Acadia Parish no longer has a seat on the Acadiana Planning Commission.
By a 4-3 vote at its July meeting, the Acadia Parish Police Jury decided to withhold its annual dues to the APC.
Amy Thibodeaux, president and CEO of the Acadia Parish Chamber of Commerce, tried in vain to convince jurors not to withdraw from the Commission.
“We are working with them right now on a lot of projects that will directly benefit Acadia Parish,” Thibodeaux said. “This is a beneficial relationship for economic development in the parish.”
But David Savoy, police jury president, said that, in addition to the annual dues, “the biggest problem I have is the number of meetings.”
He did not say how often the Commission meets, but Thibodeaux noted that, as president of the parish chamber, “I attend these meetings. That’s what my board pays me to do, be a voice for Acadia Parish locally, regionally, statewide and nationally.”
The APC serves the public sector in the planning and implementation of economic, community and transportation development throughout the seven-parish Acadiana Region, Acadia Parish included, according to Thibodeaux. They are designated to do so by the United States Economic Development Authority as an Economic Development District for the U.S. Department of Commerce.
“Many dollars for transportation, flood mitigation, and community development flow through the APC from the federal government,” she said.
According to Thibodeaux, Acadia Parish was asked to pay $10,638 for the 2019-20 membership in the Acadiana Planning Commission.
“That fee was returned hundreds-folds,” she said.
The Acadiana Planning Commission noted the following Acadia Parish-specific projects to date:
— $150,000 in 2019 Local Road Safety Projects;
— $18,000 Lexington Drive Roundabout Study;
— $2.8 million Lexington Drive Roundabout Construction;
— $166,000 Ride Acadiana Pilot Program;
— $90,000 2017 Local Road Safety Projects;
— $25,000 EPA Building Blocks Technical Assistance Grant;
— $30,000 Creative Placemaking Grant; and
— $20,000 Church Point EPA Brownfield Planning.
“For those of you counting, that is $3.3 million dollars in projects that have had a direct effect on Acadia Parish,” Thibodeaux said. “In addition to these Acadia Parish-specific projects, the Commission has deployed nearly $11 million to conduct regional projects, which all have an impact on Acadia Parish.
“With this 3-4 vote, Acadia Parish, will no longer receive the support and assistance of the Acadiana Planning Commission.”
Jurors voting to retain membership in the APC were Kerry Kilgore, Peter Joseph and Savoy.
Jurors voting against APC membership were Richard Faul, Jimmie Pellerin, Ronnie Fabacher and Chuck Broussard.
Robert Guidry was not present.
