By ROBIN SHANNON
L’Observateur

LAPLACE — St. John administrators hope to get the ball rolling Tuesday night on a project that will overhaul the long-neglected Reserve boat launch.

At a regular meeting of the St. John Council Finance Committee, council members will vote on authorization to seek bids for a large-scale improvement project for the launch. The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Rudolph S. Sorapuru Sr. council chambers at the Edgard Courthouse.

St. John Public Information Officer Buddy Boe said the project, which includes an asphalted parking area with a lighted lot, improvements to the fishing pier and the addition of pavilions and picnic areas, has an estimated price tag of about $500,000. He said the money would come from grants from the Louisiana Recovery Authority and Wildlife and Fisheries. The parish will also pull money from a pool of cash left over from the 2002 bond issue.

Once bids are in place, Boe said construction on the launch would not occur until the fall in an effort to avoid closure of the area during the busy summer months.

Also on the agenda Tuesday, the council will vote on authorization for the parish to hire a management firm to oversee the multitude of projects tied to the $29.5 million bond issue that was approved in a vote early last month.

“The parish needs a firm in place to ensure the projects stay in their established cost range and get done in a timely manner,” said Boe. “The plan is similar to one used by the school board in the past.”

Boe said the management team would maintain a timeline, meet with engineers and department directors and generally manage the flow of the projects in the bond.