[00:00:13]
GOOD AFTERNOON AND WELCOME TO THE 2025 STATE OF JEFFERSON LUNCHEON.
I AM RUTH LAWSON, PRESIDENT OF THE JEFFERSON CHAMBER, AND I WILL BE YOUR MODERATOR FOR TODAY'S EVENT.
WE ARE EXCITED TO BE HERE FOR WHAT WILL BE A GREAT DISCUSSION ABOUT JEFFERSON PARISH.
FIRST, PLEASE STAND WHILE WE SAY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
AND THANK YOU TO JEFFERSON PARISH FOR RECORDING OUR PROGRAM TODAY.
YOU CAN FIND IT ON JPTV CHANNEL SIX FOR COX AND CHANNEL 99 FOR AT&T OR ONLINE AT WWW DOT JEFF PARRISH TV SLASH PAGES SLASH LIVE.
FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR PRESENTING SPONSOR, FIRST HORIZON AND WELCOME TO THE STAGE DANIEL MORIAN, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, BUSINESS BANKING MANAGER AT FIRST HORIZON BANK.
MY NAME IS DANIEL MORRAN, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT AND BUSINESS BANKING MANAGER FOR THE NEW ORLEANS MARKET AT FIRST HORIZON BANK.
IT'S GREAT TO SEE EVERYBODY HERE TODAY.
FIRST, I WANT TO THANK THE JEFFERSON CHAMBER FOR ORGANIZING SUCH A WONDERFUL EVENT AND FOR THE IMPORTANT WORK THEY DO TO STRENGTHEN OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY.
I'VE BEEN WITH FIRST HORIZON FOR 13 YEARS, CURRENTLY SERVING AS BUSINESS BANKING MANAGER WHERE I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING ALONGSIDE AN OUTSTANDING TEAM ACROSS RETAIL, COMMERCIAL, PRIVATE BANKING, TREASURY SERVICES, WEALTH MANAGEMENT, AND MORTGAGE.
AT FIRST HORIZON, OUR MISSION IS ROOTED IN DELIVERING EXCEPTIONAL CUSTOMER SERVICE AND ACTIVELY SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
WE CURRENTLY OPERATE 18 LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE GREATER NEW ORLEANS AREA WITH SEVEN BANKING CENTERS RIGHT HERE IN JEFFERSON PARISH, SERVING BOTH SIDES OF THE RIVER.
TWO OF OUR LARGEST FACILITIES ARE LOCATED IN MERIE HOME TO MANY OF OUR ASSOCIATES.
WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO FINDING A NEW AND MEANINGFUL WAY TO SUPPORT JEFFERSON PARISH RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES.
I PROMISED TO BE BRIEF, SO I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO THE JEFFERSON CHAMBER.
BUT BEFORE I DO, I WANT TO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU PERSONALLY FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE JEFFERSON CHAMBER, OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES AND OUR NONPROFITS THAT MAKE JEFFERSON PARISH SUCH A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK.
THANK YOU AND HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY.
NOW PLEASE WELCOME TO THE STAGE DR.
PAULA POLITO, OWNER OF BERRY CHERRY TREE CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER, WHO SERVES AS OUR 2025 GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE CHAIR, AS WELL AS OUR 2026 CHAIR ELECT AND NORA VADEN HOLMES STATE FARM INSURANCE AGENT WHO SERVES AS OUR 2025 CHAMBER BOARD CHAIR.
OUR FORWARD THINKING JEFFERSON PARISH ELECTED OFFICIALS HAVE CONTINUED TO EXECUTE THEIR IDEAS AND WE COULD NOT BE MORE APPRECIATIVE OF THEIR LEADERSHIP AND COLLABORATION.
PLEASE STAND TO BE RECOGNIZED.
DISTRICT ONE, COUNCILMAN TIM KERNER, JR.
DISTRICT TWO COUNCILMAN DINO BONANNO, DISTRICT THREE, COUNCILMAN BYRON LEE, DISTRICT FOUR, COUNCILWOMAN ARITA BOHANNON, DISTRICT FIVE, COUNCILMAN HANS BERG COUNCILWOMAN AT LARGE DIVISION A.
JENNIFER VAN FRANKEN, COUNCIL CHAIRMAN AND COUNCILMAN AT LARGE DIVISION B SCOTT WALKER AND PARISH PRESIDENT CYNTHIA LEE SHANG.
NOW I WOULD LIKE TO ASK ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS IN ATTENDANCE TO PLEASE STAND AND BE RECOGNIZED.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE
[00:05:01]
JEFFERSON CHAMBER.AND NOW PLEASE WELCOME OUR 2025 BOARD CHAIR NORA VADEN HOMES TO RECOGNIZE OUR SPONSORS.
UM, OUR WORK AND ESPECIALLY OUR RELEVANCE AS THE VOICE OF BUSINESS IS NOT POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF OUR SPONSORS.
SO THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING SPONSORS.
OUR PRESENTING SPONSOR TODAY IS FIRST HORIZON.
OUR CENTERPIECE SPONSOR IS PEOPLE'S HEALTH AND OUR AWARD SPONSOR IS LOUISIANA BLUE.
OUR MEDIA PARTNER TODAY IS WSAN CREATIVE STRATEGIES.
OUR GOLD SPONSORS FIRST LAKE PROPERTIES, BARRY S RANCHI LAW FIRM, BIZ NEW ORLEANS BOMB, THE NEW BANK, CLEARVIEW CITY CENTER, COX COMMUNICATIONS, DIGITAL ENGINEERING AND IMAGING, ENTERGY EVENT PRODUCERS GAMBLE, COMMUNICATIONS HUB, INTERNATIONAL INCLUSIVE CARE, JEFFERSON PARISH, PRESIDENT'S OFFICE, CYNTHIA CHANG, JEFFERSON PARISH COUNCIL, LAKESIDE SHOPPING CENTER, LAMAR.
UM, AND ALSO WE HAVE MERIE BANK AS A GOLD SPONSOR.
THE NO OF AIDEN HOMES INSURANCE AGENCY, OCHSNER OFFICE LINK, ONPATH CREDIT UNION, OUT FRONT MEDIA, THE PORT OF NEW ORLEANS RIVER, RED RIVER BANK, SOUTHWEST AIRLINES, T BAKER SMITH, UM, AND OUR SILVER SPONSORS TODAY ARE BLACK TIE AUCTIONS, CF INDUSTRIES, CORNERSTONE, FIDELITY BANK, IMTT AND TRUE TITLE.
I ALSO WANTED TO RECOGNIZE, UM, OUR CHAMBER PRESIDENT RUTH LAWSON.
SHE WAS RECENTLY, UM, AWARDED BY THE YOUNG LEADERSHIP COUNCIL OF NEW ORLEANS AS A ROLE MODEL.
SO I WANTED TO JUST GIVE RUTH A HAND AND ACKNOWLEDGE THAT DISTINGUISHED AWARD THAT SHE RECEIVED WE'RE SO PROUD OF HER ANNUALLY.
THE JOSEPH S YANI AWARD IS GIVEN TO ONE OUTSTANDING PARISH EMPLOYEE WHO GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND THE SPECIAL CALLING OF PUBLIC SERVICE.
THIS YEAR'S JOSEPH S NEY AWARD IS SPONSORED BY LOUISIANA BLUE.
PLEASE WELCOME AT THIS TIME PARISH PRESIDENT CYNTHIA LEE SHANG TO PRESENT THE JOSEPH S NEY AWARD.
CYNTHIA, I AM VERY PLEASED TO PRESENT THE 2025 ANNUAL JOSEPH ANI AWARD TO CALEB REYNOLDS WITH OUR JEFFERSON PARISH SEWAGE DEPARTMENT.
CALEM HAS WORKED WITH THE SEWAGE DEPARTMENT FOR 12 YEARS AND DURING THAT TIME HE HAS GONE FAR BEYOND HIS REGULAR DUTIES AS AN OPERATOR AT THE BRIDGE CITY WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.
CALEM RUNS THE BELT PRESS A KEY PART OF REMOVING SOLIDS FROM THE PLANT.
NOT ONLY DOES HE MASTER HIS DAILY RESPONSIBILITIES, CALEB ALSO HELPS TRAIN OTHER OPERATORS AND SUPPORT THE MAINTENANCE.
UM, TEAM, HIS SUPERVISOR SHARED THAT CALEM ALWAYS BRINGS A POSITIVE ATTITUDE AND HELPS BUILD A STRONG SUPPORTIVE TEAM ENVIRONMENT AT THE PLANT.
ON TOP OF HIS REGULAR SHIFT, CALEM HAS WORKED WITH OUR LIFT STATIONS DIVISION INSPECTING OVER 250 LIFT STATIONS ACROSS THE WEST BANK IN THE EVENINGS.
CALEM IS A TRUE LEADER AND TEAM PLAYER, ALWAYS WILLING TO SERVE WHEREVER HE IS NEEDED AND FOCUSED ON PASSING DOWN HIS KNOWLEDGE TO HELP THE NEXT GENERATION SUCCEED.
THANK YOU CALEM FOR YOUR SERVICE, YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO JEFFERSON PARISH.
YOUR DEDICATION HAS NOT GONE UNNOTICED.
I KNOW HUBERT FRANKLIN AND MARK DREW ARE WITH YOU.
VERY PROUD OF WHAT YOU DO AND WE'RE CERTAINLY GRATEFUL FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO FOR US IN THIS PARISH.
CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS WELL DESERVED HONOR FOR CALEB REYNOLDS.
CALEB, CAN YOU PLEASE JOIN ME AT THE STAGE?
[00:10:21]
CONGRATULATIONS CAEM.THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO JEFFERSON PARISH AND THANK YOU TO LOUISIANA BLUE FOR BEING OUR AWARD SPONSOR.
AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE JEFFERSON PARISH'S, COUNCIL CHAIRMAN SCOTT WALKER TO JOIN OUR PARISH PRESIDENT ON STAGE.
WHILE EACH OF THESE PUBLIC SERVANTS NEED NO INTRODUCTION, I'LL PROVIDE A SHORT BIO BEFORE WE BEGIN.
OUR PANEL PARISH PRESIDENT CYNTHIA LEE SHANG WAS SWORN INTO OFFICE ON JANUARY 8TH, 2020.
PREVIOUSLY, SHE SERVED AS COUNCILWOMAN AT LARGE FOR DIVISION B IN 2015 AFTER SERVING AS THE COUNCILWOMAN FOR DISTRICT FIVE SINCE 2009.
IN 2023, SHE WAS REELECTED WITHOUT OPPOSITION FOR AN ADDITIONAL TERM AS PARISH PRESIDENT.
PRIOR TO HER ROLES WITHIN JEFFERSON PARISH, PRESIDENT LEE SHANG FOR, WORKED FOR WHAT IS NOW LAPORTE ACCOUNTING FIRM SPECIALIZING IN LITIGATION SERVICES AND FORENSIC INVESTIGATIONS.
PLEASE WELCOME AGAIN, PARISH PRESIDENT CYNTHIA LEE SHANG.
ALSO, PLEASE WELCOME JEFFERSON PARISH COUNCIL CHAIRMAN AND COUNCILMAN AT LARGE DIVISION B SCOTT WALKER.
SCOTT WALKER WAS ELECTED TO JEFFERSON PARISH COUNCIL IN OCTOBER OF 2019 AND SWORN INTO OFFICE IN JANUARY OF 2020.
COUNCILMAN WALKER WAS REELECTED FOR AN ADDITIONAL TERM IN 2023.
PRIOR TO COUNCILMAN WALKER'S SERVICE TO JEFFERSON PARISH.
HE WORKED FOR WDSU AS A NEWS ANCHOR FOR NEARLY 10 YEARS.
PLEASE WELCOME JEFFERSON PARISH COUNCILMAN AT LARGE SCOTT WALKER.
OUR PANELISTS WILL NOW HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE A FEW OPENING REMARKS BEFORE WE GET OUR PANEL DISCUSSION.
AND WE WILL START WITH PARISH PRESIDENT CYNTHIA LEE SHANG.
THANK YOU RUTH, AND THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING THE CHAIRMAN AND I TO SPEAK WITH YOU TODAY.
WE BOTH ENJOY BEING AT THIS IMPORTANT ANNUAL EVENT.
I'M SO EXCITED TO GIVE YOU UPDATES ABOUT SOME OF OUR INITIATIVES FROM THE ADMINISTRATION SIDE OF THE HOUSE.
THAT'S WE'RE, WE'RE CONSIDERED THE OPERATION SIDE OF THE HOUSE WHERE WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY OVER 2,600 EMPLOYEES WORKING IN 43 DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS TO BRING YOU PARISH SERVICES EVERY SINGLE DAY.
SO WHEN I CAME INTO OFFICE, WE EMBRACED WHAT WE CALL NEXT LEVEL LEADERSHIP.
GOVERNMENT BUREAUCRACIES CAN TEND TO WANT TO ONLY MAINTAIN THE STATUS QUO.
YOU SEE IT IN GOVERNMENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
WHY IS THAT? BECAUSE CHANGE IS OFTEN DIFFICULT IN VERY LARGE ORGANIZATIONS.
AND STIRRING THINGS UP MIGHT BRING CRITICISM OR MEDIA ATTENTION TO YOUR BOSS WHO'S IN A POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT.
SO YOU MIGHT GET NEGATIVE NEWS, UM, ARTICLES AND PEOPLE ARE HESITANT ABOUT THAT.
SO I TOLD OUR TEAM IT ALWAYS LOOKS WORSE BEFORE IT LOOKS BETTER AND WE STAY THE COURSE UNTIL WE CAN TURN THE CORNER.
IF WE PUT THE HARD WORK IN, EVENTUALLY WE CAN DEMONSTRATE THAT IT WAS ALL WORTH IT.
