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Meeting set on proposed 2-mill drainage tax
The Concordia Parish Police Jury will hold a public hearing on Aug. 20 to see how voters feel about funding long-term maintenance for two projects designed to improve drainage parishwide.
Those two projects include Black River Lake and Brushy Bayou.
The Concordia Parish Drainage Committee and the Black River Lake Commission recommended during a special meeting Monday night that the Jury ask voters parishwide to consider a two-mill tax which would finance the long-term maintenance for structures proposed for both projects.
A one-mill tax was also suggested for Catahoula Parish property owners who lived inside the Black River Lake complex.
Concordia Police Jury President Melvin Ferrington said the Black River Lake Project, which has been awarded construction funding, is on hold because there are no monies set aside for long-term maintenance.
"Both projects have to have long-term maintenance money set aside and the Corps of Engineers and Fifth District Levee Board are not going to move forward on these projects without this funding secured," Ferrington said. "This money will have to come locally and right now the only way we see obtaining it is through a millage."
Additionally, the Jury voted during the special meeting Monday to have the parish engineer conduct a feasibility study to provide additional data on the Brushy Bayou proposal.
Ferrington also said he has invited two representatives of the Louisiana Wildlife & Fisheries Department and one from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality to the August special meeting to answer questions about water quality and to discuss concerns of sports fishermen involving the Black River Lake project.
While $3.5 million in state funding has been dedicated for a flood control/recreation project on Black River Lake, the Jury is seeking a $3.9 million state grant for the Brushy Bayou Project, which includes a gravity flow structure, weir and other features.
The Black River Lake Project, which includes construction of a gated control structure that will connect Black River Lake to Black River, has been designed to improve drainage and reduce the fluctuation in the water level in the Black River/Horseshoe Lake Complex.
In 2006, $1 million was secured in state funding for construction, while the remaining $2.5 million for construction of the project has been approved by the state Bond Commission. The control structure will allow Black River to back into Black River Lake during times of low water and allow runoff to flow directly into Black River during times of heavy local rainfall.For the full story, subscribe to the The Concordia Sentinel's NEW E-Edition! |
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