Teche flood control progress given

Franklin City Council members heard two project updates Tuesday: the water meter project and proposed Bayou Teche flood gate project, and also several other guests during the regular city council meeting.
Reid Miller, president of Miller Engineers & Associates, discussed the Bayou Teche Flood Gate project.
The project was initiated in 2014 by the St. Mary Levee District, and according to Miller, that’s when the permits for construction were applied for.
Miller says that since 2014, the permits to move forward with flood gate construction have been obtained from the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, and that the levee district has, since obtaining the permits, been focused on raising the estimated $12.3 million necessary to complete the project.
“We just started the next phase of moving toward a final design,” Miller said. “All the topographic surveys have been completed. The fieldwork for the geotech has all been completed. So, we’re pushing toward a final design phase right now, so that we can have the plans ready and at least have them in a position where they can phase the project, as funding becomes available.”
The audit report for the 2016-17 fiscal year was presented by Jeremy Meaux, of Darnall Sikes Gardes & Frederick.
It showed that for the 2016-17 fiscal year, Franklin’s assets and deferred outflows of resources exceeded its liabilities and deferred inflows of resources by $11,138,441.
Darryl Bennett, resident of 210 Wall St., Franklin, voiced a grievance concerning what he called a “nuisance” condition by living in proximity to the Ameripure Processing Company.
Legal counsel Russel Cremaldi explained to Bennett that the council would look into their role in such a matter, if indeed such a role existed.
Chad Davis, president of Utility Metering Solutions presented a project update on the city’s new water metering system, and fielded questions from the council, concerning the system’s functionality.
Davis provided an account of the troubleshooting process employed by UMS in reference to billing snafus in District D, and he gave conjectural terms for possible citywide increases of water bills.
Davis cited installation error as the reason for the mix-ups in District D, and pointed to the variation in age, from old and faulty, to new and precise water meters, as the likely culprit for possible citywide water bill increases.
Also Tuesday:
—Ordinance 3364—An ordinance granting all establishments selling beverages of low and high alcoholic content at retail and wholesale, permission to renew their City of Franklin liquor license for the year 2018, was accepted.
Announced, were:
—The Keep St. Mary Beautiful city-wide clean-up, Nov. 11, from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at Stage parking lot
—Harvest Moon Festival kick-off, Oct. 26, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at The French Door
—Harvest Moon Festival, Oct. 28 in downtown Franklin
—Haunted House, Oct. 26, 28, 30, and 31, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Broussard-Harris Recreation Center, admission $3
—Haunted House, Oct. 28 and 31, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Fire Station #1, admission free
—Christmas Under the Lamp Posts, Dec. 2, 6 p.m. in downtown Franklin,
—Tour of Homes and Churches, Dec. 2.