[00:00:01]
OH, SO ELLA, EVERYBODY WELCOME TO THE COUNCIL CHAMBER OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
ON BEHALF OF MAYOR, PRESIDENT SHARON, WESTERN BROOM, AND THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WE WELCOME YOU TO OUR COUNCIL MEETING AUGUST 24TH, 2022.
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WATCHING FROM OUT OF TOWN, WE ARE THE, UH, CITY, THE CAPITAL OF LOUISIANA, THE HOME OF THE SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY OF JAGUARS IN THE LSU FIGHTING TIGERS.
AND THEY HAVE A DATE ON SEPTEMBER THE 10TH AT TIGER STADIUM FOR THE FIRST TIME THOSE TWO TEAMS WILL MADE AND EVERYBODY MADE.
AND EVERYBODY'S LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT, UH, THAT GAME.
AND I DON'T THINK THE CONCESSION SAINTS ARE GOING TO DO VERY WELL AT HALFTIME, ANYBODY.
AND, UH, WE'D LIKE TO FEATURE A COUNCIL MEMBER TODAY IF, UH, IF YOU WOULD ALLOW ME TO DO THAT, AND WE'RE GOING TO FEATURE OUR COUNCIL MEMBER WHO REPRESENTS DISTRICT NUMBER EIGHT, DENISE MROZ, DID HE SAY MARISSA WAS APPOINTED TO SERVE AS THE DISTRICT GATE COUNCIL MEMBER ON JULY 19TH AFTER HER HUSBAND, COUNCILMAN BUDDY MROC PASSED AWAY WHILE BIKING IN WEST FELICIANA PARISH ON JUNE 30TH, 2018.
AND THEN OF COURSE SHE WAS LATER ELECTED TO THE POSITION.
AND THEN HE'S GOING TO STOP RIGHT HERE JUST FOR A SECOND.
YOUR, YOUR HUSBAND WAS AN OUTSTANDING AND COUNCIL MEMBER.
HE WAS ADMIRED BY EVERYBODY IN CITY PAIRS, GOVERNMENT.
I NEVER HEARD HIM SAY A BAD THING ABOUT ANYONE, EXCEPT MAYBE WHEN THAT WAS, SHE WAS PLAYING ALABAMA.
HE WOULD SEND SOME TEXTS THAT WERE NOT VERY NICE, BUT HE WAS JUST A WONDERFUL PERSON.
WHEN THESE WATERS AND ANTHONY BUDDY MROC, UH, THEY MET EACH OTHER AT ORAL ROBERTS UNIVERSITY IN 1975.
THAT WAS WHEN THEY WERE THE TITANS, BUT LATER THAT'S WHAT I WAS DOING SPORTS, BUT NOW THEY'RE THE GOLDEN EAGLES.
THEY GRADUATED TOGETHER IN 1979 AND THEY WENT IN 1981.
SHE AND BUDDY HAD THREE CHILDREN, ELAINE, MIKEY, ANNE AND ANTHONY, EMMA ROSA, A NAVY VETERAN, AND THEY HAVE FIVE GRANDCHILDREN.
AND YOU HAVE ONE ON THE WHAT? DENISE IS A LONG TIME VOLUNTEER AT WOMEN'S HOSPITAL, WHERE SHE WALKS THE BABIES IN THE NIC.
YOU, SHE IS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE BLUE STAR MOTHERS AND ALSO CHRIST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH ON THE BOARD OF THE CB PENNINGTON MCA, AND IS ON THE OPERATION WHITE LIGHT COMMITTEE, COUNCIL, WOMAN, AND BAROSSA ALSO COORDINATES THE BUDDY RIDE BICYCLE EVENT, WHICH HAS BENEFITED LOUISIANA KEY ACADEMY.
AND OF COURSE THAT'S FOR CHILDREN WITH DYSLEXIA.
SHE'S ON THE MAYOR'S VETERANS COMMITTEE AND ALSO ON THE BRIDGE CENTER FOR HOPE.
AND SHE IS OUR COUNCIL MEMBER FROM DISTRICT COUNCIL WOMAN THAT HE SANTA ROSA.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO MENTION ALSO THAT'S THE AREA IN BATON ROUGE, OLD HAMMOND MILLERVILLE CORSI SHERWOOD, FOREST PARK, BAPTIST HAROLD'S FERRY ROAD JONES CREEK ROAD.
THE AREA OF OUR GREAT PARISH AT THIS TIME, WE'RE READY TO GO.
AND OUR MAYOR PRESIDENT PROTIUM IS SET TO KICK THINGS OFF HERE IS LAMONT COLON COUNTY.
[CALL TO ORDER]
EVERYONE.AND WELCOME TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED METROPOLITAN COUNCIL MEETING ON THIS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 24TH, 2022 AT 4:00 PM.
AT THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO OUR COUNCIL MEMBER FROM DISTRICT EIGHT, MR. NISSAN, RURAL.
SO, YES, UM, FOR THE INVOCATION TONIGHT, I HAVE SERGEANT RANDALL CUNNINGHAM.
HE IS WITH THE BATON ROUGE CITY CONSTABLE'S OFFICE AND THE YOUNG GENTLEMAN WHO IS GOING TO DO OUR PLEDGE FOR US IS MAJOR SERGE JOHNSON.
HE'S A FOURTH GRADER AT GLEN OAKS PARK ELEMENTARY AND THE SON OF OUR MOST HONORABLE CONSTABLE TERICA WILLIAMS. WE ASKED THEM, WE ASKED GOD, THOSE THAT ARE HERE WILL CONTINUE TO RECEIVE YOUR BLESSING OF GOD AND CONTINUE TO LOOK INTO THE HEALS FROM WHICH COME AT THEIR HEALTH LAW.
WE ALSO ASK NOW THAT ALL DECISIONS AND EVENTS THAT TAKE PLACE IN THIS PLACE WILL BE TO YOUR GLORIFICATION, YOUR EDIFICATION.
WE ASK THAT THE DECISION TO BE MADE TO CONTINUE TO PROTECT THE CITY, THE STATE, AS WELL AS THIS COUNTRY GONE, BUT CONTINUE TO LIFT UP THOSE OLD GOD THAT STAND ON THE FRONT LINES TO KEEP THIS CITY SAFELY.
SO LORD, NOW WE ASK IN JESUS' NAME THAT WE PRAY A MAN.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG AND UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
[00:05:01]
WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL GOOD JOB.THANK YOU VERY MUCH AT THIS TIME.
I LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER AFTER, DO WE HAVE A FORM
[ADOPTION AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
ITEM ONE APPROVAL AND ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES OF THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL MEETING OF AUGUST 10TH, 2022 AND THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL ZONING MEETING OF AUGUST 17TH, 2022 BY COUNCIL ADMINISTRATIVE TREASURE.IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM ONE? IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM ONE? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DONE SECOND AND BY THE CHAIR ITEM ONE HAS BEEN APPROVED ASKING, COULD YOU PLEASE
[INTRODUCTIONS]
READ THE INTRODUCTIONS SECTION 2.12 INTRODUCTIONS.NUMBER TWO, GRANTING A FIVE-YEAR PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENT ESTIMATED AT TEN SEVEN HUNDRED SEVENTY NINE DOLLARS AND 1 CENT PER YEAR FOR 2 1 0 LAUREL STREET, LLC, LOCATED AT 2 1 0 LA LAUREL STREET APPLICATION HAS REFERRED BY THE LOUISIANA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RESTORATION TAX ABATEMENT PROGRAM FOR THE PURPOSE OF ENCOURAGING PRIVATE INVESTMENT INVESTMENT AND RESTORATION OF PROPERTY BY THE PLANNING DIRECTOR.
NUMBER THREE, AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESIDENT ON BEHALF OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO ACCEPT A GRANT AWARD IN THE AMOUNT OF $13,550 FROM THE LOUISIANA OFFICE OF CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT.
THIS FUND FROM THIS GRANT WILL ALLOW THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH A CONSULTANT TO UPDATE THE SPANISH TOWN LOCAL HISTORIC DISTRICT STRUCTURE SURVEY, AS WELL AS CREATING A DIGITAL STORYBOARD AND WALKING BIKING TOUR THROUGHOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
BY THE PLANNING DIRECTOR, NUMBER FOUR, AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO IMPLEMENT A SENIOR CITIZEN AID PROGRAM, WHICH WILL ALLOW SENIORS TO CONTRACT WITH THE CITY PARISH DEPARTMENTS AND PERFORM ASSIGNED DUTIES IN THE CITY PARISH SYSTEM TO FOSTER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND SENIOR CITIZEN EMPLOYMENT WITHIN THE CITY PARISH ESTABLISHING THE PARAMETERS AND REQUIREMENTS OF SAID CONTRACTS WITH SENIOR CITIZEN AID WORKERS BY COUNCILMAN DARREL HURST, NUMBER FIVE, AMENDING TITLE EIGHT.
SO AS TO ADD CHAPTER FOUR STANDARDS FOR RENTAL PROPERTIES, FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROVIDING HIGHER LEVEL SECURITY, THEREBY ENHANCING A TENANTS, PEACEFUL POSSESSION OF THE PROPERTY THROUGH THE MAINTENANCE OF SECURITY CAMERAS, ADEQUATE OUTDOOR LIGHTING AND DISCLOSURE OF CRIMINAL INCIDENTS IN THE IMMEDIATE AREA OF THE PROPERTY.
THIS ORDINANCE SHALL BE KNOWN AS DEVIN'S LAW BY COUNCILMAN CLEVE DUNN JR.
NUMBER SIX, ADMITTING THE 2022 OPERATING AND CAPITAL BUDGET.
SO AS TO APPROPRIATE $3 MILLION FOR CLEARING AND SNAGGING OF THE COMMUTE RIVER WITH $2,500,000 FUNDED FROM GENERAL FUND FUND BALANCE ON A SIGN AND 500,000 FUNDED FROM THE CITY OF CENTRAL FURTHER AUTHORIZED THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO ENTER INTO A COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF CENTRAL AND AMEND THE EXISTING CONTRACT WITH DRC EMERGENCY SERVICES, LLC, WHERE THE ADDITIONAL WORK TO BE PERFORMED BY THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT NUMBER SEVEN, AUTHORIZE AUTHORIZATION TO APPROPRIATE $80,000 FROM THE AIRPORT'S CASH ACCOUNT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS TO BE PLACED IN THE EMPLOYEE PARKING LOT REHABILITATION PROJECT TO FUND THE DESIGN AND RECONSTRUCTION OF EMPLOYEE PARKING BY THE AVIATION DIRECTOR.
NUMBER EIGHT AUTHORIZATION TO APPROPRIATE $550,000 FROM THE AIRPORTS CASH ACCOUNT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT TO BE PLACED IN THE TAXI.
WELL TAXI WAY, L REDESIGN TO FUND THE DESIGN AND RECONSTRUCTION OF TAXI WAY L AND DECOMMISSION OF RUNWAY FOR OUR 22 L AND TAXIWAY E BY AVIATION DIRECTOR.
NUMBER NINE, AUTHORIZATION TO APPROPRIATE $310,000 FROM THE AIRPORTS CASH ACCOUNT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS TO BE PLACED IN THE NORTHWEST AVIATION DEVELOPMENT PROJECT TO FUND THE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF A NEW TAXIWAY IN THE NORTHWEST SECTION OF THE AIRFIELD BY THE AVIATION DIRECTOR, CONDEMNATION INTRODUCTIONS.
NUMBER 10, GARY KEITH LARKIN, 2 7 0 6 6 PAGAN DRIVE COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE, KNOLL NUMBER 11, SHORTEN PLACE 8 5 1 5 9 SYCAMORE STREET, COUNCIL DISTRICT FIVE, HERTZ NUMBER 12 CROW DELATTE AT HOUR 5, 1 0 5 SYCAMORE STREET COUNCIL DISTRICT FIVE, HERTZ NUMBER 13, JAMES E HEINZ, THE THIRD 2 1 4 9 2 1 5 1 AND 2 1 5 3 NORTH FOSTER DRIVE COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN, COLE NUMBER 14, JOSEPH HOMES, 9 3 9 NORTH 38TH STREET COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN, COLE NUMBER 15, MARYLAND SATU 7 2 4 7 MEADOWBROOK AVENUE, COUNCIL DISTRICT NINE, HUDSON NUMBER 16, LF SIMS IN EDNA MAY GALLOWAY SIMS 2 75 WEST HARRISON STREET, COUNCIL DISTRICT 10, COLEMAN NUMBER 17, 2 4 9 19TH STREET, LLC, 2 49 SOUTH 19TH STREET COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 COLEMAN NUMBER 18, EFRAM CANTRELL GREEN 1 8 5 3 AND 1-855-VIRGINIA STREET COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 COLEMAN NUMBER 19 CC RIVER DISTRICT LLC 1-863-NICHOLSON DRIVE COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 COLEMAN ADJUDICATED PROPERTY INTRODUCTIONS NUMBER 20 LOT 18 SQUARE SIX EDEN PARK COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN COLE NUMBER 21 LIGHT 19 SQUARE
[00:10:01]
27.FAIRFIELD COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN COLE NUMBER 22 LOT 24 SQUARE 2 0 8 ISTROUMA COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 COLEMAN NUMBER 23, LOT 46 SQUARE, 15 SUBDIVISION SOUTH BATON ROUGE, COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 COLEMAN NUMBER 24, A LOT, 2 85 SUBDIVISION BROOKSTOWN PLACE COUNCIL DISTRICT FIVE HURST NUMBER 20 LOT FIVE SQUARE SEVEN SUBDIVISION STANDARD HEIGHTS COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 COLEMAN NUMBER 26 LOT 18 SQUARE 14 GREENVILLE EXTENSION COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN COLE NUMBER 21 LOT, 1 42 SUBDIVISION HOLIDAY WOODS COUNCIL DISTRICT FIVE HEARST NUMBER 28, LOT 11 PLUS SQUARE 45 SUBDIVISION GREENVILLE EXTENSION COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN COLE NUMBER 29, LOT 30 ONES WHERE 46 SUBDIVISION GREENVILLE EXTENSION COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN COLE NUMBER 30 LOT 13 A SQUARE 23 SUBDIVISION FUQUA AND LAYMAN TOWN COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 COLEMAN NUMBER 31 LOT 13 B SQUARE 23
SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER CAREER COUNSELING.
UM, I'D LIKE TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT TO ONE OF THE INTRODUCTIONS ITEM.
NUMBER SIX, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE, NEVER ASKED FOR THIS BEFORE.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROCESS IS.
ITEM NUMBER SIX IS INTRODUCTION.
UH, MAYBE THE 2022 OPERATING BUDGET APPROPRIATE 3 MILLION COME EAT RIVER.
UM, I LIKE TO ADD ON, UH, WITH MAYOR, PRESIDENT, UH, METRO COUNCIL MEMBER, ERIN MOKE.
ALSO ALL ITEMS HAVE BEEN READ INTO THE INTRODUCTION WITH THE ADJUSTMENTS THAT THEIR MOTION TO APPROVE INTRODUCTIONS.
SO MOBILE BY COUNCIL MEMBER ROCKER, SECONDARY BY COUNCIL MEMBER DONE ANY OBJECTIONS, INTRODUCTIONS HAVE BEEN APPROVED.
[CONDEMNATIONS]
TO SEPARATE SHEET FOR CONDEMNATIONS.WE'LL READ RECOMMENDATIONS AS THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO US.
THEY OUGHT TO PROCEED WITH ITEM 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80 81 82, 83, 84 AND 85.
AND, UH, DEFER FOR 90 DAYS 78 AND DELETE ITEM 73.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON A CONDEMNATION? WHEN I WENT BACK TO COUNCIL MEMBERS, I HAVE YOURS COUNCIL, MOROCCO.
I HAVE YOURS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GO DAY 73.
I GOT DOWN 74, 74, 90 DAY, 75, 30, 74, 90 DAYS, 75 30.
ALL RIGHT, ANYONE ELSE? LET ME READ THE CHANGES.
THEY ARE TO PROCEED WITH ITEMS 76, 77, 79, 81 82 83 AND 84.
THEY ARE TO DEFER FOR 30 DAYS, ITEM 75 AND 85 DEFER FOR 60 DAYS.
ITEM 80 DEFER FOR 90 DAYS, ITEM 74 AND TO DELETE ITEMS 73 AND 78.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE CONDEMNATIONS MOTION TO APPROVE CONDEMNATION BY COUNCILMEMBER DONE SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN MAMMAL.
ROSSA CONDEMNATIONS HAVE BEEN APPROVED COUNCIL MEMBERS.
LET'S I'M GOING TO READ THEM AGAIN.
THEY ARE TO PROCEED WITH ITEMS 77 79, 81 82, 83 AND 84 DEFERRED FOR 30 DAYS, 75, 76 AND 85 DIFFER FOR 60 DAYS.
80 DIFFER FOR 90 DAYS, ITEM 74 AND TO DELETE ITEM 73 AND 78.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE SOME MORE BY DONE SECOND AND BY A MOROSA CONDEMNATIONS HAVE BEEN APPROVED LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, US GO LAST SHEET FOR THE EMERGENCY ITEM IN ACCORDANCE WITH ORDINANCE 1 6, 4 40 TO DECIDE IT MUST BE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY BY TWO THIRD VOTED AND METROPOLITAN COUNCIL.
LET ME READ THE ITEM ITEM 1 38 CAFFEINE IRREGULAR METROPOLITAN COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULED ON SEPTEMBER 28TH, 2022.
[138. 22-01119]
AND RESCHEDULING THAT MEETING TO SEPTEMBER 21ST, 2022, IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL ZONING MEETING BY THE CHAIR REASON FOR EMERGENCY TO PROVIDE NOTICE OF THE CHANGE[00:15:01]
AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, IF APPROVED, IS THERE A MOTION TO DECLARE THE ITEM AND EMERGENCIES? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DUNN, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER COLEMAN.IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO DECLARE THE ITEM AND EMERGENCY? IS THERE ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM NOW I'LL GO BACK TO THE COUNCIL.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEMS? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DONE.
