[00:00:01]
IT TO YOU.YOU GONNA BE LIVE READY TO GOOD AFTERNOON
[CALL TO ORDER]
EVERYONE.AND WELCOME TO OUR PRESENTATION PORTION OF OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED METROPOLITAN COUNCIL MEETING ON THIS JUNE 8TH, 2022 AT 3:30 PM.
FIRST STUFF WE WILL HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER CLEVE JONES JR.
TO RECOGNIZE LEADERS OF THE NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS CONFERENCE, THE 11TH ANNUAL NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS COUNCIL CONFERENCE OF 2022 COUNCIL MEMBER DUNN, JANEY.
GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE IN THE CHAMBER.
GOOD EVENING TO EVERYONE WATCHING US ON FACEBOOK AND ON THE WEBSITE.
I WANT TO ASK, UH, MS. GOODLEY, WHO'S THE DIRECTOR OF, UH, WHAT'S THE DEPARTMENT OF THAT.
I SHOULD NOTE IT, DIRECTOR OF THE LOUIS, A BERRY INSTITUTE FOR CIVIL RIGHTS AND JUSTICE, WHICH IS AT THE LAW CENTER, THE UNIVERSITY, AND SHE IS MUCH MORE WELL VERSED ON EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON WITH THE CONFERENCE.
I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT BATON ROUGE PASSED THE CONFERENCE AND IS PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION TO THESE ISSUES THAT WE FACE NOT ONLY LOCALLY, BUT ALSO THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
AND WE HAVE SEVERAL PROCLAMATIONS THAT WE'RE GOING TO PRESENT TO HER OR HER STAFF AND THOSE THAT HELPED PUT THE CONFERENCE ON, BUT I WANT TO BRING A DIET UP AND LET US SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT EXACTLY THEY'RE DOING WHEN, WHERE, AND HOW.
THANK YOU SO MUCH COUNCIL MEMBER, AND THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU FOR HAVING US.
UH, THIS AFTERNOON, WE'VE BEEN PLANNING THE NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS CONFERENCE FOR OVER A YEAR NOW, AND WE ARE FINALLY AT THE POINT WHERE WE CAN SAY, WE'RE GOOD, GO, GO, GO TO THE WEBSITE AND REGISTER.
WE HAVE PRE-CONFERENCE ACTIVITIES STARTING ON JUNE 18TH AND 19TH IN NEW ORLEANS.
AND THEN WE COME TO BATON ROUGE AT THE HILTON DOWNTOWN TO START WITH OUR CONFERENCE ACTIVITIES ON JUNE 20TH AND 21ST ACTIVITIES, SUCH AS THE BATON ROUGE BUS BOYCOTT.
IT WILL BE ON A HIGHLIGHT WITH THE LUNCH PRESENTATION AT THE HILTON, AS WELL AS, UH, A TOUR OF SELECTED SITES THAT COMMEMORATE, UH, THE BATON ROUGE BUS BOYCOTTS AND THOSE EFFORTS.
WE ALSO HAVE A CONFERENCE CLOSER THAT IS GOING TO UNVEIL THE DISPLAY CASES FOR THE CLARK V EDWARDS PAPERS.
AND IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT, I URGE YOU TO, TO DEFINITELY LOOK INTO IT.
BUT CLARK B EDWARDS ABSOLUTELY OPEN DOORS TO BLACK JUDGES IN LOUISIANA.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO CLOSE THE CONFERENCE WITH CLARK V EDWARDS UNVEILING OF THE DISPLAY CASE THAT WE HAVE FOR THOSE PAPERS.
AND WE INVITE YOU ALL TO JOIN US.
THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME GOOD FOOD AND DRINKS AND CONVERSATIONS AND NETWORKING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS.
THANK YOU AT DI WE HAVE SEVERAL CERTIFICATES OF RECOGNITION THAT WE'RE GOING TO PRESENT.
UM, YOU WANT TO GET YOU MORE? YEAH.
UM, AND BEFORE I SIT DOWN AND IN THIS PRESENTATION, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE A SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY LAW CENTER ALUM THAT SITS AMONGST US AND COUNCILWOMAN JIM ROCCO.
NEXT WE WILL HAVE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL MEMBER, AARON MOLT TO RECOGNIZE MEMBERS OF THE CREW OF APOLLO EIGHT CRISIS FUND SERVICES TO THE LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY COUNCIL.
FIRST OFF, I'D LIKE TO START, UM, JUST IN CASE Y'ALL DON'T KNOW WHAT MONTH THIS IS.
I'LL GIVE YOU THREE GUESSES AND TWO OF THEM DOESN'T COUNT.
SO, UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, UM, I WANT TO TELL Y'ALL A, ABOUT AN EVENT COMING UP.
LET'S SEE A BATTERY'S PRIDE FEST.
UH, IT'LL BE, WE'LL BE RETURNING THIS YEAR 2022 INTO THE RIVER CENTER AFTER BEING OFF OF A COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE GLAD TO BE BACK IN THERE AND HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO, TO HOST THIS EVENT EVERY YEAR THAT WE CAN, WE'D LIKE TO INVITE EVERYONE OUT IN THE PUBLIC, UH, TO COME OUT AND IT'D BE PLENTY OF FOOD, UH, EXPO WE'LL HAVE VENDORS OUT THERE AND PLENTY OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMMUNITY AND, UH, PRESENTATIONS AND SHOWS.
[00:05:01]
A JUNE 25TH, 2022 AT THE RAISING CANES RIVER CENTER.IF YOU WANT SOME MORE INFO, IT WILL BE A BR PRIDE.ORG.
AND WITH THAT COMING UP ALSO, WE HAVE EVERY YEAR, IT IS A, AS WE KNOW NATIONALLY, IT IS, UH, JUNE IS PRIDE MONTH, WHICH, UM, BASICALLY REPRESENTS, UH, THE MONTH IN, UH, IF YOU REMEMBER NEW YORK, THE STONEWALL RIOTS THAT, UM, SET OFF THE WHOLE PRIDE EVENT IN THE MOVING FORWARD.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'D LIKE TO READ THIS OUT.
THIS PROCLAMATION, THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE, PARIS OF EAST BATON ROUGE.
WHEREAS BATON ROUGE IS A CITY COMPOSER, THE GREAT VARIETY OF DIVERSE PEOPLE WHO MAKE UP THE FABRIC OF OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE RECOGNIZES THE INHERENT WORTH AND DIGNITY OF EVERY PERSON, INCLUDING THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY.
AND WHEREAS BATON ROUGE IS A CITY OF INCLUSION, WHICH RECOGNIZES THE VALUE AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE COMMUNITY.
NOW, THEREFORE I SHARED WESTERN BROOM MAYOR, PRESIDENT OF THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE AND THE PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE DO HEREBY HONOR AND RECOGNIZE JUNE 20, 22 AS BATON ROUGE PRIDE MONTH.
AND I'D LIKE TO THANK THE MAYOR FOR THIS.
SO, UH, CRENELATIONS ON THE OPENING OF PRIDE MONTH AND I'D LIKE TO CALL UP, UM, APOLLO PRESIDENT, UH, KATIE TO ACCEPT THIS OVER HERE.
ALL RIGHT, THIS, UH, NEXT PRESENTATION.
UM, I HAVE FOR THE APOLLO MEMBERS, UH, AND, UH, ANOTHER ORGANIZATION FIRST, I'D LIKE TO START WITH A LITTLE SHORT VIDEO, IF WE COULD START THAT THERE IS A HUMAN BEING BEHIND ALL OF THOSE TUBES AND, YOU KNOW, GADGETS, THERE'S HUMAN BEING, AND THAT IS IMPORTANT.
THE AIDS EPIDEMICS OF THE HEADLINES.
SOME DOCTORS BELIEVE THAT 50% OF THE GAY POPULATION IS WALKING AROUND WITH THE AIDS VIRUS.
NOWHERE IS A PROBLEM MORE SEVERE THAN A 10 FRANCISCO GENERAL, AT LEAST 15,000 MEN ARE EXPECTED TO DIE IN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS.
PEOPLE WERE BAFFLED AND IT WASN'T MYSTERY WHAT THIS LETHAL THING WAS.
AND SO RESPONSES AND PROTOCOLS VARY VERY MUCH ACROSS HOSPITALS.
BY BEING WAS THE FIRST PLACE IN THE WORLD.
AS FAR AS WE KNOW THAT, UM, THAT FOCUSED ON PEOPLE WITH AIDS.
WE COMBINED THAT WITH THE, WITH THE APPROACH WE HAD AT HOSPICE OF HUMAN TOUCH AND, AND RECOGNIZING THAT THERE IS A HUMAN BEING BEHIND ALL OF THOSE TUBES AND, YOU KNOW, GADGETS, THERE'S HUMAN BEINGS, THERE'S HORROR STORIES THAT I COULD GO ON AND ON ABOUT, ABOUT PEOPLE NOT GETTING THEIR ROOMS CLEANED.
