The allegations and subsequent confirmation of astroturfing during the New Orleans City Council's consideration of the proposal to construct a New Orleans Power Station fly in the face of the dignity, courtesy, and respect of traditional public discourse vital to our democratic process.

The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (RTA) has been awarded a grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) as part of its Ferry Grant Program. Through the program, the RTA will receive $2.4M of approximately $58.2M in project selections toward improving the safety and reliability of America's passenger ferry systems.

On Thursday, May 10 the New Orleans City Council delivered a letter to the Interim Executive Director of the Sewerage and Water Board, Marcie Edwards, as well other senior Sewerage and Water Board leadership. The letter, initiated and drafted by Councilmember Joe Giarrusso and including guidance and consent from all councilmembers, spells out the councilmembers' expectations for compliance with statutorily required quarterly reports.

The newly inaugurated New Orleans City Council will be hosting a meet and greet event in the Pavilion of Two Sisters at New Orleans City Park this Friday, May 11, from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. All seven members will be in attendance and live musical entertainment will be provided by well-known New Orleans jazz artist James Rivers.

At today's special organizational meeting, the New Orleans City Council celebrated the inauguration of its most diverse group of representatives since the city's founding 300 years ago. Councilmember-At-Large Helena Moreno represents the first Hispanic-American and District "E" Councilmember Cyndi Nguyen represents the first Vietnamese-American in the Council's history. As a whole, the Council inaugurated today is the city's most diverse to date in terms of gender and race.