By Renee Simpson
Parish administrators recently laid out plans for eight new building projects poised to move the parish even further into the 21st Century.
The projects include a community center, a new emergency operations building and land to relocate the Public Works West Bank equipment yard.
The projects mark the first new parish government building projects in over 30 years, and officials are seeking residents’ input on the plans.
A majority of the project costs are set to be funded by grant monies, minimizing the impact on the parish’ general operating fund.
For more information on the projects, which also include a boat launch and parish welcome signs, log on to stcharlesparish-la.gov and click on ‘Upcoming Projects.’
GIS information available online
The parish is now hosting its own Geographic Information Systems maps online at stcharlesparish-la.gov/gis.
The maps are as easy to use as Google Maps, but there’s an emphasis on important information for St. Charles residents, such as elevation, zoning districts and infrastructure.
Log on if you want to find out the elevation of your current location, what zoning district surrounds your property or even what council district you reside in. You can also take a closer look at the location of drainage canals and their proximity to major wetlands and bodies of water.
GIS Coordinator Luis Martinez said the maps provide a valuable source of information as the parish continues to go through its planning process for the St. Charles 2030 Comprehensive Land Use Plan.
For more information about GIS, contact Martinez at (985) 783-5096. You can also submit a request for maps and/or digital data from St. Charles Parish by filling out the online form located on the GIS page.
More information and functionality are being added to the maps on a monthly basis.
St. Charles Katrina footage sought
Recently I received a phone call from documentary producer Sarah Pagura of Siskel/Jacobs Productions out of Chicago.
Her company is putting together a documentary for the National Geographic Channel about Hurricane Katrina, to air on the storm’s fifth anniversary in August 2010.
Unlike traditional documentaries, the film will be constructed entirely from original video and audio sources. It will follow the same structure as Siskel/Jacobs’ Emmy-nominated documentary “102 Minutes That Changed America,” which reconstructed-in real time-the events of 9/11 in New York City, using only sound and video from that morning.
Like “102 Minutes” the film will take viewers back in time, allowing them to relive events as they happened. The goal is to create a lasting historical document to help communicate what it was like to live through the storm, and to shed light on the complicated emotions that arose from its aftermath.
To create a comprehensive picture, their production team is gathering amateur video and audio archive recorded between Aug. 28 and Sept. 4, 2005. If you have material to share, or simply want to learn more about this project, please contact Producer Sarah Pagura at (773) 936-7067, or by e-mail at sarah@siskeljacobs.com.
Renee Allemand Simpson serves as public information officer for St. Charles Parish. She can be reached at rsimpson@stcharlesgov.net or (985) 783-5000.
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