[00:00:01]
I WANNA THANK EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE.
UH, OUR OFFICIAL NAME IS THE PARISH PRESIDENT'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON PERMITTING AND PLANNING.
SO I'M GONNA GIVE SOME OPENING REMARKS.
[Parish President’s Remarks]
UM, THEN I WOULD LIKE ALL OF YOU TO INTRODUCE YOURSELVES BECAUSE WE REALLY HAVE A LOT OF EXPERTISE AT THIS TABLE, BUT LET ME KIND OF GIVE YOU THE HISTORY AS I SEE IT, UM, AND KIND OF BRING US TO WHERE WE ARE NOW.UM, I WAS ON THE COUNCIL, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS AS AN ISSUE.
WHAT, WHAT, WHATEVER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, MAYBE INEFFICIENCY, MAYBE FRUSTRATION.
UM, WE'RE NOT MOVING FAST ENOUGH FROM PERMITTING AND PLANNING.
SINCE I WAS ON THE COUNCIL, ONE OF THE STUDIES THAT WAS DONE WAS AT THE, ON THE, WITH LUCIAN GUNTER WHEN HE WAS STILL ALIVE WITH THE CHAMBER, WORKING WITH PARISH PRESIDENT JOHN YOUNG'S ADMINISTRATION.
SO THAT'S WHAT I REMEMBER, THINGS HAPPENING AND THINGS WERE DONE.
THEN I BECOME PARISH PRESIDENT, AND THAT'S ALSO ON MY RADAR TO LOOK AT IT AGAIN, I THINK OF MYSELF AS LIKE THAT PROCESS NERD, AND I LOVE THAT KIND OF WORK, AND I WAS LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING INTO THAT.
UM, COVID HIT AND SOME THINGS HAPPENED, BUT WE STILL, UM, AFTER THAT FIRST YEAR AFTER DEALING WITH COVID, WE STILL DID SOME THINGS.
AND I'LL GO OVER SOME OF THOSE THINGS WITH YOU.
UM, I'VE COME TO THE REALIZATION NOW THROUGH MANY THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE AND MANY OF IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE, UM, THAT THAT'S NOT REALLY THE TICKET.
UM, I'M NOT HITTING THE NAIL ON THE HEAD.
AND WE'VE DONE MANY THINGS THROUGHOUT DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE TAKEN US THIS FAR.
AND I AM GONNA FIRST ADMIT MY MISTAKE IS THAT I TOO FOUGHT.
IT WAS A PEOPLE PROBLEM, NOT SO MUCH OUR FOLKS.
'CAUSE I KNOW HOW HARD OUR FOLKS WORK, BUT HOW OUR FOLKS WERE FORMED, HOW WE, UH, SET OURSELVES UP, UH, WITH DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, DIFFERENT OFFICES, WHO'S TALKING TO WHO I REALLY THOUGHT THAT WAS THE PROBLEM, UM, THAT WE WERE, I COULD TRY TO FIX BY REARRANGING THINGS AND MAKING THEM MORE EFFICIENT.
OKAY? AND I'M NOT SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE, UH, EMPLOYEES THAT MIGHT SIT ON THINGS TOO LONG.
UH, AND, AND I'LL, I'LL GO INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE NOW.
I REALIZE I'VE COME TO THE REALIZATION, WHICH IS WHY WE'VE PUT TOGETHER THIS, THIS GROUP OF YOU ALL TO BE ON THIS COMMITTEE, THAT IT'S NOT A PEOPLE ISSUE.
WE HAVE CREATED A MAZE FOR OURSELVES, A LEGISLATIVE MAZE THAT I WAS PART OF.
AND OUR PEOPLE ARE IN THE MIDST OF A MAZE TRYING TO HELP YOU ALL NAVIGATE THAT MAZE, HELPING YOU GET THROUGH THE MAZE THAT WE'VE CREATED FOR OURSELVES.
THAT'S HOW I SEE THIS NOW, UM, AND MAYBE YOU'LL LEARN, YOU WILL SEE IT, OR MAYBE YOU'LL SEE IT A DIFFERENT WAY, BUT NOW I DON'T SEE IT AS A PEOPLE PROBLEM.
I SEE IT AS A STRUCTURAL PROBLEM, IF YOU WANNA CALL IT THAT.
UM, BIRD'S NEST PROBLEM, AND WE ARE IN THERE TRYING TO HELP YOU.
OKAY? UM, GO THROUGH THAT MAZE.
UM, I WANNA TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MY FOLKS KNOW, AND I LOVE GOVERNMENT, AND I LOVE THIS KIND OF REALLY DEEP DIVE INTO GOVERNMENT PROCESSES.
I, I, I LOVE THIS KIND OF STUFF, AND WE NEED TO SPEAK HONESTLY ABOUT THIS.
IF WE'RE GONNA EVER GET ANYWHERE, WE HAVE TO HAVE AN HONEST CONVERSATION, AND WE HAVE TO REALLY, I'M ASKING EVERYBODY TO REALLY UNDERSTAND, UM, ALL SIDES, ALL SIDES OF THINGS HAPPENING.
AND LET ME JUST RIP THE BANDAID OFF.
THERE'S AN INHERENT CONFLICT IN THE WORK THAT MY STAFF DOES, AND, AND YOU'LL GET, I HOPE YOU'LL GET TO KNOW OUR STAFF.
UM, AND WE GET THE, UM, WE GET THE, THE ACCUSATION SOMETIME OF, OF NOT BEING MORE BUSINESS FRIENDLY.
WHILE I'M THE PARISH PRESIDENT IN JEFFERSON PARISH, THE ECONOMY IS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.
OF COURSE, I WANT US TO BE BUSINESS FRIENDLY, BUT WE'LL GET THAT, WE'LL GET THAT A LOT.
UM, AND I DON'T LIKE HEARING THAT CRITIQUE EITHER, BUT LET'S UNDERSTAND, LET'S, WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THE INHERENT CONFLICT, AND IT'S UNIQUE, UNIQUE TO US.
AND ONE OF THE STUDIES ACTUALLY TALKS ABOUT IT, UM, IT'S UNIQUE IN THEIR CAREER THAT THEY ARE HAVING TO ENFORCE RULES THAT THEIR LICENSE DEPENDS ON, MAYBE THEIR CREDENTIALS DEPEND ON, AND THEY HAVE TO BE CUSTOMER SERVICE FRIENDLY.
AND THAT OFTEN BUTTS HEADS WITH ONE ANOTHER.
AND WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IN THIS ROOM, AND WE CAN'T TIPTOE AROUND IT BECAUSE WE NEED TO CREATE A SYSTEM THAT PROTECTS BOTH SIDES, THAT WE CAN GET MORE CUSTOMER FRIENDLY, BUT YET WE CAN LET OUR PROFESSIONALS BE PROFESSIONALS.
WE'VE GOT TO DO THAT, OR IT'S NOT GONNA WORK.
SO I NEED TO JUST TALK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S ANY SUCCESS.
WE'LL RECOGNIZE BOTH SIDES OF THAT EQUATION AND GET US FURTHER ALONG AND GET US BETTER TO IT.
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT WE NEED TO ALSO TALK ABOUT, AND I'M GONNA RIP THE BANDAID OFF.
IF YOU WANT A SYSTEM WHERE WE'RE GONNA HOLD YOUR HAND TO ANY OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS, THEN
[00:05:01]
REALIZE THE WHOLE SYSTEM GOES SLOWER, RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT'S JUST, WE HAVE MANPOWER THAT WE HAVE.SO IF WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU A GREAT LEVEL OF CUSTOMER SERVICE AND REALLY DO THINGS THAT MAYBE PROFESSIONALS SHOULD BE PAID TO DO, THEN UNDERSTAND THAT THAT OTHER APPLICATION WAITING IN THE QUEUE IS GONNA TAKE LONGER.
THAT'S JUST, THERE'S, THAT'S, THAT'S JUST IT.
SO WE GOTTA FIND THE PLACE WHERE WE'RE COMFORTABLE WITH, YOU KNOW, AND OWN OR HIRING PROFESSIONALS AND HAVING AN EXPECTATION THAT THAT PROFESSIONALISM KNOWS WHAT WE'RE DOING, AND WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE DECISIONS ON THAT.
AND THE SYSTEM NEEDS TO RECOGNIZE THAT SWEET SPOT BECAUSE IT'S SOMEWHERE ON THE SCALE WHERE YOU WANT US TO BE.
UM, I'LL GO BACK TO JULIETTE WITH THE CHAMBER.
UH, RUTH, WHEN WAS THAT TRIP? 20 AFTER COVID, 2021.
JULIET PULLS US OFF TO GO TO ANOTHER COUNTY.
WHERE WAS THAT? JULIET? FRANKLIN.
SO JULIET MISSED, WE, WE MISSED SOME.
AND SHE, UM, EARLY IN THE TERM, WE WANTED TO GO SEE FRANKLIN, FRANKLIN COUNTY.
NOW THEY'RE MUCH SMALLER THAN US, BUT IT GAVE ME A GOAL TO GET THERE.
THE MAN WHO WAS IN CHARGE OF IT, SAID, DID HE SAY 30 DAYS OR 45 DAYS? HE WAS REAL PROUD OF IT.
HE HAD A BIG POSTER, LIKE A BIG ONE OF THESE OUTSIDE HIS OFFICE.
CAN YOU IMAGINE THAT? I MEAN, LIKE, WHO, WHAT? PARISH PRESIDENT DOESN'T, 45 DAYS.
WE'RE GONNA GET YOUR APPLICATION OUT.
AND I'M LIKE, JULIET, IF WE COULD EVER GET TO THAT.
AND SHE'S LIKE, YEAH, WE'RE A LONG WAY FROM GETTING FROM THAT.
UM, BUT I WAS A NAIVE PARA P 45 DAYS.
AND THEN WE TALKED TO HIM AND HE SAYS, WE MANAGE THAT 45 DAYS, BECAUSE IF THE APPLICATION DOES NOT HAVE EVERYTHING FOR US TO MAKE A DECISION, IT GOES TO THE BACK OF THE LINE.
I AM NOT GONNA LET ONE PROJECT DELAY THE WHOLE EVERYBODY ELSE.
SO IF YOU DON'T HAVE YOUR STUFF TOGETHER, WHEN WE ARE READY TO LOOK AT IT, YOU GO TO THE BACK OF THE LINE AND YOU LET ME BE TIMELY WITH EVERYBODY ELSE.
IT WAS, I, I LOVE THAT SYSTEM BECAUSE YOU'RE REWARDING THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THEIR STUFF TOGETHER.
AND, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE US GET TO THAT SYSTEM BECAUSE IT'S PREDICTABLE.
IF PEOPLE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE COMING, THEY WILL WORK REALLY HARD TO MAKE SURE THEY MAKE THAT FIRST DEADLINE.
SO CHOMP ON THAT AS WE GO THROUGH THESE DAYS, BECAUSE WE WANT PREDICTABILITY AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
AND WE'VE, WE'VE DONE A LOT TOWARD THAT EFFORT.
SO THAT'S SOME OF THE CONFLICTS THAT WE HAVE.
UM, I APPRECIATE THIS COMMITTEE.
WE, THAT WE HAVE THE TASK FORCE.
AND I'M GONNA SAY, YOU AT THIS TABLE KNOW MUCH MORE THAN I KNOW, AND YOU, THERE ARE MUCH SMARTER PEOPLE IN THE ROOM, UH, THAN ME, ESPECIALLY ON THIS.
AND I KNOW MANY OF YOU HOPEFULLY AT THE TABLE, HAVE HAD HORROR STORIES, BECAUSE IF WE DON'T KNOW, UH, WHERE OUR PAIN POINTS ARE AND WHY THERE ARE, WE, WE ARE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO FIX IT.
SO WE NEED TO BE VERY HONEST WITH IT, AND WE NEED TO REALLY UNDERSTAND, UM, THOSE ISSUES.
AND WE WILL, UM, WE DON'T WANT YOUR TIME, YOU KNOW, OPENING IT UP TO A LOT OF COMPLAINTS AND COMPLAINTS, COMPLAINTS.
AND SO, AND MAYBE WE, WHAT WE DECIDED, OR IF YOU WANNA GO IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION, WE PUT TOGETHER A FORM.
SO ALL OF YOUR EXPERIENCE OR PEOPLE WHO KNOW THAT YOU'RE ON THIS TASK FORCE, YOU CAN GIVE 'EM THE FORM AND WE CAN START COMPILING IT AND MAYBE DOING IT IN AN EFFICIENT WAY.
AND WE CAN GO THROUGH AND SAY, THIS IS WHERE PEOPLE ARE GETTING HUNG UP.
THIS IS, WE KNOW IN THIS SYSTEM, THIS IS WHERE PEOPLE ARE GETTING HUNG UP.
THIS IS A REALLY BAD POINT FOR US.
IF Y'ALL WANNA DO IT A DIFFERENT WAY, THAT'S FINE TOO.
IF YOU WANNA OPEN IT UP ONE DAY.
HOWEVER, YOU ALL, THIS IS YOUR TASK FORCE.
BUT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT AS WELL, IS, IS THE, THE HORROR STORIES THAT WE'VE HAD.
AND THEN YOU ALSO NEED TO HEAR FROM OUR STAFF, THEIR SIDE OF THE STORY AS WELL.
I MEAN, WE'VE, WE'VE GOTTA LOOK AT THE WHOLE THING, RIGHT? UM, SO WITH THAT, I WANNA KIND OF GO OVER AND I WANT, WE'LL GET TO INTRODUCING, AND AGAIN, I'M SO PLEASED WITH THE EXPERTISE THAT WE HAVE IN THIS ROOM.
I CAN SEE IT NOW, AND I FEEL LIKE, WE'LL, WE'LL COVER EVERY PART OF THIS PROCESS.
THIS IS GONNA BE HARD WORK TO DO.
UM, I HAVE NO REASON TO DEFEND OUR PROCESS.
I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO REASON TO DEFEND THE SYSTEM WE HAVE NOW.
AND I'M COMPLETELY OPEN TO THIS COMMITTEE COMING UP WITH A BETTER WAY TO DO THINGS.
WE WILL EMBRACE THAT, BUT IT'S JUST GONNA BE A LOT OF HARD WORK, AND WE WANNA SUPPORT YOU IN OUR EFFORTS.
JULIET'S GONNA, YOU KNOW, INTRODUCE THE STAFF THAT WE HAVE IN THIS ROOM THAT ARE READY TO SUPPORT THE EFFORTS, BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE TO HIDE IT.
I WANNA OPEN IT UP TO THE COMMUNITY AND SAY, THIS IS OUR SYSTEM, AND PLEASE HELP US MAKE IT BETTER.
AND THAT'S THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE AND YOUR EXPERTISE WILL HELP US DO THAT.
SO PLEASE, I DON'T EVEN KNOW SOME OF THE PROCESSES
[00:10:01]
THAT THEY KNOW, AND I, I'M NOT COMMITTED TO THEM.ALL I WANNA DO IS MAKE SURE, UH, WE FOLLOW ALL THE RULES AND REGULATIONS AND LOOK, WE CAN CHANGE LOCAL STUFF.
WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T CHANGE THE STATE OR THE FEDS.
OR IF WE DO TRY TO CHANGE THE STATE, IT WOULD TAKE SOME TIME.
AND I THINK WE HAVE A COUNCIL NOW THAT'S WILLING TO MAKE SOME LEGISLATIVE CHANGES, I HOPE, UM, TO FURTHER US ON.
UM, I WANNA JUST QUICKLY TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE.
[Introduction of Committee Members]
GO THROUGH THE ROOM AND DO SOME INTRODUCTIONS AND IF YOU COULD INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND THEN TELL YOUR BACKGROUND, UH, JUST KIND OF QUICKLY SO WE KNOW WHERE, WHERE THE EXPERTISE LIES IN THE TABLE.SO YOU WANNA START WITH YOU? OKAY.
MILLER BUILDING COMPANY, UH, HIGH END RESIDENTIAL HOMES, UH, IN OLD ME.
FAMILY'S BEEN DOING THIS SINCE 1917.
UH, DEFINITELY BUILDING, AND I'M GOT HEARTBURN GOING THROUGH A PERMIT SELECTION ON ROSA RIGHT NOW, SO I CAN HELP OUT ON A VAST AMOUNT OF THINGS.
I'M CHARLES SAGAL WITH CLS ARCHITECTS, AND WE'VE BEEN PRACTICING ARCHITECTURE IN JEFFERSON PARISH FOR THE LAST 40 YEARS, SO I HAVE A PRETTY GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF, UH, FROM START TO FINISH A PERMITTING PROCESS.
I'M, UM, ARCHITECT MUON, LONG TURNER ARCHITECTS.
I, UH, CHAIR THE PLANNING ADVISORY BOARD.
I'M ON THE BOARD OF STANDARDS APPEALS.
BEEN DOING THIS FOR 25 YEARS, UH, IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
HI, UH, RUSSELL AUSTRIA, OWNER OF THE OLIVE BRANCH CAFE.
UH, 28 YEARS IN BUSINESS HERE ON THE WEST BANK.
BASICALLY, I'M HERE AS A REPRESENTATIVE, I GUESS FROM THE WBIA WEST BANK BUSINESS INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION.
AND I'LL BE JUST KIND OF MEETING WITH THEM ON A REGULAR BASIS AND BRIEFING THEM ON THE PROGRESS AND GETTING THEIR INPUT AS WELL FROM THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE THERE.
VINCENT VEST, MARRERO LAND COMPANY, SEMI-RETIRED.
UM, WE DO, UH, ALL SORTS OF REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT, NEW DEVELOPMENT.
WE DID THE TPC GOLF COURSE, UH, WE'VE DONE SHOPPING CENTERS.
WE HAVE AN INTEREST IN THE AVONDALE SHIPYARD, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
AND WE DEAL WITH THE PLANNING AND PERMITTING DEPARTMENT ON SOMEWHAT OF A REGULAR BASIS AND HAVE HAD SOME ISSUES.
DONOVAN DUFFY WITH MEYER ENGINEERS REPRESENTING A CEC.
UM, SO ENGINEERS AND ARCHITECTS, UM, BOTH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC WORK.
UM, I GUESS ONE THING I'D LIKE TO SAY FOR EVERYBODY IS FROM MY, FROM MY STANDPOINT, WE DO A LOT OF WORK WITH RECREATION DEPARTMENT, AND IT'S NOT JUST THE BUSINESS COMMUNITIES OR PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT THAT HAS TO GO THROUGH THE HOOPS.
THE PARISH MAKES ALL DEPARTMENTS RECREATION AND EVERYTHING JUMP THROUGH THESE SAME HOOPS SO THAT, THAT IT'S POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE.
BUT, UM, BUT YEAH, SO I'M BRINGING THAT SIDE OF THE EXPERTISE TO IT.