UM, PEOPLE NOT HAVING NURSING COMING INTO THEIR ROOM AND PEOPLE STANDING AGAINST THE WALL, NOT WANTING TO TALK TO THEM.
THE SPACE SUITS ACTUALLY ORIGINALLY CAME INTO EXISTENCE TO PROTECT PATIENTS WHO WERE VERY SEVERELY IMMUNOCOMPROMISED.
AND THEN IN SOME HOSPITALS, IT GOT TURNED AROUND BECAUSE HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS WERE SO SCARED THAT THEY WANTED TO WEAR THEM FOR THEIR PROTECTION.
IT'S PROBABLY THE BEST WORD IN THE NATION.
UH, LIKE I SAID, THAT THE NURSES ARE ALL VOLUNTEER ASSIGNMENTS AND YOU GET THAT FEELING.
YOU KNOW, THEY WANT TO BE HERE TO HELP PEOPLE AND PARTICULARLY AIDS PATIENTS, PEOPLE NEED HUMAN CONTACT.
AND IF THEY, IF THEY'RE NOT ACCEPTED IN SOCIETY, IF THEY'RE NOT ACCEPTED THEIR FAMILY, UM, AND THEY'RE SICK, THEN THERE'S NURSES, THERE'S VOLUNTEERS.
IT'S NOT THE BIOLOGICAL FAMILY.
IT'S THE LOGICAL FAMILY THAT, THAT'S WHAT WE SAW HAPPEN.
AND, UH, SO LADIES AND GENTLEMEN HERE TODAY ARE SEVERAL MEMBERS OF DOMESTIC CREW OF APOLLO, AN ORGANIZATION, AN ORGANIZATION THAT YOU PROBABLY KNOW OR POSSIBLY KNOW AS ONE THAT PRODUCES ONE OF THE LARGEST ANNUAL BALL MASS DURING THE MARDI GRAS SEASON.
BUT THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO THE MYSTIC CREW OF APOLLO CREATED IN 1980 BY ONE OF THE FOUNDING MEMBERS.
[00:10:01]
APOLLO HAS WORKED AT THE LGBT COMMUNITY, LGBT COMMUNITY FOR 41 YEARS.BUT WHAT I'M HERE TODAY TO TELL YOU ABOUT IS AN ORGANIZATION WITHIN APOLLO CALLED THE APOLLO HIV AIDS CRISIS FUND AS COUNCIL MEMBERS.
YOU KNOW, WE OFTEN APPROVED FUNDING FOR MULTIPLE ORGANIZATIONS HERE IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH THROUGH THE RYAN WHITE FOUNDATION.
FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DO NOT KNOW IN 1985, RYAN WHITE WAS IN INDIANA TEENAGER WHO CONTRACTED AIDS THROUGH CONTAMINATED BLOOD PRODUCTS USED TO TREAT HIS HAEMOPHILIAC UPON CONTRACTION.
HE WAS REFUSED ENTRY TO HIS MIDDLE SCHOOL.
BRIAN'S LEGAL BATTLES TO PROTECT HIS RIGHTS, TO ATTEND SCHOOL CALLED NATIONAL ATTENTION TO THE DISCRIMINATION AGAINST HIV AND THOSE LIVING WITH HIV AND AIDS LONG BEFORE FEDERAL FUNDING SOURCES BECAME AVAILABLE.
PEOPLE WITH HIV AND AIDS WERE SHUNNED.
REJECTED HAD NOWHERE TO TURN FOR COMMUNITY OR ASSISTANCE.
EVEN FAMILIES TURNED AWAY FROM HELPING THEIR LOVED ONES IN THE HOUR OF THEIR NEED.
THESE INDIVIDUALS WERE EXCLUDED FROM SOCIETY.
THEY WERE FIRED FROM THEIR JOBS.
THEY WERE TAKEN AWAY BY THEIR FAMILIES TO PASS AWAY ALONE.
THE GENERAL PUBLIC WAS SCARED TO DEATH, TO INTERACT WITH ANYONE, WITH HIV AND AIDS, DOMESTIC CREW OF APOLLO, HIV AIDS CRISIS FOUNDATION.
ALONG WITH THESE INDIVIDUALS, I AM GOING TO RECOGNIZE TODAY, STEPPED UP TO SURROUND AND SUPPORT THOSE IN THE BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY AND SURROUNDING AREAS.
LIVING IN FIGHTING HIV AND AIDS, THEY HELD FUNDRAISERS, GARAGE SALES SOLD THEIR PERSONAL BELONGINGS AND SOLICITED DONATIONS TO ASSIST INDIVIDUAL WITH THEIR PERSONAL CARE.
THEIR MEDICAL CARE HOUSING CLEANING AND COOKING WOULD BE WHEN THEY BECAME BEDRIDDEN.
WHEN OTHERS REFUSE TO TOUCH THE VERY SICK AND ALONE AIDS VICTIMS, THESE INDIVIDUALS WERE SITTING NEXT TO THEIR BEDS IN THE HOSPITAL, OFFERING SUPPORT AND COMFORT.
OUR EARLIEST BATON ROUGE AIDS PATIENTS DID NOT DIE ALONE BECAUSE THESE INDIVIDUALS WERE THERE TO HOLD THEIR HANDS.
AS THEY LOST THEIR BATTLE AND SLIPPED AWAY.
IT IS AN HONOR TO RECOGNIZE THESE UNSUNG HEROES FOR THEIR BRAVERY AND SELFISHNESS AT A TIME WHEN OTHERS WERE RUNNING AWAY, THEY RUSHED TO HELP AS I CALL YOUR NAME.
IF YOU HAD STEPPED FORWARD, MR. MARSHALL VOSS IS NOT HERE TODAY.
MS. JAY JOSE, JOSIE PANOLA GOD, IF I MURDERED THAT, MS. MS. DEBBIE, DANIEL, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, AND LISTENED TO THESE STORIES.
UH, WE, WE, WE TALK ABOUT HOW WE SUPPORT AND FUND AND WHAT WE DO NOW, BUT THESE, THESE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE'RE ON THE FRONT LINES AND THE APOLLO CREW WAS THERE WHEN THERE WAS NO ONE ELSE.
AND, UM, I, I, I KNOW AT MY TIME IN ME COMING OUT AND SO ON AND THINGS CHANGING, I APPRECIATE WHAT THEY DID FOR THE COMMUNITY AND WHAT THEY'VE DONE FOR US.
AND THIS DAY IN TIME, UM, I'M A GIRL FROM ILLINOIS WHEN I MOVED DOWN HERE, UM, I MET SOME WONDERFUL PEOPLE AND THEY'RE PEOPLE JUST LIKE YOU OR ANYBODY ELSE, BUT WHEN THEY GOT SICK, THIS IS BEFORE THE CREATE AIDS CRISIS.
THERE WAS NOBODY THERE FOR THEM.
OR THEY NEEDED SOMEONE TO LISTEN TO.
AND I JUST, I GUESS I'VE ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY.
UH, WE'LL TAKE CARE OF ANYBODY, BUT THAT TOUR MY PART ART.
THESE WERE LIKE MY BROTHERS AND THE THOUGHT OF ANYBODY DYING BY THEMSELVES THAT IS NOT HAPPENING.
I CAN REMEMBER GOING TO THE HOSPITAL AND THE NURSE WOULDN'T COME INTO THE ROOM AND IT AMAZED ME IN THIS DAY AND AGE IT STILL ON.
BUT ALL I WANT TO DO IS THIS IS WONDERFUL, BUT THIS REPRESENTS ALMOST 30, SOME MEN
[00:15:01]
THAT WERE MY BROTHERS THAT ARE GONE TODAY.AND IT JUST WANTS YOU TO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND AS A MEMBER OF APOLLO ALONE WITH MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE A COUPLE OF OTHER PEOPLE WITH APOLLO ITSELF.
UH, MR. KATIE LINCOLN SMITH IS CURRENT PRESIDENT OF APOLLO AND MR. COREY
YOU'RE GENTLEMEN, THE COUNCIL.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER MOCHA.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU AND HAPPY PRIDE MONTH TO ALL OF YOU WHO IS CELEBRATING THIS MONTH.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO RECESS FOR ABOUT FIVE MINUTES AND WE'RE GOING TO START AT 4:00 PM THINKING COUNCIL MEMBER.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE SEATS COUNCIL MEMBERS, IF YOU WERE MISQUOTED, TAKE YOUR SEATS.
THAT'S WHY I SAID THAT COUNCIL NUMBER.
WE'RE WAITING ON A FORUM THAT WAS IN OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS RIGHT THERE.
I SEE WE HAVE, I SEE SOME MORE COLOR INTRODUCING.
WELCOME TO THE CASTLE CHAMBER OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
GOOD TO HAVE ALL OF YOU TUNED IN.
