Officials to U.S. Corps: Use sediment for coastal restoration
October 18, 2006Opening this Friday, Oct. 27
October 22, 2006The City of Franklin will have to wait to improve several pump stations following last week’s St. Mary Parish Council meeting.
The council postponed a vote on over $1.3 million in requests from Franklin Mary Raymond Harris.
The monies would have funded drainage and pump improvements at the city’s South Willow Storm Water Pump Station, its Booster Pump Station on North West Blvd, and its Hanson/Perret Street drainage project. Problems with all three areas caused major flooding in the area in the wake of Hurricane Rita.
The St. Mary Parish Council did, however, award a $500 bid to construct a parking lot at the Atchafalaya Golf Course at Idlewild, in Patterson, to Byron E. Talbot Contractors in Thibodaux.
The council also agreed to allocate $3,000 to the City of Franklin to renovate offices for the Third Ward City Court Marshall; $2,500 each to the Franklin and Baldwin Volunteer Fire departments.
In addition to the City of Franklin’s request, also on hold are the following requests:
• $116,000 by the City of Morgan City for paving under the bridge from First to Second streets.
• $375,000 by the Town of Berwick for capital improvements that include $225,000 to acquire and improve 10 acres of land around the town’s Civic Center for recreational use; $50,000 for replacement of a sewer manhole on La. 182 near the Wards 5 and 8 lift station; and $100,000 to rebuild the sewer lift station near the Civic Center.
• $400,000 by the Town of Baldwin toward community center construction. Mayor Wayne Breaux said the town has committed $300,000 toward the $1.4 million project and been awarded an $800,000 grant.
• $350,000 by the Town of Patterson toward a $900,000 water plant upgrade.
In another matter, the director of the St. Mary Parish Center of Hope in Centerville pleaded with council to facilitate their architectural plans to build a new building, since their facilities are over 30 years old.
Bonnie Peltier, director of Center of Hope, a learning center for those with disabilities, said a proposal for a new building from Architect Carl Blum, which calls for $1 million in its plans, has been the problem.
Peltier said she does not need that much space, and presented a scaled down version to Blum, which has been ignored.
Once more, the application has to be filed by Nov. 1 in order to meet state grant deadlines to qualify for capital outlay funds.
The council suggested Peltier seek architectural approval from the parish’s other architect, Jim Firmin, should Blum not meet her needs.
In other matters, former St. Mary Parish President Albert Foulcard took the oath of office as the Parish Councilman At-large for District 9. Foulcard will serve one year only, the unexpired term of Parish President Paul Naquin, whom voters elected in April.
St Mary voters parish sent the political veteran back to work Sept. 30, with 52 percent or 4,290 votes.
Foulcard beat businessman Russel Boykin, who captured 48 percent or 3,914 votes.
Boykin is operations manager for Mark Tool & Rubber Company in Centerville.
Foulcard was parish president of St. Mary Parish for five months between 2005 and 2006.
He was appointed by the parish council in late 2005 to replace Parish President Bill Cefalu, who began working for the City of Morgan City.
Foulcard is the first African-American to hold the job of St. Mary Parish President. However, he has been serving in public office locally since 1974.
“I wanted to complete this term, simply because of all of the things we have going on n the new casino, activities at the port n the council needs someone with experience, and I am that person,” Foulcard said.
Howard Castay can be reached at (985) 876-3008 or howard@tri-parishtimes.com.
