City Council - Regular Meeting

Hello. I want to give you that. Okay. Alright. Thank you.

Thank you.

We appreciate it.

No problem.

Good.

I'm going to start. I'm going to take your picture and I'm going to send it to you.

So that way she'll have...

Good morning. To my fellow members of the council, does anyone else have a proclamation this morning? Okay. Well, I'm going to start five minutes early in case we need it. I was on for 9.50. But because we have Mr. Masson here and Ms. Sternberg here to accept this proclamation in behalf of Susan Lawson, I'd like to identify her. And if you have any comments, this is certainly a right time to make so. I am pleased to be here this morning to recognize Susan Larson, who is retiring from WWNO's The Reading Life with her last broadcast having taken place on August the 31st. She is one of the few literary journalists in the country and was the biweekly host of The Reading Life as well as Bookmark, where she prominently featured the work of local authors in addition to those with regional and national acclaim. Whereas before her work at WWNO, Susan Lawson was the book editor for the New Orleans Times-Picayune from 1988 to 2009. Susan Lawson has served on the boards of the Tennessee Williams New Orleans Literary Festival, the New Orleans Public Library, and is the founder of the New Orleans Chapter of the Women's National Book Association, which presents the annual Diana Pinkley Prizes for Crime Fiction. And Mrs. Susan Lawson is the author of The Book Lover's Guide to New Orleans, among other publications, and was recognized in 2024 with an inaugural Louisiana Literary Icon Award presented by the Louisiana Center for the Book. Susan Lawson received the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to the literary community. I'm just so pleased to recognize someone who is so much a part of New Orleans, but also a part of New Orleans that we don't pay attention to enough, and that's the literary scene. As an author, as someone who has promoted authors local and national, and as someone whose background would suggest that she might not do that. She grew up in Oro City, Texas, where there was no library, but she is a beloved citizen of our city, and she's truly, truly a part of our city. She may be able to be watching, but she could not be here today because of her health concerns, so Ms. Lawson, if you are watching, thank you for your contributions to our city and to WWNO over these many, many years. We wish you the best of health, but we appreciate everything that you've done to promote literary and education opportunities in our city. Mr. Masson.

Thank you, Councilman Green, and we are honored to accept this proclamation on behalf of Susan. As you mentioned, she really wanted to be here today but couldn't be here. You know, I'm general manager of WWNO 89.9 FM and the classical station here in New Orleans, 104.9 FM. And Susan did over 800 shows during those 16 years interviewing numerous authors. And, you know, we talk about the culture and fabric of New Orleans all the time. And, of course, we talk about music and food and all those great things, but literature is an incredibly important part of that. And Susan knew that. She took that seriously and acted on it and put a lot of time and effort into this program over the 16 years. And it is really very gratifying to know that it had an impact with people across, not only here in New Orleans, but across the country through the program. So on behalf of Susan, we thank you for this proclamation. And as Susan would say, get out there and read some books.

Read some books, read some books. And thank you. And you are now affiliated with LSU, New Orleans. That is correct, yes. Maybe there should be a Susan Lawson book club or something there, you know, something to promote the work that you did. So I like to draw out ideas with new institutions are being created. So Ms. Sternberg, comments?

Yes, sir. No, it's a fantastic program, and I think the station is also dedicated to continuing some sort of program dedicated to literature and literacy in the city, and those conversations are in process right now.

Thank you very much. To carry on the work that Susan has done over the years. And she was very well respected in the industry, by the way. Authors would constantly come to us because Susan, believe it or not, she would do two interviews per week and she would read the books. So she was putting, she was reading two, a book a day she would read. She had superpowers, some speed reading. We still don't quite understand, but she was able to do that and really have an informed interview with the authors. And they really appreciated that. And I think it brought a lot to the conversation. Also highlighting, as you mentioned, Councilman Green. the authors here in New Orleans and across our region. Thank you. Thank you very much for this.

Thank you for being here, and we look forward to staying in contact with you. Of course, you're now part of LSU New Orleans. I'm pleased to say that LSU New Orleans happens to be my district. I'm on the campus often, as I was last night for another event. But the bottom line is that we want to thank you, Susan Lawson, and we want to thank you all on her behalf for accepting this proclamation from the members of the City Council. Would anybody like to add anything?

I will just say that I listen to your radio station every single morning when I get ready, and Susan's voice is very distinctive, and I will miss it. I will also miss her book recommendations and her interviews with the authors. Inspiring, inspiring woman who really delves into why an author creates and really provides tremendous book recommendations. So I will miss her voice, but I will continue listening.

Thank you for saying that. I mean, that, it's really, again, really gratifying to hear, because that was the intent, and that was her intent, to do those kind of things, and so I think it's really important and also nice to hear that from a listener perspective, what that does. And as Joanna mentioned, we are committed to continuing to highlight authors and literature here in New Orleans and across the region, and As we say in radio, stay tuned for more on that. And I'm hoping that Susan will continue to be an occasional contributor to that.

Thank you very much. I just want to add real quickly, her book, The Book Lover's Guide to New Orleans, it is a must-read for people who are avid readers to have someone kind of break down how you can kind of do a self-guided tour of all the different places in New Orleans. that were inspirational to so many seminal books and series, like Anne Rice, James Lee Burke, Tennessee Williams. I mean, it really makes you a tourist in your own home to see how places you've walked by every day inspired authors to create some of the most magnificent books ever written. So she continues to contribute. I'm sure she will continue to contribute for as long as she can, and we look forward to seeing what she does next.

Absolutely, absolutely. And those publications you referenced, incredible, incredible resources, incredible work that you put into those. And we would hear often stories like you just mentioned about how it impacted people. And so... Susan leaves quite a legacy of, like I said, 800, that's a lot of shows, 800 shows to be doing that. And right now we're airing the kind of best of some encore interviews that she's done over the years. So we're very interested in continuing that. And thank you for your feedback. Really, really appreciate that.

Thank you. Thank you again for representing Mrs. Lawson today, and give her our best, and we're hoping for a better health outcome as she moves forward, you know. Thank you. And next time you're around campus, stop by the station and say hi. I will definitely look you up, definitely. Members, whoever would like to join me, we're going to take a photo so that Mrs. Lawson can see the photo.

All right, ladies and gentlemen, please take a seat. Please take a seat. We're going to get started. Thank you very much. Madam Clerk, let's start.

Roll call. Council President Moreau.

Here.

Vice President Willard. Here. Council Member McCarran. Here. Council Member Harris. Here. Council Member King. Here. Council Member Green. Here. Council Member Hughes. Here. We have seven members. We have a quorum.

First up, we have the invocation by Pastor Berryhill.

Let us pray. Most holy and gracious God, we thank you and we honor your name on today. For you alone is worthy of our praise, our honor, and our glory. Lord, as we come before you on today, Lord, we ask, Lord, that you would intervene in this council chambers on today. We pray, Lord, that you would bless our city, bless our council people, bless our mayor, bless our city officials. And Lord, we be so careful to give you praise, give you honor, and give you glory. We ask now, Lord, that you would give us, Lord, on today, Lord, wisdom to make the right decisions and to do the things that you would have us to do. Send the mighty and the master's name of Jesus to Christ, we pray. Amen. Amen.

The Pledge of Allegiance will be led by Council Vice President Willard.

I pledge allegiance 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.

At the top of page 21, we have item 17, legislative grouping. Ordinance calendar 35,384 by Councilmember Morrell by request. An ordinance to reform and provide for the sustainability of the city's sanitation services by amending and reordaining section 138-57, 138-58, 138-59, 138-61, and 138-63. of the Code of the City of New Orleans to amend the city sanitation fees and provide relative to the scope thereof to expressly authorize initiatives intended to augment services by providing a periodic no-cost access to city transfer stations and otherwise to provide respects thereto. There is an amendment to Ordinance Calendar 35384 by Councilmember Morrell by request. An amendment to Ordinance Calendar number 35384 to Delay the effectiveness of amending Section 138.57 until January 1, 2028 and to provide for a fixed fee sanitation fee model in the interim beginning on October 1, 2026. Adjust the fee calculation in Section 138.57 to a portion cost based on bill service locations rather than locations receiving service. Allow for reduction in the fee calculation to ensure equitable apportionment of sanitation fees among bill payers. Add provisions requiring periodic billing audits and other billing safeguards. Create definitions in Section 138.2 for unit and unoccupied property to ensure consistency in the application of the code. Clarify what constitutes a five-unit location to confirm the current eligibility requirements. Increase the volume limits applicable to service locations outside the French Quarter and the Downtown Development District to align eligibility fee thresholds within certain collection practice. Revise, clarify, and streamline the eligibility requirements and procedures in Section 138.58 relative to the literal abatement fee and make stylistic and technical changes to ensure clarity and consistency of terminology.

Thank you. First up, I want to move for consideration of the amendments to put the bill in the appropriate posture to hear public comment. The amendment has been read. Are there any comments on the amendment? Hearing none, I will move on the amendment, second by Council Vice President Willard. All in favor? Any opposed? Hearing none. He was opposed. To the amendment? Yes. All right. That is 6-1 on the amendment. Thank you. Next up, we have the bill, underlying bill. As there was an extensive presentation at the subcommittee, I do want to get immediately to public comment to give as much opportunity to public comment as possible. So, with that being said, we have Mr. Bob Murray first, followed by Mary Agnes Sheehan. Mr. Murray?

Good morning, the Honorable Council. My name is Bob Murray. My address is 5650 Clements Drive, New Orleans, 70126. I'm here today, the Honorable Council, to object to what this City Council is calling an increase in garbage collection. And the reason I'm here is because we have taxed the people of this city far too long and far too much. The service has been terrible for the past few years. We have even went to a one-day pickup that we all know that two, three years ago, that was a two-day pickup. My question is very simple to the council. Where is the savings that was made for the one-day pickup every week? And we have not saw those savings in the audit. I was able to research the audit, and nowhere in the audit does it say the millions and millions of dollars that this city council and this administration is wasting on garbage collection fees. And I'm here to say to you that the public, as a community activist, I am totally against it. And I suggest to the city council that you take in every means that the majority of this city is at a threshold. And we wonder why the citizens of this city are fleeing in great numbers. As a landlord, as a landlord, I can just tell you straight forward that that fee increase, if passed, would just be passed to my tenants, as most landlords would do. I think it's abhorrent that this city council and the most many of the citizens believe this is just a rubber stamp city council. I suggest to you to be brave, vote against it, let's table it, and let's find another way that even if we have to come to one day a week collection, which we're accustomed to now, that we do not violate the citizens of this city to pull this city out of bankruptcy when we should not have to. I want to thank you guys for listening. Thank you so much, and I appreciate your time. I say no to the fee increase and to the citizens of this city to pull this city out of bankruptcy when this...

Thank you. Mary Agnes Sheehan, followed by, I think this is for Lemar Newman.

Good morning. My name is Emma Sheehan, 1410 Port Street. For eight years at the Lower Ninth Ward Home Ownership Association, I worked with people struggling to pay their real property taxes, but instead falling further and further behind. For some people in this room, $8.50 won't change your lives. You might not even have noticed that your water bill already has almost $60 in sanitation and flat fees before you use a single drop. So this is really $68.50 that people are paying before they use their water. Other people in this room can't afford this. The skyrocketing price of gas is already eating into their budgets. The Trump administration just cut the SNAP benefits. 18% of people in the New Orleans area just lost their SNAP benefits. So they turn to the food banks, but the food banks are running out of money. They go to Total Community Action to pay their utility bills. It's not theoretical. These are the people who can't pay $8.50 a month. Meanwhile, for many of them, their incomes are depressed because they're black. For their entire lives, they were earning less than white workers, and therefore their Social Security is less than white workers. If they were domestic or farm workers, they didn't even qualify for Social Security. If they're women, they were making 59 cents on the dollar compared to men, so their Social Security is 59 cents on the dollar. And if they're black women, double the trouble. These are the people for whom $8.50 an hour may be the last straw between them and losing their home, them and being unable to feed themselves, or maybe not having water. The bill explicitly states that if you can't pay your sanitation fee, your water is cut off. Also, a 15% penalty will be added. every month to the outstanding balance. There are alternatives to this approach. Maybe people more able to afford it could pay for their recycling services. Take the time to consider other approaches rather than rushing this through when people are already in financial crisis. You don't want to add to the home.

