UPDATE: City Council discussion of police training was tabled until the Nov. 16 meeting, by request of Councilman Glenn Lazard.
Here’s 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.
- Parish Agenda (Public Comment Time!)
- LPPA Agenda
- City Agenda
Parish Council
Report
On the LSU AgCenter. This report is at the request of Parish Councilman John Guilbeau.
Final Adoption
No major expenditures or policy issues this week.
Introduction
$6.8 million in parish ARPA funds. The Parish Council will consider introducing ordinances to use some of its $47 million in American Rescue Plan funds on these five projects. Most of these were on the administration’s proposed ARPA list:
- $85,000 for Heymann Park Playground Equipment
- $2 million for Juvenile Detention Center Safety Improvements
- $2 million for Prejean Road Flood Mitigation and Upgrades Project
- $1.25 million for City-Parish Hall Public Health and Safety Updates
- $1.5 million for Bayou Vermilion Flood Control – Chappuis Project
City Council
Resolution
Monroe Apartments (LPTFA). This resolution is the next step in the Lafayette Public Trust Financing Authority’s development of a market-rate 70-unit apartment complex at 339 Monroe St. LPTFA plans to spend up to $10.5 million to build this project. This resolution confirms the City Council’s support for the project, though no city tax dollars are being used to fund it.
Report
Update on Police Department Training. This report is requested by City Councilman Glenn Lazard. At the last City Council meeting he had planned to get this information but instead used this time to talk about the sudden and unexplained dismissal of Chief Glover.
Final Adoption
$12,596 to promote two police officers to corporals. This ordinance will transfer these funds from the city’s general fund balance. This request comes at a tumultuous time for the police department, not only with the turnover in leadership but also because a number of jobs remain unfilled. The request was actually submitted by former Chief Thomas Glover.
Restructuring City Court budgeting. This ordinance hands over more budgetary control and responsibility for City Court to the City Council. The re-alignment includes a one-time transfer of accumulated court fines to the city general fund. From there, LCG will now bear more direct responsibility for budgeting and funding various City Court operations. In an Oct. 1 letter to the mayor-president and council chairs, City Court Judge Douglas Saloom said the court’s self-generated revenue has been declining due to reduced enforcement and increased pre-trial diversion programs; he also cited anticipated reductions in revenue due to recent federal court decisions.
Introduction
Conditional use permit for Legends Annex. This ordinance will allow the Downtown Legends Annex to operate as a bar instead of a restaurant. The Annex previously operated on a restaurant license, but the majority of its sales now come from alcohol. Conditional use permits were created to get around Downtown’s blanket moratorium on new bars. The permits were designed with speciality uses in mind, such as music venues or brew pubs.
Appointments
| Board | Approval | Applicants |
| Lafayette Convention & Visitors Commission | Parish Council (nominations from Lafayette Retailers Association) | Chris Alack, Jeremy Theriot, Lester Washington |
| City/Parish Recreation Advisory Committee | Mayor-President | Joseph Tidwell |
Vacancies
| Board | Approval | Qualifications |
| Lafayette Waterworks District South Board | Parish Council | Must be district resident |
| Lafayette Parish Bayou Vermilion District | Parish Council | |
| Lafayette Waterworks District North Board | Parish Council | |
| Lafayette Parish Library Board | Parish Council | |
| Board of Zoning Adjustment | City Council | This is an alternate position |
| Heymann Performing Arts Center | City Council |
Property
| Address | Approval | Action |
| 1306 Louisiana Ave. | Joint Council | Non-warranty cash sale to adjoining landowner |
| 523 S. Washington St. | Joint Council | Non-warranty cash sale to adjoining landowner |
| 707 Sixteenth St. | Joint Council | Non-warranty cash sale to adjoining landowner |