Port site school to be altered

Executive Director of the Port of West St. Mary David Allain advised the commission Tuesday of changes to building plans for the technical training school facility to be constructed at the port’s industrial park on the Charenton Navigation and Drainage Canal.
According to Allain, due to South Louisiana Community College changes in curriculum demographics, the size and shape of the welding complex will decrease to make room for diversification in the facility’s capability to offer more and varying courses other than aluminum welding and commercial driver’s license (CDL) courses.
“We are trying to offer what the parish actually needs,” Allain said. “In lieu of just concentrating on one skill, (welding) we also have plans to do some instrumentation work there, SLCC has been in contact with local manufacturers and there is interest in that, with possibly some safety training, which is a need in the parish.
“So, it will be a multi-purpose site including welding, but a scaled down version.”
Reid Miller of Miller Engineers & Associates Inc. added that the project architect is working on the revisions to the plans, and is attempting to maintain original cost specifics and material parameters by re-scheming their delegation on the site to meet the new purposed specifications.
In his executive director’s report, Allain updated commissioners on the port’s Baldwin campus, tenanted by LAD Services, which was burglarized earlier this year.
Allain reported continued progress in the shoring up of the premises by the tenant, and the commission approved a lease amendment to allow the continuation of such efforts to completion, on a month-to-month basis.
Allain also announced the official resignation of Port Commissioner Philip Prejean, allowing the Mayor-elect of Baldwin to prepare to take office in January.
In other news, the 2019 proposed budget was adopted, a resolution of respect for former Port of Morgan City commissioner Gary Duhon was passed; and Miller’s report relayed that all portions of DOTD Port Priority Project’s Phase II are proceeding as expected.