By Kimberly Hopson
L’Observateur

LAPLACE – The St. John the Baptist Parish Housing Authority Board approved contracts with an environmental assessment company and a project management firm for the remediation of several uninhabitable units  during its meeting Wednesday evening.
Out of six total bids, ARC Abatement 1 LTD of Texas, a environmental assessment and demolition company, was the lowest qualified bidder on that contract, with a base bid of $145,675. Baton-Rouge-based project management firm Luster Group LLC was the
lowest qualified bidder of three total contenders for the project
management contract, with a base bid of $270,000. The company will renovate units
178, 226,228, 238, 285, 312, 348, 350 and 364 in Reserve. ARC Abatement will provide environmental services such as asbestos and mold and mildew removal for units that require attention in Reserve but will also extend their services to dwellings in LaPlace and Edgard in the future.
Executive Director Trina Henderson said there are 30 total units that need remediation, but limited funding will only allow for work to be done on nine units. In the future, Henderson hopes to make more units available.
The approval elicited some excitement from board members, who said the they have been waiting to see some action.
“We are in dire need of housing and to get these units back up and running will mean there’s more housing available for the families that need them,” said commissioner Jo Maxent.
In other news, the board also received
a letter commending
the services of their Section 8 program from a local company. The letter noted that communications with the program have been efficient and rewarding, and thanked Stacy Francis, the program supervisor, for conveying information in a timely fashion with courteous and professional follow-up.