Meeting Summary

The St. Charles Parish Council held its regular meeting with a heavy focus on drainage and flood recovery following Tropical Storm Arthur, which dropped nearly a foot of rain on parts of the parish in just a few hours. Parish President Matthew Jewell presented a detailed report on the storm's impact, including 106 flooded homes, ongoing pump station projects, and FEMA disaster assistance determinations. The council also debated and approved a contested $1.43 million contract for a new dog park and a $728,906 drainage contract for the Kinler and Paul Frederick neighborhood, while hearing extended public comments about longstanding drainage problems in Hahnville and St. Rose.

Watch Items

• A public hearing is scheduled for Monday, July 27, 2026, 6:00 p.m., at Council Chambers, Courthouse, Hahnville, to consider final passage of the following ordinances:

- An ordinance to amend the 2026 Consolidated Operating and Capital Budget, Amendment No. 1, adjusting fund balances and re-applying unexpended 2025 project fees to 2026. - An ordinance approving and authorizing execution of a Lease Agreement between DJV, L.L.C. and St. Charles Parish for River Parishes Workforce Development Board office space. - An ordinance to amend the St. Charles Parish Zoning Ordinance of 1981 changing zoning from R-1A to R-1A(M) on Lots 1 and 2, Block A, Good Hope Plantation, as requested by Stein Management, LLC. - An ordinance to amend the St. Charles Parish Zoning Ordinance of 1981 changing zoning from C-2 to R-1A on the Lower 85' of Lot 6, Village of Hahnville, as requested by Billy Butler for Moore New Homes, LLC. - An ordinance to amend the St. Charles Parish Zoning Ordinance of 1981 changing zoning from R-1A to O-L on Lots 1, 2, and 3, Friloux-Donnaud Estate, as requested by Robert Gilbert.

• St. Rose Avenue flooding: Parish President Jewell outlined plans to replace undersized and clogged culverts along St. Rose Avenue, add a second portable pump at the Diane pump station, evaluate removing a berm that currently blocks drainage into that pump station, and pursue purchase of adjacent property for additional water retention. These projects require state permitting and are not yet complete; residents should watch for progress updates.

• Smith Street (Hahnville) ditch concerns raised by Catherine Turner Gordon: Jewell explained the parish's general policy that residents maintain their own ditches, but committed that someone from the administration would follow up with her directly this week to discuss options.

• Landscaping specifications for the new dog park contract were questioned during public comment, with a resident noting the approved 392-page contract may lack written landscaping requirements matching the conceptual rendering. This was not resolved before the council's vote and could affect permitting.

• The stalled crane affecting work on the Primrose Canal stabilization project was expected to be repaired and back in operation by the end of summer, per Jewell's update.

• Ongoing negotiations with railroad companies (including Union Pacific) over drainage culvert crossings near Low Street, Bamboo, and Courthouse Lane in Hahnville, tied to managing runoff from a new subdivision, remain unresolved.

• Several appointments will be finalized at the July 27, 2026 meeting, including representatives to the St. Charles Parish Communications District (Parish Council seat, Emergency Medical Services seat, and Parish President's Office seat) and the St. Charles Parish Library Board of Control District VI seat, following Robin Robicheaux's resignation.