Thank you. Prelimar Newman, followed by Chris Lang.

Good morning. I stand before you as a conscientious objector to the price increase. And the price increase is based on not just one element, but two. First of all, you have increased our sanitation pickup for the last two or three years. Now you want to charge a 33% increase in sanitation price. People of this city, citizens who live here, all of them don't have an income compatible to yours. You don't feel what the people feel because your salary is sufficient and you're fine with what goes on in this city as far as sanitation increase is concerned. Our garbage is only picked up once a week. Some of us, like myself, my can goes out once a month because I don't generate a lot of garbage. But you have the Bourbon Street area. They pick up thousands of pounds of garbage every day. And now you're talking about only charging them $16. Ours is picked up once a week, and you want to increase it by $8 and some change. That is not right for the citizens of New Orleans. You all need to start taking in consideration us, senior citizens who have fixed income, who don't generate the amount of garbage that you are talking about that's generated. You fight. for the Bourbon Street, for the Garden District, but you don't care about the other communities. We are citizens of this city. We support this city. We put you in office, and when you get in office, you forget about who we are. It's time for a change. And I want to thank you for listening to my complaints because it is legitimate And it's not right what you...

Chris Lang, followed by Susan Brady. Mr. Chair, I would like to clarify one matter. One of the issues before us is the fact that the sanitation fee has not increased since 2011, so I don't want the public to think that for the last couple of years, as it was suggested, that we have done anything to increase that sanitation fee. It's also important to recognize that seniors who are under a certain income level pay only $10 a month for the sanitation fee, and that is not changing.

Good morning, counsel. My name is Chris Lang, and I live at 2500 Dauphine Street. This comment goes specifically to you, J.P. Murrell. My question is, why are these contracts seemingly untouchable until 2029 or 2031? Do you, counsel, not have the power to interrogate and amend our waste contracts? Yes. The waste contractors are being paid 100% of the value for recycling, despite only 42% of residents opting into recycling. If recycling costs $10.5 million per year, and we're only receiving 42% of that value, that means $6.1 million are going straight to our contractors as unearned profits. Keyword being unearned. Why are contractors being paid for work they're not doing? Why can't we amend the waste contracts so our contractors are only being paid for the amount of work that they do do, let's say 42% and not 100%, and pay them a rate that accords to the amount of collection that they actually perform? Additionally, I may be mistaken on my math, but it seems from the LLA meeting last year, last week, that we're overpaying an additional roughly $6 million per year due to the 21,000 service location discrepancy that pays our waste contractors for, once again, unearned work. They're not performing work for houses that are not in the system. When you combine the recycling inefficiency and the service location discrepancy, That equals roughly $12 million per year in unearned profits to our waste contractors due to poorly written contracts that favor their bottom lines over our needs as residents. If we incurred a sanitation deficit of $68.9 million since 2023, then $42 million of those dollars, or 61% of that, is attributed to unearned profits from services paid for by us but not received straight to our waste contractors. Why then should we, as residents, be fully expected to fix that deficit while you, as the city, are not doing what's in your power to ensure our contractors are not fleecing us? I would like a response to the contract portion. Can we amend the contracts?

Well, under the charter, the city council does not have the ability to negotiate or amend contracts. That is a fact. So to answer your question, no, the New Orleans City Council cannot renegotiate or amend contracts. There's your answer. All right. Susan Brady, followed by Osa.

Good morning. My name is Susan Brady. I'm at 1313 Pauline Street. I want to direct my comments to Councilman King and Councilman Green, because you serve the areas that I'm standing here today in behalf. I'm going to start with this one. The Bible says no man can serve two masters. You're gonna love one and you're gonna hate the other. It's not possible to love both. When I'm talking to my two councilmen in particular, This $8 fee, I just heard the comment, well, it hadn't been raised since 2011. That doesn't mean anything. Because even at 2011, we're paying more than any other area that get twice the service that we already get. Try not to complain about that. I can't afford the $8, but I think about the people, that's why I'm here, that can't afford the $8. This city has made it so hard to live here, I question myself often. Why in the hell am I still here? It's these people here, this city, the people I love, and some of the food. Other than that, there's nothing here that's attractive to me. Our politics is raggedy, everything, your streets, my car is tore up, the streets, everything, every quality, simple quality of life is dysfunctional. Now, you just said that you can't make changes to this contract. But I'm tired of being the go-to piggy bank because I have multiple properties in the city. And I try to keep the little red dye charge fair to keep my head above water. We are not the city's piggy bank. You all make some mistakes. You mismanage or whatever. I don't know what's going on.

thank you all right OSA is followed by Lindsay Edwards good morning City Council I

In response to my name being shortened on my comment card, my name is . I would prefer if you say it correctly next time and not say the shorthanded name. Thank you very much. Every day on my way coming to city council, taking Perdido Street, I pass a bus stop with people lacking vital services. And on the question of discardability, I'm wondering whether or not the people of the city of New Orleans are discardable to you. This onus is not on us at all. There was a mistake in the development of the contract, but my question is why are we always paying for your mistakes? Why are we always the scapegoats? Why are people going through economic strife, discardable to you? In 2005, the federal government said no to aid on behalf of Germany, on Cuba, on multinational organizations, and let hundreds of people perish. They were discardable. My question to you, City Council, is are we also discardable? Thank you, that's it.

Lindsay Edwards, followed by William Edwards.

Good morning, Lindsay Edwards, 6000 Burgundy Street, Lower Ninth Ward. I'm here today because I hate bad math. When the contracts were negotiated and again and lowered to once a week, that is bad math. So that increased. Increases happen more than raising prices. Increasing happens by lowering service. So when you lowered it to once a week, that increased the cost by 100%. So now another 34%. That's 134% since 2011. So if I hear that again, it's going to make me furious. So... When Mitch Landrieu did his contracts that were supposed to last through 2024, he promised updated trucks, he promised a minimum wage, he promised different things, but he also put a cap. A cap that came back in 2021 because of after COVID, after Ida, but the contractors were pleading, we're not getting paid enough because we're picking up from new addresses that we're not getting paid for. The contracts were negotiated, massive increases were given, and then after that, so that gave the city a right to then pay for ghost addresses at an increased rate because of these contracts. So since that time, 2021, this has given more, have to charge more money for ghost contracts. And then the only reason it's caught is because of a state auditor. I hate to give the state credit, but a state auditor. So I want those things corrected before you turn to the citizens.

Thank you. William Edwards, followed by Leona Ellis.

Hi, William Edwards, 6000 Burgundy and 825 Gordon. We own two properties side by side. I just want to reiterate what my wife and everyone else has said. And what I want to say is that poor management in the past, city administrations, we shouldn't be paying for their mistakes. So whatever happened then should not happen again, and it's happening now if you raise the rate. That's my feeling, and I don't think that we should be penalized as a citizenry for past mistakes by the city administration. That's my comment. Thank you.

Leon Ellis, followed by Morgan Clevenger.

Good morning, good morning, Leona Ellis, 2427 Parker Street. I am against this increase. I heard that we didn't have something since 2011. But again, when they raised it up from $12 to $24, it was saying we was going to get trash pickup twice a week. Okay, and that been, hey, what about it? We haven't gotten it, we haven't received it, but we're still paying that $24. Okay, and now you know that the people of the city was complaining, okay, about that we was not receiving that second day a week pickup for years. And now you're coming back saying, no, we're not going to give it to you again, but we want you to pay more money. Okay? And I think, I agree with everyone that came up before me, this should not be passed on to us. This is y'all error, this is y'all mistake, or whomever mistake that let it get this far, y'all should correct it. And again, I'm tired of y'all saying, oh, we're going to do furloughs or city workers. Y'all take a furlough. Y'all take a salary cut first.

Yes. I would just like to be on the record. No, come on. JP, that's my personality and I'm going to do it. When there's something that's stated that's incorrect, I want it to be clear. The city council and all of our staff is on furlough. I wish to get that furlough ended, but I don't even want to start people saying things that aren't true. The city council is on furlough. We are suffering in terms of our salaries and other issues just as others are too.

All right, Morgan Clevenger followed by Norris Anderson. Well, we are.

Good morning.

Good morning. A week ago, just seven days ago, I was in this council chamber and there were just two community members here. And we were a little astonished to see an entire ordinance introduced and an entire presentation from the administration about a sanitation fee increase. It was startling. And yes, we've heard the rumblings. Okay, this is right before City Hall shuts down on a Friday, a long weekend, and now we have three to four days to try to go to a vote and get the public informed. This is not good government. This is not serving the people. And I commend Jason Hughes, Councilmember Jason Hughes, for making that effort. And he made the effort to hear from his constituents, and they said no. And we have been on the ground ringing the bell, getting the word out. We've been doing the investigations. We've been contacting people for the last seven days to try to get people informed. A lot of people have been doing that work. And this vote is rushed. The ordinance as seen on the amendments with all the attachments and agendas and everything else is now 30 pages long. What we saw from the administration's own numbers as this 56 million dollar contract has doubled since 2021. Why are we still paying him for 21,000 addresses? that don't get service, ghost addresses. In April 3rd, the Louisiana legislative auditor said, don't raise the fee until we figure this out. But now we're trying to say, oh, we're going to figure this out later. It's not just about $8. Most people in New Orleans make under $40,000 or less. People who make $80,000 or more, y'all ain't worried about it. Cannot balance the budget on the backs of the people. Oppose this.

Norris Henderson, followed by Deborah Jones.

Good morning. I think my T-shirt speaks for itself. The answer is no. But I'm listening to everybody talk, and the first thing that came to mind was, if I went to a store, and they advertised, buy one, get one free, and I didn't get the second one, I would be going to court, filing a lawsuit for bait and switch. That's exactly what this sounds like, bait and switch. I was around when Jared Bruce had tried to make them give us the two pickups like they started. The two pickups altered my whole life. I used to cut my grass on Friday, because they picked it up on Saturday. Now they pick it up once a week on Friday, so now my grad sits in my can for a whole week when I can't really put nothing else in my can. And I think it's really, in this county, we're going to back up, because I just saw him walk in a room, former councilman Jerusalem, who was over the budget committee. All y'all was a part of this in his infancy. Now we get a new administration, all of a sudden we want to tax the people. What happened to y'all fighting for us to get one, our two pickups, if you want to raise the fee, or like Surgeon Waterboy and Entity does when we overpay them, they give us a credit. So give us a credit to our account while y'all figure this out to pick all of our stuff up. One other thing I would suggest to y'all, I think each one of y'all need to have a town hall in y'all district to hear what y'all people have to say about their pickups. And I think the other thing, and this has happened before, we need to have these council meetings in the evening time when it's roughing people in the city because everybody can't take off from work to show up. And you can't say it hasn't happened before because in the aftermath of Katrina when the police beat up the guy in the French Quarter, We had the state police in here at 6 o'clock at night telling us why they behave the way they behave. And so I think we need to move this to a different forum, bring it to your district so people can come and weigh in.

And once you hear what people have to say, I think you're really... Deborah Jones, followed by Burt Lodrick.