SO I'M PROUD OF THEM FOR MAKING BOLD MOVES FROM UPDATING OUR DECADES OLD FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, WHICH I LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING TO YOU ABOUT TODAY, TO INVESTING IN MAJOR UPGRADES IN OUR SEWER AND WATER INFRASTRUCTURE AND STREAMLINING OUR PERMITTING PROCESSES TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR RESIDENCES AND BUSINESSES AND TO REIMAGINING WHAT RECREATION LOOKS LIKE IN OUR COMMUNITIES WHERE THIS NEW MODEL HAS NOT ONLY INCREASED PARTICIPATION IN JPRD, BUT WAS THE CATALYST TO OPENING US UP TO RECEIVE SPORTS TOURISM DOLLARS, WHICH WILL NO DOUBT HAVE A COMPOUNDING EFFECT ON OUR ECONOMY.
AND WE ARE JUST GETTING STARTED ON THAT FRONT AND I'M GONNA SPEAK AT LENGTH ABOUT THAT TODAY.
SO WE WILL START ON THE NEWEST AND MOST EXCITING NEWS IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
AND THIS APPLIES TO EVERYONE WHO LIVES IN UNINCORPORATED JEFFERSON PARISH, ACTUALLY PUTTING MONEY BACK IN YOUR POCKET, I SHOULD SAY ACTUALLY, LESS MONEY FLYING OUT OF YOUR POCKET WITH DECREASED FLOOD INSURANCE COST AS OF OCTOBER 1ST UNINCORPORATED JEFFERSON PARISH HAS INCREASED OUR COMMUNITY RATING SYSTEM RATING FROM A CLASS FIVE TO A CLASS THREE THAT IS EXTREMELY RARE AND A TESTAMENT TO THE GREAT WORK OF SO MANY OF OUR DEPARTMENTS.
I'M GONNA TELL YOU JUST HOW RARE OF THE 1,767 COMMUNITIES THAT PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROGRAM.
WE ARE NOW THE FIRST CRS CLASS THREE IN LOUISIANA AND ONE OF ONLY 11 IN THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES.
[00:15:01]
THIS NEW RATING GIVES RESIDENTS A 35% DISCOUNT ON THEIR FLOOD INSURANCE PREMIUM.SO WHEN YOUR POLICY IS RENEWED, AND I HAVE TO SAY THIS, WHEN THE GOVERNMENT REOPENS AND YOUR POLICY IS RENEWED, YOU WILL NOW ENJOY A 35% DISCOUNT AS A CLASS THREE COMMUNITY, UM, WHEN WE USED TO GET A 25% DISCOUNT AS A CLASS FIVE COMMUNITY.
SO THAT IS INCREDIBLE NEWS FOR US IN JP NEXT, UM, ONE OF OUR BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENTS IN OUR TIME IN OFFICE IS UNDERTAKING THE MODERNIZATION OF A SEWER AND WATER SYSTEM.
AND I TALK ABOUT THIS EVERY YEAR 'CAUSE IT IS THAT BIG OF, OF A PROJECT.
AND I I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE MARK DREW'S IN THE AUDIENCE FOR THIS BECAUSE HE WAS REALLY THE LEADER IN THIS.
WHEN I CAME INTO OFFICE, BOTH OF THESE SYSTEMS WERE ACTUALLY LOSING MONEY.
WE WERE IN A POSITION WHERE WE WERE SPENDING CAPITAL MONEY TO MAINTAIN OPERATIONS AND THAT IS NEVER A PLACE THAT YOU WANT TO BE.
MOST SIMPLY PUT, WE ARE A COMMUNITY OF OLD PIPES, UH, IN, SO IN 2021, WE SPENT THE BETTER PART OF THE YEAR MAKING THE CASE TO THE COMMUNITY FOR A RATE INCREASE SO THAT WE COULD HAVE THE RESOURCES TO MODERNIZE THESE AGING SYSTEMS. AND I KNOW NONE OF US LIKE PAYING HIGHER RATES.
I HEAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME.
BUT IT WAS ACTUALLY, IT WAS CRITICAL THAT WE MADE THIS INVESTMENT IN OURSELVES BECAUSE IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE, PIPES WOULD BE BREAKING ALL OVER THE PLACE.
THE COST TO REPAIR A PIPE THAT IS BROKEN ON AN EMERGENCY BASIS IS EXPONENTIALLY MORE EXPENSIVE THAN IF WE JUST WOULD'VE REPLACED IT BEFOREHAND.
DURING ITS USEFUL LIFE, WE HAVE SO MANY SEWER AND WATER PROJECTS GOING ON THROUGHOUT THE PARISH, INCLUDING PIPE REPLACEMENT, A NEW WATER LAB, SEWER LIFT STATION UPGRADES, BUT IN IN, IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, I'M GONNA DISCUSS THE PROJECT THAT YOU'LL PROBABLY NOTICE THE MOST AT YOUR OWN HOUSE.
AND THAT IS THE INSTALLATION OF THE ADVANCED METERING INFRASTRUCTURE, A MI METERS, A $116 MILLION INVESTMENT THAT WE'RE MAKING IN OURSELVES OVER THE NEXT 20 YEARS.
OUR JEFFERSON PARISH UTILITY SERVICES TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING WITH PEDAL VALVES TO INSTALL THESE NEW METERS.
THESE STATE-OF-THE-ART AUTOMATED WATER METERS WILL ENHANCE OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE MORE EFFICIENT SERVICE THROUGH THE USE OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY.
INSTALLATION OF THE NEW METERS IS 19.9% COMPLETED AS OF TODAY.
AND OUT OF 160,000 METERS PER WIDE, 31,889 METERS HAVE BEEN REPLACED.
THE TIMELINE FOR ALL METERS TO BE REPLACED IS BY THE END OF 2027.
EXPECTED BENEFITS OF AUTOMATED METERS INCLUDE THE ABILITY FOR RESIDENTS TO MONITOR AND MANAGE WATER USAGE IN REAL TIME AND MORE ACCURATE BILLING.
THIS WILL ELIMINATE THE NEED FOR MANUAL READINGS, INCLUDING SIGNIFICANT EXPENDITURES ON PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE.
IT WILL ALSO REDUCE THE COST OF FUTURE MAJOR REPAIRS AND INCREASE OUR UTILITY BILLING EFFICIENCY.
NEXT MONTH THE UTILITY SERVICES WILL LAUNCH AN APP THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE ON IOS, ANDROID, AND THE WEB CUSTOMERS WILL BE ABLE TO SEE REAL-TIME WATER USAGE LEAK ALERTS, RECEIVE WATER OUTAGE NOTIFICATIONS AND MANAGE PAYMENT THRESHOLDS.
OTHER UTILITY SERVICES UPDATES INCLUDE RESUMED IN-PERSON SERVICES, NEW UTILITY BILL DESIGN, PAYMENT KIOSK, WHICH ARE COMING SOON.
AND THEN ALSO COMING SOON IS A SMART METER CUSTOMER PORTAL.
NEXT ONE OF MY FAVORITE TOPICS, TOPICS, SPORTS TOURISM.
ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING TOPICS FOR ME TO DISCUSS FOR A LOT OF REASONS.
FIRST, I'VE PLAYED SPORTS MY ENTIRE LIFE AND SO IT CONTINUES TO BE A MAJOR PART OF MY LIFE AND I LOVE WORKING ON THESE PROJECTS.
SECOND, OBVIOUSLY, I SEE THE POTENTIAL IT CAN ADD NOT JUST FOR OUR OWN RESIDENTS, BUT IT WILL TRANSFORM OUR REGION INTO A YEAR ROUND SPORTS TOURISM HUB THIRD, THIS IS SUCH AN EXCITING REGIONAL INITIATIVE.
JEFFERSON PARISH HAS THE LAND AND THE RESOURCES TO INVEST IN SPORTS INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT OBVIOUSLY IT'S NEW ORLEANS AND THEIR UNIQUE BRAND THAT LANDS US, THE REGIONAL AND THE NATIONAL TOURNAMENTS.
OUR OUT OF TOWN ATHLETES WILL BE SPENDING MONEY ON HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, SHOPPING AND TOURS IN OUR ENTIRE REGION.
AND WHEN I PITCH A PROJECT AND I'M I, I AM ABLE TO HAVE DONE THIS MANY TIMES, I WILL TELL, I WILL SAY TO THE OPERATORS OF THE TOURNAMENT, YOUR ATHLETES CAN HAVE SAX FIFTH AVENUE LUXURY AND A 12 MILE 20 MINUTE RIDE AWAY.
YOU AND YOUR FAMILY WILL BE FEEDING ALLIGATORS IN THE SWAMP.
THERE'S NO OTHER CITY THAT OFFERS SUCH DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES IN SUCH A SHORT DISTANCE.
AND OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE WILLING TO USE THEIR FUNDS TO ADD TO OUR RECREATION BUDGET DOLLARS TO INVEST IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE WE NEED.
AND THEY'VE ALSO PARTNERED WITH, UM, MANY ORGANIZATIONS TO ACTUALLY BRING US MANY OF THESE EVENTS.
WE HAVE A SPORTS DESTINATION PROJECT IN EVERY SINGLE COUNCIL DISTRICT OF OUR PARISH.
AND IT ALL STARTED WITH RECREATION REIMAGINED INITIATIVE.
SEVERAL YEARS AGO WE HAD 27 PLAYGROUNDS
[00:20:01]
OFFERING THE SAME TRADITIONAL SPORTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, FOOTBALL, VOLLEYBALL, CHEERLEADING IN THE FALL ONTO BASKETBALL, LACROSSE AS THE, AS THE YEAR BEGINS.AND ON A SOCCER TRACK, BASEBALL, SOFTBALL, OUR AGING DEMOGRAPHICS LEFT US WITH MANY PLAYGROUNDS THAT WERE EMPTY.
SOME WERE UNABLE TO HAVE EVEN ENOUGH KIDS TO MAKE A TEAM.
WE NEEDED TO CONSOLIDATE, WE NEEDED TO RIGHTSIZE OUR PROGRAMS AND WE WANTED TO OFFER MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO PLAY ONE SPORT FOR THE WHOLE YEAR SO OUR ATHLETES COULD GET BETTER AT THEIR SPORT AND ACTUALLY MAKE A HIGH SCHOOL TEAM.
AND I TELL YOU THAT BECAUSE IT WAS A VERY CONTROVERSIAL DECISION AT THAT TIME.
UM, AND WHEN I LOOK BACK YEARS LATER, I REALIZED HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS FOR US TO STAY THE COURSE, UM, EVEN THOUGH MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WERE IN VOCAL OPPOSITION.
BECAUSE WHAT IT BROUGHT US WAS THIS INVESTING DEEPLY IN ONE SPORT, IN ONE AREA OF THE PARISH RATHER THAN A COOKIE CUTTER APPROACH ACROSS 27 PLAYGROUNDS, UM, WAS KEY TO OPENING UP SPORTS TOURISM.
SO INSTEAD OF SPRINKLING ONE OR TWO PICKLEBALL COURTS AT MILEY, AT BRIGHT, AT OAKDALE, AT PAR, AT BELLAIRE, OUR RECREATION TEAM HAD THE FORESIGHT TO INVEST IN NINE PICKLEBALL COURTS JUST AT MILEY.
SO IF YOU GO TO THE MILEY COURTS ON ANY GIVEN NIGHT, IF YOU GO TO THE MILEY COURTS, YOU'RE GONNA MEET PEOPLE FROM BATON ROUGE, FROM SLIDEL.
THERE'S A GROUP THAT COMES FROM HOA FROM THE NORTH SHORE.
OUR COURT, OUR COURTS ARE BEING TALKED ABOUT IN OTHER STATES.
IF YOU PEOPLE IN HOUSTON KNOW ABOUT OUR COURTS, PEOPLE IN MISSISSIPPI, TENNESSEE, THEY KNOW ABOUT OUR COURTS SO MUCH SO THAT SOUTHERN PICKLEBALL ASSOCIATION, WHICH IS BASED IN GEO IN GEORGIA, JUST CHOSE OUR MILEY COURTS TO HOST THEIR TOURNAMENT, WHICH WILL BE SCHEDULED FOR FAMILY GROW WEEKEND NEXT YEAR.
AND THAT TOURNAMENT WILL BE MARKETED NOT TO LOCAL PLAYERS, TO PICKLEBALL PLAYERS ALL ALONG THE GULF COAST.
SO US FAMILIES SPEND 30 BILLION TO 40 BILLION ANNUALLY ON THEIR CHILDREN'S SPORTS ACTIVITIES.
ACCORDING TO ASPEN INSTITUTE ESTIMATES AND JEFFERSON PARISH.
WITH THE HELP OF VISIT JEFFERSON PARISH WILL START GRABBING MORE AND MORE OF THAT MONEY.
IN 2026 WILL OFFICIALLY OPEN THE JOHN JUNIOR ARIO SPORTS COMPLEX, A NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY OF EIGHT MULTI-SPORT TURF FIELDS IN ALL LED LIGHTING CONCEIVE TO HOST YOUTH BASEBALL, SOFTBALL, FOOTBALL, SOCCER, LACROSSE, AND RUGBY TOURNAMENTS OVER LONG WEEKENDS FOR OUT OF TOWN TEAMS AND THE PLAYERS RELATIVES BY BRINGING IN BAYOU NATION AS A PARTNER WHO KNOWS THE NATIONAL MARKET.
WE HAVEN'T EVEN OPENED THIS FIELD YET.
AND THE 2026 CALENDAR IS ALREADY FILLING UP, INCLUDING THE 2D SPORTS TOP REGIONAL TOURNAMENT AND THE YOUTH SOUTHEAST CUP.
THESE FIELDS ARE NOT ONLY GONNA BRING, NOT GONNA BRING US HUNDREDS OF HOST HEALTH STAYS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THOUSANDS OF HOTEL STAYS JUST AT THOSE BASEBALL FIELDS.
I SAW OUR POTENTIAL WHEN WE LAND IN THE NATIONAL CORN CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT IN 2023.
