By ROBIN SHANNON

Staff Reporter

LAPLACE – St. John administration officials are set to seek parish council approval for an assortment of state and federal-funded improvement projects parish wide at Tuesday’s finance committee meeting, said a parish spokesman.

St. John Public Information Officer Buddy Boe said that the parish received allocations for the projects from grants that were approved during the latest Louisiana legislative session, which adjourned in June of this year.

Boe said the largest portion is a $300,000 grant from state capital outlay funds to begin preliminary work on the Woodland Drive extension project in LaPlace.

“This money is going to be used to map out the road, as well as work out any mitigation or wetlands issues,” said Boe. “It will ensure that the road will connect where it is supposed to connect.

Boe said this money is separate from the $3 million the parish was hoping to receive from the 2008 bond issue that was voted down this past summer. That money would have funded the work on the road.

Also on the agenda Tuesday is authorization on a $20,000 state appropriation for water tower repairs on the West Bank of St. John Parish. Boe said the improvement work is the result of a study done in 2004 on all of the parish’s water towers. He said work on the East Bank towers has already been completed.

The parish will also be seeking approval to go out for bids on improvements to the Reserve Boat Launch along Airline Highway. Boe said work would include enhancements to the two launches at the site, repairs to the fishing pier and improvements in the parking area at the launch. He said the money is coming from an additional grant awarded by the feds.

“It’s a two-phase project with a total cost of $200,000,” Boe said.

“The breakdown is 75 percent federal funds and 25 percent parish funds. Both phases will be open for bid at the same time.

The finance committee meeting is Tuesday at 6 p.m. in the council chambers at the P.D. Hebert Building in LaPlace. The regular St. John Council meeting will follow at 6:30 p.m.