[StBernard] Flood Protection Millage Receives Bureau of Governmental Research (BGR) Endorsement

[Westley Annis]

IMO 11.1 mills is enough. Orleans parish uses the back levee for storm water management and the improvements, while located in St Bernard, benfit Orleans parish perhaps to a greater extent. St Bernard is used as the fail-safe valve to flood us to save "the city". Let The City come up with the additional mills.
 
-----Original Message-----
Levee District's Flood Protection Millage Receives Bureau of  Governmental  Research (BGR) Endorsement April 9, 2015 


Violet, LA -  The Bureau of Governmental Research (BGR), a private, non-profit, independent research organization dedicated to informed public policy making and the effective use of public resources has announced its endorsement of the Lake Borgne Basin Levee District's (LBBLD) proposed flood protection millage that will appear on St. Bernard Parish ballots on May 2nd.   
  
After several months of intense research and interviews with the Lake Borgne Basin Levee District Executive Director Nick Cali, BGR issued its report to the public in support of the additional 7.5 millage for operation and maintenance of the LBBLD's system of levees, floodwalls, floodgates, closure structures, pump stations and drainage canals, including the new $1.4 billion in improvements constructed after Katrina. 

Cali said, "We are pleased that the BGR recognizes the consequences if this millage fails - the possibility of increased flooding, flood insurance increases and eventual deterioration of a $1.4 billion flood system. We are also pleased that the BGR believes that the Levee District is a responsible steward of public dollars. I commend BGR for their thorough review of this millage proposal and of our agency's policies and procedures. Our mission is and always has been to give the citizens of St. Bernard the flood protection they deserve. The Levee District will continue its flood protection public education efforts, engaging neighborhood and community groups, the Parish's elected leadership and every St. Bernard resident about the flood protection millage election to be decided by voters on May 2nd." 

To read the full BGR report, click here <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001Qq92mdbWI6yabfBgztQ7MsYahz48DRPus9Wa_1cWmzEjjFaPx6g72S3FfxMYLOEJvoxiKCloGiZQ38ydRxLON8VDk85VK3hYcOp2xutdQO4aSx4gt8LwxODBu_cguOXrZsCqfDAHxzQCqcmD7XX5kSG2Uwi3_XYbE40-2G-j9y55hfk6q17GKE_-Iuc0kvhWTx3yrp_9Y0RH5O4UY5F6aQ==&c=VvAvWtrEAVnAMdpBQMZG4WH07ARV_IDTu0Rxo3KjtxFXlTUICcaEKQ==&ch=zMy_99JNuXmquFOVaBzQ18KS8mkJULupkY-Lyt6RwGtU7JPlV9Ifrw==>  .  

To learn more about the proposed millage, click here <http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001Qq92mdbWI6yabfBgztQ7MsYahz48DRPus9Wa_1cWmzEjjFaPx6g72U1MHmvajmRdz5tLDsqGXRvBqQ_Pc9JGxzJsI1Wu1uu1tuuvZggyuG4KRdGjtpXnBZSQNSARbmOqr8TUG0q6l1XD-IUJwa_9bdeUEsaABi_NtbQmUCCjuzaZhAEjK61ZUw==&c=VvAvWtrEAVnAMdpBQMZG4WH07ARV_IDTu0Rxo3KjtxFXlTUICcaEKQ==&ch=zMy_99JNuXmquFOVaBzQ18KS8mkJULupkY-Lyt6RwGtU7JPlV9Ifrw==> . 
	

LBBLD Operation and Maintenance Responsibilities

LBBLD is legally required to operate & maintain the following features:


*	60 miles of levees including the Mississippi River, Back Protection and Lake Pontchartrain and Vicinity Hurricane Protection Levees
*	55 miles of drainage canals
*	33 floodgates
*	2 navigation floodgates (sector gates)
*	8 drainage pump stations

About $1.4 billion worth of this infrastructure was built after Katrina, including:


*	23 miles of new floodwall
*	2 new navigation floodgates (sector gates) at Bayou Dupre and at Caernarvon Canal
*	12 new land-based floodgates
*	4 new highway floodgates and 1 new railroad floodgate