St. Charles Parish · issues
Civic issues
Topics getting the most attention in St. Charles Parish public meetings, ranked by how frequently they come up.
St. Charles Parish Hospital growth and services
The hospital signed a joint surgeon (Dr. Bryant King) and a sports medicine doctor (Dr. Charles Long), plus a rheumatologist and a new Destrehan primary care doctor — more specialty and primary care options close to home.
911 ESInet communications upgrade
The 911 district is planning a $2 million upgrade to a cloud-based AT&T emergency network that would let residents send video and photos to dispatchers and push data to patrol cars. It'll be paid from the district's healthy fund balance, not new fees. Text-to-911 is also now live.
Fortified roof grant program expansion
A board member explained the statewide fortified roof lottery program, which covers roughly half the cost of a new roof (about $10,000 of a $20,000+ job) for hurricane-vulnerable homes. Residents apply through the program website when rounds open.
George Prince ferry disaster 50th anniversary
A memorial ceremony will be held October 20 at 5 p.m. at East Bank Bridge Park for the 1976 tragedy that claimed 77 lives.
Delinquent property maintenance liens shelved
Public Works is behind on parish grass cutting because of staffing and equipment gaps, but tractors are back online and new hires are starting, according to President Jewell.
Thanksgiving basket program preparation
The board was scheduled to begin prepping for the parish's Thanksgiving basket program, which provides holiday food assistance to residents. Families who need help or want to volunteer should watch for details as the holidays approach.
New East Bank EMS station
EMS will finally move into its new East Bank station within weeks — its first permanent home since Hurricane Ida displaced the team five years ago. A ribbon-cutting is planned.
Storm season sandbag delivery for seniors
Seniors who can't fill their own sandbags can call the parish during a storm threat and have sandbags delivered — good to know before the next hurricane.
New EMS leadership and culture change
Board leadership praised the EMS team, which saved the same patient from two cardiac emergencies a year apart and consoled her children during the second response.
Hospital capital projects and construction
The new EMS building is nearly done, and the hospital is replacing the main entrance flooring and starting the first phase of the entrance/registration/surgery project. Patients may see rerouted areas in building one during construction.
Smith Street ditch danger in Hahnville
A resident asked the parish to fill in a ditch that's become a deep canal, saying her late brother fell in three times and churchgoers fear parking nearby. The parish said most ditches are resident-owned and closing them in isn't generally done.
Hospital response to June tornado and flooding
During the June storms, hospital staff kept working despite flooded roads, and the EMS and security teams performed two rescues and saved a stranded employee.
Extreme-weather worker protections
The personnel policy now lets the authority buy uniforms and electrolyte-replacing drinks for staff working in heat and cold.
911 Center Staffing and Operations
The communications center is running 23 staff against 31 authorized positions, though two trainees are in the pipeline. Understaffing can affect how quickly calls are answered.
Rising food bank demand
Board members described a strong network of food banks serving roughly a thousand families a month, including a 250-families-per-month distribution every third Wednesday. They discussed asking for parish ID to stop people from hitting multiple food banks.
911 Call-recording System Maintenance
The district locked in five years of software license renewal and support for the dispatch protocols used on medical, fire, and police calls. It keeps the 911 dispatch system current and vendor-supported.
Radio system and fire pager outages
The main Hahnville radio tower amplifier went down in May, forcing responders onto a backup system, and fire pagers briefly stopped receiving tones. A gap in recorded radio traffic during the outage is being investigated with the vendors.
Security camera system upgrade
The aging camera system is being replaced with a cloud-based setup including license plate readers, funded through the 2024 capital fund. The sheriff's office may regain direct camera access once it's installed by July.
Residential generator placement and carbon monoxide safety
The Lists' generator will sit close to the property line and near their house, prompting board questions about exhaust direction, window sealing, and carbon monoxide risks. The board granted the variance with a safety warning.
All-way stop signs at Monsanto Avenue, Luling
The council adopted an ordinance installing all-way stop signs at the Monsanto Avenue intersection in Kellogg Addition II, Luling — a safety fix for that neighborhood crossing.
NRC assessment of Waterford
A resident addressed the council about the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's assessment of the Waterford plant — a topic of ongoing public interest for communities near the facility.
Hurricane season preparedness for the Communications Center
With hurricane season starting, board members asked about supplies, checklists, and backup communications. Staff said the Sheriff's Office provides food during events and a 700 MHz backup system is now in place since Ida.
Communications District board vacancy
Kevin Gauthier fills the EMS seat on the Communications District board through the unexpired term ending August 19, 2026.