Committee holds first meeting about millages

The Iberia Parish Council heard a pitch from representatives from the TECHE Project for the governmental body to fund three kiosks along the Bayou Teche. 

TECHE Project, a non-profit organization charged with enhancing the Bayou Teche, recently embarked on a project to place 15 kayak docks along the 135-mile nationally recognized water trail. The project happened as a result of a grant. 

But Teche Project Council Member David Dahlquist, who spoke at the IPC meeting Wednesday, said the organization is also attempting to put up informational kiosks along each dock that will give tourists and users of the Teche information about the waterway. 

“Part of our mission is to provide information to people using the Bayou Teche both as a canoe and kayak trail, and people on the road who see it and want more information,” Dahlquist said. 

Dahlquist said TECHE Project wanted Iberia Parish Government to get the first chance to fund three kiosks in the parish: one in New Iberia, one in Jeanerette and another in Loreauville. Only the Loreauville dock has been installed so far. 

After asked how many  sponsors the organization is hoping to have in the parish, Dahlquist said one was ideal, but three would be the maximum. 

Council Chairman Paul Landry said the council will be entering budget discussions in the next few weeks, where the project would be presumably discussed. 

“We’ll be entering budget in the next few weeks, what you might want to do is look for a little girl selling lemonade,” Landry said, referring to Councilman Warren Gachassin’s recent lemonade stand drive.  

In other business, the council unanimously voted on an ordinance requiring the posting of notices, agendas and minutes of the meetings of Iberia Parish Government boards and commissions on the Iberia Parish Government website and any similar website hosted or maintained by a board or commission. 

After some slight confusion during the last committee meeting on the topic, Councilwoman Natalie Broussard said governmental boards that have their own websites would be required to post agendas and minutes on the site, and those that don’t will have their agendas and minutes available on the Iberia Parish Government website. 

“I’ve just gotten complaints from people that it’s very difficult if you don’t have a subscription to the newspaper to be able to trace the minutes, find out the notices, so this is just an effort to get the information out there,” Broussard said. 

The motion passed unanimously. 

In other business, the Iberia Parish Council voted to: 

n Revise the composition of the Iberia Parish Communications District Board of Commissioners to change one of the large appointments to an appointment by the City of New Iberia Police Department.

n Thank Iberia Parish Assessor Rickey Huval in updating the Parish’s information and data by performing the GIS Aerial Flyover of Iberia Parish.

n Go into executive session for litigation with Stephen Minvielle and a demand letter related to Paul Segura Parkway.