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
City Agenda (Public Comment Time!)
Lafayette 101
Special and emergency meetings
On top of the two meetings held each month, the councils can also call special and emergency meetings. Special meetings require 24 hours notice. Emergency meetings do not. Rules for Lafayette’s council meetings are governed by the charter and by Louisiana’s Open Meetings Law.
Parish Council
Final Adoption
$12.8 million more for Bayou Vermilion Flood Control. This ordinance appropriates $10 million from the remaining parish ARPA funds, $1.4 million from the Coulee Granges/CIDC Flood Control Project and $1.5 million from the Robley Drive Detention Pond Project and moves the money to the catchall Bayou Vermilion Flood Control Project. The Bayou Vermilion Flood Control Project includes several projects, among them the $30 million (to $60 million) Homewood Regional Detention project, recently halted by court order, and spoil bank levee removal project, also the subject of litigation. This ordinance increases funding for this group of projects. This would bring the parish’s remaining ARPA funds down to $12.3 million. The Parish Council just approved $1.65 million for the Robley Drive Detention Pond Project in January.
Introduction
No notable items.
City Council
Final Adoption
Freetown rezone. This ordinance rezones 19 properties on the east side of Johnston from General Mouton Avenue to Garfield Street from commercial heavy. It would also grant a conditional use permit to Blue Moon.
Domestic abuse definition. This ordinance adds “Battery of a Dating Partner” to the simple battery crimes statute. This ordinance expands the definition of domestic abuse from just opposite sex couples to include all types of couples and family members.
$20 million for wastewater treatment plants. This ordinance authorizes the mayor-president to enter into four cooperative endeavor agreements with the state for funding. LUS applied for five grants and was awarded four at $5 million each.
$22,000 in legal fees for the civil service board. This ordinance increases the budget for the Police and Fire Civil Service Board legal costs by $22,000. This board is currently dealing with multiple wrongful termination hearings, including from the past two police chiefs.
Introduction
Adding two more sergeants. This ordinance adjusts the budget to hire two more police sergeants.
LUS Fiber grants without City Council approval. This ordinance allows LUS Fiber to submit applications for grant funds without City Council approval. The council granted similar authorization to the administration for grants in general, though that authorization only applied to grants that don’t require matching funds. This authorization doesn’t include that constraint. LUS Fiber has already applied for eight grant applications without City Council approval, all of which had matching fund requirements.
$925,000 for the Lake Farm Road Extension. This ordinance transfers $925,000 from the completed E. Pont des Mouton Road Widening Project to the Lake Farm Road Extension from Kaliste Saloom Road to Settlers Trace.
Joint Items
Final Adoption
Extended wheels and tilted vehicles ban. This ordinance prohibits driving a vehicle modified with a wheel extension of more than 4 inches on parish roadways. This ordinance bans driving tilted vehicles, setting the threshold a tilt of 3 inches from the front fender to the back fender.
New rules for nuisance and dangerous animals. This ordinance will make it easier to get animals declared as nuisances or as dangerous, and will alter some aspects of the steps of that process.
Donating more adjudicated properties. This ordinance approves transfer by donation of 103 Essie St., 117 Lena St., and 314 Portlock St. to Sun Community Housing Development Organization, a nonprofit run by former City-Parish Councilman Chris Williams. This ordinance approves the donation of 160 Hollywood Drive and 304 & 306 Paul Breaux Ave. to Culture Ministries. LCG’s adjudicated properties program allows nonprofits to acquire adjudicated properties at no cost. Full ownership requires more steps to quiet the title.
Introduction
No notable items.
Property
| Address | Approval | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 400 Camellia Blvd | City Council | Rezone from RS-1 to PI-L |
| 115 Martin St | City Council | Rezone from IL to RM-1 |