Bonton Associates Inc., the state-appointed receiver for Tallulah’s water plant, presented its preliminary 90-day corrective action plan during Thursday’s city council meeting.
The meeting was held at the Tallulah-Madison Community Center providing citizens with an opportunity to ask questions.
Bonton Associates Inc., is out of Baton Rouge and Shreveport. The Louisiana Department of Health filed an application for Bonton Associates Inc. to be the receiver and it was approved.
Bonton Associates Inc, owner Darius Bonton , and program manager Michael Ellis were at the meeting.
“Our goal as being appointed receiver of the Tallulah water system is to bring it into compliance and to provide clean water,” Bonton said. “Period. We’re here for one reason. And so our goal is to understand the system, understand those that support this system.” Bonton said there are good employees at the water plant. “We’re excited to jump in and to work with them.”
An application for a state receiver was filed after the city council voted to go into a receivership several months ago. The vote for a receivership was 3-2 with District 1 Council Member Joe Scott, District 2 Council Member Lisa Houston and District 4 Council Member Marjorie Day in support. District 3 Council Member Carla Turner-Harris and District 5 Council Member Toriano Wells opposed.
The city had secured $15 million in funding to rehab the water plant, but bids came in at more than $19 million. That is when the option of having a state receiver was considered.
The initial cost for a receiver is expected to be $400,000 with the City of Tallulah footing half the bill and the rest the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness paying the other half. Some of the $15 million that was expected to be awarded to the city for the rehab still could be used as the process continues.
Preliminary receivership
schedule
Immediate Action/Concurrent Tasks
•Identify primary points of contact for all functional areas of the system.
•Establish monitoring and communications protocols for all functional areas of the system.
•Have teams to support all functional areas of the system (operations, financial, administrative, customer service, etc.).
Task No. 1-Desktop Reviews
Task No. 2-Field Work
Task No. 3-Corrective Action Development (to begin after Field Work is completed)
The final corrective action plan is scheduled to be sent to the Louisiana Department of Health by Jan. 10, 2025.
