Redditt, who was first hired by the St. St. Martin Parish President has posted updates about the expected impacts for the parish from Hurricane Ida. Breaux Bridge, LA 70517 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. The spoil banks as they appear now, after LCG moved dirt from the St. Martin side of the river to the Lafayette side (above) in February during a 24-hour secret operation that landed it in federal court and facing potential public bid law violations. 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 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. Whether the amended contract was awarded illegally hinges on if the work on the spoil banks falls within the scope of the original contract. Im just so happy were able to help both Lafayette Parish and St. Martin Parish, Guillory added. Commenting is reserved for donors. . The parish has no jurisdiction. (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 . 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. 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 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. 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. 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. Joyce Haynes is the president of the school . It's uncalled for and unwarranted," Cedars said Thursday. The Parish President is the chief administrative officer of parish government and is assisted by the administrative staff and the parish's operating departments. All 9th and 12th graders will remain home on Tuesday and participate in their courses virtuallythrough Google Classroom using their Chromebooks. 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. That's your idea of heroes? With multiple boil advisories in the recent past, Cedars says it's no secret the parish and others with outdated equipment and infrastructure like it have issues with the systems, especially in rural areas. Removing the spoil banks could help drainage throughout Lafayette by lowering water levels on the Vermilion by almost 8 inches in a 2- to 10-year storm, similar to the one in May 2014, and by a little over 2 inches in a storm similar to the August 2016 floods, according to a study by the University of Louisiana at Lafayettes Watershed Flood Center. Russel C. Foti district5@intmartinschools.org, District VI This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. document.write(year) You have permission to edit this article. 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. 1844-1852: Principal, Adelphian Academy, North Bridgewater, MA: 1854-1855: Teacher, Dunbarton Academy, Washington, DC: 1855-1859: Principal, Western Academy . We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. 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. 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." He says removing the spoil banks makes flooding much more likely for their residents. http://dss.louisiana.gov/page/109. 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. "Many residents and local business in our parish struggle to access reliable internet service," St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars said. He has been Departments Read More 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. 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. 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.. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. "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. It's not about whether the removal of the spoil banks will benefit Lafayette, as there is little to no argument there. 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. 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. You have to go out and re-bid it, says former Louisiana Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera. Theres a process to this, and the process was definitely not followed, resident Chad Boyer said. 1.2k. Delivered right as the newspaper goes to print on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device. "We believe that we need to proceed as quickly as possible to protect the citizens from being harmed. LCGs drainage program is itself unusually massive in scope and speed. (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. Jimmy "Coach" Durio This might be a risk-free endeavor for Lafayette Parish, but it is not a risk-free endeavor for St. Martin Parish, Cedars said. The Corps added it would determine whether a permit for this work was required or not. Parish President I am personally pleased that you have devoted time to view this website. Box 9 St. Martinville, LA 70582 (337) 394-2200 EMAIL . He makes it clear that hes always promoted the use of masks while indoors and touches on the subject of the lack of vaccinations among adults. In conclusion, I welcome all, and I look forward to sharing the very special and unique resources which St. Martin Parish has to offer. Records from LCG and Open Book reveal that Rigids invoices are typically paid within days, with one for $9.3 million for the Bayou Vermilion Flood Control project paid via wire transfer to Rigid on May 9, one working day after it was submitted. 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. 1059 Sonny Dr. St. Martinville, LA 70582 'I guess I should have,' he said to me.. St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars said, however, it will not help their region and called it an act of misconduct.. "We will review the allegations and respond accordingly," Logan wrote in a message to the Daily Advertiser. