"We need dirt, and the (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) gave us a permit to build a levee on the other side.". district5@intmartinschools.org, District VI The Corps of Engineers in New Orleans said through a spokesperson that it opened an investigation into the spoil banks' removal. 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. 775 West Bridge Street, Breaux Bridge, LA 70517 All 9th and 12th graders will remain home on Tuesday and participate in their courses virtuallythrough Google Classroom using their Chromebooks. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. var today = new Date() The St. Martin Parish Council unanimously voted to give parish president Chester Cedars the authority to seek any and all legal remedies against Lafayette Consolidated Government and other parties found to be responsible for the removal of spoil banks along the Vermilion River. Vital Fifteenth Judicial District Judge Valerie Gotch-Garrett is presiding over the case and St. Martin Parish's request to have it dismissed on the grounds that it should have been filed in the 16th Judicial District, which covers . Very little of what Rigid charged on the spoil banks project is related to excavation. 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. Our restaurants offer authentic, renowned, and award winning Cajun cuisine. That's your idea of heroes? The attorney general can pursue that violation. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. "I can give you 14.3 million additional reasons it's not just talk, and that's the $14.3 million we've committed to making this consolidation work. He also addressed rumors that some landowners might try to block Rookery Road around the lake. He was eventually taken into custody by the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff . Cedars has been serving as the interim parish president since former President Guy. Delivered right as the newspaper goes to print on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. On October 14, 2021, I met with Mayor-President Guillory and several members of his staff. dwayne.fatherree@daily-iberian.com. Aside from the limestone used for a parking lot at the lake, which is viewed as an extension of Rookery Road, the parish cannot use resources to repair or expand improvements on private property. 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. 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. Neither Rigids Fortier nor LCG Public Works Director Chad Nepveaux responded to requests for comment. LCG did not turn over any construction plans for the project, saying it had no known documents responsive to our request for them. ONLY10th&11th graders will report to their respective high schools on Tuesdayto take their required ACT exam. [citation needed] From 2000 to 2004, Angelle was the first parish president of St. Martin Parish and the vice president from 1998 to 2000 of the Huval Companies in Lafayette, Louisiana. And its connected to all three stormwater projects mired in lawsuits. So it sounds to me like theyre in violation of the bid law.. 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. I dont see anything else MP Guillory could have done more reasonable to finally get something accomplished to protect the interest of Lafayette residents at risk of flooding, due to changes in the landscape, beyond their control. Create a password that only you will remember. And the peculiar vehicle for awarding such a large contract, in effect side-stepping the transparency and cost controls required of public contracting, may itself have violated public bid law, according to interviews with a dozen contractors, engineers, lawyers and former LCG employees. 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. He can be reached at dwayne.fatherree@daily-iberian.com. ST. MARTINVILLE The St. Martin Parish government is seeking a new solid waste collection provider after a tumultuous experience over the last two years with Pelican Waste, the current "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. St Martin Parish Government Location 301 W Port St, Saint Martinville, Louisiana, 70582, United States Description Industry Government 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. "We were told that additional modeling had been done and that we would get a chance to review it. It's uncalled for and unwarranted," Cedars said Thursday. Still, this only covers three of several water systems throughout the parish and they are not the only ones with a cry for help. He has been Departments Read More 1.2k. Now, they might win it back. Candidly, the government will impose nothing. Cedars did say he had productive conversations with members of one family about their concerns and proposed a possible compromise. 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. 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. 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. 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. ------------------------------------------------------------Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere. Guillory's administration already faces two lawsuits over a novel type of quick-take land grab used to secure properties to build major detention ponds, one of which was overturned by a local judge and is now on appeal. 'Did you remove them?' St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars said, however, it will not help their region and called it an act of misconduct.. (KLFY) An investigation has begun in the firings of many former employees in St. Landry Parish [] UPDATE, 3/3/2023: Milton-Fontenot said that Bellard gave her job back . ST. MARTIN PARISH, La. St. Martin Parish Parish President. Lafayette, St. Martin parishes are arguing about a strip of dirt by the river, Five years later, Lafayette is still defined by the catastrophic 2016 flood, LCG took their land and razed it in a week. I did not get a formal response, Cedars said. Since then, nothing has been done. Rather, it seems we are more interested in protecting and advocating our individual ideologue rather than adhering to the advice of medical science and thus protecting our fellow citizens, our businesses, our employers/employees, our healthcare system, and our children.. The current modeling of the spoil bank removal project shows that there is no threat of harm to St. Martin Parish.. 