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Story Archives: Drainage topic at Police Jury meeting


Drainage topic at Police Jury meeting
posted Thursday, September 11th, 2008 @ 8:25 amE-mail Story E-mail Story | Print Story Print Story 
Developing a comprehensive parishwide drainage program has long been a priority of the Concordia Parish Police Jury, but cutting through government regulations and obtaining the funding needed to realize this goal have been major obstacles.

And that didn't offer much solace to some residents in the parish who watched when flood waters entered their homes and businesses last week as Hurricane Gustav passed through Concordia, dumping up to 22 inches of rain in some places, a record, according to Morris White, Director of Homeland Security.

Farmers complained, too, that poor drainage contributed to the flooding of their crops.

A weir in Cocodrie Bayou and a smaller weir on the bayou on the Angelina farm in the Monterey area "caused some problems," said Police Jury President Melvin Ferrington during the Jury's regular meeting Monday night. "These weirs helped cause water to back up back to the lakes and throughout the parish."

Shasta King of Lifetyme Boats, Inc., in Wildsville said a parish ditch that drains her property also drains the entire community and that "it is grown up with big trees."

She said that before she and her husband begin to repair the damage and replace equipment, "I need to now when you're going to take care of the drainage."

Lifetyme Boats manufactures a variety of vessels, including those for rescue, hunting, fishing and commercial use. Flood waters rose a few inches inside the building shortly after the storm hit and still covered much of the outside acreage on Monday, said King.

Ferrington said the Jury office has been inundated with calls since the storm hit last week and commended Jury employees who kept roads cleared and responded to various calls.

"Everyone did an outstanding job," he said.

In February 2007, jurors discussed parish drainage and Cocodrie Bayou in particular with representatives of the state Office of Homeland Security and the U.S. Corps of Engineers. Cocodrie, which drains most of the parish, has long been the focal point for a comprehensive drainage plan.

At that meeting, Gary Walker of the Corps' Vicksburg District office said, "We feel your pain, but can't do much about it at this time." He said no new drainage studies have been funded by the federal government."

"We have a war-time budget," he said last year, but suggested that the Jury request a drainage study on Cocodrie and that when funding becomes available the project would be on the list.

Casey Levy and Jeffery Giering of the Louisiana Homeland Security Mitigation Department said that agency would research the matter, adding that the Louisiana Wildlife & Fisheries may have to be included in formulating a drainage project because Cocodrie is protected by the Scenic Waterway Act.

Ferrington said parishwide drainage program has long been needed.

One option considered to alleviate the problem involved the placement of gravity flow structures on Lake St. John and Clayton to divert water in the northern portion of the parish to the Tensas River, and a diversion canal paralleling part of Cocodrie.

"We're told that a diversion canal would cost $20 to $25 million," said Ferrington. "Even on an 80/20 federal matching grant, we just can't come up with that kind of money."

Juror Randy Temple said hearings were held on cleaning out Cocodrie years ago and recalled that it "was a controversial issue. Public hearings were held and a lot of people turned out. Some folks got mad."

In other business Monday night, the Jury:

-- Held a brief executive session to discuss legal strategy.

-- Transferred $2,375 from the Solid Waste Fund to the General Fund, $7,500 from the Sales Tax Fund to the General Fund and $5,000 from the General Fund to the Criminal Court Fund.

-- Heard from District Attorney candidate Ronnie McMillin. He said he wanted to serve only one term, pledged cooperation with the Jury, and said he would be free to "take the politics" out of the DA's office.

-- Appointed Emerson Slain to the Louisiana Workforce Investment Board, reappointed Derrick White to the Concordia Recreation District No. 1 Board and reappointed William Coleman and Hall Wilson to the Lake St. John Water Works District Board.

-- Approved occupational licenses for Babette Ashley Barfoot, Babette's Art Studio, 5971 Hwy. 129, Monterey; and Amy Crane, The Landing in Monterey, who also was granted a Class A Beer and Liquor license.
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