Regular Meeting
June 19, 2014
City Council Chamber
City Council Regular Meeting News Summary June 19, 2014
Thursday,
June 19, 2014 - New Orleans, LA - At
today's regular City Council meeting, the Council adopted an Ordinance amending
the 2014 Capital Budget to appropriate funds to the Department of Public Works
for street lighting. The Council also passed Motions authorizing funding
disbursements to the Orleans Parish School Board and the Recovery School
District, and supporting the City's hosting of the 2014 NACo Conference and
Exhibition. The Council passed Resolutions urging the Mayor to apply for a
Community Policing Development Program grant, and supporting a Senate Bill
establishing a process for the recovery of misused/misappropriated disaster
recovery funds.
In other business, the Council supported
the Oak Lofts residential and commercial development on Oak Street, received a
presentation from Lighthouse Louisiana outlining the services they provide to
the blind and visually impaired communities in Louisiana, and presented
Proclamations recognizing city employees for outstanding
service.
Additionally, the Council convened in Executive Session to
address pending litigation:
- New Orleans Firefighters Pension and Relief Fund v. City of New Orleans,
Civil District Court No. 2012-7061
Issued Proclamations Recognizing City Employees
The Council issued
Proclamations recognizing the recipients of the Mayor's Outstanding Employees
Award for the first quarter of 2014. The award, which was started last year and
is awarded each quarter, recognizes city employees who have been nominated for
exceptional service by either a city employee or citizen.
Award recipients for the
first quarter of 2014 are:
- Page McCranie, Americans
with Disabilities Act Compliance Administrator
- Detective William Mullaly, New Orleans Police Department
- Deborah Seward, Electrical Property Management
- Captain Troy Magee, New Orleans Fire Department
- Cedric Palmisano, Special Events Planning Coordinator for New Orleans
Emergency Medical Services
Council President Head
said, "City Hall employees are some of the most wonderful people I have ever had
the pleasure of working with. It was an honor to spotlight a few of the 'best of
the best' today. They work tirelessly, and often thanklessly, for the citizens
of this city and I thank them for their service and dedication!"
Authorized Funding Disbursement for Orleans Parish Public School Projects
The Council passed Motion M-14-259, authored by Councilmember Cantrell, approving a disbursement of funds to the Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB) and the Recovery School District (RSD). Pursuant to a lease agreement with the City, the funds are collected by the City from Jazz Casino Company, LLC (Harrah's) in the amount of $2M per fiscal year for use by OPSB for capital projects.
The funds are subject to disbursement by the City Council. Earlier this year, the Council passed Resolution R-14-75, which required OPSB to submit and present a detailed plan on the proposed use of the funds to the Education Committee prior to disbursement of the funds. The responsibilities of the Education Committee have since been transferred to the Community Development Committee, created as a result of Motion M-14-132, passed at the Council's April 24th meeting, which reorganized the Council's standing Committees.
A representative from OPSB presented a plan before the Community Development Committee on June 11. During the meeting, OPSB and RSD also presented jointly on a shared Cooperative Endeavor Agreement, wherein both entities have agreed to better maximize shared resources and funds, such as the Harrah's allocations. After receiving the presentations, the Community Development Committee recommended approval of the disbursement of funds.
Today, the Council approved a disbursement of approximately $1.1 million to OPSB for repairs to Eleanor McMain High School. The Council also approved a disbursement of approximately $2.8 million to RSD for: school enrollment support and interpreters; youth opportunity center and therapeutic setting; support for expelled youth; support for transitioning high school students; the rapid repair fund; and planned facility repairs.
Community Development Committee Chair District "B" Councilmember Cantrell said, "The Community Development Committee was especially pleased to see a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement between OPSB and RSD to jointly administer and operate a truancy center with wrap around services for some of our most vulnerable youth. It is a historic and welcome development to see these two entities working closely together to create a solution for a pressing and entrenched problem."
Approved $1.7M Appropriation for Streetlights
The Council passed
Ordinance Calendar No. 30,208, co-authored by Councilmembers
Head, Brossett, Cantrell, Guidry and Williams, to amend and re-ordain
Ordinance No. 25,579 M.C.S., the 2014 Capital Budget, to
appropriate $1.7M to the Department of Public Works for streetlight
infrastructure.
The funds come from the Capital Infrastructure Fund, a millage set up
in 1995 for capital projects and equipment purchases. The $1.7M is the remaining
amount of unallocated funds from this millage for 2014. These funds are to be
used for the infrastructure portion of the City's streetlights, including but
not limited to the streetlight poles and internal wiring.
Council
President Head said, "Fully functioning, durable, and reliable streetlights are
a critical part of improving quality of life and reducing crime in all our
city's neighborhoods. These funds will be used to repair streetlights that are
currently broken, including critical capital infrastructure and
equipment."
Urged City to Apply for Community Policing Grant
The Council passed Resolution R-14-261, introduced by
Councilmember Brossett, urging the Mayor to apply for a Fiscal Year 2014 Office
of Community Oriented Policing
Services (COPS) Community Policing Development Program grant on behalf of
the City.
COPS, a U.S. Department of Justice office, aims to increase the
practice of community policing in both state and local law enforcement. COPS
prioritizes information sharing, use of best practices, development of community
partnerships, and the utilization of proactive and systematic problem solving
techniques to address public safety issues.
