The Board of Commissioners of the Bossier Levee District met in regular session on Wednesday, April 18, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. at the Levee Board Office, 3404 Industrial Drive, Bossier City, Louisiana.
The President, Tim Larkin, called the meeting to order.
ROLL CALL PRESENT: Commissioners – LARKIN, ALLEY, BANTLE, MOORE, and RICH. Staff: Mark Long, Devan Jordan, Deanna Rabb, Josh Monroe with DOTD, and counsel for the Bossier Levee District, Mr. Daniel J. Baker.
ABSENT: MONTGOMERY and STELLY
The first order of business was the opening prayer by Commissioner Alley and the Pledge of Allegiance by Commissioner Larkin.
On motion by Alley, seconded by Bantle, and unanimously passed, the Board dispensed with the reading of the minutes and approved the minutes of the regular Board Meeting previously held on March 13, 2024.
AMENDMENT TO AGENDA:
On suggestion of the Chair to add an item to the agenda, Alley moved and Moore seconded a motion to add to the agenda a request received from homeowner Jeremiah Beason to place a metal building in the BLD easement. The President asked if any member of the public wished to speak on whether to add the item to the agenda and there was no request to speak. The following Commissioners voted:
Alley - Yes
Bantle - Yes
Larkin - Yes
Moore - Yes
Rich - Yes
By roll call vote with members present “yes” the motion carried unanimously and the item was added to the agenda.
REQUESTS BY VISITORS:
Landowner, Ford E. Stinson submitted a permit request on behalf of Mr. Kolton Vaughan who is proposing to build a cross fence with 16 – foot access gates at two locations along the property that he leases which is west of Swan Lake Road bridge over Flat River and the other which is located approximately 5,800 feet upstream of the bridge. The Bossier Levee District would be able to access the gates to provide maintenance to the channel by adding a lock. (PERMIT #2024 - 16)
On motion by Bantle, seconded by Rich, and on recommendation from the Applications Committee the Board approved the placement of the access gates for Mr. Vaughan. No comments from the public.
OLD BUSINESS:
The Board was notified that they received a quote from Newt Brown Contractor, L.L.C. for the Red River Levee Surfacing Project in the amount of $245,395.00 for approximately 2.27 miles. No action was taken.
NEW BUSINESS:
No plats were received from the MPC or other entities for authorization of No Objection Letters from the Bossier Levee District.
The Board discussed the request made by Mr. Beason to place a metal building in the BLD easement.
On motion by Moore, seconded by Alley, the request was granted for Mr. Beason.
The Jimmie Davis Bridge Permit request was discussed by the Board and will be issued soon.
On motion by Alley, seconded by Moore, a resolution was passed to approve the proposed budget with the changes recommended from the Finance and Insurance Committee meeting and will be adopted for the 2024 – 2025 Fiscal Year. No comments from the public.
LEVEE AND DRAINAGE REPORT:
Red Chute Bayou Channel Slope Repairs
- July 24, 2019 – Vicksburg Corps conducted a damage assessment of high-water damages on Red Chute Bayou; no
determination as of November 11, 2019.
- December 9, 2019 – Donald Walker, Chief of Vicksburg Corps Emergency Management called and advised that the Vicksburg Corps would be providing funding for approximately 10 bank caving sites along the levee.
- December 10, 2019 – Captain Papia with the Vicksburg District made a site visit to assess the bank repair areas.
- March 30, 2020 – received letter dated March 24, 2020, from the colonel of the Vicksburg District Army Corps denying our request for PL 84-99 funding for bank caving repairs.
- Waiting for further direction from the Corps on repair requirements.
- July 8, 2021 – Lanny Barfield, with the USACE Vicksburg District, advised that the District recently requested approval from the MVD for funding approval to repair of the sites.
- May 10, 2022 – Received an email from Craig Prestwood, Senior Project Manager, with the USACE Vicksburg District advising that our request for bank stabilization repairs has been approved by the MVD and that they are getting ready to send in a funding request to MVD for design and data collection.
