Terrebonne Council urges president to seek approval to move Finding Our Roots Museum to smaller Main Street site

The Terrebonne Parish Council on Sept. 10 unanimously adopted a resolution asking Parish President Jason W. Bergeron to submit to the Louisiana Office of Community Development (OCD) an amended Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG‑DR) application to designate 7928 Main Street, Houma, as the project site for the Finding Our Roots Museum.

Council members and project consultants said the smaller site would reduce the CDBG‑DR funding needed for the museum and could free about $2 million to be reallocated to other approved recovery projects. Taylor Gravois of consultant CSRS told the council “the project was approved to allocate resources to the Finding Our Roots Museum. It was not tied to any particular location,” and that moving the site will restart the same appraisal, environmental review and OCD budget amendment process required for any property acquisition.

Why it matters: The museum is one of 29 projects in Terrebonne’s CDBG‑DR action plan. Moving the site could shorten the museum’s timeline and lower the parish’s grant draw on the program, permitting savings to be applied to other approved projects — if OCD approves the change and the project meets program rules such as low‑to‑moderate‑income (LMI) benefit and appraisal limits.

What council voted: The resolution — amended on the floor and moved by Councilman Omidy, seconded by Councilman Hamner — “urges and requests the parish president to submit to the Office of Community Development an application for approval of the revised location” for the sale and cooperative endeavor agreement with Morpho Inc. The council recorded the motion as passed unanimously (recorded as eight recorded votes during a machine issue); the resolution will be forwarded to the parish president as a formal request.

Discussion and clarifications: Tanner McGee, appearing as representative for property owner Martin Faust (Morpho Inc.), said no sale proceeds have been paid to Faust and that state grant funds earmarked for the museum have not been delivered to the owner: “Martin Faust hasn’t received a dollar yet for any of this stuff,” McGee told the council. McGee and other speakers described $200,000 already placed in escrow by the museum’s sponsor and an additional $500,000 in state funds that are still pending, for a total of approximately $700,000 in state support discussed at the meeting.

CSRS consultant Taylor Gravois summarized the procedural steps the parish must follow if the council and administration pursue the new site: amend the application with OCD; obtain an appraisal by a parish‑approved, independent appraiser and a third‑party review; complete an environmental review; demonstrate LMI benefit; prepare a revised budget and submit a budget amendment to OCD. Gravois said that because the revised location is adjacent to the originally identified site, that will help meet the LMI requirement.

Budget and timing: Council members and consultants repeated that the CDBG‑DR budget used at application stage was preliminary and that final allowable costs will depend on the completed appraisal, environmental remediation needs, renovation estimates and allowable start‑up costs. CSRS and council members said moving to 7928 Main Street could reduce the parish’s CDBG‑DR payout for the museum by about $2,000,000 from the previously allocated $4,500,000; those savings could be reallocated to other approved projects subject to OCD approval. Gravois noted the program’s completion deadline was reported in the meeting as Nov. 16, 2027, which applies to project completion under the grant terms.

Concerns and next steps: Council members pressed for clarity on whether state funds could be used for operational costs and emphasized the need for transparency with museum leadership and the property owner as the parish restarts the OCD amendment process. The council’s action tonight is a request to the parish president to pursue OCD approval; it does not itself change the budget or authorize purchase. If OCD approves the new site, the parish must complete appraisal, environmental and budget amendment steps and then return to the council if a budget amendment is required.

Votes at a glance (selected routine actions recorded during the meeting): • Approval of minutes for Aug. 13 and Aug. 27 meetings — motion passed (recorded votes on the record as 9‑0 for several routine items earlier in the meeting). • Accounts payable bill lists (dates listed in agenda) — approved 9‑0. • Manual check list for July 2025 — approved (motion passed). • Ordinances to amend parish code (speed zone / no‑parking and other routine code changes) — motions adopted, recorded as passed (votes recorded in the meeting transcript as 9‑0 or 7‑0 depending on the item). (Each routine vote is recorded in the council minutes; the museum resolution was the principal substantive policy action on CDBG‑DR funds tonight.)

What’s next: The resolution will be forwarded to Parish President Jason W. Bergeron for submission to OCD. CSRS and parish staff will prepare the revised OCD application, an updated budget amendment and the required appraisal and environmental reviews. The council indicated it expects to see detailed budgets and supporting documents before any budget amendment is adopted.

Ending: Council members and the consultant emphasized the procedural nature of tonight’s vote: it restarts a federal review and appraisal process rather than immediately moving funds or authorizing a purchase. Council members asked administration and CSRS to keep museum leadership, the property owner and the council informed as the parish pursues OCD approval.