WE WISH YOU WERE HERE WITH US, BUT SINCE YOU'RE NOT, WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE WATCHING ON COX CHANNEL 2199 ON 80 AND T WE'RE STREAMING THE VIDEO AT OUR WEBSITE AT W WW BR MAY OUR GOV BATON ROUGE.
IF THOSE CLUBS B R L A.GOV, SORRY FOR THAT.
AND ALSO WE ARE ON FACEBOOK LIVE NATION GUIDE TODAY.
AND WE'RE GLAD IF ANY OF YOU ARE WATCHING THROUGH THOSE MEANS ONCE AGAIN, WELCOME TO THE COUNCIL CHAMBER OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH ON BEHALF OF MAYOR, PRESIDENT SHARON, WESTERN BROOME, AND ALL 12 OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
AND AT THIS TIME HERE IS THE MAYOR PRESIDENT PRO TEM OF EAST BATON ROUGE, PARISH, COUNCILMAN LAMONT.
CO-COUNSELING THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DENNIS.
LET'S GIVE DENNIS A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
FALL WAS DOING A GOOD JOB AT THIS TIME.
I'M GOING TO ACTUALLY TURN OUR MEETING OVER TO COUNCIL MEMBER, AARON REPRESENTING DISTRICT FOUR, TO INTRODUCE THE INDIVIDUAL WHO WILL LEAD US IN THE INVOCATION AS WELL AS THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE COUNSELING, MOTHER MOLE.
THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE PUBLIC THAT'S WATCHING AT THIS TIME.
I'D LIKE TO CALL UP MR. COREY.
HE'S JUST A CURRENT, UH, AS ANNOUNCED A WHILE AGO, CURRENT CAPTAIN OF THE APOLLO BALL MASK, UH, 23, AND I'D LIKE TO CALL HIM UP.
HE'LL BE LEAVING US IN INVOCATION AND PLEDGE.
PLEASE STAY IN AND JOIN ME IN PRAYER.
WE THANK YOU FOR THE PRIVILEGE TO GATHER HERE THIS AFTERNOON, AS FREE MEN AND WOMEN TO WITNESS DEMOCRACY AT ITS VERY FINEST LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR THE MEN AND WOMEN OF OUR CITY COUNCIL AND OTHER LEADERS IN OUR CITY.
THANK YOU FOR THEIR HARD WORK AND SACRIFICES.
MAY YOU CONTINUOUSLY BLESS THEM? MAY YOU GENEROUSLY GIVE TO EACH OF THEM, THE WISDOM TO SKILLFULLY GOVERN THE PEOPLE OF BATON ROUGE, GIVE THEM THE GRACE TO BE TRUTHFUL, HAVE JUSTICE AND STABILITY FOR OUR CITY.
GIVE THEM THE POWER TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT AND FAIR.
GIVE THEM THE HEARTS FILLED WITH UNDERSTANDING, COMPASSION AND LOVE FOR THEIR FELLOW.
WE ASK THESE THINGS IN YOUR SON, JESUS CHRIST, OUR LORD'S NAME.
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.
THANK YOU MR. CAPTAIN TODAY, WE APPRECIATE YOU AFTER DO WE HAVE A FORM? WE HAVE A QUORUM.
[ADOPTION AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
MOVE AHEAD WITH ITEM ONE.DO YOUR AND ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES OF THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL.
MANY ON MAY 25TH, 2022 BY THE COUNCIL, THE ADMINISTRATIVE TREASURER.
IS ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK
[00:20:01]
ON ITEM ONE.WE GO NOW BACK TO THE COUNCIL.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM ONCE A MOVED BY COUNCILMAN NEIL, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DONE.
ITEM ONE HAS BEEN APPROVED WITH NO OPPOSITION.
[INTRODUCTIONS]
PLEASE READ THE INTRODUCTIONS SECTION 2.12 INTRODUCTIONS.NUMBER TWO, TO AMEND THE 2022 CURRENT EXPENSE BUDGET FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES TO APPROPRIATE $5 MILLION FROM FUND BALANCE ON ASSIGNED TO PROVIDE FOR INTER-GOVERNMENTAL TRANSFERS TO THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HOSPITALS FOR THE UPPER PAYMENT LIMIT MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM BY THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES DIRECTOR, NUMBER THREE, AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES WITH H N T B CORPORATION FOR SERVICES ASSOCIATED WITH OBTAINING FEDERAL GRANT FUNDS FROM BI-PARTISAN LAW IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $910,076 AND APPROPRIATE THAT.
SOME FROM GENERAL FUND FUND BALANCE ON A SON FOR SAID PURPOSE BY TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE DIRECTOR.
NUMBER FOUR, AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES FOR THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE, PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE, TITLE 13.
SO IS TO ADD SECTION 13, COLUMN ONE TO SEVEN, CAMPING IN A PUBLIC AREA, PROHIBITED BY COUNCILWOMAN, LAURIE ADAMSON, COUNCILMAN DWIGHT, HUDSON CONDEMNATION INTRODUCTIONS NUMBER FIVE, WILLIAM JONES AND BILLY THOMAS JONES.
1 0 4 9 SWAN AVENUE, COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO BANKS.
NUMBER SIX, THEODORE MULL LAW SONG 1 6 5 3 3 VERMILION DRIVE COUNCIL, DISTRICT FOREMOST, NUMBER SEVEN, LARRY MOORE AND JOHNSON, SQUATTER AND ASSOCIATES 5 4, 5, 6, OAKLAND DRIVE, COUNSEL, DISTRICT FAB HEARST NUMBER EIGHT, WILLIE MAE DYSON
JEN BENDON 41 31 ODELL STREET COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN COLE, NUMBER 12 WITH TASHA COVINGTON AND JAMIE COVINGTON.
1 0 5 4 PROGRESS STREET COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN, COLE NUMBER 13, JOEL PENTON, 2 3 5 EAST ROOSEVELT STREET, COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 COLEMAN NUMBER 14, THE ESTATE OF ANNIE ARMSTRONG SMART 2 7 5 JEFFERSON DAVIS STREET, COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 COLEMAN NUMBER 15, ALVIN RAY, FLOYD AND ASHLEY, NICOLE WILLIAMS, FLOYD 6 5 2 2 CURVES STREET COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 COLEMAN JUDICATED PROPERTY INTRODUCTIONS NUMBER 16, LOT 22 SQUARE, 15 SUBDIVISION, FORTUNE COUNCIL, DISTRICT FIVE HURST, ALL ITEMS REQUIRE READING, BEEN READ AND EMOTION TO INTRODUCE ALL ITEMS AS AN ORDER.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE ALL INTRODUCTIONS? SO MOVED BY COUNCILMAN SUDLER, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN ADAMS, BUT THERE'S NO OPPOSITION INTRODUCTIONS HAVE NOW BEEN APPROVED.
WE NOW COUNCIL MEMBERS, IF YOU WOULD GO TO
[CONDEMNATIONS]
THE SEPARATE SHEET FOR CONDEMNATIONS, I'M GOING TO READ THE RECOMMENDATION FROM DPW AS THEY ARE.THEY'RE OUT OF PROCEED WITH ITEMS 35 36 37 38 39 41 42 43, 44, 45, 46, 47 OR 48, 49, 50 51 52 AND 53.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON A CONDEMNATION? ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON A CONDEMNATION? I NOW TURN TO COUNCIL MEMBERS, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
ARE THERE ANY CHANGES TO ANY OF THE CONDEMNATION? THE COUNCIL NUMBER DONE? 37 39.
UH, 45 IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE 45 DAYS.
COUNCIL MEMBER THAT HAD COUNSELED THEM DONE 60, 45.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, IF YOU WATCHING IN YOUR OFFICE, I NEED TO KNOW HOW LONG YOU WANT TO DEFER.
UH, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE COUNCIL? WE'LL GO THERE ITEM.
ITEM 38 HAS BEEN ISSUED TO PERMITS.
AND SO I'M GOING TO ASK TO DEFER THAT ONE 90 DAYS TO ALLOW THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET SOME WORK DONE.
ANYONE ELSE I'M GOING TO READ? UH, THEIR STATED CHANGES AND THE RECOMMENDATION.
IF THEY ARE TO PROCEED WITH ITEMS 36 42, 43, 44, 46, 47, 48, 50 51 AND 52.
THEY OUGHT TO DEFER FOR 60 DAYS.
THEY OUGHT TO DEFER FOR 90 DAYS, ITEM 35 41 49, 53 38.
AND I'M GOING TO DEFER COUNSEL NUMBER HERS, ITEM 40, UH, FOR 90 DAYS.
[00:25:01]
IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A CHANGE COUNCIL MEMBER HERTZ, WHEN YOU COME OUT, WE CAN MAKE THAT ADJUSTMENT.ONCE YOU COME OUT, UH, ANY OPPOSITION, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE CONDEMNATIONS? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DUNN JR.
SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN MCCOLL DAY, CONDEMNATIONS HAVE BEEN APPROVED.
