By SUE ELLEN ROSS

Staff Reporter

EDGARD – Plans for a new Senior Citizen Center to be built in Reserve has come across a small snag. The bids for construction came in quite a bit more expensive than anticipated.

According to architect Paul Murray of Murray Architects in Destrehan, prices were about 15 percent higher than contemplated.

“They (the bid amounts) were not in the expected range,” he said.

The St. John Parish Council voted on Tuesday to reject those high bids and re-open the bidding after some changes were made to the original plans.

Murray told the Council that those changes were in place and the bid process could start again.

The Senior Citizen Center will be built near the current Airline Highway license bureau in Reserve.

A ground-breaking ceremony will be planned when a new bid is accepted and construction plans are in the making, according to St. John Parish Administrative Assistant Natalie Robottom.

In other news at the parish council meeting, the Council approved an ordinance to allow Parish President Nickie Monica to enter into a contract with Group Workcamps Foundation.

The mission of the Foundation is to construct workcamps in various locations that will assist the elderly, low-income and disabled with home repairs. They have chosen St. John Parish for their one-week Summer 2006 Construction Workcamp.

Seventy-to-90 homes from throughout the Parish will be chosen for the repairs. The time frame for the project’s planning process takes about 6-8 months.

According to the ordinance, the cost to St. John Parish will not exceed $19,000.