Sewage issue in District 12 race

• By STEVEN WARD
• Advocate staff writer
• Published: Oct 27, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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The District 12 Metro Council runoff on Nov. 4 is a rematch from almost a decade ago.

Republicans Jim Benham, 70, and R.J. “Smokie” Bourgeois, 66, are vying to replace Mickey Skyring, who decided not to seek a second term. Both men were the top two vote-getters in the Oct. 4 primary. They also ran against each other in 2000.

When asked about the most important issues in District 12, both Benham and Bourgeois said sewage problems need to be addressed quickly, but especially in the Glasgow and Southdowns areas.

Benham said the main sewer line that starts at Ward’s Creek and feeds to areas such as Citiplace, Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center and Towne Center is in dire need of repair as well as the neighborhood collection lines the main sewer line feeds into.
Benham said he wants to declare the issue a “crisis priority” and rehabilitate the sewer lines as soon as possible.

However, East Baton Rouge Parish’s $1.2 billion sewer upgrade program is on budget and fully funded to meet the 2015 deadline imposed by the federal government, a consultant for the project and city-parish  officials  have  said.

Bourgeois said there are drainage problems in District 12 as well and he wants to make sure that city-parish Department of Public Works employees do more than just check out the problems. He said he wants DPW workers to fix the problems.

“I can encourage them to do that. I can be relentless,” Bourgeois said.

The district stretches from Stanford Avenue on the west to Bluebonnet Boulevard on the east and from the Highland ridge in the south to Wards Creek on the north.

Both candidates also said traffic  is a problem.

Benham said he wants to study the issue more after he sees how well the city-parish’s Green Light Program — four-laning roads and other street-improvement projects —affects traffic.

Bourgeois said Interstate 10 traffic is too clogged and could be relieved by building a toll bridge over the Mississippi River with a bypass that would cross just north of Zachary at the East Feliciana Parish line.

Both candidates also said they do not support Mayor-President Kip Holden’s $989 million tax bond proposal, even though both men said the infrastructure provisions in the proposal are needed.

Benham and Bourgeois also agree that crime in the Mayfair East neighborhood has to be addressed, and both men pledged to work with the City Police  to fight area crime.