Compared to the June 16 meeting at the Northshore Harbor Center with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Thursday night’s meeting of the St. Tammany Parish Council was a bit more reserved and a lot less crowded.

Council President Jerry Binder had invited the Corps to talk about the plans for flood protection on the Northshore, because he, like a lot of residents, did not feel the Corps had been clear enough on the plans at the June 16 meeting.

Binder also stressed that the council, Parish President Kevin Davis and most parish residents want to use one of the Corps’ suggested plans of building floodgates across the Rigolets and the Chef Pass along with levees that will keep a storm surge from the Gulf of Mexico from entering Lake Pontchartrain and causing the destructive flooding that occurred during Hurricane Katrina. “We just want to know when the project will start, and we don’t want to hear about any other models, just this one,” Binder told Tom Holden, Deputy District Engineer of Project Management for the Corps.

Holden said that until the Corps can get the approval of the U.S. Congress and funding is appropriated, the Northshore should not expect the floodgates for another 3 to 5 years.

Also at the meeting was Congressman Steve Scalise, a long-time proponent of the floodgate and levee project. He said that the funding process could be speeded up if the federal government would share more oil revenue money with the state. He said he is working on that, but he agreed the project should be started soon.

“Let’s do it right the first time,” Scalise said. “ This is our one chance.” He said urgency is needed because floodwaters even reached Tangipahoa Parish during Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

One of the frustrations of residents at the June 16 meeting was the onslaught of maps, charts and technical talk. Holden did try and lessen the technical talk, but the upshot was still the same. The Corps cannot do anything until Congress approves one of the plans.

But Holden did say the parish was doing the right thing by holding public meetings and making the government and the Corps understands what is needed in the parish for flood control.

“We need feedback from you and the state on what we should do,” Holden said. The comment period for the project ends July 24. After that, the Corps submits the plan to Congress for approval and funding.

Councilman Ken Burkhalter suggested the Corps extend the comment deadline and Holden said he would talk to his superiors about doing just that.

But most of the council seemed frustrated over the length of time it will take to get the project started.

“There doesn’t seem to be any leadership here,” said Councilman James Falconer. “We are in a mode of analysis/paralysis and the Corps and Congress should either lead, follow or get out of the way.”

Davis said the funding should be appropriated as soon as possible and then the specifics of the plan can be worked out.

“We’re not saying we are 100 percent right, but the gates and the levees are the answer,” Davis told Holden. “If Congress approves then we can discuss levee heights, environmental impact and other problems.”

Other councilman said that if there were no protection when another hurricane like Katrina hits the parish, it would mean a lot of people would leave the parish and never come back.

“People here are afraid of another Katrina,” Falconer said. “They are afraid that their children will leave for safer areas and not come back.”

Long-time Eden Isle resident and proponent of the floodgate plan, John Faust was not impressed with the Corps’ presentation.

“They took the tech talk out, but we have not made any progress on moving fast on this,” Faust said after the meeting. “All they are doing is waiting for Congress to say go ahead.”

Though Holden said the Corps would move with the process, the council wanted things to go faster.

“Let’s move forward on the basic concept,” Binder said. “If it needs to be higher or lower, that is fine, but we need it now. We need to get this done.”