The grant funds will be used
to fund projects including Critical Response Assistance, Using Community
Policing to Combat Violence, and Minority Youth Violence
Prevention.
District "D" Councilmember Brossett said, "Community policing
techniques complement the strategies and tactics currently used in our City for
crime prevention. These grant funds could directly support programs tailored to
address the specific needs of our neighborhoods."
Supported Oak Lofts Development
The Council approved Zoning Docket No. 42/14, requesting a
Conditional Use to permit a residential/commercial development with more than
10,000 square feet of floor area in a C-1A General Commercial District at the
addresses 8610-8622 Oak Street, the Oak Lofts development.
The Oak Lofts
will be a 22 unit, 4-story development including a health club on the first
floor. The project went through the Neighborhood Participation Program process,
which included meetings with the developer, residents and the Carrollton
Riverbend Neighborhood Association and the Oak Street Business Association.
These meetings resulted in a reduction in the building's height and number of
units, as well as an increase in provided parking spaces.
District "A"
Councilmember Guidry said, "This project is a shining example of the
Neighborhood Participation Program in action. The neighborhood associations,
residents, and developer worked collaboratively to address concerns and
ultimately have developed a plan that both the community and the developer agree
will be a tremendous asset to the flourishing Oak Street
corridor."
Supported Establishment of Process for Recovery of Disaster Funds
The Council passed Resolution R-14-262, authored by
Councilmember Cantrell, acknowledging the Council's support of SB441 and
encouraging Governor Jindal to sign the legislation, which passed both the
Louisiana House of Representatives and Louisiana Senate unanimously during the
2014 legislative session
Authored by Senator J.P. Morrell, SB441
establishes a process by which Louisiana's Office of Community Development
Disaster Recovery Unit (OCD) can recover funds, provided as a result of the
devastation caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, which were improperly paid to
or misspent by recipients.
The process, as outlined in SB441 prohibits
OCD from initiating recovery of disaster monies until the following requirements
are implemented:
- Documentation from OCD that any letter sent to a recipient seeking
confirmation of disaster monies paid was received at the person's correct
municipal address;
- Letters sent to recipient must clearly
indicate the information needed to verify that disaster monies were used in
accordance with program rules;
- Recipient must have a minimum of 90 days to
respond to OCD;
- Recovery procedures must be developed by
October 1, 2014.
District "B" Councilmember Cantrell said, "Even though many of our residents are still struggling
with the long process of rebuilding their homes after Hurricanes Katrina and
Rita, they have been receiving letters from the Office of Community Development
(OCD), the department that administers the Road Home program, demanding
repayment of money for non-compliance. This legislation will ensure that OCD's
efforts to recover funds will include a fair and reasonable process for our
citizens, providing them with proper information about what kind of
documentation they need to provide and adequate time to
respond."
Supported City’s Hosting of 2014 NACo Conference
The Council passed
Motion M-14-255, co-authored by Councilmembers Head and
Williams, authorizing the Council President to execute a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) between the City of New Orleans and the National Association of
Counties (NACo) relative to the hosting and staging of the NACo 79th Annual
Conference and Exposition taking place in New Orleans July 11-14,
2014.
Founded in 1935, NACo is the only
national organization that represents county governments throughout the U.S. The
organization currently assists 3,069 counties in pursuing excellence in public
service to produce healthy, vibrant, safe and resilient counties.
The annual conference provides county
officials with opportunities to vote on NACo's policies relative to federal
legislation, interact with governmental colleagues, elect new officers, explore
innovative programs, and identify issues that are impacting counties throughout
the nation. This year's conference will include events showcasing each of
Louisiana's parishes by featuring regional beverages, cuisine, music and
culture.
In 2008, Orleans Parish submitted a
proposal to host the 2014 NACo conference, supported by a Council Resolution,
and the offer was accepted by NACo's Board of Directors.
Council President Head said, "It is a
privilege to host this gathering of leaders and public officials. The Memorandum
of Understanding reinforces the Council's commitment to work closely with our
partners to promote this year's NACo Annual Conference and Exposition and
properly receive guests as they visit and experience all that New Orleans has to
offer."
Received Presentation from Lighthouse Louisiana
The Council received a presentation from representatives from Lighthouse Louisiana outlining the various services
provided by the organization to the blind and visually impaired communities of
Southeast Louisiana, and the organization's economic impact to the City of New
Orleans.
Founded in 1915, Lighthouse
Louisiana is a nonprofit entity that exists to serve the visually impaired
community by fostering independence and self-reliance, and providing products
and services designed to assist visually impaired individuals. Specifically, the
organization provides job training and employment opportunities through the
organization's manufacturing operation. At the New Orleans location, visually
impaired individuals oversee and facilitate the manufacturing of paper towels,
repackaging of kitchen and bathroom scrubbers and other products.
The Lighthouse Louisiana
representatives asked the Council and local businesses to support the
organization's services and encouraged city government to create job
opportunities for individuals who are blind or visually impaired.
District "B" Councilmember
Cantrell said, "I'm thankful for the innovative opportunities that Lighthouse
has created in the City of New Orleans for our blind and visually impaired
citizens. The organization's efforts to foster independence and provide job
opportunities are appreciated in this community and we will continue to support
Lighthouse's great
work."