IT BROUGHT US 275 TEAMS FROM 30 DIFFERENT STATES AND I WAS ABLE TO MEET A LOT OF THE CORNHOLE PLAYERS AND THEY REALLY ENJOYED BEING IN A NEW AREA OF THE COUNTRY, LEARNING ABOUT OUR WAY OF LIFE.
THEY WENT TO BOURBON STREET AND BEFORE THEY LEFT THEY TOLD ME THIS WAS THEIR FAVORITE TOURNAMENT AND THEY TRAVEL THE COUNTRY.
BUT IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT PICKLEBALL BASEBALL CORNHOLE, THE MOMENTUM IS GROWING AND WE'RE JUST GETTING STARTED.
THE RECENT P ONE POWERBOAT RACES WE HOSTED IN JUNE AND LAKE TRAIN WAS A HUGE SUCCESS BRINGING IN 66 TEAMS IN VARIOUS CATEGORIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
THEY PLAN TO COME BACK WITH AN EVEN BIGGER EVENT IN APRIL OF NEXT YEAR.
NEXT YEAR WE'LL HOST THE INAUGURAL BIG EASY OPEN DISC GOLF PRO TOUR.
AT THE PARK DAY FOR ME ARE GLOBALLY RANKED DISC GOLF COURSE MAJOR FACILITIES LIKE WHERE WE ARE NOW.
ARIA CENTER, PONTCHARTRAIN CENTER, AND THE JOHN JUNIOR ARIA SPORTSPLEX WILL CONTINUE TO HOST HIGH IMPACT EVENTS YEAR ROUND FROM NCAA BASKETBALL TO USA GYMNASTICS AND OUR AWARD-WINNING SOCCER FIELDS AT LIGNER PARK CONTINUE TO BRING US REGIONAL TOURNAMENTS AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF BRIGHT PLAYGROUND TENNIS COMPLEX.
I CAN'T SAY ANYTHING YET, BUT WHICH WILL ALSO HAVE THE ABILITY TO BRING US ATHLETES FROM OUT OF TOWN.
WE'RE MAKING A MAJOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT THERE.
MANY MORE TENNIS COURTS THERE COLLECTIVELY VISIT JEFFERSON PARISH ESTIMATES THAT PLANNED SPORTS TOURISM EVENTS IN 2026 WILL GENERATE AN ESTIMATED 19,500 HOTEL ROOM NIGHTS INFUSING OUR LOCAL ECONOMY WITH MILLIONS IN DIRECT SPENDING.
PLUS MANY OF THESE EVENTS ARE LIVE STREAM NATIONALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY, OFFERING JEFFERSON PARISH EXPOSURE THAT PROMOTES RETURN VISITS, FUTURE TOURISM, AND NATIONAL VISIBILITY.
OKAY, NEXT I WANNA GO THROUGH SOME QUICK NEXT LEVEL INITIATIVES, UM, WHICH INCLUDE NEW THINGS THAT HAVE NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE.
OUR LIBRARY TEAM HAS BEEN THE LEADER OF THE ON THE FRONT OF ALL THE DEPARTMENTS.
WHEN I THINK ABOUT HOW LIBRARIES WERE WHEN I GREW UP, IT WAS ABOUT FINDING YOUR BOOK TIPTOEING AROUND AND WHISPERING, ALWAYS WAITING TO GET IN TROUBLE.
WE'VE REALLY BUSTED THROUGH THAT OLD MODEL BY BRINGING YOU A VERY ENGAGING AWARD-WINNING MODERN LIBRARY SYSTEM.
THINK CARS AND COFFEE WHERE CLASSIC CARS ARE ON DISPLAY IN THE PARKING LOT.
UH, COCKTAIL DEMONSTRATIONS, HOME MOVIE DIGITIZING IN OUR NEW MAKERSPACE,
[00:25:01]
ADULT SPELLING BEES AND PUZZLE SWABS.AND WE CONTINUE TO DO NEW THINGS NEW THIS YEAR.
WE ARE INTRODUCING AND SHOWCASING OUR FIRST EVER FLEX LIBRARY DESIGN AT OUR NEW AVONDALE LIBRARY.
BASICALLY, THIS IS MOBILE SHELVING THAT ALLOWS US TO OPEN THE SPACE FOR COMMUNITY PROGRAMS IF WE WANNA LINE DANCE ON A TUESDAY.
NOW THE LIBRARY IN AVONDALE CAN BE AN OPTION FOR US BECAUSE WE CAN MOVE THE SHELVING AND CREATE AN OPEN SPACE.
OUR GRETNA LIBRARY WILL BE THE NEXT FLEX LIBRARY AND ALSO THE RIVER RIDGE E-LIBRARY WILL ALSO HAVE THE SAME CONTE CONTEXT, JEFFERSON PROTECTION AND ANIMAL WELFARE SERVICES.
OUR J PAWS NOW HAS MICROCHIPPING STATIONS AT THE EAST AND WEST BANK REGIONAL LIBRARIES.
I BELIEVE THIS CROSS COLLABORATION BETWEEN OUR DEPARTMENTS IS WHERE GOVERNMENT CAN REALLY GET INNOVATIVE AND REACH DIFFERENT CONSTITUENCIES.
SO IF YOU FIND A LOST PET, YOU CAN GO TO THE MICROCHIP SCANNING STATIONS AT OUR TWO LIBRARIES AND IDENTIFY THE OWNER.
THE MICROCHIP SCANNING STATIONS ARE PART OF A BROADER PLAN TO EXPAND PET SAFETY RESOURCES ACROSS JEFFERSON PARISH.
MORE STATIONS ARE PLANNED IN THE COMING MONTHS.
THEY PROVIDE PUBLIC ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY THAT CAN IDENTIFY MICROCHIP PETS IN REAL TIME, HELPING ANIMAL SHELTERS IN RESIDENTS QUICKLY LOCATE LOST ANIMALS.
THE JEFFERSON PARISH BEYOND BOOKS PROGRAM INCLUDES OUR LIBRARY OF THINGS, WHICH HAS BEEN VERY POPULAR.
YOU CAN CHECK OUT ITEMS SUCH AS A GUITAR, A MICROSCOPE MICROSCOPE, A SEWING MACHINE.
BUT OUR NEWEST FEATURE IS WHAT WE CALL OUR CATALOG AND DOG LOG, WHERE YOU CAN BASICALLY CHECK OUT A CAT OR A DOG FROM THE LIBRARY AND FOSTER FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
THIS IS A MAJOR NEXT LEVEL INITIATIVE AND IT'S THE FIRST OF ITS KIND AND IT SUPPORTS OUR J PAWS FOSTER CAMPAIGN.
SO IF YOU'VE EVER THOUGHT ABOUT ADOPTING BUT WEREN'T SURE HOW IT WOULD WORK OUT, YOU CAN TAKE A PET HOME FOR A WEEKEND, A WEEK, OR EVEN JUST AN OUTING.
AND JAY PAWS WILL PROVIDE YOU EVERYTHING YOU NEED, INCLUDING LEASHES FOODS AND A CRATE AND NEW.
THIS YEAR WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH JEFFERSON PARISH HUMAN SERVICES AUTHORITY TO OPEN A ONE STOP DAY CENTER THAT PROVIDES A CENTRALIZED LOCATION FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE TO GET ASSISTANCE.
THIS WAS A RESULT OF THE, THE WORK OF OUR HOMELESS TASK FORCE PUT TOGETHER BY COUNCILMAN BONANNO.
THIS CENTER RUN BY JEFFERSON PARISH HUMAN SERVICES AUTHORITY PROVIDES EVERYTHING FROM CASE MANAGEMENT, CLOTHING, DONATIONS, AND TREATMENT FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL ILLNESS FOR TO SERVING AS A MAILING ADDRESS FOR THOSE WITHOUT HOMES.
IN THE NEARLY THREE MONTHS SINCE ITS OPENING, THE CENTER HAS HAD 126 VISITS AND OPENED 32 CASES WITH CLIENTS ALL THROUGH OUTREACH GROUPS AND WORD OF MOUTH.
WE CONTINUE TO USE TECHNOLOGY TO ADVANCE OUR PARISH SERVICES.
OUR GENERAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT CREATED A PARTNERSHIP WITH GOV DEALS, A LIQUIDITY MARKETPLACE FOR GOVERNMENTS TO HOST OUR SURPLUS AUCTIONS.
PREVIOUSLY, JEFFERSON PARISH WOULD HOLD ONSITE LIVE AUCTIONS FOR THE SALE OF OUR SURPLUS PROPERTY.
THESE AUCTIONS WOULD BE HELD ONCE A YEAR AND REQUIRE ABOUT 10 TO 15 EMPLOYMENTS TO CONDUCT EACH EVENT.
SO RATHER THAN DO THIS LOCALLY, WE'VE NOW OPENED UP OUR AUCTIONS TO THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES AND MEXICO.
OBVIOUSLY MORE BIDDERS THAT VIEW OUR OUR ITEMS ALLOW US TO GET HIGHER PRICES AND COLLECT MORE REVENUE ON OUR USED EQUIPMENT.
THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR WE'VE PASSED THE MILLION DOLLAR MARK ON OUR SURPLUS AUCTIONS.
AND FINALLY, WE CONTINUE TO OPEN NEW FACILITIES THROUGH JEFFERSON PARISH.
THIS YEAR WE OPENED A NEW OFFICE BUILDING FOR OUR DEPARTMENT OF JU JUVENILE SERVICES, AS WELL AS THE DA'S OFFICE OF JUVENILE DIVERSION PROGRAM AND JUVENILE COURTS FAMILIES IN NEED OF SERVICES PROGRAM.
THE PROJECT WAS FUNDED BY OUR DEPARTMENT OF JUVENILE SERVICES, 10 YEAR DEDICATED PROPERTY TAX MILLAGE AT A COST OF A LITTLE OVER $5 MILLION.
AND THESE ARE JUST THE HIGHLIGHTS.
UM, SOME OF WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING IN JEFFERSON PARISH SO MUCH MORE, BUT I'M LIMITED IN MY TIME.
BUT PLEASE STAY UP TO DATE WITH US ON ALL OF OUR LATEST INITIATIVES.
OUR PIO TEAM DOES AN INCREDIBLE JOB OF KEEPING YOU ALL UP TO DATE ON OUR WEBSITE, JEFF PARISH.GOV AND ON ALL OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS AS WELL.
UM, WE'LL NOW HEAR FROM OUR COUNCIL CHAIRMAN SCOTT WALKER SHOULD MOVE THAT THE PARISH PRESIDENT LEFT OFF.
ONE THING THAT YOU CAN DO WITH THE LIBRARIES NOW, IT'S CALLED CHECK OUT AN ELECTED OFFICIAL.
YOU CAN FEED US, YOU CAN BRING US TO THE STORE FROM THE CORONER TO THE TAX ASSESSORS AND THE COUNCIL.
IT IS GREAT TO BE WITH THE JEFFERSON CHAMBER ONCE AGAIN, AND SO MANY OF OUR PARISHES, LEADERS, BUSINESS OWNERS AND PARTNERS WHO CARE DEEPLY ABOUT JEFFERSON PARISH, RUTH WATSON CHAMBER STAFF.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE STATE OF JEFFERSON, WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT THE STATE OF HOME BECAUSE JEFFERSON PARISH ISN'T JUST WHERE WE LIVE AND WORK, IT'S WHERE WE RAISE OUR FAMILIES, BUILD OUR BUSINESSES, AND SHAPE THE FUTURE OF SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA.
AS A COUNCIL, AS THE GOVERNING AUTHORITY OF JEFFERSON PARISH, WE MAY NOT AGREE ON
[00:30:01]
EVERY ISSUE, BUT I KNOW THIS, THAT WE'RE ALL HERE TO DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN DO FOR JEFFERSON PARISH NOW AND IN THE FUTURE.SOMETIMES WE JUST HAVE DIFFERENT WAYS OF GETTING THERE.
I WANNA HIGHLIGHT A FEW OF THE GREAT THINGS HAPPENING IN OUR COUNCIL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE PARISH IN DISTRICT ONE, COUNCILMAN KERNER DISTRICT, OUR NEWEST COUNCILMAN, HIS MISSION IS TO LEAD A WEST BANK RENAISSANCE WITHIN HIS DISTRICT, REVITALIZING NEIGHBORHOODS THROUGH PARK IMPROVEMENTS, BEAUTIFICATION, AND INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES.
HE'S ALSO DEVELOPING A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO ATTRACT COMMUNITY-FOCUSED BUSINESSES AND JOBS TO BLIGHTED CORRIDORS WHILE PARTNERING WITH CPRA ON MAJOR COASTAL RESTORATION PROJECTS THAT STRENGTHEN THE ENTIRE REGION.
DISTRICT TWO, COUNCILMAN BONANNO IS WORKING ON MAJOR INITIATIVES AT LA SALLE PARK AND HOPE HAVEN, MUCH OF WHICH YOU'LL HEAR A LOT MORE ABOUT VERY SOON.
THE PARISH BOUGHT THE HOPE HAVEN PROPERTY THIS YEAR AND WILL TURN IT INTO A PUBLIC MULTI-USE COMPLEX FOR RECREATION, ENTERTAINMENT, AND EDUCATION.
COUNCILMAN LEE HAS USHERED IN A COVID COMMEMORATIVE MEMORIAL, THE BROWN AVENUE LINEAR PARK, THE JOHNNY JACOBS SPLASH PAD, FARMER'S MARKET, SENIOR LUNCHEON CAMP SPONSORSHIPS, AND VARIOUS OTHER BEAUTIFICATION PROJECTS.
PROJECTS WHICH REFLECT THE SHARED COMMITMENT TO CONNECTION, RECREATION, AND REMEMBRANCE.