FRANK MORRIS, PRESIDENT OF MORRIS HOLMES, UH, BEEN AROUND SINCE 75, WHICH IS PROBABLY TOO LONG FOR SOME OF YOU GUYS.
BUT, UM, ANYWAY, I'M HERE TO SUPPORT THE, THE PARISH PRESIDENT AND THE TASK FORCE IN THEIR, UH, EFFORTS TO TRY TO IMPROVE AND MAKE SURE THAT WE DO THINGS RIGHT FOR BOTH SIDES OF THE EQUATION.
UM, I'M A PROUD JUSTIN PARISH RETIREE.
WORKED HERE FROM 1979 TO 2009.
UM, SINCE THEN I'VE BEEN, UH, DOING SOME CODE CONSULTING AND RIGHT NOW DOING QUITE A BIT OF THIRD PARTY INSPECTIONS AND LOOKING FORWARD TO PARTICIPATING.
I'M THE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT FOR ELLA LAND COMPANY, THAT'S A THIRD GENERATION REAL ESTATE COMPANY BASED IN JEFFERSON PARISH THAT WITH PRIMARY ASSETS IN JEFFERSON PARISH, FROM SHOPPING CENTERS TO SELF-STORAGE, MULTIFAMILY.
UM, JUST THANKFUL FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE WITH ALL OF YOU, AND THANKFUL TO, UM, PARISH PRESIDENT FOR SEEING A NEED AND, AND WORKING TO FIX IT.
UH, PETER SPAR, UH, PRINCIPAL AND CO-FOUNDER AT GOAT.
UH, WE ARE A COMMERCIAL ARCHITECTURE AND INTERIORS, UH, FIRM BASED IN NEW ORLEANS, BUT I DO WORK, UH, ALL OVER, UH, SETH, LOUISIANA.
UM, I'M THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR A I A NEW ORLEANS.
UM, I'M PAST PRESIDENT AI IN NEW ORLEANS.
I'VE ALSO, UH, SERVED ON, ON SOME COMMITTEES, UM, WITH THE SAME KIND OF PERMITTING ISSUES IN NEW ORLEANS.
SO YEAH, I THINK I BRING A LOT OF, UH, KNOWLEDGE AND SOME IDEAS AND, AND HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS PROCESS BEFORE.
AND ALSO, UH, RESIDENT RETINA, SO THANK YOU.
[00:15:01]
NER WITH MATT BAUER'S AUTO GROUP.UM, I HAVE SOMEWHAT OF A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE, AND THIS MIGHT OUT ME, I'M NOT A LONG TIME LOCAL.
I RELOCATED ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, SO I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DESIGN AND DEVELOP ACROSS 20 OR 25 STATES.
SO I'VE SEEN A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UM, PROCESSES AND PEOPLE SO EXCITED TO BE HERE.
AND, UH, I WANNA SAY IT'S REFRESHING TO HAVE A LOCAL GOVERNMENT DO A PERSONAL AND PUBLIC SELF-REFLECTION.
UH, I'M HERE REPRESENTING THE JEFFERSON BUSINESS COUNCIL.
UM, OF OUR MEMBERS, UH, THE 50 OR SO CEOS IN THE, IN THE MEMBERSHIP, I THINK ABOUT 25, HAVE VOICED CONCERNS ABOUT THEIR PROJECTS, UM, MAKING IT THROUGH THE PERMITTING PROCESS.
UM, I'M ALSO A MEMBER, JET CO.
AND, AND WE HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN MAKING THIS PLACE REALLY A, A GOOD PLACE TO DO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.
GOOD MORNING, RUTH LAWSON, PRESIDENT OF THE JEFFERSON CHAMBER.
JUST AS JIM MENTIONED, OUR MEMBERS OFTEN VOICE FRUSTRATIONS OR WANTING TO IMPROVE THE PROCESS, UM, WITH THE PLANNING AND PERMITTING.
SO HOPING TO, UM, PROVIDE SOME INSIGHT FROM OUR THOUSAND-ISH MEMBERS OF THE CHAMBER.
GOOD MORNING, JERRY BOLOGNA, UH, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF JED CO.
UH, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF, OF ORCHESTRATING AND RUNNING THE LAST TIME WE REVISITED THIS, OF WHICH, UH, SOME OF THOSE SUGGESTIONS WERE IMPLEMENTED.
SOME OF 'EM WERE UNABLE TO BE IMPLEMENTED.
BUT, UM, I ALSO GET TO HEAR FROM OUR, OUR DEVELOPERS, OUR BUSINESSES EVERY DAY.
AND FOR A PARISH THAT TOUTS THEMSELVES AS BEING THE, THE BUSINESS FRIENDLY OPTION, UH, IT'S LIKE A, A, A KNIFE TO THE HEART WHEN SOMEBODY TELLS ME IT'S EASIER TO DO BUSINESS IN, IN, IN ANOTHER PARISH.
SO, UM, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN, UH, TO KEEP OURSELVES AHEAD OF THE GAME.
I AM LISA MANZELLA, GENERAL MANAGER OF LAKESIDE SHOPPING CENTER FILE ORGANIZATION, SUBSTITUTING TODAY FOR BRIAN LATE.
HE'S SORRY HE COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY, BUT WE'RE LOOKING VERY FORWARD TO PARTICIPATING IN THE COMMITTEE.
LOTS OF, UM, GOOD IDEAS AND OPPORTUNITIES TO DISCUSS, UH, ISSUES THAT WE'VE FACED IN THE PAST AND HOW WE'VE OVERCOME THOSE ISSUES.
SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
I'M REPRESENTING THE WEST BANK CIVIC COALITION, BUT I'VE HAD, UH, AN ENTIRE CAREER OF WORKING WITH COMPUTERS, ALSO WITH THE OIL AND GAS INDUSTRY AND BANKS.
AND CURRENTLY I'M A NOTARY PUBLIC, WHICH MAKES ME ONE OF THE CHOKE POINTS IN THE PROCESS.
I'M HERE FROM GOOD ROOTS REALTY.
I'M A LICENSED REAL ESTATE AGENT FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS.
UM, I'M ALSO, UM, A FOUNDER AND PAST PRESIDENT OF CITIZENS FOR BETTER KENNER.
UM, AND I DEAL WITH, IN MY, IN MY PROFESSION, I DEAL WITH, UM, PEOPLE WHO USE THE PERMITTING PROCESS EVERY DAY, ELECTRICIANS, PLUMBERS, CONCRETE PORES.
SO I'M VERY HAPPY THAT THE PARISH PRESIDENT HAS PUT THIS ADVISORY GROUP TOGETHER.
GO AHEAD, JULIET, INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
I AM THE CAA FOR LAND USE AND DEVELOPMENT FOR JEFFERSON PARISH.
AND I THINK I KNOW OR HAVE WORKED WITH MOST OF YOU IN THIS ROOM AT SOME POINT IN MY CAREER WITH THE PARISH, UM, WHICH IS COMING UP ON 21 YEARS THIS JUNE.
UM, I'M ALSO GOING TO INTRODUCE, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PARISH EMPLOYEES INVOLVED IN THE PLANNING AND PERMITTING PROCESS WITH US IN THE ROOM.
UM, AND SO MOST OF THEM ARE SEATED BEHIND YOU.
I'M GONNA ASK THEM TO JUST BRIEFLY STAND AS I RECOGNIZE THEM.
AM I? NO, I'M JUST GONNA INTRODUCE THEM.
UH, WE HAVE WITH US FROM THE BUILDING PERMITS DEPARTMENT, DANNY FERRERA, WHO IS THE DIRECTOR, AND TRAMONE CHEA, WHO IS THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FROM THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE DIRECTOR BESS MARTIN, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR EL GUESSER, AND AMANDA PONTY, WHO IS THE SENIOR PLANNER OVER, UM, WHAT WE CALL LONG RANGE PLANNING.
BUT FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS COMMITTEE IS THE DIVISION WITHIN THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT THAT DEALS WITH DRAFTING AMENDMENTS TO THE CODES OF ORDINANCES.
AND I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE A BIG PART OF OUR DOWN THE LINE DISCUSSION ARE THE RULES AND REGULATIONS.
WE ALSO HAVE WITH US FROM THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, ANGELA DESOTO, WHO IS THE DIRECTOR, AND SHE HAS A TEAM OF HER ENGINEERS, INCLUDING ALEXA, DALE SHANNON, JOSEPH VINCENT ACOSTA, AM I MISSING SOMEONE? UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE SOME FOLKS FROM THE PARISH
[00:20:01]
ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, INCLUDING THE PARISH ATTORNEY HERSELF, TONY HURLEY, UM, HANLIN DIVERGES, WHO WILL BE SPEAKING LATER IN THIS MEETING.WE HAVE JORDAN AND KENDALL LYNN, AND I FEEL LIKE THERE'S SOMEBODY ELSE I'M NOT SEEING.
UM, THESE ARE JUST A SMALL SUBSET OF THE PARISH EMPLOYEES WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THE OVERALL PLANNING AND PERMITTING PROCESS.
'CAUSE SIMPLY AT SOME POINT LATER WITH THIS COMMITTEE, WE WILL DO A DEEPER DIVE INTO ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE INVOLVED.
UM, BUT I THINK THESE ARE THE FOLKS THAT MOST OF YOU INVOLVED IN PLANNING AND PERMITTING HAVE SORT OF REGULAR INTERACTION WITH THESE DIRECTORS AND THESE SENIOR LEVEL STAFF.
I ALSO WANNA, UH, MAYOR, CONSTANT, PLEASE STAND UP FROM GRETNA.
UM, STEVE UTE IS OUR CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER.
SHEREEN HEIMER IS OUR DEPUTY CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER.
AND WE HAVE GRETCHEN AND JUSTIN FROM OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE.
WHO ELSE DID WE MISS FROM THE PARISH SIDE? ANYBODY? OKAY, SO YOU CAN SEE WE HAVE A WHOLE HOST OF DEPARTMENTS HERE, AND THEY'RE EAGER TO HEAR YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUPPORT YOUR COMMITTEE.
UM, LET'S JUST, I'M HE, I'LL BE A FLY ON THE WALL.
UM, WHEN I, I'M AT THESE MEETINGS.
SO YOU TAKE THIS COMMITTEE WHEREVER YOU WANNA GO.
UM, WE'RE HERE TO HELP, UH, ANSWER QUESTIONS AND BE A GUIDE TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU WANT US TO BE A GUIDE.
BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE, THIS IS YOUR COMMITTEE.
UM, THIS IS A, THE, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY COMING IN AND HELPING US.
SO, UH, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR ME TODAY, AND THEN YOU'RE NOT GONNA HEAR MUCH ELSE FROM ME BECAUSE THIS, YOU'RE, YOU'RE IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT FOR THIS, OKAY? BUT WE'RE HERE TO HELP AND WE'RE NOT GONNA LET YOU, UH, WHATEVER HELP YOU NEED, WE WILL GET YOU THAT HELP.
MAKE NO MISTAKE, YOU WILL HAVE THE HELP YOU NEED BECAUSE WE ALL WANT THE SAME THING.
[Ongoing Planning/Permitting Studies (Part 1 of 2)]
THROUGH, LIKE I SAID, SINCE I'VE COME IN OFFICE, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE TACKLED AND WE HAVE MADE IMPROVEMENT, WE HAVE DEFINITELY MADE IMPROVEMENT, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S THE IMPROVEMENT, UM, THAT WE NEED STILL.OKAY, LET ME QUICKLY GO OVER SOME THINGS.
UH, WE CAME IN AND WHAT WE REALIZED IS THIS JUST, THIS IS HOW GOVERNMENT HAPPENS.
UM, WE HAVE THE PERMITTING PLATFORM.
OVER THE YEARS, ALL THESE OTHER PERMITS WERE COMING IN.
AND WHEN I GOT DOWN TO IT, I REALIZED, WELL, THIS GROUP OF RESOURCES THAT WE NEED SO MUCH ALSO, UM, DOES APPROVALS FOR GARAGE SALES AND CHRISTMAS TREE LOTS AND FOOD TRUCKS AND BLOCK PARTY AND MARDI GRAS.
AND I'M LIKE, WHY ARE Y'ALL APPROVING THESE THINGS? WHY? AND THEY'RE LIKE, WELL, 'CAUSE IT'S A PERMIT AND IT COMES THROUGH THE PERMITTING SYSTEM.
AND I'M LIKE, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.
SO WE QUICKLY TOOK A LOT OF WORK AND GOT IT TO OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
SO WE GOT WORKLOAD OFF OF THEM BECAUSE THAT'S JUST HOW IT'S DEVELOPED.
THEY STARTED DOING WELL BECAUSE IT COMES THROUGH OUR SOFTWARE.
SO WE DO IT LIKE, ALRIGHT, WE, WE GOT, WE DID THAT.
UM, WE ALSO GOT RID OF THE HOTEL MOTEL, SHORT TERM RENTAL, DUMPSTERS, PEDDLERS PERMIT, ALL THOSE PERMITS.
WE, WE GOT THEM OUT OF THE, THE PLANNING SIDE.
UH, SOME WATER THINGS, FLOAT METERS, GOT THEM AWAY, ME RETREAT, PRESERVATION, GOT THAT TO PARKWAY.
SO WE TOOK A LOT OF WORK THAT WE COULD OFF OF THIS GROUP.
OKAY? UM, THE NAME THAT WE CAME IN WITH, AND THIS IS LIKE, SOUNDS SIMPLE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR, IT WOULD BE SIMPLE.
UM, INSPECTION AND CODE ENFORCEMENT AND PROPERTY MAINTENANCE AND ZONING.
WHEN I CAME OVER OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS, IF YOU LOOKED AT THE NAME, YOU WOULD ACTUALLY GO TO THE OTHER DEPARTMENT.
SO NOW WE RENAME THOSE BUILDING PERMITS.
IF YOU NEED A PERMIT FOR A BUILDING, YOU GO TO BUILDING PERMITS.
UM, CODE COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT IS EXACTLY WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE.
IT MAKES YOU COMPLY WITH THE CODE, HIGH WEEDS, GRAFFITI, UM, THOSE THINGS THAT YOU'RE NOT ABIDING BY OUR RULES.
YOU GO TO CODE COMPLIANCE AND ENFORCEMENT.
A LOT OF RESEARCH BECAUSE UNLIKE THE PRIVATE SECTOR, WE HAVE ALL THESE REFERENCES IN THE CODE.
ALL THIS, A LOT OF LEGAL WORK TO JUST CHANGE NAMES.
WE'VE DONE THAT, CHANGED OFFICES TO MAKE IT MORE STREAMLINED.
OKAY? WE'VE ADDED WHAT WE CALL PERMIT NAVIGATORS.
UM, THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO TAKE TIME TO, WE DON'T WANT THE DECISION MAKERS WHO HAVE BEEN TRAINED SO HIGHLY TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS, BUT THEY'RE CHASING AFTER DOCUMENTS ALL DAY LONG, RIGHT? BECAUSE THEY'RE JUST TRYING TO PUT THE APP TOGETHER, EMAILS TO YOU ALL.
UM, WE WANTED TO GIVE THEM MORE OF A COMPLETE PACKAGE TO MAKE A DECISION.
WE'VE OPENED UP A LOT OF POSITIONS TO GET THOSE.
WHAT, WHAT'S, WHAT, WHAT WE USED TO CALL 'EM,
[00:25:01]
LIKE KINDA PERMIT.I MEAN, THEY'RE PERMIT NAVIGATORS, BUT THEY KIND OF, YOU KNOW, SHEPHERD THE SHEEP KIND OF THING.
THEY GET EVERYTHING TOGETHER TO GIVE IT TO THE PERSON IN A MORE COMPLETE PACKAGE TO MAKE A DECISION.
BUT THAT WAS A LOT OF NEW POSITIONS AND THEN A LOT OF TRAINED PEOPLE TO HELP THAT DO.
UH, WE MADE SOME OFFICE MOVES TO MAKE THEIR WORK MUCH MORE STREAMLINED.
SO WE'VE HAD TO CHANGE OFFICES THROUGHOUT THE NEY BUILDING AND THE WEST BANK, WE'VE DONE THAT AS WELL.
UM, WE'VE DONE A NEW INTERFACE AND A LANDING PAGE ON THE WEBSITE TO MAKE IT EASIER TO SUBMIT AND TRACK APPLICATIONS.
SO IT WILL BREAK DOWN AN APPLICATION INTO THE STEPS THAT YOU NEED TO FOLLOW.
UM, AND THEN, UM, WE'VE ATTRACTED MORE REVIEWERS AND INSPECTORS TO, TO PROVIDE FOR JOBS.
WE'VE DONE SOME WORKFORCE THINGS TO PROVIDE INCENTIVES FOR EMPLOYEES TO GET THEIR CERTIFICATIONS.
SO WE'VE DONE ALL THOSE THINGS IN THE PAST COUPLE YEARS, AND IT, IT HAS IMPROVED THINGS.
UM, BUT I THINK THE FRUSTRATION IS STILL OUT THERE.
SO THIS IS WHERE, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU COME IN, I WANNA QUICKLY TALK ABOUT ALL THE TIMES.
THE PRIOR STUDIES THAT WERE DONE, THERE WAS A STUDY DONE IN 1997, UM, THAT I DIDN'T READ.
JULIETE SAID, DON'T, DON'T READ THAT STUDY.
UM, THE STUDY IN 2012, THIS WAS JERRY THE STUDY.
YOU WERE VERY INVOLVED IN THE 2012 WITH JED CO AND GCR, RIGHT? UM, THAT STUDY DID, A LOT OF, THAT STUDY WAS GREAT BECAUSE IT REALLY GOT INTO OUR DEPARTMENTS AND REALLY GAVE US VERY DETAILED, THIS DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO DO THIS VERY, VERY DETAILED, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS, WHICH WE DID MAKE A LOT OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AT THE TIME.
BUT IN READING THAT STUDY, I WANNA TALK ABOUT, UH, I WANNA READ SOME THINGS TO YOU IN THAT STUDY BECAUSE I THINK IT'S POINT ON, AND IT'S STILL THE CASE NOW, AND IT'S THE CASE IN MOST JURISDICTIONS.
AND I FORGOT TO INTRODUCE LARRY AND ASHLEY BACK THERE.
UM, THEY ARE FROM NEW ORLEANS.
NEW ORLEANS IS CURRENTLY GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
AND I WILL SAY TO YOU, PROBABLY EVERY JURISDICTION IN THE COUNTRY, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE ON THE DEVELOPMENT SIDE, IT CAN'T GO FAST ENOUGH BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND YOU'RE PAYING TAXES, YOU'RE PAYING FOR PROFESSIONALS, YOU'RE PAYING YOUR INSURANCE, ALL OF THOSE THINGS YOU'RE WAITING TO OPEN.
