The date for the 2024 Easter Egg Hunt is set, a route to the post office that bypasses much-needed construction is available and while it won’t happen in a flash, a big plan for better drainage after heavy rains is in the making for the City of Sulphur.

On Monday, the Sulphur City Council voted in favor of acquiring adjudicated property from the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury to improve drainage with the construction of a detention pond. That property is located in the 600 block of Urban Street, including 627 Urban St. and 1213 West Crocker St. The plan for the property is a detention pond designed to alleviate flooding in big rain events. The West Crocker Street parcel will be secured to provide access to the construction site/detention pond and laydown yard (during construction).

The city has secured $500 million in federal funding, and has expedited appropriation authority, according to city attorney Cade Cole.

“The idea would be to enter into a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement with the drainage board to use that (land). The city would then contribute the property to the project. The drainage board will pay for the full cost of the land acquisition, the legal work, and when the project is completed with the federal grant, will be responsible for all maintenance of the project.”

Road Work

Council member Joy Abshire reminded citizens traversing Post Oak that the construction crew is making progress and doing a great job. It’s inconvenient, yet necessary. In the meantime, she said the post office can be reached by driving from Maplewood to Shasta and then Fasske.Public Works Director Austin Abraham said the project is estimated to end late April, weather permitting.

Securing a contractor for the next phase of Maplewood Drive will begin this summer, according to Mayor Mike Danahay. Construction will begin at East Diane and stop at Cities Service Highway.

16,000 Easter eggs this year

Sixteen thousand “eggs” are being stuffed with goodies for the 2024 City of Sulphur Easter Egg Hunt. The stuffing takes much more time than the finding, according to Danahay. “That lasts about five minutes,” he said. The hunt is Saturday, March 23 at The Grove.

Activities are from 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. with the egg hunts staggered by age groups beginning at 10:30 a.m.

Cindy Robertson, MIcah Six Eight Mission, spoke against the ordinance that would authorize the Mayor to enter into an agreement with Entergy for a right of way to conduct a survey for a proposed transmission line for Lake Charles Methanol. The project has not received a go ahead at this time from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. The plant would be on Lake Charles Port property, the Entergy work and transmission would be on Bayou D’Inde Road in Sulphur.

“Lake Charles Methanol has been trying to build a plant for God knows how long and they have not been successful,” Robertson noted after giving a handout to Council members with details about the project. “If it is built, it is going to add to the pollution burden that we already face here in Sulphur and in Calcasieu Parish, and that would be very detrimental to public health. Robertson wanted the Council to “hold off and wait” until Lake Charles Methanol gets a permit or environmental studies are completed to show the plant’s effect on air quality.

James LaDoux spoke in favor of Entergy starting work on transmission lines, saying that even if Lake Charles Methanol is not approved, the groundwork for running electricity to Lake Charles Methanol whatever is built there would be advantageous.

The council voted in favor of Entergy moving forward.