[84. 22-00614]
MEMBERS.WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ITEM 84, FIRST ITEM 84.
IT IS RECEIVING A REPORT FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF JUVENILE SERVICES.
WE'VE GONE TO THE IMPACT OF PHASE TWO OF THE RES AIDS LEGISLATION RELATIVE TO THE EASTBOUND FERRET JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER BY MAYOR, PRESIDENT JUVENILE SERVICES, DIRECTED COUNCIL MEMBERS AND EVERYONE IN THE AUDIENCE.
THERE HAS BEEN A REQUEST TO DELETE THIS ITEM.
THERE HAS BEEN A REQUEST TO DELETE THIS ITEM.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM? IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THAT ITEM? MOVING BACK TO COUNCIL, THERE HAS BEEN A, UH, COUNCIL, UH, EXCUSE ME, REVEREND ALEXIS ANDERSON, UH, IS AN OPPOSITION AND WISHES TO SPEAK, UH, IS EVA SMITH, UH, BUT DOES NOT WISH TO SPEAK REVEREND ANDERSON IS REVEREND ANDERSON YET.
WELL, I'M GOING TO DEFER THIS ITEM TO A LITTLE BIT LATER.
THERE IS A RECORD RECOMMENDATION TO DELETE, UH, REVEREND ADDISON.
WELL, YOU, I, WE OWN, UH, JUVENILE SERVICES WHERE PUBLIC COMMENT AND YOU AS FIRST PERSON UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND I'LL BRING YOU UP TO SPEED.
THERE HAS BEEN A REQUEST TO DELETE IT, DELETE THIS ITEM BY THE MAYOR'S.
UH, SO WE DON'T HAVE A REPORT.
UH, THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ONE GIVEN TODAY, BUT WE DO NEED TO HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND GET A FIRST PERSON UP TO SPEAK ON A PUBLIC HEARING.
UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO THE METRO COUNCIL.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THE REPORT HAS BEEN DELETED.
UH, I WILL ADDRESS THREE MAJOR CONCERNS I HAVE.
UM, AS I COME BEFORE YOU ALL MANY TIMES WEARING MANY HATS TODAY, I COME WITH ONE VERY SPECIFIC HAT ON.
I AM A GRANDMOTHER, A MOTHER, AND A GREAT GRANDMOTHER, AND NONE OF OUR CHILDREN ARE DISPOSABLE.
THEY DESERVE NOT TO BE DEMONIZED.
AND JUVENILE JUSTICE IS NOT ABOUT HOW FAR AND HOW WAY WE CAN THROW CHILDREN.
AND SO I ASKED THIS COUNCIL, I HAVE SHARED WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, IMMENSE RESEARCH, IMMENSE INFORMATION ABOUT CHILDREN.
AND I WOULD JUST ASK YOU AS A PARISH, WE ARE LOSING OUR CHILDREN.
MY GRANDCHILDREN DO NOT LIVE HERE.
I HAVE ONE CHILD WHO STILL CALLS THIS HOME.
AND THAT IS TRUE OF A LOT OF YOU.
HOW DO WE TELL OUR CHILDREN THAT THIS IS A WORTHY PLACE WHEN, WHEN THEY MAKE A MISTAKE AND I'M GOING TO BE HONEST, I DON'T CARE WHAT THE MISTAKE IS THAT THEY ARE DISPOSABLE AND LET'S BE MUCH MORE FRANK IN A PARISH WHERE 100% OF OUR CHILDREN IN THE JUVENILE SYSTEM ARE AFRICAN-AMERICAN, WE'RE NOT GIVING THAT MESSAGE TO EVERYBODY'S CHILD.
WE'RE GIVING IT TO MY GRANDCHILDREN.
I ASKED THIS COUNCIL TODAY AND IN THE FUTURE, LET'S MAKE A COMMITMENT THAT WE WILL DO WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO RESTORE AND TO REDEEM AND TO EDUCATE AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, I'M IN THE COURTS.
EVERY DAY I TALKED TO EDUCATORS AND COACHES AND YOUTH ADVOCATES.
AND THE ONE THING THAT I'VE HEARD FROM ALL OF THEM, WHEN THE CHILD CAN'T READ, THEY WILL FAIL.
THEY DON'T TELL ME WHEN A CHILD GOES TO JUVENILE, THEY WILL SUCCEED.
THEY DON'T TELL ME ANY OF THAT.
THEY TELL ME WHEN A CHILD CAN'T READ AND I HAVE SAT IN COURT AND WATCH GROWN MEN COME, CANNOT READ THE DOCUMENTS THEY ARE SIGNING.
SO I ASKED THIS COUNCIL, DON'T GIVE UP ON OUR CHILDREN, PLEASE.
IS THERE ANYONE HE IS WISHING TO SPEAK ON AUTOMATED FOR ANYONE ELSE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK ON ITEM? MAYBE FOUR.
OH, WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IS THERE A MOTION TO DELETE THE ITEM? OH, I'M SORRY.
I LIKE TO CALL THE, UH, ATTORNEY REPRESENTED DEPARTMENT OF JUST TO GIVE JUSTIFICATION ON WHY THIS IS BEING DELETED
[00:30:01]
AFTERNOON.JOSEPH SCOTT, BATON ROUGE, PARIS ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OF PENDING CASES AGAINST JUVENILE SERVICES THAT HAVE COURT DATES IN LATE JUNE, MID JULY, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA.
DIDN'T REACH OUT TO THE LAWYERS.
AND, UH, WHEN THE LAWYERS GOT INVOLVED, I KIND OF HAD TO THROW THE BRAKES ON IT.
THERE MAY BE A REPORT AT SOME POINT, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE A COUPLE OF MONTHS BECAUSE I WANT ALL THE DUST TO SETTLE ON PENDING LITIGATION AND EVALUATING THE CLOSE OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
BEFORE WE MAKE SUCH A REPORT AND ANY REPORT WOULD HAVE TO CONFORM WITH THE CONFIDENTIALITY PROVISIONS OF THE CHILDREN'S CODE, WHICH ARE HIGHLY RESTRICTIVE.
IS THERE A MOTION TO DELETE THE ITEM? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DONE SECONDARY BY COUNCIL MEMBER.
IRELAND ITEM 84 HAS BEEN DELETED.
[54. 22-00617]
NOW GO TO ITEM 54, AMENDING TO 2022 CURRENT EXPENSE BUDGET FOR MOSQUITO ABATEMENT AND VOTING CONTROL.SO AS TO APPROPRIATE 4 MILLION, $549,533 FROM THE POINT BALANCE FOR THE PURCHASE OF A HELICOPTER BY MOSQUITO ABATEMENT AND ROLLING TROLL, THERE HAS BEEN A REQUEST FROM MOSQUITO ABATEMENT EROSION CONTROL TO DEFER THIS ITEM FOR TWO WEEKS, THERE HAS BEEN REQUESTED THE FIRST ITEM FOR TWO WEEKS.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IS THERE A MOTION TO DEFER FOR TWO WEEKS? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS SECOND AND BY THE CHAIR, IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION ITEM? 54 HAS BEEN DEFERRED FOR TWO WEEKS.
[55. 22-00675 ]
55, BUT SENDING THEM TO RECOMMEND FOR RECORDING TO COUNCIL DECISION TO ORDER RECORDED ON APRIL 29TH, 2022.IN THE MATTER OF THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE VERSUS ALONDO JOHNSON LATER, LAXMAN JOHNSON.
THE REASON FOR RESCISSION, THE PROPERTY OWNER INTENDS TO REHAB THE PROPERTY BY COUNCIL.
NUMBER HERTZ IS ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM 55? WE'RE NOT GO TO COUNCIL.
THERE IS A MOTION TO APPROVE BY THE CHAIRS.
THE SECOND SECONDED BY COUNCIL NUMBER DONE ITEM 55.
[56. 22-00677 ]
56 WAS SENDING HIM THE RECORD IN THE CORPORATE COURT.THE COUNCIL DECISION ORDER RECORDED ON MARCH 3RD, 2022.
IN THE MATTER OF THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE, WAS IT THE STATE OF ALBERTA CAUGHT AND THE STATE OF HARRIET CARTER, 2 0, 0 5 FAIRCHILD REASON FOR RESCISSION.
THE OWNER HAS SUBMITTED PLANS TO REMODEL THE STRUCTURE BY COUNSELING.
IS THERE ANYONE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK ON ITEM 56? WE GO TO THE COUNCIL.
SECOND BY THE CHAIR, THE OPPOSITION, WE GO TO 57
[57. 22-00678]
WAS SENDING HIM TO RECOMMEND CLUTTER COURT TO COUNCIL DECISION ORDER RECORD ON APRIL 14TH, 2020, TO SEE YOUR BATON ROUGE VERSUS JOSE DANIEL BARRIOS HERNANDEZ 3, 2, 5 BEACHWOOD DRIVE REASON FOR RESCISSION.THE PROPERTY IS BEING RENOVATED BY COUNCIL MEMBER COLE.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM 57 MOTION TO APPROVE BY THE CHAIR SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DONE ITEM 57 HAS BEEN APPROVED.
