By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – The following is a brief recap of other topics discussed and acted on at Tuesday’s St. John Parish Council meeting in LaPlace:

—The council approved the low bid of $112,545 from Professional Application Services for repair and rehabilitation of a 500,000-gallon ground storage water tank for the Ruddock well station. The bid was well below the project’s $177,000 budget. Pat McTopy, an assistant to the Parish President, said the project would be funded thorough a grant.

—The council authorized administration to go out for bids on a drainage project on Balsam Street in LaPlace. The parish plans to use about $100,000 of money from the 2009 bond issue to correct the position and sizing of several culverts in the neighborhood.

—The council authorized administration to go out for bids for construction of an airnasium for the west bank park complex in Edgard. The open-air covered basketball court is part of several improvements for the west bank recreation area that are tied to the 2009 bond issue.

—The council voted to table a recommendation from administration to appoint a new code enforcement officer so that they can further look into the selection process.

—The council approved an ordinance for the parish to accept $1.4 million in public improvement bonds for sewage and drainage projects throughout the parish. The money is an addition to more than $15 million in bonds for sewage improvement that were approved in January. Projects include replacement of several sewer pipes and manhole covers in older parts of the parish.

—The council approved a resolution to include the parish in development of a multi-use trail atop the Mississippi River Levee. Phase II of the project runs through St. John Parish into St. James Parish and the resolution states that St. John will take responsibility for the local match. The Department of Transportation and Development has agreed to fund $946,000 of the total cost.

—The council received an update on the status of a new pumping station in the Riverlands subdivision to rectify decades of drainage concerns. Parish Engineers said designs for the project are complete and should be ready for bids in July. Construction could begin as early as Oct. 1.