Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Meeting Roundup topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Levee board hears project and permit updates; approves invoices, equipment purchase and personnel steps
Summary
Board received updates on Section 203 work, Corps permitting, Lar Rose lock and Morganza-to-the-Gulf flood wall; approved multiple engineer-recommended payments, a tractor/boom-cutter purchase totaling $213,671.47, and authorized hiring steps for grass-cutting staff.
At its meeting, the levee district heard a slate of project updates and approved several operational actions including payments, an equipment purchase and staffing steps.
Staff briefed the board on Section 203 report progress and ongoing discussions with CP and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about CP assuming a non-federal sponsor role; staff said paperwork and agreements are under discussion and the district will remain engaged while the state becomes the primary point of contact.
Engineers reported Lar Rose lock plans are roughly 95% complete and that FEMA review remains a gating item; staff noted outreach to Senator 'Cassid’s' office to help move FEMA review forward. Updates were also provided for Section D, E, A West and B-segment levy work, including a completed Section E North segment and near-complete B-segment maintenance work.
The board approved several payment recommendations brought by staff: Compo and Sons LLC (Invoice #19) for $55,121.34 (Section E North), New Gem (Invoice #1063) for $61,490 (B-segment work) and Compo and Sons (Invoice #1508) for $132,847.50. Each recommendation was moved, seconded, and approved by voice vote; at least one recorded opposition occurred on some votes and the clerk will publish formal tallies in the minutes.
On equipment, the building equipment and maintenance committee recommended buying a tractor ($113,758.22) and boom-cutter attachment ($99,913.25) from a state contract for a total of $213,671.47; the board approved the purchase and noted a roughly six-month lead time that will push delivery and budget recognition into the next fiscal year.
Personnel reported advertising and shortlisting candidates to hire grass cutters; interviews will be scheduled and hiring updates provided at a future meeting.
Staff also reported construction progress on a CP-funded flood wall in the Morganza-to-the-Gulf pipeline area, noting a plus-16 elevation at the wall with adjacent levees at plus-12 and plans to raise connecting levees in coming years. Engineering consultants described Reach K water-control structure alternatives (16 ft and 18 ft) and said Reach K levy rehab is ready to begin once ground conditions dry.
The meeting closed after the finance, personnel and committee reports; staff will return with permit updates, refined costs, and formal roll-call vote tallies in the clerk’s minutes.
