Council Preview: City Council weighs in on new Heymann Center location

Parish Council

Final Adoption

$3.4 million for the Buchanan Garage. This ordinance appropriates $3.4 million for a second phase of improvements to the Buchanan Garage in Downtown Lafayette and $2.2 million for general parish courthouse improvements. LCG previously appropriated $400,000 to remove panels from the garage and $3.5 million for major repairs. At the time, it was not made clear there would be additional costs.

Introduction

Bridge replacements. Three ordinances on this week’s agenda declare public necessity projects for bridge replacements. This ordinance is for the Andover Road Bridge Replacement. This ordinance is for the Switzerland Road Bridge Replacement. This ordinance is for the Dennis Road Bridge Replacement.

City Council

Resolutions

$250,000 for the Cajundome. This resolution approves the disbursement of $250,000 to the Cajundome. The City Council included $500,000 for the Cajundome in this year’s budget, but the administration has resisted cutting the check.

Public process for the new Heymann Center. This resolution formalizes the City Council’s desire to engage in a public process to study the relative economic impact of potential sites for a new performing arts center. The Guillory administration has a tentative deal to place the facility on land owned by UL.

Final Adoption

Transit service to Carencro. This ordinance authorizes the mayor-president to enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement with the City of Carencro for use of Lafayette Transit System. Carencro will pay $100 per service hour. It’s unclear what the program will cost.

Introduction

$35,000 raise for the police chief. This ordinance increases the police chief’s salary by $35,344. The mayor-president just appointed a new police chief without this salary increase. This is the third attempt he’s made at increasing this salary.

Joint Items

Final Adoption

$4,700 raise for the controller. This ordinance would increase the controller’s salary by $4,713 per year. As proposed, the city general fund will pay 100% of the increase for this shared position.

$160,000 for nonprofits. This ordinance transfers $50,000 to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Acadiana and $118,587 to Hospice of Acadiana. This money comes from unexpended federal funds originally budgeted for LCG’s business recovery loan program.

Local Property Maintenance Code. This ordinance establishes a local property maintenance code for Lafayette. LCG relied on the International Property Maintenance Code. This ordinance repeals that portion of the Layette Development Code and adopts the local code in its place with minor changes.

Introduction

New public records policy. This ordinance will establish new rules for public records, including a bill of rights. It adopts a new fee schedule, abolishing the $1-per-page fee imposed by the Guillory administration to email digital copies of records. The policy also creates a public records clerk position within the council office.

Raises (again). A set of ordinances proposes raises for top administrators at LCG, including the mayor-president, chief administrative office and chief financial officer. This ordinance increases the salary of the CFO by $35,272 (current CFO Lorrie Toups plans to retire in February). This ordinance increases the fire chief’s salary by $32,651 and the CAO’s by $10,169 immediately, and it approves increasing the mayor-president’s salary to $170,000 starting in January 2024.

Property

Vacancies

Appointments