Council Preview: City Council wants to talk public records

Looking under LCG's hood

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:

Lafayette 101
LCG Fiscal Year

LCG’s fiscal year begins Nov. 1 and ends Oct. 31. Many of its contracts and financial commitments follow that schedule. The fiscal year splits LCG’s annual budget into two calendar years. 

Parish Council

Final Adoption

Temporary housing during disasters. This ordinance authorizes the mayor-president to participate in the Temporary Housing and Shelter Assistance Program within the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. The program requires waiving certain land use regulations temporarily. 

Introduction

No ordinances are proposed for introduction.

City Council

Resolutions

Guillory investigation. This resolution authorizes the chair of the City Council to sign contracts involving this investigation. Normally contracts are signed by the mayor-president. The City Council has already appropriated funding, so once this passes the investigation can get started.

Unlocking debt capacity. This resolution is an administrative step to unlock $24.9 million of unissued bond capacity — essentially unused debt — from previous bond authorizations.

$277,000 funding for local nonprofits. This resolution approves the recommendations of the Community Development Arts and Community Development Social Services Review Panels. It allocates city funding for external agencies as follows:

Arts/Culture Applicants

ApplicantGrant RequestAmount Granted
Children’s Museum of Acadiana$5,000$5,000
Performing Arts Serving Acadiana$5,000$3,750
True Friends Society of Lafayette$5,000$3,750
CoCo Tribe of Canneci Tinne$5,000$4,500
CoCo Tribe of Canneci Tinne$5,000$4,500
Lafayette Art Association$5,000$3,750
Cite des Arts$2,500$2,250
Louisiana Folk Roots Inc.$5,000$3,750
Louisiana Folk Roots Inc.$5,000$3,750
Basin Arts$5,000$3,750
Southern Screen Film Festival Inc.$5,000$3,000
Basin Arts$5,000$4,500
Southern Screen Film Festival Inc.$5,000$3,750
Festival International$45,500$45,500
Mardi Gras Festival$5,000$5,000
Festival Acadiens et Creole$23,000$23,000
Latin Music Festival$10,000$10,000
Total$146,000$133,500

Social Service Applicants

ApplicantGrant RequestAmount Granted
Lafayette Council on Aging$15,000$5,295
Volunteer Instructors Teaching Adults Inc.$15,000$10,500
Safehouse by Landmark Inc.$15,000$10,500
Catholic Charities of Acadiana$15,000$10,500
Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana$15,000$13,350
The Family Tree$15,000$10,950
New Hope Community Development$15,000$10,500
Foster the Love$12,820$9,359
Faith House Inc.$15,000$13,350
SMILE Community Action Agency$5,405$3,946
Hospice of Acadiana Foundation Inc.$15,000$10,950
The Extra Mile Region IV Inc.$15,000$10,500
Acadiana Outreach Center$15,000$13,350
Boys and Girls Clubs of Acadiana$15,000$10,950
Total$198,225$144,000

Discussions

Garbage Contract. Councilman Glenn Lazard has requested an update on LCG’s contract with Republic Services for garbage collection. 

Public Records Request Policy. Councilman Glenn Lazard has requested discussion of the Guillory administration’s decision to impose high fees on digital public records and place obstacles in front of reporters to view public documents. 

Final Adoption

Cajundome management. This ordinance authorizes the mayor-president to extend the management agreement between the city of Lafayette and UL to run the Cajundome. This relationship has been in place since 1987. The agreement was set to expire on Oct. 31, but this amendment extends the contract by six months. 

$163,000 for police checkpoints. This ordinance recognizes $163,248 in revenue from the Louisiana Highway Safety Commission. This grant will pay for overtime hours to increase seat belt checks and OWI checkpoints.

Downtown Drainage Improvements Phase II. This ordinance declares Downtown Drainage Improvements Phase II a public necessity and authorizes the acquisition of property either on an amicable basis or through expropriation, if necessary. The scope of this authorization covers land adjacent to Johnson’s Boucanière near St. John Street. The project will install a subsurface storm drain storage basin. 

Temporary housing during disasters. This ordinance authorizes the mayor-president to participate in the Temporary Housing and Shelter Assistance Program within the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. The program requires waiving certain land use regulations temporarily.

Introduction

$100,000 to investigate the executive branch. This ordinance amends the upcoming budget to authorize  funding for the Guillory investigation into the next fiscal year. The City Council previously appropriated this funding in the current fiscal year, which ends Oct. 31.

Joint Items

Final Adoption

No notable items.

Introduction

LCG staff raises. This ordinance rescinds two raises that survived cuts by the councils on a technicality. The City and Parish councils have already voted unanimously to reject a suite of raises for directors and other LCG staff. But the Guillory administration argued the budget amendment language did not include raises proposed for CAO Cydra Wingerter and a senior communications specialist.

Property

AddressApprovalAction
2000 Jefferson St.Joint CouncilNon-warranty cash sale to adjoining landowner
805 North Pierce St.City CouncilRezone RM-1 to PI-L
1115 South Hugh Wallis RoadCity CouncilRezone IL to RM-1
338 North Sterling St.City CouncilConditional use permit for a Bed & Breakfast
300 Block Monique DriveCity CouncilAnnexation and zoning as RS-1
2401 Louisiana Ave.City CouncilRezone from MN-1 to CH(c)