- July 21, 2022- BLD provided a right-of-entry to Patrick White with the Vicksburg District for surveying and site assessment needed for plan design for bank stabilization repairs.
- September 12, 2022 – Soil survey for bank stabilization design started.
- October 12, 2022 – Topo survey for bank stabilization design near completion.
- May 4, 2023 - PDT meeting conducted through WEBX; major topic was discussion of unexploded ordinances within project limits. It is anticipated that the project delivery date will be in the fall of this year.
- May 11, 2023 – submitted right-of-way authorization documents to Corps.
- January 9, 2024 – USACE awarded a contract for bank stabilization on (9) sites on Red Chute Bayou.
Red Chute Levee Raise Project
- Mitigation analysis for levee raise was conducted by Nixon Engineering and Dewberry Consultants.
- October 31, 2019 – Nixon Engineering delivered mitigation report.
- December 8, 2019 – Kurt Nixon and Jacob Lesue presented the board with mitigation study results.
- March 11, 2020 – Kurt Nixon submitted a revised mitigation study report with recommendations for a levee raise and mitigation.
Levee Inspection Compliance
- BLD has completed an inspection and report of deficiencies on the Red River Levee including items listed on the USACE 2019 and 2021 Levee Inspection Report.
- Work to remove encroaching items and the correction of deficiencies is ongoing.
Red River Levee Certification
- May 8, 2018 – sent letter to Corps requesting their services in providing new levee certification.
- February 7, 2020 – we received word from Craig McRaney with the Vicksburg Corps that the levee can be raised above elevation of Lock and Dam 5 Road; Mr. McRaney also advised that the levee district should submit a request for a 408 permit to raise the levee in the areas with insufficient freeboard.
- February 10, 2020 – a conference call was held with several members of the Vicksburg Corps; the purpose of the call was to seek guidance on how to expedite the permit for the levee raise and to request that the Corps provide assistance in obtaining the permit. Very little new information was obtained from the call; the Corps did say that they would research the Congressional Authorization for the levee to determine if any restrictions such as an additional congressional authorization would be needed to raise the levee.
- September 9, 2020 – hired Kurt Nixon to review options for levee certification.
- January 11, 2021 – held conference call with Vicksburg Corps and discussed 408 permit requirements for raising the areas with deficient free board on the Red River Levee north of Lock and Dam 5.
- March 3, 2021 – Kurt Nixon provided progress letter on status of the 408 permit.
- April 12, 2021 – conference call held with Katy Breaux and members of the Vicksburg Army Corps of Engineers to discuss a Risk Assessment to be used for levee certification.
- April 22, 2021 – conference call with Vicksburg Corps to discuss Risk Assessment; Katy Breaux advised that the Corps has obtained funding for the Hydraulic Analysis portion of a Risk Assessment
- June 8, 2021 – spoke with Katy Breaux, Project Manager with Vicksburg Corps and she advised that work on the Hydraulic Analysis portion of the Risk Assessment should be completed by the end of July 2021.
- On August 17, 2021, Raley and Associates completed work on cross sectioning and topo survey of a 6.0-mile segment of the levee from lock and Dam 5 road north.
- January 4, 2022 – received a status update on the CORPS H&H Analysis for the Red River Levee; the H&H Analysis is complete however they are waiting on new risk assessment classification guidance before issuing a report.
- March 28, 2022 – a meeting with the Vicksburg Corps and local officials was held; Will McRae with the Vicksburg Corps Levee Safety Center presented Corps recommendations for a path forward on levee accreditation and discussed an in-depth levee risk assessment to be cost shared with the Corps and local entities; estimated cost range between $250,000.00 and $750,000.00.
- July 6, 2022 – re-submitted letter of request to the Vicksburg Army Corps of Engineers for a Semi-Quantitative Risk Assessment on the Red River Levee.
