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Council introduces new approach to move adjudicated properties; contract language deferred
Summary
Council introduced an ordinance to permit sale of adjudicated properties and discussed hiring attorney McKinley James to manage a new, locally tailored program instead of relying solely on CivicSource; the introduction excluded a public hearing date so staff can refine details.
The New Iberia City Council introduced an ordinance to revise how adjudicated properties are sold and discussed a separate plan to hire a local attorney to manage property-recovery work.
City officials said CivicSource, the firm the city has used previously, moved many properties early on but that progress has slowed and fees can be high for potential buyers. The mayor and staff proposed a different approach that would give the city flexibility to work with an outside attorney, McKinley James, on a per-property basis.
Staff said that McKinley James, an attorney with experience in Lafayette, would work as a contractor rather than as a city employee; the contract model would allow the city to pause or stop work more easily than hiring a full-time employee. City staff said some properties are complicated — with city and parish taxes owed — and that a local, hands-on approach could reach buyers CivicSource’s national model has not.
Council members asked about fees, budget implications and how the program would differ from CivicSource. Staff said the council would likely need a budget amendment to fund any contract; they suggested starting with a limited amount to test the approach and scaling up if the contractor proves effective. The council also discussed being able to waive or reduce some fees on individual properties to encourage transfers in certain cases.
During the discussion the council introduced the ordinance amending the code to provide for sale of adjudicated properties but amended that introduction to remove the public hearing date so staff could review the draft and bring back specifics before scheduling a hearing. Councilmembers said they want to see a plan and success stories from McKinley before committing to a long-term budget allocation.
No final contract was approved at the meeting; staff will return with refined contract language, budget figures and examples of how the approach would work on specific properties.