AND SO NEW ORLEANS, UM, WHEN COUNCILWOMAN HELENA MORENO HEARD ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING, SHE QUICKLY TEXTED ME AND I SAID, ASK, TELL YOUR PEOPLE TO COME OVER.
AND I THINK LARA, Y'ALL ARE KIND OF GOING THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS IN NEW ORLEANS AS WELL.
SO THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US.
UM, I WANT, THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE JUDD CO STUDY FROM THE JEFFERSON EDGE.
I WANNA READ SOME OF THE THINGS THAT IT SAYS.
AND EVEN THE MOST EFFICIENT WELL-RUN JURISDICTIONS.
THE BUILDING PERMIT PROCESS IS INHERENTLY COMPLEX.
AND I'M GONNA GO DOWN THE COMPLEXITY OF MUNICIPAL REGULATIONS AND PERMITTING PROCESSES.
LAYERS OF REGULATIONS HAVE BEEN ADOPTED OVER THE YEARS TO DEAL WITH THE COMPETING PRIORITIES AND PUBLIC INTEREST THAT COMES WITH EACH NEW BUILDING IN MATURE BUILT OUT COMMUNITIES.
THE MOST SUCCINCT WAY OF EXPLAINING WHY COMMUNITIES HAVE THESE REGULATIONS IS PLACE IN PLACE IS THAT WHAT HAPPENS ON SOMEONE'S PRIVATE PROPERTY HAS AN IMPACT ON OTHER PEOPLE'S WELLBEING.
PROPERTY VALUES, SAFETY AND QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND IT SAYS, THESE REGULATIONS ARE NOT STATIC AS THEY ARE PERIODICALLY REVISED TO ADDRESS EMERGING THREATS AND SPECIFIC COMMUNITY CONCERNS.
IN JEFFERSON PARISH, A NUMBER OF CHANGES TO ZONING REGULATIONS HAVE BEEN ADOPTED OVER THE PAST 20 OR SO YEARS.
IN ORDER TO ADDRESS COMMUNITY CONCERNS.
THESE INCLUDE THE NEWLY ADOPTED FAT CITY ZONING REGULATIONS.
WHY? WHY DID I PUT A WHOLE NEW COMPLEX, UM, SET OF REGULATIONS IN FAT CITY? BECAUSE JEFFERSON PARISH DID NOT HAVE A PEDESTRIAN CORE.
WHEN YOU TRAVEL TO TEXAS, YOU TRAVEL TO FLORIDA.
WE'VE ALL BEEN IN THE DEVELOPMENTS WHERE YOU HAVE THESE GREAT PEDESTRIAN CORES WHERE THE COMMUNITY CONGREGATES AND THEY HAVE COFFEE SHOPS AND RESTAURANTS.
WE WERE NOT BUILT OUT THAT WAY.
AND WE SAID, FAT CITY IS WHERE THE BONES ARE THAT WE COULD DO THAT.
GRETNA HAS AN AREA DOWNTOWN, WE CAN DO THAT.
WESTWEGO HAS AN AREA, KEN OR RIVERTOWN KEN ARE AT THE LAKE.
VERY FEW PLACES IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
CAN WE GO OUT AND KIND OF GRAB THAT AFTER THE FACT.
AND FAT CITY WAS CERTAINLY ONE OF THOSE.
SO WE SAID, IF YOU'RE GONNA REDEVELOP IN FAT CITY, YOU GOTTA PUSH YOUR BUILDING ALL THE WAY TO THE STREET.
YOU GOTTA PUT TO PARKING LOT BEHIND YOU.
BUT IT WAS A WHOLE HOST OF OTHER MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT TO DEVELOP IN BAD CITY.
UM, SO THIS IS WHY WE DO THESE THINGS.
IT MAKES IT MORE DIFFICULT, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE SOME OTHER GOOD GOAL FOR THE, FOR THE COMMUNITY.
UM, SO THEY TALK ABOUT THE FAT CITY ZONING REGULATIONS, THE CP OVERLAY ALONG VETERANS BOULEVARD, WHICH IS INCREDIBLE.
THE, THE CPZ IS WHY VETERANS BOULEVARD DOES NOT LOOK LIKE IT WAS IN THE SEVENTIES.
AND WE HAVE LANDSCAPING AND IT LOOKS LIKE A TRUE BOULEVARD.
AND IT'S OUR COMMERCIAL, HIGHEST COMMERCIAL, YOU KNOW, CORRIDOR
[00:30:01]
ON THE EAST BANK.UM, THE MET RIDGE TREE PRESERVATION DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW ME.
UM, THOSE PROPERTY VALUES ARE HIGH, PROBABLY 'CAUSE OF THE TREES, RIGHT? I MEAN, UM, AND THE OLD MET COMMISSION, OKAY? WHILE THEY ADDRESS LEGITIMATE COMMUNITY CONCERNS SUCH AS THE HEALTH OF THE PARISHES TREE CANOPY, THESE ADDITIONAL REGULATORY LAYERS DO ADD TIME AND COMPLEXITY TO THE PERMITTING PROCESS.
AGAIN, IT'S THE CONFLICTING, YOU KNOW, UM, GOALS THAT CAUSE PROBLEMS, BUT, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH.
THIS IS WHAT THEY SAY IS WELL, WHICH WE REALIZE THE TWIN GOALS OF STRONG CUSTOMER SERVICE AND A STRONG REVIEW PROCESS CARRY AN INHERENT CONTRADICTION.
A CONTRADICTION THAT OTHER CUSTOMER SERVICE PROVIDERS DO NOT HAVE TO CONTEND WITH.
FOR EXAMPLE, A RESTAURANT OR A HAIR SALON ONLY HAS TO WORRY ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMER'S HAPPINESS.
THEY DO NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THEIR CUSTOMER'S COMPLIANCE WITH PARTICULAR RULES OR REGULATIONS.
THUS, THE ELEMENT OF BOTH SERVING AND CRITIQUING THE CUSTOMER IS A UNIQUE CHALLENGE THAT PLAN REVIEWERS FACE IN ISSUING PERMITS.
SO I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE IT'S PART OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
UM, AND I THINK THIS STUDY HITS THE NAIL ON THE HEAD BACK IN 2012.
SO 13 YEARS AGO, WE'RE STILL AT THIS PLACE, BUT THE CONFLICTS ARE STILL THERE WITH US.
UM, AND THEN IN 2016, ANOTHER STUDY WAS DONE THAT YOU ALL KNOW, UM, MAYBE THIS IS SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT.
THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION WAS RISK AVERSE.
UH, THERE WAS INCONVENIENT NO ONLINE SUBMISSIONS.
WE'VE CHANGED A LOT OF THIS STUFF.
IT HAS TERMINOLOGY PROBLEMS. THE PERMITTING PROCESSES CROSSES DEPARTMENT LINES, AND THERE'S A LACK OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN STAFF.
UM, THERE'S NO MASTER COORDINATOR AND THE STAFF IS NOT TRAINED.
THOSE WERE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2016 STUDY.
AND IF YOU WANNA READ ANY OF THESE STUDIES, JULIETTE CAN CERTAINLY MAKE THEM AVAILABLE TO THE TASK FORCE IF YOU, IF YOU THINK THAT YOU ALL WANNA DO THAT.
I WANNA, SO IN THE 2016 STUDY THEY TALKED ABOUT, THEY DID A FLOW CHART OF OUR PROCESS.
SO THIS IS THE FLOW CHART IN 2016.
IT'S DIFFICULT TO SEE, BUT I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND HOW COMPLICATED IT IS.
AND I'M GONNA SHOW YOU OUR CURRENT FLOW CHART NOW, AND WE'RE GONNA DISTRIBUTE IT.
WE DID IT AGAIN, THIS TEAM RIGHT NOW TO HELP YOU ALL.
WE HAVE THE NEW FLOW CHART, WHICH I THINK IS VERY CRITICAL TO YOUR WORK.
JULIETTE, YOU WANNA PASS IT AROUND? UM, WE'RE GONNA GET A, DO WE HAVE A BIG BOARD TOO? SO YOU'RE GONNA BE REFERENCING THIS A LOT, BUT THIS IS WHAT I CALL THE MAZE OF REGULATIONS THAT WE HAVE CREATED OURSELVES.
AND I'LL HAVE TO SAY I LOVE OUR COUNCIL.
UM, BUT THEY PASSED SOMETHING JUST WITHIN THE PAST SIX WEEKS THAT ADDED SOMETHING ELSE TO IT.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S BECAUSE THEY WERE TRYING TO ADDRESS A COMMUNITY'S CONCERN.
IT THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS IN THE POLITICAL PROCESS.
SO THIS IS THE CURRENT MAZE, UM, THAT WE'RE UNDER.
NOW, WHAT I LOVED ABOUT IS THIS, THE ONE, WHAT I LOVED ABOUT WHAT MY, WHAT MY STAFF DID WAS, YES, WE COULD CHANGE STATE IF WE DID THAT.
IT'S A LONG SHOT, BUT WE COULD PROBABLY CHANGE STATE RULES.
WE CAN EVEN A LONGER SHOT TO CHANGE FEDERAL RULES.
BUT LET'S FOCUS ON WHAT WE CAN CHANGE AND QUICKLY, YOU KNOW, MAKE GOOD USE OF YOUR TIME.
THE THINGS IN YELLOW ARE LOCAL ORDINANCES OR LOCAL RULES.
AND WITH THE COUNCIL VOTE, WE COULD CHANGE THOSE THINGS.
SO TO TRY TO GIVE YOU RIGHT, JULIET YELLOW, OH, I'M SORRY, I SAID IT BACKWARDS.
THE YELLOW IS WHAT WE DON'T CONTROL.
THE YELLOW, WE CANNOT CONTROL.
SO HOW MANY COLORS ARE THERE? SO EVERYTHING ELSE IS LIKE, COULD BE CONTROLLED BY OUR COUNCIL WITH A VOTE.
I DON'T WANNA GET TOO IN THE WEEDS, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO, WE'RE TRYING TO LIKE, I MEAN, I DON'T WANNA DO THEIR WORK, BUT I JUST WANNA POINT OUT THAT THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT ARE EASY GRABS AND SOMETHING THAT LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF THE COMMITTEE COMES UP WITH CHANGING FEDERAL LAW, WE'RE NOT GONNA GET VERY FAR.
SO I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE NEED TO GET INTO IN A LATER MEETING.
UM, BUT JUST AS A QUICK HIGHLIGHT, I THINK THE SUBSTANCE OF WHAT THIS COMMITTEE IS REALLY GONNA TALK ABOUT IS THE REVIEW STEPS.
SO WE KIND OF CALL THIS OUT HERE.
'CAUSE THIS IS THE PIECE WHERE WE FEEL MOST PEOPLE GET HUNG UP IS THE REVIEW PROCESS.
BUT THERE ARE OUTSIDE AGENCY REVIEWS THAT ARE REQUIRED.
AND THEN THERE ARE A NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS THAT HAVE TO GO THROUGH A PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS.
THOSE PUBLIC HEARINGS, SOME OF THEM ARE CODIFIED AND, OR EVEN THE CHARTER, THE PLANNING ADVISORY BOARD IS ACTUALLY A CHARTER COMMITTEE.
UM, AND THOSE PROCESSES, SOME OF THOSE, THE CODE MANDATES, CERTAIN APPLICATIONS HAVE TO GO THROUGH THESE HEARINGS.
SOME OF THOSE ARE THINGS WE CAN CHANGE, BUT THE DEPARTMENT DOESN'T CONTROL THOSE BOARDS.
ONCE YOU GET INTO THAT PART OF GOING
[00:35:01]
TO THOSE BOARDS, IF YOU GET DEFERRED IF THINGS HAPPEN, THOSE ARE OUTSIDE OF THE DEPARTMENT'S CONTROL.OKAY? SO THAT'S WHY THAT'S IN YELLOW.
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART FOR BEING WILLING TO TAKE THE TIME TO HELP US.
AND THAT'S HOW I SEE YOU ALL HELPING US.
OUR TEAMS ARE AGAIN, HERE TO SUPPORT YOU.
WE ARE VERY OPEN TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
THIS IS OPENING THIS PROCESS UP TO THE COMMUNITY, LETTING EVERYBODY SEE, UM, ALL OF WHAT WE'RE ABOUT.
UM, AND THIS PROCESS IS IMPORTANT TO THE PARISH.
AND I REALLY THANK YOU FOR THE HARD WORK THAT YOU'RE GONNA DO.
'CAUSE I KNOW IT'S TIME CONSUMING.
AND THAT IS THE END OF MY, UH, COMMENTS.
UM, AND I WILL BE A FLY ON THE WALL UNLESS YOU NEED ME.
THANK YOU FOR, UM, BEING WITH US AND THAT NOW I'M TURNING IT OVER TO
[Overview of Open Meetings Laws]
HANLIN.SO HANLIN IS, UM, A MEMBER OF OUR PARISH ATTORNEY STAFF, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS COMMITTEE WE'RE A PUBLIC BODY.
UH, HE'S GONNA TELL YOU YOUR OBLIGATIONS WITH THAT RIGHT? HENLEN.
AS, AS SHE SAID, I'M HANDLING THE RGS.
I'M WITH THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AND TONY HURLEY'S THE PARISH ATTORNEY IN THE BACK.
AND AS WE GO THROUGH THIS, WE'RE ALWAYS AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS ON, UH, PROCEDURAL QUESTIONS.
AND OUR OFFICE WILL SERVE AS SECRETARY FOR THESE MEETINGS AND WE'LL GO THROUGH SOME HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS. UM, ESPECIALLY ON LOUISIANA OPEN MEETINGS LAW.
THIS BOARD IS CREATED BY THE PARISH PRESIDENT UNDER THE PARISH CHARTER.
SO ANY QUORUM OR MAJORITY OF THIS PUBLIC BODY IS SUBJECT TO OPEN MEETINGS LAW.
THE MEETINGS ARE GONNA BE RECORDED AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
PUBLIC NOTICE WITH AN AGENDA IS GONNA BE POSTED AT LEAST 24 HOURS BEFORE, MEET BEFORE MEETINGS, UH, PHYSICALLY AND, UH, ON THE PARISH WEBSITE, AND ALSO BE EMAILED TO THE BOARD MEMBERS.
IF WE WILL BE DIS ADDRESSING ITEMS ON THAT AGENDA ONLY UNLESS THERE'S, UM, NON-CONTROVERSIAL ITEMS AND, UH, NO OBJECTION, WE CAN ADDRESS THAT.
BUT OTHERWISE THINGS WE WILL BE STICKING TO THINGS THAT ARE ON THE AGENDA.
WE'LL BE TAKING AND APPROVING MINUTES.
LAW SAYS A PROPER IDENTIFICATION OF ALL PERSONS MUST BE NOTED FOR THE RECORD.
SO PLEASE DO NOT SPEAK UNLESS RECOGNIZED BY THE CHAIR, WHICH WE WILL ELECT MOMENTARILY.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD IF THE CHAIR DID NOT DO SO, AND TRY NOT TO SPEAK OVER EACH OTHER WITHOUT HAVING THE FLOOR.
UH, THE POSTED MEETINGS ARE THE APPROPRIATE PLACE TO DISCUSS THESE TOPICS, SO PLEASE DO NOT DISCUSS OUTSIDE THE MEETING IF A QUORUM IS PRESENT, SUCH AS RIGHT AFTER THE MEETING OR, AND THIS EVEN INCLUDES, UH, DISCUSSING BY EMAIL OR BY TEXT CHAINS.
UM, LOUISIANA OPEN MEETINGS LAW ALSO PROHIBITS, UH, SECRET BALLOTING AND THERE WILL BE, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT PERIODS BEFORE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS ARE VOTED UPON.
UM, AGAIN, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME IF YOU HAVE ANY PROCEDURAL QUESTIONS.
I KNOW THAT WAS KIND OF A MINI QUICK TRAINING ON PUBLIC MEETING LAW, JUST IN CASE, UH, YOU HAVE JUST AT LEAST FOR YOU TO BE AWARE THAT WE DO HAVE SOME OF THOSE RULES FOR IN HERE.
IF THERE'S NO, UM, IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE ELECTION OF THE CHAIR AND THE VICE CHAIR AND THEN I CAN STEP ASIDE AFTER THAT AND HAVE THE CHAIR, UH, CONTROL THE MEETING.
OR TONY, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? NO.
SO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE ELECTION OF THE CHAIR.
I'LL CALL THE ELECTION ON BEHALF OF THE PRESIDENT, THE PARISH PRESIDENT.
UH, WE WILL HAVE OPEN NOMINATIONS FROM THE FLOOR, AND IF NECESSARY WE'LL HAVE A VOICE VOTE OR SHOW OF HANDS.
UM, THAT MIGHT BE EASIER WITH THIS, THIS SETTING.
UM, THAT SAID, NOMINATIONS ARE NOW IN ORDER FOR THE POSITION OF CHAIR, NO SECOND IS REQUIRED.
I CHAIR, SECOND COUNCIL DID THAT TO ME YESTERDAY TO ACCEPT, DOES HE HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT? YES,
UH, I COULD VICE CHAIR, BUT I CHAIR I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO DEFER
ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS FROM THE FLOOR? DON'T, WE'RE GONNA SUPPORT THE CHAIR.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA HAVE TO LIKE,
[00:40:01]
DO EVERYTHING.YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR, OUR DEPARTMENTS WE'RE WE'LL HELP YOU THROUGH IT.
YOU'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT THROWING ANYBODY AFTER THE I I DON'T HAVE ANY CHARLES, NO
I GUESS I DON'T HAVE ANY EXCUSE.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S NO OTHER WE GOT VOTE.
I IF THERE'S NO OTHER
SO YOU ARE NOW OUR BOARD'S CHAIR.
NOW WE'LL HAVE AN ELECTION FOR THE VICE CHAIR.
ARE THERE ANY NOMINATIONS FROM THE FLOOR FOR VICE CHAIR? THE VICE CHAIR.
THE VICE CHAIR WILL FILL IN IF THE, IF THE CHAIR IS UNAVAILABLE FOR THAT MEETING.
UM, DO, DO YOU WANT
ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS? IF, IF NOT, THEN MR. TURNER'S ELECTED VICE CHAIR BY ACCLIMATION AND NOW THAT WE HAVE A CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR THING ABOUT CHAIR AND TWO THINGS, WELL, THAT MAKES ME ALRIGHT.
UM, WE ALSO WANTED TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY
[Ongoing Planning/Permitting Studies (Part 2 of 2)]
TO JUST MAKE THIS COMMITTEE AWARE OF TWO OTHER EFFORTS THAT ARE ONGOING RELATING TO IMPROVING THE PLANNING AND PERMITTING PROCESS.THE FIRST OF WHICH IS WE ARE GOING OUT FOR A RFP, WHICH IS REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS TO REWRITE THE ENTIRE ZONING CODE ALL AT ONE TIME.
