Oct 24, 2023 Special Parish Council West Bank

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GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY. WELCOME TO THE JEFFERSON PARISH COUNCIL CHAMBERS IN GRETNA.

[MEETING CALLED TO ORDER]

THIS IS TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24TH, 2023.

AND YOU'RE AT A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE JEFFERSON PARISH COUNCIL, 200 DERBIGNY STREET, GRETNA, LOUISIANA, IN THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT BUILDING.

THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THIS MEETING IS NOW CALLED TO ORDER.

MADAM CLERK, CAN YOU PLEASE DO OUR INVOCATION AND LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE? THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE, GOD CONTINUALLY CALLED US TO GIVE THANKS, AND BECAUSE OF HIS GOODNESS, WE ALWAYS HAVE REASON TO DO EXACTLY THAT.

CONSIDER TO THE REASONS WE CAN GIVE THANKS.

WE HAVE FREEDOM, PRIVILEGES, AND BLESSINGS THAT PEOPLE IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD WOULD STRUGGLE TO IMAGINE.

IT IS ABSOLUTELY FITTING THAT WE GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD FOR OUR COUNTRY, STATE, AND PARISH AS WE PRAY FOR ITS FUTURE.

. PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.

. AND I'VE COMPLETED THE ROLL.

THANK YOU, MADAM CLERK.

WE NOW HAVE SOUND, AND WE MOVE TO PERSONS WISHING TO APPEAR BEFORE THE AGENDA ON BEFORE THE COUNCIL ON THIS ITEM.

ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK CAN DO SO NOW.

YOU MUST FILL OUT A REQUEST.

I'M NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL THAT. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES IF YOU WANT TO SPEAK.

ANYONE? OKAY, THAT MAKES IT EASY.

MADAM CLERK, PLEASE READ ITEM NUMBER ONE, WHICH COMES FROM CONSENT AGENDA TO A RESOLUTION APPROVING THE TWO ATTACHED COMMERCIAL LEASE

[1. Res. - approving the two attached Commercial Lease Agreements between Jefferson Facilities, Inc. (JFI) and POB Gretna Beer, LLC (Tenant) and JFI and POB Restaurant Gretna, LLA (Tenant) for lease of commercial retail space in the Mixed Use Development on Tract-4-The Courthouse Lot at no direct cost to the Parish. (Council District 1) (Placed on the agenda by Mr. Edwards)]

AND POB, GRETNA BEER LLC AND JEFFERSON FACILITIES, INC.

AND POB RESTAURANT, GRETNA LLC FOR LEASE OF COMMERCIAL RETAIL SPACE IN THE MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT.

ON TRACK FOR THE COURTHOUSE LOT AT NO DIRECT COST TO THE PARISH.

ALL RIGHT. AND BEFORE WE MOVE ON THIS, IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO SUSPENDING THE RULES TO ALLOW FOR A PRESENTATION FROM THE PARTIES INVOLVED? ON MOTION OF COUNCILMAN TEMPLET, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

AT THIS TIME, MR. DON, COULD WE HAVE YOU ALL MAKE YOUR PRESENTATION TO US AT THIS MOMENT? HEY, Y'ALL. IT'S COMING.

THE PAD IS NOT RESPONSIVE.

SO HANG ON A SECOND. THERE IT IS.

SO I'M ASSUMING EVERYONE CAN SEE THE PRESENTATION ON THE SCREEN.

OKAY, GREAT. THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

CONGRATULATIONS ON THE NEW APPOINTEES AND FOR HAVING US HERE TO TALK ABOUT THIS PROJECT.

WE'RE SUPER EXCITED ABOUT BRINGING A LIFESTYLE DEVELOPMENT TO THE CITY OF GRETNA.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR A FEW YEARS.

I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO TRAVEL WITH THE JEFFERSON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO NASHVILLE, WHERE THIS WAS KIND OF INSPIRED, AND WE ARE BRINGING A RESTAURANT AND A BREWERY TO DOWNTOWN GRETNA.

SORRY, AM I GETTING A LITTLE FEEDBACK? IT'S BEING ADDRESSED, I THINK.

OKAY, THANKS.

SO, I'LL JUST.

YOU CAN KEEP GOING. I THINK WE'RE GOOD.

THANKS. SO, WHAT YOU'LL SEE HERE.

I'M JUST. THIS WAS SENT AND EVERYONE'S HAD A CHANCE TO READ IT.

AND I'LL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

AND I APOLOGIZE IF I'M NOT LOOKING UP.

I HAVE TO KIND OF SEE WHERE WE ARE ON THE SCREEN.

SO PORT ORLEANS HAS BEEN AROUND FOR ABOUT SIX YEARS.

WE ARE.

THANK YOU JUSTIN.

SUPER EXCITED ABOUT HAVING A BREWERY IN ORLEANS PARISH, BUT EVEN MORE EXCITED ABOUT BRINGING A BREWERY TO JEFFERSON PARISH.

THIS IS A GREAT ADDITION TO BE ABLE TO BRING A FAMILY STYLE TYPE OF ATMOSPHERE.

IF YOU VISITED OUR FACILITY IN ORLEANS, WE HAVE 9000FT² OUTSIDE THAT WE OFFER TO THE COMMUNITY.

WE DO PET ADOPTIONS, WE DO PUMPKIN CARVING CONTESTS.

WE DO THINGS FOR OUR NEIGHBORS TO BE A PART OF OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE PLAN ON BRINGING TO JEFFERSON PARISH.

I'M HERE ALSO WITH ONE OF THE PARTNERS, TOMMY DISKIN.

SO, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR TOMMY, HERE'S A SMALL LIST OF THE OWNERSHIP.

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DEAN LACEY.

A SPECIAL NOTE TO DEAN LACEY.

DEAN LACEY HAS WORKED ON SOME PROJECTS IN ORLEANS PARISH AND SOME DEVELOPMENTS.

SO WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF MORE EXPERTISE ON LARGER DEVELOPMENTS.

MIKE TILLEY.

RICKY THOMAS.

TOMMY DISKIN. WHO'S HERE WITH ME? ZACH STRIEF THANKS TOMMY, WHO USED TO BE WITH THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AND THEN ANDREW LILLY.

AND IF EVERYONE CAN LOOK AT THE SCREEN HERE, THIS KIND OF GIVES YOU AN IDEA.

WE ARE A RESTAURANT WITH A BREWERY INSIDE.

AGAIN, I MENTIONED EARLIER 9000FT² OUTSIDE, 3000FT² INSIDE.

I'M BACK UP ONE SECOND.

GIVE YOU A LITTLE HISTORY OF THE RESTAURANT SIDE OF US.

SO ALTHOUGH TACO IS A CONCEPT THAT WAS CREATED WITH SOME EX EMPLOYEES OF MINE FROM YEARS AGO, WE WORKED AT HOUSTON'S RESTAURANTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS AND JEFFERSON PARISH.

WE CREATED A CONCEPT THAT ALLOWS US TO TRAVEL, AND TACO HAPPENS TO BE THAT BRAINCHILD.

WE'RE SUPER EXCITED ABOUT HAVING TACO IN CHAPTERS WHERE WE'VE BEEN REALLY, REALLY SURPRISED AND REALLY LUCKY WITH THE SALES.

WE HAVE A LITTLE 480 SQUARE FOOT KITCHEN THAT DOES $1.3 MILLION IN BUSINESS, AND THE TACO THAT WE'LL BE BRINGING TO GRETNA IS TWICE THAT AMOUNT. AND IT'S A FULL, FULL-SERVICE RESTAURANT.

ON THE SCREEN. HERE IS A PROJECT THAT DEAN LACY WORKED ON THAT YOU GUYS COULD REVIEW AND SEE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT.

HERE'S OUR TEAM.

SUPER EXCITED TO SHARE THAT SCOTT ROCHÉ, OUR HEAD BREWER, WAS ORIGINALLY A BREWER WITH ABITA.

HE HAD MOVED AWAY, HONED HIS SKILLS AND CAME BACK TO US ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO AND IS NOW A PART OF OUR TEAM.

RYAN MEYER IS OUR DIRECTOR OF OPERATION.

SOME EXTENSIVE BACKGROUND IN THE RESTAURANT AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY.

HE'S LEADING OUR CHARGE WITH OUR TAPROOM.

CHASE GUILLORY, OUR SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING DIRECTOR, MYSELF.

CURTIS MOSS, WHO'S OUR EXECUTIVE KITCHEN MANAGER FOR BRAVO TACO.

HIS EXTENSIVE CAREER IS MOSTLY BEEN WITH THE HOUSTON'S GROUP AND THE CREOLE CUISINE GROUP.

AND HERE ARE SOME OF THE PROJECTED PICTURES FOR.

THE PROJECT.

AND TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN THIS PROJECT.

SO PORT ORLEANS, THE BREWERY SIDE IS A THREE STORY BUILDING.

IT'S A TWO STORY BUILDING.

EXCUSE ME, WITH A PENTHOUSE.

THE FIRST FLOOR IS INCORPORATING A BARBER SHOP AND A SMALL COFFEE SHOP.

WE ARE REALLY KIND OF TARGETING OUR THE CONSUMERS HERE AND CREATING A HUB, IN A SENSE, FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO WORK ON THEIR LAPTOPS, BE ABLE TO SIT AND WORK BEFORE, SIMILAR TO COFFEE SHOPS WHERE YOU CAN GET SOME WORK DONE, HAVE SOME SMALL MEETINGS.

WE HAVE A SECOND FLOOR MEZZANINE THAT OVERLOOKS THE FIRST FLOOR.

THAT SECOND FLOOR IS KIND OF AN ARCADE, PINBALL, BILLIARDS AND DARTS.

AND THEN THE THIRD FLOOR PENTHOUSE IS SOMETHING THAT KIND OF FITS MY LIFESTYLE.

BUT MOST OF THE PEOPLE I THINK IN THIS ROOM, IT'S AN EVENT SPACE, EXCUSE ME, AN EVENT SPACE THAT HAS 80S AND 90S RETRO MUSIC. IT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT ALLOWS PEOPLE TO BRING THEIR OWN ALBUMS AND USE THE FACILITY UP THERE AND KIND OF CREATE THIS HOMOGENEOUS AREA FOR PEOPLE TO CONGREGATE. AND IT'S ALSO GOING TO BE AN EVENT SPACE.

THE AVO TACO IS A TWO STORY BUILDING, AND IT HAS A SMALL MEETING SPACE ON THE SECOND FLOOR, BUT THEN IT'S A FIRST FLOOR RESTAURANT.

IT IS GOING TO BE OPERATING WITH QR CODES.

SO SELF-SERVICE, THAT IS KIND OF BEEN THE TREND OF THE NATION AND WHERE THINGS ARE GOING.

SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

AND THEN IN THE FRONT WE HAVE A LIFESTYLE DEVELOPMENT THAT WILL HAVE A FIRE PIT AND SEATING FOR EVERYONE.

