Oct 20, 2026 The Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development's Highway Roadshow Planning Meeting East Bank

1. Welcome and Call to Order

3. SFY 2027-2028 Highway Priority Program

4. District Transportation Briefing

5. Public Comment

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[1. Welcome and Call to Order]

[00:00:07]

EVERYONE. IT'S 230. WE'RE GOING TO START ON TIME. PLEASE TAKE YOUR SEATS AND WE'LL GET STARTED. JUST A COUPLE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS. WE ASK THAT EVERYONE, PLEASE SILENCE YOUR CELL PHONE. AND IF YOU WISH TO TAKE A CALL, WE ASK THAT YOU STEP OUTSIDE TO TAKE IT. TODAY IS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 20TH, 2026 AND IT'S 2:30 P.M. WE ARE HERE TODAY TO REVIEW THE HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION PRIORITY PROGRAM FOR THE FISCAL YEARS 2027 AND 2028, AND DOTD DISTRICT OH TWO.

THAT INCLUDES THE BRIDGE CITY SUB DISTRICT, WHICH ENCOMPASSES JEFFERSON, EXCLUDING GRAND ISLE, ORLEANS, PLAQUEMINE, SAINT BERNARD AND SAINT CHARLES PARISHES. MY NAME IS PATRICK CONNICK. I'M THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE. I REPRESENT DISTRICT SENATE DISTRICT EIGHT, WHICH INCLUDES JEFFERSON AND PLAQUEMINES PARISH ON THE WEST BANK. I WANT TO INTRODUCE MY FELLOW MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE UP HERE, STARTING WITH BILL. LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS? YEAH, SURE. GET THE MIC ON. THANK YOU. SENATOR CONNICK, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY. I BUT JUDGING BY THE CROWD, THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT THE ROADWAY PROJECTS AND WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE DEPARTMENT RIGHT NOW.

AND I KNOW IN MY DISTRICT OF THE DECREE EXTENSION AND HICKORY ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO, I THINK, THE ENTIRE EAST BANK OF JEFFERSON PARISH AND ESPECIALLY THE COMMUNITY OF HARAHAN AND RIVER RIDGE. BUT THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY. THANK YOU BRO. THANK YOU CHAIR. THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN. REPRESENTATIVE JACOB BRO. REPRESENT THE ENTIRETY OF PLAQUEMINES, PART OF ORLEANS AND JEFFERSON PARISH. AND LIKE REPRESENTATIVE HILL TODAY, WE DO HAVE A GOOD CROWD HERE TODAY. AND I DO LOOK FORWARD TO THE PUBLIC COMMENTS TODAY. SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE SOME COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS FOLLOWING THAT. SO THANK YOU, SENATOR CONNICK. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, BRO. REP LYONS THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. AS BEEN SAID BEFORE, IT'S A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE OF AN AREA. THAT'S WHY THESE ROAD SHOWS ARE SO IMPORTANT. AND IT'S GOOD TO LOOK OUT AND ALL THIS AND SEE EVERYONE COME OUT HERE AND AND LOOK AT THE PROJECTS THAT'S THERE AND HAVE QUESTIONS REGARDING THEIR DEVELOPMENT HERE IN JEFFERSON. AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO A VERY GOOD INFORMAL MEETING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. REP LYONS, I WANT TO INTRODUCE AND ACKNOWLEDGE THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS PRESENT IN THE ROOM. WE HAVE HAVE ERIC CHATELAIN FROM HARAHAN COUNCIL, LEO PALAZZO, THE D A ELECT FOR PLAQUEMINES PARISH. MIKE RICKS, THE HARAHAN COUNCIL, JULIUS FELTUS, COMMISSIONER. MATTHEW WILLARDS ORLEANS PARISH COUNCIL MEMBER. MATTHEW WILLARD, ORLEANS PARISH. JOHN ILLG, STATE REP. KEITH HINKLEY, PARISH OF PARISH PLEASANT, PRESIDENT OF PLAQUEMINES PARISH. TIM BODIE, MAYOR OF CITY OF HARAHAN. AND RODNEY LYONS, WHO.

FROM THE WEST BANK ALSO. OKAY. AS MENTIONED EARLIER, WE'RE HERE TO PROPOSE THE HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION PROJECT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027 AND 2028. THIS MORNING WE WERE IN HOUMA, LOUISIANA, AND WE HAD THE SAME PRESENTATION FOR THAT AREA, GETTING THE CONCERNS OF THAT DISTRICT. YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPMENT, AS WELL AS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE YOUR OWN TESTIMONIES AS IT APPLIES TO THE INTEREST IN THE THE CONCERNS OF YOU WHEN IT COMES TO TRANSPORTATION IN THE STATE OF LOUISIANA. WE WILL

[3. SFY 2027-2028 Highway Priority Program]

START WITH THE PRESENTATION FROM DOTD SECRETARY, MR. GLENN LADET. HE WILL PROVIDE A GENERAL UPDATE ON TRANSPORTATION PROGRESS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, AND THEN WE'LL GET INTO SOME DISTRICT SPECIFIC INITIATIVES HERE IN DISTRICT TWO. WE ALSO HIT ON THE HIGHWAY PRIORITY PROGRAM PROPOSED FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR. WITH THAT, MR. SECRETARY, IT'S ALL YOURS.

THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, AS YOU SAID, WE'RE EXCITED TO BE ON OUR SECOND STOP OF THE ROAD SHOW OF TEN STOPS. AS REPRESENTATIVE LYONS SAID, GETTING PUBLIC COMMENT ON OUR HIGHWAY PRIORITY PROGRAM IS CRITICAL TO THE STATE, GETTING FEEDBACK NOT ONLY ON WHAT WE'RE GOING TO CONSTRUCTION WITH THIS YEAR POTENTIALLY, BUT ALSO ON FUTURE PROJECTS. AND SO AS YOU SEE THERE, PLEASE FILL OUT A COMMENT CARD SO THAT WE COULD GET THAT FEEDBACK, IF NOT TODAY, IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE. AS WE GET STARTED, YOU KNOW, AS I STARTED IN HOUMA, ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANT TO REFLECT ON IS THE STATE IS UNDER A MAJOR TRANSFORMATION. AND SO NOT ONLY AT DOTD, BUT REALLY ACROSS THE STATE, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS BOOMING. AND SO CERTAINLY INVESTING IN STATE INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE IS CRITICAL. AND SO YOU SEE THERE, I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, FOR OUR RECORD FOR THE VERY, YOU KNOW, RELATIVE LAST TEN YEARS, $6.7 BILLION HAS BEEN

[00:05:03]

INVESTED IN ROADS AND BRIDGES IN LOUISIANA. JUST OVER THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS, A LOT OF THAT WORK IS UNDERWAY. YOU SEE CONSTRUCTION, HOPEFULLY IN YOUR COMMUNITY. SO WE WE OBVIOUSLY ARE VERY GLAD THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO HAVE PATIENCE WITH US AS WE BUILD THESE PROJECTS. BUT BUILDING THESE PROJECTS FOR OUR COMMUNITIES IS WHAT WE DO. AND SO WE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT INVESTMENT. AS YOU CAN SEE, THAT COULD NOT BE DONE WITHOUT YOUR LEADERSHIP. THE EL TIF PROGRAM, THE LOUISIANA TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM THAT THE GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP THAT YOU HAVE PROVIDED TO GET THOSE INVESTMENTS IN OUR ROADS AND BRIDGES HAVE BEEN CRITICAL. ALMOST $1 BILLION HAS BEEN PUT IN THAT FUND, AND ALL OF THAT WORK IS UNDERWAY. AND SO A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT WE SEE IN OUR COMMUNITIES IS THAT NEW EL TIF PROGRAM. AND SO THAT'S BEEN A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT IN LOUISIANA'S TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM. WE'VE GOT A LOT OF STUFF GOING ON. WE HAVE THE LARGEST PROJECT IN THE STATE'S HISTORY UNDERWAY, THE 2.3 I-10 WIDENING AND CALCASIEU RIVER BRIDGE. WE GOT A LOT OF OTHER MAJOR PROJECTS THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT TODAY, BUT SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENTS. OBVIOUSLY, OUR BACKLOG IS MASSIVE, AND SO COMING UP WITH ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO FUND THIS PROGRAM IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS TRANSFORMATION.

AND SO WE'RE HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE STATE'S HISTORY, WE ALSO STARTED THE FIRST FUNDED STATE INFRASTRUCTURE BANK FOR TRANSPORTATION. SO THAT'S WITH DOTD AND WITH FEDERAL HIGHWAY. WE'RE ABLE TO INVEST THIS YEAR $10 MILLION THAT WILL ALLOW US TO PARTNER WITH COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE TO BUILD TRANSPORTATION THAT THAT CAN'T FIT INTO THIS HIGHWAY PRIORITY PROGRAM. AND SO THAT PROCESS IS UNDERWAY, OBVIOUSLY, LOOKING FORWARD OVER THE COMING YEARS TO CONTINUE TO GROW THAT INVESTMENT. BUT AGAIN, I'D SAY JUST A LOT OF EXCITING WORK THAT'S GOING ON AROUND THE STATE, NOT JUST AT DOTD, BUT WANT TO FOCUS ON THIS INVESTMENT TODAY. AND SO THAT'S BEEN GREAT. AND SO WITH THAT, TODAY WE HAVE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE INVESTING, PARTICULARLY IN CONSTRUCTION, BUT REALLY IN ALL PROJECTS IN LOUISIANA WITH OUR FEDERAL HIGHWAY PROGRAM.

AND THAT'S THE FY 2728 HIGHWAY PRIORITY PROGRAM. AND SO WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO TODAY IN TODAY'S PRESENTATION IS TOUCH ON THIS PROCESS, WHAT THIS MEANS FOR THE STATE. LOOK AT THOSE INVESTMENTS HERE IN DISTRICT O TWO IN THESE PARISHES HERE. AND THEN ALSO ALLOW OUR DA NELSON TO COME UP AND TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON THROUGHOUT LAST YEAR, WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THOSE TIF DOLLARS, AND TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS THAT YOU SEE THAT ARE EITHER UNDER CONSTRUCTION OR UNDERWAY. AND SO WITH THAT CHAIRMAN, I'LL JUMP RIGHT IN. AND SO THE FIRST THING, AS YOU SEE IS, IS WHAT IS THIS HIGHWAY PRIORITY PROGRAM? AND SO THIS IS REALLY OUR OFFICIAL GUIDE FOR PRIORITIZING TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS. AND PART OF THE TRANSFORMATION IS NOT ONLY IMPROVING THE WAY WE PRIORITIZE PROJECTS, BUT ALSO IMPROVE THE WAY WE COMMUNICATE. AND SO FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND FOR THE LEGISLATURE, WE'VE DEVELOPED A GUIDEBOOK TO HELP US REALLY BREAK THIS DOWN.

OBVIOUSLY, THE FEDERAL PROGRAM HAS A LOT OF ACRONYMS AND CAN BE CUMBERSOME, BUT FINDING BETTER WAYS TO COMMUNICATE WHAT GOES INTO OUR PROGRAM IS WHAT WE'VE DONE. AND SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE IN A GUIDEBOOK. I'LL REFERENCE THAT. BUT THIS PROVIDES THAT OUTLINE FOR WHICH ROAD AND BRIDGE PROJECTS WILL BE FUNDED FOR CONSTRUCTION AND SCHEDULED FOR LETTING, BUT ALSO THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE IN DEVELOPMENT. SO WE'LL GO THROUGH THAT. IT ALSO REALLY ENSURES THAT TAXPAYERS REALLY UNDERSTAND WHERE THESE DOLLARS ARE GOING, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE INVESTING IN THE MOST EFFICIENT PROJECTS TO CONTINUE TO PROGRESS THE GROWTH OF OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM. AND SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT TODAY IS ABOUT. AS YOU CAN SEE THERE, WE REALLY HAVE FIVE MAIN GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THIS HIGHWAY PRIORITY PROGRAM, BUT REALLY ALSO A D O, T, D. AND SO I WANT TO JUST QUICKLY GO OVER THOSE. THE FIRST IS WE HAVE 17,000 MILES OF ROADWAY ACROSS THE STATE, 8000 BRIDGES. YOU KNOW, ONE OF OUR TOP PRIORITIES IS PRESERVING THAT SYSTEM, MAKING SURE THAT THOSE ASSETS ARE IN GOOD OPERABLE CONDITION. SO YOU SEE, A MAJOR COMPONENT OF THIS FEDERAL PROGRAM EVERY YEAR IS TO PRESERVE THE SYSTEM. AND THAT'S ONE OF OUR FIRST MAIN GOALS AND OBJECTIVES. OBVIOUSLY, EFFICIENTLY OPERATING THAT SYSTEM IS, IS CERTAINLY PARAMOUNT. SOMETHING THAT WE'RE LEANING INTO IS INCORPORATING NEW TECHNOLOGY IN THE WAY THAT WE OPERATE THE SYSTEM, WHETHER IT'S IN TRAFFIC SIGNALS OR REALLY IN OUR OPERATION DAY TO DAY, IS MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN BE AS EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE AND LEAN INTO THE TECHNOLOGY THAT'S AVAILABLE AS WE OPERATE. IMPROVING SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT.

AND SO YOU'LL SEE WE HAVE DEDICATED DOLLARS TO SAFETY, BUT WE ALSO LOOK AT EVERY PROJECT THAT WE DO AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE EITHER INCREASING THE DESIGN STANDARDS AND MODERNIZING THE DESIGN STANDARDS, BUT ULTIMATELY IMPROVING THE SAFETY OF ALL OF OUR ROADS AND BRIDGES AS WE CONTINUE TO PROGRESS THIS PROGRAM. OBVIOUSLY, OUR STATE IS IN A POSITION OF GROWTH, A LOT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THAT'S OCCURRING. SO EXPANSION OF THE SYSTEM, ADDING CAPACITY AS TRAFFIC CONGESTION INCREASES, AS GROWTH HAPPENS IS CRITICAL.

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WHILE WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF MONEY THAT'S DEDICATED IN OUR FEDERAL PROGRAM, FOR THAT, WE'RE ABLE TO UTILIZE FUNDS HERE TO PARTNER WITH PROJECTS EITHER IN CAPITAL OUTLAY OR OUR MEGA FUNDS TO BUILD THESE LARGE EXPANSION EFFORTS THAT YOU SEE AROUND THE STATE. AND THEN FINALLY, ALL OF THIS GOES INTO WORKING TOWARDS IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF OUR CITIZENS AND OF OUR COMMUNITIES. AND SO THAT'S CERTAINLY OUR MISSION AND THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THESE PROGRAMS AS WE GO AROUND THE STATE. AND SO ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY IS REALLY THE PROJECT STATUS OF ALL OF THESE PRIORITY PROJECTS. AND SO WE'LL GO OVER THAT. THE, THE PROCESS OF PRIORITIZING THESE. BUT AT THIS POINT, WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF ONE OF THE MOST FUNDAMENTAL THINGS IS WHICH PROJECTS ARE GOING TO CONSTRUCTION IN THIS FISCAL YEAR. AND SO WHAT WE, THE TERM FOR THAT IS SCHEDULED FOR LETTING THERE LET FOR CONSTRUCTION AND ADVERTISED TO BE AWARDED FOR CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT. AND SO THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE IN THIS APPENDIX OF THE GUIDEBOOK, AS WELL AS IN OUR HIGHWAY PRIORITY PROGRAM, SHOWCASE THAT. AND THEN THE ACTUAL SCHEDULE FOR WHEN THEY'LL BE LET. THE OTHER PROJECTS WERE ACTUALLY EITHER IN ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN, PRELIMINARY DESIGN OR CONCEPTUAL DESIGN. AND THOSE ARE IN DEVELOPMENT. WE'RE GETTING THOSE PROJECT READY FOR FUTURE FISCAL YEAR HIGHWAY PRIORITY PROGRAMS TO GET CONSTRUCTED. AND THEN THE LAST CATEGORY IS THOSE THAT ARE STILL WAITING FOR FUNDING, EITHER THAT HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED OR BEING DEVELOPED, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WAYS. OFTENTIMES THESE ARE LARGER PROJECTS. ONE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE HIGHWAY 90 BRIDGE BUNDLE UP IN THE PEARL RIVER. WE TALK ABOUT A LOT. WE'VE APPLIED FOR A GRANT. THOSE ARE PROJECTS THAT WOULD BE SHOWCASED IN THIS GUIDEBOOK THAT ARE WAITING FOR FUNDING. AND THEN FINALLY, JUST TRYING TO GIVE YOU SOME ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND. THESE PROJECT TYPES ARE OFTEN CATEGORIZED INTO THESE FIVE BUCKETS, SIMILAR TO THE WAY THAT FEDERAL HIGHWAY LOOKS AT THEM. AS I MENTIONED, THE PRESERVATION PROJECTS DOING MILL AND OVERLAY TYPE EFFORTS AND OTHER EFFORTS TO PRESERVE THE SYSTEM, BRIDGE PRESERVATION AND MAINTENANCE EFFORTS. REALLY ANY WAY THAT WE'RE PRESERVING OUR ASSETS, WE HAVE THE OPERATIONS CATEGORY WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT WAYS TO, TO OPERATE THE SYSTEM. A LOT OF TIMES THAT'S TRAFFIC SIGNAL WORK. ALSO, IT'S INTELLIGENT TRAFFIC SYSTEMS WORK, FINDING NEW AND BETTER WAYS FOR OPERATIONS. AND SO YOU'LL SEE THAT THAT PROJECT TYPE, THE SAFETY CATEGORY, OBVIOUSLY GUARDRAILS, ANY TYPE OF SAFETY FEATURE, BUT EVEN ROUNDABOUTS, WAYS TO IMPROVE INTERSECTIONS AND SAFETY OF INTERSECTIONS FALL INTO THAT CATEGORY. AND THEN AS I MENTIONED, CAPACITY WHERE WE'RE EITHER ADDING BRAND NEW ROADS OR ADDING LANES TO EXISTING ROADWAYS TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL CAPACITY AND EXPANSION OF THE SYSTEM. AND THEN IF THEY DON'T FALL INTO ONE OF THOSE FOUR CATEGORIES, IT'S IN THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY. AND SO WE'LL SHOWCASE SOME OF THESE PROJECTS THAT ARE ACTUALLY FALLING INTO DISTRICT TWO TODAY. AND THEN FINALLY, OF COURSE, A LOT OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY IS THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PART OF OUR, OUR REALLY OUR PORTFOLIO, BUT OUR DISTRICTS AND OUR DEPARTMENT AND OUR CONTRACTORS DO A TON OF WORK ON THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE SIDE. AND SO WE DO OBVIOUSLY UTILIZE A LOT OF OUR REVENUE FOR THIS, BUT WE ALSO GET THE TIF OPERATIONS FUNDING THAT Y'ALL PROVIDE EVERY YEAR. AND SO THAT HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT. YOU CAN SEE THESE NUMBERS HAVE GONE UP. WE'VE GOT 320,000 POTHOLES THAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AROUND THE STATE THIS YEAR. YOU'VE GOT 3229 BRIDGE REPAIR PROJECTS THAT WERE UNDERWAY, OVER 460,000 ACRES THAT HAVE BEEN MOWED AND OVER 91,000YD■!T OF LITTER THAT HAVE BEEN PICKED UP, A SIGNIFICANT UPTICK AND 172,000 TONS OF ASPHALT. AND SO EACH AND EVERY DAY THROUGH THIS TRANSFORMATION, WE'RE FINDING WAYS TO BE MORE EFFICIENT WITH THE TAX DOLLARS THAT WE'RE PROVIDED. BUT MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SEE SHOWCASE THESE INVESTMENTS IN ACTION AND THE WORK THAT OUR DISTRICTS DO ON THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE SIDE. AND THEN FINALLY, AS I MENTIONED THROUGH THIS PROCESS, FINDING WAYS TO BETTER COMMUNICATE OUR PROGRAM.

