[2024 State of the Parish ]
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SO WELCOME EVERYONE TO THE 2024 STATE OF JEFFERSON LUNCHEON.
I AM RUTH LAWSON, PRESIDENT OF THE JEFFERSON CHAMBER, AND I WILL BE YOUR MODERATOR FOR TODAY'S EVENT.
WE ARE EXCITED TO BE HERE WITH YOU FOR WHAT WILL BE A GREAT DISCUSSION ABOUT JEFFERSON PARISH.
FIRST, PLEASE STAND SO WE CAN SAY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
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.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO JEFFERSON PARISH FOR RECORDING OUR PROGRAM TODAY.
YOU CAN FIND IT ON JTV CHANNEL SIX FOR COX AND CHANNEL 99 FOR ATNC OR ONLINE AT WWW DOT JEFF PARRISH TV SLASH PAGES SLASH LIVE.
FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR PRESENTING SPONSOR, FIRST HORIZON AND WELCOME TO THE STAGE NATALIE BARNES, SENIOR COMMERCIAL BANKER OF FIRST HORIZON BANK.
I'M A COMMERCIAL BANKER WITH FIRST HORIZON BANK.
UH, AT FIRST I'D LIKE TO THANK THE STAFF OF THE CHAMBER FOR THROWING TOGETHER THIS GREAT EVENT.
UM, I HAVE BEEN A COMMERCIAL BANKER FOR OVER SEVEN YEARS.
I HAVE OUTSTANDING BANKING PARTNERS IN WEALTH, RETAIL, MORTGAGE, TREASURY SERVICES, COMMERCIAL AND PRIVATE BANKING.
WE HAVE 18 LOCATIONS IN THE NEW ORLEANS, GREATER NEW ORLEANS AREA.
SEVEN OF THOSE ARE IN JEFFERSON PARISH ON BOTH THE THE WEST BANK AND THE EAST BANK.
UM, TWO OF OUR LARGEST FACILITIES ARE IN MEY AND KENNER, AND THAT'S WHERE MOST OF OUR ASSOCIATES ARE HOUSE AT.
WE STRIVE DAILY TO GIVE BACK TO OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES AND TO OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING TO SEE HOW CAN WE HELP JEFFERSON PARISH RESIDENTS BUSINESSES.
I'LL GIVE IT OVER TO THE CHAMBER NOW, BUT I WANTED TO PERSONALLY THANK EVERYBODY SUPPORT FOR SUPPORTING THE CHAMBER, UM, AND JEFFERSON PARISH AND ALL OF OUR NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND HAVE A GREAT DAY.
NOW I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE CONGRESSMAN TROY CARTER TO THE STAGE TO SAY A FEW WORDS.
CONGRESSMAN CARTER WAS ELECTED TO REPRESENT LOUISIANA'S SECOND DISTRICT IN 2021.
HE SERVES ON THE HOUSE TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE, AS WELL AS THE HOUSE HOMELAND SECURITY COMMITTEE.
PLEASE WELCOME CONGRESSMAN CARTER.
FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE WITH YOU TODAY, UH, TO CELEBRATE THE GREAT WORK GOING ON IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
JEFFERSON PARISH IS ON THE MOVE.
IT'S ON THE MOVE BECAUSE WE'VE DETERMINED THAT WORKING TOGETHER REALLY DOES WORK.
THAT ADDRESSING THE ISSUES THAT AFFECT CRIME, THE ENVIRONMENT, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, INFRASTRUCTURE ARE ALL ISSUES THAT REALLY DO MATTER REGARDLESS OF OUR PARTY, REGARDLESS OF WHERE WE LIVE, WHAT OUR ZIP CODES ARE, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE SEEING THE KIND OF PROGRESS THAT WE'RE SEEING.
I'M SO HAPPY TO BE HERE AND THANK YOU FOR THE WARM WELCOME.
IT'S ALWAYS A PLEASURE TO BE BACK HOME IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
I'M HONORED TO JOIN YOU TODAY AT THE STATE OF JEFFERSON LUNCHEON.
I'D LIKE TO PERSONALLY THANK JEFFERSON PARISH CHAMBER PRESIDENT RUTH LAWSON FOR INCREDIBLE WORK PRESIDENT, PARISH PRESIDENT CYNTHIA LEE SHANG, COUNCIL MEMBER SCOTT WALKER, COUNCILWOMAN JENNIFER VAN RANKIN.
COUNCILMAN DINO BONANO, COUNCILMAN BYRON LEE, COUNCILMAN RITA BOHANNAN.
COUNCILMAN MARIAN EDWARDS AND COUNCILMAN HANS BERG.
GIVE THEM ALL A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO ALL OF OUR MANY STATE REPRESENTATIVES AND STATE SENATORS.
PLEASE RISE, MY FORMER COLLEAGUES WHO I'M SO PROUD OF, THE INCREDIBLE WORK THAT THEY DO.
UH, AND THEY'RE GONNA BE HEADING INTO A SPECIAL SESSION REAL SOON.
SO, UH, WE'LL BE ESPECIALLY PRAYERFUL FOR YOU.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE SERVICE.
GIVE THEM A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
TODAY I'M EXCITED TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IN WASHINGTON, THE REAL IMPACT IT'S HAVING RIGHT HERE AT HOME.
ONE SIGNIFICANT WIN FOR JEFFERSON PARISH HAS BEEN SECURING $19 MILLION BRICK GRANT.
THIS FUNDING IS INSTRUMENTAL IN STRENGTHENING OUR ELECTRICAL GRID TO WITHSTAND WINDS OF UP TO 150 MILES PER HOUR, REDUCING POWER OUTAGE OUT OUTAGE RISK
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FOR OUR RESIDENTS AND CRITICAL FACILITIES.THESE ARE NOT JUST INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES.
THESE ARE LIFELINES ENSURING OUR HOMES AND BUSINESSES HAVE RELIABLE POWER THROUGH SEVERE WEATHER.
WE KNOW THAT MANY STORMS ARE GONE LONG AFTER AND THE POWER OUTAGE STAYS AND WE LOSE MANY LIVES TO THAT.
SO HARDENING OUR GRID IS ESSENTIAL TO MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE LIFELINE THAT WE NEED TO KEEP OUR BUSINESSES OPEN, OUR FAMILIES SAFE.
IT'S THE ESSENTIAL STEP FORWARD TO BUILDING, RE BUILDING, RESILIENCE AND PROTECTING OUR COMMUNITY'S FUTURE.
JEFFERSON PARISH HAS ALSO AWARDED $23 MILLION IN FLOOD MITIGATION ASSISTANCE, GRANTS SUPPORTING FLOOD CONTROL AND PROPERTY MITIGATION.
WITH THIS WILL ELEVATE 132 FLOOD PRONE STRUCTURES AND INSTALL GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE TO DETAIN STORM WATER AND PREVENT FUTURE DAMAGE FROM STORMS AND HURRICANES.
THESE PROJECTS REPRESENT SOME OF THE STRONGEST COMMITMENTS, OUR COMMIT TO OUR COMMUNITY SAFETY AND PROTECTION OF PROPERTY THAT HAS WEATHERED TOO MANY STORMS. ADDITIONALLY, JUST LAST WEEK I JOINED JEFFERSON PARISH HOUSING SERVICES DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT TO ANNOUNCE NEARLY $500,000 FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT.
THIS FUNDING PROVIDES 52 HOUSING VOUCHERS FOR YOUNG ADULTS, AGES 18 TO 24, WHO ARE TRANSITIONING OUT OF FOSTER CARE.
LAST WEEK I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF VISITING BOYSTOWN RIGHT ON BERMAN HIGHWAY AND TO VISIT WITH A GROUP OF YOUNG MEN WHO WERE IN FOSTER CARE, WHO WERE COMING CLOSE TO THE TIME THAT THEY WERE GOING TO, UH, REACH THE AGE OF 18 AND THEY HAD NO PLACE TO GO.
UM, KIDS THAT HAD BEEN BOUNCED FROM ONE FOSTER CARE SITUATION TO ANOTHER IN NEED OF GUIDANCE AND HELP, THIS WILL GO A LONG WAY TO MAKE SURE THESE YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A HOME OF THEIR OWN, TO BE ABLE TO BE PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS, TO GET AN EDUCATION, AND TO BE SOMEONE THAT WE CAN ALL HAVE EMBRACED IN OUR COMMUNITY AS PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS.
BUT THESE THINGS DON'T HAPPEN ALONE.
THEY HAPPEN WITH GOVERNMENT, PRIVATE, PRIVATE ENTITIES, NOT-FOR-PROFIT AND FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS COME TOGETHER TO SAY WE MUST WORK TOGETHER, AND WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER, WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
THESE VOUCHERS WILL PROVIDE STABILITY, SECURITY, ENSURING OUR YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE A SAFE PLACE TO CALL HOME AND A FOUNDATION TO BUILD THEIR FUTURES.
STARTING MARCH 1ST, THE PROGRAM WILL OFFICIALLY LAUNCH, AND I'M GRATEFUL TO EVERYONE WHO WORKS SO HARD TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
I WAS ALSO PROUD TO SECURE MULTIPLE COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING GRANTS ON BEHALF OF JEFFERSON PARISH.
IN THE INTEREST OF PUBLIC SAFETY, WE SECURED $260,000 FOR THE JEFFERSON PARISH SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
THIS GRANT PART OF THE LOUISIANA LOCAL ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, WHICH IS HELPING AGENCIES MODERNIZE EQUIPMENT AND ENHANCE TRAINING WITH PUBLIC SAFETY AS THE FOUNDATION OF A STRONG COMMUNITY.
THIS FUNDING WILL ALLOW SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO BETTER SERVE OUR PARISH FROM ADVANCED TRAINING TO UPDATED EQUIPMENT AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ARE NOW BETTER EQUIPPED TO RESPOND AND TO SERVE TO OUR COMMUNITY SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY.
I ALSO CHAMPIONED $260,000 FOR JEFFERSON PARISH DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO SUPPORT THE CRITICAL WORK THAT OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY PAUL CONNICK OFFICE HAS BEEN DOING FOR MANY YEARS.
OVER THE PAST YEARS, THESE OFFICES HAVE DEMONSTRATED REMARKABLE DEDICATION AND ADAPTABILITY, STRENGTHENING PARTNERSHIPS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PUBLIC OFFICIALS TO ADDRESS THE UNPRECEDENTED RISE IN CRIME ACROSS OUR COMMUNITIES.
HOWEVER, THE DEMAND FOR EXPERIENCED ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEYS REMAINS HIGH, MAKING IT ESSENTIAL THAT WE NOT ONLY RECRUIT SKILLED PROFESSIONALS, BUT RET WE RETAIN THE INDIVIDUAL KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERTISE THAT HAS BEEN TRAINED IN THESE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
THE FUNDING WILL DIRECTLY RECRUIT, RETAIN, AND TRAIN EFFORTS, AND EQUIP DISTRICT ATTORNEYS WITH THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO CONTINUE SERVING AND PROTECTING LOUISIANAN.
EFFECTIVELY, I'M PROUD TO HAVE CHAMPIONED THIS INVESTMENT IN OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM, WHICH UNDERSCORES OUR COMMITMENT TO BUILDING SAFETY MORE RESILIENT COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE.
ADDITIONALLY, WE WERE ABLE TO SELECT THE CITY OF WESTWEGO, WHICH WILL RECEIVE $3 MILLION FOR THE ELEVATED WALKWAY PROJECT, A TRANSFORMATIVE INITIATIVE THAT WILL ENHANCE PUBLIC SAFETY, PUBLIC SAFETY, AND ECONOMIC VITALITY IN OUR COMMUNITY IS MAYOR BILL.
IN THE, IN THE AUDIENCE SOMEWHERE, GIVE MAYOR BILL YACHT FOR HIS VISION, FOR HIS VISION AND HIS LEADERSHIP.
UM, A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR FOR PUSHING THIS TO SUCCESS AND I'M GRATEFUL TO HAVE HIM AS
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YET ANOTHER PARTNER IN JUSTICE WITH ME AS WE BRING THESE FEDERAL DOLLARS HOME.THE ELEVATED PATHWAY STRETCHING FROM THE FOOT OF SALA AVENUE, LA 5 41 TO MISSISSIPPI RIVER LEVEE IS A CRITICAL STEP FORWARD TO MAKING OUR RIVERFRONT MORE ACCESSIBLE AND ENJOYABLE FOR RESIDENTS AND VISITORS ALIKE BY CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY TO THE RIVER SAFELY AND EFFECTIVELY.
THE WALKWAY WILL NOT ONLY REDUCE TRAFFIC RISK FOR PEDESTRIANS, BUT ALSO INVIGORATE THE LOCAL ECONOMY BY DRAWING MORE FOOT TRAFFIC TO THE SMALL BUSINESSES IN THE AREA, CULTURAL CENTERS AND HISTORIC SITES ALONG SA AVENUE.
THIS FUNDING EXEMPLIFIES OUR COMMITMENT TO BUILDING SAFER, MORE VIBRANT COMMUNITIES THAT CELEBRATE LOUISIANA'S UNIQUE HERITAGE WHILE SUPPORTING THE PROSPERITY OF LOCAL BUSINESS OWNERS.
I ALSO WAS, WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE AT THE TABLE WHEN WE'RE ABLE TO FIGHT FOR FUNDS FOR THE CITY OF GRETNA TO RECEIVE $850,000 COMMUNITY PROJECT GRANT FUNDING FOR CRITICAL UPGRADES TO WATER TREATMENT FACILITIES.
AN INVESTMENT THAT STRENGTHENS OUR COMMUNITY'S RESILIENCE AND SECURES THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE FUTURE IS MAYOR CONSTANT IN THE AUDIENCE.
MAYOR, CONSTANT STANDING HERE, GIVE HER A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR HER CONTINUED LEADERSHIP, HER CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO PUSHING AND DEMONSTRATING THE NEED OF OUR PARISH, COMING TO WASHINGTON AND VISITING WITH ME, DEMONSTRATING THAT WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER, WE GET THINGS DONE.
