120 East Refinery Street 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. Residents and parish leaders say theyre now also concerned over the legality of removing them. The contract was awarded for one year, with options to renew for two additional one-year terms. "That doesn't preclude any other type of actions which may occur.". LCG removed about 1,200 feet of the dirt levees without St. Martin Parish's knowledge in a bid to reduce flooding in Lafayette. Chester Cedars has been working as a Parish President at St Martin Parish Government for 21 years. TOLL-FREE,24 HOURS A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK Why would you do that to neighbors when you don't have a permit?. 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." Contact her at (337) 207-4312 or [emailprotected]. LAFAYETTE, La. P. O. 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. Senator (Class II) U.S. Representative (District 3) 15TH JDC District ATTORNEY; 15th JDC Judge (Div. 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. I look forward to continuing our work with all of our neighbors, including St. Martin Parish, to combat flooding on a regional scale. First, to authorize Cedars to "pursue litigation against every single person, farm and entity that may be complicit in the removal of the banks," including LCG officials. Very little of what Rigid charged on the spoil banks project is related to excavation. 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. 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. But I did get an email response Sunday night thanking me for the proposal and saying they hope to speak again soon.. The parish has no jurisdiction. Im not frustrated as much as Im appalled, Cedars said. "Aquaspersions is delighted to be investing in Broussard and with the welcome we have received," Bewsher said. ONLY10th&11th graders will report to their respective high schools on Tuesdayto take their required ACT exam. (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 ( French: Paroisse de Saint-Martin) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana, founded in 1811. 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. Rather, our communitys own behavior will account for any sort of lockdown,' wrote Cedars. To reach the newsroom or report a typo/correction, click HERE. (AP) An off-duty St. Gabriel, Louisiana, police officer was arrested Thursday for the alleged murder of a 26-year-old man, authorities say. Create a password that only you will remember. Cedars also mentions questions he frequently receives about the local government imposing crowd limitations or a potential lockdown. (KLFY) St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars has signed new guidelines for COVID-19 for parish-owned and operated facilities, effective immediately. 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. Neither Rigids Fortier nor LCG Public Works Director Chad Nepveaux responded to requests for comment. St. Martin Parish President has posted updates about the expected impacts for the parish from Hurricane Ida. Whether LCG devised the as-needed contract to slip the spoil banks project through unnoticed is unclear. Negotiations stall for public access to Lake Martin boat landing, St. Martin council to seek Supreme Court review of Lake Martin lawsuit, Acadiana Regional Airport fuels up F-18's, Homicide suspect wanted after car crashes with person dead inside, Winning back-to-back Opens starts with OBriens bass-zilla, Big man, big moment: Randall-Bashay's bucket seals win for Yellow Jackets, Jordan brings experience, discipline to Athletic Director role, Louviere finds a slow approach key to nailing big bass for big W, New Iberia police searching for felon in Friday shooting incident, BERRY TALES: Stein's means another 'good-bye'. Check out our map of Lafayette drainage projects here. St. Martin Parish Federal Programs & Technology Annex 625 Corporate Boulevard, Breaux Bridge, LA 70517 337.332.3388. 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 Island Swamp spoil banks. Sign up for our free newsletter. "Not . 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. Guillory, says, however, a permit was not necessary. St. Martin Parish Federal Programs &Technology Annex, St. Martin Parish Operations,Maintenance &Transportation. According to Cedars, LCG had initiated a study for a potential project that entailed the removal of the spoil banks in April 2021. He says removing the spoil banks makes flooding much more likely for their residents. The district attorney can pursue that violation. Breaux Bridge, LA 70517 All 9th and 12th graders will remain home on Tuesday and participate in their courses virtuallythrough Google Classroom using their Chromebooks. 15th JDC Judge (Div. Corps of Engineers to remove the spoil banks along the Vermilion River in St. Martinville, but that request was ultimately withdrawn, according to Cedars. "We will review the allegations and respond accordingly," Logan wrote in a message to the Daily Advertiser. 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. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. 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. Lawsuit:Despite judges ruling, LCG uses identical quick take to seize land for detention pond. 2023 www.theadvertiser.com. The high water mark is at Rookery Road, where the levee used to be, Cedars said. Waiting for a judge to be assigned to the suit, according to public records at last check on Friday. Wanda B. "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. 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. 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?. 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. Of course, I fully recognize that my remarks will ignite a flurry of criticism and comments. Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Third, an investigation by the congressional delegation on what happened, in order, Cedars said, that we are not going to let it happen again.. Why would you do that? That would mean the public would have a right to access the lake even with the typical shoreline under private ownership. 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.. 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. Over the last 25+ years various government agencies have spent many hundreds of millions of dollars on flooded homes, many of which could have been avoided by simply restoring the spoil banks to its original level, along with spot dredging and maintaining the required natural depth of the river. Im not frustrated as much as Im disappointed. There was hesitation. 2023 St. Martin Parish Government. 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 . Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way. Candidly, the government will impose nothing. 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. Contact information. Phone number 337 332 2105. 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. 1059 Sonny Dr. 