The Saint Charles Parish Council on Jan. 12 in Hahnville approved a slate of ordinances that advance drainage projects, park improvements and wastewater work and formally authorized opioid-settlement funding to support the parish drug court.

Council approved a cooperative endeavor agreement to allocate $80,000 per year from Louisiana’s state opioid-litigation settlement to the 29th Judicial District Public Defender’s Office so the office can provide a legal representative dedicated to the parish drug court program. District Public Defender Ben Swan said the attorney participates in team meetings and court hearings to help nonviolent participants access treatment and benefits; Swan said the program has served about 498 people and currently has 15 to 20 participant slots.

The council also approved contract awards and change orders including:
- Armand Center Drainage Improvements: a $3,097,730 contract with Cycle Construction Company LLC (Project P190505) to address chronic drainage problems in the Armand/Ormond area; staff said the bid was reissued to clarify scope and bring prices within budget.
- Canadian National Railway culvert work: professional engineering services agreement with BBEC LLC (Viroqua and Banura Engineers and Consultants) not to exceed $1,097,231 for culvert design and railroad permitting on several CN sites.
- East Bank Bridge Park: a final change order increasing the contract by $63,294.80 and adding 134 days for additional fencing, demolition and drainage work.
- Kindler lift station replacement: a $624,712.60 contract with Hard Rock Construction LLC to replace and relocate a dry-pit lift station with a submersible station; staff said related drainage work may be added by change order.
- Smaller professional-services and testing contracts for Primrose Canal construction-phase services and construction testing were also approved or amended.

All listed items were opened for public hearing with no public speakers and passed by unanimous vote on the Jan. 12 agenda, except where a council member was briefly absent from the vote. Parish President Matthew Jewell and department staff described the ordinances as necessary steps to move long-delayed infrastructure projects into construction and to secure permitted designs where railroad requirements added unanticipated scope.

The council’s approvals set contracts in motion; several projects include follow-up work (railroad coordination, potholing to verify utilities, and permit submittals) before construction crews mobilize.