IT IS A LONG-TERM LIFT, BUT WE WANTED YOU ALL TO BE AWARE.
THIS IS A PROCESS THAT IS BEING FUNDED THROUGH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT DISASTER RECOVERY FUNDS FROM HURRICANE IDA.
UM, THIS IS MONEY THAT WE DO HAVE IN HAND.
UM, AS I SAID, IT WILL BE A COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE TO BOTH CHAPTER 33 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES, WHICH IS CURRENTLY THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE.
AND IT WILL BE THE PROCESS WHERE WE MOVE ALL OF CHAPTER 40 INTO CHAPTER 33.
SO THAT WE HAVE ONE CODE, WE DO HAVE A ONE PAGER THAT IS A DESCRIPTION OF THE RFP AND GOES INTO WHAT WE'VE ADVERTISED WHEN THIS STARTS ADVERTISING ON MAY 7TH.
THIS IS A SUMMARY OF WHAT THE VARYING CONSULTING TEAMS THAT WILL BE SUBMITTING FOR THIS WILL UNDERSTAND WHAT IS THE SCOPE OF WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE.
SO I HAVE A COPY FOR EACH MEMBER.
JULIAN HAD A QUESTION, UM, REGARDING THIS PARTICULAR RFP.
IS THERE, LIKE, USUALLY THERE'S A PREP, I'M SORRY, RUTH LOSS, I'M SUPPOSED TO THE RECORD.
UM, IS THERE A PREFERENCE FOR A LOCAL COMPANY THAT UNDERSTAND THE ATMOSPHERE? I SAY THAT BECAUSE WHEN WE DID OUR INDUSTRIAL ZONING, IT WAS A REALLY BIG ISSUE THAT WE HAD A OUT OF TOWN CHICAGO FIRM THAT TRULY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND OUR LANDSCAPE AT ALL.
SO WHAT I WILL SAY TO THAT IS, UM, I BELIEVE THERE IS PROBABLY SOME SCORING RELATED TO THAT.
ONE THING THAT WE ARE DOING UNIQUE WITH THIS RFP PROCESS, BECAUSE THIS IS SUCH A MAJOR PROJECT AND UNDERTAKING IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF WHO THESE TEAMS ARE BEYOND WHAT THEY JUST SUBMIT ON PAPER.
SO FOR THIS RFP, WHICH IS A LITTLE BIT UNIQUE TO THE DEPARTMENT PROCESS, UM, THE CLOSING DATE WILL BE JUNE 6TH.
THAT'S WHEN WE WILL TAKE IN THE, THE INITIAL APPLICATIONS.
THE SCORING COMMITTEE WILL EVALUATE THE CON SUBMITTALS, AND THEN I BELIEVE THE TOP THREE, THE TOP THREE TEAMS WILL ACTUALLY BE SCORED IN A FOLLOW UP INTERVIEW PROCESS WHERE THEY WILL COME IN PERSON.
THAT MEETING IS AN OPEN MEETING, IF I'M CORRECT.
UM, AND SO CERTAINLY WE'LL COMMUNICATE THAT INFORMATION TO THIS COMMITTEE ONCE THOSE INTERVIEWS ARE SCHEDULED, SO THAT ANY COMMITTEE MEMBERS ARE
[00:45:01]
WELCOME TO ATTEND THAT MEETING AND ACTUALLY HEAR THE INTERVIEWS.THERE'LL BE SET QUESTIONS THAT THE TECH, THAT THE COMMITTEE, UM, WILL ASK ALL OF THE INTERVIEW TEAMS. AND THAT I THINK WILL REALLY HELP US TALK TO THEM RATHER THAN JUST SEEING WHAT THEY SUBMIT ON PAPER.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE, UM, PURSUING.
WE WANNA BE VERY CLEAR, THIS IS A TWO PLUS YEAR PROCESS, BUT THIS IS THE BEST WAY OF ADDRESSING TO THE PARISH PRESIDENT'S POINT.
A LOT OF OUR REGULATORY FRAMEWORK AT A LOCAL LEVEL.
WE'VE DONE IT PIECEMEAL OVER THE YEARS, AND THAT'S LEFT OFF IN SOME OF THIS MAZE BECAUSE THIS IS C-D-B-G-D-R FUNDED.
THERE IS A DEFINITE END DATE FOR WHEN WE HAVE TO COMPLETE THIS PROCESS, BUT WE'RE REALLY JUST IN THE BEGINNING PHASES OF IT.
THE SECOND THING, AND I DO SEE, JIM, YOU HAD RAISED YOUR HAND, UH, JIM, WHAT KIND OF COMPANIES SUBMIT ON THIS? IS IT A, A CONSULTING COMPANY? SO GENERALLY THESE ARE, SO GENERALLY THESE ARE PLANNING FIRMS THAT HAVE SOME FORM OF CODE OF ORDINANCE WRITING EXPERTISE.
I BELIEVE THE RFP DOES REQUIRE THE PRINCIPAL TO BE A ICP CERTIFIED.
THAT'S A CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL PLANNER.
UM, WITH 15 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.
WE ARE ALSO ADVERTISING, UM, AND I DID NOT KEEP A COPY FOR MYSELF.
UM, BUT I BELIEVE WE ARE ALSO LOOKING FOR SOMEBODY WHO HAS LAND USE LAW EXPERIENCE.
UM, ONE THING THAT WE PARTICULARLY MADE SURE TO INCLUDE IS THAT WE WANT CONSULTANT TEAMS THAT HAVE SIMILAR EXPERIENCE WITH A COMMUNITY MUNICIPALITY OF AT LEAST 300,000 RESIDENTS.
WE NEED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAVE A VERY LARGE COMMUNITY, UM, WITH MULTIPLE COMPETING INTERESTS.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING FOR A CONSULTANT TEAM THAT IS USED TO DOING PUBLIC OUTREACH FOR A LARGER MUNICIPALITY.
AND I GUESS, EXCUSE MY IGNORANCE, JULIA, BUT ARE THERE ANY LOCAL FIRMS THAT WE QUALIFY THAT DON'T ANTICIPATE HEARING FROM? IT COULD BE, COULD BE.
IN ADDITION TO THE RFP, WHICH IS THE PARISH ADMINISTRATION LED PROJECT, AT A RECENT COUNCIL MEETING, THE PARISH COUNCIL AUTHORIZED AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR A STATEMENT OF QUALIFICATIONS, WHICH IS GONNA BE FUNDED BY THE JEFFERSON PARISH COUNCIL.
THAT WAS WRITTEN AS CONSULTANT WILL PRODUCE DRAFTS OF PROPOSED PLANS OR AMENDMENTS TO THE CODE OF ORDINANCES TO ADDRESS THE PERMITTING ORDINANCES.
I'LL BE HONEST, THIS IS ALSO JUST NOW GOING OUT TO ADVERTISEMENT.
I DON'T KNOW, I'LL BE BLUNT, I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY IS BEING PUT TOWARDS THIS INITIATIVE.
THIS IS, UH, BEING LED BY THE COUNCIL.
BUT ONE THING THAT WE DO HAVE AN INTEREST IN IS THAT THE RFP PROCESS, THIS SOQ AND THE WORK OF THIS COMMITTEE ARE ALL MOVING IN THE SAME DIRECTION.
SO AS WE LEARN MORE ABOUT WHERE THIS SOQ GOES, UH, WE WILL BRING THAT INFORMATION BACK TO THIS COMMITTEE OR IDENTIFY WAYS FOR THIS COMMITTEE TO BE PARTICIPANT IN THOSE PROCESSES AS WELL.
[Additional Item 1]
PRESIDENT MENTIONED, WE DO HAVE A FEEDBACK FORM.IT WAS HERE AT THE TABLE AS YOU ALL CHECKED IN.
WE'VE ALSO MADE THIS FEEDBACK FORM AVAILABLE ONLINE ON THE PARISH WEBSITE.
UNDER THE GOVERNMENT TAB OF THE PARISH WEBSITE, THERE'S A BOARD AND COMMISSIONS LANDING SECTION, UH, THAT'S WHERE THIS COMMITTEES WEBPAGE IS.
AND ON THAT WEBPAGE IS A FILLABLE FORM.
SO YOU CAN EITHER COMPLETE IT AND HAND IT IN OR YOU CAN DIRECT PEOPLE TO THAT WEBSITE.
THE FORM IS STRUCTURED IN TWO WAYS.
WE ARE LOOKING FOR, IF YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC PROJECT UNDERWAY THAT YOU NEED ASSISTANCE WITH, YOU CAN PROVIDE US AN ADDRESS.
YOU CAN GIVE US YOUR PERMIT OR YOUR APPLICATION NUMBER AND DESCRIBE YOUR PROBLEM.
OR IF YOU JUST HAVE GENERAL COMMENTS REGARDING THE PERMITTING OR PLANNING PROCESS THAT EITHER YOU OR PEOPLE YOU SHARE THIS FORM WITH, WANT THIS COMMITTEE TO UNDERSTAND OR CONSIDER IN THEIR DELIBERATIONS.
SO AGAIN, WE HAVE COPIES HERE AT THE TABLE.
IF YOU WANNA HAVE AN IMMEDIATE THING YOU WANNA FILL OUT TODAY, YOU CAN FILL IT OUT AND TURN IT BACK IN, BUT IT IS ALSO AVAILABLE ONLINE.
[Future Meetings]
FOR DISCUSSION WITH YOU ALL IS MEETINGS.AS WE MENTIONED IN THE LETTER ASKING FOR APPOINTMENTS, WE ANTICIPATE
[00:50:01]
THIS COMMITTEE MEETING ON A MONTHLY BASIS, UH, THE FIRST THURSDAY OF EACH MONTH.TO THAT END, WE HAVE RESERVED THE EAST BANK AND WEST BANK REGIONAL LIBRARIES THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR.
UM, HOWEVER, AS THE PARISH PRESIDENT SAID, THIS IS YOUR COMMITTEE, WE JUST THOUGHT IT WOULD BE EASIER FOR EVERYONE SCHEDULING IF WE FROM GO HAD A SET TIME THAT EVERYBODY KNEW WE WOULD BE MEETING.
UM, THERE ARE ONLY TWO VARIANTS TO THE FIRST THURSDAY OF THE MONTH THAT WE HAVE SCHEDULED TO DATE.
UH, THAT WOULD BE FOR JULY 3RD, GIVEN 4TH OF JULY HOLIDAYS.
WE RESERVED THE LIBRARY FOR THE FOLLOWING THURSDAY, AND THEN I BELIEVE IN NOVEMBER IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A CONFLICT WITH VETERANS DAY.
UM, SO WE WILL CERTAINLY SEND OUT AN EMAIL WITH THAT MEETING SCHEDULE IF THAT IS SATISFACTORY TO THE COMMITTEE.
BUT IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY NEED OR DESIRE TO CHANGE THAT, WE WILL WORK WITH YOU ALL TO BOOK MEETING SPACE.
AND I BELIEVE THAT LEAVES US TO THE, UH, FINAL ITEM.
AND AT THIS POINT, I'M ACTUALLY GONNA TURN THIS OVER TO THE NEWLY ELECTED CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE, MR. SILBURN AGLE.
UM, AS TO OUR NEXT AGENDA IN JUNE, WE PRELIMINARILY HAD THOUGHT THAT IT MIGHT BE GOOD FOR THE WORK OF THIS COMMITTEE TO ACTUALLY LOOK AT THE PERMITTING PLATFORM, THE MY GOVERNMENT ONLINE SYSTEM, AND LOOK AT IT FROM BOTH THE CUSTOMER SIDE AND THE JURISDICTION SIDE, AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
UM, HOWEVER, IF THERE ARE OTHER MORE IMMEDIATE TOPICS THAT THIS COMMITTEE WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS, UM, WE'LL BE PREPARED FOR THAT.
SO, MR. SILVER NAGEL, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA COME UP HERE, IF YOU WOULD JUST TO BRING YOU A MIC IF YOU WANT.
DOES HE GET A GUY HEADS? Y'ALL'S COMMITTEE?
WELL, THIS IS, UH, THE FIRST TIME I'M GONNA BE CHAIRING A COMMITTEE.
SO, UH, IT'S GONNA BE A LEARNING PROCESS FOR ME GUYS GOING THROUGH THIS.
BUT, UM, I'M ACTUALLY, UH, HONORED THAT, UH, THAT I WAS, UH, CHOSEN TO DO THIS.
AND, UH, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO, TO GOING THROUGH THIS, THIS PROCESS WITH EVERYBODY AND TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, DEVELOP THIS, THIS, THIS EASE OF, OF GETTING OUR, OUR PERMITS APPROVED AND GOING THROUGH THE STEPS THAT THAT IS GOING TO ENHANCE OUR PARISH.
UM, ANYTHING ELSE THAT I NEED TO BE TELLING THIS BOARD OR, OR HOW WE GONNA PROCEED? UM, I THINK WE'RE GONNA, UH, I THINK WE NEED TO DEVELOP SOME SORT OF, OF FORMAT IN, IN HOW WE GONNA PROCEED AT THESE MEETINGS SO WE CAN HAVE A, UM, A VERY PRODUCTIVE MEETING AS, AS WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS.
AND I'LL BE THINKING ABOUT THIS PROCESS WORKING WITH JULIETTE AND BRENT ON KIND OF DEVELOPING THIS, THIS, THIS FORMAT AND WHAT WE GONNA BE ACHIEVING AT EACH ONE OF THESE, UM, THESE MEETINGS.
I THINK OUR TIME IS ALL VALUABLE AND WE SHOULD BE VERY PRODUCTIVE AND, AND, AND LOOK AT WHAT WE CAN, CAN PROCEED WITH.
UM, I THINK THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY AT THIS POINT.
UH, AGAIN, THIS IS MY FIRST CHANCE, SO Y'ALL HAVE TO, UH, WORK WITH ME GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
SO THOSE ARE THE ITEMS THAT WE HAD SCHEDULED ON THE AGENDA.
[Additional Item 2]
I JUST WANNA OPEN THE FLOOR IF THAT'S OKAY WITH THE CHAIR.UH, IF THERE ARE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM ANY OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, UH, THAT YOU WOULD LIKE ADDRESSED AT THIS POINT? SO I'VE GOT A QUESTION.
UM, THE, THE ONGOING PROPOSAL FOR THE, FOR THE REVIEW OF PERMIT PROCESS THAT S OQ IS THAT THAT'S GONNA TAKE PLACE CONCURRENTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING, RIGHT? AND IS THAT RIGHT? WE BELIEVE SO.
AGAIN, THAT SOQ WAS AUTHORIZED BY THE PARISH COUNCIL AS GOING THROUGH THE, THE PURCHASING PROCESS NOW FOR ADVERTISING FOR, UH, SUBMITTALS TO THAT SOQ.
SO WE DON'T HAVE A DEFINED SCOPE OF WORK TO THAT.
[00:55:01]
I BELIEVE THAT IS GONNA BE MORE MAYBE FOCUSED ON THE BUILDING PERMITTING REGULATIONS.UM, SOME OF WHICH ARE CODIFIED IN THE PARISH CODE OF ORDINANCES PROCEDURALLY IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE LOUISIANA UNIFORM CONSTRUCTION CODE, WHICH AS SOME VIEW, UM, JUST SO YOU ARE AWARE, UH, JEFFERSON PARISH, ALL PARISHES IN LOUISIANA MUNICIPALITIES ALL FOLLOW THE LOUISIANA UNIFORM CONSTRUCTION CODE, WHICH WAS ADOPTED FOLLOWING HURRICANE KATRINA.
AND CERTAINLY MR. MORRIS CAN SPEAK MUCH MORE TO THAT THAN I CAN.
UM, HOW, SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, THERE'S THE BUILDING CODE, WHICH JEFFERSON PARISH ADOPTS BY REFERENCE, AND THEN THERE ARE CODIFIED PROCEDURES AS TO HOW THE PARISH IMPLEMENTS, UM, COMPLIANCE WITH THE BUILDING CODE OR ADOPTS OR, OR ADOPTS.
SO WE BELIEVE THAT THAT SOQ MAY BE FOCUSED MORE ON THE BUILDING PERMITTING PART OF THINGS, BUT TO BE VERY CLEAR, A LOT OF TIMES THE ISSUANCE OF A BUILDING PERMIT IS AFFECTED BY WHERE AN APPLICATION IS IN THE ZONING PLANNING REVIEW PROCESS.
WHETHER A SUBDIVISION IS REQUIRED FIRST OR IT REQUIRES SOME FORM OF VARIANCE THAT HAS TO GO THROUGH THE PLANNING PROCESS.
SO THERE WILL BE NATURAL OVERLAP.
UM, AND OUR HOPE IS THAT WE CAN KEEP ALL OF THESE EFFORTS MOVING IN THE SAME DIRECTION AND NOT HAVE TOO MUCH DUPLICATION OF INITIATIVE PARTICIPATION.
AND SO WHAT ROLE THIS COMMITTEE CAN PLAY IN THAT SOQ PROCESS, WE'LL SEE ONCE WE ACTUALLY GET THOSE RESPONSES AND, AND KNOW WHO THE CONSULTANT IS AND WHAT THAT SCOPE'S GOING TO BE.
DO YOU KNOW WHEN, DO YOU KNOW WHEN THAT IS GONNA BE, WHEN THEY'RE WE'RE GONNA GRANT THE SOQ OR IS THAT I I CHECKED WITH PURCHASING YESTERDAY HOPING TO HAVE THOSE DATES TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH YOU SIMILAR TO HOW WE HAD THE DATES FOR THE RFP AND THEY DID NOT HAVE THOSE DATES TO PROVIDE TO ME YESTERDAY.
UM, BUT I DO ANTICIPATE THAT IT WILL PROBABLY SIMILARLY START ADVERTISING ON MAY 7TH, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF RFPS AND OQS HAVE THE SAME ADVERTISEMENT REQUIREMENTS.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT CLOSING DATE WOULD BE.
SO I WAS AM STILL AM ON ANYWAY, UM, I I AM AND STILL ON A TASK FORCE FOR NEW ORLEANS FOR EXACTLY THE SAME THING.
UH, ACTUALLY, UNFORTUNATELY IT'S BEEN ABOUT A YEAR AND THREE QUARTERS.
UH, WE, THEY DID THE CONSULTANT REVIEW AFTER US AND WE PROVIDED A 20 PAGE DOCUMENT.
SO I'LL BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE TO OUR, OUR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR SO THEY CAN SHARE THAT TOO, BECAUSE I THINK THERE ARE POINTS IN THERE THAT CAN COVER A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO, UH, BUT IN A DIFFERENT MANNER IN, IN QUITE A FEW INSTANCES BECAUSE NEW ORLEANS IS NOT JUST IN PARISH BY ANY STRETCH FOR SURE.