IN DISTRICT FOUR, COUNCILWOMAN BOHANNAN IS BRINGING TRANSFORMATIVE CHANGES WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE LAKEFRONT AMPHITHEATER THAT'LL HOLD AROUND 10,000 PEOPLE OR UP TO EIGHT OR UP TO 18,000 PEOPLE IF YOU INCLUDE THE MEADOWS THERE.
DISTRICT FOUR IS ALSO WORKING TO ACQUIRE THE ESPLANADE MALL AND FINALLY PUT THAT BACK INTO COMMERCE.
AND IT'S PLANNED, ITS SECOND INCLUSIVE PLAYGROUND.
THE FIRST VISIT AT LA FRANE PARK.
THIS ONE IS IN DESIGN AT THE KENNER LAKEFRONT IN DISTRICT FIVE, COUNCILMAN BERG CONTINUES TO DO GREAT THINGS IN FAT CITY.
WITH THE HELP OF THE MET BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT, THERE ARE AMAZING PLANS CENTERED AROUND TO SPECTACULAR LINEAR PARK THERE.
AND COUNCILWOMAN VAN FRANKEN IN THE OTHER AT LARGE OFFICE HAS PUT A FOCUS ON ENCOURAGING HOME STORM SURVEYS AND INSTALLING FORTIFIED ROOFS.
A $300 SURVEY, A STORM SURVEY OF YOUR EXISTING HOME CAN BRING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN SAVINGS ON THE FORTIFIED ROOF FRONT, SHE'S SPEARHEADING A PILOT PROGRAM TO OFFER UP TO $5,000 IN GAP FUNDS.
IN ADDITION TO THE $10,000 GRANT FROM THE STATE TO INSTALL FORTIFIED ROOFS IN MY OFFICE, THE EVOLUTION OF GOVERNMENT HAS BEEN A PRIORITY.
MAKE US MORE EFFICIENT, MORE NIMBLE, AND BETTER ABLE TO SERVE OUR CONSTITUENTS, GET GOVERNMENT OUT OF THE WAY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, WHETHER THAT'S THROUGH DIRECT ONE-ON-ONE CONTACT OR THROUGH SPENDING DOLLARS IN SMARTER WAYS.
OUR FOCUS IS TO REFLECT ON WHO WE ARE IN 2025 AND NOT 1995, WE SPEARHEADED THE EFFORT TO DEDICATE FUNDING TO THE RENOVATION OF THE SHRINE ON AIRLINE, WHICH IS COMING, I PROMISE.
IT'S JUST BEEN A REALLY LONG PROCESS, BUT IT'S COMING.
YOU'LL SEE SOME THINGS IN 2026 AND SOME RENOVATIONS TO THIS BUILDING AS WELL.
SMALL THINGS LIKE THIS SPORT COURT THAT THESE TABLES ARE ON WAS AN IMPROVEMENT THAT WE MADE TO THE ERIO CENTER BECAUSE IT WAS MUCH NEEDED.
SO IT'S LITTLE THINGS THAT MAKE THE BIG THINGS EASIER.
COUPLED WITH THE PARISH PRESIDENT'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON PLANNING, THE COUNCIL ALSO HIRED A FIRM TO LOOK AT OUR PERMITTING PROCESS.
WE'RE DOING A LOT OF WORK IN THIS PARISH.
WE HAVE GREAT EMPLOYEES, ONE OF WHICH YOU SAW UP CLOSE JUST A FEW MINUTES AGO, WHO ARE VERY RESPONSIVE AND WHO ARE AWESOME AT THEIR JOBS.
BUT AS WE KNOW, YOU CAN'T MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY.
PEOPLE DON'T CALL OR EMAIL TO SAY, WHAT A GREAT JOB YOU'RE DOING.
I SPOKE TO A CONSTITUENT THE OTHER DAY FOR 45 MINUTES.
AS I WAS WALKING AROUND MY NEIGHBORHOOD, I JUST KEPT WALKING IN CIRCLES.
HE SAID, WITH ALL THE ROAD CONSTRUCTION AND PROJECTS GOING ON, LIVING IN JEFFERSON PARISH IS LIKE LIVING IN A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY.
I'M A GLASS HALF FULL KIND OF GUY, AND I CERTAINLY DON'T AGREE WITH THAT VIEW.
BUT WE ARE AT A CRITICAL JUNCTURE AS JEFFERSON PARISH CELEBRATES 200 YEARS, WE ARE VERY OLD.
BUT LET'S SAY WE'RE GETTING FACELIFTS AS OFTEN AS WE CAN TO KEEP US LOOKING YOUNG AND KEEP US LOOKING GOOD.
WHAT ONE PERSON SEES AS FRUSTRATION, I SEE AS PROGRESS, NEEDED PROGRESS.
BECAUSE IF WE'RE NOT PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE EVERY DAY, THEN WHAT ARE WE DOING? ROAD DRAINAGE AND SEWER PROJECTS MAY NOT BE GLAMOROUS, BUT THEY ASSURE THAT WE WON'T BECOME THAT THIRD WORLD COUNTRY.
IN FACT, THE STATE OF OUR STREETS WAS MENTIONED IN A RECENT CAMPAIGN COMMERCIAL DURING THE NEW ORLEANS MAYORAL RACE.
SO PEOPLE ARE CERTAINLY NOTICING THAT WE'RE GETTING THINGS DONE AND OUR STREETS ARE BETTER THAN A LOT OF OTHER STREETS.
WE'VE GOT THE ENERGY OF A MAJOR METRO AREA WITH THE COMFORT OF A TIGHT KNIT COMMUNITY.
YOU CAN ENJOY A WORLD CLASS MEAL IN METAIRIE.
TAKE YOUR KIDS FISHING IN LAFITTE STROLL THE BAYOU NET BOARDWALK, VISIT THE GRETNA FARMER'S MARKET, PLAY AT CASINOS ON EITHER SIDE OF THE RIVER, SPEND TIME IN GRAND ISLE, OR ENJOY A CONCERT IN BUCKTOWN.
WE'RE MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION ARENA WITH THE COUNCIL DEDICATING ABOUT $3 MILLION, INCLUDING THE STATE'S DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR MATCHING FUND OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, THANKS TO JPSO AND OUR MUNICIPAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS, OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ARE SAFE AND CONNECTED.
[00:35:01]
FESTIVALS, AND RECREATION PROGRAMS REFLECT WHO WE ARE.PEOPLE WHO WORK HARD AND PEOPLE WHO PLAY HARD.
PEOPLE MOVE TO JEFFERSON PARISH BECAUSE THEY CAN BUILD A LIFE HERE.
ONE FILLED WITH OPPORTUNITY, CULTURE, AND CONNECTION.
AND PEOPLE STAY HERE BECAUSE WE KEEP INVESTING IN THE VERY THINGS THAT MAKE IT FEEL LIKE HOME.
DO WE HAVE CHALLENGES? YES, WE HAVE MANY.
DO WE ACCEPT THOSE CHALLENGES? NO.
WE WORK HARD TOWARDS SOLUTIONS FOR THOSE CHALLENGES EVERY DAY.
A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE ONLY STAYS THAT WAY WHEN WE KEEP GROWING SMARTLY.
AND THAT'S WHERE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMES IN.
EVERY NEW BUSINESS, EVERY JOB CREATED, EVERY MILE OF INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVED MEANS MORE STABILITY FOR OUR FAMILIES AND MORE RESILIENCE FOR OUR COMMUNITIES.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ISN'T JUST ABOUT ATTRACTING BIG PROJECTS, IT'S ABOUT SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, ENCOURAGING INNOVATION AND CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS CAN SEE A FUTURE HERE.
THE PARISH PARA THAT HAVE MENTIONED THE SPORTS TOURISM TOPIC AND THE ERIO SPORTS COMPLEX, THAT IS MORE THAN A PARISH PLAYGROUND.
THAT IS A WORLD CLASS FACILITY THAT IS RIGHT DOWN THE STREET.
AND EVERYBODY WILL SEE HOW HUGE THIS GET IS OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
CLEARWOOD CLEARVIEW IS EVOLVING.
LAKESIDE SHOPPING CENTER IS THRIVING.
IT CONTINUES TO BE THE EXCEPTION TO THE RULE ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
WE COULD EVEN CALL LAKESIDE A JEWEL OF JEFFERSON PARISH.
SPEAKING OF CREATIVITY, HANG ON, I JUMPED AHEAD.
THE JEFFERSON CHAMBER AND OUR MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENTS ARE CRITICAL TO MAKING ALL THESE THINGS HAPPEN.
WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT OUR INVESTMENTS IN EDUCATION ALIGN WITH OUR WORKFORCE NEEDS BECAUSE EVERY STUDENT AT JEFFERSON PARISH SHOULD SEE A PATH FROM CLASSROOM TO CAREER RIGHT HERE AT HOME.
AND NOW SPEAKING OF CREATIVITY, IF I COULDN'T HAVE MADE THAT CUE ANYMORE OBVIOUS, I JUST DID.
ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING THINGS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IS HAPPENING RIGHT HERE IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
IT'S THE GROWTH OF SWAY BOX STUDIOS.
RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'VE HEARD OF SWAY BOX STUDIOS.
NOT MANY OF YOU HAVE, BUT SOME OF YOU HAVE.
AND IF YOU SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING, THEY'RE DOING INCREDIBLE THINGS IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
TWO OF THE PRINCIPLES, ARTHUR MINTS AND THERESA ANDERSON WERE SUPPOSED TO BE SITTING RIGHT HERE TODAY AND THEY WERE GONNA JOIN US.
BUT THE FILM THEY'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW THAT I'LL MENTION IN A MINUTE, CALLED THEM AWAY.
I GUESS WHEN HOLLYWOOD CALLS, YOU HAVE TO ANSWER THE PHONE NO MATTER WHAT YOUR PLANS ARE.
BUT IN A NON-DESCRIPT BUILDING IN ELMWOOD, IT'S A BUSINESS THAT MANY OF US HAD NO IDEA EXISTED.
WE TOURED IT FOR THE FIRST TIME A FEW YEARS AGO.
THE OPERATION WAS MINUSCULE SINCE THEN, IT HAS GROWN TREMENDOUSLY AND IT IS NOT SO QUIETLY DISRUPTING THE FILM INDUSTRY.
THIS IS A SUPER BOWL COMMERCIAL FROM 2022 WHEN THEY MADE THEIR DEBUT ON THE NATIONAL SCENE.
SWAY BOX IS BRINGING THE MAGIC OF PRACTICAL PUPPETRY TO THE BIG SCREEN IN WAYS NEVER BEFORE SEEN.
SINCE 2014, SWAY BOX HAS PIONEERED NEW METHODS THAT CHALLENGES WHAT AUDIENCES THINK PUPPETS CAN DO.
A YEAR AGO, SWAY BOX ANNOUNCED A PARTNERSHIP WITH DC AND WARNER BROTHERS STUDIOS ON A $100 MILLION FEATURE FILM CALLED DYNAMIC DUO.
IT'S FOCUSED ON THE EARLY DAYS OF ROBIN BATMAN'S SIDEKICK, WHICH IS SET FOR RELEASE IN 2028.
A $100 MILLION FILM IN ITS ENTIRETY BEING MADE IN THIS SMALL BUILDING IN ELMWOOD.
AND YOU WOULD NEVER KNOW IT'S THERE.
THEY'VE CREATED 150 JOBS SO FAR.
THEY'RE GONNA CREATE A HUNDRED MORE AND IT'S GONNA KEEP GOING.
THERE'S A LOT MORE TO TALK ABOUT WITH SWAY BOX THAT WE CAN'T REALLY TALK ABOUT PUBLICLY LET YET.
BUT THINGS ARE COMING DOWN THE ROAD FOR THIS GROUP THAT IS GOING TO BE HUGE.
WE'VE SEEN UP CLOSE WHAT THEY DO.
AND UNTIL YOU ACTUALLY SEE THIS UP CLOSE AND REALIZE THE WORK THAT GOES INTO IT AND THE ARTISTRY IN IT, YOU CAN'T EVEN FATHOM AND WRAP YOUR HEAD AROUND.
I MEAN, THEY'RE PUPPETS THAT YOU PUT YOUR HANDS IN, YOU, YOU MOVE 'EM AROUND LIKE THE PUPPETS YOU THINK OF, BUT THEY BECOME, THEY BECOME SO MUCH MORE.
SO SWAY BOX PROVES ON ANOTHER LEVEL THAT WE CAN BE BIG HERE.
WE CAN BE BOLD HERE AND WE CAN BE BETTER HERE.
AND AS WE LOOK AHEAD TO THE NEXT DECADE, I KNOW WE, ALL THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM WILL LEAVE JEFFERSON PARISH BETTER THAN WE FOUND IT.
THAT MEANS CONTINUING TO INVEST IN INFRASTRUCTURE INNOVATION AND PEOPLE FROM COASTAL PROTECTION TO REDEVELOPMENT, FROM STORM WATER MANAGEMENT TO SMALL BUSINESS INCUBATION.
IT ALSO MEANS EMBRACING TRANSFORMATIONAL PARISH WIDE INITIATIVES THAT WE CAN ALL RALLY BEHIND INITIATIVES THAT WILL DEFINE THE NEXT 100 YEARS OF JEFFERSON PARISH'S SUCCESS AT
[00:40:01]
200 YEARS OLD.JEFFERSON PARISH IS BOTH HISTORIC AND FORWARD THINKING, BUILT ON GENERATIONS OF HARD WORK YET READY TO EVOLVE WITH THE TIMES.
SO AS THE REGION EVOLVES, JEFFERSON PARISH MUST LEAD AS THE PLACE WHERE BUSINESS GETS DONE, WHERE INNOVATION THRIVES AND WHERE LOUISIANA'S FUTURE TAKES SHAPE.
BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE STATE OF JEFFERSON ISN'T JUST STRONG.
IT IS HOME AND HOME LOOKS PRETTY GREAT.
SO THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR OPENING REMARKS TODAY, AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING ME.
