Advanesser Adams
January 5, 2010Drake Touchet
January 7, 2010In an effort to increase efficiency and support local business, the South Central Industrial Association will hold a meeting with local contractors to promote bidding on Terrebonne Parish Levee and Conservation District projects.
The meeting, which was approved by the levee district on Monday, will be held some time after the Mardi Gras season. The meeting is similar to those held by the Army Corps of Engineers to promote their projects.
The levee district has also agreed to break section J-2 of the interim Morganza-to-the-Gulf hurricane protection system into smaller parts, which could help smaller companies compete for the projects.
“It’s two-fold. It’s to keep [SCIA] membership detailed as far as when things are coming out, because everybody is worried about protection for their businesses, as well as make the opportunity available to the fabrication yards to bid on the barges and the structures, as well any companies who, for whatever reason, might not be aware that the levee sections are going out to bid,” said Tony Alford, president of the Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District and vice president of SCIA.
Opening up the bidding process can also lead to lower prices, according to Terrebonne Parish Levee and Conservation District General Manager Reggie Dupre.
Keeping local businesses informed of levee district projects might also help to keep tax dollars in local business, although Alford cautioned that as a public bidding process, the lowest bid would have to be accepted.
“We do business locally with the engineering firms and we’d like to do the same with this if at all possible,” said Alford. “It will at least give them the chance to be able to bid.”
Dupre was also given permission by the levee board to enter into an agreement with Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries that will allow reach J-2 to go in to the permitting stage. If all goes as planned, that section could see dirt turning by April of this year.
