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Council amends 2025 budget to add CDBG‑DR allocations; resident urges redirecting $5M from 'Activate the Bayous' to bridge repairs
Summary
The council adopted an ordinance June 25 amending the 2025 budget to add multiple CDBG‑DR and HUD recovery items, including a $5 million allocation for 'Activate the Bayous Phase 2.'
The Terrebonne Parish Council on June 25 adopted an ordinance amending the parish’s 2025 operating budget and five‑year capital outlay plan to include multiple recovery and improvement items funded by CDBG‑DR, HUD and other sources. The measure passed 8‑0.
Key allocations listed in the ordinance included (as recorded in the council backup): CDBG‑DR Phase 2 ($5,000,000) for “Activate the Bayous,” CDBG‑DR resilience center phase 1 ($585,000), façade improvement funding ($3,000,000), municipal auditorium ($218,300), EV chargers ($8,500) and other items listed in the adopted backup.
Public comment and clarification: At the public hearing on the budget item, a resident (identified on the record as from 412 Ashmore) urged the council to reconsider allocating $5 million to the Activate the Bayous Phase 2 line and instead direct funds to bridge repairs and other infrastructure the resident described as more urgent. The resident said bridges and traffic posed pressing safety and access problems.
Parish staff replied that CDBG‑DR rules limit how some funds can be spent: state‑owned bridges generally are not eligible for CDBG‑DR assistance, the staff said, and the Activate the Bayous work in question is focused on dredging and clearing Bayou Grama Cayou and Bayou De Large to restore drainage and improve flood resiliency rather than building kayak launches. “That money and that project is nothing to do with any kayak launches or anything but getting the waterways healthy and better for drainage,” a parish representative said, explaining the intended use of the funds.
Why it matters: The ordinance directs significant recovery resources to localized projects intended to improve drainage and resilience and to rebuild infrastructure damaged by Hurricane Ida; residents’ calls to reallocate funds underscore competing priorities among recovery, infrastructure and safety needs.
Next steps: The ordinance is adopted. Council members asked staff to continue providing clear project breakdowns and to specify eligibility constraints tied to particular funding sources so the public and council can better assess alternatives.
