Construction of the permanent pump stations at the three outfall canals in New Orleans is not scheduled to be finished for nearly five years. Yet, questions are begin to emerge about who will have to pay for the maintenance of the pumps - and other aspects of storm protection in the metro area - once the construction is finished.
At a City Council committee meeting on Wednesday, the Army Corps of Engineers said the system's maintenance is not up to them.
"It will be an additional burden, an additional financial burden for the city of New Orleans, or some other government agency, to operate and maintain the $15 billion hurricane and storm damage risk reduction system that's being constructed," said Col. Robert Sinkler of the Army Corps of Engineers.
The Army Corps told council members that typically, the agency builds the structures and then turns them over to a local agency to maintain them. The pump stations are one example. The Corps pays for maintenance on the temporary pumps, at an annual cost of about $2 million per pump. It is a cost that could end of falling in the lap of the Sewerage and Water Board, which estimates it could end up costing them about $10 million a year to take of various aspects of the system.
"I just think the resentment is so great that asking the Sewage and Water Board to go get more money from the people, is not a fair proposition," said Council Member Shelley Midura, who represents District A. "I just wonder where the money is going to come from. That's the issue. They're already broke."
"We would be looking then, in order to achieve a $10 million enhanced maintenance budget, you would be looking at a property tax increase of four mills-plus," said City Council President Arnie Fielkow.
Some council members, though, questioned why the federal government wouldn't pay for the maintenance, especially since the storm protection system encompasses several parishes.
"We can't sit here and realistically plan something when there's absolutely no funds anywhere we turn," said City Council Vice-president Jackie Clarkson. "We can't just assume there shall be money - and this is typical of what we should be able to ask for from disaster sources, either state or federal."
By law, the Army Corps said it can not lobby Congress for funding. One idea raised by council members revolved around trying to get the Louisiana Recovery Authority involved, to ask the state or Congress for the money required to maintain the area's storm protection system.