SO NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE THE PRINT GUIDEBOOK, BUT WE ALSO HAVE OUR WEBSITE, NEW AND IMPROVED WEBSITE. THE QR CODE THERE TAKES YOU DIRECTLY TO THE HIGHWAY PRIORITY PROGRAM SECTION OF OUR WEBSITE. SO YOU CAN LOOK AT ALL OF THESE PROJECTS THAT ARE SCHEDULED FOR CONSTRUCTION, AS WELL AS IN DEVELOPMENT, AND SEE THE GUIDEBOOK AS WELL ELECTRONICALLY, AND LOOK AT ALL THE DIFFERENT PHOTOS OF THE WORK THAT'S BEEN UNDERWAY OVER THE LAST YEAR. AND SO WITH THAT, CHAIRMAN, I'D LIKE TO TOUCH ON THE PROJECT SELECTION PROCESS FOR THE PUBLIC'S BENEFIT AND THEN TALK ABOUT SOME OF THESE PROJECTS THAT ARE ACTUALLY FEATURED IN THIS YEAR'S CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM, BEFORE TURNING IT OVER TO TALK ABOUT THE DISTRICT SPECIFICS. AND SO JUST TO REMIND EVERYBODY, THIS, THIS PROCESS IS A FULL, FULL 12 MONTH PROCESS. SO IT STARTS IN THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION EACH YEAR AFTER THE PRIOR HIGHWAY

[00:15:04]

PRIORITY PROGRAM IS APPROVED, WE START THE PROCESS OF RECOMMENDING PROJECTS THAT WILL BE ASSEMBLED EVENTUALLY INTO A PROPOSED HIGHWAY PRIORITY PROGRAM. AND SO WE'LL GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS. BUT THAT ULTIMATELY CONCLUDES WITH THE DRAFT PROPOSED HIGHWAY PRIORITY PROGRAM THAT GETS SENT TO THE LEGISLATURE AND JOINT TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE EVERY YEAR ON OCTOBER 1ST. AND SO THAT ALLOWS YOU THE FIRST LOOK AT THAT DRAFT PROGRAM, AND THEN THAT FOLLOWS UP WITH THIS ROAD SHOW THAT WE'RE ON TODAY, OUR TEN STOPS AROUND THE STATE, SHOWCASING THIS PROGRAM TO EVERYONE AND GETTING FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC. ALL OF THAT FEEDBACK IS TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION TO PRODUCE THAT DRAFT FINAL, WHICH GOES BACK TO THE LEGISLATURE AND JOINT TRANSPORTATION DURING SESSION TO GET VOTED ON AND APPROVED BY BOTH HOUSE AND SENATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEES. AND THEN THAT WOULD START THE PROCESS FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR. AND SO, AS YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT AT OUR JOINT TRANSPORTATION MEETINGS, WE TAKE ALL OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTS HERE VERY SERIOUSLY AND AND CERTAINLY TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION. THOSE RESPONSES ARE PROVIDED TO THE COMMITTEES, AND THAT FEEDS INTO THE FOLLOWING YEAR'S PRIORITY PROGRAM. THROUGH THAT PROCESS.

YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE A LOT OF DATA. WE HAVE A DATA GOVERNANCE INITIATIVE THAT'S UNDERWAY AT THE DEPARTMENT TO HELP US REALLY BRING AND ANALYZE DATA TOGETHER IN A BETTER WAY. LOOK AT ROADWAY CONDITIONS, BRIDGE CONDITIONS, HOW WE OPERATE THE SYSTEM, THE SAFETY OF THE SYSTEM. WE'VE GOT SIGNIFICANT SAFETY STATISTICS. A LOT OF THOSE ARE NOW AVAILABLE ON OUR EXTERNAL KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATOR PAGE OF OUR WEBSITE. SO THE PUBLIC FOR THE FIRST TIME CAN SEE THIS INFORMATION. TRAFFIC CONGESTION. WE HAVE BETTER INFORMATION NOW THAN WE EVER HAVE WITH PROGRAMS LIKE STREET LIGHT. AND SO ALL OF THAT INFORMATION GETS TAKEN AND THAT WE COULD SEEK STAKEHOLDER INPUT ON THE TYPES OF PROJECTS THAT WE'RE DOING. AND YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF AVENUES THAT WE LOOK FOR THAT. AND AGAIN, THAT'S NOT ONLY LEGISLATIVELY, BUT ALSO YEAR ROUND. SO YOU CAN SEE THAT WITH THAT INPUT, THE, THE COMBINATION OF STAKEHOLDER INPUT AND THE TECHNICAL ANALYSIS THAT THE TEAMS DO, WE ARE ABLE TO PRIORITIZE AND SELECT PROJECTS NOT ONLY FOR CONSTRUCTION, BUT WHAT NEEDS TO BE STARTED FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT. AND SO, YOU KNOW, AS WE MENTIONED THIS, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A LOT OF TECHNICAL ANALYSIS, BUT THERE'S ALSO OUR LONG RANGE PLAN LOOKING AT OUR TEN YEAR PLAN, WHAT NEEDS TO BE CONSTRUCTED. THE AVAILABLE FUNDING IS OBVIOUSLY IMPORTANT.

WE HAVE A LOT OF CAPACITY WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, BUT THAT TAKES SIGNIFICANT FUNDING THAT CAN'T BE AVAILABLE IN THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM. AND SO FINDING WAYS TO REALLY BRING THESE THESE DOLLARS TOGETHER TO BUILD BIGGER AND BETTER PROJECTS IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO DO. AND THEN FINALLY, JUST WANT TO TOUCH ON THE FACTORS THAT ARE CONSIDERED IN THE SELECTION PROCESS. AND SO I'VE MENTIONED THESE ALREADY, OBVIOUSLY, THE CONDITION OF THE NEEDS OF OUR ROADS AND BRIDGES ARE AND THE STRUCTURES THAT WE HAVE ARE IMPORTANT. REALLY THE IMMEDIATE NEED. THINGS POP UP EVERY YEAR THAT WE REALLY DIDN'T FORESEE.

AND SO THOSE THINGS NEED TO BE RECONSTRUCTED. A LOT OF THESE ARE DONE IN OUR EMERGENCY FUND, BUT SOMETIMES CERTAIN LARGE REHABILITATION PROJECTS NEED TO GO IN OUR PRIORITY PROGRAM. AND SO THAT'S TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT. THE TYPE AND VOLUME OF TRAFFIC IS OBVIOUSLY IMPORTANT. BUT ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THINGS THAT WE'RE STARTING TO INCORPORATE IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND POPULATION GROWTH AND GROWTH AND CHANGES IN GROWTH IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

AND SO WITH THE INVESTMENT OVER 260 BILLION, WE'VE GOTTEN THE STATE NOW USING THAT AS A FACTOR FOR WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR THE PROGRAM, NOT ONLY EVERY DAY, BUT WHAT GOES INTO THIS PRIORITY PROGRAM. AND THEN, OF COURSE, EVACUATION ROUTES ARE PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT FOR DISTRICT TWO, BUT REALLY ACROSS THE SOUTH FOR HURRICANES. AND SO THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE CONSIDER. AND OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS ARE COMPLEX REQUIRE RIGHT OF WAY.

AND SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS GO INTO ACCOUNT AS WE MAKE THESE DECISIONS. AND SO WITH THAT, CHAIRMAN, I'D LIKE TO JUMP RIGHT INTO THE 2027 2028 HIGHWAY PRIORITY PROGRAM INVESTMENT. AND SO AS YOU CAN SEE THERE, AND YOU'LL SEE IN THE GUIDEBOOK, THIS YEAR'S INVESTMENT IS $1.3 BILLION OF INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT. THAT'S 217 PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING TO GO TO CONSTRUCTION, AND ANOTHER 532 PROJECTS IN DEVELOPMENT. SO WE'VE GOT A LOT OF PROJECTS THAT WE'RE DEVELOPING. OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, WITH THE TIF MONEY, IF SOME OF THESE CAN'T MAKE THE FEDERAL PROGRAM, IT ALLOWS US OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD THROUGH TIF. AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO RAMP UP THE NUMBER OF PROJECTS THAT WE'RE DESIGNING TO GET SHOVEL READY. BUT YOU COULD SEE THIS YEAR, JUST WITH OUR FEDERAL PROGRAM, WE'VE GOT 938, 31 MILLION THAT'S ALLOCATED TO CONSTRUCTION, ANOTHER 274 MILLION THAT WE'RE DEDICATING TO ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING AND DESIGN WORK SO THAT WE CAN GET THESE PROJECTS READY AND

[00:20:01]

OBVIOUSLY GOT TO SUPPORT THE CONSTRUCTION ADMINISTRATION WITH INSPECTION SERVICES, ANOTHER 87 MILLION THERE. AND YOU COULD SEE, OBVIOUSLY IN THE IN THE PIE CHART, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT GOES TO PRESERVATION, YOU KNOW, AND SO WE'VE GOT TO MAINTAIN THE ASSETS THAT WE HAVE. AND SO THAT'S A LOT OF THE REASON YOU SEE THAT LARGE OVER $500 MILLION INVESTMENT IN THE PRESERVATION SYSTEM WITH THAT TIFF STANDS FOR. YES. SO THAT IS THE LOUISIANA TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE FUND. AND THIS IS GENERALLY STATE CASH THAT YOU, THE LEGISLATURE, PROVIDES TO THE DEPARTMENT TO HELP FUND A LOT OF THE PRIORITIES THAT CAN'T MAKE IT INTO THIS FEDERAL PROGRAM. OKAY. YEP. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THOUGHTS THAT WE'VE HAD, OBVIOUSLY, IS THAT THIS NOT ONLY PARTNERS WITH ECONOMIC INVESTMENT AND DEVELOPMENT, BUT ALSO IS, IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR COMMUNITIES ITSELF. THIS PROGRAM REALLY SUPPORTS OVER 12,000 JOBS A YEAR AND ALMOST $1 BILLION IN LABOR INCOME ACROSS OUR STATE. SO IT'S A SIGNIFICANT EFFORT. OBVIOUSLY, ALL OF THOSE ARE IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THESE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PROJECTS. AND GOVERNOR LANDRY STARTED THAT PROGRAM.

THAT'S CORRECT. AND WITH THAT, I DO WANT TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO PAGE 12 OF YOUR GUIDEBOOK. AND SO YOU COULD SEE THAT BREAKDOWN OF THESE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES 530 MILLION, AS I MENTIONED, IN PRESERVATION. BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT, YOU'VE GOT ALMOST $260 MILLION THAT ARE IN BRIDGE PRESERVATION. AND SO THAT'S MAJOR REPLACEMENTS OR REINVESTMENTS IN BRIDGE WORK ACROSS OUR STATE. AS I MENTIONED, THIS IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT'S SIGNIFICANT. YOU'VE GOT ITS YOU HAVE ROADWAY FLOODING PROJECTS TO PROTECT PROGRAM THAT ARE PART OF OUR OPERATIONS EFFORTS. AND YOU'VE GOT ADDITIONAL SAFETY. THE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ALLOWS US TO HAVE A SAFETY HIGHWAY PRIORITY PROGRAM. AND SO WE'VE GOT 62 MILLION THERE. AND THEN WE'VE GOT OUR MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY. WE'VE GOT TAP AND URBAN SYSTEMS AND ALSO OTHER EFFORTS THERE THAT YOU CAN SEE IN THAT BREAKDOWN. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THAT. AND SO WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO NOW, CHAIRMAN, IS REALLY JUST FLIP THROUGH A FEW PROJECTS THAT ARE PART OF THIS PROGRAM THAT ARE IN DISTRICT TWO IN, IN THESE PARISHES HERE. AND SO YOU COULD SEE JUST ACROSS THE DISTRICT, WHICH INCLUDES BOTH BRIDGE CITY AND OUR BAYOU REGION, IT'S 48 TOTAL PROJECTS AND THIS YEAR'S PROGRAM. AND SO YOU CAN SEE THAT BREAKDOWN THERE, 13 IN PRESERVATION, NINE IN OPERATIONS, FOUR AND SAFETY, AND ANOTHER 22 IN THE MISCELLANEOUS CATEGORY. BUT WE ARE TRYING TO OBVIOUSLY COMBINE FUNDING AT TIMES TO BUILD BIGGER AND BETTER PROJECTS. SO SOME OF THESE PROJECTS CAN INCLUDE MULTIPLE FUNDING SOURCES. AND SO WITH THAT, I'LL JUST TOUCH ON JUST A FEW. THE REST OF THOSE YOU CAN SEE IN THE DETAILED BOOK, AS WELL AS IN THE APPENDIX ON WHAT'S GOING TO CONSTRUCTION THIS YEAR. THE FIRST THAT I'LL TOUCH ON IS THE PROJECT IN SAINT BERNARD PARISH, AND THAT'S THE LA 39 PATCHING AND REHABILITATION WORK. THAT'S FROM LA 47 TO COLONIAL BOULEVARD. AND THIS WILL BE GOING TO CONSTRUCTION IN QUARTER FOUR OF 2027. AND SO A SIGNIFICANT PAVEMENT PRESERVATION PROJECT THERE. IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'VE GOT A PROJECT IN ORLEANS PARISH. WE HAVE THE I-10 PROJECT UP TO UPGRADE, UPGRADE PERMANENT SIGNAGE AND SIGNING STRUCTURES ALONG I-10 IN NEW ORLEANS FROM THE CBD TO I5 TEN. AND THIS INCLUDES BOTH THE MAINLINE RAMPS AND CROSS STREET SIGNAGE. THE LANDSCAPING ALONG THAT AREA.

AND SO THE THE LANDSCAPING IS NOT PART OF THAT, BUT CERTAINLY OBVIOUSLY A PRIORITY AND CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE WOULD LOOK TOWARDS TO HELP SUPPORT IT WAS BAD. YEAH. SO. UNDERSTOOD.

AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'VE GOT ANOTHER A SAFETY PROJECT ON LA 46 AND THAT'S SAINT BERNARD HIGHWAY AT CENTER STREET. AND SO THAT'S REALLY AN ADDITIONAL PROJECT THAT HAS TWO DIFFERENT TYPES OF FUNDING. IT'S GOT A MILL AND OVERLAY, A PRESERVATION TYPE PROJECT, BUT IT ALSO INCLUDES A HIGH FRICTION SURFACE TREATMENT TO INCLUDE A SAFETY FEATURE. AND SO WE'VE ALSO GOT THE ADDITION OF OVERHEAD WARNING SIGNS AND FLASHING BEACONS HERE. AND THEN THE INTERSECTION GEOMETRY MODIFICATION, WHICH WOULD CLOSE THAT MEDIAN AT LA 46 AND CENTER STREET. AND SO SOME SAFETY FEATURES THERE ALONG WITH PRESERVATION, AS I MENTIONED, REALLY A HYBRID PROJECT HERE WITH MULTIPLE FUNDING SOURCES. AND SO WE'VE GOT OBVIOUSLY A SIGNIFICANT SET OF OTHER PROJECTS IN JEFFERSON AND OBVIOUSLY ORLEANS, PLAQUEMINES AND SAINT CHARLES AND SAINT BERNARD. ALL OF THOSE DETAILS ARE NOT ONLY FOUND IN THE APPENDIX IN THIS GUIDEBOOK, BUT ALSO IN THE HIGHWAY PRIORITY PROGRAM ITSELF. AND SO WE CAN

[4. District Transportation Briefing]

[00:25:02]

TALK ABOUT SOME OF THOSE THROUGH THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. BUT AT THIS MOMENT, I WOULD LIKE TO REFLECT ON SOME OF THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE OVER THE LAST YEAR ACROSS DISTRICT TWO, BRIDGE CITY. SO I'D LIKE TO WELCOME DA NELSON UP HERE SO HE CAN TALK TOWARDS THAT, IF YOU DON'T MIND SHARING. THANK YOU. DA. THAT'S RIGHT. DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR. YES, SIR. THANK YOU SECRETARY. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY. AS THE SECRETARY MENTIONED, I'M THE DISTRICT ENGINEER ADMINISTRATOR FOR DISTRICT TWO. I'VE BEEN WITH THE DEPARTMENT FOR OVER 32 YEARS, SERVING IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT CAPACITIES, AND I'M PROUD TO NOW HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD THE DISTRICT. BEFORE I GET STARTED, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR DISTRICT LEADERSHIP TEAM. FIRST, I HAVE MR. ENNIS JOHNSON, OUR ASSISTANT DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR OF ENGINEERING, AND ITS OVERSEES PROJECT DEVELOPMENT AND DELIVERY THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT. NEXT, MR. JUSTIN GUILBAULT, OUR ASSISTANT DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR OVER MAINTENANCE.

JUSTIN OVERSEES OUR DISTRICT MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS. WE ALSO HAVE MR. CORBETT HOLLIER, OUR ASSISTANT DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR, OVER CONSTRUCTION. CORBETT OVERSEES CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT. NEXT, MR. JACOB VON CARL, OUR ASSISTANT DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR OVER OPERATIONS FOR LAFOURCHE AND TERREBONNE PARISHES. JACOB OVERSEES DISTRICT OPERATIONS IN THOSE TWO PARISHES. AND FINALLY, MISS KELLY GUIDRY, OUR ASSISTANT DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR OVER BUSINESS. KELLY OVERSEES THE ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS AND BUSINESS FUNCTIONS THAT SUPPORT OUR DISTRICT OPERATIONS. I'M FORTUNATE TO HAVE AN EXPERIENCED LEADERSHIP TEAM ALONG WITH THE DEDICATED EMPLOYEES THROUGHOUT DISTRICT ZERO TWO, WHO EVERY DAY WORK TO KEEP OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM OPERATING SAFELY AND EFFICIENTLY. BEFORE I GET INTO OUR PROJECTS, I WANT TO EXPRESS MY SINCERE APPRECIATION ON BEHALF OF DISTRICT FOR OUR CONTINUED SUPPORT FROM OUR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION. THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING PROVIDED THROUGH THE LOUISIANA TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE FUND HAS BEEN ESPECIALLY BENEFICIAL TO OUR DISTRICT. IT HELPS US ADDRESS MUCH NEEDED MAINTENANCE IMPROVEMENTS AND CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT OTHERWISE MIGHT HAVE TO WAIT FOR FUNDING. I'D LIKE TO SHARE A FEW EXAMPLES OF HOW WE'RE PUTTING THOSE DOLLARS TO WORK. FIRST IS MOWING AND LITTER PICKUP, PARTICULARLY ALONG OUR INTERSTATE CORRIDOR. KEEPING UP WITH GRASS GROWTH AND LITTER IS AN ONGOING CHALLENGE. WE HAVE ESTABLISHED MAINTENANCE CYCLES, BUT THE NUMBER WE CAN PERFORM IS LIMITED BY OUR BUDGET.