UM, BUT I WOULD TELL YOU THIS, THAT THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THOSE REQUESTED CHANGES HAVE BEEN VERY SLOW.
AND I THINK THAT WITH THIS GROUP, I THINK HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO PRODUCE BETTER, UH, FINAL PRODUCTS QUICKER AND GET IT IMPLEMENTED FASTER THAN WHAT WE HAVE.
UH, IN, IN ONE INSTANCE, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, IS THE ROOFING PERMITS.
THEY JUST PASSED THE RESOLUTION AND YOU KNOW HOW LONG WE'VE BEEN DOING IT.
AND HE CAN TELL YOU BETTER THAN I.
BUT, UM, I THINK THAT THIS IS CRITICAL TO, TO THIS GROUP BECAUSE WHAT, WHAT IS IN THAT 20 PAGE DOCUMENT OR 20 YEAH.
20 PAGE DOCUMENT OR A LOT OF THINGS THAT CAN ASSIMILATE INTO OUR GROUP TO BE ABLE TO HELP US TO GET TO THE BOTTOM LINE QUICKLY RATHER THAN TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO OFFER THAT.
AND, UM, MS. MARTIN DID PROVIDE ME A UPDATE REGARDING THE SOQ TIMELINE.
SHE GOT AN EMAIL THIS MORNING.
IT WILL ADVERTISE, UH, MAY 7TH THROUGH THE 21ST, AND THEN THEY WILL OPEN THE SOQ RESPONSES ON MAY 22ND.
SO WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO PROVIDE YOU SOME INFORMATION ON THAT, IDEALLY AT OUR JUNE COMMITTEE MEETING.
THANK YOU, MS. MARTIN, MR. CHAIR, UM, JERRY BOLOGNA, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ELECTION.
UH, UM, I JUST WANNA STATE SOMETHING FOR THE RECORD IN TERMS OF, UH, I THINK MY INTEREST IN, IN THIS COMMITTEE,
[01:00:01]
UM, WHETHER IT'S A PEOPLE PROBLEM, A PROGRAMMATIC PROBLEM, I THINK YES, OUR TASK IS TO, TO SEE WHERE THOSE PROBLEMS LIE.UM, BUT ON A PARALLEL TRACK, I THINK OUR REAL DUTY HAS TO BE TO LOOK ASPIRATIONALLY AT WHAT IS THE GOLD STANDARD THAT WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE OUR PROCESS BETTER THAN ANYWHERE ELSE? AND, UM, MY, MY TEAM I KNOW IS GONNA KILL ME FOR THIS, BUT I'LL EVEN COMMIT THE GED CODE TEAM TO DO SOME OF THAT RESEARCH TO LOOK AT WHAT COMMUNITIES ARE DOING IT BETTER, UM, THAN, THAN ANY OF US.
UM, AND I'LL USE THE EXAMPLE OF NASHVILLE, UM, BECAUSE I'VE SPOKEN TO A LOCAL BUSINESS OWNER WHO, UH, IS BUILDING THINGS BIGGER IN NASHVILLE THAN HERE AND, AND HIS TEAM CAN FLY INTO NASHVILLE, SUBMIT FOR A PERMIT AND FLY OUT THAT EVENING WITH A PERMIT.
UM, SO, UM, I THINK THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE ALSO NEED TO BE LOOKING AT ON A PARALLEL, UH, TRACK.
AND I'M HAPPY TO OFFER OUR, UH, OUR FIREPOWER FOR THAT.
HI, MR. CHAIRMAN RUTH LAWSON WITH THE JEFFERSON CHAMBER.
UM, ALSO AS WELL, WHAT WE'VE PROMISED TO DO, AND, AND I'VE MADE A DRAFT, IS, UM, A SURVEY TO OUR MEMBERSHIP.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT LIKE JERRY AND I AND AND OTHERS IN BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS OFTEN HEAR OUR MEMBERS KIND OF DISCUSS THE ISSUES OR THEY'LL COME AND, YOU KNOW, KIND OF HAVE LIKE A, YOU KNOW, A REALLY, UM, I'M TRYING TO THINK OF THE WORD TO USE IT, UM, VENTING SESSION TO US, YOU KNOW, JUST AT, WE'RE IN AN EVENT.
AND SO WE'RE ABLE TO KINDA CIRCLE BACK TO THOSE IDEAS.
BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO PROVIDE TO OUR MEMBERS AT LEAST AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD, WHETHER THAT BE, UM, IF THEY'RE GIVEN THEIR NAME OR ANONYMOUSLY.
UM, I KNOW WE'VE HAD SOME CONCERNS TOO FROM OUR MEMBERSHIP OF MAKING SURE THAT WHEN THEY DO VOICE THEIR CONCERNS, THAT IF THEY DO HAVE AN ONGOING PLANNING OR PERMITTING ISSUE, THAT, UM, THOSE CONCERNS DON'T HINDER THAT PROCESS.
SO, UM, I WILL BE, UM, I'VE PRETTY MUCH DRAFTED THE SURVEY.
I AM HAPPY TO, UM, PROVIDE THE LINK ONCE I SEND THAT OUT TO OUR MEMBERSHIP.
AND I WOULD LOVE FOR ALL OF YOU TO EITHER, YOU KNOW, FORWARD IT TO PARTIES THAT WOULD BE INTERESTED IN PROVIDING RESULTS OR PROVIDING FEEDBACK, AND, UM, ALSO GIVE THAT FEEDBACK ONCE WE RECEIVE IT TO THE COMMITTEE.
SIM SIM SIMILARLY TO RUTH, I, I THINK, AND, AND I'M OFFERING THIS AS SOMETHING PROBABLY MOST OF US COULD DO, UM, OUR, OUR MEMBERSHIP HAS HAD DIRECT EXPERIENCE, UM, GETTING BUILDINGS BUILT AND GETTING THINGS THROUGH THE PROCESS.
SO WE'RE GONNA, WE'LL PROBABLY USE RUTH'S, UH, FORM TOO AND PULL THEM DIRECTLY AND SAY, UM, GIVE US EXACTLY YOUR EXPERIENCE.
AND MAYBE IF WE GET 50 OF THESE THINGS AND WE ALL FIND A COMMON THREAD IN ALL, YOU KNOW, 30 OR 40 OF 'EM, THEN WE COULD SAY, OKAY, WELL OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING, THERE'S SOME FRICTION AT THIS PARTICULAR SPOT.
UM, BUT, BUT ALSO, UH, SIMILARLY TO WHAT JERRY SAID, I KNOW THERE ARE PEOPLE AT THIS TABLE AND IF, IF NOT YOU SPECIFICALLY THAN PEOPLE IN YOUR ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE DONE PROJECTS IN HOUSTON AND DALLAS AND MOBILE AND BIRMINGHAM AND ASHEVILLE.
AND I'M SURE YOU'VE SEEN HORROR STORIES THERE THAT WE DON'T WANNA BRING HERE.
UM, BUT HAVE SEEN SUCCESS STORIES THERE THAT WE WOULD CERTAINLY WANT TO BRING HERE.
SO I KNOW WE'RE STILL DEVELOPING OUR STRUCTURE IN FIGURING OUT HOW WE'RE GONNA DO THESE THINGS, AND CHARLES, I'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO, TO HELP IN ANY WAY I CAN.
UM, BUT I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THINK JUST LIKE JERRY WAS SUGGESTING, GO GO BACK TO YOUR OFFICE AND THINK, YOU KNOW, WE, WE BUILT THAT HOTEL IN, UH, I DON'T CARE, MEMPHIS, AND MAN, WE GOT THAT PERMIT IN LIKE THREE WEEKS THAT WHATEVER, THAT WHATEVER THEY DO WAS WORKING.
UM, AND JUST FOR EXAMPLE, UH, CONGRATULATIONS MR. CHAIR, UH, PETER SPAR, AI IN NEW ORLEANS.
UM, I, I KNOW IT WAS MENTIONED THAT NEXT TIME, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA REVIEW THE, MY GOVERNMENT ONLINE.
I THINK SOMETHING, AND THIS MIGHT BE PART OF IT, BUT SOMETHING MIGHT BE REALLY GREAT THAT I'D LOVE TO SEE IS KIND OF WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE ON, ON YOUR SIDE RATHER THAN JUST, UM, YOU KNOW, ON OUR SIDE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE SUBMIT THINGS, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT SEEMS LIKE IT GOES INTO A BLACK HOLE AND WE DON'T UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS.
AND, AND A LOT OF TIMES WHAT, WHAT I SEE, UM, AND, AND THIS KIND OF GOES ACROSS THE BOARD WITH JURISDICTIONS IS, UM, THE LACK OF KNOWING HOW LONG SOMETHING TAKES IS THE INITIAL FRICTION POINT WHERE OWNERS ARE, ARE ASKING US, YOU KNOW, WHEN DO I GET A PERMIT? AND WE'RE ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE PAYING US, SO WE'RE TRYING TO BE POSITIVE ABOUT IT.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE PROBABLY SHORTEN THE TIMELINE BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW THE TIMELINE.
AND I THINK THE, THE UNKNOWNS ARE WHAT ARE REALLY DETRIMENTAL TO BUSINESS.
UM, IT IT'S DETRIMENTAL TO TIMELINE.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S ONE THAT'S TOUGH.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I'VE SAT ON ON SOME OF THESE OTHER, UH, YOU KNOW, COMMITTEES AND, AND, AND THE PLAN REVIEWERS WILL HAVE, HAVE ONE POINT HAVE TOLD US, YOU KNOW, WE GET THESE THINGS AND, AND THERE'S LIKE ONE OR TWO, IF YOU COULD JUST DO THIS FOR US, IT WOULD MAKE THE PO THE REVIEW PROCESS GO TWO HOURS FASTER.
AND, AND I THINK IF WE CAN GET TO THAT WHERE OBVIOUSLY WE'RE GONNA GIVE ALL THE FEEDBACK, UM, TO YOU,
[01:05:01]
BUT WE'D ALSO LIKE GET FEEDBACK.YOU KNOW, ARE THERE THINGS THAT, THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, SINCE I'M REPRESENTING THE ARCHITECTS, SO THE THINGS THAT THE ARCHITECTS ARE DOING THAT ARE SLOWING THE PROCESS DOWN COULD BE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE 500 MEMBERS AI IN NEW ORLEANS, SO WE CAN GET THAT OUT TO EVERYONE IF THERE'S INFORMATION THAT NEEDS TO BE SHARED.
SO YEAH, LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
UH, YEAH, I, I THINK WE'RE, I THINK WE CAN GET SOMETHING DONE THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA BE POSITIVE.
I, MY BIGGEST THING, AND I'LL PROBABLY SAY IT IS TIMELINE.
IF, IF SOMEONE SAID IT TAKES SIX MONTHS TO GET A PERMIT, WHICH I HOPE IT DOESN'T AND IT HITS SIX MONTHS, THAT WOULD STILL BE BETTER THAN WHEN WE THINK IT'S A MONTH AND IT TAKES FOUR MONTHS.
LIKE, I, I'LL I'LL PROBABLY SAY AT EVERY MEETING IS, IS THE THING THAT, THAT'S CAUSES STRESS AND, AND KILLS PROJECTS.
I I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT, I THINK JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE SAYING THAT I THINK, I'VE NEVER TALKED TO OUR EMPLOYEES, BUT SOME ONE-TO-ONE CONVERSATIONS FROM THE PERSON IN HEARING SAW ON THE DEVELOPER'S FRUSTRATION.
AND LIKE YOU SAID, OUR EMPLOYEES, WHAT THEY'RE FRUSTRATED WITH, WE COULD KNOCK SOME THINGS OUT.
SO I, WE'VE NEVER TALKED ABOUT IT AS THE STAFF, BUT I THINK THAT CONVERSATIONS, THEY MIGHT HARD CONVERSATION, BUT LET'S GET THROUGH 'EM.
'CAUSE OUR EMPLOYEES WANNA BE SUCCESSFUL AND WANT A PROJECT SUCCESSFUL TOO.
AND THEY HAVE A LOT OF WEALTH OF INFORMATION THAT I THINK WE NEED TO GET DOWN TO THEIR LEVEL.
UM, BUT I'M SURE THEY WOULD LIKE TO SAY, YEAH, IF YOU GOT IT TO ME THIS WAY, I COULD DO, I COULD DO IT MUCH QUICKER.
AND I, I WILL ASK OUR DIRECTORS TO SEE WHAT STAFF MEMBERS ARE OPEN TO GIVING THOSE, YOU KNOW, THEIR COMMENTS ON THIS BECAUSE THEY HAVE A ROLE IN THIS TOO.
THEY CAN'T BE ABSENT FROM, FROM, YOU KNOW, THIS COMMITTEE.
OKAY, YEARS AGO, YEARS AGO, JEFFERSON PARISH HAD, UM, UH, A ONE STOP DEPARTMENT, UH, MR. GTI RAN THE ONE STOP DEPARTMENT.
AND IF YOU HAD A PROJECT THAT YOU WERE WAITING FOR A PERMIT ON OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, YOU COULD CALL THAT DEPARTMENT AND THAT INDIVIDUAL WOULD MAKE CONTACT WITH ALL OF THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT HEADS TO FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT THE ISSUE IS AND HOW TO ADDRESS IT AND HOW TO CORRECT IT.
UM, THE, THE SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, WHEN I LOOK AT THIS SYSTEM HERE, I MEAN, THIS IS, THIS IS CONVOLUTED.
AND, UM, I, I THINK IF WE COULD COME UP WITH A FEW EXAMPLES, AND I WANNA JUST TAKE A MINUTE TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
I HAD A MAJOR TENANT COMING INTO OUR SHOPPING CENTER LOOKING AT LEAST 50 SOMETHING THOUSAND SQUARE FEET AND TO TAKE IT OVER FROM AN EXISTING TENANT, AND ALL THEY WANTED TO DO WAS GET A BANNER COMING SOON.
THAT PROCESS TOOK THE BETTER PART OF, I THINK, THREE WEEKS TO GET A BANNER, NO CHANGE IN USE, DOING THE SAME THING.
UM, WE WERE TOLD ALL KINDS OF THINGS, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOTTA GET IMPROVED BY THIS ONE, IT'S GOTTA GET THIS CHECKED OUT, IT'S GOTTA GET THAT CHECKED OUT.
AND IT, IT ENDED UP, AND THEY WERE VERY FRUSTRATED WITH THAT.
NOW THEY'RE IN THE PERMITTING PROCESS AND, AND I, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY STAND AT THIS POINT, BUT THE POINT I'M TRYING TO MAKE IS, SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE SIMPLE AND IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THE PARISH MAKES 'EM VERY COMPLICATED.
UM, IF THERE WAS ONE PERSON OR ONE DEPARTMENT WITHIN THE PARISH THAT COULD HANDLE ISSUES AND RUN THE TRAPS FOR THE DEVELOPER OR, OR, OR, OR THE TENANT, I THINK THAT WOULD EXPEDITE THE PROCESS SIGNIFICANTLY.
UH, I THINK, UH, THE, THE, I HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH, UH, A JEFFERSON PARISH EMPLOYEE THE OTHER DAY.
IF, IF WE COULD DO AN AI, LIKE ASK GS, YOU KNOW, THING WHERE IT'S LIKE, ALRIGHT, WE'RE, WHERE HOW COMPLICATED IS YOUR PERMIT? YOU KNOW, PUT IT IN THREE BUCKETS.
AND SOME, SOMETIMES THESE THINGS DON'T HAVE TO BE AS COMPLICATED AS WHAT THEY TURN OUT TO BE A LOT OF TIMES.
UM, THAT, THAT COULD BE A POSSIBILITY, YOU KNOW? UM, AS FAR AS DISTINGUISHING, YOU KNOW, YOU GOTTA DISTINGUISH THE, THE, THE HURDLES BEFORE YOU CAN REALLY GO THROUGH THE REST OF THE PERMIT PROCESS.
AND IF YOU HAD SOMEBODY LIKE AN ASK GS AND BE LIKE, WELL DOES IS, YOU KNOW, DOES MY, MY, UH, PROPERTY, THE, YOU, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, TRIGGER CPZ, WELL, YEAH, IT DOES.
THIS IS WHAT YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH.
AND, YOU KNOW, SEEING, YOU KNOW, BEING ON THE PAB AND AND CHAIRING IT, I, I SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE COME IN AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE IRA, THE WHOLE, THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD COMES IN, YOU KNOW, WHEN I SEE 'EM.
AND IT'S LIKE, THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW THE PROCESS BEFORE
[01:10:01]
THEY GET THERE.AND A LOT, A LOT OF TIMES THAT'S, THAT'S, UM, THAT CAN BE AVOIDED BY MAYBE SOME OF THOSE BIG PROJECTS LIKE OCHSNER, LIKE THE CHILDREN'S MUSEUM.
IT COULD HAVE BEEN VETTED OUT THROUGH A NEIGHBORHOOD PARTICIPATION PROJECT.
UH, BUT I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S A, A, A, A SAMPLE OF A SMALL SAMPLE OF, OF, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT ALL ALL PROJECTS GO THROUGH THAT.
MAYBE 1% OF THE PROJECTS GO THROUGH THAT.
BUT I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, LOOKED AT A LITTLE BIT.
I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE THAT'S, THAT'S HOW I SEE IT SORTING AT THE BEGINNING.
THAT SAYS, OR IS IT A CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL? 'CAUSE YOU KNOW THAT I, IN THE SAME PLACE, I, I AGREE WITH PETER BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO, TO, TO ANSWER TO THE, TO THE BUSINESS OWNER.
AND WE'RE LIKE SAYING, OKAY, IT'S GONNA TAKE ABOUT FOUR WEEKS FOR STATE FIRE MARSHAL, IT'S GOING AND WE CAN PUT IT INTO PERMIT, UH, CONCURRENTLY.
SO WE SHOULD HAVE A PERMIT BY THE TIME, YOU KNOW, FIRE MARSHAL IS DONE, SO SAY SIX, SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS, BUT SOMETIMES IT TAKES LONGER AND IT, IT, IT, IT, IT KIND OF PUTS US IN A PICKLE A LITTLE BIT AND, YOU KNOW, SOME GUARDRAILS WOULD HELP WITH THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, SOME, SOMETHING WE CAN PROBABLY COME UP WITH.
MAYBE I GONNA ADD ONE MORE THING, UM, IF I DON NEED THAT PROBABLY, UM, THE, THE COMMON THEME HERE, AND WE ALL KNOW IT, IT'S REGULATORY BURDEN.
