On Tuesday, East Ascension Drainage Commission, comprised of the entire 11-member Ascension Parish Council seated Ex Officio, declined to approve a $726,000 change order for the substantially complete New River Channel Improvement project. The original contract was not awarded to Boone Services, LLC, but the low bidder (Bridging the Gap, LLC) would not or could not perform, so Boone got the job on November 29, 2021 (contract amount $4,816,000). A 15% increase was too much for commissioners to swallow, not in a single bite anyway.
Project Engineer H. Davis Cole was tasked with investigating the cause, and reporting his findings at an unspecified later date.
“It gives me a level of heartburn,” said President Clint Cointment. “We need to put controls in place so that this doesn’t happen again.”
NAME OF PROJECT: NEW RIVER CHANNEL IMPROVEMENTS
PROJECT NUMBER: EAD15004
ENGINEER: H. Davis Cole & Associates, LLC
CONTRACT Amount Add to the Contract amount the sum of $726,000.10
Time for Completion Add to the Contract Time: 208 Days.
The New Date for Completion is 6 February 2024
ORIGINAL CONTRACT AMOUNT: $4,816,000.00
Previous Additions $52,610
Previous Deductions $0.00
Net Amount Prior to this Change $4,868,610.00
Amount of This Change … $726,000.10
CONTRACT AMOUNT TO DATE … $5,594,610.10
Drainage Excavation to actual quantities
DESCRIPTION: Additional “over” excavation was required to remove soft soils throughout the entire reach of New River Channel in areas where installation of embankment fill was required to achieve a maintainable slope.
JUSTIFICATION: To prevent failure of the embankment, the additional “over excavation” was required to remove soft materials to provide a stable base for the placement of new embankment material.
BID QUANTITY: 52,000 CY
ACTUAL QUANTITY: 72,918 CY
ADDITIONAL COST: $648,458.00
ADDITIONAL DAYS: 208
It could have been worse, much worse, had Bridging the Gap (James Moore’s neophyte company was notorious for change orders and an obvious inability to perform) followed through after being awarded the New River Channel Improvement project…twice.
(File photo) James Moore (right) with his friend, Gonzales Police Chief Sherman Jackson.
Meeting Minutes from EA Drainage’s November 9, 2020 meeting:
Approval of low bid submitted for the New River Channel Improvements Re-Bid Project No. EAD-15-004 in the amount of $3,994,300.00 from Bridging the Gap Solutions; and authorizing Parish President Clint Cointment to sign any documents pertaining to this agreement – Chairman Dempsey Lambert referred to
legal counsel, Mr. Cody Martin for direction on this bid. Cody advised the commission that a temporary restraining order has been filed by Boone Services against the award of contract. Therefore, he advised the commission that they could not take any action on the item. Commissioner Robert made a motion to approve removal of the item from the agenda. Commissioner Lawler made a second to the motion. No objection. Motion passed.
From September 20, 2021:
Approval of lowest bid response for the New River Channel Improvements Re-Bid, Parish Project No. EAD-15-004, submitted by Bridging the Gap Solution, LLC, in the amount of $3,299,285.92; and authorizing Parish President Cointment to execute any and all documents pertaining to the project – Devin Russ, with the Purchasing Department presented the bid summary from the bid opening held on September 14, 2021, showing the lowest bid was received from Bridging the Gap Solution, LLC, and both gave recommendations to award the construction contract to Bridging the Gap Solution, LLC. Commissioner Lawler made a motion to approve. Commissioner Orgeron made a second to the motion. No objection. Motion passed.
How much bigger would the change order have been had Bridging the Gap commenced work pursuant to that bid, a million-and-a-half lower than Boone Services’ offering? Infamously, Bridging the Gap lobbied for upfront money after being awarded a contract related to construction of the new high school in Prairieville. Why any governmental entity would do business with him is a mystery…
Preferential treatment by Purchasing Department under Matassa administration
even though former parish president Kenny Matassa proclaimed James Moore Day in Ascension during his disgraceful tenure.
Fortunately, Bridging the Gap failed to commence the work, oblivious to EA Drainage’s demands, in 2021.
Enter Boone Services.
Seven new members, participating in their second EA Drainage meeting last night, the change order request seemed something of a reality check for those unused to government work. The project engineer conceded the less than stellar optics, no project update having been presented since April. Not that the lamest of lame duck parish governing authorities seemed to care, probably relishing the hot potato it was leaving for the current Parish Council/EA Drainage Commission and President Clint Cointment’s second term.
Cointment suggested inclusion of “provisions in (future) contracts, anything above 5% will be” absorbed by the consultant and/or the contracting company. EA Drainage Chairman Blaine Petite, no stranger to such contracts in his day job, endorsed the executive proposal and we eagerly await codification of preventative measures.
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