A unanimous Gonzales City Council voted to approve an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with Ascension Parish whereby the latter will relocate the city’s main water line to accommodate widening of Roddy Road earlier this week. In return, the city will provide water and wastewater treatment for the parish’s Animal Control Center once built. Ascension’s CAO Ricky Compton appeared at City Hall on Monday to answer any questions that five council members might pose, having engaged with Gonzales’ governing authority after negotiating the agreement with Mayor Tim Riley.
The gist of the IGA:
The PARISH is completing a roadway widening/safety project on Roddy Road between Churchpoint Road and Bayou Narcisse Road.
The CITY waterline needs to be relocated due to the project.
The CITY’s water facilities presently occupy portions of the corridor without a recorded servitude and are being relocated at the PARISH’s request to accommodate the Project.
The PARISH is building a new Animal Welfare Services Center (“APAWS”) near the intersection of Roddy Road and Weber City Road.
The PARISH intends to connect to the nearest available CITY water line and CITY sewer line for service to the APAWS at the PARISH’s expense.
The Parties intend a balanced exchange of value under which the CITY accommodates the relocation and provides service, the PARISH funds the relocation and supports establishing recorded servitudes or accommodation agreements for the CITY’s water facilities within PARISH rights-of-way, and each Party reasonably expects to receive value at least equivalent to the value it conveys
It is not the first time Gonzales has had to relocate its water line to accommodate widening of Roddy Road. From 2021 Council Meeting Minutes:
Motion by Councilman Tim Riley, seconded by Councilman Kirk Boudreaux to accept the low bid in the amount of $2,234,693…for the Gonzales 16″ Water Main Relocation on Roddy Road.
For some reason that no one has been able to articulate, the city relocated its line north of Weber City all the way past Black Bayou Road, omitting the section between Churchpoint and Bayou Narcisse roads. The cost was added to an existing Revolving Fund Loan with the State of Louisiana.
In November, the Parish Council awarded the road widening bid. From its Meeting Minutes:
Approval to accept the lowest responsive bid in the amount of $5,101,614.13 submitted by Barriere Construction Co, LLC for labor and materials for the roadway widening, bridge removal and new bridge construction on Roddy Road from Preston Landry to LA 935 (Churchpoint).
At present, Louisiana DOTD is replacing a Roddy Road bridge, south of Churchpoint Road. Once completed, Ascension Parish can undertake the Roddy Road widening project.
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