UH, IT IS ALWAYS AN HONOR TO SHARE THE STAGE WITH EACH OF YOU AND I I COULDN'T BE MORE THRILLED TO HAVE YOU.
SO I'LL BEGIN WITH A QUESTION FOR BOTH OF OUR PANELISTS.
AS BUSINESS LEADERS, WE'RE ALWAYS EAGER TO UNDERSTAND THE BROADER OUTLOOK OF JEFFERSON PARISH.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE CURRENT STATE OF THE PARISH, BOTH ITS CHALLENGES AND ITS OPPORTUNITIES, AND WHAT ARE YOUR TOP PRIORITIES FOR CONTINUING TO STRENGTHEN OUR ECONOMY, OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, AND OUR QUALITY OF LIFE? MADAM PRESIDENT, WE'LL START WITH YOU.
I GUESS I'LL START WITH WHAT I THINK OF THE CHALLENGES ARE, AND THAT'S WHAT WE ALL KNOW IS THE INSURANCE CRISIS THAT WE ARE IN, BOTH FROM A FLOOD INSURANCE PERSPECTIVE AND A HOMEOWNER'S INSURANCE PERSPECTIVE.
AND I THINK THAT THREATENS WHAT I ALWAYS SAY IS LIKE MY PARENTS' GENERATION, THE AMERICAN DREAM IS BUILDING, YOU KNOW, CREATE HAVING YOUR OWN HOME.
AND I'VE ALWAYS REALLY SEEN THIS AS A CRISIS BECAUSE IT THREATENS THE AMERICAN DREAM WITH THESE HIGH RATES.
AND THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, AND WE'VE DONE THOSE LIKE THE ROOF PERMITS.
IT'S NOT JUST A STATE ISSUE AND IT'S NOT JUST A FEDERAL ISSUE.
BUT I THINK THAT'S, UM, A CHALLENGE FOR US.
I ALSO THINK OUR AGING INFRASTRUCTURE IN TERMS OF BOTH HOUSING STOCK, UM, AND ALSO IN PUBLIC WORKS.
BUT WE'VE SOLVED THAT PROBLEM IN PUBLIC WORKS IN TERMS OF IDENTIFYING THE RESOURCES.
WE JUST CAN'T GET OUT 20 YEARS OF PROJECTS TO UPDATE IT IN TIME.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TOOK ON THAT INITIATIVE, IT WAS 20 YEARS WORTH OF WORK THAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
BUT IT TAKES THE PASSAGE OF 20 YEARS TO UPDATE THAT INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WE HAVE THE FUNDING TO DO IT.
THE BAD NEWS IS WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO GET ALL THESE PROJECTS OUT, UM, ALL AT ONCE.
UM, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE FOR US.
UM, COUNCILMAN WALKER TALKED ABOUT A LOT OF THE GREAT BUSINESSES.
I THINK, UM, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN, IN THE REGION FEELS THAT JEFFERSON PARISH IS A STABLE PLACE TO OWN A BUSINESS.
WE INVEST IN WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
AND I THINK THAT'S A BIG, BIG, UM, ADVANTAGE THAT WE HAVE IN JEFFERSON PARISH THAT ALL OF US HAVE WORKED ON TOGETHER TO GET THAT REPUTATION THAT WE HAVE FOR OURSELVES.
AND, AND IT TAKES A LOT OF WORK TO DO THAT OVER A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
BUT I THINK WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, PAUSE AND SAY WE NEED TO ENJOY THAT BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE REALLY ARE.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE PERMITS THAT, UM, WE'VE ISSUED, WE'VE ISSUED 657 ZONING CLEARANCES FOR NEW BUSINESS THIS YEAR.
SO THAT'S A, A NEW BUSINESS COMING IN WITH 989 APPLICATIONS PROCESSED.
AND WE'RE ON, UM, PACE TO ISSUE THE MOST ZONING CLEARANCES FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS.
SO THAT IS AN INCREDIBLE STATISTIC TO HAVE THAT THERE IS GROWTH THERE.
UM, IF YOU LOOK AT HOMEGROWN GROWTH, LIKE I TALKED ABOUT SO MUCH ABOUT SPORTS TOURISM, WHICH I LOVE THAT BECAUSE THAT'S OUR DIRECT INVESTMENT GOING TO THE ECONOMY.
BUT THE EXPANSION OF CURRENT BUSINESSES IS THERE WITH OCHSNER AND ELMWOOD AND CLEARVIEW CENTER WITH THE NEW BUSINESSES THAT YOU MENTIONED, THE AMAZON SITE, THE ONE DAY FACILITY, THE FIRST ONE IN LOUISIANA, THE RENEGADE AND SWAY BOX.
I THINK WE HAVE ALL OF THOSE, UM, AVENUES THAT SHOW THAT WE HAVE A VERY, UM, VERY POSITIVE BUSINESS CLIMATE FOR US IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
AND, AND I CAN SPEAK TO, UM, YOUR, BOTH OF YOUR RESPONSIVENESS, YOU KNOW, AS A BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND, AND A LOT OF OUR MEMBERS COME TO SPEAK TO US ABOUT MAYBE ISSUES THEY'RE HAVING OR CHALLENGES.
AND YOU ALL BOTH VERY RESPONSIVE ALONG WITH THE REST OF OUR COUNCIL, UM, COUNCIL CHAIRMAN I THINK.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR, RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT THE JOB IS, IS TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THE PEOPLE WHO ELECT US AND WORK FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ELECT US.
I BELIEVE THAT OUR BIGGEST OPPORTUNITIES LIE IN OUR CHALLENGES BECAUSE WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY THROUGH WHATEVER YOU MAY LOOK AT, AT SOME OF OUR, OUR PUBLIC FACING PROBLEMS RIGHT NOW.
THE LOSS OF OUR BOND RATING, OUR FINANCE DEPARTMENT, THE PROBLEMS THAT WE'VE HAD THAT HAVE BEEN SO WELL DOCUMENTED GIVES US A CHANCE TO BE BETTER AND REORGANIZE THINGS AND LOOK AT IT AT A, AS A DIFFERENT ORGANIZATION ON THE OTHER SIDE OF IT WHERE WE CAN SEE THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE TODAY.
LOOK AT THESE PROBLEMS, CLOSELY EXAMINE THESE PROBLEMS AND SAY, HEY, I WISH WE WEREN'T HERE.
I WISH THIS WOULDN'T HAVE SNOWBALLED LIKE IT DID.
BUT SINCE WE'RE HERE, HOW CAN WE BE BETTER AFTER THIS? AND HOW CAN WE BE A BETTER GOVERNMENT GOING FORWARD? AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT THING FOR US TO ALWAYS KEEP IN MIND.
WHATEVER CHALLENGE IS HERE, A GREAT OPPORTUNITY COMING OUTTA THAT CHALLENGE IS RIGHT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF IT.
AND THE PARISH COUNCIL AND THE PARISH PRESIDENT AND THE ADMINISTRATION HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER.
WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT ADVERSARIES.
WE'RE NOT IN THAT KIND OF RELATIONSHIP.
WE DON'T ALWAYS AGREE, JUST LIKE THE COUNCIL DOESN'T ALWAYS AGREE.
AND I'M SURE THAT THE PARISH PRESIDENT DOESN'T ALWAYS AGREE WITH EVERYBODY ON HER SIDE
[00:45:01]
OF THE HALLWAY.BUT WE ALL HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER TO MOVE THIS PARISH IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS THAT MAKE US BETTER ON THE OTHER SIDE.
AND SOMETIMES PEOPLE MAY FEEL LIKE THEIR TOES ARE STEPPED ON OR THIS PERSON'S OVERSTEPPING THIS WAY.
BUT IN THE END, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, WE ARE ALL HERE FOR THE SAME REASON.
WE ALL WANT THE BEST FOR JEFFERSON PARISH AND THAT'S THE DIRECTION WE ALWAYS HAVE TO FIGHT IN.
WHETHER IT'S THE ECONOMY, WHETHER IT'S QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES OR WHATEVER.
I THINK IT'S, IT'S THE BLOCKING AND TACKLING GO OF GOVERNMENT.
YOU DO THE SMALL THINGS RIGHT AND IT MAKES THE BIG THINGS EASIER.
IT'S LIKE YOU HAD THESE QUESTIONS BEFOREHAND.
COULD YOU SHARE WHAT FACTORS LED TO THIS AND HOW THE PARISH IS ADDRESSING THIS SITUATION? YES, AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THIS BECAUSE IT'S A, I I NEED THE TIME TO EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED.
WE DID A TEMPORARY LOSS OF OUR BOND RATING.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, AND I WILL SAY I DON'T WANT THIS CON GET CONFUSED AND I HAVE TO MENTION NEW ORLEANS 'CAUSE IT'S IN THE NEWS A LOT.
NEW ORLEANS HAS A SITUATION THAT IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM OURS.
UM, NEW ORLEANS DOES NOT HAVE THE MONEY THAT THEY'VE EXPENDED.
WE ARE IN A VERY DIFFERENT SITUATION.
WE GOT TOO MUCH MONEY IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME THAT WE CANNOT PROCESS AND KEEP UP WITH OUR AUDITS.
AND SO THAT'S A VERY DIFFERENT DISTINCTION.
SO WE HAVE A TEMPORARY LOSS OF A BOND RATING.
IT IS JUST WE DID NOT HAVE TIMELY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE TIMELY DATA TO SHOW THE BOND RATING COMPANIES.
AND HOW DID WE GET HERE? OKAY, IT STARTED WHEN YOU AND I TOOK OFFICE, UM, AND A FEW WEEKS LATER THERE WAS CO AND UM, AND I'LL GO THROUGH A WHOLE HOST OF EMERGENCIES, COI, IDA FRANCINE TORNADOES, THEN WE HAD DROUGHT, THEN WE HAD SOMETHING CALLED SALT WATER INTRUSION THAT I HA HAD TO LEARN ABOUT.
THEN WE HAD THE BUSTED WATER LINE THAT I HAD TO SHUT OFF 91,000 OF YOUR ACCOUNTS ON THE EAST BANK.
UM, AND THEN AS RECENTLY OF THIS YEAR SNOW, WHICH FOR US IS AN EMERGENCY, RIGHT? SO WE HAD AN UNPRECEDENTED AMOUNT OF LOCAL EMERGENCIES.
SO MUCH SO THAT I ACTUALLY CHAIR, I'M A CO-CHAIR OF THE NATIONAL, UM, INTERGOVERNMENTAL DISASTER REFORM TASK FORCE.
I WAS ASKED TO CHAIR A NATIONAL THROUGH NACO BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD SO MANY DISASTERS.
SO I ALWAYS SAY I'M THE POSTER CHILD FOR AN ELECTED OFFICIAL HAVING TO DEAL WITH DISASTERS.
WHAT THAT BROUGHT TO US, WHEN YOU HAVE A DISASTER, THE GOOD THING, YOU GET MONEY, YOU GET GRANT MONEY, YOU GET C-D-B-G-R 85 MILLION, YOU GET 84 MILLION IN ARPA, YOU GET CARES MONEY AT 34 MILLION, YOU GET AN EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
AT 48 MILLION, YOU GET $267 IN FEMA MONEY.
SO WE, IF YOU LOOK AT 20 18, 20 19, 20 20, THE PARISH TAKES IN ABOUT $33 MILLION OF GRANTS BEFORE I BECAME THE PARISH PRESIDENT.
SINCE I'VE BEEN PARISH PRESIDENT, WE'VE TAKEN IN $585 MILLION OF GRANTS, TREMENDOUS WORKLOAD WITHOUT A CORRESPONDING INCREASE IN STAFF.
I'LL TELL YOU WHAT'S WORSE WITH A LESS STAFF THAN WE WOULD NORMALLY HAVE BECAUSE WE'RE RIGHT INTO THE FINANCIAL SHORTAGE OF CPAS AND ACCOUNTING PROFESSIONALS.
SO IT WAS SORT OF THIS, YOU KNOW, AND USE, USE THE WORD LIKE A PERFECT STORM OF EVENTS, OF HIGH WORKLOAD.
UH, NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE TO DO THE WORK.
SOME OF THE GUIDELINES FOR THE GRANTS, THEY DIDN'T EVEN WRITE THE REGS YET.
SO THAT IS WHY WE ARE BEHIND ON PROCESSING, UM, OUR FINANCIAL AUDITS.
THAT'S JUST SIMPLY THE REASON.
SO THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT IN SEPTEMBER 30TH OF THIS YEAR, WE FILED OUR 2023 AUDITS.
SPRING OF NEXT YEAR, WE'RE GOING RIGHT INTO IT.
WE'VE HIRED DELOITTE TO HELP US.
UM, SPRING OF NEXT YEAR WE PLAN TO FILE OUR 2024 AUDITS.
AND THEN WE'RE HOPING THAT BY SUMMER OF NEXT YEAR, OUR 2025 AUDITS WILL BE FILED AND WE'LL BE, AND WE'LL BE BACK ON TRACK ON THAT.
BUT AGAIN, NOT THE SAME SITUATION.
AND LOOK, AND WE WE'RE GONNA MAKE IT BETTER.
WE TALKED ABOUT, I'VE TALKED, I'VE SPOKEN AT LENGTH TO COUNCILMAN WALKER ABOUT IT.
WHEN WE ARE DOING THIS AND WE'RE DOING A DEEP DIVE ON THINGS, WE FOUND A LOT OF INCONSISTENT DATA THAT WENT BACK DECADES, A LOT.
UM, SOME CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WERE ON THE BOOKS, SOME GRANTS THAT WERE STATED AS PENDING, NOT PENDING.
AND I MADE THE TOUGH DECISION WITH OUR TEAM.
UM, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE TRANSFERRING INTO A NEW FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, BUT AS WE FIND THE DATA AND WE FIND SOME OLD DATA THAT IS CORRUPT, UM, WE MADE THE DIFFICULT DECISION TO CLEAN IT UP.
