LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / November 22, 2000

HAHNVILLE – The two project manager contracts to supervise drainage andwastewater construction jobs in St. Charles Parish were renewed Monday inthe midst of a squabbling St. Charles Parish Council meeting.

Both contracts are for one year, which raised the hackles of council memberDee Abadie. “These should be winding down,” she complained duringdiscussion.

The 2001 budget has a cap of $250,000 for the drainage jobs and $200,000for the wastewater jobs, according to finance director Lorrie Toups.

So far in 2000 the parish has spent $454,177 between Shread-Kuyrkendalland Hartman Engineers to supervise millions of dollars of contracts, mostlyleft over from the previous administration.

However, the contracts didn’t go unscathed, as clerical and residentinspector positions were eliminated and pay rates scaled back for theremaining positions on the Shread-Kuyrkendall contract by 20 percent.

Long-time council observer Stanford Caillouet brought up the fact that RickShread served with the Laque transition team which helped smooth the wayfor Public Works/Wastewater Director Steven Fall to step into his job with aminimum of problems.

Caillouet claimed it was a “conflict of interest” for Shread’s firm to be sopolitically-linked to Laque then be awarded a plum contract to supervise itscompetitors.

Shread confirmed he was on that transition team and added, “but that’s agood thing.”He continued, “Mr. Laque’s my friend and always will be,” and he continuedthat without his unpaid assistance in helping ease the transition for Fall,matters would have been much worse for the projects.

“Someone needed to review those plans,” he said.

After the vote was taken and approval of the renewed contract was passed8-1, opposing vote Councilman “Ram” Ramchandran commented to Shread,”You’re a super-salesman.”Shread replied, “I’m just doing my job.”On the Hartman contract, Abadie tried a more drastic slash of positions,leaving only engineer Rob Martin. Hartman president Janet Evans remindedthe council they would also have to assume liability for Hartman, as well ashealth insurance and other standard employment benefits.

Abadie’s motion failed 5-4, with Ramchandran, Abadie, Barry Minnich andDesmond Hilaire voting in favor. A motion from council member April Black,eliminating the resident inspectors, survey crew and supervisors, did pass 8-1, with Ramchandran against. The pay rates for the remaining positionssurvived.

The revised contract was approved 5-4, with Ramchandran, Abadie, Minnichand Terry Authement voting in opposition.

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