Port to receive site work bids Aug. 12 for emergency center

Bids to begin site work at the Port of Morgan City’s $9.5 million Government Emergency Operations Center are set to be received by Aug. 12, Project Manager Walt Adams said.
Bids are to be advertised today in The Daily Review for site work at the Port of Morgan City’s Emergency Operations Center to be located on La. 182 next to the Morgan City Municipal Auditorium, Adams said.
The Morgan City Harbor and Terminal District commission met Monday at the Port of Morgan City.
The center can serve as an emergency command center during events such as hurricanes and will also house tenants from governmental agencies on a day-to-day basis.
Architect Carl Blum said officials have added some extra space to the plans to allow for higher ceilings in the building. The entire center will require card access to enter, Blum said. The building will include room for two tenants and a conference room that can seat 100 people and can also be divided into three smaller conference rooms, he said.
Port officials want to make sure the center uses the most up-to-date technology as possible in the center, Blum said. The center will have designated sleeping space for 10 to 12 people, but can house more people, if needed, in the conference room, Blum said.
The facility will also have locker rooms and restrooms, Blum said. During an emergency event, the center will have three levels of security clearance, Adams said.
The center will be equipped to handle emergencies during hurricanes along with other types of emergencies, Adams said. The facility is scheduled to open in late August or early September 2015, Adams said.
Also at Monday’s meeting, the commission approved its nearly $11 million fiscal year 2014-15 budget. The port has an almost $129,000 deficit of expenses to revenues, but will make up for the deficit through money from the port’s fund balance, Port of Morgan City Administrative Assistant Tori Henry said.
Anh Nguyen of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said a contract to dredge the Atchafalaya River Bar Channel will be awarded Wednesday. Jonathan Hird of Moffat & Nichol said engineers are trying to determine what funds the corps will have available to dredge the Bar Channel.
In other business, the commission
—Approved hiring Lester Beam of Lazer Claims Investigation & Security Services as the port’s facility security officer at a rate of $1,000 per month. Hiring Beam is part of the facilities security plan the port operator is required to have in place, Port of Morgan City Special Projects Coordinator Mike Knobloch said. The facility security officer is responsible for making sure the plan is implemented, Knobloch said.
—Approved renewing the designation of The Daily Review as the official journal for the Morgan City Harbor and Terminal District.
—Approved renewing the contract for Mike Knobloch of Knobloch Professional Services at $6,000 per month.