* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [Lafreniere Park Health Track Groundbreaking]
          [00:00:05]
          THIS IS A, A MUCH AWAITED GROUNDBREAKING FOR PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY PEOPLE THAT USE LAFFER PARK. 
          WHAT WE'RE HERE TODAY FOR IS ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE INHERITED IN THIS OFFICE SEVERAL YEARS AGO WAS THE PROBLEMS CREATED WITH THE WALKING AND HEALTH TRACK WITHIN THE PARK DUE TO SOME FAULTY CONSTRUCTION AND ERRORS BY A PRIOR CONTRACT YEARS AGO. 
          THIS TRACK HAS HAD, I MEAN, ALL KINDS OF DIPS VALLEYS AND REALLY HAZARDS THROUGHOUT, UH, CAUSED BY THAT CONSTRUCTION. 
          SO WE TOOK IT AS OUR MISSION TO FIX THAT, AND I'M PROUD TO SAY TODAY WE WILL BREAK GROUND AND THE CONSTRUCTION WILL BEGIN ON THE FIXING AND THE COMPLETE REHABILITATION OF THE ENTIRE WALKING TRACK, WHICH IS INCREDIBLY, INCREDIBLY WELL USED EVERY SINGLE DAY HERE. 
          LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE USE THIS HELP, THIS WALKING TRACK EVERY SINGLE DAY. 
          CONSTRUCTION'S GONNA START ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. 
          THIS IS A $2 MILLION PROJECT THAT IS FUNDED BY THE SALE OF EAST JEFFERSON HOSPITAL. 
          WHEN EAST JEFFERSON HOSPITAL WAS SOLD. 
          ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DID RIGHT AWAY IS WE HAD SOME PROCEEDS LEFT OVER FROM THAT THAT HAS TO BE USED FOR HEALTH AND MEDICAL, UM, BENEFITS FOR THE PARISH OF JEFFERSON, FOR THE EAST BANK IN PARTICULAR. 
          AND WHAT I DID RIGHT AWAY IS ASKED MY COLLEAGUES TO AGREE TO ALLOCATE THE MONEY TO COMPLETELY REHABILITATE THE WALKING TRACK. 
          AND WE, WE WERE ABLE TO GET, UH, $2.75 MILLION TO DO THAT, TO COMPLETELY REBUILD THIS TWO MILE WALKING TRACK. 
          IT WILL TAKE APPROXIMATELY A LITTLE UNDER A YEAR IN ORDER TO COMPLETE. 
          THIS IS A GREAT DAY FOR US BECAUSE THAT HEALTH TRACK IS SO WIDELY USED, SO WIDELY, NEEDED LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE EACH WEEK. 
          SO FOR ABOUT A YEAR, THERE WILL BE SOME CHALLENGES BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO REROUTE EVERYONE, UH, WHILE THAT CONSTRUCTION HAS TAKEN PLACE. 
          BUT THE END RESULT IS GONNA BE ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR WITH CONCRETE CURBS, CONCRETE REPLACING ASPHALT, AND THE ULTIMATE REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT OF THE ENTIRE WALKING TRACK. 
          SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, UH, I'D LIKE EVERYONE TO JOIN ME SO WE CAN BREAK GROUND ON THIS GREAT PROJECT.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.