City Council - Regular Meeting

26 is approximately 4:45. Uh on committee is myself and Miss Felter and Mr. Lane is absent. Uh today we have one thing on the committee to hear from Miss Jackson, founder and CEO of humanity 2020 group. Um this is for information only. So there won't be any questions by the audience or anything after this. So Miss Jackson, hello. Can you guys hear me? Yes.

All right. Great. Good evening. the city of Alexandria public safety works and comm um transportation committee and the citizens. I come to you um with a message rooted in urgency, dignity, and deep community love. I'm inviting you to step forward and claim your place as another another official crisis team in the humanity 2020 group crisis league. A national movement built on local power. Imagine your city. Imagine your um parish. Imagine your people stitch into the fabric of this league. Your name on the jersey, your responders on the field, your leadership set the tone for the nation. Alexandria crime rate is 4.3 times the national average according to US city totaling metro population of 100k over 100k. It states that Louisiana um Alexandria, Louisiana is in second p second place ranked 15 amongst the top most dangerous uh dangerous cities in America. This is not a coincidence. This is a crisis. Here's a moment of clarity. The city of Alexandria has a law enforcement shortage as for as for Louisiana is under a under a declared state of emergency because the law enforcement agencies are losing officers faster than they can hire them. The state short roughly 1,800 Japanese and the national data shows that resation is up to 47% retirement is up 20% and nearly 80% of the HC is struggling to recruit. This shortage affects every city including Alexandria. And this statewide shortage is is also why crisis responders are urgently needed. When law enforcement agencies cannot keep um pace with staffing, um families in crisis wait longer. Vulnerable residents go without support. Preventable situations escalate. Crisis responders fills in the gap providing crisis management and crisis plan. and importantly person-

centered care at the very moment when people need it the most. This is why we are here to assist Alexandria u managing people before they become the problem to ensure no one's left without support during the staffing emergencies. Let's be transparent. Every violent crime starts off with a crisis as a crisis itself doesn't have color or status. Reminder, in crisis comes order with the right leadership and the collaboration. Let me introduce myself. My name is May Key Jackson. CEO and founder of humanity 2020 group. We are a crisis management firm. We are crisis management league in region 6, seven and 8. We have emailed you information for your review for you can you can reference during this 15-minute presentation. As you will see as you would see we have the credentials on display to show the credibility and to validate our expertise. I want to show you the proof that our crisis lead isn't just a concept. It is a lifeline. I will show you proof by the way of our crisis case studies. Real lives, real impact. I want to ground this this vision in reality. Take a listen to eight highlight cases of 300 calls that shows what it means to intervene early with dignity and with a crisis plan. One, Alexandria College campus intervention. Suicide averted. A young man on a college campus had had wrote a suicide note. He was ready. We got the 98A call. Our crisis responder was on the scene within minutes. We transport him the next step in care before he can carry out his plan. He's alive today because we didn't wait. We moved to Alexandria. Domestic crisis from crisis from recovery. A husband called us and in distress, excuse me. His wife was battling addiction, was bullying him to give money, escalating towards urgency. The officers had came and gone. We stayed on the line. We dispatched a crisis responder. We deescalated the situation. We gave them a crisis plan. Got them into got her into detox the and

then IOP intensify outpatient treatment. Uh the today they're living separate. He's sober. She's in treatment. No charges, no bloodsheds, just a new beginning. Three, Alexandria when crisis become a lifeline in the most this this is this is the most complex urgent call in our history from 988 here in Alexandria. crisis response. A mother called us in distress. She was depressed, hopeless as a helplessness and abandoned by the transition of her parents as her own daughter was expressed in suicidal thoughts. We mobilized immediately. What we found was not just a mental health urgency, but it was a full-blown humanitarian crisis. The family had no electric, had no electricity, no running water, no income. Her mother and her father had passed away and was the only source of income by paying her to take out the trash. as she was challenged her daughter who had never used drugs however was enrolled in the IOP program um and we we discovered that was her normacy yet no one had noticed she hadn't paid or had these utilities or these basic necessities pro um probably a year um behavior health providers were billing insurance picking her up regularly but never asked a hard question no one had seen the full picture we did we discovered that her mother was managing everything along while her own mental health was at bay. They were invisible, but the billings worked. We stepped in. We worked with the city of Alexandria property standards. We even work with their insurance to restore electricity and water. As I as I stay on topic about utilities being the bas of necessity from a agency perspective, Liz and Alexander Alexander exemption and joining Louisiana Public Service Commission standards is now is how we protect Alexandria's most vulnerable people. I stand with every leader and every citizen to choose safety, dignity, and prevention. Back to my case studies. Just wanted to to make that disclaimer. We managed her to restart her benefits.