Good morning, everyone. My name is Deborah Jones, resident of Aldez District C. I come here as an opposition to this sanitation fee increase. Good talk, Council at-Large Willard. I saw you last week. Councilman King, I thank you for the insight. However, I understand there are things that can happen if this is not passed, but we need to meet this where it is today. The increase for me would hurt me. It would hurt people that make less than what I make as a retired person. And there are many that live month to month like I do. And the thing is, we need help. I can't get qualified for those extra benefits that might be out there. The problem is, I need you guys to please go back. Do some more research. Come back to us as citizens before you implement this. If there's negativity that comes from that, we still need to know it. I'd rather know everything than to say yes to this at this time. If you had told me $1 more a month, I might accept it. But to tell me $8 more a month on my monthly income is unacceptable to me. I speak not only for me, but people like me. So I appreciate the time you've given me. Thank you. But I oppose it.

I rise before you in opposition of the increase. First of all, the contract itself is excessive. And I had other things to say, but I'm also going to comment on what a council person just said. A lawyer. How can a lawyer ever say... that a contract can't be changed. I mean, any contract, any contract at all can be altered if the provisions of it are not met. I think it's ridiculous. The French Quarter has trash picked up every day, all day long, as we know. A lot of people in New Orleans might not know that, but I understand now today some do. But we have trash picked up in our neighborhoods, not three times anymore, not two times, but one time a week. I think it's ridiculous, but I think the evidence is that the trash is not just picked up. But as I drive, as I walk through the city every day, you know where the trash is? The trash is all over the city. I don't blame the government for the trash being on the streets. But, I mean, it's just ridiculous to go over the same thing over and over again, the same mistakes on different days and different times. Uh-huh. We tried to charge second liners multimillion dollar insurance fees. We changed that. We're trying to increase sanitation right now. That should be changed. But again, this is the same old, same old, same old. And what you should do is just stop making any changes at all because it looks like anything you do is wrong.

Mr. Morgan, followed by Mr. Kelly.

Good morning to everybody in the house. The trash system is getting out of line. I don't mind paying. I don't mind giving y'all $3 more. But, hey, you're going into my medication money. What are we seniors supposed to do? Let y'all rip us off after we voted y'all in there and put y'all in a position? We just don't have it. And the trash... How many times had they didn't pick up the trash, and I had to take the trash and go put it in a dumpster, some store dumpster? Not all the time that we get service. How many times that the city didn't pick up the trash? That's what I want to ask you. And I have two calls, and while I'm up here, I'm going to address the call, the second call that you have, council. JP Morrell, and this card here is for some councilman or either whoever he is, George Russo.

Does his title give him the authority and the right to rip off the people and give himself a $6,000 raise? Let me know. And the same man over there, and the same man over there, how many times have I heard him say in the council that they're going to have to furlough city employees? What? To furlough... to forloid them so he could get the $60,000 raise? Come on, man. He's using his authority to rip us off. And you're back again. You know one thing, I loid one thing about all of you all on this council. And you know what I loid? When Jeff Landrieu was elected, not one of them challenged Jeff Landrieu, because you know why? They're scared of him.

Thank you, Mr. Morgan. All right, we have Mr. Kelly, and after Mr. Kelly, we have Ben Bagwell. Go ahead, Mr. Kelly.

You're proud. You got the people. The people put you in there.

Mr. Kelly, go ahead, Mr. Kelly. All right, followed by Mr. Ben Bagwell.

Good morning. Good morning. Mr., I like your shirt. I wore my trademark shirt today. Only in New Orleans. Only in New Orleans, the rich keep getting richer and the poor keep getting poorer. Come on. I'm against it because I can't afford it because I've been living off my savings the last four or five months because my position was eliminated due to me filing an EOC complaint during the last administration. Let me go a step further. Like the guy just said, Joe Gave himself a $100,000 plus raise. I have done public record requests. I've been waiting on for four months to compare his and his staff salaries to the past administration. I've gotten it yet. Let me go a step further. Not only that, his budget director, Brandy DeLorge, got a $34,000 raise. The chief of staff for the other assistant, CAO Kim DeLorge, his chief of staff got a $19,000, $20,000 raise this year during his new administration. Another person in Joe's office got a $33,000 raise. Like I say, the rich keep getting richer and the poor keep getting poor. Only in New Orleans. Only in New Orleans. Let me go a step further. I guarantee you, none of this would have been going on if it was election season. Once you give them what they want, they do what they want, and they tax you how they want, and they make you as poor as they want. And again, like I said before, I got time now. I'm living off my savings. I ain't got nothing else to do. Because my department was eliminated due to me filing my civil rights from the 1964 Civil Rights Act Title VII. I'm Russell Kelly.

Ben Bagwell, followed by Edward Parker.

Ben Bagwell, Katrina baby, born and raised, city of New Orleans. Been here 31, 32 years. Dedicated my entire life to figuring out why we can't recycle and why we don't recycle and what is wrong with our trash problem. Literally dedicated my entire life, born and raised here, Losing money to be here, to stand up for what I believe is right today, for the city, for our residents, and for our young entrepreneurs who want to stay here and believe that you all see us, want to support us, and don't serve a few, but serve many. So I want to start by, today's vote is going to show who you serve, the city of New Orleans, the residents, or do you serve corporate interests or whoever is pulling strings behind the scenes? Because like Ms. Harris asked, how does it work in Baton Rouge? I'm here to explain it to you because I'm not sure if you figured out that answer. Have you figured out that answer, how it works, Ms. Harris? Anyone up here, any of you, anyone from the administration, director of sanitation, does anyone know the value of aluminum right now, aluminum cans, Coca-Cola cans? Anyone have that value of things we're determining to throw away collectively, or that plastic bottle that Mr. Wheeler's drinking right now? These things that are called trash, when put in a trash can, but have the ability to turn into new resources, to turn into jobs and opportunity. Let's bring recycling into the city of New Orleans. Let's do it as part of sanitation. I'm literally willing to give up my entire business and my passion to work for you, to show you where my heart is, to bring jobs to these people who are on furlough with our trash as opportunity, to show this city we are world-class. Have you visited world-class cities? Do they have recycling? The answer for Jefferson Parish, real quick, I have 18 seconds, for Baton Rouge. There's no middleman and there's no triple man. They own the landfill. It's a service provider, Republic Services. They own the recycle center where they process. And they give you a fair deal, which we all deserve. So thank you.

All right, last speaker, Edward Parker. Thank you.

Good morning Council. I've been here before and this has been a problem and thank you Councilman Hughes for having that town hall, the two town halls in our district and I myself would ask that before you guys do anything Have town halls, have the courage to have town halls like our district e-consulman did. Have some town halls and hear about us. I did a little thing on what happened in Kenner. And if you guys would check out what happened in Kenner with the sanitation department, what they did, or the contractor, what they did, they got rid of one. And check out who they got rid of. It was Ivy Waste. And it seems like this is part of the problem. It seems like he is so powerful that he's been able to write the contract for the city, or part of it. Kenna right now has two pickups for either, I think it's about $12, check it, Kenna. They also have recycling. Kenna, after they kicked a certain contractor out, check it out, don't do a thing and I am completely against any increase, but don't do a thing until you guys get this mess cleaned up and bring it to us, the public.

All right, that ends public comment. Is there any comment from Adias? All right, go ahead, Council Member Harris.

Thank you. I am reluctant to vote for this today, but I know that we need to do so in order to collect the proper amount of money for our sanitation fee that we pay in excess as a city. I do want to say that I'm happy that this preserves recycling, and I look forward to working with this administration to expand glass recycling, which is one of the easiest things to do throughout the city. So, again, With the promise of the preservation of our current recycling and expansion of our glass recycling program, I am going to vote for this today. I do want to encourage the administration to have a comms program on proper recycling and how to do it, because I don't think that our citizens understand how to properly recycle, and I think that that's something that we need to do. I also want to say this. If you don't have a recycling can, you can request one. And if you need a second garbage can, you can do so as well. Thank you.

Mr. King. Thank you for everyone that showed out. I just want to say that this is not an easy decision. I spoke to a lot of people, even had the opportunity to attend Constable Hughes' meeting. I heard the voices loud and clear. I will say that it is my belief with all the facts that's been shared to us by the administration that if We run the risk of having basic services further interrupted if we don't make a change as far as our sanitation contract is concerned, and we're up against a real timeline in coming up on a cliff, potentially falling off a financial cliff if we don't start having some revenue-generating measures. Again, it's not easy. We're all going to have to feel the increase, but I strongly believe that is in the best interest of the entire city moving forward for the short term and the long term if we increase the revenue. Sorry, if we increase the sanitation charge. Thank you.

Is that all comments? All right. Well, I'm going to speak for a moment. People know typically I don't speak for a very long time. On this one, I'm going to talk for a little bit. when I had the misfortune of being in the Louisiana legislature when Bobby Jindal was governor. A former mayor once said, who at that time was Lieutenant Governor, you cannot cut your way to excellence, because eventually you get past fat and you get to muscle and bone. And the challenge we have before us today is very similar to that. We have, and I will say that the problems that are facing us today are not simply from one administration, it is from multiple administrations. There has been a lack of transparency surrounding the sanitation fee. There is no correlation before today on what the sanitation fee is versus what the cost of sanitation actually costs. Even when before, when it was $24, it did not cover the cost of sanitation. What happened is that when the cost exceeded the $24, the balance came from the general fund, which is the money we have to operate government. Now I want to talk about two things. It's not just about 2011 and the increase. What people do not talk about is the living wage. The New Orleans City Council in 2017 passed a living wage ordinance for the city of New Orleans. That living wage increase went to every single contractor in the entire city of New Orleans. When people talk about Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge pays $35.23 per month for twice a day and recycling. They also pay the federal minimum wage. Someone picking up trash in Baton Rouge makes $7 an hour. So if you want to know why ours is more expensive than Baton Rouge and why they can do it two days a week with recycling, if you want to pay our sanitation workers $7 an hour, we can get you two a day in recycling. That's math. That's the math right there. In Jefferson, they have two days a week with no recycling. Recycling costs $10 million. If the residents of the city want us to go to two a day a week, that is something we can do. But you have to compare apples to apples, not apples to oranges and apples to kumquats. Something that I will say which is partially true. The French Quarter and our Area 5 is very expensive. That is not for the all-day trash pickup. Almost every site in the French Quarter that is not a residential area has private trash collection. So when you see those multiple trucks running through, that is paid for by the business. Now, the cleanliness of the Quarter, that lemon scent, that's $5 million. That's $5 million on top of trash pickup. And that is a cost the entire city bears. This council is already working with the administration to see how we can work to generate money with FQMD to defray that cost, to lower it from the general fund. And I want to be very clear, the lack of transparency, part of what we're working for, the sanitation fee, is actually having the sanitation fee you pay directly correlated to the cost it costs to provide sanitation. And there's two benefits to that. One, like you said, whenever the city said we saw savings in renegotiating contracts, you never saw a reduction in the fee because the savings was to the general fund paying over the sanitation fee. Going forward, this $8 is to get us through this year as we compute and see what the sanitation is going to be. From the legislative auditor report, I know there has been some miscommunication. The original proposed fee increase before the auditor report was $12. The reason why it went down to $8 is because we've taken 12,000 homes that were not supposed to be pickups off the rolls. We are also working with the auditor to see if we can take more properties off those rolls if they're not eligible. And more importantly, to go do an audit of houses that may be paying not enough. Because many of us know there are doubles throughout the city that have one meter and they may pay one sanitation fee for multiple apartments. That is something that we are continuing to audit. And the difference is going to be, ladies and gentlemen, Going into next year, as we have the head of sanitation have to come to the council and say what the fee is going to be correlated to service and cost. If we have savings, you will see the savings because the fee will be tied to the actual service, not a set fee where there's hidden costs that we have to pay on top of it. I understand your frustration because I'll tell you, we do not take pleasure coming up here and voting on fees. That is not something we enjoy doing. And I can tell you as someone who was there when Governor Edwards came in, when I was chair of the Taxation Committee, which by far was the least popular committee in the legislature, where I had to cut taxes to corporations and raise taxes on people so that we could afford to have health care costs made for everyone in the state of Louisiana. These are the times where we have to make hard decisions to keep things afloat. And I want to be very clear because some people don't understand this. When we are looking at the general fund and we're talking about people here on fixed income, our retirees in the city are on fixed income. I was able last term to negotiate the first COLA for retirees in a decade. Do you know where a COLA comes from? The general fund. We have many retirees in the city of New Orleans who we still afford them insurance. You know where the insurance costs come from? The general fund. If we do not raise this fee, there's a $13.5 million deficit. What does that mean for those retirees? It means no COLA. It means we have to renegotiate healthcare costs and have higher premiums and deductibles. We are in an untenable position because it is an unwinnable position. But we have to do what's best for us in this moment to move the city forward. I want to be very clear, this is not the final decision on a sanitation fee. Part of the flexibility built into this law tying the fee to the service means if the citizens of this city, and the dialogue will continue, want two-day-a-week trash pickup, there are ways to get there. We can look at, and I know this makes people uncomfortable, if more people want two-day-a-week than recycling, we can get to two-day-a-week. We can be like Jefferson. If people want glass recycling, we can get there, but something has to move because everything costs money. Everything. Hell, if we just want one day a week trash pickup, period, that could save us a whole bunch of money. This is not a dialogue, Mr. Murray, and I did not interrupt you. That being said, this is not the end of the conversation and we will continue to have it. But right now, it's about making sure the city can provide the services we all expect and all need as we dig ourselves out of a generational problem. Because like I said, this city's finances aren't bad because of one mayor. They're bad because this entire system is broken. That is why there is a charter amendment in front of the people to say that when budgets are set, when we do budgets in front of you, mayors cannot alter them anymore. If you want to see sea change and not have bait and switches, vote for that amendment. Because the budget we pass in November going forward for the future of the city will be the budget. There will be no secret spending, no secret costs. And every time a budget wants to be changed, there'll have to be a vote in front of the council with you here to do it. With that, I move. Can I get a second? Second. Second by Councilman Green. All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Useful. No. All right. That is six yeas, one nay. Thank you.

