3404 Industrial Drive - Bossier City, LA 71112

The Board of Commissioners of the Bossier Levee District met in regular session on Wednesday, October 9, 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, MONTGOMERY, MOORE and STELLY. Staff: Mark Long, Devan Jordan, Deanna Rabb, Josh Monroe with DOTD, and counsel for the Bossier Levee District, Daniel Baker.

ABSENT: STELLY - NONE

The first order of business was the opening prayer by Commissioner Montgomery and the Pledge of Allegiance by Commissioner Montgomery.

On motion by Montgomery, seconded by Alley, and unanimously passed, the Board dispensed with the reading of the minutes and approved the minutes of the regular Board Meeting previously held on September 11, 2024.

REQUESTS BY VISITORS:

A. Comcast of LA, MS, TX, LLC requested the following three permits:

To directionally bore and place conduits for fiber optic cable within existing utility servitudes within the BLD’s control Area along Mack’s Bayou and Mack’s Bayou Lateral. (Permit # 2024-54)

To directionally bore and place conduits for fiber optic cable within existing utility servitudes within the BLD’s control area along Mack’s Bayou Lateral. (PERMIT #2024-60)

To directly bore for conduits and run an aerial fiber optic within existing utility servitudes within the BLD’s control area along Flat River and Mack’s Bayou east of Bayou Drive and west of Kristen Avenue. (Permit #2024-61)

On motion by Bantle, seconded by Alley, and on recommendation from the Applications Committee the Board approved all three above Comcast permits to bored within the BLD’s control area. No comments from the public.

B. Elm Grove Aggregates, LLC applied for a permit seeking authorization to construct a levee crossing and detention pond within the BLD’s control area on Atkins Ditch. (PERMIT #2024-55)

This item was discussed, but needs further review, therefore no action was taken. No comments from the public.

C. Mr. Joseph Moore, homeowner of lot 405 within Lakewood Subdivison Unit No. 6, at 167 Lakewood Point Rd requested to construct a pool within the BLD’s control area on Willow Chute Bayou. (Permit #2024-59)

On motion by Stelly, seconded by Montgomery, and on recommendation from the Applications Committee the Board approved the pool request on behalf of homeowner, Mr. Moore. No comments from the public.

OLD BUSINESS:

Marcus A Long, Jr., Operations Coordinator, updated the Board on the results of the inspection of the high bank on Lateral B-4 related to the request submitted by Mr. Jordan Payne.

The Board discussed that they would request changes to his concept and drawings and would reevaluate his request at a future meeting. No comments from the public.

NEW BUSINESS:

The Board did not receive any plats from the MPC for review, approval, and or authorization of No Objection Letters from the Bossier Levee District.

Operations Coordinator, Marcus A. Long, Jr., discussed the hiring of a contractor to perform some levee surfacing work from Elm Grove to McDade Road. (Levee Station 2131 + 75 to 2239 + 00). He also discussed authorization to hire an outside contractor to replace an existing 42” culvert on Ninock Ditch to Flat River Cutoff.

The Board authorized both projects as prior administrative approval had been granted and with no current objections noted work was approved to commence and move forward. No comments from the public.

The Board discussed the previous adoption of the “no roll forward” for 2024 millage due to the Secretary needing to re-submit paperwork for corrective action in wording as requested by the Legislative Auditor’s office in Baton Rouge.

On motion by Alley, seconded by Montgomery, the Board voted and certified the resolution by stating that they previously authorized the BLD to adopt a “no roll forward” for the 2024 tax millage and the Secretary noted that all paperwork would be re-submitted to Baton Rouge, the Bossier Tax Office, and Red River Parish as well. No comments from the public.

On motion by Bantle, seconded by Montgomery, the Board approved a resolution authorizing the Secretary to transfer $350,000.00 from Huddleston/Smith Investments to the BLD operating checking account at Bonvenu Bank for upcoming projects and future expenditures.

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..
- May 2, 2024 – work delayed due to high water.

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.
- July 8, 2024 - Risk assessment Ongoing

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
- April 9, 2024 -Received a quote from Newt Brown Contractor LLC in the amount of $245,395.00 for levee surfacing aggregate on the Red River Levee from station 460+50 to 520+70 and from station 568+50 to 634+90; approximately 12,640 LF. May 6, 2024 - Levee Surfacing work between station 568+50 and 634+90 was completed. June 14, 2024 – Work between levee station 460+50 and 520+70 was completed.
- May 7, 2024 – Received a quote in the amount of $146,115.00 from Newt Brown Contractor LLC for levee surfacing aggregate on the Red River Levee between station 906+20 and 972+50 / Hamilton Road to Colquitt Street, 1.25 miles. Work began on June 25, 2024, and was completed on June 28, 2024.

Levee and Drainage Crews
- Inspecting various construction activities near levees and drainage channels.
- Clearing drainage channel maintenance access along channels located on BAFB.
- 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.
- 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. Ordered on February 27, 2024; Took delivery on June 26, 2024.
- February 6, 2024 - Ordered 2024 Ford Expedition: estimated delivery time 3-4 months. Cost $52,891.00. Price lower than State contract.
- February 27, 2024 - Ordered two new John Deere FC15R Flex Wing 15-foot rotary cutters through State contract. Estimated delivery time 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 Bantle, seconded by Montgomery, and unanimously approved, the Board authorized the secretary on behalf of the Bossier Levee District to process all payments in the amount of $159,365.09 as set forth in the materials provided for the Board. The Board Meeting was adjourned at approximately 10:35 a.m.

 

 

__________________________  _____________________________
Tim Larkin, President                   Deanna S. Rabb, Secretary       

 

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Address & Phone

Bossier Levee District
3404 Industrial Drive
Bossier City, LA 71112

P.O. Box 8279
Bossier City, LA 71113

p: (318) 746-7151
f: (318) 746-7206

After Hours/Emergency
Contact: (318) 455-3696

Bossier Levee District - 3404 Industrial Drive - Bossier City, LA 71112

P.O. Box 8279 - Bossier City, LA 71113

(318) 746-7151

 

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