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. St. Martin Parish Government. 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. Cedars also mentions questions he frequently receives about the local government imposing crowd limitations or a potential lockdown. "We've got to do more to assist if we're gonna keep this structure in place, we've got to do more to assist those rural systems.". And if LCG intended the arrangement to avoid bid law, thats a problem, experts say. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. That's your idea of heroes? There was hesitation. Initially, he said, the landings were built using parish materials and using trusty work crews from the parish jail. " Cedars said he asked. [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. 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. It's not about whether the removal of the spoil banks will benefit Lafayette, as there is little to no argument there. Guillory has made clear hell do whatever it takes to push projects through faster. British Chemical Manufacturer to Build First U.S. Facility in Acadiana "Aquaspersions is delighted to be investing in Broussard and with the welcome we have received," Bewsher said. Logan confirmed that it was his idea for LCG to do more as-needed contracts, which arent that unusual in public works departments. ST. MARTIN PARISH, La. Vice President Lorem ipsum dolor consecteture adiciping. 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. What are spoil banks? residents cited for shooting geese from moving, 30 Iberia Parish jail inmates baptized behind bars, Wanted Louisiana fugitive arrested by U.S. Phone number 337 332 2105. 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. Login & subscribe to unlock. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Now, they might win it back. Morgan City Mayor; Vermilion Parish. 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. 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 St. Martin Parish Federal Programs & Technology Annex 625 Corporate Boulevard, Breaux Bridge, LA 70517 337.332.3388. 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. Lake Martin boat launch reopened, at least temporarily, because of new 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. district5@intmartinschools.org, District VI Lafayettes spoil banks project in St. Martin Parish avoided public bid law and netted a contractor millions. Many of these communities do not have the necessary funding to repair or maintain the water systems. Jeremiah, I see that you failed to read the story. Sign up for our free newsletter. As of Tuesday afternoon, Jamie Angelle, Guillorys spokesperson, did not respond to questions regarding the removal of the spoil banks and didnt provide any comment about the alleged phone call. 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. But I did get an email response Sunday night thanking me for the proposal and saying they hope to speak again soon.. St. Martin Parish President writes message to community about 'stark 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. ST. MARTINVILLE St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars said that efforts to negotiate a deal with landowners to allow public access to a. 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. The "surreptitious" move enraged St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars, and led the St. Martin Parish Council to unanimously back Cedars' request to sue LCG over the removal this week.. I trust that my fellow elected officials in St. Martin Parish want for their constituents the same thing that I want for mine, which is to do all we can to protect life and property. Romero said that she saw the first equipment coming to St. Martinville in February, but she thought LCG had permission to do the work. St. Martinville, LA 70582 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. ------------------------------------------------------------Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere. As the spoil banks are already gone, Cedars says theyre trying to fix this. This document is available in PDF format. About Us. Why would you do that to neighbors when you don't have a permit?. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. Why? Box 9 St. Martinville, LA 70582 (337) 394-2200 EMAIL . The landings are privately owned. All rights reserved. 775 West Bridge Street, Breaux Bridge, LA 70517 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. 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 "That doesn't preclude any other type of actions which may occur.". var year = today.getFullYear() LCGs drainage program is itself unusually massive in scope and speed. When you did not have a permit, Romero added. St Martin Parish Government is part of the Government industry, and located in Louisiana, United States. Departments - St. Mary Parish Government Lafayette Mayor President Josh Guillory says LCG removed the spoil banks to help flash flooding and drainage. four other contractors sent bids that ranged from $568,000 to $1.1 million. 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. And experts agree there is good reason to question the scope, in large part because it increased the value of the original contract tenfold. Over the summer, LCG requested a permit from the U.S. ONLY10th&11th graders will report to their respective high schools on Tuesdayto take their required ACT exam. 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. Candidly, the government will impose nothing. Lafayette-based Rigid Constructors has been paid handsomely for its role in the blitz of detention projects. 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. 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. Box 1280 Cameron, LA 70631 (337) 775-5718 EMAIL www.cameronpj.org. 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 property around the lake is privately owned. LCG letter:Army Corps inspection finds no permit was needed for Lafayette spoil banks removal. Whether the amended contract was awarded illegally hinges on if the work on the spoil banks falls within the scope of the original contract. 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. "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. Both local and state officials have been in support of St. Martin Hospital and its expansion efforts since . St. Martinville, LA 70582 . All rights reserved. Chester Cedars wins St. Martin Parish President seat St. Martin Parish president expecting appellate ruling on lawsuit soon View the job description, responsibilities and qualifications for this position. . "We need dirt, and the (U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) gave us a permit to build a levee on the other side.". Broussard's attorney accuses St. Martin Parish Government & President "Let me just say this, St. Martin Parish is not gonna sit on their ass and allow this to go unremediated.". St. Martin P. O. It's uncalled for and unwarranted," Cedars said Thursday. 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. 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. St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars has vowed to sue everyone involved in the clandestine removal of spoil banks in his parish. Levee removal sparks border war between Lafayette and St. Martin parishes St. Martin Parish President has posted updates about the expected impacts for the parish from Hurricane Ida. 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. Follow Andrew Capps on Twitter or send an email to acapps@theadvertiser.com. 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. "I want to give a full report to the council to the public at one time," he said. The only jurisdiction the parish has is through zoning, and the right to legislate the use of the land around the lake.. 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. He says removing the spoil banks makes flooding much more likely for their residents. 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. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. 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. St. Martin Parish Parish President. var year = today.getFullYear() Theyre speaking with regulatory agencies about imposing penalties on LCG if they find they did violate the law. 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. STAFF PHOTO BY LESLIE WESTBROOK A no-trespassing sign is displayed near a blocked off area of the parking lot near the boat launch at Lake Martin Monday, November 23, 2020, in St. Martin Parish. He has also served as the Director of Planning and Zoning of St. Mary Parish. 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. The auditors office places the facts out there. Neither Rigids Fortier nor LCG Public Works Director Chad Nepveaux responded to requests for comment. 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). The high water mark is at Rookery Road, where the levee used to be, Cedars said. Redditt, who was first hired by the St. Contact information. This Tuesday (March 7th) is ACT Testing Day on our high school campuses. St. Martin Parish president expecting appellate ruling on lawsuit soon, Parish suing business owner on Lake Martin over blocking access for public, DWAYNE FATHERREE 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. 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. Box 993 St. Martin Parish wants Lafayette's spoil banks lawsuit thrown out for St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars says St. Martin Parish is no longer going to be one of them. The attorney general can pursue that violation.

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