Sep 25, 2024 Parish Council West Bank

[SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS]

[00:00:10]

PINS TO DISTRIBUTE.

GOOD MORNING.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. I'M GOING TO START WITH BROOKE BURMASTER, IF YOU CAN.

JUST SOME OF OUR DIRECTORS THAT ARE GOING TO GET THEIR SERVICE PINS.

AND I'LL START WITH BROOKE BURMASTER, WHO'S THE DIRECTOR OF OUR STREETS DEPARTMENT WITH TEN YEARS OF SERVICE.

BROOKE BEGAN HIS CAREER WITH THE PARISH AS A HORTICULTURIST IN JUNE 2001, AND MOVED TO THE POSITION OF ARBORIST IN DECEMBER 2001.

HE LEFT THE PARISH IN JUNE OF 2005, AND RETURNED IN 2014 AS OUR PARKWAYS DIRECTOR.

HE THEN MOVED TO HIS CURRENT POSITION OF STREETS DIRECTOR IN OCTOBER OF 2018.

IN THE PAST SIX YEARS, THE STREETS DIRECTOR BROOKE HAS IMPLEMENTED A STREET SAVER PROGRAM THAT IDENTIFIES DEFICIENCIES IN THE EXISTING PARISH ROAD NETWORK TO PRIORITIZE STREET MAINTENANCE BASED ON ACTUAL ROAD CONDITIONS AS WELL AS A RESULT, THE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN ABLE TO EFFICIENTLY COMPLETE OVER $60 MILLION OF ASPHALT, CONCRETE, DRAINAGE, GUARDRAIL AND ADA SIDEWALK RAMP MAINTENANCE, PREVENTING THE NEED FOR COSTLY, COMPLETE RECONSTRUCTION.

IN ADDITION, BROOK INITIATED AND RECENTLY COMPLETED RENOVATIONS TO THE OLD 911 BUILDING ON [INAUDIBLE] ROAD TO PROVIDE WEST BANK STAFF WITH A MODERN, COMFORTABLE WORKPLACE FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE AND IS COMMITTED TO CONTINUING IMPROVEMENTS TO DEPARTMENT WORKING CONDITIONS.

I FEEL VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE HIM ON OUR TEAM AND WANT TO WISH YOU CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR NEXT LEVEL INITIATIVES.

BROOK. THANK YOU [APPLAUSE].

NEXT UP. YEP.

NEXT UP FROM THE PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT, JOHN DUMAS FOR 15 YEARS OF SERVICE.

IS JOHN HERE? COME ON UP, JOHN. JOHN STARTED WITH JEFFERSON PARISH AS A PERSONNEL TECHNICIAN WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL FROM MAY OF 1991 TO MAY OF 1994.

HE LEFT TO WORK IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, BUT RETURNED IN AUGUST OF 2009 AS A HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGER IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, HE WAS PROMOTED TO SERVE AS THE HUMAN RESOURCE ADMINISTRATOR IN JULY OF 2010, AND THEN WAS PROMOTED TO ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN APRIL OF 2013.

IN DECEMBER OF 2014, JOHN WAS PROMOTED TO THE POSITION OF PERSONNEL DIRECTOR IN THE DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL.

UNDER JOHN'S LEADERSHIP, THE PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN REIMAGINING HOW TO RECRUIT FOR POSITIONS DUE TO WHAT WE ALL KNOW IS THE EVER CHANGING WORKFORCE RECRUITMENT FRONT, ESPECIALLY IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

HE HAS SPEARHEADED, DRAFTED AND IMPLEMENTED A NEW PAY PLAN IN 2019 AND AGAIN FOR 2025.

HE IS A WONDERFUL ADVOCATE FOR WORKING FOR JEFFERSON PARISH, AND I'D LIKE TO THANK HIM FOR HIS DEDICATION TO PROMOTING US, TO POTENTIAL FUTURE EMPLOYEES AND HIS WORK, ENSURING THAT WE CONTINUE TO ENABLE THE DEPARTMENTS OF JEFFERSON PARISH TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS REGARDING CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOYMENT AND ASSIST IN THE APPOINTMENT OF QUALIFIED CANDIDATES FOR THOSE DEPARTMENTS POSITIONS.

CONGRATULATIONS, JOHN [APPLAUSE].

THANK YOU. CONGRATULATIONS.

DO YOU WANT TO COME TAKE A PICTURE WITH OUR DIRECTORS, PLEASE? UP NEXT IS COUNCILMAN LEE WITH A COUPLE OF PROCLAMATIONS.

MORNING. WOULD THE

[00:05:06]

IT'S NOT OFTEN THAT IN TODAY'S WORLD THAT WE GET A CHANCE TO CELEBRATE A COUPLE THAT HAS BEEN MARRIED FOR 66 YEARS AND THEY WERE HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEARTS.

AND NOW WHEN YOU LOOK AT THEM, WE LOOK AT THEM AS AN IDEAL COUPLE KNOWING THAT THEIR CONTRIBUTION TO OUR COMMUNITY HAS BEEN A VERY LARGE ONE, BECAUSE YOU ALWAYS DESIRE TO HELP NOT ONLY PEOPLE LIKE ME, BUT OTHER PEOPLE, YOUNG PEOPLE WHO WERE COMING UP WHO LOOKED FOR A KIND WORD AND ALWAYS KNEW THAT IF THEY CAME AND HAD ANY CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU ALL, YOU ALL WOULD BE VERY POSITIVE.

AND SO TODAY, WE WANT TO HONOR YOU ALL WITH THIS PROCLAMATION AND LET ME PUT MY GLASSES ON.

THE PROCLAMATION READS PARISH OF JEFFERSON.

WHEREAS NASHEED SALADIN AND SON OF LAWRENCE ALEXANDER AND ROSE VAUGHAN, ALEXANDER AND IRENE LEICESTER SALADIN, DAUGHTER OF ARTHUR AND ELSIE SMITH ELECTRIC MET WHILE BOTH ATTENDING HIGH SCHOOL IN MARRERO AT LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL, WHERE THEY BECAME HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEARTS.

AND WHEREAS NASHEED AND IRENE FELL IN LOVE AND WERE UNITED IN MARRIAGE AT THE HOME OF REVEREND MEACHAM IN WESTWEGO ON AUGUST 23RD, 1958. AND WHEREAS THEY ARE THE PROUD PARENTS OF SEVEN WONDERFUL CHILDREN, AND WHOM ALL WERE BORN AND RAISED IN JEFFERSON PARISH.

AND THEY'VE ESTABLISHED ESTABLISHED A FAMILY LEGACY THAT IS DEEPLY ROOTED IN THE COMMUNITY IN MARRERO MATTER OF FACT, THEY ARE PAM, MY MY CHIEF OF STAFF'S UNCLE AND AUNTIE.

AND SO THE FAMILY IS A VERY LARGE ONE.

AND SO WE'RE SO GRATEFUL FOR THEM.

AND THEIR FAMILY HAS GROWN TO INCLUDE 30 WONDERFUL GRANDCHILDREN, GREAT GRANDCHILDREN, WHOM THEY CONSIDER ONE OF THE MOST SUPER FANTASTIC FAMILIES IN THE WORLD.

AND WHEREAS NASHEED RETIRED FROM SCI-TECH CHEMICAL PLANT IN 1999 AND SINCE HIS RETIREMENT HAS BECOME A PILLAR OF THE COMMUNITY, SERVING AS THE IMAM AT THE LOCAL NEW ORLEANS MOSQUE AND PROVIDING MINISTRY AT HUNTS CORRECTIONAL CENTER IN SAINT GABRIEL, AS WELL AS IN JEFFERSON PARISH'S CORRECTIONAL CENTER.

AND WHEREAS, IRENE SALADIN HAS ALSO BEEN DEEPLY INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY, WORKING TIRELESSLY TO BRING ABOUT POSITIVE CHANGE.

WHEREAS SHE IS PAST PRESIDENT OF LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION, HAS HELD OFFICE FOR JEFF [INAUDIBLE] WORKED WITH JEFF KAPP AND OUR SENIOR CITIZENS IN GRETNA AT THE SENIOR COMMUNITY CENTER.

SHE ALSO HAS BEEN INVOLVED POLITICALLY AS WELL AS VERY ACTIVE, AND WAS THE FORMER VICE PRESIDENT OF MARTIN LUTHER KING TASK FORCE.

AND WHEREAS, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE JEFFERSON PARISH COUNCIL, DISTRICT THREE HEREBY RECOGNIZES AND HONORS THEM BOTH FOR THEIR UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO FAMILY, COMMUNITY, AND SERVICE.

AND WHEREAS, ON THIS DAY, THE COUNCIL EXTENDS ITS HEARTFELT CONGRATULATIONS AND BEST WISHES TO THE BOTH OF THEM AS THEY CELEBRATE THEIR 66TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY, RECOGNIZING THEM AS A BEACON OF LOVE, STRENGTH AND UNITY WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.

AND WHEREAS THIS PROCLAMATION IS ISSUED WITH DEEP RESPECT AND ADMIRATION FOR NASHEED AND IRENE, HONORING THEIR EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND ENDURING LEGACY IN JEFFERSON PARISH, THEIR LOVE STORY, DEDICATION, AND LEGACY OF SERVICE IS AN INSPIRATION TO ALL OF US.

NOW, THEREFORE, THE JEFFERSON PARISH COUNCIL HEREBY RECOGNIZES AND COMMENDS YOU ALL ON CELEBRATING 66 YEARS OF MARRIAGE AND THE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE COMMUNITY OF JEFFERSON PARISH.

THANK YOU ALL [APPLAUSE]. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I WOULD ASK THE PARISH PRESIDENT COLLEAGUES TO PLEASE COME DOWN AND JOIN ME IN TAKING A PICTURE.

THIS IS FOR YOU ALL.

[00:10:39]

MANY OF YOU ALL MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW JACKIE.

SHE'S A TIRELESS WORKER.

SHE HAS BEEN THE FEARLESS LEADER OF THE JEREMIAH GROUP, WHICH IS A NONPARTISAN GROUP WHICH FOCUSES ON EDUCATING OUR KIDS, BUT ALSO HAVING VOTER REGISTRATIONS.

AND SHE'S BEEN A PART OF GROWING THE VOTER BASE FOR OUR KIDS IN SCHOOLS, AS WELL AS OUR ADULTS IN JEFFERSON PARISH FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS.

CORRECT. AND SO ON THIS SATURDAY, THIS SATURDAY, WE'RE DECLARING THIS SATURDAY ON THE 28TH AS VOTER REGISTRATION DAY IN JEFFERSON PARISH AND THEY WILL BE AT 50 LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE PARISH.

AND SO WE'RE SO PROUD OF THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO, BUT ALSO THE FACT THAT YOU ALL ARE NONPARTISAN IN WHAT YOU DO, AND IT GIVES EVERYBODY WHO HAS A NEED TO LEARN HOW TO VOTE TO VOTE.

THAT'S CORRECT. I'LL READ THIS PROCLAMATION JEFFERSON PARISH COUNCIL PROCLAMATION WHEREAS ON SEPTEMBER 28TH OF THIS YEAR, THE JEREMIAH GROUP AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS WILL HOST A NONPARTISAN VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE THROUGHOUT JEFFERSON PARISH.

WHEREAS THE VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE AIMS TO REGISTER NEW VOTERS, PROVIDE VOTING INFORMATION, AND SERVE AS OPPORTUNITY FOR VOTERS TO CHECK THEIR VOTING STATUS AND ENCOURAGE VOTER TURNOUT.

AND WHEREAS THE VOTER REGISTRATION DAY WILL KICK OFF AT SHILOH BAPTIST CHURCH AT 1419 FOURTH STREET IN WESTWEGO WITH LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL PUBLIC OFFICIALS, AS WELL AS CLERGY, SORORITY, FRATERNITY, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, AND 25 OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WHO WILL BE CONDUCTING REGISTRATION AT OVER 50 LOCATIONS IN JEFFERSON PARISH. WHEREAS VOTER REGISTRATION EVENTS AT LOCAL BUSINESSES WILL REACH BROADER AUDIENCES AND CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ELIGIBLE CITIZENS TO FULLY PARTICIPATE IN THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.

AND WHEREAS, VOTER REGISTRATION EVENTS SERVE AS EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, WHICH INFORMS PEOPLE OF VOTING, THE MECHANICS OF THE ELECTION PROCESS, AND THE IMPACT OF THEIR VOTE ON CRITICAL ISSUES.

AND WHEREAS, ADDITIONALLY, VOTER REGISTRATION EVENTS OFTEN FOSTER A SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY WHILE ENCOURAGING CITIZENS TO ENGAGE MORE SO IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND ADVOCATE FOR THE CHANGE THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR.

NOW, THEREFORE, JEFFERSON PARISH COUNCIL HEREBY DECLARES THAT SEPTEMBER 28TH OF 2024 AS PEOPLE POWER PARTY NON-VOTE [INAUDIBLE] NONPARTISAN VOTER REGISTRATION DAY IN JEFFERSON PARISH.

THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO.

THANK YOU [APPLAUSE]. ALRIGHT EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE REGISTERED, PLEASE VOTE.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

[00:18:44]

[MEETING CALLED TO ORDER]

THIS MEETING IS NOW CALLED TO ORDER.

COUNCIL MEMBER BONANO I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOUR GUESTS TO LEAD US IN OUR INVOCATION THIS MORNING.

YEAH. IT'S COMING. THERE WE GO.

THERE WE GO. I'M VERY HONORED TO HAVE BACK WITH US THIS MORNING SOMEONE I CALL THE COUNCIL'S MOM, WE ALL MISS HER GREATLY AND SHE WAS GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO COME IN AND ACCEPT MY OFFER TO LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE TODAY.

I'M SORRY, IN OUR OPENING PRAYER TODAY, AND I DON'T THINK SHE NEEDS ANY INTRODUCTION, BUT OUR LONG TIME PARISH CLERK, MISS EULA LOPEZ [APPLAUSE].

AND YOU CAN JUST LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE TODAY TOO MISS EULA WHILE YOU'RE HERE.

DEAR LORD, WE START THIS MEETING BY ASKING FOR YOUR ABUNDANT BLESSING.

WE KNOW THAT YOU LOVE TO BLESS YOUR CHILDREN, AND THAT JESUS CHRIST HAS SECURED ALL OF OUR BLESSINGS FOR US.

[00:20:02]

MAY OUR DECISIONS BE WISE, MAY OUR INTERACTIONS BE SWEET, MAY YOUR PRESENCE BE FELT IN OUR MIDST.

IN YOUR WORD YOU HAVE PROMISED THAT THE BLESSING OF THE LORD MAKES RICH, AND HE ADDS NO SORROW WITH IT.

WE ASK THAT YOU BLESS EACH PERSON PRESENT WITH YOUR GRACE, WISDOM AND FAVOR.

THANK YOU FOR BEING A GOD WHO IS ALWAYS GENEROUS AND LOVING.

THANK YOU FOR BLESSING US IN WAYS WE CANNOT EVEN IMAGINE.

IN JESUS NAME WE PRAY.

AMEN. AMEN.

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.

AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE HONOR.

THANK YOU, MISS EULA, YOU KNOW, WE MISS YOU EVERY DAY AROUND HERE.

THANK YOU FOR COMING BACK.

THANK YOU, MISS EULA. GOOD TO SEE YOU.

WELL, LISTEN, IF WE HAVE ANOTHER HURRICANE, I FORGOT TO TELL YOU TO BRING YOUR SUPPLIES THIS TIME.

BUT NEXT TIME YOU NEED TO COME BRING US YOUR SUPPLIES.

EVERYBODY'S MICS ARE ON. MADAM CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.

CHAIRMAN WALKER.

PRESENT. COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN.

PRESENT. COUNCILMAN EDWARDS.

HERE. COUNCILMAN BONANO.

HERE. COUNCILMAN LEE.

COUNCILWOMAN BOHANNAN.

HERE. COUNCILMAN LILJEBERG.

PARISH PRESIDENT MISS LEE SHENG.

HERE. AND I'VE COMPLETED THE ROLL.

MADAM CLERK, IF YOU NEED TO TAG OUT AT ANY POINT BECAUSE OF YOUR VOICE, WE'LL MAKE SURE TO STICK AROUND AND JUMP IN.

THANK YOU, MADAM CLERK.

MADAM PRESIDENT, THE FLOOR IS YOURS TO ADDRESS THE COUNCIL.

[PARISH PRESIDENT TO ADDRESS COUNCIL]

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.

COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'LL START, OBVIOUSLY, WITH HURRICANE FRANCINE.

OBVIOUSLY, EVERY HURRICANE IS DIFFERENT.

WE ALWAYS HOPE THAT WE GET THROUGH WITHOUT ANY MAJOR INJURIES OR LOSS OF LIFE, AND FOR THAT, WE'RE VERY, VERY THANKFUL.

HOWEVER, FRANCINE WAS A VERY HEAVY RAIN EVENT THAT CAUSED MAJOR STREET FLOODING ON THE EAST BANK, ESPECIALLY IN THE CITY OF KENNER, WHERE THE SYSTEM SAT FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, DUMPING A LOT OF RAIN.

SO FOR THE EAST BANK HOUR, WE HAD 7 TO 9IN OF RAIN, WITH SOME SPOTS GETTING AS HIGH AS 12.2IN, AND THE WEST BANK IN COMPARISON, WHICH IS WHY THEY FARED SO MUCH BETTER WE ONLY HAD 5 INCHES OF RAIN.

SO AS A REMINDER FOR OUR DRAINAGE SYSTEM, GENERALLY SPEAKING, WE CAN PUMP ONE INCH FOR THE FIRST HOUR AND A HALF INCH EVERY HOUR AFTER THAT.

SO WE LOST THAT BATTLE STRICTLY WITH THE AMOUNT OF RAINFALL THAT WE HAD WITH HURRICANE FRANCINE.

THAT IS THE REASON FOR THE WIDESPREAD FLOODING THAT WE SAW.

GOING INTO THE STORM AS WE SAID, WE ALWAYS GIVE THIS STATISTIC BEFOREHAND.

WE HAD 192 OUT OF 194 PUMPS ONLINE, AND BOTH OF THOSE PUMPS ACTUALLY HAD TEMPORARY PUMPS WORKING FOR THEM.

IF WE LOOK AT A POST-ASSESSMENT OF ALL SIX MAJOR EAST BANK PUMP STATIONS AND THE NEW ORLEANS AIRPORT PUMP STATION.

OUR DRAINAGE DEPARTMENT DETERMINED THAT WE PUMPED WITH NO ISSUES AT BONNEVILLE PUMP STATION, SUBURBAN PUMP STATION, AND THE HARAHAN PUMP TO THE RIVER STATION THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRETY OF THE STORM.

BREAKDOWNS OCCURRED AT THE TWO EASTBANK PUMP STATIONS, ELMWOOD AND DUNCAN, AND AT THE AIRPORT PUMP STATION, WHICH EXPERIENCED A REDUCTION IN CAPACITY DURING THE PEAK HOURS OF THE STORM AND IS NOT OPERATED BY JEFFERSON PARISH AT THE AIRPORT, PUMPS ARE OPERATED BY THE AVIATION BOARD PERSONNEL, AND THERE WAS ALSO A DISRUPTION IN ELECTRICAL SERVICE TO THE PARISH LINE PUMP STATION.

SO AFTER REVIEWING THE MECHANICAL ISSUES THAT OCCURRED DURING THE STORM, DRAINAGE IS CONFIDENT THAT EVEN AT FULL CAPACITY AND NO PUMP ISSUES, WE WOULD STILL HAVE SEEN APPROXIMATELY THE SAME CANAL ELEVATION LEVELS ACROSS THE EAST BANK OF JEFFERSON PARISH.

THIS IS EVIDENCED BY THE CANAL LEVEL RISE OF THE TWO MAJOR LAKEFRONT PUMP STATIONS, WHICH WERE BOTH AT 100% PUMPING CAPACITY THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE STORM EVENT, THE BONNEVILLE CANAL AND SUBURBAN CANAL PUMP STATIONS.

THE CANAL LEVEL RISE AT THESE TWO MAJOR PUMP STATIONS WAS ABOUT THE SAME, OR MORE THAN THE LAKEFRONT PUMP STATIONS TO THE WEST THAT HAD THE MECHANICAL ISSUES ELMWOOD CANAL AND DUNCAN CANAL.

AS OF TODAY, ALL REPAIRS HAVE BEEN MADE AND WE ARE BACK TO OUR ORIGINAL 192 OUT OF 194 PUMPS IN OPERATION.

WE ARE CERTAINLY WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF UPDATING THE DRAINAGE MASTER PLAN, WHICH WILL MODEL THE ENTIRE SYSTEM AND HELP US IDENTIFY PROBLEM AREAS TO ULTIMATELY DETERMINE THE BEST IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.

JUST A LITTLE BIT BACKGROUND, WE CURRENTLY HAVE $54 MILLION WORTH OF PROJECTS JUST ON THE EAST BANK, EITHER UNDER DESIGN OR UNDER CONSTRUCTION, THAT WERE NOT ONLINE DURING THE

[00:25:02]

JUST TO GIVE PEOPLE A LITTLE BIT OF AN OF OF A VIEW OF HOW LONG THESE PUMP PROJECTS TAKE, I WAS IN DISTRICT FIVE OVER TEN YEARS AGO WHEN WE WERE DISCUSSING THE FUNDING FOR THIS PUMP STATION.

SO YOU REALLY HAVE TO LOOK AT THESE PUBLIC WORKS AND OUR INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE ON THE LONG TERM.

SO NOW IT'S UNDER CONSTRUCTION, $18 MILLION AGAIN, I'M TALKING ABOUT VETERANS BOULEVARD AT THE 17TH STREET CANAL PUMP STATION THAT IS DESIGNED TO REMOVE 145 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND OF WATER FROM THE BONNEVILLE CANAL PUMP STATION INTO THE 17TH STREET CANAL, SO THAT WILL GIVE US SOME RELIEF ON THE BONNEVILLE CANAL.

SIMILAR PROJECT IS UNDER FINAL DESIGN AT WEST ESPLANADE AVENUE AND 17TH STREET CANAL, WHICH WILL REMOVE 180 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND FROM THE BASIN, AND THEN WOODLAKE ESTATES PUMP STATION IN NORTHWEST KENNER IS IN ITS FINAL DESIGN, WILL PUMP DIRECTLY INTO LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN.

IT'S GOING TO REMOVE 120 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND FROM THE DUNCAN CANAL PUMP STATION DRAINAGE BASIN.

AND THEN FINALLY, THE THE FINAL PROJECT THAT WE HAVE SLATED IN DESIGN OR UNDER CONSTRUCTION RIGHT NOW ON THE EAST BANK IS THE COVENTRY COURT PUMP STATION IN RIVER RIDGE, AND THAT PUMPS DIRECTLY THAT WILL PUMP DIRECTLY INTO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, AND THAT WOULD REMOVE 120 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND FROM THE HARAHAN PUMP TO THE RIVER PUMP STATION.

SO ALONG WITH THE CORPS OF ENGINEERS, WE'RE CURRENTLY STUDYING THE FEASIBILITY OF A SECOND MAJOR EAST BANK PUMP TO THE RIVER PROJECT, THE PROPOSED PROJECT HOSE PUMP TO THE RIVER WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT FOR AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN IN OFFICE, WILL DIVERT STORMWATER AWAY FROM THE NEW ORLEANS SEWERAGE AND WATER BOARD DRAINAGE PUMP STATION SIX AND GO DIRECTLY INTO THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER PUMP STATION SIX, WHICH HAS BEEN OVERWHELMED ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS, OBVIOUSLY DRAINS OLD JEFFERSON AND OLD METAIRIE.

I'LL MOVE ON TO THE DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS WITH HURRICANE FRANCINE.

TO DATE, OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT IS REPORTING APPROXIMATELY 750 HOMES WITH MAJOR OR MINOR DAMAGE.

HOWEVER, WE'RE STILL WORKING TO COMPLETE DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS AND VERIFY THIS DATA.

THIS NUMBER INCLUDES REPORTS FROM OUR VARIOUS MUNICIPALITIES, WITH KENNER REPORTING THE MOST DAMAGE AT 515 HOMES.

THIS NUMBER ALSO INCLUDES DAMAGE REPORTED DIRECTLY TO OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT, AS WELL AS DAMAGE AND WIND CHILL ASSESSMENTS CONDUCTED BY OUR EAST BANK CONSOLIDATED FIRE DEPARTMENT AND FIRE SERVICES IN UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF BOTH THE WEST BANK AND THE EAST BANK OF JEFFERSON PARISH.

AS OF THIS MORNING, GÖZTEPE IS REPORTING NEARLY 500 TOTAL INDIVIDUAL IA ASSESSMENTS, WHICH REFLECT THE RESIDENTS WHO REPORTED DAMAGES DIRECTLY TO DAMAGELA.GOV.

RESIDENTS WHO HAVE NOT ALREADY SELF-REPORTED DAMAGE TO THEIR HOMES ARE ENCOURAGED TO DO SO BY VISITING THIS WEBSITE AND UPLOADING PHOTOS, WHICH WILL HELP PARISH, STATE AND FEDERAL AUTHORITIES BETTER UNDERSTAND ALL THE IMPACTS.

ALSO, THE FEMA DISASTER SURVIVOR ASSISTANCE CREWS ARE IN JEFFERSON PARISH STARTING TODAY.

THEY'RE GOING TO BE GOING DOOR TO DOOR.

THEY'RE GOING TO OBVIOUSLY START IN THE MOST HARD HIT AREAS, AND YOU WILL SEE THEM WALKING THEY'LL BE OUT THERE FROM 9 TO 5.

OTHER AVAILABLE ASSISTANCE HOMEOWNERS, RENTERS AND BUSINESSES IN JEFFERSON PARISH ARE NOW ELIGIBLE, ELIGIBLE FOR FEMA INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE.

WE REFER TO THAT AS IA AND SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION DISASTER LOANS TO HELP THEM RECOVER FROM HURRICANE FRANCINE.

ASSISTANCE CAN HELP WITH SERIOUS NEEDS, DISPLACEMENT, TEMPORARY LODGING, BASIC HOME REPAIR COSTS, PERSONAL PROPERTY LOSS, OR OTHER DISASTER COST NEEDS.

ALSO, LOW INTEREST DISASTER LOANS FROM THE SBA ARE AVAILABLE FOR BUSINESSES OF ALL SIZES, INCLUDING LANDLORDS, PRIVATE NONPROFITS, HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS.

HOMEOWNERS AND RENTERS IN JEFFERSON PARISH CAN APPLY FOR FEMA INDIVIDUAL ASSISTANCE IN SEVERAL WAYS.

ONLINE IT'S THE WEBSITE IS DISASTERASSISTANCE.GOV AGAIN, DISASTERASSISTANCE.GOV.

OR YOU CAN DOWNLOAD THE FEMA APP FOR MOBILE DEVICES.

OR YOU CAN CALL THE FEMA HELPLINE AT (800) 621-3362.

AND THEN THE SBA ASSISTANCE IS SBA.GOV OR THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE IS (800) 659-2955 OR EMAIL DISASTER CUSTOMER SERVICE AT SBA.GOV.

WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH STATE AND FEDERAL OFFICIALS TO ESTABLISH DISASTER SUPPLEMENTAL NUTRITION ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

DSNAP ASSISTANCE AND A DISASTER RECOVERY CENTER WE'LL UPDATE OUR WEBSITE WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AS SOON AS WE HAVE THAT.

I DON'T THINK PEOPLE REALIZE HOW MANY EMPLOYEES IN OUR DEPARTMENTS WORKED THE STORM.

I WANT TO THANK THEM.

IT REALLY IS A LOT OF CREWS WERE HERE READY TO WORK AND HUNKER DOWN WITH US.

SO OUR PUBLIC WORKS CREWS WHO PREPARED BEFORE WORK DURING AND AFTER AND RESPONDED, THE STORM WATER, DRAINAGE, SEWERAGE, PARKWAY, STREETS, ENGINEERING, CAPITAL PROJECTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL, OUR RECREATION EMPLOYEES, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'M REALLY PROUD ABOUT.

WE'RE ABLE TO DO SHELTERING WITH OUR RECREATION EMPLOYEES.

THEY PIVOT DURING THESE TIMES TO SHELTER RESIDENTS IN BOTH THE TARRYTOWN AND BRIGHT PLAYGROUNDS.

THEY REALLY DO A GOOD JOB AT IT.

I VISITED THE SITE MANY TIMES AS WELL AS OUR CAA, SARAH BABCOCK OVER PUBLIC HEALTH AND HER TEAM TO HELP PLAN, TRAIN AND COORDINATE THESE EFFORTS.

[00:30:05]

YOU'RE SHORTLY GOING TO SEE WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO KIND OF GO INTO A DEEP DIVE OF WHAT THEY DO DURING THE HURRICANE, SO BE LOOKING OUT FOR THAT.

OUR EAST BANK CONSOLIDATED FIRE DEPARTMENT AND WEST BANK FIRE SERVICES AND ALL THE OTHER FIRST RESPONDERS WHO WORKED TO PREPARE, RESPOND AND ASSIST OUR RESIDENTS.

OBVIOUSLY, OUR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT TEAM LED BY JOE VALIANT, WHO WORKED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR TO TRAIN, PREPARE AND MONITOR STORMS SO THAT OUR EMPLOYEES ARE READY TO RESPOND WHENEVER A CRISIS HITS.

AND THEN SO MANY OTHER DEPARTMENTS, AS I SAID, THAT YOU WOULD NOT REALLY THINK THAT WERE REALLY ACTIVATED DURING THIS STORM, BUT THEY CERTAINLY WERE WORKING THE ENTIRE TIME OUT IN THE FIELD OR AT OUR EOC.

FINANCE, PUBLIC SAFETY GRANTS AND ADMINISTRATION THAT PUT US BACK TOGETHER AGAIN FINANCIALLY, PURCHASING THE PIO OFFICE, OUR CROSS-CULTURAL COORDINATOR, CONDUCTS MEETINGS IN SPANISH THROUGHOUT THE EVENT.

PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, JUVENILE SERVICES, OUR ELECTRONIC INFORMATION SYSTEM, OUR LIBRARY TEAM JEFF CAPP, TRANSIT, ALARIO CENTER, FLEET MANAGEMENT, GENERAL SERVICES, BUILDINGS, PERMITS, FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT AND HAZARD MITIGATION AND SAFETY AND SECURITY ALL WERE ACTIVATED DURING THE STORM TO HELP US.

OKAY, NOW I'LL MOVE ON MOVE ON FROM HURRICANE FRANCINE TO JEFF CAPP, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE TWO OF OUR JEFF CAPPS STAFF MEMBERS WHO WERE CHOSEN TO PRESENT THIS WEEK AT THIS CAPITAL, OUR OUR COUNTRY'S CAPITAL IN WASHINGTON, DC.

THAT'S JULIE BARTHOLOMEW AND GLORIA MCKENZIE.

THEY'RE GOING TO PRESENT WITH SENATOR BILL CASSIDY AND OUR STATE REP, TROY CARTER, ABOUT THE HEAD START PROGRAM HERE IN JEFFERSON PARISH.

SO WE WERE CHOSEN BECAUSE WE RUN SUCH A GREAT HEAD START PROGRAM.

SO WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF THEM.

IT'S A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO PROMOTE THE FREE, EARLY CHILD CARE SERVICES WE PROVIDE TO OUR YOUNGEST RESIDENTS IN JEFFERSON PARISH.

SO CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM.

GREAT NEWS, JEFFERSON PARISH TRANSIT, OUR KENNER LOOP.

WE WERE ABLE TO GET THIS BACK INTO OUR SYSTEM AFTER PROBABLY SINCE THE 1980S, THE RTA 201 KENNER LOOP.

WE WANT TO WELCOME THEM BACK.

WELCOME THEM BACK HOME TO JEFFERSON PARISH TRANSIT, THAT HAPPENED THIS PAST SUNDAY.

RIDERS WILL NOTICE NEW BUSSES AND BUS STOP SIGNAGE.

SO BEFORE THE ROUTE DID NOT HAVE ANY SIGNS.

I DON'T KNOW HOW PEOPLE KNEW WHERE TO WAIT FOR A BUS.

WE WERE ABLE, THANKS TO OUR PUBLIC WORKS AND OUR TRAFFIC ENGINEERING AND OUR ENGINEERING FOLKS, TO GET ALL OF THOSE SIGNS UP IN TIME.

I KNOW IT WAS A RACE.

SERVICE WAS NOT INTERRUPTED.

THE ROUTE AND SCHEDULE WILL REMAIN THE SAME WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ALREADY AN ADDITIONAL BUS STOP.

SO WE'VE ALREADY MADE IMPROVEMENTS TO THIS ROUTE, WHICH I PROMISED WE WOULD.

THE NEW JEFFERSON PARISH TRANSIT 201 KENNER LOOP WILL DETOUR FROM THE TREASURE CHEST CASINO TO THE SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE LOCATED AT 1616 JOE YENNI BOULEVARD.

THE NEW STOP WAS ADDED BASED ON COMMUNITY INPUT.

IT WILL MAKE PUBLIC TRANSIT MORE ACCESSIBLE TO RESIDENTS IN THAT AREA, ESPECIALLY OUR SENIOR POPULATION ACCESSING THE SENIOR CENTER AND SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE.

AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I WANTED TO TAKE BACK THIS BACK INTO OUR FOLD IS BECAUSE IT'S VERY EASY TO MAKE CHANGES.

WORKING WITH COUNCILWOMAN ARITA BOHANNAN, WHO REPRESENTS DISTRICT FOUR, OUR KENNER MAYOR, OUR KENNER COUNCIL, IT'S ALL OPERATIONAL, WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT A VOTE, WE CAN JUST MAKE THE CHANGES VERY SEAMLESSLY.

SO A LITTLE LESS BUREAUCRACY THERE.

THE KENNER LOOP PROVIDES SERVICE FROM KENNER RIVERTOWN TO THE TREASURE CHEST CASINO, ESPLANADE SHOPPING CENTER, OCHSNER HOSPITAL IN KENNER, THE WALMART SUPERCENTER, AND THE LOUIS ARMSTRONG NEW ORLEANS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

AND TO MAKE IT EVEN MORE A SEAMLESS TRANSITION, WE WERE PILOTING A PROGRAM TO LOWER THE BASE FARE FOR ALL RIDERS ACROSS JEFFERSON PARISH, AND OUR INTENTION IS TO CONTINUE TO HONOR THAT FARE RATE REDUCTION MOVING FORWARD.

THAT NEW BASE FARE FOR JEFFERSON PARISH IS $1.25 INSTEAD OF $1.50, AND THE 31 DAY PASS FOR AN ADULT RIDER IS $45 INSTEAD OF $60.

JP TRANSIT WILL ALSO HONOR RTA PASSES THAT WERE BOUGHT FOR THE KENNER LOOP THROUGH THE MONTH OF OCTOBER.

IF YOU WANT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR JEFFERSON TRANSIT BUS SCHEDULES, ROUTES, ALERTS, AND FARES JPTRANSIT.ORG OR CALL THE RIDE LINE AT (504)-248-3900. A BIG SHOUT OUT TO NINETTE BARRIOS, OUR TRANSIT DIRECTOR, FOR MAKING ALL OF THIS HAPPEN.

