Podcasts about lafayette consolidated government

Our guests are Priscilla and Floyd LeBleu, Lafayette residents and owners of the world's largest collection of artwork by the renowned Edna Hibel. Priscilla and Floyd are looking for a permanent home to publicly display their beloved Hibel collection, hopefully in Lafayette LA. Edna Hibel, an American artist, was revered for her paintings of people expressing emotion or contemplation, which were painted on ceramic, canvas, or etched on Bavarian limestone. She created over 6000 works during her lifetime, including 600 different lithographs. Born as a native of Massachusetts in 1917, she had a fulfilling career promoting peace through her exhibitions and artwork all around the world. Using her artistry, Hibel was able to raise money for charity across the globe. She passed away in her home at the age of 97 in December 2014, right before her 98th birthday. Her work was inspired by Mary Cassatt and Pierre-Auguste Renoir and sought by royalty, collected by museums, commissioned by the United Nations and National Archives, and awarded the Medal of Honor and Citation by Pope John Paul II. The World Cultural Council presented the 2001 Leonardo da Vinci World Award of Arts to Edna Hibel, who is often referred to as the USA's most versatile artist, as well as its best colorist. The Award acknowledges those who endeavour to create different expressions of art and whose work constitutes a significant contribution to the artistic legacy of the world. Priscilla and Floyd became close friends with Ms. Hibel, after Priscilla won a trip to the Edna Hibel Museum of Art in Florida in 1992. She was accompanied by Floyd, who went along just expecting to hang out on the beach. While Floyd had never been a person that was bent to studying art, he immediately became enamored with Ms. Hibel and her captivating art, especially "Russian Mother and Two Children," an oil painting Ms. Hibel had painted in 1990. Floyd bought the piece, his first of some 500 Hibels, and was hooked thereafter. Floyd says, "It was almost like a religious experience when you met her. She captured me....the artist herself and her art. She captured people's dignity." The LeBleu family befriended Ms. Hibel and would visit her in Florida and she would travel to Lafayette to see them. Hibel enjoyed Lafayette and attended a benefit for the Acadiana Center for the Arts, and Floyd recalled her saying, "There is just a feeling of comraderie in Lafayette. I think this is my favorite place." While traveling on a Hibel Society cruise with Priscilla, Floyd asked Ms. Hibel why she never painted men. She replied, women wear pretty hats and dresses that give them a lot of color and flair and make them more interesting subjects." As a joke, Floyd dressed up in a straw hat and toga as he headed to a demonstration Hibel was giving. She laughed and told Floyd he would be the subject of her demonstration that day and she turned him into an Arabian prince in a painting aptly called, "Floyd in a Turban." The LeBleus became owners of a great deal of her works which had previously been displayed at the Hibel Museum of Art on the campus of Florida Atlantic University in Jupiter, Florida. " Floyd and Priscilla LeBleu own the Myrtles Plantation in St. Francisville and have 127 pieces of Edna Hibel art displayed throughout for visitors to enjoy. They call it their "Hibel addiction" when describing their huge collection Lafayette is now home to the world's largest collection of Edna Hibel's artwork, some of which is on exhibit at Lafayette Consolidated Government's Building at 705 W. University Avenue for the remainder of 2024. Pictured above are Priscilla and Floyd LeBleu, in current times, and the original pose that Edna Hibel utilized to depict the LeBleu family in her own special way. Priscilla and Floyd are reaching out to our community, public officials, and art lovers in the quest to find a permanent home for Hibel's works so...

