Lafitte Area Independent Levee District
The Lafitte Area Independent Levee District was established to help prevent flooding of the homes Lafitte, Barataria and Crown Point by...
BUILDING & MAINTAINING LEVEES.
President's
Proposed Budget
2025
This is the initial proposed budget presented by the President of the LAILD to the board at the October meeting.
By Louisiana Law... the LAILD must present a balanced budget. The budget was prepared based on our prior years property mill revenues of
$ 170,909.00 (2024).
IT HAS NOT BEEN VOTED ON BY THE BOARD (expected vote at the November meeting).
October 2025 Meeting
Highlights from October 28, 2025 Meeting
Here are the highlights from tonight’s Barataria–Lafitte–Crown Point Levee Board meeting: We’re keeping our focus on building protection where it matters most—Goose Bayou and Crown Point. Thanks to State Representative Kerner, we secured $1,000,000 in Capital Outlay. And thanks to Senator Pat Connick for his efforts to make sure that those funds were properly applied for and between the LAILD and various governmental entities.
The debris cleanup from Hurricane Ida is moving forward under a $1,000,000 grant—now effectively with 90% match from FEMA and a 10% reimbursed with help from Jefferson Parish and the state.
For Crown Point Phase 2, the working alignment favors the homeowners’ side to avoid federal delays, with design tweaks to protect local businesses like Bayou Barn and Des Familles’ ability to see the bayou.
We welcomed Hoot Gibson (Barataria resident, former DOE Strategic Petroleum Reserve leader) as a pro bono consulting engineer.
Budget reality: we have $180K recurring revenue against $350–$400K in annual costs; we’re seeking an additional $250K recurring for safe operations and maintenance.
The board approved reimbursable survey work ($131,480) for Goose Bayou and is opening an interest-bearing account to stretch every dollar.
Next meeting: Nov 25.
If you’re inside the protected area, please vote to renew the millage on Nov 15—it keeps our community safer.
September 2025 Meeting
Highlights from September 23, 2025 Meeting
CPRA Update:
-
Welcomed Michael Hare (Executive Director, CPRA) and Andrew Bell (Chief of Project Management).
-
Goose Bayou levee segment: Design & permit in hand; final geotech (≈ $37k, handled locally) wrapping up. Fully funded for construction once permit notes are cleared. Estimated build window about 2 years once bid is let.
-
Crown Point – Phase 1: 100% design submitted; permitting next. CPRA tracking a $1.8M gap they expect to close while permitting proceeds. Targeting bid Fall 2026, start Winter 2026 (subject to permit & funding finalization).
-
Two earlier projects completed; Rosethorne project is essentially complete pending close-outs.
-
Long-term system need remains significant (on the order of $250–$300M across all phases).
Finance & Operations:
-
Hand-delivered repayment check to CPRA: $676,815 (part of emergency support to be repaid as FEMA funds arrive).
-
Current district funds on hand reported at $2,104,638.18; obligations (incl. FEMA-related) about $2,223,321.04.
-
Only recurring revenue: property taxes, projected ≈$166,000 this fiscal year.
-
Expected operating costs: ≈$473,300 → highlights the need for recurring support to meet the state’s balanced budget requirements.
Readiness & Community:
-
Partnering with the Cajun Navy for hurricane preparedness and response.
-
Ecolab donated thousands of high-quality supersacks (major cost savings); warehouse stocked.
-
Working with DOTD on closing a critical 500-ft protection gap near the old car wash—aiming to align upcoming road elevation with levee protection to save local dollars.
Next meeting: October 28, 6:00 PM.
Thanks to everyone working to keep Lafitte, Crown Point, and Barataria protected. We’re building levees—and building trust—with clear numbers, open doors, and steady progress.
August 2025 Meeting
Recent Communications
In our prior LAILD meeting I asked our elected officials to help us to locate additional funding necessary to provide maintenance of our levees.
This is the letter (10-2-2025) I mentioned that was being sent to them all.
Goose Bayou Project
Recent letter of support from Senator Pat Connick. Senator Connick was extremely helpful to the LAILD in making sure that all steps were properly followed to ensure that we received this funding.
State Representative Tim Kerner initially secured this Capital Outlay funding of $ 1,000,000.
The LAILD continues to thank our elected officials for finding, allocating and securing this type of important funding necessary for the development of levees to protect our communities.
Completed & Upcoming Levee Projects
Balance Sheet
as of
September 22, 2025
2023-2025 Revenues & Expenses
1 of 3
2 of 3
3 of 3
Past 6 years Hurricane Expenses & FEMA Reimbursements
Hurricane Costs: $ 6,695,548.00 (FEMA reimburses approximately 90% = $ 6,036,116.00) = <$ 659,432.00>
This means that over the past 6 years the LAILD needed to fund approximately $ 650,000 in reimbursement shortfalls.
The majority of the Federal Un-Paid $ 3.4 million includes approximately $ 2.5 million in projects that have not begun or not been paid for. The remaining uncollected funds are being sought after.
.jpeg)
Board Members:
-
Kerry Lauricella, President
Barataria
504-234-5075 (call/text)
kerry@laild.com
-
Steven Marques, Vice President
Crown Point
-
Frank Panepinto, Treasurer
Crown Point
-
Chuck Shano
Lafitte
Meetings usually take place on the second Thursday of each month.
Meetings also televised on Facebook
This month’s board meeting will take place on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, at 6:00 p.m.
7001 River Road
Marrero, LA 70072
QUESTIONS:
Office: 504-689-2470
Mailing Address :
7001 River Road, Marrero, LA 70072
PAST PROJECTS:
September 5, 2023—The town of Jean Lafitte and the Lafitte Area Independent Levee District broke ground on the Lower Lafitte Tidal Protection Project. The $14 million project is the third of 10 tidal protection projects planned for the greater Lafitte area.
Under Construction
Rosethorne Basin
The Rosethorne Tidal Protection project, the second in a series of 10, aims to shield the communities of Jean Lafitte, Lower Lafitte, Crown Point, and Barataria from tidal and rainfall flooding. The project is taking place in two phases:
-
Phase 1: Construction of 1.95 miles of concrete-capped floodwall and floodgates along Bayou Barataria. Construction began in March 2022 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.
-
Phase 2: Development of 3.4 miles of earthen levee and a new structural floodwall along the south side of the Rosethorne Basin. Phase 2 began in May 2024, with an anticipated completion in the first half of 2026. All structures are designed to an elevation of 7.5 feet above sea level to protect against 10-year high tides and rainstorm events.
Lower Lafitte (Orange Street) Basin
The Lower Lafitte (Orange Street) Basin Tidal Protection Project, the third in the series, includes:
-
Approximately 1.34 miles of new concrete-capped floodwall along Bayou Barataria.
-
Enhancements to 1.39 miles of existing earthen levee.
-
Construction of 0.54 miles of new earthen levee to complete the ring.
Scheduled to begin in August 2024, this project aims to protect the area from 10-year tidal or rainfall flooding events and is expected to be completed by early 2026.
Under Design
Several tidal protection projects are progressing through the final design stages, aimed at enhancing flood protection for additional basins:
-
Crown Point
-
Goose Bayou
-
Pailet
Next Meeting
November 25, 2025