Parish hires South Central Planning for condemnations; $110,000 contract cap will process 25 properties using ARPA funds

The Terrebonne Parish Community Development and Planning Committee agreed to use South Central Planning & Development Commission services to process a backlog of condemnation cases under a contract capped at $110,000 to cover 25 properties.

Staff told the committee the agreement is structured to guarantee completion of the condemnation process for 25 properties; the vendor quoted an average of $873 per property for the condemnation work. Committee members and staff explained that demolition costs are separate: the vendor proposed demolition pricing of approximately $5 per square foot without slab and $11 per square foot including slab. If funds remain under the $110,000 cap after the condemnation process, those monies would be applied toward demolition work.

Why it matters: The contract is intended to accelerate a backlog of blighted or unsafe properties the parish has been processing through its nuisance-abatement and condemnation workflow. Using an outside firm allows the parish to move more cases through hearings and reduce the queue handled internally by parish staff.

Funding and timeline: Candice (administration/finance staff) said the $110,000 would come from remaining American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds previously allocated for condemnation and demolition, and that the parish also budgeted approximately $90,000 to $150,000 for condemnations in 2025. Staff indicated the parish will carry forward existing condemnation budget amounts into 2025 in addition to the ARPA allocation.

Process details: South Central’s hourly-fee proposal was described as a capped contract; the parish expects South Central to produce photos, recommendations and complete the condemnation process — including presenting items to the council for hearings — and then the parish will determine whether each property will be demolished or otherwise remediated. Nuisance Abatement remains the entry point for complaints: parish staff said residents may report properties by phone, email or the parish website and that those reports inform the condemnation queue.

What committee members asked: Councilmembers requested a “snapshot” report listing properties in the condemnation process, status and approximate costs. Staff agreed to produce a short report showing year-to-date condemnation measures, how many properties were received and how many were demolished in 2023–2024 and to provide a near-term snapshot to the council.

Next steps: The committee authorized the project to move forward with the South Central Planning contract; South Central will process the assigned 25 properties under the capped agreement and the parish will apply remaining funds toward demolition as appropriate. The committee also called a group of condemnation hearings for Jan. 28, 2025, at 5:30 p.m., listing multiple residential and commercial addresses for those hearings.

Direct quotes (from transcript): - "There's a... it's an hourly fee, but the whole contract is capped at $110,000. The prop, and that's for 25 properties," (Noah, Community Development staff). - "Yes, sir. So the 110 is coming out of that 200 and something that's still left in American Rescue Plan," (Candice, administration/finance staff).

Limitations: The committee discussion covered the condemnation process and budget sources but did not include individual property-level award or demolition contracts; specific addresses called for condemnation hearings were read on the record and scheduled for Jan. 28, 2025 at 5:30 p.m.

Bottom line: The parish will use South Central Planning under a capped $110,000 agreement to process 25 condemnation cases and will apply remaining ARPA funds toward demolition work where needed, with staff providing a progress snapshot to the council.