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Abita Springs council hears $125,000 town-hall grant and $300,000 to make sewer project shovel-ready
Summary
A council member announced the town received $125,000 for town-hall renovations and $300,000 to prepare a sewer project for construction; the council amended the agenda to receive the update and thanked state contacts who assisted with the awards.
A council member told the Abita Springs Town Council on July 7 that the town has secured two grants that officials say will fund town-hall renovations and advance a long-planned sewer project.
"I'd announced previously that we had gotten a $125,000, and that $125,000, thanks to Leanne, will be spent on town hall renovations," the council member said, adding that the town had also received $300,000 "to become shovel ready for the sewer" project the town had applied for. The same speaker said the larger $3,700,000 loan associated with the project could be reduced substantially if additional capital arrives.
Council members moved to amend the meeting agenda so the finance update could be discussed; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The council member who announced the awards thanked Representative Peter Egan and other political contacts for their assistance in securing the funds.
Staff described implementation constraints: the $125,000 earmark is a separate award whose required spending timeframe is not yet finalized, while the $300,000 will be set up under the state's capital planning and facility management system so the town can begin submitting invoices as work proceeds. Staff cautioned the $300,000 cannot be used to reimburse previous expenses once a project number is established.
Council members asked procedural follow-ups about budgeting: whether the $125,000 and $300,000 will be recorded as revenue this year and whether the town must amend the 2026 budget to spend the funds. Staff said the $125,000 could be included via a budget amendment if the town intends to spend it this year; the $300,000 may also be available for inclusion this calendar year but larger allocations (an additional $2.7 million currently classified as P5) are unlikely until next year.
The council did not take any final spending actions at the meeting; staff said they will coordinate with the state Office of Planning and Facility to obtain project numbers and return to the council with scope, bids and timing for the town-hall work and sewer preconstruction work.
