Regular Meeting
July 02, 2020 10:00 AM
Virtual Meeting
NOTICE
REGULAR MEETING OF NEW ORLEANS CITY COUNCIL
[Physically posted on July 1, 2020 at 9:42 a.m.]
The New Orleans City Council will conduct its next regular meeting via teleconference only on July 2, 2020 at 10:00 AM.
Access Information
The meeting may be accessed using the following methods:
Live Stream of Meeting: https://council.nola.gov/home/
Live Television Broadcast: Cox Cable Channel 6 in Orleans Parish
Agenda Information
Copies of the agenda are available at https://council.nola.gov
Public Comment
Because of the unprecedented logistical and public health challenges presented by COVID-19, public comment will proceed as follows:
- Only written public comment will be allowed. Live comment will not be permitted.
- At the beginning of the meeting, the moderator will read aloud the entire agenda. If the agenda includes a matter on which a vote is to be taken, the meeting will recess for 30 minutes so that members of the public may provide written public comment on any agenda item. If no vote is to be taken, public comment criteria may be modified by the presiding officer.
- Public comments should be submitted electronically using the E-public comment form available at https://council.nola.gov. Only fully completed online forms will be considered.
- No member of the public may submit more than one written comment per agenda item.
- Before the Council votes on an agenda item, a moderator will read into the record all comments pertaining to that item that have been submitted in accordance with these rules.
- Comments will be read aloud in a normal speaking voice. The moderator will discontinue reading a comment once it exceeds two minutes.
Any person seeking accommodation as a result of a disability or other circumstance should contact Council Chief of Staff Paul Harang at paul.harang@nola.gov.
Quorum Certification
This meeting is being conducted remotely pursuant to the authority conferred by Gubernatorial Proclamation 84 JBE 2020. In accordance with 84 JBE 2020, Sec. 2(C), this notice shall constitute a certification by the City Council that meeting by teleconference is necessary because of the social distancing mandates imposed by the Governor and the Mayor of the City of New Orleans and that the Council will be otherwise be unable to operate due to the quorum requirements of La. R.S. 42:19 – insofar as they mandate the physical presence of Councilmembers in one location.
In accordance with Act No. 302 of the 2020 Regular Session, the presiding officer hereby certifies that the meeting agenda is limited to one or more of the matters set forth in La. R.S. 42:17.1(A)(2)(a)-(c).
Notice
This notice and the accompanying agenda are being provided in accordance with La. R.S. 42:19(A)(1)(b)(iv).
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View completed agenda
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NEW ORLEANS - During today's virtual meeting, the City Council confirmed appointments to the Street Renaming Commission, voted to establish the Jerome "Big Duck" Smith Justice System Advisory Committee and re-established the Equal Pay Advisory Committee for another year.
Additionally, the Council adopted several resolutions supporting free transportation days for future citywide elections, further suspension of Entergy New Orleans service disconnects and the creation of the "A.P. Tureaud Cultural District."
Members Appointed to City Council Street Renaming Commission
The Council approved a series of motions confirming appointments to the City Council Street Renaming Commission. At the last regular meeting on June 18, the Council established the new advisory committee to initiate a public engagement process to consider renaming certain streets, parks and public places in New Orleans that honor white supremacists.
The Commission will consist of nine members with each Councilmember appointing one member and Mayor LaToya Cantrell and the City Planning Commission (CPC) appointing the remaining two members. The following individuals have been confirmed to serve on the Commission for terms ending June 18, 2021:
Member
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Appointed By
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Mark Raymond Jr.
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Councilmember Helena Moreno
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Paul Sterbcow
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Councilmember Joe Giarrusso
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Karl Connor
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Councilmember Jay H. Banks
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Gia Hamilton
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Councilmember Kristin Gisleson Palmer
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Kevin Jackson
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Councilmember Jared C. Brosset
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Richard Westmoreland
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Councilmember Jason Williams
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Bobbie Hill
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City Planning Commission
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Galethea Baham
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Councilmember Cyndi Nguyen
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Once members are appointed, the Commission has no more than three months from its first meeting to provide an initial report with its recommendations and hold a public meeting on that report a month later. The final report incorporating public feedback will be submitted to the Council within six months, and serve as the basis for district Councilmembers to begin the renaming process.
New Criminal Justice Advisory Committee to Review Allocation of City Resources
The Council passed Ordinance 33,019, authorizing the Jerome "Big Duck" Smith Justice System Advisory Committee to review the allocation of City resources across the criminal justice system and provide recommendations on investments and associated policy priorities.
Following the wrongful murders of Black Americans, including George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Amaud Arbery and Rayshard Brooks, cities across the country are coming to terms with necessary systematic reforms to decrease police violence against people of color. These reforms must be identified with input from voices often left out of government decision-making.