Kevin Blanchard, CEO of Downtown Development Authority ("DDA") and Downtown Lafayette Unlimited ("DLU"), and Jessica Hauerwas, Executive Director of DLU, join Discover Lafayette to discuss their organizations' missions, focus and programming. The two organizations work together to preserve and enhance Downtown Lafayette's place as the heart of Acadiana, providing resources for businesses, developers, and community members to keep Downtown Lafayette thriving and successful. DLU was formed in the November 1983 as a 501(c)(6) nonprofit organization as the oil bust was causing people to relocate, as a mechanism to reinvigorate downtown; DDA was created in 1992 by Louisiana legislation not long after and is supported by a dedicated tax of 15 mills paid by downtown property owners. Kevin was hired to take over the helm of the two organizations earlier this year upon the departure of Anita Begnaud, who served as Downtown Lafayette's CEO for the past several years. He brings rich experience to the table, having served as Executive Director of the Lafayette Public Trust Financing Authority, COO for Southern Lifestyle and Development, and Chief Development Officer and Public Works Director at Lafayette Consolidated Government under the Joey Durel Administration. He practiced as an attorney with the Onebane Law Firm, was Editor-in-Chief of the Louisiana Law Review and covered government and politics as a reporter for The Acadiana Advocate newspaper. Jessica was hired in November 2023 to oversee DLU's day-to-day operations and promote downtown as an economic driver, cultural epicenter and key element of the region's quality of life. She leads its fundraising strategies, nurtures relationships with the organization's members, donors, and partners, and works on programming DLU's events (such as Bach Lunch, Downtown Alive, and Lunch and Learn) and helps downtown businesses promote their own events. Jessica previously worked in marketing and operations with Acadiana Center for the Arts and had served as president of the DLU board. Family friendly programming is a key focus of Downtown Lafayette, as it not only provides wonderful entertainment for our community, but it serves to drive people downtown who may not have experienced its growing attractions. DDA and DLU are working to have people see downtown as a safe neighborhood, "as a great place to feel free to play, get entertained, work and live," says Kevin. Downtown Alive is celebrating its 40th year Longtime goals of Downtown Lafayette have focused on the construction of residential spaces to attract permanent residents and achieve infrastructure improvements supporting the needs of a vibrant downtown. A residential market study commissioned by DDA shows a demand for 1,000 residential housing units in the downtown area over the next five years. New properties recently completed downtown include the Vermilion Lofts, The Lofts at the Municipal Apartments, and the Monroe Apartments. Building downtown brings its own unique challenges as the streets were built in the late 1800s and properties were placed on postage-size spaces. Kevin explained that there is a higher cost to the developer in repurposing these existing older sites, but the benefit to the community is great as existing infrastructure is utilized and the increased density creates a bigger tax base. "I am so optimistic about where we are in Downtown Lafayette. In 2016, we had a 5,400 person capacity in our downtown bars. Today, that number is 3,000. In 2017, the moratorium on bars was lifted and a conditional use process was put in place. It has promoted a health, active nighlife situation. Six or seven years ago, there were 19 restaurants downtown; now, there are 29." says Kevin Blanchard. Private individuals are seeing the benefits of donating dollars to downtown, and one shining example is the new 6,000 square foot, $1 million state-of-the-art Playground at Parc Sans Sou...

Brenda Andrus joined Discover Lafayette to discuss the importance of protecting our local senior citizens and providing outlets for socialization and enriching activities.  Employed by Home Healthcare 2000, Brenda is engaged in providing resources and enriching activities to elders and also keeps up with what is offered locally by civic and government agencies. She partners with Lafayette Consolidated Government's two senior centers, The Greenhouse Art Studio and The Rosehouse, both of which recently reopened in April 2023. Brenda is an inspirational woman who has never met a challenge she could not overcome. Her passion is in helping our elderly neighbors and she works to ensure that no one is forgotten or neglected. During COVID, she cooked weekly meals for seniors who may not otherwise have gotten a nutritious hot meal. She has also organized an annual bus trip since 2009 to various locales throughout the South which affords the opportunity for local seniors to hear good music and visit historic sites such as the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, TN where Dr. Martin Luther King was shot. She keeps the trip affordable and interesting, always inviting a Lafayette-based performing artist to join the bus tour so that they can play at an out-of-town venue. We love a recent quote of Brenda's that is the epitome of her life story: “Giving to our elders with food, games and healthy educational materials is a wonderful way to show appreciation and respect for their contributions to our communities and society. For many seniors, social isolation and loneliness can be major challenges, and spending time with them can be incredibly meaningful and beneficial." She has lived out this mission of giving both as a dedicated volunteer in the community and as an employee with Home Health Care 2000. For more information on how you can volunteer or get involved, please call Brenda Andrus at (337)258-1666. For more information on Lafayette's Senior Centers, visit https://www.lafayettela.gov/ParksRecreation/Centers-Activities/senior-centers.

Brandon and Bernie start your Tuesday with some fun Cartridge World trivia featuring questions from the U.S. Citizenship Test. "The Killer B's" also welcome the first-ever Chief of Minority Affairs for Lafayette Consolidated Government to discuss the Minority Trade Show. Plus, they welcome Louisiana State Police spokesman Trooper Thomas Gossen to discuss car seat safety.

A lawsuit filed by Lafayette Consolidated Government over a spoil banks project in St Martin Parish has been dismissed by a federal judge. In his ruling on the issue Judge James D Cain Jr said the claims against St Martin Parish were legally premature. But based on rhetoric from both sides the issue is far from being settled. Meanwhile, St Martin Parish has filed a suit against Lafayette Consolidated Government over the controversial drainage project. The suit asks LCG to restore, replace, and reconstruct the spoil bank it illegally removed. Guillory responds on "Lafayette Live." Also, Deputy Chief Eddie Thibodeaux with the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office returns from vacation to updated Brandon Comeaux and Bernadette Lee on his department's efforts to fight crime.

