Saint Tammany officials describe $22M bond strategy, living shorelines and reef reuse
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Summary
Randy (Saint Tammany Parish) told the CPRA board the parish bonded GO MESA proceeds to accelerate $22 million in coastal projects, including living shorelines, artificial reefs from repurposed concrete and partnership work on the Lake Pontchartrain barrier plan.
Randy (identified in the transcript as representing Saint Tammany Parish) briefed the board on parish-led restoration efforts and how local funding strategies supported immediate construction. He said the parish used GO MESA receipts and bonded the funding to create an up-front pool of roughly $22 million to jump-start projects that otherwise would proceed slowly on an annual revenue cadence.
Randy outlined projects that used parish and CPRA matching funds: a breakwater and shoreline protection near a historic lighthouse, the Mandeville Lakefront Wetlands project (CPRA contributing $1,000,000 with the parish covering remaining costs), and North Shore living shorelines with a parish dollar contribution. He described repurposing concrete from local infrastructure work and a proposed large artificial reef using materials from Katrina-era bridge debris as a materials-of-opportunity approach to reduce costs and build habitat.
Randy also updated members on plans to coordinate borrow capture from Corps dredging of other projects and noted ongoing permitting and cost escalation concerns for some larger breakwater demonstrations. He emphasized the parish’s desire to be 'shovel ready' with design-only projects on either side of a lighthouse to speed construction when funds become available and reiterated the parish’s interest in advancing the Lake Pontchartrain barrier plan in coordination with federal partners.
Board members asked why the parish bonded GO MESA receipts instead of using annual allocations; Randy explained bonding provided immediate capital to accelerate multiple projects rather than waiting on slow annual receipts.