I JUST DID HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE COUNCIL ADMINISTRATOR ON HOW THE PUBLIC NOTICE PIECE OF IT WORKS.
SO IF WE'VE NOTICED PEOPLE FOR CONDEMNATIONS OR IF WE'VE NOTICED PEOPLE FOR PARTICULAR ITEMS THAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN, HOW'S THAT GOING TO WORK TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE COME TO THE CORRECT MEETING THERE? UH, PEOPLE SH I'M GOING TO HAVE TO DEFER TO MAY MOON ON CONDEMNATIONS, BUT, UM, THE ITEMS TONIGHT THAT ARE, UH, ADJUDICATED PROPERTIES THAT WERE INTRODUCED FOR THE 28TH WILL HAVE TO BE RE ADVERTISED, UM, AND INTRODUCED, UH, FOR THE FOLLOWING MEETING IN OCTOBER AND FOR THE CONDEMNATIONS AS WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, WHEN WE'VE HAD SITUATIONS ABOUT A YEAR OR TWO WITH HURRICANES AND WE SEND A LETTER TO EACH PERSON LETTING THEM KNOW.
SO, SO WHAT ABOUT LIKE NORMAL NORMAL ITEMS? HOW DOES IT WORK? I MEAN, IF LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, WE HAVE SEVERAL INTRODUCTIONS TONIGHT WHERE THE MEETING DATE, OR WE HAD SEVERAL ITEMS AT OUR LAST MEETING WHERE IT'S FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
HOW DOES THAT WORK? SO, UM, I THINK THAT WAS THE THOUGHT OF THE CHAIR.
WAS THAT GO AHEAD AND HAVE THIS HEARD TONIGHT SO THAT THERE WILL BE NO ITEMS INTRODUCED AT THE NEXT MEETING FOR THE 28TH.
UM, AT THIS POINT THERE ARE NO ITEMS OTHER THAN ADJUDICATOR PROPERTIES THAT ARE SCHEDULED OR SEPTEMBER 28TH.
AND THE REASON FOR THE INM IS A NUMBER OF COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL BE OUT OF TOWN.
AND IF ONE PERSON HAD AN EMERGENCY, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO HAVE THE MEETING.
AND SO RATHER THAN RISK THAT HAPPENING AND HAVE TO DEFER A HUNDRED AND SOMETHING ITEMS TO THE NEXT, AND WE MAY HAVE ALMOST 300 ON ONE MEETING, WE JUST MOVE IT UP TO ALL BE HERE ANYWAY.
SO IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED BY COUNCILMAN NEIL, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DONE ITEM 1 38 HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR THOSE OF YOU WATCHING AT HOME.
OUR SECOND MEETING IN SEPTEMBER WILL BE HELD ON SEPTEMBER 21ST.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE IN IT BY THE AUDIENCE.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BE HERE, MAKE YOUR PLANS.
NOW THE MEETING IS GOING TO BE ON THE 21ST.
WE'RE NOW GOING TO MOVE TO ITEM 70, UH, ITEM 90 ON THE PUBLIC
[86. 22-00761]
HEARING.THANK ALL OF OUR, UH, CITY PARIS EMPLOYEES FOR BEING HERE WITH US.
UH, WE KNOW YOU GOTTA BE HERE, BUT WE'RE THANKFUL THAT TO CHOSE, TO BE HERE WITH US THIS AFTERNOON.
ONE BANK, ALL THE, ALL THE GUESTS WHO COME TO SPEAK IN A PUBLIC HEARING, AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.
WE NOW GO TO ITEM 86, AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE, PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE, TITLE 13.
SO AS TO ADD SECTION 13 41 0 7, CAMPING AND PUBLIC AREA PROHIBITED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS, LORI ADAMS AND DWIGHT HUSSON.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 86? I HAVE SOME, UH, FOLKS HAVE SIGNED SPEAKER CARDS.
WE'RE GOING TO GO WITH THOSE FIRST, UH, WISHING TO SPEAK IN FAVOR IS JENNIFER RICHARDSON WOULD KEEP TITLE TOWN BEAUTIFUL.
MS. RICHARDSON AND MS. RICHARDSON AND COME ON DOWN TO THE PODIUM RIGHT HERE AND COUNCIL MEMBERS ALSO, SHE PUT SOME PICTURES UP HERE EARLIER.
IF Y'ALL HADN'T SEEN THEM, SHE'S PASSING AROUND AND MAKE SURE YOU PRESS THE GREEN BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM.
MS. RICHARDSON, THE GREEN BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MICROPHONE HAD THE BARE BARE BOTTOM, WHEREVER THEIR BIBLE.
COUNSEL WOMEN AND MEN, MEN, AND WOMEN FOR LETTING ME COME AND TALK TODAY.
UM, MY NAME IS JENNIFER RICHARDSON AND I'M WITH KEEP TIGERTOWN BEAUTIFUL.
WE ARE A GROUP OF VOLUNTEERS THAT CLEAN UP HEAVILY TRAFFICKED PUBLIC AREAS OF THE CITY.
AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO DATE.
WE'VE PICKED UP, UH, 4,300 CONTRACTOR BAGS OF GARBAGE.
WE'VE PICKED UP THOUSANDS OF DRUG NEEDLES.
THIS IS JUST A LITTLE TINY SAMPLE OF THE DRUG NEEDLES, AND YOU CAN LOOK AT SOME OF THESE PICTURES, THIS, IT ONLY TOOK US TWO HOURS TO PICK THESE NEEDLES UP THERE'S DRUGS.
THERE'S FENTINOL ON THE GROUND.
I KNOW ALL THIS IS GOING IN OUR GROUNDWATER, OUR PUBLIC PARKS, WHERE OUR CHILDREN PLAY THERE'S BALLOONS FILLED WITH, UM, DRUG RESIDUE.
WHEN I KNOW LITTLE CHILDREN WANT TO PICK UP A PRETTY COLOR BALLOON, UM, WE, OR JUST WE'RE SEEING THIS IS WHAT WE'RE SEEING WHEN WE PICK UP GARBAGE AT PUBLIC AREAS.
UM, WE'RE SEEING HUNDREDS OF SHOPPING CARTS THAT ARE BEING STOLEN.
[00:20:02]
THOUSANDS OF DRUG NEEDLES, DRUG PARAPHERNALIA, FENTANYL WEAPONS, INCLUDING LOADED GUNS, KNIVES, HOMEMADE WEAPONS, PORN USE CON CONDOMS ON EATEN FOOD BOXES AND BOXES OF UNEATEN FOOD, HUMAN WASTE, AND URINE RATS, ROACHES.AND WHAT'S HAPPENING IS WITH ALL THIS HAPPENING IN THOSE AREAS.
BUSINESSES, PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO DO BUSINESS AROUND THIS GOING ON BECAUSE THERE'S CRIME.
AND THEN THE BUSINESS FALLS, THEY GO OUT OF BUSINESS.
THEN THE BUILDINGS BECOME VACANT.
AND THE NEXT THING YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE MOVING INTO THESE BUILDINGS.
WE'VE HAD TO GO IN A COUPLE OF THE BUILDINGS AND GET THEM MOVED OUT OF THE BUILDINGS BECAUSE THEY'VE THERE'S, THEY STEAL EVERYTHING.
THEY GO IN THERE AND THERE'S CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AND THERE'S, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN IN JAIL FOR MURDER AND THAT WERE IN THOSE BUILDINGS.
SO, UM, I JUST, WHEN I THINK ABOUT OUR CHILDREN, YOU CAN'T EVEN GO TO A PARK ANYMORE.
YOU'RE SCARED OF WHAT YOUR CHILDREN ARE GOING TO PICK UP.
THIS IS THE CITY THAT WE ALL HAVE TO LIVE IN, AND I'M NOT AGAINST HOMELESSNESS AT ALL, BUT I AM AGAINST CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.
UM, THIS IS GOING TO AFFECT TOURISM, YOU KNOW, COMING INTO OUR INTERSECTIONS AND IT'S GOING TO ALSO AFFECT COMMERCE BECAUSE LOTS OF BUILDINGS OR VACANT RIGHT NOW THAT HAVE GONE OUT OF BUSINESS.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO, UM, DO SOMETHING ABOUT.
UM, BUT WE, THE CRIMINAL ACTIVITY AND THE, WHAT WE DO AND SEE WHEN WE'RE ON THE STREET AND Y'ALL SEEN THE PICTURES, RIGHT? EVERYBODY'S CHECK THESE PICTURES OUT.
WE'RE NOT MAKING THIS STUFF UP.
THIS IS, THIS IS WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE CITY THERE THAT YOU LIVE IN AND NOT IN CERTAIN AREAS OF TOWN, THIS IS HAPPENING EVERYWHERE IN OUR CITY, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD YOU LIVE IN, IN THE BUSHES, IN THE VACANT LOTS.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF MY THREE MINUTES IS UP, BUT IT IS, BUT SHE WAS SO PASSIONATE.
I DIDN'T WANT TO INTERRUPT YOU, BUT IT EATS UP SO MUCH.
I HAVE A TENDENCY TO NOPE, NO PROBLEM.
NOW I'LL GO TO, UH, WISHING TO SPEAK IN OPPOSITION, CLARA PATA.
WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR MY COLLEAGUE TO GO, TO MAKE HER COMMENT FIRST? AND FOR ME, JUST ADD A COUPLE OF BENEFITS.
WE BOTH GOT THREE MINUTES, SO, YEP.
STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD PLEASE.
MY NAME IS SHANDRA SHAY FOSTER.
I'M A POLICY ASSOCIATE WITH THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER.
I'M JOINED TODAY BY MY COLLEAGUE, CLARA POTTER.
SHE'S STAFF ATTORNEY, THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER IS LOCATED AT 2 0 1 ST.
CHARLES AVENUE, NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA 7 0 1 7 0.
OUR COMMENT IS SUBMITTED IN OPPOSITION TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 86.
I STAND BEFORE YOU TODAY ASKING THAT YOU WOULD DRAW OR VOTE DOWN PROPOSED ORDINANCE 22 DASH 0 0 7 61 WAS CRIMINALIZED AS CAMPING BY HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS IN THE CITY PARISH.
THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE IS LIKELY TO BE ILLEGAL AND IN VIOLATION OF THE US CONSTITUTION, FEDERAL COURTS HAVE FOUND THAT ANTI CAMPING ORDINANCES SUCH AS THE ONE BEING PROPOSED HERE TODAY VIOLATES EIGHTH AMENDMENT.
WHEN THERE IS INADEQUATE SHELTER FOR UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS, FEDERAL COURTS HAVE HELD THAT THE EIGHTH AMENDMENT PROHIBITS THE IMPOSITION OF CRIMINAL PENALTIES.
WE'RE SITTING, SLEEPING OR LYING OUTSIDE ON PUBLIC PROPERTY FOR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS WHO CANNOT OBTAIN SHELTER.
THIS ORDINANCE MAY BE IN VIOLATION OF THE FOURTH AND 14TH AMENDMENTS AS WELL, TO THE EXTENT THAT IT RESULTS IN THE UNLAWFUL SEIZURES AND DESTRUCTION OF AN UNHOUSED PERSONS PROPERTY, A CIRCUIT COURT HAIL THAT THEY'RE UNREASONABLE DEPRIVATION OF AN UNHOUSED PERSONS PROPERTY IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL UNDER THE FOURTH AMENDMENT.
THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE THAT WE'RE SPEAKING ON TODAY, DISCRIMINATES AGAINST PERSONS, EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, WHO ARE THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO HAVE NO CHOICE, BUT TO SLEEP OR CAMP OUTSIDE AND HAVE PERSONAL BELONGINGS WITH THEM IN PUBLIC PLACES WHERE THEY LIVE.
THE BLATANT DISCRIMINATION IS A VIOLATION OF THE 14TH AMENDMENT EQUAL PROTECTION CLAUSE.
THIS ORDINANCE IS BAD PUBLIC POLICY.
IT DOES NOTHING TO ADDRESS THE RISING NUMBER OF UNHOUSED PEOPLE AND THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL HOUSING.
INSTEAD IT EXACERBATES THE PROBLEM FURTHER BY CRIMINALIZING PEOPLE FOR DOING WHAT WE ALL NEED TO DO TO SURVIVE, FIND A PLACE TO SLEEP.
WE ALL WANT TO END HOMELESSNESS IN BATON ROUGE AND ENSURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE A SAFE PLACE TO GO.
[00:25:01]
TO ACHIEVE THAT GOAL IS NOT FOUND IN PASSING AN ORDINANCE THAT CRIMINALIZES POVERTY AND IS IN VIOLATION OF RIGHTS THAT WE'RE ALL GUARANTEED TO MS. POTTER.UM, AND I AM A STAFF ATTORNEY WITH THE SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER.
UM, FIRST I WANT TO UNDERSCORE, UM, WELL, I, UH, ALSO AM AN OPPOSITION TO AGENDA ITEM 86, AND I WOULD URGE THIS COUNCIL TO WITHDRAW OR VOTE DOWN ORDINANCE, UH, 22 0 0 7 61.
UM, I WANT TO UNDERSCORE THAT WE SHARE THE SAME GOALS OF ENDING HOMELESSNESS, BUT THAT, UH, THERE'S A COALITION OF BRILLIANT FOLKS IN THE ROOM TODAY WHO ARE HERE TO PROVIDE COMPASSIONATE AND EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS TO THAT PROBLEM.
THE LANGUAGE OF THE ORDINANCE HAS NOT CHANGED SINCE IT WAS FIRST INTRODUCED AND NO OTHER MEASURES TO HELP HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS IN BATON ROUGE HAVE BEEN UNDERTAKEN SINCE IT WAS FIRST INTRODUCED.
AND SO FOR THAT REASON, IT REMAINS OPEN TO THE SAME LEGAL CHALLENGES THAT WE INITIALLY, UH, BROUGHT TO THIS COUNCIL'S ATTENTION.
UM, WHEN IT WAS FIRST PROPOSED, UH, I WANTED TO READ FROM ONE OF THE CASES THAT STRUCK DOWN A SIMILAR LAW, BECAUSE I THINK THE LANGUAGE OF THAT CASE REALLY HIGHLIGHTS WHAT IS THE ISSUE WITH THIS PARTICULAR ORDINANCE THERE, THE COURT RULED THAT SITTING LYING AND SLEEPING ARE UNIVERSAL AND UNAVOIDABLE CONSEQUENCES OF BEING HUMAN.
AS LONG AS THERE IS NO OPTION OF SLEEPING INDOORS, THE GOVERNMENT CANNOT CRIMINALIZE INDIGENT, HOMELESS PEOPLE FOR SLEEPING OUTDOORS, PUBLIC PROPERTY ON THE FALSE PREMISE THAT THEY HAD A CHOICE IN THE MATTER.
AND I JUST WANT TO REPEAT THAT LAST PART ON THE FALSE PREMISE THAT THEY HAD A CHOICE IN THE MATTER IF THERE'S NOWHERE FOR PEOPLE TO GO IN BATON ROUGE TO SLEEP AT NIGHT, IF THERE'S INSUFFICIENT, AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THERE'S INSUFFICIENT SHELTER BEDS, THE CONSTITUTION IS VIOLATED WHEN WE ARREST THEM FOR DOING SOMETHING WE ALL NEED TO DO EVERY SINGLE DAY, WHICH IS SLEEP.
SO FOR THAT REASON, WE HOPE THAT THE CITY WILL CHOOSE HOUSING OVER HANDCUFFS AND THAT THIS ORDINANCE WILL BE VOTED DOWN.
NEXT WE'LL HEAR FROM SANDRA SAY FOSTER, YOU ALREADY BRIAN SLEEP.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CHRISTIAN OUTREACH CENTER OF BATON ROUGE AND WE ARE VERY MUCH INVOLVED.
UM, AND WE HAVE BEEN, UM, FOR 31 YEARS IN THE SPACE OF HELPING THOSE WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
UM, LET ME BE CLEAR THAT WE SEEK THE GOOD OF THE CITY, THE TOTAL GOOD.
WE SEEK THE GOOD OF NOT HAVING TRASH AND NEEDLES EVERYWHERE, BUT, BUT FROM OUR VIEW, YOU KNOW, TO TIE THIS INTO AN ORDINANCE THAT WILL CRIMINALIZE THE HOMELESS IS IN OUR OPINION, JUST NOT THE WAY TO GO.
AS I SAID, A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, I MYSELF WAS HUMBLE AS BACK IN 2009.
AND AS WE KNOW, PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THIS SPACE, ANY ONE OF US, ANYONE OF US CAN BECOME HOMELESS, GIVEN THE RIGHT SET OF CIRCUMSTANCES ON A WRONG, ANY ONE OF US, PEOPLE BECOME HOMELESS FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.
IT, SOME OF THE REASONS ARE UNEMPLOYMENT UNDEREMPLOYMENT ADDICTION, UH, BEING RELEASED FROM PRISON, MENTAL HEALTH, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, A MEDICAL CONDITION, OR A DISABILITY AND NATURAL DISASTERS.
AND WE COULD, WE COULD LIST OTHER CAUSES AS WELL, ACCORDING TO THE CAPITAL AREA UNITED WAY, 52% OF THE POPULATION IN EBR IS AT RISK GIVEN THE RIGHT PERFECT STORM OF BECOMING HOMELESS.
AND SO THINK ABOUT IT AS, AS INFLATION CONTINUES.
UM, AND DOESN'T SHOW SIGNS OF SLOWING DOWN.
WE HAVE 52% OF THE POPULATION WHO ARE AT RISK OF BECOMING HOMELESS IN EBR.
IT'S HARD ENOUGH TO GAIN TRACTION, TO BECOME PERMANENTLY HOUSED, BUT CRIMINALIZING, THIS POPULATION MAKES IT THAT MUCH HARDER.
OUR STATE LEADS THE WORLD AND THE COUNTRY WITH THE HIGHEST INCARCERATION.
OUR PRISON SYSTEM IS OVERCROWDED.
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IS SHORT, 115 PEOPLE.
THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE NEEDS A HUNDRED DEPUTIES ON I, 10 AND NINE 12.
WE ARE A CORRIDOR FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING, STATISTICALLY WITH THE NUMBER OF HOMICIDES COMMITTED EACH YEAR WHERE WITHIN SPITTING DISTANCE OF CHICAGO.