AND IT OVERLOOKS HUEY LONG.

SO, I'LL LEAVE THAT.

IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THOSE FOR YOU.

THANK YOU GOD. OKAY.

PAUL HERE. UNMUTE YOURSELF.

RICK. PAUL UP HERE.

HI I'M PAULA PIERRE WITH TRAVEL PURE ARCHITECTS AND WE'RE THE ARCHITECT OF RECORD FOR THE THIS DEVELOPMENT.

AND SO DON WENT OVER A LOT OF KIND OF WHAT THE PROGRAM AREAS ARE ON THIS BUILDING, BUT I CAN SHOW YOU THE VISUALS THAT KIND OF GO WITH IT.

THE INTENTION IS TO KIND OF GIVE A REALLY BROAD OVERVIEW OF KIND OF WHAT'S PLANNED HERE ON THIS, YOU KNOW, REVITALIZATION OR REENGAGING, THIS

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SO, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING, PLEASE STOP AND ASK MORE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS IF YOU'RE CURIOUS.

CAN YOU PUT IT HERE SO I CAN SEE? ALL RIGHT. SO WE WERE HIRED TO KIND OF LOOK AT THIS, THIS PROJECT FROM AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND URBAN PLANNING STANDPOINT.

YOU HAVE AN EXISTING KIND OF INFILL LOT.

IT'S VERY COMMON IN AN URBAN SETTING, EVEN A MORE SUBURBAN URBAN SETTING, TO KIND OF MAKE SURE THOSE INFILL LOTS ARE ACTIVATED ALONG THE STREET.

AND SO THERE'S TWO PROJECTS THAT KIND OF WORK TOGETHER.

THE ONE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY IS THAT RETAIL DEVELOPMENT.

BUT I'M GOING TO SHOW THE ADJACENT PARKING GARAGE, BECAUSE THAT IS ALSO KIND OF A SISTER PROJECT THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS, BECAUSE THEY KIND OF WORK TOGETHER TO ACROSS THIS ENTIRE LOT.

YOU NEED TO CHANGE OUT THE.

DONGLE. HOW DO I ? I'LL JUST DO IT FROM HERE. THAT'S FINE.

THAT'S OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. THANKS. ALL RIGHT. THIS IS THE EXISTING PARKING LOT.

EXTENDS ALL THE WAY FROM HUEY LONG, ALL THE WAY TO DERBIGNY ALONG SECOND STREET.

AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THE RETAIL DEVELOPMENT THAT DON JUST KIND OF DESCRIBED THE RESTAURANT.

AND THE BREWERY IS THIS HIGHLIGHTED AREA RIGHT FACING HUEY LONG.

THE ADJACENT GARAGE IS A THREE-STORY GARAGE, KIND OF REPLACING THAT PARKING, THOSE PARKING SPACES THAT WERE DISPLACED BY THIS DEVELOPMENT AND REALLY PROVIDING PARKING JUST LIKE IT DID BEFORE TO THE JUDICIAL KIND OF AREA AND DIRECTLY TO DOWNTOWN.

AND I'LL SHOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW WE'RE DOING THAT.

THESE AREN'T PRESENTATION DRAWINGS.

THESE ARE DESIGN DRAWINGS.

SO, THEY'RE A LITTLE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT COLOR CODED WITH PROGRAMING, BUT THEY KIND OF SHOW THE BUILDINGS.

THIS BAR ON THE LEFT IS THE TWO.

IT'S A TWO-STOREY BREWERY WITH A THIRD-FLOOR BAR AND PENTHOUSE AND BAR AND TERRACE ON TOP.

BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, YOU KIND OF HAVE THE MAIN, THE MAIN TAPROOM IN HERE, ADJACENT TO THIS LARGE COURTYARD THAT WILL BE UTILIZED BY BOTH THE RESTAURANT AND THE BAR.

THE BREWERY, THE RESTAURANT TO THE RIGHT IS THE TACO THAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT, THE FULL SERVICE KITCHEN IN THE BACK, RIGHT ALONGSIDE THE EDGE OF THAT.

THAT PARKING GARAGE.

HERE'S THE SECOND FLOOR.

IT'S HARD TO TELL, BUT THIS IS BASICALLY A TWO STORY BREWERY SPACE IN THIS MEZZANINE.

WRAPS AROUND AND YOU CAN YOU CAN KIND OF SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING BELOW AND OR GET IN THESE BALCONIES AND, AND EXPERIENCE THE COURTYARD FROM AN UPPER LEVEL.

THE SECOND FLOOR OF THE TACO BUILDING HAS A CONFERENCE ROOM, OVERFLOW DINING AND AN OUTDOOR TERRACE AS WELL.

THIS IS THE THIRD-FLOOR BAR WITH A ROOF TERRACE HERE WITH VIEWS OUT TO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

AGAIN, KIND OF OPEN TO THAT COURTYARD BELOW AS WELL.

THESE ARE JUST KIND OF IMAGE PAGES.

WE HAVEN'T SELECTED ALL THE EXTERIOR MATERIALS.

WE'RE ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH DESIGN, BUT JUST KIND OF BRINGING A PALLET OF MASONRY VERY CONTEXTUALLY TO THE REST OF KIND OF DOWNTOWN GRETNA AND MAKE SURE THESE BUILDINGS KIND OF HAD A REUSE OF SOME OF THOSE MATERIALS.

THEY'LL BE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF AN INDUSTRIAL FEEL IN JUST THE LARGER WINDOWS AND THE KIND OF BREWERY DOORS THAT CAN OPEN.

HERE'S AN EXTERIOR VIEW OF THAT COURTYARD, AGAIN IN AN ELEVATION FROM HUEY LONG.

HERE'S A RENDERING FROM FROM CITY HALL ACTUALLY KIND OF LOOKING TOWARDS THE SIDE OF THE BREWERY SEEN FROM SECOND STREET, AS YOU CAN SEE. HUEY LONG TO THE RIGHT, THE COURTHOUSE IN THE BACKGROUND.

HERE'S SOME RENDERINGS OF THE COURTYARD IN AN ELEVATION OF THE SIDE OF THE BREWERY.

FROM THAT COURTYARD AND THE SIDE OF BABA TACO FROM THE ENTRY PARK I'M ABOUT TO SHOW YOU.

THESE ARE JUST IMAGE BOARDS WHERE AGAIN, WE'RE NOT WE'RE NOT THROUGH WITH THE DESIGN, BUT JUST IMAGE BOARDS OF HOW SOME OF THOSE INTERIOR AREAS MIGHT BE FINISHED OUT.

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ALL RIGHT. SO WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF DESIGN ON THIS PROJECT TOO.

AND SO JUST KIND OF KIND OF GOING THROUGH THESE IMAGES.

TYPICAL FLOOR PLAN. SO BASICALLY THERE'S A 159 SPACES IN THIS GARAGE.

AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S A REALLY TIGHT SITE.

IT DOESN'T GET A FULL DOUBLE LOADED PARKING AISLE, BUT WE'RE ABLE TO GET THREE FULL FLOORS OF PARKING.

THE PEDESTRIAN ENTRANCES ON THE DERBIGNY SIDE, THE PEDESTRIAN ENTRY WILL BE STRAIGHT TO ALL THE COURTHOUSES ON THAT SIDE.

THERE WILL BE AN ACCESS TO SECOND STREET AND THEN OBVIOUSLY ELEVATORS AND STAIRS SUPPORTING BOTH ENDS OF THE PROJECT.

THE SCREENING OF THE GARAGE WANTED TO BRING SOME MORE KIND OF MASONRY ELEMENTS IN IT WITHOUT KIND OF BLOCKING THIS GIANT KIND OF MASONRY BUILDING.

SO, WE'RE USING PRECAST PANELS WITH A MASONRY LOOK.

MASONRY SCREEN.

LOOK TO IT. HERE ARE SOME DETAILED DRAWINGS OF IT.

HERE'S A RENDERING FROM THE BUILDING WE'RE IN.

HERE'S A RENDERING FROM SECOND STREET.

THE IDEA IS THAT SCREENING WOULD KIND OF BRING DOWN THE SCALE ALONG SECOND STREET AND ALLOW SOME TRANSPARENCY, BUT ALSO TRYING TO KIND OF HIDE HIDE SOME OF THOSE CARS, BUT ALSO ACKNOWLEDGING THAT IT IS A PARKING GARAGE.

SO THE ENTRY COURT AND I COULD GO BACK TO THE MAJOR SITE PLAN.

BUT THIS IS THE MAIN CONNECTION FROM THE GARAGE TO HOW IT SERVES ALL OF DOWNTOWN.

SO, THIS GARAGE ISN'T JUST SERVING THIS THIS PARTICULAR RETAIL COMPONENT.

IT'S BASICALLY BRINGING ANYONE COMING DOWNTOWN BACK, BACK STRAIGHT TO HUEY LONG.

THIS ENTRY PARK IS COME STRAIGHT ON AXIS WITH THE ARCH RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF HUEY LONG.

AND CITY OF GRETNA IS GOING TO BE BUILDING A WELCOMING KIOSK INFORMATION KIOSK IN THAT PARK AT A LATER DATE.

THAT KIND OF WAYFINDING AND LETTING PEOPLE KNOW AS THEY'RE COMING IN DOWNTOWN, WHICH BUILDING THEY'RE LOOKING FOR, AND ALSO GIVE IT A CHANCE TO REALLY TELL THAT PERSON KIND OF THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE CITY AND WHERE THEY COULD GO.

DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT SPECIFICS? I KNOW THESE WERE.

I JUST LIKE TO COMMENT AND LOOK.

I'VE BEEN IN MEETINGS OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO WITH YOU ALL DESIGNING, AND IT TOOK A LOT OF IMPORTANCE OF MAKING SURE THE STRUCTURE HAD AN INDUSTRIAL LOOK TO IT, LIKE THE PERIOD PIECES AT ONE POINT, WITH A MODERN LOOK TO IT AT THE SAME TIME.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, AND IT WAS GREAT CARE TAKEN INTO THAT.

AND IF YOU CAN EXPOUND ON THAT.

SURE. AND I THINK THE I THINK THE, THE COURTYARD KIND OF HELPS DO THAT A LITTLE BIT.

LET'S SEE IF. BECAUSE WE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT.

I WANT TO DO A CONTINUOUS PAGE.

ALL RIGHT. SO LET ME GET TO THE KIND OF THAT COURTYARD RENDERING.

SO, IF YOU LOOK AT THE RENDERING HERE, THAT THERE WAS A REASON WHY THAT INSTEAD OF HAVING A THREE STOREY BUILDING, THE INTENT WAS TO BRING THE SCALE DOWN.

