[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":44,"_46":47,"_48":49,"_50":51,"_52":53,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":59,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":65,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},"mediaId",6180451,"mediaKeyId","5118761-6a0ae64292234f1370a4c6bae820be5f","parentId",5118761,"title","Council actions: contracts, change orders and drainage work advance; some outcomes not specified in transcript","audioSeconds",0,"startMs",3591000,"endMs","viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5118761-6a0ae64292234f1370a4c6bae820be5f&start=3591&end=3591","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5118761-6a0ae64292234f1370a4c6bae820be5f/thumbnail_3591000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6180451/New-Iberia/Iberia-Parish/Louisiana/Council-actions-contracts-change-orders-and-drainage-work-advance-some-outcomes-not-specified-in-transcript","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6180451-c35514cc910692147cbc216f9630fa77/orig.mp4?Expires=1773578120&Signature=AWeAiKTlKay9qR-KiMe~4GnWxkXL3o6WzWKo02VDlojZKPnQrEpPRn7YstYPKeCEJD8b3F-PHb-NKV9DJwTsV6JW~pDEQw8XpqicPgjMlPnVYBf9dPkIBsf~~IM3zrFOmg~YJNbTKAoF2S8Faa5BOrzdtHuxqpPcT12EIQdPuTKW2vqa2XaW0Fvgsha-GxqqjcAKi~HGWRV1RR9KkqhQms96fURC5A-NmxtmRxI9JCjJtsX2~hoZGfczjUWBKRCFu-vGtKL5CaPXMSX5h51YomecDhpOZMQOWLzl2KxeWdVTg3SmiXYqSbktUaZAgk-XDOkDc45dkgOjguJPryj~Zg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of New Iberia, LA","date","2025-07-02T13:34:34Z","article","The City Council considered a slate of administrative and infrastructure items including budget amendments, professional services agreements, contract awards and change orders. The transcript records motions, seconds and calls to “vote your machines” for many items; in several cases the record does not include a roll-call tally or a formal stated outcome.

Key items addressed or introduced at the meeting (motions and who spoke to move/second them are noted when recorded in the meeting record):

- Budget amendment (Special Ordinance 2024–2025–17): amend FY budget to reflect additional funds received from LWCC; mayor asked for a motion to open the public hearing and later asked the council to vote. (Motion and second recorded; outcome not specified in the transcript.)

- Appointment (Resolution 25-68): appointment of Wyatt Collins to the Fire and Police Civil Service Board for a three-year term. The resolution sponsor asked for a motion to appoint; supporters and comments were recorded. (Motion and second recorded; outcome not specified in the transcript.)

- Change order — ARPA community centers and restroom upgrades (Resolution 25-70): council considered and discussed change order No. 2 to address sewer issues at MLK Center and related scope of work (pipe descaling, jetting, polymer lining and localized excavation). Council members asked technical questions about life expectancy and whether tunneling would be required; staff explained contingency planning. (Motion and second recorded; outcome not specified in the transcript.)

- Certificate of substantial completion — Sierra Gates sprinkler system (Resolution 25-71): staff reported that the contractor completed work, the State Fire Marshal inspected the building and testing was performed; staff will pursue an official occupancy-capacity review with the fire marshal. (Motion and second recorded; outcome not specified in the transcript.)

- Park splash pad professional fee (Resolution 25-72): approval of a fee proposal for splash pad improvements adjacent to the new skate park; staff said this is smaller-scale work compared with larger, more expensive splash-pad projects. (Motion and second recorded; outcome not specified in the transcript.)

- Pollard Street Sewer Replacement (Resolutions 25-73 and later amendment/award language): the council initially read a resolution rejecting bids, then motioned and amended to award a contract to Triumph Construction LLC for the Pollard Street Sewer Replacement Project (including authorization for change order No. 1). Council discussion summarized prior bid history and engineering adjustments; staff described coordination between sewer and road contractors. (Motion to amend and motion to award recorded; resolution text read aloud; outcome not specified in the transcript.)

- Asphalt overlay and road construction contracts: the council opened bids and discussed awarding the City of New Iberia 2024 asphalt overlay project; Triumph Construction was the low bidder at $6,455,166.24 and staff described sequencing with other reconstruction and concrete projects. (Motion and second recorded; outcome not specified in the transcript.)

- Professional-services increases and small change orders (Resolutions 25-74–25-76, 25-78, 25-79): council approved or considered smaller professional-service adjustments including general engineering service increases, ARPA drainage project change orders, and a traffic-signal analysis proposal for a Lewis Street intersection. (Motions and seconds recorded in the transcript; outcomes not specified in the transcript.)

- Drainage and maintenance contracts (Resolutions 25-77 and 25-79): the council discussed awarding a camera-and-GIS contract for storm-drain evaluation (noted as a $78,000 contract covering multiple neighborhoods) and contracting with a new local firm to provide drain-cleaning services; staff emphasized prioritizing flood-prone areas and integrating camera results with GIS mapping. (Motions and seconds recorded; outcomes not specified in the transcript.)