[00:30:01]
DOZENS AND DOZENS ARE TURNED AWAY FROM THE SHELTERS.IT'S, IT'S NOT JUST HOW MANY BEDS DO WE HAVE? IT'S IT'S FAR MORE COMPREHENSIVE THAN THAT.
UM, THERE'S A LIMITED NUMBER OF TRANSITIONAL HOUSING AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING IS TOUGH TO COME BY.
AND SO NOW WE'RE ACTUALLY CONSIDERING CRIMINALIZING THOSE WHO HAVE NO PLACE TO GO SINCE I'M A PASTOR, I AM GOING TO QUOTE A FEW VERSES PROVERBS 29 7, A RIGHTEOUS MAN KNOWS THE RIGHTS OF THE POOR.
A WICKED MAN DOES NOT UNDERSTAND SUCH KNOWLEDGE, PROVERBS 31 8 THROUGH NINE, OPEN YOUR MOUTH FOR THE RIGHTS OF ALL WHO ARE DESTITUTE, OPEN YOUR MOUTH.
JUDGE RIGHTEOUSLY DEFEND THE RIGHTS OF THE POOR AND THE NEEDY PSALM 82, 3 GIVE JUSTICE TO THE WEAK, MAINTAIN THE RIGHTS OF THE AFFLICTED AND THE DESTITUTE.
I WOULD JUST PROPOSE THAT INSTEAD OF PASSING THIS ORDINANCE, WHAT IF WE HAD A, A COMMITTEE THAT COMES TOGETHER, MADE UP OF YOU ALL PRACTITIONERS AND LET'S COME BACK WITH SOME POSITIVE SOLUTIONS AND TURN THIS INTO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR REAL LASTING CHANGE.
MY NAME IS TOM STRAIGHT ADDRESS.
63 53 NORTH FOSTER BATON ROUGE.
UM, I HOPE THIS IS NOT AN INOPPORTUNE TIME FOR YOU GUYS.
AFTER YOU ON YOUR CELL PHONES ARE DOC.
UM, I'M GONNA READ SOME NAMES FROM A BOOK.
UH, I CAN'T COME UP WITH THESE THOUGHTS ON MY OWN, BUT JESUS SAID TO HIM, THE FOXES HAVE HOLES AND THE BIRDS OF THE AIR HAVE NESTS, BUT THE SON OF MAN HAS NOT RARE TO LAY HIS HEAD FOR THREE AND A HALF YEARS OF JESUS, HIS MINISTRY.
HE WAS HOMELESS WHEN HE WAS IN A TOWN.
IF HE MET SOMEBODY, HE MIGHT STAY AT THEIR HOME.
WHEN HE WAS TRAVELING FROM TOWN TO TOWN, HE WOULD STAY AND THEY BORROWED TENT FOR THE POOR SHALL NEVER CEASE OUT OF THE LAND.
THEREFORE, I COMMAND YOU SAYING YOU SHALL OPEN YOUR HAND WIDE TO YOUR BROTHER.
THESE HOMELESS PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE JUST LIKE ME AND YOU, LIKE YOU SAID, 52% THAT IF THE CAR BREAKS DOWN, THEY CAN'T GET TO THEIR JOB.
NOW THEY CAN'T AFFORD THE FIRST MONTH'S RENT AND A SECURITY DEPOSIT SOMEWHERE, AND THEY DON'T HAVE AN ADDRESS.
THEY CAN PUT IT ON AN APPLICATION AT 45% OF THE HOMELESS WORK, PSALMS 41.
IT'S HE THAT CONSIDERED THE POOR.
THE LORD WILL DELIVER HIM OUT OF TROUBLE.
DEUTERONOMY KEY THAT GIVES TO THE POOR SHALL NOT LACK, BUT HE, THAT HYGIENE, HIS EYES SHALL HAVE MANY OCCURS.
AND THE ONE THAT'S, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU GUYS GOT YOURSELF IN AS MUCH TROUBLE, BUT THIS IS GOING TO BE ONE DECISIONS YOU'VE EVER FACED EVER FACE.
AND THE KING SHALL ANSWER AND SAID UNTO THEM VERILY.
AND AS MUCH AS YOU'VE DONE IT, FOR THE LEAST OF MY BRETHREN, YOU HAD DONE IT UNTO ME.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT FINDING THE HOMELESS.
THAT'S THAT'S THE WORDS IN THIS, A WRITE UP.
YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE HIM FINES, BUT WHEN THEY GIVE THEM FINES, THEY ALSO TAKE ALL THEIR BELONGINGS.
EVERYTHING THAT'D BE ACCUMULATED.
IF YOU'RE HOMELESS, THE ONE THING YOU WANT IN LIFE IS A TENT.
BUT AFTER THAT FINE, THE NEXT TIME THEY SEE YOU, WHETHER IT'S WORDED IN THERE OR NOT, THEY WILL ARREST HIM.
OKAY? SO YOU WANT TO FIND THE HOMELESS.
YOU WANT TO TAKE ALL THEIR BELONGINGS.
THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE DOING IN JESUS.
NEXT WE'LL HAVE REVEREND ALEXIS ANDERSON.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANT TO THANK THOSE OF YOU REACHED OUT TO ME AFTER THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING.
THANK YOU FOR INQUIRING ABOUT MY HEALTH AND I AM MUCH BETTER.
UM, I AM 100% OPPOSED TO THIS ORDINANCE AND I HAVE BEEN ON RECORD MULTIPLE TIMES FOR WHY
[00:35:02]
WE APPLAUD THE EFFORTS OF THOSE CITIZENS THAT ARE GOING OUT AND DOING CLEANUPS.BUT THOSE NEEDLES ARE NOT INDICATIVE OF A HOMELESS PROBLEM.
THEY'RE INDICATIVE OF AN ADDICTION PROBLEM, BOTH FOLK WHO, WHEN IT RAINS AND IT HAS RAINED EVERY SINGLE DAY.
WHEN I LEFT THIS LAST MEETING, I GOT TO GO HOME AND LAY IN A BED WITH FOUR WALLS AND A ROOF.
AND EVERY DAY, SINCE THIS ORDINANCE HAS BEEN PROPOSED, I STARTED MY MINISTRY OF WHICH THIS IS 25TH YEAR.
I STARTED WITH THE SAME PEOPLE THAT WE ARE DEMONIZING AS IF THEY WERE OTHERS.
THEY BELONG IN YOUR COMMUNITIES.
THEY ARE IN EVERY ONE OF YOUR CONGREGATIONS.
WE DO NOT SUFFICIENTLY FUND OUR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES.
AND WE TRY TO PIN THE BLAME FOR ADDICTION ON THOSE WHO ARE ADDICTED.
WE DO NOT ADEQUATELY FUND OR SUPPORT THOSE WHO WORK IN SERVICE INDUSTRIES.
AND THEN WE TRY TO DEMONIZE THOSE WHO CANNOT MAKE RENT.
AND THIS ENVIRONMENT, WE DO NOT RECOGNIZE THAT IN THIS PARISH ALONE AT GRAY, HOW UNDOCUMENTED AND DOCUMENTED IMMIGRANTS ARE DUCKED IN THIS PARISH.
AND THEN WE TRY TO DEMONIZE THE OLD FOLK AS OPPOSED TO THE OFFICIALS THAT PUT THEM ON A BUS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT AND DROP THEM OFF IN THIS PARISH.
AND MY POINT TO YOU, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN WHO REPRESENT, I WOULD LIKE TO BELIEVE THE BEST OF US.
AND I'VE SAID IT ON EVERY OCCASION AND I WILL CONTINUE TO SAY IT.
I THANK COUNCIL WOMAN ADAMS. I THANK HER FOR ALWAYS HAVING AN EAR.
I GET MY CALLS RETURNED AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
BUT EVERY SINGLE PERSON WE ARE TALKING ABOUT DESERVES NOT CRIMINALIZATION.
I HAVE EXPLAINED TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, I SIT IN THAT COURTHOUSE EVERY DAY.
I WILL GLADLY INVITE ANY OF YOU TO SIT THERE WITH ME ON ANY DAY OF THE WEEK, BECAUSE ONCE YOU PUT THEM IN JAIL, THEY CANNOT GET OUT AND YOU KNOW WHY THEY CAN'T GET OFF BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE AN ADDRESS.
I AM VICE-PRESIDENT AT START CORPORATION OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH, NONPROFIT, AND WE DO A LOT OF WORK WITH PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
DID YOU KNOW THAT BATON HAS A DEDICATED COALITION TO SERVING PEOPLE, EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND TRYING TO PREVENT AN END THAT HOMELESSNESS IT'S THE BALANCE OF STATE CONTINUUM OF CARE.
WE'VE GOT OVER 536 PEOPLE THAT ARE DEDICATED TO LOOKING AT THIS PROBLEM EVERY DAY, EVERY WEEK, EVERY YEAR WE COLLECT TONS OF DATA THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO SHARE WITH YOU ABOUT HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE TO THEM AND THE GAPS THAT WE HAVE.
WE RECEIVE OVER $20 MILLION IN COC FUNDS.
THIS YEAR WE'VE GOT 49 HOUSING PROGRAMS THAT ARE SERVING 1,565 HOUSEHOLDS ALONE.
AND THAT'S JUST HOUSEHOLDS, NOT THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THOSE HOUSEHOLDS.
WE HAVE A COORDINATED ENTRY SYSTEM THAT HAS RECEIVED NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR THE, HOW MANY PEOPLE COME THROUGH AND WE COORDINATE ACCESS TO HOMELESS SERVICES.
DID YOU KNOW THAT WE HAVE A HOMELESS STREET OUTREACH PORTAL, WHERE IF YOU SEE SOMEONE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, YOU CAN INPUT THAT INFORMATION INTO THE SYSTEM.
AND OUR HOMELESS STREET OUTREACH NETWORK WILL GO AND SEE THOSE PEOPLE AND TRY TO CONNECT THEM TO SERVICES.
I'D LOVE TO SHARE THE WEBSITE.
DID YOU KNOW THAT THROUGH THIS
[00:40:01]
COORDINATED ENTRY SYSTEM, WE HAVE AGAIN, RECEIVED NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR OUR DIVERSION EFFORTS BECAUSE WE DIVERT SO MANY PEOPLE AWAY FROM HOMELESSNESS.DID YOU KNOW THAT COMPARED TO OTHER CITIES, OUR SIZE KNOXVILLE, ROCHESTER, SARASOTA, WE, IN OUR LAST PIT COUNT POINT IN TIME COUNT, WE HAD 430 PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OVER 150, LESS THAN OTHER THOSE OTHER COMMUNITIES.
DID YOU KNOW THAT WE HAD A MEETING YESTERDAY, THE BALANCE OF STATE STAFF WITH MAYOR BROOM, WHERE WE HAD A COMMITMENT TO PARTNER TOGETHER TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.
DID YOU KNOW THAT STAR CORPORATION IS STARTING A PROJECT WHERE WE ARE GOING TO HOUSE AT LEAST 60 INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE, HAVE SOME TYPE OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE THE SIEGEN LANE ISSUE AS A PROBLEM.
DID YOU KNOW THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THE HEALTHY BR INITIATIVE ON A HOMELESS EDUCATION CAMPAIGN FOR THIS ENTIRE CITY THAT IS SCHEDULED TO BE RELEASED AT THE END OF THE YEAR? DID YOU KNOW THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH AN MCO, LOUISIANA HEALTHCARE CONNECTIONS, THAT'S PILOTING A PROJECT TO GIVE $3,000 A YEAR TO PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, TO GET OUT OF THAT.
THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION AND I URGE YOU TO WORK WITH US BEFORE YOU DO THIS.
WE'VE RECEIVED NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR POSITIVE THINGS.
LET'S NOT GO DOWN THE OTHER PATH.
THE NEXT ONE I HAVE SEE, ALL RIGHT, SHE'S HERE BY REQUEST OF THE COUNCIL TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 86? COME ON DOWN.
STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
MS. MARK AND MARY JANE, MARK AND GAIL BORG TOWN.
I PUT THIS ON Y'ALL'S, UH, TABLE.
BEFORE I GOT UP HERE TO SPEAK.
I HEARD DADDY SPEAK ABOUT ALL THESE THINGS THAT ARE IN PLACE.
I DON'T THINK THEY'RE WORKING.
AND THE REASON THAT I SAY THAT IS BECAUSE THERE'S ORDINANCES OUT THERE WITH ALL THE PROBLEMS THAT WE ARE SEEING ON THE STREET.
THIS ORDINANCE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE THE DIRECTION OF HELPING PEOPLE TO GET OFF THE STREETS WHILE AT THE SAME TIME, WEIGHING THE NEEDS OF THE RESIDENTS AND BUSINESS PEOPLE IN BATON ROUGE REGARDING THESE TENT CITIES, MY SUPPORT OF THIS ART, AND THIS COMES WITH MY HAND, UM, AND THE STREETS SUPPORT FOR OVER 10 YEARS AND HELPING GET PEOPLE OFF THE STREET.
I SENT A PROPOSAL TO ALL OF Y'ALL CALL A HOUSING FIRST PLAN FOR Y'ALL TO REVIEW THE PLANS BEEN IMPLEMENTED BY ANY NUMBER OF CITIES AND COUNTRIES.
AND THEY JUST REDUCED THE HOMELESS POPULATION ON THE STREET.
BY OVER 75%, PUTTING THEM IN HOUSING, PROVIDING THE NEEDED SERVICES WHILE SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCING COSTS.
THE SINGLE PLACE WHERE A HOMELESS PERSON GOES IN BATON ROUGE FOR ALL SERVICES WAS CLOSED FOR MONTHS AND WENT OPEN.
THEY WORK ON A REDUCED SCHEDULE.
THE PEOPLE THAT PROVIDE BEDS FOR OVERNIGHT STAYS KICKED THE PERSON TO THE STREETS.
DAILY GROUPS ARE FEEDING PEOPLE ON THE STREET BY DUMPING BOXES OF FOOD, AS WELL AS CLOTHES TO LET THEM GO SCROUNGING FOR WHAT THEY CAN GET.
I'VE HEARD PEOPLE FROM THE PODIUM SAY THIS START AND IT'S WILL MAKE IT HARDER FOR GROUPS TO HOUSE PEOPLE.
AND, AND, AND IT'S NOT THAT DIFFICULT.
HOWEVER, IT DOES REQUIRE A DIFFERENT DIRECTION MORE THAN 10 YEARS AGO, CHRIS NICHOLS AND I STARTED THE WAY HOME PROGRAM.
WE GOT CRITICIZED FOR DOING IT BECAUSE WE WENT IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.
WE BOUGHT HUNDREDS OF TICKETS FOR PEOPLE GETTING THEM OFF THE STREETS OF BATON ROUGE.
THEY GET TO CHOOSE WHERE THEY WANT TO GO, WHERE THEY HAVE A PLACE TO LIVE, WORK AND SUPPORT SERVICES.
IT WORKS IN CONJUNCTION WITH BRP D A PROGRAM OR B R P D.
OFFICERS WILL TELL YOU, THIS IS THE ONLY PROGRAM THAT HELPS PEOPLE GET OFF THE STREET IMMEDIATELY, A PROGRAM THAT HOUSING FIRST ADOPTS AS THE FIRST OPTION TO GET PEOPLE OFF THE STREET, INTO A HOUSE WHERE THEY HAVE SUPPORT.
AND THE PAST 19 MONTHS, 52 PEOPLE WERE HELPED TO GET OFF THE STREET THROUGH THE WAY HOME PROGRAM.
THE COST IS ABOUT $130 A PERSON.
SO LET'S GO IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION.
FIRST BY PASSING THE ORDINANCE, THIS ORDINANCE COULD ACTUALLY HELP PEOPLE MAKE GOOD DECISIONS, ENABLED THEM TO GET OFF THE STREET BECAUSE OF HOW THE ORDINANCE WILL BE ENFORCED WITH EDUCATING THEM.
FIRST ON WHAT IS AVAILABLE, WHERE THEY GO TO GET THE SERVICES, IT THEN WOULD REQUIRE THE GROUPS TO STEP UP AND HELP THE PEOPLE GET OFF THE STREET.
AND THERE SHOULD BE ACCOUNTABILITY, SOMETHING THAT IS LACKING IN WHAT IS GOING ON FOR THE PEOPLE TO GET OFF THE STREET.
[00:45:02]
THANK YOU, MS.STATIONED NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
UH, HI, TANA PITTMAN 97 87 KING LET DRIVE BATON ROUGE, 7 0 8 0 9.
I APOLOGIZE FOR MY WEARING SHORTS.
I MEANT TO GO HOME AND IT JUST DIDN'T HAPPEN WITH TRAFFIC.
UM, I AM THE PRESIDENT OF THE HOA FOR THE ATIVAN TERRORISTS MORNING LED HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, WHICH IS THE NEIGHBORHOOD RIGHT BEHIND ST.
SO EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT I'M HERE FOR.
UM, I HAVE SEEN MY NEIGHBORHOOD GO.
I'VE BEEN THERE 25 YEARS, WENT FROM A QUIET FAMILY OR IN A NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE MY KIDS WENT TO SCHOOL TO.
I AM SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING MOVING BECAUSE ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES IS THIS HOMELESSNESS, BUT MY HEART GOES OUT TO THEM.
I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THESE PEOPLE ARE SAYING.
I APPRECIATE THAT WE HAVE THESE PROGRAMS, BUT I AGREE WITH THE LADY THAT JUST SPOKE, THAT IT'S NOT WORKING THE AREA OF SIEGEN LANE, WHERE I LIVE HAS GOTTEN SO BAD.
I HAVE BEEN HEARING IT FROM HOMEOWNERS EVERY DAY ABOUT THE CONSTANT DRUG USE.
I'M NOT SAYING THEY CAN'T SLEEP THERE.
NOBODY WOULD HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT.
I HAVE PERSONALLY BEEN FLASHED SEVERAL TIMES BY THE PANHANDLERS THAT ARE CONSTANTLY SEEING IN LANE.