SHE AND HER TEAM HAVE BEEN WORKING REALLY A LONG TIME TO GET THIS UNDERWAY, AS WELL AS THE TRANSIT FOLKS, SO THANK THEM FOR THAT.

OUR LIBRARY IS ALWAYS BUSY PRESENTING NEW EVENTS AND PROGRAMS. TAYLOR SWIFT FANS, IN PREPARATION FOR THE CONCERT, ARE INVITED TO A LISTENING PARTY AND CRAFTING SESSION OF FRIENDSHIP BRACELETS ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 28TH, FROM 1 TO 4 AT THE EAST BANK REGIONAL LIBRARY.

A CAST IRON COOKOFF LED BY THE WEGO COOKERS WILL BE HELD OUTDOORS AT THE BELLE TERRE LIBRARY ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5TH FROM 10 TO NOON.

WE'RE GOING TO HOST A 50TH BIRTHDAY PARTY FOR TARRYTOWN LIBRARY ON OCTOBER 12TH, THAT'S A SATURDAY FROM 1 TO 4 WITH REFRESHMENTS, MUSIC CRAFT CENTER FOR KIDS AND

[00:35:03]

THE LIBRARY WILL DEBUT A NEW COMMUNITY GARDEN WITH A GARDEN TALK PRESENTED BY THE LSU AGCENTER AT 2 P.M..

THEN WE HAVE A HOMESCHOOL HOUR AT WEST BANK REGIONAL LIBRARY THAT HOSTS EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES FOCUSED ON SCIENCE FOR CHILDREN'S AGES 5 TO 11 EVERY FRIDAY FROM 11 TO 2. EAST BANK AND WEST BANK REGIONAL LIBRARIES WILL NOW HOST A BOOK A LIBRARIAN SESSION, WHERE PATRONS MAY RESERVE ONE ON ONE ASSISTANCE WITH RESEARCHING, UNDERSTANDING DIGITAL SERVICES, FILLING OUT FORMS AND USING THE INTERNET SO YOU GET 100% ATTENTION WITH THE BOOK A LIBRARIAN SESSION.

AND THEN PLANS ARE UNDERWAY TO CELEBRATE THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE JEFFERSON PARISH LIBRARY, WHICH COMES RIGHT AS WE CELEBRATE OUR 200TH BIRTHDAY NEXT YEAR. SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A GATHERING ON SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9TH IN ANTICIPATION OF THIS MILESTONE THE LIBRARY TEAM IS PLANNING A LOT OF FUN, LAUNCHED A 75 DAY LIST OF 75 WAYS THE LIBRARY SYSTEM IMPROVES THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR JEFFERSON PARISH.

SO I KNOW IT WAS A LONG TALKING POINTS.

I HAD AN UPDATE ON THE ON THE HURRICANE OBVIOUSLY OUR HEARTS ARE WITH THE OUR FLORIDA FOR FOR TAKING THE NEXT ONE CERTAINLY.

AND I WILL END WITH DANNY FARRAR IS OUR BUILDING PERMITS DIRECTOR A HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DANNY WHO'S SITTING HERE ON HIS BIRTHDAY SO THAT [APPLAUSE].

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT.

COUNCILWOMAN BOHANNAN. JUST A COUPLE QUICK THINGS MADAM PRESIDENT, I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU THAT I AM SO EXTREMELY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WAS DONE ON THE KENNER LOOP.

AND A HUGE THANK YOU TO NINETTE BARRIOS AND ALSO VALERIE WAGUESPACK WITH KENNER WHO WORKED REALLY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS HAPPENED.

AND, YOU KNOW, THE BROCHURES WERE WELL THOUGHT OUT.

THEY'RE EASY TO TO UNDERSTAND.

AND THEY WERE MULTILINGUAL.

THEY WERE IN SPANISH, YOU KNOW, IN KENNER.

WE HAVE A VERY LARGE LATINO COMMUNITY.

SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK AND THE NEW SIGNS IN THE MIDDLE OF A HURRICANE THAT STILL MANAGED TO GET UP, AND THAT THE ADDED STOP AT THE SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICE THAT WE HAVE ASKED THE RTA TO DO FOR LITERALLY YEARS.

YOU GUYS MADE IT HAPPEN IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS [INAUDIBLE] BEFORE YOU EVEN STARTED THE ROUTE, IT WAS ADDED.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HARD WORK ON THAT.

AND I WANTED TO TO SAY A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO YOUR STAFF.

MARK DREWES IS OUR DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, AND BEN LAPIN, THE DIRECTOR OF DRAINAGE.

SO, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T MISS THEM BEING ON THE NEWS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY RUN THESE HUGE PUMPS AND THERE'S NO ONE MORE DISAPPOINTED IN THE PARISH WHEN SOMETHING DOESN'T WORK EXACTLY LIKE THEY PLANNED THAN THOSE TWO GUYS, THEY ARE DEDICATED HARD WORKERS.

BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW, AND YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW, BUT THEY HAVE ATTENDED CIVIC ASSOCIATION MEETINGS WITH ME.

THEY'VE GONE TO THE AIRPORT MEETINGS WITH ME.

THEY HAVE GONE TO OUR COUNCIL MEETINGS.

THEY ARE RELENTLESS IN THEIR PURSUIT OF HELPING PEOPLE UNDERSTAND, AND THEY HAVE TAKEN BULLETS AND THEY WILL STAY AFTER LONG HOURS IN THE WEE HOURS AND BYRON CAN TELL YOU WE WERE AT A MORE HEATED MEETING AND AND THOSE TWO GUYS JUST EXPLAINED AND EXPLAINED UNTIL EVERYONE HAD EVERY QUESTION ANSWERED.

SO I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT ABOUT THEM.

THEY'RE GREAT GUYS. THEY DID A GREAT JOB.

AND, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE HOMES WERE IN KENNER, 550 OUT OF THE 7 WHAT DID WE SAY? 515 OF THE 750 WERE IN KENNER.

AND AND THEY WENT WITH ME EVERY, EVERY TIME I ASKED.

SO I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THEY DID A GREAT JOB ON BEHALF OF THE ADMINISTRATION AND ON BEHALF OF THIS PARISH.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.

WELL, THANK YOU [APPLAUSE].

AND I WANT TO THANK KENNER ALL OF YOU, ALL THE MAYOR TO YOU, THERE WAS NO BLAME PLACED YOU JUST WORKED WITH THIS.

AND I KNOW YOU ALL TAKE THE BRUNT WHEN YOU'RE WALKING THE STREETS, AS I DID SEEING PEOPLE'S HOMES FLOOD.

AND IT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU GOT THAT MUCH WATER IN YOUR HOME, YOU HAVE TO TAKE UP EVERYTHING.

SO I APPRECIATE IN THIS POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT, I APPRECIATE THAT YOU ALL NEVER PLACE BLAME ON US.

AND THIS THIS SYSTEM WAS JUST COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED AND AND OUR PEOPLE WORKED VERY HARD.

THEY TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN THEIR WORK.

SOMETIMES MOTHER NATURE JUST BEATS US TO SOME EXTENT.

AND THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED ON THIS ONE.

SO I PERSONALLY APPRECIATE JUST HOW YOU ALL HAVE HANDLED THINGS, FROM THE MAYOR TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS IN KENNER TO EVERYONE.

SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S TOUGH TIMES.

SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU AS WELL.

THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN.

I JUST WANT TO ALSO THANK YOU BECAUSE I HAD SOME AMAZING FEEDBACK FROM RESIDENTS ALONG THE WAY OVER THE COURSE OF THE STORM, I WENT TO THE TARRYTOWN SHELTER, AND THERE WAS ONE LADY WHO WAS EFFUSIVE ABOUT JUST HOW SHE WAS TREATED, THE EFFORT THAT WAS MADE.

I KNOW STEVE [INAUDIBLE] WAS AT THE AT AT THAT TARRYTOWN SHELTER AT THE TIME I WAS THERE.

HE SHOWED ME THE NEW SHOWER FACILITIES THAT WE INVESTED IN.

SO ALSO STORM OVER STORM, WE LEARN A LESSON, YOU KNOW, GROW AND IMPROVE FROM IT.

SO REALLY KUDOS TO ALL OF THE PARISH EMPLOYEES TOP DOWN WHO JUST REALLY I CAN'T IMAGINE A BETTER RESPONSE AS A WHOLE.

SO VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.

[00:40:01]

POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE FOR COUNCILMAN LEE.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. IT'S BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT ENTERGY, AS A PART OF THEIR RESILIENCE PROGRAM, WILL BEGIN TO REPLACE POLES AS WELL AS FORTIFY THEIR CURRENT GRIDS AND ALL HERE IN JEFFERSON PARISH.

THE TARGETED AREAS ARE GRETNA, WESTWEGO, AVONDALE AND WAGGAMAN.

MY MESSAGE TODAY IS, IS THAT I EXPECT FOR ENTERGY TO DO HERE IN JEFFERSON PARISH WHAT THEY HAVE TRADITIONALLY DONE, AND THAT IS HAVE A FOCUS CUSTOMER SERVICE GROUP IN PLACE WHO WILL BE ABLE WHEREAS IF WHEN CUSTOMERS WHO HAVE PROBLEMS, ANY QUESTIONS WITH THEY'LL BE THEY'LL HAVE THE CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE, WHEREAS PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO CALL AND FIND OUT.

THE REALITY IS, IS THAT THAT IF WE DO NOT HAVE ANYBODY IN PLACE, AS THEY TRADITIONALLY DO, IT MEANS THAT BUSINESSES POWERS CAN BE CUT OFF WITH NO WITHOUT ANY NOTIFICATION AS WELL AS RESIDENTS THROUGHOUT THESE TARGETED AREAS.

ALSO WHAT THEY HAVE TRADITIONALLY DONE ALSO IS HAVE MEN ON THE GROUND, WOMEN ON THE GROUND, WHO ARE GOING DOOR TO DOOR TO NOTIFY RESIDENTS OF THESE TYPE OF OCCURRENCES THAT THE POWER MAY GO OUT AS A RESULT OF THIS NEW CONSTRUCTION.

THE IMPACT WILL BE VERY SEVERE.

IF YOU HAVE PEOPLE AT HOME WHO ARE SICK WHO HAVE NO POWER.

IT'S ALSO SEVERE IF YOU HAVE BUSINESSES THAT ARE OPERATING AND THEY ARE NOT NOTIFIED ABOUT THE POWER GOING OFF.

SO AGAIN, CUSTOMER SERVICE UNIT IS REQUIRED, IN MY OPINION, BECAUSE THEY'VE DONE IT BEFORE AND I EXPECT THEM TO DO IT AGAIN HERE IN JEFFERSON PARISH.

IT'S VERY IT'S VITAL BECAUSE BOTTOM LINE IS, IS THAT FOR OUR BUSINESSES, IF THEY'RE NOT NOTIFIED, THEY'RE LOSING MONEY.

SO WE HAVE TO PROTECT OUR CITIZENS AS WELL AS AS OUR BUSINESSES AND, AND HAVE ENTERGY DO IN JEFFERSON PARISH WHAT THEY'VE DONE IN OTHER PLACES.

AND SO AS I MENTIONED SO I'LL REPEAT THIS AGAIN THE CITY OF GRETNA, WESTWEGO, AVONDALE AND WAGGAMAN IS GOING TO BE SEVERELY IMPACTED IF THEY DO NOT DO THAT.

AND SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ADMINISTRATION WAS AWARE OF THAT AS WELL AS EVERYONE ELSE, AS WELL AS IN THE RESPECTIVE MUNICIPALITIES, TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE THE PEOPLE ON THE GROUND AND THEY HAVE THE SPECIAL UNITS THAT WILL BE ABLE TO NOTIFY CUSTOMERS OR VICE VERSA, NO CUSTOMERS NOTIFYING THEM TO LET THEM KNOW WHAT THEIR PROBLEMS ARE. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN LEE.

A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE FOR COUNCILMAN EDWARDS.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.

FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO ADD MY THANKS TO EVERYONE ELSE'S FOR PRESIDENT LEE SHENG, YOU KNOW, TO KNOW THAT SHE'S IN CHARGE WHEN WE ARE FACING A POSSIBLE DISASTER MAKES YOU FEEL A LOT MORE COMFORTABLE THAN WE WOULD WOULD WITHOUT HER.

AND I JUST WANT TO SAY TO HER, YOUR FATHER WOULD BE VERY, VERY PROUD OF YOU.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

EARLIER THIS WEEK, WE HAD CIRCULATED AN ARTICLE IT'S ENTITLED PRESS RELEASE, AND LATER ON IT'S IT'S CALLED A PUBLIC LETTER.

AND I SAW THIS REFERRED TO ON A TELEVISION NEWS PROGRAM THIS MORNING, AND I, AND I REALIZED THAT WE REALLY NEED TO MAKE A STATEMENT ABOUT THIS AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE.

YESTERDAY, I HAD THE OCCASION TO GO DOWN AND MEET WITH OUR PARISH ATTORNEY.

SHE WAS VERY KIND TO GO OVER THE ENTIRE PROJECT WITH ME AS I HAD GONE OVER IT, AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT FROM MY REVIEW OF IT, I DID NOT SEE ONE THING THAT IS HAPPENING WITH THIS THAT COULD BE REMOTELY REFERRED TO AS ILLEGAL, ALTHOUGH IT WAS REFERRED TO THAT WAY IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS THROUGH THIS PRESS RELEASE OR ARTICLE.

WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS NOW FOR A LITTLE OVER A YEAR, AND OUR PARISH ATTORNEY HAS KINDLY AGREED TO TALK ABOUT THAT PROJECT THIS MORNING HERE WITH ME.

AND WHAT I DID YESTERDAY WHEN I MET WITH HER WAS GO OVER THIS ENTIRE PRESS RELEASE ARTICLE PARAGRAPH BY PARAGRAPH, AND LET HER TELL ME IF SHE SAW ANYTHING IN THE IN THIS ARTICLE THAT COULD BE REMOTELY TERMED ILLEGAL.

AND I'M GOING TO READ THE FIRST PART OF IT.

AND THEN I'M GOING TO ASK OUR PARISH ATTORNEY MISS HURLEY, TO, TO START AND DO LIKE SHE DID YESTERDAY AND GO THROUGH THE DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE ARTICLE AND TELL ME IF SHE SEES ANYTHING THAT'S ILLEGAL.

THIS SAYS PARISH POISED TO SPEND $26.3 MILLION ON PUBLIC BUILDINGS WITHOUT FOLLOWING PUBLIC BID LAWS, WITH POSSIBILITY OF SPENDING ANOTHER $12 MILLION,

[00:45:10]

THAT'S JUST THE START OF THIS MISS HURLEY, BUT DO YOU SEE ANYTHING IN THAT FIRST PART OF THAT ARTICLE THAT THAT YOU WOULD SAY IS IS IS ILLEGAL OR IS THERE OR IS THE REFERENCES TO, TO WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THAT COMPLETELY ACCURATE TO BEGIN WITH. MISS HURLEY, PLEASE REFERENCE WHAT PROJECTS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE I THINK COUNCILMAN EDWARDS JUST WENT INTO IT JUST SO EVERYBODY IS CLEAR.

SO WE'RE REFERENCING THE BUILDING OF THE LEASABLE SPACE? ARE WE REFERENCING THE BUILDING OF THE GARAGE AT THE GGP? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BUILDING OF THE GARAGE AND THE BREWERY ALSO.

THE GARAGE IS GOING TO BE RIGHT HERE ON DURBY STREET, RIGHT ACROSS FROM THE GOVERNMENT OFFICE BUILDING, AND THE BREWERY AND RESTAURANT OR WHATEVER ELSE IS GOING INTO THAT FACILITY WILL BE ON FIRST STREET IN GRETNA.

IT'S IN THAT SAME BLOCK, BUT IT WILL FACE IT WILL FACE GRETNA HULONG STREET.

WELL, THE THE ENTIRETY OF THE PROJECT GOES BACK TO 2001, AND I WILL BE HAPPY TO SPEAK ON THE CREATION OF THE PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION, THE CREATION AND THE APPROVAL OF THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

WHY DON'T YOU START THERE AND EXPLAIN TO US WHAT EXACTLY THE THE PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATIONS AND THE WHAT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THERE.

SO A PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION IS A NONPROFIT PUBLIC CORPORATION.

IT WAS CREATED BY THE PARISH COUNCIL IN 2001.

IT'S AN INSTRUMENTALITY OF THE PUBLIC ENTITY THAT CREATED IT.

AND AS SUCH, IT'S SUBJECT TO OPEN MEETINGS LAW.

IT IS SUBJECT TO PUBLIC RECORDS LAW, AND IT IS SUBJECT TO PUBLIC BID LAW.

HOWEVER, THE LOUISIANA LEGISLATURE HAS CARVED OUT A PROVISION WHEREIN A PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION IS ALLOWED TO NEGOTIATE LEASES AND SUBLEASES. SO DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT A PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION? IT WAS CREATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LOUISIANA REVISED STATUTES.

ALL RIGHT. AND JRI WAS CREATED BY THE PARISH COUNCIL IN 2008.

SO JFI IS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

THE LOUISIANA LEGISLATURE DETERMINED MANY YEARS AGO THAT THE PRIVATE SECTOR IS INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS OF LOUISIANA.

ARE THESE CORPORATIONS COMMONLY USED OR IS THIS A RARITY? NO. THEY'RE VERY COMMONLY USED THROUGHOUT NOT ONLY THE STATE OF LOUISIANA BUT THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES.

IT'S A VERY IT'S A WAY TO INCREASE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.

SO IN 2000, AT THE SAME TIME, THE PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION WAS CREATED THE JFI, WHICH IS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, WAS APPROVED BY THE PARISH COUNCIL.

AND IT IS ALSO A NONPROFIT CORPORATION THAT WAS CREATED PURSUANT TO THE LOUISIANA REVISED STATUTES.

AND ITS SOLE PURPOSE IS TO STIMULATE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY, TO CREATE JOBS AND TO CREATE GROWTH IN A GEOGRAPHIC AREA.

IT IS STRICTLY PRIVATE IN NATURE.

IT'S A PRIVATE NONPROFIT CORPORATION, SO IT IS NOT SUBJECT TO PUBLIC BID LAW, PUBLIC LEASE LAW, IT IS NOT SUBJECT TO THE PUBLIC RECORDS ACT AND OR OPEN MEETINGS.

HOWEVER, IT IS ALLOWED UNDER THE LOUISIANA REVISED STATUTES FOR AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO ENTER INTO A COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT WITH A PUBLIC ENTITY.

SO IF AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION DOES ENTER INTO SUCH A COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT WHEN THEY RECEIVE FUNDS AND WHEN THEY SPEND ANY MONEY THAT IS GIVEN TO THEM BY A PUBLIC ENTITY, THEY ARE SUBJECT TO PUBLIC RECORDS LAW AND OPEN MEETINGS LAW.

SO IN THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE, THERE WAS NOTHING THAT WAS DONE THAT WAS ILLEGAL OR NOT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LOUISIANA REVISED STATUTES.

ARE YOU AWARE OF OF THIS BEING USED TO CREATE OTHER BUSINESSES AROUND IN LOUISIANA? IS THIS COMMONLY DONE? YES, IT'S DONE OFTEN.

IT'S A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP THAT IS ENCOURAGED BY THE LOUISIANA LEGISLATURE.

IT'S BEEN DONE IN BATON ROUGE.

IT'S DONE IN MANY AREAS, AND IT'S RECOGNIZED AS AN EFFECTIVE MEANS AND METHOD OF ENCOURAGING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND JOB CREATION.

NOW, HAVE YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW, REVIEW THIS LETTER OR PRESS RELEASE HOWEVER YOU WANTED TO LOOK AT THIS.

[00:50:09]

DID YOU SEE ANYTHING THAT WAS REFERRED TO IN THERE THAT YOU WOULD IN ANY WAY FEEL WAS ILLEGAL? NO WE HAVEN'T. NOTHING ILLEGAL HAS BEEN DONE.

EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN DONE HAS BEEN CONSISTENT AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LOUISIANA REVISED STATUTES.

OKAY. GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF A RUNDOWN ON WHAT HAS BEEN DONE SO FAR.

I CAN START FROM THE BEGINNING.

IN 2000, WHEN THE PARISH LEASED TO THE PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION FOUR TRACTS OF LAND.

THE FIRST TRACT WAS THE PARKING GARAGE AT THE GGP, AND THAT WE LEASED IT TO THE PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION, WHO THEN SUBLEASED THESE TRACTS OF LAND TO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION.

ONE TRACT OF LAND WAS THE GARAGE.

THE SECOND TRACT OF LAND WAS THE EOC, THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER.

THERE WAS ANOTHER TRACT WHICH IS NOT RELEVANT OR GERMANE TO THE DISCUSSIONS, THE HIBERNIA TRACT.

AND THEN THERE'S TRACT FOUR, WHICH I BELIEVE IS WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY, WHICH IS WHERE THE LEASABLE SPACE, COMMERCIAL LEASABLE SPACE WILL GO.

SO PART OF THIS HAS BEEN LEASED TO AND HAS BEEN USED FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW? YES. OKAY.

DID YOU FIND THAT THERE WAS ANY ATTEMPT USING THIS METHOD TO CONCEAL OWNERSHIP OF ANY OF THIS PARTY? NO. EVERY EVERYTHING.

ALL OF THE MEETINGS WERE CONDUCTED VIA OPEN MEETINGS LAW.

EVERYTHING, EVERY LEASE AND EVERY SUBLEASE WAS APPROVED BY THE PARISH COUNCIL, AS IS REQUIRED BY THE STATUTE.

OKAY. ANOTHER STATEMENT IN THIS PRESS RELEASE SAYS, OVER THE PAST 23 YEARS, THE PARISH HAS PAID $11.8 MILLION IN DEBT ON BEHALF OF JFI RELATED TO JFI CONSTRUCTION OF THE PUBLIC GARAGE IN DOWNTOWN GRETNA.

THE PARISH WILL LIKELY PAY ANOTHER $4.4 MILLION ON BEHALF OF JFI, FOR A TOTAL OF $16.2 MILLION.

NOW, YOU KNOW, I DON'T FIND THOSE FIGURES TO BE ENTIRELY ACCURATE, BUT IS THERE ANYTHING ILLEGAL ABOUT ANY OF THAT? IT WAS A IT WAS A BOND UNDERWRITING.

AND SO AS THE GARAGE IS BEING PAID OFF, THE DEBT IS BEING PAID OFF.

OKAY. IT WAS DONE PURSUANT TO THE PUBLIC ENTITY FACILITIES FINANCING ACT.

OKAY. THE FINANCING WAS DONE PURSUANT TO THE LOUISIANA REVISED STATUTES.

NOW, THIS PROJECT ALSO INCLUDES A THREE STORY PARKING GARAGE HERE ON DURBY STREET.

AND DO YOU FEEL THAT THAT THAT THEY HAVE THEIR REPRESENTATIONS WOULD INDICATE THAT THAT IS BADLY NEEDED.

THE PARKING GARAGE ATTACHED TO THIS GOVERNMENT BUILDING.

IT HAS CERTAINLY SERVED A PUBLIC PURPOSE.

I BELIEVE 200 OF THE SPOTS ARE USED EVERY DAY BY THE SHERIFF'S EMPLOYEES, THE GOVERNMENT, PARISH EMPLOYEES, THE CLERK, THE COURT EMPLOYEES.

YES. AND ANYONE THAT'S SUMMONED TO BE A JURY MEMBER IS ALSO ABLE TO BE THERE.

THAT'S TRUE AS WELL.

AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS AN OBLIGATION OF THE PARISH.

IS THAT CORRECT? WE PROVIDE PARKING FOR JURORS.

CERTAINLY SERVES A PUBLIC PURPOSE.

MY FINAL QUESTION.

DO YOU HAVE A LIST OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE INTERVIEWED WHEN THIS INVESTIGATION WAS GOING ON? OH, I WAS NOT CONTACTED.

I AM NOT AWARE OF ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE.

ARE YOU AWARE OF ANYONE ELSE THAT WAS CONTACTED? I HAVE NO NO KNOWLEDGE OF THAT.

OKAY. ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF MISS HURLEY? I GUESS I DO.

[INAUDIBLE] MISS HURLEY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ATTORNEYS, RIGHT? WORDS HAVE MEANINGS IN OUR WORLD.

AND TO USE THE TERM ILLEGAL, IT'S A STRONG WORD.

SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE I MEAN, IN YOUR REVIEW AND YOU DIDN'T JUST REVIEW THESE RECORDS.

A LOT OF THEM YOU DRAFTED. CORRECT? CORRECT. THE LATER ONES, I'M SORRY, THE LATER ONES, NOT THE ONES FROM 2000.

AND YOU'VE HELPED ME DRAFT MY PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION DOCUMENTS.

SO I RELY HEAVILY ON YOUR, YOUR OPINION, YOU'RE AN EXPERT IN THIS FIELD CORRECT.

WELL I TRY. SO YOU KNOW LIKE I SAID THE WORD ILLEGAL IS STRONG AND IT HAS LOTS OF IMPLICATIONS.

[00:55:02]

AND YOU'RE THE ONE WHO PARTICIPATED IN DRAFTING, PARTICULARLY THESE LATER DRAFT DOCUMENTS.

BUT YOU WEREN'T CONSULTED AT ALL? DO YOU KNOW AND YOU SAID YOU WEREN'T AWARE OF ANYONE ELSE WHO WAS? NO, I DON'T HAVE ANY KNOWLEDGE OF THAT.

HAS ANYONE ON THE COUNCIL REACHED OUT TO YOU AND SAID THEY WERE PARTICIPATING IN ANY KIND OF INVESTIGATION? NO. YOU LEARNED ABOUT IT WHEN THE WHEN THE LETTER CAME OUT? CORRECT. WHEN EVERYONE ELSE DID YES.

AS DID I.

ANYONE ELSE? COUNCILMAN BONANO.

WITHOUT GETTING INTO THE DETAILS OF THIS AS A COUNCILMAN WAS DISTURBING TO ME AS LAST YEAR, AT THIS VERY SAME TIME, WE WERE ASKED TO VOTE ON A VERY SIMILAR PROJECT CALLED [INAUDIBLE] CITY, WHERE AS A COUNCIL, WE WERE ASKED TO SPEND UP TO $15 MILLION TO BUILD A BUILDING THAT HAD NO TENANTS, NO PARISH APARTMENTS IN IT, NO GUARANTEED REVENUE STREAM.

EVEN WORSE, THE TWO PIECES OF PROPERTY THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO PURCHASE WERE APPRAISED WITH BUILDINGS ON IT, AS IF THEY WERE ACTIVE BUSINESSES.

IN THAT SAME TRANSACTION, WE WERE TO GIVE THE DOCTOR WHO WAS INVOLVED IN THIS TRANSACTION, TWO PARISH BUILDINGS ON CAUSEWAY ONE, A FIRE STATION AND ONE THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING FOR JUVENILE SERVICES.

QUITE INTERESTINGLY, THOSE PROPERTIES WERE APPRAISED AS VACANT LAND WITH NO BUILDINGS ON IT.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, WHEN THE TIMING OF THESE TRANSACTIONS CAME INTO QUESTION, WE WERE THEN ASKED, WOULD WE BE WILLING, IF WE WENT FORWARD WITH THIS TRANSACTION, TO RENT BACK OUR OWN PROPERTIES? SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S VERY CONCERNING TO ME THAT THAT DIDN'T RAISE ANYBODY'S SPIDEY SENSES.

NOBODY WANTED TO LOOK AT THAT.

BUT THE TIMING OF INTO THIS.

WE'RE GOING TO GET THIS BROUGHT UP AT THE LAST MINUTE BEFORE WE WE HAVEN'T EVEN VOTED ON THIS ALREADY.

THIS IS DONE. BUT WE DIDN'T EVEN QUESTION THAT.

SO THAT CONCERNS ME AS A COUNCILMAN AS TO WHAT TARGETS THE IG ATTEMPTS TO LOOK AT WHEN WE HAD THIS PROJECT, WHICH IS MUCH MORE CONCERNING TO ME THAN THAT ONE THAT WAS NEVER EVEN QUESTIONED.

I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT UP AS ONE OF MY CONCERNS.

COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN.

I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO THE [INAUDIBLE] CITY CENTER.

IT'S A TOTALLY DIFFERENT TOPIC.

I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT BECAUSE, AGAIN, NOTHING WAS INCORRECT IN THAT SCENARIO.

BUT BUT THAT'S A TOPIC FOR ANOTHER DAY.

I WILL SAY I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF COUNCILMAN EDWARDS BRINGING THIS UP.

WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK YESTERDAY.

THIS IS A PROJECT IN HIS DISTRICT.

I KNOW YOU'RE SINCERE ABOUT ASKING QUESTIONS AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE GIVEN THE INFORMATION THEY NEED.

SO I APPRECIATE IT. I DIDN'T KNOW, ACTUALLY THIS DISCUSSION WOULD OCCUR TODAY.

SO I'LL PROBABLY RESERVE, YOU KNOW, AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY REVIEW THE LETTER AND SEE IF I HAVE ANY REMAINING CONCERNS.

I APPRECIATE SOME OF THE INFORMATION TONY HURLEY HAS SHARED WITH US TODAY.

THE ONE THING I'LL SAY THAT I'M JUST STILL FEELING UNCOMFORTABLE WITH IS NOT THE LEGALITY OF THE PROJECT.

IF EVERYTHING IS THERE AND THE PARISH ATTORNEY CAN CAN REASSURE THAT EVERYTHING HAS BEEN DONE LEGALLY, I THINK THAT'S WONDERFUL.

AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN CHECK OFF OUR LIST TO REASSURE THE PUBLIC THAT THAT THINGS HAVE BEEN DONE ABOVE BOARD AND LEGAL.

THE OTHER QUESTION, I THINK, IS JUST ONE TO ANSWER.

AS A GROUP, EACH OF US IS RESPONSIBLE FOR TAXPAYER DOLLARS.

IN OUR RECENT HISTORY, THIS WAS BEFORE I GOT ON THE COUNCIL, ACTUALLY, I GUESS BEFORE ALL OF US WERE ON THE COUNCIL.

I'M NOT SURE ABOUT MR. LEE, BUT WHEN THE PARISH BUILT THE JEFFERSON JEFFERSON PERFORMING ARTS CENTER SOME YEARS AGO, THAT PROJECT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE COMPLETED IN 2009.

IT WAS COMPLETED IN 2015.

IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE $26 MILLION AND IT ULTIMATELY COST $54 MILLION.

SO THERE IS THE LEGAL QUESTION THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE WE'RE ANSWERING.

BUT THERE'S ALSO IS THIS A GOOD DEAL? ARE WE TAKING ON UNDUE RISK? IS THIS SOMETHING THE PARISH SHOULD BE PURSUING, AND WHAT SAFEGUARDS ARE WE PUTTING IN PLACE SO THAT IF THERE'S A COST OVERRUN, I MEAN, COUNCILMAN, WE'VE WE'VE DISCUSSED ALL OF OUR PARISH PROJECTS, OUR DRAINAGE PROJECT THAT OUR, THAT OUR PARISH PRESIDENT MENTIONED EARLIER, ALL OF OUR COSTS ARE SKYROCKETING FOR EQUIPMENT, FOR EVERYTHING. SO ONE OF MY ONE OF THE THINGS I GUESS I'D LIKE TO SEE US ANSWER AS A PARISH MOVING FORWARD AND COUNCILMAN, SINCE THIS IS YOUR PROJECT, I THINK IT WOULD BE REASSURING FOR THE TAXPAYERS OF THE PARISH TO KNOW WHAT ARE THE PLANS FOR THIS BUILDING, BECAUSE WE LEARNED THOSE

[01:00:07]

SO WHAT ARE THE PLANS FOR THE BUILDING? BECAUSE I'VE NOT SEEN PLANS YET.

I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE HAS HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY.

ALSO, WHAT ARE THE COST ESTIMATES THE ENGINEER SHOULD BE ABLE AT THIS POINT, AS IT'S NEARING COMPLETION, TO GIVE US A COST ESTIMATE, BECAUSE IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING IF THE COSTS SURPASS THE MONEY THAT HAS BEEN ALLOTTED, I BELIEVE IT WILL BE JEFFERSON PARISH THAT WOULD LIKELY BE THE ONE TO HAVE TO FILL WHATEVER THE GAP IS, JUST LIKE WE WERE WHEN THE $26 MILLION WENT TO $54 MILLION.

WE HAD TO BEG THE STATE.

WE HAD TO FIND PENNIES OUT OF OUR POCKETS.

SO I'M CONCERNED THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WHAT ARE THE PLANS? HAVE WE VETTED THEM? WELL, WHAT ARE THE COSTS THAT WE'RE ESTIMATING? DO WE HAVE FUNDS ON HAND TO DO THAT? WHO'S OBLIGATED SHOULD THERE BE COST OVERRUNS OR SHOULD THERE BE CHANGE ORDERS? GOD FORBID, AS WE HAD WITH THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER.

I THINK THOSE QUESTIONS WOULD BE REASSURING TO HAVE ANSWERED.

AND THE LAST THING AGAIN, THIS IS NOT MY BUSINESS.

I'M NOT ONE TO REVIEW THESE LEASES, BUT EVEN INTERNAL TO THE PARISH RIGHT NOW.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE.

AND MAYBE [INAUDIBLE], YOU CAN SPEAK TO THIS, BUT RIGHT NOW, MY APPRECIATION OF THE LEASES THAT WE HAVE ON THIS PARISH PROPERTY ARE THAT THERE WILL BE, IF I'M REMEMBERING CORRECTLY, $1,000 RENT PAID BY THE PORT ORLEANS FOLKS AND THEN 3% GROSS REVENUE FOR A TIME, AND THEN 6% GROSS REVENUE FOR A TIME.

THAT IS A DEAL THAT THAT JEDCO HAS ADVOCATED IS A GOOD ONE.

SIMILARLY, WE HAVE AN EFFORT UNDERWAY FOR LAFRENIERE PARK, WHICH I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT, THE POINT.

IN THAT LEASE OR I GUESS, ON THE FRONT END WHAT I'M SEEING IS THAT IT WILL BE $2,500 RENT AND 8% GROSS REVENUE, ALTHOUGH NOT FOR THAT FIRST YEAR WHILE PEOPLE ARE GETTING ACCLIMATED.

SO AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO MAYBE WE CAN GO THROUGH THOSE NUMBERS WIT JEDCO TO APPRECIATE WHAT ACCOUNTS FOR THE DIFFERENCE IN 3% IN ONE INSTANCE, BUT 8% GROSS REVENUE, WHICH MY UNDERSTANDING IS GROSS REVENUE A GOOD DEAL IS 8 TO 10%.

SO I THINK JUST ANSWERING THOSE THINGS FOR THE PUBLIC WOULD BE GOOD.

AND THEN THE LAST THING I GUESS I'LL SAY IS JUST I THINK IT WOULD BE ALSO GOOD.

