Parish Council set to advertise bids for medical facility

PLAQUEMINE - Iberville Parish President J. Mitchell Ourso Jr. announced that construction of a new medical facility in the parish will go out for bids on Feb. 28 at a cost of $19 million during the council’s regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday.

The Ochsner Health System medical complex will be located along La. 1 south of Plaquemine.

Ourso said bids will be opened March 28 and expects a contract to be signed in April.

The proposed facility will offer a free-standing emergency department, according to the parish’s web site.

In other news, Ourso reported that an Ascension Parish judge ruled in favor of Iberville Parish in a dispute with the owners of Alligator Bayou Swamp Tours over a control structure.

However, the parish cannot gain access to the lock for maintenance because the tour company owns all the nearby land, Ourso said.

Also, Ourso said the parish has been notified of a contractor’s lien for services rendered at the North Iberville Community Center for approximately $41,000.

The council also approved the formal abandonment of Dunn Street, Folse Street and Taylor Lane. The ordinance allows the property to revert back to its surrounding private property.

Lastly, the council approved a grant application for $150,000 to the Office of Community Development-Community Water Enrichment Fund for the construction of another clarifier at the Water District No. 3 treatment plant.