Lydia bridge site fix on agenda

The Iberia Parish Council will vote on a resolution Wednesday to request a temporary bridge along Bayou Warehouse while a bridge destroyed by a barge during Hurricane Ike is being replaced.

The Bayou Warehouse Bridge in Lydia, demolished during Hurricane Ike by a rogue barge belonging to Parker Drilling, is a means for many residents in the parish to travel back and forth to work, said Councilman Jerome Fitch.

Parish President Ernest Freyou announced at last week’s Parish Council meeting it will take nine months to one year for the state Department of Transportation and Development to complete repairs on the bridge.

The bridge is located in Council Vice Chairman Roger Duncan’s district, but the resolution was brought up by Fitch at last week’s meeting while Duncan was absent. Fitch will allow Duncan to move on the agenda item, but said he believes it is something Duncan will want to do.

“I think it’s very important,” Fitch said. “A lot of people use that road, and it’s causing hardship on them. Also, the area stores and businesses depend on that traffic. I’d like to help those people if we can.”

In other business, the council will move into executive session to discuss pending litigation with Gordon Doerle and former Parish President Will Langlinais.

The parish is suing Doerle for operating a pickup station near the airport without a permit, and Doerle is counter-suing the parish for lost revenue because the parish denied him a permit to expand his landfill.

Langlinais is suing the parish for unpaid vacation and sick leave benefits he says he accrued in office, said Assistant District Attorney Eric Duplantis, legal adviser to the council.

Langlinais filed the suit in July, but did not serve the parish until last week, Duplantis said. Duplantis will respond to the lawsuit and deny all allegations probably by the end of the week.

“I haven’t talked to him (Langlinais’ lawyer), but I suspect we’ll have to resolve it in court,” Duplantis said.

The council has the option to discuss the lawsuits publicly after its executive session, Duplantis said.

The Iberia Parish Council meets Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the Council Chambers on the fourth floor of the Iberia Parish Courthouse. The meeting is open to the public.