ADDITIONAL FUNDING LETS US SUPPLEMENT THOSE EFFORTS WITH MORE MOWING AND LITTER PICKUP CYCLES. ANOTHER AREA WHERE ADDRESSING IS BRIDGE DRAINAGE. WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER A PROJECT TO CLEAN BRIDGE DRAINS ALONG INTERSTATE TEN. WE HAVE AN IN-HOUSE BRIDGE DRAIN CREW, BUT WITH THE NUMBER OF BRIDGES THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT, THE CREW ALONE CANNOT KEEP UP WITH THE DEMAND. CLEAR DRAINS HELP PREVENT WATER FROM PONDING ON BRIDGE DECKS, IMPROVE CONDITION FOR MOTORISTS AND REMOVE THE VEGETATION THAT CAN GROW FROM CLOGGED DRAINS. THE FUNDING HELPS US SUPPLEMENT OUR WORK WITH OUR IN-HOUSE WORK AND REACH MORE LOCATIONS. A THIRD AREA IS PAVEMENT STRIPING. OUR DISTRICT MAINTAINS 4700 LANE MILES OF PAVEMENT MARKINGS.

OVER TIME, THOSE MARKINGS FADE AND NEED TO BE REFRESHED SO MOTORISTS CAN SEE LANES CLEARLY, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT AND DURING WET WEATHER. WE HAVE IN-HOUSE STRIPING CREWS AND EQUIPMENT.

OUR GOAL IS TO KEEP THAT EQUIPMENT OPERATING AS CONSISTENTLY AS POSSIBLE.

ADDITIONAL FUNDING HELPS US PURCHASE STRIPING MATERIALS AND RAISED PAVEMENT MARKERS SO OUR CREWS CAN ACCOMPLISH MORE WORK. THESE ARE EVERYDAY MAINTENANCE NEEDS, BUT THEY HAVE DIRECT IMPACT ON OUR TRAVELING PUBLIC. ON THE CAPITAL SIDE. ADDITIONAL FUNDING HAS ALLOWED US TO ADDRESS SEVERAL PAVEMENT REHABILITATION NEEDS THAT WERE NOT PREVIOUSLY PROGRAMED FOR CONSTRUCTION. EXAMPLES INCLUDE LA 39 FROM KALEN TO NATHAN LANE, LA 23 FROM WALKER ROAD TO JESUIT BEND AND A PORTION OF LA 3127 FROM THE SAINT JOHN PARISH LINE TO LA 3141. THESE PROJECTS ALLOW US TO IMPROVE DETERIORATED PAVEMENT AND PROVIDE A BETTER DRIVING SURFACE FOR THE PUBLIC. AND NOW TO OUR SLIDES. I'D LIKE TO BRIEFLY REVISIT A PROJECT WE

[00:30:02]

HIGHLIGHTED AT LAST YEAR'S ROUND ROAD SHOW, THE GREEN BRIDGE REHABILITATION. AS YOU RECALL, THIS, APPROXIMATELY $47 MILLION PROJECT INVOLVED REPAINTING IT TO ITS ORIGINAL COLOR, ALONG WITH SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURAL STEEL REPAIRS TO ADDRESS CORROSION RELATED DETERIORATION, FATIGUE CRACKING, AND OTHER STRUCTURAL DEFICIENCIES. IN THIS VIDEO, YOU CAN SEE THE TRANSFORMATION FROM ITS RED COLOR TO ITS NEW GREEN COLOR. IN 2025, THE PROJECT RECEIVED THE LOUISIANA TRANSPORTATION EXCELLENCE AWARD, RECOGNIZING THE COMPLEX COORDINATION AND STRUCTURAL RESTORATION EFFORTS INVOLVED. AND IN 2026, THE PROJECT EARNED TOP REGIONAL HONORS IN AMERICA'S TRANSPORTATION AWARDS FOR THE REGION AND OPERATION EXCELLENCE. THESE AWARDS ARE A TESTAMENT TO THE HARD WORK AND DEDICATION OF OUR. DUE TO THE EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, AND PROJECT PARTNERS. WE ARE EXTREMELY PROUD OF THIS RECOGNITION AND OF THE WORK THAT WENT INTO PRESERVING SUCH AN IMPORTANT STRUCTURE FOR OUR COMMUNITY. THE NEXT PROJECT I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT IS THE HARVEY TUNNEL REHABILITATION. THE TUNNEL ORIGINALLY OPENED IN 1957 AT A CONSTRUCTION COST OF APPROXIMATELY $5 MILLION. THIS REPRESENTS THE TUNNEL'S FIRST FULL REHABILITATION IN NEARLY 70 YEARS. IN 2023, WE BEGAN THIS MAJOR REHABILITATION PROJECT TOTALING APPROXIMATELY 54 MILLION. THE WORK INCLUDED REPLACING INTERIOR WALL AND CEILING TILES, REBUILDING CONCRETE ROADWAY APPROACHES, INSTALLING LED LIGHTING AND UPGRADING VENTILATION, DRAINAGE, PUMPING AND FIRE AND SMOKE DETECTION SYSTEMS. MANY OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS MAY NOT BE IMMEDIATELY NOTICEABLE TO MOTORISTS, BUT THEY ARE ESSENTIAL TO KEEPING THE TUNNEL SAFE AND RELIABLE. THE PROJECT REACHED SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION EARLIER THIS SUMMER, AND I HAVE A LITTLE SHORT VIDEO HIGHLIGHTING THIS WORK. THIS PROJECT REPRESENTS ANOTHER IMPORTANT INVESTMENT IN PRESERVING AND MODERNIZING THIS. THE INFRASTRUCTURE OUR COMMUNITY DEPENDS ON.

ANOTHER PROJECT I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT IS THE LA 406 ROUNDABOUT AT F EDWARD HEBERT BOULEVARD IN PLAQUEMINES PARISH. F EDWARD HEBERT BOULEVARD IS EXPERIENCING CONTINUED GROWTH, RESULTING IN INCREASED TRAFFIC ALONG THIS CORRIDOR. THIS APPROXIMATELY $3.2 MILLION PROJECT WILL HELP ACCOMMODATE THE GROWTH BY IMPROVING THE MOVEMENT OF TRAFFIC THROUGH THE INTERSECTION WITH LA 406, REDUCING CONGESTION AND ENHANCING SAFETY FOR MOTORISTS. CONSTRUCTION BEGAN IN MAY OF THIS YEAR AND THE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN THE SECOND QUARTER OF 27. AND I HAVE A FEW SLIDES HERE SHOWING THE ONGOING WORK.

ONCE COMPLETED, THIS ROUNDABOUT WILL PROVIDE A MORE EFFICIENT INTERSECTION THAT BETTER SERVES THE GROWING TRANSPORTATION NEEDS OF THE SURROUNDING SURROUNDING COMMUNITY. AND BEFORE I CLOSE, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF OPEN COMMUNICATION WITH THE LEGISLATORS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS. AS I SETTLE INTO MY NEW ROLE, ONE OF MY PRIORITIES IS TO STRENGTHEN THAT COMMUNICATION AND PROVIDE REGULAR OPPORTUNITIES TO DISCUSS ONGOING PROJECTS, MAINTENANCE CONCERNS AND TRANSPORTATION NEEDS THROUGHOUT DISTRICT O TWO. YOUR INPUT MATTERS TO US. WE MAY NOT ALWAYS HAVE THE RESOURCES TO ADDRESS EVERY NEED IMMEDIATELY, BUT WE WILL LISTEN, COMMUNICATE OPENLY AND WORK TOGETHER TO FIND SOLUTIONS. AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF DOTD AND THE INVESTMENTS BEING MADE IN OUR TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE.

I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ALL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU NELSON, AND CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR NEW POSITION. I KNOW WHEN WE CALL YOU RESPOND AND THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU. HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS. I DON'T GO TOO FAR. SURE. THE BOTTLENECK BETWEEN I-10 AND KENNER ON

[00:35:06]

VETERANS BOULEVARD. PLEASE DISCUSS THAT IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION. CAN THAT BE BEING WORKED ON? AND SO FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THE BOTTLENECK. ABSOLUTELY. AS YOU COMING INTO TOWN, YOU CAN SEE THE PINCH POINT, WHICH IS PRETTY MUCH THERE AT VETERANS. THERE IS A.

THAT WOULD HAVE TO COME WITH THE EXPANSION OF I-10. AND I BELIEVE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEING WORKED ON. OKAY. BUT IT'S IN THE WORKS. YOU REALIZE THERE'S A PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE FIXED. ABSOLUTELY. YES, SIR. OKAY. WHAT ABOUT THE BOTTLENECK BY US 90 BY THE SUPERDOME? WHEN YOU COME OFF THE CROSS CITY CONNECTION, THAT YOU HAVE THOSE UP RAMPS COMING UP. WE ARE WE CERTAINLY RECOGNIZE THOSE ISSUES THERE. WE'VE CERTAINLY EMPLOYED THE EFFORTS TO TRY TO MITIGATE THAT WITH THE METERING. WE WERE THEY STOLE THE COPPER FROM THE METERS. THEY DID. BUT WE HAVE MANAGED TO RESTORE. OF THE SEVEN LOCATIONS, WE'VE RESTORED FOUR OF THEM BACK INTO OPERATION. AND THREE OF THOSE WERE SO EXTENSIVELY VANDALIZED THAT WE'RE CONTEMPLATING TRYING A SOLAR POWERED SYSTEM INSTEAD. AND THAT'S ONE OF THE ONE OF THE FOUR THAT'S IN OPERATION IS A PILOT FOR US TO SEE HOW THAT WORKS OUT FOR US, AND WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN EXPAND UPON THAT TO THE OTHER LOCATIONS AND GET THEM ALL ONLINE TO TRY TO HELP THAT CORRIDOR. AND THIS MAY BE ONE ALSO FOR THE SECRETARY. WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF INDUSTRIAL INVESTMENT IN THE STATE BETWEEN. AND THANKS. HATS OFF TO THE GOVERNOR FOR HIS GREAT WORK IN PUSHING THIS, AND HAVE NEVER SEEN SUCH AN INVESTMENT IN BATON ROUGE LIKE WE HAVE RIGHT NOW. I'VE BEEN ASKED SINCE 2008, THE GAS TAX HAS NOT BEEN INCREASED TO HELP FUND FOR THESE PROJECTS, BUT THESE INDUSTRIES LIKE SPACE VENTURE GLOBAL, NUCOR, META, ARE THESE COMPANIES HELPING TO FUND THE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED FOR THEIR FACILITIES? YEAH. CHAIRMAN. SO, YES. SO CERTAINLY LIKE IN THE CASE OF META, WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM RIGHT NOW TO HELP DO ALL OF THE PRESERVATION WORK DURING CONSTRUCTION. SO THEY ARE THEY'RE INVESTING IN THAT. AND THEN WE'RE HAVING THOSE EARLY DISCUSSIONS WITH SPACEX AS WELL. SO THE OVERALL INTENT, AS YOU SAID, IS FOR THEM TO DO THAT. HYUNDAI HAS ALREADY STEPPED UP AND PROVIDING SIGNIFICANT FUNDING FOR THE TRANSPORTATION WORK THAT'S GOING ON AROUND THE RIVER PLEX. AND SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS UNDERWAY ON A LOT OF THESE MAJOR, MAJOR PROJECTS. WHAT ABOUT VENTURE GLOBAL? SO VENTURE GLOBAL CERTAINLY IS THE SAME. TO WHAT EXTENT FOR THIS UPCOMING DEVELOPMENT, I THINK WE'D HAVE TO HAVE MORE DISCUSSIONS ON. BUT CERTAINLY WE'VE HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS. I KNOW WE MENTIONED THEY'RE STEPPING UP TO HELP US WITH THE INVESTMENT DOWN IN CAMERON FOR THE FERRY SYSTEM, AND CERTAINLY CAN HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS HERE IN PLAQUEMINES AS WELL. I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE PUSHED PRETTY HARD. YEAH. AND I'M GOING TO ASK YOU THE SAME QUESTION. IT'S COMING FROM ME IN REP BRO. CAN YOU PROVIDE US AN UPDATE ON THE BELLE CHASE BRIDGE? YES. THANK YOU. SO AS YOU KNOW, CHAIRMAN, THAT IS STILL IN LITIGATION. THERE'S BEEN SIGNIFICANT TALKS. CERTAINLY IF THERE WERE A SETTLEMENT TO OCCUR, YOU KNOW WHAT THAT WOULD RESULT IN. CERTAINLY THE GOVERNOR UNDERSTANDS THIS IS SOMETHING FROM THE PAST ADMINISTRATION. IF TOLLING HAD TO RESUME, HE WANTS TO MAKE SURE AND MYSELF AS DOTD SECRETARY, WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE BEST DEAL POSSIBLE FOR THE LOCALS AND FOR THE COMMUNITY THAT WE CAN. ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE'RE CERTAINLY ADAMANT ABOUT IS HAVING AN EQUITY STAKE TO REINVEST IN TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS IN THE REGION, BUT OBVIOUSLY, THIS IS STILL IN LITIGATION. SO VERY EARLY ON, AND CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT THROUGH THIS LITIGATION, WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL OF THE ISSUES THAT AROSE IN THE ORIGINAL ROLLOUT OF THE TOLLING SYSTEM AND THE OPERATION OF THAT. WE CERTAINLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL AMNESTY IS PAID TO ANYONE THAT WAS WRONGFULLY CHARGED. BUT AGAIN, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A DEAL THAT WE HAVE FROM THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION. AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL WAYS TO MAKE IT AS BEST AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. IF TOLLS EVER HAD TO RESUME FOR PLAQUEMINES PARISH AND THE WEST BANK. YEAH.

I WANT TO THANK THE GOVERNOR FOR REALLY ENGAGING IN THIS. I KNOW HE MET WITH ME AND JACOB AND A FEW OTHERS TO, TO TRY TO SEE WHERE DO WE GO? YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM SOME FOLKS IN THE AUDIENCE THAT ARE GOING TO TELL YOU THAT ONCE THIS TOLL GOES BACK ON, IF IT GOES BACK ON, THE BUSINESSES WILL SUFFER TREMENDOUSLY AND MAY GO UNDER. AND THAT'S NOT THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM. IT'S TO BUILD UP THE ECONOMY, NOT DESTROY THE TOLL.

SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ON THIS PROJECT. AND I THINK YOU ALL REALIZE THAT. SO WE GOT TO FIND A SOLUTION. JACOB. SURE. IS THIS ON? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN KOENIG. FIRST, A FEW

[00:40:01]

THINGS TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT CONVERSATION THAT Y'ALL JUST HAD ABOUT VENTURE GLOBAL AND MAYBE HELPING OUT WHATNOT. I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT THE BILL I RAN LAST YEAR, CREATING THAT FUND FOR THE BELLE CHASE BRIDGE WOULD ALLOW A PRIVATE COMPANY TO CONTRIBUTE TO THAT. SO ANY EFFORT OR FROM DOTD OR HELP FROM DOTD, WITH MYSELF AND SENATOR KOENIG TO APPROACH VENTURE GLOBAL TO CONTRIBUTE TO THAT FUND WOULD BE GREATLY HELPFUL. ALSO, JUST TO BE CLEAR, THERE IS NO SETTLEMENT AS OF TODAY, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT. THERE IS NO TIMELINE TO RESTORE THE TOUR TOLLS AS OF TODAY. THERE IS NOT. OKAY. AND I GUESS SOME OTHER QUESTIONS, SINCE I DO HAVE SO MANY CONSTITUENTS IN THE AUDIENCE, PROBABLY FROM MR. CAPOTE AND CONGRATULATE. CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN ON THAT NEW POSITION. YOU MENTIONED A LOT OR THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK OF THE TIF FUNDS. AND I THINK YOU MENTIONED ONE PROJECT ON THE THE JESUIT BEEN OVERLAY. BUT IF YOU IF YOU CAN ELABORATE, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF PROJECTS, AND I DON'T EXPECT YOU TO HAVE THEM ALL IN YOUR HEAD, BUT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE ARE ADDITIONAL PROJECTS IN TIFF THAT ARE COMING TO PLAQUEMINES, NAMELY, AN ADDITIONAL OVERLAY PRESERVATION PROJECT THAT'S SIGNIFICANT GOING SOUTH FROM THE JESUIT BEND PROJECT. I BELIEVE THERE'S A RAISING OF HIGHWAY 39 ON THE EAST BANK.

AND THEN I BELIEVE THERE'S TALK OF AN EXTENSION OF THE TURN LANE ONTO WOODLAND HIGHWAY, WHICH WOULD HOPEFULLY BE EXPEDITED AND COMPLETED BEFORE THE NEW VENTURE GLOBAL WORK COMES. DO YOU HAVE ANY NEWS OR UPDATES ON ANY OF THOSE? SO, SO CERTAINLY THE THE WOULD CERTAINLY TRYING TO COORDINATE THAT AND MAKE AND DO THOSE PROJECTS COMPLETE AND CERTAINLY IN THAT CORRIDOR OF EARLY 23 BEFORE VENTURE GLOBAL GOES AND KICKS IN, WE CERTAINLY. I BELIEVE THE NEXT PHASE OF, OF AN OVERLAY PROJECT IS GOING TO BE FROM, I WANT TO SAY, FROM JESUIT BEND TO THE EMPIRE BRIDGE. THAT SECTION THERE, THE TIMELINE ON THAT CERTAINLY IS TRYING TO BE COORDINATED BEFORE VENTURE GOES IN AND RAMPS UP. WHAT'S THE INVESTMENT ON THAT PROJECT? I DON'T I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION. YOU DON'T MIND? YEAH. REPRESENTATIVE BREAUX, IF YOU DON'T MIND, DEPUTY SECRETARY BEAU BLACK HAS BEEN LEADING THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH VENTURE GLOBAL AND CAN COMMENT ON THOSE, IF YOU DON'T MIND. THANK YOU.

SECRETARY. YEAH. THANKS. REPRESENTATIVE. CHAIRMAN, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME. AND BEAU BLACK, DEPUTY SECRETARY, DOTD. SO WE'VE HAD EXTENSIVE CONVERSATIONS NOT ONLY IN LOUISIANA BUT ALSO IN D.C. WITH VENTURE GLOBAL. THEY'VE BEEN GREAT PARTNERS WITH US. FORMER COLLEAGUE OF MINE, CHARLIE BURT. HE IS LEADING THE CHARGE LOCALLY FOR VENTURE GLOBAL IN PLAQUEMINES. WE'RE SCHEDULED TO MEET NEXT WEEK TO DISCUSS THE UPDATES OF WHERE WE'RE AT ON ALL OF THESE PROJECTS. AS YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE PROJECTS ARE COMPLETED AND DO NOT AFFECT TRAFFIC WHEN THE NEXT RAMP UP OCCURS. OF PERSONNEL FOR THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT OF VENTURE GLOBAL, I WILL TELL YOU THAT PHASE ONE OF THE OVERLAY FROM RUSSELL DRIVE TO WALKER ROAD IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION NOW. THAT IS AROUND A $7.5 MILLION PROJECT.