We get our weekly update from Lafayette Consolidated Government during the 7:00 hour. St. Landry Parish Sheriff Bobby Guidroz joins us in the 8:00 hour. We also get our weekly dose of trivia from Dr. Bob Carriker in the 6:00 hour.

Louisiana State Representative Jean Paul Coussan joined Discover Lafayette during the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Ida, which ripped up most of Southeast Louisiana. He represents District 45 which covers much of Lafayette Parish. Jean-Paul serves as chair of the Natural Resources and Environment Committee and is a member of the Joint Legislative Committee on Capital Outlay and House Select Leadership Committee. He is a member of the Acadiana Delegation, the Louisiana Republican Legislative Delegation, and the Rural Caucus. A takeaway of our interview: Jean Paul loves having the opportunity to serve in the Legislature and with his people skills, this is a natural fit that benefits all of us. A graduate of LSU Law School, Jean Paul is a partner at the Lafayette real estate law firm of Andrus Boudreaux Complete Title. He is also a co-founder of Cougar Construction, LLC, which focuses on residential construction and rental units in Lafayette LA. District 45 is centrally located in the city of Lafayette and is a largely residential area. Its boundaries may be roughly described as UL-Lafayette at its eastern tip,, Fieldspan Road to the western point, bounded south by the Vermilion River and rounded out by Cameron Street to the north. With 42,000 constituents he represents, Jean Paul spoke proudly of the people he represents who understand the issues and the scope of what he does as a State Representative. Lafayette is traversed by many State-owned roads, such as Pinhook Road and Johnston Street, which many people may not realize and wonder why they are never improved. He shared that in the upcoming months there will be big news about Lafayette Consolidated Government taking over miles of state-owned highways so that improvements may happen more quickly and Lafayette can take control of its own destiny. When catastrophic events such as hurricanes occur, Jean-Paul says it is a team effort to pull together resources. Everyone from the local elected officials, the state legislators, top Louisiana elected and appointed leaders, and of course, our federal delegation come together to determine how they can best help their constituents get back on their feet. While Hurricane Ida devasted the Southeastern portion of Louisiana, our neighbors to the west, particularly Calcasieu and Cameron Parishes, are still reeling from the havoc wreaked by Hurricanes Laura and Delta, as well as floods and freezes. He emphasized that all legislative delegations join in a nonpartisan effort to get life-saving resources such as water and generators to those most in need. Jean Paul had just traveled to Houma early in the week and he said, "Houma is as bad as you can imagine." He along with many of his legislative colleagues have traveled to bring ice and other needed supplies to help. When you listen to Jean Paul speak, you will hear compassion and concern as well as a "can-do" attitude to render assistance as needed. State Rep. Jean Paul Coussan, his wife Jennifer Joy Coussan, and their young family, circa 2019. Jean Paul enjoys coaching his daughter's basketball team, watching his son play football, and all the joys of being a dad and husband while he juggles work and legislative service. There has been a high turnover in the Legislature in years of late. Once people get involved and they serve a term or two, they start to look at their options. Jean Paul Coussan likes what he is doing and in particular, loves serving as Chair of the Natural Resources and Environment Committee which oversees everything from Wildlife & Fisheries, the Department of Conservation (oil and gas issues) "Relationships are key. It's sad to see people leave and many are leaving before term limits are up. There is a major turnover. A lot of people roll back into local government and state government. I enjoy what I am doing. This is a process and relationships matter...all the way up to the Governor."

Three departments in Lafayette Consolidated Government have been rearranged in order to improve efficiency according to Mayor-President Guillory. He adds that no jobs have been lost as part of this process.