Um we facilitate a family intervention bringing her elder sister to stabilize the home. Um as we held those providers accountable. Um this is what it means to respond not just to dispatch not just to uh not just dispatch but to stay to see and to stand in the gaps. Four CFax family rescue from ratin infested to rehhouse. A young father called our crisis line from a collapsing home in Cfax. His partner refused to leave the house her mother left her when she when she passed away. Even as the rats overran the space. We responded immediately. I told them when I got there, you can't raise babies in this and this is not a lifestyle for you and your children. This point blank. I was just so tooken back. Sorry, I get emotional. um the children as the father has displayed his own dispress um excuse me his own um depression as he expressed the condition of the house and no local jobs for him to seek employment as we stated his crisis he stated his own crisis that his own mother was stabbed to death in Kfax when he was a little child within three weeks we managed this family by relocating we um they're safe and they're stable and they're grateful five sweet poor a man called our crisis line to tell us he was beaten to death and woken up alive by the hands of SPD. A very high-profile um crisis call captured on video and shared across social media. These weren't just quiet urgency, they were public reckoning. His beaten video uh reached over 100k views quickly amplifying the urgency for crisis resolution. We manage him. His family crisis fallout his u and we turned a viral um turn viral moments into verified interventions. These highlights reflects our commitment to transparency, dignity, and measurable impact, especially when the whole world is watching. Six, we continue to manage a young mother as another viral video of

a crisis uh crisis falsely arrested for pest control. Drop charges. Mother was breastfeeding two of her three children. Real real story. Reunited. I reunited her with her three children. We managed her to rebuild her life. She is now a licensed agent, a licensed insurance agent in a local model. We manage a 10-year city employee in sweep to keep his job and his dignity at their DUI scare. We currently manage another uh city employees they call in our crisis line. A man who served 24 years of hard labor under a non-unanimous verdict, now free, married, fighting, employed. He's fighting for his justice. Just to display a few of our cases out of 300. These are our stats. These are our wins. This is our crisis league. Who we are? We are expert in crisis management. A national crisis management firm. We are compete. We compete to solve crisis with the same vigor and stat driven gravity compared to professional league. Our our impact stats. We track matrix like response time, crisis plan, community trust and resolution outcome just to name a few. Turning crisis management to a scoreboard of a relief. What do we do at humanity 2020 group? We meet crisis at the front door. As we welcome crisis with a compassion and with a crisis plan. Why this matter? Every violent act, every overdose, every domestic assault, every start starts with a crisis. We catch it early. We build a customized crisis plan for every caller in every city. We adapt. We follow up. We don't let go. These are our stats. These are our wins. We're offering a plan, a partnership, a way forward, a future. Let's talk about our services. mobile crisis response on-site deescalation. That's via warm warm line 988 Magic Care organization, your 211. We even have our own crisis line or we get we even take referrals. Our goals is immediately respond and deescalate and assess. Two, we even do 48 hours followup. We try to see how things are

going. Three, community crisis brief support with a crisis plan, which our favorite. We give a crisis plan. We stay up to 15 days. We figure out what how can we stabilize you. Our goal is to customize a crisis plan that builds coping mechanism and future tools. Our vision for Alexandria, we propose an adoption of our crisis lead pilot program that creates professional jobs um for certified trained crisis responders. These responders will answer urgent calls, mental health, family dispute disturbance, domestic violence, substance abuse, and alcohol abuse disorders and many more as we manage self-identify crisis and we provide person centered care. Very important. um our team deploy quickly deescalate the situation. We credit Alexandria can lead the region in redefining public safety by managing people first. Our our unofficial model is let's manage people before we manage the problem. Let's manage people before we manage the problem. Um this approach reduces the harm, the cost of crime, the strain on law enforcement. It it prevents escalation and builds a culture of crisis self-regulation. Humanity 2020 group is recruiting directly for Alexandria community starting with full-time hires. These roles are not just jobs. They're anchor of trust, dignity, and rapid by hiring locally. Um, excuse me, by hiring locally um um excuse me, I get lost on space. Uh we ensure that every crisis preventive intervention is rooted in live experience and community pride. These responders form the backbone of our crisis model league, a competitive collaborative framework where each city manage its own crisis landscape by sharing solutions across highways of resources. Our crisis management firm directly reduces the harm, the cost, liability and crime rate by diverting non-violent calls away from law enforcement, freeing officers for those violent emergencies. Our direct cost savings is reducing the cost of crime and tax burden. Crisis responders are paid significantly less than law enforcement, yet hand the same nonviolent calls with similar uh crisis

