Parish OKs study of pay scales

The Iberia Parish Council approved a $25,000 study of the pay scales of parish employees, including the council and parish president, at its regular meeting Wednesday.

The study will be performed by the Archer Co., a South Carolina-based consulting firm, over the next three months. The study will evaluate job descriptions and wages of all government employees. The council's finance committee recommended the study last week after about two dozen public works employees appeared before the committee to request a $1-per-hour pay raise.

The committee declined to give the raise. Instead, committee members proposed a study as a way to bring employees' salaries in line with surrounding parishes, municipalities and private companies.

Councilman Naray Hulin asked Wednesday that the study include Parish Council members. Hulin said he wanted to see how council members' pay stacks up against surrounding parishes.

"The council never was included in our (original) study, so I would like to see the council" included, he said.

Councilman Bernard Broussard said the study would include the parish president's salary as well.

In other business, the council voted to amend its 2007 budget to reflect the receipt of the council's civil settlement with former Parish President Will Langlinais. Langlinais paid the parish $100,000 in restitution after pleading guilty to malfeasance in office on July 25.

The council also voted to amend the budget to pay $18,000 in legal fees to two law firms that handled the parish's civil claims against Langlinais.

The council expanded its agenda to request that it move forward on the bidding process for the Vida Shaw Bridge.

The federal Advisory Council on Historic Preservation had requested that the replacement of the bridge be delayed until it could determine whether the 70-year-old bridge would be placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Councilman Glenn Romero said the window to accept bids on the replacement bridge is closing. The council has until Monday to accept bids or risk losing $1.6 million in federal funds for the project.