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THANK EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE.[West Bank Expressway Beautification Groundbreaking Ceremony]
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PROJECT FOR THE WEST BANK.UH, THIS PROJECT WILL IMPROVE THE LANDSCAPE FOR THE ENTIRE WEST BANK EXPRESSWAY, FROM AVONDALE ALL THE WAY TO TERRY PARKWAY.
THIS PROJECT HAS ONE SIMPLE GOAL IS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE ON THE WEST BANK.
THE PROJECT IS GONNA COST 1.3 MILLION.
IT'S BEING FUNDED BY THE LICENSE PLATE FEES THAT WEST BANKERS PAY EVERY YEAR WHEN THEY BUY A VEHICLE.
TODAY, THE FUND HAS OVER 4.5 MILLION IN IT.
IT'S GONNA GENERATE $900,000 TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THIS PROPERTY ONCE IT'S, IT'S, UH, REDONE AND REVITALIZED.
I WANNA GIVE YOU A LITTLE HISTORY OF HOW THIS FUND CAME ABOUT.
THE MONEY THAT'S GONNA BE USED TO PAY FOR THIS PRODUCT IS FROM HIGHWAY TRUST FUND NUMBER TWO.
THAT FUND WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1920, AND OVER THE YEARS, ITS PURPOSE HAS CHANGED.
FOR INSTANCE, FROM 1998 TO 2012, THAT MONEY WAS USED TO PAY THE BONDS OFF THE BRIDGE.
THE BONDS ON THE CCC D BRIDGE, THAT'S WHAT PAID THE BONDS.
THIS, THAT MONEY FROM OUR LICENSE PLATE FEES.
THE TOLL MONEY THAT WAS COLLECTED FROM US WAS NOT BONDED.
AND IT WAS BE, IT WAS FREE TO BE USED ON ANYTHING.
IT WAS FREE TO BE WASTED BECAUSE IT WASN'T DEDICATED.
SO, FROM 1998 TO 2012, THAT MONEY COLLECTED FROM THE WEST.
BANKERS WAS USED TO PAY THE BRIDGE.
IN 2012, THE MORTGAGE ON THE BRIDGE WAS PAID OFF.
SO WHEREVER THAT MONEY GO, WELL, D O T D TOOK THAT MONEY AND PUT IT IN THE BIG POT.
THEY TOOK IT AWAY FROM THE WEST BANK, BROUGHT IT TO BATON ROUGE.
BUT SO FROM 2012 TO 2019, IT WAS A FIGHT, A CONSTANT BATTLE TO GET THIS MONEY BACK TO THE WEST BANK IN 2019.
WE WERE SUCCESSFUL IN DOING SO.
SENATOR LAO, CONGRESSMAN TROY CARTER, WHO WAS THE SENATOR AT THE TIME, UH, CAMERON HENRY, WHO WAS CHAIRMAN OF APPROPRIATIONS, RODNEY LYONS, AND, AND ABOUT FELLOW LEGISLATORS WHO WERE THERE AT THE TIME, WORKED TO GET THE MONEY BACK.
AND IN, IN 2019, WE WERE SUCCESSFUL.
THAT'S THE MONEY IS NOW DEDICATED TO THE WEST BANK EXPRESSWAY UNDER THE REGIONAL MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENT FUND.
IN 2021, REP KERNER AND I WORKED TOGETHER TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR THE MONEY FROM THIS FUND TO BE DIRECTED TO JERSON PARISH.
IN 2019, THE MONEY HAD TO GO TO RPC, THE REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION, THEN TO JEFFERSON PARISH.
THERE WAS A LOT OF BUREAUCRACY, BUT REP TURNER AND I IN HOUSE BILL 3 47 ELIMINATED THE RPC.
SO THE MONEY GOES DIRECTLY FROM THE PARISH, DIRECTLY FROM THE TREASURER TO THE PARISH.
SO IT'S AN EASIER PROCESS, AND THE MONEY'S HERE TODAY.
I WANT TO THANK ALL THE PARISH OFFICIALS HERE THAT CHOSE, SHOWS YOU THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS PROJECT.
I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE, THE PARKWAY OF OF WORKERS.
THE, THE, THE, UH, PARISH WORKERS WHO ARE HERE.
BRIAN PARKS WITH PARKWAYS IS A TREMENDOUS ASSET TO OUR PARISH.
I WANT TO THANK PRESIDENT LEE SHANG FOR HER EFFORTS.
