Paul O'grady Show Radio 2, Jennifer Livingston On Ellen, Articles S

Chester Cedars has been working as a Parish President at St Martin Parish Government for 21 years. 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. As the spoil banks are already gone, Cedars says theyre trying to fix this. 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. var today = new Date() Logan and Guillory have defended the approach and use of quick take expropriation, characterizing the suits as negotiating tactics on the part of landowners looking for a better price in the case of Homewood and Lake Farm. The Louisiana attorney general has opined that any additional public work outside of the scope of the existing contract should be negotiated or let out for public bid rather than by change order to the existing contract.. 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. Select from these options: Breaking News, Evening News Headlines, Latest COVID-19 Headlines, Morning News Headlines, Special Offers. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. St. Martin Parish president expecting appellate ruling on lawsuit soon, Parish suing business owner on Lake Martin over blocking access for public, DWAYNE FATHERREE Guillory has made clear hell do whatever it takes to push projects through faster. And its connected to all three stormwater projects mired in lawsuits. ft. skate park in Lafayette, Downtown Lafayette will soon see a new residential, Contentious California nuclear plant can keep operating,, Lafayette woman attempts to fight off purse snatcher, Ragin Cajuns Fall to App State in SBC Tournament, Spanish Moss was almost called French Moss, Prep Basketball: #1 NISH advances in thriller of, Meghan Schorman Claims Sun Belt Softball Pitcher, Ella Goodies family searching for another family, Carencro Fire Department responds to fire on Braquet, Jury convicts Louisiana man of trafficking fentanyl,, Ville Platte woman arrested for felony theft, Abbeville woman thankful to be alive after shot in, Carencro man re-arrested on child pornography charges, La. In conclusion, I welcome all, and I look forward to sharing the very special and unique resources which St. Martin Parish has to offer. [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. 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. var year = today.getFullYear() 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. 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. four other contractors sent bids that ranged from $568,000 to $1.1 million. It's not about whether the removal of the spoil banks will benefit Lafayette, as there is little to no argument there. Whether LCG devised the as-needed contract to slip the spoil banks project through unnoticed is unclear. St Martin Parish Government is part of the Government industry, and located in Louisiana, United States. This parish is not afraid to fight in the courts to protect the publics rights.. Why would you do that to neighbors when you don't have a permit?. 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). LAFAYETTE, La. 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.. 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. Thats our job, Cedars said. ST. MARTIN PARISH, La. 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. Log In / Sign Up. Second, a public investigation on the regulations allegedly violated during the removal, including those ruled by FEMA and the Environmental Protection Agency. 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. The St. Martin Parish Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to authorize Parish President Chester Cedars to pursue litigation against Lafayette Consolidated Government for removal of spoil. 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. And experts agree there is good reason to question the scope, in large part because it increased the value of the original contract tenfold. View the job description, responsibilities and qualifications for this position. Guillory, Nepveaux, Logan, and Fortier, in my view are all heros. An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the e-mail address listed on your account. City-Parish Attorney Greg Logan confirmed in a phone interview that work on the St. Martin project started soon after the as-needed contract was awarded in December. 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. 2023 www.theadvertiser.com. Fax N/A. Tel: 337.441.0229, District III Their clandestine removal has led to a firestorm of accusations between Lafayette and St. Martin parishes. 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. 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. No records of such documentation have been produced in our records requests, besides the half-page bid table pricing the rush-ordered work. Box 1280 Cameron, LA 70631 (337) 775-5718 EMAIL www.cameronpj.org. Copyright Follow Andrew Capps on Twitter or send an email to acapps@theadvertiser.com. Receive the digital, interactive PDF of the newspaper in your inbox. The maximum price of the projects first phase was negotiated at $30.6 million, but grew to $38 million when Rigid was forced to mobilize to another drainage project during litigation with the landowners. 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). 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. The current modeling of the spoil bank removal project shows that there is no threat of harm to St. Martin Parish.. The contract was awarded for one year, with options to renew for two additional one-year terms. Im just so happy were able to help both Lafayette Parish and St. Martin Parish, Guillory added. 1844-1852: Principal, Adelphian Academy, North Bridgewater, MA: 1854-1855: Teacher, Dunbarton Academy, Washington, DC: 1855-1859: Principal, Western Academy . We have one of the best procurement lawyers in the state that works for us out of New Orleans, attorney Logan says. ------------------------------------------------------------Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere. Lafayette Parish residents deserve to know and understand this issue. 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. 625 Corporate Boulevard, Breaux Bridge, LA 70517 Local Workforce Development Board #40 is certified by Louisiana's Governor as a local workforce development board, as required by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) Public Law 113-128. And certainly going from $300,000 or $400,000 to $3 [million] or $4 million would be a material change in the contract. 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. It was paid only $1.6 million in all of the previous fiscal year, according to online records. Waste Connections is taking over trash pickup in St. Martin Parish. "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. 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. He also addressed rumors that some landowners might try to block Rookery Road around the lake. As for the spoil banks, theyve stood by the merits of the project and accused St. Martin Parish of trying to obstruct it. 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 . The landings are privately owned. 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. Email Davide Mamone at dmamone@theadvocate.com. 