Joel M. Robert is a life-long resident of Ascension who graduated from St. Amant High School, going on to earn his degree from LSU.  A local business owner/entrepreneur, blessed with a beautiful wife (Mandi) and two healthy, extraordinary children (Harrison and Brittyn), it is important for Joel to give something back to the community that’s given him so much.

“Dancing for a Cause is the perfect opportunity, a chance to support The ARC of East Ascension in all of the organization’s wonderful efforts,” Joel said of his upcoming turn on the stage at that annual event scheduled for July 13 at Lamar Dixon Expo Center’s 4-H Building.

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It is vital that Ascension Parish does something to prevent flooding.  We must fix our drainage infrastructure.  Continued development without identifying how our Parish drains is devastating to us.  We have spent millions upon millions on engineering studies to finally find out that we do not know the natural flow of drainage.

According to HNTB Engineer Melissa Kennedy it would take “18 months” and “$2 million” to find out how Ascensions various drainage basins function.  Leave it to the good ole boys to pass arbitrary law to appease the public.

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Coming upon the third anniversary of the worst disaster in Ascension Parish history, our elected council is finally getting around to enacting law aimed at preventing the next Great Flood. That is not to mention day-to-day drainage problems which persist. Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing if the proposed ordinance will improve our drainage.

The minor change being considered to the Drainage section in our Unified Land Development Code would prohibit more than three feet of fill material whether the construction is planned for an individual lot, a residential subdivision or commercial development. Currently more than three feet is allowed so long as “compensating storage” is provided. In practice this means detention ponds.

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On February 7 President Kenny Matassa declared “a big need in Ascension Parish for some type of detox facility for our people…Everybody knows about the opioid epidemic.”  Some know better than others.  Candidate for Parish Council Joel Robert, who came by his intimate knowledge of opioid addiction the hard way, applauds Matassa’s efforts.

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“It is refreshing to see my council representative actually represent the interests of his constituents.  It is unfortunate that developers have been allowed to do whatever they liked by the current council for so long that DR Horton thinks it’s entitled to whatever it wants,” Joel Robert said after witnessing DR Horton’s Adam Hurz blame-shifting to concerned residents.

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Citizens of Sorrento (and Gonzales for that matter) pay the same sales and property tax to East Ascension Consolidated Gravity Drainage District No. 1 as every resident of unincorporated east bank Ascension Parish.  The parish’s refusal to maintain roadside ditches and other drainage infrastructure inside Sorrento’s town limits is a longtime source of consternation for many residents.  Donald Schexnaydre and his council colleagues demand satisfaction, at least an explanation, considering a lawsuit against Ascension Parish if all else fails.

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Joel Robert, the author of the Letter to the Editor below, has declared his candidacy for the Council’s District 2 election on October 12, 2019.

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“The people of Ascension Parish are frustrated while important legislation, ordinances requiring actual investment in our infrastructure, don’t get off the drawing board,” added Joel Robert who has declared his candidacy for Council District 2.

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$1,213,917,000 will find its way to Louisiana as part of a Disaster Recovery Program grant issued by the Department of Housing and Urban Development.   Ascension was invited to submit flood mitigation proposals by Congressman Garret Graves’ office and “it is imperative that the parish receive its fair share.”  That’s the message Joel Robert stressed in a recent conversation which began with a question about his 2019 council candidacy.

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