In light of recent events, the Council will move forward with the creation of this new community advisory committee to help ensure those voices are heard and considered in all future conversations regarding policies and priorities that impact the New Orleans community. The Jerome "Big Duck" Smith Justice System Advisory Committee will be established as follows:
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Consisting of nine members to be appointed by each Councilmember, a representative of the Chief Administrative Office, a representative of the New Orleans Health Department, a representative of the New Orleans Police Department, and a representative of the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice Coordination;
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Each appointee must represent groups or organizations with experience or expertise in assisting historically marginalized groups to navigate the criminal justice system; and
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Each member will serve a one-year term beginning on August 1, with the opportunity to be re-appointed by a City Council motion.
This committee will be crucial in soliciting and receiving community input, reviewing pertinent peer-reviewed studies and applicable data, and assessing City budget allocations and proposals, specifically those pertaining to our local justice system, to help create more fair and inclusive processes moving forward.
Council Adopts Resolution Supporting Free RTA Rides on Election Day
The Council adopted Resolution R-20-220, voicing its support of the Regional Transit Authority (RTA) Board of Commissioners, who recently declared free transportation days for all future citywide election days in Orleans Parish.
According to American Community Survey data, approximately 1 in 5 New Orleans households lack access to a vehicle, and with so many families already cost-burdened, transit fare can present incredible challenges to exercising their right to vote.
On June 23, the Board adopted Resolution 20-049, recognizing that the right to vote is a right that is essential to the effective operation of a democratic government. The Council commends the RTA for determining that public access to voting outweighs the anticipated loss of revenue. By eliminating this obstacle, so many more New Orleans residents will have the opportunity to exercise their fundamental right to vote in this important upcoming election season.
"I'm reminded of conversations with my mother about her early life and the stumbling blocks deliberately placed in their paths to prevent them from exercising their right to vote. I'm reminded of my many talks with Jerome Smith about his fight to achieve the full measure rights promised to all American citizens. When voting rights were denied, our voices were muted, our interest were not represented and the basic needs of our communities were neither addressed or met. Despite the sacrifice and toil of countless men and women to achieve the 1965 Voting Rights Act, we still have laws on the books in the US that still serve to rob people of their rights. We have seen examples of voter suppression around the country in this current election season. It is incumbent upon us to constantly look for ways to make sure the voices of those who wish to be heard may be heard and counted at the polls," said Councilmember-At-Large Jason Williams.
Entergy to Extend Suspension of Service Disconnects During COVID-19
The Council adopted Resolution R-20-212 directing Entergy New Orleans to continue its suspension of service disconnects for non-payment until August 1, 2020, due to the ongoing financial burdens of COVID-19. While the City and the State have begun to reopen amidst the pandemic, many non-essential businesses remain closed, and those that have been permitted to reopen are still limited by strict capacity limitations.
"As New Orleanians continue to struggle with wage and job loss stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic, we need to be doing all we can to provide support and lessen burdens from their daily lives. We recently enacted and launched the $22m City Council Cares program to help provide direct bill assistance - up to $400 per applicant. This is an unprecedented response to an unprecedented challenge, a policy of scope and size never attempted likely anywhere else in the country. Nevertheless, while these and other assistance funds begin to flow, we committed last month to review the circumstances each month regarding service disconnects," said Councilmember-At-Large Helena Moreno.
At the regular meeting on May 21, the Council adopted Resolution R-20-133, directing Entergy to suspend disconnects until July 1, "subject to extension by the Council." Since entering Phase 2, the State has seen an alarming increase in the percentage of positive test results, and as of June 25, Orleans Parish reported the second-highest number of COVID-19 infections in the State. In response to recent developments and trends, the Council acknowledges its obligation to provide ratepayers with this much-needed economic relief through the continued suspension of disconnects of electric and gas utility services for non-payment.
Councilmember Moreno continued, "This month, we continue to see economic disruption throughout our city, and of course, even if there are those that have returned to work, others continue to be jobless or face arrearages on their bills from the jobless weeks and months before. Therefore, we're extending the Entergy service disconnect suspension until the end of July, to provide needed relief for our community as it continues to struggle with the ongoing pandemic and its economic effects."
Council Facilitates Establishment of A.P. Tureaud Cultural District
The Council adopted Resolution R-20-194, supporting an application to the State of Louisiana to create the "A.P. Tureaud Cultural District" near the intersection of North Claiborne Avenue and Elysian Fields. The district was aptly named in honor of Alexander Pierre 'A.P.' Tureaud, Sr., the leading attorney for the New Orleans chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People's (NAACP) Legal Defense and Education Fund during the height of the modern African American Civil Rights movement.
Per Act 298 of the 2007 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature, local governing authorities across the state are authorized to create hubs of cultural activity called Cultural Districts as a mechanism for community revitalization. Under this authority, the City of New Orleans has selected the identified area to become the state-certified "A.P. Tureaud Cultural District" to be promoted by a steering committee representing cultural institutions and property owners in the district, including St. Augustine High School, Delta Foundation, Historic 7th Ward Neighborhood Improvement Association, and NewCorp 7th Ward Revitalization Project, among others.
As stated in the resolution, the Council strongly encourages all City employees to support and cooperate with efforts to compile all necessary information and data required for the application and all subsequent reporting necessary for the administration of the Cultural District.