Consolidating districts

Drainage improvements goal of two-phased approach

Calcasieu Parish Police Jury staff is recommending a two-phased approach to improve drainage that calls for consolidating the seven gravity drainage districts into two and having voters consider millages for those districts by 2020.

During Thursday’s Parishwide Drainage Committee meeting, members heard of the first temporary phase where the Police Jury would consider consolidating the drainage districts into an east and west district. Each district would have five members, and they would serve staggered terms.

Existing district boundaries and millages would remain unchanged during phase one.

During the first phase, the Police Jury would also adopt recommendations for districts to implement policies for finance, human resources, risk management and operations.

Alberto Galan, assistant to the parish administrator, said the first phase would serve as a five- to seven-month transition into the second phase. After that, the consolidated districts would call for an election in the spring of 2020 for voters to consider a new millage.

The new millage rates are recommended to be lower than the existing ones, Galan said. The Police Jury will make up part of the initial funding gap from the reduced millage rates for three years.

Millages in the existing drainage districts vary, with District 8 of Ward 1 having 11.04 mills, while District 4 of Ward 3 has 5.79 mills.

Drainage improvements

The Police Jury in May 2015 approved a drainage mission, guiding principles and policy objectives to help staff with improving drainage and watershed management. Since then, the parish has updated its drainage ordinances for development, invested more in capital drainage projects and started long-term watershed planning efforts.

The newest recommendations came after reviewing structure and maintenance operations of the seven gravity drainage districts. Galan said the update was needed because drainage has been impacted by unprecedented growth in Calcasieu, along with urbanization and continued infrastructure demands.

There are 10 watersheds throughout the parish. Currently, six of the seven gravity drainage districts are managing multiple watersheds, Galan said. Because of this, maintenance was based on political boundaries, instead of a watershed-based approach. He said the system of managing drainage laterals, in place since the 1980s, is inefficient.

“In a lot of ways, it’s unreasonable to expect some of these districts to be able to handle all of this,” Galan said. “If we take a watershedbased approach, we can remove that and focus on that big picture based on the way water actually works.”

Comments

District 7 Police Juror Chris Landry said he was encouraged by the recommendations.

“When government tells me that I’m going to get better service for less money and pay less taxes, that’s kind of exciting,” he said.

Police Jury President Judd Bares said he wants to make sure the consolidated boards have “equal and plenty of representation on each side.” He said he was unsure about the boards only having five members.

“There’s a lot of knowledge from those board members, and I would hate to miss out on that just by cutting the board by two people,” Bares said.

District 14 Police Juror Hal McMillin said he considered the recommendations “a good move” to improve drainage in Southwest Louisiana. He said no action will be taken until all stakeholders are heard.

District 9 Police Juror Kevin Guidry said transparency is key in making sure all concerns are addressed.

Timeline

Galan said parish staff plans to meet with gravity district board members, along with the public and other stakeholders, throughout November and December. The drainage committee would take formal action in February, followed by the Police Jury. If approved by the Police Jury, the changes in phase one would take effect in May.

A transition team, including parish and drainage district representatives, would be created in February.

Galan said the time line calls for the two consolidated drainage boards to call for an election for their own millages in December 2019. The election would be scheduled for the spring of 2020.

After hearing the report, the drainage committee later approved a motion by District 6 Police Juror Dennis Scott for the committee to meet in January ahead of the proposed February meetings.

TO VIEW THE ENTIRE STUDY, VISIT CPPJ.NET.

””Drainage Issues graphic

SportsPlus

Local News

Meet the candidates: Five throw hat in ring for mayor’s race

McNeese Sports

SLC games set for McNeese

McNeese Sports

Cowgirls look for four-peat

Local News

UPDATE: Drug charges against veterinarian cleared of rape dropped

Local News

Cassidy, Senate committee advances Robert F. Kennedy Jr. nomination to be health secretary

Business

Waffle House adds surcharge to eggs as massive bird flu outbreak leads to soaring prices

Local News

Federal judge blocks enforcement of La. police ‘buffer-zone’ law

Local News

Louisiana Armed Forces Alliance opens new offices

Local News

NY shields abortion pill prescribers after doctor indicted in La.

McNeese Sports

Cowboys win by a tick

Business

Wall Street swerves lower after Trump announces tariffs and then puts some on hold

Local News

A heart for kids: New Big Brothers Big Sisters CEO driven to help others

McNeese Sports

Hot-shooting Nicholls guns down Pokes

McNeese Sports

Cowgirls struggle early, fall to Nicholls

Informer

The Informer: Floods followed in wake of 1940 Gulf Coast storm

Business

Economic advisor: Collaboration, focus on workforce development key

Jim Beam

Jim Beam column:Professor back in classroom

life

String theory: Thompson rediscovers her art voice in fabrics

Local News

Qualifying ends, ballots set for March election

Crime

1/31: Calcasieu Parish Sheriff announces arrest list

life

Southwest District Livestock Show: Time again to hit the dirt

Crime

Former veterinarian found not guilty in rape of young girls at Kinder casino

McNeese Sports

Cowboys end road trip at Nicholls

Local News

UPDATE: La. fourth-graders in the top five in nation for math growth