Local officials want state grant programs restored

At almost any parish or municipal government meeting, observers are likely to hear two words they may not understand.

“El Gap” and “See Wef.”

The Local Government Assistance Program, called LGAP, and the Community Water Enhancement Fund, CWEF, have been important sources of revenue for many local public improvement projects. Many of the grants are in the $10,000 to $25,000 range -- small in comparison to $1 million federal projects and Community Development Block Grants of several hundred thousand dollars -- but a way to make improvements in infrastructure and services to residents in this parish and its municipalities.

As the state’s financial problems got worse, the number and size of the state grants declined.

Municipal and Police Jury officials are hoping an upcoming special session of the Legislature will provide the “fix” necessary to restore those grants as a meaningful source to fund needed projects.

Mansura Mayor Kenneth Pickett asked Gov. John Bel Edwards about restoring the grant programs during Edwards’ Feb. 5 speaking engagement in Marksville.

Edwards said if the “fiscal cliff” -- a $1 billion deficit -- is fixed, the grant programs could be restored as soon as July 1.

JOHNSON COMMENTS

State Rep. Robert Johnson (D-Marksville) represents this parish in the House of Representatives and will be presenting local financial concerns to the Legislature during the special session.

He praised the small grant programs for their role in many local improvement projects.

“They have done a lot for this parish in the past, but as the state budget has dwindled the amount of those grants has dwindled,” Johnson said. “We have used them for sewer system and water system improvements, drainage projects, roads, sidewalks and many other projects. We have even used them to purchase police cars, fire trucks and to make improvements to municipal buildings.

“Losing them is a tough deal,” he said. “I know local officials want them back and I certainly want them back.”

Although a small municipality may only be approved for a small grant, Johnson said those grants “can be stacked” over a few years to provide enough money for a meaningful project.

Pickett expressed some misgivings about Edwards’ use of the phrase “may be restored” in his answer to the mayor’s question. However, he said Edwards seems genuinely committed to the local grant program, which is cause for optimism.

“We have been able to do a lot of projects in Mansura with those grants,” Pickett said. “In the past few years we received two small grants that we were able to use to tear down three dilapidated houses and complete a small drainage project.”

Pickett said the town did not get even a small grant this year.

Marksville City Engineer Rene Borrel, who also serves as village engineer for Moreauville, said the small grants mean a lot to the municipalities.

“In Marksville, we usually got $25-30,000 grants,” he said. “We used the last two to pay for a water pipe replacement project and to install a monitoring system at the water tower.

“It doesn’t pay for everything, but it pays a good part and it helps a lot,” Borrel added.

The grant programs are also important to the Police Jury and the rural water systems in the parish, Jury President Charles Jones said.

Although the grants are usually small, “those small grants help.”

Parish Engineer Ron Bordelon -- who also serves as Mansura’s town engineer -- said LGAP was not funded at all this year. The parish’s last LGAP grant was for $8,800 two years ago.

He said local governments need a state grant program that can provide significant funding for important projects.