Leslie Turk

Advertiser blunder brings LCG to halt

by Leslie Turk

The impact of the ongoing cuts at The Daily Advertiser have spilled over into City Hall. Minutes ago, Lafayette City-Parish Council Administrative Assistant Janet Gianelloni issued a notice that the council's Jan. 20 meeting has been canceled because the daily paper of record did not publish the agenda today. As required by the Home Rule Charter, "at all regular meetings of the Council, the Council shall operate from an agenda which shall have been published at least two (2) days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, prior to the meeting.”

"It just didn't get done," Gianelloni tells the INDsider.

Maybe the person responsible for getting the public notice published is on a Gannett-ordered, unpaid vacation.

Gianelloni's cancellation notice also states:

All items currently on the January 20 agenda will be postponed until the February 3 agenda (with the exception of the “Comments from the Public” section). In accordance with the Council’s rules, this section must be on an agenda each month and will thus appear on the January 27 agenda. Should it be deemed imperative that any final adoption ordinances cannot wait until February 3, then those will also be placed on the January 27 agenda.

Although it could be suggested that the meeting be held the following day, the Charter again requires that all introductory ordinances “lay over” for a two week period and this would mean all meetings would have to follow a Wednesday rotation until April. It was the consensus to hold over the introductory items on the January 20 agenda until the February 3 agenda in order to maintain the Tuesday meeting schedule. This stresses the importance of ensuring proper publications in order to be in compliance with the Home Rule Charter.