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Utility fund notes: new hires planned, plant repairs, grit removal and pending FEMA reimbursements
Summary
Finance staff and utility managers reviewed anticipated hires for gas and sewer, plant repair projects including grit removal, state capital-outlay grants, and FEMA reimbursement timing for disaster-related work.
Denham Springs — Utility and finance staff told the committee the utility fund will add one employee shared between gas and sewer operations, several plant repairs remain in the budget and FEMA reimbursements for disaster projects remain unresolved pending FEMA approval.
Staff said one additional utility employee was included in the budget for gas and sewer and that the utility funds anticipate a 3% CPI adjustment for electric, gas and water rates. The discussion noted a completed project in 2024 that nonetheless left $150,000 carried into the current budget for repairs and post-project work.
On capital repairs, staff described a grit-removal piece left over from a flood-related project and a series of plant repairs that continue to require funding. Committee members asked for engineer input on some items and staff said some work was completed while other repairs remained pending.
Staff also explained that FEMA disaster grants require a local match and project-level approvals; the committee heard that certain FEMA project categories — including Category 5 work on lift stations and water wells — can take another year or two for FEMA to approve and reimburse. "Whenever FEMA comes down and writes a project after a disaster, everything's written on an estimate ... you find a lot more damage than you anticipated," a staff presenter said, and said the city must submit revised scopes to FEMA to secure reimbursement.
Why it matters: ongoing plant repairs and the pace of FEMA approvals affect utility operations and the city’s capital budget. Several committee members pressed staff for engineering details and for clearer distinctions between completed projects and repair items still needing funds.