UM, UNDER THE INTERSTATE, WE CALL IT THE HELLHOLE, THAT AREA UNDER THE INTERSTATE WHERE THE, THE KEEP TIGERTOWN BEAUTIFUL.
THANK YOU, MS. RICHARDSON, HER AND HER GROUP HAVE GONE EVERY WEEK AND CLEAN UP THE CONSTANT DRUG NEEDLES AND THAT GRAFFITI AND THE DEBRIS AND THE SMELL.
YOU CAN'T ROLL YOUR WINDOWS DOWN EVER IN THAT AREA.
UM, BUT I PERSONALLY, MY NIECE WAS WITH ME WITH ME LAST WEEK AND THAT'S WHAT CAUSED ME TO SPEAK.
WE SAW A PERSON WHO HAD JUST SHOT UP.
HE STILL HAD HIS THING ON HIS ARM AND HE STILL HAD HIS NEEDLE HANGING OUT OF HIS ARM.
AND HE WAS FOAMING AT THE MOUTH.
AND I HAD TO EXPLAIN TO MY NINE-YEAR-OLD NIECE, WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THAT, MAN? AND THAT'S WHEN I SAID ENOUGH'S ENOUGH.
SO I, I BEGGED Y'ALL TO PLEASE.
MAYBE THIS IS NOT THE RIGHT STEP, BUT TO PLEASE DO SOMETHING BECAUSE I CAN'T AFFORD TO MOVE ANYWHERE ELSE.
Y'ALL HOUSING IS CRAZY EXPENSIVE AND I'VE LIVED THERE FOR 25 YEARS.
SO PLEASE, IF THIS IS THE RIGHT, NOT THE RIGHT STEP, I UNDERSTAND, BUT PLEASE HELP US DO SOMETHING.
THE CITY IS JUST NOT WHAT IT USED TO BE, AND I DON'T WANT TO MOVE.
AND I APPRECIATE Y'ALL HEARING ME OUT.
I DON'T WANT TO START WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE AISLE, STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
LARAMIE GRIFFIN, 2001 SOUTH SHERA FOREST BOULEVARD, BATTLEMENTS, LOUISIANA CEMETERY.
UM, I WANT TO SPEAK INTO OPPOSING, UH, THIS SUBMITTED TO DELETE THIS ITEM.
AND I JUST WANT TO SAY FIRST, UM, UH, THE LAMB WHO BROUGHT IN THE NEEDLES WITHOUT A HAZARD BAG INTO A PUBLIC PLACE, THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF DISGUSTING SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT THAT TO THE HOSPITAL.
UM, THAT'S THE FIRST THING I WANT TO SAY IN THE SECOND THING, I WANT TO SAY THAT THERE IS NO LONG-TERM CARE IN LOUISIANA.
THE LAST PLACE WE HAD WAS EARL K LONG PLACE BEFORE THAT OTHER PLACE IN ALEXANDRIA.
AND I KNOW THAT BECAUSE I TALKED TO A WOMAN WHO WANTED TO SEND HER SON TO SOMEWHERE THAT WAS LONG-TERM OF PEOPLE IN THIS PARISH CAN ONLY GO FOR THREE TO FIVE TO SEVEN DAYS, AND THEN THEY'RE BACK OUT ON THE STREET, UH, AS OPPOSED TO IT, I'M NOT TALKING BAD ABOUT THE BRIDGE CENTER, BUT THEY'RE PUTTING BACK ON THE STREET INTO, BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY WHERE THERE ARE DRUGS AND SO ON AND SO FORTH, UH, ADEQUATELY.
SO, UM, AND ALSO, I FEEL SORRY FOR THE LADY WHO HAS EXPERIENCED THAT WITH A NINE YEAR OLD, BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH THAT IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, AS FAR AS THE, UH, THE HOMELESSNESS PROTECTION, I BELIEVE THE MAYOR'S OFFICE RECEIVED, UH, I BELIEVE IT WAS ON $2 MILLION, MAYBE WRONG.
WHERE'S THAT MONEY GOING? WHERE CAN WE GET HELP? WHERE CAN PEOPLE WHERE EVERY DISTRICT NEEDS TO HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE TO HELP THESE PEOPLE, NOT JUST FOR THREE TO FIVE TO SEVEN DAYS, BUT FOR LONGTERM, THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE NEED LONG-TERM CARE.
AND ALSO A DOUBLE CARE, AS FAR AS MENTAL INSTABILITY AND DRUG USAGE WAS GOES HAND IN HAND.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE TOO MANY PLACES THAT DO THAT ANYMORE.
SO THAT'S, WHAT'S NEEDED FIND OUT IN YOUR DISTRICT.
WHAT DO YOU HAVE AVAILABLE FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE PROBLEMS THAT, THAT ARE, THAT ARE BOTHERING BOTHERING YOU, BUT WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE IN OUR COMMUNITY? WE DON'T HAVE TOO MANY THINGS IN NOVEMBER WITH COVID.
WE'VE BEEN BEGGING FOR DECADES FOR THE DRUG USERS AND WHATNOT.
AND I DON'T WANT TO SAY ONE THING ABOUT THE PARKS.
I DO LOVE THE PARKS IN THIS PARISH.
UM, WE DO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH DRUG USAGE, BUT LET'S NOT JUST TALK ABOUT IT JUST BECAUSE IT'S ON SIEGEN LANE.
UH, MILLERVILLE UH, OLD NEIL LANE AND, UH, I 12 AND SHARE WITH WHICH IS WHERE I LIVE IN DISTRICT EIGHT.
LET'S WHY DON'T WE TALK ABOUT IT MORE THAN WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING FOR ALL THE YEARS AND THE PLACES THAT WE LIVE.
[00:50:01]
THANK YOU.IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM, MR. LANDRY? GOOD EVENING.
3 0 0 6, DRUSILLA LANE 7 0 0 0 8 0 9.
UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO STAND HERE BEFORE YOU AND OPPOSE THIS ORDINANCE.
UM, INDIVIDUALS DO NOT CHOOSE TO BE HOMELESS.
IT'S NOT A CHOICE, RIGHT? AND ONE THING MY MOTHER ALWAYS TAUGHT ME WAS, BUT FOR THE GRACE OF GOD THERE GO I, AND SO ANY ONE OF US COULD BE ONE CATASTROPHE OR ONE MISTAKE AWAY FROM BEING AN UNCOMFORTABLE POSITION, RIGHT? SO WE SHOULDN'T PUNISH PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY ARE IN UNFAMILIAR OR UNWARRANTED CIRCUMSTANCES BEING HOMELESS OR BEING WITHOUT A HOME SHOULD NOT BE A CRIME.
LOUISIANA ALREADY INCARCERATES THE MOST PEOPLE PER CAPITA IN THE ENTIRE NATION.
WHY CONTINUE TO ADD TO IT WHEN WE DON'T NEED TO, THESE PEOPLE NEED HELP.
THEY DON'T NEED TO BE HANDCUFFED.
THEY DON'T NEED TO ADD TO THAT BURDEN BY ADDING ADDITIONAL FINES AND HAVING TO APPEAR IN COURT.
AND THEN HAVING OFFICERS GO OUT TO HAVE TO LOOK FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE AN ADDRESS, RIGHT? WE NEED TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE, NOT CONTINUOUSLY INCARCERATE AND ADD TO THE SYSTEM AND ADD TO THE NEGATIVE PUBLICITY THAT LOUISIANA GETS.
AS FAR AS INCARCERATION RATES.
NOT ONLY IS IT UNCONSTITUTIONAL, BUT IT'S UNENFORCEABLE.
IT IS DANGEROUS TO CONTINUE DOWN THIS PATH.
AND I ASKED THAT ALL OF YOU VOTED IN OPPOSITION.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON AN ITEM? COME ON DOWN THERE.
I THOUGHT I JUST EXPLAINED TO THE COUNCIL, WHAT WE'VE ACTUALLY DONE THROUGH THE MAYOR'S INITIATIVES, PROBABLY FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, 18 MONTHS, WE'VE REALLY EXAMINED THE HOMELESS THING VERY, VERY CLOSELY.
UM, PART OF THAT EFFORT WAS PULLING ALL OF THE HOMELESS PROVIDERS INTO DISCUSSIONS TO TALK ABOUT WHAT'S AVAILABLE, WHAT THEY DO.
I THINK IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THERE WERE ABOUT 60 ORGANIZATIONS, CHURCHES, NONPROFITS, UM, SOME GET STATE FUNDING, SOME GET FUNDING FROM US, TRYING TO COORDINATE THOSE AND FIND OUT WHAT'S REALLY AVAILABLE.
PART OF THAT OUT OF THAT OUTCOME, WE SET UP THE HOT TEAMS, WHICH ARE SPECIALLY TRAINED LAW ENFORCEMENT PEOPLE, POLICE AND SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES OR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS WHO GO OUT TWICE A WEEK INTO THE AREAS THAT WE HAVE HIGH VOLUMES OF HOMELESS.
A LOT OF THOSE ARE THE ENCAMPMENTS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE NOTED IN YOUR AREAS.
UM, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THAT, IT'S A TEAM OF TRAINED SOCIAL WORKERS WHO ACTUALLY ARE THERE TO WORK WITH THE POLICE.
THEY IDENTIFY SOMEBODY AND THEY TALK ABOUT WHAT THEIR NEED IS AND THEY TRY AND GET THEM TO THE RIGHT PLACE.
WE'VE HAD SUCCESS WITH A LOT OF THOSE EFFORTS.
I KNOW ONE THAT I WORKED ON PERSONALLY WAS A HOMELESS PERSON WHO CAME HERE FROM ANOTHER STATE, HAD MEDICAL ISSUES.
HE WOULDN'T GO INTO A SHELTER BECAUSE HE HAD A SERVICE ANIMAL AND HE LOST THE PAPERWORK FOR THE SERVICE ANIMAL.
WE WERE ABLE TO GET HIM THE PAPERWORK, GOT HIM INTO THE CENTER.
UM, A LOT OF HANDHOLDING IN THAT WHOLE EXCHANGE, THE STATE, WHICH HAD A, UM, DUVALL'S INVOLVED WITH MOST OF THE FUNDING FOR THE HOMELESS PROGRAMS COMES TO THE STATE CONTINUUM OF CARE, ABOUT FOUR POINT MILLION DOLLARS WHERE WE HAVE OUR GROUPS NOW WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM, TRYING TO IDENTIFY HOW WE MOVE PEOPLE THROUGH THAT PROCESS, THE QUICKEST WAY POSSIBLE.
UM, WE, AGAIN, WE HAVE HAD SUCCESS IN TERMS OF MOVING PEOPLE ALONG.
UM, IF WE HAVE THE ENCAMPMENTS, WE'VE HAD TO WORK WITH PRIVATE PROPERTY OWNERS, BECAUSE IF THEY'RE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS TO HAVE THE PERMISSION FROM THE OWNERS TO ACTUALLY ASK PEOPLE TO MOVE.
AND SO WE TRY AND GET THEM RELOCATED.
SO THAT'S OUR EFFORT AND OUR, OUR COMMITMENT THE OTHER DAY WAS AGAIN WITH THE STATE EFFORT TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM VERY CLOSELY, TRYING TO TIE ALL THOSE PROGRAMS TOGETHER, AS CLOSELY AS WE CAN.
UM, WE KNOW IN THE AREAS, I KNOW COUNCILMAN EMERIS HAD ONE AT WALMART WHERE WE HAD SOME LIVING IN A VAN AND THE ISSUE THERE WAS, WE STRUGGLED.
WALMART SAID IT WASN'T IN THEIR PART OF THE PARKING LOT.
I THINK WE WORKED ON THAT FOR THREE MONTHS JUST TO ACTUALLY GET THE VAN MOVED AND TO GET THAT PERSON SOMEPLACE WHERE THEY COULD GET HELP.
UM, THE OTHER THING WHERE WE'RE REALLY IDENTIFYING WITH OUR GROUPS IS TRYING TO IDENTIFY EXACTLY WHERE PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE DISCOVERED THAT OVER HALF OF THE PEOPLE IN SOME OF THESE AREAS ARE NOT FROM BATON ROUGE, THEY'RE COMING IN, THEY'RE THERE THROUGH THE INTERSTATE, UM, THAT WAS DISCUSSED.
SOME OF THEM COME HERE BECAUSE WE HAVE A BUS STATION.
UM, SOME PEOPLE ARE COMING FROM, UH, UH, CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS.
SOME ARE COMING HERE FROM OTHER PARISHES WHERE THEY HAVE NO SERVICES OF ANY KIND.
SO AGAIN, PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S BRINGING PEOPLE HERE.
AND I THINK THE DISCUSSION WAS, ARE ABOUT A BUS TICKET
[00:55:01]
PROGRAM.WE DO HAVE A PROGRAM IN PLACE SO THAT IF SOMEONE HAS A PLACE TO GO BACK TO, WE DO VET THEM TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THEY'RE NOT JUST TRYING TO GO FOR A VACATION SOMEWHERE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE GOING BACK TO A LOVED ONE OR SOMEONE WHO CAN ACTUALLY HELP TAKE CARE OF.
SO THAT'S OUR EXISTING PROGRAM.
ANYONE ELSE HERE, WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 86, WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL NUMBERS.
WE DO HAVE SOME EMAIL CONTENT REAL QUICKLY.
UH Y'ALL SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED FROM US 10 COMMENTS, SIX AND SUPPORT AND FOR AN OPPOSITION OF THE ITEM.
AND THAT'S SOME PEOPLE DON'T WORK OUTSIDE.
I THINK WORKING ON A BUILDING, I THINK, OPEN, NOT GOING TO TEAR IT DOWN OR TEAR IT DOWN THERE, AS WE SAY, NO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER DONE, COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS HAD SOME AMENDMENTS.
I'LL GIVE HER AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT BEFORE I SPEAK, IF THAT'S OKAY.
WELL, LET'S GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS, SERGEANT.
WE PLAYED COUNSELING BATHROOMS. OKAY.
UM, COURTNEY, WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU MIND COMING UP AND I'M GOING TO SAY A BIG THANK YOU TO COURTNEY FOR EVERYTHING SHE'S DONE TO HELP US, UM, WITH THIS PROCESS AND WE'VE MADE SOME AMENDMENTS.
WOULD YOU MIND WE HAVE SOME PROPOSED PROPOSED AMENDMENTS? WOULD YOU MIND GOING THROUGH THOSE? YES.
UM, SO COUNCIL MEMBERS, I BELIEVE I MIGHT'VE EMAILED THESE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE COME IN RIGHT NOW THIS WEEK.
I THINK EARLIER THIS WEEK I SENT THEM OUT TO EVERYBODY JUST SO THAT EVERYBODY WOULD BE ON NOTICE.
SO IF YOU, UM, AMENDMENTS HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE ORDINANCE, UH, UNDER SECTION A SUB SECTION TWO, THERE'S A DELETION OF THE TIME PERIOD.
SO THE TIME PERIOD OF 12 HOURS IS NO LONGER, UH, A REQUIREMENT, UM, IN THE ORDINANCE.
UH, AND THEN CAN YOU KINDA EXPLAIN THE SENTENCE OR SOME INDEBTED THEN? SO IT COULD NOTE THIS SECTION A NUMBER TWO UNDER SECTION A IT'S THE DELETION OF THE EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME, WHICH IS THE 12 HOUR PERIODS.
SO THIS PERIOD OF TIME WAS INITIALLY ADDED BECAUSE, UM, THERE WAS THE, THERE WAS AN IDEA OF HOW TO, HOW LAW ENFORCEMENT WOULD DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT A CAMP IS BEING SET UP.
AND SO YOU MIGHT HAVE SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST BARBECUING OUT IN THE OPEN SOMEWHERE REC PARK OR WHEREVER, YOU KNOW, ANY PUBLIC SPACE.
AND SO IF, IF, IF THE PERSON OR GROUP OF PEOPLE ARE IN THAT PARTICULAR LOCATION FOR LONGER THAN 12 HOURS, UM, THEN YOU KNOW, YOU CAN, THE IDEA WAS THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT COULD SAY, OKAY, I THINK THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO SET UP HERE, UH, SO THAT THEY CAN STAY THE NIGHT OR CAMP, RIGHT? SO IT'S, IT'S TRYING TO LEAN INTO THE DEFINITION OF WHATEVER CAMPING IS.
YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY WHO HAS THEIR PERSONAL BELONGINGS THERE, THEY HAVE A 10 UP THERE MAKING A CAMPFIRE.
IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE TRYING TO BASICALLY, UH, READY THE AREA SO THAT THEY CAN STAY THERE FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME.
AND SO FOR THE PURPOSES OF THE RPD, OR WHOEVER'S GOING OUT THERE TO SEE THAT, UM, AN INDICATION WOULD BE 12 HOURS, BUT THEN AFTER SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THAT WOULD WORK, THERE WAS A CONCERN ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHO'S GOING TO KEEP, KEEP TRACK OF THAT TIME.
HOW WAS THE TRACK OF TIME GOING TO BE KEPT? UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOT, YOU CAN'T ASSUME THAT IT'S GOING TO BE THE SAME OFFICER GOING TO THE SAME SPOT.
ONCE THEY DO A, UH, A SHIFT CHANGE, SOMEONE NEW COULD COME ALONG AND THEN MAYBE THEY'LL, THEY'LL START THE T THE 12 HOUR TIME DELAY OVER AGAIN.
AND SO, UM, AND SO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO WERE SUPPORTING THE ITEM, UM, REQUESTED THAT IT BE DELETED AND NOW IS NO TIME PERIOD AT ALL.
SO IF LAW ENFORCEMENT GOES TO A SCENE AND THEY SEE THESE PARTICULAR ACTIVITIES TAKING PLACE, THEN THEY CAN MAKE A DETERMINATION RIGHT THERE THAT THIS, THAT THESE PEOPLE MIGHT BE, UM, CAMPING, BUT THE PURPOSES OF THIS ORDINANCE.
SO THAT'S THE DELETION OF TIME PERIOD.
THE SECOND, UM, THE SECOND AMENDMENT IS GOING TO BE UNDER SUBSECTION C, WHICH IS THE ADDITION, UH, THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT CONFIRM AVAILABLE SHELTER OR HOUSING.
