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February 3, 2015The Lafourche Parish Council will ask District Attorney Cam Morvant to render an opinion if the parish’s Department of Public Works can stockpile Road Sales Tax District 2 materials outside of the district and if those materials can be used outside of the district.
During the Department of Public Works’ road projects, roads are often chewed up in a process called milling. The resulting material, known as recycled material or recycled blacktop, can be used as gravelly material for various public projects, placed beside pump stations, roads, boat launches and many other uses.
Following recent projects in Road Sales Tax District 2 – a district encompassing District 9, District 8 and the southern portion of District 7 – some of the material was brought to Maintenance Barn Region C in Lockport. Although it services portions of both sales tax districts, it is physically located in Road Sales Tax District A, outside the boundaries of Road Sales Tax District 2.
According to Department of Public Works Director Don Edwards, most of the material recently milled in Road Sales Tax District 2 stayed within the district, however some of it was taken to Lockport. District 9 Councilman Daniel Lorraine presented the resolution to the council last Tuesday in hopes that all of the material milled from Road Sales Tax District 2 not only stays within the district, but, more importantly, is used within the district – expressing a lack of comfortability that it would be returned.
“It’s just not right, and it’s not fair, and it’s wrong,” said Lorraine, asserting that the material would be used outside of Road Sales Tax District 2.
Edwards said it is not the intention of the Department of Public Works to use the material anywhere other than Road Sales Tax District 2. He said there have been times when material has been taken from one district for the other, however he said the more often scenario has been materials moving from Road Sales Tax District A to Road Sales Tax District 2 than visa versa.
“If the board is instructed not to use it anywhere else, it won’t be used anywhere else,” District 7 Councilman L. Phillip Gouaux said.
The ordinance to request Morvant’s opinion passed by a 6-3 vote with District 3 Councilman Aaron Caillouet, District 6 Councilman Lindel Toups and Gouaux voting in opposition of it.
Despite stating he isn’t taking sides, Caillouet opposed the ordinance because he feels it should be worked out by the parties involved and not the District Attorney.
“The district council members and the administration aught to be able to solve this problem without us wasting the time of the District Attorney,” Caillouet said.
The council also passed an amendment to the resolution by an 8-1 vote, with only Toups voting against it, to make Morvant aware that the Maintenance Barn Region C does in fact serve a portion of Road Sales Tax District 2 despite it being physically located in Road Sales Tax District A.
