LAFAYETTE PARISH — Lafayette’s Parks, Arts, Recreation, and Culture department is on track for a major administrative restructuring that would add a new athletics division, centralize maintenance operations, and create new management positions across key areas.
Rachel Godeaux presented the restructuring plan to the Lafayette City Council on Tuesday. The recommendations stem from a five-month review of the department’s operations, which Godeaux said is intended to improve services and efficiency across the board.
Among the proposed changes is the creation of an athletics program manager position. Godeaux said that while the department currently has a supervisor in place, it isn’t enough to meet growing needs.
“What I’m hearing from our staff is we need dedicated management to athletics and programming,” she said.
The department’s internal review — led by the chief administrative officer — revealed several gaps in performance and capacity. One key finding: the Heymann Performing Arts Center is underutilized due to limited resources for booking major events.
Other proposed changes include:
- Expanding from six divisions to seven
- Hiring dedicated management for the Heymann Center to recruit talent and promote events
- Allowing sponsorships and fundraising to help offset costs
- Improving hiring timelines and training for staff
The department currently employs 112 workers across its various divisions.
A third-party review of the parks system is still ongoing.
Meanwhile, the City Council is also weighing a new fee structure for Graham Brown Park that could go into effect June 1. The proposed fees include $15 per hour for the batting cage, $35 per hour for field rentals, and $1,000 for full-day use of the facility.
“We want to give first priority to the Brown Park Association as they get ready to wrap up baseball season, and then after that, we’ll be able to offer this to the general public,” said Tim Sensley, Director of Parks, Arts, Recreation and Culture.
While a decision was deferred, the proposal would require residents to pay to rent the facility.