Excuse me. Excuse me. You said to the young man here that you did not interrupt him when he was speaking. I respect that. I wanted to interrupt, but I wanted to wait until you finish. Because you put out some numbers and some figures that... I know you don't want anyone to say anything. I'll talk to you over here, but that's not the way this works.

You can't just yell at each other over here.

I'll talk to you. Well, it's a call upon the water. So we'll call upon the water because... You gave your interpretation.

Respectfully, respectfully, we've got to move on, and we've got to maintain decorum. We have more business to take care of. The council president has office to speak. I understand that, too, but one question. No, sir, we've got to maintain decorum. We need to move on.

Madam Clerk, go ahead.

Councilmembers, we have a motion under suspension, M26372 by Councilmember Willett. Appointing the Council's appointment of members to the Prenatal 2-3 Task Force. The following appointments are hereby made. Shannata Jackson, nominee of the Department of Health and Human Services. Greg Doolittle, nominee of the Office of Coordination and Emergency Management. Megan Williams, nominee of the Office of Sustainability. Emily Payton, nominee of the New Orleans Public Library. Jennifer Roberts, nominee of Agenda for Children, Inc. Melanie Richardson, nominee of Training Grounds, Inc. Ava Burres, nominee of the Chair of the Community Development Committee. Jessica Condiff, nominee of the chair of the Climate Change and Sustainability Committee, and Sage Michael Pallet, nominee of the chair of the Quality of Life Committee. We need the vote to receive this motion under suspension.

I move to receive. Can I get a second? Seconded by Councilmember Harris. All in favor? Aye. Six yays, zero nays.

We need a vote to add to the agenda.

I move to add. Seconded by Councilmember Harris. All in favor? Aye. Aye. Six yays, zero nays. And you could discuss a vote. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Members, this is the task force we discussed about a month or two ago. It will help the city incorporate consideration for expected mothers and children under the age of three in our planning around extreme heat hazard. hazard mitigation, and climate. Today's motion just approves the membership of that task force. I move for approval. Can I get a second? Seconded by Councilmember McCarran. All in favor? Aye. Six yays, zero nays. The motion's been adopted.

Councilmembers, on page 24, we have item 23, legislative grouping. Ordinance calendar 35,543 by Councilmember Willard. An ordinance to amend and reordain section 7521 through 7532 within division 6 of article 4 of chapter 70 in the Code of the City of New Orleans. to implement standards for contractor responsibilities subject to contracts executed by the City of New Orleans to clarify administrative and enforcement processes and otherwise to provide respect thereto. The Economic Development recommended approval. We have an amendment to Ordinance Calendar 35,543 by Councilmembers Willard and McCarran, an amendment to Ordinance Calendar 35,543 to Expand the definition of the chief procurement officer. Add executive determination of contractor responsibilities for professional services contracts procured by the executive branch. Provide that the city shall not enter into a contract with a non-responsible contractor. Add a timeline within which a responsibility hearing takes place after a preliminary determination. Clarify situations in which administrative hearings are not required. Clarify that the director of the department procuring a contract and the chief procurement officer do not require a complaint for a third party to initiate an investigation. Add that administrative hearings are conducted in accordance with procedures promulgated by the chief procurement officer and require regular reporting from the chief administrative officer on waivers to this division.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. You did a pretty good summary of this ordinance. Members, today we're going to take up the vote on the city's responsible contracting ordinance. After we passed it out of economic development, we sat down with the administration. They had a couple of changes that they wanted to see in the ordinance. So first we'll take up this amendment. What it does is it clarifies that the administration can determine contractor responsibility for its own professional service contracts. The reason we're doing that is it'll still have parity to this ordinance, but the administration sets rules for all professional service contracts related to the executive branch. The amendment also creates a clearer timeline for administrative hearings, and finally it requires the CAO to report all waivers to the council. With that, I will move adoption of the Of the amendment, seconded by Councilmember King. All in favor? Aye. Six yays, zero nays. Now back on the motion as amended. Any comments from the dais?

I would just ask that my name be added to this.

Okay. Madam Clerk, can we add all council members as an author to this ordinance? Okay. Public comment. First, we have Chip Fleetwood, the Greater New Orleans AFL-CIO.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Good morning, council members. Chip Fleetwood, representing Greater New Orleans AFL-CIO. Tiger Hammond sends his regards and apologies for not being here to speak in person. So first of all, thanks, Councilmember Willard. Thank all you guys with doing this with this ordinance. This ordinance was actually started in 2019 in the wake of the Hard Rock Collapse. Obviously, that was a time during COVID, so we had some issues. Former council member Cindy Wynn started it, but as we went through COVID and moved forward, actually then President Moreno helped us get this ordinance done and voted on in 2021. So since 2021, the only thing that hasn't happened under the former administration was we never were able to promulgate the rules and regulations. So it gave the ordinance no teeth whatsoever. The amendments to this does give it some teeth, and it does hold contractors accountable. I will say, being a member of the Building Trades, I'm also the business manager of the International Painters and Ally Trades, we own these job sites, day in, day out, that's our jobs. The cheating is still very rampant, unfortunately, in this city. So I'm hoping that, you know, with some teeth in this, it will stop. Because workers are being, you know, being taken advantage of. And it's not even just about the worker. contractors that do the right thing, that follow the rules, are not on the same playing field as the ones that cheat. So again, I thank you for your time, and I do appreciate it, but we rise in support of the amendments. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Chip. Next up, we have Jennifer Hernandez. Following Jennifer, we'll have Bobby Mittens.

Good morning, council members. My name is Jennifer Hernandez. I'm the Director of Government Affairs with the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades. And I'm here today in support of the amendments for the Responsible Contractors Ordinance. I want to emphasize that this ordinance is not about creating a deterrent for contractors. It's about establishing a common standard. If you're bidding on public work, you should be expected to follow the same rules as everyone else, and most importantly, to follow the law. For contractors who are already doing the right thing, this should help level the playing field. Because we have to ask ourselves, when a contractor comes in with a significantly lower bid, where do those savings come from? In construction, practices like worker misclassification can reduce costs by 30 to 40 percent, and those savings come at the expense of workers through unpaid wages, unpaid overtime, prevailing wage violations, or avoiding workman's compensation responsibilities. These are workers who are building our city and reinvesting in our communities, and we have a responsibility to make sure the people doing the work are paid correctly and treated fairly. And contractors receiving public work are meeting those same basic responsibilities. And when a contractor is willing to cut corners when it comes to its workforce and its legal responsibilities, we have to ask whether those same shortcuts could show up in the work itself. Cutting corners can lead to poor workmanship, rework, delays, and change orders that ultimately increase the cost of the project. This is about transparency, and this is about accountability. And it gives the city a way to look at a contractor's record and make informed decisions about who is responsible. At the end of the day, this is about fair competition, protecting workers, and supporting responsible contractors, not who can cut the most corners. The IUPAT rises in support of the responsible contractor ordinance, and I respectfully ask for your support in it as well.

Thank you. Thank you, Jennifer. Bobby? And after Bobby, we'll have Parker Diaz.

Morning, everybody. Bobby Medence, International Union Painters and Allied Trades. Like Chip said earlier, we're on the jobs every day. We see everything that's going on, and all the workers are getting exploited, safety hazards, a lot of things, you know, the contractors cheating on paying taxes to the state and the city, and we're just in support of this, and that's it, and thank you all for having me. Thank you, Bobby.

Parker Diaz. After Parker, we'll have Andy O'Brien. ANDY O' All right.

Good morning, members of the council. I want to speak from my experience as a union organizer with the Painters and Allied Trades Union. I regularly deal with workers on the job sites. One of the biggest problems facing our industry is wage and hour violations. I talk to workers daily who are misclassified as independent contractors. It's actually so commonplace that many of the workers don't even know that they're being misclassified. It's pretty clear to see that some contractors have grown comfortable and complacent with blatantly cutting labor costs through violating wage laws. This RBO will give us a way to hold those contractors accountable. More importantly, they can't ignore the plight of the working men and women that build this great city. Public money should not be used to reward contractors who repeatedly violate workers' rights. Responsible contractors shouldn't have to compete against companies that lower their bid by not paying overtime, misclassifying workers, and cutting corners. Contractors are climbing to new heights, and it's on the back of the working men and women in this city. This RBO protects workers, creates accountability, and helps level the playing field for our good acting contractors. The IUPAT rises in support of this ordinance. Thank you. Thank you, Parker.

Andy O'Brien, followed by Peter Robbins-Brown.

Good morning, council members. As Matt said, I'm Andy O'Brien. I'm with the Building Trades here in New Orleans. I'm going to be a little redundant here. Last Tuesday, the New Orleans City Council Economic Development Committee, at that hearing, basically their core message was that when New Orleans spends public dollars, responsible contractors should have the... shouldn't have to compete against companies whose lower bids are achieved by cutting corners on safety, wages, workers' compensation, workers' classification, insurance, or legal compliances. That says it all in regards to this ordinance. And I'd also like to say that, just maybe, with this ordinance, with these amendments, had been in place on Saturday, October 12, 2019, and at that time, the Office of Safety and Permits was competent, possibly the tragedy that took place at the construction site of the Hard Rock Hotel might have not ever happened. The building trades is in favor of this ordinance.

Thank you, Andy. Peter?

