Why? Delivered right as the newspaper goes to print on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Theyre speaking with regulatory agencies about imposing penalties on LCG if they find they did violate the law. It's whether the law was broken (and, I THINK we can all agree, millions more spent than necessary) in doing so. LCG did not turn over any construction plans for the project, saying it had no known documents responsive to our request for them. 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. 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. 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. LCG letter:Army Corps inspection finds no permit was needed for Lafayette spoil banks removal. St. Martin Parish Parish President. Edna M. Johnson Lafayette Parish residents deserve to know and understand this issue. dwayne.fatherree@daily-iberian.com. Cedars eventually asked council members to adopt three measures. 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. 120 East Refinery Street Waiting for a judge to be assigned to the suit, according to public records at last check on Friday. var today = new Date() 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 . According to state law, change orders within the scope of the contract can be negotiated in the publics best interest or let out for bid, but change orders outside of the scope of the contract that exceed the contract limit must be let for bid., The law also suggests that it is a best use of public funds to put out for bid change orders within the scope that are more than the contract limit. Individuals interested in applying for positions may stop by the agency during those times. He says removing the spoil banks makes flooding much more likely for their residents. Mike Clay 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. The investigation could force changes to the project to blunt its impact on the Black and low-income neighborhoods that will house it. Well, guess what? Morgan City Mayor; Vermilion Parish. Why didnt you tell me? St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars said he asked Guillory when the two spoke after the operation was completed. You could argue with some validity that it is state controlled to that point.. Third, an investigation by the congressional delegation on what happened, in order, Cedars said, that we are not going to let it happen again.. Our parish extends a very cordial invitation to visit us. The removal will allow the river to flow into the swamp during storms. 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. Vital "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. Their clandestine removal has led to a firestorm of accusations between Lafayette and St. Martin parishes. The auditors office places the facts out there. This document is available in PDF format. All 9th and 12th graders will remain home on Tuesday and participate in their courses virtuallythrough Google Classroom using their Chromebooks. Copyright 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. 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. 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. Login & subscribe to unlock. View the job description, responsibilities and qualifications for this position. 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.. Anytime we can be good neighbors and we can help out folks and help anybody in the region and defnitely not hurt anybody, were going to do that, Guillory said. St. Martin Council on Aging, Inc. accepts applications from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Nothing was given to us to review. Coupons are available only to seniors who reside in St. Martin Parish. 'Did you remove them?' 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. Why would you do that to neighbors when you don't have a permit?. This Tuesday (March 7th) is ACT Testing Day on our high school campuses. Tel: 337.394.4436, District II And experts agree there is good reason to question the scope, in large part because it increased the value of the original contract tenfold. 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. Not only could the millions spent digging ponds and removing spoil banks be money down the drain, but the city and/or parish could be on the hook for property owners legal fees and millions in penalties to restore lands to their original conditions. The only jurisdiction the parish has is through zoning, and the right to legislate the use of the land around the lake.. Interim St. Martin Parish Chester Cedars won the president seat with 73 percent of the vote tonight. The three measures were approved by all nine council members. Joyce Haynes is the president of the school . 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. St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars has promised to hold responsible Lafayette officials and anyone connected to the secretive spoil levee removal, which he fears may send more flood water . Second, a public investigation on the regulations allegedly violated during the removal, including those ruled by FEMA and the Environmental Protection Agency. The parish seat is Saint Martinville. STAFF PHOTO BY LESLIE WESTBROOK " Cedars said he asked. I did not get a formal response, Cedars said. DENHAM SPRINGS, La. 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. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. Box 9. To reach the newsroom or report a typo/correction, click HERE. Residents and parish leaders say theyre now also concerned over the legality of removing them. Cedars is accusing Lafayette Consolidated Government of removing spoil banks along the. Jimmy "Coach" Durio (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 wire transfer to Rigid came five days after LCG lost the Homewood ruling and is for work on that project. district5@intmartinschools.org, District VI He has been Departments Read More 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. 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 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. Cedars said LCG removed the spoil banks without the appropriate regulatory licenses or permits required by law. var year = today.getFullYear() 1005 Judy Street 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. "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. St. Martin Parish is a parish in Louisiana.The parish population is 51,767, according to the United States Census Bureau. The lake and lake bed are under control of the state through the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, Cedars said. Sign up for our free newsletter. On Friday, St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars levied the allegations against LCG. Why would you do that to your neighbors? 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 banks along the Vermilion River St. Martin leaders said happened without permission. Since then, nothing has been done. And if LCG intended the arrangement to avoid bid law, thats a problem, experts say. This is a great day for our region, Guillory added. Its parish seat is St. Martinville, and the largest city is Breaux Bridge. Thats our job, Cedars said. {0} important information hidden . 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. 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. St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars has vowed to sue everyone involved in the clandestine removal of spoil banks in his parish. . Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. 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! Those spoils banks were keeping areas in St. Martin Parish from flooding, parish leaders say. Follow Andrew Capps on Twitter or send an email to acapps@theadvertiser.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. What are spoil banks? 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. You can experience nature at its finest and tour the Parishs natural gifts such as Bayou Teche, Lake Martin, and the Atchafalaya Basin. Romero said that she saw the first equipment coming to St. Martinville in February, but she thought LCG had permission to do the work. (KLFY) St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars has signed new guidelines for COVID-19 for parish-owned and operated facilities, effective immediately. "We believe that we need to proceed as quickly as possible to protect the citizens from being harmed. Martin Parish line. 15th JDC Judge (Div. The $3.7 million project, now the subject of a barbed lawsuit with St. Martin Parish in federal court, was top secret and never competitively bid. . 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. 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. Logan confirmed that it was his idea for LCG to do more as-needed contracts, which arent that unusual in public works departments. 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. 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). Fax N/A. Photo by Travis Gauthier 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.
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