SUMMARY NO. 4758
INTRODUCED BY: 'RAM' RAMCHANDRAN, COUNCILMAN-AT-LARGE, DIVISION A
ORDINANCE NO.
Title
An ordinance directing that the Administration end negotiations with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and proceed with acquisition of right-of-way design and construction of levee.
Body
WHEREAS, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has recommended an alignment for construction of the West Bank Hurricane Protection Levee in St. Charles Parish and fully described and defined as the only feasible alignment in the Department of Army letter dated May 10, 1999, under Subject EM-19-970-1066, expressing their eagerness to work with the Parish to avoid further delay; and,
WHEREAS it is self evident that failure to proceed with nationally practiced wetland-non wetland alignment will result in an EIS (Environmental Impact Study) leading to further delay of several years, exposing people and property as the only Parish with no Hurricane Protection Levee on the Westbank; and,
WHEREAS, flooding has occurred in this area in past years; and,
WHEREAS, the Parish is unable to maintain the existing temporary spoil which belongs to private landowners and developers and St. Charles Parish was required to remove the temporary levee constructed during the 1998 emergency at considerable cost; and,
WHEREAS, an extensive length of time has lapsed and construction of a levee to protect the lives and property of the residents of this area has been delayed; and,
WHEREAS, the Parish has incurred considerable expenses in building a temporary protection levee to protect people and property; and,
WHEREAS as a result of citizens concerns and demand for protection expressed at several Operations, Maintenance, and Construction Management Committee Meetings and Town Hall Meeting of May 27, 1999, the Parish should take steps to move this project forward; and,
WHEREAS the explicit expression of federal agencies' policies, U. S. Army Corps of Engi...
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