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‘BEST OF SHOW:” Taking part in the presentation of the top Community Achievement award at the LMA Convention were, from left, Councilmen James “Jimmy” Fontenot and Lendell “Pete” Babineaux, Mayor Charles “Chuck” Robichaux, Councilmen Calise Michael Doucet and Kenneth Guidry. (Photo Submitted)

City’s drainage program lauded

Rayne wins LMA’s 16 annual ‘Best of Show’ Award for unique ‘Culvert Angioplasty’ project

SHREVEPORT – A unique drainage improvement program garnered top honors for the City of Rayne during the presentation of the prestigious Community Achievement Awards at the Louisiana Municipal Association Convention this past weekend.
The Phase II Drainage Improvements Project — dubbed “Culvert Angioplasty” — involves a new method of thoroughly clearing out drainage culverts along the city’s nearly 15 miles of open ditch streets.
The tools and methods required to implement this project were conceived, designed, fabricated and executed entirely by city employees.
Over time, culverts become blocked or partially blocked by sediment or items that become lodged in them.
Rayne city employees devised a method, using expandable poles, to run a line from one culvert opening to the next opening. A metal disc the approximate size of the culvert opening is attached to one end of the line and, using city equipment (i.e., a bulldozer) the line is pulled back through the culvert.
As the disc is pulled through the culvert, a “tube” of sludge and sediment is pushed ahead of it into the open ditch. That material is then removed from the ditch, stored and recycled.
The LMA’s annual awards program recognizes municipalities for outstanding achievement in basic services, community development, and economic development. Within these categories, awards are presented in four population subcategories.
“We didn’t know what to expect,” Mayor Charles “Chuck” Robichaux said of the experience.
“It was the first time I had entered anything and we were sitting there just hoping for an honorable mention.”
Robichaux said the presenter ticked off all the winners in the economic development category, then the community development category then, finally, the basic services category.
In Rayne’s population category (3,001 to 10,000), the honorable mention winners were called up — Grammercy and Addis. Then the winner was named — the City of Franklin.
“We were all disappointed,” Robichaux said. “I remember saying, ‘Well, maybe next year.’
“Then Dr. Brookie Allphin (communications and governmental consultant for LMA) announced that there was one more very prestigious award to be presented,” Robichaux continued.
“She said it was the most prestigious of any of the awards given out that night and represented a community project that was outstanding and beyond compare to anything by any other city — the best of the best, the ‘Best of Show.’
“We were freaking out,” Robichaux said. “She was talking about how this city went out before the August flood and attacked drainage problems and, after the storm, continued to work on cleaning the culverts.”
When the City of Rayne was named “Best of Show,” Robichaux and members of the Rayne City Council went forward to accept the recogntion. Each was presented a plaque and the mayor also received a larger plaque to hang at city hall.
“Of course, we are very proud to have won this award,” Robichaux said. “Rayne has won a number of Community Achievement awards in the past but this is the first ‘Best of Show’ award for us.
“And, while it’s good to have been recognized, it’s great that we were recognized for providing a service that is going to benefit the entire city.”
The announcement of LMA’s 2016 Community Achievement Awards was made Saturday night, July 29, at the annual banquet of LMA’s 80th annual convention at the Shreveport Convention Center. The convention drew some 1,700 delegates, spouses, dignitaries, exhibitors, and guests.
Rayne also was recognized on Friday afternoon when Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser presented the second annual Lieutenant Governor’s Beautification Awards to 20 Louisiana communities.

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