I KNOW JERRY HAS POINTED OUT, I DON'T KNOW IF HE'S HERE IN THE ROOM, BUT JERRY'S POINTED OUT THAT THAT INCENTIVIZING THIS KIND OF BUSINESS IS IMPORTANT AND I DO AGREE.

LOOK, I'D LOVE TO HAVE THINGS LIKE THIS BREWPUB IN JEFFERSON PARISH.

I THINK IT IS A FORWARD THINKING PROJECT.

WE'VE SEEN IT IN OTHER CITIES.

I DO THINK THESE KINDS OF DEVELOPMENTS ARE IMPORTANT.

I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH ANYTHING ELSE WE HAVE INCENTIVIZED AS A PARISH QUITE TO THIS DEGREE.

AND SO IN SOME INSTANCES, YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER WE INCENTIVIZED LOWES BEFORE MY TIME THAT OVER A FEW YEARS WE WOULD PUT UP A FEW HUNDRED THOUSAND IF THEY DIDN'T HIT THEIR MARK.

SAME WITH BRITISH AIRWAYS.

I THINK IT WAS $90,000 IF I'M REMEMBERING, SO THAT IF BRITISH AIRWAYS DIDN'T HIT ITS MARK, WE KNEW IT WAS IMPORTANT TO GIVE THEM SUPPORT AS A PARISH TO BE HERE.

THIS ONE, I DON'T KNOW OF ANY OTHER INSTANCE WHERE WE BRING THE LAND TO THE TABLE, WE BUILD THE BUILDING, WE PURCHASE ALL OF THE EQUIPMENT BECAUSE IT WILL BE A PARISH PROPERTY I BELIEVE THERE WON'T BE PROPERTY TAX, PROPERTY INSURANCE.

AND THEN AGAIN, WE'RE ON THE LINE AS A PARISH FOR ANY COST OVERRUNS OF CONSTRUCTION.

AND AGAIN, MY QUESTION ABOUT THE LEASE PERCENTAGES, SO I'M NOT AWARE OF ANYTHING WE'VE INCENTIVIZED QUITE THIS ROBUSTLY, BUT THESE ARE JUST MY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME. I AM HOPEFUL THAT AS A GROUP, OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS, OUR ADMINISTRATION, TIM PALMINTERI, WHO'S DONE A GREAT JOB OF REFINANCING THINGS OVER THE PAST, I'M SURE CAN LOOK AT THE THE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE PARKING GARAGE AND HOW WE'RE PAYING THOSE BONDS.

I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE COME TOGETHER TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS SO THAT WE CAN ALL CELEBRATE THIS PROJECT AND BE EXCITED ABOUT IT.

SO THOSE ARE THE ONES IN MY MIND THAT I'VE NOT YET GOTTEN ANSWERED, BUT I APPRECIATE SOME OF WHAT TONY, YOU'VE EXPRESSED TODAY AND HAS BROUGHT CLARITY TO SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CHECK OFF THE LIST.

WE HAVE ASKED JEDCO FOR THEIR OPINION ABOUT THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE LEASE, AND WE'RE WE'RE VERY COMPLIMENTARY ABOUT IT.

THEY SAID IT'S AT THE AT THE HIGH END OF WHAT WE COULD EXPECT FROM THIS.

AND IF YOU WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION FROM MR.

[01:05:03]

ABSOLUTELY. IT WHAT ELSE DID YOU ASK ABOUT? AGAIN, IT REALLY DOES NOT HAVE TO BE ANSWERED IN THIS MEETING.

I DIDN'T EXPECT THIS DISCUSSION AT THIS TIME.

AND I WILL DO IT APPROPRIATELY AT SOME POINT.

SO I CAN JUST PUT MY MAYBE MY THOUGHTS ON PAPER HAVE SOME MEETINGS BETWEEN NOW AND MOVING FORWARD.

THE ONES THAT I EXPRESSED JUST NOW ARE, ARE ONES THAT THAT COME TO MIND AT THIS MOMENT.

OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN.

ANYBODY ELSE? MR. CHAIRMAN? COUNCILWOMAN BOHANNAN.

I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT WHEN YOU'RE WHEN WE'RE DOING WHEN WE'RE HAVING THESE DISCUSSIONS TO JUST KIND OF KEEP IN MIND THAT THESE ARE REALLY KIND OF PROJECT BY PROJECT BASIS. YOU KNOW, I KNOW FOR THE LAFRENIERE BOARD, IT WASN'T AN OPEN PUBLIC MEETING.

THERE WAS LOTS OF QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW TO STRUCTURE THE LEASE.

AND AND I BELIEVE WE SETTLED ON ON THE BASE MONTHLY RENT AND 6% I THINK IT'S ONLY 8%, BUT BUT EITHER WAY, THAT WAS AFTER WE SORT OF WENT BACK AND FORTH TRYING TO NEGOTIATE THAT.

AND WHAT THAT WHAT WAS INCLUDED IN A LEASE LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, WE'RE DOING BUILDING MAINTENANCE PERHAPS IN THAT ONE THEY'RE NOT.

THERE'S LOTS OF I'M NOT SURE.

I'M JUST SAYING THAT THERE'S SO SO LET'S LET'S NOT READ IT LIKE THIS.

LET'S READ IT IN THE WORLD OF BUSINESS AND WITH PEOPLE WHO UNDERSTAND AND KNOW LEASES AND KNOW, WE CONSULTED SEVERAL BEFORE WE ULTIMATELY DECIDED ON WHAT WE WERE DOING.

AND I THINK A LOT OF THOSE QUESTIONS ARE REALLY GOOD QUESTIONS FAIR QUESTIONS MAYBE, MAYBE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ASKED BEFORE Y'ALL VOTED ON THEM.

BECAUSE NOW HERE WE ARE IN THE IT'S ALMOST TOO LATE, LIKE THE SHIP SAILED.

IT WAS KIND OF BEFORE MY TIME, I'LL ADMIT THAT.

I CAN JUST TELL YOU, WITH MY EXPERIENCE WITH LAFRENIERE THAT WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL COMPARING THEM BECAUSE WE MAY BE OFFERING TOTALLY DIFFERENT PRODUCTS.

LIKE IN LAFRENIERE WE HAVE GUARANTEED FOOT TRAFFIC YOU KNOW, HERE THEY DON'T THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DRIVE THAT.

SO I GUESS I GUESS I'M JUST ASKING THAT WHEN WE AS A COUNCIL LOOK AT THESE LEASES AND CONSIDER THEM, WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL COMPARING THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE DIFFERENT PRODUCTS.

COUNCILMAN THE SHIP HASN'T QUITE SAILED YET.

YES. WE'RE AT THE PLACE WHERE WE HAVE THE SUFFICIENT FUNDS IN THE BANK OR PLEDGE TO COVER CONSTRUCTION COSTS. WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF NEGOTIATING THE THE CONTRACT TO CONSTRUCT THE FACILITY.

WE'RE HOPING THAT WE CAN TALK THEM DOWN A LITTLE BIT, SO HOPEFULLY IT'LL BE A LITTLE BIT CHEAPER THAN SOME OF OUR ESTIMATES ARE AT THIS TIME.

BUT THE MONEY IS PRESENT, AND WE'RE READY TO TO NEGOTIATE THE CONTRACT TO BUILD THE FACILITY.

AND THAT'S SOME OF THE URGENCY THAT WE NEED TO DO THAT BEFORE COSTS FOR MATERIALS GOES UP ANY MORE.

COUNCILMAN LILJEBERG.

THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.

IS JERRY BOLOGNA HERE? BECAUSE I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS AS WELL.

AND I THINK COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN RAISES SOME GOOD QUESTIONS.

YOU KNOW, FRANKLY, RESPECTFULLY, I DON'T THINK THAT WE SHOULD WASTE ANY TIME IN GETTING THESE QUESTIONS ANSWERED.

I SEE FORMER REPRESENTATIVE MARINO HERE.

I KNOW YOU KNOW, BRET LAWSON HAS WORKED ON THE CASE.

I MEAN, I THINK A LOT OF LOTS OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM GRETNA HERE.

IF WE IF WE YOU KNOW, I THINK WE SHOULD GET THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTION AS, AS NOW.

WE'RE IN IT, SO.

I DON'T KNOW IF THEY CAN ALL BE ANSWERED TODAY, BUT WE CAN MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION.

SO AS I'M SITTING HERE THINKING ABOUT THIS, SINCE WE'VE OPENED THIS CONVERSATION KIND OF UNEXPECTEDLY AT THE TOP OF THE MEETING WE'LL INVITE WHOEVER WANTS TO SPEAK ON THIS FROM AN OFFICIAL STANDPOINT.

AND THEN AS PART OF PUBLIC COMMENT, IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION TO IT, WE'LL OPEN UP COMMENTS ON THIS AS WELL, BECAUSE THIS ITEM IS NOT ON THE AGENDA.

SO IT CAN BE ANY ITEM ON THE AGENDA PLUS THIS IF EVERYBODY'S GOOD WITH THAT AS WE GET TO PUBLIC COMMENT.

BUT WE'RE NOT THERE YET. WE'LL GET THROUGH THIS PART FIRST.

COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN I WOULD LIKE TO ASK, THOUGH I APPRECIATE THE IMMEDIATE RESPONSIVENESS OF WANTING TO GET SOME INFORMATION OUT THERE.

I THINK THAT WILL SERVE US WELL.

I WOULD NOT WANT POTENTIALLY THIS TO BE THE ONLY DISCUSSION THOUGH, BECAUSE CERTAINLY WE HAVE NOT NOTICED THIS AS THIS BEING AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA IF THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE OUT IN JEFFERSON WHO MIGHT HAVE A THOUGHT OR CONCERN, WE DIDN'T GIVE THEM ANY ADVANCE NOTICE ABOUT THIS.

SO BUT I DO APPRECIATE THE SWIFTNESS OF OF ANSWERING SOME QUESTIONS NOW.

MR. MARINO. AGREE WITH YOU, AND THERE WILL BE AMPLE OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPLORE THESE ISSUES FURTHER.

ALSO MAYOR COUNCIL, DON'T WE HAVE A RIBBON CUTTING COMING UP SOON FOR THIS PROJECT? CAN YOU TELL US WHEN THAT IS? OCTOBER THE 4TH.

AND WE'D WE'D BE DELIGHTED TO HAVE ALL OF YOU COME ON WITH US WHEN WE DO THE RIBBON CUTTING.

ANY OTHER QUESTION.

MR. MARINO? THANK YOU.

[01:10:01]

AND THAT PROCESS IS YOU HAVE TO SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION SAYING EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT TO RECEIVE STATE FUNDING FROM IN NOVEMBER, BEFORE THE FOLLOWING YEAR'S BUDGET IS MADE.

AND BACK IN 2022 THIS FIRST MADE IT INTO AS A CAPITAL OUTLAY REQUEST FROM THE STATE.

THAT WAS IN MY DISTRICT WHEN I WAS A STATE REP, AND I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE PROJECT SINCE, AND WE SPECIFICALLY LIST IN THE CAPITAL OUTLAY REQUEST IN 2022 THAT WE ARE REQUESTING FUNDING TO DESIGN AND CONSTRUCT A BUILDING FOR COMMERCIAL USE AND LEASABLE SPACE WITHIN THE JEFFERSON PARISH GOVERNMENT COMPLEX AND PARKING AREAS. AND IT'S SAYING WHAT IT'S GOING TO SERVE AND WHY.

AND WE GOT $4.5 MILLION IN STATE FUNDING THAT YEAR IN IN A CASH WE GOT $100,000 IN PRIORITY ONE AND $10 MILLION OBLIGATED FROM THE STATE FOR THE PROJECT.

SO WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WHEN THAT HAPPENS, ONCE WE START RECEIVING MONEY, WE'RE TRIGGERING A REVIEW BY THE GOVERNMENT, BY THE DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION, WHICH THEN ITEMIZED GOES THROUGH THIS PROJECT IN GREAT DETAIL.

IN FACT, THIS ONE PROJECT IS THE ONE THAT'S BEEN SCRUTINIZED AND REVIEWED MORE THAN ANY THAT I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE WHOLE SEVEN YEARS THAT I WAS A STATE REPRESENTATIVE.

WE MET REPEATEDLY WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION.

WE MET WITH THE PARISH OFFICIALS.

WE MET WITH THE PARISH ATTORNEY.

WE'VE HAD A A KICKOFF MEETING.

DR. JIM LEE CAME DOWN WITH FACILITIES AND PLANNING.

WE'VE HAD TWO MEETINGS IN THE YENNI BUILDING, AND WE WENT THROUGH THIS PROJECT IN GREAT DETAIL WITH HIM, AND THEN IN 20 AND THEN STARTING IN 2023, WHEN THE PARISH DOES ITS GREEN BOOK MEETINGS.

SO THE GREEN BOOK MEETING IS THE PARISH INVITES ALL THE LEGISLATORS AND STATE REPS IN JEFFERSON PARISH TO COME TO A MEETING WITH ALL THE PARISH OFFICIALS AND AGENCIES AND MUNICIPALITIES TO SAY, THESE ARE OUR PRIORITIES.

THIS IS WHAT WE'RE REQUESTING FUNDING FOR THE STATE FROM AND IN THE GREEN BOOK THAT WAS PRESENTED.

AND THEN THEY RANK ALL THE PROJECTS EAST AND WEST BANK RANK.

SO THIS PROJECT IN 2023, WHICH IS DESCRIBED IN THE APPLICATION AGAIN, IS SPECIFICALLY EXACTLY FOR WHAT IT IS IT'S THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A BUILDING FOR COMMERCIAL USE AND LEASABLE SPACE LOCATED IN THE COMPLEX IN ITS PARKING AREA, FUNDING IS REQUESTED TO DESIGN AND CONSTRUCT A PARKING GARAGE TO SERVICE THE COMPLEX, ADDITIONAL PARKING FOR FUTURE RIVER TRANSPORTATION, WATER TAXIS AND THE PROJECT WILL ALSO ALLEVIATE PARKING CONSTRAINTS IN DOWNTOWN GRETNA.

AND IT'S SAYING WHAT THE FUNDING IS FOR AND IN THE PARISH WHEN THE PARISH RANKED THE PROJECTS IN 2023, THIS WAS LISTED AS IN THEIR PRIORITY RANKING IS NUMBER 21 OUT OF 70.

REQUESTS THAT THE THAT THE PARISH IS ASKING FOR MONEY FROM THE STATE 2024 AND WE RECEIVE FUNDING AGAIN A SECOND TIME IN 2023 AS IT'S BEING REVIEWED AND AS WE'RE MEETING.

2024 THIS TIME, THE PARISH RANKED IT AS PRIORITY NUMBER 15 OUT OF 73.

SO OF ALL THE PARISHES ASKED FOR STATE FUNDING, THIS PROJECT WAS SPECIFICALLY SAYS WHAT IT'S DOING AND HOW IT'S DOING IN 2024.

IT ALSO MENTIONS JRI/JRI THE JOINT EFFORT, IT TALKS ABOUT THE WHOLE THING.

THIS HAS ALL BEEN IN DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF THE PARISH AND IN FRONT OF THE STATE AND AGENCIES WE'VE HAD MEETINGS AND I PERSONALLY GET A LITTLE OFFENDED WHEN THERE'S AN INVESTIGATION INTO THIS PROJECT.

AND IT'S 35 PAGE LONG REPORT, AND I WAS NOT CONTACTED AT ALL TO EXPLAIN ANY PART OF THIS PROJECT, ANY PART OF THIS PROCESS, WHO WE'VE MET WITH, WHO WE'VE DONE.

BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT THIS HAS BEEN THE MOST SCRUTINIZED PROJECT I'VE EVER, I'VE EVER BEEN INVOLVED WITH.

AND I KNOW FROM MEETING WITH THE PARISH ATTORNEY AND WITH THE GOVERNMENT AND WITH THE AND WITH THE HEAD OF FACILITIES AND PLANNING, THAT WE'RE IN FULL COMPLIANCE.

SO THAT THAT THAT TO ME WAS VERY FRUSTRATING TO KNOW THAT A PROJECT THAT WE'VE GOTTEN ALL THE WAY TO RIGHT NOW AND WE'VE GOTTEN ALL THIS COMMITMENT FROM THE STATE AND NOW THERE'S THERE'S SOME THERE'S A REPORT QUESTIONING WHAT WE'RE DOING.

THAT'S MY COMMENT.

MR. MARINO DURING THIS INVESTIGATION DID IT INDICATE THAT THAT THIS WOULD BE A POINT OF ORIGIN FOR GENERATING FUNDS FOR A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT WOULD BE CONNECTED, BUT NOT DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT ITSELF?

[01:15:08]

YOU HAD YOU REFERRED TO GENERATING FUNDS FROM THE RIVER, FROM MARINE TRAFFIC AND SO FORTH, AND THAT'S DID DID IT INDICATE THAT THAT THAT IT WOULD BRING US MORE FUNDS INTO THIS AREA THAN THAN JUST REVENUE FROM THE RENTAL OF THE BUILDING? SO THAT THAT WAS ALSO PART OF THE REASON THAT THAT WE GOT IT THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR THE GARAGE AS WELL IS BECAUSE THAT WE ALSO ARE ANTICIPATING DEVELOPING EITHER RIVER TAXIS ON THE RIVER, OR CRUISE TRIPS.

CRUISE SHIPS DOCKING AT THAT POINT.

AND AGAIN, THIS PARKING GARAGE WHERE IT'S LOCATED IS RIGHT NEXT TO WHICH EVERYONE IS AWARE OF, IT'S ACROSS THE STREET.

IT'S RIGHT NEXT TO THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT BUILDING, THE COURTHOUSE, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, THE FIFTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS, THE SECOND PARISH COURT, GRETNA CITY HALL, THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE AND AGAIN, WE WANTED TO DEVELOP THAT RIVER SO IT HAS MANY DIFFERENT USES.

AND IT'S IN THE END, WHEN THIS PROJECT IS FINISHED, THE PARISH GOES FROM HAVING A BLACKTOP PARKING LOT TO HAVING A PARKING GARAGE AND COMMERCIAL LEASABLE SPACE THAT THEY WILL OWN AND GENERATE REVENUE FROM.

AND IT'S, IT'S IT'S ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO DRIVE A GREAT DEAL OF BENEFIT TO THE PARISH IN THE FORM OF A SALES TAX ALONE, FROM, FROM WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WHEN WE WHEN WE START USING THAT, THAT PROPERTY AS WE'VE ANTICIPATED.

MR. MARINO, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HELP WITH THIS.

THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT.

ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, MR. MARINO. IS EVERYBODY READY TO GET THE PUBLIC COMMENT, OR IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE FROM GRETNA WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK OR OTHERWISE? MAYOR CONSTANT. THANK YOU.

I GUESS IT'S PROBABLY HARD FOR ME TO SIT HERE AND NOT SAY ANYTHING.

SO I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT.

I THINK FOR ME, IT'S IT'S DISHEARTENING BECAUSE THIS PROJECT STARTED IN CONVERSATION PROBABLY ABOUT EIGHT YEARS AGO. I WAS IN HEAVY DISCUSSION WITH COUNCILMAN RICKY TEMPLET AT THAT TIME, AND WITH DAVID COLVIN OF JFI I ABOUT STREETSCAPE OF HUEY P LONG AND SECOND STREET IS HOW THE CONVERSATION STARTED.

WE TALKED HEAVILY ABOUT A PROJECT THAT I WANTED TO SPEARHEAD AT THE TIME IT'S THE NEW YORK KIOSK.

THAT'S A PART OF THE CONSTRUCTION PLANS FOR THIS PROJECT, AND IT WOULD BE SERVED IT WOULD SERVE AS A WAYFINDING PROJECT, AND THIS IS HOW THE DISCUSSION STARTED, COUPLED WITH DRAINAGE ISSUES ON HUEY P LONG AVENUE.

AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, WE WERE ABLE TO PUT THAT PROJECT ON THE GROUND ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO AND BREAK AND CUT THE RIBBON ON AN INCREDIBLE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT THAT TODAY CURRENTLY EXISTS IN FRONT OF CITY HALL.

WHAT LOOKS TO BE A QUALITY OF LIFE PROJECT HAS A PUBLIC PURPOSE, AND THAT WAS TO CONSUME THE WATER COMING OFF THE RIVER AND CONSUME THE WATER COMING OFF THE PARKING LOT AT SECOND AND HUEY LONG THAT INUNDATES THE STREET TO WHERE WE NEED TO WALK OUT AND I'M SURE SOME OF YOU REMEMBER GOING WALKING DOWN HUEY LONG IN A FOOT OF WATER PRETTY RAPIDLY WHEN WE HAVE A REALLY BAD RAIN EVENT.

THAT'S HOW THE CONVERSATION STARTED.

WE PROGRESSED THROUGH CALCULATIONS OF WHAT IT WOULD MEAN TO THE PARISH IF THE ENTIRE STREETSCAPE WAS INVOLVED AND NOT JUST WHAT I WAS ASKING FOR AT THE CORNER OF SECOND AND HUEY LONG AND WHAT WE COULD ACCOMPLISH AS FAR AS DRAINAGE CONCERNS. AND THAT SPEARHEADED AN INCREDIBLE CONVERSATION WITH THE DISTRICT ONE COUNCILMAN AT THAT TIME AND HIS STAFF, BECAUSE IT WAS CONSIDERED TO BE A DISTRICT PROJECT, AND THE CITY OF GRETNA WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE PARISH COUNCILMAN AT THE TIME AND THE STATE OF LOUISIANA UNDER STATE REP JOE MARINO.

WE I WENT VERY PUBLIC WITH THAT IN THE CITY OF GRETNA RELATIVE TO THE KIOSK PROJECT, TO THE DRAINAGE PROJECT.

AND OVER TIME, THE PARISH AGREED THAT WHAT IS GAINED FROM 15 PARKING SPACES TODAY AND WHAT COULD BE GAINED BY WAY OF LEASABLE SPACE, WAS INCREDIBLY DIFFERENT.

[01:20:09]

I ALSO HAD TO BASICALLY TESTIFY IN FRONT OF THE COMMITTEE WHEN IT CAME DOWN TO THE ARPA FUNDING THAT WAS GOING TO BE DISPERSED AMONG THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND THE MAYOR'S GOT AND WE WERE INVITED TO THAT THAT PROCESS.

AND WE ALL GOT TO SPEAK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE A GAME CHANGER, NOT JUST FOR THE CITY OF GRETNA, BUT FOR JEFFERSON PARISH AS A WHOLE. AND I SPOKE AT THAT TIME TO THE ENTIRE COMMITTEE, WHICH WAS COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OTHER PEOPLE THAT WERE APPOINTED TO THAT PROCESS. AND I SPOKE ABOUT THIS PROJECT, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE RIVER IN FRONT OF CITY HALL, THE DEVELOPMENT OF A RIVER BACHELOR TO A POINT WHERE TWO TODAY, TWO RIVERBOAT COMPANIES ARE SPEAKING WITH ME ABOUT THAT INTEREST ON THE RIVER BACHELOR, BECAUSE THEY ARE LIMITED IN ORLEANS PARISH ON WHERE THEY CAN DOCK THE RIVER CRUISE BOATS AND ALL OF THAT IS A PART OF THIS DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT THAT HAS BEEN MADE PUBLIC BY SEVERAL PEOPLE FOR THE LAST SEVEN, SIX YEARS.

I SPOKE ABOUT THAT AS A GAME CHANGER FOR THE WEST BANK, AND SOME OF Y'ALL WERE IN THE MEETING WHEN I WAS SPEAKING, AND ABOUT HOW INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT THIS WOULD BE, NOT JUST TO THE CITY OF GRETNA, BECAUSE I THINK SOMETIMES THAT GETS A NEGATIVE UNDERTONE THAT IT'S GOING TO A MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT, NOT JUST TO THE CITY OF GRETNA, BUT TO THE WEST BANK OF JEFFERSON PARISH.

AND I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY TO SAY THAT THAT IS WHAT IT IS.

AND I SAID IT A YEAR AGO WHEN I SPOKE TO THE OFFICIALS ABOUT WHY SOME OF THIS ARPA MONEY SHOULD GO TO THIS PROJECT.

AGAIN, IT WAS A DISTRICT PROJECT, AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT DISTRICT MONEY COMING FROM THE DISTRICT COUNCILMAN TODAY WHO REPRESENTS THE CITY OF GRETNA. I AM JUST I WANT.

AND I'M HAPPY FOR THE PEOPLE OF JEFFERSON PARISH WHO SIT BEHIND ME TODAY TO HEAR THIS, BECAUSE I APPRECIATE THE PARISH ATTORNEY.

THERE IS A LOT OF INTEGRITY THAT STANDS BEHIND THIS PROCESS.

WE HAVE ATTORNEYS THAT SIT HERE AS COUNCIL MEMBERS AND I MYSELF, ALONG WITH THE COUNCIL WHO SITS BEHIND ME, ARE NOT INTERESTED IN ANYTHING THAT WOULD BE CLOSE TO BEING CONSIDERED ILLEGAL OR CORRUPT.

AND I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW, I APPRECIATE THE TIME TO BE ABLE TO STAND HERE BEFORE YOU TODAY AND TALK ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE THIS IS A THIS IS OLD NEWS.

THIS HAS BEEN VOTED ON BY THIS COUNCIL MORE THAN ONE TIME.

WE ARE NOW AT A POINT TO BREAK GROUND ON A PROJECT THAT'S BEEN ADVERTISED BY JEDCO, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ARM OF JEFFERSON PARISH. AND NOW THERE IS CASTING A BLACK CLOUD OVER SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN VETTED FOR YEARS.

I WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS GROUNDBREAKING.

THERE'S ADDITIONAL ELECTED OFFICIALS THAT HAVE BEEN HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THIS, AND MY COLLEAGUES ARE SITTING WITH ME.

THERE HAS BEEN PUBLIC COMMENT.

THIS IS A DISTRICT PROJECT.

THERE IS AN ANSWER ABOUT WHAT THIS PROJECT COST.

THERE IS THE REALITY THAT WE HAVE THE MONEY THAT WE'VE BEEN FIGHTING FOR.

I'VE BEEN FIGHTING WITH PARISH OFFICIALS TO MAKE SURE THIS GETS DONE, NOT FOR THIS CITY OF GRETNA, BUT FOR THE ENTIRETY OF THE WEST BANK OF JEFFERSON PARISH.

THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN EDWARDS.

THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD ON THIS FOR YEARS ON THIS DISTRICT PROJECT.

THANK YOU.

MAYOR. MAYOR, WERE YOU INTERVIEWED BY THE IG BEFORE THIS REPORT CAME OUT? ABSOLUTELY NOT.

ALL RIGHT. DO YOU KNOW IF ANY COUNCIL PEOPLE WERE? ABSOLUTELY WEREN'T.

ALL RIGHT. BUT I'VE LISTENED FOR THE LAST THREE DAYS ABOUT THE WORD GRETNA, AND IT REALLY IS.

I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT IT WHAT IT DID TO ME.

THANK YOU. WOULD THE INSPECTOR GENERAL LIKE TO SPEAK? OKAY, MR. COX, AND THEN THE INSPECTOR GENERAL, I'D LIKE TO COME UP TO YOU AS WELL.

EXCUSE ME. REALLY I CAME TO THIS MEETING TODAY NOT KNOWING THIS ISSUE WAS GOING TO BE HERE.

[01:25:01]

I CAN BRING I CAN BRING BOTH THINGS TOGETHER.

JEFFERSON PARISH AND BATON ROUGE IS IS REGARDED BY THE STATE, THE ADMINISTRATION AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THE LEGISLATURE AS A BASICALLY AS A ROLE MODEL FOR THE REST OF THE STATE.

SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES ON THE FLOOR ARE ENVIOUS, EXCUSE ME, WHEN MARY COLLEEN CONNICK'S DEPARTMENT BRINGS US INFORMATION REGARDING BILLS, THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A JEFFERSON DELEGATION.

YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY THINKS THEIR PARISH IS THE BEST.

BUT IN PRIVATE WORDS, YOU KNOW, I GET JEFFERSON PARISH WORKED SO WELL TOGETHER.

Y'ALL DOING THIS RIGHT? Y'ALL BRINGING IT RIGHT.

WE HAD ANOTHER $10 MILLION OUT THERE IN CAPITAL OUTLAY AND PRIORITY FIVE FOR THIS PROJECT.

AND WE GOT $2,298,000 AGAIN AND, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE FOR CAPITAL OUTLAY. MY CONCERN IS, YOU KNOW, WE GOT TO GO FORWARD.

WE GOT TO BREAK GROUND ON THIS PROJECT BECAUSE THE STATE CAN AND QUITE POSSIBLY COULD, YOU KNOW, REVOKE FUNDING THAT THEY'VE GOT, WE'VE GOTTEN IF WE DON'T MOVE FORWARD.

THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS WHEN REPRESENTATIVE MARINO AND I STARTED TALKING WITH THE MAYOR ON THIS PROJECT, YOU KNOW, I WAS A I WAS A FRESHMAN THIS YEAR, AND IT IS KIND OF OVERWHELMING NONE OF THESE TOPICS CAME UP.

WHEN I PRESENTED, I PRESENTED THIS PROJECT TO WAYS AND MEANS AS A COUNCIL, I MEAN, REPRESENTATIVE MARINO HAS FOR THE LAST SEVEN YEARS OR HOWEVER LONG IT'S BEEN GOING ON AND EVERYBODY IS, EVERYBODY HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL.

SO MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS THAT IF THERE ARE ANY ROADBLOCKS GOING FORWARD, YOU KNOW THAT WE STILL HAVE $7 MILLION OUT THERE THAT I'M GOING FOR IN THE NEXT 2 OR 3 YEARS.

WE DON'T WANT TO JEOPARDIZE THAT FOR SURE.

BUT WHAT I, WHAT I SIGNED IN FOR IS FOR EVERYTHING FROM SAINT TAMMANY TO LAFOURCHE TO ORLEANS, YOU KNOW, AND MARY COLLEEN COMES UP WITH A GREEN PAPER AND SAYS REP COX, THIS BILL AFFECTS US NEGATIVELY, THIS BILL HAS A POSITIVE IMPACT, THOSE KIND OF THINGS.

WHEN I SEE MISS LAWSON UP THERE FROM FROM THE JEFFERSON CHAMBER, EVERYBODY VIEWS JEFFERSON PARISH AS A COHESIVE, TIGHT KNIT, WORKING TOGETHER UNIT.

AND THAT'S ONE THING WE DEFINITELY DON'T WANT TO LOSE, BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST A PERCEPTION WE DO.

WE WORK VERY WELL TOGETHER IN BATON ROUGE.

AND SO GOING FORWARD, THE 7.6 $7,671,000 DON'T MAKE IT HARDER FOR ME TO GET THAT MONEY BECAUSE I'M GOING TO GO BACK THERE.

OUR BATTLE FOR THE WHOLE $10 MILLION THIS YEAR WAS ANSWERED WITH TWO WORDS, AND THAT WAS NO SHOT.

BUT I DID MY BEST, AND WE GOT 2.2.

$2,900,000.

GOING FORWARD, WE'RE GOING TO KEEP WORKING HARD.

AND BASICALLY I WAS I WAS COMING UP HERE TO THANK PRESIDENT SHENG FOR THE HELP HER ADMINISTRATION GIVES IN THE JEFFERSON DELEGATION MEETINGS.

BATON ROUGE REALLY PERCEIVES US AS A ROLE MODEL FOR HOW LOCAL GOVERNMENTS SHOULD ACT, SHOULD REPRESENT THEIR PARISH IN REGARDS TO STATE GOVERNMENT.

AND SO GOING FORWARD, I WILL GO OUT THERE AND WORK TO GET THAT PRIORITY FIVE MOVED UP TO PRIORITY ONE, AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS HERE FOR, TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE HELP Y'ALL GIVE ME WHEN I'M IN BATON ROUGE, BECAUSE YOUR FIRST YEAR IN BATON ROUGE ARE DESCRIBED AS LIKE, ESPECIALLY WITH THIS GOVERNOR AND I DO LIKE THIS GOVERNOR, BUT IT'S LIKE STANDING IN FRONT OF A TSUNAMI.

AND THIS WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS THAT WAS HANDED OFF TO ME FROM REPRESENTATIVE MARINO.

AND THE VERY FIRST THING THE MAYOR DID WAS HAND ME THE GREEN BOOK.

AND I REMEMBER THE GREEN BOOK FROM WHEN I WAS ON THE COUNCIL.

SO, SO GOING FORWARD, EVERYBODY IN BATON ROUGE THINKS THIS IS A GREAT PROJECT.

THEY WANT IT TO HAPPEN.

THE GOVERNOR WANTS IT TO HAPPEN.

SPEAKER DE VILLIERS WAS IN TOWN YESTERDAY TO TOUR MY DISTRICT.

HE WANTS TO SEE IT HAPPEN.

EVERYBODY'S ON BOARD AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING IT GOING FORWARD.

THANK YOU.

REP COX I WANT TO SAY I DO AGREE WITH YOU 100%.

I KNOW WHEN THIS FIRST CAME OUT, I EXPRESSED, MAYBE WE NEED TO HIT PAUSE TILL WE GET THE ANSWERS.

WHAT WE COULD SAY AND WHAT I'M WILLING TO SAY TODAY IS LET'S WORK SWIFTLY TO GET ALL THE ANSWERS TOGETHER BECAUSE I AGREE WITH YOU.

I THINK JEFFERSON IS THE ENVY OF THE STATE.

WE WORK WELL TOGETHER.

[01:30:01]

AND SO I'LL COMMIT TO WORKING WITH COUNCILMAN EDWARDS.

LET'S GET THE ANSWERS TO THE CONCERNS THAT WERE RAISED AND AND ADDRESS THEM SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD.

RIGHT. I APPRECIATE IT.

I WAS JUST UNAWARE OF ANY CONCERNS.

THE BALL WAS HEADED FOR ME I LOOKED FOR A GAP IN A LINE AND TRIED TO RUN WITH IT.

THANK YOU, REPRESENTATIVE COX.

THE INSPECTOR GENERAL HAS ASKED ME TO SPEAK IF IF THERE'S NOT ANYBODY ELSE BEFORE HER, AND THAT SHE CAN BE THE LAST ONE TO SPEAK BEFORE WE OPEN UP THE PUBLIC COMMENT.

SO IF THERE'S ANYBODY WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK BEFORE THE INSPECTOR GENERAL, MR. COOLEN. IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE WHO WANTS TO SPEAK AFTER MR. COOLEN? OKAY. SO ONE MORE AND THEN WE'LL GET TO THE INSPECTOR GENERAL.

I'LL BE BRIEF, BUT IN 2001, I WAS HERE.

YOU GUYS WERE VERY YOUNG, GOING TO HIGH SCHOOL WHEREVER YOU WENT.

MY FRIEND COUNCILMAN BONANO WAS HERE.

AND THE YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO LOOK HOW FAR WE'VE COME.

YOU GOT TO LOOK BACK.

THE GARAGE WAS THE LEADING, THE LEADING INGREDIENT FOR US TO BUILD, WHICH WHICH YOU'RE SITTING IN TODAY.

IT BEGAN AS AN EIGHT YEAR PROCESS, STARTING WITH A PUBLIC BENEFITS CORPORATION TO BUILD A GARAGE.