Carlee Alm-LaBar, President and CEO of United Way of Acadiana ("UWA"), is our guest. As a young woman who first moved to South Louisiana for Teach for America teaching High School Math in Churchpoint in 1998, Carlee has proven that her heart is dedicated to public service and in leaving things better than she found them. Many knew Carlee as a candidate in the 2019 Lafayette Parish President's race. Prior to that she worked with Southern Lifestyle Development and served as Head of Development and Planning for Lafayette Consolidated Government. She also served as assistant to City-Parish President Joey Durel, overseeing communications and community relations for LCG, and spent eight years working in the nonprofit sector at the Community Foundation of Acadiana and Acadiana Youth. On the volunteer front, Carlee served as chair of the Leadership Institute of Acadiana, the parent organization of Leadership Lafayette; in Junior League of Lafayette, she served as chief financial officer and communications vice president; she was a long-time board member of Lafayette Youth Soccer Association and was honored as a Woman Who Means Business and a "Top 20 Under 40" young professional. She organized and led the Fix the Charter group, a citizen-driven effort that supported the reorganization of our Lafayette Consolidated Government into two separate city and parish councils. In late February 2020, she started her new post at the helm of UWA, which was two weeks before the COVID shutdown turned our world upside down. Carlee has been focused on disaster relief ever since. The economic devastation wreaked by the COVID disaster has shone the light on the importance of UWA's work in giving people the "building blocks for a better life." "Most of my career has been in service to others so the transition to United Way of Acadiana has been an easy one." UWA has been a perfect fit for Carlee's talents and drive to better the community. Carlee had to quickly learn how to manage staff who were working from home while also navigating fundraising responsibilities in an environment that precludes in-person events. UWA has focused on using resources wisely in its outreach to the community; they have recently partnered with Court Appointed Special Advocates of South Louisiana ("CASA of SoLA") which is now located on UWA's campus. Carlee explains that "this is a great opportunity for cross-collaboration in helping our most vulnerable.....foster children who are in need of advocates." With its focus on "Education, Earnings and Essentials," UWA partners with other community non-profits in coordinating volunteer resources and ensuring that basic needs are met. The organization not only funds other deserving non-profit "partners" which have been vetted for effectiveness, but it also provides direct services in areas of need that are not being met by other non-profits. Carlee explained that our region has approximately 100 to 150 active and viable non-profits; some have employees and are run as a business, while others thrive on volunteer efforts to get the job done. United Way of Acadiana is a Nonprofit Multi-Tenant Center with Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana, American Red Cross, Louisiana Emergency Medical Units (LEMU), and the Lafayette Public Library System.In addition, the Multi-Tenant Center provides a community training room for non-profits and government agencies to host trainings and meetings. The room is available from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. at no cost to non-profits and government agencies and for $50 per workday for private businesses and corporations. To reserve the room, call 337.233.8302. In October 2020 as this interview was recorded, many people were still underemployed or unemployed while also having been hit by the myriad of hurricanes that battered South Louisiana. UWA is a local leader in the Acadiana Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster ("VOAD") and works diligently alongside 232-HE...

