LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / July 29, 2000

LAPLACE – The three major contracts approved by the South Louisiana Port Commission July 12 did meet state guidelines for professional services contracts, according to documents released by the Port.

Conestago Rovers and Associates was selected from nine applicants to engineer the remaining demolition of the old Godchaux-Henderson Sugar Refinery buildings at Globalplex in Reserve. Gulf South Engineers wasapproved to conduct the Globalplex master drainage plan, recommended out of a field of 15 applicants. Sizeler Architects was selected to conduct aspace-needs survey toward a new headquarters office building for the port, recommended out of a total of 13 architectural firms.

St. Charles Commissioner Jay Roberts opposed approval because he saidthe contracts did not spell out exactly how much would be spent.

While the contracts do meet the state guidelines, Roberts insists the selection was “poor planning,” as the fees should have been ironed out prior to a commission vote.

Executive Director Joseph Accardo said this week he already had a “general idea” as to costs for each contract, and though state guidelines required advertising Requests for Proposals on each if the estimated amount was $100,000 or more, only one met that requirement. He insisted,though, on advertising all three contracts like that out of fairness.

Each contract contains language which states the fees are worked out according to established standards.

The fee of the Gulf South contract for engineering work on the Globalplex master drainage plan came in Thursday, after negotiations, at $57,000.

This is well below the minimum $100,000 state requirement.

The work was suggested by port consulting engineers River Consulting after that firm performed a similar study for the planned laydown yard at Globalplex.

Accardo informed commissioners of the price and said he has issued an Notice to Proceed. The work should be concluded in December.The prices on the other two contracts should be finalized next week, Accardo said. The most difficult contract to settle the price on will bethat of Conestago Rovers and Associates for the sugar refinery demolition, he added, which will most likely exceed $100,000.

“Every building is a different circumstance,” he said.

The space-needs study, Accardo said, is also vitally needed, as various port offices are currently split into five locations in Reserve and LaPlace.

“In all my history of negotiating with engineers we’ve gotten the lowest price,” Accardo noted. “Before any notice to proceed, the commissionerswill have those numbers.”Accardo said the contracts also have a termination clause if the work begins to run over budget or the work is unsatisfactory.

“I think the process worked well,” he continued. “The process was fair,and I think we got good companies.”

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