Council declines surplus appropriation for Diamond Park restroom and concessions after heated debate

Plaquemines Parish Council debated and then rejected a surplus-funded appropriation on July 9 to complete Diamond Park restroom and concession work after a lengthy exchange over project scope and cost.

Council member LaFrance offered the appropriation of $172,009.68 to bring the project to a $550,000 total, saying the funds would finish construction; the administration reported the project budget stood at $377,990.32 to date. Supporters argued the restroom and concession facility — which includes a concession stand and storage area in addition to bathrooms — would serve children and recreational users in the southern end of the parish.

Opponents said bids came back well over the parish’s available funds, questioned construction methods and resilience-driven building requirements, and urged rebidding or design modifications to fit the parish’s budget. Council member Champagne called the proposed building an overbuilt structure and pushed for a smaller, less expensive option; others recommended soliciting alternative bids or design changes to bring the price down into the current funding envelope.

The vote to appropriate surplus funds passed on the council floor by a 5–4 roll call, but the motion required a six-vote supermajority because the funding source was surplus. The chair announced the measure failed for lack of the required supermajority.

What’s next: Council members asked engineering and administration to explore alternatives: rebidding with revised scope, soliciting alternative contractors, or identifying tradeoffs (for example, scaling back storage or the roof system) that could bring the project within the available budget.