NOW DO IT THE RIGHT WAY, EVEN THOUGH IT COMES AT COST AND IT COMES WITH TIME.
UM, BUT I THINK IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO LEGALLY.
I PROBABLY JUST HAVE TO TAKE THAT DATA AND MOVE IT OVER.
BUT THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
SO WE, AND I'VE TALKED TO CHAIRMAN WALKER ABOUT THAT.
UM, AND SO WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF BRINGING, YOU KNOW, A FINANCIAL SYSTEM THAT WAS FROM 1995 MODERNIZING AND THEN UPDATING THAT, WHICH IS ALSO VERY DIFFICULT TO BE DOING AT THE TIME.
SO I THINK YOU WERE REFERENCING WHEN YOU'RE IN THE MIDST OF IT, JUST MAKING IT BETTER AND TAKING THE TIME TO MAKE IT BETTER.
OF COURSE OUR FINANCE SITUATION IS ONE OF THOSE EXAMPLES OF WE'RE GONNA COME OUT BETTER AFTER, UM, AFTER WE GET CATCH UP, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A NEW FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
[00:50:01]
SINCE 1995, WE'VE BEEN ON ASS 400.I I, WHEN I WAS WORKING AT THE PARISH, I WORKED ON AS 400 AND IT FELT LIKE 1975.
UM, JUST TO FOLLOW BACK UP ON THAT PARISH PRESIDENT, WHAT REASSURANCES CAN YOU OFFER THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY ABOUT THE PARISH'S FINANCIAL STABILITY? I KNOW WE ARE NOT IN THE SAME POSITION OF AS THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS AND OUR ABILITY TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING THIS EXCITING ECONOMIC GROWTH, OUR, OUR INVESTMENTS IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
SO AGAIN, THE SITUATION WE GOT OURSELVES IS, IS IS, YOU KNOW, A MANPOWER ISSUE.
WE'RE NOT ABLE TO ISSUE THE AUDITED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
JEFFERSON PARISH HAS TRADITIONALLY AND HISTORICALLY BUDGETED VERY, VERY CONSERVATIVELY.
AND SOMETIMES WE GET CRITICIZED FOR THIS TOO.
WE HOLD A LOT OF MONEY IN RESERVE.
UM, WE HOLD AT LEAST 15% IN EVERY SINGLE ACCOUNT IN RESERVE THE BOND READING COMPANIES LIKE THAT.
UM, AND WE'VE CONTINUED TO DO THAT.
AND, UM, LIKE WHEN IDA HAPPENED, MANY PARISHES, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD TO BORROW MONEY JUST TO SMALLER ONES ESPECIALLY.
AND I, I JUST GOT BACK FROM A TRIP YESTERDAY.
SMALLER COUNTIES HAVE TO TAKE ON DEBT WHEN THEY GET, UH, AN EMERGENCY.
I SIGNED THAT DEBRIS CONTRACT WITHOUT HESITATION KNOWING THAT WE HAVE THE RESERVES TO GET US THROUGH A DISASTER.
AND THEN BY LEGALLY, WE'RE REQUIRED TO PRESENT A BALANCED BUDGET EVERY YEAR.
SO WE WOULD NEVER FIND OURSELVES IN A SITUATION, UM, WHERE, YOU KNOW, NEW ORLEANS GOT THEMSELVES IN BY LAW, WE'RE REQUIRED TO PRESENT THE COUNCIL.
UM, AND THEY HAVE OUR 2026 BUDGET NOW THAT THEY'RE REVIEWING A BALANCED BUDGET EVERY YEAR.
AND THE COUNCIL AT EVERY MEETING UPDATES THAT BUDGET.
YOU'LL, IF YOU LISTEN TO OUR COUNCIL MEETINGS, THE CHAIRMAN WILL WALK US THROUGH UPDATING BOTH THE OPERATING AND CAPITAL BUDGET SO EVERYBODY AT KNOWS WHERE WE ARE AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE A SITUATION WHERE YEARS LATER YOU'RE GONNA FIND OUT WE DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY.
OUR SYSTEM IS NOT DESIGNED TO BE LIKE THAT.
IT, IT IS A CURRENT UPDATE OF OUR BUDGET.
AND LEGALLY WE HAVE TO GIVE THE COUNCIL A BALANCED BUDGET EVERY YEAR.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING BACK THAT BOND RATING.
UM, CHAIRMAN WALKER EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION.
I KNOW YOU MENTIONED IT IN YOUR OPENING REMARKS, IS A VITAL FOUNDATION FOR JEFFERSON PARISH'S LONG-TERM SUCCESS AS IT NOT ONLY SHAPES THE FUTURE OF OUR CHILDREN, BUT ALSO DIRECTLY IMPACTS OUR WORKFORCE, OUR ECONOMY, AND OVERALL COMMUNITY WELLBEING.
IT'S LONG BEEN INITIATIVE OF THE JEFFERSON CHAMBER AND, AND WE'RE EXCITED THAT THE, THE COUNCIL HAS SUPPORTED THAT INITIATIVE.
SO CAN YOU SHARE HOW THE COUNCIL IS PRIORITIZING IN SUPPORTING EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE INITIATIVES? YEAH, WE'RE THANKFUL FOR THE CHAMBER SUPPORT AND THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY SUPPORT SO FAR THAT WE'VE GOTTEN ON THIS INITIATIVE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A MILLAGE THAT SUPPORTS EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION ORLEANS PARISH DOES.
IT GENERATES ABOUT 22 OR SO MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.
WE'RE NOT GONNA RAISE TAXES TO DO THIS.
BUT WE DO NEED TO FIND SUSTAINABLE FUNDING SOURCES WITHIN OUR OWN COMMUNITY AND WITHIN OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY BECAUSE INVESTING IN EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT INVESTMENT WE CAN MAKE IN THIS PARISH BECAUSE IT'S A WORKFORCE ISSUE OF TODAY AND TOMORROW.
IT TAKES PARENTS WHO WANT TO GET BACK INTO THE WORKFORCE, ALLOWS THEM TO WORK AGAIN.
IT PUTS CHILDREN ON EV EVEN FOOTING WITH THEIR PEERS WHERE YOUR EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND IS NOT GONNA BE DICTATED BY YOUR FINANCIAL BACKGROUND.
IT IS AN ISSUE THAT IS A GENERATIONAL PAYOFF.
PEOPLE ALWAYS SAY, WHY ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THIS? YOU DON'T SEE ANY RESULTS BECAUSE WHAT POLITICIAN WANTS TO LOOK AT THIS AND SAY, LET'S DO THIS.
AND YOU DON'T SEE A, A PAYOFF UNTIL YOU'RE LONG GONE.
BUT THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IF WE DON'T START NOW.
WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR FIVE YEARS NOW.
IF WE DIDN'T START WHEN WE DID, THEN YOU'RE NEVER GETTING THE BALL ROLLING.
YOU'RE NEVER GETTING THE CONVERSATION STARTED AND YOU'RE NEVER GETTING PEOPLE INTERESTED IN THIS.
SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE STARTED YEARS AGO, WILL CONTINUE FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, BUT IT IS, IN MY MIND, THE MOST CRITICAL THING IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
'CAUSE EVERYTHING STARTS AND ENDS WITH EDUCATION.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE A WELL EDUCATED BASE AND THESE YOUNGEST LEARNERS BETWEEN ZERO AND FOUR YEARS OLD AREN'T GETTING OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT WHEN THEIR BRAIN IS AT THE MOST FORMATIVE STAGE IN THEIR LIFE AT AGE FOUR, THEN WHAT ARE THEY GONNA BE WHEN THEY GROW UP? WHAT ARE THEY GONNA BRING TO THIS COMMUNITY IF THEY FALL OFF TRACK, IF THEY GET ON THE RED, THE RADAR OF THE JEFFERSON PARISH SHERIFF'S OFFICE, HOW IS THAT GONNA MAKE US A STRONGER COMMUNITY? SO INVESTING IN OUR FUTURE TODAY MAKES US A STRONGER COMMUNITY IN THE FUTURE.
SO EVERY BUSINESS OWNER IN JEFFERSON PARISH, EVERY BIG BUSINESS SHOULD SEE THE MAGNITUDE OF THIS AND WANT TO INVEST IN EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS SO WE CAN SUSTAIN THIS FUNDING AND MAKE IT SOMETHING THAT CAN BE LONG LASTING AND IMPACTFUL IN JEFFERSON PARISH BECAUSE THESE ARE YOUR FUTURE WORKERS.
YOU ARE HERE, YOU'RE INVESTED IN JEFFERSON PARISH, AND THIS IS THE BEST WAY THAT YOU CAN INVEST IN OUR PARISH NOW AND IN THE FUTURE.
AND AS A NEW MOM INVESTING IN YOUR CURRENT WORKFORCE WHEN YOU GET A CALL FROM DAYCARE OR, OR WHATNOT.
UM, SO YOU MENTIONED THAT THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY SHOULD INVEST, AND I KNOW THE COUNCIL HAS INVESTED CLOSE TO 3 MILLION OR ABOUT 3 MILLION OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
UM, ARE THE, IS THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY ALSO ABLE TO UTILIZE THAT LOCAL DOLLAR TO DOLLAR MATCH? YES.
LET'S NOT OVERLOOK THE STATE'S DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR
[00:55:01]
MATCHING FUND.SO EVERY LOCAL DOLLAR IS MATCHED DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR BY THE STATE.
I, I'LL USE ENTERGY AS AN EXAMPLE BECAUSE I'VE, I'VE JOKED AROUND WITH JIMMY QUITE A BIT ON THIS.
ENTERGY, LET'S DO A MILLION A YEAR FOR 10 YEARS.
YOU CAN PLUG IN ANY BUSINESS, BUT I'LL USE ENTERGY AS THE EXAMPLE.
A MILLION A YEAR FOR 10 YEARS GIVES US A, A SUSTAINABLE FORCE IN EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION THAT IS MATCHED BY THE STATE'S MATCHING FUND.
SO THAT 10 MILLION OVER 10 YEARS BECOMES 20 MILLION OVER 10 YEARS.
I'M NOT GOOD AT MATH, BUT I KNOW THAT MAKES SENSE AND WE CAN ALL MAKE SENSE OF THAT.
THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN THIS COMMUNITY.
ANYTHING THAT OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY DOES ON THAT LEVEL IS MATCHED BY THE STATE, MAKE A COMMITMENT TO A PERIOD OF YEARS AND WE CAN REALLY START MAKING A SUSTAINABLE AND IMPACTFUL DIFFERENCE IN THE PARISH.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING THAT MISSION.
AND IT DOESN'T JUST HAVE TO BE A MILLION A YEAR, IT CAN BE WHATEVER,
UM, SO AS YOU BOTH ARE AWARE, UH, MANY OF OUR MEMBERS, MANY, MANY OF THE BUSINESSES SITTING IN HERE TODAY HAVE EXPRESSED INTEREST IN SEEING A MORE STREAMLINED, A MORE EFFICIENT PERMITTING AND PLANNING PROCESS IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
UM, AS A MEMBER OF THE PARISH PRESIDENT'S ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND, AND JUST THE, THE COMMITMENT OF THE COUNCIL, I KNOW YOU WERE BOTH COMMITTED TO IMPROVING THAT PROCESS.
UM, FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVES, WHAT IMPROVEMENTS ARE BEING CONSIDERED CURRENTLY OR COULD BE MADE TO MAKE THESE PROCESSES MORE PREDICTABLE? I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR, IS PREDICTABILITY WITHIN THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND ALSO MORE TRANSPARENT AND BUSINESS FRIENDLY.
SO WE'LL START WITH YOU PARISH PRESIDENT.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW, RUTH LAWSON SITS ON OUR, OUR, ON MY PARISH PRESIDENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
UM, THIS IS NOT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A PROBLEM THAT HAPPENS IN EVERY PERMITTING OFFICE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
YOU HAVE LANDOWNERS WHO ARE HA HOLDING, CARRYING COSTS, INSURANCE COSTS, PAYING TAXES, AND THEN YOU HAVE A GOVERNMENT AGENCY WHO'S ABLE TO GIVE THE PERMIT BUT HAS BOOKS AND BOOKS AND BOOKS AND REGULATIONS OF MAKING SURE EVERYTHING IS DONE EXACTLY RIGHT.
AND OF COURSE, THEIR FEARS, IF A BUILDING FALLS OR THERE'S A FIRE, THERE'S GONNA BE LITIGATION AND THEIR NAMES, YOU KNOW, ATTACHED TO IT AND THEIR PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATION.
SO THIS IS JUST A CONSTANT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LACK OF A BETTER WORD.
THERE'S JUST A BATTLE BETWEEN AN OWNER AND, UM, A GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE OR A GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT.
UM, BUT WE, WE UNDERSTAND THAT AND WE WANNA MAKE IT SIMPLER.
AND THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE, WE'VE BEEN DOING OVER THE YEARS, UM, AND I'LL TALK, TALK THROUGH, WE'VE UPDATED OUR ZONING MAPS, WE'VE DONE MORE OUTREACH, MORE AUTOMATIONS IN THE PERMITTING SYSTEMS THEMSELVES.
WE'VE DEVELOPED A PROJECT GUIDE FOR THE PREDICTABILITY OF LIKE, THIS IS WHAT I'M GONNA NEED AND THIS IS ALL THE DIFFERENT GOVERNMENT AGENCIES THAT I MIGHT NEED.
OR I MIGHT NEED ADDITIONAL THINGS FROM THE COUNCIL.
WE'VE HIRED A NEW BUILDINGS PERMIT DIRECTOR WHO HAS, UM, REALLY THE EXPERIENCE.
SO HE HAD 500 MEMBER STAFF IN HOUSTON, UM, TO, TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING.