PHASE TWO WILL BE FROM WALKER ROAD TO NUNGESSER LANE. ACTUALLY, HIGHWAY 11 TO NUNGESSER LANE, WHICH WAS CLOSE TO THE TO THE PARK. THAT IS ABOUT A $9 MILLION PROJECT, AS YOU MENTIONED, THE TURN LANE. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT VEHICLES HEADING NORTHBOUND CAN GET ONTO LA 406 SAFELY. SO WE'VE EXPANDED THAT TURN LANE TO GO FROM LA 406 INTERSECTION.

INTERSECTION WITH 23 NEAR THE TACO BELL. WE'RE GOING TO DO A RECONFIGURATION OF THE MEDIAN, AND WE'RE ALSO GOING TO DO SOME SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS TO INCLUDE A SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF BEAUMONT.

WE'RE GOING TO CLOSE THE TWO ENTRANCES THERE ON THE FRONT. THAT WAY, TRAFFIC AND FLOW SMOOTHER. YOU DON'T HAVE CONGESTION WITH PEOPLE STOPPING TO TRY TO GET INTO BEAUMONT.

WE'VE SPOKEN WITH THE OWNERS OF THE BUILDING AND THEY'RE IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT AS WELL.

THE ROUNDABOUT SHOULD BE WRAPPING UP IN ABOUT A YEAR, WHICH WILL BE BEFORE THE BIG RAMP UP. WE'VE DONE SOME MINOR IMPROVEMENTS WITH SOME MONEY. REP BREAUX, THAT YOU HAVE IDENTIFIED FOR SOME PATCHWORK ON LA 406. WE HAD A LOT OF OTHER WORK DONE THROUGHOUT THE PARISH. I KNOW IN IN JANUARY, FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR, WE EXPECT TO GO OUT TO ADVERTISE FOR A NEW FERRY FOR PLAQUEMINES. THAT WILL BE A $29 MILLION PROJECT. WE JUST CHRISTENED A FERRY IN CAMERON PARISH IN. THAT PROJECT WILL KIND OF MIRROR THE PLAQUEMINES ONE WILL MIRROR THE CAMERON FERRY PROJECT. THANK YOU, DEPUTY SECRETARY. AND I HAVE ONE MORE FOLLOW UP QUESTION. I DON'T KNOW IF IT WOULD BE FOR YOU, THE SECRETARY OR THE DA CAPOTE.

IT WOULDN'T BE A HIGH HIGHWAY PRIORITY PROGRAM MEETING WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT THE

[00:45:03]

PETERS ROAD BRIDGE. SO DON'T DON'T WE HAVE SOME NEWS ON THAT AS WELL? YEAH WE DO. SO THAT'S A 20 NEARLY A $24 MILLION PROJECT FOR PHASE TWO. WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE GET THAT PROJECT OUT AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE'RE MAKING A REDESIGN OF THE EXISTING DESIGN, COMING DOWN FROM 100 TO 73 FOOT. THAT PROJECT HAS BEEN AWARDED, AND WE PLAN ON DOING A A GROUNDBREAKING OF THAT PHASE TWO, WHICH AFFECTS NOT ONLY PLAQUEMINES BUT ALSO JEFFERSON PARISH AS WELL. SOMETIME IN EARLY NOVEMBER ACTUALLY GOES IN REPRESENTATIVE LYONS DISTRICT, I THINK. RIGHT. YEAH. GLAD TO WORK WITH YOU, REPRESENTATIVE. YOU'LL BE GETTING AN EMAIL FROM TY HEBERT PRETTY SOON. REPRESENTATIVES ON THOSE ON THOSE PROJECTS THAT ALL WELCOME NEWS. AND HOPEFULLY OUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE FRENCH GLOBAL TRAFFIC WILL BE MUCH DIFFERENT IN THE COMING YEAR. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'D ALWAYS WANT PAT AND I WOULD ALWAYS WANT UPDATES ON WHATEVER HAPPENS ON THE BELLE CHASE TOLL BRIDGE. Y'ALL KNOW HOW TO CONTACT US.

AND THAT'S I'M GOING TO LEAVE IT AT THAT, I GUESS. THANKS. I CAN ASSURE YOU, I, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED JUSTIN ENNIS AND, YOU KNOW, NELSON, WE TALKED A FEW TIMES A WEEK SPECIFICALLY ON ON TRAFFIC ISSUES, NOT ONLY ON THE WEST BANK, BUT SPECIFICALLY THE VENTURE GLOBAL TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS ALLEVIATED. SO I WANT TO THANK THEM AS WELL.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. SECRETARY LYDIA, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU OR MR. CAPOTE OR MR. BLACK COULD ANSWER THIS, BUT THE DECREE EXTENSION. AND COULD YOU GIVE EVERYBODY AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT AND AND THE PROGRESS AND THE TIMELINE ON THAT, PLEASE? YEAH. I KNOW WE'RE MOVING TO CONSTRUCTION, IF YOU DON'T MIND. WE'VE GOT A DETAILED STATUS OF THAT. MR. JUSTIN GILBERT CAN COME UP AND GIVE THAT STATUS, IF YOU DON'T MIND. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. SO THAT THAT PROJECT IS OUT FOR BID THIS MONTH WILL BE STATE YOUR NAME AND WHO YOU'RE WITH.

JUSTIN GILBERT DOTDADA OF MAINTENANCE. SO THAT PROJECT IS GOING OUT FOR BID THIS MONTH.

WE'LL TAKE BIDS ON THAT THERE. THERE WILL BE AN ASSEMBLY PERIOD. SO IT'LL BE A FEW MONTHS BEFORE THEY GET OUT INTO CONSTRUCTION. I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT ASSEMBLY PERIOD, BUT IT'LL PROBABLY GO TO CONSTRUCTION SOMETIME IN THE MIDDLE OF NEXT YEAR. THAT WILL BE THE EXTENSION. ONCE THE EXTENSION IS COMPLETE, THE OLD HIGHWAY WILL BE TURNED OVER TO JEFFERSON PARISH. SO WE HAVE BEEN IN COMMUNICATIONS. I KNOW SOME PEOPLE HAD SOME CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE. LOOK, IT'S REALLY TOUGH. EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM WE SAT WITH HARAHAN, JEFFERSON PARISH, DOTD, EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT IT. IF YOU ASK FIVE DIFFERENT PEOPLE WITH THE NEW TRAFFIC PATTERN IS GOING TO BE YOU MIGHT GET FIVE DIFFERENT ANSWERS. SO WE ALL WE ALL AGREED THAT THAT LOOK, YOU CAN'T NECESSARILY MAKE AN ASSUMPTION THAT IT'S GOING TO BE RIGHT, THAT WE NEED TO KIND OF BUILD THE PROJECT. MOST OF THE IMPACTS ARE GOING TO BE TRAFFIC RELATED. IT'S GOING TO BE MODIFYING STOP SIGNS AND CONTROLLING HOW TRAFFIC FLOWS. JEFFERSON PARISH TRAFFIC WAS WELL AWARE. THEY SAT DOWN WITH US AND AND THEY'RE GOING TO WORK WITH US AS CONSTRUCTION GOES. WE'RE GOING TO MONITOR THAT AND MAKE ANY ADJUSTMENTS THAT ARE REQUIRED. HAVE ALL THE BUSINESSES ALONG THAT CORRIDOR THAT FACE HICKORY BEEN NOTIFIED OF IF THEY'RE IN VIOLATION OF WHERE THE ROADWAY, BECAUSE I KNOW SOME PEOPLE PARKED BEHIND THEIR BUSINESSES AND USE THAT SOME OF THAT LAND. NOW, HAVE THEY BEEN ALERTED OF OF WHAT'S THEIRS AND WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING TO BE GONE IN THE NEXT YEAR AND A HALF. SO, SO D.O.T. HAS PUT THAT MESSAGE OUT. I BELIEVE YOU'VE HELPED US OUT TO A LOT OF OUR REPRESENTATION HAS WE WE HAVE A DRAFT LETTER THAT'S GOING TO BE HAND DELIVERED TO THE PROPERTY OWNERS THAT ARE ON THAT ROUTE. SO WE'LL HAVE A D.O.T. EMPLOYEE GO OUT AND HAND DELIVER THOSE. WE GIVING THEM A TIME FRAME AND LETTING THEM KNOW THAT, HEY, WE'VE BEEN TELLING YOU THIS IS COMMON. IT'S BEEN COMMON. WELL, NOW IT'S ACTUALLY HERE AND YOU DO HAVE TO MOVE. IF YOU DON'T MOVE, WE WILL START TAKING ACTION. OKAY. AND PEOPLE DO WORRY, LIKE YOU SAID ABOUT THE HICKORY REHABILITATION, BECAUSE ONCE HICKORY IS TURNED OVER TO THE PARISH IN THE CITY, THERE'S CONCERNS THAT THAT ROADWAY BE PROPERLY MAINTAINED AND REHABILITATED FOR THEM NOT TO BE LEFT WITH A ROADWAY THAT'S IN DISREPAIR. I KNOW I'VE MADE THAT TO PREVIOUS DIRECTOR BOYLE AND LET HIM KNOW, AND I KNOW MANY OF THE LEADERS OF THE CITY OF HARAHAN ARE HERE TODAY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING IT UP. I KNOW WE HAD A PREVIOUS MEETING, BUT NOT EVERYBODY WAS THERE AND SOME OF THE RESIDENTS CONTINUE.

[00:50:01]

IT'S HARD TO GET THE MESSAGE OUT, BUT I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS BEING HERE TODAY TO TAKE THOSE QUESTIONS. AND I'M SURE Y'ALL WILL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS OF ANYBODY ON THE WAY OUT OF HERE TODAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? I GOT ONE MORE COMMENT FOR SECRETARY LADY. YOU KNOW I'M ON TO KEEP LOUISIANA BEAUTIFUL BOARD. YES, SIR. I KNOW DOTD IS DONE A GREAT JOB, A BETTER JOB OF CLEANING OUR LITTER. CAN YOU TELL ME HOW MUCH LITTER WE COLLECTED IN THIS STATE LAST YEAR? I KNOW YOU AND I TALKED A MONTH OR TWO AGO. LET LET THE PEOPLE KNOW HOW BAD A PROBLEM THIS IS. YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT POINT. IT'S A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM. AS YOU SAW IN THE NUMBERS WE COLLECTED, 91,000 THIS PAST YEAR. WE'LL EXCEED 100,000 THIS COMING YEAR.

SPENT ALMOST $18.1 MILLION JUST IN LITTER PICK UP ALONE. THAT'S, YOU KNOW, TRENDING TOWARDS TWICE AS MUCH AS OUR NEIGHBORING STATES, MISSISSIPPI AND ARKANSAS AND OTHER AREAS.

AND SO OBVIOUSLY SIGNIFICANT. WE DO HAVE MORE HIGHWAY MILES THAN THEY DO, BUT WE WE CONTINUE TO INVEST IN THAT. WE WANT OUR COMMUNITIES TO LOOK GOOD. WE WANT THE CORRIDORS GETTING INTO OUR COMMUNITIES TO LOOK NICE. AND SO WE TAKE THAT VERY SERIOUSLY. WE WOULD LIKE TO INCREASE THAT INVESTMENT, BUT ALSO TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO REALLY UP THE AMOUNT OF ENFORCEMENT, PARTICULARLY FOR FREIGHT AND FOR GARBAGE TRUCKS AND OTHERS THAT CAUSE ADDITIONAL LITTER THAT WOULD OTHERWISE HELP US TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF INVESTMENT THAT WE NEED TO PUT IN THIS PARTICULAR CATEGORY WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE, I THINK WE CAN WORK TOWARDS. I THINK PREVENTION WOULD BE A GOOD FIRST STEP ON THAT. I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO DO. I KNOW PEOPLE COVER THEIR LOADS INAPPROPRIATELY. YOU KNOW, IT'S ALMOST LIKE A TOKEN. I'LL COVER IT AND IT'S REALLY NOT COVERED. LITTER STILL BLOWS OUT. I KNOW ALONG THIS CORRIDOR YOU'RE THE DISTRICT OFFICE GETS A LOT OF CALLS FROM ME ALONG EARHART, BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY THE TRUCKS RUN TO THE LANDFILL. BUT I THINK WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB ON THAT AND TO PICK IT UP WHEN IT'S WHEN IT'S DOWN. I KNOW YOU GUYS. I KNOW WE'RE PARTNERING WITH A LOT OF PRIVATE COMPANIES TO PICK UP DIFFERENT STRETCHES OF ROAD, CORRECT? YES. WE HAVE A NEW SPONSOR HIGHWAY PROGRAM. WE'VE GOT KEITH'S AC HEATING AND AIR AS OUR FIRST SPONSOR. WE'VE GOT ANOTHER COUPLE OF COMPANIES THAT ARE WORKING THEMSELVES INTO IT. BILLY NUNGESSER AND PERSONALLY SPONSORED A SECTION HIGHWAY. AND SO IT'S A REALLY GOOD PROGRAM. WE'RE TRYING TO INCREASE THE VISIBILITY THERE SO WE GET ADDITIONAL COMPANIES ACROSS OUR STATE. BUT AGAIN, IT ALLOWS A PRIVATE COMPANY TO PROVIDE MONEY TO THIS PROGRAM.

THEY GET MARKETING OPPORTUNITIES, AND THEN THAT REVENUE GOES TO HIRING CONTRACTORS TO HELP PICK UP LITTER ALONG THESE CORRIDORS. SO A GREAT PROGRAM. I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO DOING MORE SO IN THE FUTURE. AND, AND REALLY FROM A SAFETY ASPECT TO LITTER ON THE ROADWAYS, CREATES A ADDED INSURANCE COST. BUSTED WINDOWS, PEOPLE NOT SEEING OBJECTS ON THE ROAD, WHICH MAY CAUSE ACCIDENTS. IT'S ALL IT ALL PLAYS INTO ONE ANOTHER. I THINK PEOPLE ARE STARTING TO BECOME MORE AWARE, JUDGING BY HOW BIG THE KEEP LOUISIANA BEAUTIFUL PROGRAM HAS BECOME OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, AND HOW MANY GROUPS ARE INVOLVED. BUT IT CAN'T JUST BE ONE WEEKEND. IT NEEDS TO BE THE WAY WE LIVE AND PRESENT THIS STATE. IT'S AN IMAGE ISSUE. IT'S A SAFETY ISSUE. IT'S AN INSURANCE ISSUE. IT'S A BEAUTIFICATION ISSUE. AND I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THE DEPARTMENT HAS DONE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AND I ALWAYS HAVEN'T BEEN SUCH A FAN. AND MR. BLACK KNOWS I USED TO BEAT HIM UP PRETTY GOOD ON THIS. SO YOU KNOW GREAT JOB.

THANK YOU. WELL SAID, REPRESENTATIVE ILG. I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE IN THE AUDIENCE JEFFERSON PARISH COUNCILMAN HANS BERGER. SEE YOU IN THE BACK. AND ALSO SAW PLAQUEMINES PARISH COUNCILMAN RONNIE NEWSOM BACK THERE. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE. MR. SECRETARY.

YEAH. JUST TO CLOSE, MR. CHAIRMAN, AGAIN, ALWAYS EXCITED TO PRESENT THIS INVESTMENT IN TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE. I KNOW I SAID IT MULTIPLE TIMES THROUGHOUT THIS PRESENTATION, BUT THIS IS HOW WE GROW OUR COMMUNITIES. THIS IS HOW WE CREATE SUSTAINABLE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES TO GET TO AND FROM WORK TO AND FROM SCHOOL TO AND FROM THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE. AND SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY. NELSON AND HIS TEAM HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB THROUGH THIS TRANSFORMATION. AS YOU SAW TODAY, WE WILL CONTINUE THIS INVESTMENT IN OUR TEAM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN DELIVER FOR DISTRICT TWO AND ACROSS THE STATE. SO THANKS FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT AND LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING THE PUBLIC COMMENTS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. YOU GUYS ARE DOING A TREMENDOUS JOB WITH LIMITED RESOURCES, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOU TO TO

[5. Public Comment]

MAKE THE STATE BETTER. THANK YOU. CHAIRMAN. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. NOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE INTO THE PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION OF THE MEETING. AND THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT'S GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THE TOLLS. I WANT YOU TO TO HAVE YOUR TIME TO SAY WHAT YOU WHAT YOU FEEL.

BUT FIRST OFF, WE'RE GOING TO START WITH THE PORTS. WE HAVE A CARD FROM JENNIFER MARUSIAK PORT ASSOCIATION OF LOUISIANA. JENNIFER, CAN YOU COME ON UP AND. YES, SIR. MR. CHAIRMAN

[00:55:09]

MEMBERS, I'M JENNIFER MARUSAK, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE PORTS ASSOCIATION OF LOUISIANA. THANK YOU FOR HEARING ME OUT TODAY. I WANT TO JUST BRING TO EVERYONE'S ATTENTION THAT IF YOU LOOK AT ALL OF OUR WATERWAYS IN LOUISIANA, WE'VE GOT 14,500 MILES OF AN ECONOMIC DRIVER, AND EVERY ONE OF OUR BACK DOORS, OUR LOWER FIVE MISSISSIPPI RIVER PORTS, COMPRISE THE LARGEST PORT COMPLEX IN THE WORLD. AND EVERY ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT SECRETARY LADY WAS TALKING ABOUT, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, ASIDE FROM THE METAL COMPLEX, IS CENTERED AROUND A PORT. EVERY ONE OF THEM. SO I JUST WANT TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT WHILE WE APPRECIATE THE 39.4 MILLION THAT WE'VE BEEN GETTING FOR OUR PORT PRIORITY PROGRAM, WE NEED MORE. WE NEED MORE TO KEEP UP AND TO GET AHEAD OF OPPORTUNITIES COMING OUR WAY. OUR CURRENT BACKLOG IS 229 MILLION. I KNOW THAT YOU'VE GOT ABOUT 583 MILLION IN SURPLUS DOLLARS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT. JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU THAT THOSE CAN BE USED FOR PORT INFRASTRUCTURE, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. THANK YOU JENNIFER. ALL RIGHT. NEXT UP IS PRESIDENT KEITH HINKLEY, PLAQUEMINES PARISH. WELCOME MR. PRESIDENT. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. KEITH HINKLEY, PLAQUEMINES PARISH PRESIDENT. I'D LIKE TO GET INTO THE RECORD A REQUEST TO SECRETARY LADY ON BEHALF OF THE RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES OF PLAQUEMINES PARISH. I WRITE ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THE BELLE CHASSE BRIDGE. RECENT REPORTS INDICATE THAT THE DEPARTMENT IS DISCUSSING A SETTLEMENT THAT WOULD REINSTATE TOLLS ON THE BRIDGE AT A 27 CENT LOCAL RATE, WITH MONTHLY PASSES AT $10.80 FOR PLAQUEMINES PARISH RESIDENTS AND $33 FOR OTHERS. BEFORE THE STATE SETTLES WITH PLENARY OR ANY OTHER PARTY IN PENDING TOLL LITIGATION, I RESPECTFULLY ASK THE DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE THE PARISH AND THE STATE LEGISLATURE THE PRICE TO BUY OUT THE CONCESSION AND MAKE THE BRIDGE PERMANENTLY TOLL FREE. NEITHER THE PARISH NOR THE LEGISLATURE CAN JUDGE A SETTLEMENT WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT THE ALTERNATIVE COST PLENARY INVESTED ROUGHLY 70 MILLION IN A $170 MILLION BRIDGE AND AN A SETTLEMENT THAT RESTORES TOLLS FOR THE REST OF THE CONCESSION TERM COULD RETURN FAR MORE THAN THAT TO PLENARY PAID BY THE RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES OF BELLE CHASSE AND PLAQUEMINES PARISH. SINCE TOLLS WERE SUSPENDED, BELLE CHASE BUSINESS OWNERS REPORT THAT SALES HAVE IMPROVED MONTH AFTER MONTH. A BUYOUT MAY COST THE STATE LESS, AND WE SHOULD KNOW WHICH PATH IS CHEAPER BEFORE THE STATE COMMITS TO ANY ONE OF THOSE IDEAS. SPECIFICALLY, I REQUEST THE FOLLOWING. THE EARLY HAND BACK PRICE. THE AMOUNT THE STATE WOULD OWE PLENARY TODAY TO EXERCISE THE DEPARTMENT'S EARLY HAND BACK OPTION UNDER THE COMPREHENSIVE AGREEMENT.

