Little Caillou, Bayou LaCache residents angered over flooding

The Public Services Committee of the Terrebonne Parish Council discussed two separate flooding issues at its May 21 meeting, and the full Council recognized an outstanding H.L. Bourgeois High School senior at its regular May 23 meeting.

Baton Rouge attorney Troy Charpentier, who is representing a group of Little Caillou residents, complained about flooding in the Little Caillou and Bayou LaCache areas of Terrebonne Parish.

Charpentier said that “Bayou LaCache has flooded my clients’ property,” and that, on one occasion, “rains which fell sat for up to two weeks on my clients’ property.”

He told Committee Chair Peter Rhodes to “have the parish be more proactive.”

He said also that one Terrebonne Parish official had remarked, “We’re not in the business of draining cow pastures.”

Charpentier compared the water on his clients’ property to “temporary impoundment ponds by the parish,” and said later that “when the water backs up, it looks like Lake Boudreaux.”

He said that a previous flooding lawsuit had resulted in a settlement for the plaintiffs of $500,000. Referring to the flooding occurring to his clients’ property, Charpentier asked, “Why not just file suit?” He said, “My clients are not those type of people.”

However, Charpentier said that his “clients will not rule out the possibility of a suit.”

He told the committee, “You must earn the public’s trust every day.”

Rhodes told Terrebonne Parish Public Works Director Al Levron, “Severe dam obstruction … is causing debris to pile up.”

Levron said, “If there’s an obstruction in a drainage canal, the parish can use its police powers to have the obstruction removed.”

He said that the Parish Administration is examining installing an “automatic trash remover” on the gate causing the obstruction.

In another flooding issue, Linda Pellegrin Porche told the committee that her mother (to prevent flooding further south when Hurricane Andrew struck in 1992) allowed Terrebonne Parish to use her property along La. 56 as a temporary reservoir until pumps could operate properly.

She said, however, that a letter from the Terrebonne Levee and Conservation District showed that the district passed a resolution expropriating a servitude for the reservoir levee, and that heavy equipment was used on the property to build the impoundment.

Porche said she wanted a new bridge constructed to provide access to property on the left of the levee.

“I’ve lived through multiple evacuations,” she told the committee. “When I returned, I saw so many homes flooded, but the pastures were totally flooded. I’m aware of the need for levee improvements. We are supportive of the levee project.”

Levron said that attorneys for the Levee District, the Parish Administration, and the Pellegrin family expect to meet to discuss the servitude and the bridge issue. He acknowledged that some property has been expropriated by the district.

Levron said that the existing bridge on the Pellegrin family property would need a permit.

“If there’s an existing bridge in place-but no permit-it’s unlawful,” he said. “The Parish doesn’t want to be held responsible if someone is hurt on the bridge.”

Terrebonne Parish Manager Barry Blackwell said that the Levee District has removed 24 bridges not having permits, which crossed over levees.

He said that there have been “inconsistencies of the policy in the past. Everybody ought to have an equal opportunity to construct a bridge. It would have to be a substantial bridge that doesn’t adversely impact the community. The mission is to serve everybody.”

Rhodes said that Terrebonne Parish “possibly needs a department to deal with levees, and coastal restoration. Hopefully we can address it in this year’s budget.”

At the Terrebonne Parish Council’s regular meeting Wednesday, the council briefly discussed a proposed ordinance increasing from 30 to 40 the number of floats allowed in each carnival parade in Terrebonne Parish.

The council called a public hearing concerning the ordinance to be held June 13.

Blackwell said that neither the Administration nor the Houma Police were informed about the ordinance. He said that discussion has been held on whether parades will be able to end by 2 a.m.

Councilman Clayton Voisin said that a town meeting will be held June 4 at 6 p.m. at the Bourg Lion’s Club (109 Texas Gulf Road) concerning a Terrebonne-Lafourche Parish boundary issue in the Grand Bois area. The boundary is located near the Bourg-Larose Highway, past Grand Bois Park, Voisin said. “Some people say the land is in one parish, some in the other,” he said.

Voisin said that members of a Methodist Church from New York City are “working with homes in the Dulac area, working with people who haven’t gotten help” from the government financially.

Also, the council passed a resolution honoring H.L Bourgeois High School 2007 co-valedictorian Steve Morgan for gaining his science project fourth place in the Plant Science Category at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair held in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Councilwoman Arlanda Williams said that Morgan competed against students from Thailand, among other countries, at the fair. Morgan’s project dealt with the use of black mangrove trees to slow the erosion process, she said.

Morgan is the second student from Terrebonne Parish in 20 years to place at the science fair, the resolution states.