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Grants office reports $319 million portfolio; STAR Transit micro‑transit pilot and mitigation work highlighted
Summary
The parish grants department said it manages $319 million in awards, with $169 million active in 2025; staff requested modest operating support, training and a software tool and described major FEMA, ARPA and HUD programs.
John Harris, director of grants for St. Tammany Parish, told the finance committee the parish manages approximately $319 million in grant agreements and has managed roughly $169 million in projects so far in 2025. "We manage $319,000,000 worth of funding, both federal and state," he said.
Harris outlined the grants team, core programs and the breakdown of major funders: FEMA (about $78 million), ARPA/water sector passthroughs (about $74 million), HUD (about $32 million), FTA (approx. $21 million) and state capital outlay (about $33 million). He said most grants are federal or federal pass‑through (about 95%).
Key programs and near‑term work - STAR Transit: Harris said the parish completed a transit study with consultant Wingate and recommended a micro‑transit pilot to reduce cancellations and explore demand‑responsive routes. He described the phase‑2 pilot as FTA‑funded and said Coast remains the operator.
- Residential mitigation / elevation program: Harris said the grant portfolio includes elevation and buyout programs tied to FEMA/CPRA funding, and that some coastal buyout application windows have closed. He said the state denied an extension for the Avery Estates buyout application but noted the parish could seek legislative support or demonstrate further demand.
- FEMA and disaster grants: Harris said the finance office manages Ida‑related FEMA grants, including pier repair, generator and public works barn repairs; he cautioned that some grants are formulaic and final reimbursements may be small relative to initial award estimates.
Administrative needs and requests Harris asked for modest recurring investments: professional services to augment capacity (already used for the elevation program), training for grant managers to keep up with federal program changes, and evaluation of a grants management software to centralize workflows and reporting. He said two vendors provided demonstrations and one annual price estimate was roughly $200,000, a cost he described as likely prohibitive in the near term.
Other highlights - Litter‑camera program: Harris said the parish applied for and was awarded funding for camera sites under a litter prevention grant; the parish is awaiting the state grant agreement to implement installations.
- ARPA and expenditures: He said the parish has reported and is administering $50 million in ARPA allocation; about half of the parish's ARPA‑designated projects have been spent and the grants office continues reporting to Treasury.
Ending Harris proposed quarterly grants‑portfolio reporting to the committee (staff suggested quarterly rather than monthly) and said the grants office will provide the full grant summary report for committee review. The committee asked for follow‑up briefings on STAR Transit phase 1 results, the micro‑transit pilot plan and select FEMA project schedules.
