The New Iberia City Council on Nov. 4 approved a resolution authorizing the mayor to negotiate an agreement with the Karen Paul Atkinson Lewis Foundation to allow Team Court services to operate in the city and accepted a state appropriation routed through the city to support Team Court operations.

Teen Court participants told the council that vaping and drug use are frequent referral reasons and that peer-to-peer outreach would be more effective than adult-led presentations. "We want to go into schools . . . and teach the kids not only about the problems," said Andrew Chambers, a Team Court participant, "but give them chances to get out of it and ways to hold on to something else." Carson Mallet, the sitting judge for Teen Court, described the program''which expunges records for participants who complete it''as both a deterrent and a remediation program: "If it's just deterrence, then it's ineffective because you're just punishing people. If it's just remediation, then it's ineffective because they're not having consequences."

The council formally introduced Resolution 25135 to let the mayor negotiate the agreement and later accepted Act 461 (2025 RLS) funds allocated by the state and designated a city representative to act on behalf of the city for Team Court spending (Resolution 25143). Council members urged the teens to bring back a concise marketing plan targeting students (including social platforms such as TikTok and Facebook) and to provide an annual summary of cases and outcomes. One council member said the city could help with publicity and nonfinancial support.

The council clarified that the city's role is administrative when it routes appropriations from the state: the funds "come through us" and the city must follow procurement rules before disbursing to the nonprofit, a staff member said. The council asked staff to ensure procurement compliance before any funds are released.

What happens next: The mayor's office will complete the negotiated agreement with the foundation, and staff will process state appropriations through established procurement steps. Teen Court volunteers were asked to return with a marketing plan and a short annual outcome report for the council.

Ending note: Council members praised the Teen Court students for peer-led remediation, encouraged a school outreach plan, and offered to assist with promotion once the group submits a marketing strategy.