East Ascension Drainage Board - November 10, 2026

The East Ascension Drainage Board met on November 10, 2026. The board approved task order 1-INT-EAD-2026 with Intracoastal Consultants LLC, not to exceed $271,985, for design of additional pumping capacity at the Henderson Bayou Pump Station. It also approved a one-year renewal of drainage engineering support contracts with 15 firms, capped at $2.5 million across task orders; renewed DRC Emergency Services LLC’s waterway debris-removal contract, capped at $300,000 under its fee schedule; and approved an agreement with AGP and Lifehouse for labor personnel, capped at $750,000. The Lifehouse amount had previously been reduced from $1 million to limit seasonal crew use. These items passed without opposition. The board also accepted the minutes and approved a Hartman Engineering Inc. contract amendment extending the Marvin Broe Levy Improvements Project term through May 7, 2027, with no change to the original contract price.

Discussion of the Marvin Broe project focused on delays in FEMA review, changing benefit-cost analysis requirements, and permitting. Parish officials said approximately $13 million in design costs had been paid by FEMA and that the parish needs written confirmation it would not have to repay those funds before deciding whether to use a $19 million local match for pump-station improvements rather than the broader project. Officials said the full project could require $55 million, beyond the parish’s budget, and described potential changes to how federal grant approvals are handled as an ongoing advocacy issue. No new policy action on that issue was recorded.