Within the newest hurdle for plans to construct a grain elevator in St. John the Baptist Parish, activists have sued the Port of South Louisiana, claiming the Port ran afoul of state legislation when it signed off on a tax break for that mission final yr.
The Descendants Venture, a neighborhood activist group that opposes the persevering with industrialization of the river parishes, stated in a Friday lawsuit that the Port violated the state’s open conferences legislation by deciding behind closed doorways to again the mission earlier than a public listening to was ever held.
Earlier than their April 2022 approval of a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes, or PILOT, for Greenfield Louisiana’s $225 million grain export terminal, Port board members and employees exchanged emails that mentioned the mission in depth, the lawsuit states. In a single electronic mail activists touted, Port Vice President D. Paul Robichaux instructed his colleagues, “I belief you’ve all issues so as and in place to proceed with profitable passage of this PILOT at our April 6 assembly.”
The state’s open conferences legislation mandates that public our bodies do enterprise in public. Votes should even be held publicly.
“The lengths that the Port will undergo to maintain their operations off the report and away from public scrutiny is unconstitutional and a risk to public security,” stated Descendants Venture cofounder Pleasure Banner stated in an announcement.
A Port spokesperson stated Monday that no violation of state legislation occurred.
“The Port of South Louisiana Board of Commissioners has at all times strictly adhered to the Open Conferences Regulation,” stated Micah Cormier. “Frankly, the Petition is ludicrous, has no foundation in legislation or truth, and reeks of rank supposition, if not fantasy.”
The assembly allowed for public remark, and board members voted on the deal publicly, Cormier identified. The one one that spoke through the public remark interval was David Rollo, Greenfield’s chief administrative officer.
Based on the assembly’s minutes, Rollo offered the Port with an settlement that had already been accredited by the Parish Sheriff’s workplace. Port Commissioner Louis Joseph, who represents St. John, stated that the Parish’s president, sheriff and assessor thought they may’ve gotten greater than the agreed upon worth in PILOT funds.
Commissioner P. Joey Murray III agreed, saying the settlement ought to have included enter from the college board and parish council earlier than the Port thought-about it. However Port Chief Govt Officer Paul Matthews referred to as for the board to approve the deal, which handed 8-1, with Murray dissenting.
“This clearly is one other try to baselessly impugn the Greenfield grain elevator mission, despite the fact that that mission, if carried out, would supply tons of of the best-paying, secure jobs in St. John Parish, and enhance its neighborhood and colleges, particularly on the underdeveloped west financial institution of the river,” Cormier added.
The Descendants Venture is asking fortieth District Decide Vercell Fiffie to void the PILOT settlement Greenfield obtained, which lets Greenfield keep away from greater than $200 million in parish taxes over the subsequent 30 years.
“The Port of South Louisiana is a robust entity that has gone unchecked for too lengthy,” Banner stated. “Selections about our lives, our houses, and our communities are being made for us and about us, so why shouldn’t these choices embody us?”
The activist group already has a pending lawsuit towards St. John associated to the zoning of the grain terminal website.