New Iberia awards engineering contract, pushes detention-pond, canal-cleaning work after heavy flooding

The New Iberia City Council on Tuesday approved a contract with Staples Engineering and Consulting LLC to study new and existing flooding locations and outlined an immediate push to design a 3.4-acre detention pond north of Acadian Acres funded through a $3.1 million LWI grant.

Council leaders said the engineering work will identify both major projects, such as the detention pond, and smaller, faster fixes public works can do immediately with city drainage funds.

The work matters because many homes flooded during a short, intense storm that council members said in places dumped six to eight inches of rain in roughly an hour and a half. Mayor (name on file) told the council, “we have a million dollars in the drainage fund that I could pledge to fix these problems,” and that a separate $3 million state grant for the pond is pending final U.S. Army Corps of Engineers review.

The council’s action was recorded as Resolution No. 2557, awarding Staples Engineering the study contract. Chandler Staples of Staples Engineering told the council the firm will “hit the 3 hot spots first,” and then examine other areas identified by staff and residents.

Nick, the city’s grant engineer with the firm that helped secure the LWI award, described the detention-pond project and the permitting timeline. “This project is a 3.4 acre detention pond located just north of Acadian Acres,” he said, and told the council the city has been in active review with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for months. Nick said the city is revising drawings to respond to Corps comments and expects another submission this week; once a Corps permit is issued, the Office of Community Development will complete the environmental review and the grant administrator can release funds and a notice to proceed.

Officials said the pond will stage stormwater on city property and then slowly discharge to an existing large outfall that ultimately goes to Bayou Teche. Nick said only very limited upgrades to existing private outfalls (about 50 feet near two homes) are expected; “the rest should be all on city property,” he said.

In parallel, staff reviewed a four-package canal-cleaning program paid with ARPA and other city funds. Public works and consulting staff said Area A is complete, Area B is essentially finished, Area C is nearing completion, and Area D (including portions of T By U inside city limits) will begin when crews finish the earlier work. Council members emphasized that crews can act on small, local fixes immediately — enlarging pipe inlets, replacing short run culverts, or changing drain covers — while the larger, grant-funded projects proceed through permitting and design.

Council members stressed the need to coordinate with Iberia Parish on sections of open ditches and larger channels that cross jurisdictional lines. The mayor said the city will pursue opportunities to add match funding should the Corps permit release the $3.1 million LWI grant, and that the additional money would allow the city to tackle further drainage improvements beyond the pond.

The council also asked staff to keep residents informed and to prioritize improvements that can be completed quickly without waiting for lengthy design and bid phases.

For residents, expected next steps include engineering field work by Staples Engineering, revised drawings and a resubmission to the Corps, and, if the Corps review proceeds as planned, a short sequence of environmental review, fund release, and public bidding for the detention pond. Meanwhile, canal cleaning and targeted pipe/inlet work will continue under existing city contracts and crews.

Ending: Council members said they will continue neighborhood meetings and quick-response repairs while seeking final permits and funding for larger projects. The mayor urged residents to report flooding locations and to expect ongoing work in affected neighborhoods.