PLEASE SHOW EACH COMPONENT SEPARATELY, INCLUDING OUTSTANDING DEBT EQUITY, ANY MAKE HOLE OR BREAKAGE COST AND ANY OTHER AMOUNTS, AND SHOW HOW THE PRICE CHANGES FOR EACH YEAR.

THE OPTION IS NOT EXERCISED. THE TERMINATION FOR DEFAULT FIGURE WHAT THE STATE WOULD OWE IF ANYTHING IN THE AGREEMENT WERE TERMINATED FOR PLENARY DEFAULT. PLEASE INCLUDE THE DEPARTMENT'S VIEW OF WHETHER THE INVOICES, ADMINISTRATIVE FEES AND PENALTIES CHARGED TO PLAQUEMINES DRIVERS GIVE THE STATE GROUNDS FOR DEFAULT PROJECTED TOLL REVENUE. THE TOLL REVENUE PLENARY IS PROJECTED TO COLLECT OVER THE REMAINING TERM UNDER BOTH THE ORIGINAL RATES AND ANY PROPOSED SETTLEMENT RATES, AS SHOWN IN THE PROJECT'S FINANCIAL MODEL.

THE TERMS OF ANY PROPOSED SETTLEMENT, ANY TERM SHEET, DRAFT OR OFFER, EXCHANGE WITH PLENARY OR ANY OTHER PARTY, INCLUDING THE REPORTED 27 CENT STRUCTURE AND WAIVER OF THE STATE'S CLAIMS OR THE DRIVER'S PRIOR TOLLS AND PENALTIES, AND ANY CHANGE TO THE HANDBOOK TERMS. A WRITTEN ASSURANCE, A COMMITMENT THAT THE DEPARTMENT WILL NOT SIGN ANY SETTLEMENT AMENDMENT AGREEMENT THAT REINSTATES TOLLS, WAIVES THE STATE'S CLAIMS OR CHANGES THE HAND-BACK TERMS UNTIL THE LEGISLATURE HAS RECEIVED THIS INFORMATION AND HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACT IN THE 2027 LEGISLATIVE SESSION. THE LEGISLATURE HAS ALREADY GIVEN ITSELF AND OUR DELEGATION A DEFINED ROLE IN THIS DECISION. ACT 73 OF 2024 BY REP BREAUX AUTHORIZES PARTNERSHIP, REVENUE OR CREDITS TO BE USED TO PAY THE DEVELOPER FOR EXERCISING THE DEPARTMENT'S EARLY HAND BACK OPTION. IT ALSO REQUIRES THE SECRETARY TO NOTIFY

[01:00:01]

PLAQUEMINES PARISH LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION AND OBTAIN APPROVAL FROM THE JOINT LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, HIGHWAYS AND PUBLIC WORKS BEFORE USING THAT MONEY. HOUSE BILL 488, ALSO BY REPRESENTATIVE JACOB BREAUX, WHICH PASSED THE HOUSE AT 99 TO 0 IN 2026, WILL RETURN IN THE 2027 REGULAR SESSION TO FUND A BUYOUT. AND SENATOR PAT CONNICK HAS COMMITTED TO CARRY COMPANION LEGISLATION IN THE SENATE. PLAQUEMINES PARISH FULLY SUPPORTS THOSE EFFORTS, AND THE HAND BACK PRICE IS THE NUMBER THEY NEED TO SUCCEED. I UNDERSTAND SOME OF THIS INFORMATION MAY BE SENSITIVE WHILE LITIGATION IS PENDING, BUT THE BUYOUT PRICE ITSELF IS PUBLIC OBLIGATION OF THE STATE AND THE PEOPLE OF PLAQUEMINES PARISH, WHO WOULD ULTIMATELY BEAR THE COST, ARE ENTITLED TO KNOW IT. TO THE EXTENT ANY RESPONSIVE DOCUMENT IS A PUBLIC RECORD, PLEASE TREAT THIS LETTER AS A REQUEST. UNDER THE LOUISIANA PUBLIC RECORDS LAW. I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST A RESPONSE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND ASK SENATOR CONNICK AS CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, HIGHWAYS AND PUBLIC WORKS TO TAKE IT UP AT A HEARING ON THIS ISSUE BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, PLAQUEMINES PARISH SHARES THE GOVERNOR'S VIEW THAT THIS WAS A BAD DEAL AND IS A BAD DEAL.

KNOWING THE PRICE OF THE ENDING IS THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS A BETTER ONE. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AND OUR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION TOWARD A TOLL FREE BRIDGE IN BELLE CHASSE AND IN PLAQUEMINES PARISH. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT BRIDGES ARE SUPPOSED TO CONNECT COMMUNITIES AND CREATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. WHAT THIS BRIDGE HERE NOT ONLY DISCONNECTED OUR COMMUNITY OF PLAQUEMINES PARISH, BUT IT ALSO DISCONNECTED THE COMMUNITY OF THE WEST BANK OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, WHICH IS JEFFERSON PARISH AND PLAQUEMINES PARISH, ALONG WITH A PORTION OF ORLEANS PARISH. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I DO BELIEVE WITH REPRESENTATIVE AND SENATOR CONNICK, WE HAVE A CLEAR VIEW IN A DIRECTION THAT WE CAN GO IN IN THE FUTURE. AND I JUST ASK THAT SECRETARY LADAY, ALONG WITH THE GOVERNOR, PLEASE RESPECT THESE REQUESTS AND LET US DO SOMETHING IN THE FUTURE IN THE 2027 LEGISLATION. SO THANK YOU. BRO. THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN KOENIG. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU, PRESIDENT HINCKLEY. IT'S A COMPLICATED ISSUE. AS WE'VE DISCUSSED AT LENGTH BACK HOME WITH WITH EVERYONE THAT LIVES THERE. AND THERE IS A ROADMAP TO, TO PAY OFF THIS BRIDGE. AND IT WAS PRESENTED IN THIS PAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION. AND WE NEED THAT BUYBACK FIGURE. YOU KNOW, GLENN, I DON'T THINK THERE'S A TIME. I DON'T ASK YOU ABOUT THAT ALL THE TIME, BUT THERE IS A ROADMAP. WE WANT TO FOLLOW THAT ROADMAP. AND IF ANYONE HAS ANY OTHER IDEAS ON HOW TO PAY THIS BRIDGE OFF, WE'D LIKE TO EXPLORE THAT. LET ME KNOW. AND THANKS AGAIN, PRESIDENT HINCKLEY, FOR THOSE THAT ELOQUENT WORDS. THANK YOU JACOB. ALL RIGHT. NEXT UP IS KATIE. HELP ME OUT HERE. VUJNOVIC. I WAS CLOSE. KATIE IS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER IN PLAQUEMINES PARISH. GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN, KATIE. GOOD TO SEE YOU. QUESTION REAL QUICK. JUST TALK ABOUT THE WALKER ROAD BRIDGE. IS THAT ALSO GOING TO HAVE A TOLL ON IT WHEN IT'S COMPLETED. DO YOU KNOW IF I HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IT? NO. OKAY. PETERS ROAD. YEAH. NO. IT WILL HAVE A TOLL. YEAH. TO BE DETERMINED. SO IT MIGHT HAVE A TOLL. OKAY. SO MY NAME IS KATIE VOINOVICH. I AM A VERY SMALL BUSINESS OWNER FROM PLAQUEMINES PARISH. I OWN HAAS 131 WOMEN'S BOUTIQUE IN OUR PARISH. I AM THE ONLY WOMEN'S BOUTIQUE IN OUR PARISH. THESE NUMBERS SHOULD SPEAK VOLUMES. MY BUSINESS WAS ON TRACK FOR 20% GROWTH, AS IT IS EVERY YEAR IN THE 15 YEARS THAT WE HAVE BEEN OPEN, FROM THE MOMENT THAT THE TOLLS STARTED, OUR SALES DROPPED 70%. AFTER THE FIRST MONTH OF TOLLS BEING COLLECTED. THAT HAPPENED FOR MONTHS. ONCE THE TOLLS CAME BACK, IT TOOK ME SEVEN MONTHS TO BEGIN DIGGING OURSELVES OUT OF THE HOLE THAT THE TOLLS PUT US IN. SINCE THE TOLLS HAVE BEEN REMOVED. WE CAN NOW SAY THAT WE ARE BACK UP 20%

[01:05:09]

FROM OUR PREVIOUS YEAR, WHICH WAS 2024. BUT WE'RE STILL RECOVERING. AND JUST TO PUT COMPARISON, BECAUSE IT'S NOT EVEN 70%. SEPTEMBER 2025 TO SEPTEMBER 2026 OF THIS YEAR. SO JUST IN THAT ONE MONTH, BECAUSE THAT WAS A TOLL MONTH, MY REVENUE WAS DOWN 100 AND OR I'M UP 118% THIS YEAR COMPARED TO SEPTEMBER OF LAST YEAR. SO TO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE, I LOST OVER HALF OF MY REVENUE IN ONE MONTH OVERNIGHT BECAUSE OF TOLLS. SO YOU CAN'T JUST SAY THAT IT WAS WE LOST A FEW THOUSAND DOLLARS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT WAS THE TOLLS, MAYBE IT WAS THE ECONOMY. THE TOLLS CRUSHED OUR BUSINESS, CRUSHED US. OTHER BUSINESSES HAD TO CLOSE. WE WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO SURVIVE, BUT SOME BUSINESSES DID CLOSE. DID ONE OF YOUR CUSTOMERS HAVE A BILL FOR $50? SO NOW THAT HOW MUCH DOES THE DRUG COST? OH, IT WAS LESS THAN HER. WHAT? SHE WAS CHARGED FOR THE TOLL. BUT EVEN NOW THAT WE NO LONGER HAVE TOLLS, WE STILL DON'T HAVE CUSTOMERS COMING BACK. BECAUSE I HAD A CUSTOMER WHO WAS CHARGED $70 FOR ONE TRIP TO MY STORE BECAUSE SHE WAS CHARGED A $25 ADMIN FEE TO COME THERE, A $25 ADMIN TO LEAVE BECAUSE YOU'RE TOLD IN AND OUT OF THE PARISH. SO JUST HER ADMIN FEES ALONE WERE $50 ON TOP OF THE TOLL ON TOP OF THE MAILING FEE FOR HER TO COME INTO MY STORE FOR, I THINK HER RECEIPT TOTAL WAS $48. NEEDLESS TO SAY, SHE DIDN'T COME BACK. AND NOW I TOLD HER, HEY, THE TOLLS ARE GONE. SHE'S. SHE DOESN'T TRUST IT, RIGHT? SO CUSTOMERS ARE STILL NOT COMING BACK EVEN THOUGH THE TOLLS AREN'T THERE. SO THE TOLLS NEED TO PERMANENTLY BE GONE BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T JUST TAKE MONEY FROM DRIVERS. THEY TOOK OUR CUSTOMERS AWAY FROM LOCAL BUSINESSES AND CAUSE LASTING DAMAGE. SO BRINGING THOSE TOLLS BACK WOULD UNDO THE PROGRESS THAT WE FOUGHT SO HARD TO MAKE, TO GET THE CUSTOMERS WHO ARE COMING BACK TO COME BACK. BUT I'M AFRAID IF THEY DO COME BACK, IT WILL PUT US PERMANENTLY OUT OF BUSINESS. SO PLEASE HELP US FIND THE MONEY TO PAY OFF THE BRIDGE PERMANENTLY AND REMOVE THE TOLLS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. KATIE. HOLD ON, HOLD ON. THANK TO. TO PUT IT IN A MORE SIMPLER WAY, I GUESS ONE. THANK YOU FOR COMING TO TESTIFY. YOU'VE DONE THAT BEFORE. WE'VE WORKED TOGETHER ON THIS. YOU'VE DONE GREAT. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP. BUT IT IS. IS IT FAIR TO SAY THAT WHETHER IT'S A 25 CENT TOLL FOR PLAQUEMINES, THE ENTIRE WEST BANK, WHAT HAVE YOU, IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER AT THIS POINT BECAUSE TOLLS WERE DONE OR THE ADMINISTRATION OF WAS DONE SO POORLY THAT THERE'S A PERMANENT DAMAGE TO BELLE CHASE SMALL BUSINESSES BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE READJUSTED THEIR HABITS ON WHERE WHERE THEY GO GET A HAIRCUT OR WHERE THEY SHOP OR WHAT HAVE YOU, THAT THERE'S A PERMANENT AND THERE'S NO WAY TO FIX THAT. SO IF THE TOLLS WOULD HAVE BEEN WHAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE AT THE BEGINNING, $0.25 AND PEOPLE DIDN'T HAVE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN FEES, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FINE. BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT HAPPENED. IT PUT PEOPLE IN FINANCIAL RUIN, NOT JUST BUSINESSES. WE HAVE RESIDENTS WHO HAD $7,000 BILLS. SO IT'S A BLACK EYE. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT WAS A PENNY, IT DOES NOT MATTER IF IT WAS A PENNY. PEOPLE WILL NOT COME IF THERE'S A TOLL BECAUSE THE TRUST IS GONE. THEY DO NOT TRUST. IT'S NOT IT'S NOT ABOUT THE TOLL ANYMORE. THEY DON'T TRUST THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE CHARGED. ALL OF THESE ADMIN FEES, MAILING FEES, BECAUSE IT WASN'T JUST THE ADMIN FEES, IT WAS ALSO A LATE FEE AND A MAILING FEE. THE TRUST IS GONE. IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THE TOLL IS A PENNY, THEY WILL NOT COME BACK.

SO IF TOLLS COME BACK, IT'S A PERMANENT HARM ON YOUR BUSINESS. PERMANENT HARM ON MY BUSINESS.

IT IT STILL IS A PERMANENT HARM ON MY BUSINESS. BUT WE ARE ABLE TO RECOVER. BUT I STILL THINK IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LONG TIME. LET'S JUST SAY THE TOLLS DON'T COME BACK. IT'S STILL GOING TO TAKE ME A LONG TIME TO GET SOME OF THOSE CUSTOMERS WHO HAVEN'T RETURNED TO TRUST THAT, HEY, THE TOLLS AREN'T COMING BACK, PLEASE COME BACK. SO IT ALREADY IS HARD. BUT IF THEY COME BACK, WE WE'LL HAVE TO MOVE. EXACTLY. THANK YOU. THANKS. THANK YOU. KATIE. THANK YOU, RAP BRO.

MISTER SOUTH, SAINT PHILIP. THE SEAFOOD RIGHT NEXT TO THE BRIDGE. GOOD AFTERNOON. SOUTH SAINT PHILIP, OWNER OF SALVO SEAFOOD. I APPRECIATE THIS OPPORTUNITY, GENTLEMEN, TO TALK AGAIN. WE'VE WE'VE BEEN IN FRONT OF BOARDS FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS TRYING TO

[01:10:01]

TRYING TO GET THE TOLLS DISMISSED. RIGHT NOW. IT'S IT'S PRETTY DECENT IN BUSINESS WITH THE TOLLS GOING. BUT KATIE TOUCHED ON A GOOD PART WHERE THE PUBLIC TRUST IS GONE ALTOGETHER. I MEAN, THEY'RE JUST NOBODY'S HAPPY WITH IT. THEY WON'T COME INTO BELLE CHASE TO DO BUSINESS. YOU PROBABLY HAVE 12 TO 15 BUSINESS OWNERS FROM PLAQUEMINES PARISH THAT ARE HERE AND INTERESTED IN WHEN PEOPLE HAVE TO SAY TODAY. WITH THAT BEING SAID, YOU KNOW, I DON'T CARE IF IT'S $0.25. WE STILL HAVE A BLACK EYE IN PLAQUEMINES PARISH, AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET OVER THAT. WE ARE ONE ROAD TOWN. WE WE GO DOWN 90 MILES. WE STRETCH DOWN THAT ROAD 90 MILES. AND AND WE DESTROYED IT WITH A TOLL. I MEAN, WHEN BUSINESSES ARE LOSING 20%, 30% A MONTH, THAT'S NOT RIGHT. I MEAN, WE WORKED ALL OUR LIVES TO BUILD THOSE BUSINESSES. AND JUST IN A MATTER OF FOUR MONTHS, IT'S GONE. YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY HARD TO DEAL WITH LIKE THAT. AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNOR SAID THAT THAT HE'S GOT HIS EAR ON AND HE'S LISTENING AND HE WANTS TO MAKE IT WORK. RIGHT. WE ALL WANT TO MAKE IT WORK. AND IT ALL STARTS WITH A NUMBER. LIKE PRESIDENT HINCKLEY SAID, IT STARTS WITH A NUMBER. BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TOLLS IN OUR AREA, RIGHT, THERE'S A TOTAL OF SIX BRIDGES, INCLUDING THE BELLE CHASE BRIDGE WOULD BE SEVEN. RIGHT OUT OF THOSE SIX BRIDGES. OUT OF THOSE, SIX IS WOODLAND ROAD, STONEBRIDGE AND LAFITTE, LAPALCO BRIDGE, WESTBANK EXPRESSWAY, HARVEY TUNNEL AND FOURTH STREET BRIDGE ON THE CANAL BY THE LOCKS. ALL OF THOSE BRIDGES ARE WITHIN THAT THAT 12 MILE AREA. YOU KNOW, THE ONE THING THEY HAVE IN COMMON? THEY CROSS THE SAME BODY OF WATER, THE INTERCOASTAL CANAL, THE ONE THING THEY HAVE IN COMMON, NOT ONE OF THOSE HAVE A TOLL ON THEM. THE ONE THING THAT WE HAVE THAT'S OPPOSITE OF EVERYTHING ELSE IS WE HAVE A TOLL IN PLAQUEMINES PARISH OVER A BRIDGE THAT CROSSES THE SAME CANAL. WE HAD A TUNNEL THERE. THEY JUST SPENT $55 MILLION. CORRECT? 5455 THANK YOU. $55 MILLION ON HARVEY TUNNEL, TWICE THE SIZE OF OUR TUNNEL. SO MAYBE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN LESS. MAYBE IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A LITTLE BIT BETTER FOR THE FOR THE PEOPLE IN PLAQUEMINES PARISH. I'M NOT SAYING THE BRIDGE IS NOT NICE. I'M JUST NOT SAYING IT'S WORTH THAT KIND OF MONEY. YOU KNOW, IF Y'ALL CAN FIND THE MONEY TO HELP US, WE WOULD APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU MISTER. SO NEXT UP IS AMELIA BULJEVIC. WELCOME. I'LL BE QUICK. THEY TOUCHED ON A LOT OF THE SAME THINGS. WE'RE ALL HAVING. OH, SORRY. AMELIA VOINOVICH, SALVO SEAFOOD. WE'RE ALL HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS. I JUST KIND OF WANT TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE, Y'ALL. Y'ALL SEEN US? WHEN THE TOLLS WERE IMPLEMENTED. I WAS ABLE TO GIVE YOU THAT. OUR SALES WERE IN THE START OF 2025. WE WERE UP 23% IN JANUARY, FEBRUARY, UP 34%, MARCH 14TH PERCENT, APRIL 20TH 3% WERE REINVESTED INTO THE PARISH. REINVEST IT INTO OUR BUSINESS.

