By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – The St. John Parish Council recently approved the hiring of two firms to oversee the parish’s $29.5 million bond issue.

The new contracts with C.J. Savoie & Associates of LaPlace and Crescent Engineering of Metairie replace two contracts the parish held with Davezac Consulting Engineers of Destrehan. Both were terminated in October after Davezac was implicated in a bribery scheme involving former St. John Parish President Bill Hubbard.

Acting St. John Chief Administrative Officer Buddy Boe said the new deals, which have been reduced in scope of work, would save the parish about $380,000.

“The parish has made a tremendous amount of progress in five months with bond issue projects,” Boe said. “We have reduced what is required of the two firms.”

Five separate propositions make up the complete bond issue and the parish has split management responsibilities between both firms.

“They will use an engineering eye that we in administration do not have,” Boe said. “They will assist in making sure the projects progress in a timely manner.”

Boe said C.J. Savoie & Associates would be responsible for projects totaling about $14.5 million in bond money tied to recreation, roads and drainage.

He said Crescent’s responsibilities would lie in water projects and new buildings. These projects total approximately $15 million in bond money.

Boe said both firms have a history of bond management in St. John Parish and surrounding areas. Boe said the parish received requests for professional qualifications from several firms but leaned toward Crescent and Savoie “based on their history of quality work in St. John Parish.”