IT IS A THREE STOREY BUILDING, TECHNICALLY WITH THE MASS OF THE MASONRY IS A TWO STOREY BUILDING AND THE PENTHOUSE IS SET REALLY FAR BACK IF YOU PROBABLY CAN'T SEE.

BUT IN THIS ELEVATION THERE ARE STUDIES KIND OF TRYING TO MATCH THE HEIGHT OF THE ADJACENT BUILDING NEXT TO IT, ACROSS FROM SECOND STREET.

IT'S DEFINITELY A STEP DOWN FROM THE FIVE STOREY COURTHOUSE BUILDING.

THERE WAS A VERY INTENTIONAL.

INTENTIONAL WAY THAT WE PULLED THE BUILDING.

LET'S SEE OFF.

THAT WE PULLED THE BUILDING AWAY FROM THE LARGER SCALE OF THE COURTHOUSE TO KIND OF OPEN UP THAT PARK AND OPEN UP THE COURTYARD AT THE RETAIL DEVELOPMENT SO THAT IT WAS INVITING, AND PEOPLE WOULD BE COMING FROM THE PARKING GARAGE THROUGH THIS COURT AND COULD GO ANYWHERE DOWNTOWN AND NOT HAVE TO KIND OF LARGE BUILDINGS THROUGH

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SO FROM AN URBAN PLANNING STANDPOINT, THE BREWERY WAS SITED ON THAT CORNER FOR THAT REASON.

AND AS FAR AS WHAT COUNCILMAN TEMPLET WAS DISCUSSING, YOU KNOW, IT'S OBVIOUSLY CONTEXTUAL.

IT'S KIND OF LOOKING LIKE A MORE TRADITIONAL MASONRY BUILDING, BUT IT'S GOING TO HAVE SOME MODERN LINES.

THE COURTYARD IS GOING TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE KIND OF BUILT IN BENCHES AND NICE LANDSCAPING.

THE WHOLE SITE WILL HAVE LANDSCAPING NOT JUST TO MEET ZONING, BUT TO ALSO ADDRESS STORMWATER MANAGEMENT.

JUST KIND OF.

CONTEXTUAL BUT MODERN INFILL ON THIS SITE.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

AND WHAT ELSE? OKAY.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

ANYBODY ELSE? ALL RIGHT.

COUNCILWOMAN. VAN VRANCKEN.

YEAH. AGAIN, I THINK IT'S AN IMPRESSIVE PRESENTATION.

I'VE BEEN ON SOME OF THOSE CHAMBER TRIPS WHERE WE HAVE LONG RECOGNIZED THE NEED AND WORKED WITH GEDCO ON THE NEED FOR THESE TYPES OF MODERN BREWING AMENITIES.

IT CERTAINLY LOOKS LIKE AN EXCITING PROJECT AND SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON.

THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE SUBSTANCE OF YOUR PRESENTATION, NOR THE PROJECT.

I'M A BIG FAN OF THE CONCEPT, BIG FAN OF WHAT I'VE SEEN IN THE PRESENTATION.

I HAD ASKED EARLIER TODAY, OFFICIALLY, THAT THIS MEETING BE POSTPONED, OR THE MEETING BE CANCELED, AND THAT'S FOR ONE OF SEVERAL REASONS.

AND IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PROJECT ITSELF OR THE SUBSTANCE.

IT HAS TO DO WITH THREE SPECIFIC THINGS.

AND SO, I'M GOING TO REITERATE AND ASK AGAIN THAT THIS ITEM BE DEFERRED FOR SEVERAL REASONS.

SO, ONE IS NOTICE MOST OF US IN THIS ROOM, INCLUDING THE GRETNA COUNCIL AND GRETNA MAYOR.

YOU KNOW, AS PUBLIC OFFICIALS, WE NEED TO ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND PUBLIC OPENNESS, FAIRNESS AND TRANSPARENCY.

SO WHEN THIS ITEM WAS DEFERRED FROM OUR LAST COUNCIL MEETING, OUR STANDARD COURSE OF ACTION AS A COUNCIL IS TO DEFER IT TO THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING OR MAYBE ONE AFTER. SO IT FALLS IN A PARTICULAR BANK OF THE RIVER.

IT IS NOT OUR NORM TO DEFER SOMETHING TO A SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING.

SO WHEN I CLICKED ON AS AS A USER, I WENT ONLINE, CLICKED ON THIS RESOLUTION, TRIED TO GET TO THE LEASES BECAUSE THE ONLY ITEM WE'RE CONSIDERING TODAY IS APPROVAL OF TWO ATTACHED LEASES.

THE LEASES WERE NOT ATTACHED AND NOT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC.

SO I HAVE RAISED CONCERN BECAUSE FOR THE AVERAGE PERSON THAT MIGHT HAVE GONE TO OUR AGENDA TO PULL IT UP AND CLICK ON THERE AND LOOK AT THE TWO LEASES. THE LEASES WERE NOT AVAILABLE.

THEY WERE ONLY ADDED LATE THIS MORNING, MAYBE AN HOUR AND A HALF AGO WHEN I ASKED AND SENT THAT REQUEST.

SO ALL 73 DOCUMENTS, 73 PAGES OF DOCUMENTS ARE NOW ATTACHED, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY NOT IN THE SPIRIT OF THE 24 HOURS OF NOTICE THAT WE GIVE THE PUBLIC.

SO, IT THEN BEGS THE QUESTION, WHY RUSH THIS? WHY HAVE THIS MEETING TODAY WITHOUT GIVING THE PUBLIC AMPLE NOTICE AND OPPORTUNITY TO EYEBALL THESE TWO LEASES FOR THEMSELVES? I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY URGENCY OR TIME SENSITIVITY, AND AS A COUNCIL, WE HAVE A RECORD OF ONLY HAVING SPECIAL MEETINGS WHEN THERE IS SOMETHING OF A TIME SENSITIVE, URGENT NATURE, LIKE WHEN WE WERE SELLING OUR HOSPITAL AND THERE WERE NEGOTIATIONS THAT WERE TIME SENSITIVE TO AVOID BANKRUPTCY AND THE CLOSING OF THOSE DOORS.

I DON'T HAVE I HAVE NOT GOTTEN AN ANSWER FROM ANYONE AS TO THE TIME SENSITIVITY OF WHY WE NEED IT TO HAVE THIS MEETING, TO APPROVE THESE TWO LEASES, INSTEAD OF JUST COMING UP AT THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING IN THE FIRST WEEK OF NOVEMBER, AND THEN THE LAST THING THAT I RAISED AND I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE TWO LEASES.

IT'S NOT ABOUT THE CONCEPT THAT'S BEING PURSUED.

IT'S SPECIFICS IN THE LEASES THAT I HAVE ASKED QUESTIONS AND NOT GOTTEN ANSWERS TO.

AND SO BEING PUT IN A POSITION WHERE I'M BEING ASKED TO VOTE ON SOMETHING WITHOUT AMPLE TIME TO GET THE ANSWERS TO THE SPECIFICS THAT I'M ASKING THAT I HAVE NOT YET GOTTEN, INCLUDING MINUTES AGO, WHEN I WAS TRYING TO ASK SOMETHING SPECIFIC OF JERRY BOLOGNA, HE REACHED OUT.

HE GAVE ME SOME INFORMATION, BUT I HAVE STILL QUESTIONS.

AND SO, I AM GOING TO REITERATE THAT I WOULD RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THIS ITEM, THESE TWO LEASES, BE DEFERRED UNTIL WE CAN HAVE ANSWERS TO ALL OF THOSE QUESTIONS UNTIL ADEQUATE PUBLIC NOTICE, NOT JUST IN THE TECHNICALITY OF THE LAW, BUT THE SPIRIT OF THE LAW BE COMPLIED WITH SO THAT IT DOESN'T, FRANKLY, CAST A SHADOW ON THE PROJECT ITSELF, WHICH IS A GOOD ONE.

SO, I'M GOING TO REITERATE THE REQUEST FOR A DEFERRAL TO OUR NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED COUNCIL MEETING.

[00:25:04]

I'M NOT GOING TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS ON WHICH YOU HAVE NOT RECEIVED ON THE LEASE OR NOT LEASE, BUT I WILL CLARIFY THE STATEMENT ABOUT DEFERRING TO A COUNCIL MEETING OR TO HAVING A SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING.

THE CHAIRPERSON HERSELF ASKS FOR A DEFERRAL OF THIS AT THE LAST SCHEDULED COUNCIL MEETING, WHICH THIS INFORMATION WAS ALL ON THE SCHEDULE.

COUNCIL MEETING.

WE HONORED THE DEFERRAL OF THE CHAIRPERSON BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.

WE'VE HONORED AT LEAST A DEFERRAL FROM OUR COLLEAGUES TO DISCUSS THINGS AND LOOK INTO THEM.

BUT THAT DEFERRAL WAS MADE BY THE CHAIRPERSON.

DEFERRAL WAS MADE TO A SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING, NOT TO THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING.

SO, THIS IS ACTUALLY ON THE LAW OF WHAT HE REQUESTED THAT WE DEFER THIS TO A SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING.

AND WE'RE HOLDING THAT SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING TODAY.

SO, THERE'S TOTAL TRANSPARENCY.

IT WAS ON THE AGENDA LAST WEEK.

WE DEFERRED IT TO A SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING THIS WEEK.

THERE WAS A PERIOD OF TIME THERE FOR A WHOLE WEEK THAT WE COULD LOOK AT WHAT INFORMATION WE NEEDED LESS THAN A WEEK.

AND AS FAR AS THE ESSENCE OF MOVING THINGS FORWARD, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE MOVE IN AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOL FORWARD HERE IN JEFFERSON PARISH AND IN GRETNA, AND NOT HOLD IT BACK.

WE NEED TO START ACTING LIKE WE'RE RUNNING A BUSINESS AND NOT RUNNING A GOVERNMENT.

AND SOMETIMES BUSINESSES HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD NOW TO MAKE THINGS A SUCCESSFUL OPPORTUNITY.

SO I STAND HERE AND SAY WE, YOU KNOW, WE MOVE FORWARD.

IF I MAY, COUNCIL CHAIRMAN, AS A POINT OF ORDER IS I ASSUME THERE'S AN IMPLICIT MOTION ON THE FLOOR.

I DO NOT HEAR A SECOND YET.

CAN WE FORMALLY GET THAT DONE IF THERE'S A MOTION TO DEFER? YEAH, THERE'S A MOTION TO DEFER TO THE NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED COUNCIL MEETING SO THAT THIS MATTER CAN BE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE TO ANYONE WHO MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AT THESE LEASES.

IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION BEFORE WE PUSH THE MOTION? THERE'S GOT TO BE A SECOND FIRST.

IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND IT. SO I SECOND THE MOTION TO DEFER.

NOW WE CAN CONTINUE THE DISCUSSION ON THE DEFERRAL.

YES OKAY.