WE REPLACED THE PARKING GARAGE.

IF YOU KNEW HOW THIS BUILDING GOT TO TO BE A REALITY I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'D EVEN CONSIDER IT.

IF YOU REMEMBER, WE HAD THE DA'S OFFICE IN HERE, THE CLERK'S OFFICE, THE JUDICIAL SPACE, THE FIFTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS.

WE HAD AN OLD BUILDING WITH SEVEN FOOT CEILINGS.

SO WE BEGAN WITH A PUBLIC BENEFITS CORPORATION.

AND AS THE PARISH ATTORNEY SO APTLY STATED, IT WAS CONSIDERED AT THE TIME CREATIVE FINANCING.

LOOK AT THE COCA-COLA BUILDING ON THE EAST BANK.

PEOPLE, THIS IS THIS IS CREATIVE FINANCING AT ITS BEST.

AND I'M VERY PROUD NEXT TO THE [INAUDIBLE] PROGRAM, VERY PROUD OF THIS COMPLEX AND WHAT'S GOING FORWARD.

THE DISCUSSION OF THE PROJECT TODAY WOULDN'T GO FORWARD HAD WE NOT CREATED THIS ENVIRONMENT, AND I'M PROUD TO BE A PART OF THAT.

AS WITH THE GRETNA OFFICIALS AND WITH MY PARISH COUNCIL.

THANK YOU.

I JUST WANT TO MAKE TWO SHORT BUT IMPORTANT POINTS.

WHEN YOU LOOKED AT THE REPORT FOR G&O AND TALKED ABOUT THE FINANCIAL BENEFITS TO THE PARISH ONE, IT DIDN'T INCLUDE THAT IT WOULD BE A TAX ON INVENTORY AND EQUIPMENT THAT THEY WILL PAY TO THE PARISH.

SECONDLY, AT THE END OF THE AGREEMENTS WITH JFI, THE PARISH WILL OWN THIS BUILDING AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE WORTH IS.

IF WE'RE BUILDING IT FOR $9 MILLION, I THINK IT WOULD BE WORTH THAT OR MORE AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE WHEN THE PARISH DOES TAKE IT BACK OVER OR TAKE IT OVER.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME, I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER THEM.

DO YOU KNOW IF ANYBODY WAS INTERVIEWED FROM JFI? EXCUSE ME. WAS ANYBODY FROM JFI INTERVIEWED OR WERE YOU INTERVIEWED? I WAS NOT INTERVIEWED. I DID ASK THE BOARD THAT QUESTION AND NONE OF THOSE NONE OF THE PEOPLE ON THE BOARD WERE INTERVIEWED.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

IF THERE'S NOBODY ELSE TO SPEAK ON THIS, WE'LL HAVE THE INSPECTOR GENERAL COME UP TO CLOSE THIS OUT.

I WILL TRY TO BE FOCUSED AND IN BRIEF.

FIRST OF ALL I AM A PRACTICING ATTORNEY OF 30 YEARS, AND SO I TAKE THE WORD ILLEGAL VERY SERIOUSLY.

AND THAT WORD DID NOT APPEAR IN MY REPORT BECAUSE I WOULDN'T USE THE WORD ILLEGAL IN A WRITTEN REPORT.

THE CONCERNS OUTLINED SPECIFICALLY THAT THE PARISH MIGHT BE VIOLATING PUBLIC BID LAW, PUBLIC LEASE LAW, AND POTENTIALLY THE OPEN MEETINGS LAW, AND THOSE CONCERNS REMAIN VALID.

I ALSO WANT TO CLARIFY, I MYSELF GREW UP IN JEFFERSON PARISH.

I HAPPENED TO HAVE BEEN BORN IN METAIRIE.

MY BROTHER OPERATED A BUSINESS IN GRETNA.

IF I DIDN'T LIVE WHERE I LIVE, I WOULD PROBABLY LIVE IN GRETNA.

IT'S A QUAINT COMMUNITY.

IT'S WALKABLE, I LIKE IT, IT'S GREAT.

SO THE PUBLIC REPORT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CITY OF GRETNA OR THE QUAINTNESS, OR WHETHER IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE A BREWPUB IN GRETNA.

BECAUSE IF THE BREWPUB IS THERE, I'M PROBABLY THERE AS A PATRON.

SO THIS ISN'T ABOUT THAT.

I DON'T REALLY DISAGREE WITH ANYTHING THAT THE PARISH ATTORNEY SAID.

I THINK THAT THE FACTS WERE LAID OUT.

THEY WERE ENTIRELY CORRECT.

PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATIONS HAVE A VERY VALID USE IN THE STATE.

THEY ARE USED THROUGHOUT THE STATE.

SO IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS.

THESE MODELS ARE USED AND PARTICULARLY THEY'RE USED TO STIMULATE, BUT THEY RESULT IN REVENUE FLOWING BACK TO THE GOVERNMENT. AND THE PROBLEM WITH THIS PROJECT IS WE DON'T HAVE REVENUE FLOWING BACK TO THE PARISH.

[01:35:01]

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THIS PARISH BUILDS BUILDINGS ALL THE TIME AND IT'S VERY GOOD AT BUILDING BUILDINGS.

SO IF OUR MONEY IS GOING TO GO TO BUILD THIS BUILDING, WHY ON EARTH ARE WE NOT BUILDING IT? WE'RE TURNING THE MONEY OVER TO AN ENTITY TO BUILD A PUBLIC BUILDING.

AND WHEN WE TURN THAT MONEY OVER TO AN ENTITY TO BUILD A PUBLIC BUILDING, THERE IS NO OTHER OUTCOME OTHER THAN THE PUBLIC HAS BEEN DENIED THE ASSURANCE THAT THAT BUILDING WAS BUILT EFFICIENTLY AND WITH OVERSIGHT, BECAUSE WE'RE GIVING THE MONEY AWAY.

SO WHEN WE GO BUILD A LIBRARY OR WHEN WE GO BUILD A FIRE STATION, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE CONTRACTORS BID AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE PEOPLE ENSURING THAT WE ARE GETTING THE BEST DEAL POSSIBLE.

AND WHEN WE BUILD IT, BY THE WAY, WE CAN BUILD IT AS A TAX EXEMPT ENTITY BECAUSE WE ARE.

AND IN THIS CASE, FOR WHATEVER REASON, WE'RE GIVING $10.3 MILLION TO A NONPROFIT TO GO BUILD A PUBLIC BUILDING AND THAT'S JUST ODD.

LOOKING BACK ON THE GARAGE.

I MYSELF PRACTICE LAW HERE.

SO IF I WAS GOING TO THE COURT OF APPEALS, I WAS GOING TO THE FIFTH CIRCUIT ON THE FOURTH FLOOR BECAUSE I BELIEVE THE DA'S OFFICE OCCUPIED THE FIFTH FLOOR.

AND THAT'S WHAT THE COURTHOUSE WAS THAT I STARTED.

AND I REMEMBER WHEN THESE BUILDINGS WENT UP, I PERSONALLY THINK THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL BUILDINGS, AND I LOVE OUR GOVERNMENT COMPLEX, SUCH AS IT IS TODAY.

BUT THERE'S A LESSON TO BE LEARNED FROM THAT TIME.

AND THAT'S IN THE REPORT AND WAS COVERED.

AND THAT IS THIS REGARDLESS OF OUR GOOD INTENTIONS, IN 2001, WE DECIDED TO BRING IN A NONPROFIT TO BUILD A GARAGE, AND MAYBE THAT WAS A SMART MOVE AT THE TIME.

I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHY WE HAD TO HAVE THE NONPROFIT BUILD A GARAGE, BECAUSE WE COULD HAVE GOTTEN THE BOND MONIES OURSELVES TO BUILD THE GARAGE.

BUT I WASN'T THERE, AND I DON'T KNOW.

BUT LET'S SAY THE CONCEPT WAS GOOD AND VALID AT THE TIME.

SO JFI WENT AND GOT THE FINANCING AND THEY BUILT THE GARAGE, BUT THE REVENUE FROM THE GARAGE WAS SUPPOSED TO PAY OFF THE DEBT AND IT DIDN'T.

SO WHAT WE HAVE LEARNED FROM OUR EXPERIMENT WITH THE NONPROFIT IS THAT WE ALLOWED THEM TO BUILD THE GARAGE. WE DENIED THE CITIZENS THE BENEFITS OF HAVING THE JOB BID THROUGH THE PARISH, TO ASSURE THEM AGAIN THAT THEY GOT THE BEST DEAL.

AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ARE PAYING THE DEBT.

YOU PARK IN A GARAGE ON A REGULAR BASIS THAT THE GENERAL FUNDS OF THIS PARISH IS PAYING FOR YEAR ON TOP OF YEAR.

AND WE DON'T OWN THAT GARAGE.

ANOTHER ENTITY OWNS THAT GARAGE FOR 20 YEARS, WE DON'T OWN IT AND WE'VE BEEN PAYING FOR IT.

SO THE LETTER ALSO BRINGS INTO QUESTION, NOW THAT WE HAVE EXTENDED THE LEASE FOR 15 YEARS, WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENT ON THAT GARAGE? ARE WE STILL GOING TO BE PAYING FOR IT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT SEEING ANY OF THE REVENUE.

SO IT JUST SEEMS HIGHLY INTERESTING THAT WE'RE GOING TO PAY FOR A GARAGE THAT WE DO NOT OWN.

BUT WE'VE BEEN PAYING THE DEBT ON IT AND WE'RE GOING TO TURN AROUND AND GIVE $10.3 MILLION TO BUILD A BREWPUB, WHICH WE ARE GOING TO OWN, BUT WE ARE NOT GOING TO RECEIVE ANY REVENUE.

WHATEVER YOU DECIDE TO DO, I THINK THAT THESE ARE VALID QUESTIONS.

AND THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION IS I DIDN'T GET THE SENSE THAT IT WAS KNOWN TO THIS COUNCIL, EVERY LAST ONE OF YOU THE EXACT COST ON THIS BUILDING.

SINCE THE QUESTION HAS BEEN ASKED, I WILL GO AHEAD AND LAY IT OUT THERE.

NOBODY WAS INTERVIEWED FOR THIS LETTER.

WE WILL HAVE MORE WORK PRODUCT ON THIS SUBJECT.

THE REASON NOBODY WAS INTERVIEWED ON THIS LETTER IS BECAUSE I TOOK THIS APPROACH.

IF I AM A CITIZEN WHO'S WILLING TO DO THE RESEARCH, AND I GO AND LOOK FOR TRANSPARENCY, IF I GO AND LOOK FOR HARD

[01:40:08]

AND IF IT WASN'T PUBLIC, IT'S NOT KNOWN.

AND THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT'S NOT KNOWN.

AS A CITIZEN, I ROLLED UP AND DOWN AIRLINE HIGHWAY.

I SAW THE JEFFERSON PERFORMING ARTS.

IT SO HAPPENS I LOVE THE ARTS.

AND SO I WAS VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE THEATER BEING BUILT.

BUT I PASSED THAT BUILDING WITH THE INSULATION NAILED TO THE OUTSIDE FOR I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YEARS, DIDN'T WORK FOR THE PARISH, DIDN'T UNDERSTAND. BUT I HAVE COME TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE CAN'T DECIDE HOW WE'RE GOING TO PAY FOR SOMETHING WHEN IT'S LIKE HALF BUILT AND WE CAN'T DECIDE WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GET THE MONEY FROM FOR THE GARAGE THAT'S PART OF THIS MULTI-USE DEVELOPMENT WHEN IT'S HALF BUILT, LIKE THE TIME TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS ARE TODAY.

AND IT'S GREAT.

IT'S GREAT THAT I LISTEN THAT THE STATE KNEW ABOUT THIS AND THE STATE'S COMING UP WITH MONEY.

THAT'S GREAT. IF THE STATE CAN GUARANTEE YOU THAT THEY'RE COMING UP WITH MILLIONS.

GREAT. BUT PART OF THIS WAS TO GET YOU TO ASK THE QUESTION.

AT SOME POINT DOWN THE ROAD, YOU'RE GOING TO BE TASKED WITH FINISHING A PROJECT AND FINDING THE MONEY, AND THE ARPA MONEY IS GOING TO BE GONE, AND YOU'RE GOING TO STILL BE PAYING FOR THE GARAGE, AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE BUILDING ANOTHER ONE.

AND AT THAT POINT, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? THANK YOU. THANK YOU MICHELLE.

ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCILWOMAN BOHANNAN.

I HAVE QUESTIONS, MISS CHARLENE YOU SAID THAT YOU BASED IT ON YOU WROTE YOUR LETTER BASED ON WHAT YOU COULD FIND AS A PUBLIC CITIZEN BUT YOU DIDN'T SEND THAT LETTER AS A CITIZEN, YOU SENT THAT LETTER IN YOUR CAPACITY AS THE IG.

AND WITH THAT COMES THE RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS WELL VETTED, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE SHARED AROUND THE WORLD.

RIGHT? SO IN MY OPINION, MY VERY HUMBLE OPINION, AND I THINK THAT YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB, BUT THIS IS AN EXAMPLE WHERE YOU SHOULD HAVE INVESTIGATED AND ASKED QUESTIONS TO THE PEOPLE WHO WOULD KNOW.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW YOU DON'T ADD THE JEDCO REPORTS.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW YOU DON'T TALK TO JERRY, HOW YOU DON'T REACH OUT TO THE MAYOR, AND TO SAY THAT THERE'S NO PUBLIC BENEFIT IS REALLY KIND OF MISLEADING.

YOU'RE BASING THE PUBLIC BENEFIT ON JUST A MONETARY VALUE.

BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT WE RECEIVE WITH THE GARAGE.

WE RECEIVE PARKING FOR JURORS, THERE'S NO DOLLAR VALUE FOR THAT.

YOU KNOW, DURING THE DURING THE HURRICANE, YOU KNOW, ALL OF US USING THE PARKING GARAGE THAT WE COULD GO TO THE EOC BUILDING.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT VALUES THAT DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE A DOLLAR AMOUNT PRESCRIBED TO THEM.

AND FOR YOU TO SAY THAT THE GARAGE DOESN'T PAY FOR ITSELF, IT DOES.

IT MIGHT NOT PAY FOR ITSELF IN DOLLARS.

BUT EVERY JUROR THAT COMES HERE EVERY SINGLE DAY PARKS HERE FOR FREE.

THERE'S A BENEFIT TO THIS PARISH.

IT'S NOT AS EASY.

THAT'S WHY I SAID WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WITH OUR WORDS.

AND WHAT YOUR LETTER DID IS IT SPARKED FOR THE SECOND TIME SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, THE PUBLIC TO SAY, OH, WAIT, LOOK, THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON.

THE IG'S EVEN SAYING THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON.

SO I WOULD JUST APPRECIATE BECAUSE WHEN WE MET THE VERY FIRST TIME YOU TOLD ME, I ALWAYS SEND YOU THE PRELIMINARY REPORT.

I GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND BEFORE I MAKE IT PUBLIC.

BUT IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE THE PARTIES THAT WERE INVOLVED AND THEY WERE NOT ME, BUT THE PARTIES THAT WERE INVOLVED WERE NEVER ASKED.

THE IMPORTANT PARTIES WERE NEVER ASKED THE QUESTION.

AND MY QUESTION TO YOU IS AFTER THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE 2001, WHY WHY NOW? WHAT TRIGGERED THIS NOW? HOW DID THIS GET ON YOUR RADAR? WHO REACHED OUT FOR YOU AND ASKED AND ASKED YOU TO DO THIS? BECAUSE IT HAD TO BE SOMEONE I CAN'T IMAGINE DURING THE STORM, YOU'RE JUST SITTING AT HOME BORED, FLIPPING THROUGH OLD MEETINGS AND SAID, I KNOW, I KNOW WHAT I'LL DO, I'LL INVESTIGATE THIS.

I HAVE TIME ON MY HANDS AS A PRIVATE CITIZEN GO RESEARCH.

THERE HAD TO BE SOMETHING THAT TRIGGERED IT.

WHAT WAS IT? THE OCTOBER 2023 MEETING.

WHAT HAPPENED AT THE OCTOBER 2023 MEETING? I WASN'T ON THE COUNCIL THEN.

WHAT HAPPENED THAT YOU I'M ASKING.

THAT WAS THE SPECIAL MEETING.

THE SPECIAL, FIRST OF ALL AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS BROUGHT OUT IN THE LETTER.

WE DO THE VERY BEST THAT WE CAN TO PUT EYES ON EVERYTHING THAT IS COMING BEFORE THE COUNCIL AND TRY TO DEVELOP PRODUCT BASED UPON AN ASSESSMENT OF WHAT THAT IS.

AND EVERY YEAR WE DO A RISK ASSESSMENT TO SEE WHAT WE'RE GOING TO WRITE ON.

THESE PARTICULAR ITEMS WERE SPREAD ACROSS MULTIPLE MEETINGS.

THEY WERE PASSED AS PART OF THE CONSENT AGENDA IN [INAUDIBLE].

[01:45:01]

IF I SEE AN AGENDA PASSED FOR $465,000, I MIGHT QUESTION IT, BUT IT'S IT'S ONE OF SEVERAL ITEMS THAT ARE ON THE AGENDA. IT WASN'T UNTIL THE OCTOBER MEETING OF 2023, AND AT THAT POINT, I WENT BACK TO THE OFFICE AND TOLD MY DEPUTY OVER AUDIT, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THIS.

TRUTH AND FACT WHEN I ARRIVED IN THE PARISH, SOMEBODY GAVE ME A BOX OVER JFI AND JRI AND SAID, THE INSPECTOR GENERAL NEEDS TO LOOK AT THIS. OKAY AT THE TIME, THERE WAS NO PARTICULAR REVENUE.

IT WAS THE IT WAS BASICALLY THE DESIGN OF THE SYSTEM YOU KNOW, THAT SOMEBODY WANTED ME TO LOOK AT.

IT WASN'T UNTIL THE OCTOBER MEETING WHEN I LISTENED TO THE QUESTIONS FROM THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND I HEARD THE PRESENTATION, AND I HEARD THE STATEMENTS BEING MADE DURING THAT COUNCIL MEETING, THAT I WENT BACK TO THE OFFICE AND SAID TO MY DEPUTY OVER AUDIT, I NEED FOR YOU TO AUTOPSY THIS. I NEED FOR YOU TO GO BACK TO ITS ORIGINS AND AUTOPSY IT, AND NEED TO BRING IT FORWARD AND AUTOPSY IT.

AND SHE WORKED AUTOPSY IT.

AND WHEN SHE WAS FINISHED, THEN I WORKED TO BREAK IT DOWN IN TERMS OF THE PUBLIC BID LAW, THE PUBLIC LEASE LAW, THE OPEN MEETINGS LAW.

AND I HAD TO SATISFY MYSELF.

AT THE END OF THE DAY, I AM 100% PERCENT CONFIDENT THAT THE CONTENTS OF THE LETTER ARE ACCURATE.

THEY'RE NOT THE END OF THE STORY, BUT THEY ARE ACCURATE.

THEY ARE THE BEGINNING OF WHAT WILL BE FUTURE PRODUCT BASED UPON WHAT WAS LEARNED IN DEVELOPING THIS LETTER.

BUT THIS LETTER HAS BEEN UNDERWAY FOR QUITE SOME TIME.

YOU DO NOT GET TO 35 PAGES AND BREAK APART ALL THESE RESOLUTIONS FOR THE LAST 20 YEARS, OVERNIGHT DURING THE HURRICANE.

EXACTLY. SO IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN ON YOUR RADAR SINCE OCTOBER OF 2023, SURELY THERE WAS TIME TO ASK THE RIGHT QUESTIONS TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE.

I'M JUST ASKING THAT IN THE FUTURE, BEFORE YOU SEND OUT A LETTER THAT MAKES IT APPEAR THAT SOMETHING NEFARIOUS OR ILLEGAL OR STRANGE IS GOING ON, WHEN THIS IS A PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION THAT'S USED ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

I MEAN, YOU SAID IT YOURSELF EARLIER.

I MEAN, NEXT TIME, MAYBE PRESENTED A LITTLE MORE BALANCED, OR ASKED THE PEOPLE WHO WOULD KNOW.

THAT WAY THEY COULD HAVE EXPLAINED TO YOU WHAT THE PUBLIC BENEFIT WAS.

YOU KNOW, YOU COULD HAVE INCLUDED THAT IN YOUR REPORT.

INSTEAD OF GOING ON ON TELEVISION AND SENDING OUT REPORTS THAT MAKE IT LOOK LIKE THERE'S SOMETHING CASTING SOME KIND OF SHADOW ON THIS COUNCIL AND ON THIS PARISH.

YOU KNOW, IT'S YOUR ROLE IS SO IMPORTANT.

YOUR ROLE IS SO IMPORTANT.

I'M JUST ASKING YOU TO BE CAREFUL WITH IT BEFORE YOU SEND OUT SOMETHING THAT'S NOT CAREFULLY BALANCED.

THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING.

MY ROLE IS VERY IMPORTANT.

YES. AND IN MY MIND, EVEN AS THIS LETTER WENT OUT, I CAN TELL YOU THAT IN MY ENTIRE TIME WITH THE PARISH, I ARRIVED IN 2011. I STARTED WITH THE IG'S OFFICE IN 2013.

THERE ARE TWO MOMENTS THAT STAND OUT TO ME AS BEING TWO OF THE MOST IMPORTANT MOMENTS THIS OFFICE COULD HAVE.

ONE OF THEM WAS ON DAY ONE.

THE HOSPITAL LEASES WERE IN PLAY AND THE NEGOTIATIONS WERE NOT GOING WELL.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT ROLE THIS OFFICE PER SE, PLAYED.

I THINK IT PLAYED A POSITIVE ROLE IN EXERTING PRESSURE TO ADDRESS THE POLITICS THAT WERE PLAGUING THOSE NEGOTIATIONS.

THAT WAS A BIG DEAL.

THAT WAS A BIG MOMENT THIS OFFICE PLAYED.

THE SECOND, NEXT BIG MOMENT IS THIS DEAL.

I STAND 100% BEHIND THAT LETTER.

THIS OFFICE'S RESPONSIBILITY IS TO PRODUCE PRODUCT THAT OFFERS THE COUNCIL AN OPPORTUNITY TO PREVENT A LOSS.

THAT'S MY JOB.

IF YOU CONSIDER THE LETTER TO NOT BE WORTHY OF ATTENTION OR PAUSE OR MISDIRECTION OR WHATEVER, THAT'S YOUR PREROGATIVE.

BUT I STAND BEHIND THE REPORT AND AT NO TIME, EVEN IN THE REPORT.

EVEN IN THE 35 PAGES, I ACKNOWLEDGED THE BENEFITS OF A PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION.

THIS IS NOT ABOUT ME NOT UNDERSTANDING PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATIONS.

THIS IS ABOUT ME NOT UNDERSTANDING WHY PARISH GOVERNMENT WOULD CHOOSE NOT TO BUILD A PUBLIC BUILDING

[01:50:04]

WHAT TIME AND CIRCUMSTANCE DO WE THINK THAT JFI IS MORE SUPERIOR THAN THE PARISH OF JEFFERSON TO CONSTRUCT A BUILDING IN ITS HISTORY? IT'S BUILT ONE GARAGE.

IT'S SHORTED US PARKING SPACES.

I DON'T KNOW WHY WE WOULD TURN OVER THE CONSTRUCTION OF ANOTHER BUILDING TO THEM, BUT THAT IS YOUR CHOICE.

THAT'S RIGHT.

AS THE LEGISLATIVE BODY, IT'S OUR CHOICE.

AND THE PEOPLE ELECT US.

WE CAN MAKE DECISIONS THAT EVERYONE LOVES AND DECISIONS THAT SOME DON'T.

BUT YOU'RE YOU'RE NOT TASKED WITH TELLING US WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE MAKING GOOD DECISIONS.

YOU'RE LOOKING FOR FRAUD, WASTE, ABUSE.

SO, YOU KNOW, IF THIS IS HOW THE COUNCILMAN DECIDES IS MOST BENEFICIAL, I CAN GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE FOR LAKETOWN.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE BUILDING THE AMPHITHEATER.

WELL, WE WANT TO HAVE THE PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION IN PLACE AND WEIGHING IN BEFORE IT'S BUILT, BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S BUILT TO SPECS THAT WOULD SERVICE.

I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT BUILDING STAGES.

SO WE HAVE TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO CAN HELP US FIGURE OUT WHAT'S THE BEST THING TO BUILD.

IT'S JUST A GOOD EXAMPLE ABOUT WHY WE WOULD BRING SOMEONE FROM THE OUTSIDE IN.

I'M SURE YOU KNOW MARION EDWARDS, WHOEVER WAS BEFORE HIM, THEY ALL THEY HAVE GOOD REASONS FOR IT.

BUT I KNOW THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FIND THE ANSWERS.

PROBABLY IN SOME OF THOSE DOCUMENTS.

YOU CAN JUST CALL THEM OR SEND THEM AN EMAIL.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY YOU DID IT THIS WAY? INSTEAD? THIS LETTER GOES OUT TO THE PUBLIC 35 PAGES, AND EVERYBODY'S EYEBROWS ARE RAISED LIKE SOMETHING'S HAPPENING IN JEFFERSON PARISH AND NOTHING WAS.

IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE IT ANYWAY.

WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, I DO RESPECT YOUR JOB AS A LEGISLATOR.

MY JOB IS TO RAISE AWARENESS TO THE PUBLIC, AND I THINK I DID MY JOB.

THANK YOU. OKAY.

COUNCILMAN ROSENBERG, HANG ON.

I READ THE REPORT, AND OBVIOUSLY, I MEAN, LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S 35 PAGES.

IT'S A LOT OF EFFORT WENT INTO IT.

AND THANK YOU FOR THAT.

I DO. I ALSO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.

GEEZ. WHERE DO I START? I GUESS MY MY FIRST QUESTION IS, AS YOU SAID, YOU STARTED WITH THE IG IN 2013, AND Y'ALL KEEP EYES ON EVERYTHING.

ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE WITH THE AUDIT THAT YOUR OFFICE DID? I KNOW YOU WEREN'T THE IG, BUT I THINK YOU WERE THERE.

THEY ISSUED A REPORT ON NOVEMBER 30TH OF 2017, WHERE THEY DID AN AUDIT ON ALL THE LEASES IN JEFFERSON PARISH.

I RECALL IT.

I DIDN'T READ IT IN ADVANCE OF COMING TODAY.

OKAY. I MEAN, I JUST I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THIS THING STARTED IN, I THINK, 2000.

WHY WASN'T WHY WASN'T ALL THAT? WHY WASN'T ANYTHING CAUGHT THEN? I THINK THERE WAS A THERE WAS A FOLLOW UP ON MARCH 16TH OF 2022.

THAT PARTICULAR AUDIT WAS SCOPED TO COVER LEASES.

THAT IS HOW THE WORK IS DONE.

AT NO POINT IN TIME DO I EVER REPRESENT TO ANYBODY, TO YOU OR ANYBODY THAT WE'RE GOING TO CATCH WITHIN A SCOPE SOMETHING THAT'S A PROBLEM, AND THEN WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT OUR RESOURCES AND OUR ABILITY TO AUTOPSY THAT PARTICULAR PROBLEM.

SO I BELIEVE THAT THE FOCUS OF THAT PARTICULAR AUDIT WAS THE REVENUE THAT WAS COMING FROM VARIOUS LEASES OR LACK OF REVENUE THAT WAS COMING FROM SPECIFIC LEASES.

IT WAS NOT MY JOB AT THE TIME TO DECIDE WHAT THE SCOPE WAS GOING TO BE, BECAUSE I WASN'T THE INSPECTOR GENERAL.

SO IT WAS IT WAS SCOPED IN SUCH A WAY.

OKAY, SO BUT I MEAN, WE'RE I THOUGHT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING.

CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG. IF IT WAS AN OVERVIEW OF ALL THE PARISH LEASES, IT WAS NOT AN OVERVIEW OF ALL THE PARISH LEASES.

OKAY. SO Y'ALL JUST PICKED OUT THE THE MOST EGREGIOUS ONES? NO, THERE WAS SAMPLING DONE AND CERTAIN LEASES WERE IDENTIFIED.

AS I SAID, I WAS NOT THE INSPECTOR GENERAL.

I WOULD NOT HAVE APPROVED THE SCOPE.

THAT'S AN AUDIT PROCEDURE.

OKAY. SO CONFIDENTIALITY OBVIOUSLY IS A IS A BIG DEAL BECAUSE THE EMAIL THAT I GOT WITH THE DRAFT REPORT SAID IT WASN'T TO BE DISSEMINATED UNTIL NOON.

I GOT IT, I BELIEVE, ON WEDNESDAY, SAID IT WASN'T TO BE DISSEMINATED UNTIL NOON ON THURSDAY.

BUT I SAW YOU ON TV ON THURSDAY MORNING ON A PRERECORDED INTERVIEW.

SO WHY? I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, ARE THEY CONFIDENTIAL OR AREN'T THEY? IT IS STANDARD PROTOCOL THAT IF WE HAVE A REPORT THAT'S GOING TO BE PUBLISHED, WE ISSUE AN EMBARGOED COPY 24 HOURS

[01:55:01]

IT'S THERE'S THE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUR COPY AND THE COPY THAT IS ACTUALLY PUBLISHED 24 HOURS LATER IS THE SAME.

IT'S A COURTESY TO YOU AND TO OTHER STAKEHOLDERS THAT THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO READ THE REPORT BEFORE IT'S ACTUALLY PUBLISHED WIDELY, SO THAT IF YOU DO GET QUESTIONS, THEN YOU'RE GETTING QUESTIONS AND YOU HAVE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO READ IT.

ALL RIGHT. AND THAT IS AND SO IT'S NOT A MATTER OF I DID.

GOOD QUESTION AND I GOT QUESTIONED BEFORE THE REPORT WAS RELEASED.

IT'S NOT A MATTER OF IT'S NOT A DRAFT REPORT.

IT'S. AND I ALWAYS TITLE THOSE EMAILS EMBARGOED, WHICH MEANS IN MY MIND, IN MY MIND, IT'S PUBLISHED THE VERY NEXT DAY.

BUT IF YOU DECIDE TO LIKE, PUBLISH IT EARLIER, IT'S IT'S JUST PUBLISHED EARLIER.

IT'S A COURTESY COPY.

SO IT'S, SO IT INSTRUCTED ME NOT TO TO PUBLISH IT, BUT I CAN IT'S A COURTESY COPY FOR YOU TO HAVE IN HAND TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AS A STAKEHOLDER BEFORE IT IS OFFICIALLY PUBLISHED BY THE OFFICE.

AND THAT IS A COURTESY.

AND I TRUST EVERYONE TO ABIDE BY THAT.

I MEAN, I'M STILL A LITTLE CONFUSED, BUT WE'LL LEAVE THAT ALONE.

I HAVE A BUSINESS DEGREE, BUT I DON'T FASHION MYSELF AS ANY KIND OF, YOU KNOW, BUSINESS MOGUL OR ANYTHING.

THE WAY I SEE THIS, IF I ENCAPSULATE THE 35 PAGES, IT'S, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU'VE SAID NOTHING'S ILLEGAL BECAUSE WE ALL TAKE THAT WORD VERY SERIOUSLY.

CORRECT. SO THE NEXT QUESTION IS, IS IT A BAD BUSINESS DEAL? I MEAN, YOU'RE SAYING IT'S NOT MY QUESTION.

OKAY. THAT'S THE WAY I TOOK IT.

I MEAN, I GUESS THAT THAT'S MY THE WAY MY IN MY OPINION, IT'S A LEGAL OR, AND OR IT'S A BAD BUSINESS DEAL.

I MEAN, OTHER THAN THAT, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS IT'S LEGAL AND IT'S, IT'S GOOD FOR THE PARISH, THEN WHY ARE WE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION? AND I GUESS MY POINT IS, I'M, I WISH THAT THE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD GETCO OPINE ON IT THAT THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD BUSINESS DEAL.

WE HAD NO EHMCKE OPINE ON IT AND SAID IT WAS A GOOD BUSINESS DEAL.

BUT WE'VE ALL AGREED THAT NONE OF THEM WERE INTERVIEWED.

CORRECT? NO, I DID NOT SPEAK WITH THEM BEFORE THE LETTER WENT OUT.

ALL RIGHT. DO YOU ARE INTERVIEWS AN IMPORTANT INVESTIGATIVE TECHNIQUE AND THE PREFERRED METHOD OF OBTAINING STATEMENTS? IT WOULD DEPEND ON WHEN, WHERE AND HOW IT WAS NOT UTILIZED FOR THIS PUBLIC LETTER.

AS I INDICATED, THIS WAS APPROACHED PURELY FROM THE CONCEPT OF PUBLIC INFORMATION AVAILABLE.

IT WAS AN ASSEMBLAGE OF PUBLIC INFORMATION, AND IT WAS THE STARTING POINT TO FUTURE PRODUCTS.

AND OF COURSE, THERE WOULD BE INTERVIEWS AND REQUESTS FOR RECORDS, ETC.

THAT WOULD FOLLOW ANY OTHER FUTURE PRODUCTS THAT WOULD BE PUSHED OUT, EITHER AS AN INVESTIGATIVE REPORT OR AN AUDIT REPORT OR AN EVALUATION REPORT.

ALL THAT IS NOT WHAT THIS WAS.

THIS WAS A LETTER.

THIS WAS A LETTER THAT RAISED QUESTIONS.

ONE ABOUT PUBLIC BID LAW, TWO ABOUT PUBLIC LEASE LAW, AND THREE ABOUT OPEN MEETINGS LAWS.

THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY THE CONCERNS RAISED IN THIS LETTER.

IT WAS NOT A LETTER THAT ASKED THE QUESTION ABOUT WHETHER AND AND THAT NONE OF THOSE RULES WERE VIOLATED BECAUSE PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATIONS DON'T, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS AREN'T BOUND BY THOSE THEY PUBLIC BENEFIT.

CORPORATIONS ARE BOUND BY BOTH OPEN MEETINGS LAW AND PUBLIC RECORDS LAW, AND EVEN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATIONS AND THE RECEIPT AND EXPENDITURE OF PUBLIC FUNDS ARE BOUND BY OPEN MEETINGS LAW AS WELL AS PUBLIC RECORDS LAW.

AND THAT WAS COMPLIED WITH IN THIS INSTANCE, PARDON ME.

AND THAT WAS COMPLIED WITH IN THIS INSTANCE.

CORRECT. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, COUNCILMAN.

IF THE PARISH BUILT THE BUILDING.

IT WOULD BE BID OUT.

THE PARISH ISN'T BUILDING THE BUILDING BECAUSE YOU GAVE THE MONEY TO AN ENTITY THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO BUILD IT OUT.

IF YOU'RE OKAY WITH THAT, THEN THAT IS YOUR PREROGATIVE AS A LEGISLATOR, AS AN OVERSIGHT PERSON, I NEED TO CALL OUT WE'RE SPENDING PUBLIC FUNDS.

I WISH I COULD RECALL YOUR WORDS AND THE AND YOUR OWN REPORT THAT WE USE THESE PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATIONS TO MAKE THESE PROJECTS MORE NIMBLE, FLEXIBLE AND NIMBLE WAS PROBABLY THE LINE.

