A vote to remove nearly $2 million in receivables from the general and royalty funds, as well as forgive loans from the Acadiana Fairgrounds Commission, was tabled at Wednesday night’s Iberia Parish Council meeting.

Shortly before the meeting, the IPC received an adjusted resolution that more clearly stated what the intentions of the council were.

“The real intent was to make accounting entries, not to forgive loans,” legal counsel Andy Shealy said. “Unfortunately, the initial draft had ‘forgive.’ The substitute resolution you have says basically it is an accounting adjustment to remove that item from the general fund and royalty fund, which overstates what is really there.”

The agenda item relates to the funds doled out by the Parish Council to the AFC during the construction of the Cajun RVera. With no way for the park to meet those loans in the short-term, Iberia Parish Councilman Paul Landry introduced the resolution so that it would be listed as a debt instead of an asset.

The council agreed to table the agenda item to the first meeting in December. When Councilman Joel Dugas asked why the item couldn’t be voted on tonight, Shealy said the newly worded resolution would clearly say there would be no loan forgiveness.

“I think what everybody envisions at your meeting in December is to consider a substitute resolution that removes the word ‘forgives’ through the original resolution, substitutes the words ‘accounting adjustments’ and includes a specific paragraph where it’s clear you’re not forgiving a loan,” Shealy said.

“You’re simply, from an accounting perspective, removing that item from the general and royalty funds so that your financial statements state that you intend over time to try to recover those funds.”

In other business, the Iberia Parish Council unanimously voted to:

• Amend the 2017 Airport Authority Fund Budget in the amount of $22,000 in order to receive administrative Services from the Iberia Industrial Development Foundation’s personnel, who will serve as the Interim Airport Director.

• Request the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers to evaluate the outlet of Channel M—26 (Tete Bayou) into Lake Fausse Point for a possible dredging project to increase the drainage capacity of the north side of Iberia Parish.

• Amend the 2017 Recreation and Playground District Fund Budget in the amount of $12,125 to provide additional funding for repairs to the King Joseph Gym Floor in Jeanerette.

• Authorize the Parish President to execute a cooperative endeavor agreement between Iberia Parish Government and the city of New Iberia for the cleaning and maintenance of a portion of drainage Channel L-2D-5.

• Authorize the Parish President to execute a cooperative endeavor agreement between Iberia Parish Government and the Louisiana Veterans Affairs.