WE GREW. TOLLS WERE IMPLEMENTED. IN MAY 2025. SALES WENT DOWN 3% COMPARED TO 2024. IN JUNE, THEY WERE DOWN 19%. JULY IS AN OUTLIER BECAUSE CRAWFISH EXTENDED A LOT. IT'S AN OUTLIER, BUT IT STILL WASN'T GROWTH THAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING. BUT THE PATTERN CONTINUED IN AUGUST. WE WERE DOWN 14% IN SEPTEMBER, DOWN 7% ONCE THE TOLLS WERE PAUSED IN OCTOBER 2025, OUR SALES WENT UP 1.2% COMPARED TO 2024 IMMEDIATELY. RIGHT. AND THAT'S ONLY WITH A LITTLE CAMPAIGN THAT SAID, HEY, TOLLS ARE OFF. PEOPLE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW ABOUT IT. EVER SINCE THE TOLLS WERE REMOVED, OUR SALES WENT BACK TO NORMAL. JANUARY, WE WERE UP 14%, FEBRUARY UP 14%, MARCH 4TH PERCENT. PATTERN CONTINUES. I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT OUR SALES ARE 22% MORE THIS SEPTEMBER COMPARED TO THE WORST OF LAST YEAR, SEPTEMBER. RIGHT BEFORE, WHEN THE TOLLS WERE ACTIVE, I SAID IT'S HARD TO DISPUTE THAT OUR POOR SALES WERE DIRECTLY RELATED TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE TOLLS. SEPTEMBER 2025 WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE WORST MONTHS EVER IN 42 YEARS. WE'VE NEVER GONE MONTH AFTER MONTH WITH OUR SALES GOING DOWN 42 YEARS. THAT'S COVID, THAT'S HURRICANES, THAT'S THAT'S ALL KINDS OF STUFF THAT WE'VE WEATHERED. WE CAN'T GO BACK TO SEPTEMBER 2025. IT DOES NOT MATTER WHAT THE TOLL IS THERE. THE THERE CAN'T BE A TOLL $0.25, $10, $1, WHATEVER IT IS, YOU CAN'T DO ENOUGH ADVERTISEMENT TO

[01:15:04]

CONVINCE PEOPLE THAT IT'S OKAY. NO TOLL, ZERO NOTHING. IF TOLLS WERE REINSTATED AT ANY AMOUNT, I'D SERIOUSLY BE CONCERNED FOR OUR BUSINESS AND FOR THE PARISH. EVERYONE CAN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE TOLLS ARE A PROBLEM. EVERYBODY'S HAD THE SAME ISSUES AS US. GOVERNOR LANDRY WAS, WAS THANKFULLY ABLE TO SEE IT, AND HE HELPED US BY PAUSING THEM. WE KINDLY ASK THAT YOU HELP US ALSO. PLEASE HELP US FIND THE MONEY TO PAY OFF THE BRIDGE. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU.

AMELIA. AND THE BRIDGE IS LESS THAN A MILE LONG. CRAZY, CRAZY. ALL RIGHT. YOU COULD PROBABLY THROW A STONE ACROSS. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. MR. AUSTIN PLAYS ON B AND B TACKLE. OKAY. AND, AUSTIN, MAKE SURE YOU EXPLAIN HOW YOU MOVE YOUR BUSINESS TO THE BASE OF THE BRIDGE TO CATCH THE, THE THE THE, THE BOATS GOING DOWN TO VENICE FOR SURE. ALL RIGHT. MY NAME'S AUSTIN PLAISANCE. I'M THE OWNER OF B AND B TACKLE IN BELLE CHASSE, LOUISIANA. SO WE WE MOVED THE BUSINESS FROM MARRERO IN 2018. TWO PLAQUEMINES PARISH. AND YOU KNOW, I LIVE IN PLAQUEMINES PARISH. I LIVE OFF OF WOODLAND HIGHWAY. SO I, I FELT LIKE, YOU KNOW, BEING A GUIDE IN VENICE, LOUISIANA AND STUFF LIKE THAT, THAT WE NEEDED SOME TYPE OF TACKLE STORE, SOME SPORTING GOODS STORE IN PLAQUEMINES PARISH. SO WE DECIDED TO MOVE IT INTO PLAQUEMINES SO I COULD, YOU KNOW, GET THE BUSINESS THAT WERE BOAT TRAFFIC AND THE GUYS, THE FISHERMEN THAT COME FROM OUT OF STATE TO THE FISHING CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, WHICH IS VENICE, LOUISIANA. AND A LOT OF THESE GUYS HAVE REALLY BIG BOATS. THEY TRAVEL, YOU KNOW, FROM GOD KNOWS, GEORGIA ANYWHERE IN CREATION TO COME TO PLAQUEMINES, TO GO FISHING OFFSHORE, FISHING, INSHORE FISHING IN VENICE. SO FOUND A PERFECT SPOT AND DECIDED TO OPEN UP A TACKLE STORE AND CONSTANTLY GREW IT YEAR IN YEAR AND YEAR. I HAVE ABOUT $2.5 MILLION WORTH OF INVENTORY IN MY STORE, SO I'M NOT A VERY SMALL STORE. I DO A LOT OF VOLUME, SELL A LOT OF BIG REELS, SELL A LOT OF EQUIPMENT, AND I SELL A LOT OF STUFF TO ALL THE OFFSHORE GUYS IN VENICE. SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE GREW CONSTANTLY. I SUNK A TON OF MONEY INTO IT. I PRETTY MUCH FUNDED MY LIFE OFF OF GUIDING FOR LIKE FIVE YEARS UNTIL I ACTUALLY STARTED WRITING MYSELF A CHECK AT THE STORE. SO WHAT HAPPENED IS, IS, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY TOLL TOOK PLACE. WE DIDN'T SEE A DRASTIC DECLINE IN BUSINESS RIGHT AWAY FROM THAT BECAUSE A LOT OF OUR PEOPLE WERE COMING FROM OUT OF TOWN. RIGHT. AND A LOT OF PEOPLE HAD NO IDEA WHAT THIS WAS AND, AND WHAT WAS HAPPENING, YOU KNOW, AND FOR SO FOR MONTHS, YOU KNOW, I WOULD GET PHONE CALLS FROM PEOPLE AND STUFF LIKE THAT. LIKE, DUDE, WHAT IS THIS BILL THAT I GOT? YOU KNOW, THAT I, YOU KNOW, THIS GUY FROM GEORGIA CAME AND, YOU KNOW, HEY, I CAME WENT TO PLAQUEMINES PARISH TO GO FISHING AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I GOT, YOU KNOW, A GIANT BILL FOR JUST CROSSING THE BRIDGE WITH, WITH MY BOAT. AND I, YOU KNOW, KIND OF HAD TO EXPLAIN IT TO HIM AND STUFF LIKE THAT. AND, YOU KNOW, IT KIND OF GETS BACK TO WHERE THE OTHER PEOPLE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE, THE, THE PEOPLE HAVE NO TRUST IN THE SYSTEM ANYMORE. IT'S OVER WITH. AND IT, YOU KNOW, TO GET THEM TYPE OF BILLS AND THINGS LIKE THAT IN THE MAIL FROM PEOPLE PULLING THEIR BOATS OUT OF TOWN, THEY DON'T SEE, YOU KNOW, THAT THIS THE THE BRIDGE IS SUSPENDED BECAUSE IT'S ADVERTISED, YOU KNOW, IN A SMALL PART, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T THE PEOPLE IN GEORGIA HAVE NO IDEA THAT THE TOLLS HAVE BEEN SUSPENDED. I MEAN, THEY THEY MAY NOT HAVE FACEBOOK, THEY MAY NOT HAVE SOCIAL MEDIA, THEY MIGHT NONE OF THAT TYPE OF STUFF. SO I HAD NO IDEA, YOU KNOW, SO A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE FROM OUT OF TOWN STILL THINK THAT THERE'S A TOLL, YOU KNOW, PLAIN AND SIMPLE. SO I STILL GET A TON OF PEOPLE THAT CALL MY STORE ALL THE TIME LIKE, HEY, DUDE, TOLLS IN PLACE. LIKE, IS THERE A WAY AROUND IT? CAN YOU MEET ME IN VENICE? YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE DOWN THERE, CAN YOU, CAN YOU BRING ME INVENTORY AND STUFF LIKE THAT? AND IT'S KIND OF A HASSLE FOR ME, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I MAKE IT WORK. BUT AGAIN, IT JUST GOES TO THE FACT THAT IF THERE'S A TOLL PUT IN PLACE, IT'S IT'S OVER WITH. I MEAN, EVERY, EVERY BUSINESS IN PLAQUEMINES IS GOING TO IS GOING TO SINK, YOU KNOW, AND THE BAD THING, I'M NOT SAYING THAT THINKING IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. I MEAN, PLAIN AND SIMPLE. AND I'VE ALREADY ACTUALLY STARTED LOOKING AT AN ALTERNATIVE ON MOVING. I HAVE A BUILDING, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF I WANT TO DEAL WITH THE HEADACHE. I DON'T KNOW, I, I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF Y'ALL KNOW WHAT TWO AND A HALF TO $3 MILLION WORTH OF INVENTORY BEING MOVED INVOLVES. I MEAN, IT'S NOT FUN.

SO AND I MEAN, IT'S A GIANT HEADACHE. SO I TRAVEL BACK AND FORTH ACROSS THAT BRIDGE FOUR TIMES A DAY, BRING MY KIDS TO SCHOOL. THE DAYS I'M NOT FISHING AND I PICK THEM UP MOST OF THE TIME. AND I MEAN, IT'S MONEY AFTER MONEY AFTER MONEY, JUST TO TRAVEL TO AND FROM, YOU KNOW, MY HOUSE. SO ANOTHER THING THAT I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU ALL ABOUT WHEN THE TOLL WAS

[01:20:01]

IN PLACE. ALL RIGHT. I LIVE OFF OF WOODLAND, YOU KNOW, LIVE LITERALLY. I COULD THROW A ROCK AT WOODLAND FROM MY HOUSE. ALL RIGHT. WHEN THE TOLL WAS IN PLACE, THE PEOPLE THAT HAD TO COME TO AND FROM PLAQUEMINES PARISH OBVIOUSLY TOOK THE ALTERNATIVE WAY AND TOOK WOODLAND HIGHWAY. DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT WAS TO PULL OUT OF MY NEIGHBORHOOD ON WOODLAND HIGHWAY? YOU KNOW, I GOT AN 800 HORSEPOWER TRUCK. ALL RIGHT, THE BIG TRUCK, IT'S FAST. AND WHEN I STOMP IT, I GOT TO STOMP IT, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE SURE MY KIDS ARE SAFE, YOU KNOW, TO NOT GET IN A WRECK BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE, THEY DON'T THEY DON'T THEY DON'T OBEY THE SPEED LIMIT ON WOODLAND. I MEAN, A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM OUT OF TOWN AND STUFF LIKE THAT, PEOPLE WORKING ON LNG PLANT, THEY DON'T CARE. YOU KNOW, WE LIVE IN A SMALL COMMUNITY AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

AND IT'S JUST EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BRIDGE IS JUST IT'S IT'S NOT RIGHT. YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT NEEDS TO BE PAID OFF, PLAIN AND SIMPLE. THERE'S NO ALTERNATIVE. IT JUST, IT CAN'T WORK HAVING A TOLL. AND JUST LIKE YOU SAID, IT COULD BE A PENNY. IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK. THE TRUST IS GONE. YOU KNOW, YOU GET SOMEBODY TO BUILD A, YOU KNOW, FIX YOUR CAR AND THEY DO IT WRONG, BUT THEY MAKE IT RIGHT. YOU'RE GOING TO GO BACK WITH THEM. NOPE. YOU'RE GOING TO TRY SOMEBODY ELSE. SO THANK Y'ALL. THANK YOU MISTER, PLEASE. ALL RIGHT. THE NO TOLLS GROUP FOR EIGHT YEARS WE'VE BEEN FIGHTING THIS BATTLE FOR EIGHT YEARS. WE'VE BEEN RAISING WHITE FLAGS AND RED FLAGS FOR EIGHT YEARS. SO I'LL TRY TO BE SHORT AND SWEET. SO CURRENTLY, THE THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE BRIDGE. WE ALL KNOW THAT THE TOLL SUSPENSION IS IN ORDER. AS OF OCTOBER 2ND, 2025, THE STATE. WHILE THE PHYSICAL BRIDGE IS FULLY OPEN, THE DEBATE HAS SHIFTED ENTIRELY TOWARDS SECURING A PERMANENT BUYOUT OR STATE FUNDING MECHANISM TO EXTINGUISH THE P THREE CONCESSION CONTRACT WITH PLENARY INFRASTRUCTURE, REMOVING THE LONG TERM TOLL THREAT PERMANENTLY. I NEED TO PUT MY GLASSES ON. SO I BELIEVE ALL OF Y'ALL ALREADY KNOW THE HORRENDOUS DEAL THE PAST ADMINISTRATION PUT ON THE SMALL 22,000 RESIDENTS OF PLAQUEMINES PARISH. YOU'VE HEARD AND WILL CONTINUALLY HEAR. OUR SMALL COMMUNITY RELIES ON THE MOM AND POP BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN SERVING US FOR YEARS. WE DON'T HAVE WALMARTS, WE DON'T HAVE HOME DEPOT, WE DON'T HAVE SAM'S. ONE QUESTION I HAD DID THE LOLEDOT NOT KNOW THAT TOLLING A MAIN ARTERY OF OUR PARISH WOULD CAUSE ECONOMIC ISSUES. ANY TOLL AMOUNT FOR OUTSIDERS TO CONDUCT BUSINESS IN PLAQUEMINES PARISH WOULD PUT OUR BUSINESSES AND USE IN A HUGE DISADVANTAGE ECONOMICALLY. IS IT FAIR? WE MAY NEVER KNOW THE REAL REASONS THAT THE STATE SINGLE US OUT FOR THE STATE'S FIRST P3 PROJECT. BUT IS IT THAT OUR PARISH HAS ONLY 8000 VOTERS ON A GOOD VOTING DAY? COULD IT BE THAT THE STATE STILL BELIEVES THAT WE'RE SO RICH FROM OIL AND GAS REVENUES THAT WE CAN PAY FOR EXPENSIVE DEALS? JUST SO YOU KNOW, OUR PARISH IN THE 70S COMPLETELY FUNDED THE TWO ADDITIONAL LANE ADDITIONS ON HIGHWAY 23, INCLUDING A BRIDGE THAT EXTENDS FROM BELLE CHASE TO VENICE, WHICH IS ABOUT 80 MILES. WE ALSO PAID 60% OF THE OLD TUNNEL COST AND 100% OF THE OLD DRAWBRIDGE COST. NOW, THE LADOT EXPECTS US TO PAY FOR THE TUNNEL AND BRIDGE DECOMMISSION AND REPLACEMENT. THAT'S NOT FAIR. MANY ISSUES AROSE DURING THE PROCUREMENT PHASE IN WHICH THE STATE MADE UP THE LA. DOT MADE UP THE RULES AS THEY WENT. IT WAS THE FIRST P3 PROJECT. THE. FOR ONE, THE LADT ALLOWED A SINGLE PROPOSAL FOR A MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECT. THIS RAISES ITS OWN PROCUREMENT QUESTIONS.

ANOTHER MAJOR ISSUE IS NOT ALLOWING THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND ITS GOVERNMENT OR CITIZENS ANY SEAT IN THE NEGOTIATIONS IN WHICH A 30 YEAR TERM IS PLACED UPON THEM. WHEN OUR CITIZENS FIGURED OUT THE TOTAL COST OF THE PROJECT AT OVER $800 MILLION, WE DID RAISE THE FLAGS.

OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT WROTE LETTERS OF OPPOSITION DURING THE LA DOT JOINT TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE MEETING IN 2019. GREEN CARDS WERE GIVEN BY THE LOBBY GROUPS THAT NEEDED US TO BE THE FIRST P THREE TO SECURE THEIR PROJECTS. THE JOINT TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE APPARENTLY LISTENED TO THE LOBBYISTS AND NEGLECTED THE LOCAL RED CARD ARGUMENTS. AFTER THE COMPREHENSIVE AGREEMENT WAS RELEASED, THOSE SAME GREEN CARD HOLDERS SAW THE FULL DEAL AND WERE IN SHOCK. I MET SOME OF THOSE SENATORS AND GAVE THEM THE RUNDOWN ON OUR DEAL. THEY ASSURED ME THAT THOSE THINGS WOULDN'T HAPPEN TO THEM. ISN'T THAT IRONIC? HOW CAN OUR LA DOT POSE A 30 YEAR USE TAX ON A SMALL COMMUNITY WITHOUT THEIR INPUT? DID THE LA DOT DO ITS

[01:25:02]

DILIGENCE ADDRESSING HOW IT WOULD AFFECT OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES? WHY DOES LA DOT CONTINUE TO FUND MAJOR PROJECTS AND PUT US AT THE END OF THE LINE TO ADDRESS A BUYOUT FOR THIS DEAL? THERE WERE COMMENTS MADE AND SAID THAT THE LNG PLANT COULDN'T BE CONSTRUCTED WITHOUT OUR NEW BRIDGE. WELL, OUR TOTAL REPLACEMENT BRIDGE WASN'T COMPLETED DUE TO THE CONSTRUCTION ISSUES AND SHRINKAGE OF THE APPROACHES UNTIL AFTER THE FIRST PHASE OF THE LNG WAS COMPLETED. I EXPECT THE GOAL WAS TO HAVE THE MASS INFLUX OF VEHICLES DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE TO MAKE MORE TOLL REVENUE THAN EXPECTED. THEREFORE, PLENARY AND LA DOT COULD COULD THEN SHARE A LARGER PORTION OF THE TOTAL WINDFALL, SINCE THAT FIGURE IS CUMULATIVE FROM YEAR TO YEAR, THE CITIZENS FEEL THAT THE LA DOT NEGOTIATED THIS BEST DEAL WITH PLENARY AND GAVE THE BILL TO US. WE DON'T BLAME PLENARY. THEY MADE A TERRIFIC DEAL. IF THIS WAS THE BEST DEAL, THE LAD COULD NEGOTIATE AND THE FINANCIAL TERMS WERE ACCEPTABLE, MAYBE THE LA DOT SHOULD PAY PAY IT OFF. NOT OUR SMALL COMMUNITY. SO ANOTHER QUESTION IS WHY HASN'T THE LA DELIVERED OTHER P3 TOLL PROJECTS CONSTRUCTED AT THE SAME TIME AS OURS, OR FUTURE PROJECTS? THE PAST ADMINISTRATION TOLD US THIS WOULD BE THE NORM. FOR INSTANCE, WE WERE TOLD IN 2019 THAT ALMOST ALL FUTURE STATE ROAD PROJECTS WOULD HAVE A P3 TOLLING COMPONENT ATTACHED. NOT TRUE. COMPARABLE PROJECTS INCLUDE THE PORT ALLEN BRIDGE AT LA ONE. CONSTRUCTION BEGAN IN 2022 TO REPLACE AGING STRUCTURES. CONSTRUCTION COST IS AT $150 MILLION. CROSSING THE INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY FOUR LANES, 44,000 VEHICLES A DAY.

