A Council member must be at least eighteen (18) years of age and a qualified elector of the district from which he/she is elected at the time of qualification. A Council member must also have been legally domiciled and have actually resided for at least one (1) year in the Parish of Lafayette and six (6) months immediately preceding the time established by law for qualifying for office in an area which, at the time of qualification, is within the district from which elected. A Council member is also required to continue to be legally domiciled and to actually reside within the district from which elected during the term of office. A Council member who has served more than two and a half (2 1/2) terms in three (3) consecutive terms shall not be eligible to qualify as a candidate for Council member for the succeeding term.

All meetings of each Council and their committees are open to the public in accordance with the provisions of general state law. The Councils determine, by resolution, their own rules and order of business and provide for keeping a record of their minutes and proceedings. All official actions of each Council are published in The Daily Advertiser, the official journal, within thirty (30) days of the action taken.

At all regular meetings of the Council(s), the Council(s) operate from an agenda which is published at least two (2) days, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, prior to the meetings in the legal section of the official journal. The agendas for special or emergency meetings are made available to the public as soon as practical prior to the meeting. Agendas are posted on the bulletin board at the main entrance doors of the building known as Lafayette City-Parish Hall, located at 705 West University Avenue.

Those wishing to address either Council are asked to complete a form located at the entrance to the meeting room prior to the call of the agenda item to which they wish to speak. Citizens are allotted three (3) minutes to speak.

All voting of the Councils is by roll call, with the ayes and nays recorded in the minutes of the Councils by the individual vote of each Council member. Not less than a majority of the authorized membership of the Council(s) shall constitute a quorum to transact business; however, if a quorum is lost during a meeting, a smaller number may recess from time to time and compel the attendance of absent members in the manner and subject to the penalties prescribed by Council rules.