- Sewer flow reroute financing (Resolution 25-81): staff described intent to submit application materials to the state Department of Environmental Quality to secure a $4.5 million low-interest loan for a sewer flow reroute project intended to relieve pressure on lines serving Acadian Acres, Highland and adjoining neighborhoods. Council discussed prior state program conditions that would have required user-rate increases; staff said the city has identified alternative financing to proceed without raising the sewer user fee. (Motion and second recorded; outcome not specified in the transcript.)

Two items were explicitly deferred: a personnel/agendized item (5b) was deferred to the next meeting by motion and recorded as deferred to the next meeting.

The transcript documents motions, seconds and multiple staff technical briefings; it does not include explicit roll-call tallies or a spoken “approved/failed” statement for many of the individual items. Where motions to adopt, award or amend were read and put to the vote, this summary records the motion language and the fact that the meeting record called for votes, but the transcript as provided here does not contain the vote counts or explicit pass/fail statements for most items.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","New Iberia City Council Meeting July 1, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At its meeting the New Iberia City Council recorded motions, contract awards and project approvals on multiple infrastructure and administrative items; the transcript records motions and requests to vote but does not list final tallies for many items.","taxTitle","New Iberia, Iberia Parish, Louisiana","taxId",50478,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_46":80,"_48":81,"_50":82,"_52":83,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":84,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":85,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6180456,"Louisiana Housing Lab seeks city support to build four affordable homes in West End",415,1043000,1458000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5118761-6a0ae64292234f1370a4c6bae820be5f&start=1043&end=1458","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5118761-6a0ae64292234f1370a4c6bae820be5f/thumbnail_1043000.jpg","/articles/6180456/New-Iberia/Iberia-Parish/Louisiana/Louisiana-Housing-Lab-seeks-city-support-to-build-four-affordable-homes-in-West-End","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6180456-ac0d07d44b66b8f0c704e52d980b67c5/orig.mp4?Expires=1773578120&Signature=n5JKTg10xc49OAfXA3BJIZZlwga7k2D9jKwP3F9eV1iLZgqU2Ur1EXQAdgQ1gSMjYxrgjqXMUmPAAF~wXVmg03pxnDesIDdVMB79-10DihLF0lkUS2IcQRFWxPXdv1IwZdOQtVMK-QNjkEcxQM2Pm-y6uBfPPDM18xxKen09LrRRelC06BtzQYF3ORraRDW1KM~kECKK1pWdzNr0~SxbPDIOkFDasjZW~HCnkgm1hi1dcdftYuMm34N2EeymF3ifQvKgckcUAc-ELDazakZmglbNQtC7uHC0n0HgaKoCMq-vy3atCNSIoker-b5OaKRI~JlMwPsholF8YIY-nYkaPg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Housing advocates and the Louisiana Housing Lab presented a small, neighborhood-focused homeownership project to the New Iberia City Council and asked the city for administrative support and fee waivers to complete the funding match.

Anat Zahneman, a Hopkins Street resident and local business owner who has organized neighborhood advocates, introduced the project and said developers are seeking applicants for four newly built homes the group plans to construct near the intersection of Field Street and Corinne Avenue in the West End.

Corey Saft, executive director of the Louisiana Housing Lab — a certified community housing development organization (CHDO) affiliated with the University of Louisiana at Lafayette School of Architecture — described the project as a four-unit for-sale development expected to cost roughly $1 million. Saft said the Louisiana Housing Corporation (the state entity that administers federal and state affordable-housing funding) had cleared the site after environmental review and that the project is “largely funded by Louisiana Housing Corporation.”

The proposed homes are three-bedroom, two-bath units built to higher construction standards — Saft said the project seeks fortified roofs and, if eligible, a “Fortified Gold” approach that can reduce insurance costs for owners. He said the program uses an income cap based on household size; as an example, he said a family of five would qualify only if gross annual household income is $53,700 or less under the program’s limits.

Saft explained the program’s resale and assistance structure: the nonprofit provides a soft second mortgage that reduces monthly payments and that is forgiven after the buyer lives in the home for 15 years, keeping the houses affordable without disrupting neighborhood comparables.

The presenters asked the council to help in two ways: (1) assist with outreach to identify qualified buyers who meet the Louisiana Housing Corporation’s income and mortgage-ability requirements; and (2) consider waiving building permit and inspection fees (building, mechanical, electrical and plumbing fees and final inspections) so the fee waiver can serve as part of the local match the CHDO must document to close the financing gap. Saft said the nonprofit is selling a separate property in Lafayette and expects to transfer nearly $100,000 toward the match; the city waiver would reduce the remaining cash needed.

Saft and Zahneman described a timeline: the project has completed environmental clearance, the group is recruiting applicants now, they hope to close on site work and begin construction toward the end of summer, and they plan to build all four units simultaneously with an estimated six-month construction window after closing. Saft said having prospective buyers identified at or near closing expedites the Louisiana Housing Corporation process.