THIS WAS IMPORTANT TO THE SPONSORING COUNCIL MEMBERS, BECAUSE I THINK INITIALLY BR THE WAY THE ORDINANCE WAS WRITTEN INITIALLY IS THAT BRP RPD OR LAW ENFORCEMENT WILL MAKE CONTACT.
AND, UM, AND TO THE BEST OF THEIR ABILITY, TELL THEM, LOOK, THERE'S THEIR SHELTER AVAILABLE.
NOW THAT LAW ENFORCEMENT WHOEVER'S MAKING THAT CONTACT FIRST CONFIRMS
[01:00:01]
THAT SHELTER IS ACTUALLY AVAILABLE SO THAT THERE IS NOT A GUEST THERE.UM, OR, YOU KNOW, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SHELTERS LOCATED ON JEFFERSON HIGHWAY OR FLORIDA BOULEVARD OR WHEREVER, UM, JUST BECAUSE THEY KNOW ABOUT SHELTERS THAT ARE BEING AVAILABLE.
UM, THERE NOW THERE'S A MANDATORY, THERE'S A MANDATE THAT THE OFFICER THAT IS CONTACTING THE INDIVIDUAL WHO MIGHT BE IN VIOLATION OF THE ORDINANCE CONFIRMED THAT SHELTER IS AVAILABLE.
AND IN TALKING WITH, UM, I THINK WE WERE HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH ONE OF THE BRP D REPRESENTATIVES, UM, THAT, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG COUNCIL MEMBERS, BUT THAT THERE MIGHT BE A WAY TO DO THAT, THAT THERE MIGHT BE A WAY TO GET A DAILY COUNT OF THE BEDS THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
UM, EVERY DAY IT MAY NOT BE A PERFECT NUMBER, BUT THERE'S A WAY TO FIND OUT, BE AVAILABLE ABILITY OF THESE BEDS ON A DAILY BASIS.
AND SO THE CONTACTING OFFICER CAN SAY, THERE IS AVAILABLE AT XYZ SHELTER.
UM, THIS THIRD AMENDMENT TO THE ORDINANCE IS THE DELETION OF IMPRISONMENT.
SO THERE'S NO IMPRISONMENT WITH THIS ORDINANCE.
IT WILL BE A FINE, A FINE, THE FIRST OFFENSE IS $25.
I WANTED TO, I WANTED TO, UH, A POINT OF ORDER HERE REAL QUICK.
IF I MAY, UM, COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS IS, IS USING HER TIME AND THESE AMENDMENTS GONNA TAKE A, A GOOD WHILE TO GO THROUGH AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO I WOULD JUST REQUEST THAT IT'S IN THESE AMENDMENT PROCESS AND NOT COUNT AGAINST HER TIME, POSSIBLY BECAUSE SHE MAY WANT TO SPEAK ON SOME OTHER THINGS.
ONCE WE GET INTO DISCUSSION, DULY NOTED, I'LL CONSIDER IT MS. ADAMS, WHEN IT'S TIME, IF YOU HAVE COMMENTS, YOU WANT TO MAKE SENSE YOU ARE TO SPONSOR.
UM, AND THEN THE LAST AMENDMENT IS THAT THE COURT, UH, THE COURT REFER ANY AVAILABLE SOCIAL SERVICES TO THE DEFENDANT.
AND SO THIS IS OBVIOUSLY SUBJECTED TO THE COURT IF THEY WANT TO DO THAT, BUT HERE'S AN ENCOURAGEMENT THAT, UM, ANY JUDGE THAT IS, THAT IS IMPOSING THE FINE OR THE COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS, BECAUSE IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE A FINE IT'S AN OR THEY CAN HAVE A FINE, OR DO COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS THAT THE COURT ALSO, UM, GIVE THE DEFENDANT, WHATEVER KNOWN, UH, SOCIAL SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE SO THAT THEY CAN SEEK OUT ANY HELP THAT THEY NEED.
SO THESE, THESE ARE AMENDMENTS THAT WE'RE SUBMITTING.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT, COURTNEY.
UM, JUST WANT TO TAKE MY LAST FEW MINUTES, UM, REALLY QUICKLY TO, TO JUST SAY THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO'S ENGAGED IN THIS PROCESS.
UM, A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HAVE SPENT A GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME WITH ME ANSWERING ALL OF MY QUESTIONS.
UM, I THINK WE'VE HAD GREAT CONVERSATIONS, UM, AND, AND WE REALIZED THAT THERE WAS A LOT MORE WORK TO BE DONE.
THIS IS A SMALL PIECE, UM, AND YOU KNOW, JUST A PIECE OF THE WORK AND THERE'S A LOT MORE, A LOT MORE WORK TO BE DONE.
AND I THINK ALL OF YOU WHO VISITED WITH ME KNOW, UM, THAT I'M, I'M IN FOR THE, FOR THE WORK.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN I SEE THE PICTURES, WHEN I'VE BEEN OUT AT THE LOCATIONS AND I HAVE I'VE VISITED WITH, UM, PEOPLE WHO'VE RECENTLY, UM, GOT, GOTTEN OUT OF HOMELESSNESS, HAVE, HAVE WORKED, GOD BLESS THEM.
THEY'RE WAY OUT OF, UM, SOME TOUGH SITUATIONS.
UM, IT, UH, MY, MY OVERRIDING CONCERN IS LIVING LIKE THIS.
THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO DIGNITY IN THIS.
AND, UM, I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE GUARD RAILS ON SOCIETY, UM, WHERE, WHERE WE, WE POINT PEOPLE, UM, TO HELP.
AND SOMETIMES IT'S REALLY PAINFUL AND REALLY HARD, UM, TO POINT PEOPLE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION TOWARDS HELP.
I HAVE HEARD FROM A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO WORK WITH, UM, HOMELESS PEOPLE, THAT THERE ARE, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO, WHO ARE NOT ACCEPTING HELP.
AND, UM, WE NEED FOR THEM TO UNDERSTAND IN, IN THIS PARISH, UM, WE WANT EVERYBODY TO BE ON A PATH TO WHOLENESS AND HEALTHINESS AND BEING HOMED.
AND, UM, AND, AND THAT IS WHAT, WHAT THIS IS ABOUT.
IT'S GETTING PEOPLE, UM, TO ACCEPT, HELP SO THAT WE CAN GET THEM, UM, TO BE IN THE PLACE THAT, THAT THEY WANT TO BE.
AND WE WANT THEM TO BE SO, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, I'D LIKE TO OFFER A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS ORDINANCE AS AMENDED.
IT WAS A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ORDINANCE AS AMENDED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HUDSON.
WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER BANKS.
UM, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK ABOUT OTHER SOCIAL EELS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE SHOW SO MUCH COMPASSION
[01:05:02]
FOR THOSE THAT ARE HAVING OPIOID ADDICTIONS AND, YOU KNOW, AND I, I MUST SAY IT IS NOTHING LIKE WHEN, UM, THE BLACK COMMUNITY WAS FACED WITH A CRACK ADDICTION.UM, BUT I DON'T, IF WE'RE ABLE TO PUT PEOPLE IN JAIL BECAUSE THEY REFUSE TO ACCEPT HOMELESS SERVICES, WE HAVE TO DO THE SAME THINGS THAT THOSE WHO ARE ON OPIOD, WE HAVE TO ARREST THEM BECAUSE WE WANT TO TAKE AWAY THEIR CHOICE AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE WILLING TO RECEIVE HELP.
UM, I THINK ABOUT MY DAYS IN, UH, AS A CHILD PROTECTION WORKER, WHEN I HEAR THESE AMENDMENTS, UM, FIRST OF ALL, DARRYL, UM, YES, WHERE'S DARYL.
DO YOU HAVE A RESOURCE BOOK OF ALL THE DIFFERENT SERVICES FOR THE HOMELESS? WE DID.
DO YOU HAVE IT HERE WITH YOU? WE COULD PROBABLY GO PULL ONE OUT IF YOU WOULD, PLEASE.
AND BECAUSE I WAS JUST LISTENING TO YOU AND I LITERALLY, OTHER THAN ST.
VINCENT DEPAUL, AND A COUPLE OF MORE, I DON'T KNOW THOSE SERVICES.
UM, I ALSO HEARD THE REPORT ABOUT 25% IN, UH, I MEAN 75% REDUCTION OF HOMELESSNESS.
WELL, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE OTHER 25 THAT MAY BE IN CAMP THERE? WE AREN'T GOING TO BE PAYING ATTENTION TO THE SUCCESS RATE OF 75.
WE'RE STILL GOING TO BE, UM, IMPRISONING THE 25.
I WAS THINKING ABOUT MY YEARS IN CHILD PROTECTION.
AND I WAS THINKING ABOUT, UM, HOW TOTALLY UNREALISTIC IT IS TO THINK THAT WHEN A POLICE OFFICER GOES OUT TO A HOMELESS PERSON, THAT THEY'RE SUDDENLY GOING, GONNA RUN A P A SOCIAL WORKER AND CALL EVERY RESOURCE THAT IS POSSIBLE, UH, TO CONFIRM WHETHER OR NOT CERTAIN SERVICES THAT WHEN WE WOULD REMOVE A CHILD, IT TOOK THREE TO FOUR HOURS TO GO THROUGH THE SERVICES.
WE HAD LISTS OF FOSTER PARENTS.
IT IS NOT REALISTIC WHERE WE ARE 90.
UM, THEY SHORT AND WHY THIS OFFICER IS STANDING THERE GOING THROUGH HIS OR HER PHONE.
WHAT IS THE HOMELESS PERSON DOING THAT IS NOT REALISTIC PEOPLE? IT IS ABSOLUTELY LUDICROUS TO THINK THAT OUR OFFICER IS GOING TO DO THAT.
AND WHAT IF IT DOESN'T EVEN GET TO THAT BECAUSE MANY OF THESE PERSONS MAY BE SUFFERING FROM MENTAL HEALTH OR JUST POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS FROM BEING HOMELESS.
SO WHEN AN OFFICER COMES UP TO THEM AND THEY BECOME DEFENSIVE, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE ARRESTED FOR HOMELESSNESS.
THEY'RE GOING TO BE ARRESTED FOR THINGS LIKE NOT OBANA OFFICER RESISTING ARREST.
THAT IS WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO HOMELESS PEOPLE.
THERE IS NO WAY THIS IS GOING TO, FIRST OF ALL, IT DOES.
THE WAY SOMEBODY THINKS THAT THIS IS HOW IT WORKS.
IN REALITY, IF YOU, IF ANYBODY HAS VISITED SOMEONE IS HOMELESS, THEN THEY SHOULD HAVE TRIED THESE MEASURES.
AND THAT'S WHAT I NEED TO HEAR.
THAT'S THE AUTHORS OF THIS ORDINANCE, LITERALLY TRY TO SEE HOW THIS WORK.
THEY WENT TO THE HOMELESS PERSON.
THEN THEY BEGAN TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF FINDING SERVICES.
THEY DISCOVER WHAT THE BEAR, THE BARRIERS WERE AND SEE IF IT WAS A NICE, BIG, UM, PRETTY PICTURE WITH A BOW TIE.
AND AT THE END OF THAT WAS A TESTIMONY THAT IS NOT REALITY.
IS ANYONE FROM THE CITY HERE TO TELL ME ABOUT THE NUMBER OF SHELTERS ON, UM, IN THE VICINITY OF SIEGEN LANE? UM, DARE I KNOW YOU SAID Y'ALL HAD RESOURCES.
TELL IF, IF YOU COULD COME UP AND TELL ME ABOUT THOSE LOCATIONS IN THE AREA OF SEGUING LANE, CAN YOU, DO YOU HAVE I'M CHIEF OF STAFF? OKAY.
SO, SO IF WE COULD, UM, AND ALSO WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE AN EXPERT WITNESS.
THAT'S GONNA NEED THE OTHER FIVE MINUTES OR WHATEVER, BUT WHAT I LIKE TO DO IS WAIT, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT WE'RE OFFERING.
[01:10:01]
MUCH.AND WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU, COUNCIL NUMBER DONE.
I WILL NOT BE VOTING IN SUPPORT OF IT.
I THINK IT DOES CRIMINALIZE HOMELESSNESS AND I WON'T SUPPORT THAT.
I THOUGHT MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE AND THE PUBLIC DID A GOOD JOB COMMUNICATING SOME OF THE CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH IT.
UM, CARRIE, CAN YOU COME, I WANT YOU TO GIVE US SOME OF THESE STATISTICS THAT YOU HAVE AND WHY SHE'S COMING EITHER.
AND COURTNEY, I WANT ONE OF YOU GUYS TO SPEAK TO, WE'VE HEARD MANY SPEAKERS TALK ABOUT THE UNCONSTITUTIONALITY OF THIS LAW, AND I WANT TO GET YOUR TAKE ON, ON THAT OPINION.
SO LET, LET'S LET THEM SPEAK FIRST.
AND THEN CARRIE, YOU'LL GO, ANDY, ARE YOU GONNA TAKE IT OUT? COURTNEY IS GOING TO TAKE IT, IS IT, IS IT UNCONSTITUTIONAL? SO IF THERE'S A POSSIBILITY, I ADDRESSED THIS THE LAST TIME THIS ITEM WAS UP, UM, THERE IS A BOARD PACE, UH, THAT CAME OUT FROM THE NINTH CIRCUIT, UH, FEDERAL LEVEL, UM, THAT, UH, THAT SPEAKS TO THE UNCONSTITUTIONALITY OF THESE TYPES OF ORDINANCES WITHOUT GETTING INTO LIKE ALL OF THAT ALL OVER AGAIN.
UM, AND CARRIE COULD PROBABLY SPEAK TO IT TOO, BUT BASICALLY WHAT IT BOILS DOWN TO FOR THAT BOARD IS THEY SAID, LOOK, YOU CAN HAVE A CAMPING, OR THIS IS WHAT I'M TAKING AWAY FROM IT.
RIGHT? UM, YOU CAN HAVE A CAMPING ORDINANCE, BUT, UM, YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THIS IS FOR MUNICIPALITIES THAT WANT TO DO THIS.
YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE ADEQUATE SHELTER FOR EVERY HOMELESS PERSON THAT'S IN THE COMMUNITY.
BUT, AND I HEARD LAST TIME, AND I THINK THIS IS WHAT COUNCIL ON THE BANKS IS GOING, THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE ADEQUATE SHELTER.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT HAS BEEN RESOLVED.
IS THAT YOUR UNDERSTANDING? SO WE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE DONE, WE HAVE DONE A VERY HA HAVE WE, HAVE WE PROVIDED ADEQUATE SHELTER COORDINATOR? SO THE COUNT IS THIS, UM, WE GOT A LIST OF, FROM THAT WE TOOK FROM THE MAYORS, UH, LIST OF SHELTERS THAT THEY UTILIZE, WHATEVER SHELTERS WE COULD FIND IN EAST BATON ROUGE, PARISH AND COUNCIL, MEN, WOMAN, UH, SORRY, COUNCIL, WOMAN ADAMS ALSO DID HER OWN RESEARCH TOO.
SO WE TOOK OFF, WE TOOK THE LIST, TRY TO COMBINE THEM TOGETHER AND THEN JUST DID BASICALLY A CONFIRMATION OF THE NUMBER.
SO HAVE WE PROVIDED ADEQUATE SHELTER AGAIN? SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS BASICALLY NO.
CAN YOU TELL US, GIVE US YOUR NAME, WHO YOU WITH AND GIVE US SOMEBODY STATISTIC THAT YOU'VE BEEN SHARING WITH.
EVERYONE THOUGHT A PUBLIC HEARING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME.
UH, MY NAME IS CARRIE PATTERSON.
I AM THE COC MANAGER FOR THE LOUISIANA BALANCE OF STATE CONTINUUM OF CARE.
THIS IS THE CONTINUUM OF CARE, UH, THAT SERVES THE BATON ROUGE REGION, BUT ALSO SERVES 22 PARISHES ACROSS THIS EVERY YEAR.
FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE BROUGHT IN OVER $20 MILLION OF FUNDING INTO THE STATE FOR HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS SERVICE.
THE MAJORITY OF THAT FUNDING, UH, THAT'S NOT TAGGED WITH A PARTICULAR PROGRAM, COMES TO THE BATON ROUGE REGION, WHICH IS NOT EXCLUSIVE TO EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, BUT ALSO INCLUDES THE SEVEN SURROUNDING PARISH.
I'M EMPLOYED BY LOUISIANA HOUSING CORPORATION.
UH, AND I'M HERE TO HELP PROVIDE YOU GUYS WITH SOME OF THE SOLID NUMBERS THAT SEVERAL OF YOU HAVE REQUESTED OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF MEETINGS SPECIFICALLY TO THE POINT OF SHELTER.
THERE ARE 205 SHELTER BEDS IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH EVERY YEAR, EVERY COMMUNITY ACROSS THE COUNTRY DOES A POINT IN TIME COUNT, UH, A COUNT OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING SHELTERED AND UNSHELTERED HOMELESS DEATHS THIS YEAR IN BATON ROUGE THAT WAS DONE, UH, IN FEBRUARY OF 2022, TOTAL COUNT 205 PEOPLE IN SHELTER BEDS.
100% CAPACITY FOR OUR EMERGENCY BEDS, 250 ADDITIONAL PEOPLE AND FEMA SHELTER BEDS, BECAUSE THIS WAS SIX MONTHS AFTER HURRICANE IDA, SIX MONTHS AFTER HURRICANE IDA, THERE WERE AT LEAST 250 PEOPLE IN NEED OF SHELTER AFTER A DISASTER.
THEN OUR UNSHELTERED COUNT THIS YEAR.
SO THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT IN A SHELTER WHO ARE NOT HOUSED, WHO ARE NOT IN A DISASTER SHELTER, 221 PEOPLE EXPERIENCING UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS ON THAT NIGHT IN FEBRUARY 25TH, IT IS WIDELY RECOGNIZED THAT THAT COUNTS ARE UNDER COUNTED BECAUSE IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE, ENOUGH ORGANIZATION TO GET INTO ALL THE NOOKS AND CRANNIES WERE FOLKS HIDE TO KEEP THEMSELVES SAFE, THE COUNT, EVERYONE EXPERIENCING UNSHELTERED HOME.
