Town of Brusly Committee Meeting | July 6, 2026

The contractor hired to complete Brusly's sewer lagoon project hasn't touched the punch list (the remaining items the contractor must complete before the project can close out), and Mayor Rhodes told the council last Monday night that the town has stopped paying its engineer to sit around and watch.

"The punch list on the sewer project has not moved forward at all," Rhodes said during the public works report.

Spinks Construction is the contractor responsible for completing the remaining work. Town engineer Toby Fruge of Bowen & White is handling negotiations with the company and is expected to update the council at next Monday's regular meeting.

The stall also drew questions during the finance portion of the meeting, when Councilmember Rusty Daigle asked about continued payments to the project's engineering firm, Bowen & White, for the lagoon work.

"We are done and we're not paying an engineer to go out there and just wait on him to come work," Rhodes said. "We're not doing it."

A separate infrastructure item surfaced late in the meeting: the town received the retainage payout (the final portion of a contract payment held back until work is complete) on its street overlay project. That item may appear on next Monday's agenda once Fruge reviews it.

New cop, old radios, and a Ford Explorer headed to Port Allen

Brusly is hiring a new full-time police officer to replace one who resigned in early June. A department representative told the council the police department picked up a deputy from the West Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office who has been training since around June 17.

Council members will receive the candidate's qualifications, service record, and a salary proposal by Wednesday. A formal vote is expected Monday the 13th.

The department also wants to surplus a list of aging equipment, including a 2017 Ford Explorer, Motorola radios nearing end of life, old radar units, Brother printers, and a retired citation system. Port Allen has expressed interest in receiving the Explorer and the radios as donations.

Here's the wrinkle: Port Allen is already using the radios. The department representative said the two departments have a memorandum of understanding in place that assigns financial liability to Port Allen while Brusly works through the formal surplus and donation process. The council will vote on the surplus and donation this Monday.

Rezoning request on West Main Street

A rezoning request on West ​Main Street drew discussion. The applicant is requesting a change from C-1 (commercial) to R-4 (multi-family residential) and plans to build multiple rental homes on the site and remove existing trailers.

The council will need to introduce the rezoning ordinance at next Monday's meeting. With required public notice and publication, the process is expected to take roughly two months.

Parish drainage project could help Brusly's worst flood spots

Mayor Rhodes briefed the council on a WBR Parish drainage project he learned about at last week's parish council meeting. The parish plans to dig out a ditch running across a cane field behind Brusly Town Hall, channeling water to the Stonewall Canal. Double-barrel culverts will go under the railroad tracks near McDonald's.

A parish drainage study showed a small increase in water levels near the back of Live Oak subdivision, but Rhodes said the parish will install a swale to buffer the impact. He described the project as having no negative effect on Brusly residents.

The areas expected to benefit include Gleason Street, the McDonald's and Sonic corridor, Lukeville, Luke Lane, the Choctaw neighborhood, and the area around Brown's Cafe near the fire station. Rhodes called it "all positive impact" but noted it won't completely solve the Gleason Street flooding.

A council member asked whether the town's own drainage studies from the Orleans Quarters area had been shared with the parish. Rhodes said they hadn't, and the parish hadn't asked, possibly because the studies cover different drainage sheds.

In other business

Public Works: The town recorded six rain events in June totaling 4.8 inches. Smoke testing on sewer lines along St. Mary, River Oaks, Blanchard, Tullier, Courtney, and East Main turned up only two minor problems. The Anita Street/Venzule drainage project is now complete after crews brought 175 feet of ditch to grade. A councilmember confirmed the fix held during a storm with no water backup. Waste Pro roadside pickup is scheduled for July 13. Hurricane prep meetings with the maintenance crew are planned. A pump failed Friday at the Venzule lift station; a replacement or rebuild is in progress.

Finance: The council reviewed June bills under the new fiscal year that began July 1. An expired AED unit at Town Hall was replaced with a new one and cabinet. The police department has a second, mobile AED on order from this year's budget.

Storm response: A storm Sunday knocked out power for several hours across the south end of the parish. Rhodes praised Entergy's response and its new local representative, giving the company an "A++."

Millage rollbacks: Rhodes attended the June WBR Parish Council meeting and reported the parish is rolling back $5 million in millages (property tax rates) this year. The rollbacks started five or six years ago at about $400,000 and have grown each year. Rhodes called parish officials "good custodians" of tax money and said no vital services were affected.

Employee recognition: Public works employees Eric (21 years) and Cindy (2 years) were recognized for their service anniversaries.

The Brusly Town Council will hold its regular meeting next Monday, July 13, 2026, at Brusly Town Hall. Items expected on the agenda include the police hire vote, surplus equipment and Port Allen donation, introduction of the East Main Street rezoning ordinance, and an update on the sewer project punch list.