AND I THINK THAT AS WE MOVE INTO THIS AND WE MOVE INTO THE ZONING, UM, REQUESTS IN THE FUTURE, I THINK WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL THERE BECAUSE WE LITERALLY WILL KILL OURSELVES ON TRYING TO DEVELOP AND TRYING TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT, AND I DON'T EVEN WANT TO USE THE WORD AFFORDABILITY, BECAUSE THAT'S SO HARD TO GET TODAY, BUT THE REALITY IS WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL IN THIS COMMITTEE.
WE CAN DEFINITELY COME UP WITH SOMETHING THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE AND DOESN'T CONSTRICT OURSELVES TO THE POINT OF WHERE WE DON'T HAVE DEVELOPMENT IN THE FUTURE.
LIKE WE WANNA, THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
IF I CAN EXPAND ON THAT A LITTLE BIT, UM, FRANK, YOU KNOW, WEST, WEST JEFFERSON IS, IS WHERE THE FUTURE GROWTH OF JEFFERSON PARISH LIES.
AND THE COMPANY THAT I WORK FOR HAS THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF ACRES OF LAND, A LOT OF WHICH IS PRIME FOR DEVELOPMENT.
UM, THESE PLANNING STUDIES THAT SOMEBODY DECIDES THEY NEED TO HAVE IN, IN A LOT OF CASES WE'RE NOT PARTICIPATING IN THAT STUDY.
AND SOME OF THE CONCEPTS THAT HAVE COME OUT OF SOME OF THESE PLANNING STUDIES HAVE BEEN SO FAR FETCHED IN MY OPINION.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND, AND I THINK EVEN JCO MAY HAVE HAD SOME, SOME PLANNING STUDIES FOR DEVELOPING ALL OF THEIR PROPERTY AND WHATNOT.
UM, WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DEVELOP ANY OF THE PROPERTY AROUND THE TPC GOLF COURSE.
AS I UNDERSTAND, JCO HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DEVELOP OR SELL OFF ANY OF THE PROPERTY THAT THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THEIR DEVELOPMENT, WHETHER OR NOT THAT HAS AN IMPACT ON THE ZONING OVERLAY OR WHATEVER IT'S CALLED.
UM, YOU KNOW, I I I, EAST JEFFERSON IS DIFFERENT FROM WEST JEFFERSON.
I WATCHED EAST JEFFERSON GROW.
I LIVED THERE FOR THE LONGEST TIME.
NOW I'VE LIVED HERE ON THE WEST BANK.
AND, AND TO PUT RESTRICTIONS ON DEVELOPMENT ON WEST JEFFERSON BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT ARE PRESENT IN SOME PEOPLE'S EYES ON EAST JEFFERSON IS TROUBLING FOR ME.
EAST JEFFERSON, DESPITE ALL THE ISSUES THAT HAVE COME UP ABOUT WHERE, WHERE IT IS NOW, I MEAN, THERE WERE VERY FEW REGULATIONS AND LOOK AT HOW IT DEVELOPED.
NOW, A LOT OF THAT THOUGHT PROCESS IS BEING PUT ON WEST JEFFERSON, AND WE HAVEN'T EVEN, WE HAVEN'T EVEN TOUCHED, UM, UH, ANY SIGNIFICANT GROWTH OTHER THAN RESIDENTIAL GROWTH.
UM, SO I, I I JUST THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO SPEND A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, UH, LOOKING AT A PROJECT ON ITS OWN AS OPPOSED TO TRYING TO PREPARE IT TO ANOTHER PROJECT OR ANOTHER PART OF
MR. CHAIR, MR. CHAIR, I HAVE, I HAVE A TECHNICAL QUESTION OF THE, THE STAFF.
THIS BEING A PUBLIC MEETING, I'M NOT VOLUNTEERING FOR THIS.
ARE WE, DO, DO WE HAVE STAFF TAKING MINUTES THAT YES.
OUR OFFICE, PARISH'S OFFICE WILL BE SERVING AS SECRETARY.
WE'RE RECORDING THIS AND WE PLAN TO IT.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE, ANOTHER HOUSEKEEPING.
CAN WE GET A DISTRIBUTION LIST IN CASE ON SENT THIS, UH, FORM OUT? OR DO THEY HAVE,
[01:15:03]
DO THEY, WE HAVE THE CONTACT INFORMATION THAT WAS PROVIDED TO US BY THE RESPECTIVE, UM, ORGANIZATIONS THAT APPOINTED YOU.SO FOR SOME OF YOU, WE DO HAVE PHONE NUMBERS FOR OTHERS IF YOU, UM, WE JUST HAVE YOUR NAMES AND EMAIL ADDRESSES.
SO IF WE COULD UPDATE THE SIGN IN SHEET, WE HAD ALL OF YOU SIGN IN TODAY.
UM, THEN WE CAN BUILD OUT A MAILING LIST I GUESS THAT WE COULD PROVIDE TO THE VARIOUS BOARD MEMBERS.
WE MIGHT NEED ANOTHER PIECE OF PAPER.
OR EMAIL, PHONE NUMBER AND THURSDAY.
YOU WANNA DO THAT? WE'LL TEXT JULIE.
YES, I HAVE, UH, REPLIED TO ALL OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS CONFIRMING THEIR APPOINTMENTS.
SO THEY SHOULD ALL HAVE MY EMAIL ADDRESS.
YOU CAN ALL JUST REPLY BACK TO ME WITH WHATEVER CONTACT INFORMATION YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE SHARING WITH THE OTHER COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
I GUESS, UM, A PROCESS, IF I WERE TO SEND THIS SURVEY LINK TO THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND I RECEIVED RESPONSES BACK THAT YOU MAY BE MEMBERS OR THERE'S SIGNIFICANT, I MEAN, UM, CLIENTS OR WHATEVER, DON'T WANT TO SHARE WITH THE COMMITTEE.
IS THAT AN ISSUE LEGALLY? LIKE OPEN MEETINGS LAW? I GUESS I'M, I'M ASKING, UM, TO THE PUBLIC, PUBLIC RECORDS, LIKE AS LONG AS I DON'T SEND IT ALL TO THE COMMITTEE, WE'RE GOOD.
RIGHT? ANYTHING THAT IT WOULD BE CAPTURED IN AN EMAIL CHAIN WOULD BE SUBJECT TO PUBLIC RECORDS.
OF COURSE, IF ANYONE WAS TO REQUEST IT, WE WOULD ALWAYS BLACK OUT PEOPLE'S CELL PHONE.
UM, I UNDERSTOOD YOUR EXACT, SO IF, IF I WERE TO SEND OUT THE, THE MEMBERSHIP SURVEY AND I GET RESPONSES BACK TO, IN WHICH PEOPLE WANT TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS, BUT THEY SENT IT TO ME VIA EMAIL, I DON'T WANT TO MESS WITH THAT PERSON'S ANONYMITY BY WHAT? BEFORE YOU WOULD SEND IT TO EVERYONE ELSE, YOU WOULD BLOCK OUT.
IT WOULD OUT CORRECT, BECAUSE YOU'RE SENDING IT OUT FROM THE CHAMBER'S PERSPECTIVE RATHER THAN IT BEING THE WORK OF THIS COMMITTEE.
AND THEN YOU ARE JUST BRINGING THAT INFORMATION BACK TO THE COMMITTEE.
ONCE YOU SEND IT TO EVERYBODY ELSE, IT BECOMES A PUBLIC RIGHT.
BUT IF YOU'RE BLACK OUT, BLACKED OUT THAT PERSON, I GUESS I JUST WANT EVERYONE ON THE COMMITTEE TO BE AWARE THAT IF SOMEONE'S ASKING TO BE ANONYMOUS, TO NOT SEND IT BEFORE YOU SEND IT TO EVERYONE, DO IT ON THAT CHANCE.
MILLER, UH, I WAS JUST RECENTLY VOLUNTOLD THAT, UH, THE CENTER AND BOARD OF LOUISIANA HOUSING CORPORATION.
THAT BEING SAID, THAT PROVIDES STATEWIDE HOUSING FOR AFFORDABLE, UH, RESIDENTS IN THE STATE.
UH, THERE IS A BIG PUSH TO STREAMLINE AT THE STATE SIDE AS WELL OF DEREGULATION AS MUCH AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE.
AND THAT'S COMING FROM, YOU KNOW, UH, GOVERNORS DOING A GREAT JOB, UH, TO STREAMLINE THAT PROCESS.
AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING I CAN SHARE TO THAT NOTE ON THE STATEWIDE, I'LL BE HAPPY TO SHARE WITH THIS BOARD.
UM, JUST REAL QUICK, I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF RIGHT UP FRONT WE COULD SET EXPECTATIONS FOR THE PUBLIC WHEN THEY GO APPLY FOR A PERMIT TO MAYBE GIVE THEM A TIMEFRAME, AN EXPECTED TIMEFRAME, SO THEY KNOW NORMALLY HOW LONG THESE THINGS TAKE.
UM, ALSO MAYBE CONSIDER, I DON'T KNOW HOW DIFFICULT THIS WOULD BE, BUT MAYBE A, A PERMIT TRACKER TO WHERE WHEN THEY APPLY ONLINE, THEY CAN SEE WHERE THEIR PERMIT IS IN THE PROCESS AS IT MOVES ALONG.
AND ALSO MAYBE HAVE A BUTTON AT, IF THEY'RE AT A SPECIFIC, UM, POINT IN THE PROCESS WHERE THEY CAN CLICK AND THEY CAN SEE THE CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THE PERSON WHO'S IN CHARGE OF THAT PARTICULAR ASPECT.
UM, AND THEN THERE'S, JUST HAVE QUICK QUESTION.
SO IF, UM, UH, A MEMBER WANTS TO GET SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MEETING, WHAT WOULD BE THE PROCESS FOR THAT? YOU WOULD SEND THAT TO ME AND TO MR. REQUEST WOULD BE 24 HOURS BEFORE RIGHT? 24 HOURS.
[01:20:01]
IDEALLY AS SOON AS YOU HAVE A SPECIFIC ITEM PREPARATION, AND WE WOULD NEED IT A FEW DAYS BEFORE THAT 24 HOUR CALL.SO AS SOON AS, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
AND JULIA, WE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA POST IT ON A WEBSITE, ON OUR WEBSITE, BUT THE AGENDA HITS OR JUST SO THE AGENDA IS POSTED TO THE PARISH WEBSITE CALENDAR.
AND THEN THE AGENDA WILL ALSO BE POSTED IN THE FACILITY WHERE WE'RE REVIEW.
SO THE NEXT MEETING, WHICH IS SCHEDULED FOR JUNE, UM, BE AT EAST REGIONAL LIBRARY.
BELIEVE THAT THAT IS BE, UH, JUNE 5TH.
UM, BUT MICHELLE, FOR SIGNED FROM THE PARISH PRESIDENT'S OFFICE, WAS SENT OUT A CALENDAR INVITE SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID FOR THIS MEETING, TO ALL OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, WE WILL PLACE, UM, JUST OUT A QUESTION ON HOW WE PLAN TO DEVELOP THE NEXT AGENDA AND WHO'S ACTUALLY DEVELOPING THE AGENDA.
IS IT, YOU KNOW, MR. CHAIRMAN, IS IT YOU, IS OTHER INPUT OR INPUT FROM YOUR, YOU KNOW, FROM YOUR BODY? I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THE COMMITTEE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION RIGHT NOW.
WE, UM, AS I MENTIONED, ONE POSSIBILITY WOULD BE TO LOOK AT OUR, OUR CURRENT APPLICATION SOFTWARE, UM, FROM BOTH THE APPLICANT SIDE AND ALSO FROM JURISDICTION SIDE.
UM, I THINK THAT THAT'S POTENTIALLY A, A LONGER TERM CONVERSATION FOR THIS COMMITTEE IS TO SOFTWARE SYSTEMS THAT WE USE FOR APPLICATION, UM, INTERNALLY WE'VE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSION.
WE'VE LOOKED AT OTHER, OTHER SOFTWARE SYSTEMS. WE'VE HAD PEOPLE ASK, WHY ARE YOU USING THIS ONE? WHAT ABOUT, WHAT ABOUT, UM, SO I THINK THAT'S POTENTIALLY A CONVERSATION AT SOME POINT, BUT CHARLES PROPOSED THE AGENDA AND THEN WE CAN THINK OF A MEMBER REQUEST AN ITEM AND IT GOES ALL PRACTICE.
THAT'S HOW THE RULES WORK FOR APPROVAL GENERALLY, OR AN ITEM COULD BE DISCUSSED AT THIS MEETING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, AS WE GO ALONG AND HAVE MEETINGS, BE MORE ITEMS ON AGENDA.
BECAUSE IF THERE'S ANY PRESENTATIONS SUCH AS SOFTWARE FOR THE NEXT PAGE THAT MIGHT TAKE A WHOLE MEETING, GIVE EVERYBODY SOME TIME TO THINK ABOUT WHAT SHOULD BE, AND I'M GONNA BE THINKING ABOUT THIS AGENDA THE NEXT WEEK OR SO JUST TO LOOKING AT IT.
AND IF ANY BOARD MEMBER WOULD WANT TO HAVE MY EMAIL ADDRESS ON, UM, EMAIL ME ANY COMMENTS, EMAIL ME YOUR S ON THE AGENDA ON WHAT ITEMS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
UM, WORKING WITH BRETT, UH, WE GOING, WE AND JULIETTE, WE'LL DEVELOP A PRE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS IN ORDER TO GET TO EVERYBODY.
SO WE'LL HAVE SOME OUTLINE BULLET POINTS ON WHAT WE THINK SHOULD BE, SHOULD BE COVERED.
AND I WOULD LIKE FEEDBACK FROM EVERYBODY, UH, TO EXPAND THAT.
I THINK WITH THE, UM, MY, LIKE LOOKING AT IT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, THE MIKE, LIKE I KNOW A LOT OF YOU DEAL WITH THIS ALL THE TIME, UM, FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE, I DON'T DEAL WITH PERMITTING OR PLANNING CONSTANTLY.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW THAT MY GOVERNMENT, IF YOU ALL PLAN TO SHOW US LIKE A REAL EXAMPLE, UM, AND SOMETHING AND, AND WE DON'T WANT TO SEE SOMETHING THAT WAS YOUR FASTEST TIMELINE EVER, YOU KNOW,
BUT I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A WAY, JIM AND I ARE TALKING ABOUT, UM, YOU OUGHT TO PROVIDE US THE AVERAGE TIME IT TAKES TO, YOU KNOW, COMPUTER SYSTEM.
SO I WOULD IMAGINE EVERY PERMIT'S IN THE SAME SYSTEM.
AND SO THERE SHOULD BE A DASHBOARD THAT SAYS YOU HAVE 50 PERMITS IN THE HOUSE.
THE AVERAGE TIME FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS HAS BEEN ONE WEEK, TWO WEEKS.
BECAUSE I KNOW Y'ALL ARE VERY HESITANT TO SAY OUR PERMITS GONNA TAKE FOUR WEEKS BECAUSE SOME TAKE ONE WEEK, IT'S TAKE 10 WEEKS, JUST SHOWS GAP.
AND THEN YOU CAN TELL HIS CLIENT, WELL, YOU KNOW, SOME TAKE 10 WEEKS, SOME TAKE ONE WEEK RUN IT.
JIM, IF I MAY JUST INTERJECT SOMETHING HERE, IT, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU'RE GOING IN FOR A PERMIT, WHETHER IT'S PERMIT FOR A SIGN OR A PERMIT FOR WHATEVER, PUT BUILDING ASIDE, DOES THAT PERMIT APPLICATION GO INTO THE SAME SYSTEM SOMEPLACE? AND THEN SOMEBODY IN THEIR INFINITE WISDOM SAYS, WELL, THAT'S GOTTA GO HERE, THAT'S GOTTA GO THERE.
I I, I, YOU KNOW, AND I, I BRING THAT UP BECAUSE I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO ALL OF US TO UNDERSTAND
[01:25:01]
THE PROCESS.IN OTHER WORDS, IF SOMEBODY IS COMING IN FOR A NON BUILDING PERMIT, ASSIGNED PERMIT OR WHATEVER, I MEAN, YOU GOTTA HAVE A PERMIT FOR JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING TODAY.
BUILD A FENCE, WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, WHERE DOES THAT GO? DOES THAT, DOES THAT GO TO THE PERMITTING DEPARTMENT AND DO THEY MAKE A DECISION ON IT OR DOES IT HAVE TO GO TO PLANNING THE CIA THE END? YOU KNOW, IT, IT, I'VE GOTTEN CALLS, I HAVE TRIED TO FOLLOW SOME OF THESE THINGS AND I'VE BEEN TOLD, WELL, IT'S IN THIS DEPARTMENT.
IT'S IN THAT DEPARTMENT AND I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO KNOW WHAT THE PROCESS IS.
CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH THIS NEXT WEEK OR NEXT TIME? YES.
WELL THAT'S, SO THAT'S THE RECOMMENDATION THAT I WAS MAKING IS THAT I SHOW YOU HOW THAT WORKS IN THE SOFTWARE SYSTEM.
UM, AND TO MR. BE'S POINT, I THINK IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO LOOK AT SEVERAL DIFFERENT TYPES OF APPLICATIONS AND WE CAN SHOW YOU FROM WHERE THE APPLICANT STARTS THE PROCESS TO WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE ON THE JURISDICTION.
AND ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, YES, THERE ARE, UM, WITHOUT SPENDING TOO MUCH TIME ON IT TODAY, THERE ARE DIFFERENT SORT OF PRESET REQUIREMENTS DEPENDING UPON THE TYPE OF APPLICATION THAT IS SUBMITTED.
ONE THING, AND I'LL JUST AGAIN, NOT SPEND TOO MUCH TIME BENEFICIAL FOR OUR NEXT MEETING IS, UM, SOMETIMES THE PLAN REVIEW OR THE PERSON OR CURRENT NAVIGATOR WHO'S TAKING THAT APPLICATION HAS TO SORT OF FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON BASED ON WHAT THE PERSON HAS, HAS DESCRIBED THEIR PROJECT TO BE.
UM, AND, AND SO IS THERE A WAY BACK TO, UM, MR. SPARROW'S POINT ABOUT HOW DO WE BETTER EDUCATE PEOPLE TO START THEIR APPLICATIONS TO HELP EXPEDITE THE PROCESS? UM, SO, AND TO YOUR QUESTION OF PEOPLE TRACKING THEIR PROJECT THROUGH THE SYSTEM.
SO THAT'S WHY I DO THINK IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR THIS NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING TO BE ABOUT THE PROCESS AND, AND GIVE EVERYBODY KIND OF A FIRM HANDLE FROM THE APPLICANT SIDE, BUT ALSO FROM THE JURISDICTION SIDE OF, OF WHAT WE'RE ALL LOOKING AT ONCE WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF.