Peter Robbins Brown with the Louisiana AFL-CIO, 3230 Ponce de Leon Street. I'm here today on behalf of State Fed President Matt Wood, who sends his regards and regrettably couldn't make it. He's out of town for a conference, so I'm going to read a statement from him. Usually not reading things at these kinds of stuff, but let's give it a shot. Let's see. Dear council members, with your support today to strengthen New Orleans' existing responsible bidder ordinance, you are doing more than supporting the workers who will be directly impacted by this policy. You are sending a message to working people across Louisiana, throughout the South, and across the country that New Orleans is a city where working people are valued and can build a good life. We all understand how difficult it has become for families to make ends meet, the cost of everyday necessities continues to rise, often faster than wages, and far too many communities across the country have become places where the people who work there and want to create a life there can no longer afford to live there. Most employers want to do right by their employees. They understand that their workers are essential to the success of their businesses and our communities. Unfortunately, we also know some employers cut corners at the expense of the very people whose labor makes their success possible. By strengthening this ordinance and providing the capacity to meaningfully enforce it, you are helping protect New Orleans from becoming a city where working people are priced out while irresponsible employers are allowed to prosper by taking advantage of their workers. The local labor movement and the Louisiana AFL-CIO appreciate the work of the City Council's Economic Development Committee and the collaboration that has taken place with labor leaders throughout the process. You recognized a real issue affecting working people in this community, listened to those closest to it, and worked toward a practical solution. We hope the full Council will now move that solution forward. Working people have always been the backbone of New Orleans. Every day they build this city, maintain it, serve its residents, welcome its visitors, and help make New Orleans the unique place that it is. They deserve the opportunity to not simply work here, but to live here, raise their families here, and share in the prosperity they help create. It is our belief that strengthening the standards for companies that receive city contracts also sends an important message to every employer in this region. Responsible employment practices matter. Thank you.

You did a great job. Thanks. Two minutes, I thought. Please give President Wood our best. Thank you to the men and women of the AFL-CIO and IUPAT that showed up today. It's been a pleasure working with you all. For the public out there, this ordinance is about increasing accountability and transparency. The city of New Orleans should not be awarding contracts to companies that repeatedly violate federal, state, and local labor laws. They should not be receiving contracts for doing shoddy job. We should award the good actors, the people who are paying their workers fairly, the ones who are properly classifying their workers. And so that's what this motion does. I have moved. It's been seconded. Councilman Green wants this.

I'm only going to take a second. I want to thank the members of the various unions, the labor movement who came out today. As a son of two members of the labor movement, I recognize the benefits that can be derived from involving organized labor in the work that is going to be done in our city. Some people are going to get on social media and they're going to say the wrong thing because they don't understand. This is a reason for contractors to come to the city of New Orleans to do business because we are doing business in a responsible way here and we are working with those who are the most important people in these contracting processes, those who are doing the work to make sure that they get the benefits and are treated fairly in their compensation and also in their working conditions. But the most important thing is that I want to thank members of the labor movement, the organized labor movement for coming out here today and supporting Councilmember Willard, the entire City Council, our Economic Development Committee on this important matter. I just want to say one other thing to be redundant. No matter what they say on social media, the most important thing to be recognized here is that this is a reason to do business here in the City of New Orleans. Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Green. Any other comments from the dais? All right. I've moved the adoption of the ordinance as amended. It's been seconded by Councilmember McCarran. All in favor?

Aye.

Six yays, zero nays. The ordinance has been adopted as amended.

On page one, we have approval of the minutes for the meeting of August 6th, 2026 and August 20th, 2026. We have a communication from Erin Spears. This may be received. We have a communication from Justin Scott, 1200 Ursuline Avenue, 1204 Ursuline Avenue and 1039 here at a DeLille. This may be received hearing date 9-17-26. We have a communication from Dr. Julia Jones. This may 620 through 622 Louisa Street. This may be received hearing date 9-17-26. We have a report of Carmen Robinson. This may be received. We have a report of Erin Burns. This may be received. We have a report of Caitlin Timrick. This may be received. We have a report of Elizabeth Holman. This may be received. We have a report of Robert D. Rivers. This may be received. Hearing date 9-17-26. We have a report of Lynette Crowley. This may be received. We have Ordinance Calendar 35,525 by Councilmember Hughes, Municipal Address 10555 Lake Forest Boulevard, Suite D, Zoning Docket 4926. We have Ordinance Calendar 35,526 by Councilmember McCarran, 139 Broadway Street, Zoning Docket 6126. We have Ordinance Calendar 35,527 by Councilmember Harris, Zoning Docket 4226. We have a motion line over M2640 by Council Members Harris, Willard, Morrell, McCarran, and King. Joint Budget and Public Works Committee recommended approval. We have a motion line over M2644 by Council Members Harris, Willard, Morrell, McCarran, and King. Budget Audit Board of Review Committee made no recommendation. Joint Budget and Public Works Committee recommended approval. We have motion line over M26-198 by Council Members Harris, Willard, Morrell, and McCarran. We'll move to the regular agenda. We have motion M26-355 by Council Member Harris. Joint Budget and Public Works Committee recommended approval. We have resolution R26-356 by Council Member Green. Transportation Committee recommended approval. We have resolution R26-360 by Council Members McCarran, Morrell, Green, Harris, Hughes, and King. Climate Change and Sustainability Committee recommended approval. We have Resolution R26361 by Council Members Morrell, McCarran, Harris, King, Green, and Hughes. Climate Change and Sustainability Committee recommended approval. This is all matters on consent.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Okay, we have Monique Blossom with the Louisiana Fair Housing Action Center on Consent Agenda Item Number 7. Monique? Okay, she waves. And then we have Dan Feliciano on consent agenda item number 17. Dan Feliciano. Oh, there you are.

Just want to say thank you very much. Kids riding the buses for free is a big thing, especially with all the spare change. And it's also just a good thing for the state to do. So thank you. Have a wonderful day.

Thank you, Dan. And then we have Morgan Clevenger on consent agenda item 17. Consent agenda item number 17.

Thank you. The presentation that Ry Nola and everybody did last week was amazing and definitely made the case of why the opportunity pass is important to our children and families. And a lot of the data and the support information for that definitely showed the burden on our citizens and our families that are extremely cost burdened and many of the council persons did address that as well and thought that it was important to do something to help our people. So I support this. I'm happy to support it. But I would also ask that that same reasoning of how we need to work with our people and recognize the cost burden of our population and our families and our children is also affected by things like a sanitation fee. Thank you.

Thank you, Morgan.

Council Member Green. Thank you, Council Member Willard. I appreciate the comments, and I want to also thank Ryde. You didn't take out a card, but I appreciate the fact that you're here and that this is passing. As the chair of the Transportation Committee and as a member of the previous council, I do want to take an opportunity to thank Mayor Moreno, who was, as a council member at large, a strong proponent. I've been the chair of transportation for a while. I was so glad this opportunity came before us. But this is an example of a successful program. It is something that the city has done well, that supports our youth. I could spend 10 minutes telling you about some of the things that the youth have said to me just about how pleased they are to be able to go around the city and see our city and enjoy it, especially those whose families' incomes are challenged. So I hope that we will work with the members of the council and even maybe with the state and other departments funders to continue the provision of the funding that keeps this program going. But I do appreciate the work of all who have made this a successful program. Thank you, Ryde, for the work that you're doing. And let's continue to make this opportunity available to our young people, something that has worked very well and is funded by the city's general fund.

Thank you, Council Member Green. Any other comments? All right. It's been moved and seconded by Council Member McCarran. All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed? Seven yeas, zero nays. The consent agenda has been adopted.

All right. We have a communication under suspension from Joseph A. Jerusalem III. We need the vote to receive.

Moved. Seconded by Councilmember Harris. All in favor? All right. Seven yays, zero nays.

We need the vote to add.

Moved. Seconded by Councilmember Harris. All in favor? All right. Seven yays, zero nays.

All right. We have a motion under suspension. We have motion M26198 by Councilmember Harris, Willard, Morrell, McCarran, and King. Submitting for council approval the following amendments to classify pay plan, health EMS, hiring rates, emergency medical technician, emergency medical technician advance, emergency medical technician paramedic, emergency medical coordinator assistant, emergency medical coordinator, as adopted by the Civil Service Commission at its meeting on May 8, 2026, in accordance with Article 10, Section 10 of the Constitution of Louisiana, that the amendment of the classified pay plan is approved to be effective September 3, 2026. We need the vote to receive. I'll move. Seconded by Councilmember Willard.

All in favor? Aye. Seven yays. We need the vote to add. I'll move to add. Seconded by Councilmember McCarran. All in favor? Aye. Seven yays. You could discuss a vote. All right. Council members, we talked about this in budget. This just approves some additional EMS workers so that we can get off of using Acadian Ambulance and actually staff up our own EMS. This should increase the budget in the general funds. I'll move. Can I get a second? Seconded by Council President Murrell. All in favor? Aye. Seven yays. Thank you.

At the top of page 10, we have item one, legislative grouping. RTA application 2025-0123 has been deferred to the meeting of October 1st, along with resolutions lying over R26-9 and R26-10. At the top of page 11, we have item two, legislative grouping. RTA application 2022-0126 has been deferred to the meeting of October 1st, along with resolutions lying over R26-11 and R26-12. At the top of page 12, we have legislative grouping, HDLC appeal of Charles Anderson, requesting to appeal the HDLC's decision of denial of retention of the unpainted porch column and uplighting for the property located at 906 Phillips Street. We have motion M26365 by Councilmember Harris, affirming the commission's decision in denying the applicant's request for property located at 906 Phillips Street.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. Ms. Burke, will you brief us on your report?

Yes, ma'am. The owners requesting retention of HDLC violation items found in an inspection on April 9th, the unpainted stained front porch columns and the uplighting installed directly below them. The guidelines are clear on paint requirements and state that stains should be limited to exterior front doors where they are appropriate for the style, and all other exterior woodwork must be painted with opaque paint. This is required not only to replicate the historic look of the building, but for weather and exposure protection as well. The HDLC does not approve uplighting directed at the facade of any buildings, as it alters the perception of architectural features and contributes to light spill into the sky. Further, the light fixtures installed at this building are large and intrusive. If ambient light on the front porch is desired, staff would recommend installing recessed can lights behind the existing decorative soffit vents. At their August 12th hearing, the Commission voted to deny the request for retention.

Thank you, Eleanor. This motion affirms HDLC's decision of denial and denies the applicant's request to retain unpainted French porch columns and uplighting installed directly below the columns at a contributed rated one-story single-family residential building without a certificate of appropriateness. The guidelines are clear on paint requirements and state that stains should be limited to exterior front doors where appropriate for the style. All other exterior woodwork must be painted with opaque paint. This is required not only to replicate the historic look of the building, but for weather exposure and protection as well. Regarding the lighting, I encourage the applicant to heed HDLC's recommendation and to install recessed can lights behind the existing decorative soffit events if ambient light on the porch is needed. The rules are clear and available to historic district residents. With that, I move. Can I get a second? Seconded by Council Member King. All in favor? Aye. Six shays. Thank you.

At the bottom of the page, we have Item 4, Zoning Docket 5026, has been deferred to the meeting of 9-17. At the top of page 13, Item 5, Zoning Docket 5926, has been deferred to the meeting of 9-17. Item 6, we have Legislative Group and Zoning Docket 6326, Wells One Investments, LLC. Requesting a conditional use to permit a bed and breakfast accessory in HUMU, his third urban mixed-use district, in the transient lodge in the interim zoning district on square 211, lot A in the first municipal district, bounded by Carondelet Street, Thalia Street, St. Charles Avenue, and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Municipal address... 1428 Carondelet Street. The recommendation of the CPC being for approval subject to one waiver and four provisos. We have motion line over M26318 is withdrawn. We have substitute motion M26318 by Council Member Harris denying the applicant's request for zoning document 6326. Thank you. Stephen, will you brief us on your report?

