ASCENSION PARISH - For the second time in as many weeks, a vote to approve a contract to consolidate the sewer system across Ascension Parish has been delayed.

Late Monday afternoon, council Chairwoman Terri Casso told WBRZ, a Tuesday night meeting to vote on the contract had been canceled. Casso said after several hours of meetings between attorneys, sewer officials and incoming parish president Clint Cointment, an agreement seemed to be coming, but Cointment was asking for more concessions.  

"The changes have been slight but significant," Ascension Infrastructure Division Director William Daniel said, referring to changes made to the contract since November's public hearing. 

Daniel says concessions have already been made by the system's would-be operator to balance the deal.

"If there are some cost overruns in the building of the system, the operator will absorb those," Daniel said. "Consequently if the system does better than expected, the parishioners will benefit from that in the terms of lower fees."

In a text message with a WBRZ reporter, Cointment said he would comment on the matter Tuesday.