Capital outlay projects back in play

Capital outlay projects from throughout the state regained hope for funding Monday as the Senate Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Committee quickly passed amendments to the capital budget bill, adding $25 million for more than 200 previously eliminated or funding-reduced projects.
Following the revelation that many local projects were removed from House Bill 2 earlier this month, senators expressed dismay with the number of eliminations proposed by Rep. Neil Abramson, D-New Orleans.
Abramson and the House approved the bill after deleting any project that had not seen progress in the past few years.
Sen. J.P. Morell, D-New Orleans, added much of the eliminated projects back into the bill under the mandate that those projects had until November 1, 2016, to prove they had found a shared funding source.
If those projects do not find the funds by that date, however, they would not receive funding for the next year.
The bill goes to the Senate floor for full consideration later this week. The bill would then have to return to the House for concurrence. Because the Revenue and Fiscal committee amended HB2 is not a guarantee each of those restoration amendments will hold up.
The following, by region, are relevant capital outlay restorations and those which received added funding and several not in the original bill:
Northeast Louisiana
Grambling State University: Long Jones Hall renovations added to bill.
University of Louisiana in Monroe: $5,000 for Stubbs Hal reroofing restored.
Madison Parish Port, Harbor and Terminal District: Funding restored for improvements to the former Northrop Grumman shipbuilding.
Caldwell Parish: Parish Detention Facility planning and construction restored to the bill.
Concordia Parish: Public Health Center renovation planning and construction funding added to the bill.
East Carroll Parish: Road improvements added to the bill; School board administrative building renovations restored in the bill.
Jackson Parish: Riding arena and livestock pavilion planning and construction added to bill.
Ouachita Parish: Freed Men Housing renovation project restored to the bill.
Morehouse Parish: Carl Road improvements added to the bill.
Bastrop: Central Fire Station, replace driveway City Hall, Roof construction funding added to the bill.
Monroe: Downtown development district facilities and infrastructure for the River Front funding added back to the bill; Monroe Riverwalk funding restored in the bill
Rayville: Wastewater transport and treatment facilities for economic development funding added to the bill; water service facilities for economic development funding added to the bill
West Monroe: Creation of a hurricane/disaster shelter by expanding the West Ouachita Senior Center planning and construction funding added to the bill; rehabilitation of Montgomery Street from LA 34 to Intestate-20 added to the bill
East Columbia Water District: Water system improvements added to the bill
Northwest Louisiana
LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport: $ 4 million added to boiler replacement and construction; $2.3 million added back to Capital improvement projects
Southern University Shreveport: $2.9 million restored for renovations on Allen Building; Workforce Training and Technology Center planning and construction added back to the bill.
Sabine Parish: Water treatment and supply system study added back to the bill.
Benton: Town of Benton road improvements added to the bill.
Bossier City: Louisiana Technology Research Institute added to bill.
Castor: New water well and related system improvements funding restored in the bill.
Cotton Valley: Sewerage system improvements funding added to the bill.
Cullen: Potable water and distribution system improvements funding added to the bill.
Florien: Village of Florien Town Hall project added back to the bill
Pleasant Hill: Rehabilitation of two elevated water tanks and the rehabilitation of a water well added to the bill.
Shreveport: C.C. Antoine Museum and Arts Center planning and construction funding added back to the bill
John K. Kelly Grand Bayou Reservoir: Grand Bayou Resort Sea Wall and Sewer System repair funding added to the bill.
Central Louisiana
LSU Alexandria: $1.5 million restored for Infrastructure improvements.
LA School for Math, Science and Arts: New Dormitory Building planning and construction added to bill.
LaSalle Parish: Pine Hill Road improvements added to bill.
Natchitoches Parish: Resurfacing of Blanchard Road funding restored to the bill.
Vernon Parish: Pickering School Parking Lot added back to bill; Catfish Hut Road and bridge repair or replacement added back to the bill. Fort Polk thoroughfare electrical power extension added back to bill
Winn Parish: Roadway reconstruction for the Spillway and Ed Carpenter added back to the bill.
Leesville: Water system rehabilitation including generators planning and construction funding restored by $300,000.
Natchitoches: Highland Park Road Bridge planning and construction funding added back to the bill; South Natchitoches drainage improvements including adjacent roadwork added back to the bill.
Winnfield: Port Deluce Reservoir planning and construction funding added to the bill.
Southwest/Southern Louisiana
Nicholls State University: Nearly $1 million added to the renovation of athletic training and meeting facility; Nearly $800 thousand restored to Fieldhouse planning and construction costs.
West Calcasieu Port: New Bulkhead along Gulf intracoastal waterway added back to bill.
Calcasieu Parish: Belfield ditch drainage improvement project added back to the bill; Elevated water tank and associated piping planning and construction funding.
Iberia Parish: $200,000 added to the Robert B. Green Veterans Memorial Building renovations and expansions.
Iberia Parish: Funds for a new crime laboratory for the Acadiana Criminalistics Laboratory added to the bill.
St. Mary Parish: Recreation and infrastructure improvements at Centerville Park added back to the bill; Reconstruction of Flattown Road from Chitimacha Trail to Ralph Darden Memorial Parkway added back to the bill.
Terrebonne Parish: Renovation of the Le Petit De Terrebonne Theater Building added back to the bill; $1.9 million added back to the Emergency Operations Center planning and construction funds.
Anacoco: Street rehabilitation at Liles and East Road added back to the bill.
Broussard: Reconstruct South Bernard Road from LA highway 182 to U.S. Highway 90 restored to the bill; South Bernard from Ambassador Caffrey to LA Highway 182 construction restored to the bill.
Carencro: Wastewater and City infrastructure Flood damages planning and construction added to the bill.
DeQuincy: Drainage improvements on Buxton Creek funding added back to the bill.
Duson: Sewer system and street infrastructure improvements funding added to the bill.
Golden Meadow: Upgrade to North Sewerage Treatment Plant project added back to the bill.
Grand Coteau: Police and utility department roof, air conditioning unit for town hall, handheld meter reader, abandonment and plugging of water well funding added back to the bill; Fire truck and fire station upgrades funding added back to the bill.
Henderson: Municipal complex funding added to the bill.
Lake Charles: Infrastructure improvements for economic development added to the bill; Lakefront development funding added back to the bill; Riverside Park improvements added back to the bill.
Morgan City: Water Plant improvements funding added back to the bill
Parks: Municipal complex funding added back to the bill.
Sulphur: Upgrade of the regional sewerage pumping stations funding added back to the bill.
Ville Platte: Evangeline Recreational District funding added to the bill.
Westlake: Ellis and Linda Drive improvements REMOVED from the bill; New Water Well funding added back to the bill.
Lafayette Airport Commission: Construction of a new passenger facility terminal at the Lafayette Regional Airport planning and construction.
Lafayette: Central Park improvement restored in the bill.