The Slidell City Council passed a resolution Tuesday night giving Mayor Ben Morris permission to apply to the Statewide Flood Control Program that could help the city in five critical drainage projects that would help in flood control.

The five projects would cost a total of $11.4 million with the state paying 80 percent and Slidell 20 percent.

The most important project Morris wants to get done is to install a bar screen and automatic rakes on the four pumps in the Schneider Canal in southern Slidell. The canal is choked with hyacinth plants, and that is choking the pumps, Morris said. During last Saturday’s rainstorm, hyacinths caused two of the pumps to shut down. Morris said only two pumps are needed, but he is concerned all four pumps could get clogged with the hyacinths.

“There is 2.1 miles of drainage canal blocked by the hyacinth,” Morris told the council.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries tried to clean out the plants with herbicide last summer when the pumps were taken out for upgrades. But the pesky hyacinths are back, and now the city is building two boat launches on the north and south side of the canal so that LDWF crews can get their boats in the canal to try and kill off the plants. The screens and automatic rakes will keep the hyacinths from the pumps, and the project will cost $2.4 million, of which Slidell will put up $440,000.

Screens, automatic rakes and flood gates would be added to the City Barn Pumps on the west side of the city if the state agrees to give the city matching funds. The cost for these projects is $4.6 million, and the city’s share would be $860,000.

If the state agrees, Slidell could also get improvements to the Delwood Pump Station in southwest Slidell that would include increasing its sump volume and building an operator control room. This project is estimated to cost $400,000, with Slidell paying $76,000 of the cost.

Finally, the city is applying to the state for matching funds to replace and increase the size of the Markham/Peachtree box culvert. The current culvert is deteriorating and cannot handle enough water to protect four subdivisions, or 1,100 homes in southeast Slidell. This project has an estimated cost of $4 million, and Slidell would only pay $760,000.

Finance Director Sharon Howes said the state may not match all the projects, but sending in the applications as soon as possible is crucial.

“If we don’t put in the pre-application now, we lose our shot at getting these funds,” Howes said.

The council passed the resolution 7-0 with council members Kim Harbison and Richard Hursey absent.