YES, PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATIONS PLAY A ROLE.

[02:00:01]

FLEXIBILITY DOESN'T NECESSARILY SUBSTITUTE THE OVERSIGHT SUPPORTED BY THE GOVERNMENT TO BUILD PUBLIC BUILDINGS.

IF YOU'RE OKAY WITH NOT BUILDING PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND BYPASSING PUBLIC BID LAW, THAT'S YOUR PREROGATIVE.

AS THE OVERSIGHT PERSON, IT'S MY OBLIGATION TO CALL IT OUT TO THE CITIZENS.

JEFFERSON PARISH COUNCIL HAS DECIDED TO BUILD A BUILDING, AND THEY'RE NOT BUILDING, BIDDING IT OUT BECAUSE THEY GAVE THE MONEY TO AN ENTITY THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO BID IT OUT.

THERE'S NO OTHER.

I MEAN, YOU'RE OKAY WITH IT.

YOU'RE OKAY WITH IT.

BUT THAT DOES NOT CHANGE THE FACTS.

ALL RIGHT, I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.

YOU'VE SAID REPEATEDLY THAT THE PARISH DOESN'T OWN THE BUILDING, AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M CLEAR.

THE PARISH WILL OWN THE BUILDING.

THE PARISH WILL OWN THE BUILDING THAT IT'S GIVING 10.3 TO BUILD.

IT WILL NOT HAVE CONTROL OF THE BUILDING BECAUSE IT WILL BE SUBJECT TO A LEASE.

THE PARISH HAS BEEN PAYING FOR A GARAGE FOR 20 SOMETHING YEARS AND IT DOES NOT OWN THE GARAGE TODAY.

IT MEANS THAT YOU HAVE PAID FOR IT AND YOU DON'T OWN IT.

YOU WILL PROBABLY STILL PAY FOR IT AND EVENTUALLY YOU WILL OWN THE GARAGE.

NOW WHY? SINCE YOU PAID FOR THE GARAGE, YOU DIDN'T OWN THE GARAGE FROM DAY ONE IS A QUESTION FOR YESTERDAY, BUT MAYBE WE CAN LEARN SOMETHING FROM YESTERDAY AND APPLY IT TO TOMORROW IF YOU SO CHOOSE.

BUT IF YOU DON'T, THAT'S OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN.

THAT DOVETAILS INTO EXACTLY WHAT I WAS GOING TO TRY TO POINT OUT.

SO FIRST OF ALL, I'M I'M AN ETERNAL OPTIMIST.

I THINK THIS IS OUR SYSTEM AT WORK AND WORKING, AS THE TAXPAYERS HAVE ASKED.

THEY'VE AUTHORIZED AN IG, THEY'VE FUNDED AN IG.

THE IG RAISES QUESTIONS.

WE'RE OBLIGATED TO GET ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTIONS.

I THINK THIS IS OUR SYSTEM AT WORK.

SO I THINK THIS IS A POSITIVE.

I WILL SAY, JUST IN THE WAY OF BACKGROUND, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ASKED IN OUR PARISH PRESIDENT WILL REMEMBER THIS.

THOSE HOSPITAL NEGOTIATIONS WERE WERE QUITE CHALLENGING.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE ASKED OF THE IG THEN, DAVID MCCLINTOCK, WAS, DON'T SIT IN THE ROOM AND ULTIMATELY COME FORWARD SOME MONTHS DOWN THE LINE WITH AN AUTOPSY AND SAY, YOU DID THIS WRONG.

THE BENEFIT TO HAVING AN IG IN THOSE NEGOTIATIONS AS WE WENT ALONG, WAS TO TELL US IN REAL TIME, HEY, YOU ALL MIGHT WANT TO THINK ABOUT THIS.

SO THAT'S THE POINT.

IN THIS INSTANCE OF A LETTER PAST COUNSEL'S ACTUALLY REQUESTED OF THE OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL.

DON'T JUST POINT THE FINGER AFTER YOU SEE A PROBLEM COME FORWARD.

SAY IT SO WE CAN ADDRESS IT NOW INSTEAD OF YOU JUST BLAMING US LATER.

SO LETTERS LIKE THIS ARE ACTUALLY OUR PROCESS WORKING BECAUSE WE HAVE ASKED THE OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL, THE PRIOR OFFICE HOLDER, AS WELL AS THIS ONE. TELL ME IN REAL TIME IF YOU SEE SOMETHING WRONG SO WE CAN ANSWER IT.

SO I THINK AGAIN, THAT'S THE POSITIVE.

AND THANKS TO THE TAXPAYERS FOR, YOU KNOW, SEEING THE FORESIGHT OF HAVING AN ECG.

THE SECOND IS WHAT'S THE DEFINITION OF INSANITY? IT'S DOING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AND EXPECTING EXPECTING A DIFFERENT RESULT.

SO OUR HISTORY OF BUILDING BUILDINGS, WHEN WE BUILT THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, WE, THE PARISH, HIRED AN ARCHITECT WHO HAD NEVER BUILT A THEATER.

WHEN WE BID THAT OUT, AND AGAIN, THIS WAS US TRYING TO DO IT VERY TRANSPARENTLY PRIOR COUNCIL WHEN THEY BID IT OUT AND GOT SOMEONE ON BOARD TO CONSTRUCT.

THAT'S WHEN WE HAD A SERIES OF YEARS OF CHANGE ORDERS THAT DOUBLED THE COST OF THE BUILDING.

SO WHAT DID WE, THE PARISH, LEARN WHEN WE BUILT OUR WEST BANK ANIMAL SHELTER? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LEARNED AND WE DID DIFFERENTLY WAS WE HIRED AN ARCHITECT TO CONSTRUCT THAT, TO DESIGN THE BUILDING, AND BEFORE WE PUT IT OUT TO BID, THE PARISH TOOK THOSE PLANS AND ENGAGED AN ANIMAL CARE EXPERT AND SAID, PLEASE LOOK AT THESE PLANS.

YOU DEAL WITH ANIMALS AND THE CARE OF ANIMALS.

IS THERE ANYTHING IN THIS PLAN THAT YOU SEE IS MISSING THAT MIGHT RESULT IN A CHANGE ORDER DOWN THE LINE, SO THAT WE DON'T EVER HAVE A PERFORMING ARTS CENTER SCENARIO AGAIN, BECAUSE HAD WE DONE THAT ON JPAC AND HANDED IT TO SOMEONE WHO WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE THEATER, THEN THEY WOULD HAVE SAID, YOU DON'T HAVE A LOT OF THE RIGGING YOU NEED.

YOU DON'T HAVE A CATWALK IN YOUR CEILING.

YOU DON'T HAVE EVEN A DISPENSARY FOR DRINKS AND BEVERAGES AND, YOU KNOW, SNACKS.

SO THE PARISH LEARNED AND WE ASKED AN ANIMAL CARE EXPERT TO LOOK AT IT.

[02:05:06]

THEN WE WENT OUT TO BID, AND THEN THE PARISH BUILT AN ANIMAL SHELTER ON THE WEST BANK THAT DID NOT HAVE THE CHANGE ORDERS THAT WE EXPERIENCED WITH JPAC. SO MY POINT OF CONCERN IS THAT BECAUSE WE'RE NOT BUILDING THIS BUILDING THAT IS ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT I HAVE.

WE WILL I HAVE NOT SEEN THE PLANS.

WE HAVE NOT VETTED THEM.

I DON'T KNOW WHO IN THE INDUSTRY HAS VETTED THEM.

BUT LET'S LEARN FROM OUR PAST MISTAKES.

LET'S MAKE SURE IF WE'RE GOING TO CONSTRUCT THIS BUILDING OR SOMEONE'S CONSTRUCTING IT FOR US, THAT THE PLANS HAVE BEEN REVIEWED ADEQUATELY SO WE DON'T GET IN A SYSTEM OF CHANGE ORDERS THAT THE TAXPAYER ULTIMATELY WILL BE ON THE LINE FOR.

WE NEED TO ASSURE OUR RESIDENTS, AND I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE ON THAT.

WE CAN WE CAN ALL AGREE, I'M CERTAIN THAT WE HAVE TO DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE WITH THESE PLANS BEFORE WE'RE CONSTRUCTING, SO THAT WE KNOW IT'S A GOOD SET OF PLANS, AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE A BUNCH OF CHANGE ORDERS AS WE SIT HERE.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE COST OF THE BUILDING IS.

AND NORMALLY IN PARISH GOVERNMENT, WE NEED THAT COST ON THE FRONT END BEFORE WE GO TO BID, BECAUSE WE HAVE A COST THAT THE ENGINEERING TEAM OR ARCHITECTURAL TEAM HAS GIVEN US, AND THEN WE MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE MONEY BEFORE WE PUT IT OUT.

WE DON'T PUT OUT A BID UNLESS WE HAVE THE MONEY.

SITTING HERE TODAY, I DON'T HAVE A TOTAL PRICE TAG.

I LOOKED BACK AT SEARS AND IT SAID NOT MORE THAN 8 MILLION.

BUT THEN LAST MONTH WE PUT ANOTHER MILLION POINT TWO.

SO AGAIN, I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT WE NEED A PRICE TAG ON THIS BUILDING TO COME FROM THE ENGINEERS, A VETTED SET OF PLANS AND A PLAN FOR WHERE THAT MONEY IS, IF WE HAVE IT IN FULL BEFORE WE PUT THIS OUT TO BID, OR BEFORE THIS OTHER ENTITY PUTS IT OUT TO BID.

I THINK WE CAN AGREE ON ALL OF THAT.

IF FOR SOME REASON WE FALL SHORT OF THE MONEY, THEN I THINK THE LAST THING WE NEED TO VET ALTOGETHER IS WHERE WOULD THAT ADDITIONAL MONEY COME FROM? BECAUSE RIGHT NOW MY UNDERSTANDING IS IT WOULD COME FROM THE PARISH.

AND SO IF EVERY TAXPAYER OF THE PARISH, GRETNA AND BEYOND WOULD BE ON THE LINE FOR ANY COST OVERRUNS, THEN I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO KNOW WHERE WOULD. ADDITIONAL MONEY COME FROM? I DON'T THINK THERE'S ONE OF US WHO DOESN'T SEE THAT AS OUR ROLE, OR ONE OF US THAT CAN'T AGREE.

WE NEED THOSE ANSWERS FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD.

OKAY, CAN I GET A QUICK SHOW OF HANDS OF WHO IS GOING TO SPEAK AT PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM OR ANY ITEM ON THE AGENDA? 123456 18.

ALL RIGHT. WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE EXECUTIVE SESSION FIRST BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO BUST PAST NOON.

WE'RE MAKING A HABIT OF THIS.

AND WE'RE WORKING. ON JUST THOSE ITEMS OR EVERYTHING.

OKAY. BEFORE WE GO TO EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE HAVE TO OPEN UP PUBLIC COMMENT ON OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS. IF ANYBODY IS HERE ON THOSE ITEMS, ON THE EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS, YOU'RE HEAR ON THOSE? THEY'RE ON THE AGENDA.

IF NOBODY'S HERE ON THE EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS AND IS HERE FOR EVERYTHING ELSE, THEN WE CAN GO TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.

IT WON'T BE TOO LONG.

WE'LL BE BACK RATHER QUICKLY, I HOPE.

ALL RIGHT. IS THERE ANY OBJECTION? EXCUSE ME, MADAM CLERK. READ THOSE EXACT EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS, PLEASE.

WE HAVE TO TO TAKE THEM OUT OF ORDER.

I KNOW LET'S DO THIS BEFORE.

LET'S DO THIS BEFORE WE GO.

IS THERE ANY OBJECTION? AND TELL ME IF WE CAN DO THIS FIRST? MADAM CLERK, IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO TAKING NUMBERS ONE AND TWO OUT OF ORDER SO WE CAN LET THE ASSESSOR.

THOSE COME THROUGH FOR BOARD OF REVIEW.

SO WE STILL NEED TO OPEN THE PUBLIC COMMENT BECAUSE IT'S ON THE AGENDA.

SO WE WOULD STILL NEED PUBLIC COMMENT ON THAT ITEM SPECIFICALLY.

WE CAN OPEN UP. YES.

OKAY. SO LET'S.

OKAY. CAN I GET A MOTION TO SUSPEND THE RULES? YES. IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO SUSPENDING THE RULES TO BRING ITEMS ONE AND TWO UP FOR THE BOARD OF REVIEW? FOR THE ASSESSOR TO SPEAK? ON MOTION OF COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

AND THERE WILL BE PUBLIC COMMENT ON THESE ITEMS. IF YOU HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT, THEN WE WILL GO TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.

HAVE THE REST OF PUBLIC COMMENT AFTERWARDS.

HEARING NO OBJECTION SO ORDERED.

MR. CAPELLA, YOU'RE WELCOME, BECAUSE WE'RE LETTING YOU TAKE YOUR TIE OFF AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.

I KNOW THE ASSESSOR HAS IMPORTANT WORK TO GET TO, AND HE'S BEEN WAITING A LITTLE WHILE, LIKE ALL OF US.

SO I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS TODAY.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE PEOPLE HERE TO LET US READ.

LET US READ ITEM NUMBER ONE AND GET PAST THAT.

[BOARD OF REVIEW]

[02:10:03]

COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN YOUR MOTION ON THAT MOVE.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF THAT RESOLUTION? A MOTION OF COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

ITEM NUMBER TWO, PLEASE, MADAM CLERK, WITH AMENDMENTS.

[PUBLIC HEARINGS]

THE AMENDMENT IS TO REMOVE FIVE PROPERTIES LLC, WHICH HAS WITHDRAWAL THEIR PROTEST.

AND THAT'S ALL THE AMENDMENTS. I HAVE ANY OBJECTION TO AMENDMENTS BEING BROUGHT FROM THE FLOOR? HEARING NONE. COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN YOUR MOTION ON THE AMENDMENTS, MOVE ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF THOSE AMENDMENTS ON MOTION OF COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER. HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

SO WE NOW OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THAT AGENDA.

ITEM NUMBER TWO. IF ANYONE IS IN FAVOR, PLEASE COME FORWARD.

ANYONE IN OPPOSITION.

LET ME GIVE IT ANOTHER SECOND. ANYONE IN FAVOR? PLEASE COME FORWARD. ANYONE IN OPPOSITION? 509 HOMER BOULEVARD.

ALWAYS RISING IN OPPOSITION WHEN IT COMES TO ARBITRARY TAXATION AND THE ASSESSMENT SYSTEM, THE IDEA THAT RESIDENTS, AND ESPECIALLY RENTERS OF YOUR BUSINESS, PROPERTY OR RENTERS OF THEIR APARTMENTS, THEIR RESIDENCES, ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY PROPERTY TAXES AND MILLAGES.

NOBODY KNOWS WHAT THE WORD MILLAGE MEANS, AND I'M SURE MR. SPELLER WILL EXPLAIN THAT.

AND HE'S DONE SO BEFORE. I APPRECIATE THAT, BUT THE IDEA THAT WE ALLOW FOR OURSELVES TO BE ARBITRARILY TAXED FROM ONE HOUSE TO THE NEXT, MY NEIGHBORS CAN PAY THREE, FOUR, $5,000, 6000, $10,000 IN PROPERTY TAXES, WHILE ONE NEIGHBOR IS PAYING A COUPLE HUNDRED.

THIS SHOWS HOT BLOOD BETWEEN NEIGHBORS, THE IDEA THAT THE CITIZENS ARE MADE THE SERVANT TO THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE.

I'VE GOT TO FILE SOME SOME COMPLAINT.

I'VE GOT TO DECLARE SOME PROTEST.

NO, I WANT TAXATION AND REPRESENTATION.

THIS IS NOT A REPRESENTATIVE BODY.

YOU PUT IT ON DISPLAY ROUTINELY.

YOU'RE NOT APPORTIONED. YOU CAN'T BE APPORTIONED.

THE IDEA THAT WE'RE THE ENVY OF OF BATON ROUGE IS A JOKE.

WE'RE THE LAUGHINGSTOCK.

WE ARE THE MARK IN THAT CON DISENFRANCHIZED TO THE STATE GOVERNMENT.

WE CAN'T EVEN GET A REDISTRICTING MEETING.

YOU WANT ME TO BELIEVE THAT ANYTHING GETTING CONDUCTED IN HERE IS LEGIT? WAKE UP.

I OPPOSE THIS AS A JEFFERSONIAN.

I DEMAND THAT PROPERTY TAXES BE APPORTIONED, THAT WE FIGURE OUT THAT ASSESSING RESIDENTIAL OWNERS IS ABSURD.

ASSESS THE PROPERTY ON ITS LAND MASS PER ACRE, DOLLAR PER FOOT.

DO THIS IN AN APPORTIONED MANNER THAT THE CITIZENS CAN UNDERSTAND AND NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT APPLYING FOR SOME EXCEPTIONS, SOME KIND OF EXEMPTION, SOME KIND OF SPECIAL AFFORDANCE. YOU'RE MAKING ENEMIES AND HOT BLOOD BETWEEN NEIGHBORS.

FIGURE THIS OUT.

ANYONE ELSE IN OPPOSITION? WHICH ONE DO WE HAVE? THANK YOU.

MY NAME IS JAY ADAMS WITH THE JONES WALKER LAW FIRM, AND I'M REPRESENTING AMC THEATERS, WHO HAS FILED PROTESTS TO THE VALUATION OF TWO OF THEIR PROPERTIES, ONE ON THE WEST BANK AND ONE IN ELMWOOD.

AND SIMPLY TO STATE YOU HAVE 220 YEAR OLD PROPERTIES THAT ARE EXTREMELY OUT OF DATE.

THEY'RE NOT MODERN.

AS YOU PROBABLY CAN UNDERSTAND, THE MOVIE BUSINESS IS NOT WHAT IT WAS BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, AND IT'S NOT COMING BACK.

IN FACT, I WAS THINKING BACK TO THE DAYS WHEN I WOULD GO TO THE ELMWOOD THEATER AND THE PARKING LOT WAS FULL.

YOU HAVE TO PARK ACROSS THE STREET IN THE PARISH LOT TO WALK OVER THERE.

YOU GO IN, IT'D BE FULL.

THE CONCESSION STANDS WOULD BE FULL.

IF YOU REMEMBER, THERE WERE TWO DOWN THE WINGS.

THOSE WERE BOTH SHUTTERED AND CLOSED.

HALF THE THEATERS DON'T SHOW MOVIES ANYMORE.

IT'S A IT'S A THEATER SIZE.

THEY WOULD NEVER BUILD TODAY.

IF THEY WERE GOING TO BUILD IT TODAY, IT WOULD BE HALF THE SIZE.

IT'D BE MORE MODERN.

EVERYONE WANTS TO GO SEE IMAX AND DOLBY.

THOSE COSTS A LOT OF MONEY TO BUILD.

THERE'S A LOT OF UNUSABLE SPACE IN THIS BUILDING, AND THEREFORE WE BELIEVE THE ASSESSMENT SHOULD BE REFLECTIVE OF WHAT A NEW BUILDING WOULD BE COST TO BUILD.

AND THEREFORE, THAT'S WHY WE'VE ASKED THE COUNCIL TO VALUE BOTH OF THESE PROPERTIES AT WHAT IT WOULD COST TO REBUILD A MODERN THEATER THAT WOULD BE DEPRECIATED TO TODAY'S VALUE.

AS WE'VE REQUESTED ON OUR APPEAL OF 2.336 MILLION, WHICH WOULD BE REFLECTIVE OF WHAT A THEATER WOULD COST TODAY, THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE LAND VALUE.

THAT'S JUST FOR THE IMPROVEMENTS THEMSELVES.

I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT OUR APPEAL.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

ANYONE ELSE IN OPPOSITION? GOOD MORNING. COUNCIL. MY NAME IS TONY AYALA.

I SERVE WITH CHICK FIL A AND A PROPERTY TAX TEAM.

I HAVE A PACKAGE HERE FOR YOU ALL TO REVIEW.

I HANDED HIM OVER TO YOU. THE COUNCIL.

[02:15:15]

IF YOU COULD PLEASE FLIP TO THE VERY LAST PAGE.

THAT WOULD BE THIS PAGE RIGHT HERE.

PAGE 17.

TODAY I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT TWO CHICK FIL A'S IN JEFFERSON PARISH.

THESE ARE THE HIGHEST VALUE CHICK FIL A'S, NOT JUST IN THE PARISH, BUT IN THE STATE OF LOUISIANA.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS SHEET, YOU KIND OF SEE THAT DEVALUATION OF OUR RESTAURANTS ARE NOT UNIFORM AT ALL.

THE LAND VALUES FOR THESE TWO RESTAURANTS ARE WHAT YOU EXPECT TO SEE IN THE NEW YORK CITY MARKET OR IN THE MIAMI MARKET.

THEY'RE NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF A SUBURBAN MARKET.

THE REST OF THE PACKAGE KIND OF GOES INTO DETAIL WHY THE VALUATION IS INCORRECT BY THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE.

I REACHED OUT TO THE OFFICE TO HAVE A DIALOG, AND THEY WERE NOT INTERESTED IN HAVING THAT DIALOG WITH ME AT THE TIME, WHICH IS WHY I'M HERE TODAY, TO ARGUE FOR A LOWER VALUE FOR BOTH OF OUR RESTAURANTS, ONE IN KENNER AND ONE IN METAIRIE.

THE COUNSELORS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? THANK YOU. I ASSUME THE ASSESSOR HAS ALL THIS INFORMATION AS WELL.

I PROVIDE IT TO THE OFFICE.

OKAY. ANYONE ELSE IN OPPOSITION? MADAM CLERK, NOTE THAT THREE APPEARED IN OPPOSITION.

MR. ASSESSOR.

VERY QUICKLY I'LL TAKE THE.

AS THEY APPEARED, THE AMC THEATER OF THE ASK WAS TO BASE.

THEIR FIRST ASK WAS FOR LAND VALUE ONLY, MEANING THE BUILDING WAS WORTH NOTHING, WHICH IS NONSENSICAL.

THE SECOND ASK, WHEN WE WENT BACK AND OFFERED A BREAK, WHICH WOULD HAVE SAVED THEM $113,000 IN TAXES, THEY REFUSED.

THEIR SECOND ASK IS LAND AND TAKE OFF 80% OF THE BUILDING? AND AGAIN, OUR NUMBERS ARE WE VERY COMFORTABLE ON.

THAT'S THE ELMWOOD ONE AND ON THE WEST BANK.

THEY WANTED THE LAND ONLY FIRST OFFER AND THEN THE SECOND ONE.

THEY CAME BACK. THEY WANTED 77% OFF THE BUILDINGS.

OBVIOUSLY THE BUILDINGS ARE WORTH SIGNIFICANT MONEY.

THE THEATERS ARE DOING WELL, AND WE CERTAINLY WILL BE GLAD TO WORK WITH THEM AS WE'VE TRIED TO DO.

AND THEY CAN GO TO THE TAX COMMISSION IF THEY'VE DONE THE NUMBERS.

BUT THE CURRENT VALUE IS $20,146,367 AT ELMWOOD, AND THEIR ASK IS $10,502,000, WHICH IS BASICALLY LAND VALUE.

OBVIOUSLY, WE CAN'T DO THAT.

THE BUILDINGS WERE SIGNIFICANT MONEY AS IT IS ON THE WEST BANK.

SO WE WOULD ASK THAT YOU ACCEPT OUR NUMBERS.

WE'RE VERY CONFIDENT WITH OUR TEAM.

THEY THEN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO THE TAX COMMISSION AND MAKE THE ARGUMENT THEIR CHICK FIL A.

OBVIOUSLY, IF YOU HAVE DRIVEN BY CHICK FIL A, THEY'RE DOING VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY WELL.

BOTH OF THE LOCATIONS ARE ON VETERANS, WHICH IS OUR HIGHEST VALUED LAND.

SO THE THEY USED ONLY THE INCOME APPROACH TO TRY TO COME UP WITH, WITH, WITH A NUMBER, WHICH IS A VALUE OF WHAT THE STORE MAKES INCOME.

BY LAW, WE'RE REQUIRED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ALL THREE APPROACHES.

THAT'S THE VALUE.

WHAT IT WOULD COST TO BUILD IT.

VALUE APPROACH.

COST APPROACH AND INCOME APPROACH.

AND OUR NUMBERS ARE RIGHT ON THE MONEY.

WE OFFER TO HELP THEM, BUT THE NUMBERS THAT THEY'RE REQUESTING BASICALLY TAKE IT ALL THE WAY DOWN FROM LAND ON VETERANS FROM $60 A FOOT TO $21 A FOOT.

THERE'S NOTHING ON VETERANS THAT'S $21 A FOOT.

BE GLAD TO MEET WITH ANY OF THEM ANY TIME BEFORE THE TAX COMMISSION.

BUT THEY'RE ASKING US TO DO THINGS THAT ARE WAY, WAY, WAY OUT OF OUR REALM.

AND IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON AT CHICK FIL A AND THE PLACES ON VETERANS, THEY'RE ALL DOING VERY WELL.

SO APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION.

WE TRUST OUR NUMBERS AND ASK THAT YOU APPROVE OUR ROLE.

THANK YOU. MR. CAPELLA. CAN I JUST ASK A QUICK QUESTION JUST FOR MY OWN.

SO IF WE WE VOTE TODAY, YOU CAN STILL CONTINUE TO NEGOTIATE WITH THEM.

OF COURSE, ABOUT THE VALUE.

IF WE VOTE TODAY, THEN THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY THE, THE YOUR LAWYER, THE APPEALS COURTS, THE TAX COMMISSION, THAT'S THEIR APPEALS COURT WILL CERTAINLY BE TALKED TO THEM ANY WAY THEY WANT, REASONABLY NUMBERS, AND WE ALWAYS WANT TO HELP PEOPLE WHEN TIMES ARE TOUGH.

SO WE DO HAVE STILL TIME TO TALK.

BUT IF THEY CHOOSE TO TAKE AN APPEAL TO THE TAX COMMISSION, SO BUT TODAY THEY WOULD BE MARRIED TO THESE NUMBERS UNTIL THE APPEAL I GUESS IS WHAT I'M CORRECT.

[02:20:03]

WE'D BE GLAD TO HELP THEM.

BUT YES, WE CAN NEGOTIATE ALL THE WAY TO THE TAX COMMISSION.

AND A LITTLE BIRD TOLD ME TODAY, TOO, THAT YOU MAY BE ABLE TO OFFER SOME ASSISTANCE WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE FLOODED.

YES. SO I MAY BE COMING TO YOU.

AND SO, YEAH, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT.

I KNOW MOST OF THEM ARE IN YOUR DISTRICT.

WE'RE A LITTLE LIMITED. IF THEY HAVE INSURANCE, THERE'S SOME THINGS WE CAN AND CAN'T DO, BUT OBVIOUSLY WE CAN TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHAT HAPPENED.

AND CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU DURING THAT STORM.

YOU ALL DID A GREAT JOB.

IT'S A LOT OF WORK.

WE'VE BEEN THERE.

WHEN I WAS ON THAT COUNCIL. AND YOU DESERVE CREDIT.

YES, WE CAN WORK WITH YOU AND WE CAN ALWAYS TALK TO THE PEOPLE UP TO THE TAX COMMISSION.

OKAY. I HAVE A QUESTION TO MR..

GO AHEAD. YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT.

HOW HOW HOW WITH RESPECT TO AMC'S REQUEST, HOW UNUSUAL.

I THINK THE REQUEST IS TO VALUE IT WITH A NEW BUILDING ON IT.

THEY WANTED A VALUE WITH NO BUILDING ON IT.

OH, WITH NO BUILDING. OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. I MISUNDERSTOOD THEIR FIRST ASK WAS LAND ONLY.

BASICALLY, THAT THE BUILDING IS WORTH NOTHING.

ALL RIGHT. THEIR SECOND ASK, I MISUNDERSTOOD.

OKAY. LAND ONLY PLUS 20% OF WHAT WE HAVE.

THE BUILDING. THEY WANTED 80% OFF THE BUILDING.

THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE? THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR RAISING ME IN.

THE PUBLIC HEARING WAS CLOSED ON THAT ITEM SO YOU CAN CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION WITH THE ASSESSOR.

THANK YOU FOR WEARING A TIE TODAY, MR. COPPOLA. WE APPRECIATE IT.

IT WON'T BE LONG.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.

SIR. COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN YOUR MOTION.

MOVE FOR APPROVAL.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE APPROVAL OF AGENDA ITEM TWO ON MOTION OF COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

NOW LET'S MOVE TO THOSE EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS, PLEASE, MADAM CLERK.

[EXECUTIVE SESSION]

AND TO PROVIDE TO PROVIDE FOR RELATED MATTERS.

WE ARE NOT IN RECESS YET, EVERYBODY.

HANG ON A SECOND. I KNOW EVERYBODY'S ANXIOUS TO WALK AROUND.

WE HAVE A COUPLE OF ITEMS TO READ IN.

ANY OBJECTION TO THAT? EXECUTIVE SESSION RESOLUTION BEING ADOPTED ON MOTION OF COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE COUNCIL TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS LEGAL MATTERS CONCERNING A WORKER'S COMPENSATION CLAIM FOR LAKIA SKINNER, CC M SEE CLAIM NUMBER 1657, Y231245 AND TO PROVIDE FOR RELATED MATTERS.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF THAT EXECUTIVE SESSION? RESOLUTION ON MOTION OF COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

WE'RE NOW IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.

ALL RIGHT. IF EVERYONE CAN GRAB A SEAT, WE'LL RESUME THE MEETING SHORTLY.

ONE. TWO. THREE.

FOUR. MADAM CLERK, PLEASE READ THOSE EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS. MAYBE. A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A SETTLEMENT IN A LAWSUIT ENTITLED KENNETH JOHNSON AND BRENDA JOHNSON VERSUS CARLOS PEMBROKE IN JEFFERSON PARISH, 24TH JDC NUMBER 837586 DIVISION G.

AND TO PROVIDE FOR RELATED MATTERS.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF THAT EXECUTIVE SESSION RESOLUTION? A MOTION OF COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING A SETTLEMENT IN A WORKER'S COMPENSATION CLAIM FOR LAKIA SKINNER.

C.C.M. C CLAIM NUMBER 1657Y231245.

AND TO PROVIDE FOR RELATED MATTERS.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF THAT EXECUTIVE SESSION RESOLUTION? ON MOTION OF COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

ALL RIGHT. WELCOME TO THE JEFFERSON PARISH COUNCIL MEETING ON WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24TH.

SEPTEMBER 25TH.

WE'LL START AT THE BEGINNING. HOW ABOUT THAT? WE LEFT OFF AT PERSONS WISHING TO APPEAR BEFORE THE COUNCIL REGARDING ITEMS ON THE AGENDA OR THE DISCUSSION WE HAD EARLIER

[PERSONS WISHING TO APPEAR BEFORE THE COUNCIL REGARDING A RESOLUTION(S) ON AGENDA/ADDENDUM AGENDA]

YOU HEARD IT. SO IF YOU WANTED TO COMMENT ON THAT, YOU CAN.

NAME AND ADDRESS. FOR THE RECORD, YOU HAVE TO FILL OUT YOUR REQUEST TO SPEAK CARD IF YOU'RE NEW TO THE GAME.

AL MORELLA 52685 OVERDRIVE 15 SOUTH FOURTH DISTRICT.

[02:25:01]

64 IS AN AMENDMENT TO THE BID.

THAT'S GOING TO GO INTO THE BID, BUT THE TOTAL IS $262,500 FOR DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED THE LIBRARY, PUBLIC WORKS, PARKS AND RECREATION AND JUVENILE SERVICES.

NOW, I CAN I CAN GET ALL OF THIS IN ALL OF THIS THAT WENT ON IN HERE TODAY.

THERE WAS TWO COMPONENTS OF THAT REPORT THAT NO ONE EVEN TALKED ABOUT, NOT EVEN THE ATTORNEY FOR JEFFERSON FACILITIES WHO CAME UP HERE.

IF HE'S STILL IN THE AUDIENCE, I HOPE HE IS SO HE CAN LISTEN TO THIS.

ONE OF THE MAIN COMPONENTS IN THAT REPORT WAS THAT JEFFERSON FACILITIES HAD DEFAULTED ON SOME LOANS THEY HAD MADE, AND THE PARISH HAD HAD PAID WITH TAXPAYER DOLLARS AND PICKED UP THOSE LOANS THAT THEY DEFAULTED ON.

SO IF THAT'S THE CASE, AND THEN ALSO IN THAT REPORT WAS THAT JEFFERSON REDEVELOPMENT JRY WAS SUPPOSEDLY FUNNELING MONEY TO JFI.

NONE OF THAT WAS TALKED ABOUT.

BUT I SAW THE REPORT, I NOT THE REPORT ITSELF, BUT I SAW THE NEWS REPORTS ON ALL OF THIS.

THAT'S HOW I KNOW WHAT I'M TELLING YOU.

AND NOW I WANT TO KNOW.

I WANT SOME CONFIRMATION ON THAT TO SEE IF THAT'S CORRECT.

AND ONE MORE THING.

I WILL NEVER CALL THAT DEBACLE ON AIRLINE HIGHWAY A PERFORMING ARTS CENTER.

TO ME, IT'S A DEBACLE, AND IT ALWAYS WILL BE.

AND I'LL TELL YOU SOMETHING ELSE.

I DON'T WANT TO SEE ANOTHER DEBACLE LIKE THAT IN THIS PARISH.

NOT AS LONG AS I'M ALIVE.

ANYBODY GOT ANY COMMENTS? ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

MEYERS. YOU KNOW WHERE I LIVE.

I STILL SAY IT. PLEASE. I DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE TO.

I'VE READ UP ON THAT.

I LIVE ON HOMER BOULEVARD.

YOU KNOW WHERE? THANK YOU.

AND YOU ACTUALLY DO. IT'S PART OF OUR RULES.

FIRST AMENDMENT.

THE ENVY OF THE STATE.

WE'RE A LAUGHINGSTOCK. WE ARE THE SUCKER.

YEAH, THEY'LL TELL YOU THAT THEY ENVY US, SO WE'LL KEEP GIVING THEM OUR MONEY.

EVERY DOLLAR THAT COMES FROM THE STATE TROUGH WE GAVE IT.

WE ARE THE MOST AFFLUENT PARISH, SECOND MOST POPULATED, AND PROBABLY THE THIRD MOST DISENFRANCHIZED, SECOND THIRD MOST DISENFRANCHIZED AT THE STATE GOVERNMENT LEVEL, WITH ONLY ONE SENATOR OUT OF SEVEN THAT REPRESENTS SOLELY JEFFERSON PARISH.

I DON'T EVEN WANT TO GET INTO ALL THIS BECAUSE I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE.

IF WE WERE THE ENVY OF THE STATE, WHY IS IT WE COULDN'T GET A REDISTRICTING MEETING IN OUR PARISH, SECOND LARGEST PARISH, MR. HARLAN AND SAINT TAMMANY MADE SURE THEY HOLD THAT WHOLE STATE AND GOVERNING COMMITTEE UNDERSTOOD THIS WAS AN AFFRONT.

