Oklahoma City Mayor To Be Featured During Lafayette Chamber Of Commerce Annual Banquet

LAFAYETTE, La. (KPEL) -- Lafayette city and business officials will look to learn some lessons from the past as the Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce's annual banquet gets underway Wednesday. And perhaps there could be no better mentor from that past than the mayor of a city that has been forced to reinvent itself following the oil bust of the 1980's.

Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett will be the keynote speaker at this year's banquet.

Oklahoma City decided to take the future into its own hands by forming partnerships between government and private business. The result has been a remarkable turnaround that has "catapulted Oklahoma City to one of this country's most successful cities," according to the Chamber of Commerce.

Where Oklahoma City was forced to take action because of difficult times, though, Lafayette City-Parish President Joey Durel said Thursday morning during his weekly "Lafayette Live" segment on "Mornings With Ken and Bernie" that the city is looking to create those successful partnerships between the public and private sectors now while the local economy is still very strong.

The city has been sponsoring a series of public forums in recent months where residents get together to provide their input toward what's being called a comprehensive master plan. Turnout out at these forums has been relatively good, but Durel said things could always be better.

"This is probably...the least expensive thing your community will ever ask you to do," Durel said. "All we're asking you to do is show up. Just participate...Your opinion is very very important to us."

The Chamber's annual banquet gets underway Wednesday Feb. 20 from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. You can register to attend here.