- December 13, 2022 – conference call with Will McCrae, Brandon Cummins, Lanny Barfield and other members of the Vicksburg Corps concerning the Semi-Quantitative Risk Assessment. Will McCrae advised that new guidance for evaluating a risk assessment would be coming out in February of 2023; he advised waiting for the new guidance before starting the risk assessment.
- March 8, 2023 – Vicksburg Corps met with board and provide updates and recommendations for an NFIP Risk Assessment.
- April 29, 2023 – mailed letter of request for an Accelerated Levee Evaluation (Risk Assessment) for NFIP Purposes to the Vicksburg USACE.
- June 6, 2023 – received cost share agreement and scope of work for the levee risk assessment.
- July 12, 2023 – cost share funding in the amount of $433,000.00 was mailed to USACE this date.
- September 13, 2023 – hired Kurt Nixon to provide a cost estimate to raise an approximate 6-mile segment of the Red River Levee for the purpose of applying for capital outlay funding from the State.
- October 13, 2023 - Kurt Nixon provided a cost for raising a 6-mile segment of the Red River Levee with an estimated cost of $10,376,768.00.
- December 12, 2023, through December 15, 2023 – Risk assessment team made field observations of the levee; also performed tabletop discussion on potential failure modes.
Red River Levee Ponding Area
- January 5, 2022 – requested surveyor to survey area near Red River Levee Station 147+00 to determine how best to drain an area of ponding water adjacent to the levee.
- April 1, 2022 - received survey information from Travis Sturdivant with Raley and Associates of ponding area and proposed drainage ditch.
Levee Surfacing
- Levee surfacing on the Red River Levee from station 460+50 to 520+70 and from station 568+50 to 634+90; approximately 12,640 LF. Received a quote from Newt Brown Contractor LLC in the amount of $245,395.00. Work should begin as soon as site conditions are dry enough to work.
Levee and Drainage Crews
- Inspecting various construction activities near levees and drainage channels.
- Tree trimming on various drainage channels and levees.
- Mowing at various locations on levees and drainage channels.
- Drift removal at bridges on Red Chute Bayou.
- Removed storm debris from various drainage channels.
- Herbicide application on drainage channels and fence rows along levees.
- Monitoring high water.
- Cleaning outfall culvert gates.
- Inspecting levees, channels, and drainage structures.
- Servicing and repairing equipment.
Equipment Purchases
- Advertised for bids for two 145-HP Tractors; bid opening February 22, 2024. Received low bid from Goldman Equipment in the amount of $142,026.30 each. Estimated delivery time 90 days.
- Ordered 2024 Ford Expedition; expected delivery time 3-4 months. Cost $52,891.00. Price lower than State contract.
- Received one equipment trailer in the amount of $10,375.50 and one utility trailer in the amount of $6,920.50.
- Ordered two new John Deere FC15R Flex Wing 15-foot rotary cutters through State contract. Estimated delivery 60 days.
- Working on bid documents for 14-16 CY dump truck.
Surplus Equipment
- The following equipment is to be sold as surplus.
1) 2003 Case MX 110 with 5313 hours; Equipment # 205.
2) 2016 John Deere 6135E with 520 hours; Equipment # 380.
3) 2016 John Deere 6135E with 326 hours; Equipment # 381.
4) 2009 John Deere 7230 with 4975 hours; Equipment # 207.
5) 2009 John Deere 7230 with 4705 hours: Equipment # 208.
6) 2007 Ford F-450 with 103,566 miles; Equipment # 108.
7) 2000 John Deere Track Excavator with 4790 hours; Equipment # 203.
On motion by Alley, seconded by Stelly, and unanimously approved, the Board authorized the secretary on behalf of the Bossier Levee District to process all payments in the amount of $146,759.29 as set forth in the materials provided for the Board. The Board Meeting was adjourned at approximately 10:30 a.m.
__________________________ _____________________________
Tim Larkin, President Deanna S. Rabb, Secretary