I WANT TO THANK RICKY TEMPLE FOR HIS VISION GOING FORWARD WITH THE PHASE TWO OF THIS PROJECT, THE ENTIRE PARISH COUNCIL, WE WOULDN'T BE HERE WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT.
I WANNA ALSO THANK CATHOLIC CHARITIES IN THE UNITY, MAYOR BI, THANK HIM FOR, HE'S ALWAYS BEEN A, A, A SUPPORTER AND, AND A BIG HELP.
BUT UNDERNEATH THE EXPRESSWAY, WE HAVE AN ISSUE WITH LITTER.
WE HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE HOMELESS.
WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE CULTURE AND ADDRESS THOSE TWO ISSUES.
THE ONLY WAY IT CAN HAPPEN IS WITH EVERYBODY BUYING IN CATHOLIC CHARITIES.
AND UNITY HAS PROGRAMS WITH LONG BEACH, JEFFERSON PARISH HUMAN SERVICES AUTHORITY TO HELP THE HOMELESS.
WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THAT AND DO SOMETHING TO HELP IMPROVE THE LIVES OF THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE, THEY DON'T UNLOCK MENTALLY CHA MENTALLY, UH, UH, JUST, YOU KNOW, THOSE WHO NEED OUR HELP.
ALSO, WANT TO THANK OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
CHRIS IS NOT HERE, BUT HIS LOVELY WIFE IS, AND THE WEST BANK BUSINESS, INDU INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION.
WE HAD A MEETING ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO, OR 10 DAYS AGO IN THE ROMANS PACK WITH PEOPLE FROM THE WEST BANK WHO WANT
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TO CHANGE WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE IN THE WEST BANK.AND THIS IS THE FIRST STEP WE MUST TAKE PRIDE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I WANT TO THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE, AND HOPEFULLY IN THE NEAR FUTURE, YOU'LL SEE THIS PROJECT, UH, COME TO FRUITION AND WE CAN DO BETTER WITH OUR, OUR, OUR LITTLE ISSUE AND A HOMELESS ISSUE AND JUST HAVE PEOPLE MOVE IN TO JERSON PARISH INSTEAD OF MOVING OUT.
AND, UH, ONCE AGAIN, WE'D LIKE TO MAKE SURE WE THANK EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING.
UH, YOU KNOW, YOU HEARD SENATOR CONNICK COMMENT ABOUT EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN INVOLVED FROM THE START OF THIS.
YOU KNOW, I SERVED WITH SENATOR CONNICK EARLY ON IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE, AND HIS PASSION FOR FIGHTING FOR WHAT'S TAKING PLACE HERE TODAY HAS NEVER WAVERED.
UH, YOU KNOW, FROM THE CRESCENT CITY CONNECTION, UH, MAKING SURE THE DOLLARS WERE BEING SPENT HERE AND NO LONGER MISUSED ACROSS THE REST OF THE PART OF THE STATE, UH, TILL TODAY, UH, NEVER WAVERED.
UH, YEAH, AT TIMES, I, I THINK HE THOUGHT HE WAS BY HISSELF MAKING THAT FIGHT, UH, AND COMPLIMENTS TO, TO SENATOR KOCH FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE TO MAKE SURE TODAY IS TAKING PLACE.
YOU KNOW? UH, AND IT'S THE UNITY.
EVERYBODY THAT'S HERE, YOU KNOW, NO ONE CAN DO THIS ALONE.
AND IT'S A, IT'S A TRUE TESTAMENT OF HOW IT TAKES A, A VILLAGE TO DO WHAT WE DO.
UH, IT'S EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US HERE THAT MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO MAKE JEFFERSON PARIS A BETTER PLACE FOR US TO LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY, YOU KNOW? BUT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE GET BEAT UP ON BEAUTIFICATION PROJECTS, PEOPLE WANTING TO KNOW WHY DO WE SPEND MONEY FOR PLANTINGS OR ENHANCEMENTS ON OUR NEUTRAL GROUNDS AND EVERYTHING.
BUT, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS I SPEAK AT, AT CIVICA MEETINGS IS THAT WHEN YOU'RE GETTING RID OF THE SELL YOUR HOME, OR YOU'RE GETTING READY TO HAVE A PARTY AT YOUR HOUSE, YOU, YOU, YOU HAVE THAT HONEY-DO LIST OF WHICH YOU HAVE TO GET DONE.
YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT THE GARDEN REPLANTED, THE FRONT OF THE HOUSE REPAINTED YOU, YOU GET, YOU GET THINGS PRESSURE WASHED AND MAKE IT LOOK CLEAN AND FRESH.
