Parish officials respond to angry residents’ complaints
When the swimming club meet traffic clogged the last road into a section of Mimosa Park Subdivision last Wednesday, residents went ballistic and furiously approached St. Charles Parish government officials for a solution to their perfect traffic storm problem.
Their anger focused on a Kenner contractor, Fleming Construction Co., that they felt was taking too long to install a larger culvert on Monsanto Avenue, which had been underway since early April.
Fleming Construction did not respond to requests for comment by press time.
The swim meet traffic jam apparently ignited an anger that had been simmering in the neighborhood for months.
“There is no way a fire truck or ambulance can get in our neighborhood at certain times,” resident Brad Friloux wrote in a letter to residents of Monsanto Avenue, Kellogg Drive and River Oaks Drive. “The problem is the bridge being repaired on Monsanto. The problem is they are not doing anything most any day of the week. The problem is bad planning by Fleming Construction Co.”
Friloux circulated the letter outlining these concerns, including a contact list of local officials with the request: “Call! Call! Call! Everyday that no work is done we need to call. Sooner or later, they will get tired of hearing from us.”
The phones rang.
The parish got the message.
One of those officials listed was Councilwoman Julia Fisher-Perrier, whose district includes the Luling area of which she also resides, and she started knocking on doors to talk to residents about the problem.
“This is the most I’ve heard from anyone in three years,” said Fisher-Perrier of her three years in office. “This is the most feedback I’ve gotten on one topic. It also says a lot about the contractor.”
Fisher-Perrier, who lives near the project site, also questioned the amount of time the contractor dedicated to the work site.
The next day, Fisher-Perrier, accompanied by parish officials Parish President V.J. St. Pierre and Chief Administrative Officer Buddy Boe, went to the area to assess the problem and discuss options.
“I appreciate the parish president actually coming out to my district Thursday,” she said. “He stood on the street and saw with his own eyes the urgency of it, and I think that’s a big step.”
By Tuesday, Sam Scholle, director of the parish’s public works department, conceded the inconvenience was a hassle and that Fleming Construction had doubled work crews on the project. Inclement weather had stalled work.
“We weren’t happy about it either,” Scholle said of work delays and inconvenience to residents. “We’re pressuring him to double his crews and he has agreed to do that.”
The contractor won the bid to install five larger culverts or crossings in the area in anticipation of West Bank levee construction. The culverts are intended to increase the flow of water to the pump station before starting levee construction.
But Scholle also explained state law prohibits the parish from telling the contractor how to staff or how to do the job as long as bid specifications and deadlines are met.
He also said the inconvenience will not go away there.“These culverts protect 1,100 homes, 64 businesses and four school or church facilities,” Scholle said. “You have to make the choice to protect and, yes, it does inconvenience people, but we’re also trying to build a levee system.”
Although the response is welcomed, Sharon Trosclair, resident of Kellogg Avenue, said it shouldn’t have taken the neighborhood getting in an uproar to get attention.
“It’s just typical that we have to stay on top of the parish,” Trosclair said. “Someone in the parish office is responsible for these contracts and should be sure these people are doing the job.”
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