Parish staff list professional services and studies in 2026 operating requests, including comprehensive water and sewer plans
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Summary
At the budget meeting, parish staff summarized 2026 professional services requests across departments: a parish‑wide sewer utility plan, a water utility plan underway, assessor and district attorney expenses that are passed through, animal services programs, and technology and grants support.
Parish staff on Tuesday reviewed proposed professional and contract services for the 2026 operating budget, highlighting several studies and reimbursable costs departments say are necessary to maintain services and secure future grant funding.
Key items: environmental services requested $943,500 that includes $450,000 for a parish‑wide comprehensive sewer utility plan; the comprehensive water study funded in the current budget is expected to kick off soon and produce results in spring 2026. Grants management requested $150,000 for application and program capacity — split for hazard mitigation applications and a transit study — and staff said those application costs may be reimbursable once grants are awarded.
Other requests: the assessor’s office requested maintenance funds and pictometry subscriptions (customized software) that the parish advances and later bills to taxing agencies; animal services requested $253,800 that includes a $200,000 spay/neuter program and funding for behavioral training and veterinary backstop services; facilities, public works, technology and utilities also listed professional services lines for surveying, environmental consulting, cybersecurity testing and laboratory testing for regulatory compliance.
Reimbursements and cost allocation: staff noted some items (for example, assessor and certain sheriff or district attorney costs) are advanced by the parish and later reimbursed by the agencies on the tax roll. Many central services (finance, CAO, parish council and technology) are cost‑allocated to departments rather than borne fully by the general fund.
Next steps: staff said they will bring some items to council with additional detail and that the comprehensive sewer plan is timed to complement the water study now under way.
