City cites support of 'Plex

New Iberia Mayor Hilda Curry and Parks and Recreation Director Tony Migues took the opportunity at Tuesday’s City Council meeting to stress the city’s past and present support for the Louisiana PepperPlex.

The mayor and council also took steps toward the future by approving two groups’ meetings relating to the facility and unanimously approving repairs of lights damaged by Hurricane Gustav.

After a presentation by building inspector Jimmy Landry on various snags the Iberia Sports Complex Commission has hit obtaining permits for developments and buildings, Curry said to decrease holdups, department heads for planning and zoning, public works, wastewater, inspections and the fire department will meet and work with the Iberia Sports Complex Commission “to give them up-front information to make it easier” for them to progress.

Also, Councilman Robert Suire, Councilman Calvin Begnaud, Mayor Pro Tem Freddie DeCourt and local residents Mark Derouen, Gary Joseph and Joel Dugas are to look at the cooperative endeavor agreement and its amendments, which City Attorney Ted Haik said are “very confusing,” and streamline them. After that, the Iberia Sports Complex Commission and the Iberia Parish Government, which are the other parties in the agreement, would have to approve the new agreement.

“I think we need to start over again and have a new document,” said Curry.

Migues supplied the council with an itemized sheet of expenses the Parks and Recreation department had incurred at the PepperPlex in the past year.

The list specified $9,984 for grass cutting and weed eating, $2,790 for kitchen and cleaning supplies, $2,880 for garbage and litter pickup, $2,000 for sweeping, mopping and stocking concessions and $3,250 of fees not charged to the Evangeline Little League when they use the Cyr-Gates Center for registration.

Migues said in his report the city made a profit of $7,355 on concessions, but after payroll, that profit converted to a loss of $10,191. He added all these figures up for a total of $32,591 the city spent at the PepperPlex in the last year.

Curry also pointed out $75,000 the city spent in 2005 for three years of a farmer’s stubble, and for the farmer to prepare grounds. The property insurance, she said, is $3,400 annually.

Curry also refuted a claim made by former Councilman Dan Doerle in The Daily Iberian Feb. 12. Doerle said the city approved $8,000 in electricity bills from the Evangeline Little League’s facilities on Lewis Street be transferred toward bills at the PepperPlex, where they now play. Curry pointed to minutes from a 1999 meeting in which the city agreed to pay no more than $3,000 toward facilities in return for use of the facilities for New Iberia Police Department training services.

“I think the city has done more than its share,” Migues said.

The council also unanimously approved $11,500 to fix the PepperPlex lights damaged by Hurricane Gustav. Curry said she was concerned about the legality of paying for the repairs, since the Iberia Sports Complex Commission is a private board. Haik said it was fine to assist the group.

Curry and several council members reiterated their support for the PepperPlex, but said the city cannot allocate an unlimited amount of money to an entity that does not fall under city governance.

“If they want us to contribute more, maybe we should have more of a say,” said Councilwoman Peggy Gerac.

Councilman David Merrill said, “I don’t think we should be going overboard (with funding). Some agreement should have been made up front.”

Begnaud, who is a former board member of the Evangeline Little League, commended Migues for the itemized report, which Begnaud had requested.

“The (Iberia Sports Complex Commission) board members and the public didn’t know what we were spending out there,” said Begnaud, adding he is in “total favor” of supporting the PepperPlex.

Councilwoman Therese Segura and Curry also reiterated that the commission can apply for nonprofit funding from the city prior to its budget allocations.

“We want to do as much as we can for everybody, but there’s only so much to go around,” said Segura.

Iberia Sports Complex Commission President Troy Comeaux, who was not at the council meeting, has said though a private board, any and all improvements on the property will belong to the city at the end of the 25 years in the cooperative endeavor agreement.

“I support the PepperPlex completely,” Curry said. “But we have to be fiscally responsible and ethically and legally within our bounds.”