Christiaan Mader was unexpectedly out of commission today so we've decided to take a trip back to our Best Of vault and make a return to the life of pies. When we hear about people who are successful in business, we tend to hear different versions of a familiar story. Somebody with a singular vision relentlessly pursues an idea, till, against all odds and after all kinds of hardship, they create Wal-Mart or Apple. What you hear less often, are stories about people who have no single-minded obsession, but are nonetheless successful and happy, doing something today that just a few short years ago they would never have imagined. That's the category that both of Aileen's lunch guests fall into on this episode of Out to Lunch Acadiana.    Kevin Blanchard started out as a journalist. He was a news reporter in Lafayette, for The Advocate. By 2008 he was married and had kids. For a guy with a family to raise, the future of the newspaper business didn't look too bright. So, Kevin went back to school. In 2011, he graduated from LSU with a law degree. As an attorney, Kevin was serving as Public Works Director and Chief Development Officer for Lafayette Consolidated Government when he came in contact with the owners of Southern Lifestyle Development. They're the company behind River Ranch, and 17 other communities they're developing throughout Louisiana. Kevin went to work at Southern Lifestyle Development as their in-house counsel. He soon became the company's Chief Operating Officer. And that's what he's doing today, managing 40 employees.   Korey Champagne grew up in Thibodaux, went to LSU and majored in dietetics and nutritional science with a plan of getting into healthcare. On the way to making that plan happen, Korey was working as a paramedic. That's when he met his wife, who is from Broussard, and they had a child. At this time, Korey was making some extra money by going to The Farmers Market with homemade pies that he was making. He couldn't help but notice two things: one, he loved making pies. And two, his pies sold out really  quickly. For a while, Korey was a paramedic piemaker. Till it got to the point where he had to make a decision about where to concentrate his efforts. The sensible plan would have been to concentrate on a career in healthcare. And that's how Korey came to be the founder and owner of a growing business called Acadian Slice. Acadian Slice is not a healthcare company, it makes pies. Today's business plan lesson? What business plan? Apparently you can follow your heart or your gut, without a plan, and end up being happy and successful.   Photos at Marcello's Wine Market Cafe by Lucius Fontenot. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you don't have hours to spare in a doctor's waiting room, or you live in a remote spot of Acadiana, you're going to love the advent of Tele-Health: You can get first-class healthcare anywhere in Acadiana. Now. We're getting a lot of what we need from the internet these days. You can pick up your iPhone, unlock it with your face, and get a month's supply of dog food delivered in two days. That's convenience. E-shopping is nothing new, even as it's gotten faster and offered more stuff. But over the last decade, better and faster broadband has made it possible to network services that aren't just about making it easier to be lazy.  And that's well on display in the healthcare industry where advances in telemedicine are tackling serious quality of life issues with fantastic results.  Over miles of fiber optic cable hospitals now come to you. Telemedicine programs bring doctors, nurses and  counselors where the patients are — at work, at school or even miles from the nearest hospital in areas where geography is a big hurdle in getting good health care.  Chistiaan Mader's lunch guests on this edition of Out to Lunch both work in extensively in telemedicine, advocating and advancing its benefits to the work place and to community health in general.  Attorney Nadia de la Houssaye, launched one of Louisiana's first teleradiology networks, with her husband, a radiologist, more than 20 years ago. Nadia served as the company's general counsel. Today, Nadia is a partner at law firm Jones Walker where she's also the head of Telehealth. Lafayette General Health is one of the major players locally in telemedicine. The system introduced a telemedicine clinic on site at jewelry manufacturer Stuller in 2012, offering on-the-job healthcare access to the jewelry maker's 1,200 employees. Lafayette General's program has since grown to serve public school systems and Lafayette Consolidated Government, where it provides care for more than 2,200 government workers.  Cian Robinson has been one of the big reasons for Lafayette General's wins in that space. Cian ran the Lafayette General Foundation for several years and now serves as the health systems' executive director for innovation, research and real estate investments. You can see photos from this show recorded over lunch at Chopsticks restaurant in Lafayette here. Hear more from Cian Robinson on past Out to Lunch shows here and here. Meet Matt Stuller from Stuller Inc here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Monique Boulet, CEO for the Acadiana Planning Commission, joins Jan Swift, Host of Discover Lafayette. Monique’s day to day job involves working across all political and economic boundaries. When it comes to flood control or when new roads and highways are proposed, Monique Boulet and her team are front and center. Just to define what The Acadiana Planning Commission ("APC") does: it serves the public sector in the planning and implementation of economic, community and transportation development for the Parishes of Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin, and Vermilion. The APC is funded by grants from agencies such as the USDA, Delta Regional Authority, the Department of Commerce, and the Economic Development Authority. By joining forces, the seven parishes can enjoy economies of scale when utilizing public dollars. They can also speak with one voice when articulating their common needs. The parishes with smaller populations and fewer resources benefit from the resources brought to the table which gives them access to trained city planners who can assist with infrastructure development and procurement of grants to get the job done. The Acadiana Metropolitan Planning Organization ("MPO") provides the technical staff for the work of the APC, even though the two organizations are separate and distinct. The MPO is funded by Federal Highway Transportation dollars, typically in the range of $6 to 7 million per year. Elected officials from six parishes and seven municipalities compose the MPO members who set priorities for transportation and infrastructure projects in the region. Evangeline Parish provides a good example of how the APC works with its partners. In particular, Monique mentioned Donald Bergeron, Evangeline Parish's Secretary/Treasurer whom she calls a "Champion on the Ground." When local officials such as Bergeron are ready and prepared, and given access to the resources of the APC, economic development milestones are reached, such as the recent expansion of the Evangeline Ward One Industrial Park, a 96.5-acre site certified by Louisiana Economic Development, and the addition of a Rail Spur with a grant from the Delta Regional Authority. All of the City of Ville Platte in Evangeline Parish was also designated an "Opportunity Zone" under the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act which will prime the area to bring energy and investment to this poorest city in the poorest parish in Louisiana. An important project in the works is the University Avenue Corridor Study in Lafayette which began in 2018. Local residents are excited about the possibility of new life being brought to the thoroughfare which serves as the gateway from I-10 to City Hall, UL-Lafayette, the Lafayette Police Department, and the Lafayette Regional Airport. The plan includes making the area safer for pedestrians, bikers and vehicular traffic, revitalizing the corridor and spurring economic development opportunities, and cleaning up and beautifying the area so that it serves as an appropriate gateway into the community. $4 to 5 million has been set aside by the MPO and a similar amount by Lafayette Consolidated Government to design the corridor, set up crosswalks to facilitate pedestrian traffic and make the "Center City" an attractive site. Monique explained the problems which can arise when revitalizing old properties that previously housed gas stations or have other environmental issues. A "Brownfield" is a property "which may be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant, or contaminant." The APC received a $300,000 grant to assess the properties located in the area between I-10 and E. Simcoe along University Avenue, and over 90 potential Brownfield sites have been identified. At the Four Corners area (University Avenue and Cameron Street), each corner is a Brownfield site as gas stations were formerly located in those spots. Under the EPA Brownfield program,