DOES EVERYONE HAVE ALL OF THEIR QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE TWO LEASES ANSWERED? AND CAN WE ANSWER AS ELECTED OFFICIALS TO THE GUY HAVING A BEER AND A PIECE OF PIZZA SOMEWHERE, THAT THESE WEREN'T AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC REVIEW UNTIL AN HOUR AND A HALF AGO? DO WE HAVE GOOD ANSWERS AS ELECTED OFFICIALS TO THAT QUESTION? AND LET ME GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND TO HOW WE GOT HERE.

AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING, I DID ASK THAT THIS ITEM BE DEFERRED, BECAUSE THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS I KNEW THIS WAS COMING.

AND I THINK OTHERS OF US UP HERE KNEW THIS WAS COMING AS WELL, BUT DIDN'T HAVE SPECIFICS, AND I WAS NEVER INCLUDED IN ANY MEETINGS THAT TALKED ABOUT THE SPECIFICS OF THIS BUILDING.

IN FACT, THE FIRST RENDERING I SAW OF IT WAS AT GRETNA FEST.

WHEN I WALKED PAST IT AND SAW IT ON THE PARKING LOT, I WAS LIKE, WOW, THAT LOOKS COOL! AND I LOVED THE PROJECT.

I LOVED THE IDEA OF THE PROJECT, BUT I ALSO HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LEASE AND A NUMBER OF OTHER QUESTIONS, AND I WAS ABLE TO SET UP A MEETING THE NEXT DAY.

AFTER OUR COUNCIL MEETING LAST WEEK TO DISCUSS MY CONCERNS, WHICH WERE ADDRESSED AT THE TIME.

AND I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER QUESTIONS THAT POPPED UP AFTER HEARING A COUPLE OF THINGS TODAY.

BUT THAT'S HOW WE GOT TO THIS SPECIAL MEETING.

I WAS ASKED TO DO A SPECIAL MEETING FOR THIS AFTER THE DEFERRAL, AND I AGREED TO DO THAT SPECIAL MEETING.

COUNCILMAN TEMPLET OFFICE ASKED FOR US TO DO THIS SPECIAL MEETING TODAY.

SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE NOW.

AND EARLIER TODAY, COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN DID SEND THAT REQUEST FOR THE MEETING TO BE CANCELED.

AND THERE WAS NOT INTEREST IN THIS MEETING BEING CANCELED.

SO THAT BRINGS US UP TO CURRENT TIME.

THAT'S WHERE WE ARE NOW.

SO IF I CALL FOR A VOTE, WELL, LET ME BRING UP MY QUICK TWO QUESTIONS THEN, TOO.

THIS IS ONLY GOING TO BE A VOTE ON WHETHER OR NOT TO DEFER AT THIS TIME, BECAUSE IF WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD AND TAKE THIS ITEM UP, THEN I DEFINITELY CALL FOR DISCUSSION ON THE ITEM SO THAT ALL OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE CAN BE ANSWERED.

OKAY. WELL, LET'S MOVE FORWARD ON THE DEFERRAL FIRST.

THEN CAN WE CONTINUE DISCUSSION ON THE DEFERRAL? YES. DO YOU HAVE. OKAY.

SO I CAN APPRECIATE ALL THE CONCERNS CANDIDLY, THAT THIS WAS NO MYSTERY, THAT THIS WAS COMING UP TODAY.

THE PUBLIC WAS ADEQUATELY NOTIFIED AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING THAT THIS WAS COMING UP.

AND WHEN IT WAS COMING UP, I CAN APPRECIATE THE CONCERNS.

I DON'T THINK IT'S ANYTHING THAT CAN'T BE HANDLED IN THIS VERY FORUM TODAY, AND ALL OF THE PLAYERS ARE HERE INVOLVED TO ANSWER ANY SUCH QUESTIONS.

I THINK THE TERMS OF THE LEASE, I MEAN, THEY'VE BEEN PROVIDED AND I THINK THE INFORMATION COMES WHEN WE ASK FOR THE INFORMATION, WHATEVER INFORMATION I

[00:30:01]

SO, I'M OPPOSED TO THE DEFERRAL MYSELF.

AND LET ME JUST ASK THE CLERK FOR CLARIFICATION.

WHEN THE AGENDA WAS PUBLISHED ONLINE, WERE THE DOCUMENTS, WERE THE TWO ATTACHED LEASES ATTACHED AND AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC WHEN THE AGENDA WENT ONLINE TO POST FOR THIS MEETING? OKAY, NO.

AND WHEN I RAISED THE QUESTION, AND I BELIEVE MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA RAISED THE QUESTION ABOUT THE DOCUMENTS NOT BEING THERE, THEY WERE ADDED.

WHEN? THIS MORNING.

THIS MORNING.

AND DAVID IS I KNOW YOU'RE PLAYING THE PART OF PEGGY BARTON TODAY AND OUR PARISH ATTORNEY PUBLIC NOTICE IS GENERALLY 24 HOURS IN ADVANCE THAT THINGS HAVE TO BE PUBLICLY NOTICED AND AVAILABLE FOR, FOR REVIEW.

SO, THIS MORNING, PUBLICATION OF TWO LEASES THAT WE'RE APPROVING TODAY, IF THEY WERE NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL AN HOUR AND A HALF AGO, I GUESS YOU CAN ANSWER TWOFOLD.

DOES IT MEET THE TECHNICAL, YOU KNOW, TECHNICALITY OF THE LAW AND THE SPIRIT OF THE LAW TO ME, ARE POTENTIALLY TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.

AND MISS HURLEY'S HERE BECAUSE SHE RESEARCHES, SHE'LL COME UP.

BUT. ACTUALLY, YES.

HIS OPINIONS THAT WE'VE HAD FROM BEFORE, THAT THE ATTACHMENTS DO NOT HAVE TO BE ON THAT AGENDA.

SO THE PUBLIC JUST HAS TO KNOW THAT THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME LEASES, BUT THEY DON'T NEED TO LOOK AT THE LEASES.

YES. NOW, THAT MAY PASS THE LAW AND THE TECHNICALITY.

I WILL TELL YOU IF I'M TELLING THIS ON, YOU KNOW, TO A GUY ON THE STREET AND SAID, WELL, YOU DON'T NEED TO SEE THE LEASES, I GET TO APPROVE THEM, BUT YOU DON'T NEED TO SEE THEM.

I DON'T THINK THAT PASS THE SMELL TEST, BUT I APPRECIATE THE LEGAL OPINION.

YES. SO AGAIN, I THINK ERR ON THE SIDE OF OPENNESS AND TRANSPARENCY.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RUSH IS TO APPROVE TWO LEASES THAT THE PUBLIC HASN'T HAD A CHANCE TO EYEBALL, BECAUSE WE JUST PUT THEM OUT THERE AN HOUR AND A HALF AGO.

AGAIN, I RESPECT EACH OF YOU ON THIS COUNCIL.

EVERYBODY CAN VOTE AND THEN WE'LL MOVE FORWARD.

I JUST FEEL COMFORTABLE, COMFORTABLE AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, ERRING ON THE SIDE OF TRANSPARENCY AND OPENNESS AND GOOD GOVERNMENT.

AND I DON'T THINK WE'VE MET THAT BAR ON THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE.

THE THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE THAT POPPED UP ON THIS ISSUE TODAY ARE THE BARBER SHOP AND COFFEE SHOP.

I'M CURIOUS ABOUT HOW THAT FACTORS INTO THE OVERALL LEASE BETWEEN THESE TWO, BETWEEN THESE TWO ENTITIES, THE RESTAURANT AND THE BREW HOUSE, AND HOW WHERE IT FALLS.

BECAUSE THAT WASN'T THAT, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, AFTER READING THE LEASES IS NOT PART OF EITHER.

IS THERE ANYBODY WHO CAN SPEAK ON WHERE THOSE OTHER BUSINESSES THAT WOULD COME INTO THIS FACILITY FALL? SO I'M TOMMY DISC AND I'M ONE OF THE OWNERS OF PAULINE'S, THE RESTAURANT AND THE BREWERY.

SO, WE WERE TRYING TO IN IN HAVING DISCUSSIONS WITH VARIOUS MEMBERS OF THE OFFICIALS OF GRETNA.

WE WANTED TO TRY AND ACCOMMODATE THE COMMUNITY.

AND SO, WE SAID WE WOULD DEDICATE SOME OF THE SPACE FOR A COFFEE SHOP AND A BARBER SHOP.

SO, IT JUST WOULDN'T APPEAR JUST TO BE A BREWERY.

OKAY. AND SO, THEY LIKE THAT IDEA.

AND SO WE WILL HAVE TO CONTRACT WITH SOMEONE TO FILL THOSE SPACES.

AND THAT'S OUR INTENT.

AND THAT'S WHAT THE PLAN IS.

SO, WOULD THOSE TENANTS FALL UNDER SIMILAR LEASE TERMS TO WHAT PORT ORLEANS AND THE RESTAURANT FALL UNDER? THEY WOULD DO A LEASE WITH US, WITH YOU ALL.

SO, YOU ALL WOULD BE THEIR LANDLORD, SO TO SPEAK.

TWO LEASES THAT ARE THAT ARE ISSUED TODAY CONTROL THE ENTIRE SPACE, RIGHT.

THEY WOULD BE SUB LEASES WITH US, WHICH WE WOULD PASS ALONG TO THE APPROPRIATE PARTIES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE OKAY WITH IT, AS PER THE LEASE AGREEMENT THAT WE WILL HAVE IN PLACE ONCE APPROVED.

IN OTHER WORDS, WE JUST CAN'T GO SUBLEASE IT WITHOUT MAKING SURE EVERYONE'S ON THE SAME PAGE, RIGHT? OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS YOU HAVE? THOSE WERE THE TWO ON THERE? YES, SIR. THANK YOU. NO PROBLEM.

THANK YOU. I THINK TECHNICALLY, AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT I HAVE THIS CORRECT.

THE YOU WILL BE LEASING AND YOU WILL SUBLEASE, AND THAT SUBLEASE HAS TO BE PRESENTED TO THE LANDLORD FOR APPROVAL.

I BELIEVE THE STANDARD TERMS OF ANY LEASE.

I BELIEVE OUR LEASE CONTAINS TERMS. IT SAYS THAT IF WE SUBLEASE IT, WE HAVE TO SHARE IT WITH OUR LANDLORD AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE OKAY WITH IT.

THAT'S ALL. WE JUST CAN'T GO LEASE IT TO ANYBODY WE WANT.

IT HAS TO BE IN CONTINUITY OF THE PROJECT AND IN CONFORMITY WITH THE PLANS OF THE PROJECT AND WHAT OUR AND WHAT OUR INTENT WAS BEHIND THE

[00:35:02]

OKAY, I APPRECIATE IT.

