Parish lawyers still reviewing pair of Davezac contracts

The St. Charles Parish legal department is still reviewing two contracts with a Destrehan-based firm that has reported ties to the recent bribery case of former St. John Parish President Bill Hubbard.

According to parish spokeswoman Renee Simpson, there is no timetable for when a decision on the contracts will be made.
Hubbard pled guilty in federal court to charges of conspiracy to give and solicit bribes involving three companies. One of the companies is reported to be Destrehan-based Davezac Consulting Engineers, which is owned by Ray Davezac. They were hired by St. Charles Parish in 2007 to perform engineering on the Cousins Pump Station bar screen cleaners at a cost of $360,000. Another Davezac company, Plan Review and Inspection LLC, reviews plans and performs inspections for the parish to ensure compliance with the Louisiana State Uniform Construction Code.

After Hurricane Katrina, the legislature mandated that homes built after Dec. 31, 2006 comply with building codes. The move was designed to encourage insurance companies to continue writing policies in the state in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The requirements are a burden on many of the state’s rural and suburban parishes, which did not require inspections.