LCG removed about 1,200 feet of the dirt levees without St. Martin Parish's knowledge in a bid to reduce flooding in Lafayette. St Martin Parish Government Location 301 W Port St, Saint Martinville, Louisiana, 70582, United States Description Industry Government STAFF PHOTO BY LESLIE WESTBROOK The study found removing the spoil banks would have little impact on the overall water level in the swamp during storms, but Cedars has said his engineers determined the removal wasn't without risk for the people who live near Cypress Island. My office and the St. Martin Parish Council recognize that business is the bulwark of our local economy, and we stand ready and willing to assist you in your ventures. 1059 Sonny Dr. It was paid only $1.6 million in all of the previous fiscal year, according to online records. Nothing was given to us to review. His response was, 'Yes I did,' Cedars said. var today = new Date() 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. "We tried to be civil, we did, we tried to go over there and ask them good questions to try to get the solutions rolling voluntarily, but they didn't listen, so what's the next step?". He says removing the spoil banks makes flooding much more likely for their residents. You have to go out and re-bid it, says former Louisiana Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera. 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. The lake and lake bed are under control of the state through the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Cedars said. Make a Donation . That's your idea of heroes? 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. He was eventually taken into custody by the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff . What are spoil banks? 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. The wire transfer to Rigid came five days after LCG lost the Homewood ruling and is for work on that project. District I [1] At the 2020 census, the population was 51,767. Flood fight:Lafayette, St. Martin parishes are arguing about a strip of dirt by the river. Invalid password or account does not exist. Receive the digital, interactive PDF of the newspaper in your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Evening News Headlines, Latest COVID-19 Headlines, Morning News Headlines, Special Offers. 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. The idea was proposed, however, long before. 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). 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. Our restaurants offer authentic, renowned, and award winning Cajun cuisine. In the midst of French culture, exploration, and settlement during the late eighteenth century, St. Mary bears the distinction of being a primarily Anglo-Protestant settlement in the midst of French-Catholic Acadiana. Mike Clay The losses could substantially burden both city and parish finances. Logan confirmed that it was his idea for LCG to do more as-needed contracts, which arent that unusual in public works departments. 2023 St. Martin Parish Government. 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. In May, Cedars wrote in another memorandum that he prepared and submitted a position paper in response to LCG application for a permit from the Corps of Engineers. All rights reserved. Of course, I fully recognize that my remarks will ignite a flurry of criticism and comments. This Tuesday (March 7th) is ACT Testing Day on our high school campuses. (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. St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars said he is excited about the project, which will bring broadband connectivity to the St. Martin Economic Development Authority's SMEDA Industrial Park, which is located on the Lafayette/St. 1005 Big Apple Lane This Tuesday (March 7th) is ACT Testing Day on our high school campuses. 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. "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. Marshals,, Hooded man wearing sagging pants steals $9K in purses, Acadiana foster dad fighting to get children back, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Lawsuit:Despite judges ruling, LCG uses identical quick take to seize land for detention pond. Morgan City Mayor; Vermilion Parish. 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 want to give a full report to the council to the public at one time," he said. LCG letter:Army Corps inspection finds no permit was needed for Lafayette spoil banks removal. District II Wanda B. St. Martin Council on Aging, Inc. accepts applications from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Edna M. Johnson 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 it is the parishs stance that it has rights to the road because it has maintained it for decades. Why didnt you tell me? St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars said he asked Guillory when the two spoke after the operation was completed. 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. 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 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. 600 Corporate Boulevard / PO Box 1000,Breaux Bridge, LA 70517 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. Theres a process to this, and the process was definitely not followed, resident Chad Boyer said. 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 . "We will review the allegations and respond accordingly," Logan wrote in a message to the Daily Advertiser. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. dwayne.fatherree@daily-iberian.com. Lafayettes spoil banks project in St. Martin Parish avoided public bid law and netted a contractor millions. According to Cedars, LCG had initiated a study for a potential project that entailed the removal of the spoil banks in April 2021. Tel: 318.906.0582, District V 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. There can be a myriad of violations, says Shaye, who declined to comment on whether her office has been alerted to LCGs contracts. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. ST. MARTIN PARISH, La. St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars said, however, it will not help their region and called it an act of misconduct.. LCGs drainage program is itself unusually massive in scope and speed. Box 9. 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. 