Louisiana Insurance

The connoisseur municipal Thursday unanimously agreed to pay $ 5.6 million for the construction of a new power plant and fire with fire custody Mayor Ed Muniz strongly against an attempt not only a management station buildings.

Connaisseurs pay citadel Builders Inc. of Metairie complexity, is also a guard-fire, training room, administrative offices and dispatch centres.

The bids for the fire at headquarters, more than twice as high as the average of $ 2 million in the 2003-04 budget of the capital. Citadel has recently agreed to drop a bid of $ 2 million if the project has been reduced to the administrative building.

But the scale-down option was not necessary. The Council amended the city place, the budget for 2003-04 to a redistribution enough money for the new plant.

The money came from some abandoned projects, including a $ 183054-Skate Park, nearly $ 600000 collected by the city in interest.

Before the Council decides unanimously amendments to the draft budget, Councilman Joe Stagni trying to change the budget for 2003-04 to subtract money for building management. His proposal containing $ 365000 for drainage of the 1st and Districts 5 and $ 365000 for roads and sidewalks to repair the 2nd, 3rd and 4 District and $ 472000 for equipping firefighters and repairs.

“I have no problem with a new guard fire,” said Stagni. “Managing the complex is another story. We also other sectors of our city, which are in disrepair.

He and Councilman Marc Johnson said they wanted a new station because they can improve the fire insurance of the city assessment, but both called into question a new administrative building, because other repairs after ‘Hurricane Katrina.

“We are not saying that we are against a complex,” said Johnson. “We can say that we have to build a station and construction of a complexity later.”

Muniz objections against the changes and said that the headquarters, a category 4 hurricane, and that the costs of building management will in the future.

“They were firefighters, the evacuation took over the last year, because it is up to them nowhere,” he said. “To send the firefighters of the city to a hurricane would be a great mistake. To reject the offer, significantly up is a mistake. It is a big mistake. ”

Former Fire Chief Mike Engelmann, retired Monday, said that the building of 2226 Williams Blvd. is obsolete. He said he did not understand the storms, is too small for the necessary training and dispatch Centre is not within the purview of the Confederation.

“He never meant for us to be here long term,” said Zito. “It’s a good result structurally Every Storm”.

Woman Council said Michele Branigan against the amendment, money for the seat, because I think that firefighters merit, it has in the 21st century.

“I think it’s a mistake, if we are not on this occasion,” she said, adding that construction costs should increase in the future.

At the end of a divided Council rejected the proposal 4-3 Stagni, Branigan, Jeannie Black, dentists and Maria DeFrancesch vote against Ben and Stagni, Johnson and Kent Denapolis.

After rejecting the request Stagni, unanimously approved the changes the 2003-04 budget, whether you have enough money for the entire complex.

The new complex will be replaced fire to the headquarters Williams 2226 and the two sides of the Bay City Hall in 1801 Williams. The old station is the expansion of the secretariat of the Court of Auditors and the Division of Finance, Deputy Chief Administrative Officer Mike Quigley. The former Central will probably be the home of the Parks and Recreation Department headquarters or the application code, “said Quigley.