DEMONSTRATING THAT THE PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, LOCAL AND STATE MAKES A DIFFERENCE WHEN WE ALL GET ON THE SAME PAGE.
RECOGNIZING THAT THE PEOPLE THAT WE JOINTLY REPRESENT DESERVE TO SEE ACTION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MAYOR CONSTANT FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
THESE ENHANCEMENTS, WHICH INCLUDE DOUBLING THE CAPACITY OF A KEY BYPASS, REPLACING AN OUTDATED PUMP STATION AND INSTALLING A NEW VALVE WILL ENSURE THAT OUR WATER TREATMENT OPERATIONS ARE ROBUST AND CAPABLE OF MEETING THE DEMANDS OF GROWING POPULATIONS.
ADDITIONALLY, BY CONSTRUCTING A NEW DOLPHIN DOLPHIN IN REPLACE TO THE CURRENT DETERIORATED STRUCTURE, WE ARE PRIORITIZING BOTH FUNCTIONALITY AND SAFETY IN GRETNA'S WATER TREATMENT.
I'M PROUD TO ADVOCATE FOR THESE PROJECTS AND THAT WE'LL PROVIDE A LASTING BENEFIT TO COMMUNITIES TO CONTRIBUTE LONG-TERM STABILITY, SECURITY, AND VITAL WATER RESOURCES.
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION IS ANOTHER AREA OF PROGRESS THROUGH THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE BILL THAT I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO SERVE ON TNI AND WORK INTIMATELY IN CRAFTING JEFFERSON PARISH, WHICH HAS RECEIVED $5.4 MILLION FROM THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION TO ACQUIRE FIVE NEW LOW EMISSION BUSES.
THESE ADDITIONS, ADDITIONS ARE TO OUR TRANSIT SYSTEMS ARE NOT ONLY ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY, BUT THEY ALSO HELP IMPROVE TRANSPORTATION ACROSS A TRANSPORTATION ACCESS TO OUR RESIDENTS.
AS WE CONTINUE TO RECOVER FROM HURRICANE, FROM HURRICANES AND PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE STORMS THAT THIS YEAR WE SECURED $3.3 MILLION FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY TO HELP JEFFERSON PARISH PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS WITH MOLD REMEDIATION.
AN ADDITIONAL 2.6 MILLION WILL GO TOWARD REBUILDING FIRE STATION NUMBER 11.
THESE PROJECTS ARE CRUCIAL FOR ENSURING OUR SCHOOLS AND EMERGENCY SERVICES CAN FUNCTION SAFELY, EFFECTIVELY, AND ACROSS ALL SECTORS.
ANOTHER MAJOR INITIATIVE IS $2 MILLION FEDERAL GRANT SECURED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE JEFFERSON PARISH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION TO BUILD A STATE-OF-THE-ART, FOOD AND BEVERAGE INCUBATOR AT CHURCHILL PARK.
THESE INCUBATE, THIS INCUBATOR WILL SUPPORT LOCAL SMALL BUSINESSES WITH ACCESS TO COMMERCIAL KITCHEN SPACE AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOSTERING A HUB OF ECONOMIC GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY RIGHT HERE IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
FINALLY, I WANT TO ADDRESS AN ISSUE WEIGHING HEAVILY ON ALL OF US, AND THAT'S RISK RATING 2.0 AND THE ISSUANCE OF THE CRISIS THAT IT PRESENTS THE LOUISIANA DELEGATION.
ALL EIGHT OF US, REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRAT HOUSE AND SENATE STAND LOCKSTEP UNITED IN ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE, AS WE ALL AGREE, IS AN ILL-FATED POLICY, ONE THAT IS HURTING MORE THAN IT'S HELPING, AND WE'RE DETERMINED AS A DELEGATION TO PUSH BACK TO REPEAL RISK RATING 2.0 AND PROVIDE THE KIND OF RELIEF THAT OUR HOMEOWNERS, BOTH NEW HOMEOWNERS AND THOSE WHO WOULD BECOME HOMEOWNERS, WE'LL HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ENJOY THE AMERICAN DREAM OF HOME OWNERSHIP.
WE KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF PUSHING BACK ON THIS LOUISIANA DELEGATION IS WORKING TIRELESSLY.
UH, I PERSONALLY RAISE THIS CONCERNS WITH SECRETARY, MAYOR AND FEMA ADMINISTRATOR GRISWELL, WHILE THE CHANGE IS SLOW, OUR FIGHT IS UNWAVERING.
NO ONE SHOULD BE FORCED OUT OF THEIR HOME DUE TO UNAFFORDABLE INSURANCE.
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AND I'M COMMITTED TO ACHIEVING RELIEF IN OUR COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE OF LOUISIANA AND ACROSS ALL, ALL OTHER JURISDICTIONS WHO ARE SIMILARLY BEING FORCED OUT OF THEIR HOMES BECAUSE THE HOME THAT YOU MAY HAVE PAID FOR NOW HAS A FLOOD INSURANCE NOTE THAT COULD BE GREATER THAN THE NOTE WAS WHEN YOU STILL OWED ONE.AND WE WILL NOT STOP UNTIL WE BRING RESOLUTION TOGETHER.
WE'RE MAKING MEANINGFUL PROGRESS AND I'M PROUD THAT WHAT WE'VE ACHIEVED SO FAR THAT FOR THE CHANCE TO SHARE THIS UPDATE WITH YOU IS SOMETHING THAT I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR AS WE CELEBRATE THE STATE OF JEFFERSON PARISH, WHICH YOU WILL HEAR THROUGHOUT THE THEME OF EVERYONE WHO SPEAKS JEFFERSON PARISH IS ALIVE, WELL, AND OPEN FOR BUSINESS.
GOD BLESS YOU, CONTINUE YOUR INCREDIBLE WORK WITH ALL THE GREAT LEADERS AND BUSINESS LEADERS THAT MAKE THIS POSSIBLE.
WE ARE SO HAPPY YOU JOINED US HERE TODAY AND APPRECIATE THE LEADERSHIP ON FEDERAL LEVEL.
SO NOW PLEASE WELCOME TO THE STAGE NORA VADEN HOLMES STATE FARM INSURANCE AGENT, OUR 2024 GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE CHAIR, AS WELL AS OUR 2025 CHAIR ELECT.
AND RYAN RODRIG, VICE PRESIDENT OF HUB INTERNATIONAL LIMITED, OUR 2024 CHAMBER CHAIRMAN.
I THINK THE CONGRESSMAN MADE A GREAT POINT.
WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER, WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE TOGETHER.
UM, AND WHAT WE WANTED TO DO WAS ACKNOWLEDGE THE GREAT WORK AND COLLABORATION THAT WE'VE HAD WITH OUR JEFFERSON PARISH COUNCIL.
UM, OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS HAVE HELPED THE CHAMBER EXECUTE THEIR IDEA, EXECUTE OUR IDEAS, AND WE COULD NOT BE MORE APPRECIATIVE OF THE LEADERSHIP THAT THEY HAVE, UM, SHOWN TO US AND WORKED WITH US IN THE COLLABORATION.
SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS ASK, UM, EACH COUNCIL PERSON, AS I CALL YOUR NAME, TO STAND UP AND REMAIN STANDING.
FIRST OF ALL, COUNCILMAN MARIAN EDWARDS.
COUNCILMAN BYRON LEE, COUNCILMAN DINO BONANNO.
COUNCILMAN HANS BERG COUNCILWOMAN, JENNIFER VAN RANKIN, COUNCILMAN SCOTT WALKER, AND OF COURSE, OUR PARISH PRESIDENT, CYNTHIA CHANG.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU DO.
AT THIS TIME, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ASK ALL THE ELECTED OFFICIALS IN ATTENDANCE TO PLEASE STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THE JEFFERSON CHAMBER.
AND NOW PLEASE WELCOME OUR 2024 CHAIRMAN RYAN ROD.
OUR WORK, UH, ESPECIALLY OUR RELEVANCE IN SERVICE AS THE VOICE OF BUSINESS IS NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF OUR SPONSORS.
SO I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK THE FOLLOWING OUR PRESENTING SPONSOR.
FIRST HORIZON, OUR GIFT SPONSOR LARA, OUR CENTERPIECE SPONSOR, PEOPLE'S HEALTH, OUR MEDIA PARTNER, EZ ON CREATIVE STRATEGIES, OUR GOLD SPONSORS FIRST LAKE PROPERTIES, AT AND T BIZ, NEW ORLEANS, BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD OF LOUISIANA, BON NEW BANK, COX, LOUISIANA, CRC, GLOBAL ENTERGY EVENT PRODUCERS GAMBLE, COMMUNICATIONS INCLUSIVE CARE, JEFFERSON BUSINESS COUNCIL, LAMAR LAKESIDE, SHOPPING CENTER IN THE FIELD ORGANIZATION.
METAIRIE BANK, NO OF VADEN HOMES.
OCHSNER ONPATH, FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, OUT FRONT MEDIA PRIMARY CARE PLUS ARD, CPAS, BAKER SMITH, TRANSDEV.
ALSO WANT TO THANK OUR SILVER SPONSORS, BLACK TIE AUCTIONS, CF INDUSTRIES, CORNERSTONE, FIDELITY BANK, HUB IMTT, LOUISIANA POLICY
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INSTITUTE FOR CHILDREN, PORT OF NEW ORLEANS, RENEGADE AND TELEMUNDO.THANK YOU ALL ANNUALLY, AN AWARD IS GIVEN TO ONE OUTSTANDING PARISH EMPLOYEE WHO GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND THE SPECIAL CALLING OF PUBLIC SERVICE.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING PARISH PRESIDENT CYNTHIA LEE SHANG TO PRESENT THE JOSEPH S YUNI AWARD.
WELL, THIS IS A REAL HONOR TODAY TO PRESENT THIS ANNUAL AWARD, OUR EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR, UM, IN JEFFERSON PARISH FOR 2024.
THE JOSEPH SENNI AWARD GOES TO MR. ROBERT BOB MORGAN, AND HE'S RIGHT OVER THERE.
MR. MORGAN, IF YOU WANNA START COMING UP FROM FLEET MANAGEMENT MANAGEMENT.
SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MR. MORGAN.
HE'S A VETERAN WHO SERVED IN THE US NAVY.
HE WORKED FOR LOUISIANA GAS SERVICING FLEET VEHICLES BEFORE COMING TO JEFFERSON PARISH GOVERNMENT IN 1997 AS AN AUTOMOTIVE MECHANIC.
OUR DIRECTOR OF FLEET, RANDY BELLINGER, GAVE US SOME INTERESTING BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND, AND HIS SUPERVISORS ARE HERE.
THEY'RE VERY PROUD OF HIM, UM, ABOUT MR. BOB AND HIS LOVE FOR VEHICLES THAT I'D LIKE TO SHARE.
HIS FIRST CAR WAS A 1962 CHEVY BELAIRE.
HIS FAVORITE VEHICLE HE HAS EVER OWNED WAS HIS 1993 CHEVROLET PICKUP TRUCK, WHICH WAS RETIRED ONCE IT HIT 326,000 MILES.
AND HE BELIEVES THAT CHEVROLET HAS THE MOST DEPENDABLE VEHICLES AND ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS TO CHANGE THEIR OIL TO KEEP THEM RUNNING.
UH, MR. BOB IS CURRENTLY WORKING ON COMPLETELY REBUILDING HIS 1977 CHEVROLET CORVETTE AND PLANS TO FINISH IT ONCE HE RETIRES, BUT HE IS NOT SIGNING HIS RETIREMENT PAPERS YET.
A GOOD THING FOR US, UH, WHAT I MOST APPRECIATE ABOUT MR. BOB IS HIS WILLINGNESS TO SHARE HIS KNOWLEDGE WITH OUR YOUNGER MECHANICS.
AND SOMETIMES YOU DON'T ALWAYS SEE THAT INFORMATION IS POWER AND SOME PEOPLE DO IT AND SOME PEOPLE DON'T.
AND THE FACT THAT MR. BOB REALLY USES ALL HIS KNOWLEDGE TO MAKE SURE TO PASS IT ON, UH, SO OUR FLEET REMAINS STRONG, UM, AFTER HE RETIRES IS INCREDIBLE.
SO, UM, THANK YOU MR. BOB FOR ALL THAT YOU DO TO SERVICE OUR FLEET OF VEHICLES, WHICH IS SO CRITICAL FOR US DELIVERING YOUR SERVICES ON TIME AND HELP SERVE OUR EMPLOYEES AND THE RESIDENTS OF JEFFERSON PARISH.
YOUR YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE CERTAINLY, CERTAINLY DO NOT GO UNNOTICED, AND WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE YOUR LONG WORK AND DEDICATION.
OKAY, PUT YOU IN THE MIDDLE, MR. THERE YOU GO.
I APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE TO JEFFERSON PARISH.
SO, UM, CYNTHIA ALSO HAS A SPECIAL PRESENTATION, UM, TO GIVE.
UH, WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO PARTNER WITH THE JEFFERSON CHAMBER FOUNDATION AS WELL AS THE JEFFERSON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, AND I WOULD LIKE TO NOW ASK HER UP HERE TO ISSUE THE SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT.
THIS IS A, A VERY SPECIAL EVENT FOR OUR ANNUAL LUNCHEON HERE TODAY.
I WANNA ASK SHANNON, BORIS TO COME UP, WHO'S THE DIRECTOR OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FOR TRANS DEV? SHANNON? IS SHANNON HERE? THERE YOU GO, SHANNON.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, AND YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT IT AT TODAY'S LUNCHEON, NEXT FEBRUARY 11TH, 2025 IS OUR BICENTENNIAL JEFFERSON PARISH'S 200TH BIRTHDAY.
