The Iberia Parish Government is working closely with the Iberia Development Foundation to help develop business in the parish on several fronts, according to Iberia Parish President Larry Richard.

The parish president said some of the projects slated to be worked on cooperatively between IPG and IDF include work on the construction of a water line extension through Acadiana Regional Airport and the U.S. 90/Progress Point area, as well as continuing work on the sewer line extension in the same area.

Collaborating on groundbreaking ceremonies for new parish infrastructure projects, planning promotional events and facilitating existing business retention and expansions are also slated to be expanded upon this year.

Richard said the parish government plans to work with the IDF in promoting business grant opportunities and helping to provide parishwide economic indicator statistics on a quarterly basis.

Serving on the Workforce Investment Board, providing economic and workforce statistics and collaboration meetings with IPG and the Industrial Property Tax Exemption Committee for Iberia Parish to coordinate decisions will also be continued in 2021.

Richard said work will be underway on the development of a TIF District Master Plan, and drone services for visual assessment of parish project assessment will be conducted along with IDF.

Richard said construction on the Robert B Green Memorial Building is continuing at present with an end date of April expected.

“The long awaited Acadiana Regional Airport Access Road project became a reality whenconstruction began in December 2020,” Richard said. “This project is roughly a 520 day project. Currently the work is focused on the area where the new road will intersect with a roundabout at Highway 3212.”

The parish president also said he has been speaking to corporate leaders and government officials about the lack of fiber and broadband service access in Iberia Parish.

Richard said that during the executive session at Wednesday night’s Iberia Parish joint committee meeting he requested the council to pass a resolution requesting the state delegation to enact legislation investing and facilitating the installation of high speed internet service to the underserved and rural parts of the parish.

“In order for us to retain the businesses and rooftops that we have in Iberia Parish as well as bring additional businesses and rooftops we must have proper fiber and broadband,” Richard said.