intervention training as we provide an additional expertise in social crisis, social vulnerabilities, and crisis management care. Do insurance liability withdraw for officers dispatch mean fewer chances of injury, police involved shooting, mis misconduct claims, or even lawsuits? Lowering your municipal insurance premium. That would be one of the results. Operational efficiency. Officers are free to focus on violent crimes, high-risisk calls, reducing overtime and burnout while improving public safety and outcome. The city of Al Alexandria stands to gain millions and savings uh savings and measurable public safety improvements by adopting our model. Our model is a 5050 partnership. Humanity 2020 group is the city of Alexandria sharing is sharing equally responsibility, investment, and a unified vision. Through um joint contracting, we build a crisis bfold, one framework, two pillars, all working together to respond faster, restore trust, and scale dignity across every zone. With this contract, we're not just responding to crisis. We're rewriting public safety with crisis management while governing accordingly. In doing so, we're building a city that doesn't wait for change. We lead it. Before I close, I ask for I ask this public safety works and transportation committee and every leader here today and citizens to adopt our crisis lead uh to went over crisis and give crisis a plan. adopted for the city backing model. Adopted for collaboration, adopted for public safety, uh um adopted um for public safety and public um excuse me, and let's move forward from crisis to cor coordination from silo to a united crisis league. We're ready to serve. We're ready to win together. We got theou. We got the pilot program ready to deploy. All we need now is your green light or a next checkpoint. Whether that is a council vote, internal review, or schedule a follow-up

presentation, we're here to make this seamless and impactful. Let's lock it in the next step of managing people. Let's not wait for another funeral. Let's not wait for another press conference. Let's act now. Alexander deserve a plan for the future. And the future begins with how we treat our city, our children, and our people that's in crisis. Thank you. I'm looking forward of talking to you all. I'm open for questions and I yield back. Thank you. Thank you. Any questions from here?

Go ahead, Lizzy. Um, so this the pilot program you're um talking about, has it been used in any other municipalities or cities or

so? Great question. So right now we have started with at the state level from Louisiana crisis response system um to deploy it underneath them. We have two behavioral health licenses in region six and region 8. We have answered under 300 calls privately and statewide. And so we're so we um LSU evidence of practice which is Louisiana crisis response system had trained us to um interface with law enforcement to go into these these these fastes and and see if we can collaborate to get more resources to provide more better services. So I would say right now we are we have went we actually working with Coffax mayor and township to we gave them a customized crisis plan. Now we're waiting on the to vote um to deploy the team in that area. Um so we work in region six and region eight. That's Monroe area. Um and of course Alexander Coffax and we did some things in Rustin as well and then Sweepport Louisiana.

So are y'all a nonprofit? No sir, we're for a profit. So when a call comes in um say to the city of Alexandria, how are you guys contact or you contact? How does this work?

Okay, so what what happened in the past normally through 98A or 211 or or imagine care organization insurance company or someone just kind of refer them to us. Now if if there was a relationship between you and I Alexandria, there will be a warm transfer to our crisis line. That crisis line, we will get that warm transfer. Anything that's not that's not violent, we'll take the urgent call. Then we deploy within we try to do within 15 minutes less less than 15 minutes. I got a question. Did that answer that? I'm sorry. I'm sorry about that. Go ahead. Did you say a nonviolent call? So, dealing with people that's unstable, you guys go out there without any protection from the police.