THANK YOU BRIAN GR ROOT FOR GIVING ME A SWIFTY BRACELET THAT SAYS JP 200.
HE JUST PRESENTED IT WITH ME, JUST TYING ALL OF OUR GREAT THINGS TOGETHER.
THAT'S COUNCILMAN WALKER'S OFFICE.
UM, BUT TRANSDEV HAS BEEN A PARTNER WITH US, OBVIOUSLY AS A TRANSIT OPERATOR FOR A LONG TIME.
THEY WANTED TO BE PART OF THIS EVENT AND THEY COMMISSIONED AN INCREDIBLE PIECE OF ART, UH, AND ARE DONATING IT TO US, AND WE'VE DECIDED TO UNVEIL IT IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY.
UM, AND THEY ASKED INCREDIBLE ARTIST BECKY FOSS TO DO THE WORK.
SO OBVIOUSLY BECKY IS A LOCAL GIRL.
HER HUSBAND IS A FIREFIGHTER WITH US AT EAST BANK, CONSOLIDATE.
SO THEY ARE A JEFFERSON PARISH FAMILY.
I WANNA THANK THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOR WORKING WITH US ON THE DISTRIBUTION, THE PROCEEDS AND,
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AND THE CHAMBER WILL GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION.YOU'RE GONNA HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO HANG A POSTER IN YOUR OFFICE OR AT YOUR HOME.
UM, THE JEFFERSON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION IS GONNA, UH, IS GONNA BENEFIT FROM THAT, OUR OWN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION.
SO, UM, WITH WITH NO FURTHER ADO, RUTH, HOW DO WE DO THIS? BECKY'S HERE.
I WANNA JUST GIVE BECKY AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT JUST A MINUTE ON THE PAINTING THAT SHE DID, BECAUSE SOMETIMES WHEN YOU HAVE A PIECE OF ART AND YOU HEARD DIRECTLY FROM THE ARTIST WHAT THE CREATIVE, YOU KNOW, UM, INCENTIVE WHAT'S BEHIND IT, IT HAS MORE MEANING FOR YOU.
SO DO YOU, DO WE WANNA UNVEIL IT FIRST? LET'S DO UNVEIL IT FIRST.
WE'RE GONNA WAIT, WAIT, WE'RE GONNA COUNT DOWN.
THEY SAID WE GOTTA DO 3, 2, 1.
THE WHOLE AUDIENCE, EVERYBODY GET OVER THERE.
THIS IS THE START OF HOW WE CELEBRATE THE BICENTENNIAL WITH EVERYBODY BEING PART OF IT.
SO WE'RE GONNA GO 3, 2, 1, 3, 2, 1.
WHEN IT, WHEN WE GO ON MEET READY.
BECKY IS A MASTER WITH THE COLORS.
BECKY, YOU WANNA COME OFF AND JUST THANK YOU CYNTHIA, FOR LETTING ME BE A PART OF THIS.
UM, AGAIN, MY NAME IS BECKY FOSS.
I AM A LOUISIANA BASED ARTIST.
I WAS, I'M SUPER HONORED TO BE CHOSEN FOR THIS, THE BICENTENNIAL 200 YEARS.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S A REALLY BIG DEAL AND THERE'S SO MUCH TALENT IN OUR STATE FOR ME TO BE CHOSEN IS A, IS BEYOND ANY WHAT ANY WORDS CAN DESCRIBE.
OBVIOUSLY I DON'T HAVE VERY GOOD WORDS.
I COMMUNICATE BETTER WITH MY ART
BUT, UM, AT THE END OF THE DAY, I JUST HOPE THAT WHEN YOU SEE MY BRIGHT, COLORFUL ART THAT YOU'RE BROUGHT JOY, YOU SMILE, UM, ESPECIALLY DURING THIS TIME.
I LOVE BEING, BEING AN ARTIST.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT, THIS ART'S GONNA BE A PART OF JEFFERSON PARISH FOREVER, AND I ONLY WISH THAT I COULD BE AROUND FOR THE TRICENTENNIAL WHEN THAT ARTIST IS COMMISSIONED TO PAINT THEIR RENDITION OF OUR GREAT PARISH AND WITHIN OUR GREAT STATE.
SO WHO KNOWS, MAYBE I WILL BE BUT
BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH AND I HOPE THAT YOU GUYS LIKE IT, LIKE MY INTERPRETATION.
ON BEHALF OF TRANSDAB, WE'D LIKE TO THANK, UH, THE PARISH PRESIDENT, CYNTHIA LEE SHANG, UM, ALSO SHIRE GUGGENHEIMER, AND ALL OF JEFFERSON PARISH FOR GIVING US THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF THIS WONDERFUL BICENTENNIAL EFFORT.
WE ARE THRILLED TO BE PART OF THE AMAZING BECKY FOZ CREATION.
MUCH THANKS GOES OUT TO KEN ROSS AND EAGLE CAPITAL FOR PARTNERING WITH US ON THIS PROJECT.
UM, TRANSDEV AND JEFFERSON PARISH HAS BEEN A RELATIONSHIP FOR THE PAST, UH, SEVERAL DECADES, NOT QUITE 200 YEARS, BUT PRETTY CLOSE.
AND WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO CONTINUING THIS PARTNERSHIP.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TODAY.
UM, WE ARE SO EXCITED TO BE PARTNERING WITH THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AND AND GRATEFUL TO TRANSDEV.
WE ARE ALSO HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE CHAMBER FOUNDATION, WHAT WAS SELLING A LIMITED NUMBER OF THE BICENTENNIAL POSTERS DEPICTING THIS BEAUTIFUL ART, UM, BY BECKY FOSS.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN PURCHASING, THERE IS A QR CODE ON YOUR PROGRAM ON THE BOTTOM LEFT, AND THEN WE ALSO WILL HAVE TABLES.
AS YOU ENTER THE REGISTRATION TABLES, YOU WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PURCHASE THEM.
ALL PROCEEDS WILL BENEFIT THE JEFFERSON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION.
SO AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE JEFFERSON PARISH'S, COUNCIL CHAIRMAN SCOTT WALKER TO JOIN OUR PARISH PRESIDENT ON STAGE TO BEGIN OUR PANEL PARISH PRESIDENT CYNTHIA LEE SHANG WAS SWORN INTO OFFICE ON JANUARY 8TH, 2020.
PREVIOUSLY SHE SERVED AS COUNCILWOMAN AT LARGE FOR DIVISION B IN 2015, AFTER SERVING AS THE COUNCILWOMAN FOR DISTRICT FIVE SINCE 2009.
LAST YEAR, SHE WAS REELECTED WITHOUT OPPOSITION.
FOR AN ADDITIONAL TERM, PLEASE WELCOME PARISH PRESIDENT CYNTHIA LE CHANG.
AND THEN JEFFERSON PARISH COUNCIL, CHAIRMAN AND COUNCILMAN AT LARGE DIVISION B SCOTT WALKER WAS ELECTED TO THE JEFFERSON PARISH COUNCIL IN OCTOBER OF 2019 AND SWORN INTO OFFICE OF JANUARY, 2020.
COUNCILMAN WALKER WAS REELECTED LAST YEAR FOR AN ADDITIONAL TERM.
PLEASE WELCOME JEFFERSON PARISH COUNCILMAN AT LARGE SCOTT WALKER.
SO OUR PANELISTS WILL NOW HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE A FEW OPENING REMARKS, AND WE WILL START WITH PARISH PRESIDENT LEASING.
[00:30:01]
THANK YOU.IT'S A GREAT HONOR TO BE HERE AT OUR ANNUAL LUNCHEON.
UM, IT DOESN'T TAKE LONG FOR YOU TO DRIVE AROUND AND SEE A PARISH PROJECT UNDERWAY.
SO I WANNA KIND OF TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE INCREDIBLE PROJECTS WE HAVE GOING ON WITH THE PARISH.
UM, THIS IS THE NEW CAPITAL PROJECTS MAP THAT WE HAVE.
SO WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING AROUND YOUR HOME OR YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD TO WORK AND YOU SEE A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT GOING ON AND YOU'RE WONDERING WHAT THAT IS, YOU GO TO THE JEFF PARRISH.GOV, UM, WEBSITE, OUR NEW WEBSITE, AND GO UNDER DEPARTMENTS, CAPITAL PROJECTS.
AND YOU'LL SEE THE JEFF, UM, MAP CAPITAL PROJECTS.
YOU CAN HOVER OVER THE STAR AND YOU SEE THE LOCATION, THE TYPE OF PROJECT.
IF IT'S A ROAD PROJECT, A DRAINAGE PROJECT, A SEWER PROJECT, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE THE COST AND THE START TIME AND THE END DATE ON THAT PROJECT.
SO THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ONLY TIME I WAS GONNA KIND OF MATCH UP WITH THE VIDEO AND THE REST OF IT.
SO, AND EVEN THAT, I DIDN'T REALLY DO IT WELL.
WATER AND SEWER MODERNIZATION.
YOU HEAR ME TALK ABOUT THIS A LOT.
UM, THIS IS ONE OF OUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE LAST TERM.
AND THIS TERM IT IS OVER $2 BILLION WORTH OF WORK, UM, ACROSS TWO DECADES.
OKAY? IT'S TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK, UM, TO DO THIS.
IT'S NOT THE MOST POPULAR THING WE'VE DONE BECAUSE EVERY JANUARY YOUR UTILITY BILL GOES UP.
AND CERTAINLY I KNOW I GET THE COMPLAINTS, THE COUNCIL OFFICES GETS THE COMPLAINTS, BUT THERE'S NO OTHER WAY TO PUT IT.
OUR SYSTEMS WERE OLD AND FALLING APART.
AND WITHOUT THE ADEQUATE INVESTMENT, THESE SYSTEMS WOULD CONTINUE TO DETERIORATE AND BECOME EVEN MORE COSTLY TO MAINTAIN.
SO BASICALLY, WE INVESTED IN OURSELVES, EVERY ONE OF US, THE RENEWAL OF THE MILLAGES, THE INCREASED USER RATES ALLOW US TO BRING YOU A MODERN WATER AND SEWER SYSTEM.
UM, WE'VE IDENTIFIED SEVERAL PROJECTS ON THE EAST BANK AND WEST BANK.
IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, I CAN ONLY, I'M GONNA TALK TO YOU ABOUT ONE OF 'EM.
THIS IS A $116 MILLION INVESTMENT OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS, UM, TO GIVE YOU AN AUTOMATED WATER READER METER.
ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA START INSTALLING THESE THROUGHOUT THE PARISH IN MARCH OF 2025, AND IT'S GONNA TAKE FOUR YEARS FOR US TO DO IT.
WE HAVE OVER 151,000 ACCOUNTS TO DO, INCLUDING YOUR HOME, INCLUDING YOUR BUSINESS.
WE'RE GONNA START IN GRAND ISLAND, THE LAFITTE AREA, THEN WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO THE COMMERCIAL, AND THEN WE'RE EVENTUALLY GONNA GET TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE BENEFITS OF THESE METERS ARE THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO HAVE THE POWER TO MONITOR YOUR WATER USAGE.
RESIDENTS ARE GONNA BE ABLE TO SEE THEIR WATER USAGE IN REAL TIME.
UM, YOU'RE GONNA BE PROVIDED WITH ACCURATE BILLING AND IT'S GONNA ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR THE PERSON TO ACTUALLY COME TO YOUR HOUSE AND PHYSICALLY READ YOUR METER, WHICH IS WHY WE CAN ONLY DO BILLING EVERY OTHER MONTH BECAUSE IT'S THAT LABOR INTENSIVE.
UM, THE NEW METERS WILL ALSO HAVE A MOBILE APP.
AND ON YOUR PHONE, YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO GET CUSTOMER ALERTS FOR YOUR WATER USAGE.
YOU CAN HELP WITH A BUDGET SET BUDGETS, AND ALSO THERE'S GONNA BE AN IRRIGATION FEATURE WHERE YOU KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY, I MEAN, HOW MUCH WATER YOU USING JUST ON YOUR LAWN, WATERING YOUR LAWN.
OKAY? THE NEXT THING I WANNA TALK ABOUT IS CRISIS MANAGEMENT.
I WAS SWORN IN AS PARISH PRESIDENT IN 2020.
I WANNA GET A LITTLE PERSONAL HERE.
AND I DID WHAT MOST PARISH PRESIDENTS DO AS THEY'RE COMING INTO OFFICE, START SELECTING A NEW LEADERSHIP TEAM.
I HAVE 43 DEPARTMENTS TO MANAGE PICKING THOSE DIRECTORS AND ALSO KIND OF FRONT BURNER, WHAT DO I NEED? WHAT DO I NEED TO TACKLE? IN THE FIRST COUPLE YEARS, OF COURSE IT WAS WATER, IT WAS SEWER, AND IT WAS ANOTHER THING I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT.
RECREATION, REVAMPING OUR RECREATION DEPARTMENT OF THE 43 DEPARTMENTS, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT WAS ONLY ONE DEPARTMENT.
AND I'M GONNA BE HONEST, THIS IS WHAT I THOUGHT BEFORE, TAKING OFFICE, HAVING AN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT, I KNOW WE GET SOME THUNDERSTORMS WHEN WE'RE NOT EXPECTING IT.
WE'LL GET HEAVY RAIN EVENTS ON A DAY WHERE WE'RE PICKING UP OUR KIDS FROM SCHOOL.
I KNOW THERE'S GONNA BE A FEW OF THOSE EVENTS AND I HOPE IN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS MAYBE WE'LL ONLY HAVE ONE HURRICANE AND MAYBE IT WON'T BE A MAJOR ONE.
AND THAT WAS THE EXTENT THAT I THOUGHT ABOUT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
OKAY, NOW WHEN I LOOK BACK, UH, ALMOST FIVE YEARS LATER, I WAS A LAMB WALKING TO THE SLAUGHTER, RIGHT? UM, QUICKLY, 2020, YOU KNOW, NINE WEEKS AFTER WE GET SWORN IN, OFFICE PANDEMIC, 2025 STORMS HIT LOUISIANA AND REALIZED, I REALIZED WE WERE IN A NEW ERA FOR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND A NEW ERA FOR WHAT WE WERE GONNA HAVE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR, TO, TO RESPOND TO 2021.