ANYTHING ELSE? NOT AT THIS TIME, BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE STILL TALKING ABOUT THE DEFERRAL.

THANK YOU THOUGH. AND LOOK, LET ME AGAIN SAY I'VE HEARD NOTHING BUT GOOD ABOUT ALL THE PARTNERS THAT ARE IN THIS PROPOSAL THAT RESPONDED TO THE RFP.

SO PLEASE KNOW IT'S NOT A REFLECTION ON THE QUALITY OF WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED.

THIS IS STRICTLY AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL.

A CONCERN ABOUT OPENNESS, TRANSPARENCY AND THE ABILITY TO VET THIS TO A POINT OF BEING COMFORTABLE PASSING IT.

OKAY. ANYONE ELSE? SO IS THERE ANY OBJECTION THEN TO THE DEFERRAL OF THIS ITEM TO WHAT'S THE NEXT COUNCIL MEETING DATE? I'M SORRY, NOVEMBER 8TH.

IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE DEFERRAL OF ITEM NUMBER ONE? TO WHAT? EVERYBODY. WELL, HE JUST ASKED IF THERE'S ANY OBJECTION TO THE DEFERRAL OF ITEM NUMBER ONE TO OUR NOVEMBER 8TH COUNCIL MEETING ON MOTION OF COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER. YES.

OKAY. SO TWO. YES, YES.

OKAY. SO WE'LL DO A ROLL CALL VOTE THEN STARTING.

WHERE DO WE NEED TO START, MADAM CLERK? START AT THAT END.

I'LL START. YOU NEED HIM TO WORD IT DIFFERENTLY.

IT'S A MOTION TO DEFER. A MOTION TO DEFER? YES, MA'AM. COUNCILMAN EDWARDS, JUST A THE MOTION IS TO MOTION TO DEFER TO NOVEMBER 8TH OR NOT.

COUNCILMAN LEE. COUNCILMAN.

WALKER. YES.

COUNCILMAN. TEMPLET.

COUNCILMAN. IMPASTATO.

NO. COUNCILWOMAN.

VAN VRANCKEN. YES.

AND IT FAILED. WELL, IN THAT CASE, SINCE WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, I'D DEFINITELY LIKE TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR DISCUSSION BECAUSE I HAVE SEVERAL QUESTIONS THAT I'D LIKE TO GET ANSWERED IF WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.

THE FIRST IS ON FEASIBILITY AND THE I MEAN, THE FISCAL NOTE.

YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. GO AHEAD.

ON THE FISCAL NOTE, I HAD ASKED JERRY BECAUSE I BELIEVE THE FISCAL NOTE WAS PREPARED BY JEDKO WHEN THE ESTIMATES COST ESTIMATES WERE DONE, BECAUSE I KNOW ON PARISH PROJECTS OUR COSTS HAVE SKYROCKETED.

SO WHEN WERE THE WHEN WERE THE ESTIMATES COST ESTIMATES FOR CONSTRUCTION DONE? DO WE KNOW THAT THEY ARE STILL ADEQUATE? YES, THE COST ESTIMATES WERE DONE ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, BUT WE'VE MADE ADJUSTMENTS AND WE'VE KIND OF ISSUED A STATEMENT OF PROBABLE COST FOR KIND OF ESCALATED CONSTRUCTION COSTS AND DELAYS THAT THAT AFFECT THE PROJECT.

SO I BELIEVE THAT WE'VE INCORPORATED KIND OF ALL THE ITEMS THAT THAT WOULD NEED TO BE ADDRESSED WITH THIS DEVELOPMENT COST WISE.

SO A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, BUT THEN UPDATE IT SINCE.

YES, OKAY. BECAUSE THAT WAS NOT ON THE FISCAL NOTE DOCUMENT ITSELF.

SO IT WAS MORE OF A STATEMENT OF PROBABLE COST IS WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.

WE JUST FINISHED KIND OF 50% DESIGN.

I KNOW THAT'S TOO MUCH INFORMATION, BUT BASICALLY, WE'RE TAKING THAT INFORMATION AND GETTING THAT PRICED OUT BY A CONTRACTOR.

SO, IT'S A MORE COMPLETE FULL SET OF DOCUMENTS INSTEAD OF A SCHEMATIC SET.

SO, WE FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, THAT IT'S PROBABLY WE FEEL LIKE THAT'S GOING TO MATCH THAT STATEMENT OF PROBABLE COST, BUT IT WILL HAVE MORE OF A BREAKDOWN IN EITHER CONFIRM THAT, OKAY.

ON THE FISCAL NOTE, ALSO, THERE WAS A NOTATION OF $0 MAINTENANCE THROUGH THE YEAR 2032.

I GUESS THIS IS A QUESTION FOR MAYBE MR..

SHOOT, ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH AN ESTIMATE OF $0 MAINTENANCE UNTIL 2032? IT'S ON THE FISCAL NOTE.

WHICH SECTION ARE YOU REFERRING TO? THE FISCAL NOTE IS JUST ONE PAGE.

RIGHT, I HAVE THAT. WHICH SECTION? WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT MAINTENANCE.

IN THE FIRST SECTION, THERE'S A LINE THAT SAYS MAINTENANCE, AND THEN IT HAS LITTLE ZEROS ALL THE WAY ACROSS FOR, YOU KNOW, A DECADE.

I THINK IF YOU SEE THE FOOTNOTE, THE ASTERISK NUMBER THREE, WHICH IS IN THE MIDDLE SECTION, IT INDICATES $22,000 A YEAR, ESTIMATED FOR MAINTENANCE BY GENERAL SERVICES TO BE COVERED BY JFI.

AND DO WE HAVE A BUDGET SOURCE FOR THAT? YOU'D HAVE TO CHECK WITH JFI AND THAT'S GOING TO BE COVERED WITH GFI BY GFI.

MAINTENANCE WILL BE COVERED BY JFI.

THAT'S WHAT IT'S INDICATED ON THE FISCAL NOTE.

OKAY. SO THAT'S IN A SEPARATE AGREEMENT.

I GUESS THEN, YOU KNOW, ON A FISCAL NOTE, IF JFI IS COVERING THE MAINTENANCE FROM THE REVENUE GAINED, THE OTHER THING, THE OTHER THINGS I HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT REALLY WOULD BE RELATED TO IS THE PARISH GETTING A GOOD DEAL?

[00:40:05]

I MEAN, THERE ARE SOME THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, MAINTAINING THE HVAC SYSTEM AND HAVING TERMITE CONTROL, BUT BUT LARGELY MAINTENANCE IS IS NOT ON THE THE LESSEE AS WELL. SO WHO HAS REVIEWED I GUESS FOR ADEQUACY THE 3% TO 6% GROSS REVENUE THAT THAT EQUALS MARKET RENT OR THAT'S ADEQUATE.

HAVE WE HAD SOMEONE WHO'S AN EXPERT IN THE INDUSTRY TO SAY THAT THE PARISH IS GETTING A GOOD DEAL WITH THAT PERCENTAGE? BECAUSE CERTAINLY.

LOOK, I'LL TELL YOU MY PERSPECTIVE.

THIS IS NOT MY PROJECT, BUT BUT IN PROJECTS THAT I HAVE TALKED ABOUT, IT GIVES ME PAUSE IF THE PUBLIC SECTOR IS COMPETING WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR.

I LOVE THE IDEA OF A BREWPUB, BUT CERTAINLY I THINK ANY BUSINESS OUT THERE, IF THAT BUSINESS COULD BE RELIEVED OF PAYING PROPERTY TAX, PROPERTY INSURANCE ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW, AND MAINTENANCE COSTS, THAT IS A FAR DIFFERENT SCENARIO THAN MOST BUSINESSES.

AND SO AGAIN, IF WE'RE GOING TO PURSUE SOMETHING LIKE THIS TO TO BRING SOMETHING TO LIFE, THEN ARE WE THE PARISH, GETTING SOMETHING ADEQUATE OR FAIR IN RETURN? WHO'S WHO'S WHO'S REVIEWED THAT.

WHO'S EVALUATED THE PERCENTAGE? JERRY. SURE. JERRY BOLOGNA WITH JEDCO.

I'LL ADDRESS IT THIS WAY.

I THINK THE 6% ESCALATION IS CLOSER TO TO MARKET RATE.

I THINK THE 3% APPROACH IS JUST LIKE WE APPROACH ANY INCENTIVE IN THE PARISH WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO ATTRACT A COMPANY OR A LIFESTYLE PROJECT TO THE PARISH, YOU HAVE TO BALANCE THE INCENTIVE WITH THE BENEFIT.

AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE COME IN WITH THE 3% IS TO ATTRACT A PROJECT THAT WE WANT IN THIS PARISH.

IF WE APPROACH THIS FROM A REALIZATION OF OUR AGING POPULATION, PRESENT, PRESENT, COMPANY EXCLUDED, BUT WE HAVE AN AGING POPULATION, AND WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO ATTRACT THE TYPES OF PROJECTS THAT WE KNOW YOUNG FAMILIES AND YOUNG RESIDENTS WANT TO BE ATTRACTED TO.

AND SO BETWEEN THE BACK AND FORTH WITH, WITH PORT ORLEANS AND HAVE A TACO, THAT'S HOW WE KIND OF ARRIVED AT THAT FIRST COUPLE OF YEARS, REDUCED RATE, ATTRACT THEM IN AND THEN GET TO MORE OF A MARKET STABLE RATE.

AND IS THAT, AGAIN, IS THAT 3% AND 6% THE NORM? EVEN WHEN WE'RE BUILDING THE BUILDING, WE'RE BUILDING IT OUT.

WE ARE PAYING THE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE MAINTENANCE, THE, YOU KNOW, THE INSURANCES.

AND OBVIOUSLY IS THAT STILL ADEQUATE? I THINK IT'S A FAIR QUESTION, BUT I THINK WHEN WE WHENEVER WE TALK ABOUT A PROJECT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO INCENT THEM TO COME TO THE AREA, WE HAVE TO BALANCE THAT AND MAKE IT FAVORABLE TO THEM AS WELL, SO THAT BOTH SIDES ENJOY, OR THERE'S AN UPSIDE ON BOTH SIDES.

SO, I THINK THAT 6% IS IS CLOSE TO MARKET RENT.

BUT EVERY ONE OF THESE GETS EVERY PROJECT THAT WE GET INVOLVED IN GETS NEGOTIATED INDEPENDENTLY.

SO IT'S HARD TO COMPARE THEM ACROSS THE BOARD.

OKAY, I KNOW THERE'S SOMETHING IN THE LEASE THAT SAYS IF CONSTRUCTION IS NOT COMPLETE PRIOR TO OCTOBER 1ST, 2025, I MEAN, THAT'S LESS THAN A YEAR FROM NOW. IS THAT SOMETHING WE NEED TO ADJUST THE TIMEFRAME ON, OR IS THAT COMPLETION BY OCTOBER 1ST, 2025, ADEQUATE? OH, THAT IS TWO YEARS.

