Parish levee district to become sponsor for Morgan City levees

The St. Mary Levee District is set to become the non-federal sponsor for levees in Morgan City.
The city council approved a resolution to enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement between the City of Morgan City and the St. Mary Levee District subject to the agreement of Berwick and St. Mary Parish.
At Tuesday’s council meeting, the final copy of the resolution had not yet been presented to the council, so Councilman James Fontenot requested that the council be able to look at the final draft of the resolution before the mayor signs it.
The ordinance transfers obligations the city has regarding its levees with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to the levee district, St. Mary Levee District Executive Director Tim Matte said.
The levee district is in a position to become the non-federal sponsor for all of the levees throughout St. Mary Parish, Matte said. Levee district officials are looking to enter into similar agreements with the Town of Berwick and St. Mary Parish government, Matte said.
The city’s only responsibility with the levees would be to cut the grass on the levees and operate the floodgates, Matte said.
The levee district would make any repairs concerning levees and flood protection, Matte said. However, major maintenance would continue to be the corps’ responsibility, he said.
When the St. Mary Levee District was created, state law transferred the authority of all the levees and floodwalls in the parish to the levee district, Matte said. However, the Corps of Engineers has acts of assurances with Morgan City, Berwick and St. Mary Parish government and only deals with the entities with which it has those agreements.
The levee district has already been working with St. Mary Parish Drainage District 2 to examine raising the city’s backwater levees in order to try to avoid high flood insurance premiums, Matte said.
In other business, the council:
—Approved the finance committee’s recommendation to purchase a Bobcat excavator for $52,191.30.
—Approved an ordinance to adopt the city’s 2014 millage rate totaling 18.03 mills on the dollar on the roughly $118 million worth of property in the city.
—Renewed The Daily Review as the official journal for the city at a cost of $3 per column inch beginning July 1 through June 30, 2015.
—Granted a permit to Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4222 and Ladies Auxiliary to hold a car and craft show fundraiser under the U.S. 90 bridge in Morgan City on Oct. 18.
—Renewed the 2014-15 Class A & B beer licenses.
—Approved Mayor Frank “Boo” Grizzaffi’s following committee appointment and reappointments: Wharf Committee, Alfred Arceneaux; Archives, Neal Mayon; Main Street, Floyd Cloutier; Planning and Zoning, Diane Martin and Frank Judycki; Recreation and Parks, Alicia Lewis and Charles Maize; and Wharf, Leo Grizzaffi and Charlie Solar Jr.