MILTON, La. — A public meeting was held in Milton to address several topics of concern for residents, with one of the key topics focusing on the Homewood Detention Ponds project.
It was originally initiated by the previous administration in 2022, but the project faced legal challenges that delayed its progress.
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The Blanco-Boulet administration halted work on the project last year, leaving the flood control effort incomplete.
However, Mayor-President Blanco-Boulet remains optimistic about the project's future.
“The project is moving. We have some significant milestones hit, and we still have several to go, but we are making progress, and we are getting closer to completion of connecting both Coulee Ile Des Cannes and Homewood to the Vermilion River, which is the primary focus and purpose,” she says.
LCG also shared that two engineering firms have been hired to help expedite the process and oversee the remaining work needed to make the ponds functional.
One Milton resident who lives near the pond says that having this public meeting helps alleviate their worries.
“I’m just glad that they are addressing it," says Monique Veillon. "That they are bringing attention to the project and that they are pushing forward with new engineers to try and get some activity. We have been sitting here for almost 4 years with nothing but a big mound of dirt."
She also says her neighbors are concerned about all the dirt left from the construction.
“I think the biggest thing is that the dirt erodes into the drainage ditches and then the ditches overflow and go onto the road and it covers the road every time it rains, I think they are talking about addressing those issues so I’m glad about that."
In January, LCG secured a federal permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to resume work on the project, specifically for the intake structures at Homewood to Bayou Vermilion.
KATC asked if they would effectively address flood control once the ponds are complete.
“I think they will. I don’t think they are the end-all answer. You have to really have a comprehensive approach from many different directions, so they are a piece to the biggest puzzle," Blanco-Boulet said.
LCG added that additional public meetings would be scheduled to keep the community updated on the project's progress.
