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St. Martinville council adopts utility-assistance voucher policy allowing 60 days for payments
Summary
The council approved creating a utility assistance vouchers policy that gives customers 60 days to receive guaranteed payments from SMILE Crisis, St. Theresa Center and Catholic Charities of Acadiana programs; the policy will be retroactive to February 2026 and is subject to City Attorney review.
The St. Martinville City Council voted April 20 to create a utility assistance vouchers policy that gives customers 60 days to receive payment from certain charitable voucher programs before late fees or penalties apply.
Councilman Jonas Fontenette moved to create the policy and Councilman Mike Fuselier seconded; the motion carried unanimously. The policy covers payments guaranteed by SMILE Crisis vouchers, St. Theresa Center and Catholic Charities of Acadiana and specifies a 60-day window to receive payment. If the customer pays any difference between the monthly bill and the voucher, no late fees or penalties will be assessed.
The council directed that the City Attorney review and approve the policy; the policy will be retroactive to February 2026 for qualifying utility bills. No specific implementation details or administrative procedures were recorded in the minutes; staff follow-up and City Attorney review were recorded as next steps.
