The St. Charles Parish Council approved contracts for nearly $9 million in projects despite Parish President-elect Matt Jewell’s request to table them for review by his administration and incoming council members.
“This has been in the works quite awhile,” Councilman Billy Woodruff said of the parish’s proposed $2 million Splash Park for the West Bank. “This is our baby. We started this project and I want to see it through.”
Woodruff, along with fellow Counciman Terrell Wilson and Parish President Larry Cochran, agreed.
“Take ownership of it,” Cochran told the council. “Just move forward. The money is there. I’d like to see ya’ll move forward.”
Councilwoman Wendy Benedetto added, no disrespect intended, but she wanted to move on the project, too.
The council voted 8 to 1 with Councilman Paul Hogan opposing the move, maintaining this should be decided by the next administration.
Jewell will take the oath of office on Jan. 12.
But the council approved agreements to hire architect Joey Murray of Murray Architects of Destrehan for the Splash Park and for a $7 million East Bank Park expansion that required an amendment to clear way for the move.
For the splash park, some $500,000 in funding has been secured with the 29th Judicial District Fund. The parish will pay another $1.46 million for a baseball quad, restrooms and parking.
Jewell said it wasn’t the outcome he hoped for at Monday’s council’s meeting.
“This seemed like a very rushed process to be done at the last meeting of a term when the administration had four years to get these projects going,” he said. “We will look at these two projects.”
Council Chair Julia Fisher-Perrier said, although she voted to hold projects from former Parish President V.J. St. Pierre’s administration, that Cochran’s administration was more hands-on for the council “so I’m glad to see this move forward.”
On the park expansion, parish Finance Director Grant Dussom and parish Attorney Robert Raymond conferred on spending 2020 funds on the project. They recommended and got council approval for an amendment stating work would not begin until Jan. 1, 2020 to allow the move.
The proposed expansion project will include a gym, restroom, concessions, two baseball fields and parking.
Councilman Dick Gibbs also said he’d like to proceed with the project and asked for council support.
Cochran said it was a process to move the baseball fields forward.
“It’s time to move something forward in recreation,” he said.
Hogan said they should table the project for the next administration rather than pass the amendment.
With Fisher-Perrier absent, the council approved 7 to 1 on the park expansion agreement with Murray.
Be the first to comment