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JENNIFER VAN FRANKEN.I AM SO EXCITED TO BE, UM, CELEBRATING THE SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION OF THE SEVERINE, UM, CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.
THIS HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING.
WE HAVE LOTS OF FOLKS TO THANK.
UM, BUT LIKE EVERY EVENT WE DO IN JEFFERSON PARISH, WE'RE SO APPRECIATIVE.
NOT ONLY THAT WE'RE IN JEFFERSON, BUT THAT WE'RE IN THE GREATEST COUNTRY, UH, ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
DAN KAPLAN, UM, TO COME FORWARD AND LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE.
KAPLAN, MANY OF YOU KNOW, BECAUSE HE'S BEEN INVOLVED IN SO MANY THINGS IN OUR COMMUNITY OVER THE YEARS, UM, AND IS ALSO REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITY THAT IS THE BACKBONE OF JEFFERSON PARISH.
KAPLAN'S GONNA LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG, THE REPUBLIC ONE NATION.
I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE, UM, OUR PARISH PRESIDENT IS HERE AND WE TALK ABOUT, UM, GOVERNMENT TIME.
UH, IT'S SORT OF LIKE DOG EARS SOMETIMES.
IT IS, UH, AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME FOR US TO GET THINGS DONE BECAUSE WE DO HAVE TO BE MINDFUL.
UM, WE HAVE TRANSPARENCY AND OTHER THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO ALWAYS BE ACCOUNTABLE.
AND SO THIS IMPROVEMENT PROJECT ACTUALLY STARTED WHEN, UM, OUR PARISH PRESIDENT WAS COUNCILWOMAN OF THIS DISTRICT.
I'M SO PLEASED THAT SHE STARTED THIS BALL ROLLING.
AND NOW TOGETHER WE CAN CELEBRATE, UM, ITS COMPLETION.
SO, PARISH PRESIDENT CYNTHIA LEE CHANG.
AND I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE MEMBERS OF THE R P C, I THINK LYNN HERE REPRESENTING WHERE'S THE REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION MEMBERS.
WE, UM, STARTED THAT WITH YOU ALL, AND THAT THAT WAS, I WANNA SAY 2010, 9, 10, 11 TIMEFRAME WHERE WE WERE MAKING THESE PLANS.
UM, ALSO WANNA THANK MARK DREWS OUR, UM, PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR.
WE ALSO HAVE OTHER MEMBERS OF THE ADMINISTRATION HERE.
BRIAN PARKS, NEIL SCHNEIDER FOR, UM, PARKWAYS CAPITAL PROJECT.
STEVE IS OUR CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER.
AM I MISSING ANYBODY? MARK, UM, OH, ANGELA DESOTO.
SO, UH, SORRY, I, I MISSED YOU, ANGELA.
UM, OUR, OUR HEAD OF ENGINEERING, UM, THIS PROJECT CAUSED ME A LOT OF STRESS WHEN YOU THINK THAT, UM, THE THOUGHT THAT PEOPLE COULDN'T ACCESS LAKESIDE MALL, UM, AT CHRISTMAS TIME, IT WAS VERY STRESSFUL SITUATION FOR US.
BUT I WANNA THANK OUR TEAMS FOR, YOU KNOW, WE HAD TO CLOSE THIS PROJECT A NUMBER OF TIMES FOR CARNIVAL SEASON AND, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE SURE ALL OF OUR OTHER EVENTS, UH, AND CHRISTMAS SEASON.
THIS IS, UH, AS THE COUNCILMAN SAID, THIS REPRESENTED A LOT OF DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES.
WE WERE ABLE TO GET PROBABLY HALF, UM, OF THE 15 MILLION FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ALONG WITH ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS KICKING IN.
THIS WAS A TRUE GROUP EFFORT, AND IT SPANNED COUNCIL DISTRICTS.
AND LUCKILY IT, YOU GOT IT FINISHED BEFORE
A THIRD COUNCIL MEMBER CAME INTO DISTRICT FIVE.
SO, UM, CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE.
UM, I, WHEN CYNTHIA SAYS THIS WAS A STRESSFUL PROJECT, IT REALLY WAS.
UM, THE STRESS, UH, OF COURSE STARTED AT THE BEGINNING WHEN WE RECOGNIZED THE PROBLEM THAT EXISTED ON SIVER.
AND I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH A GENTLEMAN YESTERDAY.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
AND WHEN I REMINDED HIM, WHEN SA VERNE USED TO LOOK LIKE THIS, THESE WERE PICTURES.
