Parish President's Report for May 19, 2008

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• Description : We are training all parish personne...(more)l in the roles we will play in a hurricane event... St. Charles is second parish in the state to receive StormReady certification by the National Weather Service... Within the next two months there will be an exciting announcement from the Pontchartrain Levee Board regarding funding for all the levee's pumping station on the East Bank... Finance Director Lorrie Toups' last day was May 20, 2008. We have interviewed seven candidates who are very well qualified. We'll be in good shape... Projects on the horizon are the Destrehan and Hahnville wastewater treatment plant rehabilitiations, sewer improvements on Beaupre and Lakewood in Luling, Ama pumping station bar screen cleaning, Evangeline Road culverts, Cousins pumping station bar screen installation, road maintenance on the Maryland Drive bridge crossing, Paradis bar screening project and Schexnayder bar screening project... Engineering on these projects has been completed to 65-75 percent. We're trying to prioritize this and see where we'll spend the money first... I recently met with the secretary of the state Department of Natural Resources, Mr. Scott Angelle. Councilman Shelley Tastet also came to the meeting, in which we discussed obtaining permits for the West Bank Hurricane Protection Levee. We decided that everyone involved with the project -- Wildlife and Fisheries, the Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers -- need to get into one room to get the project completed... I met with Steve Wilson regarding opportunities for coastal restoration along Lake Pontchartrain that would take pressure off the hurricane protection levee. He feels the more money we can spend on the Lakeshore from the spillway to the Kenner line will help cut down on storm surge hitting the East Bank levee... The Farmer's Market took in $260,000 last year at its East Bank location. Hopefully plans for the new West Bank boat launch on Hwy. 90 will include space for the Farmer's Market, to offer it more visibility... Wastewater employees and I met with Curtis Environmental. The Environmental Protection Agency will soon be requiring us to monitor water from our pumping stations. We're not sure of the cost impact these new rules will have... We met with the Corps at Cytec to discuss the alignment of the Jefferson Parish West Bank levee. I think if we can get funding to built this levee to protect Ama, we need to have it... We are asking the Environmental Protection Agency to lift an administrative order on our Luling oxidation pond that has been in effect since 1998. We have been following their rules and regulations for one year. This is the last administrative order the parish is currently under... We recently received clearance from DOTD for a recreational area at the West Bank Bridge Park. Shelley Tastet has donated his company's labor to clear the land. We have plans to put a BMX track there. Kenny Guidry of the Recreation Department said if it is done right, it could mean a $1.3 million economic impact for St. Charles Parish. We could have a national race here covered by ESPN that would draw 30,000 to 40,000 people. Ray Coleman of Killona is donating $1 million worth of dirt to construct the track. (less)