SOUNDS FAMILIAR? NO TOLL. THEN A BYPASS ROUTE LESS THAN THREE MILES FROM THE PORT ALLEN BRIDGE, LA ONE TO LA, 4154 LANE BRIDGE CROSSING THE INTRACOASTAL WATERWAY. IT ALLEVIATES TRAFFIC 17,300 VEHICLES A DAY. IT'S NOT LARGE ENOUGH. IT DOESN'T. IT'S NOT FEASIBLE FOR TOLLING. AGAIN. NO TOLL. QUITE IRONIC. THE BP CONNECTION TO THAT TO THE LA ONE TO LA. 415 THEY ACTUALLY USED BP SETTLEMENT MONEY AT 443 TO SECURE A LOW INTEREST, $88.3 MILLION TIFIA LOAN FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION. AGAIN, NO TOLL. AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, THE SHREVEPORT BRIDGE REPLACEMENT, THE JIMMY JIMMY DAVIS BRIDGE, 361.7 MILLION, STARTED 2024 SERVICES 30,000 VEHICLES A DAY, NO TOLLS. SO THE LA DOT HAS KNOWLEDGE THAT THIS WAS A HORRIBLE, MISPLACED DEAL. AND APPARENTLY THERE'S NO APPARENT BENEFIT FOR THE LA T LA DOT TO SPEND MONEY TO FIX IT. AFTER ALL, THE LA DOT GETS A NEW BRIDGE, NO MAINTENANCE FOR 30 YEARS AND AND WINDFALL DOLLARS. I'M ASKING LA LA DOT TO RIGHT THE WRONG. THE LAD NEEDS TO GET THE EARLY HAND BACK COSTS FROM THE PLENARY. THE LA DOT NEEDS TO SOMEHOW BUDGET AND CREATE A PAYMENT PAYMENT PLAN. I'M ALMOST FINISHED. TAKE YOUR TIME.

IT'S CLEARLY THE RIGHT THING TO DO. SO IN SUMMARY, THE DISPARITY BETWEEN HOW THE BELLE CHASE BRIDGE REPLACEMENT WAS HANDLED AND HOW SUBSEQUENT MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS ACROSS LOUISIANA ARE FUNDED IS CENTRAL TO THE FRUSTRATION OF PLAQUEMINES PARISH IN COMPARISON TO PROJECTS LIKE LA ONE, PORT ALLEN REPLACEMENT LA ONE LA 415 BYPASS AND THE JIMMIE DAVIS BRIDGE, ALL BUILT OR FUNDED WITHOUT TOLLS THROUGH STATE APPROPRIATIONS, FEDERAL GRANTS AND TARGETED BP SETTLEMENT FUNDS HIGHLIGHTS THE CORE ISSUE. BEING BEING SINGLED OUT FOR THE STATE'S INAUGURAL P THREE PROJECT. LET THE SMALL VOTER BASE AND LOCAL BUSINESS COMMUNITIES BEARING A 30 YEAR FINANCIAL BURDEN, THAT LARGER REGIONS WERE SPARED. SO I CAME UP WITH A FEW AVENUES FOR LONG TERM RELIEF THAT WE MAY CONSIDER. TO ADDRESS THE LONG TERM EQUITY AND THE DEAL, AND PROTECT LOCAL MOM AND POP BUSINESSES, PUBLIC ADVERSARY AND PUBLIC POLICY EFFORTS FOCUSED ON THREE PRIMARY TRACKS THE STATE BUDGET ALLOCATION AND SURPLUS CAPITAL, PRESSURING THE LEGISLATURE TO UTILIZE STATE BUDGET SURPLUSES OR REALLOCATE MEGAPROJECT RESERVES TOWARD A EARLY HANDBACK. BUY IT BUY OUT FEE TO CLEAR PLAN AREAS CONCESSION RIGHTS. BP SETTLEMENT AND FUND AND FEDERAL GRANT REALIGNMENT APPLY RESIDUAL BP DEEPWATER HORIZON RECOVERY FUNDS OR FEDERAL INFRA TIF GRANTS TO ABSORB THE CONCESSION LIABILITIES AND DO A LEGISLATIVE OVERSIGHT, ENACTING STATUTORY GUARDRAILS TO ENSURE

[01:30:05]

LOCAL PARISH GOVERNMENTS RETAIN VETO AUTHORITY OR DIRECT SEAT AT THE TABLE RIGHTS IN ANY FUTURE P THREE MUNICIPAL AGREEMENTS. SAVE OUR BUSINESSES, SAVE OUR COMMUNITY, HELP THE PARISH THAT HAS GIVEN SO MUCH TO OUR STATE. NO TOLLS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. VEHICLE ON. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR. YOU'VE BEEN BEATING THIS DRUM AND YOU AND YOUR BROTHER AND YOUR STATHATOS GROUP HAS BEEN BEATING THIS DRUM FOR A LONG TIME. AND I COMMEND YOU FOR NOT GIVING UP AND TRYING TO FIND A SOLUTION TO THIS. BUT I WANT TO SAY THE LA DOTD WHO MADE THIS DEAL IS IN THIS LA DOTD. I UNDERSTAND THAT, AND THE GOVERNOR WHO DID THIS DEAL ISN'T OUR GOVERNOR NOW. SO JUST I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT POINT CLEAR. WE NEED TO FIND THE MONEY TO PAY THIS OFF. I'M GOING TO TRY AS HARD AS I CAN TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. ALONG WITH BRO. THIS MEETING IS GOING ON FOR A LONG TIME ABOUT TOLLS, BUT IT HAS TO GO ON FOR A LONG TIME ABOUT TOLLS BECAUSE PEOPLE NEED TO SEE HOW BAD THIS DEAL IS AND HOW BAD IT'S AFFECTING THE PEOPLE IN PLAQUEMINES PARISH. A LOT OF FOLKS LIVE IN METAIRIE. OTHER PARTS OF THE WEST BANK HAVE NOT FELT THE HARM THAT THIS TOLL IS, HAS DONE AND WILL DO IF IT GOES BACK ON. SO THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING UP. THANKS TO ALL THESE OTHER FOLKS WHO HAVE SPOKEN UP. AND WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO FIND A SOLUTION. YEAH, I HOPE THEY DIDN'T THINK I WAS BLAMING THEM. THIS WAS DONE WAY BEFORE THEY GOT HERE. I JUST HOPE THEY COULD FIX IT FOR US.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. NEED TO ASK. THANK YOU. MIKE. MIKE, I THINK YOUR BROTHER SAID A LOT.

OH, YEAH, HE DID. HE DID. MY NAME IS MIKE SCARSONE. I JUST WANT TO. YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN A POSITION NOW WHERE WE'VE GOT A $169 MILLION BRIDGE. HOWEVER, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE REAL COST, WHEN YOU ADD THE TOLLS IN OVER 30 YEARS, YOU'RE APPROACHING ALMOST $1 BILLION IN YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND THIS IS THE FIRST ATTEMPT AT A P3 PROJECT FOR THE STATE. WHILE THIS WAS GOING ON AND THIS IS NOTHING ON YOU GUYS. YOU KNOW, I ASKED SEAN WILSON MANY TIMES, HEY, CAN WE LOOK AT IT? CAN WE? AND EVERYTHING WAS PROPRIETARY. WE COULD NOT SEE THE CONTRACT UNTIL AFTER IT WAS SIGNED. AFTER IT WAS SIGNED. SENATOR CONNICK GOT US A COPY. THIS IS JANUARY 2020. YEAH.

2020. GOT IT TO THE NO TOLLS GROUP. WE STARTED LOOKING AT IT AND, YOU KNOW, STARTED EYEBROWS STARTED GOING UP. I'M GOING TO SHARE A FEW THINGS. THIS IS HOW $169 MILLION PROJECT GETS SO EXPENSIVE. SO WE'VE ALREADY PAID PLENARY $104 MILLION OF THIS $169 MILLION. OKAY. PAT CONNICK HAD A LEGISLATIVE AUDIT DONE HERE. VERY WELL WRITTEN. VERY A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION IN IT. THE THREE PROJECTED TOLL REVENUE SCENARIOS ARE IN THERE. I'M GOING TO TAKE THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, $686 MILLION OF TOLLS OVER 30 YEARS. SO NOW YOU CAN SEE HOW BIG THIS PROJECT IS, HOW MUCH MONEY IS IN THIS PROJECT. A LOT WHEN YOU HAVE BIG PROJECTS, LOTS OF MONEY, IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LOT OF NEGOTIATION TO GET OUT OF IT. SO YOU GUYS HAVE YOUR HANDS FULL WITH THIS. SO WHAT MAKES THIS THING SO EXPENSIVE? I'LL THROW A FEW NUMBERS OUT THERE.

WHICH BLEW MY MIND TO COLLECT A TOLL OVER 30 YEARS WILL TAKE 28% OF THE TOLL REVENUE COLLECTED OVER 30 YEARS. THAT'S $190 MILLION. IT'S COSTING AN O AND M, I'M SORRY, COSTING JUST TO COLLECT A TOLL $190 MILLION OVER 30 YEARS TO COLLECT A TOLL. OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE FOR A BRAND NEW BRIDGE OVER 30 YEARS, $112 MILLION. OVER 30 YEARS. THAT'S AN AVERAGE OF $3.7 MILLION A YEAR FOR O AND M, WHO AGREED TO THIS? I MEAN, WHO WHEN YOU NEGOTIATE THESE THINGS, IT'S LIKE SOMEBODY HAD TO BE LOOKING AT THIS. SO THIS IS WHAT'S NOW SINCE THIS THING IS SO BLOATED. THIS IS HOW HARD IT IS FOR US TO GET OUT OF THIS OR GET A NEGOTIATION WITH THIS.

WITH PLENARY, THEY GOT A GREAT DEAL. IN COMPARISON, THE WOODLAWN BRIDGE, WHICH IS THREE MILES AWAY, BIRD OF FLIGHT FROM OUR NEW TOLL BRIDGE. IT IS FIXED SPAN. BRIDGE COST IS THE SAME CANAL AS THE TOLL BRIDGE. SAME SOIL CONDITIONS, TOTAL MAINTENANCE COST ON THAT BRIDGE

[01:35:07]

AVERAGES O AND M $20,000 A YEAR. NOW, HOW DOES THIS NEW BRIDGE. $3.7 MILLION A YEAR IN O AND M LARGER BRIDGE, THREE MILES OVER THE SAME CANAL, $20,000 A YEAR? THIS DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME.

THE BELLE CHASE DRAWBRIDGE O AND M FOR A YEAR, $67,000 A YEAR. THAT WAS A MOVABLE STRUCTURE. MOTORS AND CABLES AND EVERYTHING ELSE. SO AFTER I GOT EVERYTHING STARTED DIGGING IN, I ATTEMPTED TO FIND INFORMATION ON THE FINANCIALS STUFF. ON THIS PROJECT. I DID A RECORDS REQUEST. I RECEIVED THE RECORDS. REDACTED. SO IT'S HARD FOR ME TO GET MY HANDS WRAPPED AROUND THIS WHEN I HAVE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE THE INFORMATION I NEED. SO ANYWAY, IN CLOSING, YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN UNFAIR BURDEN ON PLAQUEMINES PARISH. IT'S DETRIMENTAL TO OUR PROPERTY VALUES AND IT WILL KILL OUR SMALL BUSINESSES. IF YOU YOU'VE HEARD EVERYBODY ELSE JUST STATE. SO I HAVE A QUESTION BY REP BREAUX. MR. CARSON, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU ANOTHER POINT TO MAKE, I THINK SO, I THINK YOU DID A GOOD JOB IN COMPARING THE O AND M, RIGHT.

ONE BRIDGE OR THE NEW TOLL BRIDGE IS 3.7 MILLION. THE OLD WOODLAND BRIDGE IS 20,000 $20,000 A YEAR. DOES THE NEW BRIDGE WHEN YOU DRIVE IT, DOES IT LOOK LIKE $3.7 MILLION A YEAR IS BEING SPENT ON IT? I DON'T SEE MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE FROM THE TWO FROM THE WOODLAND BRIDGE AND THE WELL. THE BRIDGE HAS BEEN OPEN FOR PROBABLY ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF, I DON'T KNOW. YEAH. DO YOU SEE GRASS GROWING IN THE JOINTS? DO YOU SEE A A LAUNDRY BASKET ON THE SHOULDER FOR, I THINK LIKE A MONTH NOW OR SOMETHING LIKE. I MEAN IT SEEMS LIKE I DON'T KNOW. I MEAN, YOU TELL ME, YOU TELL ME WHAT YOU SEE. IT'S JUST VERY EXPENSIVE. WELL, LIKE I SAID, WHEN WHEN WHAT IT. HOPEFULLY NOT IF THE TOLLS COME BACK ON. THIS IS WHAT WE'RE PAYING FOR. AND THIS IS THE COST OF IT. IT SHOULD BE GOAL LINED, NOT YELLOW AND ORANGE.

COULD IT BE ORANGE AND YELLOW PAINT COSTING SO MUCH? WELL, YEAH. IN FACT THAT'S, THAT'S ANOTHER THING TOO. I MEAN, IF, IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE COULD DO NAMING RIGHTS FOR IT TO PAY IT OFF, MAYBE GET OSCAR MAYER COME AND PUT THEIR, THEIR LOGO ON IT.

AND I MEAN, I'M JUST THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE TOLLS HAVE TO GO, RIGHT.

MIKE? THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANKS. ALL RIGHT, MR. BENNY RUSSO. WELCOME, MR. RUSSO. GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. CHAIRMAN. MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE, BEFORE I GET INTO MY COMMENTS ON THE BRIDGE, I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT THE PLAN ON LA 23 RAISING AT THE LEVEE PROJECT AND ENCOURAGE THIS COMMITTEE AND THE LEGISLATURE TO FIND FUNDING TO DO THAT. RAISING. THIS IS A PROJECT THAT I TESTIFIED ON SEVERAL YEARS AGO. IT'LL DO A TREMENDOUS EFFORT FOR US WHEN WE HAVE TO SANDBAG THE HIGHWAY, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE ANOTHER PART OF THAT PROJECT, AND THAT WOULD BE ADDING THE RAISING OF HIGHWAY 23 AND THE JUMP VENICE AREA, WHERE COAST GUARD ROAD AND JUMP VENICE COMES AROUND AND MEETS HIGHWAY 23 AT THAT LEVEE SECTION WITH THOSE TWO LEVEE CLOSURES WILL GIVE US TREMENDOUS PROTECTION. THE THE BRIDGE SITUATION. YOU'VE HEARD A LOT OF INFORMATION TODAY, AND ACTUALLY THESE PEOPLE ARE EXPERTS ON IT BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN LIVING IT FOR YEARS. BUT I'LL JUST GIVE YOU MY STATEMENT. THE BRIDGE WAS BUILT IN ONE OF THE WORST POSSIBLE LOCATIONS FOR A TOLL BRIDGE IN PLAQUEMINES PARISH, LOUISIANA.

HIGHWAY 23. BELLE CHASSE HIGHWAY IS OUR MAIN STREET AND THE PRIMARY ROUTE CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY. RESIDENTS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY A TOLL TO SIMPLY TRAVEL THROUGH THEIR OWN PARISH, FROM COMMUNITY TO COMMUNITY. WE OBJECTED FROM THE BEGINNING AND WARNED THAT THIS WAS THE WRONG PLACE FOR A TOLL BRIDGE, BUT OUR CONCERNS WERE NOT HEARD IF TOLLS WERE REINSTATED. AS YOU'VE HEARD EARLIER, RESIDENTS, WORKERS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES WILL ONCE AGAIN BEAR THE FINANCIAL BURDEN OF TRAVELING AND CONDUCTING BUSINESS ON THE HIGHWAY THEY DEPEND ON EVERY DAY. OUR LAWSUIT, WHICH I'M A PLAINTIFF IN THAT DOTD UNDER THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION, AGAIN, THE PRIOR ADMINISTRATION BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO OFFEND ANYBODY.

RIGHT. MR. SECRETARY, YOU GOT THAT RIGHT. WELL, MR. BLACK, YOU WERE THERE ON THE COUNCIL AT THE TIME, SO YOU KNOW THE DEAL. LET'S KEEP THE STRIP. ALL RIGHT. SO FAILED TO FOLLOW THE

[01:40:03]

LAW WHEN ENTERING INTO THE BELLE CHASE BRIDGE CONTRACT. THESE ARE SERIOUS ALLEGATIONS THAT REQUIRE TRANSPARENCY, ACCOUNTABILITY AND ANSWERS ABOUT HOW THE CONTRACT WAS AWARDED AND WHY PLAQUEMINES PARISH WAS PLACED IN THIS POSITION. PLENARY CONTRIBUTED LESS THAN HALF OF THE BRIDGE'S COST, YET OUR COMMUNITY HAS BEEN LEFT FACING THE CONSEQUENCES OF A TOLL ARRANGEMENT WE OPPOSED. WE SHOULD NOT BE FORCED TO ACCEPT THE BURDEN, SIMPLY BECAUSE A PRIVATE COMPANY ENTERED INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE. THIS ADMINISTRATION TOOK AN IMPORTANT STEP AND A WANTED STEP BY SUSPENDING THE TOLLS, AND WE APPRECIATE ITS WILLINGNESS TO LISTEN. BUT SUSPENSION IS NOT ENOUGH. THE JOB MUST BE FINISHED. I CALL ON THE JOINT TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE IN LOUISIANA LEGISLATURE TO WORK WITH PLAQUEMINES PARISH LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION TO CORRECT THE MISTAKES OF THE PAST AND PERMANENTLY ELIMINATE THE BELLE CHASE BRIDGE TOLLS. END THIS EXPERIMENT, PROTECT THE RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES THAT DEPEND ON LA HIGHWAY 23. OUR BRIDGE SHOULD SERVE THE PUBLIC, NOT CREATE A FINANCIAL OBSTACLE IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR COMMUNITY.

PLAQUEMINES PARISH HAS MADE ITS POSITION CLEAR. WE DO NOT WANT THESE TOLLS REINSTATED. WE DESERVE FAIR TREATMENT, RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT AND DECISIONS MADE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST. STOP THE BRIDGE TOLLS, BE TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE AND ALUMINUM PERMANENTLY.

RESPECTFULLY SUBMITTED BY MYSELF. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. BENNIE. ALL RIGHT, GUYS, GOT FOUR MORE CARDS. JOHN. BANKER BANQUER, BANKER, BANKER. I WORK IN THE BANK. BANKER ALL RIGHT, PRIVATE CITIZEN. I AM A VERY PRIVATE CITIZEN. AND AFTER TALKING TO ALL THESE FOLKS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I COULD ADD TO IT, BUT I'LL SURE TRY. I'M RETIRED. I'VE BEEN LIVING HERE LONG BEFORE THE TOLLS. A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE, AND WE'VE BEEN HEARING TWO THINGS ALL DAY.

