JEANERETTE — Water, sewer and public safety are the areas Jeanerette Fiscal Administrator David Greer said are of utmost importance as he navigates the task of organizing city finances and designating priorities in the next fiscal year’s budget.

“I’m still finding bills that are two years old,” Greer said. 

The state-appointed certified public accountant said he will have a budget to present at the city’s August meeting. 

“It will be a budget based on good numbers,” he said.

Among matters taking priority in that next budget are the need to address two of the city’s most controversial topics of discussion … water and sewer. Work has already begun.

Water Woes

“We’re on the verge of having the water system do what it needs to do … consistently providing good clean water,” Greer said.

His emphasis was placed on the word consistent. Greer said maintenance and upkeep haven’t been regular enough to prevent buildup in some of the lines used to distribute water throughout the city.

Jeanerette residents in the past have complained of the color and smell of its tap water. 

“There’s a process to the treatment of the water its pulled out of the wells, chemically treated and placed for holding,” Greer said.

The fiscal administrator said Jeanerette has a good production system when it comes to its water. It’s the distribution that is at issue he said.

“Once we get the well back up and flowing, we can flush the lines,” he said.

The fiscal administrator also noted water pressure is an issue in some parts of the city. Grant funding is being sought. 

The water pressure issue has been addressed at a number of board of aldermen meetings this year concerning a project to create a water line that will allow water pressure to better flow on the west side of the city.

“At some point in time the city is going to have to look at the money its spending on the water system,” Greer said.

Meanwhile, the fiscal administrator is looking at taxes and fees owed by the city in the amount of 200,000 not including interests and penalties that may provide limitations on how much can be spent on addressing water issues. At any rate, Greer said water is high on his priority list of concerns and there will be money set aside to address the issue.

Sewer Concerns

When it comes to addressing the city’s sewer concerns upkeep as well as a lack of efficiency in costs of repairs make Greer’s list of concerns.

“One of the city’s lift pumps was inundated with water and a rented diesel pump is being used for that lift station until we come up with a better solution.” Greer said. 

“Instead of renting a pump we are looking at buying a submersible pump,” he said.

Greer said there are seven to eight lift stations placed throughout the city. For each lift station there should be two pumps, he said. 

As of now, Greer said the ratio is more like one pump to every lift station. He said the lift station on Canal Street has not been maintained and the stairs in it gave out on a worker lately.

The fiscal administrator has hired Statewide Electrical Services to oversee the maintenance of the lift stations, providing more manpower to the effort of maintaining the sewer system than what was done previously.

“We are looking at several hundreds of thousands of dollars that needs to be applied to the city’s sewer issue,” Greer said.

The fiscal administrator said an emergency grant is now being applied for to replace one lift station and come up with band aid solutions for others. 

“If we don’t get grant  funding we are going to have to piecemeal a solution financially,” Greer said.