Thank you, Councilmember. This is an application to use a new construction residence at the intersection of Carondelet and Martin Luther King as a accessory bed and breakfast that comes with the requirement that there be an on-site operator. The site is located within a mixed-use zoning district that includes a lot of Central City, including parts of St. Charles, and so the Commission is generally supportive of Bed and Breakfast that have the on-site operational requirement and which are located in mixed-use zoning districts. And so for that reason, the Planning Commission recommends approval.

Thank you. I have one card from Christina Tate.

Good morning. My name is Christina Tate, 4349 Genoa Road, and I'm here to speak on behalf of Alonzo Wells for Wells One Investments. And just asking for the approval for the accessory bed and breakfast. We believe that this project is an opportunity to bring thoughtful, responsible hospitality to the neighborhood while respecting the character of the surrounding community. A well operated bed and breakfast can provide a positive addition to a neighborhood. It can also welcome and attract visitors who want to experience the area, support nearby restaurants and small businesses, and contribute to the local economy. Just as importantly, be operated in a way that is quiet, well maintained, and respectful of the neighbors who call this area home. We follow the process that has been required with the MPP program, and now coming to you in good faith is more than just an application, but more of an investment. So today we respectfully ask that you consider the opportunity to allow 1428 Carondelet to serve as an accessory bed and breakfast.

Thank you, Ms. Tate. This motion denies a conditional use application to permit a bed-and-breakfast at a property that is currently developed as a three-story, two-family residence. This property has never operated as a transient lodging use, nor is a bed-and-breakfast permitted by rights in the HU Urban Mixed-Use District. The applicant proposes to convert this two-family residence into a single-family residence with four guest rooms. My fundamental concern is whether a dwelling in an established mixed-use neighborhood should function as housing for residents or as visitor accommodations. Additionally, the transient lodging has a substantially different intensity and turnover pattern than conventional residential occupancy. As a proponent of residential housing, I cannot support further reduction of the already limited housing stock in this area And for that reason, I move to deny the applicants the applicants. Yeah. Can I get a second? Second. Seconded by Council President Morrell. All in favor? Aye.

Seven yes. Thank you. At the bottom of the page, item 7, zoning document 6426, has been deferred to the meeting of 9-17. At the top of page 15, we have item 8, legislative group and zoning document 6626, Voland Code LLC, requesting a conditional use to permit a commercial short-term rental in an HMC to external... Historic marination made by water commercial district in the transient lodge and interim zoning district on square 377 lot D in the third municipal district bounded by Joseph Gilliam Place, Parker Street, North Rampart Street, and St. Anthony Street. Municipal address is 1822 Joseph Gilliam Place. The recommendation of the CPC being for approval subject to two provisos. We are motioning M26367 by Council Member King, approving the applicant's request for zoning, Docket 6626, subject to two provisos recommended by the CPC.

CBC, the floor is yours. Thank you, Councilmember. This is an application to construct a new short-term residence on St. Claude Avenue. It is within a mixed-use corridor that extends along St. Claude. This particular lot has been vacant for at least 15 years. The new construction would be a single-family residence with three off-street parking spaces. The Planning Commission finds this to be appropriate because it improves a vacant lot, does not displace existing residences, and has off-street parking to accommodate the parking demand, and again is on St. Claude, which is a mixed-use corridor. Further, the Planning Commission received two letters of support and one speaker in opposition, and this is before you with an approval recommendation. Thank you.

This is Chris Cochran.

Good morning. Chris Cochran. I own property on this square. I personally feel that any development of vacant land should be approved. throughout the city, but especially here, just sitting there, garbage collecting, anything we can do to improve light and remove vacant land, I fully approve. Thank you.

Mr. Crow, how long has it been sitting vacant?

We don't have an exact date on it, but it appears to be at least 15 years based on Google Street View images.

All right, thank you. Any comments from the desk? Any online comments? Motion to approve? All in favor? I'm sorry, second by Councilman Carrier. All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed? I moved. I don't see it. Well, five, six yays, one opposition. Motion's approved, thank you.

Who's your second?

Council Member McCarran, second.

And Council Member Murrell is unnamed.

Yes. Voting machines, everyone. Councilman McGregor? He can't. His machine isn't working. Something's wrong right now.

At the top of page 16, we have item 9, legislative group and zoning document 6726 has been deferred to the meeting of 9-17 along with motions M26-357 and M26-358. At the top of page 17, we have legislative group and zoning document 6826, BDOZ, CBD, NOLA, LLC. Requesting a conditional use of permanent hotel in the CBD 5 urban core neighborhood lower intensity mixed use district in the transient lodge and interim zoning district on square 234, lots B and L in the first municipal district bounded by Barone, Girard, Carondelet, and Julia Street. Municipal address 727 Carondelet Street. The recommendation of the CPC being for approval subject to two provisos. We have motion M26363 by Councilmember Harris approving and modifying the applicant's request for zoning document 6826 subject to the two provisos recommended by the CPC.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. CPC, will you brief us on your report?

Yes, thank you, Councilmember. This is a proposal to redevelop the building that was once Rob Wayne High School, later International High School as a hotel. It's located on Carondelet Street in the CBD. It's an Art Deco building dating from 1937 that is currently vacant. The proposal is to adapt it as a 79-room hotel. Given its location in the Central Business District, given the fact that it has never been a residential building and will not reduce residential housing stock, the Planning Commission finds the location to be appropriate. The size of the building makes this use one of the few things that can realistically be expected of it. And so the Planning Commission supports this and recommends approval.

Thank you. Avery?

Avery Foray, 800 Brown Street. Here on behalf of the development team, I think Stephen just gave a perfect summary, so I won't belabor any points. Happy to answer any questions. Thank you for hearing the matter today. Thank you to Councilmember Harris and her office for their work on the item, and we appreciate being heard today.

Thank you. This motion approves the conditional use application to permit a 79-room full-service hotel. This property is an 89-year-old, beautiful, vacant three-story building that the applicant intends to rehabilitate. I've modified CPC's proviso to exclude short-term rentals from their approved transient lodging use. This proposal receives strong community support, so with that I'll move. Seconded by Council, Vice President Willard. All in favor? Seven yays. Thank you.

On page 18, we have Item 11, Legislative Group and Zoning Docket 6926-750, Carondelet Investors, LLC. Requesting a conditional use to permit an indoor facility in the CBD-5 Urban Core Neighborhood-Lawrenton Misuse District on Square 218, Lie A-1 in the First Municipal District, grounded by Julia Street, Carondelet Street, St. Charles Avenue, and Gerard Street. Municipal address 750 Carondelet Street. The recommendation of the CPC being for approval subject to three provisos. We have motion M26364 by Councilmember Harris approving the applicant's request for zoning document 6926 subject to the three provisos recommended by the CPC.

Thank you. Stephen, will you brief us on your report?

Yeah, this is an application affecting a long underutilized building at the intersection of Julia and Carondelet and the CBD. The proposal is to use a portion of the building as a video gaming facility, which is what's called an indoor amusement facility in zoning terminology. It's really an appropriate use of an underutilized space. It contributes to activity in downtown and certainly is appropriate given the purpose of the commercial district, and for that reason, the Planning Commission recommends approval.

Thank you, Stephen. This is a building that's been empty since, as long as I can remember, since at least 2002. It approves a conditional use application to permit an indoor amusement facility. This property is a commercial structure that ranges from one to three stories on the corner of Crandallette and Julia Street. The proposed use will feature virtual reality games. I do have one card from Laura Barth.

Laura Barth, 1000 South Norman C. Francis. Just want to say thank you to City Planning and Council Member Harris' office and here for any questions.

Thank you. Any questions? Hearing none, I'll move. Can I get a second? Seconded by Council Member McCarran. All in favor? Aye. Seven yays. Thank you.

At the bottom of the page, item 12, zoning document 7026 has been deferred to the meeting of 9-17. At the top of page 19, we have zoning document 7126 has been deferred to the meeting of 9-17. Item 14, Legislative Grouping, Zone and Docket 7326, along with Motion M26366, has been deferred to the meeting of 9-17. At the top of page 20, we have Item 15, Legislative Grouping, Ordinance Calendar 34385, along with motions lying over M23-426 and M23-427, has been deferred to the meeting of September 9th, 2017. At the top of page 21, item 16, ordinance count of 35,117, has been deferred to the meeting of 9-17. On page 22, item 18, ordinance calendar 35,487 has been withdrawn. Item 19, ordinance calendar 35,488 has been withdrawn. At the top of page 23, item 20, legislative grouping, ordinance calendar 35,495 by Councilmember King by request. An ordinance to ordain and establish Section 34-3.1 of the Code of the City of New Orleans to impose a carnival gap adjustment for parade fee. To provide relative to the collection and use of safety and otherwise to provide respects thereto. The Criminal Justice Committee recommended approval. There's an amendment to Ordinance Calendar 35,495 by Councilmember King by request. An amendment to Ordinance Calendar 35,495 to replace the per-float carnival gap adjustment for parade fees. with a tiered fee based on pool units as with the existing parade permit tiers, to establish that the gap fee applies to the 2027 through 2031 carnival parade seasons only, and to make conforming changes. Criminal Justice Committee recommended approval.

Okay, thank you, Madam Clerk. First up to speak is Ms. Caroline Bantry.

Hi, Council. My name is Caroline Bancheri. I live at 1420 Valen Street in District B. I would like to express my opposition to this policy for two main reasons. Firstly is that, in my opinion, the fee is not high enough. Right now, even looking at just the deficit related to Mardi Gras in city spending, it's about $4 million. And with this current fee and the maximum where it is set, crews will only be asked to pay up to 7.5% of that fee, that $400 million cost, which in my opinion is not sufficient. Secondarily, I believe that this policy does not do enough to give the crews skin in the game for the changing dynamics of Mardi Gras over the next few years. Councilman Morrell just said in relation to sanitation that the fees should be tied to the service, and I see no reason why the crews should have different expectations in this regard with the city costs to Mardi Gras. The fees are the same in the current structure regardless of the cost of Mardi Gras, and so while we see this fee change as incremental revenue to the city, if the 2027 Mardi Gras costs increase because there's no skin in the game for the crews, the deficit remains because the costs rise just with the revenue. Additionally, I would encourage the council to consider a more dynamic fee that can reflect the change in cost of Mardi Gras. They have been increasing year over year, and so something like a fee tied to, let's say, the amount of waste collected by sanitation, maybe it's something like $30 a ton assessed to the fees at the end of Mardi Gras for the next season, that can automatically reflect the change in cost that the city is incurring. and create an incentive where if the crews throw less and the streets have less waste, the crews can pay a lower fee. Thank you.

Great points. Thank you. Next, Charles Brett Davis.

Greetings, Council. I represent District B, and I'm also representing the Recycled At Coalition. And the Recycled At Coalition provides free recycling to parade goers along the uptown parade route in Napoleon and St. Charles throughout four and a half days of Mardi Gras season. We were funded by the City of New Orleans through the Office of Resilience and Sustainability. We lost that funding with the budget deficit, and unfortunately we've been unable to get it back. So I'd like to read a public comment that I submitted earlier. The last minute reduction of the gap fee for parades does the city and taxpayers no good. We are letting critical programming go underfunded in our city, while a bunch of private clubs with operating budgets in the tens of millions of dollars have days of parties in our streets and then send us the bill. $10,000 for a super crew with expenditures of $13.6 million per year is incredibly low. We have to host everything. We have to make sure the party is safe and then clean it up. The crews with leadership and riders who don't often live in this city love to externalize every single cost to the New Orleans taxpayer while they throw bigger balls and throw more plastic stuff in our streets and storm drains. We need a permanent fee, not a gap fee, and it should be much bigger. $25 per rider spent less on beads imported from overseas and towards the city services we provide was a step in the right direction.

