Regular Meeting
November 20, 2014
City Council Chamber
City Council Regular Meeting News Summary November 20, 2014
Thursday, November 20, 2014 - New Orleans, LA - At today's regular City Council meeting, the Council passed ordinances providing for the adoption of the City's 2015 Capital and Operating Budgets, and establishing a program to sell certain tax adjudicated properties.
Resolutions were passed calling for the transfer of youth from Orleans Parish Prison to the Youth Study Center, declaring November 11 as "Anderson Family Smoke Detector Day" and approving bond refinancing for the Board of Liquidation. The Council also passed motions announcing the intent to call an election to consider an increase to the library's millage rate and rescheduling the December 1, 2014 Regular Council Meeting.
In other business, the Council supported HIV/AIDS awareness efforts and recognized the Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living.
Supported HIV/AIDS Awareness Efforts
In
honor of World AIDS Day on December 1st and New Orleans HIV/AIDS Awareness Week
from December 1st - 6th , the Council presented a Proclamation to
community-based service organizations for their support of individuals affected
by HIV/AIDS and their efforts to raise awareness for HIV/AIDS
testing.
Representatives from Community High
Impact Program (CHIP), NO/AIDS Task Force and Policy Fellow Change provided
statistics on the number of individuals affected by HIV/AIDS locally and
statewide, as well as information about their efforts to fight the stigma
surrounding HIV/AIDS through intelligent, factual and non-judgmental community
discourse.
District "B" Councilmember Cantrell
said, "As Community Development Committee Chair, health and wellness have always
been top priorities. Our City is rich with resources, but we still have many
individuals who are without care due to a lack of information or access. Great
strides have been made in HIV/AIDS treatment and care and we are committed to
expanding healthcare access for affected individuals locally, regionally, and
statewide."
Rescheduled December 1, 2014 Regular Council Meeting
The Council passed Motion M-14-519, coauthored by
Councilmembers Head and Williams, to make a change to the Regular Council
Meeting Schedule for the year 2014, which moves the Monday, December 1, 2014
Regular Council Meeting to Thursday, December 4, 2014 at 10:00 a.m. in the
Council Chamber. The Council also passed Motion M-14-522 which
ensures items which were scheduled to be heard on December 1st will be heard at
the December 4th meeting.
Recognized the Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living
The Council received a
presentation from members of the Coalition for Tobacco-Free Living recognizing
the Louisiana Campaign for Tobacco-Free Living (LCTFL). LCTFL is a statewide
initiative that "envisions a healthier Louisiana through 100% tobacco-free
living." The campaign's initiatives focus on: eliminating exposure to secondhand
smoke; tobacco prevention among youth; promoting tobacco cessation among youth
and adults; identifying and eliminating tobacco related disparities; and
coordinating various tobacco control and prevention initiatives throughout
Louisiana.
The Coalition, in partnership
with the Office of District "B" Councilmember Cantrell, worked to highlight the
benefits of smoke-free environments during New Orleans' Smoke-Free Week 2.0 from
November 12- 20. The initiatives also focused on participation in today's
American Cancer Society Great American Smokeout, which is an annual national
event that encourages smokers to make a plan to quit smoking on the third
Thursday of November. The Coalition's collective initiatives culminated in an
Ordinance introduced today by Councilmember Cantrell relative to the prohibition
of smoking of tobacco, tobacco products, natural or synthetic marijuana, other
plant products, and/or the use of electronic smoking devices in public places
such as bars and casinos. The Council's Community Development Committee will
consider this item at its next meeting in January of 2015.
District "B" Councilmember
Cantrell said, "In New Orleans, we have a strong coalition of public health
leaders, advocates, and national organizations who are committed to making our
city and state tobacco free for all employees, particularly bar employees,
gaming facility employees, and entertainers. I will continue to support this
initiative as we strive to create healthier living and working environments for
all our residents."
Called for Transfer of Youth from Orleans Parish Prison to Youth Study Center
The Council passed Resolution R-14-527, co-authored by
Councilmembers Guidry, Williams and Cantrell, calling for the safe and
expeditious removal of all youth from Orleans Parish Prison (OPP) to the City of
New Orleans' Youth Study Center (YSC). Councilmembers Head, Williams, Guidry and
Cantrell voted in support of the Resolution and Councilmembers Ramsey, Brossett
and Gray voted against the Resolution.
The Resolution defines "youth" as
a person who was 14, 15, or 16 when he or she allegedly committed an offense
which resulted in transfer from juvenile court jurisdiction to criminal court
jurisdiction, and who has not yet reached the age of 18. The majority of the
youth in OPP are housed in protective isolation due to their high risk of
becoming victims of physical and sexual abuse. Routine isolation is known to
cause paranoia, anxiety and depression, and studies by the Federal Bureau of
Justice, National Prison Rape Elimination Commission, and Centers for Disease
Control have demonstrated that youth incarcerated with adults are at a higher
risk for suicide, sexual assault, and subsequent arrests.
In response to
complaints of unconstitutional conditions of confinement filed by youth housed
at OPP, the prison is currently under a federal consent decree which requires
that youth housed at OPP be kept separately from adults and be given
"developmentally appropriate mental health and programming services." OPP has
not taken any significant steps to provide these services and the OPP facilities
are not equipped to house youth safely, constitutionally, nor cost-effectively.
The YSC, which is operated by the City of New Orleans for the housing of
pre-trial juveniles and transfer youth, has demonstrated the ability to provide
appropriate housing and programming for youth in a secure and constitutional
environment.
The Council's resolution requests that Orleans Parish
Sheriff Marlin Gusman and the City of New Orleans take any and all necessary
steps to remove all youth from OPP and house these youth at the YSC with the
understanding that additional resources may be necessary to facilitate this
transfer. The resolution also officially designates the YSC as the appropriate
facility in Orleans Parish for the housing of youth who are prosecuted as adults
and detained prior to trial.