Absolutely. We we we've been trained to do the mental health crisis response. Yes, sir. And so, the way our system works, so we have a mobile crisis responder, then we also have backup. Our backup is our LPC, licensed professional counselor counselor. So we have the training then we also have um we have the backup of the LPC. Now if things get arai and we cannot handle yes we will call for 911 to come. I had I had one incident where a gentleman um was um hearing voices kind of kind of in the street when come out the street for he called me on a crisis call I couldn't get him out the street and then that's when we had the pro we had to call just to get him into a a mental institution. That's only that's only time because when someone is in a crisis, they're not as vicious. I hate to use this term when a dog is hurt and he's vicious, he's not going to bite you if you're there to help. And I hate to use that. I mean, because that's that's kind of apples and oranges, but giving you an an idea. Um, yes. So, we we we use our voice and not force. So, we are not scared. We're trained to to deescalate these situations. It can be drugs. It can be domestic violence. It can be hearing voices, suicidal thoughts. I mean the list goes on. It's selfidentified crisis. Somebody having the worst day of their life that does not need an officer with a badge.

That's a lot. And then we we carry all we carry our own insurance just our insurance is very very our insurance is almost similar than law enforcement. I can't say word from words. I haven't seen you guys insurance but we are we from the state level. We have insurance. We have uh malpractice insurance. We have body insurance. Our vehicles insured. We had two vehicles that's you know insured totally wrapped. And you know that's us coming. I got one more question. Oh, absolutely. There's a lot of stuff that we had to listen to. Uh, so, uh, how many per team? I mean, on your team, I mean,

10. So, we have 10. Um, we had, um, five in Alexandria and Kofax area. We have five in Monroe area. Um, we had a we have a medical director, which we don't dis we don't give medicine or prescribe medicine or anything like that. We have we have to have a medical director via our license, state license. We also have a LPC um which is our director, our clinical director. So that that's our whole team as of now. Okay. And you say you can save our city money um with your company.

Abs. Absolutely. So one so one officer I don't like said I don't have the specifics but one officer so I'm going to give you example that Grant Parish one Grant Parish um sheriff is two of our responders. So, I don't know you guys. I haven't got close to you guys know your numbers, but um yes. And then also I emailed you guys where there was a study done in in New Orleans that breaks down how the benefit of having a crisis responder on you guys' um as a partnership collaborator should be in your emails. I think Emily might have emailed us a while back before the big storm. Um but it kind of it kind of shows those those um type of u reduction. But the cost of crime will go down because you have preventive intervention. Of course, you can use those monies for other things the cit the city citizens need on your general funds if we can drive that cost down of crime.

Okay. Thank you, Miss J. Thank you, ma'am. We appreciate you coming telling us about your your cooperation and what you do. We appreciate your input. I'd rather uh ask you if if you want to really get serious about this, I'd tell you to meet with the police department to see how they can work with y'all.

That's that's a great that's a great step. I started that 2024. Um I have emailed um I have called and I'm have never got invited to a roundt to get serious because that's what we're we're trained to do through LS LSU advocates of practice. They trained us to interface with law enforcement and soon I got my certification I was knocking on your door. I was already here on the streets answering some of those calls. Thank you. Thank you very much. Yes, ma'am. Did you say you you will send us some information or you already did? She did before the storm. Yes, I did. Send it. She'll be send it. Okay. Thank you. Thank you very much guys. Any more questions? This meeting's adjourned. Thank you.

Thank you. And we'll start back, I guess. Well, going to start now. Yes. The Alexandria City Council is called to order. Elia city council meetings and council committee meetings are broadcast live and may be viewed live by the public on optimum cable channel 4. Every broadcast may be viewed on optimum cable channel 4 in the city of Alexandria website. This time we have the invocation by Mr. Lord. The pledge of allegiance by Miss Councilwoman Felter.

Please stand. Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. there. Heavenly Father, look over us. Look over this city, this state, this country. And might as well look over this world, too. This needs a lot of help. Help us to do the right things. Help us to answer the needs of the people by keeping the city safe. In these things we pray. Lord, here our prayer.

Amen. Amen. Join me in the pledge. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

We have roll call, please. Mr. Johnson, here. Miss Felter, here. Mr. Green, present. Mr. Fowler, I'm here. Mr. Velar here. Mr. Larame. Miss Perry here. Madam President, here for approval of the minutes taken from the regular meeting held on February 10th, 2026. I need a motion, please. And second. Second.

Motion by um Councilman Fowler, second by Council Member Lord. Do we have any public comments? What is section of the written minutes? Would you like to make a comment on? If it's not in the written minutes, there will not be any discussion or comments only on the minutes. If you have any questions pertaining to any items on the agenda, please contact administration before or after this meeting. No discussion. All in favor?