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. There are about two dozen of these properties, and they are causing an expense to the city because they have to keep them up.. "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. Box 993 Serious allegations from St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars, against LCG over flood control. Cameron P. O. Delivered right as the newspaper goes to print on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. We won't share it with anyone else. 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. Bid law exists to protect against cost overruns and to keep negotiations honest. 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. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. Our restaurants offer authentic, renowned, and award winning Cajun cuisine. "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. 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. Lafayette Mayor President Josh Guillory says LCG removed the spoil banks to help flash flooding and drainage. 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. This Tuesday (March 7th) is ACT Testing Day on our high school campuses. To reach the newsroom or report a typo/correction, click HERE. The engineering is clear.. There was a problem saving your notification. Our parish extends a very cordial invitation to visit us. "I want to give a full report to the council to the public at one time," he said. 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. 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. 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. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. 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 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.". If you are a St. Martin Parish resident, take a moment to enjoy our many recreational sites and renew your valued acquaintances. It was a very short call, Cedars said. You cant sign a contract or pass an ordinance that allows you to ignore public bid law, says one former LCG official. Breaux Bridge, LA 70517 Public Works Director Chad Nepveaux said Thursday that LCG bought part of the land where the banks are located and removed the dirt over the course of a couple of days in February. LCG did not turn over any construction plans for the project, saying it had no known documents responsive to our request for them. I trust the significant engineering that has gone into this project. "When I learned about this late Tuesday afternoon, we did certain things and had certain meetings, and we're developing what our course of action will be from this point forward," he said. Since then, nothing has been done. Box 9 St. Martinville, LA 70582 (337) 394-2200 EMAIL . And if LCG intended the arrangement to avoid bid law, thats a problem, experts say. St. Martin Parish Federal Programs & Technology Annex 625 Corporate Boulevard, Breaux Bridge, LA 70517 337.332.3388. 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. 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. Residents and parish leaders say theyre now also concerned over the legality of removing them. You have permission to edit this article. Theyre speaking with regulatory agencies about imposing penalties on LCG if they find they did violate the law. 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. . ST. MARTINVILLE, La. If you forget it, you'll be able to recover it using your email address. . "The perception is this is just talk [], it's not just talk," he tells KATC. Rather, our communitys own behavior will account for any sort of lockdown,' wrote Cedars. Cedars is accusing Lafayette Consolidated Government of removing spoil banks along the. That's your idea of heroes? Cedars has been serving as the interim parish president since former President Guy. 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. (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. Guillory, says, however, a permit was not necessary. 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 losses could substantially burden both city and parish finances. St. Martin Parish to sue, investigate removal of spoil banks by Lafayette Consolidated Government. Waiting for a judge to be assigned to the suit, according to public records at last check on Friday. Copyright 1997- A public records request for electronic communication between Fortier and LCG officials is pending. Box 9. You can experience nature at its finest and tour the Parishs natural gifts such as Bayou Teche, Lake Martin, and the Atchafalaya Basin. 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 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. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. You have to go out and re-bid it, says former Louisiana Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera. 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. On Aug. 30, according to Cedars reports, the Corps advised that LCG had requested the proposed project be divided into two parts. Otherwise, St. Martin Parish will most assuredly oppose any attempt to remove the spoil banks.. STAFF PHOTO BY LESLIE WESTBROOK Apply for the Job in Project Coordinator at Saint Martinville, LA. 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. and last updated 8:09 PM, Feb 27, 2023. St. Martin Council on Aging, Inc. accepts applications from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. 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. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. 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. U.S. President; U.S. 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. Of course, I fully recognize that my remarks will ignite a flurry of criticism and comments. 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. The same cant be said for us, said Yvonne Romero, a St. Martin Parish resident who attended the meeting. Well, guess what? 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 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. residents cited for shooting geese from moving, 30 Iberia Parish jail inmates baptized behind bars, Wanted Louisiana fugitive arrested by U.S. Cedars said it is the parishs stance that it has rights to the road because it has maintained it for decades. Stay up to date with the latest news by downloading the BRProud App from the App Store or Google Play. "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?". 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. Initially, he said, the landings were built using parish materials and using trusty work crews from the parish jail. Tel: 337.342.2993 You have permission to edit this article. 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. 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. 337.332.3388, St. Martin Parish Operations,Maintenance &Transportation LCG letter:Army Corps inspection finds no permit was needed for Lafayette spoil banks removal. Follow Andrew Capps on Twitter or send an email to acapps@theadvertiser.com. It is also my understanding that the USCOE recommended removing the spoil banks, back in 1994?, after the 1993 flood. 120 East Refinery Street I did not get a formal response, Cedars said. 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. ST. MARTINVILLE St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars said that efforts to negotiate a deal with landowners to allow public access to a. Let us know what's going on! 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. ST. MARTIN PARISH, La. 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.