After a recently announced change to parking meters in Downtown Lafayette, Mayor-President Josh Guillory said those changes will be put on hold.
The proposed changes included doubling meter fees and 24/7 monitoring and were supposed to take effect on January 19. Guillory now says that after receiving feedback from downtown stakeholders, he's willing to wait on enforcing those changes and to continue dialogue with those who would be affected.
Parking is one of three areas of focus in a plan Guillory and his administration recently put forth in an effort to make the downtown area safer and more prosperous. The plan also centers around loitering and public safety, but after receiving strong feedback regarding the proposed parking changes, Guillory said he will wait until all parties have reached a consensus on each part of the plan before enforcing any changes. He added he'd like to continue to engage with Downtown Lafayette stakeholders and the public in order to achieve a better end result.
Downtown Development Authority CEO Anita Begnaud added that DDA is committed to assisting in gathering feedback and finding a consensus. Begnaud explained that anyone with an interest or stake in the Downtown Lafayette area should be involved in the conversation, including residents, property owners, and even law enforcement.
Towards that end, Downtown Development Authority and Downtown Lafayette Unlimited is inviting the public to attend a public forumon Wednesday, February 3, from 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM.
This event will be held virtually and in person, with a maximum of 50 in-person attendees to comply with COVID-19 event guidelines
They are encouraging those interested to register their attendance as soon as possible. If someone is unable to attend the event in person, or if the event reaches maximum in-person capacity, you can still RSVP to tune in via the Downtown Lafayette Facebook page.
Downtown Lafayette says the forum will focus on the following:
- What the Downtown Lafayette Action Plan has to say about parking management
- Exploring how other cities’ parking programs work in their downtowns
- Have an interactive opportunity to give feedback that will be compiled to share with the LCG Administration
The proposed changes caught many downtown business owners and employees off guard, with many telling KATC they were worried the increased rates would drive away customers.
READ MORE: Increased parking rates causing problems for downtown businesses
If you missed Tuesday's meeting, you can watch the live stream here.
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