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Council approves $1.43M dog‑park contract after heated debate over drainage priorities
Summary
The council voted to award a $1,430,000 contract to TEH Enterprise LLC for a dog park that has been planned for years; opponents said the cost and scope are inappropriate while drainage problems remain, supporters said the project leverages grant funding and is within the adopted budget.
After extended public comment and council debate, the Saint Charles Parish Council approved an ordinance awarding a $1,430,000 construction contract to TEH Enterprise LLC for a dog park near the parish animal shelter.
Parish President Jewell and other supporters said the project has been planned for more than a decade and that roughly $800,000 of the cost is covered by a community impact grant that is restricted to the park. "This project allows the parish to leverage substantial outside funding for the project and complete a long‑planned recreational facility," Jewell said, urging council support.
Opponents at the public hearing and on the dais argued the contract represents scope creep and an excessive cost given ongoing drainage problems after Tropical Storm Arthur. Resident Milton Alamo said the park could have been built far more cheaply years ago and urged prioritizing drainage work: "We need to concentrate, number 1, on drainage," he said. Councilman Mobley said he could not support the ordinance after experiencing flooding at his own house on June 18 and asked whether corporate sponsorship or additional fundraising might reduce the parish share.
Councilmembers reviewed procurement and legal constraints: the bid opening date and allowed extensions under Louisiana law were discussed; the parish attorney explained that rejecting the bid without cause would trigger at least a 12‑month rebid delay. Several council members urged caution but said the project is in the current budget and that rejecting it now could create litigation or loss of funding. Debate also touched on a missing landscaping specification; a zoning appointee urged the council to secure written landscaping commitments before vote.
The council voted to approve the contract. The transcript records at least two council members — Mobley and Miss Wilson — opposed the measure; the remainder voted in favor. Administration said the project uses a mix of grant and parish funding and that the parish continues a substantial multi‑year investment in drainage (parish leaders cited $220 million set aside for infrastructure, $180 million of which is for drainage).