[58. 22-00714]
58 OR SEND IT IN THE RECORD IN THE COURT RECORD.THE COUNCIL DECISION ORDER REPORT ON APRIL 14TH, 2022 IN A MATTER OF THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE VERSUS THE STATE OF EVERLAND BAILEY 5 9 1 8 SOUTH HOLLOW DRIVE REASON FOR A DECISION.
THE PROBLEM IS RENOVATED BY THE CHAIR THAT ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ITEM 58 WILL GO TO COUNCIL.
SO MOVED BY THE CHAIR, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DONE NO OPPOSITION.
[59. 22-00697 ]
TO 59 AUTHORIZED SETTLEMENT IN THE MATTER ENTITLED LISA, BETTY SWIRLY VERSUS THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE AND AN AMOUNT OF $50,000 IN APPROPRIATING $50,000 FOR SUCH PURPOSE BY THE PARISH ATTORNEY.IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 59 NOW GO TO COUNCIL.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM 59? SO MOVED BY THE CHAIR, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS. WE'RE NOT GO TO ITEMS 60
[60. 22-00698]
AUTHORIZING A SETTLEMENT IN THE MATTER ENTITLED ALEXIS, ALEX WAS VERSUS THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE AND IN THE AMOUNT OF $25,000 PLUS COURT COSTS IN THE AMOUNT OF $869 AND 46 CENTS AND APPROPRIATING $25,869 AND 46 CENTS BY THE PARISH ATTORNEY.IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 60? YOU WANT TO SPEAK? OH NO, NO ONE IN HERE TO SPEAK ITEM 60 COUNCIL NUMBER.
SO MOVED BY COUNCILMAN ROCCO, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS ITEM 60, UH, HAS BEEN APPROVED BEFORE WE GO INTO FURTHER.
I JUST WANT TO ALWAYS, ALWAYS THINK ALL ABOUT MEN AND WOMEN WHO WORK FOR THE CITY OF PARIS, WHO ARE JOINING US HERE TODAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
ALTHOUGH WE KNOW YOU HAVE TO BE HERE.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
WELL, IT SAYS A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO, UH, MOST CEP AND THOSE GENTLEMEN AND THE FIRST RESPONDERS I KNOW HURRICANE SEASON HAS JUST STARTED.
AND WE KNOW YOU GUYS ARE PREPARING AND GETTING READY FOR WHAT WE HOPE TO BE A BEAR VERY MILD SEASON, BUT WE APPRECIATE HOW HARD YOU WORK FROM THIS TIME, ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE END OF HER.
CAN YOU SEE THE SOUL? I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE IS HERE FROM MOST COURTNEY, BUT UH, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT YOU LET THEM KNOW, MAN.
[00:35:04]
THIS IS THE GUY THAT MAKES IT HAPPEN.WHEN YOU GO THROUGH A NATURAL DISASTER, WE APPRECIATE SO MUCH.
ALL RIGHT, WE'LL GO TO ITEM NINE.
[61. 22-00718]
61, AMENDING TITLE 12 CHAPTER SIX.SO AS TO ADD SECTION 12, COLON 4, 0 9, EMISSION OF ODOR NUISANCE.
THAT'S NOT A VERY GOOD WORD TO PRONOUNCE NUISANCES AND ODORS AIR CONTAMINANTS BY COUNCIL.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 61? COME ON DOWN.
MA'AM STATE YOUR NAME AND ERIC LET'S PUT A RECORD.
GOOD LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I'M A NMR. SO IF YOU DON'T MIND, MA'AM OKAY.
I LIVE ON HANG STRIVE AND A MEMBER OF GOD, DISTRICT FIVE AS A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT FIVE.
FOUL ORDERS COMMISSION FROM KUALA VOICE, A WATER, THE SMELL PERMEATES THROUGH YOUR AIR VANCE.
IT COMES THROUGH YOUR TOILETS INSIDE OF YOUR HOME.
I'VE HAD RESIDENTS TELL ME THAT IT'S THEY SMELL IT IN THEIR SHOWER.
I PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED THE BROWN WATER IN MY TOILET.
SO TO ME THAT MEANS THAT MAYBE IT'S BEING OVERLOADED TO SYSTEMS, NOT ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE WHAT'S BEING DISPENSED INTO IT.
UH, IT'S MOST OFFENSIVE WHEN YOU'RE DRIVE TRAVELING DOWN A AIRLINE HIGHWAY.
SO IT'S NOT JUST ME AS PEOPLE WHO ARE TRAVELING IN OUR LEVEL OF CITY.
UH, SO I AND MY FAMILY AND THE RESONANCE IN MY AREA.
DISORDERLINESS I AGAIN, ASKED THAT YOU GUYS, WELL, ONE THING I WANT TO LET YOU TO KNOW THAT THESE ARE MISSIONS ARE BEING DONE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT, 2:00 AM IN THE MORNINGS.
AND ON WEEKENDS NOW I REPORTED TO THE, UH, I GUESS IT'S THE EPA.
THEY SENT OUT, UH, THE, UM, UM, THE TRUCK TO MONITOR, TO TELL US EXACTLY WHERE IT WAS COMING FROM.
THAT'S HOW WE IDENTIFIED, UM, UH, KUALA.
AND THEY FOUND NO ISSUES WITH NO, CAUSE I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT CONTAMINANTS SUCH AS CARCINOGENS, BUT THE ORDER IS STILL REALLY OFFENSIVE.
UM, THE, UM, THE MISSION STARTED, I GUESS, UM, WHAT WE'D BEEN TWO YEARS INTO, UH COVID SO OUR FIRST TIME I EXPERIENCED WHAT WAS DURING THAT TIME.
SO YOU CAN'T EVEN SIT ON YOUR BACK PATIOS ON THE WEEKEND OR ENJOY OUTSIDE WITH YOUR FAMILY.
UM, PLEASE, I ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER GIVING SERIOUS CONSIDERATION TO THIS ORDINANCE.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK ON ITEM 61? ANYONE ELSE HERE? WISHING TO SPEAK.
WE NOW GO TO ASHLEY WITH EMAIL.
OH, SOMEONE IN THE BACK COM NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
NOW, COME ON DOWN TO THE MIC AND TELL US ALL THE RECORDS YOU AGREE WITH.
SHE SAID, STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
I'VE BEEN LIVING IN THE AREA SINCE 1960 AND I'M 70 YEARS OLD, HAD OPEN HEART SURGERY AND I DO GO OUTSIDE SOMETIMES TO JUST BREATHE.
AND WHEN THIS STUFF IS, YOU CAN'T BREATHE.
AND I SEEN THE SAME THING HAPPENED IN ALISON YEARS AGO, BACK WHEN, BACK IN THE SEVENTIES, WHEN I WAS IN MY HEART AND I'D NOT DOWN SCENIC GUY AWAKE, THE SAME SMELL THAT HAD AN ALISON, ALISON, THEY GOT IT HERE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD NOW.
I WISH THE PEOPLE THAT WORK THERE, BUT TAKE IT TO THAT NEIGHBORHOOD AND THEY WOULDN'T BE WORKING THERE CAUSE THE NEIGHBORHOOD WOULDN'T STAND FOR IT.
AND I WILL STAND FOR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 61? IF I'M, IF I CAN'T SEE BEHIND A WALL OR A PERSON WHO'S TALL, PLEASE FORGIVE ME.
ANYONE ELSE WHO WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 61? WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IS ANYONE HERE? UH, COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED ONE EMAIL COMMENT, OPPOSED ITEM 61.
IS THERE ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM COUNCIL MEMBER DONE? ANY COMMENTS? EXCUSE ME, COUNSELING OF A HURT STANDING COMMENTS.
I WANT TO BRING COURTNEY TO THE MIC.
WE ALL GONNA MAKE A SLIGHT AMENDMENT TO IT, WHICH DOESN'T AFFECT, UH, THE OVERALL ORDINANCE, BUT JUST HOW WE WOULD HANDLE THE VIOLATIONS.
THE FLOOR AMENDMENT THAT WILL BE MADE IS GOING TO BE TO SUBSECTION B.
THERE'LL BE A DELICIOUS DELETION, EXCUSE ME, DELETION TO, UM, YOU GO TO THE LAST SENTENCE THERE DELETION OF A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY WITH THE ADDITION OF CITY PARISH STAFF AND START INSERTED THERE,
[00:40:01]
SUBSECTION C AGAIN, DELETION OF A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY WITH THE ADDITION, UH, ADDED LANGUAGE, ANY APPROPRIATE AUTHORITY OF THE CITY PARISH, A COUPLE OF LINES DOWN A DELETION AGAIN OF A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY, ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE INSERTED.THERE IS GOING TO BE ANY APPROPRIATE AUTHORITY OF THE CITY PARISH, A COUPLE OF ITEMS, UH, LINES DOWN AGAIN, DELETION OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY WITH THE ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE CITY PARISH STAFF.
