Here is a selection of items on the agendas for this week’s meetings of the City and Parish councils. To see the full agendas, check out the links below.
Gaming in Lafayette Parish. Despite receiving tens of millions in one-time federal dollars, parish government still faces serious funding shortfalls. One option for revenue: legalizing gaming. Parish Councilman Kevin Naquin has brought this issue up for council discussion.
Local-only boating during floods. This ordinance makes it illegal for anyone who doesn’t live or run a business on the Vermilion River to operate a motorized vehicle on the water whenever the Corps of Engineers’ gauge at the Surrey Street bridge reads 9 feet or higher. Here are the proposed penalties:
State road takeover. This ordinance transfers ownership and maintenance of four miles of state roads to Lafayette Parish — 1 mile of E. Broussard Road and 3.5 miles of Duhon Road. The deal comes with $11 million from the state to build two new roundabouts and $2.7 million in credits on future local highway work.
Downtown Development Authority property tax renewal. This resolution will call a special election on April 30 to renew the 12.75-mill tax that supports DDA. The $400,000+ this millage collects is DDA’s primary source of revenue.
Approving Jeff Stewart as LUS director. This resolution ratifies M-P Josh Guillory’s selection of Stewart to be the next permanent director of LUS. By law, the City Council must approve the choice. Stewart takes over three years after the departure of the last permanent director, Terry Huval. Stewart, who has been with LUS for two decades, previously served as interim director and has led the utility’s electrical operations.
More Oil Center. This ordinance expands the boundaries of the Oil Center Cultural District to a jut of blocks across Pinhook Road from Ochsner Lafayette General’s campus. Properties added to the district would become eligible for some tax benefits.
Local-only boating during floods. This ordinance makes it illegal for anyone who doesn’t live or run a business on the Vermilion River to operate a motorized vehicle on the water whenever the Corps of Engineers’ gauge at the Surrey Street bridge reads 9 feet or higher. It’s the same language as the one before the Parish Council. This city ordinance is a companion to the parish ordinance and includes the same schedule of penalties.
State road takeover. This ordinance would transfer ownership and maintenance of 10 miles of state roads to the city of Lafayette — 5.5 miles of Pinhook Road, 2.5 miles of University Avenue and more than 2 miles of Johnston Street. The deal includes $3.7 million from the state to overlay and construct a turn lane on Pinhook and $17.4 million in credits on future local highway work.
Redistricting. At a special joint meeting in between the Parish Council and City Council meetings, LCG’s contracted demographer will give an introductory presentation. After Tuesday, the demographer will begin meeting with each council member individually to discuss how to redraw the council district maps.
Harsher penalties for litter abatement. This ordinance was deferred from the previous council meetings. It would make the following changes to litter penalties for individuals, including higher fines, more community service hours and potential jail time:
This ordinance would also take away the option for personal and commercial litterers to mail in checks to pay for their first fines, instead requiring them to appear before the court.
Also, instead of splitting the proceeds of special court costs between law enforcement, the district attorney and the public works department, 100% will be payable to parish government.
New penalties for driving in standing water and illegally using dumpsters. This ordinance would add rules for enforcing an existing law that makes it illegal to drive through standing water in such a way that it pushes water into a building or residence. This ordinance would add rules for illegally using someone’s dumpster. The penalties for both are the same:
$1 million for the Scott tire pit fire. This ordinance will take money from the Environmental Quality Fund to deal with a landfill fire in a part of unincorporated Lafayette surrounded by the city of Scott. In December M-P Josh Guillory declared this fire — which may have been burning since 2018 — to be a public emergency.
New rules for food trucks. This ordinance would establish a new set of rules tailored to mobile food establishments.
Geoff Daily created FiberCorps and helped launch the Lafayette General Foundation. He now works as a launch strategist.
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