OKAY, IF I'M LOOKING AT THE I DID WRITE DOWN 2025, SO I'M SORRY.

I WAS THINKING IT WAS 2024, WHICH I WAS WORRIED ABOUT THAT TIME FRAME.

IS THERE SOMETHING THAT OUTLINES THE MONIES THAT WILL BE TAKEN IN BY.

AND HOW JFI IS THEN OBLIGATED TO USE THOSE FUNDS WHEN THE 3% OR 6% IS PAID TO JFI.

WHAT ARE THE OBLIGATIONS, THEN, FOR WHAT'S DONE WITH THAT MONEY AND WHAT'S NOT DONE? ANYONE. MONEYS TAKEN IN.

HOW DO WE CONTROL WHERE IT GOES AND WHO'S IN CHARGE OF IT AND WHAT IT'S USED FOR? AND. WOULD THAT NOT BE THE INCORPORATING DOCUMENTS OF JFI, THE PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION? THE ENABLING LEGISLATION THAT CREATED IT.

SO YEAH, THAT IS IN THEIR BYLAWS, AND THIS IS THE SAME FOOTPRINT THAT WE USE NOW FOR THE GPS, AND THAT WAS CREATED SOME TIME AGO, WAS IT NOT? SO THE 3% OR 6% IS TAKEN IN.

HOW IS IT? HOW IS IT USED.

BECAUSE THE GB IN THAT SCENARIO WE WERE PAYING OFF BONDS.

[00:45:02]

USES THE MONEY THAT THEY HAVE THAT THEY MAKE FROM THE GARAGE TO PAY OFF THE BOND.

SO THE THEORY WOULD BE. BUT WE'RE NOT PAYING BONDS.

THEY COULD USE THAT MONEY TO.

OKAY. AND THAT'S YOU FEEL LIKE THAT'S COMFORTABLE.

I KNOW THERE WAS A BIT OF A PAUSE IN HOW THIS IS STRUCTURED.

I MEAN, YOU'RE COMFORTABLE THAT THERE'S ENOUGH STRUCTURE IN PLACE, THE MONEY'S TAKEN IN, AND THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH STRUCTURE AND SAFEGUARDS ABOUT HOW IT'S GOING TO BE USED AND PAID OUT FROM HERE. SO I THINK, TONY, IF I'M INTERPRETING CORRECTLY, TONY, CAN YOU STEP TO THE MIC? I DIDN'T KNOW THIS WAS GOING TO CONTINUE.

IT JUST DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE THERE'S MAYBE I DON'T WANT TO MISSTATE THIS.

SO I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THERE WILL BE A GOVERNING DOCUMENT THAT MAKES SURE THESE FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC REVIEW AND BUT NOT SO MUCH TELLING ANYONE THAT THEY HAVE TO BE USED FOR MAINTENANCE OR HAVE TO BE USED FOR SOMETHING ELSE IN PARTICULAR.

I'M NOT SURE WHICH. SO, IN THE IN THE SCENARIO OF THE PARKING GARAGE, WE HAD BONDS THAT HAD TO BE PAID OFF.

AND SO, WHEN PARKING REVENUE COMES IN, THE MONEY IS THEN CAPTURED AND IS USED TO PAY DOWN THOSE BONDS.

NOW WE KNOW WHEN COVID CAME ALONG AND PEOPLE QUIT PARKING IN THE GARAGE AND THERE WAS NO INCOME, THEN THE PARISH AS A WHOLE WAS ON THE LINE TO COVER THAT COST. SO, WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS I WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE 3% OR 6% THAT'S COMING IN OF GROSS REVENUES, THAT'S COMING INTO JFI. THAT JFI WILL THEN HAVE SINCE WE'RE NOT PAYING DOWN BONDS AND INDEBTEDNESS, WHAT OBLIGATIONS DOES JFI HAVE TO USE THOSE FUNDS MOVING FORWARD BECAUSE IT MAY BE SIGNIFICANT DOLLARS OVER TIME.

WHAT ARE JFI'S OBLIGATIONS IN TERMS OF THE LEASE TO PAY OFF EVERYTHING THAT THEY HAVE TO PAY OFF UNDER THE LEASE? IT DOESN'T SAY THAT IN HERE.

THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING WHERE IS THAT CONTAINED? YEAH, THERE'S A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT, THAT'S WHAT.

SO OTHER AGREEMENTS, THE JFI ENABLING LEGISLATION.

WELL, THAT BEING AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

BUT THERE WAS A COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT THAT WAS PASSED IN MAY OF 2023.

AND THEN THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW AMENDMENTS, AMENDMENTS TO THAT.

AND THEN, TO BE HONEST, YOU GO ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE FOUNDING DOCUMENTS IN 2001.

I DIDN'T SEE IT IN THE CBA, AND THAT'S WHY I'M CONCERNED.

YEAH, A MASTER ACCOUNT.

AND THEORETICALLY THE MONEY THAT THEY WOULD GET FROM THE BREWPUB, THAT THAT MONEY COULD ALSO BE USED TO PAY OFF ANY GARAGE DEBT SO THAT WHEN THERE'S A CONTINUAL SHORTFALL, THE PARISH WOULDN'T BE ON THE HOOK FOR IT.

THAT'S THE THEORY BEHIND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

AND THAT'S WHAT I'M CURIOUS ABOUT, TOO, BECAUSE IF THESE MONIES COULD BE TAKEN TO PAY SOMETHING ELSE OFF, I JUST THINK IT'S WITHIN A GEOGRAPHIC REGION AND IT CAN ONLY GO, IT CAN ONLY BE USED TO PAY SOMETHING OFF.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY ENCOMPASSED WITHIN THAT CBA.

AND IN THE CBA THERE ARE ONLY FOUR THINGS.

THERE'S THE PARKING GARAGE, THE, THE EOC.

AND THEN THIS IS THE TRACK FOR THE COURTHOUSE LOT.

AND THEY CAN'T JUST RANDOMLY TAKE IT AND SPEND IT ON SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S NOT ENCOMPASSED WITHIN THAT ORIGINAL CBA.

THAT IS MY QUESTION, AND THAT IS WHAT WAS NOT CONTAINED IN THE KEYS THAT I'VE SEEN MOST RECENTLY, ANY OF THE AMENDMENTS.

BUT IF YOU'RE SAYING THAT'S IN POTENTIALLY A JFI DOCUMENT THAT DATES BACK, I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG IT WAS IN THE CEA THAT WAS PASSED IN MAY.

I DON'T BELIEVE IT WAS.

I LOOKED AT THAT. I TRIED TO LOOK AT THAT THIS MORNING.

BUT AGAIN, THIS IS TRACK FOUR.

OKAY. YEAH, I KNOW THERE WERE SEVERAL AMENDMENTS TO IT.

AND THAT GOES TO MY QUESTION OF TRYING TO GET UP TO SPEED AND HAVE THAT ANSWERED, BECAUSE AS A COMMUNITY, LOOK, WE KNEW THERE WAS A FIGHT OVER TOLLS AND WHERE THOSE MONEYS WERE GOING AND WHERE THEY WEREN'T GOING AND WHERE THEY WERE NOT BEING USED AS WE WOULD LIKE.

AND SO THAT'S PART OF MY CONCERN.

WHERE DID THE MONEY'S GO? HOW ARE THEY USED, WHAT ARE THE LIMITATIONS ON USE? AND I DID NOT SEE THAT IN ANY OF THE DOCUMENTATIONS THAT WE REALLY HAD BEFORE US AT THIS TIME.

SO, BUT YOU'RE SAYING THERE ARE RESTRICTIONS AND THERE IS SUBJECT, I SAID EARLIER TO THE LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR REQUIREMENTS.

IF YOU'RE AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

YEAH, I'D LOVE TO SEE THAT DOCUMENT AND I'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND GET THAT, BECAUSE CERTAINLY I THINK AS PUBLIC OFFICIALS, WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE THAT THOSE MONIES ARE RESTRICTED AND HOW THEY CAN BE USED.

AND, YOU KNOW, SO I'D LIKE TO OFFICIALLY REQUEST WHEREVER THAT IS CONTAINED.

I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT TO HAVE SOME CERTAINTY THAT WE FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH WHERE AND HOW THESE MONIES CAN BE SPENT.

IT'S ALL COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN THINK AT THIS TIME.

YES. COUNCILMAN TEMPLET I JUST HAVE A FEW COMMENTS.

[00:50:02]

BECAUSE LOOK, I KNOW IN OTHER PROJECTS WITHIN YOUR DISTRICT, WE DIDN'T HAVE ALL THESE QUESTIONS PRIOR TO, AND IT MIGHT HAVE MADE IT A LOT EASIER FOR US TO MAKE DECISIONS AND A PASS IN DISTRICT FIVE WHEN WE DIDN'T HAVE ALL THIS INFORMATION AT OUR HANDS.

THAT IS ALL DONE RIGHT HERE IN FRONT OF US TO GIVE US THE INFORMATION ON ON AS FAR AS I'M SURE GLAD I ADDRESSED IT.

SOMETHING ON A FISCAL NOTE AND LET HIM HAVE THE FLOOR.

AS FAR AS PAYING BONDS, JFI IS STILL PAYING BONDS TODAY.

OKAY, SO THIS IS THIS IS TO HELP RELIEVE THE CAPABILITY OF OUR USING OUR TAX DOLLARS TO PAY THOSE BONDS.

THIS IS A FORWARD THINKING PROJECT TO WHERE WE'RE BEING PROGRESSIVE IN JEFFERSON PARISH, TO WHERE WE'RE TAKING LAND THAT WE ALREADY OWN AND PUTTING INTO COMMERCE.

WE HAVE 30 MAYBE PARKING SPOTS THAT MAKE $5 A DAY, THAT NOW WE'RE TURNING INTO A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR OPERATION THAT CAN GENERATE MONEY FOR LONG TERM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HERE IN JEFFERSON PARISH AND HERE IN THE CITY OF GRETNA.

IT'S PRIME REAL ESTATE IN 2012.

AND MAYOR COLLINS, YOU REMEMBER THIS.

THEY HAD A MOVIE THAT FILMED IN GRETNA AND MADE THE FAKE STOREFRONTS RIGHT THERE AND MADE IT, MADE IT LOOK LIKE IT WAS BUSINESSES.

AND WE REALIZED THEN THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY HERE IN JEFFERSON, JEFFERSON PARISH AND GRETNA TO DO FORWARD THINKING OPERATION LIKE THIS.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.

SO, THE BONDS ARE STILL OUT THERE THAT HAVE TO BE PAID WHEN THOSE BONDS ARE FINISHED BEING PAID.

