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Iberia Parish Council amends and advances ordinance to transfer Sugarcane Festival Building to New Iberia
Summary
After public testimony urging the move and a legal-clarifying amendment, the council accepted an amended ordinance declaring the Sugarcane Festival Building surplus and transferring the parcel to the City of New Iberia to allow renovation grant funds to be used.
The Iberia Parish Council voted in favor of an amended ordinance on Feb. 11, 2026, declaring the Sugarcane Festival Building and surrounding property in New Iberia City Park surplus and authorizing transfer to the City of New Iberia so the city can pursue renovation and ongoing operation.
The action followed public testimony from local residents pressing the parish to accept a transfer that would unlock grant funding. Lori Landry, speaking on behalf of a community member, told the council: "Doing nothing is not a neutral choice," and argued that transferring ownership would allow the city to "take on ownership and management" and reduce the parish's liability while enabling renovation. Hannah Bertrand, another resident, warned that "with grant deadlines in place, continued delays will result in losing some of the funding or all of the funding that would otherwise restore this building."
During the Council debate, Councilman Warren Gauscher moved to amend the ordinance to adopt legal counsel's clarifications to Exhibit A and to establish a perpetual servitude clarifying which parcels transfer and which area remains a parish servitude. Legal counsel explained that Parcel A (11.646 acres) would be conveyed to the city and Parcel D (0.653 acres) would be retained as a perpetual servitude benefiting the parish. The Council voted to approve the amendment and then voted in favor of the main motion adopting the ordinance as amended.
The ordinance had been deferred from the Jan. 28 meeting; supporters said the city has secured specific grant funds that the parish cannot access while the property remains under parish ownership. Opponents and some members asked that exhibits and the perpetual servitude be explicitly documented to preserve parish interests; that clarification was made through the amendment.
Next steps identified by council members include finalizing the legal exhibits and coordinating with the City of New Iberia to effect the transfer and ensure grant timelines are met. The administration indicated it would present any related execution documents and next procedural steps at a future meeting.