Council members and staff discussed whether the city could help identify adjudicated properties, support streetscape improvements already planned for the West End, and consider city-owned parcels that might help scale the program. The city indicated staff would assemble maps of adjudicated properties and include the project on the list of neighborhood block initiatives to coordinate complementary repairs and roofing work funded through other local programs.

No formal council vote or city funding decision was recorded at the meeting; the presenters left flyers and contact information for prospective buyers and partners.","A CHDO-backed project would build four three-bedroom homes in New Iberia’s West End; developers asked the city to waive permit fees and help recruit eligible buyers to meet Louisiana Housing Corporation rules.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_46":92,"_48":93,"_50":94,"_52":95,"_54":55,"_56":57,"_58":96,"_60":61,"_62":63,"_64":97,"_66":67,"_68":69,"_70":67,"_71":72,"_73":72},6180461,"New Iberia Council on Aging says state boost will ease but not solve meal, home-care gaps",629,104000,733000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5118761-6a0ae64292234f1370a4c6bae820be5f&start=104&end=733","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5118761-6a0ae64292234f1370a4c6bae820be5f/thumbnail_104000.jpg","/articles/6180461/New-Iberia/Iberia-Parish/Louisiana/New-Iberia-Council-on-Aging-says-state-boost-will-ease-but-not-solve-meal-home-care-gaps","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6180461-20e03b7f7fbcdc78b3a642fb25c27c23/orig.mp4?Expires=1773578120&Signature=aPf-AYOnwyE25qsoX9CW7vRxu4zhG-4SKFuBkmjcg1vwwxNWFAGG~Ezy9lFPmAGwEg4iHXaiyWdugPX3HMZHEppd4jhDGt2gUQWq6ICDhbDllq2mFlfod6HI9kU4Af4FuJyeQ4zS1p2lO9ER6sD3dH7VIA4tMsKFxAPS1o1rMRxnIlxsplKlPLzVVDHCApb1R1p-Xi4ZYNUsJ0AoKCsYD0ntMDoj0nkFK4RsVD6vprVKGdXzhlleGahzQAqdxx-32lCrPWGjMNtYMH7EWkRHc~yoVwzvHQSRG-bTUnH8PSnVn2d9a~Ec2s~Xbbnb7cI101PbXEF1v1YVSV-4k6T1Yw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The New Iberia Council on Aging told the City Council on a weekday evening that a recent state funding increase will help, but services remain constrained by rising costs and unmet demand.

Director Carol Smith, who presented the update, said the nonprofit — chartered July 18, 1977 — serves people age 60 and older across the parish with congregate meals, home-delivered meals (Meals on Wheels), homemaker services and caregiver respite. She said the organization receives state and federal funding but relies heavily on local fundraising and volunteers.

Smith said House Bill 126, recently passed in the state legislature, will increase annual state support for smaller parish councils on aging by about $50,000 each, paid quarterly as roughly $12,500 increments from the Governor’s Office of Elderly Affairs. She described that as “good news,” but added the agency’s federal Title III contract still funds the largest share of certain programs.

“Our Meals on Wheels program costs about $157,000 a year to run,” Smith said. “We were contracted for 160 meals a day; that rose to 191 meals a day and we now have about 302 seniors on the waiting list for home-delivered meals.” She said the program expects to deliver roughly 47,500 meals this year and that drivers will log about 43,000 miles annually. Smith added that the council asks recipients for a suggested contribution of $2 per meal but does not refuse service to those who cannot pay.

Smith outlined program staffing and volunteer capacity: seven drivers, a nutrition coordinator and four full-time office staff, and noted some long-tenured employees — including one driver with about 45 years on the job — and a number of elderly volunteers who staff meal sites.

She gave the council figures she said reflect current funding: about $274,662.50 in state funding (as administered by the Governor’s Office of Elderly Affairs) and $175,320 in federal Title III funds to support programs such as home-delivered and congregate meals and homemaker services. Smith said program costs — especially mileage, vehicle maintenance and rising meal-service expenses — still create shortfalls.

Council members thanked Smith and several said they rely on the Council on Aging to fill gaps in family support and to keep seniors safe and fed. Smith also described local site arrangements, saying the group typically pays modest or no rent for meeting and meal sites (for example, $12 a year at certain facilities) and that the parish’s transportation van was donated by the Department of Public Safety and is due for repairs.

Smith invited residents and organizations to help identify seniors who qualify for assistance and to support fundraising and volunteer efforts. She said the council will publicize services, contact information and an upcoming Sugar Cane Festival event on social media and at the mayor’s office.

The presentation was delivered in the council’s public comment/presentation portion of the meeting; council members asked questions but did not take any formal action on the report.","The New Iberia Council on Aging told the City Council it is operating large meal and care programs on tight budgets, welcomed a recent state funding increase but said demand and operating costs still outstrip resources.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council actions: contracts, change orders and drainage work advance; some outcomes not specified in transcript

Louisiana Housing Lab seeks city support to build four affordable homes in West End

New Iberia Council on Aging says state boost will ease but not solve meal, home-care gaps