District "A" Councilmember Guidry
said, "This resolution will begin a process to correct a currently untenable
situation. We look forward to working with Mayor Landrieu and the task force to
develop a process for the safe and expeditious removal of these juvenile
offenders from Orleans Parish Prison."
Council Vice President Williams
said, "Moving the youth out of Orleans Parish Prison is legally, economically
and morally imperative. Here in Orleans Parish we have children who are being
housed in a prison facility that is purposed for adults. This environment
subjects many of them to violence, physical, sexual and mental abuse, and
keeping them there is not an acceptable solution. The Youth Study Center
provides a commendable alternative that will protect and better serve these
youth."
Established "Mow to Own" Program
The Council
adopted Ordinance Calendar No. 30,240, authored by
Councilmember Cantrell, establishing a "Mow to Own" program to sell certain tax
adjudicated properties deemed eligible by the City to adjoining and eligible
property owners who have maintained neighboring properties for at least one year
before the sale as permitted by state law, and providing for policies and
procedures that will govern the initiative.
In the past, tax delinquent
properties which have been adjudicated to the City have previously been sold at
auction to the highest bidder; the "Mow to Own" program establishes rules to
sell the properties at market value to neighbors who have performed upkeep for
one year. The program will honor, reward, and encourage neighbors to invest in
their neighborhood and transfer neglected property to those who have made a
commitment to maintain it.
District "B" Councilmember
Cantrell said, "This program is a major step forward in reducing blight around
New Orleans and rewarding citizens who are dedicated to the upkeep and
well-being of their communities."
Adopted 2015 Capital & Operating Budgets, Ad Valorem Taxes
The
Council adopted
Ordinance Calendar No. 30,393
providing a Capital Budget for 2015, Ordinance
Calendar No. 30,394
providing an Operating Budget of Revenues for 2015, and
Ordinance Calendar No. 30,395
providing an Operating Budget of Expenditures for 2015. The Capital Budget
totals $10.25 million and the Operating Budget totals $966 million, of which
$536.8 million makes up the General Fund.
The Council received the Mayor's
proposed budget on October 15th and conducted a series of budget hearings which
included presentations from representatives of City Departments, the Mayor's
Office, the Courts, the District Attorney, the Sheriff, outside agencies, boards
and commissions.
In other
budgetary matters, the Council passed Ordinance Calendar No. 30,391 to levy ad valorem taxes on the assessed value of all
property subject to taxation in the City of New Orleans and to levy ad valorem
taxes on property located in the City's special security districts for the year
of 2015. This action by the Council is an annual requirement as a part of the
budgeting process. The Council also passed Ordinance Calendar No. 30, 392, relative to the levy of fees on property in special
security and improvement tax districts in the City for the year
2015.
Announced Intent to Call Election for Consideration of Library Millage
The Council passed Motion M-14-525,
authored by Councilmember Head, to formally announce the Council's intent to
call an election for May 2, 2015 for the consideration of an increase of 2.5
mills in the ad valorem tax for the public library. This would increase the
library millage rate from 3.14 mills to 5.64 mills on the dollar of assessed
property values and would take effect January 1, 2016. The Council will take
further action on this at its January 8, 2015 Regular
Meeting.
"For
many children, libraries provide a portal to the world, giving them access to
books, computers and other resources they do not have at home," said District
"E" Councilmember James A. Gray II. "We have a moral and civic obligation to
provide all of our children with the tools they need to realize their dreams. We
need to provide help on the front end, so they will grow and develop into the
adults we want them to be," he said.
Approved Bond Refinancing for Board of Liquidation
The Council passed Resolution R-14-524 approving the issuance of not exceeding $27 million of
Limited Tax Revenue and Refunding Bonds, Series 2015 by the City of New Orleans
acting through the Board of Liquidation, City Debt. The Bonds are proposed to be
issued for the purposes of refinancing all or a portion of the outstanding
bonds; paying the costs of capital improvements into the City; and paying the
costs of issuance of the Bonds.
Supported Public Awareness Campaigns Promoting Smoke Detector Installation
The
Council passed Resolution R-14-517, authored by Councilmember
Cantrell, declaring November 11th henceforth as "Anderson Family Smoke Detector
Day," the goal of which is to increase public awareness about the importance of
smoke alarm installations and maintenance in all homes in New
Orleans.
Following the deaths of 2 adults and 3 children from
a fire at the Anderson family home in Broadmoor on November 11, 2014, the
Council, in collaboration with the Mayor and New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD),
identified the need for a fire prevention public education initiative aimed at
providing citizens with information about the importance of installing smoke
detectors in homes without them, as well as how to perform regular maintenance
and testing of installed smoke detectors.
The Resolution also encourages the Orleans Parish
School Board and Recovery School District to collaborate with the NOFD to launch
public awareness campaigns through student assemblies and parent-teacher
organizations to educate students about fire hazards in homes and the importance
of smoke detector installation and testing. District "B" Councilmember Cantrell
worked with the NOFD to perform a canvassing of the Broadmoor neighborhood to
install smoke detectors in homes. Since that time, the NOFD has been contacted
by more than 1,000 residents requesting smoke detector installations and has
installed more than 500 thus far. Residents may call (504) 658-4713 to request
smoke detector installation.
District "B" Councilmember Cantrell said, "I want to
commend the Broadmoor community for taking a terrible tragedy and using it as an
opportunity to help make sure no other family has to experience this kind of
horror. Every home should have a smoke detector. This is a call to action for
all of our citizens to take the initiative to make sure their homes have a
properly installed and fully functioning smoke detector."