Lafayette council discusses garbage station in private

LAFAYETTE — The City-Parish Council met behind closed doors Tuesday to discuss the ongoing litigation over a planned garbage transfer station that the council voted to block in 2011.

The company that planned to develop the site had demanded nearly $7 million from Lafayette city-parish government before filing a lawsuit over the issue.

City-parish officials approved a tentative settlement with the developer last month, but city-parish officials have declined to discuss the details of the settlement or the purpose of continued closed-door meetings about the litigation.

The council voted unanimously in October 2011 to block the planned garbage transfer station on Sunbeam Lane in north Lafayette after residents and business owners in the area spoke out against the facility.

The developer of the site, Waste Facilities of Lafayette, had already purchased the property, obtained necessary permits and started construction when the council acted.

City-Parish Attorney Mike Hebert had cautioned council members before the 2011 vote that city-parish government could face damages extending into the “millions of dollars” for blocking a project midstream that had met all permitting requirements.

In other business Tuesday, the council delayed a vote on regulations for valet parking.

The regulations as proposed would have applied only to the downtown area, but several parish council members sought changes to expand the valet parking regulations citywide and possibly into the unincorporated areas of the parish.

City-Parish Director of Traffic and Transportation Tony Tramel said the proposed regulations are an attempt to control valet parking services that are already being offered, mainly by businesses in the downtown area that use the public right-of-way along the street.

“In some respects we are kind of playing catch-up here,” Tramel said. “… This is an attempt to try and control and regulate that, but in a very positive way.”

The proposed regulation would require that valet parking using the public right-of-way not impede traffic flow and not interfere with parking for nearby businesses.

The regulation would also require that businesses using valet parking have off-site parking and carry liability insurance of at least $1 million for any claims related to injuries or other damages in connection with valet parking services using the public right-of-way.

A vote on the proposed regulations was rescheduled for March 5.

Comments

1) Comment by TommyRucker - 20/02/2013

You know we are in trouble when a city government has to discuss garbage services behind closed doors. CORRUPTION is alive and well and rapidly growing in America. It is likely to replace drug traffic as the big business in America real soon. When you put big government (getting bigger all the time), movement toward dominating socialism, and increasing corruption in the same basket and at the same time in history, you have a system that will assure failure of any society. Unfortunately we have wimps today that are posing as 'the opposition' and are only being made to look like the foolish scapegoats that Obama wants them to be.

2) Comment by TommyRucker - 20/02/2013

This is the same government that is getting ready to raise our taxes. We would be better saved if these people would spend more time on trying to provide better VALUE for society rather than trying to find more ways to feed the ever consuming government services gorilla that cannot get enough taxpayer money. It looks like we have turned toward dominating socialism and at best we can only hope to slow things down but even that looks unlikely at this point as team Obama has people who believe in free enterprise on the run. When did Obama even mention the words "free enterprise"?? They must elicit a severe discomfort in him when he hears them or speaks them.

3) Comment by foldgers - 20/02/2013

These people are elected by WE the people! Why do we allow them to have all these closed door meetings? Every time I hear that, it just means back room deals in my mine. They hold a PUBLIC office. We have the right to know everything they do and say when it comes to our communities! Want to get rid of corruption? First step, abolish closed door, backroom meetings!