Jordan Bridges.

Good morning, Council. Always good to be here with you all. My name is Jordan Bridges. I'm the organizing director for the New Orleans Worker Center. My address is 107 Finland Place. I'm not being paid to appear, and I'm here for information only. Before anything else, thank you for passing the amendment earlier today for worker reform. Super needed, really important to our community of people that we're organizing. Shameless plug, I've been reaching out. We want y'all to be involved in the work that you're supporting at the Workers' Center. We have some great stuff coming up. And regarding this and the work that we've been doing with the Mardi Gras cleanup workers, I'm not here to speak on the fees, but every parade day we know that hundreds of people go out to the streets and have to clean up after. I actually have good news to report. We've been making recommendations to the Department of Sanitation and they're taking some on regarding signage and how we can make the cleanup easier. But when we think about these fees and where they can go, I want to offer that Over these next five seasons, we really need to make sure that the protective equipment that we get for workers is sound. That includes waterproof gloves, cut-proof gloves. Having done the cleanup myself for the last few years, it's a tough job. And we want to make sure that the people that are doing it are held in high regard. And so this ties into what we're doing with the living wage ordinance and how we enforce it. I think that the work being discussed today is a step in the right direction. However, there are vulnerable people in our community that we just need to consider their unique perspective. but thank you again for passing that I think even moving the parade earlier start times I'm getting mixed reviews but in terms of safety it tends to you know workers are saying that it tends to lend to that but when we're considering these fees let's consider how we're taking care of some of the folks that are involved on the worker side of the cleanup thank you thank you Chris Lane followed by Morgan Clevenger

Good. I think it's afternoon now, or maybe it's still morning. Good morning, Council. My name is Chris Lang. I live at 2500 Dauphine Street. I've actually cleaned up after Mardi Gras for four years now, and I have a lot of thoughts on just, like, structuring fees. I think the fee should be attached to the volume of waste that these parades are producing. These parades... There is so much that they are offsetting and externalizing onto the residents. It's not only just a hazard with heavy metals that are going into our soils with antimony, mercury, lead, boron, chromium, you name it, through these beads that they're importing, but it's also a drainage issue. These are clogging our drains. It's a sanitation cost, like I think Caroline mentioned, it's over $4 million of fees or of just costs out of the city general fund to basically clean up after Mardi Gras to make sure that all the other services are paid. And these parade floats, these mega floats that are really not paying as much as they need to be, aren't contributing to the volume of waste that they are producing. And I think if you attach the fee to a volume of waste, there is going to be also an incentive to reduce the amount of waste and to be more mindful of what types of waste they're releasing through Mardi Gras. Make it a little bit more sustainable and also you can help fund really important initiatives like Recycled At. I'll just say these floats have a lot of money and I think that there should be a consequence for polluting and even Ray Nagin back in 2005 said we should not be monitoring the success of Mardi Gras based off of the amount of trash that we produce and I think having an incentive through a fee structure that's a tether to the amount of volume of waste that they're producing is going to be helpful for our city, for our services, for our drainage, for the workers as Jordan had just brought up and I think it's a step in the right direction to do things that Caroline and Brett recommended. Thank you.

Ms. Clevenger.

Good afternoon. I have a little bit of a different take, and I do support Recycle Dat, I do support the idea that we need to reduce plastic waste especially, but as a writer with Zulu and Femme Fatale, and who has been through that experience and know what it is to put Mardi Gras on, we have to remember that Mardi Gras is created by the people of New Orleans. every individual rider, every individual organization, and it has been for over a century. And so, to put this fee on the crews and the riders, I believe is wrong. I believe we have money when we feel like it, we know that New Orleans & Company is sitting on big fund balances, they are receiving hotel-motel taxes, they're receiving sales tax, and other organizations are receiving public money to promote Mardi Gras and other events in New Orleans. And we know that Mardi Gras is one of our biggest tourism events. We also know that a lot of that money goes to the state, and we don't see a lot of it returned back to the city. So I do agree that the gap is there, but I do not agree that we should put it on the crews and the riders. I believe there's other pots of money for that. and that should be very heavily considered. I admire the crews for trying to step up and work with Councilmember King to come up with another solution, but I would say we need to go further and find a different funding source. I would also say that continuing to put fees on the backs of people is not progress. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Clevenger. Any comments from the deans? Any council members agreeing?

Yes. This is a reminder that the state, and Ms. Clevenger just brought it up, brings in millions and millions of dollars from hotel-motel taxes, from sales taxes, and from the leasing of state-owned facilities. This is an important measure on the city's part, but at the end of the day, I'm calling on the state of Louisiana to recognize the amount of revenues that are generated and the amount of goodwill that is generated and support New Orleans' in a better manner than it has done in the past.

All right. Any other comments? Any online comments?

There are two online comments. Would you want them in the record?

Just put them to the record, please. Thank you. All right. I make a motion to approve. Second. I'm talking about Councilman Green. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, either.

That's for the amendment. Now we need to vote on the ordinance.

So we're voting on the amendment. It passes. Now we're going to vote on the ordinance as amended. Make a motion. Second. Member Constable Green, all in favor? All right. 78 is in the oppose. All right. The ordinance as amended has been passed. Thank you.

At the bottom of the page, we have ordinance calendar 35,530 by Councilmember Harris has been deferred to the meeting of September 17th. At the top of page 24, item 22, ordinance calendar 35,533 by Councilmember Harris by request. An ordinance to authorize the Mayor of the City of New Orleans to enter into a into an agreement to grant servitude to an adjacent property owner for encroachment on or over portions of public right-of-way located at the municipal address 1484 Chapitula Street. To fix the minimum price in terms of state servitude agreement to declare that such use is granted in the servitude agreement will incorporate space that is neither needed for public purpose nor shall such use interfere with the use of the public right-of-way to set forth reasons for state servitude agreement and otherwise to provide respect there too.

Thank you, Madam Clerk. This servitude will generate an annual revenue payment of $4,284, subject to a 15% increase every five years. I've moved. It's been seconded. All in favor?

On page 25 we have item 24 motion line over M25 182 has been deferred to the meeting of November 5th. Item 25 motion line over M25 183. has been deferred to the meeting of 11-5. At the top of page 26, item 26, motion line over M25-184 has been deferred to the meeting of 11-5. Motion line over M25-186 has been deferred to the meeting of 11-5. Motion line over M25-187 has been deferred to the meeting of 11-5. At the top of page 27, motion line over M25189 has been deferred to the meeting of 11-5. Motion line over M25235 has been deferred to the meeting of 11-5. Motion line over M25236 has been deferred to the meeting of 11-5. At the top of page 28, motion line over M25-238 has been deferred to the meeting of 11-5. Motion line over 25-288 has been deferred to the meeting of 11-5. Motion line over M25-435 has been deferred to the meeting of 11-5. At the top of page 25, motion line over M2638 has been deferred to the meeting of 11-5. Motion line over M2639 has been deferred to the meeting of 11-5. Motion line over M2641 has been deferred to the meeting of 11-5. At the top of page 33, motion line over M2683 has been deferred to the meeting of 11-5. Motion line over M2684 has been deferred to the meeting of 11-5. Motion line over M26115 has been deferred to the meeting of 11-5. At the top of page 31, motion line over M26242 has been deferred to the meeting of 11-5. At the top of page, on page 31, we have item 42, motion M26359 by Councilmember Harris by request. Announcing that the Council intention pursuant to Louisiana Revised Statute 4219-1 to adopt at its meeting to be held in the Council Chambers, City Hall, 1300 Perdido Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, beginning at 10 a.m. Thursday, October 1st, 2026. A resolution authorizing the calling of an election for April 17th, 2027, at which the voters residing within the district will be asked to vote on a proposition for the council to continue or renew the levy of a special tax of 2022. 22-19-700, 22.97 mils, current expiring in after the 2029 levy upon a taxable real property situated within the boundaries of the district beginning with the year 2030 and ending with the year 2054 pursuant to the authority granted in the LARS 33-2740.3f and other constitutional and statutory authority supplemental within thereto.

thank you madam clerk this is a state law required election notice of intent this motion notices that the council will act on a resolution to call the april 2027 election for the renewal of the downtown development district special tax at its october 1st 2026 meeting i've moved it's been seconded please vote your machines seven years no names who's second uh

Thank you. We have item 43, resolution R26362 by Councilmember Morrell. A resolution expressing the council's support for a payment in lieu of Texas pilot agreement for the River Garden Apartments 2 that will increase affordability and housing stability in the Lower Garden District.

Thank you. This resolution expresses council's support for a pilot agreement for River Garden Apartments in the Lower Garden District. The pilot will facilitate a $10 million renovation. The renovation will bring an additional 29 affordable housing units to the community, bringing the total number of affordable units to 153. It will add fortified roofs to the development, facilitate HVAC and other mechanical upgrades. The renovation will also add a community room and computer facility. This pilot ensures that there is continued affordability options in the Lower Garden District, especially in light of rising housing costs and overall cost of living pressures that are making affordable housing increasingly difficult to access.

Thank you. Council Member, I'd like to second and add my name to this.

Moved by me. Seconded by Councilman Harris. Machines fighting us. Again. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Hearing none. Seven yays. No ayes, no nays.

On page 32, we have motion M26368 by council members Morrell, McCarran, and King, directing Susan Waterboy, New Orleans Board of Directors, to approve a proposal to repay its financial obligations to the city no later than October 1st.

Thank you. This motion directs Swebno and the board of directors to come up with a concrete plan to repay the $12.8 million debt owed to the city. The proposal is due to the council by October 1st. This motion also requires representatives from the Sewage and Water Board to appear at a future meeting to explain the repayment plan. With that, I will move. Can I get a second? Second by Council Member McCarron. All in favor? Aye. Seven yays, no nays. It is approved.

Item 45, we have Resolution R26369 by Councilmember Morrell by request. Urging the Director of the Department of Finance to create and administrate through the Bureau of Revenue a limited delinquent sales and occupational license tax amnesty program for eligible delinquent sales and occupational license taxes owed to the City of New Orleans.

Thank you. This is pretty self-explanatory. We're once again working with the administration to put together a reasonable tax embassy program to get in revenue while also providing an opportunity for those delinquent on taxes and fees to become current. I will move.

I'll second, and I'd like to add my name to this as well.

Thank you. Same here, so probably all. All of us. All right. Everyone's at it. All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Hearing none, seven yays, no nays. Is approved.

We have resolution under suspension R26370 by Councilmember Morrell. A resolution approving a cooperative endeavor agreement between the City of New Orleans and Orleans Parish School Board, officially in accordance with Section 9-314-3 of the Home Rule Charter. We need the vote to receive.

I'll move. Second by Council Vice President Willard. All in favor? Aye. All right.

We need to vote to add.

I'll move. Second by Councilmember, Vice Council, Vice President Willard. All in favor? Aye. Seven yays, no nays.

We could vote on the resolution.

Before we vote, simply put, this just finally... approves the CEA tied to the school board settlement. I just want to thank the mayor for working with the council and the school board to resolve this issue in a way that is amicable to all parties and to provide resources to the kids of the city of New Orleans. So with that, I will move. Second by Councilmember Harris. All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? Hearing none, it is approved.

We have resolution under suspension R26371 by Council Member King by request. Adopting the Orleans Parish Hazard Mitigation Plan update in accordance with requirements of the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, the Parish of Orleans, State of Louisiana, through its governing authority, the New Orleans City Council, in Form 8. We could vote to receive.