HURRICANE IDA 2022, WHERE WE WERE HURRICANES.
AND THANK GOODNESS WE DON'T GET TORNADOES, WE GET HIT WITH THE TORNADO 20 23, 41 DAYS OF RECORD BREAKING HEAT, WHICH BROUGHT ON DROUGHT, WHICH BROUGHT ON MARSH FIRES, WHICH BROUGHT ON SUPER FOG, WHICH BROUGHT ON WHAT I NEVER EVEN KNEW.
HAD TO LEARN ABOUT THAT, NEVER HEARD OF IT BEFORE.
UM, WHICH 2024 START OF THIS YEAR, YOU WILL REMEMBER BROKEN WATER
[00:35:01]
LINE ON THE EAST BANK.WE HAD A SHUT DOWN, 91,000 ACCOUNTS OF WATER.
VERY, VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR US TO HAVE TO DO.
AND THEN AS OF RECENTLY, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, 2024, AND WE HAD SEVERAL HUNDRED HOMES TAKING ON WATER AND STRUCTURES.
OBVIOUSLY KENNER TAKING THE HIT ON THAT.
OKAY, SO WHY DO I TALK ABOUT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SO MUCH? WHY DOES THIS GET SO MUCH, SO MUCH OF MY ATTENTION? UM, I'M PASSIONATE.
I'VE GROWN TO BE PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS WORK PROBABLY BECAUSE I'VE BEEN WITH PEOPLE WHO LOST EVERYTHING.
I KNOW WHAT THAT KIND OF GRIEF LOOKS LIKE.
I KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE FOR PEOPLE TO STAND IN THEIR HOMES AND LOOK AT THEIR RUINED POSSESSIONS.
I'VE SEEN KIDS TAKE A BROOM AND SWEEP MUD OUT OF THEIR HOUSE.
I'VE BEEN IN A HOUSE WHERE SOMEBODY DROWNED.
CAN YOU IMAGINE THE HORROR OF DROWNING IN YOUR OWN HOUSE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT BECAUSE THE WATER IS THAT HIGH? I'VE SEEN, I I'VE KNOW WE'VE LOST CITIZENS THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE TO BECAUSE OF CARBON MONOXIDE POISONING.
THAT IS A LOSS THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO TAKE.
BUT THAT IS ONE OF THE MOST LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH NOW AFTER A STORM BECAUSE WE HAVE THE MOST GENERATOR USAGE THAT WE'VE EVER HAD BEFORE FOR, FROM IMPROPER GENERATOR USE.
SO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, I JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND WHY I SPEND SO MUCH TIME ON THIS.
IT'S MORE THAN JUST THE INITIAL RESPONSE WHERE YOU SEE US AND YOU'RE WATCHING ENTERGY.
AND WHEN WILL YOUR, YOUR LIGHTS BE ABLE TO COME BACK ON? WHEN DO YOU GET INTERNET AGAIN? WHEN DO WE LIFT THE BOIL WATER ADVISORIES? IN MY GOVERNMENT ROLE, IT'S OUR JOB TO BE THINKING ABOUT THIS ALL YEAR LONG ACROSS ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS.
IT INCLUDES PREVENTION, IT INCLUDES PLANNING, IT INCLUDES MITIGATION, IT INCLUDES RECOVERY.
SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ALONG THOSE LINES, IT INCLUDES OUR PERMIT DEPARTMENTS AND HOW WE ALLOW YOU TO BUILD THE STRUCTURES, THE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL STRUCTURES.
IT INCLUDES THE FINANCIAL INCENTIVES THAT YOU GET TO ELEVATE YOUR HOMES.
IT INCLUDES ALL THE COASTAL RESTORATION PROJECTS, THE LEVEE PROTECTION PROJECTS, AND ENTIRE DRAINAGE SEWAGE WATER SYSTEM.
HOW DO WE MAKE THAT MORE RESILIENT? BECAUSE WE KNOW WE FLOOD, WE KNOW WE HAVE HIGH WINDS.
IT INCLUDES ALL THE FLOOD PROTECTION, ALL THE LAND USE PLANNING THAT WE EVER DO IN THE PARISH IS PART OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.
SO WE TRY TO DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO MINIMIZE THINGS LIKE THE INSURANCE CRISIS, WHICH YOU ALL ARE HELPING US WITH, WHETHER WE LOBBY FOR LEGISLATIVE CHANGE, WHETHER WE LOOK FOR WAYS OF MAKING OURSELVES MORE ATTRACTIVE.
SO THESE INSURANCE COMPANIES WILL WRITE MORE POLICIES IN OUR PARISH, WHETHER WE PARTNER AND CHANGE, ACTUALLY CHANGE OUR OWN RULES AND DO THE, LIKE THE, THE PERMIT REQUIREMENTS THAT WE DID TO YOUR ROOF.
UM, WHETHER WE ADOPT STRICTER BUILDING CODES TO GET YOUR FLOOD INSURANCE PREMIUMS DOWN.
WHILE ALL OF THIS WORK DOESN'T SOUND LIKE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, IT CERTAINLY IS WHEN YOU THINK OF IT AS WHAT WE SHOULD, WHAT I THINK OF IT, HOW DO WE LOWER OUR RISK AND HOW DO WE MAKE OURSELVES NOT SO VULNERABLE? OKAY? UM, WE KNOW THE FREQUENCY AND INTENSITY OF THESE STORMS ARE INCREASING AND IT'S THE REASON WHY INSURANCE PREMIUMS ARE HIGHER, GUYS.
THERE'S NO BETTER NUMBER CRUNCHERS THAN THE INSURANCE INDUSTRY, RIGHT? AND IT'S WHY NEW TECHNOLOGIES ARE BEING DEVELOPED AND YOU'RE THE BUSINESS CROWD.
DEVELOP THE TECHNOLOGIES, THE NEW ROOFING TECHNOLOGIES, SANDBAGS THAT ARE MADE FROM ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT MATERIALS.
NOW THAT THAT'S NOT JUST SAND THE AQUA FENCES THAT WE ALL SAW BEING INSTALLED IN TAMPA AROUND THE HOSPITAL.
AND AFTER EVERY DISASTER, WE LOOK AT AFTER ACTION REPORTS AND WE TRY TO DO IT BETTER EVERY TIME WE SPEND ALL YEAR DOING THIS STUFF.
SO PRE PLACED EMERGENCY CONTRACTS FOR DEBRIS, FOR FOOD, FOR FUEL, FOR EQUIPMENT, FOR TRUCKS, WE HAVE A, A FINANCE TEAM THAT WE EMBED IN OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER TO DOCUMENT EVERY COST THAT WE TAKE ON.
WHY? BECAUSE I DON'T WANT US HOBBLING INTO THE FUTURE BECAUSE WE HAD ALL THESE COSTS WE WEREN'T EXPECTING.
WE LEAD THE STATE, WE LEAD THE STATE IN WHAT WE HAVE RECOUPED AFTER IDA, OKAY? UM, TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE DO AT OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS.
WE DID WIN RATINGS IN ALL OF OUR BUILDINGS SO WE COULD LEAVE PERSONNEL, MORE PERSONNEL BEHIND AFTER A STORM.
WE'VE INCREASED OUR VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES FOR POST STORM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WANNA HELP US VOLUNTEER, WHETHER IT'S MEDICAL NEEDS, FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS, AND WE'VE LEVERAGED OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH CHURCHES AND NONPROFITS TO BETTER ABLE TO SERVE YOU.
AND WE PUT, WE DO EXERCISES ALL YEAR LONG, WHETHER IT'S TABLETOPS, PUBLIC ASSISTED EVACUATION, SHELTERING.
SO I SPEND SO MUCH TIME ON THIS AND I'VE BECOME SO PASSIONATE ABOUT IT BECAUSE OF WHAT WE'VE HAD TO LIVE THROUGH FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
BUT IT'S BECAUSE I WANNA PUT JEFFERSON PARISH IN A PLACE WHERE WE'RE RESILIENT, WHERE WE'RE PREPARED, WHERE IF A HAZARD DOES COME OUR WAY, WE LOSE MINIMAL LIVES, WE LOSE MINIMAL STRUCTURES, AND THAT WE'RE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD AND BUILD OURSELF BACK QUICKER AND STRONGER.
[00:40:01]
WHY I SPENT SO MUCH TIME ON THAT.ALRIGHT, NOW FOR MORE FUN STUFF.
NEXT LEVEL INITIATIVES IS SOMETHING THAT OUR DIRECTORS KNOW THAT I TRY TO LOOK FOR, AND IT IS DOING THINGS IN A DIFFERENT WAY, DOING THINGS IN A MORE INNOVATIVE WAY.
AND WE DO HAVE OUR CANAL BEAUTIFICATION PROJECTS.
LOOK, WE KNOW WE LIVE WHERE WE HAVE OPEN UGLY CANALS.
UM, SO WE'RE GONNA PLANT TREES AND SHRUBS ALONG THOSE CANALS TO HELP CAMOUFLAGE THAT LOOK WHEN YOU'RE IN YOUR VEHICLE.
UM, AND IT ALSO SERVES AS A VISUAL BARRIER, A VERTICAL BARRIER.
SO CARS DON'T DRIVE IN THOSE CANALS.
AND OUR PIO OFFICE FLEW DRONES OVER THE, THE RIGHT OF WAY.
AND WE HAVE 18 PROJECTS THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO START.
UM, WE WE'RE, WE'RE JUST FINISHED ONE NOW AT CLEARVIEW AND AIRLINES.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE REALLY, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT.
OUR LIBRARY HAS BEEN VERY CREATIVE ON NEXT LEVEL INITIATIVES.
THEY BROUGHT YOU THE EXPERIENCE PASSES.
SO YOU CAN CHECK OUT GOING TO THE JEFFERSON PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, GOING TO THE NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART, GOING TO THE WORLD WAR II MUSEUM.
THEY BROUGHT YOU THE LIBRARY OF THINGS WHERE YOU CAN GO CHECK OUT A MICROSCOPE, A GUITAR, AN INSTANT POT FROM YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY.
AND THEIR NEXT INITIATIVE IS THE EAST BANK REGIONAL MAKERSPACE.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE 1500 SQUARE FEET, AND THIS IS GONNA OPEN IN 2025 TO PROVIDE A PLACE FOR TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT FOR US TO USE LIKE A MEMORY LAB WITH NEGATIVE DIGITIZATION.
PHOTO, UH, SCANNING, PERSONAL ARCHIVING, LIKE A SOUND RECORDING STUDIO THAT HAS MICROPHONES, MIXERS, SOUNDPROOF RECORDING ROOM LIKE TEXTILES.
I I SEW LIKE A LONG, UM, QUILTER, A SEWING MACHINE, AN EMBROIDERY MACHINE, AND HIGH-END HOBBIES LIKE 3D PRINTERS, CIRCUITS, SUBLIMATION, PRINTING, THAT'S AND CNC ROUTERS TO CUT WOOD AND PLASTICS AND METAL AND SOFTWARE LIKE ADOBE CREATIVE SUITE AND ELECTRIC QUILT.
THAT'S ALL BEING BROUGHT TO YOU BY OUR LIBRARY AND BEYOND BOOKS.
UM, OUR JEFFERSON PROTECTION ANIMAL WELFARE SERVICES IS BRINGING THE NEW BUILDING.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE THAT IN 2026.
IT'S GONNA BE A STATE-OF-THE-ART VETERINARY AND ADOPTION CLINIC.
AND THERE WE'RE, WE'RE ALSO IN THE WORKS OF DEVELOPING A PET TAXI PROGRAM.
AND THE NEW, THE NEW, WE'RE LEADING THE COUNTRY IN THIS.
WE WANNA KEEP YOU WITH YOUR PET.
AND IF YOU CAN'T DRIVE TO THE DOCTOR, IT'S ALMOST LIKE AN UBER SERVICE FOR PETS WHERE YOU GET TO GO WITH THEM.
SO LOOK, LOOK FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOSE YOUR PET THERE, THEY HAVE SURGICALLY INPUT, UM, A TAG IN THERE SCANNING, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE A SCANNING STATION.
SO WE'RE GONNA GET SCANNING STATIONS THROUGHOUT THE PARISH.
SO IF THERE'S A LOST PET, YOU CAN GO SCAN THAT PET AND WE CAN REUNITE THE PET WITH THE OWNER MUCH MORE QUICKLY.
AND THEN, UM, I WANNA HIT ON JEFFERSON PARISH RECREATION REIMAGINED.
WE TOOK ON THIS INITIATIVE QUITE A FEW YEARS AGO.
YOU HEARD A LOT ABOUT IT IN THE MEDIA.
I WANTED TO GET AWAY FROM THE OLD TEMPLATE OF THE SAME SPORTS AT 27 PLAYGROUNDS.
WE HAD SOME PLAYGROUNDS THAT WERE FULL.
WE HAD SOME PLAYGROUNDS THAT WERE EMPTY, WE HAD EXTRA SPACE.
AND WE KNOW THAT KIDS PLAYING CLUB SPORTS WAS A LOT OF MONEY.
AND I DIDN'T WANT KIDS TO NOT BE ABLE TO GET THAT LEVEL OF EXPERTISE IN OUR PUBLIC RECREATION SYSTEM.
SO WE BROUGHT IN NEW SPORTS AND NEW PARTNERS.
AND AN EXAMPLE OF THAT IS THIS YEAR'S GREATER NEW ORLEANS LITTLE LEAGUE.
THEY WERE NEARLY A THOUSAND PARTICIPANTS IN THIS PARTNERSHIP.
AND THEY PERFORMED BEYOND OUR WILDEST EXPECTATIONS.
