Drainage a concern in Dist. 4

Just four blocks separate the candidates for the District 4 Lafourche Parish Council seat. Even less is different in what they say is the district’s No. 1 priority.

A hot topic throughout the parish, the improvement of flood-preventative measures was the top issue listed by each Council hopeful.

Joe Fertitta, the incumbent seeking his third nonconsecutive term on the Parish Council, pointed to ongoing work on the $5.8 million pump station in the Dugas Canal that is expected to impact benefit 30,000 people from Canal Street in Thibodaux to Raceland and reduce the watershed elevation by about a foot as an example that solutions are on the way.

“We have the master plan coming in, which will be a great help for the parish to be able to plan the future,” Fertitta said. “We’re always trying to update the pump stations and getting them repaired and levees with the North Lafourche Levee District.”

Jason Ponvelle, the 36-year-old challenger, said the solution lies in the construction of more pump stations and possibly concreting ditches in an effort to help water flow unimpeded.

“We plan to address by buildings pumping stations, and there is a couple of ditches that probably could be concreted to where the foliage doesn’t grow throughout the ditch,” Ponvelle said.

The owner of an oilfield inspection business, Ponvelle said he’s a “good steward” of others’ property and finances. His promised caution in spending public funds, experience in owning and running a business and systematic reasoning make Ponvelle the better candidate, he said.

“People support me,” he said. “I always take a logical approach to everything I do, especially when I’m dealing with other people’s finances.”

Fertitta’s edge is in his experience and extensive community involvement, he said, adding that it “takes a little while to learn the system.”

“There are no books you can read or anything you can do that educates you to learn the framework of government,” Fertitta said. “You have to study the Home Rule Charter, the Code of Ordinances and listen to your constituents and make an educated decision.”