IT'S TOLLS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. WELL, THE WORD TOLLS IS KIND OF A WAY TO SANITIZE IT, BECAUSE IF YOU GO TO LAS VEGAS, YOU SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON JUST CHIPS. WELL, CHIPS IS MONEY. TOLLS IS MONEY, AND IT TAKES MONEY AWAY FROM ALL THE BUSINESS OWNERS HERE AND PRIVATE CITIZENS LIKE ME. THE SECOND THING, SO YOU CAN'T REALLY HAVE MUCH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IF YOUR CUSTOMERS WOULD HAVE TO PAY EXTRA JUST TO GO TO YOUR ESTABLISHMENT. BUT THE OTHER THING I GUESS I'D LIKE TO TRY, IN MY OWN WAY TO MAYBE UNDERSTAND THIS CONTRACT, SO I'LL JUST MAKE A LITTLE MAYBE PARABLE ABOUT IT OR WHATEVER. SO I'M SITTING IN A PLACE, I'M TALKING TO A GUY AND I SAY, I HAVE A LITTLE PROJECT AND I NEED A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY TO COMPLETE IT. I NEED LIKE JUST ANOTHER $85. THERE'S A GUY AT THE END OF THE BAR AND HE SAYS, I'M FROM CANADA AND I GOT A LOT OF MONEY TO LEND, SO I'LL LEND YOU THAT $85, BUT YOU GOT TO SIGN THIS CONTRACT. SO I LOOK AT THE CONTRACT, I GET $85 AND I HAVE TO PAY BACK OVER 30 YEARS, $900. WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD SIGN A CONTRACT LIKE THAT? BUT IT WAS SIGNED 885 MILLION GET BACK 9900 MILLION. IT'S ALMOST CRIMINAL. YEAH, THAT'S NOT A WORD I GUESS WE SHOULD USE, BUT SURELY NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE PUBLIC. NO, NOT AND ME. OKAY. I PAY A TOLL TO LEAVE MY HOUSE IN THE MORNING AND COME BACK IN THE EVENING. BUT NOTHING COMPARED TO THE LOSSES THESE FOLKS ARE TAKING. SO WE GOT TO STOP THE TOLLS. I WISH I HAD A MAGICAL WAY TO DO IT. I DON'T, BUT I'M JUST SORRY IT HAPPENED AND IT SHOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED. THAT'S MY THOUGHTS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. JOHN. ZACH ZELNER, JOHN ROSE HARDWARE. WELCOME, ZACH.

THANKS. THANKS FOR HAVING US. ZACH ZELNER, OWNER OF JOHN ROSE HARDWARE. WHERE ARE YOU LOCATED? WE ARE LOCATED ON LA 23, RIGHT PAST THE HIGH SCHOOL ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BRIDGE IN BELLE CHASSE. YES. SO WE HAVE A RETAIL HARDWARE STORE. AND I DON'T KNOW, I MEAN, I GUESS A LOT OF THE OTHER BUSINESS OWNERS HERE CAN ATTEST TO THIS, BUT RUNNING A RETAIL HARDWARE STORE OR ANY RETAIL BUSINESS FOR THAT MATTER IS REALLY, REALLY HARD. WE HAVE COMPETITION ALL OVER THE PLACE. WE'RE COMPETING AGAINST AMAZON. I COMPETE AGAINST THE BIG BOX STORES, HOME DEPOT, LOWE'S CONSUMERS HAVE CHOICES OF WHERE TO GO AND WHEN THEY HAVE TO PAY TO COME TO OUR STORE. THEY'RE GOING TO CHOOSE SOMEONE ELSE. AND I'VE BEEN TO A COUPLE OF THESE HEARINGS. I DO HAVE SOME UPDATED INFORMATION. HARDWARE STORES HAVE KIND OF TAKEN A LITTLE BIT OF HIT BECAUSE WE DID HAVE A NICE LITTLE COVID BUMP WHEN EVERYBODY WAS SITTING AT HOME, BUT WE WERE IN LINE WITH MOST OF THE RETAIL SECTOR LEADING UP TO WHEN THE TOLL STOPPED OR STARTED. ONCE THE TOLL STARTED, WE WENT TO 16% DOWN ABOUT THE AVERAGE FOR

[01:45:05]

THOSE FOR THOSE SIX MONTHS THAT THE TOLLS WERE GOING ON, THE PROBLEM WAS BAD NEWS TRAVELS A LOT FASTER THAN GOOD NEWS. WE DID NOT SEE THE HEMORRHAGING STOP FOR ANOTHER FOUR MONTHS, AND WE CONTINUED TO LOSE SALES IN THE AVERAGE ABOUT 20%. AND FINALLY IN MARCH, WE KIND OF STARTED TO SEE THE BLEEDING STOP A LITTLE BIT. WE'RE COMING BACK. IT'S TAKEN A LONG TIME. I DO KNOW THAT ACTUALLY, I HAVE A STORE ON THE NORTH SHORE AS WELL, AND I WAS WORKING WITH ELECTRICIAN FROM GRETNA. I THINK THIS WAS AROUND FEBRUARY OR MARCH OF 26. HE HAD NO IDEA THAT THE TOLLS HAD BEEN TAKEN AWAY OR PAUSED. THAT NEWS DID NOT PENETRATE VERY WELL BECAUSE IT'S GOOD NEWS AND PEOPLE JUST DON'T TAKE GOOD NEWS AS FAST AS THEY DO TO BAD NEWS. DOLLAR WISE. OVER THESE TEN MONTHS, WE I'VE AVERAGED THAT WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT ABOUT $850,000 IN LOST REVENUE OVER THOSE TEN MONTHS. WE'RE CLAWING BACK. WE'RE TRYING OUR BEST.

BUT IF THOSE TOLLS GO BACK INTO EFFECT, THE PEOPLE THAT WE CLAWED SO HARD TO GET BACK ARE NOT GOING TO COME BACK AGAIN. SO PLEASE FIND THE MONEY TO GET THIS BRIDGE TAKEN CARE OF AND THE TOLLS BE GONE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS. RICK JACKSON. THANKS, RICK.

JACKSONVILLE CHASE. I'M JUST A REGULAR FELLOW, VERY CONCERNED CITIZEN AND CONNECTED TO THIS WHOLE SITUATION IS FOUR SIX WHAT YOU GUYS SAID. AND SOMETHING'S BEING LEFT OUT THERE ON FOUR SIX WOODLAND HIGHWAY. THERE'S THREE ADDITIONAL SUBDIVISIONS APPROVED AND SOME RETAIL STORES. IN ADDITION TO THAT, THEY'RE PUTTING THE SCHOOL BACK THERE.

ALSO, AS SOON AS THE TOLLS COME BACK ON, ALL THE BIG TRUCKS ARE GOING TO GO DOWN THAT ROAD.

THAT'S WHAT THEY DID LAST TIME. THAT'S WHY IT COLLAPSED AND SPLIT DOWN THE MIDDLE. THERE'S THERE'S NO WAY FOR SIX IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE THE CAPACITY. I'M NOT AN ENGINEER, BUT I, I CAN SEE THE TRAFFIC BACKED UP GOING. IN ADDITION TO THAT, THE BASE LETS OUT A BARRIER. THEY DON'T GO OVER THE BRIDGE. THEY GO DOWN THE HIGHWAY AS WELL. SO. FOUR LANE OPEN OPENING UP AT THAT WOOD ON HIGHWAY FOUR SIX IS SEEMS TO BE, YOU KNOW, MANDATORY. I DON'T SEE HOW WE CAN'T BE PROACTIVE AND SEE THE, THE PROGRESS THAT'S COMING DOWN THE PIPE WITH THE WITH THE THREE SUBDIVISIONS, THE THE BUILDING, A NEW SCHOOL, NEW HIGH SCHOOL AND A NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL THERE. SO IT'S GOING TO BE A TREMENDOUS, PROBABLY 2 TO 3 TIMES AS MUCH TRAFFIC AS WHAT WE HAVE THERE NOW. AND IT'S REALLY GOING TO BE COMPOUNDED WHEN THE BRIDGE TOLLS COME BACK ON BECAUSE EVERYBODY, INCLUDING MYSELF, GOES AROUND, GOES OUT THE BACK DOOR. THE ONLY OTHER WAY TO GET OUT OF THE PARISH. SO WOODLAND HIGHWAY, HIGHWAY FOUR, SIX FOUR, SIX ONE HIGHWAY. YES, SIR. SO ANYWAY, THAT'S ALL I GOT TO SAY. AND THE THE BRIDGE TOLLS ARE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, KILL THE PARISH. THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. BUSINESS PROPERTY VALUES WILL WILL END UP BEING JUST AN INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR FOR, FOR THE FOR THE BUSINESSES DOWN THERE AND YOU KNOW, VENTURE GLOBAL AND, AND THE SUCH LIKE THAT. AND THAT'S WHAT'S LOOKING REALLY, YOU KNOW, BAD FOR ME. I'VE BEEN THERE 50 YEARS AND I'D LIKE TO SAY THERE, WELL, AT LEAST ANOTHER 20 IF I CAN LIVE THAT LONG. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, MR. JACKSON. ALL RIGHT. THE LAST CARD IS MR. BRUCE RICHARDS. THIS HAS TO DO WITH I-10 TO WILLIAMS BOULEVARD AND VETS, WHICH WE TOUCHED ON BRIEFLY. YES. I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON SOMETHING THAT SENATOR CONNICK HAD MENTIONED EARLIER. I'M A BRUCE RICHARDS, A RESIDENT OF METAIRIE, BEEN A RESIDENT OF METAIRIE MOST OF MY LIFE SINCE I WAS SEVEN YEARS OLD. AND ONE THING WE GOT TO CONSIDER WITH THAT BOTTLENECK, IT'S THE NUMBER ONE PROJECT IN TERMS OF. LISTED ON THE LIST OF WAITING FOR FUNDING HB 003074. THIS WAS PART OF A MAJOR PHASED EFFORT WHICH WAS GOING ALONG GREAT GUNS FOR MANY YEARS. STARTED IN THE EARLY 90S WITH THE FIRST ONE. THE FIRST PHASE OF THAT WAS THE NEW DAVID DRIVE ON RAMP AND OFF RAMP. SHORTLY AFTER THAT, THEY DID CARROLLTON TO I-10, THE I-10 16 SPLIT. THEY DID THAT. THEY DID. THEN DID THE PARISH LINE TO CAUSEWAY AND THEN A NEW CAUSEWAY INTERCHANGE. THEY DID CAUSEWAY ALL THE WAY TO THE VETS CROSSOVER, AND THEY DID THE NEW WILLIAMS BOULEVARD INTERCHANGE WITH FLYOVERS AND WHATNOT. AND THEN IT JUST KIND OF STOPPED. THERE WAS ONE THAT ONE MISSING

[01:50:05]

LINK BETWEEN WILLIAMS AND THE VETERANS CROSSOVER. NOW, THERE WAS SOME WORK DONE, OF COURSE, AFTERWARDS WITH THE NEW AIRPORT BEING BUILT, WHICH WAS NOT, YOU KNOW, HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE PLANS. ORIGINALLY, THE LAWLOR INTERCHANGE WAS WAS COMPLETED AND IMPROVED WITH A DIVERGING DIAMOND, ALONG WITH THE AIRPORT RAMPS. AND THE AREA BETWEEN LOYOLA AND WILLIAMS WAS IMPROVED WITH NEW NOISE WALLS. I ACTUALLY WORKED ON THIS PROJECT IN THE MID 80S WITH A PREVIOUS FIRM I WAS EMPLOYED BY. WE DID THE NOISE STUDIES WHICH RESULTED IN A LOT OF NOISE WALLS, YOU SEE, WHICH IF YOU TALK TO RESIDENTS, HAS HELPED TREMENDOUSLY. BUT I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY. IT SEEMS LIKE YEAR AFTER YEAR I ATTEND THESE ROAD SHOWS AND THIS HAS JUST BEEN COMPLETELY FORGOTTEN. IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE WAITING FOR FUNDING, WAITING FOR FUNDING.

I'M NOT EVEN SURE WHY THIS PHASE WAS DROPPED AND HAS BEEN ON PAUSE FOR NEARLY 15 YEARS.

I'M NOT SURE WHY IT WAS STOPPED. I'VE HEARD ISSUES FROM VARIOUS PEOPLE I'VE TALKED TO THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THIS. THIS THIS LINK IS THE OVERPASS, THE I-10 OVERPASS OVER VETERANS BOULEVARD. AND THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE WIDENED. AND THAT TURNS INTO A BRIDGE OVER THE CANAL IN THAT AREA AS WELL. I'VE HEARD VARIOUS THINGS, SUCH AS IT'S EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE THAT THEY CAN'T WIDEN THE BRIDGE AS THEY DID ON SOME OF THE OTHER BRIDGES OVER ROADWAYS LIKE BONNABEL, BECAUSE OF HEIGHT RESTRICTIONS. AND I'M SAYING, WELL, GEE, IF THAT'S AN ISSUE, JUST LOWER VET SLIGHTLY. YOU'VE GOT THE DRAINAGE GOING DIRECTLY INTO THE CANAL THERE, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE WHAT THE HOLDUP IS, BUT IT'S JUST VERY ODD TO ME THAT THAT, THAT PROJECT DID SO WELL AND DID SO MUCH IMPROVEMENT ALL THE WAY FROM CARROLLTON, YOU KNOW, OUT TO THAT POINT OF THE VETERANS CROSSOVER. AND NOW THERE'S THAT BOTTLE, THAT LAST BOTTLENECK, THAT LAST LINK, WHICH IS HOLDING EVERYTHING BACK. AND I'M JUST HOPING THAT THE DOTD IS ABLE TO OBTAIN SOME FUNDING FOR THIS AND GET THIS FINISHED AND NOT FORGET ABOUT IT. IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S BEEN FORGOTTEN ABOUT FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS. THANK YOU, BRUCE AND I, IT'S ON OUR RADAR TOO, BECAUSE WHEN WE COME HOME THURSDAY AFTERNOONS FROM BATON ROUGE. YEAH, THE WESTBANK, I HIT IT. YEAH. SO IT'S IT'S NOT NICE. IT'S A MAJOR IT'S A MAJOR BOTTLENECK COMING, LIKE YOU SAID BACK FROM BATON ROUGE, SOMETIMES BACK BEFORE WILLIAMS ALMOST TO LOYOLA. AND IF YOU'RE LEAVING FROM THE CITY, THE DAILY TRAFFIC EVERY DAY IS BACKED UP.

WELL, BACK TO CAUSEWAY JUST BECAUSE OF THAT ONE LINK BETWEEN THE VETERANS CROSSOVER AND THE WILLIAMS BOULEVARD INTERCHANGE. SO I'D HOPE THEY PUT A LITTLE BIT MORE EMPHASIS AND FOCUS ON THAT LAST LINK AND GET WHAT WAS A GREAT PROJECT, WHICH WAS DOING WELL AND GOING ALONG AND FULLY FUNDED. KEEP IT GOING AND FINISH IT UP. THAT'S ALL I ASK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SENATOR. ALL THE COMMENTS BEING MADE TODAY BY THE PUBLIC ARE GOING TO BE RECORDED AND PUT INTO THE RECORD. AND FOR DISCUSSION FURTHER ON AS WE GO INTO THE SESSION. THAT ENDS THE PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION. MR. SECRETARY, DO YOU WANT TO CONCLUDE SOME CLOSING REMARKS? YES, SIR. THANK YOU. CHAIRMAN. YEAH. AS YOU JUST HEARD, JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS ON THE COMMENTS. CERTAINLY THE PROJECT THAT THE GENTLEMAN JUST TALKED ABOUT IS CERTAINLY CRITICAL. I THINK A LOT OF THE CAPACITY PROJECTS I TALKED ABOUT JUST LIKE THAT ONE ARE CRITICAL.

IT'S ON THE TOP OF OUR MIND. I THINK WE NEED TO FIND WAYS TO FUND THOSE, AS YOU SEE IN THIS BOOK. WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF FUNDING FOR CAPACITY IN OUR FEDERAL PROGRAM. AND SO WE CERTAINLY AGREE WITH YOU. WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WAYS WHETHER IT'S EL TIF OR OTHER WAYS IN THE LEGISLATURE, CAPITAL OUTLAY TO GET MONEY FOR PROJECTS JUST LIKE THIS. THIS IS A CRITICAL LINK AND CERTAINLY AGREE IF WE CAN GET THIS DONE. I THINK IF IT'S NOT SHOVEL READY, A LOT OF DESIGN HAS BEEN DONE AND UNDERWAY ON THAT PROJECT. OKAY. WHAT CAN WE TELL OUR FOLKS IN BELLE CHASE AND IN BELLE CHASE? WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THIS OBVIOUSLY THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. YOU HEARD A LOT OF COMMENTS TODAY. THIS IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT FOR THE GOVERNOR. HE HAS WORKED HARD, OBVIOUSLY, THE LITIGATION INVOLVED, TO MAKING SURE THAT ALL OF THE WRONGFUL CHARGES GET RIGHTED. THAT IS THAT'S OBVIOUSLY PARAMOUNT. AND SO YOU HEARD THAT TODAY. THIS IS IMPORTANT TO THIS REGION. HE UNDERSTANDS THAT WRITING THIS WRONG. OBVIOUSLY, THE DEAL THAT WAS DONE IN 2019 WAS HAS SERIOUS ISSUES. YOU HEARD ALL OF THOSE TODAY. HE UNDERSTANDS THAT. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S A LOT MORE WORK TO BE DONE. YOU KNOW, THE ONE THING I YOU INDICATED, CHAIRMAN, WE CANNOT USE THE MONEY IN THIS BOOK TODAY TO PAY OFF THIS. SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER. IF THIS IS THE VISION. BUT CERTAINLY HE IS HE'S MADE THE COMMITMENT TO THIS REGION TO TRY TO FIGURE THIS OUT. AND WE'VE WORKED HARD TO, OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S BEEN WRONG, IF THE TOLLS HAVE TO COME BACK, WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE IF THEY DON'T WORKING WITH THE LEGISLATURE ON THAT VISION AS WELL. BUT HE'S WORKING HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO RIGHT WHAT WAS WRONG IN THE PAST ADMINISTRATION. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU, MR. SECRETARY. I WANT TO THANK THE AUDIENCE FOR HAVING THE PATIENCE TO LISTEN

[01:55:01]

TO THESE STORIES FROM BELLE CHASE. IT'S IT'S A MAJOR, MAJOR ISSUE THAT AFFECTS A LOT OF PEOPLE IN A NEGATIVE WAY. AND IT WAS CAUSED BY THE GOVERNMENT. IT WAS CAUSED BY THE STATE DOING SOMETHING, NOT THIS ADMINISTRATION, BUT THE PAST ADMINISTRATION, THE PAST.DE YOU SHOULD HAVE NEVER PUT A TOLL ON A BRIDGE THAT CROSSES BASICALLY A CANAL. AND WE DID. AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH. SO WITH THAT, I WANT TO THANK THE SECRETARY. I WANT TO THANK THE MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE AND THOSE WHO TESTIFIED. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE THE ROAD SHOW TOMORROW TO MEET LOUISIANA. CORRECT. AND MEET AT 9 A.M. HAVE A MOTION BY

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.

Oct 20, 2026 The Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development's Highway Roadshow Planning Meeting East Bank

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