Several of the parish’s big issues were discussed at a Town Hall meeting in Buras on August 8. The meeting was led by parish president Billy Nungesser and Councilmembers Byron Marinovich, Jeff Edgecombe and Marla Cooper. Oil Spill Claims Belle Chasse Attorney Brandon Taylor briefed the Town Hall attendees on the new claims process for [...]
State Senator David R. Heitmeier, O.D., whose state senate district includes the Belle Chasse area, says that traffic and replacing the dilapidated Belle Chasse Bridge and Tunnel were the top complaints from Plaquemines Parish residents five years ago and continues to be number one today. “When I decided to run for public office, my advisers [...]
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Plaquemines Parish Government finalized the Project Partnership Agreement (PPA) for the New Orleans to Venice (NOV) Project. The NOV PPA was officially executed on June 22, with the state of Louisiana’s Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority Board for $1.457 million, enabling the Corps to move forward with modifications [...]
Next month, Relay For Life will be back in Plaquemines Parish for the first time in six years. The popular overnight relay event, sponsored by the American Cancer Society, will be held August 10 from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. at the Belle Chasse High School track and teams have already started to sign up. [...]
A resolution requesting a 3 percent cost of living increase for Parish Government’s Classified employees was hotly debated at the July 12 PPC meeting, but eventually the measure passed by a 6 – 2 vote. The opposition came from District 4 Councilman Stuart Guey and Councilchair Byron Marinovich, who felt that the Parish needed to [...]
“Something is happening here that’s not right— how was the work done without a contract?” asked bewildered Belle Chasse resident Arthur Henry. Henry and several other audience and Councilmembers were perplexed when it was revealed that the Stuart Consulting Group has already completed planning and zoning work for the parish but the ordinance up for [...]
The Federal Emergency Management Agency recently announced more than $5.5 million in consolidated funding to Plaquemines Parish for their proposed, post-Katrina government complex project. “In support of their recovery endeavors, Plaquemines Parish has been approved to use eligible FEMA funding from 11 storm-damaged donor facilities toward their new government complex project,” said FEMA’s Louisiana Recovery [...]
The RESTORE Act, part of a massive transportation bill, passed the U.S. House 373-52 and U.S. Senate 74-19 on June 29 which means that 80 percent of BP’s Clean Water Act violations will be dedicated to the Gulf Coast. The transportation bill, formally known as the Highway Conference Report, was supported by all members of [...]
As reported in previous articles, the current council’s problem with enforcing ordinances regulating borrow pit excavation and backfilling is nothing new and the problem most definitely pre-dates their tenure. The ordinances on the books, drafted by former councilmen, have been challenged in court for being unconstitutionality vague. Typically, legislation might be called unconstitutional for vagueness [...]
The Myrtle Grove Community got the answer they wanted at the June 14 PPC meeting. The council passed a resolution 7 – 1, directing Parish President Billy Nungesser to seek proposals for the Wilkinson Canal floodgate. For over a year, Myrtle Grove residents have been requesting a flood gate be constructed across the Wilkenson Canal [...]