On December 8th, Lafayette Parish voters will decide whether or not to amend the Lafayette Parish Home Rule Charter for the first time since it was adopted in 1992, creating dedicated councils for the City of Lafayette and the Parish of Lafayette. Discover Lafayette's host, Jan Swift, visited with Fix The Charter volunteer, Will Kellner, about the scope of the initiative and what it means for the autonomy of Lafayette in the face of changing demographics in the cities comprising the Parish of Lafayette. This is a highly informational interview you must listen to if you are unable to attend the town hall meetings explaining the changes being proposed. Fix the Charter is a diverse and non-partisan group of volunteers composed of Democrats and Republicans, young and "seasoned," who care about the future of the City of Lafayette's autonomy to govern itself, as well as the ability of the Parish to address its pressing issues which become greater every year that unincorporated land is annexed by surrounding towns. Background: The current governing authority of LCG is the Lafayette City-Parish Council, consisting of nine members elected from nine single-member districts in the parish. The LCG chief executive is the Mayor-President. LCG's governance structure is by the Home Rule Charter which, in its current form, was voted on by the citizenry in 1992. In 1996, when the Lafayette City-Parish government consolidation took effect, each of the other towns in the parish maintained their own Mayor, City Councils, and government structure, but Lafayette was folded into the "City-Parish Council" without a separate governing body. Lafayette residents comprised about 60% of the Parish's residents and it was thought that Lafayette's elected Council members would maintain a majority vote on the issues affecting the city of Lafayette, such as the Lafayette Utilities System and the Lafayette City Police Department. Today, nearly half of the Lafayette City-Parish Council members represent people who live outside the City of Lafayette. As Broussard, Youngsville, Carencro, Scott, and Duson grow, it is very likely that a majority vote on the Council of non-Lafayette resident elected officials will be able to determine issues such as LUS utility rates and how to spend taxpayer dollars on City of Lafayette initiatives. What would the Home Rule Charter Amendment do: Replace the nine-person city-parish council with a five-person City of Lafayette Council and a five-person Parish of Lafayette Council. Replace the Lafayette Public Utilities Authority which oversees the Lafayette Utility System with the five-person Council representing the City of Lafayette. Require a vote of City of Lafayette residents before LUS could be sold, leased, or managed by a third party. Retain the Mayor-President position currently in place. Retain the existing system of budgets, finances, and taxes. Prohibit the four current city-parish council members who are term-limited (Jared Bellard, Kenneth Boudreaux, Jay Castille and William Theriot) from running for a new seat on the city or parish councils.  The remaining five City-Parish Council members would be allowed to run for either City or Parish Council seats but they would be limited to the time they would have left to serve on the current City-Parish Council (total of 12 years in elected office). (Thanks to Claire Taylor of the Advertiser for this synopsis.) The Ordinance passed by the City-Parish Council setting forth the scope of the proposed amendments may be read here.  To read an index of how the proposed Charter amendments work, please visit Lafayette Consolidated Government's website here. For more information, please visit https://fixthecharter.com.

When we hear about people who are successful in business, we tend to hear different versions of a familiar story. Somebody with a singular vision relentlessly pursues an idea, till, against all odds and after all kinds of hardship, they create Wal Mart or Apple. What you hear less often, are stories about people who have no single minded obsession, but are nonetheless successful and happy, doing something today that just a few short years ago they would never have imagined. That s the category that both of Aileen s lunch guests fall into on this episode of Out to Lunch Acadiana. Kevin Blanchard started out as a journalist. He was a news reporter in Lafayette, for The Advocate. By 2008 he was married and had kids. For a guy with a family to raise, the future of the newspaper business didn t look too bright. So, Kevin went back to school. In 2011, he graduated from LSU with a law degree. As an attorney, Kevin was serving as Public Works Director and Chief Development Officer for Lafayette Consolidated Government when he came in contact with the owners of Southern Lifestyle Development. They re the company behind River Ranch, and 17 other communities they re developing throughout Louisiana. Kevin went to work at Southern Lifestyle Development as their in house counsel. He soon became the company s Chief Operating Officer. And that s what he s doing today, managing 40 employees. Korey Champagne grew up in Thibodaux, went to LSU and majored in dietetics and nutritional science with a plan of getting into healthcare. On the way to making that plan happen, Korey was working as a paramedic. That s when he met his wife, who is from Broussard, and they had a child. At this time, Korey was making some extra money by going to The Farmers Market with homemade pies that he was making. He couldn t help but notice two things one, he loved making pies. And two, his pies sold out really quickly. For a while, Korey was a paramedic piemaker. Till it got to the point where he had to make a decision about where to concentrate his efforts. The sensible plan would have been to concentrate on a career in healthcare. And that s how Korey came to be the founder and owner of a growing business called Acadian Slice. Acadian Slice is not a healthcare company, it makes pies. Today s business plan lesson What business plan Apparently you can follow your heart or your gut, without a plan, and end up being happy and successful. Photos at Marcello s Wine Market Cafe by Lucius Fontenot. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I learned to play the harp at LSU. BS psychology, LSU; MS genetics U of Illinois; Certified Music Practitioner from the Music for Healing and Transition Program. Environmental Quality Manager for Lafayette Consolidated Government. Now retired, still playing harp, healing through music and prayer, and enjoying my grandchildren.