SO UNLESS THERE ARE ANY OTHER OBJECTIONS, I THINK THAT FRANKLY IS GOING TO BE A SUBSTANTIVE ENOUGH CONVERSATION TO OBSERVE GUILTY AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
UM, SO VINCE, TO, TO PROVIDE A LITTLE CONTEXT, AND JULIE CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT PART OF THE IMPETUS FOR GOING THROUGH THE MY GOVERNMENT NOW PLATFORM WAS THE LAST TIME WE VISITED THIS, THERE WAS THE REALIZATION THAT THE PERSON COMING FOR A GARAGE SALE PERMIT AND THE DUMPSTER PERMIT AND EVERYTHING ELSE, WE'RE ALL GOING INTO THE OFFICE FOR THE SAME THING, WAKING THE SAME LINE AND HAVING A LOT OF THOSE MORE STATUTORY OR EASY PERMITS MIGRATE ONLINE AND GET THAT OUT OF THE, THE SYSTEM, UH, WAS GOING TO, TO HELP.
SO I THINK THAT THAT'LL BE HELPFUL TO SEE WHERE THE PERSON GOES FOR THIS, WHERE THE PERSON GOES FOR THIS.
UM, BUT THAT WAS PART OF THE REASON FOR THE ADOPTION OF THAT PLATFORM IN THE FIRST PLACE.
AND, AND, AND GARY, THANK YOU.
I, I UNDERSTAND THAT AND IT IS MORE THE FROM THE COMMERCIAL END, YOU KNOW, UM, BUT UM, I I, I HAVE TO ASK THIS QUESTION.
UM, ARE, ARE WE ADEQUATELY STAFFED IN PERMITTING AND PLANNING? 'CAUSE I'M, I ALSO GET, YOU KNOW, OH, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH STAFF OR THIS ONE'S OUT OR FOUR PEOPLE ARE OUT.
IS THAT A PROBLEM? AND I DON'T MEAN TO PUT YOU ON SPOT, BUT THE BOSS IS SITTING RIGHT HERE BECAUSE THEY, EVERY DIRECTOR WANTS MORE MONEY.
SO IT THAT
THESE EMPLOYEES ARE ASKED TO A VERY HIGH VOLUME OF PERMITS AND APPLICATIONS AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
IN PARTICULAR, THE BUILDING PERMIT DEPARTMENT LIKE YOU AND YOUR PRIVATE INDUSTRIES, UM, IS HAVING DIFFICULTY FILLING POSITIONS.
I MEAN, MR. CHARLE, YOU'VE BEEN ON BOTH SIDES.
YOU'RE NOW IN PRIVATE PRACTICE, A THIRD PARTY INSPECTOR VERSUS COMING BACK TO WORK AS AN INSPECTOR FOR THE PARISH.
UM, SO YES, WE, WE DO HAVE SOME CHALLENGES.
UM, WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE MORE INSPECTORS, MORE PLAN REVIEWERS ON STAFF.
I KNOW MS. MARTIN WOULD LOVE TO HAVE MORE PLANNERS PROCESSING APPLICATIONS.
WELL, AND I APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE YOU LETTING US KNOW, BUT, BUT IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A
[01:30:01]
FACTOR IN OUR PROCESSING TIMES.I'LL, I'LL ADMIT THAT WE COULD, WE COULD SIT HERE FOR MONTHS AND COME UP WITH, YOU KNOW, NEW SYSTEMS, BUT IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE IT, THAT'S A PROBLEM.
THE OTHER THING I HAVE TO ASK IS, YEARS AGO YOU USED TO BE ABLE TO COME INTO THE PERMITTING DEPARTMENT, SIT DOWN WITH ONE OF THE PERMITTING PEOPLE TO TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.
IS THAT PROCESS STILL AVAILABLE? YES.
I'M BEING TOLD EVERYTHING NOW HAS TO BE SUBMITTED VIA EMAIL.
AND I ALSO FIND OUT THAT IN SOME CASES THAT EMAIL WAS SENT TWO OR THREE DAYS AGO AND THE PLANNER OR THE PERMITTING PERSON DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO LOOK AT IT.
SO APPLICATIONS ARE ALL RECEIVED ONLINE, CORRECT? UH, WE DO HAVE, THE PERMIT NAVIGATORS, I BELIEVE ARE STILL TAKING WALK-IN CUSTOMERS OF THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT TAKES WALK-IN APPLICATIONS IN ADDITION TO REGULARLY BUILDING WHAT WE CALL PRE-APPLICATION MEETINGS, WHICH IS WHERE THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT BRINGS IN DEPARTMENT THAT WILL BE INVOLVED IN THE PLAN REVIEW AND WILL MEET WITH THE OWNER, THE DESIGN PROFESSIONAL, AND GO THROUGH WHAT THE PROCESS WILL BE, TELLS THEM WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS OF TIMELINE, PARTICULARLY FOR CASES THAT GO THROUGH WHAT WE CALL THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS MEETING, HAS TO GO BEFORE THE PLANNING ADVISORY BOARD OF THE PARISH COUNCIL.
UM, JUST BY VIRTUE OF THOSE TWO STEPS, YOU'RE ADDING FOUR MONTHS TO THE PROCESS SIMPLY BECAUSE OF PUBLIC ADVERTISEMENTS AND SET MEETING SCHEDULES.
UM, SO WE DO TRY TO BE HONEST WHEN WE HAVE THOSE INTERACTIONS WITH CUSTOMERS TO SAY, THIS IS OUR EXPECTATION OF HOW LONG YOUR PROCESS IS GONNA TAKE.
I WILL BE VERY HONEST BECAUSE I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF THIS CONVERSATION, PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE ON THE DESIGN PROFESSIONAL SIDE OF THIS EQUATION.
PART OF THE YELLOW LINE THAT WE DON'T CONTROL IS HOW LONG IT TAKES THE APPLICANT TO GET A REVISION BACK TO THE DEPARTMENT, HOW LONG IT TAKES YOU TO SUBMIT A SET OF PLANS OR TO PROVIDE THE INFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN ASKED IN ORDER FOR THE APPROPRIATE REVIEWING DEPARTMENT OR PARTICIPANT TO SAY GO NO, GO AND MOVE YOU ON TO THE NEXT STEP.
SO ALL OF THAT, AGAIN, YOU CAN GET INTO AS WE TALKED THROUGH THE PERMIT PROCESS IN NEXT MEETING.
SO TO, TO, I WANNA MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THE, THE WALK-IN IS STILL AVAILABLE, IT'S STILL AVAILABLE ON APPOINTMENT BASIS, BUT THE APPLICATIONS DO NEED, NEED BE SUBMITTED ONLINE.
YEAH, I'LL SAY I'LL SECOND THAT BECAUSE I, WHAT SHE'S SAYING, I, IN MY EXPERIENCE JUST DEALING WITH PERMITS, I'VE ALWAYS SET UP A FREE APP MEETING AND THAT IS JUST, IT'S BEEN SO BENEFICIAL FOR US.
THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN AVAILABLE TO THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, BUILDING DEPARTMENT, AND IF YOU SET UP THAT PRE-OP MEETING, YOU HAVE THAT INTERACTION AND A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT YOU COME UP AGAINST OR THE BOSS THAT YOU HAVE TO FACE OR OBSTACLE YOU HAVE TO OVERCOME, YOU'RE GOING HAND IN HAND WITH THE PLAN REVIEWERS AND THE, YOU KNOW, THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT.
YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU BEFORE YOU DO IT.
SO TO ME, THAT'S A BIG KEY IN CUTTING OUT SOME OF THE RED TAPE AND HAVING EFFICIENCY THROUGH THE PROCESS, EVEN THOUGH THE PROCESS IS CONVOLUTED.
YOU ELABORATE ON THAT? I AGREE WITH THAT BECAUSE THAT SET UP PRE DESIGN MEETINGS WITH, WITH THE PARISH AND EVERY ONE OF THE DEPARTMENTS ARE WILLING TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU AND TALK TO YOU WITH THAT PREDEVELOPED DEVELOPMENT MEETING.
AND I THINK IT, IT IS AN EDUCATION PROCESS ON WHAT THE DESIGN PROFESSORS NEED TO BE SUBMITTING TO THE PARISH.
'CAUSE IN, IN MY EXPERIENCE WHEN WE'RE SUBMITTING DOCUMENTS IS THAT IF I, WHEN I SUBMIT MY DOCUMENTS, AND AGAIN, I'M CALLING THIS PLAN REVIEW AND THE NEXT DAY TO FIND OUT WHERE I'M AT IN LINE THAT THEY GOT MY QUEUE, AM I ACCEPTED? BUT HE MAY BE WORKING ON SOMEBODY ELSE'S PROJECT THAT, THAT DIDN'T SUBMIT ALL THE CORRECT DOCUMENTS.
SO NOW YOU GOT THESE HOMEOWNERS AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO A DESIGN PROFESSIONAL.
THEY GO TO SOMEBODY ELSE AND THEY SUBMIT THE DOCUMENT AND NOW THIS REVIEW IS SITTING DOWN THERE ON THIS STAFF, WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE REVIEWING AND HE'S GOING THROUGH AND SORT NOW THE, AND AND HELPING THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS PERSON GET THROUGH THE PERMITTING PROCESS.
SO THERE HAVE BEEN SITUATIONS THAT WE SUBMITTED PROJECTS AND WE SIT DOWN AND YOU GO, OH, YOU THIRD IN THE QUEUE TO BE REVIEWED.
BUT I GOT THE, THESE PLANS AND IT'S TAKING DAYS AND DAYS TO REVIEW WHEN THEY GET TO OUR PROJECT AND EVERYTHING WAS SUBMITTED CORRECTLY.
IT IS AT THE END OF THE DAY, I'M GETTING PERMIT.
IF WE CAN PROVIDE THE PARISH WITH ALL THE CORRECT DOC, WITH ALL THE CORRECT INFORMATION, EASY TO READ, WHERE THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO LOOK FOR IT, OKAY, THIS IS THE ZONE, THIS IS OUR, UM, OUP, EVERYTHING'S IN A, IN A CORRECT FORMAT.
AND I DON'T KNOW, HOW DO YOU, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU TRANSLATE
[01:35:01]
THAT TO, TO THE, TO THE DESIGN PROFESSIONAL STAFF THAT THIS IS THE FORMAT THAT, THAT YOU SUBMIT.'CAUSE ALL OF US GOT OUR OWN IDEAS OF HOW WE PUT OUR DOCUMENTS TOGETHER.
AND, AND THAT WOULD MAKE IT VERY EASY FOR THE, YOU KNOW, THE REVIEWER, IF YOU LOOK AT A SET OF MY DOCUMENTS, MY SQUARE FOOTAGE IS ON THE SAME SPOT ON EVERY SET OF DOCUMENTS.
THESE GUYS KNOW THAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR 40.
THEY KNOW WHERE TO GO LOOK ON MY DRAWINGS TO TELL YOU WHERE TO FIND INFORMATION.
SO WHEN YOU SUBMIT THAT, IT MAKES IT AN EASY PROCESS FROM START TO FINISH.
AND I THINK NEW CONSTRUCTION IS, IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN A REMODEL OR, OR, OR REPURPOSE OF A PROPERTY.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE, I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE GOTTEN, UM, BOGGED DOWN.
UM, BECAUSE IN A LOT OF CASES WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PARISH WANTS, WHAT THE PLANNER WANTS.
SO WE'LL SUBMIT A BASIC PLAN AS TO HOW WE'RE GONNA REPURPOSE THE, THE, THE PROPERTY OR REPURPOSE IT FOR THE NEW TENANT COMING IN.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, YOU GET HIT WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF MYRIAD OF THINGS.
HAD YOU KNOWN IT UP FRONT, IT WOULD'VE BEEN A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT STORY.
WHAT IS, THERE'S ALSO A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT, I MEAN YOU ALSO HAVE THE NON OVERLAY DISTRICTS THAT, THAT, THAT ARE EASY TO UNDERSTAND.
IT IS ONE SET OF YOU GO LOOK IN A BOOK IN ONE SECTION AND YOU UNDERSTAND HOW YOU GET FROM FROM A TO B.
IT IS WHEN YOU GET INTO TAX CITY
NOW YOU'RE NOT ONLY ON THE FIRST FLOOR, BUT YOU'RE ON ONE SIX, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE ON EIGHT, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE ON DIFFERENT FLOORS NOW TRYING TO, TO NAVIGATE THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
AND THAT'S WHERE THOSE PRE DESIGN MEETINGS BECOME VERY IMPORTANT TO FIGURE OUT HOW YOU WANT TO GET THERE.
BECAUSE NONE OF US WANT TO DRAW 90% OF DOCUMENTS AND BE IN FRONT OF THESE REVIEWERS AND FIND OUT WE GOT ALL THESE CHANGES THAT WE GOTTA MAKE OR SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T COME UP.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE PROBABLY NEED TO, TO BE LOOKING AT IS WHAT DEPARTMENT HAS THE BIGGEST IMPACT OF ON OUR, ON OUR DOCUMENT PROCESS.
BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONE YOU WANT TO GET IN, IN FRONT OF BUR, OKAY? BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO DEVELOP THIS WHOLE THING.
YOUR CLIENT IS EXTREMELY HAPPY ABOUT THE PLAN AND YOU COME AND SAY, WHOOPS, WE GOTTA CUT, YOU KNOW, 15 FEET OFF THE BACK BECAUSE WE GOT THIS KIND OF OVERLAY THAT WE GOTTA DEAL WITH.
SO THAT'S THE PROCESS I THINK WE NEED TO BE TALKING ABOUT AND HOW TO NAVIGATE.
BUT I THINK YOUR, YOUR POINT ABOUT YOUR PLAN, I THINK WE GOT A PLAN INTAKE, ISN'T IT RICKY HOLIDAY DON'T ONLY LOOK AT THE, THE, THE PERMITS THAT COME IN AND ASSIGN 'EM TO THE DIFFERENT STUFF.
SO WE HAVE SOMEWHAT OF A PERMIT INTAKE PERSON, LIKE IN, IN, IN NEW ORLEANS, THEY GOT A PERMIT INTAKE.
YOU GET ASSIGNED, UH, SOMEBODY THAT LOOKS AT THE PERMIT, OH, YOU GOT A SURVEY, YOU GOT THIS, YOU GOT THAT, AND THEN THEY PASS IT ON AND THEY, AND THEY PUT IT IN Q UH, PLANNING MECHANICAL AND THE REST OF IT.
YEAH, THE FIRST C CHECK CHECKLIST.
AND I THINK THAT'S KIND OF RICKY'S POSITION WITH THE PARISH TO KIND OF LOOK AT IT AND, AND ASSIGN IT OUT, UH, TO THE DIFFERENT, AND THEY DO A GOOD JOB.
IF WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE THOUGH, THAT'S THE, THAT'S, THAT'S SAYING THAT'S, THAT'S A, THAT'S, THAT'S A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM.
EVERYTHING ELSE LIKE FRONT, I MEAN, HOW DO YOU, UH, YOU MAY HAVE A LOT OF PROJECTS THIS MONTH AND ONE PROJECT NEXT MONTH.
SO IT'S THE SAME THING WITH THE PERMIT WITH I THINK THE PARISH.
I MEAN, HOW DO YOU, WHAT IS THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF PERMITS WE GET IN A MONTH? WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU.
BUT I THINK WE LOOKED AT IT AND WE LOOKED AT A MONTH AGO, THE INDIVIDUAL PLAYER, YOU THE BUILDING PERMIT DEPARTMENT WERE CARRYING A CASELOAD OF 70 SOMETHING PERMITS EACH THAT THEY WERE MANAGING IN VARIOUS STAGES.
I, I WOULD JUST SAY I, I THINK ONE OF THE MAIN GOALS HERE IS TO, EVERY DESIGN PROFESSIONAL SHOULD BE ABLE TO PUT ENOUGH ON THEIR PLAN TO GET A BUILDING PERMIT.
I THINK A LOT OF THE HEARTACHE AND TIME CONSUMING COMES IN THAT PLANNING AND WHAT IS REQUIRED FOR VARIANCE IS, OR PLANNING ADVISORY BOARDS, ALL THAT.
WHEN YOU GO THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS, GET TO CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS, SUBMIT, AND THEN YOU FIND OUT THAT YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH THE PLAN, YOU KNOW, GO, GO THROUGH ALL THESE APPEALS OR, OR VARIANCE PROCESSES, THAT'S WHEN IT'S EVEN HARDER TO GO BACK TO AN OWNER AND SAY, HEY, I JUST GAVE YOU A HUNDRED PERCENT YOU CAN BILL, BUT NOW IT'S GOING TO BE FOUR MONTHS TO GET THERE.
SO EVEN IF WE CAN GET IT TO A POINT WHERE THAT PLANNING PROCESS, YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T NEED A HUNDRED PERCENT DRAWINGS TO, TO START THE VARIANCE PROCESS.
THAT WAY AS WE'RE PROGRESSING AS DESIGN PROFESSIONALS WITH OUR, WITH OUR DRAWINGS, YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THAT.
YOU KNOW, IF WE, IF WE CAN'T SHRINK THAT PROCESS GOING THROUGH THAT, THOSE, THE MEETING, I THINK THAT THAT'S THE BIGGEST COMPLAINT WE GET TO IS THAT LOOKS LIKE SHE WAS SAYING YOU CAN'T CONTROL HOW FAST IT TAKES TO GET THE PLANS BACK.
BUT WHAT YOU CAN CONTROL IS THAT IF YOU SEND ME THE COMMENTS AND THEY GET ADDRESSED, THEN IT'S PROOF.
BUT WHAT ABOUT YOU SEND, SEND THE COMMENTS, THEY GET ADDRESSED AND THEN YOU SUBMIT 'EM BACK AND THEN THE
[01:40:01]
NEW COMMENTS COME FROM STUFF THAT WAS ON THE DRAWINGS FOR THE FIRST TIME.YOU SAY, ALRIGHT, WE'LL ADDRESS THAT STUFF.
YOU RESUBMIT THEM AND THEN THEY COME BACK TO THE END, YOU SAY, YES.
YEAH, YEAH, BUT I JUST HAD THAT, I JUST HAD THAT EXPERIENCE.
AND I DON'T MIND, YOU KNOW, YOU SUBMIT YOUR DOCUMENTS, THE REVIEWER LOOKS AT IT ONE TIME AND YOU GET YOUR COMMENTS BACK AND YOU MAKE YOUR REVISIONS AND YOU SEND IT IN AND THEY CATCH SOMETHING AND THEY SAY, OH, I FORGOT THIS ON THAT FIRST REVIEW.
I DON'T MIND THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT SECOND REVIEW AND YOU GET SOME MORE COMMENTS AND YOU'RE SUBMITTING THIS.