HE IS BEEN HERE FOR A COUPLE MONTHS, SO HE'S ALSO ALREADY IDENTIFIED LIKE, YOU HAVE A MECHANICAL INSPECTOR SHORTAGE.
WE NEED A, WE NEED TO FIX THAT SO HE CAN SEE THINGS RIGHT AWAY.
AND I'LL TELL YOU FROM WHAT WE'VE DONE, AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS, UM, THIS IS NOT A RECENT THING.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IT FROM THE PAST COUPLE YEARS.
THE PROJECTS, THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TAKES FOR THE PERMITS TO GET, UM, APPROVED HAS DROPPED DRAMATICALLY.
SO THE GOOD, THE GOOD NEWS IS OUR PROCESSING TIMES HAVE SHORTENED SOME NOW, NOT A MAJOR DEVELOPMENT, BUT SOME PERMITS THAT YOU FILE, YOU'RE GONNA GET APPROVED WITHIN, WITHIN THAT DAY.
THE BIG PROJECTS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE STICKING POINTS, THE BIG DEVELOPMENTS.
BUT IN TERMS OF PERMITTING, SOME OF 'EM ARE THE SAME DAY, SOME OF 'EM ARE SAME, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE HOURS.
UM, I PUT TOGETHER A PARISH PRESIDENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON PLANNING AND PERMITTING, WHICH THE CHAMBER IS A MEMBER AS, AS WELL AS ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, HAVE APPOINTMENTS, THE BUSINESS GROUPS, SOME OF OUR LARGE DEVELOPERS APPRECIATE YOU ALL ALONG WITH THE HOME BUILDERS, THE ARCHITECTS, AND THE ENGINEERING GROUPS.
LET'S, I, I WANTED TO OPEN IT UP.
YOU LOOK AT OUR PROCESS, TELL US WHAT YOU'RE NOT SEEING.
TELL US YOUR EXPERIENCE AND REALLY DEEP DIVE INTO HOW WE CAN MAKE THIS BETTER AS A COMMUNITY.
BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I WANNA SEE.
AND THAT GROUP HAS BEEN WONDERFUL.
AND THE, I MEAN, RUTH, YOU, YOU KNOW, THE, THE DISCUSSIONS THAT HAPPEN ON THAT ADVISORY COMMITTEE GET VERY TECHNICAL, AND I THINK ALL OF THAT WILL BRING US TO A BETTER PLACE WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU ALL DO.
AND THEN THERE'S SOMETHING CALLED THE UNITED UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE, WHICH IS, I'M REALLY GETTING IN THE WEEDS, BUT WE HAVE MOVED, UH, WE STARTED A UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE ALONG WITH OUR ZONING REGULATIONS, AND WE'VE NEVER FULLY GOTTEN ALL OF THAT INFORMATION INTO A UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE.
WE WERE ABLE TO GET A CBG, UM, DR. GRANT.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING ON MIGRATING EVERYTHING INTO A TRUE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND RIGHT NOW, AND FOR THE, FOR THE PAST, YOU KNOW, UH, DECADE, WE'VE BEEN ON TWO DIFFERENT CHAPTERS.
AND SOMETIMES THAT REGULATION HAS CONFLICTING INFORMATION.
SO THAT WILL REALLY CLEAN UP THINGS.
YOU, YOU, WE DISCUSSED IT IN THE TASK FORCE MEETINGS, BUT THAT ALSO, I THINK GETTING ALL THE CODE UNDER A UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE IS GOING TO HELP STREAMLINE THE PROCESS AS WELL.
[01:00:02]
THANK YOU.AND, AND JUST FOR ALL OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE, UM, THE CHAMBER WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN WORKING WITH THE PARISH FOR THE INDUSTRIAL ZONING CODE, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO DOING THE SAME TYPE OF PROCESS FOR THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE.
SO IF ANY OF YOU WERE INTERESTED IN KIND OF GETTING IN THE WEEDS OF THAT, UM, FOR THOSE WHO ARE ALWAYS INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS, PLEASE REACH OUT TO, TO THE CHAMBER.
'CAUSE WE WILL BE GOING AND, AND DEEP DIVING THAT.
UM, BUT COUNCIL CHAIRMAN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO OFFER ANY THOUGHTS ON THE PERMITTING AND PLANNING? I KNOW THAT THE COUNCIL HAS DONE SOME, UH, NUMEROUS OTHER OBJECTIVES AS WELL TO IMPROVE THE PROCESS.
YEAH, AND IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT EVERYBODY, LIKE THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM FOR EVERYBODY.
BUT WHEN YOU GET CALLS IN YOUR OFFICE FROM ENOUGH PEOPLE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEM OVER A PERIOD OF TIME, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT ISOLATED.
YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO DEAL WITH, BUT IT IS NOT, THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE PARISH.
BUT IT WAS ENOUGH TO BE TROUBLESOME TO WHERE WE HAD TO LOOK AT IT.
AND BESIDES WHAT THE PARISH PRESIDENT IS DOING WITH THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHICH I HELP PUSH AND LOOK, I'LL BE HONEST, CYNTHIA AND I HAVE HAD VERY FEW HEATED CONVERSATIONS OVER SIX YEARS.
BUT I'D SAY THAT CONVERSATION LEADING UP TO THIS WAS, WAS PRETTY SPIRITED IN MY BACKYARD.
IT WAS A VERY SPIRITED CONVERSATION.
I HOPE THE NEIGHBORS WEREN'T LISTENING, BUT IT BROUGHT US CLOSER TO A SOLUTION.
AND THE COUNCIL ALSO TOOK UP, UM, THE, THE, UH, THE PERMITTING PROCESS TO LOOK AT THAT AS WELL, BECAUSE IT HAS TO MAKE SENSE.
IT HAS TO BE SIMPLE, IT HAS TO BE EASY TO UNDERSTAND.
WE HAVE TO MAKE THE EXPERIENCE OF THE PROCESS FOR PEOPLE AT JEFFERSON PARISH MEMORABLE IN THE RIGHT WAYS, SO THEY'RE NOT LEAVING WITH A BAD TASTE IN THEIR MOUTH.
BECAUSE THE LAST THING WE WANT TO HEAR IS, IT'S EASIER TO DO BUSINESS HERE IN THIS OTHER PLACE.
IT'S EASIER TO DO TO BUILD A BUILDING IN THIS OTHER PLACE.
THAT'S THE LAST THING WE WANT TO HEAR.
SO IT'S GOTTA BE AN EASY PROCESS FOR THE PERSON DOING IT THE FIRST TIME OR THE 50TH TIME.
IT CAN'T BE SOMETHING THAT JUST VARIES AND YOU'VE DONE IT 25 TIMES AND YOU'RE 26 TIME, YOU'RE HAVING ALL THESE PROBLEMS YOU'VE NEVER HAD BEFORE.
SO WE, LIKE THE PARISH PRESIDENT SAID, IT'S STREAMLINED, IT'S MAKING THINGS EASIER, IT'S MAKING THINGS SIMPLER.
SO IT IS NOT A CHALLENGE TO BUILD ANYTHING OR DO ANYTHING THAT REQUIRES A PERMIT OR PLANNING IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
AND IF I, IF I COULD ADD TO THAT, RU THIS IS ONE OF THE STRANGE ISSUES WHERE WE'LL GET EQUALLY CRITICIZED AND COMPLIMENTED IF YOU, IF YOU, AND YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD IT AS WELL, RIGHT? SO IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE KIND OF PROJECT YOU HAVE AND HOW MANY HURDLES DO YOU HAVE TO GET IT REZONED? DO YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE PLANNING ADVISORY BOARD? DO YOU HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, SO PEOPLE WHO GET THEIR PERMANENT HOUR LOVE IT AND THINK THIS IS GREAT, OR MANY OTHER PROJECTS, SMALLER PROJECTS ARE GREAT.
AND THEN THE WAY THE LAWS ARE, IF YOU HAVE TO GO TO THE BOARD OF ZONING ADJUSTMENTS, LIKE THERE, THERE ARE OTHER PROJECTS THAT ARE VERY FRUSTRATING AS WELL.
SO IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE, PROBABLY THE ONLY PROJECT WHERE I'LL GET EQUALLY WILL GET EQUALLY CRITICIZED AND COMPLIMENTED, WHICH IS KIND OF A STRANGE PLACE TO BE.
BUT I THINK I'VE BEEN IN, IN A CONVERSATION IN THE SAME DAY WHERE WE WERE BOTH THE EASIEST PLACE TO DO BUSINESS COMPARED TO ELSEWHERE AND BOTH MORE DIFFICULT.
UM, SO CHAIRMAN WALKER, AS JEFFERSON PARISH CONTINUES TO EVOLVE AND GROW, LEADERSHIP AND VISION ARE CRITICAL TO SHAPING OUR FUTURE.
FROM YOUR VANTAGE POINT ON THE COUNCIL, WHAT IS YOUR VISION OF THE NEXT CHAPTER OF JEFFERSON PARISH AND HOW DO YOU SEE OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR GOVERNMENT WORKING TOGETHER TO BUILD A STRONGER, MORE VIBRANT PARISH FOR GENERATIONS TO COME? I MEAN, I THINK EVERY DAY EVENTS LIKE THIS AND, AND YOUR INVOLVEMENT IN OUR PARISH EVERY DAY WE'RE BUILDING FOR THE FUTURE OF JEFFERSON PARISH.
I ALWAYS SAY THAT EVERY DECISION THAT I MAKE IS DONE WITH THE FUTURE OF JEFFERSON PARISH IN MIND.
MY KIDS HAVE GROWN UP HERE, I GREW UP HERE, LEFT FOR A LITTLE WHILE, CAME BACK, AND IT IS HOME.
AND I'M INVESTED IN THIS COMMUNITY.
OUR COUNCIL IS INVESTED IN THIS COMMUNITY, OUR PARISH PRESIDENT, YOU ALL HAVE A LARGE INTEREST AND INVESTMENT IN THIS COMMUNITY.
WE'VE GOT MOMENTUM ON BOTH SIDES OF THE RIVER.
WE'VE GOT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES.
WE HAVE ANOTHER 16 YEARS TO GO ON REPLACING OUR WATER AND SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH IS PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE AND DOING POSITIVE THINGS TO MAKE OUR COMMUNITY VIABLE IN THE FUTURE.
BECAUSE TO ME RIGHT NOW, THERE'S NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT IN THIS PARISH OTHER THAN OUR BOND RATING THAN DRAINAGE AND GETTING OUR DRAINAGE SYSTEM PREPARED FOR THE FUTURE AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE EQUIPPED TO DEAL WITH WHATEVER NATURE BRINGS US, WHATEVER NEW THINGS THAT STORMS BRING US THAT WE HAVEN'T EXPERIENCED BEFORE.
BECAUSE IF THIS, THIS ADMINISTRATION AND OUR PAST TWO TERMS ON THE COUNCIL HAVE SHOWN ANYTHING, IT'S THAT YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT'S COMING TOMORROW.
LIKE YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT THE CHALLENGE IS GONNA BE AROUND THE NEXT CORNER.
WE HAVE FACED SO MANY THINGS DURING THESE SIX YEARS THAT NO ONE HAS EVER HAD TO THINK ABOUT DEALING WITH BEFORE.
BUT LIKE I SAID BEFORE, THOSE CHALLENGES CREATE OPPORTUNITIES AND MAKE US BETTER GOING FORWARD.
SO INVEST IN DRAINAGE AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
MAKE IT EASY TO DO BUSINESS IN JEFFERSON PARISH AND CONTINUE TO WORK FOR THE PEOPLE OF JEFFERSON PARISH WHO COUNT ON YOU TO WORK FOR THEM AND DO YOUR JOB EVERY DAY.
UH, SO PRESIDENT LEE SHANG WITH MAYOR ELECT, HE, ELENA MORENO PREPARING TO TAKE OFFICE.
THERE'S A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO STRENGTHEN THE REGIONAL APPROACH TO GROWTH.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'LL SAY IT, BUT I THINK REGIONALISM OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS HAS PROBABLY BEEN A LITTLE NON-EXISTENT.
[01:05:01]
I'LL SAY IT.UM, SO WHAT ARE SOME TANGIBLE WAYS THAT JEFFERSON PARISH AND NEW ORLEANS CAN WORK TOGETHER, PARTICULARLY AROUND ISSUES LIKE INFRASTRUCTURE, WORKFORCE, REGIONAL GROWTH, TO MOVE BEYOND THIS PARISH BY PARISH MINDSET AND MORE TOWARDS A UNIFIED REGION? SO, UH, MADAM MAYOR ELECT MORENO, I HAVE TO GET USED TO CALLING HER THAT INSTEAD OF, UH, COUNCILWOMAN.
UM, I ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, COULD FEEL THE EXCITEMENT OF HER WINNING.
I WAS, I WAS AT A MUSIC VENUE IN ORLEANS PARISH AND AROUND THE TIME THAT ELECTIONS CAME IN, IT JUST KIND OF SPRINKLED THROUGHOUT AND THERE WAS JUST AN EXCITEMENT IN THE ROOM FOR A NEW ADMINISTRATION.
SO I WILL SAY, UM, SHE AND I WORKED VERY WELL TOGETHER THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
SHE WOULD OFTEN TEXT ME, HOW DO YOU GUYS DO THIS? HOW DO YOU GUYS DO DO THIS? WHEN WE WERE, WHEN I WAS TELLING HER WE WERE DOING, WE WERE LOOKING AT OUR PERMITTING AND PLANNING COMMITTEE AND I WAS DOING AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON IT.
SHE'S LIKE, CAN I SEND SOME STAFF OVER THERE TO SEE WHAT YOU'RE DOING? WE CAN SHARE SOME IDEAS.
SO THE WORKING RELATIONSHIP WAS GOOD.
I WAS TALKING TO HER ON THE PHONE THE OTHER DAY, AND WE HAD TO REMIND OURSELVES WHEN WE BOTH GOT ON THE COUNCIL TOGETHER AROUND THE SAME TIME, WE WORKED TOGETHER ON WHAT WE CALL THE RTA BUS NUMBER 39.