YOU KNOW WHY? BECAUSE YOU'RE SELLING SOMETHING.
WELL, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH THIS PROJECT HERE TODAY.
WE'RE TRYING TO SELL A QUALITY OF LIFE AND A BETTER PLACE TO LIVE HERE IN JEFFERSON PARISH, AND ESPECIALLY ON THE WEST BANK.
IT DOESN'T TAKE MUCH FOR YOU TO LOOK AROUND OF THIS EIGHT MILES AND SAY THAT YOU'VE EVER BEEN PROUD WHAT WAS HERE, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK ANY OF US HAVE.
UH, SO AFTER TODAY, THIS FIRST PHASE, WE'LL BE TAKING EVERY MAJOR INTERSECTION AND MAKING IT AN IMPROVEMENT, UH, AND MAKING AN ENHANCEMENT AND HAVE SIGNAGE OF WHERE YOU ARE.
UH, AND, AND, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT TO US BECAUSE WE'RE SHINING WHAT JEFFERSON PARISH CAN DO TOGETHER.
UH, HATS OFF TO CON UH, UH, UH, UH, SENATOR, UH, AS WELL AS, UH, REPRESENTATIVE KERN, I THINK IS HERE, THAT THAT HAS HELPED CARRY SOME OF THE LEGISLATION RECENTLY WITH, UH, SENATOR CONNICK.
UH, WE'RE GONNA MAKE A BETTER PLACE FOR US ALL LIVE AND WORK AND PLAY.
UH, AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, SENATOR CONNICK MENTIONED ABOUT THE ISSUES OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ADDRESS AT THE SAME TIME AND BE COMPASSIONATE, UH, IS, IS ON THE HOMELESS AND THE PANHANDLER, AND THE, THE PARISH IS TAKING STEPS TO, TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES.
AT THE SAME TIME, BEING COMPASSIONATE AND HAVING HUMAN SERVICES, UH, ASSIST THE INDIVIDUAL FAMILIES DO.
SO, ONE OF THE THINGS WE HOPE THAT HE ADDS TO A SAFETY FACTOR, UH, IN THIS FIRST PHASE IS THE PANHANDLER ON THE CORNERS WITH THE NEW LANDSCAPING.
UH, IT IS VERY UNSAFE FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO BE ON THESE CORNERS.
THIS IS A MAJOR HIGHWAY, AND WE TOOK IN CONSIDERATION THEIR SAFETY, UH, FOR THE FUTURE.
SO, LOOK, PROUD TO BE HERE TODAY AND SHARE THIS INFORMATION AND BE PART OF THIS FIRST PHASE.
THERE'LL BE A SECOND PHASE COMING OUT AT ONE POINT, WHICH ALL OF US WILL BE WORKING TOGETHER ON.
AND, UH, LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, AND I THINK SENATOR CONNICK FILED THE BILL, IS TO WHERE WE HAVE OUR PARKS AND RECREATION HAVE USE OF UNDER THIS OVERPASS FOR THE SEVEN MILES FROM AVONDALE TO TERRY PARKWAY, TO WHERE WE HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO SET THE HOURS OF THIS CAN BE UTILIZED.
UH, OUR PARKS ARE OPEN FROM DAWN TO DUSK.
UH, AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU SEE, YOU SEE A BIKE TRAIL HERE AND BENCHES, AND THAT WOULD GIVE US THE CAPABILITY OF REGULATING THE HOURS THIS FACILITY OF EIGHT MILES COULD BE USED.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE FUTURE MECHANISMS WE HAVE IN HAND.
AND I, I CAN'T LEAD THIS WITHOUT SAYING, WE'VE BEEN VERY, WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT TO MAKE, UH, A LOT OF THESE THINGS HAPPEN.
AND, UH, I THINK WE HAVE A RIGHT PATH GOING FORWARD.
SO, SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND I HOPE Y'ALL ENJOYED THIS GROUNDBREAKING TODAY.
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HOW Y'ALL DOING? I'M JUST HAPPY TO SAY THAT I WAS ABLE TO PLAY A LITTLE PART IN, UH, IN THIS GROUNDBREAKING TODAY AT THE REQUEST OF SENATOR CONNICK.HE CAME TO SEE ME AND, AND, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO PUT IN A BILL.
I PUT IN A BILL AT HIS REQUEST TO MAKE IT WHERE WE WOULD TAKE THE, UM, REGIONAL MAINTENANCE AUTHORITIES FUNDING AND PUSH IT OVER TO WHERE IT WOULD COME STRAIGHT TO JEFFERSON PARISH.
