2008-0124
INTRODUCED BY: ST. CHARLES PARISH COUNCIL
RESOLUTION NO. 5521
A resolution requesting the assistance and support of the Louisiana Congressional Delegation on priority projects for St. Charles Parish.
WHEREAS, the Parish Council firmly believes the following listed issues are priority projects, which will benefit all of the citizens of St. Charles Parish:
I. Westbank Hurricane Protection Levee Funding
II. Eastbank Hurricane Protection Pump Funding
III. Westbank Hurricane Protection Pump Funding
IV. Eastbank Hurricane Protection Levee Funding
V. Internal Drainage Funds (SELA)
VI. Water/Wastewater Regionalization
VII. Relocation of LA 3060 (Barton Avenue) to a new State route from Willowdale Boulevard to LA 18
VIII. Extension of Earhart Expressway to I-310
WHEREAS, the Parish Council is requesting our Congressional Delegation assist in promoting and/or funding these projects.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, THAT WE, THE MEMBERS OF THE ST. CHARLES PARISH COUNCIL, do hereby request the assistance and support of the Louisiana Congressional Delegation on priority projects for St. Charles Parish.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this resolution and attached correspondence be distributed to Senator Mary Landrieu, Senator David Vitter, Representative Charlie Melancon, and members of their Staff.
The foregoing resolution having been submitted to a vote, the vote thereon was as follows:
YEAS: SCHEXNAYDRE, AUTHEMENT, RAYMOND, TASTET, BENEDETTO, HOGAN, COCHRAN, LAMBERT, NUSS
NAYS: NONE
ABSENT: NONE
And the resolution was declared adopted this 25th day of February 2008, to become effective five (5) days after publication in the Official Journal.
Issues Important to SCP 2008 revised 1
CHAIRMAN:______________________________________________
SECRETARY:_____________________________________________
DLVD/PARISH PRESIDENT:_________________________________
APPROVED:______________ DISAPPROVED:__________________
PARISH PRESIDENT:______________________________________
RETD/SECRETARY:_______________________________________
AT:_______________ RECD BY: _____________________________
February 26, 2008
Honorable Mary Landrieu Honorable David Vitter
United States Senate United States Senate
724 Hart Senate Office Bldg. 516 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20510
Honorable Charlie Melancon
United States Representative
404 Cannon House Office Bldg.
Washington, D.C. 20515
The Parish of St. Charles respectfully requests assistance with the following priority projects from Members of the Louisiana Congressional Delegation:
I. WESTBANK HURRICANE PROTECTION LEVEE FUNDING
From December 31, 1991 the Parish has spent over $3,000,000.00 in an attempt to obtain the necessary permit from the Corps of Engineers to construct this Levee; however, we have only received a permit for Phase I. The Lafourche Levee District has already started work on Phase I through an Intergovernmental Agreement with in-kind services to assist the Parish with construction of the Levee. The St. Charles 2005 budget allocated $1.1 million, the 2006 budget had $13 million toward this project with $9 million dedicated to the first pump station in this system to protect residents from rain events. The 2007 budget implemented protection for the unfinished projects and $20 million for the proposed Magnolia Pump Station. Presently St. Charles is moving to bond $27 million to move forward the St. Charles Magnolia Ridge section building the pump station and four flood structures. We are committed to provide the flood protection to our Westbank residents that the federal government will not recognize due to the low cost benefit ratio. With the possible approval of the Donaldsonville to Gulf Project alignment moving further south possibly along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, St. Charles must be diligent to provide secondary protection from funneling of the Lake Cataouatchie and Lake Salvador reservoirs during storm events. However, if the COE pushes the Donaldsonville to the Gulf Project north, the alignment could fall within the St. Charles Urban Flood strategy and along the proposed St. Charles alignment.
February 26, 2008
Page 2
Action Needed:
Please work closely with the Corps to support our effort to obtain permits for the remainder of the west bank levee project and to incorporate the alignment in St. Charles Parish along with the Donaldsonville to the Gulf of Mexico Project. Please help urge the COE to make the alignment decision as expediently as possible. The COE decision is due this summer and if the final alignment is known, St. Charles could benefit greatly. A more northern alignment would require St. Charles to build pumps, levee, and structures to COE standards to receive credits for work completed. A southern alignment would allow St. Charles to save resources by utilizing strategy to build secondary flood protection rather than primary flood protection and not have to meet COE standards.
II. EASTBANK HURRICANE PROTECTION PUMP FUNDING
Funds are not adequately budgeted for future phases of construction to complete the Feasibility to provide Corps justification. These shortfalls will delay completion of the Levee flow through pumping stations.
