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:
Special Joint Meeting
Final Adoption
LCG’s next FY budget is up for a final vote. With much of the budget spending already politically secured, only a few disagreements remain among the two councils and various members. Allocation around IT spending is one of the disagreements, with the Parish Council expected to vote down a City Council amendment that would send $185,000 in IT costs to the parish. The budget requires a three-fifths vote in both councils to pass and would begin Nov. 1.
Lafayette 101
End of Budget Process
Last budget hearing: Both councils will vote to pass the first budget of M-P Monique Boulet’s tenure and many of theirs. The budget features significant pay raises for LCG employees and a small city deficit. LCG is also taking on roughly $8.9 million in uninsured losses from the last administration. This includes spending for improvements to the sidewalks around Johnston Street and multiple park and road projects, in a clear plan for the new administration. There have been very few changes from the original budget Boulet proposed at the beginning of the process, a possible win for an administration trying to set a new agenda.
Special Parish Meeting
Final Adoption
Relocating 17-year-old offenders. The parish is scrambling for a plan to house 17-year-olds in the system, due to a new state law classifying them as adults and moving them out of the juvenile system.{Link video or story} Because of federal law, the parish cannot house them at adult facilities in the parish unless it can separate them by sight and sound. The ordinance will use $125,000 to transport 17-year-olds to facilities that can legally house them. The current plan is a facility in Jackson Parish, but the ordinance allows for any facility that fits the parameters.
Parish Council
Public Comment
The parish is preparing to roll forward millage rates and is opening it up to public comment. A roll forward would slightly increase millage rates, setting the parish’s new maximum millage rates for the current assessment period. LCG’s finance department has requested a full roll forward to keep parish tax collections on pace with demands for its services.
Final Adoption
ARPA deadline. The parish has both unspent and/or unobligated ARPA funds that need to be moved around to meet ARPA deadlines — the earliest of which is an obligation deadline at the end of the year. The parish is shifting $8.34 million to avoid having to return any ARPA funding.
Introduction
No Significant Items
Special City Meeting
Final Adoption
Recognizing officer Jolivette as senior corporal. The ordinance will promote fallen officer Segus Jolivette to senior corporal. Jolivette was killed in the line of duty before the ordinance promoting officers with his qualifications to the rank.
City Council
Public Comment
Roll forward. The city, like the parish, is setting up to roll forward millage rates and is opening it up to public comment. A roll forward would slightly increase millage rates, setting the city’s new maximum millage rates for the current assessment period. In its letter to the city, the finance department requested a full roll forward to keep city tax collections on pace with demand for city services.
Final Adoption
Amendment to STR ban. The city is attempting to push back the start day for the ban on short-term rentals for RS zoning districts, currently set for Oct. 6. Instead, the new deadline for shutting down or getting a permit for a short-term rental within these districts would be Jan. 31, 2025.
Suspending old raise schedule. For municipal fire and police civil service employees, the city is suspending the 2% conditional incentive pay raise, to accommodate the new fire and police pay plans.
ARPA deadline. Like the parish, the city has unspent and/or unobligated ARPA funds. Due to the end-of-year obligation deadline and eventual spending deadlines, the city is moving $14.3 million within city projects and funds to avoid having to return ARPA grant money.
MLK sidewalk improvement. The city plans to improve sidewalks on MLK Jr. Drive from the NW Evangeline Thruway to Lincoln Street, declaring it a public necessity that allows the city to buy or take property to complete the project.
Introduction
No Significant Items
Joint Items
Resolutions
Setting up audit. In compliance with the charter, the two councils will approve an independent audit of LCG’s finances. Kolder, Slaven & Company, a Lafayette accounting firm that has done the audit in the past, is currently contracted for the audit.
Final Adoption
Suspending old raise schedule. To accommodate the new raise schedule, LCG is suspending conditional 2% pay increases in old ordinances impacting the city marshal and municipal city service staff. On introduction of the ordinances, the police union spoke against the ordinance pertaining to its officers.
ARPA deadline. Joint ARPA funds within LCG are facing the same end-of-year obligation deadline as city and parish funds. LCG is moving funds to meet deadlines and avoid returning any ARPA funds.
Mass notification software. To fund the acquisition of a mass emergency notification system for the parish, LCG is moving $70,000 from General Accounts-EXTAPP-LCVC to the Innovation Technology Department.
Introduction
No significant Items