Iberia Parish Council defers vote on Sugar Cane Festival building transfer for legal review
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Summary
Councilors voted to defer an ordinance to transfer the Sugar Cane Festival building and surrounding parkland to the city of New Iberia after the city attorney asked for time to resolve century-old deed restrictions and reversion language.
The Iberia Parish Council on Jan. 28 deferred action on an ordinance that would declare the Sugar Cane Festival building and nearby parkland surplus and transfer the property to the city of New Iberia for renovation.
Parish officials had introduced the ordinance to support the city’s planned renovation and ongoing operation of the Sugar Cane Festival Building. During public comment, Jeff Simon, who identified himself as a city attorney and long-time parish resident, asked the council to give the parties two weeks to reconcile legal issues tied to an earlier 1927 transfer of the property and to ensure any new agreement does not conflict with historical deed restrictions. "If you defer 2 weeks, I think we're good," Simon told the council.
Council members debated whether the parish should seek ownership of the small parcel of land in front of the Veterans Memorial Building or accept permanent rights of access and maintenance from the city. Officials discussed funding contingencies in the draft cooperative endeavor agreement and noted a reversionary clause had been included when the proposal was presented to the attorney general to protect the parish if obligations were not met.
After discussion, Councilman Brock Pellerin moved to defer the ordinance to the next meeting to allow the city attorney to research the property and finalize language; Councilman Michael Landry seconded the motion. The motion carried.
Why it matters: councilors said they wanted to avoid transferring acreage and a facility without clear legal and financial safeguards. Council members repeatedly cited the need to align any transfer with state requirements governing transfers between political subdivisions and with bond-commission rules when appropriations are involved.
Next steps: the council deferred the ordinance for two weeks to permit additional legal review and to allow city and parish counsel to craft any necessary amendments. The item will return to the council for further consideration at a subsequent meeting.
