Parish Council hears about state funding, small business aid

The St. Mary Parish Council on July 26 heard about millions in St. Mary infrastructure projects funded by the Legislature this year and about a program that could help small businesses affected by Hurricane Ida.
The infrastructure work was outlined at the council meeting in Franklin by state Sen. Bret Allain, who is leaving office after three Senate terms.
The small business program is administered in this region by the South Central Planning and Development Commission.
Allain, R-Franklin, leaves the Senate in January. He is limited by law to three terms, but spoke as though he might leave anyway to resume his role as a sugar cane producer.
“I’m going back to the farm,” Allain said.
He told the council about an unusually long list of infrastructure projects in and affecting St. Mary Parish. Allain also noted that some of the money is coming in the form of grants that require a funding match by local governments.
“I would suggest we move on those as soon as we can, because the next administration or the next Legislature could change their minds,” Allain said.
Some of the big-ticket items through the Water Sector program include $6.5 million for Sewer and Water Commission No. 4 in the Baldwin area, $1.5 million for Sewer and Water Commission No. 3 between Patterson and Garden City, and $4 million for an upgrade for Morgan City’s water plant.
In all, the program is providing $27.3 million for St. Mary Parish communities.
The Port of Morgan City is getting $10.5 million for its dock expansion and $500,000 for warehouses, and the Port of West St. Mary will receive $2 million for warehouse upgrades.
The state will put up $10 million in each of the next five years toward a $250 million resurfacing project on U.S. 90 from Lafayette to Morgan City.
“They talk about the bridge being overburdened in Baton Rouge,” Allain said. “We pointed out that if you just fix Highway 90, we could probably divert 30% of the traffic that’s overburdening Baton Rouge.”
There’s $451,000 for new water and gas meters in Patterson and millions more for sewer system upgrades. Berwick is getting $585,000 for water meters, and there’s money for the parish’s first roundabout on La. 3211, plus work on the highway itself.
Nongovernmental organizations are also receiving funds: $250,000 for the Council on Aging, $500,000 for Teche Action Clinic, $250,000 for Chez Hope and $250,000 for Arc of St. Mary.
Business aid
South Central’s Cullen Curole said the commission is administering $25 million in federal funds di-rected at St. Mary and Assumption businesses that sustained physical or economic damage from Hurricane Ida — nearly two years after the storm.
Eligible businesses must have 1-50 employees, and owners count as employees if they work the equivalent of 35 hours per week at the business. They must have had pre-Ida gross revenue of $25,000 and have been open when Ida hit.
They must have suffered either a 20% decline in revenue or physical damage valued at $10,000 or more as a result of the storm.
Qualifying businesses can receive loans of $10,000 to $150,000 with no interest for seven years, and with no payments for six months. If the business makes payments on the first 60% of the loans, the remaining 40% will be forgiven.
South Central has already received more than 300 applications and has approved about 20.
“They wanted us to focus on the grocery stores and the gas stations, businesses that serve low-income people,” Curole said.