AN AFFRONT. DON'T DON'T TRY AND TELL ME WHERE THE ENVY OF ANYBODY WHEN IT COMES TO BATON ROUGE OPEN MEETING LAW, PUBLIC INFORMATION, Y'ALL.

Y'ALL GIVE NO CONCERN FOR THIS AT ALL.

I'M LITERALLY READING THAT THAT LAW INTO RECORD HERE AND I'M I'M ASSAULTED BY MY OWN COUNCIL MEMBER AS TO WHETHER OR NOT I'M AN ATTORNEY.

AGAIN, I GOT A LOT OF DEFECTS OF CHARACTER.

BEING AN ATTORNEY AIN'T ONE OF THEM.

FROM SEARS TO PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATIONS, JUST ANOTHER CROTCHET INGENUITY THAT THE COMBINATIONS OF THE DAY GIVE RISE TO UNACCOUNTABLE BENEFITING FROM ALL THE PRIVATE SECTOR INDULGENCES.

RIGHT. THEY DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING TO CONFORM TO THE PUBLIC.

AND IF I WERE TO TRY AND CONDUCT OVERSIGHT MYSELF, I'D BE OPPOSED BY THE PARISH ATTORNEY TOLD THAT I GOT TO FILE AN INFORMATION REQUEST.

I DON'T STATE LAW IS CLEAR ON ALL THIS, BUT NOBODY'S PAYING ATTENTION ANYWAY.

ONLY THREE OUT OF TEN VOTERS SHOWED UP TO EMPOWER THIS BODY.

I GET HALF OF THE DISAFFECTED AND APATHETIC.

WE SWEEP THIS WHOLE ROOM OUT, AND WE MAKE THIS A CIVIC DUTY AGAIN.

MAKE YOU ALL CONFORM TO THE 27TH AMENDMENT.

YOU IGNORE AND AND ARE AN AFFRONT TO IN IN YOUR CONSTRUCT, YOU GET RAISES FROM THE STATE GOVERNMENT.

YOU DON'T FACE THE ELECTORATE.

THAT'S A VIOLATION OF THE 27TH AMENDMENT TO THE CONSTITUTION.

THE SECOND ARTICLE TO THE CONSTITUTION.

SECOND MOST IMPORTANT THING MORE IMPORTANT THAN FREEDOM OF SPEECH, MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE FREEDOM OF, WELL, OPPRESS, IF WE HAD ONE.

MORE IMPORTANT WAS TO MAKE SURE YOU COULDN'T LINE YOUR POCKETS.

BUT IF YOU'VE GOT INFLUENCE WITH THE STATE GOVERNMENT, AND I'M SURE YOU'RE THE ENVY OF THEM, THEN YOU COULD JUST GET THEM TO GIVE YOU A RAISE, AND YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO PAY

[02:30:02]

I MAKE 21 MILLIONAIRES IN THIS ROOM RIGHT ON THAT SIDE OF THE PODIUM.

NEVER MIND HOW MUCH I'M PAYING IN DIRECTORSHIPS, NEVER MIND HOW MUCH I PAY TO THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS TIED TO THIS PARISH.

THAT'S YOUR TIME, MR. AYERS.

FIGURE IT OUT. THANK YOU.

BEN BAGWELL, 1719 MENDS STREET.

I'M NOT A PUBLIC SPEAKER, BUT HERE WE GO.

THIS IS IMPORTANT. I JUST WANT TO TAKE A SECOND TO SAY THANK YOU TO JEFFERSON PARISH FOR ALLOWING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO REIMAGINE AND RESTORE FAITH IN A REAL RECYCLING SYSTEM RIGHT HERE IN JEFFERSON PARISH.

BIGGER PICTURE.

THIS IS HOW WE RESPECT THE EARTH, AND IN TURN, BY SHOWING HOW WE RESPECT OUR RESOURCES AND HOW WE RESPECT OUR EARTH.

OUR ACTIONS SHOW HOW WE RESPECT THE CITIZENS, THE RESIDENTS, AND THE PEOPLE OF THIS PARISH.

SO WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN THE PROCESS THAT WE'VE HOSTED OVER THE LAST 24 WEEKS IN JEFFERSON PARISH, SACRIFICING OUR TIME, SPENDING SOME OF OUR OWN MONEY WORKING WITH PUBLIC WORKS, DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND THE STREETS DEPARTMENTS WE HAVE SHOWN TO YOU ALL.

WE HAVE SHOWN TO THE RESIDENTS THAT WE HAVE THE SOLUTION TO CAP THIS SPILL OF PLASTIC INTO OUR ENVIRONMENT.

THE QUANTITIES OF PLASTIC THAT WE SEE IN A FOUR HOUR PERIOD ARE REAL.

I INVITE YOU TO LOOK AT OUR INSTAGRAM AND CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE.

I WANT YOU TO BE PART OF THIS PROCESS.

THIS IS THE FUTURE.

TO BE THE ENVY OF THE STATE, WE HAVE TO HAVE THE BASICS OF A RECYCLING SYSTEM FOR OUR RESIDENTS TO BE APPEALABLE.

FOR NEW RESIDENTS TO MOVE TO JEFFERSON PARISH, WE HAVE TO HAVE A RECYCLING SYSTEM FOR OUR RESIDENTS.

SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.

I WANT TO THANK COUNCILWOMAN JENNIFER VAN VRANCKEN FOR REALLY SPEARHEADING THIS EFFORT.

ALL OF THE RESIDENTS WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED, WE'VE SEEN OVER 10,000 RESIDENTS IN 24 WEEKS, AND WE'VE RECYCLED ACTUALLY RECYCLED OVER 200,000 POUNDS OF MATERIAL. THIS MATERIAL DOESN'T GET BURIED IN THE GROUND LIKE CAVEMEN.

BECAUSE THIS IS 2024, WE HAVE TO RESPECT THESE MATERIALS.

WE HAVE TO RESPECT OUR EARTH AND WE HAVE TO RESPECT EACH OTHER.

AND THERE'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY IN THIS COUNCIL TO CHANGE THE TONE THAT I'VE SEEN ON THE NEWS FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO WORK TOGETHER, HOW WE'RE GOING TO FIND A LONG TERM SOLUTION TO MAKE THIS REAL FOR JEFFERSON PARISH.

THIS IS THE FUTURE, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AND OUR COMPANY.

REAL CYCLE LOOKS FORWARD TO MAKING REAL RECYCLING HAPPENING RIGHT HERE IN JEFFERSON PARISH.

BEN BENZ WITH REAL CYCLE, ONE OF THE TWO COMPANIES THAT HAVE WORKED WITH US.

LET ME JUST SAY, THE CREDIT REALLY GOES TO OUR ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT, WHO IS SO PASSIONATE ABOUT RECYCLING.

AND IT IS SOMETHING EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS SITTING UP HERE AGREES UPON.

WE ALL TALK THIS WEEK ABOUT THE NEED AND THE IMPORTANCE WE'VE HEARD FROM THE CONSTITUENTS THAT THEY WANT THESE DROP OFF SITES TO CONTINUE.

I KNOW HANS WAS IN LINE.

WHAT ABOUT AN HOUR? YEAH. SO EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL MEMBER WE'VE ALL SPOKEN ABOUT THIS.

WE ALL UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE.

AND SO THIS IS SOMETHING WE'RE UNIFIED ON CONTINUING.

FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE BEEN CONTACTING OUR OFFICES, THE PILOT PROGRAM IS SCHEDULED TO COME TO AN END AFTER THIS WEEKEND.

THIS WILL BE THE DROP OFF ON THE ON THE EAST AND WEST BANK.

BUT WHAT YOU'LL SEE ON THIS COUNCIL AGENDA.

AGAIN, ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE HAVE HELPED FIND THE FUNDING TO PUT THIS OUT TO BID SO THAT WE CAN HAVE DROP OFF LOCATIONS. ON THE EAST BANK AND WEST BANK.

FOR THE NEXT THREE MONTHS.

AND THEN ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS IS WORKING REALLY HARD TO FIGURE OUT A PERMANENT SOLUTION.

SO AGAIN, THE CREDIT GOES TO EVERYONE FOR FOR UNDERSTANDING AND THE IMPORTANCE.

I WANT TO ECHO THAT SENTIMENT BECAUSE WE STILL GET IT A LOT.

I READ ALL THE EMAILS THAT COME THROUGH.

WE SEE ALL THE THE COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE LINES.

AND THIS PAST WEEKEND WAS A LITTLE BIT OF AN EXCEPTION BECAUSE THE TWO PRIOR WEEKENDS WERE CANCELED BECAUSE OF WEATHER.

BUT PEOPLE A GOOD NUMBER OF PEOPLE WE KNOW WANT A CURBSIDE OPTION.

AND AS WE MENTIONED, THERE ARE CURBSIDE OPTIONS AVAILABLE TODAY FROM RECYCLING GLASS HALF FULL, THEY ARE A LITTLE MORE EXPENSIVE.

WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK TO FIND A REAL CURBSIDE SOLUTION.

BUT THE REALITY IS, AND I'LL SAY THIS UNTIL I'M BLUE IN THE FACE, THE REALITY IS THAT RECYCLING IS NOT WHAT IT ONCE WAS.

IT CHANGED A LOT IN 2018 WHEN CHINA STOPPED BUYING ANYTHING THAT WE WOULD THROW THAT WAY, AND THE WAY WE WERE DOING IT IS NOT THE WAY WE SHOULD DO IT FOR THE FUTURE.

AT LEAST THAT WAS MY OPINION WHEN I VOTED AGAINST IT LAST YEAR.

AND IT WASN'T AGAINST RECYCLING, IT WAS AGAINST THE PROCESS.

[02:35:02]

WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH A NEW WAY TO DO IT IN A MEANINGFUL WAY.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON.

AND THE TRADITIONAL CURBSIDE OPTION THAT EVERYBODY WAS USED TO FOR A DECADE HERE OR MORE IS PROBABLY NOT GOING TO RETURN IN THAT FASHION, BUT WE WILL CONTINUE TO FIND A SOLUTION.

UNTIL THEN, WE'LL HOPEFULLY CONTINUE THESE DROP OFF SITES FOR A GOOD WHILE AND CONTINUE TO REFINE THAT PROCESS.

AND THEN AFTER THAT HOPEFULLY HAVE A SOLUTION DOWN THE ROAD.

WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON IT THOUGH.

ANYBODY ELSE TO SPEAK ON AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA OR ON WHAT WE SPOKE ABOUT EARLIER? YES, SIR. GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL ANDREW DEFOE 5748 VERMILION BOULEVARD. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.

I'D LIKE TO SHARE COMMENT ON ITEM NUMBER TEN ON TODAY'S AGENDA.

THIS IS THE RESOLUTION TIED TO SOC 24 028.

THAT IS FOR PROFESSIONAL INTERPRETATION AND TRANSLATION SERVICES.

I AM A LOUISIANA SUPREME COURT CERTIFIED SPANISH INTERPRETER.

I AM ALSO THE CURRENT INCUMBENT ON THE PREVIOUS CONTRACTS WITH JEFFERSON PARISH.

I REPRESENT NOLA LANGUAGES.

I'M THE FOUNDER AND CEO OF THAT COMPANY.

I STARTED ORIGINALLY AS A SOLOPRENEUR, I HAVE A LOT OF THANKS TO EXPRESS TO JEFFERSON PARISH BECAUSE IN 2017, WHEN WE BEGAN WORKING WITH THE PARISH, I BELIEVE THAT THE PARISH TOOK A CHANCE ON ME BEING THE YOUNG NEW GUY IN TOWN.

AND WE HAVE BEEN HONORED TO PROVIDE SERVICE SINCE 2017.

I BELIEVE THE NUMBERS AND THE SERVICES HAVE BEEN REFLECTED IN THE SOCK THAT WAS SUBMITTED.

BUT JUST TO HIGHLIGHT, IN THE PAST YEAR ALONE, WE WERE PROUD TO RECEIVE AND PROVIDE SERVICE ON MORE THAN A THOUSAND DIFFERENT INTERPRETING REQUESTS AT THE 24TH JDC FIRST PARISH COURT.

SECOND PARISH COURT AND JEFFERSON PARISH JUVENILE COURT JUST IN THE YEAR OF 2023 ALONE.

THAT SPANS ALSO 16 DIFFERENT LANGUAGES SERVICED THERE OVER THE COURSE OF THE PANDEMIC, WE, LIKE SO MANY OTHERS, WERE FORCED TO EMBRACE NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND DIFFERENT SERVICE OPTIONS THAT ALLOW FOR EFFICIENCIES.

WE'RE EXCITED TO HOPEFULLY CONTINUE BRINGING THOSE EFFICIENCIES AND SERVICES TO JEFFERSON PARISH.

IF WE ARE SELECTED ONCE AGAIN, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT HERE TO NOTE, AS WE HAVE TALKED A LOT TODAY ABOUT JEFFERSON PARISH BEING THE ENVY OF THE STATE. AS SOMEBODY WHO HAS WORKED FOR OVER A DECADE IN LANGUAGE ACCESS AND LANGUAGE JUSTICE, I CAN SAY CONFIDENTLY THAT JEFFERSON PARISH HAS REALLY SET THE BAR HIGH FOR THE REST OF THE STATE IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE THAT IT'S LEGAL SYSTEMS, THAT ITS JUSTICE SYSTEM IS, IN FACT, LINGUISTICALLY ACCESSIBLE.

SO I THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK IN THAT.

I AM EXCITED AND HONORED AT THE POSSIBILITY OF CONTINUING TO ASSIST IN THAT PROCESS, AND WANTED TO BE HERE, PRESENT TODAY, TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, SHOULD YOU HAVE THEM.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

ANYONE ELSE? GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY. JAMES CROCKETT, 13, UNFOLDED ASPEN DRIVE TALKING ABOUT DOCKET NUMBERS WC 1524.

THAT'S THAT'S LATER.

YES, SIR. ANYONE ELSE? ALL RIGHT, WE'LL MOVE ON.

WE'VE ALREADY DONE ITEMS ONE AND TWO AS THE BOARD OF REVIEW.

NOW, I HAVE A NOTE THAT ITEMS THREE AND SIX WILL BE DEFERRED TO OUR OCTOBER 16TH MEETING.

[ORDINANCES TO BE DEFERRED]

COUNCILMAN LEE, YOUR MOTION ON THE DEFERRAL OF THREE AND SIX AND THE CANCELLATION OF FOUR AND FIVE.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE DEFERRAL OF ITEMS THREE AND 6 TO 10? 16. AND ITEMS FOUR AND FIVE, WHICH WILL BE CANCELED.

A MOTION OF COUNCILMAN LEE, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

[PROFESSIONAL SERVICES]

I HAVE A NOTE THAT ONE WILL BE DEFERRED UNTIL 1016 AS WELL.

COUNCILMAN LEE, YOUR MOTION REGARDING THE DEFERRAL OF SEVEN.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE DEFERRAL OF ITEM NUMBER SEVEN? A MOTION OF COUNCILMAN LEE, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER, DEFERRING TO TEN 1624.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, PLEASE.

A RESOLUTION SELECTING PERSONS OR FIRMS TO PROVIDE LABORATORY SERVICES FOR INSPECTION OF MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT ON AN AS NEEDED BASIS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS FOR PROJECTS IN THE PARISH OF JEFFERSON FOR A PERIOD OF TWO YEARS, WITH MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE FEES OF $500,000 PER YEAR.

COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN. ALL QUALIFIED FIRMS. ANY OBJECTION TO THE SELECTION OF ALL QUALIFIED A MOTION OF COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

ITEM NINE PLEASE.

A RESOLUTION SELECTING PERSONS OR FIRMS TO PROVIDE ROUTINE ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR STREETS.

[02:40:02]

THE RESOLUTION SELECTING CONSULTANTS TO PERFORM ENGINEERING SERVICES IS ADOPTED BY THE COUNCIL.

COUNCILWOMAN. VAN VRANCKEN. ALL QUALIFIED FIRMS. ANY OBJECTION TO THE SELECTION OF ALL QUALIFIED A MOTION OF COUNCILWOMAN.

VAN VRANCKEN SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

ITEM NUMBER TEN. MADAM CLERK.

A RESOLUTION SELECTING PERSONS OR FIRMS TO PROVIDE TRANSLATION INTERPRETATION SERVICES, AS MAY BE REQUIRED IN CASES PENDING BEFORE THE 24TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, JEFFERSON PARISH COURTS, AND THE BUREAU OF ADMINISTRATIVE ADJUDICATION TO INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO, THE LANGUAGE OF SPANISH, VIETNAMESE, AND MANDARIN CHINESE. COUNCILWOMAN.

VAN VRANCKEN. TO SELECT THE TWO HIGHEST SCORED FIRMS, BOTH HAD PERFECT SCORES, MULTI-LANGUAGE SOLUTIONS, AND THE SECOND COMPANY IS TI NOLA LANGUAGES.

AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE SELECTION OF MULTI-LANGUAGE SOLUTIONS AND TI NOLA LANGUAGES ON MOTION OF COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

ITEMS 11 AND 12 WERE HANDLED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.

ITEM NUMBER 13, PLEASE.

[RECLASSIFICATION OF ZONING]

LOT 89 EDMO ELMS SUBDIVISION, LOCATED AT 116 HARANGUE AVENUE.

MORE PARTICULARLY, AMENDING THE ZONING CLASSIFICATION FROM R-1, A SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL.

SORRY. SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT.

C-2 GENERAL COMMERCIAL DISTRICT WITH CP COMMERCIAL PARKWAY OVERLAY TO R-1, A SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT C-2 GENERAL COMMERCIAL DISTRICT S-7.

DASH 24 TWO.

WE CAN WAIVE THE READING ON THIS ITEM.

AND NOW OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR SUMMARY NUMBER 26403.

ANYONE IN FAVOR? PLEASE COME FORWARD.

THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBERS.

MY NAME IS NICK PONTIFF.

ADDRESS 1608 EDINBURG STREET.

I AM HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AS IT RELATES TO THE ZONING REQUEST.

THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE IN FAVOR? ANYONE IN OPPOSITION? MADAM CLERK, NO ONE APPEARED IN FAVOR.

COUNCIL MEMBER. OH, I'M SORRY, MA'AM, I DIDN'T SEE YOU COMING UP.

ARE YOU COMING IN FAVOR OF OPPOSITION? FAVOR? OKAY.

GO AHEAD. MY NAME IS MARY WILLIAMS. I OWN A PROPERTY AT 120 HARANG.

I HAVE NO OBJECTION TO MAKING IT A GENERAL OFFICE AREA.

OKAY. NOTED.

THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE IN FAVOR? AGAIN. ANYONE IN OPPOSITION? MADAM CLERK, NOTE THAT TWO APPEARED IN FAVOR.

COUNCIL MEMBER. BONANO.

MOVE FOR APPROVAL. ANY OBJECTION TO THE APPROVAL OF SUMMARY NUMBER 26403 ON MOTION OF COUNCILMAN BONANO, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

ITEM 14, PLEASE, MADAM CLERK.

SUMMARY NUMBER 26404.

AMENDING THE OFFICIAL ZONING MAP OF JEFFERSON PARISH, LOT 89, EDMO ELM SUBDIVISION, LOCATED AT 116 HARANGUE AVENUE.

MORE PARTICULARLY, AMENDING THE ZONING CLASSIFICATION FROM R-1, A SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT.

C-2 GENERAL COMMERCIAL DISTRICT, TO GO TO GENERAL OFFICE DISTRICT MS 1824.

COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO.

WE CAN WAIVE THE READING ON THIS ITEM AS WELL.

NOW OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON SUMMARY NUMBER 26404.

ANYONE IN FAVOR? PLEASE COME FORWARD.

ANYONE OPPOSED? MADAM CLERK, NOTE THAT NO ONE APPEARED.

COUNCILMAN. BONANO OVERRULE ANY OBJECTION TO THE APPROVAL OF SUMMARY NUMBER 26404.

A MOTION OF COUNCILMAN BONANO SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED 15, PLEASE.

SUMMARY NUMBER 26405.

AMENDING THE OFFICIAL ZONING MAP.

LOT 28, SQUARE TWO, MARRERO DIVISION, LOCATED AT 554 FIRST AVENUE.

MORE PARTICULARLY, AMENDING THE ZONING CLASSIFICATION FROM R-1, A SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT TO SEE ONE NEIGHBORHOOD.

COMMERCIAL DISTRICT.

WS 1524.

COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO.

WE CAN WAIVE THE READING AND OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING NOW FOR SUMMARY NUMBER 26405.

ANYONE IN FAVOR? PLEASE COME FORWARD.

AGAIN. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYBODY.

MY NAME IS JAMES CROCKETT, 3940 ASPEN DRIVE.

AND I'VE BEEN WITH THE PARISH 18 YEARS, YOU KNOW, WITH PARKWAYS AND STREETS.

AND THERE'S BEEN A PROUDLY SERVING COMMUNITY WORKER.

AND WHAT'S GOING ON IS I'M A LITTLE EMOTIONAL BECAUSE I'VE BEEN GOING BACK AND FORTH WITH PLANNING AND CODE ENFORCEMENT AND, YOU KNOW, JUST PARIS, YOU KNOW, AS A WHOLE, NOT PERSONAL, BUT, YOU KNOW, WANT TO KEEP IT MORE BUSINESS.

BUT I BOUGHT THE PROPERTY BACK IN 2022 FROM SAINT ROSALIE CATHOLIC CHURCH.

SO UPON BUYING A PROPERTY, TALKING TO THE ARCHDIOCESE, YOU KNOW, ALL THEY ALL THEY RECOMMENDED WAS ME NOT TO PUT A

[02:45:10]

YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, I UNDERSTAND THAT.

SO. AND THE AND THE REASON I'M SO EMOTIONAL BECAUSE AS I LOOK BACK TO THE WHOLE TRANSITION, THE DAY OF THE CLOSING WITH SOUTHERN TITLE ON WEST ESPLANADE, THE WEST NAPOLEON.

THE ARCHDIOCESE TOLD ME TO MY FACE THIS DEAL WOULD BE VERY DETRIMENTAL TO YOU, TO MY FACE.

AND AND, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T THINK ABOUT IT THEN, BUT AS THE TRIAL AND TRIBULATION GOES ON, I KIND OF LIKE, MAN, WHAT DID HE MEAN BY THAT? DETRIMENTAL. YOU KNOW, SO, YOU KNOW, ME HAVING THREE KIDS, YOU KNOW, THEY ALL GO TO CATHOLIC SCHOOLS.

MY, MY DAUGHTER GOES TO AOL.

THEY WENT TO SAINT ANDREWS.

MY OTHER TWO. THEY GO TO OUR LADY OF PROMPT SUCCOR.

ALL CATHOLIC SCHOOLS. I WANTED TO ACTUALLY SUPPORT THE CATHOLIC SCHOOL.

SAINT ROSALIE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE SALE VERSUS I DID I DO LIKE THE LOCATION OF THE LAND.

SO, YOU KNOW, UPON THAT, YOU KNOW, ME ACTUALLY PLANTED APARTMENT.

THE GUY THAT WROTE UP THE REPORT, YOU KNOW, TALKING TO HIM ON THE PHONE, IT WAS LIKE, HEY, I DON'T NEED TO HEAR A CERTAIN THINGS.

I'M LIKE, YOU KNOW, TALK TO ME LIKE I'M A CITIZEN.

NOT JUST BECAUSE I WORK FOR THE PARISH.

YOU KNOW, YOU JUST CAN'T SAY I DON'T WANT TO SAY WHAT HE SAID.

BUT IT WASN'T FOR THE REPORT HOW IT WAS WROTE UP THAT I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TOWARDS THIS PROPERTY TO MAKE IT A SNOWBALL STAND.

AND. AND THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT I WANT TO DO.

THE SCHOOL TORE DOWN THE HOUSE 2009.

THEY PUT A PARKING LOT THERE.

SO WHEN I BOUGHT THE LOT THAT MY INTENTION WAS TO MAKE IT A PARKING LOT, I MEAN, WE HAVE A KIDS SPA BUS AND A KIDS SPA IN OAKWOOD MALL.

CURRENTLY MY WIFE AND WE HAVE A MOBILE SPA BUS FOR THE GIRLS AND THE KIDS, SO I JUST WANTED TO HAVE SOMEWHERE TO PLACE TO PLACE THE BUS.

SO MOVING FORWARD, I SAW TWO BUILDINGS THAT WERE PREFAB THAT WAS PRE-BUILT.

IN THE REPORT THEY SAY I BUILT TWO BUILDINGS ON THE LOT.

NO, I JUST HAD THEM PLACED THERE.

SO I JUST WANTED SOMEWHERE TO PARK THE PARK, THE BUS AND STORE THE BUILDING.

SO MOVING FORWARD, YOU KNOW, I SAID, HEY, I WANT TO DO, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING WITH SNOWBALLS? THE, THE, THE AREA, THE SCHOOLS, HARVEY KINDERGARTEN, SANTA ROSA LEE.

BUT THE DAY OF THE YEAR I BOUGHT THE PROPERTY WAS THE YEAR THAT SANTA ROSA LEE KIND OF EXECUTED.

AND I'M LIKE, WELL, DANG, THAT'S A THAT'S A BUMMER.

BUT FAST FORWARD, I DID PUT UP A FENCE.

ALL THIS IN THE REPORT.

I PUT I PUT UP A FENCE WITHOUT A PERMIT.

BUT I DID GET THAT CLEARED.

I PAID PAY FOR EVERYTHING. JUST A FENCE TO DIVIDE THE PROPERTY THAT'S OWNED BY SAINT ROSALIE TOO.

SO THEY HAD A LOT OF NEIGHBORS COMING AROUND AND PUTTING TRASH AND DOG POO POO ON MY LOT.

I'M JUST TRYING TO CLEAN IT UP.

WHEN I BOUGHT THE LOT, IT WAS HORRENDOUS.

I HAD THE TREES TRIMMED WITH PULPWOOD DEPARTMENT, DID A LITTLE SOME WORK MYSELF.

REACHED OUT TO SEWERS DEPARTMENT.

THEY THEY MADE SURE THEY FIXED THE SEWER, CLEANED OUT THE SIDEWALK.

JUST TRYING TO BE A YOU KNOW WHAT I DO AT WORK IF I IF I'M AN OWNER'S PROPERTY, I WANT TO TRY TO HELP OUT NOT ONLY FOR ME BUT BENEFIT THE THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND THE CITIZENS.

SO JUST TRYING TO GET THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO HAVE A SNOWBALL STAND, YOU HAVE SNOWBALL STANDS ALL OVER THE PLACE.

BUT THAT'S A THAT'S LIKE A LANDMARK, A LANDMARK FOR OUR TRADITION.

YOU KNOW, WE HAVE I SEE A LOT OF ELDERLY FOLKS WALKING AROUND THE PROPERTY.

A LOT OF KIDS RIDE THEIR BIKES.

I MEAN, IT'S A SEASONAL IT'S A SEASONAL PROJECT SEASONAL BUSINESS.

IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE A WEAR AND TEAR FOR ALL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

AND ACTUALLY I WAS DENIED BECAUSE THEY SAID IT DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH PARKING.

SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T I DID IT BEFORE AND I TRY NOT TO WASTE TOO MUCH ENERGY ON BAD THOUGHTS.

SO AS I GO AROUND THERE, THEY STILL THE SCHOOL AND THE IT SAID SAINT SAINT ROSALIE PARISH BUILDING.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS, BUT Y'ALL PARKING ON MY PROPERTY ON IN FRONT THE GATE STILL ON THE STREET.

BUT PLANNING DEPARTMENT SAYS THERE'S NOT ENOUGH PARKING FOR A SNOWBALL STAND.

IT'S MAINLY LIKE A WALK UP.

IT'S NOT FOR HIGH TRAFFIC VOLUME TO COME IN.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S A NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL ZONING CHANGE.

I WANT TO DO WALK UP, GET A SNOWBALL STAND.

I'M GONNA BUILD IN THE AREA TO WHERE THEY CAN SIT DOWN ON THE BENCHES, COOL OFF AND GO ABOUT THEIR GO.

GO ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS. THAT'S IT.

I'M REAL SIMPLE.

BUT THEY SAID I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PARKING.

THAT WAS THE ONLY REASON I COULD SAY THAT I'M BEING DENIED.

[02:50:01]

IT'S PRETTY SUFFICIENT FOR A SNOWBALL STAND.

I MEAN, I DON'T SEE WHY THEY CAN'T JUST CHANGE IT FROM RESIDENTIAL ONE WHEN THE SCHOOL TORE DOWN THE HOUSE.

IT'S. I HAVE IT IN HERE.

IT'S SHOWING. IT SHOWS THAT THE LBC'S STRUCTURE CODE, A SNACK BAR, A SNACK OR A NONALCOHOLIC BAR.

AND ALSO IN SECTION 40, DASH 322 PERMITTED USES PARKING GARAGES, INCLUDING PARKING LOTS.

YOU KNOW, THAT'S THAT'S UNDER THE ZONING.

SEE ONE THAT'S ACTUALLY IN THERE.

AND LIKE I SAY, MY MAN, MY MAIN GOAL WAS TO GET IT TO BE A I JUST WANTED TO PARK THE OUR SPI BUS AND MOVING FORWARD, TURN IT INTO A SNOWBALL STAND. BUT NOW I'M HERE WITH THE HICCUP OF I CAN'T MAKE IT.

WE CAN'T CHANGE THE ZONING BECAUSE OF THE PARKING SPACES.

BUT YOU HAVE THESE RESTAURANTS SAY ON HANCOCK OR OR THE CHICKEN PLACE RIGHT UP THERE.

YOU CAN MAKE A PARKING SPOT FOR A X AMOUNT OF VEHICLES, BUT IT'S NOT A PARKING LOT.

IT'S WALK UP. THAT'S MY MAIN GOAL IS A WALK UP.

I DON'T WANT THAT HIGH TRAFFIC VOLUME BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND.

I RESPECT THAT WE'RE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.

SO I WANT TO BE ABLE TO CREATE SOMETHING FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT WILL BE COMFORTABLE, SOME HAPPY.

AND ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO USE IT AS A RESOURCE FOR, SAY, A HURRICANE.

OR IT COULD BE A VOLUNTEER STATION TO HELP PUT OUT WATER OR OR FOOD OR SUPPORT SYSTEM, VOLUNTEER WITH THE CHURCH.

YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE FESTIVALS AT THE CHURCH RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET.

I MEAN, I DIDN'T THINK THIS PARK ALL OVER.

I SEE THIS, SO WHY NOT LET ME ALLOW TO HAVE A THAT LITTLE SPACE IN JEFFERSON PARISH, A C1 FROM A RESIDENTIAL TO A ZONING? I DON'T THINK IT'S A PROBLEM, BUT LIKE I SAID, THAT AIN'T THAT AIN'T UP TO ME.

YOU KNOW, I ACTUALLY SAT DOWN.

ME AND MY WIFE TOOK OUR TIME, SAT DOWN WITH COUNCILMAN DANIEL BONANO IN HIS OFFICE.

AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A NICE TALK, YOU KNOW, SHOWED YOU OUR VISION, THE PICTURES.

AND, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, YOU SAID YOU DIDN'T HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH IT.

YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, IT WAS JUST A MEETING AND A TALK, BUT YOU DIDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT.

YOU DIDN'T SEE A PROBLEM WITH IT.

SO HERE WE ARE TODAY.

THAT'S ALL I GOT TO SAY.

BUT I RESPECT ANY ANYBODY ANSWERS.

AND ANYBODY GOT ANY QUESTIONS? YOU KNOW I'M HERE FOR IT.

THANK Y'ALL. THANK YOU.

ANYONE ELSE IN FAVOR? ANYONE IN OPPOSITION? MY NAME IS ROY DWYER.

I LIVE THREE LOTS DOWN AT 542 FIRST AVENUE.

THAT LOT IS 32FT WIDE.

IT COULD NOT BE ANYTHING BUT A SINGLE RESIDENTIAL HOUSE.

IF IT IS REZONED COMMERCIAL AND HIS BUSINESS GOES BELLY UP, THEN WE'RE STUCK WITH WE GOD KNOWS WHAT IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. I'VE TALKED TO OTHER NEIGHBORS ABOUT IT, AND WE'RE NOT IN FAVOR OF IT.

OUR OUR OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS RESIDENTIAL.

AND QUITE HONESTLY, IT'S BEEN A WE'VE BEEN A FEW TIMES BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION IN HERE.

AND IT'S A LOT OF THE STUFF IS I CONSIDER ALMOST AN ASSAULT ON OUR NEIGHBORHOOD.

WE DON'T LIVE FAR FROM INDUSTRY, BUT WE LIVE IN A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.

THE BLOCK THAT I LIVE ON, WHERE HIS LOT IS LOCATED IS COMPLETELY RESIDENTIAL.

AND I, TO USE A HACKNEYED EXPRESSION, I DON'T WANT THE CAMEL'S NOSE UNDER THE TENT BECAUSE IF THIS GOES BELLY UP, THEN HE COULD SELL IT AND WE WOULD END UP WITH SOMETHING ELSE COMMERCIAL, SOMETHING HE MENTIONED TOO.

AND I DIDN'T KNOW THIS UNTIL THE PLANNING COMMISSION, BECAUSE THEY WERE STORING A BUS THERE BECAUSE IT IS NOW ZONED RESIDENTIAL.

THEY COULD NOT DO THAT.

IF IT'S ZONED RESIDENTIAL, HE COULD HAVE A SNOWBALL STAND AND, AND WHATEVER ACTIVITY BUSSES THAT THEY HAVE, IT'S A RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND AGAIN, I'VE TALKED TO OTHER NEIGHBORS ABOUT IT.

THEY'RE NOT IN FAVOR OF IT, NOT JUST BECAUSE OF THE SNOWBALL STAND, BUT BECAUSE WHAT COULD HAPPEN TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD IF HE SELLS THE PROPERTY, IF IT IS REZONED COMMERCIAL. AND SO WE'RE WE ARE ADAMANTLY OPPOSED TO THAT.

DO ANY OF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OF ME? BECAUSE I'LL ANSWER THEM.

THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE IN OPPOSITION?

[02:55:04]

I LIVE ABOUT THREE ADDRESSES AWAY FROM THE PROPERTY IN QUESTION.

THIS IS A RESIDENTIAL STREET.

WE WERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHEN A SINGLE SHOTGUN HOUSE WAS TORN DOWN.

SO THAT SAINT ROSALIE COULD BUILD A PARKING LOT FOR THE TEACHERS AT THE SCHOOL.

THERE WAS NEVER ANY NOTIFICATION OF A HEARING REGARDING A ZONING CHANGE.

AT THE TIME, BEFORE THE PARKING LOT WAS PAVED, HAVING A SNOWBALL STAND FOR THE KIDS AND THE NEIGHBORS MEANS INCOME FOR THE OWNERS OF THE SNOWBALL STAND.

IF THE ZONING IS CHANGED FROM RESIDENTIAL TO COMMERCIAL, AND THE OWNERS OF THE SNOWBALL STAND SELL THE PROPERTY, A LESS DESIRABLE BUSINESS MAY LATER TAKE OVER THE PROPERTY.