HOPEFULLY BY THIS PROJECT, WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH OTHER PROJECTS WITHIN THE DISTRICT THAT IS WRITTEN IN WITH BY THE LAW FOR JFI, BUT THE FACILITIES STILL NEED TO BE MAINTAINED.

THE PARKING LOTS NEED TO ELEVATORS, ROOF REPAIRS.

THE EOC HAS GOT TO BE PART OF THIS MAINTENANCE, SO THESE DOLLARS JUST DON'T GO FLOATING AROUND.

BUT WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT THESE DOLLARS NO LONGER COME OUT OF THE TAXPAYERS' POCKET.

IT COMES OUT OF THE REVENUE THAT IS GENERATED BY THIS PROJECT.

THAT'S THE HOPES.

EVERYONE TELLS US THAT WE NEED TO START RUNNING GOVERNMENT LIKE A BUSINESS.

AND BEFORE WE'RE THINKING, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, EVERYBODY ASK, HOW WOULD YOU BE KEEPING OUR YOUNG CHILDREN AND OUR YOUNG PEOPLE HERE? THIS IS FORWARD THINKING AND KEEPING AN ACTIVITY IN A PLACE WHERE OUR YOUTH WOULD LIKE TO GO AND BRING THEIR FAMILIES TO ENJOY THE CITY OF GRETNA AND JEFFERSON PARISH OF WHAT WE HAVE.

SO, JUST TO SIT HERE AND TRY TO PICK THINGS TO DEATH AS FAR AS FEASIBILITY STUDIES AND NOT HAVING THE DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE, EVERYTHING'S RIGHT HERE IN PLAIN OPEN FOR YOU TO READ.

IT WAS AVAILABLE AT LAST COUNCIL MEETING WHEN WE DEFERRED IT.

AND IT JUST FINDS IT VERY INTERESTING TO ME THAT WHEN WE TRIED TO DO ANOTHER PROJECT, WHEN WE HAD NOTHING TO LOOK AT, I'VE NEVER SAW A LEASE.

I DON'T THINK THE ADMINISTRATION NEVER SAW ANYTHING IN FRONT OF THEM.

AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN, WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT EVERY EYE IS ON, AND EVERY T IS CROSSED ON SOMETHING THAT'S GOOD FOR THE PARISH.

IT JUST, I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND IT.

LET ME JUST TAKE A MOMENT TO DEFEND MYSELF, BECAUSE THIS GETS INTO AN ASSERTION THAT I SOMEHOW WAS NOT FORTHCOMING WITH INFORMATION ON OTHER PROJECTS.

SO, WE HAVE NEVER HAD AN OBLIGATION OF A FISCAL NOTE ON PROJECTS UNTIL I DRAFTED A RESOLUTION TO SAY WE SHOULD HAVE FISCAL NOTES ON EVERYTHING.

SO, QUESTIONS WERE ONLY ASKED, ONLY ASKED OF MY PROJECT VERSUS OTHER PROJECTS.

SO, IF WE'RE STARTING ABOUT FAIRNESS AND EQUITY, THERE WERE QUESTIONS ASKED ABOUT MY PROJECTS INITIALLY THAT WERE NEVER ASKED OF OTHER PROJECTS.

SO, I CRAFTED SOMETHING THAT SAID, WE SHOULD DO THIS FAIRLY AND ACROSS THE BOARD AND HAVE A FISCAL NOTE ON EVERYTHING.

I AM NOT TRYING TO PICK THIS PROJECT TO DEATH.

THIS IS A GOOD PROJECT.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS A POSITIVE ADVANCEMENT NOT ONLY FOR GRETNA BUT FOR JEFFERSON PARISH.

AND I REALLY APOLOGIZE TO THOSE FOLKS WHO ARE THE GOOD FOLKS BEHIND THIS PROJECT.

THIS IS NOT AT ALL INTENDED FOR YOU.

I AM A BIG FAN.

I WILL BE THERE TO SUPPORT YOU AND MOVING FORWARD.

SO PLEASE DO NOT MISINTERPRET THIS.

IT'S MERELY AT THE END OF THE DAY, AS A LEGISLATOR, I KNOW THAT IF THIS PROJECT, FOR WHATEVER REASON GOES SOUTH, THE PARISH WILL BE ON THE LINE FOR THE COSTS.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE FOUND OUT WITH OUR GOVERNMENT PARKING GARAGE THAT JEFFERSON PARISH, AT THE END OF THE DAY, IS THE GUARANTOR.

AND SO.

THAT'S MY CONCERN.

WANTING TO ASK QUESTIONS, WANTING TO MAKE SURE THE LEASES ARE IN PLACE, WANTING TO MAKE SURE THERE ARE SOME SAFEGUARDS ON FUNDS, AND THAT IF IT GOES SOUTH AND THE PARISH IS ON

[00:55:05]

AND AT LEAST I DID SEE A PROVISION IN THIS THAT SAID IF THE PREMISES ARE DESTROYED, THEN THE TENANT SHALL RECEIVE A CREDIT FOR THE REMAINING TERM OF THE LEASE. IF THIS BUILDING BURNS DOWN, DO WE OWE PORT ORLEANS MONEY FOR THE REST OF THE LEASE? THAT WAS MY ONE LAST FINANCIAL QUESTION.

AND PLEASE, AGAIN, IT'S JUST SPECIFICS THAT I'D LIKE CLARITY ON.

IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT I'M GOING TO ENJOY A TACO AND A BEER THERE.

TOMMY DISKIN AGAIN. I'LL BE HAPPY TO TRY AND ANSWER THAT FOR YOU, BUT I THINK ALL IT MEANS, IN TYPICAL LEASE TERMS IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO PAY A LEASE IF WE DON'T HAVE A BUILDING. NOW, I THINK IT SAYS WE OWE YOU.

WELL, COULD MAYBE THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE GIVE ME SOME CLARIFICATION ON IF THE PREMISES ARE DESTROYED.

IT'S IN THE LEASE.

IT SAYS THE THE TENANT SHALL RECEIVE A CREDIT FOR THE REMAINING TERM OF THE LEASE.

JUST SO WE KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, I BELIEVE CREDIT MEANS IS THAT WE DON'T.

WE GET CREDITED WITH IN FOR PAYING THE LEASE.

WE DON'T HAVE TO PAY THE LEASE AT THAT POINT BECAUSE WE DON'T, WE CAN'T, WE DON'T HAVE SPACE TO PAY A LEASE FOR.

THAT'S ALL IT REALLY MEANS.

WE DON'T GET ANY MONEY IF THE BUILDING BURNS DOWN.

YEAH. THAT'S MY INTERPRETATION OF IT WAS YOU'RE ON THE HOOK.

I MEAN, YOU OWE US FOR AN ENTIRE LEASE BECAUSE YOU HAVE A CONTRACT.

BUT IF THE BUILDING WOULD BURN DOWN, WE'RE NOT GOING TO CHARGE YOU FOR A BUILDING THAT YOU CAN'T.

IT SEEMS LIKE BETTER TERMINOLOGY WOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE YOU ARE RELIEVED OF YOUR OBLIGATIONS TO PAY.

WHEN YOU SAY CREDIT, THAT NORMALLY MEANS LIKE I OWE YOU SOMETHING.

YOU KNOW, I OWE YOU A CREDIT.

SO, I MEAN, I THINK THERE COULD HAVE BEEN CLEARER LANGUAGE IF WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS IF THE BUILDING BURNS DOWN, YOU NO LONGER OWE ME ANYTHING.

WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY SAYING, THE LANGUAGE SAYS WE OWE YOU A CREDIT.

AND SO THAT'S WHERE MY CONCERN CAME.

CERTAINLY, I THINK THERE IS CLEARER LANGUAGE FOR THE FACT THAT THEY WOULD NOT OBLIGATE OBLIGATED TO PAY RENT IF THERE'S NO, NO BUILDING IN EXISTENCE.

BUT AGAIN, IT'S JUST ASKING QUESTIONS OF THINGS THAT I HASTILY TRIED TO REVIEW THIS MORNING IN ANTICIPATION.

WELL, AND FURTHER ON THAT, IF YOU LOOK AT THE THE AGREEMENT WHERE IT SAYS 3% OF THE GROSS REVENUE FOR THE FIRST 30 MONTHS AND THEN THE 6% AFTER THAT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE TEN YEAR LEASE, IF THERE'S NO BUILDING AND THERE'S NO BUSINESS, THEN THEY'RE NOT OBLIGATED TO PAY ANY RENT.

CORRECT. IS THAT SAFE TO ASSUME THAT IF YOU'RE PAYING 6% OF YOUR GROSS REVENUE AND THERE'S NO REVENUE, THEN YOU CAN'T PAY ANYTHING, RIGHT? SO IF THE I GUESS IF THE BUILDING WERE DESTROYED, THEY DON'T KNOW US ANYTHING.

WE DON'T KNOW THEM ANYTHING.

THEY DON'T HAVE INSURANCE. RIGHT.

6% OF ZERO IS ZERO, RIGHT? YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE GOOD AT MATH TO FIGURE THAT OUT.

COUNCILMAN EDWARDS, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT TO ADD ON THIS? OKAY, MY LAST QUESTION BECAUSE THIS CAME UP TODAY.

THE WAY THE LEASE IS STRUCTURED AND THE THE PERCENTAGES THAT ARE LAID OUT FOR THE COFFEE SHOP AND THE BARBER SHOP THAT WE MENTIONED, OR ANY OTHER TENANT THAT MAY GO IN THERE, HOW IS THEIR REVENUE FACTORED INTO THE OVERALL? IS THAT FACTORED INTO THE OVERALL GROSS REVENUE FOR PORT ORLEANS AND THE RESTAURANT, OR IS THAT SEPARATE AND APART, AND IS THAT A DIFFERENT RENT SITUATION, LIKE DOES THAT COME OFF THE TOP OF WHAT YOU ALL HAVE TO TO PAY THE GROSS REVENUE? SO 3% OR 6% IS BASED UPON GROSS REVENUE.

SO WHATEVER THEY PAY IN THAT THAT.

IS A PART OF THAT BASE.

PARRISH GETS THE CITY.

JFI GETS 3%, 6% OR WHATEVER IT IS.

SO, IF YOU MAKE $1 MILLION A YEAR AND THEY MAKE $200,000 A YEAR, THEN THAT'S 1.2 MILLION THAT WE'RE TAKING OFF THE TOP OF THE GROSS REVENUE.

THAT'S EVERYTHING. OKAY.

I'M SORRY. COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN.

THAT APPLIES TO GAMING REVENUES.

EVERYTHING BEING MADE ON SITE.

YES, YES, REVENUE IS DEFINED AND IT WAS FAIRLY DEFINED THROUGH NEGOTIATION.

BUT THAT'S HOW IT'S THAT'S HOW IT'S DEFINED.

SO EVERY DIME MADE ON THAT FOOTPRINT IS UNDER GROSS REVENUE.