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. Jeremiah, I see that you failed to read the story. Email Davide Mamone at dmamone@theadvocate.com. Coupons are available only to seniors who reside in St. Martin Parish. On October 14, 2021, I met with Mayor-President Guillory and several members of his staff. Box 993 Your e-mail address will be used to confirm your account. Im pretty sure all of this was done with her permission or her approval.. 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. The investigation could force changes to the project to blunt its impact on the Black and low-income neighborhoods that will house it. [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. It is also my understanding that the USCOE recommended removing the spoil banks, back in 1994?, after the 1993 flood. District I Neither Rigids Fortier nor LCG Public Works Director Chad Nepveaux responded to requests for comment. "They didn't listen and unfortunately unless you take someone's money out of their pocket, they won't listen," Boudreaux says. He has also served as the Director of Planning and Zoning of St. Mary Parish. And experts agree there is good reason to question the scope, in large part because it increased the value of the original contract tenfold. Tel: 318.906.0582, District V It was a very short call, Cedars said. 775 West Bridge Street, Breaux Bridge, LA 70517 St Martin Parish Government Location 301 W Port St, Saint Martinville, Louisiana, 70582, United States Description Industry Government This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. St. Martin Parish residents who live near the area where the spoil bank once stood agree this may not benefit them. Cameron P. O. The losses could substantially burden both city and parish finances. 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. Create a password that only you will remember. St. Martin Parish School Board. Whether LCG devised the as-needed contract to slip the spoil banks project through unnoticed is unclear. 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. St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars listens to a discussion at Tuesday's parish council meeting. 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. 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. 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. Guillory, Nepveaux, Logan, and Fortier, in my view are all heros. Third, an investigation by the congressional delegation on what happened, in order, Cedars said, that we are not going to let it happen again.. 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. Cormier: "Starting in, I guess, 1990, the parish Police Jury had tried in three attempts to at least bring it to a study. And if LCG intended the arrangement to avoid bid law, thats a problem, experts say. Durand said the value of the individual properties was low, about $1,000 apiece. Contact her at (337) 207-4312 or [emailprotected]. P.O. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. LANDRY PARISH, La. 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. There was a problem saving your notification. St Martin parish, is the unreasonable neighbor here, not MP Guillory. 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. Both Homewood and the St. Martin spoil banks are part of the Bayou Vermilion Flood Control project, the centerpiece of a $106 million capital program to stop homes and businesses from flooding. The attorney general can pursue that violation. Guillory, says, however, a permit was not necessary. 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. Payment records show at least three other projects were billed to the as-needed contract, including excavation work for detention ponds on Coulee Ile Des Cannes. In our last feature, we exposed the fact that St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars barely let the ink get dry from him going on a 19-minute masterful performance to convince the St. Martin Parish Council (SMPC) to approve an ordinance to ban the importing of vegetative debris from other parishes into St. Martin Parish before he sued . Site Map; Accessibility; Facebook (opens in new window/tab) 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. Dwayne Fatherree is the community editor for The Daily Iberian. 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. As for the spoil banks, theyve stood by the merits of the project and accused St. Martin Parish of trying to obstruct it. "This is the most incredible, unprofessional thing that I think one governmental jurisdiction can do to the other. Three days later, on Feb. 21, before obtaining permits from either St. Martin Parish or the U.S. Apply for the Job in Project Coordinator at Saint Martinville, LA. 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. 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Your account has been registered, and you are now logged in. 625 Corporate Boulevard, Breaux Bridge, LA 70517 You cant sign a contract or pass an ordinance that allows you to ignore public bid law, says one former LCG official. Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. 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. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. About Us. Candidly, the government will impose nothing. Check out our map of Lafayette drainage projects here. LCGs drainage projects are already costing taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars in city-parish legal fees, plus millions in re-mobilization costs. 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 Over in Arnaudville, Paul Boudreaux shares his issues with United Water System, a service he's been a customer of since 2019 when he moved back home. 