At the June 30 Kenner City Council meeting, resident James Howes of 453 Berlino Drive urged the city to inspect and repair a worsening drainage problem on his street after near-flooding events in June. "That silence is unacceptable," Howes said, saying he had emailed the mayor’s office and other city departments and received no acknowledgement. "No resident in Kenner should have to worry about their home flooding during a normal summer storm," he added.

Howes asked for a detailed inspection of the neighborhood’s drainage system, a formal action plan and a clear timeline. He told the council he believed drainage capacity on his street has declined "at least 50% over the last 5 years," citing development, airport expansion and a lack of long-term upgrades.

Jose Gonzalez of the city’s public works department responded that the administration had received the email and that crews would "clean and flush all the drain lines and all the drainage structures" on the street "over the next few days or...the next week or so" to rule out blockages. Gonzalez said the city recorded "over 3 inches of rain in a relatively short period of time" during the recent storm and that the intensity of that event contributed to widespread street flooding.

Council members noted other planned and in-progress projects that could reduce system load, including additional pumps at a parish pumping station and a new pump station in other neighborhoods that will allow water to be diverted from the main Duncan Canal. Councilman Brannigan pointed to forthcoming parish work that will add pumps at the Parish Line Pump station; Gonzalez said additional regional projects will "alleviate some of the problems in all the area."

The city said it will begin cleaning and flushing lines in the impacted neighborhood and will follow up with the resident. Howes said he wanted a specific timeline and clear actions; city staff said they had directed crews to inspect and clear the lines as a first step.