Business owners who operate commercial storage businesses turned out to Tuesday’s New Iberia City Council to protest a potential ordinance that would have forced them to place a dumpster on their premises.

The ordinance, which failed due to lack of a motion, was drafted by the city council’s ordinance committee, and came about after complaints were received regarding some storage businesses that had waste on and around their property.

“It came to our attention that there were some problems because there was no disposal at that particular (storage facility),” ordinance committee chairperson and City Councilwoman Deidre Ledbetter said. “Actually what was happening was the debris was being put in another dumpster nearby, but it was waste from the storage unit.”

The owner of that storage facility seemed to be absent at the meeting, but virtually every other business owner that operates a storage business in New Iberia seemed to be present.

Storage business owners like Brady Comeaux all seemed to echo the same complaint. They keep their units clean and already have contracts with their clients about vacating all debris once the tenants leave.

“I can count on one hand when someone has left something behind,” Comeaux said. “It hasn’t been a problem for us.

Even further, Comeaux said that having to put a dumpster at his site would create additional problems for his business.

“If we’re required to have a dumpster, it’s going to create more harm than good,” he said. “People dumping household garbage waste, crawfish heads, that kind of stuff.”

The council, which unanimously voted to approve the introductory ordinance earlier this month, listened to the complaints of the owners.

Ledbetter made a motion to table the ordinance so that the ordinance committee could make further adjustments to satisfy the business owners.

However, some council members felt that the ordinance should have been dealt with at the meeting

“I believe we’re not solving the issue at hand by tabling,” Councilman Dustin Suire said. “I don’t agree with the original ordinance, I think it’s a bit restrictive.”

Councilman Marlon Lewis said that he didn’t believe in voting for an ordinance that would restrict business owners across the city for a problem that only a few were committing.

“I had my stuff at the West St. Peter and Jefferson Terrace (storage facilities) for years, and it was almost like going in the Taj Mahal compared to the other stuff in town that hasn’t’ been kept up,” Lewis said.

Legal counsel Jeff Simon said that after hearing concerns about the proposal he had quickly drafted an amendment to the ordinance that would give a warning for garbage, a fine for a second violation, a requirement to have a dumpster for a third violation and finally a notice to close the business for a fourth violation.

After a lengthy discussion about whether to vote for the alternative plan, council members decided to not make a motion at all and let the ordinance die on the floor.

After questioning building inspector Jimmy Landry, Suire said the ordinance was not even necessary since it was already covered in current junk and litter laws of the city.

“My opinion is kill it if you can address it as a junk or litter ordinance,” Suire said.