SO AT MINIMUM, WITHOUT A DISASTER, WE HAVE TWICE AS MANY PEOPLE
[01:15:01]
EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN BATON ROUGE.THERE IS NOT ADEQUATE EMERGENCY SHELTER.
ARE THERE OTHER ITEMS THAT YOU'D LIKE ME TO SPEAK ON? THAT'S ALL.
LET'S GO TO COUNCILLOR MAMMAL, ROSA.
I KNOW THAT THIS IS A VERY PASSIONATE, UH, CONVERSATION AND EVERYBODY IS, I THINK WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE THAT WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THESE FOLKS THAT ARE OUT THERE LIVING ON THE STREET.
UM, UH, DO KNOW I'VE HAD, I'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS WITH LIEUTENANT LAMB, WHO IS THE POLICE OFFICER, WHO IS OVER THE MAYOR'S HOT TEAM.
AND HE'S BEEN WORKING WITH HOMELESS PEOPLE FOR ABOUT 15 YEARS.
AND SO HE'S EXTREMELY KNOWLEDGEABLE.
HE KNOWS A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING ON THE STREETS, HE'S HE KNOWS THEIR FIRST NAME.
UM, HE DOES TELL ME THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT DO NOT WANT TO LIVE IN A SHELTER THEY LIKE BEYOND ON THE STREET.
THEY, WHICH I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
UM, BUT THAT IS THE LIFE THAT THEY HAVE CHOSEN BEING AT A MENTAL ILLNESS, A DRUG ADDICTION, OR IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.
AND IT, AND IT IS A VERY SAD SITUATION, BUT, UM, THERE ARE THOSE THAT DO WANT TO LIVE THIS WAY.
UM, THE, I THINK THE SITUATION, I THINK WHERE I AM AT IS MORE OF A SAFETY AND OF A HEALTH ISSUE, UH, GOING DOWN BLUE BONNET, RIGHT IN FRONT OF WHERE, UH, THE JIMMY SWAGGART SCHOOL WAS.
WOULD YOU ALL KNOW THAT BLUE BON IT IS AN EXTREMELY BUSY CITY.
IT'S A FOUR WAY, UH, STREET, EXTREMELY BUSY, EXTREMELY FAST.
AND THERE WAS A WOMAN THAT HAD PITCHED HER TENT, BUT ON THE SERVITUDE BETWEEN THE SIDEWALK AND THE STREET.
AND I DON'T THINK ANY OF US CAN SIT HERE AND HONESTLY SAY THAT THAT'S OKAY.
THAT'S EXTREMELY, I DON'T KNOW IF SHE HAD A MENTAL ILLNESS.
I KNOW THAT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE HAD WORKED WITH HER SEVERAL TIMES.
I DON'T KNOW IF SHE, I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HER.
ALL I KNOW IS THAT WHAT IF SHE WOULD HAVE STUMBLED INTO THE STREET AND GOTTEN HIT BY A CAR? UM, I TALKED TO THE POLICE OFFICER AND I ASKED HIM THE OTHER DAY, I SAID, ARE OUR HOMELESS PEOPLE GETTING HIT BY CARS? AND HE SAID, YES, THEY ARE BECAUSE OF WHERE THEY'RE STAYING AND HOW THEY'RE LIVING.
WE CAN'T, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY CAN SIT HERE AND HONESTLY SAY, IT'S OKAY FOR THEM TO SLEEP ON THE SIDE OF THE STREET.
AND IF THEY GET BY HIP HOP CAR, OH WELL, BUT WE CAN'T HAVE THAT ATTITUDE EITHER.
SO I THINK THIS IS COMING FROM A, UM, IT'S, IT'S COMING FROM A SAFETY VALUE, NOT ONLY FOR THE FOLKS THAT ARE HAVING TO LIVE ON THE STREET, BUT ALSO FOR THE REST OF THE CITIZENS OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU DO HAVE THEM SITTING ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, DOING DRUGS AND THROWING THEIR NEEDLES, THAT'S A HEALTH ISSUE.
AND IT'S, IT'S VERY, VERY TRAGIC, UM, THAT THAT IS WHAT'S GOING ON, BUT IT IS JUST THE DRUG ADDICTION IS JUST ABSOLUTELY EXPLODING.
MY SON-IN-LAW WAS DRIVING THROUGH CANES THE OTHER DAY AND SAT THERE AND WATCHED TWO PEOPLE NAME LINE RIGHT THERE ON THE SIDE OF THE CURB IN FRONT OF CANES.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S, IT'S A VERY, VERY SAD SITUATION.
UM, AND AGAIN, AND I KNOW I'VE, I'VE HAD LOTS OF CONVERSATIONS WITH, UH, COUNCILMAN HUDSON AND COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. THEY ARE NOT MAKING HOMELESS ILLEGAL.
YOU KNOW, EVEN THE LORD, JESUS SAYS, YOU'RE ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE THE HOMELESS IN THE POOR WITH YOU, BUT WE'VE GOT TO PUT THEM INTO A SAFE PLACE THAT THEY ARE SAFE.
UM, THEY'VE OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF THEM HAVE NOT MADE WISE DECISIONS ABOUT SOME OF THEIR ADDICTIONS.
AND I KNOW LAST TIME THAT WE WERE HERE, SOMEBODY HAD MENTIONED, WELL, WHAT ABOUT THE VETERANS WHILE I'M ON THE VETERANS COMMITTEE? UM, THE VETERANS, THAT'S ONE OF THE VERY FIRST QUESTIONS.
IF DARRYL, IF I'M RIGHT, THEY ASK THEM, ARE YOU A VETERAN? AND THEY PLUGGED THOSE PEOPLE INTO ALL KINDS OF OPPORTUNITIES ORGANIZATIONS, UM, IN ORDER TO HELP OUR VETERANS.
SO ANYWAY, UM, IT'S JUST, IT'S, IT'S, WE'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT MAKING HOMELESS ILLEGAL.
THEY'RE NOT CRIMINALIZING HOMELESSNESS, BUT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR A WAY TO HELP THESE FOLKS AND TO HELP KEEP THEM SAFE.
NOT ONLY THEM, BUT ALSO THE REST OF THE PUBLIC.
SO I TOTALLY SUPPORT THIS ORDINANCE, COUNCILMAN BANKS.
[01:20:01]
THANK YOU, DARRYL.UM, I LOOKED AT THE STATISTICS, THE CHIEF OF STAFF, DANTE SCENT, AND JUST LOOKING AT IT, THEY'RE ONLY, I'M NOT GOING TO FIND THAT AGAIN, THERE ARE ONLY SIX SHELTERS, BONAFIDE SHELTERS, UM, WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT THE STATE'S CONTINUUM CARE FACILITY AND IT, ALL OF THEM HAVE STIPULATIONS.
SO THEY TALK ABOUT THE, THE NEED OF HOW THE, WHERE, WHEN YOU GO DOWN TO EAST BATON ROUGE, THE ONLY THING WE HAVE IS ST.
VINCENT DEPAUL, WHICH IS, UM, EIGHT 30.
THEY JUST TELL YOU TO CALL AND NO APPOINTMENT NECESSARY.
YOU THROW ACES IS ONLY FOR 18 TO 24 YEAR OLDS, UM, EMPOWER TWO TO FIVE ONLY FOR 18 TO 24 YEAR OLDS, IRISH, DOMESTIC.
WE KNOW THOSE ARE JUST, THOSE ARE FOR THOSE EXPERIENCING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
AND I RECALL WORKING THERE AND, UH, HOMELESS PEOPLE WOULD JUST SAY, UM, THAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BECAUSE AS A MEANS TO GET SOMEWHERE TO LIVE OPEN HEALTH IS ONLY SEES THEIR CLIENTS.
SO THERE ARE ONLY FIVE SHELTERS AND ANYONE UNDER 18 ARE OVER 24 FOR THE MOST PART, WHICH I WOULD THINK IS, UM, HEAVILY A PART OF OUR POPULATION HAVE NO OTHER OPTION.
UM, I'M GOING TO ASK SOUTHEAST LEGAL SERVICES TO COME UP.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT SOMEONE THAT IS ON THE, ON THE STREET AND YOU'RE CRIMINALIZING MORE PEOPLE DIE IN PARISH, PRISON THAN HOMELESS PEOPLE ON THE STREET.
SO IF YOU GO ON A ROPE, IF I'M HOMELESS AND I'M GONNA ROLL THE DICE, I PREFER TO LIVE ON THE STREET THAN TO GO TO PARISH PRISON, BECAUSE WE HAVE ALREADY FOUND THAT THOSE NUMBERS HAVE GONE UP THREE TIMES IN THE THREE TIMES THE NUMBER OF DEATHS OVER THE LAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS.
SO WHY WOULD WE DO PUT PEOPLE IN JAIL? I DIDN'T.
SO I'M GOING TO ASK SOUTHEAST ILLEGAL SERVICES TO COME UP.
I'M GOING TO HAVE THEM COME UP IN A FEW MINUTES.
UM, JUST TO GIVE ANOTHER THING, WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT, I MEAN, HOMELESS IS A NATIONWIDE PROBLEM.
UH, MONDAY WE HAD A GENTLEMAN WHO MOVED HERE FROM, UM, ANOTHER STATE WALKING.
HE WALKED TO OUR COMMUNITY CENTER AND IT'S HIM.
HE HAD TWO, HE HAS TWO CHILDREN.
THEY CAME HERE FROM ANOTHER STATE TO LIVE WITH A RELATIVE.
SO HE'S A DOUBLE HOUSE BY ALL ACCOUNTS.
HOMELESS IS ONE OF THE REQUIREMENTS TO BE, UM, DOUBLE HOUSES, ALSO A REQUIREMENT, UM, FOR HOMELESSNESS.
SO HE'S, HE CAME, HE WALKED TO OUR COMMUNITY CENTER.
HE TRIED TO REGISTER HIS CHILDREN, ED, UM, AT, UM, WHAT'S THE SCHOOL, RYAN ELEMENTARY.
HE DID NOT HAVE THE PAPERWORK.
SO THEN HE, SOMEONE TOLD HIM HOW WE HAD FOOD AT THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
HE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THE ADDRESS TO THE RELATIVE, JUST TRYING TO GET HELP.
THAT IS WHAT HOMELESSNESS LOOKS LIKE.
HE'S ALL HE IS GONNA TAKE IS ONE FIGHT OR ONE MISUNDERSTANDING WITH THAT RELATIVE.
AND HE'S GOING TO BE ON THE STREET.
THAT'S WHAT HOMELESS LOOKED LIKE IT.
WHEN YOU SEE A LOT OF PERSONS WHO ARE DOING DRUGS, THAT IS AS A RESULT, A LOT OF TIME OF CHILD ABUSE, SEXUAL ABUSE THAT ISN'T HAS NOT BEEN DEALT WITH.
YOU CANNOT ACT LIKE YOU CARE ABOUT HOMELESS PEOPLE AND THEN WANTED TO BOTH FOR THIS THAT'S IT DOES NOT MAKE SENSE.
IT IS, UM, AN MEASURE WHERE YOU ARE JUDGING PEOPLE FOR THEIR POVERTY.
IF ANYBODY DID THIS COUNCIL, WHAT I FIND, THEY, THEY DO NOT WANT TO GET THE EDUCATION SO THAT THEY WON'T BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR BEING, UM, NOT BEING, HAVING EMPATHY FOR PEOPLE.
THERE IS A CLASS THAT IS, UH, THAT IS TAUGHT CALLED THE, THE, UH, THE STAGES OF POVERTY.
AND IT GOES, IT'S REALLY TAUGHT TO BUSINESSES.
AND IT TALKS ABOUT FAT PEOPLE, EMPLOYEES WHO ARE HIRED, AND THEN THEY DON'T KNOW, THEY DON'T HAVE THE MEANS THE CAR BREAKS.
THEY CAN MAKE IT FOR TWO OR THREE DAYS, THEN THEY'LL LET GO.
AND THEN THEY LOSE THEIR HOUSES.
THEY DON'T HAVE A WAY FOR THE CHILDREN.
[01:25:01]
BEGINS.AND WHAT WE DO IS WE SNOW ABOUT NOSE UP AFTER OUR SNOW I'LL KNOW THAT THEM, BECAUSE WE HAVE A, WE'RE STARTING WITH WHERE WE SEE THEM ON BLUE BONNET, DOING DRUGS ARE ABOUT TO FALL OFF THEIR THING.
AND THERE'S A HISTORY BEHIND ALL OF THAT.
AND, AND WE'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT.
AND IT IS NOT SIMPLE THAT NOBODY COULD TRY TO ACT LIKE THEY FEEL SORRY FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE AND DON'T WANT TO CRIMINALIZE THEM.
UH, DADDY, YOU WANT TO HEAR FROM SOUTHWEST? SO YOU WANT TO GO FIRST, COME ON.
I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU ALL ON SOME OF THESE STATISTICS AND THE NUMBERS YOU HAVE, AND THIS IS NOT ME USING MY TIME GROWING IT.
JUST TELL US WHO YOU ARE, WHAT ORGANIZATION YOU REPRESENT.
I'M THE DIRECTOR AT SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA LEGAL SERVICES.
WE ARE A NONPROFIT LEGAL AID ORGANIZATION THAT PROVIDES FREE CIVIL LEGAL SERVICES TO LOW-INCOME PEOPLE.
UM, TRAINEES PORTRAY HERE WITH ME IS, UM, ONE OF OUR ATTORNEYS THAT IS ONSITE AT THE CAPITOL AREA, HOMELESS ONE-STOP CENTER EVERY DAY, PROVIDING LEGAL SERVICES TO, UM, PRIMARILY BATON ROUGE RESIDENTS.
WE ACTUALLY SEE THE MAJORITY OF OUR CLIENTS, UM, ARE FOLKS THAT HAVE LIVED HERE ALL THEIR LIVES.
UM, AND I'LL LET TRAINEES MAYBE TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT AS A NONPROFIT.
WE ARE NOT IN A POSITION TO BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING, BUT TO PROVIDE SOME INFORMATION TO YOU ABOUT WHAT WE DO AND WHAT WE SEE, WE CAN'T REALLY, WE CANNOT IMPORT OPPOSE OR ENDORSE ANYTHING THAT'S UNDER CONSIDERATION.
SO IN ADDITION TO, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT HASN'T COME OUT AS MUCH TODAY, WHICH I'LL JUST SPEND A VERY BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME SPEAKING ABOUT IS THE WORK WE DO IN PREVENTING EVICTIONS.
UM, THAT HAS EXPLODED SINCE COVID.
UM, AND THEN TICKED UP AGAIN AFTER HURRICANE IDA, UM, PRE COVID.
WE HAD ABOUT, UM, A SHOCKINGLY LOW NUMBER, MAYBE 45 REQUESTS IN 2019 FOR AN EVICTION IN EAST BATON ROUGE, CRIB PARISH FOR LEGAL ASSISTANCE.
NOW WE HAVE, UH, AS OF THE END OF LAST YEAR, WE HAD ALMOST 700, WHICH IS, UH, 1461% INCREASE IN PEOPLE CALLING OUR OFFICE, COMING TO US, ASKING FOR LEGAL HELP.
SO I CANNOT TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE RATE OF EVICTION GOING UP IT IS, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT'S PRETTY STARK, UM, IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE USE THE TOOLS THAT WE HAVE TO TRY TO PREVENT THE EVICTIONS WE'VE BEEN FAIRLY SUCCESSFUL, BUT WHAT IS A LOOMING CRISIS THAT IS UPON A SHORTLY IS THE END OF EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS THAT HAVE KIND OF STAVED OFF A LOT OF EVICTIONS, UM, AND NOT KNOWING WHAT'S GOING TO KIND OF BE THAT NEXT STEP.
IN FACT, OUR OWN FUNDS HAVE FOR THE MAJORITY OF SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING ACTUALLY END AT THE END OF THE YEAR AS WELL.
UM, TREATIES, IF WE HAVE TIME, I WAS WONDERING, UH, IF TRAINEES COULD JUST SORT OF TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE AVERAGE CLIENT THAT WE SERVE AT THE HOMELESS ONE STOP AND THE WORK THAT WE DO THERE IS TRYING TO CONNECT PEOPLE.
SOME OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE NEIGHBORS WITH, UH, DISABILITY BENEFITS, BECAUSE THEY'VE UNFORTUNATELY BECOME HOMELESS BECAUSE IT TAKES A YEAR TO TWO YEARS TO GET A HEARING AND THEY WIND UP BEING HOMELESS ON THE STREET, WAITING TO GO TO COURT.
AND IF THEY GET ARRESTED AND MISS THAT COURT DATE BECAUSE OF THIS OR SOME OTHER SITUATION, THEN WE'RE TOTALLY BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL AGAIN.
SO TRAINEES, WOULD YOU MIND TALKING A MINUTE IF WE HAVE THAT? HI EVERYONE.
I WORK WITH SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA LEGAL SERVICES DOWN AT THE ONE-STOP.
UM, MY JOB IS PRIMARILY TO ASSIST MY CLIENTS WITH GETTING THEIR SUPPLEMENTAL SECURITY INCOME OR SSI, UM, AND THEIR SOCIAL SECURITY, DISABILITY, BENEFITS INSURANCE, ALSO KNOWN AS SSD.
I, I ALSO ASSIST THEM WITH GETTING OTHER, UM, PUBLIC BENEFITS THAT THEY MAY QUALIFY FOR SUCH AS FOOD STAMPS, MEDICAID AND THEIR RETIREMENT.
ALL OF MY CLIENTS ARE EXPERIENCING SOME TYPE OF HOMELESSNESS.
AND TO CLARIFY WHAT I MEAN BY SOME TYPE OF HOMELESSNESS, IT'S PEOPLE ON THE STREET, PEOPLE IN THEIR CARS, PEOPLE IN HOTELS, PEOPLE IN SHELTERS AND PEOPLE LIVING IN TEMPORARY HOUSING WITH THEIR FRIENDS AND THEIR FAMILY.
LAST YEAR, WE HAD 141 NEW REQUESTS FOR OUR SERVICES.
