T’bonne street fixes on hold; contractor under review

Concerns over a proposed contractor’s business dealings in Jefferson Parish are delaying repairs to Terrebonne Parish streets.

The Terrebonne Parish Council is waiting for the parish administration to give the green light to Kass Brothers Inc. of Westwego before it awards the company a $1.298 million base bid to make repairs to the parish’s streets. The budget for the project is $2 million.

Parish Councilman Clayton Voisin prompted the move during the council’s Budget and Finance Committee meeting last week, after referring to an article in the New Orleans Times-Picayune, which listed Kass as doing business with Lagniappe Industries, the insurance brokerage firm owned by former Jefferson Parish chief administrative officer Tim Whitmer.

According to a story written on nola.com, the Times-Picayune’s Web site, Whitmer resigned from his job in November after federal investigators began subpoenaing records of his insurance work with government agencies.

The article, written Dec. 18, 2009, lists Kass as one of six contractors that recently conducted business with Lagniappe Industries, Whitmer’s company.

The article also states that Whitmer received $1,890 in commissions for a health insurance deal with Kass Brothers of Harvey.

According to nola.com, Kass has a 2-year Jefferson Parish contract worth as much as $6 million to repair concrete streets and two contracts, worth about $1.5 million each, to prepare a site near Lafitte for Parc des Familles and to repair sidewalk and driveway aprons. The contracts were competitively bid, with Kass being the low bidder, parish records show.

Furthermore, the Times-Picayune article identifies Kass president – Jean Kass Connick – as the sister-in-law of Jefferson Parish District Attorney Paul Connick Jr. It quotes Kass Connick as saying that she did not know her health insurance was with the Lagniappe group.

“I’m not saying anything bad about this company,” Voisin said. “But we’ve never done business with them before. In light of them being mentioned in the news, I would like to ask the administration to find out what Kass’ involvement is over there, maybe even whether or not they’re being removed from jobs. Until then, I am not going to support this.”

Council Chairman Arlanda Williams agreed. “I think we need to take measures to make sure that we’re protecting everyone that is involved with this contract. That way we’re not going to put anyone in jeopardy,” she said.

Upon voting to delay the project a couple of weeks so that the administration can research Kass’ involvement in Jefferson Parish projects, Parish President Michel Claudet told the council, “I can assure you that we are certainly not going to proceed with this company having any wrongdoing.”

However, Councilman Johnny Pizzolatto raised other concerns about the road project, namely, how did an out-of town company, especially one in Westwego, won the bid for the project.

“We’ve always had local people,” Pizzolatto said. “My question is [to Kass], ‘Are you going to charge me when you leave Westwego or when you hit Terrebonne Parish?’ Is that why there bid was so low, because this extra stuff is going to be added on top?”

Public Works Director Al Levron said Kass’ low bid was received after the job spec was posted on the parish’s Web site. “Since we are now required to post electronic bid requests [online], the competition for projects has increased,” he said.

When questioned about the company’s local presence, Levron said a Kass employee, a Thibodaux resident, was expected to be named project foreman.

Other companies who bid on the project were Byron E. Talbot of Thibodaux, which bid $1.389 million; The Three C’s Properties of Robert, La., which bid $1.443 million; and LA Contracting Enterprise of Thibodaux, which bid $1.497 million.