MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING-BOARD OF ALDERMEN Thursday March 20th, 2025

[City Clerk]

CITY OF JEANERETTE JEANERETTE, LA
MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL MEETING-BOARD OF ALDERMEN Thursday March 20th, 2025
Proceedings of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen of the City of Jeanerette, State of Louisiana, at their Special meeting place held Thursday March 20th at 311 Bourgeois St Jeanerette, Louisiana 70544 for the Public Hearing/Meeting at 5:30 p.m. The Mayor called the meeting to order and the Alderwoman Simmons led the prayer, Alderwoman Moore. led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Those present were: Mayor Carol Bourgeois Jr. Alderwoman Mariah Clay, Alderwoman Charlene Moore, Alderwoman Christia Simmons, City Attorney Lucretia Pecantte and City Clerk Susan Colden. Alderman Ray Duplechain and Alderman Garland Bourgeois, were absent
Mayor Carol Bourgeois Jr. determined that a quorum was present. There were no public comment cards submitted. The Mayor then announced that on Monday that the Mayor, Public Works director Howard White, representative from Statewide Electric met with Mr. Todd Vincent and Mr. Nick Sonnier in the offices of Sellers & Associates to discuss the ongoing sewer project. They gave us a presentation on the sewer plant. City Attorney Lucretia Pecantte arrived and the Mayor told her she was suspended and to leave and she stated she did not have anything in writing and refused. Nick Sonnier then reported the timeline for the Water Sector Grant that in 2023 was granted authorization to incur costs, there has been 5 extensions and now the proof of local match deadline is 4/22/25 and deadline to close the loan is 3/31/25. Mr. Sonnier then reviewed the original application for a mechanical plant to treat a portion of the waste and the existing plant treating the rest. Then the wetlands assimilation was proposed with 3 cell ponds and a chlorine contact chamber and discharge to the wetlands, the anticipated discharge limits was 30/90. DEQ provided in spring of 2023 30/30, and Comite Resources provided a proposal, the baseline study for assessment is over a period of a year but it was believed this could be done while the plant was under construction. The feasibility study was completed by Comite and submitted to DEQ in November 2023. DEQ requested letters from the property owners that were not able to obtain and therefore do not have LDEQ approval. Plans & specification were submitted in September 2024. This design includes an equalization basin, aeration basin, clarifiers, chlorination/dichlorination and pumping to wetlands including structures in the wetlands. The City adopted a rate increase the DEQ loan was then attempted to close. It was then determined by DEQ that they would not issue a permit with the less stringent limit at this time. The idea was to eliminate the wetlands component and build a plant that meets the 10/15 current permit limits, this would need to upgrade the aeration system but the plant effluent would be discharged to the current location. At the last council meeting there were comments about fixing the current plant. It was designed 30/30 quality standards. The facility is currently permitted at a 10/15 limit. It is built in 1977, and in a 100 flood zone. Sellers is estimating the cost to be $7,000,000 to rehabilitate the existing facility. The Water Sector commission would have to approve the time extension and scope change, because of time constraints this is doubtful. Alderwoman Simmons asked if this is the same plan that was proposed last meeting that was voted against? Nick explained the components of the proposed design, and said that this design would not use the sequencing batch reactors. There was a question about the new proposed chemical PAA, and that could be located in the chlorine contact chamber. Alderwoman Simmons then asked what is different in this proposal voted on during the March 10 meeting? Mr. Sonnier said this is the current plan. Alderwoman Simmons then went on to say she thought this meeting was to find out from Barry what needs to be done to get the current plant into compliance because when she researched the plant on the DEQ site, our facility is way out of compliance. Mr. Todd stated that the first thing that DEQ wants to know is how are you going to get into compliance so usually a compliance schedule is submitted. Alderwoman Simmons said it looks like we are failing every week, and Barry said we are passing the Bio-Monitoring but we are failing the fecal so why we are above the limits the minnows are not dying. Alderwoman Simmons asked about the aerators, she had heard we need new ones. Barry then said that the aeration basin has a lot of built up sludge that will cost a million dollars to clean out. We also need mixers to keep the sludge suspended, and aeration which the new plant will have and that will keep this from happening again. Alderwoman Simmons asked if we removed the sludge and got aerators could we meet the limits, Mr. Segura said yes. Then Mr. Sonnier said the plant is not designed to meet those levels the plant was designed for 30/30 and your permit is 10/15. Mr. Segura said to dispose of the sludge you need a special sealed truck and it needs to hauled to an approved site. Alderwoman Simmons then said if the new plant will have the large equalization basin to handle the I & I why doe we need to use the grant to fix the I & I in the City? Both Barry Segura and Todd Vincent said that DEQ wants everyone to reduce the I & I but you are not going to eliminate it. Alderwoman Simmons then clarified that we don’t do any major repairs at the current plant and we just tell DEQ that in 18 months we will have a new plant and DEQ will be fine with that? Then Alderwoman Simmons asked for the budget for this plan. Mr. Vincent explained that that the savings from the elimination of the wetlands will cover the costs for the larger equalization basin. Then Alderwoman Simmons stated that every project needs a written budget and also she is not sure since the water sector commission was going to release $500,000 for the purchase of the properties, but now we only need the Hebert property she does not know how this is working. She then said that the City has put $517,000 into this project for the wetlands your firm had a budget of $781,000 are you going to have another $781,000 for this project? Mr. Todd then said that the fees that have been paid will go towards which ever of the options you decide to build. Alderwoman Simmons then said that in Dec we approved an addendum to your agreement and it was specifically for the wetlands. Mr. Todd stated that these are additional fees required by the DEQ loan. Mr. Nick Sonnier stated that they will not be adding any additional costs for the new design. Then Alderwoman Simmons said that out of the $781,000 budget we can take a $483,000 credit because that is what we have paid so far, and Todd said yes. Then Alderwoman Simmons then asked about agreements for the project signed before this council’s term since you are only appointed for 4 years and Mr. Todd explained that it was part of the application process. Then Alderwoman Simmons said regarding the vote against the sewer plant and according to Robert’s Rules it is possible if this item comes back up certain requirement have to happen-it was noted that a motion to reconsider must be made by one of the persons who voted in in support, but since everyone voted against the proposed sewer plant design it cannot be reconsidered. Mr. Todd felt that Roberts Rules used the term prevail and that it could apply to anyone who voted. Mr. Todd said they can request an extension form DEQ and Alderman Duplechain and Alderman Bourgois can hear the information and decide if they support a reconsideration of the plan.
Adjourn-On motion by Alderwoman Moore and second by Alderwoman Clay, the meeting was adjourned.



___________/s/_____________________
Carol Bourgeois Jr., Mayor
ATTEST:



____________/s/_________________
Susan Colden City Clerk