Action Needed:
Protect the $1,100,000 appropriation through St. Charles Urban Flood Control Project as requested by the Corps for the Feasibility Study and work to maintain this appropriation for the four years necessary to complete this project. This appropriation requires local match at 25% where as Jefferson, Orleans, and St. Tammany has received approx $250 million without the need for local match for new projects through SELA in '06 and '07 budgets. Appropriate Federal cost share funding of 75 percent to construct the next scheduled phase of pumps since the Recon study authorized in the Water Resource Development Act of 1999 has been completed and the Internal Drainage Feasibility Study phase has been initiated in partnership with the Corps and Pontchartrain Levee District. We must ensure that the federal appropriations of approx. $1 million be protected for the next three years to allow the Corps to fully participate and complete this study. St. Charles was not fortunate enough to have the pumps in this study funded due to the feasibility study not completed. Delays in this study are attributed to the lack of participation by the Corps due to the federal funding levels of past budget constraints and priority focus on New Orleans and Jefferson projects. The Pontchartrain Levee District and St. Charles are developing a forward strategy to build the three remaining East bank hurricane protection pumps utilizing COE credits of approx $17 million, savings in escrow of $7.2 million due to no matching funds required for the final East bank levee lift, grants from Louisiana DOTD, and a possible $7 million donation from local industries.
February 26, 2008
Page 3
III. WESTBANK HURRICANE PROTECTION PUMP FUNDING
From December 31, 1991 the Parish has spent over $3,000,000.00 in an attempt to obtain the necessary permit from the Corps of Engineers to construct this Levee; however, we have only received a permit for Phase I. The Lafourche Levee District has already started work on Phase I through an Intergovernmental Agreement with in-kind services to assist the Parish with construction of the Levee. St. Charles has allocation $9 million for the first new pumping station and $3 million in levee work in the West bank hurricane protection levee in the 2007 budget. Strains on resources in the post Katrina environment have driven the Magnolia Pump Station cost to approx $19 million. Along with the required four flood structures this project has swelled to $27 million. St. Charles has spent in recent years approx. $6 million in additional pump station up grades to facilitate the hurricane protection levee projects. St. Charles is prepared to build the necessary infrastructure need to protect the largest unprotected population on the gulf coast. The West bank Hurricane Protection Levee in St. Charles is not a federal project. However the COE West bank and Vicinities Project providing protection to the west bank of Jefferson stops at the Jefferson/St. Charles Parish line. St. Charles provided justification to the COE to extend this project to the East guide levee of the Davis Pond Fresh Water Diversion Project. This was accepted in the final project scope providing protection to the Ama Township less than 1/10 of the West bank St. Charles population.
Action Needed:
Please work closely with the Corps to support our effort to obtain a permit for the remainder of the project and to incorporate the alignment in St. Charles Parish with the Donaldsonville to the Gulf of Mexico Project. It is important to align St. Charles for pumps on the Westbank hurricane protection levee system, as we will be reducing our rainfall water retention areas to facilitate these levee projects. St. Charles cannot bear this burden alone. Project swell due to post Katrina influences have put project out of reach for the St. Charles residents. Federal help will be required to provide residents with future flood protection.
IV. EASTBANK HURRICANE PROTECTION LEVEE FUNDING
Funds are adequately budgeted for all phases of construction to complete the East bank levee protection to Category 3. The Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity Project is underway to complete the final lift on
February 26, 2008
Page 4
the authorized project of the East bank levee to approx. 13 ft. However, this lift will not bring St. Charles to the same protection enjoyed in Kenner and Jefferson at approx. 17 ft. or the Levee protection at the Bonnet Carre' Spillway of 23'. Greater levee protection to the east and west has created a funnel effect in St. Charles. The Corps of Engineers proposed 100-year flood protection is estimated at 18 to 18.5 ft. as per the October 23, 2007 COE study documents. St. Charles requires Congressional support for a new authorization to bring the East bank Hurricane Protection to the projected 100-year protection and support for future appropriations to implement these needed COE projects.
Action Needed:
Please work closely with the Corps of Engineers and the Pontchartrain Levee District through the Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity Projects to ensure projects are authorized and funds appropriated for equal protection, 100-year storm projections, and possible Category 5 hurricane protection.