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. That's your idea of heroes? But even against that backdrop, the spoil banks project stands out. LWDB #40 is one of 15 local workforce development boards in the State of Louisiana and services . 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. This parish is not afraid to fight in the courts to protect the publics rights.. 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. Whether the amended contract was awarded illegally hinges on if the work on the spoil banks falls within the scope of the original contract. As for the spoil banks, theyve stood by the merits of the project and accused St. Martin Parish of trying to obstruct it. The Daily Iberian 124 E Main St, New Iberia, LA 70560 | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | The DAILY IBERIAN & ACADIANA LIFESTYLE are owned by Wick Communications. Cedars said he continued with a second question: 'Why didnt you tell me?' "Let me just say this, St. Martin Parish is not gonna sit on their ass and allow this to go unremediated.". Thats our job, Cedars said. Cedars said it is the parishs stance that it has rights to the road because it has maintained it for decades. So it sounds to me like theyre in violation of the bid law.. He also said that there could be a legal argument made that the states area of control extends to the lakes high water mark which could be construed as Rookery Road. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. Nobody is going to block Rookery Road without a visit to the courthouse, Cedars said. On Friday, St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars levied the allegations against LCG. Make a Donation . 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. St. Martin Parish Parish President. St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars says St. Martin Parish is no longer going to be one of them. There are about two dozen of these properties, and they are causing an expense to the city because they have to keep them up.. Nothing was given to us to review. 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. You cant sign a contract or pass an ordinance that allows you to ignore public bid law, says one former LCG official. Bid law trumps.. A combination of state dollars and ARPA funds, Cedars says even with the funding, it will take two to three months to get these consolidation efforts off the ground for three water systems in the parish so far: One in Catahoula, one in St. Martinville, and the St. Martin Parish water system. When you did not have a permit, Romero added. P.O. "They didn't listen and unfortunately unless you take someone's money out of their pocket, they won't listen," Boudreaux says. 301 West Port Street. 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. 1005 Big Apple Lane 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. Since then, nothing has been done. He says it will benefit the entire region. Tel: 337.441.0229, District III Lafayette Parish residents deserve to know and understand this issue. St. Martin Council on Aging, Inc. accepts applications from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. 337.332.3388, St. Martin Parish Operations,Maintenance &Transportation district5@intmartinschools.org, District VI (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 . 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. "With so much of our daily life revolving around internet connectivity, we are making fiber infrastructure modernization a priority for our parish. "Many residents and local business in our parish struggle to access reliable internet service," St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars said. Wick Communications. Created in 1811, St. Mary Parish was originally part of the Attakapas District and St. Martin Parish. var today = new Date() I do not need Lafayette Parish Government telling St. Martin Parish whats best for us. It has also been corrected to reflect additional reporting confirming that LCG purchased land for the project from two property owners, intentionally leaving a third landowner out of the transaction. The St. Martin Parish Council is the legislative and policy making body of the Parish. It's not about whether the removal of the spoil banks will benefit Lafayette, as there is little to no argument there. 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. The same cant be said for us, said Yvonne Romero, a St. Martin Parish resident who attended the meeting. Individuals interested in applying for positions may stop by the agency during those times. St. Martinville, LA 70582 St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars says St. Martin Parish is no longer going to be one of them. 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. 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. 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. Breaux Bridge, LA 70517 [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. 337-909-2990, REPORT CHILD ABUSE: 1-855-4LA-KIDS (1-855-452-5437) 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. 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. This is a great day for our region, Guillory added. His response was, 'Yes I did,' Cedars said. 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. The auditors office places the facts out there. Follow Andrew Capps on Twitter or send an email to acapps@theadvertiser.com. Im just so happy were able to help both Lafayette Parish and St. Martin Parish, Guillory added. 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. But the contract terms require Rigid to document and justify those overages. 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. 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. St. Martin Parish President Chester Cedars said the parish is expecting an appeal courts ruling on a lawsuit regarding the zoning enforcement in the Lake Martin area. Tel: 337.342.2993 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. "I want to give a full report to the council to the public at one time," he said. You had a 12 feet levee, and youre reducing it to 6 feet. And its connected to all three stormwater projects mired in lawsuits. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. Cedars accused the parish government of removing spoil banks along the Vermilion River in St.. 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. . D) With multiple boil advisories in the recent past, Cedars says it's no secret the. 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. You have permission to edit this article. (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. It is my understanding that the overflow of the Vermilion R to Cypress Island swamp is the natural flow of flooding relief. 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. "When they were telling me about the project, I said, 'Wait a minute! Its not all that appears on its face.. {0} important information hidden . 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. 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.

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