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Iberia Parish Council tables transfer of Sugar Cane Festival Building pending legal review
Summary
After a lengthy debate about title, parking and constitutional limits on donations, the Iberia Parish Council voted unanimously to table an ordinance that would transfer the Sugar Cane Festival Building to the City of New Iberia until legal questions (including an attorney general opinion) are resolved.
The Iberia Parish Council on Dec. 11 tabled consideration of Ordinance 53‑13, a proposal to transfer the Sugar Cane Festival Building and some surrounding property to the City of New Iberia, saying more legal review is needed before the council will approve a transfer.
Councilman Michael Landry moved to table the ordinance without setting a return date; the motion carried unanimously after extended discussion about title and parking issues, the need for a plat and whether the transfer could run afoul of the state constitution’s prohibition on donations. The chair said members wanted to avoid approving a transfer "without knowing what I'm passing." The council’s motion leaves the item on the shelf until administrators and legal counsel provide the additional information requested.
Why it matters: the Sugar Cane Festival Building is used for community events and local programs such as dance recitals; owners and user groups have urged action to restore the facility so programming can resume. Council members who pressed for delay said that unresolved title issues around a nearby parking parcel and the lack of a finalized plat made it impossible to determine whether the parish would receive value in return for any transfer.
During the debate parish legal counsel warned council members that Louisiana Constitution Article VII, Section 14 generally prohibits transfers framed as donations to other political subdivisions unless the transaction can be structured as an exchange or otherwise justified. Council members asked legal staff to draft a formal opinion from the Louisiana attorney general’s office addressing whether the proposed transfer—structured with planned renovations and outside funding—would be lawful.
Several council members said they support turning the property over to the city but want clear safeguards. A council member representing districts with frequent users of the building described calls from dance schools and community groups concerned about timing for events and recitals; another member said there is "a lot of retail interest in the area" but that the council must ensure the transaction is legally sound before giving the building away.
Parish administration, while expressing a desire to transfer the building, told the council it would not sign a final transfer until legal and title issues are resolved. The parish president told members: "I won't sign it," noting he needs the factual and legal record to be complete before a final action.
What happens next: the council tabled Ordinance 53‑13 without a specific return date and requested an opinion from the attorney general and additional documentation (survey/plat and title clarifications). The council may revisit the matter once the parish attorney and administration provide the requested materials and the AG opinion, or it may consider narrower interim actions such as a resolution of support or a limited intergovernmental agreement if appropriate.
