ROUND 1 FUNDING FOR FLOOD MITIGATION PROJECTS IN LWI WATERSHED REGION 6

HOUMA, La. – As part of the Louisiana Watershed Initiative’s first round of funding for local and regional projects, the state is awarding $3.8 million to fund three projects in Watershed Region 6, which includes the bayou region of south Louisiana. The projects, which will help reduce flood risk throughout the region, and requested funding amounts are as follows:

• $1.9 million for emergency backup pumps for pump stations in Lafourche Parish
• $1.25 million for Bonadona-Cataldo subdivision drainage pump in Ascension Parish
• $659,500 for Maringouin drainage improvements in Iberville Parish

“The funding of eight additional new backup pumps in Lafourche Parish will have a tremendous effect on our ability to consistently maintain water levels and drain the most vulnerable areas of our parish during rain and flooding events.  With the increased amount of rain that our parish and state has seen in the last few months, the funding for this project could not have come at a better time.”
-Archie Chaisson III, Lafourche Parish President

In total, the state announced $60 million in statewide projects today through the Watershed Projects Grant Program: Local and Regional – Round 1, which is part of the state’s Action Plan to spend $1.2 billion in federal mitigation funds. The goal is to fund low-risk, high-impact projects that can immediately reduce regional flood risk and improve the natural functions of floodplains without adversely impacting surrounding communities.

Participating state agencies of the LWI Council on Watershed Management scored and awarded projects through a competitive process based on publicly shared and reviewed evaluation and scoring criteria and program policies and procedures.

Round 1 projects that were not awarded funding this week will move on to the regional selection process. As part of this process, each region may select up to $5 million in projects to recommend for funding this summer.

LWI’s goal is to reduce statewide flood risk through a coordinated, regional, watershed-based approach. The state has designated eight provisional watershed regions to facilitate collaboration, coordinate watershed management among parishes and align project funding with regional flood risk priorities.

For more details on Round 1 projects, click here. To learn more about LWI, visit watershed.la.gov.

For more information contact Pat Gordon at pat@scpdc.org or 985.851.2900.

Public Notice: Region 6 Regional Steering Committee Meeting – May 26, 2021

The Regional Steering Committee of Watershed Region 6 will hold a meeting on May 26, 2021 at 10:00 am. This meeting is in accordance with Louisiana Watershed Initiative activities and is integral to providing a sustainable, institutional basis to increase continuity, improve flood resilience, and enable more effective flood prevention within our region. In an effort to reduce and limit the spread of COVID-19 in Louisiana, and to preserve the health and safety of all members of the public, the Governor has declared the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency and ordered that it is necessary to limit public gatherings in a single place in an effort to avoid individuals being in close proximity to one another.

As a result of the public emergency, the limitations imposed on public gatherings and personal interactions, and the need for a number of members to travel to any physical meeting location from parishes where confirmed cases of COVID-19 have occurred, South Central Planning and Development Commission does hereby certify that in order to protect the lives, property, health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of Louisiana, it is giving the option to conduct the Regional Steering Committee Meeting on May 26, 2021 by teleconference or video conference in order to assure the presence of a quorum of the steering committee members along with the availability to attend in person at the SCPDC Office located at 5058 West Main Street, Houma LA 70360. Therefore, in accordance with Section 4 of Governor’s Proclamation Number 30 JBE 2020: Additional Measures for COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, the Regional Steering Committee of Watershed Region 6 will hold its May 26, 2021 meeting in-person and virtually. Regional Steering Committee of Watershed Region 6 who participate virtually will utilize the online platform “Zoom” and livestream the meeting.

To participate in the web based meeting, please follow link below or you may dial in using your phone.
LA Watershed Initiative: Region 6 Steering Committee Meeting Wednesday, May 26, 2021 10:00 AM – 12:30 PM (CDT)
Please join my meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone. https://zoom.us/j/98897702073
You can also dial in using your phone. Meeting ID: 988 9770 2073
+13017158592,98897702073# US (Washington DC), +13126266799, 98897702073# US (Chicago)
Dial by your location
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Meeting ID: 988 9770 2073
Agenda: Click Here
Outreach Talking Points: Click Here
Documents pertaining to the meeting will be posted online: Click Here
Meeting & Public Comment Procedure: Click Here Public comments will be accepted during the livestream of the meeting. To submit a comment, you can call in with the number provided or type comments in the livestream.

For questions regarding the virtual committee meeting, please email pat@scpdc.org.

Watershed Meeting Notice and Certification Meeting 13 – May 26

Public Notice: Loan Board Meeting – May 18

Due to Stay Home Orders and in response to the Corona/COVID-19 virus, Governor Edwards authorized some temporary changes to Open Meetings Law that would allow Public Meetings via Video and/or Phone conference. Proclamations No. JBE2020-27 & JBE2020-30 provide language allowing these changes amidst the social distancing “Stay Home” orders. The Attorney General rendered his Memorandum to “Public Bodies” suggesting that the Governor’s Proclamation is clear that while “the quorum requirement has not changed”, but that under Gubernatorial Proclamation No. JBE 2020-30, a Public Body may conduct business “via telephone conference or video conference” and that [it] “shall provide a written certification that the [Board] was otherwise unable to operate due to quorum requirements….

” Therefore: South Central Planning and Development Commission’s Loan Board does call a meeting scheduled for 18 May 2021 @ 8:30 AM to be held at its office at 5058 West Main, Houma, LA and With this Notice, SCPDC does Certify that agenda items require action from the LOAN BOARD and that due to the social distancing/travel/orders Proclaimed by JBE 2020-30 the LOAN BOARD would otherwise be unable to operate due to quorum requirements without members of the Board participating via telephone conference or video conference.

While the public is invited to attend in person, the gathering shall be limited to less than 10 persons including staff. In lieu of this, the public can tune-in to the Zoom Meeting conference by: Please contact the Loan Department for details on registering and attending the meeting via zoom.

20210518-Agenda_Draft

20210518-Notice

Public Notice: Planning Specialist

South Central Planning & Development Commission is seeking a Planning Specialist with knowledge/experience in planning and its principals, grant writing, GIS, and technical reporting.  The position includes a variety of duties in carrying out the objectives and projects.  The projects include but are not limited to contracted projects by the Federal, State, and Local governments, special projects on behalf of the Commission and or a member jurisdiction, and any other special projects. The position involves professional-level duties and judgment, good communication skills, good computer skills, routine administrative tasks, occasional field work, and works well with the public and office personnel.  The Planning Specialist is one who is capable of managing particular tasks with limited supervision.   The position is an hourly employee with permanent status.  The individual should possess a high school diploma as a minimum and have 5 years’ minimum similar work experience, or possess an Associate’s Degree from an accredited University.    Salary will be approximately $15-$27 an hour depending on experience.

Resumes will be accepted until position is filled.  Send resume to:  SCPDC Planning Specialist PO Box 1870, Gray, LA  70359 or email to:  employment@scpdc.org   SCPDC is an EOE/AAE