WE JUST PULLED OFF THE INTERNET.
UM, EARLIER THIS WEEK, WE COULD NOT, UM, GET DOWN SIVER.
IT WAS NOT PASSABLE WHEN WE HAD A HEAVY RAIN.
AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT A STREET THAT IS THE HEART OF MEY, AND RIGHT ALONG LAKESIDE SHOPPING CENTER, WE COULD NOT CONTINUE TO HAVE AN IMPASSABLE FLOODED STREET ANYTIME WE GOT A HEAVY RAIN.
SO THE GENTLEMAN I TALKED TO SAID, OH, YEAH, I HAD FORGOTTEN BECAUSE IT HASN'T FLOODED.
I SAID, EXACTLY,
ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE GREAT.
IT WAS A DRAINAGE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, WHICH MEANT EVERY PIECE OF CONCRETE ON THE ROADWAY HAD TO BE TAKEN UP AND NEW DRAIN LINES INSTALLED, AND THEN THAT CONCRETE PUT BACK.
I'M SO APPRECIATIVE, UM, OF OUR PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENTS WANNA BRING UP MARK DREWS BECAUSE THE COORDINATION, THE RESPONSIVENESS, UM, WE'RE JUST REALLY PROUD OF, UH, AGAIN, OF GETTING THIS ONE COMPLETE.
AND THANKS TO MATT ZANG WHO'S BEHIND MARK, BECAUSE MATT WAS OUR GUY ON THE GROUND ANYTIME, UM, WE HAD AN ISSUE.
AND HE, AGAIN, WAS PHENOMENALLY RESPONSIVE.
SO MARK DREW'S PUBLIC WORKS, HELLO, IS BOTH THE PARISH PRESIDENT AND COUNCILWOMAN VAN BRANIFF SAID IT WAS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT BECAUSE I KNOW BACK AROUND 2012, THE RRP C HIRED SOMEONE TO STUDY
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THE CORRIDOR.AND THAT WAS REALLY TO MAKE IT MORE, UH, USER-FRIENDLY FOR PEDESTRIANS, UH, FOR BICYCLISTS AND TO MAKE IT MORE ATTRACTIVE.
AND, BUT THEY FORMED A COMMITTEE, YOU KNOW, THEY ACTUALLY HAD A COMMITTEE.
I KNOW LAKESIDE HAD REPRESENTATION ON IT, SO DID THE M B D D, THE ME BUSINESS DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT AT THE TIME.
AND OF COURSE, THE PARISH SAID, WELL, LOOK, IF WE'RE GONNA DO THAT, WE NEED TO ADD THE DRAINAGE, ET CETERA.
SO A LOT OF PEOPLE CAME TOGETHER TO WORK IT.
UH, ONCE THE STUDY WAS DONE, WE HAD THE RECOMMENDATIONS, YOU KNOW, THE RPC THEN PROGRAMED SOME MONEY FOR US, UH, WHICH HELPED US TO DO IT.
AND LIKE EVERY CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, IT WENT LONGER THAN WE EXPECTED.
BUT I WILL SAY THAT LOOK, LAKESIDE AND THE RESIDENTS, THE BUSINESSES, THEY WERE PATIENT WITH US.
WE WOULD DO WHATEVER WE COULD IMMEDIATELY TO RESOLVE IT.
SO I, I HAVE TO GIVE KUDOS TO THE PEOPLE ALONG THIS STRETCH, BECAUSE YES, IT WAS A HUGE INCONVENIENCE, BUT AGAIN, THERE'S NO WAY TO RIP UP A STREET, PUT A MILE OF NEW DRAINAGE IN AS BIG AS 60 INCH DIAMETER PIPES WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, A SIGNIFICANT DELAY.
SO, UH, I'M GLAD WE ARE HERE AT THIS POINT.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S THE WHOLE KEY IS THAT IT'S ALWAYS A TEAM EFFORT BETWEEN R P C D O T D, THE PARISH, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, AND ALL THIS.
TO HIS CREDIT, UM, WHEN WE FOUND OUT THERE WAS A WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY TO GET SOME FUNDING THROUGH R P C, I LITERALLY REMEMBER MARK WALKING AROUND EVERYWHERE I SAW HIM WITH THOSE PLANS UNDER HIS ARM, HE KNEW HE HAD TO GET THEM DONE AND READY FOR RPC TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH US TO GET THE FUNDING NECESSARY.
