Iberia Parish council advances ordinance to transfer Sugarcane Festival Building to New Iberia
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Summary
After public pleas from residents and an amendment clarifying exhibits and a perpetual servitude, the council approved an amended ordinance to declare the Sugarcane Festival Building surplus and transfer it to the city of New Iberia so available grant money may be used for renovation.
The Iberia Parish Council voted Feb. 11 to advance an ordinance declaring the Sugarcane Festival Building and surrounding property in New Iberia City Park surplus and transferring it to the city of New Iberia, after residents urged swift action to protect the historic venue.
Two residents, Lori Landry (506 Magnolia Avenue) and Hannah Bertrand (903 Belmont Road), addressed the council during public comment, saying the building has been idle and in disrepair for years and that the city has secured grant funding specifically intended for renovation. Landry read a statement arguing the parish lacks funds to both renovate and maintain the building and that transferring ownership would reduce parish liability; Bertrand warned that grant deadlines mean continued delay could result in demolition.
Councilman Brock Pelerin urged colleagues to stop “kicking this can down the road” and approve the transfer. At the appropriate time, Councilman Richard Gauscher (legal counsel referenced by council) moved to amend the ordinance to accept legal counsel’s recommended exhibit changes and to make a permanent servitude explicit; the council approved the amendment and then voted on the main motion, which carried.
The amendment clarified parcel boundaries and consolidated exhibit materials so the area conveyed (including the Sugarcane Festival Building) is defined as Parcel A (approximately 11.646 acres) and created a perpetual servitude for a 0.653‑acre passage that the city already controls in part. Council members said the change was intended to clean up documents and match the attorney general’s guidance received since the item was first presented.
Why it matters: Council members and residents framed the transfer as a practical way to use existing city grant funds and prevent further deterioration of a community asset. Supporters said transfer would allow renovation to proceed promptly, keep events and associated economic activity in the community and shift ongoing maintenance and insurance responsibility away from parish taxpayers.
What the council decided: The council approved an amendment recommended by legal staff to adjust exhibits and the servitude language, then approved the main motion to move the ordinance forward for public hearing and adoption. Specific final vote tallies were not announced in the transcript; the chair stated the motion carried.
Next steps: Council members indicated the ordinance will come back for the formal public hearing and final adoption per the usual ordinance process, and the administration will provide the revised exhibit documents referenced during the amendment.
Attributions: Quotes and specific statements in this account come from public comments and meeting discussion recorded in the parish meeting transcript (public commenters Lori Landry and Hannah Bertrand; council members including Brock Pelerin and Richard Gauscher; parish legal counsel and the chair).