Council approves contracts, park completion and a series of budget amendments

The New Iberia City Council voted on a package of contracts, budget amendments and project closeouts during its February meeting, approving grant administration and consulting contracts, park change orders and amendments using American Rescue Plan Act funds, and calling a special election to renew a public-works property tax.

The actions covered a range of projects: hiring a grant administrator for city grant work; approving the final change order and the certificate of substantial completion for Anne Street Park; amending design fees for the Steamboat Pavilion and community-center restroom projects using ARPA funds; and approving a contract to lease an automated field-marking machine for parks. The council also voted to place a property-tax renewal for public works on the ballot and accepted an estimate and schedule for repairs at a privately owned, blighted property at 626 East St. Peter Street, instructing staff to monitor progress.

Why it matters: the votes release funds or approve contracts that put construction and renovation projects into motion, resolve closeout steps for a neighborhood park, and preserve recurring revenue streams for public-works maintenance. Several measures adjust professional fees to reflect expanded scopes and reallocate one-time federal ARPA dollars to projects already underway.

Key decisions (selected): - Ordinance No. 202503: Authorized the mayor to negotiate and execute an agreement between the City of New Iberia and Menville and Associates, LLC, for administration of various grant projects — motion made and seconded; public hearing opened and closed with no public comment; motion approved.

- Resolution No. 2510: Awarded a contract for renovation work on the city prosecutor’s office (carryover budget funds) — motion approved; council discussed timing and temporary relocation during work.

- Resolution No. 2511 and 2512: Approved Change Order 3 for Anne Street Park and the certificate of substantial completion; the council discussed remaining punch-list items, bench additions and lighting/timer settings — motions approved.

- Resolutions 25-13 through 25-15: Amendments to AIA contracts to adjust architectural fees and scope for ARPA-funded projects (Steamboat Pavilion, community-center restrooms, and the Block-at-a-Time home repairs program) — motions approved; staff said these amendments align fees with increased scopes and permit closeout/next phases.

- Resolution 25-16: Authorized engagement of Place and Main Advisors LLC for an economic-development study and a five-mile regional analysis around New Iberia, capped at $30,000 — motion approved; mayor said study will be distributed widely to attract developers.

- Resolution 25-17: Ordered a special election to renew a property-tax millage that funds public-works operations (10-year renewal noted) — motion approved; council emphasized this is a renewal, not a new tax.

- Ordinance (intro) awarding lease contract to Turf Tank for an automated field-marking machine (3-year lease, approximately $7,000/year) — introduced and set for public hearing March 5, 2025; council described expected labor savings and included training/maintenance in the lease.

- Multiple budget amendments and carryovers for local projects including veterans-memory donations, Jefferson Terrace drainage phase 2, and the Love’s truck-stop bore (TIF incentive) — motions approved; one council member abstained from the Love’s-related item and that was recorded.

Votes at a glance: All motions described above were moved, seconded and taken to a roll call vote using the council’s voting machines. The meeting transcript records motions carried and items advanced to the next step; specific recorded abstentions or recusals are noted where spoken on the record (for the Love’s bore/TIF item one council member indicated an abstention). The transcript did not provide formal roll-call tallies in text for every item.

Next steps and follow-up: Staff will execute contracts and amendments and manage procurement or construction schedules. For projects with remaining punch-list items (Anne Street Park) or closeout steps (Steamboat Pavilion), staff indicated additional substantial-completion actions will return to council for formal acceptance. For the property-standard matter (626 East St. Peter), staff and the city attorney were authorized to meet with the property owner and prepare a written compliance schedule ahead of a March 18 check-in.