Any opposed? Motion carried. F. Executive session to be held pursuant RS 4217A2 on the following. A to consider an executive session to receive a report and the recommendation from the city attorney regarding settling the dispute in the matter at the 9th judicial district court entitled Vanessa Morino versus city of Alexandria documented number 278 645F and other matters related there too. Motion please. Motion by Councilman Fowler. Second second by Councilman Bord. Um, we're gonna go into exemp roll call. Yes. Mr. Fowler, yes. Mr. Bard,

yes. Mr. Larame. Miss Perry. Yes. Mr. Johnson? Yes. Miss Felter? Yes. Mr. Green? Yes. Yes. Can we go into executive session? Yes, ma'am.

My hands are okay. Turn the feet. Put the be Okay. I need a motion and a second to come out executive session. Second. Motion by Councilman Fowler. Second by Councilman Johnson. We need a roll call. Mr. Fowler.

Yes. Mr. Bard. Yes. Mr. Lang. Miss Perry. Yes. Mr. Mr. Johnson here. Miss Felter. Yes. Mr. Green. Yes. Okay. G. Resolution number one. Resolution authorizing advertisement for beer for electric distribution operating supplies. Motion. Please move. Second. Motion by Councilman, second by Councilman Johnson. And public comments. Discussion. All in favor? Motion carried.

Number two. Resolution authorizing advertisement for bid for full spectrum imaging system, two color lab system, and full spectrum imaging system, two color mobile system for the police department. Motion, please move. Motion by Councilman Floyd, second by Councilman Johnson. Public comments, discussion. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion carried. Number three, resolution authorizing advertisement for BAF for electric meters and accessories for the electric distribution department. Motion, please. Move. Second. Second.

Motion by Councilman, second by Councilman Fowler. Public comments. Discussion. All in favor? I. Any opposed? Motion carried. Number four, resolution authorizing an advertisement for bid for operating chemicals for wastewater department. Motion, please. Move second. Second. Moved by motion by Councilman Johnson, second by Councilman Fowler. Public comments, discussion. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion carried. H. Ordinances for final adoption subject to public hearing. Number five, to consider final adoption of an ordinance authorizing the mayor to accept the low bid submitted for buck fuel, vehicles, and equipment.

A motion, please. Move. Second. Second. Motion by Councilman Bord, second by Councilwoman Felter. Public comments, discussion. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion carried. Number six, to consider found adoption of an ordinance authorizing the mayor to accept the Lewis proposal received from Fresh Impression Cleaning Crew for janitori. A motion, please. Move. Second.

Second. Motion by Councilman Fowler, second by Councilman Johnson. Public comments, discussion. All in favor? Any opposed? Motion carried. Number seven, to consider found adoption of an ordinance to accept the recommendation of the city attorney and to authorize the city attorney to settle and compromise the matter. Vanessa Moreno versus City of Elgazander document number 278 645F 9 District District Court and other matters related there too. Need a motion please move second second.

Motion by Councilman Malloy, second by Councilman Fowler. Public comments discussion all in favor. Any opposed? Motion carried. Number eight, to consider find adoption of an ordinance authorizing the mayor to execute a professional service agreement with performance protocol to provide leadership training and recruitment resources for the Alexandria Police Department. A motion, please. Second. Second. Motion by Councilman Fowler, second by Councilman Bord. Public comments, discussion. Mr. White, you can make You're welcome. and you make your comments about the item on number eight. Yes, ma'am.

Thank you. My name is Mr. Cornelius Lawson White Jr. I live at 363810th Street in Alexandria, Louisiana. My phone number Oh, zip code 71302 and my phone number is area code 3184466934. I see that y'all are entering with this professional agreement with these people and I hope that you'll enter in with this young lady here, Miss Jackson, and stuff cuz they sound like they they got a good deal and everything. So, it it needs to be looked at and I'm so glad she came and she made it and everything and um just something to look at and you know, we lost two officers on the

missed it. I know 23 years ago. I just wanted to say J. Jeremy Kuth and David Azernac and um we just need to think about all those officers that risk our lives and stuff. But this is a good thing. So I hope y'all will look at Miss Jackson's too. So thank you so much and God bless you and God bless America. Thank you a discussion all in favor. Any opposed? Motion carried. This meeting is ajourned.