Lafayette may charge homeowners in unincorporated areas for fire response

Advocate, The (Baton Rouge, LA)

Aug. 8--The Lafayette City-Parish Council may consider charging homeowners when the city fire department responds to fires in unincorporated parts of the parish.

City property owners pay a tax for fire protection. Property owners in unincorporated parts of the parish do not. In December, voters in unincorporated areas rejected a proposed tax that would have established a fire protection district.

The subject came up Thursday during a 2019-20 budget meeting.

Councilman Bruce Conque asked if the city is being reimbursed by homeowners or filing claims with homeowners insurance when the Lafayette Fire Department responds to fires in the parish.

Fire Chief Robert Benoit said the city seeks reimbursement for hazardous materials calls to businesses, but not to homes. There is $10,000 in the budget for the city to respond to fires in unincorporated areas for a full year. Councilman Kenneth Boudreaux said that doesn't cover the city's cost.

It cost the city of Lafayette an estimated $2,000 to respond to a recent fire on Seafood Lane in unincorporated Lafayette Parish, Councilman Kenneth Boudreaux said.

While the city's firefighters and trucks were fighting a fire outside the city, Boudreaux said, that "left every house in north Lafayette unprotected."

People in unincorporated areas said in the December election they don't want to pay for fire protection, he said.

"We no longer want to pay for their protection," Boudreaux added.

Conque requested for an Aug. 29 budget wrap-up meeting an opinion on whether the city can charge unincorporated homeowners when the city fire department responds to their fires.

Also during Thursday's budget meeting, Boudreaux requested an amendment to eliminate about $400,000 in external appropriations to seven volunteer fire departments in the parish.

The amounts include Broussard Volunteer Fire Department, $57,547; Carencro, $85,154; Duson, $18,464; Judice, $42,904; Milton, $40,382; Scott, $86,627; and Youngsville, $81,507.

The state provides a rebate to the city of Lafatette for fire protection based on population, Benoit said. All the other fire departments receive rebates based on the population of their town plus unincorporated areas of the parish they cover, he said.

"I want the city of Lafayette fire department to get the credit it deserves," Boudreaux said.

The money, he said, will be reinstated to the budget for the fire departments once the council receive accurate numbers on which fire department responds to unincorporated areas.

The budget is not final. A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Aug. 20 during a regular council meeting.

The council will consider amendments at a 1 p.m. meeting Aug. 29. Final adoption is at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 5. All meetings are at City Hall, 705 W. University Ave.

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