Parish border remains in dispute

Residents of Grand Bois met Monday night with members of the Lafourche-Terrebonne Boundary Committee at the Bourg Lions Club to discuss the decades-long boundary issue in Grand Bois between the two parishes.

Louisiana state officials have never determined whether parts of Grand Bois belong to Terrebonne or Lafourche Parishes.

The committee, which was formed three years ago, is made up of parish council members and other parish officials from both Terrebonne and Lafourche.

At the meeting, Martha Cazaubon, senior planner with the South Central Planning Development Commission in Houma, and Lafourche Parish Councilman Mark Atzenhoffer both emphasized that only the state could change borders between Terrebonne and Lafourche.

“State legislators can only do this on our recommendation,” Atzenhoffer said.

Cazaubon said that both Terrebonne and Lafourche would have to pass ordinances agreeing on any new boundaries between the two parishes before legislation in Baton Rouge could be introduced.

Most of the Grand Bois residents speaking at the meeting said they were concerned about whether fire emergency personnel would have a longer response time coming from either Bourg or Larose, and about their children having to switch parish school systems, in the event of a border change.

Bourg resident Glenn Matherne, Jr. said Grand Bois should become a part of Terrebonne Parish.

“It seems like a no-brainer. We get our cable, garbage (service) and gas from Terrebonne. Most of the students go to Terrebonne,” he said.

Matherne claimed Terrebonne was the parish servicing him after the 2005 hurricanes.

“I didn’t see any response from Lafourche, but I saw guys from Terrebonne,” he said.

Another resident, Angela Billiot, disagreed with Matherne and wants her area to remain in Lafourche Parish, claiming the boundary issue is ruining the lives of the residents.

“People are turning against one another,” she said. “Why can’t things remain as it is? We’re poor people. Let us remain in Lafourche.”

Matherne said the boundary issue should be decided through the democratic process, even if that means some current Terrebonne Parish residents might have to “send their kids to school in Galliano.”

Lafourche Parish President Charlotte Randolph stated that Grand Bois residents are facing two concerns over the boundary issue: safety and children’s education.

“Schools in Terrebonne are not necessarily better than ones in Lafourche,” she said. “Please don’t let this divide you. This is not a life or death issue.”