BY THE END OF OUR REPORTING PERIOD, WE HAD SERVED 228 CLIENTS WITH 145 CARRIED
[01:30:01]
OVER INTO THE NEXT YEAR.NATIONALLY ONLY 28% OF PEOPLE WHO APPLY FOR SSI AND SSD ARE APPROVED ON THEIR FIRST APPLICATION FOR HOMELESS PEOPLE.
THERE IS AN APPEAL PROCESS, BUT SOMETIMES THAT CAN TAKE OVER A YEAR.
UM, SOME THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO TELL YOU ABOUT THE CLIENTS THAT I DO REPRESENT, MANY OF THEM HAVE WORKED IN THE PAST AND THEY WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE WORKING, BUT CANNOT DUE TO THE FABLE AND CONDITIONS.
SOME OF THEM WORK, BUT IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO COVER THEIR UTILITIES AND RENT IN NECESSITIES.
SOME OF THEM ALSO CAN'T WORK BECAUSE OF LOSS OF EMPLOYMENT, DOCUMENTATIONS LIKE BIRTH CERTIFICATES AND SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS.
UM, SOME OF THEM CAN'T GET THEIR MEDICINE DUE TO NOT HAVING A PERMANENT ADDRESS OR, UM, THEIR MEDICATION NEEDING TO BE REFRIGERATED.
AND I JUST ASK THAT YOU TAKE ALL OF THIS INFORMATION INTO CONSIDERATION, THE COUNCIL MEMBER HEARST.
SO I HEARD A LOT OF PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT SOME, SOME GREAT THINGS TODAY.
I THINK EVERYBODY'S, MY WIFE ALWAYS TOLD ME THAT EVERYBODY'S FEELINGS MATTER, RIGHT? BECAUSE EVERYBODY HAS AN OPINION AS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE.
BUT WHAT I HEARD TODAY WAS NOT HOMELESSNESS.
WHAT I HEARD TODAY WAS, WAS, WAS DRUG AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
AND SO WHEN I HEARD DRUG AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, UM, I TALKED ABOUT NEEDLES.
NEEDLES HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH HOMELESSNESS, LEIDOS HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH DRUG ISSUES.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GETTING THEM OFF THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND THEN HE'D BE TALKING ABOUT DEALING WITH THE DRUG ISSUES AND FIGURING OUT WHAT, WHAT MENTAL ISSUES MAY HAVE DRIVEN THEM TO USE DRUGS TO COPE OR WHATEVER IT IS THEY'RE COPING WITH.
UM, AND THE OTHER THING ABOUT US, WE HAVE NEW HOMELESSNESS DAILY, SO THAT HOMELESSNESS GOES UP AND UP, AND THEN WE FIND PEOPLE WHO SAW MY WIFE.
WELL, WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE WORKED SOME FAMILIES BEFORE TO FIND HOUSING.
IT'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF IT OUT THERE, OKAY.
WITH RENNER WITH, CAUSE THEN THEY HAVE A LIST THAT THEY'RE ON TO RECEIVE HOUSING AND THEY MAY BE HOMELESS FOR TWO OR THREE MONTHS BEFORE THEIR NAME.
THEIR NAME COMES UP ON THE LIST.
SO IT'S NOT THAT THEY WANT TO BE.
THEY JUST HAVE NOWHERE ELSE TO GO.
AND SOMETIMES THEY DON'T HAVE BEDS AT NIGHTTIME.
SO IT'S A PERSONAL THING FOR ME.
Y'ALL HEARD MY TESTIMONY BEFORE AND, UM, IT, THE, THE, THE, THE FIGHT IN PLAQUE CONTINUES.
UM, AND I'M GOING TO GO TO A STORY AND I TOLD YOU ALL THIS BEFORE, AND I'LL SAY IT AGAIN, BECAUSE IT RESONATES WITH ME IS THAT MY MOTHER-IN-LAW PASSED MY, MY, MY WIFE AND MY MOM I'M IN, AND HER MOTHER WERE INSEPARABLE.
AND SO MY WIFE TELLS ME ALL THE TIME, HAD IT NOT BEEN FOR ME SUPPORTING HER AND MY KIDS, SHE WOULD HAVE CHECKED OUT BECAUSE THE PAIN, THE MENTAL ANGLE, WHICH WAS SO STRONG THAT HAD WE NOT DRIVEN HER TO THERAPY, SHE WOULD HAVE NOT GONE HERSELF WHERE EVERYBODY DOESN'T HAVE THAT.
AND IN THERAPY, WE FOUND OUT THAT OTHER PEOPLE DEAL WITH DRUG ABUSE BECAUSE OF THIS, HOW OTHER PEOPLE DEAL WITH HOMELESSNESS, BECAUSE MENTALLY THEY DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE UP DOWN SIDEWAYS, RIGHT.
AND SO HOMELESSNESS, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT DRUG NEEDLES, HOMELESSNESS, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT, UH, MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH FINDING SOMEBODY OR, UM, OR CRIMINAL CRIMINALIZATION IN GENERAL.
SO FINDING TO ME, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A MISDEMEANOR IS NOT LOCKING YOU UP AND PUTTING HANDCUFFS ON YOU, WHAT'S ULTIMATELY GOING TO HAPPEN IS THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT GOING TO SHOW UP TO COURT.
WHEN THEY DON'T SHOW UP TO COURT, THEY GET A WARRANT THAT WARRANT, WHEN THEY END UP IN THE SAME SPOT THAT THEY WERE ASKED TO BE REMOVED FROM, BECAUSE THEY CONSIDER THAT SOME OF THESE PLACES AT HOME, IT ENDS UP IN CRIMINAL CRIMINALIZATION.
SO IT WAS REALLY A LOOPHOLE TO REMOVE CRIMINALIZATION BECAUSE I WOULD HAVE TO MAKE AN ASSUMPTION, WHICH IS AN ASSUMPTION THAT 20% OF THE PEOPLE WILL SHOW UP TO COURT.
80% OF THE PEOPLE WOULD GO BACK TO BEING HOMELESS AND ENDED UP DOING WHAT THEY'D DONE BEFORE.
NOW I HAVE A DIFFERENT SOLUTION.
IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS ORDINANCE, BUT IT'S SOMETHING I'M WORKING ON.
I DIDN'T WANT TO BRING IT ABOUT, BUT, UH, BEFORE IT WAS READY, BUT I BELIEVE IT'S SO RELEVANT TODAY.
I SAW A YOUNG LADY SITTING ON JUUL ROAD, INDIAN STYLE, WANTING TO GET HIT BY A CAR.
PEOPLE JUST SWERVED AROUND HER, KEPT SWERVING AROUND HER, KEPT SWERVING AROUND HER AND SHE'S LIKE, I WANT TO DIE.
AND I TRIED TO GRAB HER AND I SAID, LOOK, JESUS LOVES YOU.
I SAID, I LOVE YOU SAID, PLEASE GET OUT OF THE STREET.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE MENTAL BREAKDOWN CALLS WAS, BUT ALL I KNOW IS I CALLED 9 1 1.
I MOVED MY TRUCK IN FRONT OF HER.
AND AT THAT POINT SHE WAS COMPLETELY CHECKED OUT.
SO A SHERIFF OFFICER ARRIVES ON THE SCENE AND HE ENDED UP, HE ENDS UP TUSSLING WITH THE GIRL THAT I'VE ALREADY CALMED DOWN AND GOT TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BECAUSE HE'S INADEQUATELY TRAINED TO HOW TO DEAL WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, WHICH ARE THE SAME PEOPLE THAT WE'RE ASKING TO COMMISSION
[01:35:01]
AND GO ON INSIDE THE ROAD AND DEAL WITH PEOPLE THAT THEY'RE NOT EQUIPPED TO DEAL WITH BECAUSE THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND MENTAL HEALTH.THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND DRUG ABUSE.
THEY, THE PERSON ENDS UP RESISTING ARREST.
NOT BECAUSE THEY'RE RUNNING FROM THE COPS BECAUSE THEY ARE COMPLETELY CHECKED OUT FOR ONE REASON OR THE OTHER, WHICH DOES CREATE A CRIMINAL HISTORY BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT EQUIPPED TO DEAL WITH.
AND I DO ALL MY DO, DO ALL OTHER TIME, BUT I'M GONNA TAKE TWO MINUTES.
SO WHAT I'VE JUST TALKED TO THE CHIEF ABOUT, AND WHEN I'VE TALKED TO, UH, SOME OF THE SHERIFF OFFICES ABOUT IS ABOUT TAKING THOSE HUNDRED GAP, A HUNDRED PERSON GAPS THAT EACH ONE OF THOSE AGENCIES HAS AND FILLING THEM WITH SOCIAL WORKERS AND MENTAL HEALTH PEOPLE THAT ARE BOTH COMMISSIONED AS LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENTS, AS WELL AS COMMISSIONED AS MENTAL HEALTH WORKERS, TO BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH THEM ADEQUATELY ON SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CREATE A DIVISION THAT DOES THAT SO THAT WE CAN ERADICATE HOMELESSNESS BECAUSE WE KNOW HOW TO ADDRESS IT AND GET THEM THE PROPER HELP RIGHT NOW WITH TAKING UNTRAINED PEOPLE, PUTTING THEM ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND CREATING MORE PROBLEMS. BECAUSE I SAW IT FIRSTHAND WHEN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICER WAS SLAMMING THIS PREGNANT WOMAN TO THE GROUND ON JEWEL ROAD, NEAR PRESCOTT.
AND SO BOTH OF THEM HAVE AGREED TO EXPLORE THIS.
THE 90 VACANCIES WITH THE CITY POLICE, THERE ARE ABOUT A HUNDRED VACANCIES WITH THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
I'M STOLEN THOSE NUMBERS OUT WITH SHERIFF, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW SPECIFICALLY, BUT SOMEWHERE AROUND THAT, AND THEY'RE OPEN TO CREATE A MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE DIVISION, WHERE YOU HAVE COMMISSIONED OFFICERS WHO ARE WILLING TO WORK WITH PEOPLE TO DO THAT.
AND THE THIRD THING IS THAT WE NEED MORE MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES AND MORE HOMELESS SHELTERS, BUT DEFINITELY MORE MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOMELESSNESS, BUT HOMELESSNESS, EVERYTHING HAS A ROOT CAUSE.
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE END RESULT IS ABOUT WHY DID THIS HAPPEN? AND WHY DID THIS HAPPEN? IT'S TYPICALLY DRUG ADDICTION, WHICH IS CAUSED BY MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES ARE COPING WITH SOMETHING.
AND THE OTHER PART, I WANT TO SAY BEFORE A TERRORIST, DON'T WALK INTO THE FRONT.
SO YOU HAVE TIME IS, UM, WE D WE HAVE THE OHIO, WE HAVE A HOTEL ISSUE RIGHT NOW WITH, OH, YO, THESE PEOPLE HAVE HOMES.
THEY CAN PAY FOR A HOTEL ROOM, BUT IT'S A PROBLEM BECAUSE THEY HAVE DRUG ABUSE AND PROSTITUTION.
THEY HAVE A ROOF OVER THEIR HEAD.
SO WE TAKE HER HOME AS THEY GO BUY A 30 HOUR HOTEL ROOM FOR A NIGHT.
SO THE QUESTION IS, DO WE WANT THEM HOMELESS OR DO WE WANT THEM HOME? BECAUSE THESE PEOPLE ARE BUYING HOTEL ROOMS, BUT WE STILL HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THEM.
SO WHY DON'T WE WORK WITH THE ISSUE? BECAUSE THE ISSUE THERE IS ALSO NOT HOMELESSNESS.
GUESS WHAT IT IS, SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.
UH, THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN HERS.
POLICY DIRECTOR FOR SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER.
UH, JUST, WE APPRECIATE THE EFFORT BEING MADE AND TRY TO AMEND THIS ORDINANCE, BUT IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE IT'S STILL, IT'S NOT ADDRESSING THE REAL PROBLEM, RIGHT? WE'RE JUST KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD, LITERALLY.
UH, WE'RE JUST MOVING PEOPLE INTO DIFFERENT AREAS.
AND WE OFTEN TAKE A SMALL SAMPLE SIZE AND AMPLIFIED INTO A BIG ISSUE.
YOU KNOW, UH, COUNSELING, MY HUSBAND MADE A GREAT POINT THAT EVERYONE THAT IS DEALING WITH HOMELESS IS NOT A DRUG ADDICT, BUT THEY ARE A PLETHORA OF THINGS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO SOMEONE LOSING THEIR HOME.
ESPECIALLY IN THIS TIME, AFTER THE PANDEMIC WHERE WE CONSTANTLY SEE HOUSING RATES, INCREASING INFLATION RATES INCREASE IN PEOPLE REALLY HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION.
WHETHER THEY'RE GOING TO PUT GAS IN A CAR, WHETHER THEY'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO WHAT KIND OF GROCERIES THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET, YOU KNOW, CAN THEY MAKE IT TO WORK EVEN? AND SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS FACTOR IN, AND WE DON'T EVEN TALK ABOUT THE APPLICATION FEES AND HOW HIGH SOME OF THOSE ARE TO EVEN APPLY FOR HOUSING, RIGHT? THERE'S A COST THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH EVEN FILLING OUT AN APPLICATION.
AND SO WE'RE JUST CONTINUALLY HURTING PEOPLE THAT ALREADY HURT INSTEAD OF REACHING OUT TO THEM AND LENDING A HELPING HAND.
THIS ISSUE IS A DEFINITE INDIRECT CRIMINALIZATION OF PEOPLE WHO ARE POOR.
AND WE SHOULD NOT BE CRIMINALIZING PEOPLE WHO SIMPLY CAN'T AFFORD HOUSING.
THEY ARE ALREADY IN A DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES, RIGHT? WHY MAKE THEM WORSE? WE CAN'T AFFORD TO HAVE AN OFFICER HANDCUFFING A YOUNG LADY BECAUSE SHE'S HAVING A MENTAL BREAKDOWN AND THAT'S COUNSELING FOR HER SAID, THIS IS A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE.
THIS IS A DRUG ADDICTION ISSUE.
THIS ORDINANCE DOES NOT SOLVE THIS PROBLEM.
THERE AREN'T ENOUGH ADEQUATE BEDS HERE IN BATON ROUGE.
THERE AREN'T ENOUGH MENTAL HEALTH FACILITIES HERE IN BATON ROUGE THROUGHOUT THE STATE, RIGHT? SO THAT'S WHERE IT'S UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
THESE PEOPLE'S PROPERTY MAY NOT LOOK MUCH TO US, BUT IT'S A LOT TO THEM.
AND THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO BE ARRESTED AND INCARCERATED FOR ONE DAY, LET ALONG A FEW DAYS, RIGHT? CAUSE WHEN THEY COME BACK, THEIR BELONGINGS ARE GONE WITHOUT ANY DUE PROCESS.
WE NEED ANY RIGHTS TO SAY, I WANT MY PROPERTY
[01:40:01]
BACK.NOBODY'S COLLECTING IT FOR THEM.
THE OFFICERS AREN'T TAKING IT WITH THEM.
THEY'RE LOSING WHAT THEY HAVE BEING FINED FOR IT.
AND THEN ALSO POSSIBLY INCARCERATED IT'S UNJUST UNCONSTITUTIONAL, UNCONSTITUTIONAL, AND DOWNRIGHT UNNECESSARY.
AGAIN, WE ASK THAT YOU OPPOSE AND VOTE NOTE ON THIS ARGUMENTS, COUNT PHONE NUMBER, CALL HIM ALL RIGHT.
JUST, UH, JUST A LITTLE BIT AS THE YOUNG LADY SAID, DID YOU KNOW ALL OF THE DITCH? YOU KNOW, AND I REALLY I'VE HEARD ALL, EVERYTHING THAT HAVE BEEN SAID HERE.
AND I'LL HAVE TO AGREE WITH THE STATEMENTS ABOUT THIS IS NOT REALLY A HOMELESS PROBLEM.
YOU ALL, YOU KNOW WHAT THIS DOES IS IT REALLY CREATES A STIGMA FOR THE HOMELESS POPULATION.
WHEN YOU SAY THAT THE DRUG ABUSE AND THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE IS AN ISSUE, THEN YOU ARE PUTTING THAT WITH HOMELESS NESS.
AND THAT'S NOT ALWAYS THE CASE.
AND LET ME TELL YOU, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT HOMELESSNESS AND I KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, YOU, YOU, YOU HAVE THE POPULATION AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT THAT POPULATION? THAT'S COVERED BY THE STEWART B MCKINNEY LAW.
AND THESE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE NOT OUT THERE.
SO WHEN YOU SAY THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO, THEN YOU NEED TO CONSIDER ALL ARMS OF HOMELESS NESS.
YOU GOT THE DOUBLE UP AND TRIPLE UP, INADEQUATE LIVING CONDITIONS, HOTEL MOTELS IN THE CARS, UNDER THE FREEWAY.
AND THEN MOST OF THE TIME, WHEN YOU ALL THINK OF HOMELESSNESS, YOU ONLY THINK OF THE BAG LADY AND THE MAN THAT'S OUT THERE.
AND YOU ASSOCIATE THAT DRUG ABUSE AND THAT MENTAL ILLNESS WITH IT.
BUT YOU GOT A WHOLE POPULATION OF HOMELESS INSTANCE, NOT EVEN CONSIDERED.
THE OTHER THING IS, AND I SAID IT BEFORE, THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH SHELTERS TO SERVE THE NUMBER OF HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS THAT WE HAVE.
AGNES WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO BRING A MALE, A MALE IN THEIR IT WITH A MAMA.
IF HE'S OVER A CERTAIN AGE, YOU CAN NOT GO THERE.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WE'VE GOT BISHOP OP, WE'VE GOT ZONTA.
THERE ARE A FEW SHELTERS THAT ARE ALL FAIR.
AND THEN ON TOP OF ALL OF THAT, YOU ALL, WE HAVE THE WORKING POOR.
I SAID THAT THE OTHER DAY TO SEVERAL FOLKS THAT WERE COMING INTO THE, UH, THE LEO S BUTLER CENTER, YOU HAVE THE WORKING POOR.
I REALLY DON'T KNOW ANYBODY IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WHO WOULD WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE I'M HOMELESS.