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. This document is available in PDF format. Both local and state officials have been in support of St. Martin Hospital and its expansion efforts since . St. Martin Parish Federal Programs & Technology Annex 625 Corporate Boulevard, Breaux Bridge, LA 70517 337.332.3388. I look forward to continuing our work with all of our neighbors, including St. Martin Parish, to combat flooding on a regional scale. 337.332.3388, St. Martin Parish Operations,Maintenance &Transportation Cedars spent most of his parish presidents report explaining exactly how the issues with access to Lake Martin came into being. ST. MARTIN PARISH, La. St. Martin Parish is a parish in Louisiana.The parish population is 51,767, according to the United States Census Bureau. Vital 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. (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. U.S. President; U.S. Lafayette City-Parish Attorney Greg Logan responded to the new lawsuit Thursday by saying he believes there are inconsistencies in St. Martin Parish's arguments and that LCG will make its response in due time. St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars says St. Martin Parish is no longer going to be one of them. "The perception is this is just talk [], it's not just talk," he tells KATC. According to Cedars, LCG had initiated a study for a potential project that entailed the removal of the spoil banks in April 2021. I asked. 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 LAFAYETTE, La. 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. "I want to give a full report to the council to the public at one time," he said. I wish to extend my sincere appreciation to the businesses who have chosen to invest in St. Martin Parish. and last updated 8:09 PM, Feb 27, 2023. dwayne.fatherree@daily-iberian.com. 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. Copyright 1997- 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. 1005 Judy Street 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?. Interim St. Martin Parish Chester Cedars won the president seat with 73 percent of the vote tonight. What are spoil banks? It was paid only $1.6 million in all of the previous fiscal year, according to online records. Lawsuit:Despite judges ruling, LCG uses identical quick take to seize land for detention pond. But the contract terms require Rigid to document and justify those overages. The wire transfer to Rigid came five days after LCG lost the Homewood ruling and is for work on that project. Cedars would not say exactly what St. Martin Parish's plan is to address LCG's removal of the spoil banks but did say that he plans to give a full report on the situation at the St. Martin Parish Council's next meeting on Tuesday, March 15. 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. ONLY10th&11th graders will report to their respective high schools on Tuesdayto take their required ACT exam. He also addressed rumors that some landowners might try to block Rookery Road around the lake. Census facilitator Tomika Scott gave council members a briefing on plans for the 2020 Census in St. Martin Parish and went into depth on the importance of getting an accurate count of the parishs population. 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. LCG did not turn over any construction plans for the project, saying it had no known documents responsive to our request for them. 337.332.2105, St. Martin Parish Federal Programs &Technology Annex We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. 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. 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. With multiple boil advisories in the recent past, Cedars says it's no secret the. The auditors office places the facts out there. Cedars is accusing Lafayette Consolidated Government of removing spoil banks along the. Wanda B. St. Martin Sheriff's Office 400 St. Martin Street, St. Martinville (337) 394-2532 Approved by: St. Martin Parish Government Planning & Zoning Coordinator License issued by: St. Martin Sheriff's Office Parish Zoning Ordinance Click below to access the Zoning Ordinance for St. Martin Parish in its entirety. That would mean the public would have a right to access the lake even with the typical shoreline under private ownership. Get it first. 1005 Big Apple Lane 0:36. 600 Corporate Boulevard / PO Box 1000,Breaux Bridge, LA 70517 Drainage:LCG took their land and razed it in a week. 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. 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. The Army Corps of Engineers did not require a permit for this, Guillory told News Ten. 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. Tel: 337.394.4436, District II St. Martin Parish. Rigids quote for the St. Martin work also tacked on $1.2 million for Barges/Temporary Barges, Cranes, and Rigging, $30,000 for patrol boats and $117,000 to have a mechanic on standby for the 24-hour job. Tel: 337.441.0229, District III 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. 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. 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. Very little of what Rigid charged on the spoil banks project is related to excavation. residents cited for shooting geese from moving, 30 Iberia Parish jail inmates baptized behind bars, Wanted Louisiana fugitive arrested by U.S. The contract was awarded for one year, with options to renew for two additional one-year terms. But I did get an email response Sunday night thanking me for the proposal and saying they hope to speak again soon.. Cedars eventually asked council members to adopt three measures. As the spoil banks are already gone, Cedars says theyre trying to fix this. 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. The property around the lake is privately owned.