New SLFPA-East leadership says system ‘fit to fight’ for hurricane season as lawmakers press over governance and staffing

Peter Vicari, newly appointed president of the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority–East (SLFPA–East), and interim director Jeff Williams briefed the Joint Transportation Committee on Aug. 19 on hurricane readiness and an ongoing review of the authority’s operations.

Williams, who said he has more than 27 years of engineering and Army Corps experience, reported the agency completed repairs to 13 PCCP pump stations earlier than expected and described year‑round inspection and exercise protocols. He and Vicari said staffers and contractors have exercised pumps and flood gates, updated digital mapping and asset-monitoring tools, and that they consider the system ready for hurricane season.

Committee members pressed for more information about governance and recent personnel actions at SLFPA–East. Prepared remarks and Q&A covered: the authority’s operating budget (Vicari and staff said roughly $45 million annually), the length of levees and flood walls under authority responsibility (about 192 miles), staffing totals (around 240 employees), and the authority’s claim to several thousand combined years of experience among its employees.

Lawmakers and public commenters raised concerns about several governance items discussed in local reporting and at board meetings: whether a recent board appointment of an individual identified in media coverage had followed the nominating committee process; disclosure of off-cycle pay increases for senior staff (testimony cited a pay level of about $208,000 for the chief of police and referenced four off-cycle raises the board said it had not been made aware of); the authority’s civil-service and compliance processes; and recent staff turnover and resignations among engineering and maintenance leadership. Chief Joshua Rondino described compliance and training steps the authority has been implementing, including partnerships with local community colleges for workforce training and new crew certifications.

Williams and Vicari said the agency is prepared operationally and that staff will provide committee requests for an organization chart, details on recent pay actions and legal/pay savings related to reduced claims or liability costs. They also reiterated they had received assurances from the Army Corps of Engineers that the Corps would complete statutory inspections for 2025 through reprogrammed funding; funding for Corps inspections in 2026 remained uncertain.

Why it matters: SLFPA–East manages critical hurricane-protection infrastructure for New Orleans East, East Jefferson and St. Bernard parishes. Readiness of pumps and flood gates is essential to avoid catastrophic flooding; at the same time, governance questions and recent staff changes have prompted legislators to request more transparency and documentation.

Next steps: Committee members asked SLFPA–East to provide an organizational chart, documentation on recent pay changes and legal expense reductions, and to clarify staffing and continuity of the surge-pumping and gate-control strike teams responsible during storms.