CARENCRO, La. — After decades of calling Carencro Park home, the Carencro Area Youth Sports Inc. has decided to part ways.
City officials say this comes after citing administrative issues that have gone unresolved for years.
Back in March, a city council meeting confirmed this when concerns were raised about the organization's compliance with basic requirements to continue operating at the park.
City Council members said CAYSI failed to provide necessary documentation.
“We don’t have the certificate of insurance requirements, don’t have the list of the current board members, and don’t have the IRS documents,” said officials.
Carencro City Councilman Jordan Arceneaux said the city has worked with CAYSI in hopes of resolving these paperwork issues.
“We’ve worked with them for over four years to try and make this work, and we never have,” Arceneaux said.
City officials also attempted to verify CAYSI’s nonprofit status through the IRS database for 501(c)(3) organizations but were unable to find a matching record.
A 501(c)(3) is a type of nonprofit organization recognized by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the United States. This recognition is granted under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code and allows the organization to be exempt from federal income tax.
At the March meeting, it was noted that the city has the legal right to terminate the existing Cooperative Endeavor Agreement, a binding contract outlining responsibilities between the city and the organization at any time without penalty.
Arceneaux explained the city offered two alternatives. CAYSI could continue using the park free of charge, including access to concession stands to raise money for the program. He also said the city has usually budgeted around $10,000 a year for the program to buy equipment. Cited by the Louisiana Auditor, CAYSI needs to have a cooperative endeavor agreement and without a signed agreement, that arrangement is no longer legally viable.
“They did not—or would not—sign the Cooperative Endeavor Agreement and abide by it,” Arceneaux said. “They’re still welcome to use the park, like anybody else, but they will need to pay like everyone else does. It's a resource of the city that they will need to pay for. I'm certain we could have come up with a very reasonable rate that they could have rented the park for, but they chose not to go that route."
He added that while some documents were submitted, they did not meet requirements set by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, preventing the city from continuing its formal partnership with the organization.
“It’s unfortunate,” Arceneaux said. “CAYSI is an amazing organization that’s been around for decades. It’s provided a sense of community and kept kids safe. The value of that can’t be overstated, which is why we worked so hard to keep them in Carencro.”
In a statement, Mayor Charlotte Clavier says:
“The City of Carencro will establish its own parks youth program for the upcoming fall. We are looking forward to providing recreational activities for those interested. Anyone who would like to volunteer or coach can contact City Hall for more information.”
CAYSI announced recently via social media that the organization will continue.
“We are still fully operational and will continue to serve the community and grow athletes with the same commitment as always. We are opening a new chapter and plan to collaborate with Lafayette PARC, Brown Park, CSA, SATS, and SWA. Giving our kids places to express their talents.”
KATC reached out to CAYSI multiple times for an interview, but they were unresponsive.
