One of the 76 items on today’s Lake Charles City Council agenda is the ordinance that will authorize the mayor to enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement with RENEW Lake Charles for the construction of a hotel and conference center on the grounds of the Event Center.

Local hotel owner and developer Nimesh Zaver, the CHO of Insignia Hotel Management in Lake Charles, wants the council to defer the decision.

On Tuesday, he sent the American Press a copy of the 35 questions addressed to the Lake Charles City Council “regarding the proposed Hilton Garden Inn downtown hotel.”

Zaver said the council should be given more time to review the hotel proposal. He thinks information provided by answers to the questions compiled by him and at least three other local hoteliers  “who have been invested in the community for over three decades and collectively make up over 50 percent of the non-casino hotel rooms in the market,” will help the council make a more informed decision.

Questions include which government officials made up the evaluation and selection committee for all proposals received?

Zaver’s questions include a quote from the selected developer’s proposal.

“We have analyzed the financial viability of the project as presented in the RFP and CBRE report. It is our opinion that the hotel contemplated to be built in the Civic Center parking lot is not feasible even with substantial government support.”

“What has substantially changed to counter the developer’s original sentiment,” he asks the council.

On Friday, Mayor Nic Hunter and partners from ReNew Lake Charles announced plans for the new hotel to be built on Event Center property to be donated by the city. He also announced a new amphitheater to be built on the land he proposes the city purchase from Hertz.

The ordinance authorizing the mayor of the city of Lake Charles to purchase the property will also come up for a vote at the meeting.

Wednesday’s final agenda item is the introduction and final action of an ordinance authorizing the city of Lake Charles to implement the 2025 Pay Matrix for the Lake Charles Fire Department.

The Lake Charles City Council meets at 5:30 at City Hall Council Chambers, 326 Pujo St.