AND SO LINDA DUPONT, I WANNA BRING HER UP FROM, UH, REPRESENTING THE RPC.
SHE'S ALSO, I RECALL, A BUREAU OF GOVERNMENTAL RESEARCH AWARD-WINNING PUBLIC SERVANT.
SO AGAIN, WE HAD LOTS OF GREAT FOLKS ON THIS PROJECT.
IT'S ALWAYS WONDERFUL TO WORK ON A PROJECT WHERE EVERYBODY HAS THE BEST INTEREST OF THE COMMUNITY AT HEART.
AND YEAH, I REMEMBER THAT DAY WHERE MARK AND HIS PLANS UNDER HIS ARM.
IT WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT PLAY OUT IN OUR OFFICE, BECAUSE FEDERAL MONEY TAKES AN REALLY LONG TIME TO COME TO FRUITION, TAKES A LOT OF PATIENCE.
IT TAKES A LOT OF CROSSING TS AND DOTTING EYES.
AND IT'S WONDERFUL TO WORK WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE SO INTERESTED IN DOING NOT JUST A VERY WELL NEEDED DRAINAGE PROJECT, BUT MAKING IT INTO SOMETHING EVEN WITH A GREATER VISION.
WE APPRECIATE HER PARTNERSHIP AND ALL OF OUR PC.
UM, I WANNA BRING UP BRIAN LA I WAS KIDDING HIM ABOUT ARRANGING, UH, THE WEATHER FOR TODAY.
BUT, UH, THE LAKESIDE AT THE FILE ORGANIZATION, LAKESIDE SHOPPING CENTER, UM, BRIAN, UH, IS IS THEIR REPRESENTATIVE ON THE M B D D.
UH, WE HAVE LOTS OF OUR MEY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT BOARD MEMBERS HERE.
WE WANNA THANK YOU ALL FIRST AND FOREMOST FOR YOUR PATIENCE, BECAUSE THIS WAS A PAINFUL ONE.
UM, AND SO WE'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE.
BUT BRIAN, UM, NOW THAT WE'RE AT THE END AND THE RIBBON CUTTING, WE WANT TO, UH, TO, TO SAY THANK YOU.
SO FIRST, I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR THE WEATHER.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU, IT'S, IT'S OVER TIME THIS HAPPENS, RIGHT? AND SO IT IS LIKE, YOU LOOK AT THE BEGINNING AND YOU LOOK AT THE END, WHAT A DIFFERENCE.
YOU KNOW? AND WE ARE SO THRILLED TO BE ADJACENT TO THIS LIKE, NEW CORRIDOR.
UM, YOU KNOW, I GUESS THE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO SAY IS NO PAIN, NO GAIN, RIGHT? IF YOU'RE GONNA, IF YOU'RE GONNA GET HERE, YOU GOTTA GO THROUGH ISSUES.
AND THERE WERE MORE ISSUES THAN WE THOUGHT ABOUT, RIGHT? NOBODY KNEW, BUT MARK, MATT, BRIAN PARKS, JENNIFER, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY WAS THERE FOR US.
YOU KNOW, I NEVER FELT LIKE WE WERE BEING IGNORED.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS EASIER TO BE PATIENT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU JUST DIDN'T FEEL LIKE YOU WERE TALKING AND NOBODY WAS HEARING.
I APPRECIATE YOU STOPPING WORK DURING THE CHRISTMAS SEASON.
UM, AND ALSO WORKING WITH US ON THE, IN, IN THE EXITS OUT.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU ARE SHOPPERS NOTICED, BUT IT USED TO BE WHEN YOU'RE COMING OUTTA THE PENNY'S GARAGE OR CHRISTMAS, THERE COULD BE GRIDLOCK, YOU KNOW, WITH THE, WITH THE EXITING THAT WE NOW HAVE IN PLACE, THAT HASN'T BEEN A PROBLEM.
SO I THINK THERE'S LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS THAT HELP US AND THEN HELP DRIVE THE PARISHES SALES TAX REVENUE.
AND I SEE CHEF ANDREA LOOKING MIGHTY RELAXED NOW THAT HE'S RETIRED.
UM, ALL OF THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES THAT MAKE JEFFERSON, UH, TICK.
SO NOW THAT WE'RE, AT THIS POINT, WE DO STILL HAVE SEVERAL REALLY EXCITING THINGS TO COME ON SA VERNE.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE IS WE'RE GONNA HAVE NEW LIGHTING.
