Putting aside a three-year legal dispute, Ascension Parish and Livingston Parish announced a new partnership Tuesday afternoon.

Ascension Parish President Clint Cointment and Livingston Parish President Layton Ricks will now work together on drainage issues, with a plan to have engineers from the two parishes meet and collaborate on all current and future flood and drainage projects.

The new union follows a long-lasting legal dispute. Livingston Parish filed a lawsuit against Ascension Parish and other groups involved with the Laurel Ridge Levee project in 2018, due to concerns that the project would increase flooding in Livingston Parish.

Ricks said he no longer has these concerns since Livingston will receive $42 million in funding for gapping projects on LA-22, which would decrease any flooding risks from the Laurel Ridge project. Ricks worked with Cointment, Gov. Edwards and Congressman Garrett Graves to secure this funding.

“This process has gone a long way in solidifying our relationship with Ascension Parish, Congressman Graves and Governor Edwards in viewing drainage as a regional issue and working together to resolve the drainage issues for all involved,” Ricks said. 

The two parishes will also consult each other about utilizing their share of the $1.2 billion flood relief money available through the Community Development Block Grant Mitigation Funding, which was given to Louisiana for relief efforts after the 2016 flood.