ONE OF OUR 12-YEAR-OLD TEAMS ACTUALLY WENT SO FAR.
THEY WERE KNOCKED OUT JUST BEFORE GETTING TO THE, THE WORLD SERIES.
THESE FAMILIES GOT TO WATCH THEIR KIDS PLAY ON ESPN AND OVER A THOUSAND KIDS.
OF COURSE, THAT TEAM THAT WENT SO FAR WERE ABLE TO GET THAT INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE FOR $25 AT THEIR PUBLIC PARK.
THAT'S WHAT RECREATION REIMAGINE IS ALL ABOUT.
UM, WE HAVE PARTICIPATION THAT HAS INCREASED 30% IN OUR RECREATIONAL SYSTEM SINCE WE TOOK ON RECREATION, REIMAGINE THE BIKE RIDES THAT WE DO, THE GARDENING CLUBS, THE LINE DANCING, THE PET SOCIALS, THE CRAFT CLUBS, THE FISHING CLUBS TO BRING US ALL IN.
THE PEOPLE WHO WERE NO LONGER PARTICIPATING IN JPRD TO BRING 'EM BACK IN THE FOLD.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT ME, I'M A PICKLEBALL ADDICT.
WHEN I THOUGHT MY YOUTH DAYS WERE OVER, MY PARENTING DAYS WERE OVER.
I'M BACK IN OUR JEFFERSON PARISH RECREATION GYMS PLAYING PICKLEBALL.
SO WE HAVE NEW TENNIS COURTS COMING ON BOARD.
WE STARTED A LACROSSE PROGRAM.
WE'RE STARTING A CHEERLEADING AND TUMBLING ACADEMY.
WE'RE PARTNERING WITH SCHOOLS, WITH BASKETBALL AND AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS. WE HAVE AN ARCHERY RANGE THAT WE'RE GETTING READY TO, TO, UM, UM, GET STARTED.
AND WHAT I'M MOST EXCITED ABOUT IS OUR PICKLEBALL COMPLEX AT MILEY.
NOW, WE DID THIS PICKLEBALL COMPLEX BEFORE I STARTED PLAYING PICKLEBALL.
SO I I, THAT WAS NOT BECAUSE OF ME, BUT KUDOS TO OUR RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
PICKLEBALL HAS INCREASED 20, UM, 223% SINCE 2020.
AND ALL THE COMMUNITIES ARE RUSHING TO GET PICKLEBALL COURTS ON THERE.
[00:45:01]
THEIR COURTS.S SLIDEL JUST RELEASED NEW COURTS.
AND BECAUSE OUR RECREATION TEAM WAS LOOKING AT THIS YEARS AGO, WE'RE GONNA UNVEIL OUR BEAUTIFUL COURTS.
THANK YOU TO COUNCILMAN BONANNO FOR GIVING US THE MONEY TO PUT A COVER ON IT.
UM, NINE NEW BEAUTIFUL COURTS PICKLEBALL AT MILEY WITH A BEAUTIFUL COVER.
I'LL TELL YOU, THE WHOLE PICKLEBALL COMMUNITY IN THE ENTIRE REGION CANNOT WAIT TO PLAY THERE.
SO WITH THAT, I THINK I USED PROBABLY ALL MY TIME, COUNCILMAN WALKER, I PROBABLY WENT OVER, BUT THANK YOU AND I LOOK FORWARD TO EVEN MORE DISCUSSION.
DID I GO WELL OVER? I COLLECT ALL THE ITEMS LEFT BEHIND.
UM, NOW I GUESS IT'S PUBLIC THAT MY CHIEF OF STAFF MAKES TAYLOR SWIFT BRACELETS.
SO BRIAN WILL SELL 'EM, UH, AT A, AS A SMALL COMMISSION.
HE, I'D LIKE TO SAY HIS TWO TEENAGE DAUGHTERS MAKE THE BRACELETS, BUT ACTUALLY BRIAN'S MADE A LOT OF THE BRACELETS
SO IF YOU NEED A JP 200 BRACELET, THERE ARE SOME AVAILABLE.
UH, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND THANKS TO RUTH LAWSON AGAIN, AS ALWAYS, AND ALL OF OUR SPONSORS FOR PUTTING ON A GREAT EVENT HERE TODAY WITH A CERTAIN ARTIST IN TOWN OVER THE WEEKEND.
IT GOT ME THINKING ABOUT HOW, UH, OUR HAPPENINGS ON THE COUNCIL RECENTLY.
SO LET'S JUST SAY WE HAVE A LOT GOING ON RIGHT NOW, BUT HOPEFULLY WE'LL SHAKE IT OFF BECAUSE IT WAS A CRUEL SUMMER.
UM, WHEN I WAS THINKING OF THE STATE OF JEFFERSON AND HOW TO CHARACTERIZE IT THIS YEAR, I WAS BROUGHT BACK TO MY CHILDHOOD GROWING UP ON ACADEMY DRIVE IN METTIE, RIDING MY BIKE FROM THERE TO THE BIKE PATH ALONG THE LAKE TO BUCKTOWN AND ALL THE WAY BACK WHEN LUSH TREES LINED THAT ENTIRE STRETCH.
WHO REMEMBERS THE OLD BIKE PATH WHEN ALL THOSE TREES WERE ALONG THERE? YOU HAD THE BENCHES WHERE YOU COULD STOP.
IT WAS GREAT RIDING THE GO-KARTS AT THE ST.
CYNTHIA, YOU REMEMBER THAT? YES.
WALKING NEXT DOOR TO EXPRESS DELI TO GET A POBOY OR DOWN THE STREET TO ZACH'S FOR YOGURT OR AN AFTERSCHOOL TREAT AT SWENSON'S ON VERNE PUTT PUTT ON A SATURDAY AT TRANSCONTINENTAL AND VETERANS.
MAYBE THROWING CAUTION TO THE WIND AT THAT RUSTY TRAMPOLINE PARK ON VETERANS
DONUTS FROM MACKENZIE'S MOVIES AT LAKESIDE IN THE GALLERIA DINNER AT HOUSE OF LEE.
LOOKING BACK, IT'S CLEAR THAT THE 1980S WERE GOD'S GREATEST GIFT TO HUMANITY.
MY PARENTS NO LONGER LIVE ON ACADEMY DRIVE.
THE TREES ARE GONE FROM THE LAKEFRONT BIKE PATH.
THE GO-KARTS WERE OUTLAWED EXPRESS DELI, ZACH SWENSON'S, MACKENZIE'S PUTT PUTT, THE TRAMPOLINE PARK, THE OLD MOVIE THEATERS OR JULIUS HOUSE OF LEE ARE ALL GONE AND NOBODY HAS MCDONALD'S BIRTHDAY PARTIES ANYMORE.
BUT HOPEFULLY THROUGH ALL THE CHANGE, THROUGH THE EVOLVING SEGMENTS OF SOCIETY, WE GET BETTER.
AND THOUGH I DON'T BELIEVE OUTLAWING THE GO-KARTS MADE US BETTER.
THAT WAS JUST TAKING ALL THE FUN AWAY JEFFERSON PARISH, THE PARISH THAT WE LOVE AND CALL HOME.
THE PARISH THAT IS DISTINCTLY DIFFERENT FROM ITS NEIGHBOR HELPED SHAPE WHO I AM TODAY AND WHERE I WENT IN LIFE.
AND IT CONTINUES TO SHAPE ME TODAY.
NOW I'M IN THE POSITION TO RETURN THE FAVOR.
WE ARE ALL IN THE POSITION TO RETURN THE FAVOR, TO HELP SHAPE THE JEFFERSON PARISH OF THE FUTURE, THE PARISH PRE PRESIDENT, THE COUNCIL, BUSINESS LEADERS IN THIS ROOM, YOUNG PROFESSIONALS, ALL OF US.
WE NEED TO RETURN THE FAVOR EVERY, EVERY DAY, WEEK, MONTH, AND YEAR.
BECAUSE REMEMBER, WE ARE MERE PLACEHOLDERS HERE.
NO ONE IN THIS ROOM IS SO IMPORTANT THAT THEIR COMPANY WILL JUST CEASE TO EXIST.
IT'LL COLLAPSE WITHOUT THEM, WITH THE POSSIBLE EXCEPTION OF MR. BOB.
MAYBE IT'LL COLLAPSE WITHOUT HIM INVOLVED.
WE ARE HERE FOR A FINITE PERIOD OF TIME.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO USE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO LEAVE JEFFERSON PARISH BETTER THAN WE FOUND IT FOR MY KIDS.
FOR YOUR KIDS AND FUTURE GENERATIONS.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE REEVALUATE OUR ROLES HERE OFTEN AND ASK OURSELVES, WHAT ARE WE DOING TODAY TO BUILD A JEFFERSON PARISH OF THE FUTURE IN GOVERNMENT? AS YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY, AND THERE ARE SOME DISAGREEMENTS, SOME MORE PUBLIC THAN OTHERS.
SOME MIGHT SAY THIS IS OUR DISAGREEMENT ERA.
IT'S THE LAST TAYLOR OF SWIFT JOKE,
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS COUNCIL AND THIS ADMINISTRATION ARE BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE, MOST NOTABLY, SOME OF WHICH YOU HEARD MOMENTS AGO, MORE THAN $2 BILLION IN SEWER AND WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS OVER THE NEXT TWO DECADES.
OUR 1800 MILES OF SUBSURFACE PIPES WERE INSTALLED IN THE FIFTIES AND SIXTIES.
SO SOME PARTS ARE SO OLD, THERE ARE NO MORE REPLACEMENTS AVAILABLE.
WE'LL ALSO SEE A NEW EAST BANK WATER TREATMENT PLANT, PARISH WIDE WATER METER REPLACEMENT WITH THE NEW AUTOMATED METERS AND THE REHABILITATION OF ALL 11 WATER TOWERS
[00:50:01]
IN OUR PARISH.THE PARISH PRESIDENT TOOK OFF THE WATER AND SEWER INITIATIVE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, AND THE COUNCIL VOTED TO RAISE FEES TO SUPPORT IT BECAUSE IT HAD TO BE DONE.
THAT CAN COULDN'T BE KICKED DOWN THE ROAD ANY LONGER.
AND OUR HUNDREDS OF WATERLINE BREAKS ACROSS THE PARISH EVERY WEEK.
OUR DIRECT EVIDENCE OF THAT, OUR DRAINAGE, AS WE'VE SEEN MORE TIMES THAN WE CAN COUNT, HAS TO BE OUR PRIORITY NOW MORE THAN EVER.
OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IS OBVIOUSLY OLD.
SO MAINTENANCE ON 340 MILES OF DRAINAGE, CANALS, DITCHES, CROSS DRAINS, CULVERTS AND LEVEE SYSTEMS. AND MORE THAN 1400 MILES OF STREET SUBSURFACE DRAINAGE SYSTEMS TAKES ON ADDED IMPORTANCE AS EACH YEAR GOES BY.
WE ALSO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN 72 PUMP STATIONS.
TWO MORE NEW PUMP STATIONS WE'RE ON THE WAY ALONG THE 17TH STREET CANAL PLANS.
WERE IN THE WORKS FOR ANOTHER NEEDED PUMP STATION IN KENNER.
OUR DRAINAGE MASTER PLAN IS BEING UPDATED.
ONE OF OUR GREATEST RESPONSIBILITIES IS TO MAKE SURE OUR CITIZENS' PROPERTY IS PROTECTED.
AND WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO ENSURE PEACE OF MIND OUTSIDE OF CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS HAVE BEEN DEDICATED TO EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION.
MILLIONS MORE TO RENOVATE THE SHRINER AIRLINE AND THE BUILDING WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW.
THE NEW SPORTS COMPLEX WILL BE READY TO HOST TOURNAMENTS SOON HERE IN WESTWEGO.
ADDITIONAL EARLY VOTING LOCATIONS IN JEFFERSON PARISH, SOMETHING WE SPEARHEADED TWO YEARS AGO HAVE HELPED THE PARISH HIT RECORD EARLY VOTING LEVELS DURING THIS ELECTION.
LAST DAY OF EARLY VOTING IS TODAY, BY THE WAY.
CLEARLY MUCH IS BEING DONE TODAY, BUT MUCH MORE STILL HAS TO BE DONE.
I BELIEVE THIS PARISH IS BUILT VERY WELL FOR THE PAST, BUT I'M NOT SURE RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE BUILT VERY WELL FOR THE LONG TERM FOR OUR FUTURE.
DESPITE ALL THE PROGRESS THAT I'VE MENTIONED, THE COUNCIL IS ABOUT TO VOTE ON THE FIRST BUDGET THAT HAS CROSSED A BILLION DOLLARS AND 85% OF THAT BUDGET IS DEDICATED.
SO SOME TOUGH DECISIONS WILL HAVE TO BE MADE IN THE COMING YEARS BECAUSE WE'RE NOT THE SAME PARISH WE ONCE WERE.
RECREATION REIMAGINED IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF THAT, LIKE THE OSCAR BUILDING THAT REPLACED THE PUTT PUTT ON VETERANS.
WE HAVE CHANGED, BUT THERE HAVEN'T BEEN A LOT OF CHANGES IN HOW WE SPEND MONEY IN THIS PARISH.
AND WE BELIEVE WE CAN FIND SOME SOLUTIONS THROUGH MILLAGE REDEDICATION SOLUTIONS THAT REALLY FIT A JEFFERSON PARISH OF THE FUTURE.
AS WE LOOK DECADES DOWN THE ROAD, OUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS NEED MORE HELP IN THE EARLY CARE AND EDUCATION SPACE.
OUR SENIORS NEED MORE HELP AND THERE ARE PLENTY OF NEEDS IN BETWEEN.
SOON THE COUNCIL WILL SELECT AN OUTSIDE FIRM TO LOOK INTO OUR MILLAGES AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN HAVE SOMETHING IN FRONT OF VOTERS IN 2025.