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. Log In / Sign Up. This is a great day for our region, Guillory added. Frustrated with spending excessive time and money buying and installing water filters only for them to get clogged or stop working, he tells KATC he and his neighbors have filed a class-action lawsuit against United Water in a last-ditch effort to get assistance. 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. Serious allegations from St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars, against LCG over flood control. Senator (Class II) U.S. Representative (District 3) 15TH JDC District ATTORNEY; 15th JDC Judge (Div. "When they were telling me about the project, I said, 'Wait a minute! Though LCG initially sued St. Martin Parish in Lafayette over the dispute, Wednesday's filing will put the case before 16th Judicial District Court Judge Tony Saleme, of Franklin, unless LCG tries to move the case. LCGs drainage projects are already costing taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars in city-parish legal fees, plus millions in re-mobilization costs. 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. Years ago, when there was a tax sale in the city, the property was adjudicated to the city and the parish, Parish Legal Counsel Allan Durand said. 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. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Workday sued on suspicion of discriminatory hiring, 86-year-old woman honored for years of community, Attic Trash and Treasure organization hosts three-day, Scary video: North Carolina kids nearly hit at bus, Southern University experiences power outage across, No. The district attorney can pursue that violation. The update, which was posted at about 11:30 a.m. on Sunday, says that "as stated in. Waiting for a judge to be assigned to the suit, according to public records at last check on Friday. There were some models that were given to us, and we looked at it and weren't satisfied with the conclusions of those 'models,'" Cedars said Thursday. P. O. There are about two dozen of these properties, and they are causing an expense to the city because they have to keep them up.. Something that is now possible thanks to a $14.3 million grant. St. Martin Parish ( French: Paroisse de Saint-Martin) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana, founded in 1811. Site Map; Accessibility; Facebook (opens in new window/tab) Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. You have permission to edit this article. And if LCG intended the arrangement to avoid bid law, thats a problem, experts say. Phone number 337 332 2105. St. Martin Parish president expecting appellate ruling on lawsuit soon, Parish suing business owner on Lake Martin over blocking access for public, DWAYNE FATHERREE Follow Andrew Capps on Twitter or send an email to acapps@theadvertiser.com. Tel: 337.342.2993 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." It is also my understanding that the USCOE recommended removing the spoil banks, back in 1994?, after the 1993 flood. One contractor interviewed by The Current defended the pricing in the contract, noting its what he would charge for the work. After rain storms in May 2021, Guillory advocated using an emergency ordinance to appropriate $20 million for city drainage projects, cutting red tape in part by bypassing bid requirements for a raft a projects. 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. Their clandestine removal has led to a firestorm of accusations between Lafayette and St. Martin parishes. A public records request for electronic communication between Fortier and LCG officials is pending. Research salary, company info, career paths, and top skills for Project Coordinator St. Martin Parish. We have one of the best procurement lawyers in the state that works for us out of New Orleans, attorney Logan says. 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. Otherwise, St. Martin Parish will most assuredly oppose any attempt to remove the spoil banks.. 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. Mayor-President Josh Guillory and I also last conferred on April 13, 2021, at which time he assured me that there would be no formal action relative to this proposal until and unless St. Martin Parish can fully and completely vet the proposition and conclude that it presents no threat to our Parish, Cedars wrote. 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. 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.. 337.332.2105, St. Martin Parish Federal Programs &Technology Annex Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. Email Davide Mamone at dmamone@theadvocate.com. Recognizing the best in local architecture, planning and design, we are pleased to announce 12 winning projects for The Current In Design Awards 2023. Having already lost two major expropriation suits related to stormwater projects at the district court level, the Guillory administrations speed has potentially sunk tens of millions of dollars into projects that may never be completed. You cant sign a contract or pass an ordinance that allows you to ignore public bid law, says one former LCG official. D) On Aug. 30, according to Cedars reports, the Corps advised that LCG had requested the proposed project be divided into two parts. Individuals interested in applying for positions may stop by the agency during those times. St. Martin Parish to sue, investigate removal of spoil banks by Lafayette Consolidated Government. 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. Rather, our communitys own behavior will account for any sort of lockdown,' wrote Cedars. 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. There was a problem saving your notification. Box 1280 Cameron, LA 70631 (337) 775-5718 EMAIL www.cameronpj.org. Whether the amended contract was awarded illegally hinges on if the work on the spoil banks falls within the scope of the original contract. The auditors office places the facts out there. 1.2k. The makeshift levees isolate the river from low-lying land east of the Lafayette Regional Airport and rise several feet over the river in most areas, preventing the rivers flood waters from flowing into the low-lying land and out of the riverand adjoining coulees, during storms. With multiple boil advisories in the recent past, Cedars says it's no secret the. St. Martin Parish Federal Programs &Technology Annex, St. Martin Parish Operations,Maintenance &Transportation. Copyright 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!