Commission defers $3.92M Saint Bernard request after questions about bids and scope
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Summary
The Water Sector Commission postponed consideration of Saint Bernard Parish’s $3.92 million additional funding request amid concerns that bids far exceeded estimates, local-match dilution, and potential repayment exposure; the parish was asked to seek added local match and return in ~30 days.
The Water Sector Commission on Nov. 19 voted to defer a $3.92 million request from Saint Bernard Parish after lengthy questioning about cost overruns, project phasing and who would be liable if federal dollars had to be repaid.
Donny Bushwa, capital projects supervisor for Saint Bernard Parish, told the commission the work was originally a single project that was later split into phases. "This project started out as a 1 phase project and we split this project up to separate the force main portion and phase 2," Bushwa said, explaining the parish separated the work after bids came in far above earlier estimates.
Commissioners pressed for details about value engineering, bid timing and match commitments. Senator Bass asked pointedly whether the parish’s engineer "was off by almost 60%," noting the size of the overrun when compared with the original budget. Bushwa acknowledged the large increase and described steps already taken to split and reduce scope, but could not fully reconcile the bid-to-estimate gap during the meeting.
Members also raised concerns about repayment risk if projects cannot be completed in time and federal ARPA dollars must be returned. Senator Bass and others asked whether insurance or other protections would cover potential repayments; parish representatives could not confirm coverage during the hearing.
Given those uncertainties, Senator Bass moved to defer the request for approximately 30 days and asked the parish to consult with its council about additional match funding and to return with documentation. Chairman Zorang and members supported the motion; the commission carried the deferral by voice vote.
The item will return for additional technical review and a status update; OCD staff said they would provide the high-risk project list and work with the parish to produce the information necessary for a funding recommendation.
