Mississippi City Settles Pier Suit Related to Hurricane Katrina

The city of Waveland, Miss., has settled a long-standing lawsuit related to Hurricane Katrina repairs of the Garfield Ladner Pier.

City Attorney Gary Yarborough said the city and Malouf Construction have settled the lawsuits each filed against the other.

In 2009, Malouf was awarded a $3.8 million contract to renovate the pier.

At issue was about $140,000 which the city had not paid Malouf.

The city had sought to withhold the cash because of issues related to the construction of the pier.

Malouf counter-sued the city claiming that it was entitled to the entire contract amount.

Yarborough told the Sea Coast Echo that Malouf agreed to take what it has already been paid and not seek any further money from the city.

Meanwhile, renovations of the pier from damages suffered from Hurricane Isaac in 2012 are set to get underway.

In October, the city awarded an $823,000 contract to Coastal Marine Contractors of Slidell to fix the damages caused by the storm.

Work is expected to begin soon and the pier is expected to reopen next spring, officials said.

The city of Waveland intends to tear down storm-damaged parts of the pier.

The work is necessary, officials said, because the structures don’t meet current Federal Emergency Management Agency flood plain regulations.

The Ladner pier was severely damaged during Hurricane Katrina and the city received federal and state funds to repair and renovate it.

The pier reopened in April 2009. In August, 2012, the pier was once again damaged, this time by Hurricane Isaac. It has not reopened.