HEY CODY, CAN YOU EXPLAIN JUST WHY? JUST THAT THE DOD ORDINANCE THAT'S OKAY.
UM, AND ALSO THERE'S GOING TO BE ANOTHER, UM, AMENDMENT AS WELL TO CHANGE THE EFFECTIVE DATE FROM 30 DAYS TO, I WOULD SUGGEST 90 DAYS, BUT I'LL LEAVE THAT UP TO THE COUNCILMEN BECAUSE THEY'RE STILL GONNA HAVE TO BE SOME TRAINING INVOLVED ON THE INSTRUMENT THAT'S GOING TO BE USED FOR THIS ORDINANCE.
UM, SO 90 DAYS FOR THAT, BUT AS FAR AS THE REASON FOR THE AMENDMENT IS BECAUSE THIS ORDINANCE IS GOING TO BE ENFORCED THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING PROCESS.
AND UNDER OUR LOCAL ORDINANCE, THE ADMINISTRATIVE HEARING PROCESS NOTICE OF VIOLATION OF THIS ORDINANCE IS ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT.
IT WON'T BE ISSUED BY A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.
THE DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT WILL ISSUE THE VIOLATION.
NOW LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY, UM, CAN ACTUALLY GO TO THE SCENE OF THE OFFENSIVE ODOR AND USE THE INSTRUMENT TO TAKE THE READING AND THEN, UH, BE ABLE TO REPORT THEIR FINDINGS TO THE, UM, TO THE AGENCY.
THAT'S GOING TO ISSUE A NOTICE OF VIOLATION.
SO THAT'S THE IDEA OF HOW IT'S GOING TO WORK NOW, UM, AT THIS POINT.
SO THAT'S THE REASON FOR THE, FOR THE AMENDMENT COUNCIL MEMBERS, COUNCIL MEMBERS, IS THERE MOST TO PROVE YOUR IO? THERE'S A MOTION TO APPROVE AS AMENDED AS, AS AMENDED, CORRECT.
THE MOTION IS TO APPROVE THE AMENDED COUNCIL NUMBER, HER SECONDED BY COUNCIL NUMBER ROCKET COUNCIL MONO.
SO, UH, I JUST, I HAVE A COMMENT I GUESS, ON THIS.
UM, AND I TALKED TO COUNCILMAN HERTZ ABOUT THIS.
SO SOME OF MY CONCERN IS, UH, ON UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE DOING IT.
AND I THINK IT WAS LAID OUT WELL.
UM, I FEEL LIKE THERE COULD BE SOME UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.
FIRST, A CITY PARISH OBVIOUSLY IS PROBABLY IMPLICIT IN SOME ODORS, UM, WITH THE SEWER SYSTEM, UH, YOU KNOW, WASTEWATER TREATMENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK ABOUT NORTH LANDFILL IN MY DISTRICT.
I KNOW WE'RE NOT, UH, WE'RE NOT GOING TO MOVE THAT, BUT NO QUESTION WHEN THE WIND BLOWS A CERTAIN WAY, UH, IT AFFECTS PEOPLE WHO LIVE CLOSE BY, UM, AND UNDERSTAND THE THOUGHT PROCESS BEHIND THAT AS WELL.
IF WE FIND OURSELVES WE PAY OURSELVES.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S NECESSARILY FAIR WHEN WE'RE, UM, WHEN, WHEN WE KNOW WE HAVE CERTAIN ISSUES, UM, INTERNALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THIS, UM, I REALLY THINK, UH, I LIKE THE IDEA BEHIND THIS AND UNDERSTAND QUALITY IS A BIG DRIVING FACTOR BEHIND THIS, UM, AND YOU KNOW, A BAD ACTOR AND A BAD NEIGHBOR.
UM, SOMETIMES THESE KINDS OF THINGS, GOVERNMENT CAN BE, GET PULLED IN TO WHAT, WHAT SHOULD BE SOMETIMES A CIVIL ISSUE.
UH, WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT OTHER AGENCIES THAT ARE LOOKING AT THIS DEQ, UM, OUR EPA, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE IS SOME OVERSIGHT THAT'S PROBABLY NEEDED AND PROBABLY NOT DONE PROPERLY WITH THESE, UH, COMPANIES.
UM, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO BE REAR CAP REAL CAREFUL ABOUT, UH, AND, UH, I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE A LITTLE MORE TIME TO REALLY STUDY THE POTENTIAL UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF THIS.
UM, I JUST THINK THERE'S, UH, IT'S, IT'S VERY BROAD AND FAR REACHING.
UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, AND I, AND I DID A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH ON, UH, THE INSTRUMENT THAT'S GOING TO BE USED AND HOW TO IDENTIFY THE SOURCE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE IDENTIFYING THE PROPER SOURCE WHEN THERE IS AN ODOR.
UM, AND, UH, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M CERTAINLY NOT FAMILIAR WITH.
I'VE NEVER, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT NOISE AND THE DECIMAL READER, I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF FAMILIARITY WITH THAT, BUT A OLFACTORY METER, I BELIEVE IT WAS WITH THE FIRST I HEARD OF IT AND WHEN I STARTED RESEARCHING IT.
UM, SO I, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS THE PROCEDURE, THE TRAINING OF THE INDIVIDUALS TO BE USING IT AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFYING THE PROPER SOURCE AND THEN REALLY THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE OR THE POTENTIAL FOR, FOR SOME OF THE AREAS, UM, AND SCENARIOS THAT WE MAY NOT HAVE THOUGHT OF.
UH, I THINK IT NEEDS A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO EXPLORE
[00:45:01]
IT.UH, I'M, I'M, I'M NOT AGAINST THE REASONING AND AN, AND I'M NOT AGAINST, UH, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, UM, TO HELP THE CONSTITUENTS.
BUT I THINK, UH, FOR ME, I WOULD NEED JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME TO KIND OF THINK ABOUT ALL THE POTENTIAL ADVERSE IMPACTS THAT THIS MIGHT CAUSE.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER NOLA AND ANYONE, ANY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE ON THE FLOOR WITH THE AMENDMENTS MADE BY COUNCIL AND BIRD SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ROCKER IS, AND IS THAT OKAY? COUNSELING? WE'LL GO THERE.
UM, I'LL SHARE SOME OF THE CONCERNS ABOUT UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES AND, AND CONCUR THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME, I THINK IS NEEDED TO RESEARCH THE ISSUES OF, UH, WOULD THE CITY PARISH BEAR ANY APPLICATION HERE? UM, WE'VE JUST MADE SOME CHANGES.
I TRIED TO FOLLOW ALONG, BUT, UH, I'M NOT SURE IF WE EXPANDED THE LAW ENFORCEMENT, UM, BEYOND JUST THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICE, BUT WE'VE MADE SOME PROPOSED AMENDMENTS.
UM, UH, I THINK THERE'S, UH, IT'S WORTHY TO LOOK AT, UH, ALLOWING, UH, AN ENTITY, AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, REMEDIATE, UH, AND THEN IF THERE'S A SECOND OFFENSE WITHIN A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME, PERHAPS YOU CAN MOVE TOWARDS FINDING THEM.
SO I THINK THERE'S MAYBE SOME, A NEED FOR MORE TIME TO GIVE IT A LITTLE MORE, UM, UH, CREATIVITY IN HOW WE WORD THIS.
SO, UH, I WILL MAKE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO DEFER THE ITEM FOUR.
UM, ASHLEY, YOU MAY HAVE TO HELP ME, UM, IF I WANT TO DO IN JULY, IT WOULD BE WHAT, 45 DAYS.
I'LL DO A SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO DEFER THE OUT IN 45 DAYS.
SO IT'S BEEN A SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO DEFER THE ITEM FOR 45 DAYS, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER, NOAH.
WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL NUMBER ROCKTON.
UM, SO WHEN LOOKING AT THIS AND EVALUATING THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES, ONE ISSUE THAT I HAVE IS WHILE WE'RE TRYING TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THE CITY IS GOING TO GET RIGHT AND DOING THE THINGS THAT ARE CORRECT FOR THE CITIZENS IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, WHAT, HOW, HOW ARE WE HELD LIABLE? WHAT ARE WE DOING TO REPAIR THAT? WHAT CHANGES ARE WE MAKING PERSONALLY WHILE THESE PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING THROUGH THE OLFACTORY, TERRIBLE SMELLS, UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, WOW, IF THIS IS CONTINUING TO MOVE FORWARD, MY SUGGESTION IS TO MY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS IS TO LOOK TO SEE, ALTHOUGH I TRULY BELIEVE, AND I THINK THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WILL SUPPORT ME ON THIS, THAT WE CAN NOT BE FINE.
