The New Iberia City Council heard a redistricting proposal from Cedric Floyd of Data Center LLC to meet federal requirements for voting districts.

Using data from the 2020 US Census, Floyd told the council that the current districting plan falls beyond acceptable levels according to the federal government. According to Floyd, a deviation of 10 percent is the maximum allowed by law. Currently, New Iberia has a 26.56 percent deviation, with only Districts 3 and 6 being within the acceptable range.

To fix the issue, the council will have to work with Data Center to adjust district sizes to bring the city into compliance with the law. Floyd said there are nine criteria points that the council will have to consider.

Population equality in each district – 10 percent deviation in the plan.

Compliance with the Voting Rights Act.

Each district shall be compact.

Each district shall be contiguous.

Incumbency shall be considered.

Consideration shall be given to natural, geographical, and political boundaries.

Consideration shall be given to keep intact communities with established ties of common interest and association, whether historical, racial, economic, ethnic, religious, or other.

Qualifying for office – July 17-19, 2024

Primary Election – November 5, 2024

The council voted to meet with Data Center representatives to discuss how adjusting the districts will be accomplished to minimize impact.

In other news:

• Ebrar Reaux was appointed to the Municipal Fire and Police Civil Service Board, a position that he held previously. The vote was unanimous.

• The Council discussed current and future park projects in the city, with Mayor Freddie DeCourt praising the council members for using their apportioned funds to create value for the community. DeCourt said the parks provide a boost to quality of life as well as serve as an added value to the economic growth in New Iberia.

• A maintenance project at Tete Bayou Wastewater Treatment Plant was addressed, with special focus paid to how supply chain shortages may affect the current budget for projects and how best to handle the rising costs of materials and labor.

• The Council also discussed the current budget and whether the city was on track with expected costs. Kevin Zerangue presented the data to the council, stating that the city was currently performing as expected through the end of 2021.