NEW ORLEANS - During today's regular City Council meeting, Councilmembers unanimously adopted resolution R-21-114 urging the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) to designate clearly marked “Safe Exchange Zones” at district stations to provide residents with a reasonably safe and public area to conduct legal, private transactions from online marketplaces or internet purchases. 

NEW ORLEANS - District "B" Councilmember Jay H. Banks has issued the following statement in response to recent incidents and allegations in the local media:

"I've been clear in my support of the process. This summons is standard procedure, and I vigorously defend every citizen's right to approach such matters in the manner defined by society and by law. I will continue to pray for Belden. I have known him for years and believed him to be in crisis. That belief has been confirmed by a sadly distorted recounting of events that included profanity and threats from him. 

NEW ORLEANS - With the passage of Cal No 33,128, the complete framework for New Orleans' Mandatory Inclusionary Zoning policy is in place. Implementing the Smart Housing Mix has been a years-long process, one that the City will actively continue to work on – up to and even after this policy takes effect on July 1, 2021. With the structure complete, the policy can be reviewed and updated in full context. 

NEW ORLEANS - District "B" Councilmember Jay H. Banks has issued the following statement regarding the suspension of his weekly COVID-19 food pantries:

"After serving many thousands of community members over the last five months, the District B Drive-Up Food Pantry has been suspended, hopefully only temporarily. When the circumstances change, and we are able to secure additional resources, we will resume the distributions. In the meantime, we remain committed to getting vital resources to our neighbors, and we're looking forward to supporting other community efforts.

NEW ORLEANS - Today, the City Council Street Renaming Commission, an advisory committee created to initiate a public engagement process to consider renaming certain streets, parks, and public places in New Orleans that honor white supremacists, held their first meeting. The Council approved the motion authored by Councilmembers Kristin Gisleson Palmer and Jay H. Banks to establish the Commission during a regular meeting on June 18.