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Commission rescinds award to Generac (mayoral delegation) and urges reapplication to fall round after timeline concerns
Summary
The commission rescinded its prior award to the city represented by Mayor Carol Bourgeois Jr. (identified in the transcript as “Generac”) and urged the municipality to reapply in the upcoming fall round so the project can be funded with more flexible state general‑fund dollars rather than at‑risk ARPA allocations.
During its Sept. 17 meeting the Water Sector Commission voted to rescind a previously awarded ARPA water sector grant to the city represented by Mayor Carol Bourgeois Jr. (identified in the meeting record as “City of Generac”) and recommended the city reapply in the upcoming phase so it could compete for state general‑fund allocations.
Mayor Carol Bourgeois Jr. and the city’s engineer described recent progress: a loan from LDQ had closed Sept. 5 and land acquisition and project plans were advancing. But commissioners expressed concern the project’s 18‑month construction timeline and the remaining steps (final plat, council approvals, LDH plan review and potential procurement delays) made it unlikely the project could draw all ARPA funds before the federal expenditure deadline. Staff warned that starting construction without certainty about final ARPA availability could leave an unfinished project or expose the state to repayment risk.
Chairman Zeringue moved to cancel the prior award and invite the city to reapply in the fall phase; commissioners discussed alternatives such as redirecting capital‑outlay funds to preserve the acquisition, and staff offered to help the city pursue a change of intent so a local capital outlay allocation could be used to buy the property now. The motion to rescind the award and encourage reapplication carried without objection.
Why it matters: Rescinding the award preserves limited ARPA funds for projects that can complete before the deadline or are otherwise better positioned; the commission indicated it expects the city to be a strong applicant in the next round when state general funds might be available and more flexible rules could apply.
Ending: Staff will work with the city on alternatives for the property acquisition and on preparing a reapplication for the fall round; the commission signaled willingness to support the project under state general‑fund budgeting rather than ARPA funding to avoid high risk of federal repayment.
