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STATE OF LOUISIANA <br /> �OF i(177" DEPARTMENT OF STATE CIVIL SERVICE <br /> s,P; ,. .y= LOUISIANA BOARD OF ETHICS <br /> ,1, <br /> �, ara,y-;.��.y,.�yy •a P.O.BOX 4368 <br /> zi,;, to d` BATON ROUGE, LA 70821 <br /> °"<11,E 01 (225)219-5600 <br /> I. %.,, ,, FAX: (225)381-7271 <br /> 1-800-842-6630 <br /> www.ethics.la.gov <br /> April 15, 2019 <br /> Arcadis U.S. Inc. <br /> Through its attorney <br /> R. Gray Sexton <br /> Law Offices of R. Gray Sexton <br /> 8680 Bluebonnet Boulevard, Suite D <br /> Baton Rouge,Louisiana 70810 <br /> Re: Louisiana Board of Ethics <br /> Docket No. 2019-322 <br /> Dear Mr. Sexton, <br /> The Louisiana Board of Ethics, at its April 12, 2019 meeting, considered your request for an ad- <br /> visory opinion as to,whether the Code of Governmental Ethics ("Code") would prohibit Ar- <br /> cadis U.S. Inc. ("Arcadis") from subcontracting with the Louisiana Office of Community Devel- <br /> opment—Disaster Recovery Unit ("OCD-DRU"),in connection with a Request for Proposal for <br /> Watershed Initiative Program Management Support Services, while Arcadis has an existing con- <br /> sulting contract with the Coastal Protection Restoration Authority ("CPRA"). <br /> FACTS PROVIDED <br /> Arcadis currently performs work for CPRA under contract No. 4400009021. The scope of this <br /> CPRA contract is broad and stipulates that Arcadis will provide work as assigned by CPRA <br /> through specific task orders. Through one such task order, Arcadis provided support to the de- <br /> velopment of a comprehensive watershed-based floodplain management program for the state. <br /> The contract with CPRA ended on March 30,2019. <br /> On December 19, 2018, OCD-DRU released Request for Proposal ("RFP") No. 10740-056 for <br /> Watershed Initiative Management Support Services. A small part of the services sought under <br /> the RFP are similar, but are not the same, as the services Arcadis provided to CPRA. Arcadis did <br /> not participate in the drafting or creation of the OCD-DRU RFP and did not know of its re- <br /> lease before the general public. The RFP was open for more than four weeks and all qualified <br /> firms were able to submit a proposal. <br /> The work performed by Arcadis under the Watershed Initiative Program Management Support <br /> Services would be to support the prime contractor in the facilitation of the development and <br /> implementation of a statewide, watershed-based flood plan management program. The work <br /> Arcadis performs for CPRA will not be the same work it may perform under the Watershed Ini- <br /> tiative Program Management Support Services. <br /> Page 1 of 3 (Docket No. 2019-322) <br /> AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER <br />