V. INTERNAL DRAINAGE FUNDS (SELA)
Federal Government appropriated $1,100,000.00 of federal funding for Feasibility Study with $1,100,000.00 local match. This appropriation act will only allow the Feasibility Study to remain on its projected four-year path with approx. three years remaining. Once this project study is completed, it is likely that internal drainage project will need attention to facilitate effective water movement to the pump locations. The present feasibility study has narrowed focus to the east bank of St. Charles requiring the need for a future separate project to provide data for west bank protection.
Action Needed:
Request assistance to push Feasibility Study or move directly to construction of the needed projects; thereby, reducing Feasibility Study time by using data from the Donaldsonville to Gulf of Mexico Project, Lake Pontchartrain Levee Study, and St. Charles Parish Master Drainage Plans and other St. Charles Parish drainage studies.
VI. WATER/WASTEWATER REGIONALIZATION
St. Charles Parish has assessed its residents the highest prices for water and wastewater in the state of Louisiana to sustain water/wastewater needs of the growing population and industrial base. This information has been supplied to your offices in a report produced by Camp Dresser Magee (CDM). St. Charles is a 100% user fee
February 26, 2008
Page 5
revenue structure and the burden is becoming excessive to residents with a family of four paying approx $100 per month.
Wastewater: St. Charles has received approval to discharge Luling Oxidation Pond effluent into surrounding wetlands, allowing nutrients to support and sustain wetland regrowth capabilities. St. Charles needs support to help secure permanent permits to continue this practice, saving St. Charles residents approx $20 million in wastewater upgrades and expansion projects. The "Oxidation Pond" was not functioning properly as a treatment facility due to violations of capacity limits during storm events because of infiltration, and is under Environmental Protection Agency (E.P.A.) Administration Order Docket No. CWA-06-2003-1758 dated November 19, 2002, NPDES Permit No. LA 0032131. This facility treats approximately TWO-THIRDS (2/3) of the Parish's Westbank population - approximately 20,000 plus people and growing. This is a very serious health issue, with St. Charles Parish facing possible fines levied by EPA if this practice cannot continue. With the successful conclusion of this project, St. Charles will be free of EPA Administrative Orders which have driven improvement projects and forward strategies since 1999.
Water: St. Charles is working to meet the growing needs of its residents and the industrial community. St. Charles has spent in excess of $10 million to provide clean water with most recent upgrades including directional boring water lines under the Mississippi River to tie together the two community systems to allow for increased capacity and integrity to our system. However, St. Charles is in need of expansion of its water treatment facilities. Projects for plant improvements and a new treatment facility are proposed at approx $20 million.
Action Needed:
Assist the Parish in securing funding through federal and state grants or otherwise to accomplish this very important task to sustain the quality of clean water and maintain our progress to wastewater program success.
VII. RELOCATION OF LA 3060 (BARTON AVENUE) TO A NEW STATE ROUTE FROM WILLOWDALE BOULEVARD TO LA 18
LA 3060 is a main connector from LA 18 to U. S. 90 that is extremely congested, narrow and in a residential area. A relocated LA 3060 would allow for a properly designed highway to handle the large volume of traffic in an efficient and safe manner. With the proposed construction of I-49 this Project is even more critical as the traffic flow on LA 3060 will be greatly increased. This Project should be a component of the I-49 Project.
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VIII. EXTENSION OF EARHART EXPRESSWAY TO I-310
Fund the construction of the Earhart Expressway as was originally planned years ago to alleviate traffic on parallel roads. This Project is also identified as the East-West Corridor (I-310 to Airport to CBD) State Project No. 700-26-0242, Federal Aid Project No. HP-STP-T021 (019). This Project will provide a much needed alternate to U. S. 61 and I-10 for access to and from the CBD of New Orleans and greatly assist in the emergency evacuation of the New Orleans area. It is requested that Federal funding be allocated to begin construction to I-310 as soon as possible.
These issues are of great importance to our citizens and we would deeply appreciate any help you could give in solving these problems.
Sincerely,
DENNIS NUSS, CHAIRMAN WENDY BENEDETTO
COUNCILMAN, DISTRICT VII COUNCILWOMAN, DISTRICT III
CAROLYN K. SCHEXNAYDRE PAUL J. HOGAN
COUNCILWOMAN AT LARGE, COUNCILMAN, DISTRICT IV
DIVISION A
TERRY AUTHEMENT LARRY COCHRAN
COUNCILMAN AT LARGE, COUNCILMAN, DISTRICT V
DIVISION B
BILLY RAYMOND, SR. MARCUS M. LAMBERT
COUNCILMAN, DISTRICT I COUNCILMAN, DISTRICT VI
SHELLEY M. TASTET
COUNCILMAN, DISTRICT II
Enclosure