THE THIRD COMMENT, SOMETIMES WHEN YOU GET THE COMMENT NUMBER SIX, OKAY, YOU ARE LIKE, WAIT, THIS IS LIKE A SIMPLE LITTLE, THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN LIKE THE FIRST ROW OF COMMENTS COME BACK TO ME AND NOW WE ON IT, YOU'RE HOLDING ME UP AND THEN, AND THEN WE GOTTA THROW IT BACK IN
I SAID, WHY DOES THE ATTORNEY NEED TO SEE IT AGAIN? WHY DOES IT ENVIRONMENTAL NEED TO SEE IT? YOU KNOW? I MEAN, LET, IT IS ONLY EFFECTIVE ONE GUY.
IT COULD GO TO HIS EMAIL ADDRESS AND THOSE THINGS KIND OF HAPPEN AND, AND THOSE ARE THE, THAT'S THE PROCESS THAT GETS A LITTLE FRUSTRATING ON MY END AS A DESIGN PROFESSIONAL.
IS THAT OKAY, LET'S CATCH IT IN THE FIRST SECOND.
YOU KNOW, I'LL GIVE YOU CORRECT TWO STRIKES.
BUT WHEN YOU GET INTO THAT SIX YEAH, TWO STRIKES AND YOU GET INTO A SITUATION WHERE AN EMPLOYEE CHANGES HANDS.
I DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC SITUATION HERE, BUT I'M SURE HAPPENED WHERE, UH, SOMEBODY LEAVES THE JOB AND SOMEBODY ELSE CAN ON THE JOB AND THEY MAKE A COMMENT AND SOMETHING FIT THE FIRST TIME THEY SAY, WE WANT LIKE THIS BECAUSE THE FIRST GUY TOLD TO CHANGE THE OTHER WAY.
RIGHT? THAT'S EXACTLY THE ISSUE.
HOW MANY BITES OF THE APPLE DOES JEFFERSON PARISH GET IN GIVING ONE SET OF COMMENTS.
THE SECOND SET OF COMMENTS, THE THIRD SET OF COMMENTS, THE FOURTH SET OF COMMENTS, AND COME TO FIND OUT MOST OF THESE COMMENTS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE IN THE FIRST REQUEST, BUT NOW IT CHANGES DOWN THE ROAD.
AND WE ALL KNOW WE ALL VOLUNTEERING TO BE IN THIS BOARD AND OUR TIME IS MONEY, MONEY TO JEFFERSON PARISH ON NEW CONSTRUCTION.
THAT'S MY, THAT'S MY BACKGROUND.
THE QUICKER I CAN BUILD THE HOUSE, THE QUICKER JEFFERSON PARISH MAKES TAX MONEY.
UH, SO THAT BEING SAID, EVERY DELAY COSTS EVERYONE.
MONEY COSTS MY CLIENT'S MONEY COST EVERYONE MONEY.
SO IT, HOW MANY BYS ARE THE APPLE WE GET ON THE PLAN REVIEWING SIDE AND DANNY, YOU DO A GREAT JOB.
UH, BUT I, IT IT IS HARD FOR THE PLAN REVIEWERS.
HAVE YOU SEEN THE INTERNATIONAL BUILDING CODE PLAN REVIEWERS HAVE TO, DANNY CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, PASS THE RESIDENTIAL CODE, COMMERCIAL CODE AND HOW MUCH DO THEY GET PAID? I DON'T KNOW.
AND Y'ALL ALMOST IN A UNWINABLE SPOT PER SE, ON A PLAN REVIEWER SIDE BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, DETAILS IN THAT.
IS THERE A LIABILITY IF THEY MAKE A MISTAKE OR IS THE MISTAKE ALL THE DIE TO SEE THE DRONE? I WOULD THINK IT ULTIMATELY, IT'S A RHETORICAL, IT'S A RHETORICAL QUESTION.
SO OKAY, IT TOOK AN EXTRA THREE WEEKS TO, TO MAKE THE TYPO CHANGE.
BUT IN AND, AND IN MY GOAL HERE IS TO STREAMLINE FOR ALL OF OUR RESIDENTS.
BUT IS THERE, AND THIS IS RHETORICAL, IS THERE A PRIORITY LIST FOR BUILDERS THAT BUILD WITH CHARLES TO GO AT THIS STACK BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN DOING SO LONG? I DON'T KNOW IT'S A PRIORITY TO COME IN PLAY ON THAT.
UH, I'M TRYING TO SUBMIT A NEW BUILDING CONSTRUCTION AND THEY GOT THREE REQUESTS ON HOW TO BUILD STAIRS.
I'M GOING, OKAY, I CAN'T GET MY PERMIT OUT BEFORE I GIVE YOU WHAT NOW ON THE STAIRS DETAILS THAT FORM THING.
BUT WHEN AN INSPECTOR COMES OUT, THE STAIRS IS BUILT WRONG.
I COULD BE ALREADY STARTING CONSTRUCTION AND THEN IF I GOTTA RIP THE STAIRS OUT, I EAT IT.
LET'S GO, LET ME GET A PERMIT.
LET ME START THE WHOLE PROCESS.
BUT IT JUST GETS STRANGLEHOLD THERE.
JEFF CHARLA I LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING MY EXPERIENCE WITH THE COMMITTEE.
UM, BUT I HEAR A LOT OF CONCEPTS THAT WE LOOKED AT YEARS AGO.
I WAS PLANNING WITH NEW SUPERVISOR FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND I THINK THIS IN VALUE IN LOOKING AT NEW CONSTRUCTION VERSUS RENOVATION.
BECAUSE WITH THE NEW CONSTRUCTION, YOU'RE GOING TO GET OTHER DEPARTMENTS INVOLVED, ENGINEERING, PLANNING, WHATEVER, ON RENOVATION.
UM, I LOOK AT JOBS NOW THAT ARE IN EXISTING OFFICE BUILDINGS.
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NO CHANGE IN USE.THERE'S NO OFFICE, THERE'S NO PARKING CHANGES, THERE'S NO DRAINAGE DRAIN.
AND YET THAT SIMPLE, I'LL CALL IT SIMPLE PROJECT, IS GONNA GO THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS AS A BRAND NEW CONSTRUCTION.
IT'S GONNA BE REVIEWED BY OTHER DEPARTMENTS I THINK WITHOUT NECESSITY.
UH, IN FACT THERE'S A LOT OF TIMES WHEN THOSE SAME ELEMENTS INVOLVED.
NO, THERE'S ZONING MANY ISSUES.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF TIMES WHEN THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL ISN'T EVEN REQUIRED YET.
THEY'RE ALL SENT TO THE STATE FIRE MARSHAL FOR WHATEVER REASON.
BUT THE FIRE MARSHAL ONLY GETS INVOLVED THAT THERE'S A CHANGE IN THE EXIT.
THE CHANGE IN THE OCCUPANCY CHANGE IN THE STRUCTURE, RIGHT? A LOT OF THESE OFFICE PROJECTS, I SEE THAT, UH, THEY'RE STILL TAKING A PRETTY LONG PERIOD OF TIME TO GET PERMITTED.
AND I, I THINK WITHOUT NECESSITY, UH, BUT I THINK THERE IS A DIFFERENCE, NEW CONSTRUCTION RENOVATION.
UM, ALSO IT WAS ALWAYS A STRUGGLE TO SAY, DO I TAKE THIS APPLICATION IN MADAM PRESIDENT, JUST SAY, HEY, IF I COME TO YOURS AND YOU DON'T HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION, I KICK IT TO THE BACK OF THE LINE.
WELL, THERE WAS A PERIOD OF TIME THEN WHEN WE LOOKED AND SAID, LOOK, I'M GONNA HAVE SOMEBODY UP IN FRONT WHERE TO COME BRING THE DOCUMENTS TO 'EM AND SHOW IT TO 'EM.
AND WE DON'T TAKE THE APPLICATION IF YOU DON'T HAVE ALL THE THINGS.
IT'S LIKE, I'M GONNA TAKE THE APPLICATION OUT, SUBMIT YOU A SURVEY LATER, I'LL GET TO YOU LATER.
ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU'RE NO LINE AND YOU DON'T BELONG IN THAT LINE YET.
RIGHT? SO I THINK, I THINK THAT, UM, SHOULD GIVE A LOT OF LOOK AT A TRAFFIC COP OR A SAW OR WHATEVER, PERMIT THE ITEMS, WHATEVER.
BUT FOR SOME PRELIMINARY LOOK UP IN FRONT, DO WE HAVE WRITTEN WITHIN SO WE CAN PUT THEM ON? AND THEN AS FAR AS SOME OF THESE OTHER THINGS WITH THE, I I HEAR YOU'VE TAKING CARE OF THAT, BUT YOU KNOW, A TEMPORARY BANNER FOR A NEW BUSINESS OPENING SHOULDN'T, IN MY OPINION, WOULDN'T EVEN REQUIRE AT ANY RATE.
YEAH, BUT I MEAN, I THINK BUT JEFF, I REMEMBER THE DAYS OF ONE SOUTH.
I MEAN I REMEMBER THAT DEPARTMENT AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS ACTUALLY A, A GOOD DEPARTMENT FOR, BUT NOT, YOU KNOW, FOR THE DESIGN PROFESSION.
WE UNDERSTOOD THAT, THAT PROCESS AND UNDERSTOOD.
BUT YOU GET THAT HOMEOWNER OR YOU GET SOMEBODY ELSE TRYING TO DO THEIR OWN DOCUMENTS AND THEY'RE GOING IN, THAT WAS A GOOD DEPARTMENT FOR THEM TO GO SIT THROUGH.
SO THEY'RE NOT GETTING IN THAT LINE WITH, WITH EVERYBODY ELSE.
SO NOW THEY GO SIT WITH SOMEBODY AND THEY GO, OH, YOU CAN'T, THIS AIN'T ENOUGH.
YOU NEED THIS, YOU NEED THAT, YOU NEED THAT.
AND THEY EITHER GOING TO TAKE THAT PERSON AND SAY, OKAY, NOW YOU'RE GONNA GO FIND A DESIGN PROFESSIONAL TO DO IT, OR YOU GONNA HAVE TO STRUGGLE THROUGH AND, AND, AND GET IT DONE YOURSELF.
BUT YOU'RE NOT, YOU'RE NOT IN LINE WITH A PLAN REVIEW AT THAT TIME.
OR YOU'RE NOT WASTING EVERYBODY'S TIME.
AND, AND AND IN REGARD TO THE, UH, SEVERAL BITES AT THE APPLE, I USED TO ALWAYS TELL MY PLANNER REVIEWS, YOU GET ONE BITE OF THE APPLE.
NOW THERE ARE, THERE ARE OCCASIONS WHEN, UH, HEY, I NEED THIS INFORMATION AND THIS MIGHT CHANGE SOMETHING.
BUT MORE THAN TWO BITES OF THE APPLE IS TOO MUCH.
IT MEANS SOMEBODY'S NOT PAYING ATTENTION.
AND, AND I MEAN THAT'S, THAT'S, IT IS JUST A A JUST A MATTER OF FACT.
AND, AND, UH, BECAUSE I, I CAN NEVER TAKE IT WHERE SOMEBODY IS REVIEWING A PLAN, THEY HIT SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T COMPLY AND THAT'S OKAY, DOESN'T COMPLY.
I'M GONNA TELL THIS GUY THAT AND I'M WAIT FOR 'EM TO REPLY.
THEY DON'T LOOK AT THE REST OF THE PROJECT.
IT'S, THAT'S, BUT I, I DEFINITELY THINK YOU SHOULD BE LOOKING AT SEPARATING NEW CONSTRUCTION FROM RENOVATIONS AND SUCH BECAUSE, UH, YOU'VE GOT BIG IMPORTANT PROJECTS TO POWER SITTING IN LINE BEHIND ALL PROJECTS ARE FOUR, BUT, BUT WITHOUT NECESSITY WAITING LINE BEHIND SOME SIMPLE THINGS.
SO I, I THINK YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT, UH, AN ORDER COMMON TYPE OF PERMIT.
AND WE GETTING CLOSE TO TOM RIGHT NOW.
UH, SORRY, THIS IS BACK TO YOU JULIET.
UM, YOU MENTIONED THAT PLAN REVIEWERS ARE ESSENTIALLY, UH, JUST IN THEIR CAPACITY, LOOKING AT 75, MANAGING 75 PERMITS A MONTH.
DO YOU HAVE A BASELINE OF BEST PRACTICES ON HOW MANY THEY SHOULD BE DOING? I GUESS THAT I DON'T.
UM, AND IS THERE ANY INFORMATION OUT THERE THAT, THAT WELL, AND I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING, UM,
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WE HAD ACTUALLY TALKED ABOUT FOR JERRY THAT SUGGESTED IT.UM, ONE IDEA THAT WE HAD FOR THIS COMMITTEE WAS MOVING TO REACH BACK OUT TO THE, WE SPOKE TO FRANKLIN, TENNESSEE AND SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT WE SPOKE TO ON AUSTIN.
AND SO BE, AND I ACTUALLY DID FOLLOWING THE AUSTIN CHAMBER TRIP, REACH OUT TO THE, UM, ROLLING ROCK, IS THAT RIGHT? COMMUNITY ONE OF, ONE OF THE SUBURBS OF AUSTIN.
WE ACTUALLY HAD A FOLLOW UP CONVERSATION, UM, WITH ESSENTIALLY MY EQUIVALENT, THEIR COMMUNITY, UM, AND THEIR PLANNING DIRECTOR AND VERY MUCH SMALLER COMMUNITY.
US AND THEIR STAFF WAS PROBABLY THREE TIMES ARMS. UM, YES, THEY GET A PERMIT ISSUED IN 10 DAYS, BUT THAT'S BECAUSE SOMEBODY HAS SPENT SIX MONTHS IN THE PLANNING PROCESS BEFORE THEY APPLY FOR THE ACTUAL BUILDING PERMIT.
SO I DO THINK TALKING TO AND GETTING SOME INFORMATION ABOUT HOW SOME OF WHAT WE MAYBE WANNA CALL ASPIRATIONAL COMMUNITIES ARE TRUCTURE AND OPERATE, I THINK WOULD BE A GOOD CONVERSATION FOR THIS.
ARE OUR DEPARTMENT STRUCTURED IN THE BEST WAY TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE THINGS YOU'RE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? UM, ARE THERE REALIGNMENT? I THINK THOSE BEEN FROM ALL THIS COMMITTEE, AND I DO THINK TO JERRY'S POINT OR PARTIES SIMILARLY THINKING THAT HEARING FROM OTHER COMMITTEES IN OTHER JURISDICTION ABOUT HOW THEY DO THIS WORK WOULD BE BENEFICIAL NOT JUST FOR US, BUT FOR YOU ALL.
UM, SO THAT IT, IT'S TRANSPARENT.
YOU ALL ARE WEIGHING AND WE LIKE THIS FEATURE, OR WAIT, THAT ACTUALLY DOESN'T WORK FOR US TO BE REASONS WHETHER IT DIFFERENT STATE REGULATORY ENVIRONMENTS, LOCAL JURISDICTION THAT HELP OR HURT THEIR PROCESSES VERSUS WHAT CHANGES WE CAN MAKE TO OUR PROCESS.
UM, I DO BELIEVE CHARLES, THAT STACY HAD ONE, ONE FINAL QUESTION, MR. CHAIRMAN.
UM, ALL THE, THE ISSUES I'M HEARING HERE TODAY, I FEEL LIKE WE CAN DEFINITELY ADDRESS THOSE AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO SOLVE ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS. I REALLY DO.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, REQUEST THAT MAYBE FROM, FOR THE MEETINGS GOING FORWARD, I THINK IT IS CRUCIAL THAT WE UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS, THIS WHOLE PERMITTING THING, ALL OF THIS.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO, TO TO ASK THAT IF WE COULD MAYBE AGREE ON, UM, A PROCESS MOVING FORWARD.
BECAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF TIMES I'M SIT ON OTHER COMMITTEES AND BOARDS, WE CAN GET INTO THE WEEDS BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE SO MUCH TO SAY.
AND I WAS WONDERING IF MAYBE WE WOULD CONSIDER, UM, FOR THE NEXT MEETING WE'D HAVE TO DECIDE, DO WE JUST WANT A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF THE WHOLE PROCESS PRESENTED TO US WITHOUT US ASKING QUESTIONS OR MAKING COMMENTS? UM, MAYBE JUST HAVE THAT DONE AND THEN AFTER THAT WE GO THROUGH THIS STEP BY STEP AND WE, WE HAVE TO DECIDE, DO WE WANNA ASK QUESTIONS AND MAKE COMMENTS EVERY STEP OF THE WAY AND JUST GO THROUGH IT METHODICALLY? OR HOW ARE WE GONNA MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS? BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT JUST BECAUSE OF MY EXPERIENCE WITH OTHER GROUPS.
SOMETIMES WE GET LOST AND WE DON'T ACCOMPLISH WHAT WE WANNA ACCOMPLISH BECAUSE WE'RE KIND OF GOING IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
SO MAYBE WE COULD LAY SOME GROUND RULES LIKE, YOU KNOW, THAT WE ALL AGREE ON.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL.
I AGREE A HUNDRED PERCENT ABOUT, I MEAN, I'VE BEEN ON COMMITTEES WHERE WE GET LOST AND IT'S JUST A CONVERSATION THAT WE'VE HAD.
SO I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT, THAT WE DEVELOP THAT PROCESS AND IT'S A BIG GROUP EFFORT IN ORDER OF US TO GET POWER VOTING.
SO ON THAT TOPIC WITH THE AGENDA, I WOULD ADVISE, AND I'M NOT VOTING MEMBERS, SO WHATEVER THE BOARD, HAVING ONE MORE MEETING FOR THE PRESENTATION IS THE MAIN TOPIC AND SET UP A PROCESS WHERE WE CAN GET ITEMS ON THE AGENDA, UM, REGARDING THAT EMAIL FORMAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.
UM, IF IT'S OKAY TO DISTRIBUTE MATERIALS OR SURVEYS TO THE ENTIRE BOARD FOR THE RECORD, BUT THIS NOT DISCUSSED, UH, BY THE EMAIL CHAIN BECAUSE WE HAVE TO KEEP EVERYTHING AS, AS ANOTHER MEETING, UM, THOSE NO DELIBERATIONS VIA EMAILS INFORMATION ONLY OR YOU BE IN VIOLATION OF THE FORUM AND, AND EVERYONE REQUESTING REPLY ALL AND GIVING THEIR OPINION.
AND THEN WE GET INTO VIOLATIONS OF OPEN MEETINGS LAW FOR I GUESS ON THAT THERE ITEMS FOR THE AGENDA.
YOU COULD EMAIL JUST JULIA AND MYSELF OR THE CHAIRMAN AND WE COULD, UM, THIS FIRST MEETING AND MOVE FORWARD PROCESS OF WHAT NEEDS TO.