Public input sought as parish vies for federal $$
Published 12:04 am Saturday, August 1, 2015
LAPLACE — St. John the Baptist Parish residents will have the opportunity to give feedback and input on projects related to a $1 billion competition at a series of workshops hosted by the parish next week.
Officials said the workshops are being offered to engage the community on information related to the June news that the parish advanced to the final phase, Phase 2, of the $1 Billion National Disaster Resiliency Competition.
St. John Parish is one of four parishes the state identified as target areas for this funding opportunity, which Public Information Office Baileigh Rebowe Helm said “could mean millions of dollars toward much needed projects in our parish.”
Monday’s meeting will be held at 6 p.m. at the St. John Community Center, located at 2900 U.S. 51 in LaPlace. A meeting on the West Bank will be held at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the Community Center, located at 173 E. 3rd St. in Edgard.
President Barack Obama announced the competition last year in response to demand from state and local leaders working to increase the safety and security of their communities. The competition promotes risk assessment and planning for implementation of innovative resilience projects to better prepare communities for future storms and other extreme events.
Helm said Phase 2 of the competition will consist of project developments, and St. John Parish officials will submit projects and identify vulnerabilities within infrastructure.
The competition is run through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the winners of the competition will see some or all of their submitted projects funded rather than receiving a lump sum.
Helm said the deadline for a Phase 2 submission is Oct. 27, and notification of allocations should come by early 2016.
St. John Parish entered into Phase 1 of the competition in late March, and at that time officials were seeking competition funding for East Bank water system improvements, consolidation and expansion of wastewater treatment plants, drainage improvements and a transformational model for developing public housing.
