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Lafitte Levee District president says cheap procurement and local stocks cut hurricane prep costs
Summary
New Lafitte Levee District president Kerry Lauricella told the committee the district saved large sums by using state-contract pricing for 'super sacks' and arranging free fill services from a neighboring district; the district has built local supplies and increased public outreach.
Kerry Lauricella, newly installed president of the Lafitte Levee District, told the Joint Transportation Committee on Aug. 19 that the district has taken immediate, low-cost actions to improve hurricane readiness and to lower costs for temporary flood protections.
Lauricella described buying so-called “super sacks” — temporary sandbag-type sacks used for interim protection — through a state contract at roughly $9 per sack rather than at a reported ad-hoc market price of about $300 per sack. He said the Southwest Levee District agreed to fill the sacks without charge for a portion of the order, and that the district took delivery of more than 100 sacks at about $23 delivered, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars when compared with prior emergency purchases. Lauricella said FEMA reimbursement rules apply to these purchases and that having a stocked warehouse reduces last-minute scramble before storms.
He said the district now posts meetings and agendas online and has started livestreaming meetings; a recent meeting attracted several thousand online viewers. Lauricella emphasized transparency and said the district would avoid conflicts of interest by adopting limits on campaign contributions from firms seeking district business.
Why it matters: Small coastal levee districts often rely on temporary materials during storm response; Lauricella’s changes aim to make procurement cheaper and to have supplies on hand before storms.
What’s next: Lauricella said the district will continue to build levees and warehouse supplies and will return to the committee as requested.
