Is absolutely necessary

With the erosion of our present industry tax base that St Charles residents have enjoyed, we must become competitive in the marketing of new business.
Our advalorem tax structure is approx. 90% paid by industry. We must rally to attract new business with the reduction of industry facilities in St Charles to continue to maintain our present quality of life.

We must partner with the entire New Orleans and River Parish regions to identify and combine our strengths to be competitive in the state, national and global markets. More corporations such as Randa are needed to reduce our dependence upon our chemical industry.

Federal and State Tax Dollars… Money is the issue!

The money we send to Washington and to our state legislatures must be returned to St Charles Parish in the form of grants, appropriations, and federally funded projects such as those through the Corp of Engineers. We cannot fund many of the projects necessary for our protection and infrastructure improvements. There exists approx. $100 million in identified hurricane protection and drainage improvements needed. If we increase the return of money to St Charles Parish, we decrease the timetable for the completion of these projects.

We need elected representatives that can compete in this arena: regionally, statewide, nationally, and globally when necessary.

$26 million in projects completed...But the job is not done!

Eastbank Hurrican Protection

The East Bank Hurricane Protection Levee is scheduled to be completed in September of 2007 to the federally authorized height of 13.5 feet.  The completed project will meet the targeted height of 15.5 feet to allow for settlement. 

This vital project is years ahead of schedule due to $39 million appropriated in the 3rd Congressional Appropriations Act to move it forward.  This money was in jeopardy due to shortfalls for the West Bank and Vicinities Projects, which include expansion into St Charles to tie into the east guide levee of the Davis Diversion Project, which is designed to provide hurricane protection for Westbank Jefferson but to include Ama.  The fight must continue to push for the newly developed 100-year flood protection Corps of Engineer’s strategies, which target 17 feet levees.  The new strategy puts the completed East Bank Hurricane Project at a deficiency with a 17-foot levee to the east in Kenner and 23-foot levees to the west as implemented for the Bonne Carré Spillway.

The Norco Bayou Trapanier Pump Station - the first pump in the East Bank system was completed in record time with local public and private industry funds.  Three more pumping stations are planned for sites in this levee system at a projected cost of $40 million to provide complete East Bank protection.  We must “think outside of the box” to acquire funding streams to complete this necessary project.  Pending legislation at the congressional level will allow the public-private strategy to continue by providing tax credits for industry donating money to federally authorized flood protection projects.  Efforts must be continued to push for the new pumps at the already identified locations.

East Bank residents will not be safe until the pumps are completed in this levee. The $10.6 million credit must be accepted and protected by legislation through the Corp of Engineers.  This is imperative to reduce the capital outlay for the remainder of the projects.  With the Corps Reconnaissance study completed, funding for the Feasibility study must maintained to ensure Corps involvement.  The second pump at the Destrehan canal is estimated to cost $18 million.  The completion of this pump will require federal financial assistance.  I am committed to lead that fight for help from the federal government to some of our drainage and hurricane protection issues. 



West Bank Hurricane Protection

The West Bank Hurricane Protection Levee must continue to be permitted and constructed.  With the first phase of this levee under construction, we have never been better positioned to complete the permitting phase for this project, which will protect West Bank citizens.  This effort must be continued.  The integrity of this project must be maintained to ensure Corps of Engineer credit for future flood protection projects.  The quality of flood protection must be maintained with the start of the first West Bank Hurricane Protection Levee pump, which has already cleared the design phase and is ready to be bid.  St Charles Parish appropriated $13 million toward the West Bank Hurricane Protection Project and we were recently awarded $4.5 million by the state to aid in West Bank hurricane flood protection projects.



Ama Hurricane Protection is Now a Reality

St. Charles Parish has tentatively received approval to include Ama in the West Bank and Vicinities Hurricane Protection Project with expansion from Jefferson to tie into the Davis Diversion project.  Three more permits must be fought for and received to provide complete West Bank hurricane protection. 

A hydraulic study has been submitted to the Corps of Engineers for the Willowdale/Willowridge area and I expect approval for this study to be delivered within the next 90 days.  The second permit will provide hurricane protection from Cousins Pump Station to Kellogg Pump Station and tie in to the on-going Magnolia Hurricane Protection Project.  This permit will provide protection for the Lagatuda/Mimosa/Boutte areas.  The third permit must be received to close gaps in the Sunset Drainage area and the Des Allemands Bayou alignment.

The Corps of Engineers is proposing a hurricane levee alignment south of St. Charles in the Lake Salvador Basin.  This project, the Donaldsonville to the Gulf project, will use the Gulf Intracoastal WaterWay to provide hurricane protection. 

I do not think this is adequate protection for St. Charles residents on the West bank.  Storm surge in Lake Salvador and Lake Cataouchie will inundate St. Charles without a secondary line of protection and St. Charles Parish government cannot be complacent in the fight for stronger protection.       

Because pump upgrades have been completed in many areas of the East and West Banks of the parish such as Destrehan II, Kellogg, Davis-Barton and Willowdale, infrastructure improvements must follow.  It is imperative that identified areas of internal drainage improvements be funded and completed.  The floodwater must make it to these pump stations in order to provide protection.  Automatic bar screen cleaners are being added to these state-of-the-art facilities to promote real-time cleaning during flooding events.  This will also assist in the water retention necessary for smooth operation of the pumps and aid in the reduction of necessary repairs by extending the pump life.

NO! To Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport...

St Charles Parish has zoning in place to prevent the expansion of the New Orleans International Airport.
This battle will continue to be waged. The proposed airport expansion will affect 75% of the area of St Charles, but almost 90% of it residents.

The proposal will eliminate over half of St Rose between the river and Airline Dr., and all developed business north of Airline Dr. The east/west runways will put Ormond, Destrehan, New Sarpy and Norco in the flight circle. Ama will be directly under the air traffic flight path of the newly proposed north/south runways. Without giving the governing structure of the airport to the state legislature, the airport cannot expand as proposed. But should New Orleans relinquish control to our state officials, the right of expropriation will become an available option. This is when your elected representatives will need to stand up to compete in the state arena.