ENGINEERS – Walter Comeaux III (right) and Walter Comeaux IV told the St. Martin Parish Council that engineering and permitting for the Bayou Fuselier/Pont Brulee Canal Drainage Project have been completed. Owner access remains an obstacle to beginning the project. (Karl Jeter)
Drainage project cleared by Corps
After several years of effort, the long-needed project to clear and deepen the Bayou Fuselier/Pont Brulee drainage canal is inching toward approval.
Walter Comeaux III, of Walter Comeaux Engineering of Broussard, reported that engineering work has been completed and General Permit approval has been secured from the Army Corps of Engineers. What remains is to secure the cooperation of a dozen or so landowners along the canal for
required access points. tracked digging equipComeaux said the ment that will move
canal rather than working from the banks. This technique will avoid expensive wetland mitigation measures.
Disposal of the 150,000 cu. yds. of spoil from the 8-mile project must be accomplished by hauling it to another location in areas where it cannot be distributed atop the existing banks.
The engineer said that work-arounds can probably be arranged in places where owners refuse to grant access, but several points are considered vital to the project. Efforts to secure those rights-of-way continue. Work, he said,
could start as soon as 30 days after adequate access is provided. Officers Selected
The council reelected Chris Tauzin as council chairman for 2022. Carla JeanBatiste will be the new vice chair, succeeding Daniel Richard. Dean LeBlanc was elected temporary presiding officer.
Special Election
Subject to the approval of the Louisiana Bond Commission, the council called for a special election on April 30 to again ask voters to approve the renewal of Special Taxing District #1. The proposal was rejected in November when less than 10% of the registered voters cast ballots.
The one cent sales tax, levied in unincorporated areas of the parish, is dedicated to construction and maintenance of parish roads and bridges. Parish President Chester Cedars said the proceeds from that tax are vital to maintaining the condition of parish roads and bridges.
“This time we will do the needed groundwork to inform community leaders and organizations of the importance of renewing this tax,” Cedars promised. St. Martin Parish maintains 500 miles of roadways within the parish. All STD #1 proceeds are earmarked solely for that purpose.