A Broussard resident raised questions about water and sewer responsibilities for the proposed Eola Place subdivision during the May 27 City Council meeting, prompting the mayor to say the city will prepare a written resolution before any wholesale water or sewer acceptance is finalized.

Brent Potan, a Broussard resident who said he lives at 214 North Eola, told the council the developer had said it would be responsible for sewer infrastructure for two years and “after those 2 years, he said he has no obligation. He doesn't care what happens to it after that.”

The allegation that Lafayette Consolidated Government (LCG) or the City of Broussard would take over long-term maintenance prompted the mayor to respond that “all we have today is a verbal agreement” and that the city cannot “own and maintain anything outside of our corporate limits.” He said staff will present a written resolution to the council clarifying terms and that Lafayette’s council must also agree because the arrangement would amend the city’s contract with Lafayette.

Why it matters: The speakers flagged uncertainty about long-term maintenance of a lift station and internal subdivision sewer pipes, potential stormwater and flood risk, and whether city infrastructure can accept additional sanitary flows without upgrades.

Details from the meeting:
- Potan said the subdivision is in Lafayette Parish and that, based on his understanding, Broussard would wholesale water purchased from Lafayette Consolidated Government to the developer and would receive sewer via a lift station. He reported that a developer representative told a March 25 appeal meeting the developer would not be responsible after two years.
- The mayor said the city’s agreement would stop at a master meter: “they're gonna provide a master meter. They're gonna dedicate the meter back to us for maintenance on the meter. But every other part of the infrastructure inside the subdivision will not be dedicated to the city.”
- The mayor said city staff suggested the developer consider a third-party operator, such as a private utility operator, to run and maintain the subdivision systems.
- On stormwater, the mayor said Lafayette Consolidated Government’s public works will manage drainage, while sanitary sewer flows proposed for Broussard will require the developer to provide flow data so the city can assess feasibility and whether upgrades are needed; “if an upgrade is needed on our end to receive it, then they're gonna have to pay for that upgrade.”

Discussion vs. decision: The council did not take a formal vote on the Eola Place arrangements at the May 27 meeting. The mayor said staff will prepare a formal resolution for future council consideration and will circulate an explanatory email; he offered to send that email to Potan. The mayor also said Lafayette’s council must approve any amendment to the city’s contract with Lafayette for water service.

Next steps: The city will present a written resolution at an upcoming meeting to clarify wholesale water and sewer acceptance terms; the resolution must be approved by this council and sent to Lafayette for its concurrence before service outside city limits begins.