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General Membership Meeting Minutes
February 21, 2007
Dale Benoit called the meeting to order and welcomed everyone. Mike Ford lead the Pledge of Allegiance.
Bobby Thomas presented the Directors report and an update on membership renewals. The Treasurers report was
given by Ed Camnetar. The guest speaker originally scheduled to attend was unable to make it to the meeting.
Parish President Billy Nungesser filled in and updated everyone on projects and activities. He reported that the
levee breaches are 45% complete. The parish has employed in Carroll Martin to work with the levee project.
He has lots of knowledge and expertise and will be an asset working on the levee project. The levees still need
a lot of work. We are in the process of getting estimates for repair costs. We may try to get donated materials
and possibly use the Air National Guard for some of the repairs. The parish would need to get the Corps permission
to do the levee work. The Corp is finishing up the levee work in Port Sulphur. A plan is needed to maintain and
repair our levees on an ongoing basis. The parish waiting on final numbers from engineering on Tidewater Road .
It should go out for bids in April. There will be 4 phases to the project. Still waiting on FEMA to make some
repairs. Water tower and water lines in Buras are ready to go out on bid.
Mosquito control is another big problem the parish is facing. We are waiting on bids for this also. Traps have
been ordered for testing. We need a plan in place to control the mosquitos. Plaquemines Parish had the best
mosquito control in the 1980s. A plan should be set up this year.
Our pumping stations are 40-50 years old. The parish should start replacing these, as they are vital to the parish.
Also needed is a drainage study. The long time recovery of the parish needs to be funded. We are way ahead of
other parishes is our comeback after the hurricane.
Meeting adjourned approximately 1:20 pm
General Membership Meeting Minutes
March 21, 2007
Bobby Thomas presented the Directors report and an update on membership renewals with 108 paid members at this time. Everyone joined in for the Pledge of Allegiance. Dale thanked everyone for attending. The PABI Committees have been very busy and there was also an article in City Business. For planning purposes, everyone has been asked to please RSVP for the luncheons.
Guest Speaker – Mark Drennen, GNO Inc. - Mr. Drennen expressed that Lisa Tomlin is an important part of the staff and she is here to help. He expressed his surprise with the Governor’s decision. When businesses are looking to locate in a particular area, they will look at the entire region.
Where should GNO Inc. invest our resources? Bring in experts to help make the decision. Workforce development is very important. Need to try to fix the system. Involvement in tax reform effort which was successful. The upcoming session has a big impact in future business. Oil and gas prices are higher. The state has lots of money to spend. Infrastructure – investing heavily with this short term money will make a difference in our future.
Will be releasing a regional list of projects to the legislature. Insurance premiums and deductibles are going through the roof after the hurricane. Healthcare – hospitals took financial burden. Higher education perked by the hurricane. Taxes – a number of areas to cut taxes this year.
Broadway South – Wilson (worked on and off Broadway) trying to attract the shows here before they make it to New York.
Rebuilding the fishing industry and trying to take it to a new level.
1:00 – Meeting Adjourned
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING MINUTES
AUGUST 22, 2007
The August PABI General Membership Luncheon/Meeting was held at the Belle Chasse Auditorium at 12 noon. Executive Director Bobby Thomas called the meeting to order and after making opening remarks led the Pledge of Allegiance. Due to the notable speakers on the agenda and in the interest of time, the Executive Director’s Report was deferred. PABI Chairman Dale Benoit welcomed the large attendance and introduced Parish President Billy Nungesser, who in turn introduced the days featured guest speaker, US Senator Mary Landrieu. President Nungesser thanked Senator Landrieu for her attention to Plaquemines Parish since Hurricane Katrina and how much Plaquemines Parish still needs her continued dedication in Washington DC.
Senator Mary Landrieu addressed many topics at the PABI Luncheon. She remarked how the recovery effort is still very much her priority in the Senate and her constant endeavor to enlighten other senate members of the situation in coastal Louisiana. The Senator acknowledged the enormity of rebuilding the coastline and because of the important role Louisiana plays in supplying energy to the entire nation, that the federal government has an obligation to participate in this recovery. Landrieu noted that in one weekend Louisiana lost over 20,000 businesses and that she will continue to push for quicker and effective procedures to assist the business community to reestablish itself. She also discussed recent legislation that will provide Louisiana with 37.5% of oil and gas revenues that will produce a constant source of revenue to fund needed projects. In her closing statement, Senator Landrieu credited the business leaders and residents of Plaquemines Parish for the recovery work already accomplished and to stay focused on where they want the parish to be in the future.
The meeting adjourned at 1:15 p.m.
GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING MINUTES
September 20, 2007
The September PABI General Membership Luncheon/Meeting was held at the Woodland Plantation at 12 noon. Executive Director Bobby Thomas called the meeting to order and after making opening remarks led the Pledge of Allegiance. He reported that the PABI membership now stands at 147 members with 21 new members year to date. Thomas welcomed the newest member of PABI, Mr. A. G. Crowe of Slidell and Spartan Industrial Supplies, 844 Engineers Rd., Belle Chasse.
Chairman Dale Benoit informed the PABI membership and guests about the Bond Commission meeting to be held in Baton Rouge on this day. Two projects that are vital to Plaquemines Parish are before the Bond Commission today, $1M for the feasibility study on the expansion of Baptiste Collette Bayou and $10M for the engineering and design work for the approach ramps to and for Peters Road extension project.
Parish President Billy Nungesser was introduced as the keynote speaker of the luncheon. Nungesser opened his remarks by thanking the members of PABI for their efforts and the importance of a business organization to partner with local government to work towards advancing the parish. The Parish President made several comments in regards to the parish being prepared incase the impending tropical weather should affect Plaquemines Parish. Nungesser then focused his address on the $12.8 million committed to the parish recently from Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA). The priority list of projects submitted by the parish to the LRA included the following: A parish wide comprehensive master plan, emergency operations center, design and construct flood gates on the Hero Canal, a study for a new flood gate at Empire, parish wide curbs and sidewalks, improve parish shipyards, community centers, pump stations mitigation and repairs and a new draw bridge in Empire. Many of these projects will receive funding and proceed because of the funding allocated by the LRA.
The Parish President closed his remarks by thanking the many local and state officials that have worked to help secure the funding for the parish projects. When asked about repairs needed to Highway 23 at the Sunrise Pump Station, Nungesser reported that the work order for this project should be awarded in the middle of October 2007. The parish president also responded when asked about completion of the Empire drawbridge. He reported that this project is ready to go out to bid and will take approximately 18 months to complete.
The meeting adjourned at 1:00 pm
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