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.
- Parish Agenda (Public Comment Time!)
- City Agenda
Lafayette 101: Who owns LUS Fiber? The short answer, of course, is the City of Lafayette. Fiber runs like a business and is afforded a lot of independence in how it operates. Bondholders, who own Fiber’s $82 million debt load, are the other part of the equation. Fiber pays $12 million each year on its debt, including interest. The system’s credit is ultimately backed by LUS and its ratepayers. You can read Fiber’s credit ratings reports from firms like S&P and Moody’s here.
Parish Council
Final Adoption
$160,000 more for tanker trucks. This ordinance will increase use of ARPA funding for seven tanker trucks for volunteer fire departments by $160,000 to $2.96 million. The Parish Council originally approved $2.8 million for this purchase in the fall, but prices increased before LCG made the purchase so additional funding is needed.
Jail repair funds. This ordinance will consolidate funding from a variety of specific capital projects for the Lafayette Parish Correctional Center into a single line item called “LPCC Improvements/Repairs.” The justification for this change is to allow the administration “to efficiently design and bid various LPCC maintenance projects.”
Introduction
None
City Council
Executive Session
Drainage, drainage, drainage. The City Council will go into executive session to discuss the three drainage projects that are either in court or headed that way: the removal of spoil banks in St. Martin Parish, the Homewood Detention Ponds and the Lake Farm Road Project.
Report
LUS Fiber’s expansion plans. This report was requested by City Councilman Glenn Lazard. LUS Fiber was awarded grant funding from the federal government to expand into Ville Platte and has applied for GUMBO funding from the state to expand into other surrounding parishes.
Final Adoption
Two more “public necessity” declarations. This ordinance declares the Nottingham Drainage Improvements Project — located near Moss Street and E. Gloria Switch Road — a public necessity. This ordinance declares the Downtown Drainage Improvements Project — located at the old BellSouth building at 1001 Jefferson St. — a public necessity. Public necessity declarations create the legal grounds for LCG’s practice of “quick take” expropriation, which is being disputed in two court cases. Councilmembers have expressed concern about approving more public necessity ordinances with litigation underway.
Introduction
Naming the old city hall after Phil Lank. This ordinance would name the old city hall located at 735 Jefferson St. in honor of Phillip Lank. Lank was a longtime community advocate, former community development director and co-founder of Festival International who passed away in January.
Joint Items
Resolutions
Coulee Ile Des Cannes drainage contracts. This resolution certifies compliance with public bid law for this flood control project from Dulles Drive to Fenetre Road. This resolution will award a $2.8 million contract for this project to the Lemoine Company based on the recommendation of LCG’s consulting engineer, McBade Engineering. The funding comes from the Louisiana Statewide Flood Control Program.
Final Adoption
HOME funding for more homes. This ordinance appropriates $122,589 in HOME program loan payment revenues to fund future HOME-eligible projects. HOME is a funding program of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development used to build, buy or rehabilitate affordable housing or provide direct rental assistance.
Introduction
New rules for food trucks, take two. This ordinance is the second attempt to adopt new rules. An earlier version was tabled to get more input from food truck vendors. This revision increases permit costs from $200 to $300, instead of $400 as originally planned, and would credit vendors who have already purchased permits.
Property
Below is a table collecting council actions related to property, such as rezonings, annexations and disposition of adjudicated properties.
| Address | Approval | Action |
| 217 Ben B. St | Joint Council | Non-warranty cash sale to an adjoining landowner |
| 404 Morgan St | Joint Council | Non-warranty cash sale to an adjoining landowner |
| 134 Lena St | Joint Council | Non-warranty cash sale to an adjoining landowner |
Vacancies
| Board | Approval | Qualifications |
| Industrial Development Board | Parish Council | Registered voter and a resident of Lafayette Parish |
Appointments
| Board | Approval | Applicants |
| Lafayette Parish Bayou Vermilion District Board (2x) | City Council | Roxanne Bourque, Sandy Leger, Samuel Oliver |
| Lafayette Airport Commission | City Council | Timothy Breaux, Chris DeGuelle, Ravis Martinez |
| Evangeline Thruway Redevelopment Team | City Council | Mitzi Duhon |