Lafayette Utilities System is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the day Lafayette voters approved the fiber initiative.

City-Parish President Joey Durel on Tuesday declared July LUS Fiber Month to recognize the anniversary.

On July 16, 2005, voters in Lafayette gave LUS permission to issue up to $125 million in revenue bonds to build the fiber system.

At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Durel said just months after he took office in 2004, LUS Director Terry Huval approached him with the idea of expanding the city’s fiber optic ring to businesses and residences, and offering high-speed Internet, telephone and video service.

The 9th most conservative city in the country took a leap and approved the LUS fiber initiative, Durel said. Of those who voted, 62 were in favor of the program, he said.

“Without the people of Lafayette voting yes, none of this happens,” Durel said.

The intent behind the fiber initiative was economic development and job creation, he said.

“It’s more than phone bills and it’s more than Internet speeds,” said Dee Stanley, chief administrative officer for Lafayette Consolidated Government.

It’s about next-generation, next-century infrastructure that is attracting next-generation companies like CGI, Perficient and Enquero, creating 1,100 direct jobs and an estimated $55 million annual payroll, Stanley said.

“This initiative took a lot of political courage by a lot of people,” especially Durel, Huval said.

As part of LUS Fiber Month, residential customers with Internet service automatically have access to up to 1 gig for free through July, Huval said.