Brian Pope was elected Lafayette City Marshal in December 2014, after defeating  Kip Judice in the runoff to succeed longtime incumbent Nickey Picard, whom they'd both defeated in the primary election. The late J.B. Cormier was the fourth candidate in the primary election.Picard's time had passed. Pope's had barely begun when he leapt into the 2015 race for Lafayette Parish Sheriff in support of Scott Chief of Police Chad Leger. It was a fateful decision that might end up ending Pope's political career with the possibility of jail time ahead of him.Pope used the power and authority of his office in an attempt to help Leger's campaign and to hurt Mark Garber's campaign. Garber won the election. Pope has been dealing with the legal repercussions of his acts since 2015.Pope then refused to turn over emails believed to be related to his campaign activities on behalf of Leger which were being sought by The Independent. Emails were erased from the marshal's server but not from Lafayette Consolidated Government's backup servers. The emails were discovered and Pope was found to have violated the state's public records law by refusing to comply with the original request.Later, a Lafayette Parish grand jury indicted Pope on seven felony counts — five counts of malfeasance and two counts of perjury. He's awaiting trial on those charges and has asked that his trial be delayed until next year.The Lafayette City Marshal's office works primarily with Lafayette City Court to enforce bonds, subpoenas and collect fines and fees. Pope, then, is an officer of the court who has found him self being charged (and in some cases convicted) of law violations, has turned his once sedate office into something of a spectacle.When it was revealed in a deposition related to the original email case that Pope has been personally pocketing fees and garnishments in apparent violation of a 2011 opinion from the Louisiana Attorney General, Aimee Boyd Robinson decided she had had enough of the shenanigans. She recruited Steve Wilkerson and together they decided to launch the campaign to recall Brian Pope.On June 12, they filed their petition with the Louisiana Secretary of State's office to formalize the process. They have 180 days from that date (December 12) to reach their goal of  getting 1/3 of the voters in the city-wide district to sign a petition to force a recall election on Pope's tumultuous tenure. That's about 28,00o signatures. They are half-way into the effort.If the recall campaign succeeds (signatures will be counted and verified by the Lafayette Registrar of Voters), a recall election asking voters whether they want Pope recalled or not will appear on the ballot in the spring 0f 2018. If voters oust Pope, there will be a special election in the fall of 2018 when anyone (including Pope) can run for what will by that time be the remaining two-plus years of his term.During that time, Pope's legal battles will continue roll through the courts, ensuring that the Marshal's problems remain high visibility news in Lafayette. And there's still the matter of whether taxpayers can foot the bill for Pope's legal costs.Aimee Boyd Robinson discusses the effort to recall Brian Pope in this podcast.

Have you ever wanted to serve your community by working in local government? This week's guest never did. In fact, she wanted to steer clear of being involved in any form of politics. But in this episode, Dr. Shanea Nelson talks about how her career path challenged her to impact others through the role of Director of Community Development for Lafayette Consolidated Government. Dr. Nelson also does a GREAT job of really breaking down what this complex department does so that we can understand the full scope of what she and her staff do to build up our community.