WE WOULD LOVE FOR THIS COUPLE TO BUILD THEIR HOME ON THIS RESIDENTIAL ZONED PROPERTY AND RAISE THEIR FAMILY ON THE PROPERTY.

WE DON'T WANT THE RESIDENTIAL ZONED PROPERTY IN QUESTION CHANGED TO COMMERCIAL.

PLEASE FIND A COMMERCIALLY ZONED PROPERTY FOR THE SNOWBALL STAND.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. BEN. ANYONE ELSE IN OPPOSITION? MADAM. YOU HAVE.

I THINK YOU STILL HAVE A FEW MINUTES REMAINING.

YOU CAN RESPOND.

JUST TO REITERATE WHAT SHE'S, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, FOR THE THE PROPERTY BEING, YOU KNOW, SOLD OR BELLIED UP.

I DON'T I DIDN'T ONE SECOND.

I THINK SIX MINUTES, YOU GET SIX MINUTES.

I DIDN'T BUY THIS PROPERTY TO FLIP OR SELL ANYTHING.

NO, I WAS I STILL HAD THE PICTURE, BUT I BOUGHT IT, YOU KNOW, FOR MY KIDS, TWO DAUGHTERS AND MY SON.

THE YOUNGEST. YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAY, I WISH, I WISH MY MOM COULD HAVE OR MY MOM AND DAD COULD HAVE BOUGHT ME SOMETHING YOU KNOW, TO GROW UP WITH.

YOU KNOW, I'M NOT BUYING THIS PROPERTY TO EVEN THINK ABOUT BELLYING UP.

YOU KNOW, MY FOCUS IS TO PROSPER.

YOU KNOW, EVEN, LIKE, WITH JEFFERSON PARISH, WE MOVE FORWARD, YOU KNOW, EVEN DIRECTLY ACROSS THE STREET FROM MY LOT IS A BIGGER PARKING LOT THAT'S FOR SALE.

DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM THAT PARKING LOT IS A IT'S THE SAINT ROSALIE.

THEY'RE NOT EVEN USING IT.

IT WAS A DAYCARE OR SOMETHING THAT'S FOR SALE.

AND DIRECTLY ACROSS FROM MY LOT IS A BUILDING THAT'S NOT EVEN BEING USED.

SO IT'S LIKE NOTHING GOING ON AT THE PROPERTY IN THE AREA.

SO FOR ME TO TRY TO TRANSITION AND BRING SOME TYPE OF ATTRACTION WITHIN THE AREA OF THE COMMUNITY, I THINK IS A PLUS, YOU KNOW? BUT I DON'T WANT TO. I'M NOT TRYING TO.

AND EVEN IF I DO, LIKE I SAID, MY GOAL IS NOT TO SELL IT.

YOU KNOW, THAT WAS ONE OF THE OPTIONS TO BUILD A SINGLE FAMILY HOME.

THAT'S STILL REASONABLE, BUT I DON'T WANT TO SELL IT AND THEN SELL IT TO ANOTHER.

WHAT BUSINESS? WHAT OTHER BUSINESS COULD GO THERE? I MEAN, OTHER THAN A SNOWBALL STAND, I WOULDN'T EVEN I WOULD EVEN AND WE GOT THIS ON RECORD.

I WOULD HEY, IF THIS IS SOLD, IT HAS TO BE.

WE GOT TO GO THROUGH PLANNING.

WE GOT TO CHANGE IT BACK TO RESIDENTIAL.

THAT. I COULD PUT THAT IN WRITING, YOU KNOW, BEFORE IT'S ME AND MY KIDS.

YOU KNOW, THEY THEY'RE YOUNG, YOU KNOW, AND JUST TO HAVE SOME BRAGGING RIGHTS.

YOU KNOW, MY SON IS THE SIX YEAR OLD PARISH CHAMPION FOR JEFFERSON PARISH FROM TERRYTOWN.

YOU KNOW, JACOB CROCKETT.

SO YOU KNOW, HE COMES OVER THERE AND, YOU KNOW, WE THE GOAL WAS, I'M TELLING HIM, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME SNOWBALLS.

AND, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN CHILL OUT ON THE WEEKENDS AND, YOU KNOW, ANY OTHER FRIENDS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE GOAL.

I MEAN, YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE THEY GOT A LOT OF VACANT.

AND WE ALL KNOW THIS. THEY HAVE A LOT OF VACANT PROPERTIES THROUGHOUT THE PARISH.

NOBODY TRIED TO DO DO NOTHING ABOUT.

BUT HERE I AM PURCHASING THE PROPERTY.

SUPPORTING A CHURCH AND A SCHOOL, AND AND I'M LIKE, MAN, I'M GETTING RAILROADED.

BUT I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WE LIVE IN REALITY.

YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, WE GOT BLIGHTED PROPERTIES, NOBODY DOING NOTHING WITH NOBODY STANDING ABOUT.

BUT, I MEAN, I'M GONNA MAKE IT SO BEAUTIFUL.

[03:00:02]

AND IT'S JUST A SIMPLE 3400 SQUARE FOOT LOT THAT'S NOT BOTHERING NOBODY.

IT'S A PARKING LOT. IT GOT TWO BUILDINGS THAT'S ON THE LOT.

AND LIKE I SAID, WHEN I BOUGHT THE PROPERTY, I TOOK A PICTURE WITH ME AND MY KIDS.

AND HERE YOU GO.

THIS IS FOR Y'ALL.

I'M 44 BY 45.

I'M DADDY.

LIVE THIS LIFE. YOU KNOW, MY MY I GOT ONE GOAL IS TO CONTINUE TO WORK, RETIRE FROM THE PARISH AND MAKE SURE THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, WELL BROUGHT UP.

YOU KNOW, THAT'S THAT'S THE WHOLE GOAL ALL THE OTHER OR WHAT WE THINK.

AND. NO, IT'S WHAT I THINK FOR THE KIDS AND THE FUTURE.

THAT'S WHAT IT'S ABOUT.

THAT'S JUST HOW I AM.

SO OTHER THAN THAT, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THE COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, I, I TALK AND DEAL WITH YOU ALL EVERY DISTRICT.

I MAKE SURE I PUT IN THE WORK, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN MY NAME IS CALLED.

SO LIKE I SAID, NOT TRYING TO COINCIDE MY JOB WITH THE WITH MY PERSONAL LIFE, BUT THAT'S JUST HOW I AM.

THAT'S HOW I OPERATE. I'M GONNA TREAT IT AS ONE.

SO, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, THE CITIZENS OPPOSING IT.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO MOVE FORWARD AND THINK POSITIVE.

LIKE I SAID, EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM, THEY HAD A SNOWBALL ON A HOT DAY.

THANK Y'ALL. THANK YOU.

ANYONE ELSE IN? WELL, WE ALREADY DID OPPOSITION.

THAT WAS RESPONSE. SO THAT'S CLOSED.

TWO APPEARED IN OPPOSITION.

ONE APPEARED IN FAVOR, MADAM CLERK.

COUNCILMAN BONANO YOUR MOTION.

WHEN I MET WITH THE APPLICANT, TOLD ME HE WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH HIS APPROVAL PROCESSES AND GET HIS RECOMMENDATIONS FROM PLANNING THE PLANNING ADVISORY BOARD.

BUT I TOLD HIM, MORE IMPORTANTLY, I WOULD REQUIRE SUPPORT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD, WHICH CLEARLY HE DOESN'T HAVE TO ZONE.

THIS COMMERCIAL WHILE IT'S SURROUNDED BY RESIDENTIAL WOULD CERTAINLY BE A SPOT ZONE.

AND FOR THOSE REASONS, I'M MOVING FOR DENIAL.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE DENIAL OF SUMMARY NUMBER 26405 ON MOTION OF COUNCIL MEMBER BONANO, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

ITEM 16, PLEASE.

SUMMARY NUMBER 26406 AMENDING THE OFFICIAL ZONING MAP.

TRACK W1 AND LOT H5 LIVE OAK PLANTATION SUBDIVISION A PORTION OF LOT Y LIVE OAK PLANTATION SUBDIVISION IN SECTION 37, TOWNSHIP 13 SOUTH, RANGE 22, EAST, SOUTHEASTERN DISTRICT REVOKED SOUTH KENNER AVENUE RIGHT OF WAY IN A PORTION OF MODERN FORM. SUBDIVISION.

UNIT TWO CALVIN TRACT IN SECTION 38, TOWNSHIP 13 SOUTH.

RANGE 22, EAST SOUTHEASTERN LAND DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA AND AN UNDESIGNATED PORTION OF LAND.

TOWNSHIP 13 SOUTH, RANGE 22 EAST.

LOCATED AT 2000 SOUTH KENNER ROAD, MOORE.

PARTICULARLY AMENDING THE ZONING CLASSIFICATION FROM U1S UNRESTRICTED.

DISTRICT TWO I LF LANDFILL INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT WC 1224.

COUNCIL DISTRICT THREE.

WE CAN WAIVE THE READING HERE AND NOW.

OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR SUMMARY NUMBER 26406.

ANYONE IN FAVOR? PLEASE COME FORWARD.

JAY DUFRESNE 1624 MANHATTAN BOULEVARD, REPRESENTING RIVER BIRCH, THE OWNER OF THE PROPERTY.

THIS PARTICULAR SITE BEFORE YOU TODAY IS ALONG SOUTH KENNER AVENUE.

THE FORMER SOUTH CAROLINA AVENUE.

THE PORTION BETWEEN HIGHWAY 90 AND THE RAILROAD TRACKS.

THE MOST OF THE SITE IS ZONED INDUSTRIAL LAND FOR THE LANDFILL.

ALREADY. THIS PARTICULAR PROPERTY IS WHAT WE'RE ASKING YOU TO CHANGE.

CURRENTLY HOUSES RIVER BIRCHES OFFICE THEIR WAY STATION FOR THE TRUCKS GOING IN AND OUT OF THE LANDFILL.

IT HAS THE PROPERTY OF THEIR FUELING STATION, THE PARKING LOT FOR THE TRUCKS AND THE MAINTENANCE BUILDING FOR THE TRUCKS.

THE LARGER PORTION OF THE AREA IS ALSO THE FORMER KNOLL LANDFILL.

IT'S A LANDFILL THAT WAS CLOSED 20 PLUS YEARS AGO SOMEWHERE IN THAT VICINITY.

OF COURSE, THE CLOSING STANDARDS THEN ARE NOT THE SAME OF THE CLOSING STANDARDS TODAY.

SO THEIR PLAN IS TO KIND OF MAKE SOME RENOVATIONS OR REVISIONS TO WHAT'S HAPPENING AT THAT LANDFILL AND THEN MAYBE REUSE IT AS ANOTHER LANDFILL.

SO WE'RE ASKING FOR YOUR APPROVAL.

I HAVE DOMINIC FAZIO WITH THE OFFICER OF RIVER BRIDGE ALSO IN HERE, IN CASE YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS OF THE OPERATION.

ANYONE ELSE IN FAVOR? ANYONE OPPOSED? MADAM CLERK, NOTE THAT ONE APPEARED IN FAVOR.

COUNCILMAN LI. HANG ON.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE APPROVAL OF SUMMARY NUMBER 26406.

ON MOTION OF COUNCILMAN LEE. SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

ITEM 17 SUMMARY NUMBER 26407 AMENDING THE OFFICIAL ZONING MAP LOT A WILLS, WILLS WOOD PLANTATION SUBDIVISION AND A PORTION OF LOTS A, B, D THREE IN UN DESIGNATED LAND IN SECTION 39, TOWNSHIP 13 SOUTH.

RANGE 22 EAST.

LOCATED AT 5000 THROUGH 5050 US HIGHWAY 90.

MORE PARTICULARLY, AMENDING THE ZONING CLASSIFICATION FROM ILL LIGHT INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT KBS COMMERCIAL PARKWAY OVERLAY ZONE TO ILF LANDFILL

[03:05:06]

COUNCIL DISTRICT THREE.

WE CAN WAIVE THE READING HERE AND OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING NOW FOR SUMMARY NUMBER 26407.

ANYONE IN FAVOR? PLEASE COME FORWARD.

JAY DUFRESNE REPRESENTING RIVER BIRCH.

AGAIN, THIS IS A LANDFILL A LITTLE FURTHER EAST.

THE FIRST ONE WE JUST HAD WAS ON THE FAR WESTERN END OF THE PARISH.

NEXT TO THAT COMING EAST IS THE KELVIN LANDFILL, AND THEN WE GET TO THE C AND D LANDFILL, WHICH IS THE PROPERTY BEFORE YOU TODAY.

AGAIN, THE C AND D LANDFILL HAS A SPLIT ZONING.

SO THIS IS TO TRY TO GET IT ALL UNDER CURRENT LANDFILL ZONING.

SO IT'S ALL CONSISTENT.

AND THEN WE CAN MAKE SOME IMPROVEMENTS IN USE OF THE PROPERTY.

DON'T EXPECT THAT THEY WILL BE EXPANDING THE LANDFILL INTO THIS AREA.

BUT OTHER USES THAT ARE THE INDUSTRIAL LANDFILL WILL ALLOW.

SO WE'RE ASKING FOR YOUR APPROVAL.

ANYONE ELSE IN FAVOR? ANYONE IN OPPOSITION? MADAM CLERK, NOTE THAT ONE APPEARED IN FAVOR.

COUNCILMAN LEE, MOVE FOR APPROVAL.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE APPROVAL OF SUMMARY NUMBER 26407? A MOTION OF COUNCILMAN LEE, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

ITEM NUMBER 18, PLEASE.

[OTHER ORDINANCES]

AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 407 FOR THE PERSONNEL RULES FOR THE CLASSIFIED SERVICE OF JEFFERSON PARISH TO REVISE RULE ONE TO ADD TWO NEW SECTIONS.

WE NOW HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR SUMMARY NUMBER 26408.

THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE COME FORWARD.

ANYONE OPPOSED? MADAM CLERK, NOTE THAT NO ONE APPEARED.

COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN MOVE FOR APPROVAL.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE APPROVAL OF SUMMARY NUMBER 26408.

A MOTION OF COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN SECONDED BY COUNCILWOMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED 19, PLEASE.

SUMMARY NUMBER 26409.

AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 407 FOR THE PERSONNEL RULE FOR THE CLASSIFIED SERVICE OF JEFFERSON PARISH TO ADD SECTION FOUR TO RULE THREE.

NOW OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR SUMMARY NUMBER 26409.

ANYONE IN FAVOR? PLEASE COME FORWARD.

ANYONE IN OPPOSITION? MADAM CLERK, NOTE THAT NO ONE APPEARED.

COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN MOVE FOR APPROVAL.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE APPROVAL OF SUMMARY NUMBER 26409.

A MOTION OF COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

ITEM NUMBER 20, PLEASE.

SUMMARY NUMBER 26410.

AMENDING ORDINANCE NUMBER 14796.

THE PAY PLAN FOR THE CLASSIFIED SERVICE OF JEFFERSON PARISH TO REVISE FOOTNOTE NUMBER SEVEN.

FOOTNOTE NUMBER NINE, SPECIAL PAY PROVISIONS TWO, SPECIAL PAY PROVISION THREE, AND SPECIAL PAY PROVISION FOUR.

APPLY FOOTNOTE NUMBER SEVEN TO NUMEROUS CLASS TITLES REMOVED FOOTNOTE NUMBER TWO AND FOOTNOTE NUMBER NINE FROM SELECT CLASS TITLES AND DELETE NUMEROUS CLASS TITLES. WE NOW OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR SUMMARY NUMBER 26410.

ANYONE IN FAVOR? PLEASE COME FORWARD.

ANYONE OPPOSED? THANK YOU. GUYS, RISE AND OPPOSE EVERY ONE OF THESE SPECIAL PAY PLANS.

WE CAN'T EVEN PAY FIREMEN.

WE CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW TO PAY FIREMEN.

BUT YOU GO THROUGH THIS KIND OF EFFORT FOR SPECIAL PAY PLANS I OPPOSE.

THERE'S NOTHING YOU CAN DO IN HERE THAT'S LEGITIMATE UNTIL YOU'RE APPORTIONED AS A LEGISLATIVE BRANCH.

YOU SERVED THE ADMINISTRATION MORE SO THAN THE PEOPLE WAKE UP.

ANYONE ELSE IN OPPOSITION? MADAM CLERK, NOTE THAT ONE APPEARED IN OPPOSITION.

COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN MOVE FOR APPROVAL.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE APPROVAL OF SUMMARY NUMBER 26410 ON MOTION OF COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED 21, PLEASE.

SUMMARY NUMBER 26411 AMENDING CHAPTER SIX AMUSEMENTS AND ENTERTAINMENT.

ARTICLE FIVE CARNIVAL, MARDI GRAS AND OTHER PARADES.

DIVISION ONE.

IN GENERAL. SECTION 668.

PARADE ROUTES OF THE JEFFERSON PARISH CODE OF ORDINANCES TO REVISE THE MARRERO PARADE ROUTE IN PROVIDING FOR RELATED MATTERS.

BUT NOW THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR SUMMARY NUMBER 26411.

ANYONE IN FAVOR? PLEASE COME FORWARD.

GOT TO GET THIS ONE IN. I'M IN FAVOR.

I'M HOPING THIS MAKES SURE WE DON'T GET SOMEBODY SHOT FOR PARKING IN THE WRONG PLACE.

COMING OUT OF DRIVEWAY, RIGHT? I'M HOPING THAT'S WHAT THIS IS GOING TO TAKE CARE OF, SO I DON'T HAVE TO SEE THAT IN THE NEWS THIS COMING MARDI GRAS SEASON, IF THAT'S THE CASE.

ABSOLUTELY. IN FAVOR? LET'S FIGURE THAT OUT.

ANYONE ELSE IN FAVOR? ANYONE IN OPPOSITION? MADAM CLERK, KNOW THAT ONE APPEARED IN FAVOR? COUNCILMAN LEE.

WELL, THANK YOU FOR THE ONE WHO CAME UP.

I KNOW THAT I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME OTHER PEOPLE HERE WHO ARE IN FAVOR OF OF MUSIC AND AND SO I'M, I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THE CREW OF MUSIC AND CREW OF NANDI ARE PARADING IN THAT ROUTE, AND THIS ORDINANCE HAS ALLOWED FOR US TO EXPAND THE ROUTE.

SO WHEREAS NOW WE'D BE LEAVING FROM HIGGINS MAKING A LEFT ON AMES, BUT GOING DOWN TO WESTBANK EXPRESSWAY AND GOING FURTHER DOWN THE WEST BANK EXPRESSWAY AND MAKING A TURN BACK AND GOING TO GARDEN ROAD.

SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THEY'VE THE CREWS HAVE ASKED FOR A LONGER ROUTE AND WE'RE GIVING IT TO YOU ALL TODAY.

[03:10:06]

ALRIGHT. THANK YOU ALL. I'LL MOVE FOR APPROVAL.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE APPROVAL OF SUMMARY NUMBER 26411A MOTION OF COUNCILMAN LEE, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

ITEM 22, PLEASE.

SUMMARY NUMBER 26412 AMENDING CHAPTER 14 FLOOD DAMAGE PREVENTION ORDINANCE OF THE JEFFERSON PARISH CODE OF ORDINANCE.

IN ORDER TO ALIGN WITH THE ADOPTED STATE BUILDING CODE REQUIREMENTS AND ADD REFERENCE TO THE LOUISIANA STATE UNIFORM CONSTRUCTION CODE, AND TO PROVIDE FOR RELATED MATTERS, BUT OUT OF THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR SUMMARY NUMBER 26412.

ANYONE IN FAVOR? PLEASE COME FORWARD.

ANYONE OPPOSED? RISING IN OPPOSITION. BECAUSE THERE AIN'T NOTHING THAT PASSES THROUGH THAT STATE GOVERNMENT.

THAT'S A BENEFIT TO SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA AS FAR AS I'VE EVER SEEN.

SO THOSE UNIFORM CODES THAT BENEFIT BATON ROUGE, NORTH AND WEST LOUISIANA, MORE SO THAN THEY EVER BENEFIT SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA, AS DOES EVERY OTHER LEGISLATIVE INSTRUMENT THAT'S PASSED THROUGH BATON ROUGE.

I OPPOSE IT JUST ON THOSE PRINCIPLES.

WE ARE DISENFRANCHIZED TO OUR STATE GOVERNMENT.

WE ARE NEVER, NEVER GOING TO HAVE ANYTHING PASSED BY THE STATE THAT DOESN'T BENEFIT OTHER INTERESTS MORE SO THAN OURS.

ANYONE ELSE IN OPPOSITION? MADAM CLERK, NOTE THAT ONE APPEARED IN OPPOSITION.

COUNCILWOMAN. VAN VRANCKEN.

MOVE FOR APPROVAL. ANY OBJECTION TO THE APPROVAL OF SUMMARY NUMBER 26412 ON MOTION OF COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN.

SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

ITEM 23 WITH AMENDMENTS SUMMARY NUMBER 26413.

AUTHORIZING THE INCURRING OF DEBT TO FINANCE THE LOAN TO THE PARISH OF JEFFERSON.

STATE OF LOUISIANA WITH LOUISIANA LOCAL GOVERNMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL FACILITIES, AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY DESIGNATED AS JEFFERSON CULTURE AND PARKS PROJECT, PRESCRIBING THE FORM, FIXING THE DETAILS, AND PROVIDING FOR THE PAYMENT THEREOF, ENTERING INTO CERTAIN COVENANTS AND AGREEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH THE SECURITY AND PAYMENT OF SAID DEBT. AUTHORIZING AND APPROVING THE EXECUTION OF A LOAN AGREEMENT WITH LCDA AND PROVIDING FOR OTHER MATTERS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH IN THE AMENDMENTS ARE IN THE PREAMBLE TO REMOVE JEFFERSON CULTURE AND PARKS PROJECT AND NAME IT JEFFERSON PARISH PROJECTS.

AND THAT'S ALL THE AMENDMENTS I HAVE.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE AMENDMENT BEING BROUGHT FROM THE FLOOR? HEARING NONE. COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN YOUR MOTION ON THE AMENDMENT.

MOVE FOR APPROVAL. ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF THAT AMENDMENT? A MOTION OF COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN FOR SUMMARY.

NUMBER 26413.

ANYONE IN FAVOR? PLEASE COME FORWARD.

ANYONE OPPOSED? MADAM CLERK, NOTE THAT NO ONE APPEARED.

COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN MOVE FOR APPROVAL, AS AMENDED.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE APPROVAL OF SUMMARY NUMBER 26413, AS AMENDED.

ON MOTION OF COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

24 WITH AMENDMENTS.

THE OPERATING BUDGET SUMMARY NUMBER 26414.

AMENDING THE 2024 OPERATING BUDGET IN THE AMENDMENTS ARE TO ALLOCATE $25,276 FROM COUNCIL DISTRICT THREE VIDEO POKER FUND TO PARKWAYS FOR HOLIDAY DECORATIONS AND LIGHTING FOR ADDITIONAL ELECTRICAL OUTLETS ALONG AIMS BOULEVARD.

COUNCIL DISTRICT THREE ALLOCATE $45,000 FROM COUNCIL DISTRICT THREE VIDEO POKER FUND TO PARKWAYS FOR HOLIDAY DECORATIONS AND LIGHTING ON AMES BOULEVARD FROM FOURTH STREET TO BARATARIA HANGING LIKE DECORATIONS.

COUNCIL DISTRICT THREE.

ALLOCATE $20,000 FROM COUNCIL DISTRICT THREE'S VIDEO POKER FUND TO PARKWAYS FOR HOLIDAY DECORATIONS AND LIGHTING ON MANHATTAN ATLAPULCO HOLIDAY DECORATIONS. COUNCIL DISTRICT THREE RECOGNIZE A TRANSFER OF $50,000 FROM COUNCIL DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION TO CONSOLIDATED GARBAGE DISTRICT NUMBER ONE FOR THE OPERATION OF RECYCLING DROP OFF SITES.

COUNCIL AT LARGE A AND THAT'S ALL THE AMENDMENTS.

I HAVE ANY OBJECTION TO THE AMENDMENTS BEING BROUGHT FROM THE FLOOR HEARING? NONE. COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN YOUR MOTION ON THE AMENDMENTS.

MOVE FOR APPROVAL. ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF THOSE AMENDMENTS? A MOTION OF COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

PUBLIC HEARINGS OPEN FOR SUMMARY NUMBER 2641.

FOR ANYONE IN FAVOR, PLEASE COME FORWARD.

ANYONE OPPOSED? CARRIES. TRYING TO SPARK A LITTLE CURIOSITY IN AWAY WE GO.

IT'S THAT UNIFORMITY CLAUSE.

I'M GOING TO GET UP EVERY SINGLE TIME.

YOU CAN'T TAKE MONEY THAT AND SPEND IT IN WAYS THAT VIOLATES THE CONSTITUTION, NO MATTER HOW JUST AND TOLERABLE THE RESULTS.

AND I AM SURE ALL THESE THINGS ARE GOING TO BE VERY NICE, PROBABLY VERY JUST AND CERTAINLY TOLERABLE.

AND IF ACHIEVED BY ANY MEANS DONE CONSTITUTIONALLY, I'D HAVE NOTHING TO GET UP HERE FOR.

BUT AS LONG AS THERE'S A DISPARITY IN HOSPITALITY TAXATION FROM ONE SIDE OF THIS RIVER TO THE NEXT, YOU MAKE MY POINT.

FOR ME. IT'S NOT THAT HARD TO TO ABIDE TO CONSTITUTION.

IT'S REALLY SIMPLE.

REPRESENTATIVES, DIRECT TAXES SHALL BE APPORTIONED AMONG THE SEVERAL PARTS OF THE PARISH ACCORDING TO THEIR RESPECTIVE NUMBERS.

I DON'T KNOW HOW TO MAKE THIS MORE CLEAR.

I THINK THEY DID A PRETTY GOOD JOB.

UNIFORMITY CLAUSE FALLS IN ARTICLE ONE, SECTION EIGHT, CLAUSE ONE, WHICH HAS GOT TO BE UNIFORM.

[03:15:01]

REALLY? I MEAN, THAT'S JUST WHAT THE RULE SAYS.

IT'S PRINCIPALLY HOW WE DO THIS.

IT'S SO THAT WE DON'T SO HOT BLOOD BETWEEN NEIGHBORS SO WE DON'T END UP WITH WITH ONE SIDE OF THE RIVER GETTING PAID A CERTAIN WAY FOR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS AND THE OTHER SIDE LEFT LIKE THE REDHEADED STEPCHILD.

IMAGINE IF THE WEST BANK HAD ITS OWN GOVERNMENT, COULD ELECT ITS OWN PARISH PRESIDENT, COULD ELECT ITS OWN TAX ASSESSOR, COULD ELECT ITS OWN COUNCIL INSTEAD OF HAVING ONE SEAT.

THERE'S ONLY ONE PERSON OUT OF SEVEN HERE THAT'S OBLIGED TO LIVE ON THE WEST BANK.

EVERY SINGLE OTHER PERSON HERE CAN LIVE ON THE EAST BANK AND SERVE THE EAST BANK.

AND SEVEN OF THE ELECTED STATE PARISH WIDE OFFICIALS DO LIVE IN DISTRICT FIVE.

CAN'T APPORTION THIS BODY.

YOU CAN'T IMPOSE TAXATION LEGITIMATELY IF YOU STEAL FROM ONE PART OF THE PARISH.

IT'S ELECTION THAT PROVIDES A VIRTUAL REPRESENTATION RATHER THAN A REAL REPRESENTATION THAT THE CONSTITUTION PRESCRIBES FOR AND A TAXATION THAT'S RELATED TO IT. FIGURE THIS OUT AND I CAN GO HOME, WORK ON PIANOS, MAYBE GO JOIN A MUSIC CREW.

MADAM CLERK, ANOTHER ONE APPEARED IN OPPOSITION.

COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN. MOVE FOR APPROVAL.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE APPROVAL OF SUMMARY NUMBER 26414.

A MOTION OF COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

ITEM 25 WITH AMENDMENTS.

THE CAPITAL BUDGET SUMMARY NUMBER 26415, AMENDING THE 2024 CAPITAL BUDGET AND THE AMENDMENTS ARE TO ALLOCATE $36,000 FROM COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO CDIA GENERAL FUND TO THE 9005 CROCHET STREET POCKET PARK PROJECT FOR DEMOLITION AND RODENT CONTROL.

COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO.

ALLOCATE $50,000 FROM COUNCIL DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION TO CONSOLIDATED GARBAGE DISTRICT NUMBER ONE FOR THE OPERATION OF RECYCLING DROP OFF SITES.

COUNCIL AT LARGE A RECOGNIZE THE TRANSFER OF $45,000 FROM COUNCIL DISTRICT THREE VIDEO POKER FUND FUN TO PARKWAYS FOR HOLIDAY DECORATIONS AND LIGHTING ON AMES BOULEVARD. FROM FORD STREET TO BARATARIA.

HANGING LIGHT DECORATIONS.

COUNCIL DISTRICT THREE RECOGNIZE THE TRANSFER OF $20,000 FROM COUNCIL DISTRICT THREE VIDEO POKER FUND TO PARKWAYS FOR HOLIDAY DECORATIONS AND LIGHTING ON MANHATTAN AT LAPALCO. HOLIDAY DECORATIONS COUNCIL DISTRICT THREE.

AND THAT'S ALL THE AMENDMENTS. I HAVE ANY OBJECTION TO THE AMENDMENTS BEING BROUGHT FROM THE FLOOR? HEARING NONE. COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN YOUR MOTION ON THE AMENDMENTS.

MOVE FOR APPROVAL. ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF THE AMENDMENTS? ON MOTION OF COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING NOW FOR SUMMARY NUMBER 26415.

ANYONE IN FAVOR? PLEASE COME FORWARD.

ANYONE OPPOSED? GUYS RISING IN OPPOSITION FOR THE SAME OLD REASONS.

THIS ONE STRIKES A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE THERE'S A THIS KIND OF, LIKE, CONFLICT, RIGHT? THIS RECYCLING THING.

IF THE TUB UPSTAIRS IS OVERFLOWING, YOU GOT TOO MUCH PLASTIC FLOWING OUT.

THIS TUB JUST KEEPS ON FLOWING OUT THIS TUB.

YOU COME UP WITH A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO DO THAT.

ONE. ONE RECYCLING PROGRAM MIGHT APPROACH IT THIS WAY WITH MORE TECHNOLOGY.

THE OTHER ONE MIGHT PUT MORE HANDS ON THE JOB.

THESE AREN'T SOLUTIONS TO THIS.

IF THE TUB'S OVERFLOWING, MORE PUMPS, MORE MOPS.

YOU GOT TO TURN THE WATER OFF.

THAT'S HOW YOU. THAT'S HOW YOU MAKE AN EFFECT ON A FLOOD.

AND WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT WE'RE RECYCLING, THERE'S THERE'S ONLY ONE THING THAT WE'RE CONCERNED WITH.

THERE'S ONLY ONE THING THAT REALLY WEIGHS ON US HERE.

BECAUSE ALL THE REST OF THE STUFF, YOU CAN EITHER MAKE MONEY WITH IT.

IT PAYS FOR ITSELF TO BE RECYCLED, RIGHT? OR IT'S OF NO HARM.

YOU COULD THROW AWAY ALL THE GLASS YOU WANT.

I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT THE ILL EFFECTS THAT'S GOING TO HAVE ON MY ENVIRONMENT.

GLASS IS INNOCUOUS.

IT DOESN'T CAUSE ANY ILL NECESSARILY PAPER, ANY OF THESE THINGS THAT DEGRADE ENVIRONMENTALLY AREN'T MY CONCERN.

WE ALL KNOW WHAT THE CONCERN IS WITH RECYCLING.

THAT'S BECAUSE WE'RE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PETROLEUM PRODUCTS THAT ACTUALLY INJURE US, ALL OF US.

HOW ARE WE GOING TO DEAL WITH THAT? A RECYCLING PROGRAM JUST MAKES IT POSSIBLE TO MAKE MORE OF IT.

YOU'RE JUST LEAVING THE SPIGOT OPEN, LEAVING THE WATER FLOW.

WE GOT TO GET TO CAUSALITY, AND THERE'S GOT TO BE A WAY TO RESTRAIN THIS.

SO IT'S KIND OF THE SAME THING WITH THE BREEDERS AND THE SHELTERS BEING OVERWHELMED.

YOU TURN OFF THE WATER FIRST, THEN YOU CLEAN UP THE MESS AND YOU CAN DO IT BY EITHER MEANS I DON'T CARE WHICH SOLUTION WE WANT TO FIGURE OUT, BUT HAVING PEOPLE SPEND THEIR FUEL AND THEIR TIME TO TRY AND DRAG THE RECYCLING TO ANOTHER FACILITY THAT'S HALF THE TIME CLOSED.

THIS IS INSANE.

THE CITIZENS ARE TIRED OF BEING A SERVANT.

NOW, YOU MIGHT HAVE A HANDFUL.

YOU MIGHT HAVE 10,000 PEOPLE IN HERE THAT ARE WILLING TO DO THAT FOR YOU, WILLING TO TAKE PART OF THIS.

AND AS SOON AS THEY DO IT ONCE, THEN THEY'VE GOT TO JUSTIFY WHY THEY'RE DOING IT AT ALL.

AND SO THEY BECOME SYCOPHANTS TO THIS PROGRAM.

[03:20:02]

I GUARANTEE YOU I WAS AN ADVOCATE.

I PUT EVERYTHING IN MY BIN FULLY KNOWING THAT THERE IS NO WAY TO RECYCLE PLASTICS.

IT JUST DOESN'T HAPPEN. IT'S CHEAPER TO MAKE THEM.

I BUILT PLASTIC COMPANIES.

THEY'RE NEVER GOING TO STOP.

AND RECYCLING IS JUST A GRIFT.

IT'S THE LESSER EVIL THAT PAVES THE WAY FOR A GREATER EVIL.

NOW, IF SOMEBODY FOUND OUT SOME ROCKET SCIENCE WAY TO WHERE YOU CAN AVOID THE LAWS OF THERMODYNAMICS AND RECYCLE A PLASTIC FINANCIALLY, FEASIBLY TO TO CREATE A PROFIT. WELL, I GUESS WHEN WE DO THAT, THEN I'LL HAVE SOME FAITH IN THIS.

BUT IT'S ALL ABOUT WHAT IT TAKES TO GET IT DONE.

THIS IS JUST ANOTHER CRISIS OF INGENUITY.

FIGURE IT OUT. ANYONE ELSE IN OPPOSITION? MADAM CLERK, NOTE THAT ONE APPEARED IN OPPOSITION.

COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN MOVE FOR APPROVAL.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE APPROVAL OF SUMMARY NUMBER 26415 ON MOTION OF COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

RESOLUTIONS AND MOTIONS FROM THE FLOOR.

[RESOLUTIONS AND MOTIONS FROM THE FLOOR]

MADAM CLERK, IT'S PERFECT FOR TODAY, RIGHT? PLEASE CALL THE ROLL.

COUNCILMAN ROSENBERG, AND HE'S LEADING THE WAY.

A RESOLUTION GRANTING SAINT ANGELA 835 MELODY DRIVE PERMISSION TO CONDUCT OKTOBERFEST ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 19TH, 2024, FROM 6 P.M. UNTIL 8 P.M..

