Residents and council debate legality and oversight of school‑zone speed cameras in Iberia Parish

The Iberia Parish Council on Jan. 28 heard extended public comment and council debate over whether the parish should assume oversight of school‑zone speed cameras installed on or near parish roads.

Jeff Simon, who identified himself as the city attorney and a parish resident, asked the council to keep discussion focused on the agenda item and offered to return with a full timeline and conversations with the attorney general and the school board. He said the city has been working on a draft cooperative endeavor agreement (CEA) and requested the council allow time to resolve outstanding legal questions.

Paige Zima, a parish resident and parent, urged caution and accountability. Zima said the program’s implementation contained “negligent oversights” that could trigger large refunds and legal exposure. In her remarks she stated: "This led to 24,000 improperly collected fines needing to be refunded," and cited state law (referred to in the transcript as “Act 103”) as requiring a CEA with the Iberia Parish School Board before operating cameras and sharing revenue. She also referenced an August 2025 attorney‑general letter in New Orleans that the attendee said demanded refunds of about $1,400,000.

Council debate covered multiple points: whether the parish has the operational role or authority to assume cameras the city previously ran; whether a CEA would need to be brand new or could carry forward existing contract terms; the role of the sheriff and local law enforcement; potential parish‑wide application versus taking over a single site (the discussion repeatedly referenced the school near the zone discussed in the city’s request); and whether to defer final action pending the school board’s Feb. 4 meeting on a related CEA. Parish leadership said any parish assumption would require a CEA with the school board and legal review.

Councilwoman Natalie Broussard said her intent was to solicit feedback on whether the parish should even consider taking over the cameras, not to enact immediate control. Several council members urged patience: committee members suggested tabling or deferring the resolution until after the school board meets; others argued the council should at least have information from the vendor (Blue Line) and the school board before taking action.

Outcome: The council tabled the resolution for further consideration and agreed to await the school board’s action before deciding whether to proceed, revise or delete the county‑level resolution. No parish takeover of cameras was authorized on Jan. 28.

What remains unresolved: whether refunds for citations issued after May 2024 are owed (a point raised by public comment), legal interpretation of state law as applied to this program, and whether the parish intends to pursue a parish‑wide CEA or targeted coverage for specific schools.