[StBernard] Nunguesser, Council Battle Over Boasso Port Position

[Westley Annis]

Nunguesser, Council Battle Over Boasso Port Position
Plaquemines Parish President Against Hiring Boasso

POSTED: 11:28 pm CST November 12, 2008
UPDATED: 11:53 pm CST November 12, 2008


BELLE CHASSE, La. -- Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nunguesser expressed
his opinion on Wednesday over who will run the port in the area.

"I will not sign the contract," Nunguesser said. "They can sue me."

The parish council will make its decision Thursday morning, but Wednesday
night, Nunguesser said the council was playing politics with the position.

Nunguesser said he will not sign off on a plan to redevelop of the Port of
Plaquemines if the council chooses former Louisiana senator and one-time
candidate for governor Walter Boasso.

People in the parish hope it's a decision that doesn't slow progress.

At a peewee football game in Belle Chasse, people said they want progress in
their parish and many are looking forward to an upgraded port.

"I think it's good," a football game attendee said. "It'll bring jobs."

The competition to see who runs the port is fierce. The parish council said
it wants to hire Boasso.

"Walter has never run a port," Nunguesser said.

Nungesser said he'd like to form a port committee and hire one of two
nationally known companies to run the port.

The council said it plans to pay Boasso's company more than $1 million over
three years to develop a port plan.

"We've got to stop wasteful spending, and the council shouldn't make this
decision," Nunguesser said. "We need professionals to make these decisions."

Plaquemines Councilwoman Linda Banta disagrees.

"Walter Boasso knows the port business and will do a great job," Banta said.

But Nunguesser said otherwise.

"The action of this council is going to cost this parish the opportunity to
develop this port because they're playing politics with us," he said.

The council in Plaquemines Parish will meet on Thursday and will make a
decision on who gets to run the port.