"Liam Doyle has been had mobility issues since he was born. He used a walker to get around in elementary school, but shifted to a chair in middle school because the campus was larger and he had to get around to classes. He graduated from Lafayette High, one of the largest high schools in the state that operates on a campus built 50 years ago to accommodate a student body about half the size of the one there now. He's 28 now, working on an associate degree in History at South Louisiana Community College and plans to attend UL Lafayette when he finishes up his last class in the next semester. He's just passed the battery of tests needed to show he has the capacity to drive a car. And he's got his hands full working with Lafayette Consolidated Government to improve physical access to public spaces and businesses in the City of Lafayette. He chairs the Mayor-President's Awareness Committee for Citizens with Disabilities, so is pretty officially in the business of removing barriers to access. Even though LCG is the parish government here, because of we have semi-consolidated government here LCG has no authority in the small municipalities that remain in the parish after Lafayette lost its mayor and council to the parish. It's a complicated yet subtle form of discrimination against city residents who provide much of the funding for the parish. In the podcast of our conversation, Doyle says he's found his voice and maybe his calling in the role of advocate for the disabled in Lafayette. It was the role that thrust him into the public spotlight just over two years ago and it's a role he's developed a comfort with in dealing with public and private entities as he has gone about the work of making Lafayette accessible for all of us. He's got a great story! We get to a good bit of it in this interview. The podcast also includes a segment about recent developments in connection with the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority's Coastal Master Plan. It was recorded before St. John the Baptist Parish became the sixth parish to file suit against oil and gas companies for damage they did to wetlands by way of exploration activities in the Coastal Zone of that parish. If oil and gas won't pay, we can't stay in South Louisiana. ••• Thanks to Matt Roberts, AOC's Community Production Manager for help locating the music used in this segment. A Foolish Game by Hans Atom (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/hansatom/55394 Ft: Snowflake "

The big push is on to finalize (again) a design choice for the proposed I-49 route through downtown Lafayette. DOTD and Lafayette Consolidated Government leaders along with their corporate sponsor/patrons at OneAcadiana say they’ll make a decision in the next few days. The rush to get the project built contrasts dramatically with the same group’s aversion to determining the extent of ground and water pollution in the Union Pacific rail yard that stretches 1.5 miles from Simcoe Street in the north to Taft in the south. The proposed I-49 road way would run right through the Union Pacific rail yard (area in yellow). Base map by DOTD. The rail yard operated about 70 years before all but a few people appreciated the connection between industrial operations and quality of life. The long length of ground and water contamination at the site leads some local environmental activists to believe it is extensively polluted. The road proponents don’t appear at all concerned by that. They should be. The north end of the site is literally across Simcoe from an aggregation point for a water well field belonging to Lafayette Utilities System. The LUS wells already show the presence of trace presence of chemicals linked to the Union Pacific site. These wells serve as the source of drinking water for most of the city of Lafayette. I-49 through downtown poses the very real threat to speed the pollution of the LUS wells because it would run through most of old rail yard, requiring pilings to be driven. In some places in the vicinity of the yard, the Chicot Aquifer — the sole source of drinking water for Lafayette and most of south Louisiana — rises to as little as 40 feet below the surface of the ground. Driving pilings through the pollution would drive it toward the water supply by breaking the barriers that separate the aquifer from the ground above it. The chemicals dumped in the rail yard over those seven decades might well have accomplished some of that already. Kim Goodell of WaterMark Alliance. Kim Goodell of WaterMark Alliance is alarmed by the folly of proceeding to disturb the site when no comprehensive assessment of the pollution there has ever been carried out. There has been some spot testing and even some spot cleanups in connection with land transactions. But, Goodell says a thorough assessment is an essential step to an effective cleanup and that has never occurred. The LUS water well field pumps 20 million gallons a day out of the ground just north of the Union Pacific site. That pull has created a current of sorts in the aquifer — a cone of depression which draws water and whatever is in it toward the wells. Goodell is adamant that the problem is real and that the pollution threat exists separate from the I-49 project. Her concern is that the project will make matters worse because state and local officials are refusing to acknowledge the serious nature of the threat posed by the long-term pollution at the site. Goodell is working with community groups across the city through her WaterMark Alliance to call attention to the general need to create more citizen awareness of the pollution issue and the importance of clean drinking water to the ability to sustain life. Think Flint, Michigan. Or, closer to home, St. Joseph, Louisiana. Proponents of I-49 say the train is about to leave the station on that project. If it does before the extent of pollution at the Union Pacific site is discovered, that train just might take our drinking water with it.

Welcome to our third round of the Strongest Town Competition. We invite you to listen to this interview that Rachel Quednau, Communications Director for Strong Towns, conducted with representatives from a town in our contest, then make sure to listen to their competitors' podcast (Guelph, ON, Canada). Once you've finished listening to the episodes, please visit www.strongtowns.org/strongtesttown to vote for the strongest. Carlee Alm-LaBar, Director of Planning, Zoning, and Development for the Lafayette Consolidated Government, discusses her town's unique culture, their strong connection with the local university and their take on planning for their financial future. See photos of Lafayette here and read the town's initial entry here.