THE PARISH HAS ALREADY INSTALLED THE BASES OF THAT LIGHTING, THE WIRING IS IN, AND WE WILL BE COMING BACK UNDER ANGELA'S, UH,
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DIRECTION, UM, AND PUTTING IN NEW LIGHTING.SO WE WANTED TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE SNEAK PEEK OF WHAT THAT LIGHTING IS GONNA LOOK LIKE.
DANIELLE MARTINEZ IS GONNA PLAY VANNA
SO BEAUTIFUL DECORATIVE ACORN LIGHTS THAT WILL BE DOWN.
SO VERNE, AGAIN, IT ADDS AN ELEGANCE THAT I THINK WILL SERVE THIS IMPORTANT CORRIDOR WELL.
UM, THE OTHER ITEM THAT WE HAVE IS A SCULPTURE THAT WILL BE GOING DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM WHERE WE ARE.
UM, AND AS SO MANY OF OUR SCULPTURES, UM, ARE, WE ARE THANKFUL, UM, TO HENRY SHANE FOR, UM, GRACIOUSLY AND GENEROUSLY, UH, ALLOWING ONE OF OUR LOCAL ARTISTS TO BRING ANOTHER ARTWORK TO LIFE.
SO CHRISTIE IS GOING TO UNVEIL, UM, WHAT WILL BE THE SCULPTURE THAT WILL SIT HERE AT THIS INTERSECTION IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
IT IS A MARDI GRAS TREE SCULPTURE, THE MARDI GRAS BEAD TREES THAT WE KNOW ARE PART OF, UH, AFTER CARNIVAL.
UM, WE WANTED TO HAVE SOMETHING, SINCE AVERNE IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART AGAIN, OF OUR, UM, MEY, UM, PARADE ROUTE.
WE THOUGHT IT WOULD BE THE PERFECT WAY TO ADD ANOTHER, UM, ARTISTIC ELEMENT TO, TO THIS CORRIDOR.
UM, I REMEMBER YEARS AGO, I CAN'T REMEMBER HOW OLD I WAS AT THE TIME, OR HOW MANY YEARS AGO, HENRY, YOU MIGHT HAVE TO TELL ME, BUT I REMEMBER WAS THE, I REMEMBER THE TWO CANS GOING UP AND I THOUGHT TWO CANS.
LIKE, WHAT IS THAT?
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS THE FIRST, UM, THE BLUE DOG WAS THE FIRST.
WELL, MAYBE I JUST WAS CAUGHT OFF GUARD BY THE TWO CANS AND ENJOYED THE
BUT WE'VE SEEN OVER THE COURSE OF THE DECADES, THIS SCULPTURE TRAIL GROW AND BECOMES SUCH AN IMPORTANT ELEMENT OF THE PARISH.
UM, YOU AND PAT ARE, UM, AMONG THE MOST GENEROUS, UH, FOLKS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR PARISH.
YOU'RE ALWAYS GIVING BACK OF YOUR TIME, YOUR RESOURCES, UM, TO DO THINGS THAT SERVE US ALL WELL.
AND SO WE THOUGHT, HOW DO WE SAY THANK YOU? BECAUSE THIS SCULPTURE TRAIL, UM, SERVES ALL OF US.
IT HAS INCREASED PROPERTY VALUES ALONG VETERANS AND HAS CONTRIBUTED, UM, TO JUST MAKING THIS A, A MORE BEAUTIFUL PLACE FOR US TO ALL LIVE.
HOW DO WE SAY THANK YOU? AND SO WE THOUGHT MAYBE A, A SMALL WAY TO DO THAT.
KAPLAN, WHO, WHO I THINK FORMULATED THIS IDEA WITH US AND THE JEFFERSON CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU AND MY COLLEAGUES ON THE COUNCIL.
AND WE HAVE OFFICIALLY, IF YOU WOULD COME MAYBE HERE AND HELP US PULL THIS OFF OF THIS, UH, OF THIS, UM, MEMORIAL THAT WILL STAY HERE ON VETERANS.
THIS IS OFFICIALLY THE HENRY SHANE SCULPTURE TRAIL OF JEFFERSON PARISH.
HENRY, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GIVING BACK AT EVERY TURN TO MAKE JEFFERSON BETTER.
BUT, UH, I THINK WHAT WE, UH, PAT AND I TRAVELED A LOT, AND EVERYWHERE WE WOULD GO INTO CITIES THAT HAD SCULPTURES, IT SEEMS TO BE THEY WERE BETTER MAINTAINED.
