Recently, 14 Louisiana municipalities – Jean Lafitte, Cheneyville, Plaquemine, Broussard, Woodworth, Franklin, West Monroe, Cankton, Carencro, Baker, Lake Charles, Many, Patterson, and Gonzales won top honors at the Louisiana Municipal Association’s Community Achievement Awards for exceptional improvements and accomplishments for the 2022 calendar year in Lafayette.
A Webster Parish municipality joined winners with an award of its own.
Basic Services Category for 3,000 and under population: Town of Sarepta (Updating Town Hall) took home a honorable mention, along with Town of New Llano (New Llano Fire Department – Main Station).
Honorable Mentions Winner: Village of Cankton (Village of Cankton Water System Improvements).
The prestigious awards, categorized under Community Development, Economic Development, Basic Services, and Technology & Connectivity, recognize the perseverance, dedication, and tireless efforts of elected municipal officials and their teams across various municipalities.
“The Community Achievement Awards are very important because they give the municipalities the opportunity to showcase the projects going on in their cities, as well as other municipalities seeing what’s going on in neighboring communities,” said outgoing President Jennifer Vidrine.
The pinnacle of the evening was the awarding of the Town of Jean Lafitte with the LMA’s 22nd Annual ‘Best of Show’ Award for “The Rosethorne Tidal Levee Project” – the second win in a row for the town. A monumental endeavor, this $34 million dollar project spans across approximately 580 acres, encompassing 150 homes, 5 businesses, and 4 government buildings. Started in 2022, this two-phase project, set to conclude in 2024, marks a collaborative effort between numerous mayoral tenures and parish, state, and federal officials. Designed to safeguard against 10-year tidal or rainfall flooding, the project not only embodies the community’s resilience but also its commitment to ensuring long-term environmental protection and sustainability for its residents.
“I want to congratulate all our Community Achievement Award winners,” said LMA Executive Director John Gallagher. “There were some creative and fascinating entries. I want to also give a special congratulations to Jean Lafitte on their second Best of Show win in as many years.”