Voters make a motion. Second by Council Member Caron. All in favor? Aye. Seven yays, no nays. Ms. Bruce, so can you...

Votes are add.

Motion. So moved. Second by Councilman McCarron. All in favor? Aye. All right. It's properly added. Ms. Liz, can you give us some info on this, please? It's on its way? Okay. It's all good.

Good morning. My name is Austin Feldbaum, and I'm available to answer any questions about the hazard mitigation plan. What is going on with the Hazard Mitigation Plan? Sorry. Yes, sir. Well, then I'll start from the beginning. So we are due for our required five-year update of the city's Hazard Mitigation Plan. It's the document that cattle... It catalogs the natural hazard risks that we face and updates our five-year strategy of projects and programs and actions that we're going to take to make the city more resilient. Beginning about a year and a half ago, we convened our stakeholder committee, which includes Hanna, Winora, Tulane, Loyola, the Sewage and Water Board, and city agencies. Held a series of public meetings last summer. Throughout the remaining time, I've been working with FEMA and our partners on review and final approvals. As you know, the last step in finalizing the plan update is to have the city council formally adopt the plan, which recognizes it as the city's five-year strategy. It's not a static document. We keep this updated annually through our annual reports, and we work regularly with our partners to include new mitigation projects, new strategies as they arrive.

Thank you for that information. Yes, sir. I'll second. All right.

All in favor? Aye. Any opposition? All right. Seven yays, no nays. Thank you.

Council members, we will go to suspend the rules for ordinance on first read.

So moved. Second.

All in favor?

Aye.

Ordinance is on first readings. Ordinance number 35,544 by council member Harris by request. An ordinance to authorize the mayor of the city of New Orleans to enter into an amendment to grant a servitude to an adjacent property owner for encroachments on or over portions of the public right-of-way located at the municipal address 1122 Aretha Castle Haley Boulevard to fix the minimum price in terms of said servitude agreement. to declare that such use is granted in the servitude agreement will incorporate space that is neither needed for public purposes nor shall such use interfere with the use of the public right-of-way to set forth the reasons for said servitude agreement and otherwise to provide with respect thereto. Ordinance calendar number 35,545 by Councilmember Harris by request. An ordinance to authorize the Mayor of the City of New Orleans to enter into an agreement to grant a servitude to an adjacent property owner for encroachments on or over portions of public right-of-way located at the municipal address 11... 1060 Magazine Street to fix the minimum price in terms of said servitude agreement to declare that such use is granted in the servitude agreement will incorporate space that is neither needed for public purposes, nor shall such use interfere with the use of the public right-of-way to set forth the reasons for said servitude agreement and otherwise to provide with respect thereto. Ordinance calendar number 35546 by Councilmember McCarran by request. An ordinance to authorize the Mayor of the City of New Orleans to enter into an agreement to grant the servitude to an adjacent property owner for encroachment's honor over portions of public right-of-way located at the municipal address 1536 Webster Street. to fix the minimum price in terms of said servitude agreement to declare that such use as granted in the servitude agreement will incorporate space that is neither needed for public purposes, nor shall such use interfere with the use of the public right-of-way to set forth the reasons for said servitude agreement and otherwise to provide with respect thereto. Ordinance calendar number 35,547 by council member King by request. An ordinance authorizing the mayor of the city of New Orleans to enter into a grant agreement between the city of New Orleans, the city, United States Department of Transportation, USDOT, and Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development, LADOTD, for a term greater than one year for the public purpose of designing phase two of the Claiborne Corridor Cultural Innovation District. And the City of New Orleans as more fully detailed in the grant agreement form attached here to as Exhibit A and otherwise to provide with respect there to. Ordinance Calendar Number 35,548 by Councilmember Harris by request. An ordinance to amend Ordinance Number 30,531 MCS is amended entitled an ordinance providing an operating budget of expenditures for the City of New Orleans for the year 2022 to transfer funds funds from personal services to other operating within the Health Department to provide funding for New Orleans MS Voluntary Intergovernmental Transfer, IGT, to Louisiana Department of Health, LDH, under the Enhanced Medicaid Reimbursement Program and otherwise to provide with respect to Ordinance Calendar Number 35,549 by Councilmember Harris by request. An ordinance to amend Ordinance Number 30,531 MCS as amended, entitled, An Ordinance Providing an Operating Budget of Expenditures for the City of New Orleans for the Year 2026. to transfer other operating funds from the Clerk of Criminal District Court to the Clerk of Court for Orleans Parish in accordance with recent state legislation consolidating the two offices, and otherwise to provide with respect to Ordinance Calendar No. 35,550 by Councilmember Harris by request. An ordinance authorized the Mayor of the City of New Orleans to enter into Amendment No. 2 to previously execute a cooperative endeavor agreement between the City of New Orleans and New Orleans Humane Law and Rescue, LLC, relative to provide animal control services, desire to modify the provisions of the CEA as more fully set forth in the Amendment No. 2 form attached here to as Exhibit A and made a part hereof and otherwise to provide with respect thereto. Ordinance Calendar No. 35 551 by council member harris by request an ordinance to amend ordinance number 30 531 mcs is amended entitled an ordinance providing an operating budget of expenditures for the city of new orleans for the year 2026 to transfer funds from the New Orleans Police Department to the Department of Public Works for ground transportation, and otherwise to provide with respect or to. Ordinance Calendar Number 35,553 by Councilmember Harris by request. An ordinance to amend Ordinance Number 30,530 MCS as amended, entitled, an ordinance providing an operating budget of revenues for the City of New Orleans for the year 2026, to appropriate additional funds to the Housing Trust Fund to satisfy the funding requirement in accordance with Section 6-201 of the City Charter, which provides that an amount equal to not less than 2% of the annual general fund operating budget shall be appropriated and used exclusively to ensure the availability of affordable housing for two to moderate income residents of the City and otherwise provide with respect thereto. Ordinance calendar number 35,553 by council member Harris by request. An ordinance to amend ordinance number 30,531 MCS as amended entitled an ordinance providing an operating budget of expenditures for the city of New Orleans for the year 2022 to appropriate additional funds to the housing trust fund to satisfy the funding requirement in accordance with Section 6-201 of the City Charter, which provides that an amount equal to not less than 2% of the annual general fund operating budget shall be appropriated and used exclusively to ensure the availability of affordable housing for two to moderate income residents of the City, and otherwise to provide with respect to Artist Calendar No. 35554 by Councilmember Green by request. An ordinance to approve and authorize the city of New Orleans by and through the New Orleans Aviation Board to enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement with the United States Department of Transportation, Build America Bureau, and otherwise to provide with respect thereto. Ordinance calendar number 35,555 by Councilmember Harris by request. An ordinance authorizing the Mayor of the City of New Orleans to enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement between the City of New Orleans and the Louisiana Public Health Institute for a term greater than one year for the public purpose of expanding access to critical safety net programs for residents of New Orleans by creating an enrollment and benefits access program. coordinator position within the New Orleans Department of Health and Human Services is more fully detailed in the cooperative endeavor agreement form attached here to as exhibit A and otherwise to provide with respect there to. Ordinance calendar number 35,556 by council member Harris by request. an ordinance to amend and reordain ordinance number 30,532 MCS entitled, an ordinance providing a capital budget for the year 2026 to affect the following change to the 2026 capital budget to the appropriate funds to the Department of Property Management, the Department of Public Works, the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission, and the Office of Sustainability to appropriate funds from... funds to the Department of Human Services, the Department of Parks and Parkways, the Department of Property Management, the Department of Public Works, the New Orleans Fire Department, and the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission, and otherwise provide with respect or two. Ordinance calendar number 35,557 by Councilmember Harris by request. An ordinance to amend ordinance number 30,530 MCS as amended entitled an ordinance providing an operating budget of revenues for the city of New Orleans for the year 2026 to appropriate funds returned by Habitat for Humanity to the Department of Code Enforcement for operating expenses and to pay an outstanding settlement and otherwise provide with respect thereto. Ordinance calendar number 35,558 by council member Harris by request. An ordinance to amend ordinance number 30,530 MCS as amended entitled an ordinance providing an operating budget of revenues for the city of New Orleans for the year 2026 to appropriate funds returned by Habitat for Humanity to the Department of Code Enforcement for operating expenses and to pay an outstanding settlement and otherwise to provide with respect or two. Ordinance Calendar Number 35,559 by Councilmember Morrell, an ordinance to amend and reordain Section 34-7 of Chapter 34 of the Code of the City of New Orleans relative to the regulation of Carnival to prohibit the solicitation for membership by Carnival organizations during the Carnival parade season. and otherwise to provide retrospective to. Ordinance calendar number 35,560 by council members King, McCarran, Harris, Green, Hughes, Willard, and Morrell. An ordinance to name the Treme Recreation Community Center located at 900 North Valerie Street to the Jerome Smith Recreation Community Center and otherwise to provide with respect or to. Ordinance Calendar Number 35,561 by Councilmember McCarran. An ordinance to amend and reordain Articles 5 and 26 of a Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance, Ordinance Number 4264 MCS as amended by Ordinance Number 26, 413 MCS and subsequent amendments to allow the inclusion of new structures as part of the adaptive reuse of an existing industrial, commercial, or institutional structure within a planned development and otherwise to provide with respect there to zoning document number 7226. Agree. Ordinance calendar number 35,562 by Councilmember McCarran by request. An ordinance to authorize the Mayor of the City of New Orleans to enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement with the Parish of Jefferson, the State of Louisiana, the New Orleans Municipal Yacht Harbor Management Corporation, through New Orleans Building Corporation and the East Bank Consolidated Special Service Fire Protection District of Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, for development of a parcel of land owned by the state of Louisiana in West End that is generally bounded by Lake Pontchartrain, West Roadway, and property of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, through a request for proposals and otherwise to provide with respect thereto. Ordinance Calendar Number 35,563 by Councilmembers Morella and Willard. An ordinance to amend Ordinance No. 30702MCS, Ordinance Calendar No. 35489, which authorized the Mayor of the City of New Orleans to enter into an amended cooperative endeavor agreement between the City of New Orleans and the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office Civil District for a term greater than one year to provide executive protection services to the New Orleans City Council is more fully detailed in the amended cooperative endeavor agreement. agreement attach her to as Exhibit A and otherwise write with respect thereto. Ordinance Calendar Number 35,564 by Councilmember Green by request. An ordinance to authorize the Mayor of the City of New Orleans to enter into a grant agreement between the City of New Orleans and the United States Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration. Office of Safety for funding of the New Orleans Roadway Lighting Safety Supplemental Plan through the Safe Streets and Roads for All Grants. As more fully set forth in the grant agreement form attached hereto and made a part hereof and otherwise to provide with respect thereto. Ordinance calendar number 35,565 by Councilmember Green. An ordinance to authorize the Mayor of the City of New Orleans to enter into a cooperative endeavor agreement between the City of New Orleans and the Association of St. Augustine Alumni New Orleans for the improvement and beautification of the neutral ground located at 2620 AP 20 Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70119. Through the installation and maintenance of ground lighting around two live oak trees is more fully set forth in the cooperative endeavor agreement attached to and made a part hereof and otherwise provided with respect thereto. Yes, ma'am. Ordinance calendar number 35,566 by Council Member Morrell by request. An ordinance to amend and reordain sections 10-52 and 10-122 of Chapter 10, sections 26-15, 26-17, and 26-19 of Chapter 26, and sections 146-108, 146-143, 146-438. and 146-543 of Chapter 146 of the Code of the City of New Orleans to establish charges and increase fees for permits regarding alcoholic beverages, building regulations, and streets and sidewalks, and otherwise to provide with respect thereto. And that concludes the ordinances on first reading. Yep.