IT WAS A BIG DEAL, UH, TO TAKE A, A NEW ORLEANS BUS AND LET IT GO TO OCHSNER, UP JEFFERSON HIGHWAY TO OCHSNER.
AND IT WAS SUCH A BIG DEAL FOR US FOR REGIONALISM.
WE ALL RODE THE BUS TOGETHER, UM, OPENING UP OCHSNER AND THE REGION TO THIS RTA BUS NEW ORLEANS BUS.
SO WE WANNA, FIRST OF ALL, WE DISCUSSED GOING BACK TO REGIONAL TRANSIT.
I MEAN, THAT IS DIRECT FOR BOTH OF OUR ECONOMIES.
WHERE ARE WE DUPLICATING SERVICES? WHERE CAN WE USE EACH OTHER'S LINES? WHERE CAN WE, UM, BROADEN, YOU KNOW, BROADEN THE, THE REACH, BUT MAKE ROUTES MAKE SENSE? WE HAVE BUS LINES SOMETIME THAT HAVE ONE OR TWO PEOPLE A DAY ON IT.
UM, SO IT'S PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, I THINK SHE WOULD AGREE MORE FREQUENT, UM, BUS LINES THAT GO TO CENTERS OF OUR REGION IS, IS A BETTER PRODUCT FOR US.
SO I THINK WE BOTH REALIZE WE CAN HAVE OPPORTUNITIES ON TRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE KNOW, UM, OBVIOUSLY WITH DRAINAGE AND WE SHARE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CANALS OR WE SHARE OUR CANALS, WE SHARE THE WATER SITUATION.
SHE AND I HAD TO WORK VERY CLOSELY TOGETHER WITH SALT WATER INTRUSION.
SO THERE'S MANY, MANY WAYS ON INFRASTRUCTURE WE CAN SHARE INFORMATION, UM, AND WORK MORE IN A MORE COORDINATED WAY ON THERE.
AND THEN I THINK OVERALL JUST PITCHING THE REGION IN A UNIFIED WAY.
I MEAN, I ALWAYS, WE, WE BOTH SAID TO EACH OTHER, LET'S JUST GET IT FOR THE REGION.
I WILL BE AT ANY MEETING THAT YOU NEED FOR NEW ORLEANS, AND SHE'S WILLING TO COME HERE, UM, TO GET US A MEETING IN, IF IT LANDS IN JEFFERSON PARISH, WE KNOW THAT'S A WIN.
WE KNOW, LOOK AT ANY OF OUR BUSINESSES.
YOU MIGHT WORK IN ORLEANS PARISH, YOU LIVE IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
SO WE JUST NEED TO GET THE WIN FOR THE REGION AND BOTH OF US, I MEAN, SHE COMMITTED TO ME AND I KNOW SHE'S GONNA BE A VERY, VERY STRONG REGIONAL PARTNER FOR US.
AND WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO BE AT A LOT OF MEETINGS TOGETHER TRYING TO JUST BRING A, A WIN FOR THE REGION.
COUNCIL CHAIRMAN, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANNA SHARE? I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE A RELATIONSHIP AS WELL.
I'VE KNOWN, UH, MAYOR ELECT MORENO.
THAT IS WEIRD TO START SAYING, BUT WE HAVE TO GET USED TO IT.
I'VE KNOWN HER FOR A LONG TIME, UH, BACK TO OUR TV DAYS AT W-D-S-U-I, SHE HAD JUST LEFT WHEN I GOT THERE, BUT I'D KNOWN HER FOR A LONG TIME AND I'M A BIG FAN OF HERS.
I I THINK SHE'S GONNA DO A TREMENDOUS JOB IN NEW ORLEANS.
I KNOW SHE IS INVESTED IN THAT COMMUNITY AND BELIEVES IN WHAT SHE'S GONNA DO IN THAT COMMUNITY AND IS SET ON MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
AND I THINK SHE'LL BE GOOD FOR THEM.
IT'LL BE THE BEST RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ORLEANS AND JEFFERSON PARISH THAT WE HAVE SEEN IN A LONG, LONG TIME.
AND LOOK, I'VE, I'VE HAD RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL IN ORLEANS PARISH AS WELL.
UM, AND WE KNOW ALL OF THEM, ALL OF US KNOW THEM ON, ON VARIOUS LEVELS.
BUT, UM, THERE WAS, THERE WAS AN IMPEDIMENT OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS TO THAT REGIONALISM.
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT IMPEDIMENT NOT BEING THERE ANYMORE.
UM, THAT WAS A NICE, JUST LEFT YOU, LEFT YOU A LINE TO READ BETWEEN RIGHT, RIGHT THERE.
UM, SO I, I WANNA THANK YOU, UM, TO OUR PANELISTS FOR THESE INFORMATIVE RESPONSES, THESE QUESTIONS THAT WEREN'T, YOU KNOW, FLUFFY QUESTIONS, UM, THAT REALLY DUG INTO SOME ISSUES THAT WERE FACING INTO JEFFERSON.
AND, AND I KNOW THAT YOU TWO BEING UP HERE AND, AND LEADING OUR PARISH AMONGST OUR OTHER LEADERS, UM, ARE THE RIGHT PEOPLE.
AND SO I THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO THAT.
UM, AND NOW I WOULD JUST LIKE TO GIVE EACH OF YOU A COUPLE OF MINUTES TO WRAP UP BEFORE WE END THE PROGRAM.
SO I'M ALWAYS LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, THE WORK THAT I HAVE TO DO AND, UM, I'M, I HAVE TWO YEARS AND TWO MONTHS LEFT IN MY TERM.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHAT I'M TELLING MY TEAM.
I'M PROUD THAT WE TOOK ON A LOT OF REALLY BIG INITIATIVES.
UM, WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T SHY AWAY FROM DOING REALLY BIG PROJECTS THAT TAKE YEARS TO DEVELOP.
AND I, YOU KNOW, MY TEAM KNOWS I DON'T WANNA LEAVE NOT FINISHING STUFF.
AND I, I EVEN THINK I NEED TO MAKE THIS DECISION OR THAT DECISION BECAUSE IF I LEAVE ON DECEMBER 31ST AND I, I DON'T WANNA TELL MYSELF IF I HAD TWO MORE MONTHS, I COULD HAVE WORKED, I COULD HAVE BROUGHT THAT HOME.
[01:10:01]
MINDSET IS REALLY TURNING THE CORNER ON SOME OF THESE REALLY LARGE PROJECTS THAT WE'VE TAKEN ON, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE FINANCE AND GETTING THIS FINANCE SYSTEM IN PLACE AND, AND OUR BOND RATING OR THE, THE MAJOR WATER AND INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE, THE, THE RECREATION, THE SPORTS TOURISM.I STILL HAVE, I'M BUSY ON THAT ALL THE TIME 'CAUSE IT'S SO EXCITING.
I WANNA GET THAT GOING AS FAR AS I CAN AND THE PERMITTING PIECE AS WELL.
UM, AND I MENTIONED I GOT IN, RUTH WAS AFRAID I WASN'T GONNA BE HERE.
I WAS AFRAID I WASN'T GONNA BE HERE.
UM, I'M ON THIS NATIONAL TASK FORCE.
UM, WE HAVE THE FEMA ACT THAT WE'RE PROPOSING THAT I VISITED WITH MANY SENATORS OFFICES AT, AT THE CAPITOL YESTERDAY IN DC UM, WITH, WITH, UM, THEM.
TRUMP HAS HIS OWN FEMA REVIEW COUNCIL.
AND I'M VERY, VERY COMMITTED TO MAKING SOMETHING HAPPEN BECAUSE LOUISIANA, UM, REALLY DRAWS DOWN PROBABLY MORE THAN ANY OTHER STATE'S, THE MO THE MOST RECOVERY FUNDS.
AND IF I CAN JUST PLAY ONE PART IN CHANGING THAT FOR THE COUNTRY, UM, IN MY TIME OF OFFICE, I'M COMMITTED TO DOING THAT.
IF WE CAN GET A SENATE COMPANION BILL, UM, AND THEN THE HOUSE HAS PASSED THEIR VERSION AND A SENATE VERSION, UM, MAYBE FEMA LOOKS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT IT'S EVER LOOKED LIKE BEFORE.
SO, UM, I HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO IN, IN TWO YEARS.
BUT, UM, AGAIN, WE, WE TALK ABOUT IT WHEN YOU'RE ONLY ELECTED FOR A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME, IT, YOU HEAR SO MANY PEOPLE SAY IT 'CAUSE THAT'S HOW YOU FEEL.
AND THAT'S PROBABLY HOW YOU FEEL IN YOUR JOBS TOO.
I WANNA LEAVE IT BETTER THAN I FOUND IT AND THE NEXT PERSON WILL WANNA DO THE SAME.
AND THAT'S HOW WE WE MOVE ON WITH THINGS.
I WANNA LEAVE IT BETTER THAN I FOUND IT.
AND I GOT A LOT TO FINISH IN TWO YEARS AND TWO MONTHS.
UH, THANK YOU AGAIN TO RUTH IN THE JEFFERSON CHAMBER.
UM, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, ALL OF YOU WHO ARE INVESTED SO MUCH IN JEFFERSON PARISH, OUR PARISH DEPARTMENTS, EVERYBODY HERE WHO CONTINUES TO INVEST TIME AND ENERGY IN MAKING THIS PLACE GREAT.
UM, 'CAUSE THAT'S ALL WE WANT ON A DAILY BASIS.
AND LOOK, I WANT TO THANK EVERY ELECTED OFFICIAL IN THIS ROOM FOR DOING WHAT THEY DO.
MY COLLEAGUES ON THE COUNCIL, THE PARISH PRESIDENT, THE CORONER, THE TAX ASSESSOR, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, WHOEVER ELSE MAY BE HERE THAT I'M FORGETTING, IT IS A CHALLENGE TO BE AN ELECTED OFFICIAL TODAY.
I MEAN, PEOPLE YELL AT YOU MORE THAN THEY'VE EVER YELLED AT YOU BEFORE.
SOCIAL MEDIA IS WORSE THAN IT'S EVER BEEN BEFORE, AND IT TAKES A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF, UM, OF THICK SKIN TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS ON A DAILY BASIS.
AND SOMETIMES YOU HAVE REALLY BAD DAYS, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE REALLY GOOD DAYS.
AND I ALWAYS SAY THERE ARE MORE GOOD DAYS THAN BAD DAYS.
BUT, UM, THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM WHO REALLY WORKS FOR JEFFERSON PARISH EVERY DAY AND, AND TAKES SOME OF THE SHRAPNEL ALONG THE WAY BECAUSE, UH, WE DO GET CRITICIZED QUITE A BIT.
BUT LIKE I SAID EARLIER, WE'RE ALL HERE FOR THE RIGHT REASONS TO DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN FOR THE FUTURE OF JEFFERSON PARISH.
SO AS WE GO FORWARD, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE FIXING ROADS, BUILDING SMARTER INFRASTRUCTURE, PROTECTING OUR COAST, ATTRACTING JOBS, LOOKING FOR INNOVATIVE NEW THINGS TO DO.
AND AS LONG AS WE CONTINUE TO BUILD THOSE THINGS ON A DAILY BASIS TOWARD OUR FUTURE, WE'RE GONNA BE IN A GREAT PLACE.
JEFFERSON PARISH ISN'T PERFECT.
WE'VE GOT CHALLENGES, BUT WE TAKE THOSE CHALLENGES HEAD ON AND WE'RE GONNA DO THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO DO EVERY DAY TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS REMAINS THE BEST PARISH IN THE STATE OF LOUISIANA TO CALL HOME.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN TO OUR PANELISTS AND OUR PRESENTING SPONSOR.
UM, I KNOW WE'VE SPOKEN A LOT ABOUT EARLY CHILDHOOD TODAY, BUT, UM, SOMETHING ELSE THAT IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT IS STRENGTHENING OUR WORKFORCE THROUGH, UM, GROWING LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS.
SO I WANNA SAY THAT THE JEFFERSON CHAMBER IS EXCITED TO HOST THE INAUGURAL IGNITE YOUNG PROFESSIONALS LEADERSHIP SUMMIT NEXT THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 6TH AT THE JEFFERSON PERFORMING ARTS CENTER.
UM, AS YOU ALL KNOW, UH, JEFFERSON PARISH IS AN AGING POPULATION.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SPEAK ABOUT OFTEN AS A BUSINESS COMMUNITY AMONGST OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS.
AND SO ATTRACTING AND RETAINING OUR YOUNG PROFESSIONALS CONTINUES TO BE A TOP PRIORITY BY NOT ONLY OUR STATE, BUT OUR PARISH.
AND THIS EVENT IS DESIGNED TO IGNITE THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS BY CREATING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CONNECTION AND PROFESSIONAL GROWTH AND REGIONAL COLLABORATION.
SO PLEASE SCAN THE QR CODE ON THE BACK OF YOUR TABLE MENU OR OPEN OUR MINI EMAILS ABOUT THIS, UM, EVENT AND REGISTER.
UM, THOSE IN YOUR COMPANY, UM, ANY YOUNG PROFESSIONALS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND ACROSS ANY OF THE PARISHES.
AND FINALLY, WE WILL HOST OUR LAST SIGNATURE EVENT OF THE YEAR, OUR 26TH ANNUAL GOLF TOURNAMENT ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20TH.
I THINK WE ONLY HAVE MAYBE TWO OR THREE TEAMS LEFT.
IT'LL BE HELD AT TPC LOUISIANA WITH A SHOTGUN START AT 9:00 AM AND WE HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE.
SO THANK YOU ALL AGAIN FOR ATTENDING OUR 2025 STATE OF JEFFERSON LUNCHEON.
THE FUTURE OF OUR PARISH IS BRIGHT, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU ALL AGAIN SOON.