AS YOU HEARD, WE'LL SOON CELEBRATE JEFFERSON PARISH'S 200TH BIRTHDAY.
DURING THE BICENTENNIAL YEAR, WE'LL CERTAINLY REFLECT BACK ON GREAT MILESTONES AND SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS.
HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THAT JEFFERSON PARISH'S GREATEST MOMENTS LIE AHEAD.
OUR CHALLENGES ARE MANY, BUT THE DESIRE TO MEET THOSE CHALLENGES IS UNMATCHED AFTER TWO TERMS WITH THIS PARISH PRESIDENT AND SO MANY UNIQUE SITUATIONS THAT NO ONE COULD HAVE EVER POSSIBLY IMAGINED.
I KNOW WE'LL BE IN A BETTER SPOT THAN WE WERE EIGHT YEARS AGO.
JEFFERSON PARISH REMAINS AN EXAMPLE TO OTHER PARISHES ACROSS THE STATE.
OUR JEFFERSON DELEGATION AND THE RELATIONSHIP THEY HAVE WITH US IS UNMATCHED ACROSS THIS STATE.
OUR TUESDAY LUNCHEONS THAT WE HAVE DURING THE SESSION GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO COLLABORATE WITH THEM, LET THEM KNOW WHAT'S ON OUR MIND.
THEY LET US KNOW WHAT'S ON THEIR MINDS.
THE WORKING RELATIONSHIP ON THE LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL LEVEL HERE IN JEFFERSON PARISH IS INCREDIBLE.
WE HAVE STRONG LEADERSHIP ACROSS THE BOARD HERE, A ROBUST BUSINESS COMMUNITY, A STRONG TAX BASE, AND DESIRABLE NEIGHBORHOODS.
BUT WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? THAT'S A QUESTION I HOPE WE CAN ALL ANSWER IN DIFFERENT WAYS TO PROVIDE THE GREATEST PATH FORWARD TO ACHIEVE EXTRAORDINARY RESULTS.
OTHERS MUST BE EMPOWERED TO DO GREAT THINGS.
AND ON THAT NOTE, I'LL LEAVE YOU WITH A QUOTE FROM PRESIDENT REAGAN, MY FAVORITE PRESIDENT, THE GREATEST LEADER IS NOT NECESSARILY THE ONE WHO DOES THE GREATEST THINGS.
HE IS THE ONE WHO GETS THE PEOPLE TO DO THE GREATEST THINGS.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR DOING THE GREATEST THINGS, FOR LEADING, FOR FOLLOWING YOUR LEADERS IN THIS PARISH.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INVESTMENT OF YOUR TIME AND YOUR TALENTS IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
WE ARE WRITING TOMORROW'S STORY TODAY IN OUR GREAT PARISH, SO LET'S MAKE SURE IT'S ONE THAT FUTURE GENERATIONS CAN BE PROUD OF.
SO THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US TODAY AND FOR YOUR OPENING REMARKS.
UM, I'LL BEGIN, I'LL BEGIN WITH A QUESTION TO BOTH OF YOU.
UH, LAST YEAR AS WE WERE SITTING HERE, WE WERE COMING OFF OF A VERY TENSE CAMPAIGN SEASON.
AND NOW WE'RE SITTING HERE 10 MONTHS INTO YOUR NEW TERM.
SO CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF AND WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE? AND WE'LL START WITH YOU, CYNTHIA, IF THAT'S OKAY.
SO, YOU KNOW WHAT PEOPLE DON'T, WHO DON'T UNDERSTAND GOVERNMENT.
I MEAN, COUNCILMAN WALKER, CHAIRS THE LEGISLATIVE SIDE AND THIS PARISH PRESIDENT.
SO I HAVE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE EMPLOYEES, UH, REPORT TO ME.
I THINK WHAT I'M MOST PROUD OF, IT'S JUST
[00:55:01]
THESE MOMENTS WHERE I SEE PEOPLE JUST STEP OUT OF THEIR NORMAL ZONE AND TAKE ON LEADERSHIP ROLES TO GET SOMETHING DONE.AND IT, IT HAPPENS THROUGHOUT THE PARISH, BUT I, WHEN I SEE THAT, AND I MIGHT NOT EVEN KNOW THE EMPLOYEE'S NAME, I, I JUST LIKE, I'M PROUD OF THEM.
AND SO WHEN YOU USE THE WORD PROUD, THAT'S FIRST WHAT I THINK OF.
I'M PROUD WHEN I HEAR SOME OF OUR STAFF, AND IT'S NOT ALWAYS DIRECTORS GET ASKED TO SPEAK AT A STATE CONFERENCE OR A NATIONAL OFFER, UH, CONFERENCE OR GET, UM, ASKED TO GO TRAIN IN ANOTHER PARISH BECAUSE THAT MEANS SOMEBODY'S RECOGNIZING THAT WE'RE DOING IT RIGHT.
SO I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT I GET MOST PROUD OF WITH, WITH OUR EMPLOYEES.
I THINK I'M, I'M PROUD OF IN GENERAL HOW THIS COUNCIL HAS WORKED TOGETHER OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN INVOLVED.
YES, AN ELECTION YEAR IS TOUGH AND THERE'S DIVISIVENESS AND YES, WE HAVE DISAGREEMENTS THAT ARE VERY PUBLIC THIS YEAR, AND THERE HAVE BEEN CHALLENGING TIMES THIS YEAR.
BUT IN THE END, WE WORK TOGETHER AND WE GET THINGS DONE FOR THE PARISH AND WE'RE ALL HERE FOR THE SAME REASON, WHICH IS THE BETTERMENT OF JEFFERSON PARISH.
SO IN GENERAL, I'M PROUD OF THAT, THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN OUR ABILITY TO WORK TOGETHER.
BUT ALSO, UH, WHAT I RAN ON THE FIRST TIME AND WHAT WE CONTINUE TO DO EVERY DAY IS OPEN COMMUNICATION, TRYING TO CHANGE THE WAY THAT PEOPLE DEAL WITH GOVERNMENT AND REALIZE THAT GOVERNMENT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A TERRIBLE ORDEAL.
I MEAN, NOBODY WAKES UP IN THE MORNING AND SAYS, HEY, I WANNA DEAL WITH MY GOVERNMENT TODAY.
BUT IF YOU DO, WE WANT TO GUIDE YOU TO THE RIGHT PLACE AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S A, IT'S A PROCESS THAT'S NOT TERRIBLE.
AND WE CAN POINT YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
YOU CAN GET THE ANSWERS THAT YOU NEED.
SO, UH, JUST MAKING GOVERNMENT EASIER TO USE FOR OUR, FOR OUR CONSTITUENTS, FOR OUR CITIZENS, JEFFERSON PARISH AND FOR GOVERNMENT TO GET OUTTA THE WAY AND SIMPLIFY THE PROCESS.
AND PARISH PRESIDENT CYNTHIA LEE CHANG.
YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE, BIGGEST CHALLENGE I THINK IS WHAT WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT.
CHAIRMAN WALKER TALKED ABOUT THE AGING INFRASTRUCTURE.
FOR INSTANCE, WE HAVE THE PLAN FOR THE WATER AND SEWER.
YOU ALL HAVE GIVEN US THE MONEY.
YOU'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO GIVE US THE MONEY.
WE'RE LIMITED INTO HOW QUICKLY WE CAN PUSH THESE PROJECTS OUT, YOU KNOW? UM, AND THAT'S DIFFICULT.
WE CAN ONLY PUSH OUT SO MANY A YEAR.
AND WHEN YOU GET TO A SITUATION, AND I'M GONNA RECOGNIZE MARK DREWS OVER THERE, UM, WE WERE IN A COUNTDOWN DURING FRANCINE, IF THE RAIN WOULD'VE GONE FOR, AND PEOPLE IN ERY WERE CALLING ME.
IT'S COMING UP MY, MY STREET, IT'S COMING UP TO MY DOOR AND I'M WITH OUR METEOROLOGIST, LIKE, HOW MUCH MORE TIME DO WE HAVE TO GET OUTTA THIS? IT WAS TRULY A COUNTDOWN.
ANOTHER 15 MINUTES, ANOTHER 30 MINUTES, AND WE WOULD'VE LOST EVEN MORE HOMES.
SO THAT IS AN INCREDIBLE CHALLENGE TO US.
UM, AND WE WORK EVERY DAY TO MAKE SURE THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN AGAIN.
BUT WITH MOTHER NATURE CHANGING SO, SO MUCH, AND JOE VALIENTE WILL TELL ME WHEN HE GOES TO ALL THESE CONFERENCES ACROSS THE NATION, THESE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO PRODUCE MORE WATER.
THAT IS VERY CHALLENGING FOR US.
AND ANYBODY LIVING ALONG THE GULF COAST, FRANKLY, THAT'S OUR BIG CHALLENGE.
UM, SO I'LL GO TO YOU, COUNCILMAN WALKER.
BOTH YOU AND THE JEFFERSON CHAMBER HAVE BEEN, UM, VERY BIG PROPONENTS AND ADVOCATES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION.
THERE'S A CONSTANT BATTLE FOR FUNDING AT THE STATE LEVEL.
UM, WE KNOW THE IMPACT IT HAS ON WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
WE KNOW THE ECONOMIC IMPACT IT HAS ON OUR BUSINESSES.
SO HOW DOES JEFFERSON PARISH PLAN TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE STATE LOCAL MATCH, THE DOLLAR TO DOLLAR MATCH? AND ARE THERE ANY PLANS FOR A MORE PERMANENT FUNDING SOURCE? I'D LOVE THERE TO BE PLANS FOR A PERMANENT FUNDING SOURCE.
WE'VE YET TO IDENTIFY IT YET, AS YOU KNOW, RUTH, BECAUSE WE HAVE PLENTY OF MEETINGS ABOUT THIS WITH NUMEROUS STAKEHOLDERS IN JEFFERSON PARISH AND SOME OF OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY HAS BEEN VERY INVOLVED IN THE EARLY CHILDHOOD, UH, CARE AND EDUCATION INITIATIVE.
THE JEFFERSON BUSINESS COUNCIL, JEFFERSON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION HAVE ALL TEAMED UP TO PUT MONEY TOWARDS THIS ENTERGY AND OTHERS.
IT'S A BIG CHALLENGE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THERE ARE ABOUT 28,000 ECONOMICALLY, UH, EXCUSE ME, 28,000 ZERO TO FOUR YEAR OLDS IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
ABOUT 21,000 OF THOSE COME FROM ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED HOUSEHOLDS.
SO IT'S NOT JUST AN ISSUE FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, IT'S AN ISSUE FOR OUR PARISH BECAUSE IT IS A REFLECTION OF WHAT OUR FUTURE WORKFORCE MAY BE AND WHERE WE GO AS A PARISH.
SO EVERY BUSINESS OWNER IN HERE, OR EVERY BUSINESS OWNER, YOU KNOW, SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT THE FUTURE OF JEFFERSON PARISH AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING UP THROUGH OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
BECAUSE IF WE DON'T GET THEM IN THEIR MOST FORMATIVE YEARS AROUND AGE FOUR, WHEN THEIR BRAIN IS AT ITS FULLEST DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL, THEN THEY GET LOST.
IN A LOT OF CASES, THEY END UP ON THE RADAR OF THE JEFFERSON PARISH SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND THEY LOSE THEIR WAY.
SO IF WE GET THAT RIGHT FOUNDATION BUILT EARLY, WE HAVE A MUCH BETTER CHANCE OF SUCCESS STORIES LATER.
THEY BECOME PRODUCTIVE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY AND THEY END UP, UM, MAKING OUR PARISH BETTER IN THE LONG RUN FOR WHEN COMPANIES WANNA COME HERE, WHEN THEY WANNA LOCATE, BRING THEIR, THEIR, UH, BASE AND THEIR FAMILIES HERE, IT MAKES IT, UH, A MUCH EASIER DECISION.
SO OVER THE YEARS WE'VE COBBLED TOGETHER ABOUT $2 MILLION WITH THE STATE MATCH.
THE STATE MATCH IS A DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR MATCH FOR LOCAL DOLLARS.
SO EVERY DOLLAR THAT COMES FROM JEFFERSON PARISH IS MATCHED BY THE STATE.
AND THANK YOU TO OUR STATE DELEGATION.
WE'VE ALL BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF THIS.
THE STATE HAS BEEN VERY GENEROUS OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
84 MILLION OR SO DOLLARS, I THINK LAST YEAR CAME DOWN TO EARLY CHILDHOOD, UM, AROUND THE SAME AMOUNT THE YEAR PRIOR.
I HOPE WE CAN TAKE IT MORE SERIOUSLY AND WE CAN HAVE A PERMANENT FUNDING SOURCE IDENTIFIED DOWN THE ROAD
[01:00:01]
WITHOUT RAISING TAXES BECAUSE THAT'S NOT ONE OF OUR GOALS AT THIS TIME.WE, UM, WORK AT THE STATE LEVEL WITH COUNCILMAN WALKER, WITH MANY OF OUR STATE DELEGATES ON THIS VERY ISSUE AND, AND MANY PARTNERS.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON THAT.
I WANNA SAY HOW SUPPORTIVE THE COUNCIL HAS BEEN AS WELL OVER THE YEARS.
EVERY YEAR FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS, THE COUNCIL HAS SHOWN A UNANIMOUS SUPPORT FOR THIS.
UM, PRESIDENT LEE CHANG, AS WE MENTIONED EARLIER, JEFFERSON PARISH WILL SEE A BUDGET OF OVER $1 BILLION FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY, CORRECT? YES.
SO CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE PLANS YOU HAVE FOR 2025 WITH THAT BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET? YEAH, THAT'S AN PICKLE BALL, HUH? PICKLE PICKLEBALL.
WE'RE IN A CULT, YOU KNOW, SO TALK TO ME LATER.
IF YOU'RE IN THE, IN THE CULT THAT I'M IN, UM, IT IS A BIG MILESTONE FOR US TO REACH OVER A BILLION DOLLARS.
