West Ascension drainage board reviews roughly $8 million 2026 capital plan, seeks OK to start Memorial Drive engineering

West Ascension Drainage District staff presented the board with a 2026 capital program totaling roughly $8 million and outlined the status of four projects the district plans to advance this year.

"What you have in front of you there, the little packet with the West Ascension Construction Fund page," said Ron Javar, summarizing the packet. He listed projects that include two pump sites near Highway 308 and a Front Street intake to drain the St. Patrick Street underpass, drainage improvements on Bayou Veret, Bayou McCall improvements and a Memorial Drive outfall. Javar said the packet shows about $850,000 in parish dollars and roughly $7 million in state grants.

The pump‑station design is at about 60% completion, Javar said. He described a proposed amendment to the existing cooperative agreement to add the city of Donsenville as a party so the St. Patrick Street facility can be constructed within an identified city servitude near the railroad and Front Street. The presentation described an intake/sump and variable‑speed pumps intended to handle both small flows and high‑stress events.

For Bayou Veret, Javar said the district resolved low‑to‑moderate‑income eligibility issues, has executed a contract with Fort and Toblata following an RFQ, and will hold milestone meetings with the engineering firm and the state on April 22 to establish a schedule toward bidding.

A recent site visit on the Bayou McCall corridor uncovered blocked box culverts and beaver dams that held back about two to three feet of water; crews removed obstructions and captured video showing improved flow during a heavy rain event, staff reported.

On Memorial Drive, staff said the board budgeted about $175,000 for engineering (an estimate intended to cover a 100% set of plans) and that construction could be near $1,000,000. Javar asked whether the board wanted staff to proceed with an RFQ for engineering; several members said the design should proceed so the construction estimate can be finalized and included in a future year’s budget.

Board members asked technical questions about pump placement, the intake and whether pumps would be provided with a sump and variable‑speed drives; staff confirmed the design approach described in the packet.

The board did not record a formal vote on the 2026 budget items in the provided transcript. The next procedural step reported on the record was to proceed with engineering procurement if the board approves it after budget adoption.