NEW ORLEANS - Today, Council President Moreno announced that the next scheduled regular Council meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 15, through video teleconference. The New Orleans City Council had suspended all meetings scheduled to occur since March 13, 2020.
"During this pandemic, the business of the Council and the City must continue, but we must ensure that as we proceed with full meetings, we are doing so safely and responsibly," said Council President Moreno. "Wednesday's meeting will be held virtually via Zoom video conference, in full compliance with the public health mandates regarding social distancing and with maximum public engagement possible under the emergency circumstances."
The processes for this meeting are following the guidance provided in a State Attorney General opinion for public bodies to conduct meetings during the coronavirus crisis. The Council will address a limited agenda consisting of essential items necessary to sustain the business of the City of New Orleans or items already passed unanimously to our "consent" agenda. The Council Chambers will be closed, and only essential personnel will be on-site to administer the meeting. Public comment will be received electronically through a process now posted with full instructions on the Council's website, council.nola.gov. Comments will be read aloud by Council personnel. The meeting will stream live on our website and on Cox Cable Channel 6, beginning at 10 a.m.
Moreno continued, "The pandemic continues to wreak havoc in the lives of so many of our family, friends, and neighbors. With so many lives lost, and so many still on the line, our number one goal continues to be to preserve the health and safety of all New Orleanians. We are so thankful to the many frontline healthcare workers laboring literally tirelessly to save as many as they can from the virus. We must, without fail, continue to do our part by staying home and preventing the spread of this terrible disease. I urge all New Orleanians to continue to stay strong, stay home, and save lives. Our community depends on it."
The Council's full meeting agenda, public comment process, and live streaming links can be found at council.nola.gov. The full regular Council meeting will begin at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, April 15. For more information or to view the meeting agenda, click here.