LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / March 19, 2000

LAPLACE – The newest slate of officers was selected Wednesday by the South Louisiana Port Commission, and a barge facility near LaPlace will be expanding and adding jobs.

Commission president is Louis Joseph of St. John Parish. Joey Murray of St.Charles Parish is executive vice-president, treasurer is Jay Roberts of St.

Charles Parish and Lawrence Jackson of St. James Parish is secretary.In addition, the newest commissioner, Bill Hubbard of St. John Parish, wassworn in and elected assistant secretary.

Hubbard, of Hubbard Enterprises Inc. of Kenner, was appointed by Gov.Foster after the St. John Parish Council failed to approve on time Hubbard’snomination by Parish President Nickie Monica.

In another matter, CGB Marine of LaPlace received the port’s blessing on $7.5 million in tax-exempt revenue bonds for expansion of its barge cleaningand repair facility, located just upriver from Bayou Steel near LaPlace.

Mark Aylor of CGB Marine said the expansion will allow the company to lift up to 10 barges at a time out of the water for cleaning and repair. Aylor saidthere will be eight to 10 new permanent jobs with the expansion, increasing in time to 40 new jobs.

Roberts also discussed the waterline relocation contract with Bruce Carmichael of River Consulting Engineers Inc.

“Sixty days ago, when I first took office, it was an emergency because they were holding up another contract,” he said. “Is it no longer an emergency?”Executive Director Joseph Accardo explained the contractor for the waterline relocation, D&O Contractors, had not yet signed the contract for the job.

In other action, the port commission approved the 2000-2001 annual budget and selected an auditing firm for the annual audit.

Accardo, in his report to the commission, said the remediation of the Globalplex wastewater pond is now 20 percent complete. The commissionheld a 40-minute executive session to discuss pending class-action litigation regarding that pond.

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