Questions for Candidates for Lafayette City-Parish President

Below are listed the Acadian Group's questions/issues for the candidates for Lafayette City-Parish President:

1.  Evangeline Thruway

There has been a great deal of discussion on plans to upgrade the Evangeline Thruway to interstate status, while an alternate, currently affordable route along the Tech Ridge may exist.  Many citizens are concerned about the numerous negative aspects of this upgrade such as a disruption to the downtown development area; the displacement of many homes, businesses and historical sites; a path over toxic waste site at the old railroad yard; and a negative impact to adjacent wetlands as the east/west airport runway will need to be pushed into the swamp. 

What would your position be?

2.  Coal-Fired Power

At this time, the city of Lafayette holds a fifty percent ownership interest in the Rodemacher II coal plant, even though Louisiana natural gas is available at a greatly reduced cost.  In addition, the use of coal is tied to numerous environmental and economic negatives.  If the city were to sell its ownership interest in the coal plant, it could leverage that funding by investing in a more efficient and eco-friendly, Lafayette-located, combined-cycle gas plant.  This would not only lower costs that could then be passed on to citizens in the form of lowered rates, it would also generate numerous employment opportunities for locals.

What would be your thoughts on moving Lafayette forward to meet its energy needs?

3.  Lafayette’s Utility Grid System

a.      Long distance transport of electricity using alternating current is extremely wasteful.  Delivery of electricity  using alternating current over the 110 miles from the utility plant in Boyce to Lafayette may lose up to 50 percent of its power.  The implementation of a direct-current system could pay for itself in a short time and then result in lower power cost/rates.

b.      Currently, Lafayette has thousands of electric transformers using 1920s technology.  They are inefficient and thus create higher energy rates to citizens.  Replacing these old transformers, as they wear out, with more efficient, modern Transformers would result in greater efficiency and lower rates.  Since the life cycle of these transformers is about 4-5 years, the whole system could be modernized in 5 years.

c.       Generating systems such as Doc Bonin on Walker Rd. and Rodemacher at Pinhook and General Mouton are unneeded.  Divesting ourselves of these  assets could result in funding that could be used to supply electricity to Lafayette more efficiently.

d.      When the CLECO sale goes through, Lafayette will be at the mercy of a private, foreign entity.  Divorcing ourselves from CLECO in advance would result in funding that could be invested in a modern, efficient system.

           

 What is your position on these issues?

4.  Water/Sewage

Currently, Lafayette citizens pay a rate of 78 cents per hundred gallons of combined water and sewage, while the Youngsville rate is only 47 cents, and Broussard's is only 45 cents. 

What is your position?

5.  Garbage and recycling services.

The city of Lafayette does not require competitive bids for garbage and recycling services.  Currently, Lafayette citizens pay $26 a month for once-a-week pickup.  On the other hand, Broussard citizens only pay $17 a month for twice-a-week garbage pickup and one-a-week recycling.  Youngsville citizens only pay $19 dollars a month for once-a-week pickup with recycling.  This disparity can be explained by the fact that both Broussard and Youngsville have instituted a bidding procedure in order to get their citizens the best deal possible.

Do you believe that Lafayette should require bidding when contracting garbage and recycling services?  How would you make this work?

6.  LUS annual meeting

Should the city of Lafayette hold an annual meeting for LUS customers in order to provide an economic report and clarify plans for the future?

7.  Red Lights

The city of Lafayette maintains 170 red lights which not only increase pollution and fuel usage, but have earned Lafayette the dubious title of the 3rd most congested city in Louisiana behind New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

 

Would you agree that this issue needs to be studied?

8.  Horse Farm

The Horse Farm is very much beloved by the citizens of Lafayette.  Many of these citizens are seriously concerned by the fact that management of the Farm has been turned over to The Community Foundation of Acadiana, a private entity that is not required to be accountable to their wishes and concerns.  The foundation is not required to deal with bid laws, open meeting laws, or comply with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act. 

Do you believe a public treasure should be managed by an unaccountable organization that does not have to answer to the citizens who own it?

Would you return the Horse Farm back into the hands of Lafayette Parks and Recreation?

9.  Consolidation 

The city of Lafayette has no mayor or council to strictly address the specific issues that concern Lafayette City.

Should the City of Lafayette vote its way out of City Parish Government and become an independent community like Broussard, Youngsville, Duson, Scott, and Carencro?

10.  Unconsolidated areas

What is your position on dealing with fire protection, sewage, and water services in unconsolidated portions of the parish?