RESERVE — Construction should begin in July on Reserve drainage upgrades designed to address long-standing concerns, parish leaders said.

The St. John the Baptist Parish Council approved the project this month presented by Parish President Robottom calling for the installation of a subsurface drainage system to help alleviate flooding on East 27th, East 26th, Melius and East 24th Streets in Reserve beginning at Perrilloux Drive.

Parish leaders said work might involve the replacement of existing mid-sized culverts or the addition of new concrete culverts in the existing system of ditches.

Parish Council members authorized the project through a $2,248,808 contract with Subterranean Construction of Mandeville.

St. John Parish Communications Director Baileigh Rebowe Helm said a notice to proceed would be issued by the end of June.

Construction is slated to begin in early to mid July with a project time of 270 days.

“The drainage system in that area is older, consisting of ancient pipes and other underground equipment that needs to be improved and updated,” Helm said. “This project will remove all of the pipes in the target area and replace them with a system that was designed to improve flow.”

Next month’s effort follows Phase I of the Reserve Drainage Project, which included improvements to West 1st Street (Cornland to Railroad Avenue) and Parker Lane (Leblanc Street to Railroad Avenue) and was completed in 2011.

Another phase of the project encompasses improvement efforts along Terrance Street, West 8th Street, Marmillian Loop, Toni Drive, West 2nd Street, West 4th Street, Cornland Drive and Hart Drive.

Primarily funded through a $2.5 million FEMA/GOHSEP Hazard Mitigation Grant, Helm said that part of the project has not started because of delays with the funding source.

In other parish news, Parish Administration received authorization to enter into an agreement with Xavier University to serve as the fiscal agent and host institution on behalf of the Louisiana Small Business Development Center to staff the Business Training Center in Reserve.

The one-year agreement in the amount of $92,564 provides technical assistance including workshops and seminars in connection with the Small and Emerging Business Development Program.

The Business Training Center is located at South Central Louisiana Technical College — River Parishes Campus and was acquired through a no-cost agreement between the parish and the college.

Through the center, monthly workshops and FastTrac courses are offered and small businesses receive one-on-one technical assistance needed to operate a successful business.

More than 90 small business entrepreneurs have graduated from the FastTrac program since its inception, Parish officials announced.