NE Pushback
It was only last week that Mayor-President Monique Blanco held a press conference to announce her administration’s plans to move the NE Library project to the Holy Rosary Institute property, which is currently in redevelopment to become a major community hub on the Northside of Lafayette. As a former Catholic high school for African American girls, the site holds immense cultural significance for the community, and, as the Mayor noted, “offers improved connectivity and walkability from nearby landmarks such as Clark Field, Domingue Recreation Center, and Dr. Raphael A. Baranco Elementary School.”
Unfortunately, but not unexpectedly, conservative leaders have begun the campaign to push back against the library’s cost as well as the site change. First up is City Councilman Andy Naquin, who posted a complaint to his personal Facebook account about the fact that the new site will be leased from the property owner, the Society of the Holy Family (a non-profit). This, despite the fact that the Board of Control’s conservative majority (led by former board President Robert Judge) has spent years delaying the construction by repeatedly insisting on opening the library in a leased space.
Another of Naquin’s issues, apparently, is the cost of the project. The lease, $1 per year for 99 years, is not only standard language for this type of non-profit partnership, it’s also a great deal from a fiscal standpoint. It’s important to point out that this is money which has already been raised from taxes approved by the voters FOR THE LIBRARY. We’re talking about money sitting in the library’s fund balance – $8 million set aside by Councilman Kenneth Boudreaux in 2019 plus an additional $7 million from the fund balance.
I’ll also note that Naquin has been conspicuously silent about the MILLIONS of dollars wasted by the previous administration on useless drainage projects and kickbacks for cronies; his sudden concern for “taxpayer dollars” when the money will be spent in an African American neighborhood is not just disingenuous; it speaks volumes about the historic (and let’s face it, ongoing) suppression of Black communities and Black voices.
Here is our official response to Naquin’s post:
The important takeaway here is that ultra-conservative, anti-library forces are once again drawing the battle lines for a project which, frankly, should already be completed and serving the community. Those of us who value this library and what it means to the Northside need to make our voices heard.
Ultimately, the Parish Council will vote on moving this project forward. Every one of us needs to contact our Parish Council and let them know we feel the NE Library should move forward as soon as possible at the Holy Rosary Institute site.
We’ve made doing so super easy, with a simple letter action you can sign and send to all five Parish Councilmen with just a couple of clicks. Or, if you prefer to write your own letter, you can use our handy guide. Either way, we urge everyone who loves our library and wants to see it reach an underserved community to let the Parish Council know today.
LPL Board of Control Monthly Meeting
19 May 2025
On the Agenda:
- Not yet available
AGENDA
SPEAKER FORM
meeting audio
Post Meeting Analysis:
April’s meeting was one of the shortest and controversy-free board meetings in recent memory. It was over in less than 30 minutes, and saw only two votes: to approve last month’s minutes and to approve book discards. Everyone, it’s safe to say, was glad to get home a little earlier than usual.
One item of note, however, was the number of absent board members this month, including Robert Judge, Allan Moore, and Erasto Padron. Padron’s absences, in fact, seem to be becoming a habit.