The 2017 hurricane season is upon us and, now more than ever, completion of the West Shore Lake Pontchartrain Hurricane Risk Reduction Project is critical.

Weather conditions and high water levels continue to worsen in severe “rain storms,” threatening our community.

I would like to thank our residents and business owners for demonstrating their commitment to this project by approving an ad valorem tax for the local match.

However, we need the President of the United States and our federal delegation to show their commitment to the people of St. John the Baptist Parish, as well as the parishes of St. Charles and St. James.

Unfortunately, President Donald Trump’s proposed 2018 budget does not include funding for the Army Corps of Engineers to begin the West Shore Project.

This is unacceptable and we cannot sit back and allow this to remain.

We need your help in imploring our federal delegation to work with their colleagues in Washington, DC to amend the budget and include funding for this much needed levee project.

A resolution was recently approved by the Parish Council imploring the President and Louisiana’s Federal Delegation to expedite funding to begin design and construction of the protection levee.

Please join us in making your voices heard.

A sample letter to senators and congressmen has been drafted and can be found at sjbparish.com or at the Parish Office at 1801 West Airline Highway in LaPlace.

Contact information for our Federal Delegation is:

• Sen. Bill Cassidy 520 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Phone: 202-224-5824

• Sen. John Kennedy SR383, Russell Senate Building Washington, DC 20510 Phone: 202-224-4623

• Rep. Garret Graves 204 Cannon House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Phone: 202-225-3901

• Rep Cedric Richmond 240 Cannon HOB Washington, DC 20515 Phone: 202-225-6636

• Rep. Steve Scalise 2338 Rayburn HOB Washington, DC 20515 Phone: 202-225-3015

• Rep. Clay Higgins 1711 Longworth House Office Building, Washington DC 20515 Phone: 202-225-2031

• Rep. Mike Johnson 327 Cannon House Office Building Washington DC 20515 Phone: 202-225-2777

• Rep. Ralph Abraham 417 Cannon House Office, Washington DC 20515 Phone: 202-225-8490

This project is our No. 1 priority and it is also a state priority as evidenced by its inclusion in the state’s Coastal Master Plan.

The estimated cost of the project is $718,000,000, which includes a federal cost share of 65 percent and a non-federal cost share of 35 percent.

The system would consist of approximately 18 miles of earthen levees and floodwalls, four floodgates, a drainage canal running parallel to the levee, a flood-side ditch to maintain hydraulic connectivity between wetlands north and south of the system, two drainage structures and four pump stations along the alignment.

It’s time to move this project forward to protect our families and community.

Natalie Robottom is St. John the Baptist Parish President. She can be reached at
communications@stjohn-la.gov.