AND THAT'S FOR A LOT OF REASONS, THE GRANTS AND, UH, EVEN OUR DEBT WENT UP, UM, CAPITAL, THE, ALL THE CAPITAL, THE WATER SEWER, INFLUX OF NEW RESOURCES.
AND SO IT IS A TREMENDOUS MILESTONE THAT WE CROSS A BILLION, RIGHT WHEN WE'RE TURNING 200 YEARS OLD.
UM, I THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT PROJECTS THAT WE'RE EXCITED FOR, FOR NEXT YEAR, YOU HAVE THESE LONGSTANDING PROJECTS IN WATER, SEWER, THESE, THESE PROJECTS THAT COVER DECADES.
SO DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT OF THOSE PROJECTS ARE GONNA BE COMPLETED AND STARTED AND COMPLETED NEXT YEAR.
UH, SAME THING FOR RECREATION, REIMAGINE.
WE TALK ABOUT A LOT DIFFERENT OF THOSE PROJECTS ARE GONNA BE COMING, BUT THERE'S ALSO ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS WE, WE HAVEN'T REALLY TALKED ABOUT YET, IT'S TAKING A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF OUR TIME.
UM, A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF OUR RESOURCES FOR OUR FINANCE TEAM IS THE REPLACING.
YOU MAY, MAY MANY OF YOU HAVE HEARD OUR OLD AS 400 SYSTEM.
I I KNOW PARISH, UH, FORMER PARISH PRESIDENT TIM KOON'S IN THE OFFICE, THE OLD AS 400 SYSTEM THINK GREEN SCREEN, YOU KNOW, WHEN 30 YEARS AGO, WE'RE STILL ON THAT FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING SYSTEM AND WE HAVE A NEW ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING.
IT IS TAKING US YEARS TO GET THIS UNDERWAY AND IT, AND IT CROSSES NOT JUST THE FINANCIAL AND THE PURCHASING, BUT IT'S GONNA CONSOLIDATE HUMAN RESOURCING AND HUMAN RESOURCES AND MANY OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
AND IT'S TAKING US A LONG TIME.
SO THAT WILL GET MOVED FORWARD A LOT NEXT YEAR AND YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT US, BUT THAT'S KIND OF BORING TO THE AVERAGE PERSON.
LOOK, I'M IN A HOUSEHOLD WITH SOME KIDS.
EVERY TIME I REALIZE WHAT AI CAN DO, IT IS ABSOLUTELY FRIGHTENING WHAT IT CAN DO.
BUT WE'RE GONNA START LOOKING INTO THAT IN MANY OF OUR PROGRAMS. UM, GRETCHEN HERD IN OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE IS, HAS BEEN WORKING ON A TELEVISION STUDIO.
THEY PUT OUT A GREAT PRODUCT, BUT INFORMATION AND GETTING YOU INFORMATION VERY QUICKLY IS IMPORTANT AND THAT TELEVISION STUDIO IS GONNA HELP THEM.
UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME POST DAMAGE SOFTWARE FOR AFTER EMERGENCIES, HOW WE CAN, UM, ASSESS THE DAMAGE VERY QUICKLY, UM, AND COMPARE IT TO WHAT IT WAS LIKE BEFORE THAT SOFTWARE IS GONNA BE UNDERWAY.
AND AGAIN, I MENTIONED THE PET TAXI AND THE PICKLEBALL, PICKLEBALL,
SO LOTS OF, LOTS OF EXCITING THINGS THAT ARE, WE'RE GONNA BE BRINGING TO YOU NEXT YEAR.
SCOTT, DID YOU USE AI TO RELATE TO TAYLOR SWIFT
I'M NOT A SELF-PROCLAIMED SWIFTY, BUT I NEEDED SOME ASSISTANCE
UM, SO COUNCILMAN WALKER AND PRESIDENT LEE SHANG SPOKE TO THE FUTURE OF JEFFERSON PARISH, BUT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT BUILDING A MORE SUSTAINABLE PARISH TO COMBAT FLOODING AND SEWAGE ISSUES, OVERALL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE PARISH, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECTS HAPPEN CURRENTLY? I THINK EVERY DISTRICT PROBABLY HAS SOMETHING TRANSFORMATIONAL WORKING RIGHT NOW.
YOU CAN LOOK AT, UM, THE SHRINER AND AIRLINE.
I'VE WORKED WITH COUNCILMAN BONANNO'S OFFICE, UH, FOR YEARS ON THE RENOVATION.
THAT WILL ULTIMATELY HAPPEN THERE.
IT'S STILL GONNA HAPPEN, BUT WHEN YOU INVOLVE THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE STATE GOVERNMENT, WHEN IT'S A STATE BUILDING ON PARISH LAND, IT'S GONNA TAKE SOME TIME.
GOVERNMENT'S SLOW IN THE FIRST PLACE, BUT THEN YOU ADD MULTIPLE LAYERS AND IT GETS A LITTLE SLOWER.
BUT THAT'S GONNA BE A TRUE MULTIPURPOSE FACILITY THAT WILL BE USED FOR ANYTHING WE CAN, UH, THAT WE CAN PUT IN THERE.
HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL, WHICH IS BEING USED FOR, AGAIN NOW, CONCERTS, UH, SOCCER, RUGBY, WHATEVER WANTS TO BE IN THERE, WE CAN PUT IT IN THERE.
UM, LAVERNE PARKS, SOME AMAZING THINGS ARE HAPPENING.
COUNCILWOMAN BOHANNAN JUST HAD A RIBBON CUTTING FOR THE STATE'S, UH, THE STATE'S FIRST ALL INCLUSIVE PLAYGROUND.
UM, AND IT'S, IT'S A GREAT LOOKING PLAYGROUND.
LAKE TOWN, THE BUCKTOWN MARINA, UM, HOPE HAVEN, COUNCILMAN BONANNO HAS BIG PLANS THERE AS WELL.
UH, PARK DAY FOR ME HAS SOME TRANSFORMATIONAL THINGS HAPPENING.
THE BREW PUB IN GRETNA, THE VIKING CRUISE, UH, POSSIBILITIES IN GRETNA AS WELL ACROSS THE PARISH.
YOU LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE DOING IN, THERE ARE BIG THINGS HAPPENING FROM GRAND ISLE TO, TO WHEREVER
THERE ARE REALLY EXCITING THINGS HAPPENING AND I THINK IT, IT'S EXCITING FOR US TO BE PART OF THESE PROJECTS AS THEY DEVELOP AND WE CAN SEE THE EXPANDED AMENITIES AND OFFERINGS THAT WE, WE PUT OUT THERE FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
UM, SO AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE NEXT BIG EVENT IN NEW ORLEANS WILL BE HOSTING THE SUPER BOWL IN FEBRUARY.
I THINK IT'S TWO DAYS BEFORE THE BICENTENNIAL.
UM, SO FEBRUARY 9TH, A BUSY FEBRUARY.
CAN YOU BOTH SPEAK ABOUT THE ROLE JEFFERSON
[01:05:01]
PARISH HAS PLAYED? I KNOW WE'VE BEEN INCREDIBLY SUPPORTIVE TO THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS.WE'LL HAVE, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY ALL, OR IF NOT ALL, ALL OF OUR HOTEL ROOMS FILLED.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW WE'VE HELPED TO PREPARE FOR THE SUPER BOWL? SO I, JUST SO YOU KNOW, THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS, I JUST GOT OFF, YOU KNOW, I CALLED, UM, I WAS IN TOUCH WITH, UM, VIOLET PETERS FOR THE JEFFERSON COMMUNITY IN, UH, JEFFERSON, JCVB.
UM, THE HOTELS WERE PACKED FOR TAYLOR SWIFT AND AT A HIGHER RATE.
SO THESE SPECIAL EVENTS REALLY INJECT SO MUCH EXTRA ACTIVITY INTO OUR ECONOMY.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES HOST CITIES CAN REALIZE OVER A BILLION DOLLARS IN ECONOMIC CHURNING FROM THESE EVENTS.
SO EVEN THOUGH IT'S HOSTED IN NEW ORLEANS, WE'RE CERTAINLY, WE'RE ALL IN IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
UM, WE STARTED SOME PROJECTS ALONG AGO.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE FUNDING IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
THE STATE'S NOT GIVING, YOU KNOW, THIS IS OUR FUNDING.
WE HAVE THE PATH FROM THE AIRPORT TO THE DOME AND TO ALL THE DOWNTOWN ACTIVITIES.
AND WE OWE IT TO THE STATE AND OURSELVES TO MAKE IT LOOK GOOD.
SO WE HAVE UPGRADED, WE'RE GOING TO UPGRADE AND IT'S GONNA BE FINISHED BY DEC DECEMBER.
ALL OF THE I 10 ROADWAY LIGHTS ALL THE WAY FROM KENNER TO NEW ORLEANS, ALL LED, WHICH WE WANT, WE NEED IT ANYWAY AS WELL.
UM, IT'S 224 POLES, 489 FIXTURES, AND IT'S OVER 200, $2 MILLION PROJECT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON.
PROBABLY STARTED EIGHT MONTHS AGO.
WE, WE KNOW WE'RE, WE'RE, WE HOPE WE FINISHED BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
THERE'S A LITTLE EXTRA WIGGLE ROOM IF WE DON'T.
SO WE KNOW THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE ALL THAT AREA CLEANED UP.
ANYBODY VISITING THE PARISH COMING THROUGH JEFFERSON, WE'RE GONNA LOOK, UH, YOU KNOW, TIP TOP SHAPE.
SEVERAL OF OUR MEMBERS ARE ON SUBCOMMITTEES TO HELP WITH THE SUPER BOWL.
WE HAVE GRETCHEN HURT, OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICERS ON THE PUBLIC INFORMATION.
OUR SECURITY TEAM, OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS TEAM, OBVIOUSLY FOR SECURITY IS A BIG DEAL FOR THE SUPER BOWL.
THEY NEED TO TAP INTO US AS WELL.
WE'RE ON A TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE.
OUR PUBLIC HEALTH, UM, GROUP IS ON COMMITTEES.
UH, JEB TATE FOR OUR TELECOMMUNICATIONS IS ON, ON A COMMITTEE.
AND IN TERMS OF, WE HOPE NOTHING GOES WRONG, BUT MASS CARE AND EMS WE'RE SUPPORTING THOSE COMMITTEES AS WELL.
I KNOW OUR SHERIFF JOSEPH LIP PINTO WENT TO LAS VEGAS ON A PRE-TRIP WHERE THEY DO A TRANSITIONS FOR THE, FOR THE, THE GAME THAT WAS THERE.
AND THEN THE NEXT HOST CITY TO KIND OF SEE WHAT GOES ON FROM, CERTAINLY FROM A POLICE POINT OF VIEW, HE WAS INVITED TO GO DO THAT.
UM, VIOLET PETERS WITH JCVB, THEY HAVE A MARKETING CAMPAIGN TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE KNOW TO STAY IN OUR HOTELS AND THAT JEFFERSON PARISH GETS A ROLE.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS RUTH BEFORE, ABOUT HOW WE WANT ALL OUR RESTAURANTS TO BE BUGGED.
WE WANT ALL OUR PEOPLE TO BE HAVING CORPORATE PARTIES.
SO THAT'S VERY CRITICAL FOR US.
AND, UM, AND WE SAW WHAT TAYLOR SWIFT DID TO THE ECONOMY AND ALL OF THAT.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE WERE PREPARED AND WE'RE REALLY LEVERAGING EVERYTHING TO GET THE MOST OUTTA THE SUPER BOWL.
I SAW SWIFTIES GETTING OFF THE BUS TO GO TO LAKESIDE MALL.
SO
SO IN THE EFFORT, IN THE, UH, INTEREST OF TIME, WHICH I KNOW YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT
UM, OVERFLOW BUSINESSES, OF COURSE WE WANNA SEE SOME OF THAT.
YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH JEFFERSON PARISH TO GET TO THE SUPER BOWL.
SO WE WANNA PUT ON OUR BEST FACE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE ALL OF OUR, UH, LIGHT POLES.
YOU DIDN'T MENTIONED THIS, I DON'T THINK THE LIGHT POLES ALONG AIRLINE ARE GONNA HAVE SUPER BOWL FLAGS ON THEM.
I THINK ALONG VETERANS AS WELL AND WHEREVER WE CAN PUT THEM ALONG MET ROAD AND COMING FROM THE AIRPORT, ALL THOSE DIFFERENT AVENUES, WHEREVER THERE ARE LIGHT POLES, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO OUTFIT THOSE WITH THE FLAGS.
WE'VE WOR WORKED WITH THE GREATER NEW ORLEANS SPORTS FOUNDATION, TRYING TO IDENTIFY OPPOR OPPORTUNITIES IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
UH, THERE ARE STILL TALKS ABOUT USING THE ESPLANADE MALL IN KENNER FOR SOMETHING RELATED TO THE SUPER BOWL.
THIS BUILDING WILL PROBABLY, UH, HOST PRACTICES FOR THE HALFTIME OF THE SUPER BOWL.
SO A LOT OF THINGS HAPPENING IN JEFFERSON PARISH, EVEN THOUGH THE GAME ISN'T DIRECTLY HERE.
AND YOU MENTIONED THEY'RE UTILIZING SEVERAL OF OUR ASSETS, WHICH I THINK IS SO IMPORTANT.
UM, JEFFERSON PARISH IS ALWAYS SUCH A GREAT PARTNER TO ORLEANS, SO WE THANK Y'ALL BOTH FOR Y'ALL'S HELP IN SUPPORTING THAT.
UM, SO THE BEGINNING OF NEXT YEAR WILL BE ANOTHER BUSY ONE IN FEBRUARY TO MARK JEFFERSON PARISH'S BICENTENNIAL.
WE'RE SO EXCITED ABOUT THE ARTWORK, UM, ABOUT THE POSTERS, AND WE'VE ALL BEEN ON NUMEROUS COMMITTEES TO CELEBRATE THE BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION.
