City Parish President Candidate Forum Thursday, October 1, 2015
1. Evangeline Throughway
There has been a great deal of discussion on plans to upgrade the Evangeline Throughway to interstate status, even though an affordable route along the Teche Ridge already exists. 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?
Sierra Club’s Concerns
1.Too Expensive, way beyond available funding possibilities.
2.Major Environmental Problems
a.hundreds of hazardous waste sites in the path of this proposed project to be resolved (filling stations, cleaners, Lafayette’s old power plant, Southern Pacific Roundhouse Dump,
old Lafayette Public Landfill)
b.Enormous expense in resolving these issues.
c.Driving pilings in the related test borings through these hazardous sites would seriously threaten Lafayette’s drinking water.
3.Extensive loss of wetlands relating to the realignment of the east/west runway into the Cypress Island Swamp owned by the Nature Conservancy in St. Martin Parish.
4.Loss of hundreds of homes and businesses and the related jobs.
2. Coal-Fired Power
At this time, the city of Lafayette holds a fifty percent ownership interest in the Rhodemacher 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?
Sierra Club’s Concerns:
1. All of CLECO is being sold to a Canadian/Australian Combine.
2. Federal Administration is conducting public hearings on significantly raising the royalty rates on coal mined on federal lands which is where Lafayette’s coal is coming from.
3. Emission from coal plants has the highest level of damaging pollutants that affects air and water quality.
4. Coal power is inefficient and wasteful. It runs at full power all the time even when night time needs are significantly less.
5. Lafayette spends One Million Dollars a month to move the coal from Gillette, WY to Boyce, LA, 1511 miles one way. We own $35,000,000 worth of coal cars!
6. All this process of mining, moving and burning coal involves hundreds of jobs, none of which are Lafayette residents.
7. Lafayette based Combined Cycle Gas Plant would be 55% efficient, would employ Lafayette people and use Louisiana energy at a much lower price than our present coal generated utilities.
8. Switching to natural gas power would allow us to sell our half interest in the Rhodemacher plant and to sell the coal cars. This would give us cash to make many improvements in Lafayette.
3. Lafayette’s Utility Grid System
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Generating systems such as Doc Bonin on Walker Rd. and Rhodemacher 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.
4. 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?
Sierra Club’s Concern:
Switching to modern transformers and direct current transmission from Boyce, LA would significantly lower our electric waste, therefore reducing cost for our electricity.
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?
Sierra Club’s Concern:
Why should Lafayette be paying the highest rate for water and sewage in the Parish?
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?
Sierra Club’s Concern:
1. City of Lafayette’s non-bid negotiated price is $26 per month.
2. Looking at water, sewage and garbage comparing Broussard to Lafayette, the bill for one year for a family of 4 using 12,000 gallons of water per month the annual bill for Broussard is $852/year or $71/ month. The same house whole in Lafayette is $1435.20/year or $119.60/ month.. This $48.60/month difference hurts poor families the most.
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?
Sierra Club’s Concern:
Citizens or Lafayette are the owners of LUS: its water, its sewage plants, its electrical generation and grid and fiber. As owners we are entitled to an Annual Meeting and Report as any stock holders in a publicly traded corporation are eligible for.
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?
Sierra Club’s Concern:
1. Air pollution is a major factor in Lafayette’s air quality mainly due to parked idling automobiles, mostly sitting at red lights.
2. Red lights have a significant annual high cost in maintenance.
3. Many of our red lights are unnecessary.
4. They waste time, fuel and electricity and pollute the air.
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?
Sierra Club’s Concern:
1. The Horse Farm Management is not subject to the Louisiana Administrative Procedures Act. This means:
a. They are not subject to Louisiana Bid Law
b. They are not subject to Louisiana Open Meetings Law
i. not subject to public agenda
ii. not subject to public participation and meetings
iii. not subject to freedom of information law
2. Citizens of Lafayette do not have a legal right to participate in the plans for the future of the Park, not even its name.
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?
Sierra Club’s Concern:
1. Lafayette has no mayor and no council.
2. Cities of Carencro, Scott, Duson, Youngsville and Broussard have control over the LCG Council including votes that significantly affect the City of Lafayette and LUS decisions.
3. The citizens of Lafayette should be allowed to vote as to whether they want to continue this alliance.
10. Unconsolidated areas
What is your position on dealing with fire protection, sewage, and water services in unconsolidated portions of the parish?
Sierra Club’s Concern:
1. When consolidation was voted on it was to resolve the issues of water, sewage, fire protection in the unconsolidated areas of the Parish.
2. Un-sewered areas in the parish cause health problems from raw sewage in the ditches, coulees, bayous, crawfish ponds, to Vermilion Bay, the Gulf and eventually back onto our plates.
3. No fire protection is costly in terms of insurance, no protection for homes, businesses and lives. It is an economic disincentive.
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