ANY OBJECTION TO THAT RESOLUTION BEING BROUGHT FROM THE FLOOR? HEARING NONE. WE NOW OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THAT RESOLUTION.

ANYONE IN FAVOR OR OPPOSITION? PLEASE COME FORWARD.

MADAM CLERK, NOTE THAT NO ONE APPEARED.

COUNCILMAN ROSENBERG, ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF THAT RESOLUTION? BROUGHT FORWARD A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN ROSENBERG, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

A RESOLUTION GRANTING GRANTING ARCHBISHOP RUMMEL HIGH SCHOOL, INCORPORATED, 1901 SEVEN.

AVENUE. PERMISSION TO PLACE SIGNS ADVERTISING.

ARCHBISHOP RUMMEL HIGH SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE FROM THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17TH, 2024 TO THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31ST, 2024.

ANY OBJECTION TO THAT RESOLUTION BEING BROUGHT FROM THE FLOOR? HEARING NONE, WE NOW OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THAT RESOLUTION.

ANYONE IN FAVOR OR OPPOSITION? MADAM CLERK, NOTE THAT NO ONE APPEARED.

COUNCILMAN LINDENBERG MOVE TO APPROVE.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF THAT RESOLUTION? A MOTION OF COUNCILMAN ROSENBERG, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

A RESOLUTION GRANTING ARCHBISHOP RUMMEL ALUMNI ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 1901 SEVEN AVENUE.

PERMISSION TO CONDUCT AN ARCHBISHOP RUMMEL HIGH SCHOOL.

RETURN TO SEVEN HOMECOMING ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11TH, 2024, FROM 6 P.M.

UNTIL 9 P.M..

ANY OBJECTION TO THAT RESOLUTION BEING BROUGHT FROM THE FLOOR? HEARING NONE. PUBLIC HEARING IS OPEN ON THAT RESOLUTION AND IN FAVOR OPPOSITION.

MADAM CLERK, NOTE THAT NO ONE APPEARED.

COUNCILMAN ROSENBERG APPROVED ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF THAT RESOLUTION.

BROUGHT FORWARD A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN ROSENBERG, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED A RESOLUTION GRANTING SAINT ANGELA MERICI A 35 MELODY DRIVE.

PERMISSION TO PLACE SIGNS ADVERTISING THEIR FESTIVAL AT VARIOUS LOCATIONS FROM SUNDAY.

SEPTEMBER 20TH, 2024 THROUGH SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5TH, 2024.

ANY OBJECTION TO THAT RESOLUTION BE BROUGHT FROM THE FLOOR? HEARING NONE, WE NOW OPEN THE PUBLIC.

HEARING. ANYONE IN FAVOR OR OPPOSITION? MADAM CLERK, NOTE THAT NO ONE APPEARED.

COUNCILMAN ROSENBERG, ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF THAT RESOLUTION? MOTION BY COUNCILMAN ROSENBERG, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

COUNCILMAN EDWARDS.

COUNCILMAN BONANO, I HAVE ONE.

WOULD YOU PLEASE READ IT? YES, SIR.

A RESOLUTION GRANTING PERMISSION TO JEFF FIT TO CONDUCT A HEALTHY FOOD TRUCK CAMPAIGN IN THE JOE YENNI BUILDING PARKING LOT AT 1221 ELMWOOD PARK BOULEVARD ON FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13TH, 2024.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27TH, 2024.

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11TH, 2024 AND FRIDAY, OCTOBER 25TH, 2024, FROM 11 A.M.

TO 1 P.M.

TO ALLOW THE SALE OF SERVING OF FOOD AND BEVERAGES TO ERECT ONE CANOPY AND TO ALLOW THE USE OF FOOD TRUCKS, PROVIDED ALL NECESSARY PERMITS HAVE BEEN OBTAINED.

ANY OBJECTION TO THAT FLOOR RESOLUTION? HEARING NONE. WE OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THAT RESOLUTION.

ANYONE IN FAVOR OR OPPOSITION? MADAM CLERK, NOTE THAT NO ONE APPEARED COUNCIL MEMBER BONANO MOVE FOR APPROVAL.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF THAT RESOLUTION? MOTION BY COUNCILMAN BONANO, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

COUNCILMAN LEE.

YES, SIR.

A RESOLUTION GRANTING WESTMINSTER PARK ASSOCIATION, 7400 RUNNYMEDE DRIVE, TO CONDUCT A NIGHT OUT AGAINST CRIME EVENT ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8TH, 2024, FROM 5:30 P.M.

UNTIL 7:30 P.M..

ANY OBJECTION TO THAT RESOLUTION COMING FROM THE FLOOR? HEARING NONE, WE NOW OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THAT RESOLUTION.

ANYONE IN FAVOR? OPPOSITION? MADAM CLERK, NOTE THAT NO ONE APPEARED.

COUNCILMAN LEE. MOVE.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF THAT RESOLUTION? COUNCILMAN LEE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN LEE, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

A RESOLUTION GRANTING PERMISSION TO THE CREW OF ATHENA, 2010 WOODMERE BOULEVARD TO CONDUCT A5K AWARENESS WALK ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 5TH, 2024,

[03:25:10]

UNTIL 8 P.M..

ANY OBJECTION TO THAT RESOLUTION COMING FROM THE FLOOR? HEARING NONE. WE'LL NOW OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THAT RESOLUTION.

ANYONE IN FAVOR? OPPOSITION? MADAM CLERK? NO. NO ONE APPEARED.

COUNCILMAN LEE. I MOVE.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF THAT RESOLUTION? MOTION BY COUNCILMAN LEE, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

A RESOLUTION GRANTING PERMISSION TO OCHSNER HEALTH TO SERVE BEER, WINE, LIQUOR, BEVERAGES AND FOOD.

TO ERECT TENT CANOPIES AND TO ALLOW OUTDOOR COOKING AT THE OCHSNER HEALTH GOLF TOURNAMENT AT 11001 LAPALCO BOULEVARD ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10TH, 2024, BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 6 A.M.

AND 4:30 P.M..

ANY OBJECTION TO THAT RESOLUTION COMING FROM THE FLOOR? HEARING NONE. WE NOW THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THAT RESOLUTION.

ANYONE IN FAVOR OR OPPOSITION? MADAM CLERK, NOTE THAT NO ONE APPEARED.

COUNCILMAN LEE, I MOVE FOR APPROVAL.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF THAT RESOLUTION? MOTION BY COUNCILMAN LEE, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

COUNCILMAN WALKER.

NONE. COUNCILWOMAN.

VAN VRANCKEN. NONE.

COUNCILWOMAN BOHANNAN I ACTUALLY HAVE TWO.

SORRY. OKAY.

I ACTUALLY HAVE TWO THAT ARE BY JOINT MOTION WITH ME AND COUNCILMAN LEE.

AND BEFORE YOU READ THEM, ONE IS REGARDING THE AIRPORT.

AND, YOU KNOW, SO THE PUBLIC KNOWS WE HAVE MET WITH THEM.

THEY'RE AWARE THAT THIS IS COMING.

AND THE OTHER ONES, YOU KNOW, DIRECTED AT THE PARISH PRESIDENT'S OFFICES TO HELP US WITH SECURING ADDITIONAL FUNDING IDEAS.

BUT IF YOU DON'T MIND READING THEM FOR US.

YES, MA'AM. A RESOLUTION REQUESTING ACTION BY THE JEFFERSON PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE REGARDING IMPACTS SUSTAINED ON THE EAST BANK OF JEFFERSON PARISH AS A RESULT OF HURRICANE FRANCINE. ANY OBJECTION TO THAT RESOLUTION COMING FROM THE FLOOR? HEARING NONE, WE'LL NOW OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THAT RESOLUTION.

FAVOR OR OPPOSITION? AL MORELLA 42 60 EAST LOYOLA DRIVE, FIFTH DISTRICT COUNCIL, FOURTH DISTRICT OF UNINCORPORATED JEFFERSON, 52 YEARS.

I'M IN FAVOR OF THIS LEGISLATION, AND I'M GOING TO TELL YOU WHY NOW.

COUNCILWOMAN BOHANNAN AND MARK DREWS WAS AT THE COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING ON THE 20TH.

OKAY. IT WAS REPORTED BY ONE OF OUR CITIZENS, RICHARD BROWN, AND I DIDN'T SEE YOU THERE.

COUNCILMAN LEE, I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO SEEN YOU AT OUR MEETING ALONG WITH THE READER, SINCE YOU ARE NOW WORKING ON THIS.

OKAY. MY CAR WAS OVERHEATED.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

YOU'RE EXCUSED ANYWAY.

ANYWAY, THE REPORT WE GOT FROM CITIZEN RICHARD BROWN WAS THAT HE ATTENDED THE AVIATION BOARD MEETING, AND HE GOT THIS INFORMATION STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE'S MOUTH.

THE PEOPLE THAT NEW ORLEANS, THAT INCOMPETENT, CORRUPT DEN OF INEQUITY RIGHT ACROSS THE PARISH LINE SENT PEOPLE TO PUT THOSE PUMPS ONLINE.

THEY DIDN'T KNOW HOW BECAUSE THEY FULLY AUTOMATED.

THERE'S NO MANUAL BACKUP TO THEM AT ALL.

SO NOW THAT'S WHY I SUPPORT THIS LEGISLATION, AND I WANT THAT INCOMPETENT, CORRUPT DEN OF INEQUITY HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT THEY DID.

THE CITIZENS OF KENNER WHO LIVE IN THE FIRST DISTRICT.

ANYBODY GOT ANY COMMENTS? ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE IN FAVOR? ANYONE OPPOSED? MADAM CLERK, NOTE THE ONE APPEARED IN FAVOR.

COUNCILWOMAN BOHANNAN MOVE TO APPROVE.

I'M SORRY. ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF THAT RESOLUTION? BROUGHT FORWARD IN MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN BOHANNAN, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

A RESOLUTION REQUESTING ACTION BY THE JEFFERSON PARISH ADMINISTRATION OFFICE OF THE PARISH PRESIDENT.

ANY OBJECTION TO THAT RESOLUTION COMING FROM THE FLOOR? HEARING NONE. WE'LL NOW OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THAT RESOLUTION.

ANYONE IN FAVOR? OPPOSITION, PLEASE COME FORWARD.

MADAM CLERK, NOTE THAT NO ONE APPEARED.

COUNCILWOMAN COUNCILWOMAN BOHANNAN MOVE TO APPROVE.

I ALMOST SAID THAT WOULDN'T HAVE SOUNDED RIGHT.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF THAT RESOLUTION? BROUGHT FORWARD A MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN BOHANNAN, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

AND I'VE COMPLETED THE ROLL.

ALL RIGHT. THAT TAKES US TO CONSENT.

[CONSENT AGENDA ONE]

MOVE FOR MOVE FOR APPROVAL.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE GLOBAL ADOPTION OF CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS 27 THROUGH 58.

A MOTION OF COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN SECONDED BY COUNCILWOMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

LET'S GO TO ITEM NUMBER 59, A RESOLUTION SELECTING AN ENGINEERING FIRM FROM THE LIST OF APPROVED FIRMS ESTABLISHED UNDER RESOLUTION NUMBER

[CONSENT AGENDA TWO]

[03:30:06]

NOW, COUNCILMEMBER ROSENBERG, YOUR SELECTION BBOC.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE SELECTION OF BBOC.

ON MOTION OF COUNCILMAN ROSENBERG.

SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

ITEM 60 A RESOLUTION SELECTING AN ENGINEERING FIRM FROM THE LIST OF APPROVED FIRMS ESTABLISHED UNDER RESOLUTION NUMBER 144664, ADOPTED AUGUST 7TH, 2024, FOR ROUTINE ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR SEWAGE PROJECTS, WHICH SERVICES WILL BE REQUIRED FOR PROFESSIONAL AND SUPPLEMENTAL SERVICES FOR THE COULEE CANAL IN SOUTHERN OAK LIFT STATION.

IMPROVEMENTS CIP PROJECT NUMBER D3566.

COUNCIL. DISTRICT ONE.

COUNCILMAN EDWARDS, YOUR SELECTION.

I HAVEN'T ANY OBJECTION TO THE SELECTION OF BRIAN HAMMETT AND ASSOCIATES.

A MOTION OF COUNCILMAN EDWARDS, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN, YOUR MOTION ON THE GLOBAL ADOPTION FOR CONSENT AGENDA ITEM 61 THROUGH 100 -94, WHICH WILL BE CANCELED.

MOVE ANY OBJECTION TO THE GLOBAL ADOPTION OF 61 THROUGH 100 -94, WHICH WILL BE CANCELED ON MOTION OF COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

SO THAT TAKES US TO KNOW ADDENDUM AGENDA TODAY.

AND ITEM 102.

RIGHT. OH, DO WE HAVE TO WE HAVE TO DEFER 67.

I DIDN'T DO THAT.

SHOULD THAT HAVE BEEN PART OF THE.

OKAY, LET ME JUST DO THAT OVER AGAIN.

I MISSED THAT NOTE. SORRY ABOUT THAT.

COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN YOUR MOTION REGARDING THE GLOBAL ADOPTION OF CONSENT AGENDA ITEM 61 THROUGH 100 -67, WHICH WOULD BE DEFERRED TO TEN, 16 AND 94, WHICH IS TO BE CANCELED. MOVE ANY OBJECTION TO GLOBAL ADOPTION OF 61 THROUGH 100 -67, WHICH WILL BE DEFERRED TO TEN, 16 AND 94, WHICH WILL BE CANCELED.

A MOTION OF COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

THAT TAKES US TO WHEREVER THIS AGENDA STOPS SCROLLING.

WHAT? 10102102 IS WHERE WE'RE AT.

[JEFFERSON PARISH SPECIAL DISTRICTS]

A RESOLUTION APPROVING AMENDMENT NUMBER ONE TO THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN CONSOLIDATED WATERWORKS DISTRICT NUMBER TWO OF THE PARISH OF JEFFERSON, LOUISIANA AND CITY OF WESTWEGO REGARDING THE SALE OF POTABLE WATER.

COUNCILMAN BONANO YOUR MOTION.

MOVE. APPROVAL. ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF THAT RESOLUTION? ON MOTION OF COUNCIL MEMBER BONANO, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

ITEM 103, PLEASE.

A RESOLUTION APPROVING AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE PARISH OF JEFFERSON AND THE SEAGULL COMPANY, WESTERN STATES, INCORPORATING DOING BUSINESS AS SEAGULL TO UPDATE A COMPREHENSIVE WAGE AND SALARY SURVEY CONDUCTED FROM 2020 TO 2022 FOR THE CLASSIFIED PAY PLAN FOR THE EASTBANK CONSOLIDATED SPECIAL SERVICE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT OF JEFFERSON, LOUISIANA, AND TO PROVIDE FOR RELATED MATTERS AND AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $70,000.

COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN MOVE FOR APPROVAL.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF THAT RESOLUTION? ON MOTION OF COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

ITEM 104, PLEASE.

A RESOLUTION ACCEPTING THE LOWEST RESPONSIBLE BID OF SIEVERDING CONSTRUCTION INCORPORATED UNDER BID PROPOSAL NUMBER 50 00144833 FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO FIRE STATION NUMBER 13, LOCATED AT 4642 CALUMET STREET, METAIRIE AT THE TABULATION PRICE OF $721,348 AND NO CENTS FOR THE EAST BANK.

CONSOLIDATED SPECIAL SERVICE.

FIRE PROTECTION. DISTRICT OF JEFFERSON, LOUISIANA.

COUNCILWOMAN. VAN VRANCKEN.

MOVE FOR APPROVAL. ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF THAT RESOLUTION? A MOTION OF COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN.

SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED 105.

A RESOLUTION REJECTING THE ONLY BID RECEIVED FROM ARC MECHANICAL CONTRACTORS INCORPORATED UNDER BID PROPOSAL NUMBER 50 00145724 FOR BEING OVER BUDGET FOR HVAC REPLACEMENT AT FIRE STATION NUMBER 15, AND A BID TAB AMOUNT OF $234,900 FOR EASTBANK CONSOLIDATED SPECIAL SERVICE FIRE PROTECTION, DISTRICT OF JEFFERSON, LOUISIANA, AND AUTHORIZING THE PURCHASING DEPARTMENT TO RE-ADVERTISE FOR SEALED BIDS AND AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTION OF THE DESIGNATION OF CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT AS AGENT OF A GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY IN SALES TAX EXEMPT CERTIFICATE.

COUNCILWOMAN. VAN VRANCKEN.

MOVE FOR APPROVAL. ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF THAT RESOLUTION? ON MOTION OF COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN.

SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

NO NEW BUSINESS, NO STATUS REPORTS.

SO HERE WE ARE.

PERSONS APPEARING BEFORE THE COUNCIL ON SPECIAL SUBJECT MATTERS.

[PERSONS APPEARING BEFORE THE COUNCIL ON SPECIAL SUBJECT MATTERS]

AL MORELLA, 4260 EAST OYLER DRIVE, FIFTH DISTRICT COUNCIL, FOURTH DISTRICT, UNINCORPORATED JEFFERSON.

52 YEARS CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION FROM THE LAST MEETING $145,967.15.

[03:35:03]

I GAVE THE REASON WHY I'M LATE GIVING THEM IS BECAUSE I GAVE THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT TO MAKE ANY CORRECTIONS, AS THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN NEEDED.

WE TOOK IN $89.83.

WE SPENT 233 231,373 23.

WE HAD DONATIONS FROM VARIOUS VENDORS OF $11,782.

WE HAD A NET LOSS OF 19,401 60 AND COUNCILWOMAN MOHANAN.

IF I'M WRONG ON ANY OF THOSE FIGURES, I STAND CORRECTED.

GET ME A CORRECTION IF THEY NEED.

IF NEED BE ONE NOW.

I GOT YOUR REPORT THAT I ASKED FOR ON THE FINANCES CONCERNING LAFRENIERE PARK, BUT I WANT THE STATE LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR, COUNCILWOMAN BOHANNON, TO COME IN HERE AND DO AN AUDIT ON THAT PARK.

I'M NOT INTERESTED IN THEM POLICE POLICING THEMSELVES.

THIS IS LIKE THE FOX GUARDING THE HENHOUSE.

OKAY, I WANT THE STATE LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR TO COME IN HERE.

BECAUSE TO BE QUITE TRUTHFUL WITH YOU, I DON'T TRUST ANY OF THEM.

OPERATIONS OVER THERE.

NOW LET'S GET ON TO THE FLOODING THAT TOOK PLACE IN CANADA.

515 HOMES.

SOME OF OUR PUMPS HAD MECHANICAL MALFUNCTIONS, HAD MECHANICAL FAILURES.

OKAY. WITH THE ADMISSION, ONE OF THEM WOULD HAVE BARON IN IT FROM MARK CRUZ HIMSELF AT OUR MEAT COUNTER MEETING ON THE 20TH.

NOW, I UNDERSTAND WE GOT AN OUTSIDE CONTRACTOR, AUTOVIA, WHO WORKS IN MAINTAINING THESE PUMPS AND INSPECTING THESE PUMPS.

I WANT TO GET THE THE LATEST INSPECTION REPORT AND THE LATEST MAINTENANCE REPORT ON THOSE PUMPS.

AND ALSO, I WANT TO EXTEND THIS TO THE PARISH ATTORNEY.

I WANT TO KNOW IF AUTOVIA IS ON ANY LIST AS CONTRIBUTING MONEY TO ANY OF THESE POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS DOWN HERE. AND HOW BIG OF A CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTOR.

TO ORDER IF THEY ALL WANT.

AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO GET.

NOW, ANYBODY? ONE OTHER THING. I GOT A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT TO MAKE.

WE GOT OUR NIGHT OUT AGAINST CRIME IN KENT ON OCTOBER THE 5TH, FROM 11 A.M.

IN THE MORNING TO 4 P.M.

IN THE AFTERNOON AT THE PONTCHARTRAIN CENTER.

BRING THE FAMILY.

COME ON OUT.

ENJOY YOURSELVES.

AND ONE OTHER THING.

I KNOW IT'S KIND OF EARLY.

KEN IS GOING TO HAVE HIS VETERANS DAY CEREMONY ON NOVEMBER THE 7TH, WHICH IS A THURSDAY AT 10 A.M.

IN THE MORNING.

ALL VETERANS AND NON VETERANS WELCOME.

ANYBODY GOT ANY COMMENTS.

ANY QUESTIONS.

AND NO MY BRAIN IS NOT TIRED.

AND I I TELL YOU I'D LIKE TO SEE IF I CAN LET THE COUNCIL CLERK BORROW MY VOCAL CORDS TO HELP HER OUT A LITTLE BIT.

I THINK YOU HAVE ENOUGH TO GO AROUND.

YOU GET WELL FAST, YOUNG LADY, BUT YOU CAN BORROW MINE IF.

IF IT WAS POSSIBLE.

THANK YOU. ANYBODY? NO. THANK YOU.

GREG IS TRYING TO SPARK A LITTLE CURIOSITY, AND AWAY WE GO.

FIRSTLY, I WANT TO THANK THE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS DEFENSE FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO TO RIDICULE THEM PHILADELPHIA FANS FOR THREE FULL QUARTERS.

I MEAN, AND THEY TOOK IT.

I'LL THANK THEM PHILLY FANS, TOO.

THEY WERE THEY WERE THEY WERE, AS YOU KNOW, WAS AS WELL-BEHAVED AS I COULD EVER HAVE IMAGINED PHILLY FANS TO BE.

AND OUR DEFENSE WAS STOUT.

DON'T LET NOTHING ON THE TV TELL YOU OTHERWISE.

SOME GUYS WERE JUST AWESOME.

I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE INSPECTOR GENERAL AND THIS BODY FOR KIND OF PUTTING ON DISPLAY WHAT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE LEGITIMACY OF GOVERNANCE, THE PRINCIPLES OF GOVERNANCE BEING IN PLAY HERE.

PLAYING THE PUBLIC, PLAYING AS A PUBLIC CITIZEN, TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT.

AND TRUST ME, THE ADMINISTRATION DOESN'T MAKE THIS EASY.

I'VE TRIED TO JUST GET IT TO REVIEW A STOP SIGN STUDY, MADE THAT SUBMISSION, THAT REQUEST THREE YEARS AGO.

NOBODY HAS FURNISHED IT YET.

AND YOU'RE OBLIGED TO.

YOU'RE OBLIGED TO. I'D LIKE TO SEE A STOP SIGN STUDY FOR HOMER BOULEVARD.

YOU'RE OBLIGED TO PROVIDE THAT TO ME.

IF THIS WAS A REPRESENTATIVE BODY, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FURNISHED.

SO THE FACT THAT SHE'S NOT ASKING Y'ALL THE THE CONCERNED PARTIES.

THANK YOU. YEAH, BECAUSE SHE GOT TO FIND OUT WHAT KIND OF OBSTACLES THE PUBLIC FACES AND HOW LITTLE TRANSPARENCY THIS BODY WILL, WILL SHOW THE PUBLIC.

[03:40:04]

ONE CROTCHET INGENUITY ON TOP OF THE OTHER.

PUBLIC BENEFIT CORPORATION TAKES ME BACK TO CARLIN.

YOU KNOW WHAT? THE OPPOSITE OF PROGRESS IS, RIGHT? CONGRESS. I DON'T TRUST GOVERNANCE.

THAT'S WHY WE CONDUCT OVERSIGHT.

WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE BODY THAT OPPOSES ITS ADMINISTRATION, DOESN'T DEFEND IT AGAINST THE INSPECTOR GENERAL THAT YOU EMPLOY, THAT WE EMPLOY.

IT SHOULD BE EMBARRASSING WHAT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH HERE NOW.

TIME AND AGAIN, I'VE MADE IT CLEAR THERE'S ONLY THREE PEOPLE THAT DESERVE MORE MONEY THAN A FIRST GRADE TEACHER.

AND IT'S NONE OF YOU.

NOBODY IN A SUIT IN THIS ROOM EXCEPT THE OFFICERS OF THE LAW BEARING A FIREARM.

IF YOU'VE GOT A POTENTIALLY BECOME A MURDERER, THEN YOU DESERVE MORE MONEY THAN A TEACHER.

NOW, IF YOU'VE GOT TO RUN INTO A BURNING BUILDING, YOU DESERVE MORE MONEY THAN A TEACHER.

AND IF YOU'VE GOT TO SIFT THROUGH MY POOP, WELL, THEN YOU PROBABLY DESERVE MORE MONEY THAN A TEACHER.

THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A PUBLIC SERVICE.

THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A CIVIC DUTY.

WHEN YOU PAY YOURSELVES LIKE JUDGES, YOU BEHAVE LIKE THEM.

AND I KNOW THERE'S TWO JUDGES SITTING IN FRONT OF ME THAT UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, RIGHT? IT'S NOT PERSONAL.

HOW WE EMPOWER GOVERNMENT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHO HAPPENS TO HOLD THAT POWER.

YOU CAN FIGURE THIS OUT.

YOU CAN CORRECT FOR OURSELVES.

I GOT EIGHT NEIGHBORING PARISHES.

I GOT TO READ THEIR CHARTERS.

EVERY ONE OF THEM CONFORMS TO THE 27TH AMENDMENT.

THEIR COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE TO FACE THE ELECTORATE, AND THEY ALL PAY THEMSELVES LIKE TEACHERS.

BETWEEN 1600 AND $2400 A MONTH.

85, 80, 90 GRAND FOR THE DISTRICTS HERE.

AND LET'S TALK ABOUT THE DISCRETIONARY FUNDS PANDEMIC.

THAT'S YOUR TIME TO FIGURE THAT OUT.

THAT ALL WENT TO YOUR DISCRETIONARY FUNDS, NOT TO ANYBODY WHO'S UNEMPLOYED.

GOOD AFTERNOON, BRIAN MILLER.

I'M THE FIRE CHIEF FROM LIVE OAK MANOR IN WAGGAMAN.

I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DID NOT COME UP HERE TODAY BECAUSE AS A CHIEF, THEY CALL YOU A LEADER.

BUT MY DEFINITION IS, IS I SERVE, I SERVE MY MEN, AND I SERVE MY COMMUNITY.

SO TODAY I COME HERE TO ASK YOU FOR SOME GUIDANCE AND SOME HELP WHEN IT COMES TO PAYROLL.

WE WERE ACTIVATED ON THE WEST BANK, AS WERE OUR BRETHREN WHO I HOLD NO GRUDGE AGAINST ON THE EAST BANK.

BUT HOW DO WE GET PAID DIFFERENTLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE ACTIVATION AT A HURRICANE? THE MEN OVER HERE ON THE WEST BANK, THE MEN SPECIFICALLY AT MY DEPARTMENT, CAME IN.

IF IT WAS THEIR REGULARLY SCHEDULED DAY, THEY GOT STRAIGHT PAY.

IF IT WAS AN OVERTIME DAY, IT WAS THEIR DAY OFF.

AND THEY WERE THERE. THEY GOT OVERTIME.

I UNDERSTAND THERE'S SOME DISPARAGING WAYS OF PAY FROM THE EAST TO THE WEST, SO I'D LIKE THAT LOOKED INTO.

AND IF IT'S A CIVIL SERVICE LAW THAT I'M NOT AWARE OF, THEN OKAY.

BUT I DO BELIEVE THE MEN AND WOMEN THAT SERVE ON THE WEST BANK.

I LISTENED TO Y'ALL THIS MORNING.

I LISTENED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE COME UP HERE AND TALK ABOUT HOW GREAT JEFFERSON PARISH IS, AND WE ARE, BUT WE ARE ONE PARISH.

IT'S NOT JUST THE EAST BANK.

AND I'M AN EAST BANKER.

THE WEST BANK MAKES UP THIS GREAT PARISH TOO.

FROM THE CITY OF GRETNA, WHO WAS REPRESENTED BY ITS MAYOR AND COUNCIL ALL THE WAY TO WAGGAMAN.

WE ARE JEFFERSON PARISH.

SO IF IT'S GOOD ON THE EAST, IT MUST BE GOOD ON THE WEST.

WE NEED THE HEROES THAT THIS FINE GENTLEMAN STOOD UP AND TALKED ABOUT HIS FIRE SERVICE.

WE NEED THEM OVER HERE, TOO.

WHAT IF THIS STORM THAT WE'VE ALL BEEN LOOKING AT HERE RECENTLY WOULDN'T BE TAKING A RIGHT? I DON'T KNOW THAT HERE ON THE WEST BANK, WE COULD GET THE VERY FIREMEN TO COME BACK IN BECAUSE OF THIS DIFFERENCE IN THE EMERGENCY PAY.

WE'RE NOT EVEN GOING TO DISCUSS THE NORMAL PAY, JUST THE EMERGENCY PAY.

AND THEN MY LAST THING TO YOU FROM THAT, IF YOU WOULD LOOK INTO THAT, IS LOOK INTO THIS.

I MADE A PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST IN REGARDS TO CONTRACTS, AGREEMENTS OR CEASE WHEN IT CAME TO THE MS SERVICE THAT WE HAVE HERE IN JEFFERSON PARISH. I GOT A CEA ON WHAT WAS THE PURCHASE OF A $200,000 AMBULANCE TO UPGRADE THE SERVICE ON THE WEST BANK. UNLESS I'M WRONG, IN ORDER FOR THAT CEA TO HAVE BEEN CONSTRUCTED AND AGREED UPON, THERE MUST BE ANOTHER AGREEMENT OR CONTRACT.

IS THERE AN AGREEMENT AND A CONTRACT WITH JEFFERSON PARISH AND LCMC IN REGARDS TO THE EMS SERVICE AND 911 SERVICE FROM THEM? IF IT IS, I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT BECAUSE OF SOME THINGS THAT ARE CURRENT ON RESPONSES THAT WE DO.

[03:45:03]

THANK YOU. LARRY FREDERICK, I'M THE ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF OF LIVE OAK MANOR MOUNTAIN FIRE DEPARTMENT.

AND I'LL JUST CONTINUE ON WITH WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT SINCE HE RAN OUT OF TIME.

HE IS RIGHT IN EVERY SENSE OF WHAT HE SAID.

WE ARE ONE PARISH.

UNFORTUNATELY, A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THAT THE RIVER RUNNING THROUGH IT DIVIDES US.

IT DOES NOT.

EVERY TIME THAT I HAVE BEEN APPROACHED ABOUT PAYROLL OR PAY AND THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE EAST BANK AND WEST BANK, LIKE BRIAN SAID, I HOLD NO ILL WILL TOWARDS THE EAST BANK.

AND I WISH EVERYBODY THAT MADE A MILLION CAN MAKE TWO.

UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S NOT THE CASE.

BUT EVERY TIME THAT IT'S BEEN REQUESTED TO KNOW ABOUT DIFFERENT THINGS AND THE PAY DIFFERENCES, IT'S.

WELL, THE EAST BANK PROPERTY VALUE IS MORE THAN THE WEST BANK'S PROPERTY VALUE.

THEREFORE, THEY GET MORE MONEY ALLOCATED TO THEM, LESS MONEY ALLOCATED TO US.

THE ONE QUESTION I HAVE FOR YOU ALL, AND I'LL LEAVE IT WITH THIS IS FIREMAN ON THE WEST BANK.

DO THE SAME JOB AS THE FIREMAN ON THE EAST BANK? CORRECT. WE ALL HAVE ONE JOB.

LIFE SAFETY, PUT FIRES OUT, RESPOND TO EMERGENCIES TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY.

IF WE'RE ALL DOING THE SAME THING, WHY IS THERE A DIFFERENCE IN PAY? WHY IS THERE A DIFFERENCE IN ALLOCATION OF FUNDS? AND WHY CAN ONE SIDE OF THE RIVER GET MORE THAN THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER? BECAUSE LAST I CHECKED, JPSO ALL IN THIS DISTRICT DOES THE SAME EXACT JOB AND THEY DON'T ASK WHAT YOUR PROPERTY VALUE IS WHEN RESPONDING TO EMERGENCIES.

THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE? HE'S SCARED. THANK YOU.

I'M MADAM CLERK. LET'S READ THE ORDINANCE FOR INTRODUCTION TO SUMMARY, PLEASE.

[ORDINANCES FOR INTRODUCTION AND PUBLICATION IN SUMMARY]

AN ORDINANCE APPROVING THE PRELIMINARY AND FINAL PLAT OF SUBDIVISION OF LOTS ONE A, ONE, ONE, B ONE AND ONE E BETHANY A PLAZA SUBDIVISION INTO LOT ONE B-1A.

AN ORDINANCE APPROVING THE PRELIMINARY AND FINAL PLAT OF SUBDIVISION OF LOTS H1 AND H2, A SQUARE X WESTGATE INTO LOT H2 A ONE SQUARE X.

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE OFFICIAL ZONING MAP.

LOT ONE. A ONE, ONE, B ONE AND ONE E BETHANY PLAZA SUBDIVISION LOCATED AT 30 711 POWELL BOULEVARD.

MORE PARTICULARLY, AMENDING THE ZONING CLASSIFICATION FROM R-1, A SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT AND C1 NEIGHBORHOOD COMMERCIAL DISTRICT TO SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT. AN ORDINANCE APPROVING VARIANCES TO THE LANDSCAPE STANDARDS OF THE KBS JEFFERSON PARISH EMPLOYEES FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, LOCATED AT 1090 ELMWOOD PARK BOULEVARD. AN ORDINANCE APPROVING REQUESTED VARIANCES TO THE AREA.

REGULATIONS AND LANDSCAPE AND BUFFER REGULATIONS OF OF THE NEW ORLEANS, LOCATED AT 8900 VETERANS ON LOTS H1 AND H2. A SQUARE X WESTGATE SUBDIVISION.

AN ORDINANCE REVOKING AND DECLARING A PORTION OF NINTH STREET RIGHT OF WAY ADJACENT TO LOT ONE, A SQUARE EIGHT MARRERO NO LONGER NEEDED FOR PUBLIC PURPOSES, AND AUTHORIZING A SALE TO THE ADJACENT PROPERTY OWNER FOR THE APPRAISED VALUE OF $14,000.

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE 2024 OPERATING BUDGET.

AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE 2024 CAPITAL BUDGET.

AND THAT'S ALL THE ORDINANCES I HAVE TO READ.

ANY OBJECTION TO THE ADOPTION OF THE ORDINANCE IS READ INTO SUMMARY A MOTION OF COUNCILWOMAN VAN VRANCKEN, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN WALKER.

HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

SO FOUR HOURS LATER, WE'VE WRAPPED IT UP.

AND LOOK, PUBLIC DISCOURSE IS IS GREAT, AND SOMETIMES IT'S EXHAUSTING AND LONG.

AND WE HAVE MEETINGS LIKE THIS.

BUT IT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR IS TO HEAR WHAT EVERYBODY THINKS ABOUT WHATEVER WE MAY BE DISCUSSING.

SO THANK YOU, EVERYBODY.

HAVE A GREAT WEEK. OUR NEXT MEETING IS OCTOBER 16TH.

IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE MOTION TO ADJOURN BY ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT? HEARING NONE SO ORDERED.

THIS MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED.

OH, I KNOW, YEAH. THANK YOU.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.