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Terrebonne Parish School Board hears seven firms for Hurricane Ida project-management work; no selection tonight
Summary
At a Dec. 21 special meeting, seven firms gave 15-minute presentations to serve as project managers for Hurricane Ida recovery across Terrebonne Parish schools. Superintendent Martin said board members would score proposals and return sheets by Jan. 3; vendors emphasized FEMA coordination, documentation and local hiring.
Terrebonne Parish — The Terrebonne Parish School Board on Dec. 21 heard seven firms present proposals to serve as project managers for the district’s Hurricane Ida recovery, with no selection made at the special meeting.
“Tonight, you will not be making any decisions. You will be listening and learning,” Superintendent Martin told the board and the presenters, laying out the review timetable and scoring process.
Board members were given vendor packets and score sheets and asked to return completed scores by Jan. 3. Martin explained the scoring method: each board member would rank firms (first, second and third) and the top-ranked firms per member would receive 3, 2 and 1 points. The parish will use those tallies only as guidance; the board must formally select the district’s project manager(s) at a later meeting.
The presentations — each 15 minutes with five minutes for clarification — focused on three recurring themes: (1) coordinating with the district’s FEMA consultant and documenting work for reimbursement, (2) managing a large number of campus-level repairs while minimizing disruption to students, and (3) opportunities to involve local contractors and workers.
Larry Oni, chairman of Hamlin and Gaines LLC, emphasized federal reimbursement as the critical factor: “You’re gonna have to coordinate with your FEMA consultant,” he said, adding that “the documentation is the game” and that poor coordination can lead to clawbacks. Several firms used Xavier University’s recent clawback as an example of the risks of weak federal documentation.
Todd Mann of CSRS, which presented with All South Consulting Engineers, described a programmatic approach that pairs a project manager with each campus principal to limit disruption: “The principal has an immediate point of contact to answer any questions. There’s no surprises,” Mann said. Jared Bauer of All South said early coordination between grant management and project management would speed reimbursements and align cash flow with construction.
Presenters, including CSRS/All South, LeMoyne/CBRE, LeMoyne Disaster Recovery, Merlin Group, Pivotal Engineering (with DCMC partners), VolkerTBD (Volkert) and SafeWork, described local experience, design and construction management capabilities, and financial controls. Several firms said they could scale staffing, embed personnel with district staff or work from local offices to increase responsiveness.
Superintendent Martin and several board members stressed practical questions about workload and assignment. Martin recommended selecting a minimum of two project managers so work could be subdivided; he said the board could select more or fewer when it acts. One board member asked whether firms would help the district with contractor fairs and local-hiring efforts; firms generally said yes, noting procurement rules for federally funded work require public bidding but promising outreach and pre-bid coordination to encourage local participation.
Board members also pressed firms on the limits of FEMA reimbursement. Presenters said the FEMA Public Assistance program is a reimbursement program — the district typically spends up front and seeks reimbursement after proper documentation — and that contractors and procurement must meet FEMA rules to avoid clawbacks or denials.
The meeting also included two brief formal actions recorded in the transcript: a motion to suspend the board’s three-hour meeting policy so the presentations could continue (seconded by Board Member Debbie Benoit and approved) and a later motion to adjourn. The board did not make a final selection of project manager(s) at the meeting.
The board will review member score sheets returned on Jan. 3 and schedule a future meeting to select one or more firms to lead the district’s recovery program. Presenters repeatedly urged strong documentation, early FEMA coordination and transparent reporting to parents and the community so the district can maximize reimbursements and restore schools quickly.
