Calcasieu Parish officials are waiting to get input from a group of stakeholders on an initiative to improve drainage parishwide, which includes $18 million to $20 million in regional capital projects and $6 million to $8 million in smaller, street-level drainage projects.
Allen Wainwright, parish public works director, told members of the Public Works Committee on Thursday that parish officials will sort through comments from the drainage coalition — which includes builders, architects, engineers and others — before coming up with a draft ordinance plan. Parish Administrator Bryan Beam said the stakeholder input process will continue through May 30.
The draft ordinance will go before the parish drainage committee in June, then move to the Planning and Zoning Board in July. The full Police Jury is expected to take action on the ordinance in July or August.
Wainwright said work on any capital improvement projects won’t start until engineering plans are approved and permits are obtained.
For future development, Wainwright said officials will come up with preliminary conceptual plans to identify any hurdles and attempt to shorten the time it takes to get through the process. There will also be a required plan to manage stormwater runoff.
Wainwright said areas that are too small for a detention pond or on-site mitigation would pay a drainage impact fee. He said drainage layout and plans will be drawn up and inspected throughout the construction process.
Capital projects
Wainwright said the coalition is working on a plan for capital projects, including $18 million to $20 million in regional projects that would affect a large portion of the watersheds.
He said there are six projects selected by the coalition, along with a 14.5-acre regional detention pond, estimated at $5 million. Wainwright said the timeline calls for having design plans done later this year, but that getting the project done will come down to funding.
The parish, city of Lake Charles and Ward 3 Gravity Drainage District 4 have entered into a cost-sharing agreement to buy the property that would house the detention pond. It is along Louisiana Avenue near the intersection of East McNeese Street. The property fronts Contraband Bayou.
Under the agreement, the Police Jury would pay 50 percent of the property’s cost, while the city and drainage district would each pay 25 percent.
Wainwright said there are $6 million to $8 million worth of proposed street-level drainage projects. He said the 50 projects are intended to bring roadside ditches and culverts up to parish standards.
Wainwright said $1 million more in watershed planning studies are designed to mimic FEMA guidelines. He said the studies will provide a path to maximize a community rating system and hopefully reduce insurance rates.
Wainwright said capital projects that are selected will go through 2-D modeling and a cost-benefit analysis and undergo 30 percent of engineering plans before they are recommended for funding and go out for bids.
“This is going to be a program that needs to go forward for generations if you’re really going to try and get ahead of where we’re at today,” he said. “These projects are not going to get any smaller.”
Wainwright said funding will be requested in next year’s budget for some of the capital projects. He said the plan is to have some projects bid and under construction sometime in 2018.
Beam said the 4-mill Road and Drainage Trust Fund tax raises $7.5 million annually. He said some of that money could be shifted to fund drainage projects.
District 15 Police Juror Les Farnum said he wants the ordinances to improve drainage but not drive out potential development.
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