Council member won't seek removal of drainage board members for now

St. Mary Parish Councilman Jimmie Davis of Morgan City has at least delayed his attempt to remove the board members of Gravity Drainage District 2A, which serves the Morgan City and Amelia areas.

The move was to be taken up by the council at a meeting Tuesday. But Davis said in a Facebook post Monday that he was taking it off the agenda for Tuesday.

The move would have given the board's powers to Chief Administrative Office Paul Governale.

The district, formed a few years ago by consolidating districts serving Morgan City and Amelia, has been a source of controversy ever since.

Most recently, the district came after scrutiny when a new pumping station near Lake Palourde proved inadequate during the 10 inches or more of rain that fell during Hurricane Francine on Sept. 11, contributing to flooding that reached into more than 300 homes.

The scrutiny centered on an installation that left the station short of the pumping capacity needed to remove water from inside the local levee system.