Residents raise drainage and canal concerns as auditors report presented

Residents used the public-comment and delegation periods Jan. 13 to raise local drainage concerns while the council received the auditors' presentation. Jacob Waguespack, CPA of Faulk & Winkler CPAs, presented the independent auditors' report on the 2024–2025 audit process; the minutes record his presentation but do not include technical findings or recommendations.

During public-comment and delegation items, Harry Langford of 6950 Woodland Drive said he has a complaint about a ditch and pipe on his property and asked the city to investigate. Later in the meeting, resident Ellis Whitehead of 21921 WJ Wicker Road said a canal is holding water and requested that it be investigated; Mayor David McDavid said he would send Public Works to check the canal. Bryan Capone of 9152 Angus Avenue asked about where flooding on the east side of the Diversion Canal will go and urged that water flow to the Comite River rather than elsewhere; the mayor said he would reach out to East Baton Rouge Parish Councilman Brandon Noel.

Denis Bary of the Knights of Columbus announced a free-throw contest scheduled for Jan. 31, 2026, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church. These community remarks prompted administrative follow-ups: the mayor committed to sending Public Works to inspect the canal named by Whitehead and to contacting the parish councilman about diversion-canal concerns.

The minutes do not record technical responses, timelines for inspections, or written follow-up from staff. They also do not include the auditors' report text, only that the auditors presented their process and documents.