Council approves 25% waiver of civic-center parking fees for Rougarou Fest after debate on nonprofit discounts

The Terrebonne Parish Council voted 7–1 Wednesday to waive 25% of the Barry P. Bongolanda Civic Center parking-lot rental fee for the 2025 Rougarou Fest, prompting discussion about standardizing discounts for nonprofits and the Civic Center’s budget shortfalls.

Councilmember Hamner moved to waive 25% of the parking-lot rental fee for Rougarou Fest; the motion was seconded and carried 7–1. The council and staff characterized the action as matching the Civic Center’s existing noncommercial rate for indoor rental space, which is set at 75% of the base rental fee.

During the discussion councilmembers and staff said the waiver was intended to be consistent with existing nonprofit discounts and to avoid ad hoc requests. Councilmember Hamner said he will work with administration staff to prepare an ordinance that would apply the same discount across the board to qualifying 501(c)(3) organizations. Staff member Michelle explained that the current code’s noncommercial rate applies to Hall A and Hall B at the Civic Center and does not explicitly cover parking-lot fees; she said the code defines “noncommercial” organizations as nonprofit, tax-exempt, community-service entities operating in Terrebonne Parish and that the noncommercial rate is currently 75% of the base rental fee.

Council members who spoke acknowledged trade-offs. Councilmember Champagne noted that nonprofit organizers often reinvest event proceeds into parish-owned facilities — citing the Wetlands Recovery Center’s role in funding the Wetland Discovery Center and museum improvements — and urged consideration of those broader benefits. Others noted the Civic Center receives general-fund support when it does not break even and that the Civic Center was asked to reduce its general-fund subsidy by roughly $43,500 this year.

Jonathan, representing the Louisiana Wetlands Recovery Center, and other festival organizers explained how events like Rougarou Fest and Hero Fest raise funds for nonprofits and for parish projects. Council members invited the Wetlands Recovery Center to provide a post-festival briefing and a tour of the museum to clarify the organization’s relationship with the parish.

The council recorded the waiver amount at $1,750 for the 2025 event under the 25% reduction. The motion as recorded on the floor specified the reduction for qualifying nonprofits and was framed as a one-time waiver subject to council approval, with an ordinance to follow that could create a consistent code-based discount going forward.

Council action and next steps - The waiver motion passed 7–1 on a voice vote; the transcript records the tally but does not name individual yea/nay votes. The council directed staff to draft a code amendment to make noncommercial rates and any parking-lot reductions explicit and uniform. - Staff said changes to the Civic Center fee structure and a broader cultural-facilities ordinance will be circulated to councilmembers ahead of future meetings.

Why it matters The decision addresses a recurring request from nonprofit event organizers and aims to reduce ad hoc waivers. Councilmembers framed the ordinance work as a way to equalize treatment among nonprofits while protecting Civic Center revenue and limiting reliance on general-fund transfers.