AND I GUESS IF YOU CAN PUT UP SCULPTURES, YOU SURELY CAN DO DRAINAGE, SEWERS, ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT A CITY WOULD DO.
SO, AND WE EVER, EVERY PLACE WE SAW THE SCULPTURES, WE SAW IMPROVEMENTS TAKING A PLACE AROUND WHERE THE SCULPTURES WERE.
AND NOBODY'S THROWING TRASH AND NOBODY'S DOING THINGS.
THE BLUE DOG WAS THE FIRST ONE.
I THINK WE HAVE ABOUT 70 UP NOW, A LOT MORE IN CANADA THAN WE HAVE IN JEFFERSON PARISH, BUT WE ARE PUTTING ANOTHER ONE UP IN JEFFERSON PARISH, UH, IN TWO WEEKS.
WE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE LIVED HERE ALL OF OUR LIVES.
OUR FAMILIES LIVED HERE, AND I, I HAVE A BIG INVESTMENT IN PROPERTY IN JEFFERSON, SO I WANTED TO BE A GREAT PLACE.
AND ANYTHING THAT WE CAN EVER DO TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE, I'M ALL ABOUT THAT.
AND I THANK THE PARISH FOR WORKING WITH ME.
YOU KNOW, THEY'VE BEEN, UH, CAUSE A LOT OF AREAS, MAYBE YOU JUST CAN'T PUT SCULPTURES UP.
THEY GOT RESTRICTIONS, THEY GOT IDEAS, THEY WANNA PUT COMMITTEES TOGETHER TO APPROVE WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND ALL THAT.
AND THIS HAS NOT BEEN THE CASE.
AND, UH, WE'RE JUST SO HAPPY TO CONTINUE TO DO IT.
WANNA BRING, UM, VIOLET, UH, PETERS UP JUST REAL
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QUICKLY FROM J C V B BECAUSE, UM, WE'VE FOUND NOT ONLY DO US LOCALS ENJOY THE SCULPTURE TRAIL, UM, BUT VISITORS DO AS WELL.AND VIOLET HAS POINTED THAT OUT.
SO HENRY, IT HAS JUST MULTIPLIED, UM, BENEFITS FOR LOCALS AND VISITORS ALIKE.
WELL, WHAT A BETTER WAY TO SHOWCASE A DESTINATION THAN THROUGH PUBLIC ART.
SO VISITORS AND RESIDENTS ALIKE ENJOY IT.
BUT YOU KNOW, JEFFERSON IS VERY RICH IN OUR CULTURE AND OUR HERITAGE AND THE PUBLIC ART GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO TELL OUR STORY IN A LOT OF WAYS.
AND THE VISITORS TRULY ENJOY THAT.
THANKS TO, TO YOU, HENRY, FOR ALL THAT YOU'VE DONE AND THAT VISION, WHAT A GREAT VISION THAT YOU, THAT SAID THAT IT MAKES THE, THE COMMUNITY MORE, UM, ATTRACTIVE FOR OUR VISITORS TO COME AS WELL AS OUR RESIDENTS TO LIVE HERE.
SO THE WHOLE ENTIRE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY APPRECIATES AND IS GRATEFUL FOR THIS EXCITING PROJECT THAT YOU'VE DONE.
OVER 70 SCULPTURES IS AMAZING.
SO, AND, AND NATIONALLY IT'S ABSOLUTELY RECOGNIZED PUBLIC ART IS RECOGNIZED AS AN ATTRACTION TO THE DESTINATION.
SO IT MEANS A LOT TO OUR INDUSTRY, IT, WHICH ALSO MEANS A LOT TO OUR ECONOMY.
AND ON THE JEFFERSON CONVENTION AND VIR VISITORS BUREAU WEBSITE, YOU'LL ACTUALLY FIND A LINK THAT HIGHLIGHTS THE SCULPTURES OF THE TRAIL.
SO SOMEONE SITTING AT HOME COULD ALSO GO TO THE JCB WEBSITE AND CLICK ON AND SEE THE SCULPTURES THAT YOU'VE HELPED BRING TO LIFE.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, I WANT EVERYONE WHO, WHO'S HERE, WE HAVE A LARGE GROUP, UM, UH, BUT WE'D LIKE YOU ALL TO PARTICIPATE IN THE OFFICIAL RIBBON CUTTING, UH, OF BOTH THE, UH, COMPLETION OF, UH, SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION OF SA VERNE, AS WELL AS THE HENRY SHANE SCULPTURE TRAIL.