West Lafayette City Council talks redistricting

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - Plans are in the works to change the council districts for the West Lafayette City Council. But how many districts can the public expect to see?

Councilman Eddie VanBogaert wants to stay with the current setup, which has five districts and two at-large seats. Councilwoman Vicki Burch has proposed alternate maps, one being a 5-2 map and another that creates four districts with three at-large seats.

The decision was tabled until next month's meeting.

"I personally favor a five-district map because each district level representative represents fewer people and I think it's an opportunity for them to serve their constituents a little bit more directly," said VanBogaert.

"I thought it was good to present an option to not just have five districts and two at-large, but to present the option of four districts and three at-large. I think that would be especially good for the students," said Burk.

The council also approved the first reading of the funding process of the MetroNet fiber optic cable project. As News 18 has reported, the proposal will bring fiber optics directly to homes and businesses for internet, phone, and television, allowing for faster download speeds and a higher bandwidth for users.