St. Francis Parkway sign installed in the summer of 2023
Last week a unanimous City Council voted to add $3.4 million to Gonzales’ 2025-26 Road Improvement Capital Outlay budget amendment introduced by Mayor Tim Riley. The vote followed a motion made by Councilman Kirk Boudreaux urging his colleagues to follow through on a commitment made in 2019 to extend St. Francis Parkway to S Darla Ave (Phase I), then connect to the rear of St. Elizabeth Hospital (Phase II). Mayor Tim Riley, who was not informed of Boudreaux’s intentions prior to the meeting, did not object to the road project’s inclusion but did wonder “how the councilman came up with the amount.”
Public Hearing and Final Vote on the Capital Outlay introduction is scheduled for September 8.
“My administration has been in talks with the hospital and our designing engineer since January,” Mayor Riley said. “The projected cost estimate to complete Phase II of this job will be finalized in the near future and it will be significantly less than $3.4 million. We think the project will be ready to go out for bid in a few months.”
(November 2023) Phase I of St. Francis Parkway extends roadway from Heritage Crossing westward to Darla Ave.
Phase I was accomplished (see images above) in 2023 with a price tag just north of $3 million.
Phase I funding was included in five successive Road Improvement Capital Outlay budgets beginning with the 2019-20 Fiscal Year when $250,000 was appropriated for design. Construction monies were included in the 2022-23 budget ($2.2 million) and the 2023-24 budget ($2.8 million). The latter included the message:
“This is an approximately $4M project to build a road to help alleviate some traffic on Hwy 30 and to provide an alternative access to the hospital. The City has $3.4 M in funds contributed by the State of Louisiana and is required to provide a 20% match.”
That money, as Councilman Boudreaux should remember, was spent to complete Phase I.
Councilman Boudreaux, with future mayor Tim Riley and other officials commemorating completion of St. Francis Parkway extension Phase I (November 2023)
In Mayor Barney Arceneaux’s last budget (2024-25 Fiscal Year) he included $800,000 “for design work related to connecting St. Francis Parkway to the hospital road system.”
“The currently estimated cost to connect St. Francis Parkway to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital is $2,298,385,” said Riley’s Chief of Staff Wade Petite. “According to our Consulting Engineer, the timeline for going out for bid depends on whether we choose to remove a detour road that would accommodate St. Francis Parkway traffic during Phase II construction. If Mayor Riley, in consultation with the hospital, opts to eliminate the detour it would save around $180,000 and four months of construction according to the design engineer…and the cost estimate will be closer to $2.1 million.”
Petite added that “an amended design, eliminating the detour would cost approximately $7,000.”
“These are ongoing discussions and I’m sure Mayor Riley will seek council input before making his ultimate decision. Had Councilman Boudreaux alerted us to his intentions we could have gotten him straight on the numbers,” he added. “Given the council’s refusal to discuss the budget, going on 105 days now, I’m not surprised.”
And it is not only budgetary matters where communication is wanting. Boudreaux, again, persuaded all of his colleagues to add an item to the August 11 meeting agenda for introduction of an ordinance that would disallow uninsurable individuals from being employed. Reading from a prepared document that was provided to the administration for inclusion in the meeting minutes, Boudreaux introduced the proposed language:
“No person can be employed by the City of Gonzales who is not eligible for city fiduciary or liability insurance coverage.”
“I’m concerned that the city (could be) responsible for someone that is uninsurable on the city liability police,” the five-term council member explained. “It puts the city at risking for paying out of pocket.”
16 years, seven-and-a-half months into his council tenure…
Former Gonzales CAO points fingers on social media
better late than never when it comes to fiscal responsibility.
Mayor Riley confirmed that he was unaware of the councilman’s intentions though he “does not oppose the proposed ordinance.”
Loading ...