LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / November 18, 2000

LAPLACE – A $75,000 donation toward the efforts of the Louisiana AirportAuthority to develop a regional airport will have to wait a while longer. TheSouth Louisiana Port Commission is awaiting a legal opinion.

On the other hand, the governments of St. John the Baptist, St. James andSt. Charles parishes had no problem in making $25,000 donations toward thecause.

During the Nov. 14 meeting of the port commission, St. Charlesrepresentative Jay Roberts was hopping mad over the delay.

“I sat on the parish council when this port gave the parishes money foreconomic development,” Roberts said.

The matter came up when St. Charles commissioner Joey Murray attemptedto add the topic to the meeting’s agenda. Port attorney Joel Chaissonannounced he had been asked to render a legal opinion as to whether the portcould make such a donation.

Murray said he would like to have been told about that before the meeting,and Roberts demanded to know when the request had been made and bywhom.

Chaisson said Executive Director Joseph Accardo made the request “three orfour weeks ago.”The attempt to add the item to the agenda failed, with Murray and St. Johnrepresentative Bill Hubbard voting for, and Roberts abstaining.

At the end of the meeting Hubbard tried to get the matter back on theagenda, to vote for approval for the donation “pending a legal opinion.” Thisalso failed, with Louis Joseph, Gregory Gravois and E.J. Martin voting no.

At the end of the meeting Murray called for an Airport Committee meetingon Thursday morning, but that meeting failed to obtain a quorum.

Roberts’ temper again erupted during the commission meeting duringdiscussion of an application before the state Port Priority Fund in support ofmodernization projects at ADM Growmark grain elevator in Reserve.

The requests, if granted by the state, would bring $3.5 million to makeimprovements to the facility, coupled with more money from the port to thetune of $625,000 and ADM itself.

Roberts demanded to know how the port could make such a deal as the portis in the midst of an arbitration matter with ADM, and added, “It should neverhave been on the agenda. I just don’t understand this; this is retarded.”Murray moved to table the matter in the absence of the attorney hired bythe port in this matter, Peter Butler. The vote to table failed, with Robertsabstaining. The vote to approve the resolution passed, with Hubbard andMurray voting no and Roberts abstaining.

The commission did approve a resolution of endorsement for a Capital Outlayapplication for new dock facilities at the Colemen Property immediatelyupriver from Killona in St. Charles Parish.

The application is for $4,790,000 toward the construction of cargo facilitiesat the site.

Roberts voted no.

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