Baton Rouge — Residents, business owners and local officials from Plaquemines Parish testified at a Sept. 19 Senate Transportation hearing that automated tolling and related administrative charges on the new Belle Chasse Bridge have produced large, sometimes multiple-month bills, double charges and poor customer service.

The hearing drew Department of Transportation and Development leadership and representatives of Plenary Americas, the private developer, and CAPS (the contractor operating tolling). DOTD Secretary Glenn Ladday told the committee, “we are here to work … to resolve any and all issues,” and Deputy Secretary Julia Fisher Cormier said the department will seek ways “to give the public some relief from any unnecessary burdens.”

Committee members heard repeated accounts of billing errors and penalties that residents called excessive. Christy Canova, a Belle Chasse resident, said she registered and received transponders but later received “70 pages of a $6,000 bill” and was told by customer-service staff that “there’s nothing I can do for you … until you pay it.” Business owners described lost customers and sharply lower sales: Amelia Vuunovich of Salvo Seafood said a customer’s one-visit bill to the parish could total $56.67 after tolls, mail and administrative fees, and reported a sustained drop in in-store revenue since tolling began.

Plenary’s executive chairman, Dale Bonner, said about 3,000,000 transactions have been recorded since tolling began May 14 and acknowledged that “we need to make [the fee structure] more transparent.” JB Kendrick, president of CAPS, acknowledged breakdowns in customer service, saying, “I have a staff who has failed some of the citizens in their customer service phone calls,” and promised retraining and follow-up.

Senators and witnesses flagged specific figures from documents shown at the hearing: DOTD and local advocates cited a four-month snapshot the committee reviewed that listed approximately $5.1 million in gross tolls billed and more than $6.7 million in administrative and related charges over the same period, producing roughly $11 million in billed amounts. Committee members also heard that DOTD approved a list of developer fees on April 25, 2022, and that the original construction contract was executed in 2019; the bridge’s construction cost was stated at about $169 million with a 30-year operating term for the private partner.

Local officials and first responders described operational strains beyond billing. Belle Chasse Fire Chief Roy Robicheaux testified the traffic pattern and lane removals under the new configuration have created multi-minute delays for emergency response in some scenarios. School board president Niko Tesovich and Plaquemines Parish President Keith Hinkley said the tolls have deterred parents, staff and visitors from routine activities such as attending school events.

Lawmakers pressed the developer and toll operator for remedies. Plenary and CAPS committed to: (a) reviewing individual accounts brought to their attention and reversing or reducing administrative charges where the company’s systems or service created unwarranted bills; (b) improving customer-service responsiveness and retraining call-center staff; and (c) opening an in-person customer service location in the parish for a specified period to assist residents. DOTD officials said they will coordinate with Plenary and CAPS and asked lawmakers to allow time for a documented remediation plan.

Several witnesses urged legislative action beyond operational fixes. Attorneys and local elected leaders pointed to statutory and contract-review questions raised during the hearing and asked the committee to pursue further audit and legal review of the procurement, contract terms and fee authorities.

The hearing produced no formal vote. Committee members asked DOTD and the developer to provide a written account of remedial steps, a case log showing which administrative charges were reversed or reduced, and a timeline for expanded in-person customer service. Senator Jacob (chair) asked the state auditor to examine the contract and revenue flows.

The session closed with DOTD reiterating a commitment to work with Plenary and CAPS on customer-service and billing issues. Plenary said it would return a report to the committee after reviewing the accounts identified at the hearing.