UM, CERTAIN DEPARTMENTS CAN BE HELD TO A STANDARD AND CERTAIN DEPARTMENTS CAN, UM, POSSIBLY BE PENALIZED OR DISCIPLINED AND A MANNER AWAY.
WE HAVE TO HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE.
WE HAVE TO MAKE THE THRESHOLD, UM, WITHIN OUR CITY PARISH DEPARTMENTS, UM, TO ONE THAT IS ACCEPTABLE, NOT ONLY TO US, BUT ALSO TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO I WOULD ASK THAT IF THIS IS DEFERRED, THAT Y'ALL LOOK INTO SEEING EXACTLY WHAT CAN BE DONE WITHIN DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE NOT COMPLYING AND NOT INTERESTED IN COMPLIANCE.
AS THE GENTLEMAN MENTIONED EARLIER, UM, THE COMMUNITY OF ALISON HAS DEALT WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, POLLUTION, UH, AS IT RELATES TO SOME MAIL.
AND THIS PROPERTY THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HERSA IS TARGETING ON AIRLINE HAS BEEN AN ISSUE FOR QUITE SOME TIME AS WELL.
UM, WE OFTEN SEE A MINORITY OF COMMUNITIES AFFECTED BY NOISE, POLLUTION, SMELL POLLUTION, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO STUDY AND, YOU KNOW, UH, RESEARCH AND, AND, AND CONTINUE TO PUSH, KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD BY THE RESIDENTS ARE DEALING WITH THE POLLUTION.
UM, I DON'T THINK THE CITY OF PARIS IS A CULPABILITY AND IT'S A LIABILITY AND IT SHOULD EVEN BE IN THE CONSIDERATION.
UH, HOW CAN WE HOLD PRIVATE SECTOR ACCOUNTABLE IF WE'RE NOT HOLDING OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE? SO IF, IF CITY OF PARIS IS CULPABLE IN THIS, THEN WE NEED TO GET OUR HOUSE IN ORDER.
UM, IF WE HAVE SOME ISSUES AS IT RELATES TO SMELL, UH, AND THIS ART AND THIS, I WOULD URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT THIS ITEM AND, UH, HELP THESE RESIDENTS, UH, IN THIS COMMUNITY AND A FEW OTHER COMMUNITIES DEALING WITH THE SAME THING, GET RID OF THIS MALE POLLUTION IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.
SO THERE ARE TWO MOTIONS WE'RE GOING TO VOTE ON A SUBSTITUTE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
UH, MR. DUNN, I THANK YOU FOR, FOR SAYING THAT BECAUSE I'M ON AN ECHO.
I'M GONNA TELL YOU A LITTLE STORY
[00:50:01]
ABOUT MY SON AND MY WIFE.WE LIVE IN NORTH BATON ROUGE AND THE SMELLS AND THAT AREA WAS SO PUNGENT THAT IT WOULD WAKE MY FAMILY UP OUT OF OUR SLEEP AT 2:00 AM.
AND WE WERE SO SCARED THAT THE TOXINS WERE GOING TO HARM MY UNBORN BABY, THAT WE WOULD WAKE UP AND GO TO MY MOTHER-IN-LAW'S HOUSE OR MY HOUSE OR SOMEBODY'S HOUSE JUST TO GET AWAY FROM THAT AREA.
SO WHEN THESE RESIDENTS COME TO ME AND THEY TALK ABOUT EQUITY AND WOULD THESE BE IN THE BACKYARDS AND PEOPLE SAW THE FLORIDA BOULEVARD.
AND WHEN HE LOOKED AT WATER TREATMENT PLANTS AND GUARD DEER, WHO'S CLEANED UP AND THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB OVER THERE, BUT THEY CLEANED IT UP FOR A BOAT AND FOR A BASEBALL FIELD, RIGHT.
HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE RESIDENCE.
IF YOU ASKED ME, IT'S MY OPINION, NOT FACTS.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT NORTH BATON ROUGE, THE CHEMICAL PLANTS, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE, THE KUALA WASHES, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE LAND FIELDS, WHEN YOU LOOK AT, UH, REPUBLIC WASTE, WHERE THEY'RE LOCATED, THEY'RE ALL IN URBAN AREAS, AND THEY WILL CONTINUE TO BE IN URBAN AREAS BECAUSE THIS WILL NEVER BE NEXT DOOR TO THE COUNTRY CLUB, LOUISIANA.
AND I WAS PUT IN OFFICE BY THE RESIDENTS FROM DISTRICT FIVE TO PROTECT DISTRICT FIVE.
BUT I BELIEVE IN A BETTER BATON ROUGE, NOT JUST A BETTER NORTH BATON ROUGE.
AND FOR THAT REASON, I'VE LIVED IN THE ATLANTA METRO AREA.
I'VE LIVED IN THE HOUSTON METRO AREA.
I MOVED INTO MY NEIGHBORHOOD, NOT KNOWING THAT I WAS ABOUT HALF A MILE FROM A PRISON, BECAUSE IT LOOKED LIKE ONE OF THE BEST UNIVERSITIES IN, IN TEXAS, BUT IT WAS ACTUALLY A PRISON BECAUSE THEY CARED ABOUT THEIR ROADS, THEIR BRIDGES, THEIR EDUCATION.
AND SO HAVING THAT, THAT, THAT EXPERIENCE OUTSIDE OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA AND UNDERSTANDING THAT I NEVER SMELLED ANYTHING, I NEVER HEARD A GUNSHOT THE ENTIRE TIME THAT I WAS THERE NOT SAYING THAT IT DIDN'T HAPPEN, BUT WHEN THINGS HAPPENED THAT THEY DEALT WITH THEM IN THE APPROPRIATE FASHION TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RESIDENTS AND THE CONSTITUENTS AND THE CONSTITUENTS WERE FIRST OF MINE.
SO WHEN I BRING THIS ORDINANCE BEFORE YOU TODAY, I ASKED YOU TO NOT THINK ABOUT THE SHAWNEE, UM, HOW HOME THAT YOU LIVE IN NEAR SHANNON DOE OR THE COUNTRY CLUB, OR 10 IN POOR GUARD TOWN OR IN THE GARDEN DISTRICT.
AND I CAN KEEP GOING ON AND ON AND ON.
BUT I ASKED YOU FOR THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THESE AREAS THAT HAD EITHER BOUGHT A HOME TO RETIRE AND CHOOSE NOT TO MOVE OR ARE IN AN AREA WHERE THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO MOVE, BECAUSE THESE SMELLS HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR TWO YEARS.
WHAT REALLY SPARKED THIS WAS A CONSTITUENT COMPLAINT TO ME TWO YEARS AGO WHEN I INITIALLY RAN FOR OFFICE.
AND THE FACT THAT THE MAYOR HAS STILL GETTING THEM, WHICH I GOT ONE FROM OUR OFFICE TWO WEEKS AGO TO ADD ON TO MY HUNDRED LIST OF COMPLAINTS THAT I'VE HAD IN MY OFFICE.
IT'S NOT ABOUT QUALAWASH, IT'S ABOUT NORTH BATON ROUGE IN GENERAL, BUT QUALAWASH JUST HAPPENS TO BE ONE OF THE ONES IN MY DISTRICT THAT HAS THE MOST PUNCH OWNERS.
W LET'S STOP THINKING ABOUT GOVERNMENT TO GOVERNMENT IS WRONG.
I'M NOT HERE TO MAKE ENEMIES, BUT I'M HERE TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR THE CITIZENS OF BATON ROUGE AND IS DOING RIGHT, IS MAKING SURE THAT WE PROTECT THEIR PROPERTY RIGHTS, WHICH WE FIGHT ABOUT SO MUCH.
WE FIGHT ABOUT NOT INCREASING TAXES AND PROTECTING THAT TAX BASE.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THOSE HOMEOWNERS TAXES THAT ARE GOING HERE TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE A NICE, PRETTY COUNSEL CHAMBER? SO IT'S ONE OF DAYS WHEN YOU DRIVE BY AND HE'S LIKE, OH, WHAT'S THAT ODOR CALLED YOU LIVE BY YOU.
LIKE, HOW DO I LIVE HERE EVERY DAY? HOW DO MY KIDS LIVE HERE EVERY DAY? HOW CAN I HOST A BIRTHDAY PARTY IN THE BACKYARD FOR MY KID WHEN I SMELL CRAP ALL DAY LONG.
AND SO WHILE Y'ALL WANT TO PLAY POLITICS HERE, THERE IN OTHER WORRIED ABOUT GOVERNMENT, I'M NOT CALM HERE.
PEOPLE TALK ABOUT, YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW THE LAW AND SAID I WAS ELECTED TO CHANGE THE LAW.
AND SO I'M HERE TODAY TO CHANGE THE LAW, TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR THE PEOPLE AT DISTRICT FIVE.
AND I'M ASKING MY COLLEAGUES TO JOIN IN WITH ME.
