Meeting Summary

The St. Charles Parish Council held its regular meeting on August 18, 2025, where members approved the annual property tax (ad valorem) ordinance with a modest millage rollback, adopted a long-debated drainage project for the King and Hahn Street area in Hahnville despite a resident's objections, and approved the parish's updated Hazard Mitigation Plan. The council also heard detailed reports from the Grants Office and Parish President Matthew Jewell on ongoing infrastructure, pump station, and recreation projects, and recognized a proposal to build a memorial site honoring a local child, Mason Kiley, through the Elleanor Claire Memorial Foundation.

Watch Items

• King and Hahn Street drainage project (Hahnville): The council approved the professional services amendment needed to add a required cultural resources survey, but the project still must clear additional federal environmental review, including U.S. Army Corps of Engineers wetlands mitigation (5.2 acres of bottomland hardwood) and an archaeological survey, before construction can begin. A nearby resident formally objected to the project, citing safety, environmental, and property concerns; officials described the planned feature as a mostly-dry drainage ditch, not a canal, and pledged to continue the project. Residents should watch for further Corps of Engineers proceedings and construction timelines.
• USDA Housing Preservation Grant application: The resolution to authorize submission of a grant application to the USDA Rural Housing Service's FY2025 Housing Preservation Grant Program was postponed indefinitely at the Grants Office's request. Watch for this item to reappear on a future agenda.
• Dedicated drainage funding: Councilman Walter Pilié raised concern that the parish has no dedicated millage for drainage projects, relying instead on sales tax and grants, and suggested the council may eventually ask voters to approve a stable funding source for drainage work.
• Mason Kiley memorial site: Councilman Willie Comardelle said he intends to sponsor a resolution to move forward with a memorial site honoring Mason Kiley in partnership with the Elleanor Claire Memorial Foundation and the parish's Recreation Department. Residents should watch for this resolution on a future agenda.
• Next meeting: The council's next regular meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 8, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at the Courthouse in Hahnville.