\ADDIS — The town council voted Wednesday, June 10, to expand the scope of an ongoing drainage project to include undersized culverts on First Street, after an engineer's analysis showed the existing pipes can't handle the volume of water flowing through them during heavy rain.

Town engineer Toby Fruge of Owen & White told the council that the two 24-inch culverts at 7551 First Street have a maximum capacity of 62 cubic feet per second — but the drainage area sends 84 cubic feet per second toward them when it rains hard.

"The culverts are indeed undersized," Fruge said.

His recommendation: replace both pipes with 36-inch culverts, which would handle up to 145 cubic feet per second — a 125 percent increase in capacity. The upgrade would cost an estimated $125,000.

The council approved adding the First Street crossing to the design scope already underway for a separate crossing to the north at Harris Avenue. Fruge said the two projects share a contractor, and combining them means the town only has to close First Street once.

Fruge said he expects to be ready to advertise the Harris Street crossing for bid within three to four weeks, with the First Street work to follow.

The council also noted a water line running through the ditch bottom that may need to be relocated as part of the project.

In Brief

Home occupation permit approved. The council approved a home occupation permit for Galen Johnson at 7124 Rue St. Patrick Drive to operate a dumpster rental and junk removal business. Dumpsters will be stored in a fenced area on the property; business operations at the address are limited to office work.

Parish update. West Baton Rouge Parish President Jason Manola gave the council an overview of several projects affecting the Addis area, including completion of 4,500 feet of new 6-inch gas line from the Choctaw regulator to Sugar Mill — funded by approximately $51,400 in LGAP money — and completion of a second arena well near the Lewis-Mood Grinding Arena to increase water capacity in south Addis. Manola also announced the WBR Connect app now allows residents to report blocked railroad crossings and tracks the duration of blockages for use in future negotiations with the railroad.

Police — May 2026. The department issued 128 citations, responded to 189 calls for service, made eight misdemeanor arrests and six felony arrests, and worked eight auto accidents. Felony arrests included three counts of domestic abuse battery with child endangerment and two counts of domestic abuse battery with a dangerous weapon.

Public works and sewer — May 2026. The department handled 45 residential and commercial control panel issues and 37 collection system issues. Public Works Superintendent Travis Bourgoyne reported that a culvert on Younger Drive at Moss was upgraded from an 18-inch to a 30-inch pipe, improving drainage toward the riverboat trailer park neighborhood. Bourgoyne flagged the sewer plant's original 1991 control panels as a likely budget item for next year.

Commercial vehicle parking. The council discussed ongoing problems with 18-wheelers parking overnight on streets in the Sugar Mill area. Town Attorney Karen Day White said the town likely already has ordinance provisions to address abandoned or illegally parked vehicles on public rights-of-way. The council agreed to move forward with signage as an immediate step while working on a broader commercial vehicle parking ordinance.

Executive session. The council went into executive session to discuss the resignation of Police Officer Me'Kyle Franklin. No public action was announced.

The Town of Addis holds regular meetings at Addis Municipal Center, 7818 Highway 1 South. The next regular meeting is scheduled for July.

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