LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / May 17, 2000

HAHNVILLE – A construction contractor chewed out the St. Charles ParishCouncil Monday, alleging the parish “cheated” him out of thousands of dollars and threatening to sue.

Charles Bartlett of Bartlett Construction “congratulated” the council on successfully cheating him out of money for the sewer skips program and the Cousins Canal pump station.

He said the parish’s engineering firm had recommended payment, but then- public works director Richard Wright held up payment and charged him with having to pay liquidated damages for late completion.

Bartlett complained that the delays on the sewer skips were the parish’s fault, not his, as he did not have the necessary rights-of-way in hand before he could go to work. Delays on the Cousins project were because of powerline relocations and other delays outside his control.

Parish attorney Bobby Raymond offered to settle, and Bartlett said he had to accept the offer or sue at a higher personal cost.

“It will come back to haunt you,” Bartlett pledged. “I don’t understand whyyou people want to hold my feet to the fire for something that was beyond my control.”At a council committee meeting on April 24 Bartlett said he is owed approximately $55,500 for the two projects – $24,000 for the Cousins pump station and $31,500 on the sewer skips program.

He said he did plan to sue regarding the sewer skips loss to his firm.

In another matter, St. Charles Parish Hospital won the right to furtherextend its line of credit to make it through this fiscal year.

Hospital administrator Fred Martinez explained to the parish council that the $2 million borrowing already incurred this fiscal year must be supplemented by an additional $500,000 to meet necessary expenses.

Martinez presented a review of week-by-week income averages for the Luling facility and said he anticipates revenue for the remainder of the fiscal year, including $3.5 million in Medicare payments in October and a $1.6 million bumpin tax receipts in January. A monthly tax check is also received from thesheriff’s office.

The hospital, minus the Medicare and tax income, averages $235,000 income each month.

Bond attorney Jerry Osborne added the approval of the credit extension would have no impact on the parish’s credit line. The matter was approvedunanimously.

The parish council also approved rezoning property on Louisiana Highway 3127 from open land to M-2 heavy industrial so that developer Ray Coleman can build a wholesale electrical generator plant next to the site of the new parish correctional center at Killona.

Coleman explained to the parish council that he is developing an industrial park next to Killona on the former Mary Plantation site. At the rear of theindustrial park Coleman is teaming with Enron North America Corp. ofHouston to build a $150 million power plant, which will sell electricity wholesale to Entergy and other industrial and commercial customers.

One effect of the plant will be to stabilize Waterford 3’s power grid, lessening the chance for blackouts and downtime on local power supply, Coleman explained.

The plant would generate up to 200 construction jobs and up to 10 permanent jobs and it is expected to be on line by June 2001.

Established as a manufacturer, it would qualify for the state industrial tax exemption and not go on the ad valorem tax rolls for 10 years.

The matter was unanimously approved.

Also, representatives of the U.S. Postal Service announced plans to build anew post office in St. Rose. They are seeking a 1.5-acre site for the facility.The council also approved spending up to $45,000 for hull restoration of the two cypress luggers, the “Denver” and the “Champion,” donated as historical artifacts to the parish by the Matherne family.

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