Resident says chronic drainage on Martin Luther King Drive caused $60,000 in damage; staff says problem is largely private

A homeowner urged the West Ascension Drainage District to address persistent flooding at an intersection of Martin Luther King Drive and West 10th Street, saying private improvements and blocked culverts have trapped water near his house.

"Hello. Uh my name is Andy Clelebear and uh my wife and I own a piece of property at 501 West 10th Street which is actually LA1 and MLK and uh we're having serious drainage problems there," Clelebear told the board. He said interior repairs to the house have cost about $60,000, described buckled floors and termite damage, and asked the district for help to get water away from the house.

Miss Regina, who led district field work in the area, said crews visited the site multiple times, attempted to clear the cover and camera the line but could not pass a concrete obstruction at a new driveway installation. "This was a self‑imposed problem," Regina told the board, explaining that some homeowners' improvements — including concrete in a culvert cover and raised driveways — are blocking flow. She said the district maintains a back lateral ditch but that conducting more extensive remedial work would require acquiring a servitude and that spending public funds for a privately created problem is limited.

Neighbor Carl Capone, who identified himself as working with Clelebear on the renovation, said the culverts were not installed by the current homeowners and requested that the parish use its equipment to flush or open the line. Capone said the area behind the property fills like a "bowl" and that water currently has no outlet to dissipate.

Board members and staff agreed to look into whether a servitude exists and whether limited tail‑end clearing could be performed, but on the record staff characterized the primary responsibility as a civil matter between property owners where private improvements have altered drainage. No formal vote or commitment of funds on the record was recorded in the transcript.