By BROOKE GOLDMAN

EDGARD – The wastewater treatment regionalization plan brought to the St. John the Baptist Parish Council in October was passed at a recent meeting in a 5 to 3 vote. The plan was forwarded by Parish President Nickie Monica’s and it will merge seven treatment plants in St. John Parish. It was rejected five times at prior council meetings and was not on most current meeting’s agenda. Councilman Dale Wolfe brought up the issue when Chairman Cleveland Farlough called it out of order. Council members overruled him and voted on the highly discussed issue.

Councilman Steve Lee said he has been in support of the plan all along because he felt it was unnecessary to build a free standing facility in Reserve. Instead, the sewer system will be consolidated into two plants, one on the east bank and one on the west bank of the parish.

According to Lee, population has dropped in Reserve and there is not a capacity problem there.

“This was clearly the best of options,” Lee said. “We would have spent at least $4.25 million on a free standing facility and with this phased program, federal funds will come into play.”

Lee also said some of the councilmen inquired about the use of engineers with the organization of the plan. He said they aid in the acquiring of federal funding and “they know how these things work, we don’t have the capability to do it ourselves.”

The parish engineer, Charles Savoie, received a $350,000 increase in the budget to oversee the project.

Lee said Councilmen Lester Rainey and Wolfe were against the plan but a few weeks ago Wolfe changed his mind. Rainey’s change of heart helped pass the plan when he voted for it Tuesday.

Rainey said Monica presented each council member with a “lengthy” booklet about the plan in October.

“It was at least 40 pages,” said Rainey. “And I wasn’t ready at the next meeting to digest it all and get my questions answered.”

Rainey said over the next few months he got his questions answered and had contingency to agree to the plan.

“I didn’t want LaPlace and Reserve residents jeopardized,” said Rainey. “It made sense when the government agreed to pay $6 million of an $8 million project (Phase I) and have more gallons per day.”

The plan also calls for a plant in Edgard, Rainey’s district. He said this was one of the major factors he took into consideration.

‘This was pretty much the selling point for me,” said Rainey. “It will be constructed from a refurbished Garyville plant.”

Rainey said the plan is ensuring as the population grows and the parish will be capable of expansion.