GREENWELL SPRINGS - Residents attended a Comite River Diversion Canal community meeting Monday night to discuss what's holding up the project.

State representatives, senators, and the City of Central mayor attended Monday's meeting to give an update on the project.

"We have got to fix the problem, we can't put it off we cant kick the can down the road. And why would should we? We have the money now." State Representative Valerie Hodges said. 

Fighting on the behalf of her constituents during this past legislative session, Hodges says she doesn't plan to give up on this fight.

"It's not dead it's not on life support. We've got the money, the state has the money to build this project and as I said before it's unthinkable to rebuild a community without fixing the problem in the first place," Hodges said.

Residents packed the meeting, asking questions about the project that's been held up for two decades.

"This project was born out of the 1983 flood, it was one of many recommendations and this was the only one that survived. And as a result of that here we are more than thirty years later and the projects not even completed," resident Jeffrey Myers said. 

Frank Falgoust attended Monday's meeting and says the canal could have prevented his home from flooding.

"I talked to the head engineer a number of years ago about this canal, and he told me at what level the water would drop or prevent it from coming up if this canal was finished. And it was 28 inches, and my house got 21 inches," Falgoust said.

Governor John Bell Edwards and DOTD Secretary of State Shawn Wilson discussed ongoing flood prevention projects, which include the Comite River Diversion Canal in Washington, D.C. on Monday.