CORRECT. NO MATTER WHO'S THERE NOW OR LATER.

DIFFERENT TENANTS.

IT'S ALL THE SAME.

IT DOESN'T CHANGE.

OKAY. HOW IS IT DEFINED IN THE LEASE IS THE WAY IT'S DEFINED.

BUT IT'S PRETTY.

IT'S ALL INCLUSIVE TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE.

OKAY, OKAY. JUST HAVE FUN.

IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS ANYTHING TO ADD ON THIS TOPIC? COUNCILWOMAN COUNCILMAN TEMPLET.

AND JUST A FINAL NOTE, AND I MIGHT REPEAT MYSELF, BUT I JUST WANT TO COMPLIMENT AND SAY THANK YOU FOR PORT ORLEANS, FOR LOOKING AT US AND CHATTING WITH US FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS. IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE TRYING TO WORK WITH YOU ALL AS A GROUP AND AS A FAMILY.

[01:00:04]

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN IN POLITICS FOR MANY YEARS, AND EVERYONE COMES TO US AND SAYS YOU SHOULD BE RUNNING GOVERNMENT LIKE A BUSINESS.

WELL, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

WE'RE TAKING AN ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY OF ONE TIME MONEY FROM ARPA, OKAY? AND TURNING IT INTO A LONG TERM ECONOMIC ENGINE THAT WILL GENERATE INCOME FOR THE FUTURE FOR JEFFERSON PARISH AND TO REDUCE OUR COSTS ON BONDS, ON MAINTAINING OUR PARKING AREAS AND EOC AREAS, TO NOT USING THOSE TAX DOLLARS IN THE FUTURE WHERE THIS GENERATES THE DOLLARS, WE NEED TO DO SO.

IT'S THE OPPORTUNITY TO KEEP OUR YOUTH WITH AN ACTIVITY THAT EVERYBODY WANTS.

IT'S THE FIRST.

CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.

IT'S THE FIRST BREWERY IN JEFFERSON PARISH THAT IS COMING TO JEFFERSON PARISH, AND IT'S HERE IN GRETNA IN A THRIVING COMMUNITY THAT IS WHERE EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE.

AND THIS IS GOING TO INCREASE OUR NIGHTLIFE BUSINESSES HERE IN JEFFERSON PARISH AND AND IN GRETNA.

AND THIS FURTHER MAKES IT TO WHERE JEFFERSON PARISH IS FINALLY, THE PLACE WHERE PEOPLE ARE CHOOSING TO COME, PLAY, WORK AND LIVE.

AND THIS JUST ENHANCES THAT.

AND I'M PROUD TO BE ABLE TO SAY WE'RE PART OF THAT.

AND EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM HAS WORKED TOWARDS THAT.

THE GRETNA COUNCIL, THE PORT ORLEANS, AS WELL AS MOST OF THE STAFF, YOU KNOW, MY COUNCIL MEMBERS UP HERE AND I HAVE TO I HAVE TO SAY THIS, I GOT TO GIVE HATS OFF TO MY CHIEF OF STAFF, BRETT LAWSON, FOR ALL OF HIS HARD WORK, BECAUSE HE HAS HE LIVED AND BREATHED THIS FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS TO TRY TO MAKE SOMETHING POSITIVE HAPPEN AND INSTEAD OF NEGATIVE.

AND I THINK THIS IS A VOTE IN SOMETHING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR ALL OF US IN JEFFERSON PARISH TO BE PROUD OF.

AND THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN IMPASTATO.

THANK YOU. YEAH, I THINK THE TERMS OF THE LEASE COVER THE CONCERNS THAT WERE RAISED.

I MEAN, AS FAR AS THE MAINTENANCE COSTS, THE PARAGRAPH 16 OF THE LEASE IS QUITE CLEAR THAT THE MAINTENANCE OBLIGATIONS REST WITH.

AND SO, IT WOULD MAKE SENSE THAT THE PARISH IS NOT ON THE HOOK OR NOT EXPECTING A SUBSTANTIAL MAINTENANCE COST IN A GIVEN YEAR.

IN ADDITION, THE JEFFERSON FACILITIES ENABLING LEGISLATION AND THE COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENTS MAKE QUITE CLEAR WHERE THAT MONEY, THE REVENUES GENERATED, MUST GO.

SO, I HAVE A LOT OF CONFIDENCE AND COMFORT IN IN THE IDEA THAT THE MONIES GENERATED WILL GO TO THE PROPER PLACE AND WILL BE SPENT FOR THE PURPOSES FOR WHICH THAT THAT GROUP WAS, WAS CREATED.

IN ADDITION, IT HAS A GOVERNING BOARD.

AND I THINK WHEN YOU GET INTO THOSE THAT DOCUMENTATION, THE SEARS AND WHATNOT, YOU SEE HOW THE BOARD WAS CREATED FOR JFI.

AND IT'S VERY, VERY EXTENSIVE AND DETAILED.

AND AS TONY HURLEY SAID, IT'S ALL GOVERNED BY THE LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR AND PUBLIC RECORDS LAWS.

THIS IS NOT SOMETHING NEW.

THIS IS A 22 YEAR OLD PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION.

AND IN FACT, WE USE THAT ENABLING LEGISLATION.

THIS COUNCIL UNANIMOUSLY CREATED ANOTHER PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION TO OPERATE THE FOOD PAVILION AT LAFRANIERE ABOUT 3 OR 4 MONTHS AGO.

SO THIS IS THIS HAS WORKED WITH SUCCESS.

YOU CAN SEE THE ENTIRE GRETNA CONTINGENCY HERE OF ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO KNOW THIS WILL BE SUCCESSFUL.

AND THE LAST THING I'M GOING TO SAY THAT GIVES ME THE UTMOST CONFIDENCE AND A LITTLE BIT OF JEALOUSY.

AS AN EAST BANKER, I BELIEVE THE FORMULA FOR SUCCESS FOR THIS HAS A LOT TO DO WITH THE PEOPLE INVOLVED.

REST ASSURED, MANY OF YOU WON'T KNOW AND HE WON'T BRAG ABOUT IT, BUT DON NOEL.

DON NOEL'S TRACK RECORD OF SUCCESS IS NOTEWORTHY.

ALMOST EVERYTHING HE HAS TOUCHED HAS TURNED TO GOLD.

PEOPLE DON'T KNOW IT, BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS HIS BUSINESSES SUCCEED.

LEGACY. IF YOU'VE BEEN TO A LEGACY KITCHEN.

YEAH, HE CREATED IT.

HE HAS TAKEN ENTERPRISES THAT WERE FLEDGLING AND MADE THEM SUCCESSFUL.

MR. DISKIN IS ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL LAWYERS IN IN THE GREATER NEW ORLEANS AREA.

SO SUCCESSFUL HE DOESN'T HAVE TO WEAR A TIE TO GO TO WORK.

AND SO UNLIKE GUYS LIKE ME WHO HAVE TO FAKE IT, YOU KNOW, BUT THEIR THEIR PARTNERSHIP AND THEIR TRACK RECORD OF SUCCESS IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK GRETNA IS LUCKY TO HAVE. THOSE OF US NOT FROM GRETNA OUGHT TO BE REALLY JEALOUS AND ENVIOUS OF YOU GUYS.

AND SO THERE IS NO DOUBT THE PRO FORMA LOOKS GOOD.

AND THIS IS GOING TO BE.

THIS IS GOING TO BE A GREAT, A GREAT BENEFIT FOR THE PARISH AS A WHOLE.

SO I'M PROUD TO SUPPORT IT.

COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO GIVE JERRY BOLOGNA SOME COVER WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THIS BEING THE ONLY BREWERY IN JEFFERSON I KNOW KING HOUSE CIDER, WHERE JEDCO IS HEAD, AND I BELIEVE THE CHAMBER HAS HAD SOME EVENTS.

THEY DO BREW CIDER IN JEFFERSON, SO JUST NOTING THEM AS WELL.

[01:05:01]

WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT GFI IN 2001.

I WANT TO GIVE COMPLIMENTS TO A COUNCILMAN OF DISTRICT ONE.

GOD REST HIS SOUL, BUTCH WARD.

HE FORMED JFI BACK THEN, IN 2001 THAT WE'RE THE BENEFICIARY OF COUNCIL MEMBERS IN THE PAST WHO THOUGHT WHAT A VISION TO MAKE THINGS HAPPEN FOR JEFFERSON PARISH AND GRETNA. AND THIS WAS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT ARE COMING THROUGH BECAUSE COUNCILMAN BUTCH WARD HAD HAD PUT THIS IN PLACE.

AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I MENTIONED THAT.

MR. CHAIRMAN, COUNCILMAN EDWARDS, I JUST WANT TO ADD MY THANKS TO BRETT LAWSON AND TO MY DEAR FRIENDS, THE ELECTED OFFICIALS IN GRETNA.

IT'S MY HOMETOWN, AND I WILL TELL YOU, I WOULD NOT WANT TO LIVE ANYWHERE ELSE.

LET ME CLARIFY ONE OTHER THING.

WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A LEASE, THE SIGNING OF A LEASE, YOU'RE SIGNING A CONTRACT AND THAT THEY ATTEMPT TO WORD THE CREDIT PORTIONS OF THAT IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT WILL COVER ALL EVENTUALITIES.

AND, YOU KNOW, YOU GET CREDIT IF YOU HAVE A LEASE THAT'S FOR TEN YEARS.

AND YOU YOU ARE OCCUPYING THAT BUILDING FOR THREE YEARS AND IT'S IT'S UNOCCUPIABLE FOR TWO YEARS, YOU WOULD WANT CREDIT FOR THAT, THAT THAT TERM OF THE LEASE THAT YOU COULDN'T USE THE BUILDING.

AND I THINK THAT'S WHY THE WORDING IS THE WAY IT IS.

AND IT SEEMS VERY CLEAR TO ME AND THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN THIS PROJECT.

AND WHEN IT'S FINISHED, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE ALL OF YOU ENJOYING IT WITH US.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

IS THAT EVERYTHING? EVERYBODY GOOD? ALL RIGHT. IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE BELL? YOU WANT TO MOVE ON THAT COUNCILMAN EDWARDS.

IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF ITEM NUMBER ONE? ON MOTION OF COUNCILMAN EDWARDS, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING? NONE SO ORDERED.

CONGRATULATIONS, EVERYBODY.

IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE MOTION TO ADJOURN BY ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT? WAIT. HANG ON. BEFORE WE DO THAT, I HAVE TO.

JUST A FORMALITY. I HAVE TO READ THIS.

IS THERE ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO APPEAR BEFORE THE COUNCIL ON SPECIAL SUBJECT MATTERS? ANYTHING THAT WAS NOT ON TODAY'S AGENDA.

OKAY. ANY OBJECTIONS TO THE MOTION TO ADJOURN BY ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT? HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

THANK YOU EVERYBODY.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.