NOW, THE MONEY SENATOR CONNICK SAID IT ALREADY.
THE MONEY WAS THERE THAT THAT FIGHT WAS FOUGHT LONG BEFORE, BEFORE I WAS THERE.
BUT I THINK WHAT IT DID, IT ACTUALLY MADE IT EASIER FOR JEFFERSON PARISH.
IT MADE IT EASIER FOR, FOR US TO BE HERE TODAY.
SO I THINK SENATOR CONNICK IT, IT, IT EXPLAINED IT, UH, VERY, VERY WELL.
AND, UM, AND, AND LOOK, YOU GOT, YOU GOTTA THANK HIM AND THE REST OF THE STATE LEGISLATURE FOR, FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
BUT MY LITTLE PART, I, YOU KNOW, UH, REPRESENTATIVE GREEN, REPRESENTATIVE LIONS AND, UH, JOE MARINO ACTUALLY, UM, HELPED, UH, SUPPORT MY, MY PART AND WHATEVER I COULD DO TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THIS WESTBANK AND, UH, JEFFERSON PARISH, I'M STAND READY TO DO IT.
AND, AND LET ME FIRST SAY THAT I AM JUST DELIGHTED TO BE PART OF THIS COUNCIL AND PART OF THIS PROJECT.
UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU CONSIDER WHAT THE OPPORTUNITY IS FOR US HERE WITH NOT ONLY THE BEAUTIFICATION, BUT FOR THE REPURPOSING OF THE AREA UNDER THIS EXPRESSWAY, IT'S EXCITING AND IT REALLY IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE CAN DO IF WE WORK TOGETHER.
AND THAT'S WHAT I LOVE ABOUT WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
I SEE A, A COOPERATIVE ATTITUDE ON THE COUNCIL AND WITH ALL OF OUR OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND I JUST WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR BEING HERE.
AND I KNOW, UH, THAT, THAT MY, MY COUNCIL BRETHREN FEEL THE SAME WAY AND SISTER
BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING ON THIS AND, AND, AND SEEING IT THROUGH TO FULL FRUITION.
AND JUST CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY.
AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT THE LITTER PROBLEM AND THE HOMELESS PROBLEM.
THOSE ARE TWO PROBLEMS THAT ARE GOING TO GET WORSE IF WE DON'T, IF WE DON'T MAKE THEM BETTER.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH EVERYBODY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
THANK Y'ALL ALL FOR BEING HERE, COUNCILWOMAN JENNIFER VAN BREN.
UM, THIS PROJECT IS ABOUT PLANTING A FLAG ON THE WEST BANK OF JEFFERSON PARISH AND MAKING A DIFFERENCE WHERE WE HAVE ADDED BEAUTIFICATION.
WE SEE LESS GRAFFITI, WE SEE LESS LITTER, AND IT REALLY DOES IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND AS COUNCILMAN EDWARDS SAID, THE OTHER ISSUE WE'RE BATTLING IS HOMELESSNESS.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES WE TALK ABOUT HOMELESSNESS AND, AND YOU DON'T KNOW THE NAMES IN THE FACES OF, OF THE INDIVIDUALS.
AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT, AS I WAS WALKING UP THIS MORNING, THERE WAS A GENTLEMAN WHO WAS WALKING BY ME AND HE WAS HOLDING A BAG OF FRIED FISH.
I SAID, WHAT ARE YOU BRINGING SNACKS TO THE GROUNDBREAKING? HE SAID, NO, THERE'S A LADY WHO GAVE ME THIS.
HE EXPLAINED TO ME THAT HE IS HOMELESS.
AND SO, IN THE SHORT TIME THAT WE'VE BEEN GATHERED HERE ALREADY THIS MORNING, THAT IS A GENTLEMAN WHO EXPLAINED TO ME, HE WAS RECENTLY OUT OF WORK.
HE WORKED IN THE TUGBOAT INDUSTRY ALL HIS LIFE, AND NOW, UM, IS LIVING IN A VACANT BUILDING.
AND THAT SHOULD NOT BE THE EXISTENCE OF ANY RESIDENT OF JEFFERSON PARISH, PARTICULARLY SOMEONE WHO'S WORKED HARD ALL OF HIS LIFE.
SO THIS IS A PLACE WHERE WE'RE GONNA START CHANGING LIVES, UM, IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
AND, UM, WE ARE ALL UNITED TO DO THAT.