SO CAN YOU TELL US BOTH, UM, BOTH OF YOU, WHAT HAS BEEN GOING ON WITH THE BICENTENNIAL PREPARATIONS AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR? THAT'S ALL.
SO WHAT, YOU KNOW, IF I HAD ANY VISION FOR HOW WE CELEBRATE OUR 200TH BIRTHDAY, I'LL START WITH WHAT I DON'T WANT IT TO BE.
AND I DIDN'T WANT IT TO BE A FORMAL, HE WOULD'VE HAD FUN WITH IT, BUT A FORMAL GOVERNMENT CEREMONY WHERE WE JUST, YOU KNOW, IT'S BORING, RIGHT? I MEAN, YOU WOULD'VE MADE IT MORE FUN BUT BORING.
I WANTED IT TO, I WANT OUR BICENTENNIAL TO FEEL LIKE EVERYBODY IS A PART OF IT.
EVERY BUSINESS, EVERY SCHOOL, EVERY NONPROFIT, YOUR FAMILY, I WANT US ALL TO FEEL LIKE THE BICENTENNIAL IS OURS.
AND I WANT IT TO AFFECT OUR ECONOMY.
I WANT IT TO BE VERY POSITIVE FOR OUR ECONOMY, AND I WANT IT TO BE ALL YEAR LONG.
AND I WANT IT TO BE GRA GRASSROOTS.
[01:10:02]
SO THANK YOU.SO MANY OF YOU ARE PROBABLY IN THE AUDIENCE NOW.
WE DIDN'T WANNA JUST HAVE A COUPLE PEOPLE THAT WE SELECTED.
WE WANTED IT TO OPEN IT UP TO BE ON A COMMITTEE.
AND WE HAVE SO MANY COMMITTEES GOING ON, AND I WANTED IT TO BE ABOUT A HISTORY TOO.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A TOUGH HISTORY.
WE'VE HAD SOME BAD THINGS HAPPEN TO US.
NOT ONLY CELEBRATE THE GOOD THINGS, BUT THE BAD AND LEARN ABOUT THE HISTORY.
SO ALL THESE COMMITTEES ARE WORKING ON MANY, MANY ITEMS. I'LL READ A FEW, UM, TO YOU THAT WE KNOW, BUT THEY'RE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE FUN.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF FUN.
WE HAVE A SPECIAL LIGHT DISPLAY THAT'S GONNA BE UNVEILED AT LAFA YEAR PARK DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON.
WE HAVE A KICKOFF TO CARNIVAL WITH OUR CITIZENS AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT.
THAT'S GONNA BE ON OUR ACTUAL BIRTHDAY ON FEBRUARY 11TH AT LAKESIDE MALL.
UM, WE HAVE A COMMUNITY WIDE KING CAKE PARTY.
UM, COUNCILMAN WALKER, DO YOU WANT TO, DO YOU WANNA SAY THE KING CAKE PIECE BECAUSE IT'S YOURS? YOU, YOU FIGURED IT OUT.
WE JUST, WE, MY OFFICE CREATED A KING CAKE MAP A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, THREE YEARS AGO, FOUR YEARS AGO, WITH ALL THE JEFFERSON PARISH KING CAKES ON THAT MAP.
AND WE REALIZED IN THE COMPILATION OF THIS MAP THAT JEFFERSON PARISH REALLY IS THE KING CAKE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.
WE PRODUCE MORE KING CAKES IN THIS PARISH FROM REPUTABLE BAKERIES AND, UM, AND REALLY COMPARED TO ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD, MOST NOTABLY NEXT DOOR.
UM, IN, IN THE OTHER PARISH, WE PRODUCE SO MANY KING CAKES.
YOU REALLY HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS MAP TO SEE HOW MANY WE PUT OUT AND HOW MANY GREAT BAKERIES WE HAVE DOING IT.
SO WE'RE GONNA DO THIS THING WITH GETTING A BUNCH OF THE BAKERS TOGETHER, WHERE WE HAVE THIS GIANT KING CAKE THAT'S PIECED TOGETHER BY EACH OF THE DIFFERENT BAKERS.
AND WE'LL LIKE DO 200 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND IT'LL BE A HUGE KING CAKE.
IT WON'T SET ANY SORT OF WORLD RECORD BECAUSE THAT ONE THAT WENT AROUND THE SUPERDOME SEVERAL YEARS AGO THAT HAYDEL'S DID WAS INSANE.
BUT, UM, IT'LL BE AN AWESOME EXPERIENCE.
AND TO GET THESE BAKERS TOGETHER, PUT COMPETITION ASIDE AND PUT ALL YOUR KING CAKES TOGETHER TO MAKE ONE GIANT KING CAKE FOR OUR BICENTENNIAL WILL BE, IT'LL BE VERY SPECIAL, I THINK.
AND WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO OWN JEFFERSON PARISH'S KING CAKE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.
SAY LOUD BECAUSE KING CAPITAL, IT'S OUR ECONOMY CAPITAL AND IT FITS IN WITH WHAT WE KNOW, WHERE WE CAN GROW IN OUR ECONOMY.
WHEN JEDD CO PUTS OUT THEIR STRATEGIC PLAN, OBVIOUSLY THE FOOD SECTOR IS A BIG PART OF IT, SO IT FITS IN PERFECTLY, BUT WE GOTTA OWN IT AND WE GOTTA KNOW IT AND WE GOTTA SAY IT AND WE GOTTA, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE DATA IS THERE.
SO HOW MANY OF YOU CAME IN HERE TODAY THINKING THAT JEFFERSON PARISH WAS THE KING CAKE CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, BUT WE NOBODY, BUT WE MAKE MORE GREAT KING CAKES THAN ANYBODY ELSE.
SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE A KING CAKE PARTY ON FEBRUARY 15TH AT LAFFER YEAR PARK THEN THANKS TO THE JEFFERSON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION.
AND THIS IS THE BEAUTY OF LIKE OPENING IT UP AND NOT JUST HAVING A GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE OF 12 PEOPLE LOOKING AT THIS AND THE IDEAS THAT ARE JUST FLOWING A BICENTENNIAL BALL AT LAKESIDE MALL ON JUNE 14TH.
YOU BETTER GET YOUR TICKETS NOW 'CAUSE I THINK IT'S GONNA SELL OUT.
IT'S, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF SPACE TO WORK WITH.
UM, WE HAVE A PARK TO PARK 10 K RACE THROUGH THROUGH OUR RECREATIONAL DEPARTMENT.
WE'RE CALLING OUT THE BICENTENNIAL PASHA BASH AT LANIA PARK.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE SPECIAL PROGRAMMING ALL YEAR AND WE WANT, WE HAVE SOME MORE THINGS WE HAVEN'T REVEALED YET.
UM, BUT ALSO WE WANT A COMMUNITY CALENDAR.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE HOUSE OF LEE, YOU MENTIONED THE HOUSE OF LEE.
I'M GONNA GO PUT ON, I THINK THE DATE WAS IN OCTOBER OR SEPTEMBER IN 1959.
MY GRANDFATHER OPENED THE HOUSE OF LEE.
WE WANNA HEAR FROM YOUR BUSINESS, WE WANNA GET YOU ON THE COMMUNITY CALENDAR.
SO EVERY DAY WHEN YOU GO TO WORK, YOU GO TO THE WHAT HAPPENED TODAY, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT'S GOING ON? SO THAT'S GET ON THAT CALENDAR, MAKE SURE, AND LIKE I SAID, I WANT IT TO AFFECT OUR ECONOMY.
SO WE DECIDED TO RELEASE THE LOGO TO EVERYONE.
IT'S ON UM, JEFF PARRISH.GOV/JP 200.
WE DON'T WANT YOU TO USE IT YET.
WE WANT YOU TO USE IT NEXT YEAR, LIKE AFTER FEBRUARY 11TH.
BUT IF YOU'RE A GIFT SHOP, WE WANT T-SHIRTS, WE WANT COFFEE MUGS, WE WANT POT HOLDERS, WE WANT APRONS, WE WANT ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
IF YOU'RE A RESTAURANT, YOU BETTER BE THINKING ABOUT YOUR 200TH BICENTENNIAL DISH.
LET'S HAVE FUN WITH THIS AND LET'S CHURN OUR ECONOMY WITH THIS.
SO IT'S UP TO YOU ALL TO HELP US BECAUSE THIS BICENTENNIAL BELONGS TO EVERYONE.
AND I JUST WANNA THANK BOTH OF YOU.
UM, WE WORK PROBABLY DAILY TOGETHER TO TALK ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE IMPACTING THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, THINGS WE HEAR FROM OUR MEMBERS, AND YOU ARE ALL BOTH VERY RESPONSIVE AS WELL AS THE REST OF THE COUNCIL.
SO I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME HERE TODAY AND, UM, GIVE YOU EACH A FEW MINUTES TO WRAP UP WITH CLOSING COMMENTS.
I'VE SAID A LOT TODAY, SO I JUST WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU, RUTH, THANK YOU TO THE CHAMBER, THANK YOU TO ALL THE SPONSORS FOR MAKING THIS EVENT GREAT.
AND, UH, IF YOU NEED ANYTHING YOU CAN CALL THE OFFICE
I WANNA THANK THE, UM, THE, THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
WE TALKED ABOUT IT, UM, RUTH AND I TALKED ABOUT IT ON NEWELL SHOW YESTERDAY.
THE COUNCIL DECIDED TO TAKE UP INDUSTRIAL ZONING REGULATIONS.
UH, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE PITTING BUSINESS AGAINST, UH,
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NEIGHBORHOODS.IT'S NO RE IT'S NO WONDER COUNCILMAN BONANNO TOOK IT ON.
THE WHOLE COUNCIL WAS INVOLVED IN IT.
UM, AND IF IT WASN'T FOR THE, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND IT WASN'T FOR RUTH, I KNOW HOW YOU WERE INVOLVED IN IT, UM, TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
YOU SAID IT WAS TWO TO THREE YEARS WORTH OF WORK.
ABOUT TWO AND A HALF YEARS, TWO AND A HALF YEARS WORTH OF WORK.
BUT I WAS ON THE COUNCIL SIDE AND GUESS WHAT? I DON'T REMEMBER.
IT GOT THROUGH THE TALKING AND THE NEGOTIATION AND MAYBE I THINK COUNCILMAN BANANAS SAYS IF BOTH SIDES ARE UNHAPPY, MAYBE YOU DID SOMETHING PRETTY GOOD.
UM, WE DID NOT HAVE SCREAMING PEOPLE AT THE COUNCIL MEETING WE DID NOT HAVE.
BUT IT TAKES A LOT OF WORK AND IT TAKES A LOT OF HEAVY LIFTING BEHIND THE SCENES.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC REALIZES THAT'S BECAUSE OF THE PARTNERSHIP WE HAVE WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
UM, THE INSURE INSUR, THEY JUST, THEY SCREAMED AT DINO BEFORE THE COUNCIL MEETING
BUT IT'S THOSE KIND OF THINGS THAT THE PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT HOW INTEGRAL THE PARTNERSHIPS AND THE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY ARE THAT WE TACKLE THE INSURANCE CRISIS.
THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IS FIGHTING UP IN DC WITH US ON NOT ONLY, YOU KNOW, THE THE FLOOD INSURANCE, BUT WE NEED HELP ON THE HOME INSURANCE SIDE.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE NEW TAX SESSION, YOU KNOW, I BELIEVE IN IT.
WE NEED TO REWRITE OUR TAX AND CODE, BUT THE DEVIL'S IN THE DETAILS, RIGHT? AND SO WE'RE GONNA, I'M SURE IN THIS NEXT SESSION THAT THEY JUST CALLED, WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH YOU ON ALL OF THOSE DETAILS.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S IT, WE NEED TO BE BOLD.
WE, WE NEED TO DO IT FOR LOUISIANA.
BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE A PARISH THAT REALLY GETS HURT BY IT, LIKE SOME OF THE SMALLER PARISHES, IT'S PROBLEMATIC.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S GONNA BE A REALLY TOUGH, TOUGH THING THAT WE WANNA DO AS A STATE, BUT IT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
SO, UM, IT'S THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE WITH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT ALL COMMUNITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY HAVE THAT KIND OF PARTNERSHIP.
SO I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT.
I WAS HONORED TO SERVE ON A PANEL AT THE STATE LEVEL WITH COUNCILMAN DI BANANA AND UM, BETH MARTIN WITH YOUR TEAM.
AND SO THEY'VE REALLY JUST BEEN INCREDIBLE PARTNERS.
AND ALTHOUGH WE DIDN'T ALWAYS DISAGREE, UH, AND WE DIDN'T ALWAYS AGREE, WE, UH, CAME TO A, YOU KNOW, AN END PRODUCT THAT I THINK SERVES OUR, OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY WELL.
SO THANK YOU TO BOTH COUNCILMEN AND, AND YOUR ADMINISTRATION AS WELL.
UM, OUR NEXT EVENT WILL BE OUR 25TH ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14TH, WHICH WILL BE HELD AT TPC LOUISIANA WITH A SHOTGUN START AT 9:00 AM WE HOPE TO SEE ALL OF YOU THERE.
AND THEN LASTLY, IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN PURCHASING THE BICENTENNIAL POSTER, PLEASE SCAN THE QR CODE EITHER ON YOUR SCREEN OR ON THE BOTTOM LEFT OF YOUR PROGRAM OR VISIT THE TABLE NEAR THE EXIT.
THERE ARE LIMITED NUMBER OF SIGNED AND NUMBERED POSTERS BY BECKY FOSS AVAILABLE FOR $150.
AND THEN THE STANDARD PRINT OF THE POSTER IS AVAILABLE FOR 50 AND ALL PROCEEDS WILL BENEFIT THE JEFFERSON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH AND THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING THE 2024 STATE OF JEFFERSON AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL SOON.