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Jurors review Mermentau change-order request and hear Kelso Bayou road and East End Locks updates
Summary
Contractor for the Mermentau Basin inundation control project requested $90,200 to cover 22 days of idle equipment while waiting on t-panels; grant consultant approved the cost as eligible so the parish is not expected to pay. Jurors also heard progress reports on water-control structures and plans to armor sections of Kelso Bayou road using maintenance and house-bill funds.
At the Cameron Parish Police Jury meeting, project teams updated jurors on multiple water-control and roadway projects.
Mermentau Basin change order: a presenter said M and C Oilfield Services requested an additional $90,200 to compensate for 22 days when equipment was on-site but not working while awaiting t-panels from Cypress Concrete. The presenter stated the expense is eligible under the grant consultant’s rules and will be paid by the grant consultant, not charged to the parish budget. The presenter also noted that the subcontractor producing the panels was the only supplier available, and the delay arose because there was no contractual delivery deadline with that subcontractor.
Contract and contractor concerns: jurors questioned whether the contract with the supplier included firm delivery dates; the presenter agreed there was no deadline and characterized that as a contracting weakness. The contractor on-site said the program includes multiple structures (two in Cameron Parish and two in an adjacent parish) and that crews have completed structure number 2 and are moving on to Structure 1 (East End Locks), where they expected to begin lock system replacement shortly.
Kelso Bayou road protection: jurors and DOTD representatives discussed a locally prioritized plan to add large riprap/rock armor and an asphalt overlay to low sections of Kelso Bayou road to reduce erosion and tidal overwash. DOTD staff said they had already used about $90,000 of district maintenance funds and would allocate house-bill funds toward additional work. Engineers advised that comprehensive substructure repairs would be expensive; project leaders said they would use available funds to elevate and armor shoulders and perform asphalt overlay work when temperatures permit, aiming to complete overlays before hurricane season if possible.
Budget and next steps: presenters emphasized that the Mermentau change order cost is within grant parameters, so no immediate parish budget action is required; however, jurors were warned that better subcontractor delivery terms are needed. For Kelso Bayou, staff will prioritize obligated funds, schedule armor and asphalt work, and report back to jurors on timing and costs.
