for big W, New Iberia police searching for felon in Friday shooting incident, BERRY TALES: Stein's means another 'good-bye'. St. Martin Hospital (SMH), located at 210 Champagne Blvd. The Corps added it would determine whether a permit for this work was required or not. There was hesitation. Copyright 1997- 1844-1852: Principal, Adelphian Academy, North Bridgewater, MA: 1854-1855: Teacher, Dunbarton Academy, Washington, DC: 1855-1859: Principal, Western Academy . 314 Elmer St We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. And its connected to all three stormwater projects mired in lawsuits. All rights reserved. ST. MARTIN PARISH, La. The property around the lake is privately owned. The Corps of Engineers in New Orleans said through a spokesperson that it opened an investigation into the spoil banks' removal. "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. A combination of state dollars and ARPA funds, Cedars says even with the funding, it will take two to three months to get these consolidation efforts off the ground for three water systems in the parish so far: One in Catahoula, one in St. Martinville, and the St. Martin Parish water system. 2023 www.theadvertiser.com. . This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Whether LCG devised the as-needed contract to slip the spoil banks project through unnoticed is unclear. LCG removed about 1,200 feet of the dirt levees without St. Martin Parish's knowledge in a bid to reduce flooding in Lafayette. What are spoil banks? The update, which was posted at about 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, says that "as stated in. Nobody is going to block Rookery Road without a visit to the courthouse, Cedars said. ALLother St. MartinParishSchoolswill beopen on Tuesday, March 7th,for IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION. Instead, the caper was appended to a $390,000 contract awarded in December to Rigid Constructors LLC, the lowest bidder for as-needed excavation work. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is investigating LCG's decision to do the St. Martin Parish work without a federal permit, and the Corps has also asked the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to investigate "flagrant, willful violations" associated with the project.Shortly after being made aware of the levee removal, the Corps told LCG to stop all activity on the project (with the . 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. I guess I should have, Guillory reportedly told him. 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. According to Cedars, LCG had initiated a study for a potential project that entailed the removal of the spoil banks in April 2021. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. 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. Neither Rigids Fortier nor LCG Public Works Director Chad Nepveaux responded to requests for comment. It is also is my understanding that the USCOE 50+ years ago, by putting spoils on the St Martin banks of the Vermilion, inadvertently obstructed that natural flow to Cypress island swamp. View the job description, responsibilities and qualifications for this position. Very little of what Rigid charged on the spoil banks project is related to excavation. document.write(year) The suit aimed to stop LCGs clampdown on panhandling which district and appellate courts and the U.S. Supreme Court have repeatedly found to be protected speech under the First Amendment. 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. LANDRY PARISH, La. Interim St. Martin Parish Chester Cedars won the president seat with 73 percent of the vote tonight. You had a 12 feet levee, and youre reducing it to 6 feet. Select from these options: Breaking News, Evening News Headlines, Latest COVID-19 Headlines, Morning News Headlines, Special Offers. Waiting for a judge to be assigned to the suit, according to public records at last check on Friday. 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. Since November, Rigid has been paid a total of $37 million from LCG for various projects, $3.7 million of that coming for the spoil banks project that took less than two days to complete. He also addressed rumors that some landowners might try to block Rookery Road around the lake. He can be reached at dwayne.fatherree@daily-iberian.com. 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. He has been Departments Read More ST. MARTINVILLE, La. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. And if LCG intended the arrangement to avoid bid law, thats a problem, experts say. 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. St. Martin Parish's objection the spoil bank removal could cause legal trouble for LCG, as Lafayette's local government did not get a necessary permit to remove the spoil banks from St. Martin Parish, according to Cedars. It is also my understanding that the USCOE recommended removing the spoil banks, back in 1994?, after the 1993 flood. Cedars said LCG removed the spoil banks without the appropriate regulatory licenses or permits required by law. ST. MARTIN PARISH, La. Dozens of projects have been OKd by the councils with scant scrutiny, even as the administration lost expropriation cases in court. All rights reserved. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Share this page on your favorite Social network. Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password. . Lafayette-based Rigid Constructors has been paid handsomely for its role in the blitz of detention projects. {0} important information hidden . Should the Louisiana legislative auditor look into a municipalitys contracting practices, its role would only be to flag potential problems with contracts in an audit report, says Jenifer Schaye, general counsel for the legislative auditors office; violations can lead to restitution or, more rarely, criminal prosecution. 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. St. Martin Parish residents who live near the area where the spoil bank once stood agree this may not benefit them. 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. Flood fight:Lafayette, St. Martin parishes are arguing about a strip of dirt by the river. var today = new Date() St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars listens to a discussion at Tuesday's parish council meeting. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Cedars has been serving as the interim parish president since former President Guy. 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. Why would you do that to your neighbors? 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. Our restaurants offer authentic, renowned, and award winning Cajun cuisine. 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. St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars gave a blistering rebuttal to the claims of a local businessman who said a new ordinance was targeting his business, citing more than a year's worth of meetings, correspondence and inspections with the owner as the parish sought to get the owner to comply with its zoning ordinance. On Friday, St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars levied the allegations against LCG. Phone number 337 332 2105. 775 West Bridge Street, Breaux Bridge, LA 70517 Martin Parish line. var year = today.getFullYear() Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Box 9. "We need clean water, that's the very first thing we need because this is not a third-world country, this is America and we shouldn't have third-world water going through our pipes.". 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. We have one of the best procurement lawyers in the state that works for us out of New Orleans, attorney Logan says. Guillory, says, however, a permit was not necessary. ONLY10th&11th graders will report to their respective high schools on Tuesdayto take their required ACT exam. President Russel C. Foti ; Vice President Mark Hebert ; District I Steve Fuselier 1059 Sonny Dr. St. Martinville, LA 70582 Tel: 337.394.4436. Breaux Bridge, LA 70517 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. Durand said the value of the individual properties was low, about $1,000 apiece. Lafayette Consolidated Government removed spoil banks along the Vermilion River last week. St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars says St. Martin Parish is no longer going to be one of them. Guy Cormier is the president of St. Martin Parish, and was a Police Juror back in 1999 when the change was adopted for good. You could argue with some validity that it is state controlled to that point.. The latest lawsuit, filed by SMPG Wednesday in St. Martin Parish, comes a day after a federal judge removed a March lawsuit by LCG against St. Martin Parish from federal court, freeing the two to resume their fight in front of a local judge instead. St. Martin Parish Federal Programs & Technology Annex 625 Corporate Boulevard, Breaux Bridge, LA 70517 337.332.3388. St. Martin Parish has made a commitment to develop and maintain this medium so that the residents of our great parish can have full, open, and up-to-date access to the affairs of Parish Government. Turnarounds of days, rather than weeks, is atypical, according to sources. Now, they might win it back. Why didnt you tell me? St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars said he asked Guillory when the two spoke after the operation was completed. (KLFY) A feud over spoil banks, levees of dirt and debris formed on either side of a river is reaching new heights and creating a major controversy between two Acadiana parishes. "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. The St. Martin Parish Council is the legislative and policy making body of the Parish. Residents and parish leaders say theyre now also concerned over the legality of removing them. The investigation could force changes to the project to blunt its impact on the Black and low-income neighborhoods that will house it. Lawsuit:Despite judges ruling, LCG uses identical quick take to seize land for detention pond. Guillory has made clear hell do whatever it takes to push projects through faster.