Business View City & Municipal | August 2022

64 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 7 flooding, and about once a decade we have some kind of major rain event that can result in some flooding in low lying areas of our city.” In 2016 a major rainfall to the north of Central brought over 24 inches of rain in a short time, flooding 50% of the city and causing major damage to more than 5,000 homes. “It was very devastating for our community,” Barrow states. “That’s what really brought up the concern about growth in Central, especially since we are so prone to flooding.” While growth has continued in the city, there is an effort to ensure that infrastructure requirements are met for new developments. As Barrow relays, “We make sure their drainage plans work, and in some cases it’s stopped some development in areas where they couldn’t address it properly. Our concern is protecting our existing residents.” Showing true community spirit, Central hosts an annual festival each March called Cooking in families locating in the area. “It has been ranked one of the top five school districts in the state of Louisiana every year since it was started. That is a big draw for our community, and why some of these young families want to come out here and live.” Central Private School, with a brand-new high school campus, and St. Alphonsus Catholic School offer additional quality education options for the community. He adds, “All of them are excellent. We do take pride in our community based on our education in our schools. The East Baton Rouge Parish school system has been on decline for many years. A lot of parents, if they can, try to stay out of that school system, and that has helped with the growth in Central and definitely the schools in our area.” Central, like many communities in Southern Louisiana, is prone to major weather events, such as flooding and hurricanes. Mayor Barrow shares, “We are between two major rivers, the Amite and the Comite, those are the rivers on the east and west side of us. Those rivers are prone to 201 COMMUNITY COLLEGE DRIVE, BATON ROUGE, LA 70806 1-866-217-9823 | MYBRCC.EDU Enroll Today Baton Rouge Community College officially opened its doors on Aug. 20, 1998. The college has been a pillar institution serving the community for over twenty years, providing accessible, high-quality and affordable training programs. The college is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACSCOC). A higher degree of impact.