By ROBIN SHANNON

L’Observateur

LAPLACE – The St. John the Baptist Parish Council on Tuesday will vote on two resolutions to allow the parish to apply for state funding for improvements to St. John Parish Airport in Reserve.

The council will also take action on executing a letter of no objection to ArcelorMittal of LaPlace for their work to rebuild part of the Mississippi River bank to stabilize its operations on the river side of the levee.

Regarding the airport, the parish is seeking an unspecified amount of funding from the state Department of Transportation and Development’s Division of Aviation for construction of a new four-unit hangar at the airport.

Parish officials say existing hangars at the airfield are filled to capacity, and there is a well-documented waiting list for hangar leasing space.

The parish is also seeking funding from the Louisiana General Aviation Enhancement Program for ongoing improvements at the airport.

The parish has established a master plan, which outlines specific improvements to increase safety and usability of the facility. The plan is part of a partnership between the parish and the Port of Southeast Louisiana regarding management and upkeep of the airport.

The work along the riverbank involves stabilizing the bank with steel plating and “rip rap,” maintenance of the facility’s access road over the levee and clearing of land to enlarge and maintain foundations for an oxygen tank and two other machine elements.

The council will also vote on an agreement with Shread-Kuyrkendall & Associates for surveying, design and engineering work for the Red Bud drainage improvement project. The firm would be paid roughly $66,000 for engineering work on a new pump station in near Red Bud Street in LaPlace.

The council meets Tuesday at the Percy Hebert Building, located at 1801 W. Airline Highway, LaPlace, at 6:30 p.m.

A 6 p.m. Finance Committee meeting precedes the council meeting.