Time is of the essence for City Council

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Two major discussions in West Lafayette City Council come with two divided votes. Now, time is running out for the Council to draw the maps on new council districts.

There were two maps up for discussion Monday night, both with five districts and two at-large seats. One, favored by the Area Plan staff, keeps each council person in his or her current district and keeps the population of each district a little more equal. The other, favored by the council, keeps everyone in the same neighborhood in the same district. But it places the homes of both Ann Hunt and Vicki Burch in District 3.
    
Early on, in a four to two vote, the Council voted down the proposal favored by Area Plan staff. The new districts, based on new census data, must be turned in by Dec. 31. To do that, the council had to unanimously agree to suspend their rules and have two readings at Monday night's meeting. But the vote to do that was also four to two, so the second reading was not possible.
    
Mayor John Dennis said a special meeting will be needed to make a decision or the city could be in trouble.

"There's no technical penalty. However, the city is subject to further litigation because of a lack of equal districting," Dennis said.

Also at Monday night's meeting, the council approved the first reading to approve a new stormwater fee for property owners. As News 18 reported last week, residents will pay $8 a month which will cover one Equivalent Residential Unit, or ERU, which equals 3,200 square feet. Non-residential property owners will pay $8 for every additional ERU of property. Vicki Burch was the only one to vote against it, saying she had originally thought, and told her constituents, that the fee would be $5.

That ordinance will move to a second reading in January. The fee would go into effect in January of 2014. City leaders said that gives the city, the school corporation, churches and other businesses a year to plan and budget.