AND THE FIRST, ANOTHER TWO YEARS WON'T HAPPEN.
I'VE TALKED TO THE HEAD OF DEQ YESTERDAY THAT TOLD ME THAT THERE MAY BE SOME THINGS GOING ON WITH QUALAWASH THAT WOULD, UM, MAKE AN IMPACT AND STOP THE EMISSIONS FROM HAPPENING.
AND MY RESPONSE TO HIM WAS, IT'S NOT ABOUT QUALAWASH.
IT'S ABOUT THE PEOPLE IN NORTH BATON ROUGE, THE PEOPLE OF BATON ROUGE IN GENERAL.
SO IF THIS STOPS AND WE KILL THE ORDINANCE, WE PUT A BAND-AID ON IT.
BUT IF WE PUT THE ORDINANCE IN PLACE TO PROTECT THE CITIZENS ALL AROUND BAD RULES, LONG TERM.
SO I'M ASKING MY COLLEAGUES TO JOIN IN WITH ME AND PROTECTING THE PEOPLE THAT PUT YOU HERE BY NOT THINKING GOVERNMENT FIRST.
I THINK THAT'S FOR THE RESIDENTS.
THANK YOU, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE'RE GOING TO VOTE ON THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO DEFER THE ITEM FOR 45 DAYS.
WE'RE GOING TO VOTE ON THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION OFF OF THESE OPEN THE MACHINE THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA VOTE ON
[00:55:01]
THE ORIGINAL MOTION TO APPROVE WITH AMENDMENTS TO YOUR ORIGINAL MISSION, EXCUSE ME, BUT WE'RE GOING TO VOTE.NOW WE'RE GOING TO VOTE ON THE ORIGINAL MOTION TO APPROVE AS AMENDED WE'RE VOTING ON THE MACHINES.
WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER, HUDSON MOTION TO DEFER FOR 45 DAYS.
THERE HASN'T BEEN A MOTION MADE TO DEFER THE ITEM FOR 35 DAYS.
THERE'S A SENATE BY THE CHAIR.
IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION TO DEFER IT FOR 45 DAYS 61? JUST ANOTHER EMOTION.
WE JUST SAID, NO, WE'LL MOVE TO ANOTHER MOTION, BUT IT HAS A MOTION TO DEFER FOR 45 DAYS SET INTO BY THE CHAIR A SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER.
IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION TO DEFER AN ITEM FOR 45 DAYS AS OPPOSITION WITH APPLICATIONS? WE'RE GOING TO VOTE ON THE MACHINE? IS COUNSELING DONE? JANE, YOU ONLY ONE AN OPPOSITION.
A FOOD ITEM HAS BEEN DEFERRED FOR FIVE DAYS.
[62. 22-00707]
NUMBER 62 CONCURRENT OR RECOMMENDATION OF THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION TO APPOINT WINNIE HOFFMAN, THE SALE DIRECTOR OF THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT IN THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE EFFECTIVE JUNE 18TH, 2022 BY DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT AND A COUNCIL WOMAN.IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK OF ITEM 62, ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 62.
UH, WE'RE NOW GOING TO GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IS THERE A MOTION COUNCIL MEMBER COLEMAN? YES, IT IS EMOTION.
AND SO THIS IS A SMELL OF GOOD, EXCUSE ME.
I DIDN'T SIGN AND COME BEHIND THE WALL TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM.
COLD AND MEMBERS OF THE METRO COUNCIL.
UH, MY NAME IS ERIC DEXTER, 5 7 4 CIVIL BILL LANE.
I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, AND ALSO SAT ON A SEARCH COMMITTEE ALONG WITH COUNCILWOMAN COLEMAN.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO COME AS A MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE AND OF THE COMMISSION TO SHOW OUR SUPPORT, UH, FOR OUR NOMINATION FOR WHITNEY HOFFMAN CYO.
I WANT TO JUST TO PROVIDE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF A BACKGROUND AND WHAT WE DID THROUGHOUT THE SEARCH PROCESS, WHICH MANY OF YOU WERE WE TALKED TO AT THE VERY, VERY BEGINNING OF THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, DAVIS ROAR, THE GODFATHER OF DOWNTOWN WHO RAN THE DDD FOR OVER 30 YEARS PASSED AWAY.
UNFORTUNATELY LAST YEAR, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS AN UNPRECEDENTED PROCESS FOR US AS MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION TO UNDERSTAND OF HOW WE GO ABOUT FILLING A NEW ROLE FOR OUR DDD EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
AND SO GOING THROUGH THAT, AS YOU KNOW, HOW GOVERNMENT WORKS, WE HAD TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE LINES OF COMMUNICATION WAS, UH, WHO HAD THE PROPER LINES OF AUTHORITY TO APPROVE OUR NEW DDD DIRECTOR.
WELL, AFTER GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND FINALLY FIGURING OUT WE WERE ABLE TO HIRE A CONSULTING FIRM WITH EMERGENT METHOD, UH, TO BEGIN THE SEARCH PROCESS WITH OUR APPLICANTS.
UH, WE RECEIVED OVER 80 APPLICANTS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UH, THAT WERE INTERESTED IN THE DDD EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR JOB FOLKS FROM NEW YORK, ALL THE WAY TO CALIFORNIA.
UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT SHOWED ME ABOUT THIS PROCESS WAS THAT AS MUCH AS WE ARE OUR OWN BEST CRITICS, OUR WORST CRITICS IN THIS CASE, UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BATON ROUGE, THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WERE INTERESTED IN COMING TO BATON ROUGE TO BE THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT DIRECTOR.
I WENT INTO THIS PROCESS THINKING WE WERE ACTUALLY GOING TO END UP WITH SOMEONE WHO WASN'T FROM THE COMMUNITY OR WASN'T FROM THIS STATE, BUT LO AND BEHOLD, WE ENDED UP WITH SOMEONE THAT WAS THE BEST CANDIDATE, UM, THAT WAS RIGHT HERE IN OUR BACKYARD, WHICH ALSO THINKS THAT SHOWS SHOULD SHOW US THAT WE HAVE SOME PRETTY, PRETTY TALENTED FOLKS RIGHT HERE THAT ARE BORN AND BRED RIGHT HERE IN BATON ROUGE.
SO I WOULD ASK THAT YOU APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT COMMISSION, UH, FOR THIS WHITNEY HOFFMAN CYO AS A NEW DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON, UH, ITEM 62, WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO RECEIVED A NUMBER OF EMAILS, UH, ABOUT THE APPOINTMENT OF, WITH WHAT IS HER NAME, WHITNEY HOFFMAN SAY OUT I SPOKE TO ON THE PHONE LAST WEEK.
I SHOULD KNOW THAT A COUNCIL NUMBER CALLED THEM.
SO, UH, I ECHO THE SENTIMENTS OF ERIC THERE.
UH, AND THIS IS A SMELL GOOD THING HERE.
SO YOU ALL OUGHT TO BE ALL RIGHT WITH THIS.
AND SO BEING IN THERE, UH, WITH THAT, IN THAT PROCESS, UM, IT WAS, IT WAS REALLY WHITNEY COME FORWARD HERE TO THIS SO THEY CAN SEE YOU.
IT WAS DEFINITELY, UM, A CHOICE THAT, UH, I MEAN, IT JUST WAS A WHITNEY CHOICE.
AND SO I AM GOING TO MAKE THE MOTION THAT WE
[01:00:01]
ACCEPT WHITNEY HOFFMAN SALE AS OUR DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR.AND SHE COULDN'T WALK IN THOSE SHOES.
THAT'S BEEN MADE SECOND BUYER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER.
NO, I WAS ABOUT TO SPLIT COUNCIL NUMBER ROCKER, BUT I WAS ABOUT TO MISS COUNSELING AMERICA, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN MARACA.
UH, IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION? I MEAN, I, I, I FIGURED WHITE LADY, WHITE LADY.
IT LOOKS LIKE THEY WERE, UH, THEY WERE PLANNING COUNCIL MEMBER, COUNCIL MEMBER GO DAY.
I'M GOING TO ABSTAIN FROM THIS VOTE.
UH, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ROCCA.
IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION COUNCIL MEMBER HUDSON? NO, NO OPPOSITION, OF COURSE.
UH, NO, I JUST WANTED TO SAY MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT YOU WERE THE, UH, URBAN TRAILS DIRECTOR FOR BRAC.
AND, UH, I DIDN'T DO THIS ON PURPOSE THIS MORNING, BUT I TOOK MY DAUGHTER, UH, FOR A QUICK, JUST A QUICK NATURE TRAIL THROUGH THE, UH, FOREST CREEK PARK THIS MORNING.
AND I'LL TELL YOU IF YOU DO THIS JOB WITH AS MUCH EXCELLENCE AS YOU GUYS HAVE PLANNED THE TRAILS AND SEVERAL OF OUR PARKS YOU'LL DO, YOU'LL