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. Mike Clay Guy Cormier is the president of St. Martin Parish, and was a Police Juror back in 1999 when the change was adopted for good. STAFF PHOTO BY LESLIE WESTBROOK Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. (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. 625 Corporate Boulevard, Breaux Bridge, LA 70517 The high water mark is at Rookery Road, where the levee used to be, Cedars said. The spoil banks, left behind from the last time the Vermilion River was dredged decades ago, run along the rivers southern bank around the swamp in St. Martin Parish, just east of the border with Lafayette Parish. St. Martin Parish Federal Programs & Technology Annex 625 Corporate Boulevard, Breaux Bridge, LA 70517 337.332.3388. 1059 Sonny Dr. 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. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. You have permission to edit this article. The landings are privately owned. Turnarounds of days, rather than weeks, is atypical, according to sources. 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 . Log In / Sign Up. Email Davide Mamone at dmamone@theadvocate.com. You cant sign a contract or pass an ordinance that allows you to ignore public bid law, says one former LCG official. Andre Redditt, 27, was charged with second-degree murder and obstruction of justice, the Livingston Parish Sheriff's Office said in a press release. Over the past several months, The Current has reviewed hundreds of of pages of court documents and records obtained from LCG related to its immense capital program for drainage. Over the summer, LCG requested a permit from the U.S. With multiple boil advisories in the recent past, Cedars says it's no secret the. It is also my understanding that the USCOE recommended removing the spoil banks, back in 1994?, after the 1993 flood. Share this page on your favorite Social network. 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. "I want to give a full report to the council to the public at one time," he said. St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars listens to a discussion at Tuesday's parish council meeting. It's not about whether the removal of the spoil banks will benefit Lafayette, as there is little to no argument there. Cedars said he continued with a second question: 'Why didnt you tell me?' 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. The contract was awarded for one year, with options to renew for two additional one-year terms. The wire transfer to Rigid came five days after LCG lost the Homewood ruling and is for work on that project. 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. "Many residents and local business in our parish struggle to access reliable internet service," St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars said. Login & subscribe to unlock. 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. Nevertheless, I cannot sit idly by and not articulate about a critical situation.. :And why are Lafayette and St. Martin Parish fighting over them? The investigation could force changes to the project to blunt its impact on the Black and low-income neighborhoods that will house it. Im pretty sure all of this was done with her permission or her approval.. Jimmy "Coach" Durio St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars has vowed to sue everyone involved in the clandestine removal of spoil banks in his parish. ST. MARTINVILLE, L.a. Aging water systems are causing issues for small municipalities across the country, state, and even here in Acadiana. 337-909-2990, REPORT CHILD ABUSE: 1-855-4LA-KIDS (1-855-452-5437) President Russel C. Foti ; Vice President Mark Hebert ; District I Steve Fuselier 1059 Sonny Dr. St. Martinville, LA 70582 Tel: 337.394.4436. The Parish President is the chief administrative officer of parish government and is assisted by the administrative staff and the parish's operating departments. I look forward to continuing our work with all of our neighbors, including St. Martin Parish, to combat flooding on a regional scale. "With so much of our daily life revolving around internet connectivity, we are making fiber infrastructure modernization a priority for our parish. Cedars eventually asked council members to adopt three measures. 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. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. LCG officials have said they believe removal of the banks, which risse several feet above the river, will lower river levels in Lafayette Parish. One former public official is willing to give LCG the benefit of the doubt on the contract amendment. 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. 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." District I If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. 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. One contractor interviewed by The Current defended the pricing in the contract, noting its what he would charge for the work. Cormier: "Starting in, I guess, 1990, the parish Police Jury had tried in three attempts to at least bring it to a study. {0} important information hidden . Dwayne Fatherree is the community editor for The Daily Iberian. Three days later, on Feb. 21, before obtaining permits from either St. Martin Parish or the U.S. Joyce Haynes is the president of the school . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. Martin Parish School Board. Created in 1811, St. Mary Parish was originally part of the Attakapas District and St. Martin Parish. Contact her at (337) 207-4312 or [emailprotected]. Corps of Engineers to remove the spoil banks along the Vermilion River in St. Martinville, but that request was ultimately withdrawn, according to Cedars. After St. Martin Parish government held a special meeting Tuesday, Guillory said its come to his attention that the St. Martin Parish Council has given authorization to take legal action.