I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING I'M WHATEVER.
SO YOU'VE GOT TO KNOW THERE HAS TO BE SOME MENTAL ILLNESS WITH THIS SAY BRINGING ALL OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS TOGETHER.
AND REALLY WHAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER IS SOMEONE FROM OUR DISTRICTS BEING IN REPRESENTED IN ALL OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE HERE, THAT ARE A PART OF THAT CONTINUUM OF CARE, CONTINUUM CARE, BEEN AROUND A LONG TIME.
AND THE OTHER PIECE OF BAD IS IT'S NOT JUST HAVING A PLACE TO STAY, BUT YOU GOT TO HAVE SOME WRAPAROUND SERVICES AS WELL.
ALL OF THAT WRAP AROUND SERVICES.
AND SO WE NEED TO CONSIDER THE END CONSISTENCIES OF THE SERVICES NEEDED AND VERSUS THE NEEDS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
AND I SAY, AGAIN, AS SOMEONE SAID EARLIER, EVERYBODY IN HERE, IF YOU DOING GOOD TO NOT TO BE HOMELESS, JUST BE TWO, THREE PAYCHECKS AWAY.
YOU'RE DOING VERY GOOD FOR NOT BEING HOMELESS.
SO I SAY TO YOU, MAKE SURE WE NEED TO JUST DIG JUST A LITTLE DEEPER WITH THIS.
AND SOMEBODY RECOMMENDED SOMETHING ABOUT A COMMITTEE.
I THINK THAT'S EXCELLENT, AN EXCELLENT CONVERSATION THAT NEED TO BE HAD, BUT ALSO ALL OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS.
AND AS I ALWAYS SAID, WHEN YOU COME TO THE TABLE, YOU SAY, YOU CAN DO WHAT YOU DO.
[01:45:01]
WHAT YOU SAY YOU CAN DO WHEN WE BRING THE PEOPLE TO YOU THAT ARE IN NEED OF SERVICES.AND SO THIS IS AS A BROTHER OF MINE WOULD SAY BIGGER THAN BIG.
SO, UM, IS DARYL STILL HERE? I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
DARYL, HOW MUCH MONEY DOES EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH GIVE FOR HOMELESSNESS SHELTERS? I THINK THE CONTINUUM CARES ABOUT 4.3 MILLION.
WHY DON'T WE HAVE, WHERE'S IT? WHY DON'T WE HAVE MORE BEDS? I MEAN, THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY.
I DO HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION FOR, YOU WOULD HAVE TO BE OUT OF HERE.
KERRY, WHO COULD EXPLAIN THE MONEY GOES ON ALL TYPES OF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND SERVICES COME ON DOWN.
AND WHILE SHE ACTUALLY THE NEXT QUESTION, PLEASE GO AHEAD.
I SAID YOU HAD ANOTHER QUESTION.
UM, DARRYL, EXPLAIN TO, UM, ME AND EVERYONE ELSE, PLEASE, WHO MAKES UP, WHAT TYPES OF PEOPLE MAKE UP THE MAYORS HOT TEAM THAT GOES OUT AND CHECKS ON THESE? ON THESE FOLKS? WE HAVE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ARE SPECIALLY TRAINED TEAMS, BOTH SHERIFF AND, UM, VR PD.
AND THEN WE HAVE A SOCIAL WORKER TEAM WITH MENTAL HEALTH PROVIDERS AND SOCIAL WORKERS WHO GO OUT AND TRY AND ASSIST.
UM, I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT NUMBER OF EACH TEAM.
THERE'S PROBABLY FOUR OR FIVE PEOPLE ON, ON THE MENTAL HEALTH SOCIAL WORK TEAM.
AND THEN VRP D I THINK PROBABLY HAS FOUR.
AND I THINK ABOUT THE SAME WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
THESE ARE FOLKS THAT HAVE BEEN TRAINED TO HELP WITH THESE PEOPLE.
HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH MONEY DOES THESE BATON ROUGE PARISH GIVE HER FOR HOMELESS BEDS AND SHELTERS AND WHATEVER, IN TERMS OF EMERGENCY SHELTER BEDS, THE COC FUNDING THAT DARRYL WAS REFERENCING DOES NOT COVER EMERGENCY SHELTER.
VINCENT DEPAUL IS THE ONLY RECIPIENT OF STATE LEVEL EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS.
SO WHEN YOU SAY EMERGENCY SHELTER, WHAT EXACTLY, I MEAN, I'M ASSUMING THAT IT'S LIKE WHETHER THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, EMERGENCY SHELTER, UH, IN TERMS OF HOW HUD CONSIDERS IT TO BE IS A LOW BARRIER WAY TO GET FOLKS UNDERNEATH THE ROOF AND ACCESS TO SERVICES.
AGNES, AND SOMETIMES SALVATION ARMY, OR THE EMERGENCY SHELTERS THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN EAST BATON ROUGE, PARISH OF THOSE THREE EMERGENCY SHELTERS, ST.
VINCENT DEPAUL IS THE ONLY EMERGENCY SHELTER THAT RECEIVES ESG FUNDING FROM THE STATE.
AND THEY ONLY RECEIVE, I HAD IT EARLIER.
I APOLOGIZE, SECOND ROUND IT'S ABOUT 460 SOMETHING THOUSAND DOLLARS.
IT'S FAR LESS THAN THE 4 MILLION THAT DARRYL WAS REFERRING TO.
THE 4 MILLION DARRYL IS REFERRING TO IS THE COC PROGRAM FUNDING THAT COMES INTO THE BATON ROUGE REGION THAT PRIMARILY SERVES OR FUNDS RAPID REHOUSING AND PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING.
THOSE ARE PROJECTS THAT PROVIDE RENTAL ASSISTANCE AND SOMETIMES SUPPORTIVE SERVICES.
THOSE WRAPAROUND SERVICES THAT WAS NEVER REFERENCED EARLIER TO FOLKS WHO WERE EXPERIENCING LITERAL HOMELESSNESS, WHO THEN CAME THROUGH OUR COORDINATED ENTRY SYSTEM, WHICH IS THE COMMUNITY'S COORDINATED WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE GAPS IN SERVICES, BUT WE ALSO DON'T HAVE DUPLICATION OF SERVICES AND ALLOWS FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS TO ACCESS COORDINATED ENTRY THROUGH ALL THE SITES THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER BANKS TALKED ABOUT EARLIER RECEIVED CASE MANAGEMENT DESIGNED TO HELP THEM EXIT HOMELESSNESS AND INTO PERMANENT HOUSING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE WITHOUT A SUBSIDY FOR WHICH BATON ROUGE IS CONSIDERED.
WELL, THE BALANCE OF STATE IS CONSIDERED TO BE IN ONE OF THE BEST PRACTICES, OCS, UH, NATIONWIDE.
AND THEN IF THOSE DIVERSION EFFORTS FAIL, THEN THERE'S THE POSSIBILITY OF FOLKS COMING THROUGH THAT SYSTEM, GETTING ACCESS TO PERMANENT HOUSING VOUCHERS.
THE 4 MILLION IS ABOUT PERMANENT HOUSING VOUCHER.
SO A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, OR LET ME JUST MAKE THIS STATEMENT.
I FEEL LIKE WE'RE DEALING WITH THREE DIFFERENT THINGS HERE.
THIS IS A CAMPING, CAMPING ORDINANCE.
PEOPLE PITCHING TENTS ON SIDE OF THE ROAD OR IN PUBLIC PROPERTY TO LIVE.
[01:50:01]
OUR SHELTERS AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.THEN WE HAVE THE ADDICTION, OPIOID DRUG ISSUE, WHICH EVEN HOMELESS OR NOT, WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT ISSUE AS IS IT AS ITS OWN SELF AND GET THEM HELP AND ASSISTANCE, WHICH HAS TONS OF PROGRAMS AND EVERYTHING OUT THERE FOR THEM TO GET THEIR MENTAL DISABILITY.
DO WE WANT SOMEBODY WITH MENTAL DISABILITY ON SIDE OF THE ROAD? ARE WE GOOD? IT'S GOING TO LEAVE THEM THERE AND LET THEM STAY ON SIDE OF THE ROAD.
I LOOK AT MYSELF EVERY DAY AS A BUSINESS OWNER, IT'S FEAST OR FAMINE.
AND AT ANY POINT I COULD BE LIKE ANY ONE OF THESE HOMELESS PEOPLE.
NOW, HOPEFULLY I'M NOT ADDICTED TO ANYTHING.
HOPEFULLY I DON'T COME DOWN WITH SOME MENTAL DISABILITY THAT PUTS ME THERE, BUT I CAN GO TO THE RESOURCE.
THE GENTLEMAN THAT SAID HE'S BEEN THROUGH THE PROGRAM, UH, THE ONE IN THE BLACK SHIRT OVER THERE.
I CAN'T REMEMBER YOUR NAME, SIR.
I THINK TO ME, YOU WENT THROUGH A BAD TIME.
YOU, YOU, YOU DID THE THING, YOU, YOU GOT THE ASSISTANCE, YOU PULLED YOURSELF UP AND YOU WENT BACK OUT.
THAT'S THE PEOPLE THAT WE REALLY CAN HELP ON.
STRICTLY THE HOMELESS PART, THE ADDICTION AND STUFF.
AND IF YOU SAY YOU WANT TO LET THEM JUST STAY OUT THERE.
I THINK THAT'S WRONG TO STAY OUT THERE.
WHAT DID ADDICTION AND DOING DRUGS AND EVERYTHING, WHICH IS ILLEGAL OR MISSILE DISABILITY TO LET THEM STAY OUT THERE.
AND NOW LET'S GO BACK TO THE CAMPING PART.
THE, THE ACTUAL THEY'RE HOMELESS THEY'RE THEY NEED SOMEWHERE TO STAY.
AND SO ON IN DRIVING IN TODAY, I LOOKED AT THE PROPERTY OUT IN FRONT OF OUR PARKING LOT.
IT'S ABOUT A 15 FOOT WIDE GRASS AREA IN FRONT OF THE PARKING GARAGE IS ON THE GOVERNMENT STREET SIDE.
IF THEY START LINING UP THERE, OR WE HAVE A LOT RIGHT ACROSS FROM CITY HALL RIGHT HERE.
WE HAVE A LOT RIGHT DOWN THE ROAD THAT IS WIDE OPEN.
OR IF PEOPLE START PITCHING TENTS OUT THERE AND EVERYTHING, OR RIGHT THERE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, ALL WE GOING TO JUST SAY, OKAY, IT'S PUBLIC PROPERTY.
OR ARE WE GOING TO TRY TO GET THEM ASSISTANCE THAT THEY NEED? I TALKED TO BRETT EARLIER TODAY.
IF YOU PUT A TENT IN A BREAK PART, THERE THEY'RE COMMUNITY PARTS CLOSE AT DARK.
YOU CANNOT BE IN THE PARK THERE.
NOW LET ME REPHRASE THAT THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS ARE LIKE THAT.
THEIR COMMUNITY PARKS, JACKSON PARK, THE BIG PARKS AND SO ON.
THEY CLOSE AT 10 AND I ASKED DIRECTLY IF SOMEONE'S OUT THERE AND THEY'RE IN A TENT AND THEY'RE STAYING OUT THERE AND IT'S NOT A SANCTIONED BREAKEVEN OR ANYTHING, DO YOU HAVE THEM REMOVED? YES, SIR.
WE CALL THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THEY GO OUT THERE AND THEY REMOVE THEM.
NOW, OURS, WE CAN TAKE A STEP FURTHER.
WE'RE NOT ONLY NOT ALLOWING THE, THE TENT PITCHING LIVING ON SIDE OF THE ROAD IN THE PUBLIC PART, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO GET THEM ASSISTANCE.
MS. MARTIN, TELL I'M TO, I'M GOING TO GO REAL QUICK WITH THIS, BUT MS.
EVERYBODY KEEPS TALKING ABOUT PROGRAMS AND, AND, AND ASSISTANCE AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND, AND, AND SOME OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE BROUGHT UP HAVE TALKED ABOUT HOW SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS WORK AND SOME OF THEM DON'T MS. MERCANTILE, I THINK HAS I SENT THE ONLY EMAIL AND I HOPE EVERY ONE OF Y'ALL READ IT THAT ACTUALLY GAVE A PLAN OF ACTION, A PLAN OF WHAT WE CAN EXECUTE.
AND I REALLY LIKED THAT, UH, COUNCILMAN HERTZ BROUGHT UP TO US A PARTICULAR HOTEL EARLIER.
I WOULD RATHER SINK IN FOUR TO $5 MILLION AND BUY THAT THING OUTRIGHT, PUT SOME SURFERS FROM SERVICES PROGRAM THERE, AND IMMEDIATELY HAVE, HAVE A COUPLE OF HUNDRED BEDS IN A SITUATION THAT PEOPLE CAN GO IN FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME.
WITHOUT THE SIX MONTHS OF ODU QUALIFIED.
IF THEY'RE LIVING IN A TENT ON SIDE PUBLIC PROPERTY, THEY QUALIFY, THEY IMMEDIATELY NEED TO GO.
THAT'S WHAT I'M FOCUSED ON WITH THIS, THE TENT PART, THE LIVING AND GETTING THEM IN SOMEWHERE, THE, THE OPIOID ADDICTION TO MENTAL DISABILITY, THAT KIND OF STUFF.
WE HAVE PROGRAMS IN PLACE, AND WE NEED TO DIRECT THEM TO THE PROPER LOCATION ALSO.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT A LOT OF OUR RESOURCES AND WHERE WE'RE GOING AND SPENDING THE MONEY ON BETTER THINGS FOR A PLAN AND NOT JUST DIFFERENT EXECUTION OF PROGRAMS. SOME OF THEM YOU WANT YOU AT YOUR TIME, YOU, YOU FINISHING UP ALRIGHT, COUNCIL NUMBER AND GO DAY.
UM, FIRST THANK YOU TO THOSE ORGANIZATIONS THAT DEDICATE THEMSELVES THE RESOURCES TOWARDS, UH, ADDRESSING THIS ISSUE AND ADDRESSING
[01:55:01]
THE NEEDS OF THOSE RESIDENTS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.UM, THANK YOU FOR HOW YOU BENEFIT OUR COMMUNITY.
AND AS I'VE TOLD FOLKS, WHO'VE REACHED OUT TO ME ON THIS TOPIC, FIND ONE OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU CAN SUPPORT THEM, HOWEVER YOU CAN SUPPORT THEM, UH, BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING CHALLENGING WORK.
THEY'RE DOING WORK THAT, UH, UH, IS, IS FINANCIALLY CHALLENGING.
UM, AND SO IF YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO SUPPORT THEM AND YOU WANT TO SEE A CHANGE IN THIS ISSUE, PLEASE DO SO A SECOND, I'LL SAY, UH, KUDOS TO THE LEADERSHIP COMING FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE TO CONVENE ALL OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS.
IT, IT TAKES ON A LOCAL LEVEL.
UM, YOU KNOW, I MAYOR'S OFFICE, UH, UH, UH, TEAM STEPPING UP TO BRING ALL THESE ORGANIZATIONS TOGETHER TO HAVE THE SAME CONVERSATION AND, AND KUDOS TO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE FOR DOING THAT THIS COMMUNITY SEVERAL YEARS AGO, INVESTED IN AND STOOD UP A ONE-STOP, UH, CAPITAL AREA LINES FOR THE HOMELESS.
UH, AND THAT IS WHERE THE RESOURCES THAT ARE BEING DISCUSSED TONIGHT ARE FOCUSED IN ON, UM, THAT TO ME IS WHERE OUR POLICY SHOULD DIRECT CITIZENS WHO ARE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.
WE INVEST IN A HOMELESSNESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM WHERE A LOT OF THE DATA COMES FROM.
WE INVEST IN ALL OF THE VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS PROVIDING THESE WRAPAROUND SERVICES, FUNNELING TO THE ONE-STOP, SO THAT WHEN SOMEONE REGISTERS THERE, THEY HAVE CONNECTIONS TO ALL OF THESE VARIOUS SERVICES.
AND SO I THINK WE NEED MORE POLICY IN, ON THIS TOPIC THAT DIRECTS PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS TO THOSE RESOURCES.
AND I VIEW THIS NOW THAT IT'S BEEN AMENDED AS THAT.
AND I KNOW THAT WON'T SATISFY EVERYBODY, BUT WHAT I'D SAY IS MY OBSERVATION THAT THIS POLICY HAS COME FORWARD IS BECAUSE I'LL SPEAK FOR MYSELF.
WHAT ARE WE DOING ABOUT THIS? AND MY RESPONSE IS WHAT WE NEED MORE SHELTER BEDS.
THAT'S A LONG-TERM FIX, NOT EASY.
WELL, WE NEED MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
THAT'S A LONGTERM FIX, NOT EASY.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING NOW FOR THE FOLKS WHO ARE INTERRUPTING THE NEIGHBORHOOD I'VE LIVED IN FOR 25 YEARS, THAT'S HARD TO ANSWER, AND YOU'RE GOING TO SEE POLICY LIKE THIS COME FORWARD, BECAUSE WE NEED AN ANSWER.
AND NOW THAT IT'S BEEN AMENDED TO REMOVE JAIL TIME DIRECT TOWARDS, TO DIRECT THESE RESIDENTS TOWARDS THESE RESOURCES, I'M GOING TO SUPPORT THIS.
BUT LET ME SAY THIS SINCE WE'RE ALL CONVENED AROUND A TABLE AND, AND KUDOS TO MY FRIEND, ADDIE WAS START CORPORATION.
LET'S TAKE SOME FOLKS FROM THE 60 ORGANIZATIONS, LET'S FORM A POLICY GROUP AND INCLUDE SOME FOLKS FROM THIS COUNCIL.
SO WE HAVE AN ABILITY TO SAY, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE DOING ABOUT IT, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A LOT OF RESOURCES AND WE HAVE A LOT OF LONGTERM NEEDS, BUT I DON'T HAVE A GREAT ANSWER FOR WHAT AM I DOING ABOUT IT NOW? RIGHT? AND SO LET'S FORM A POLICY GROUP.
LET'S LOOK AT WHAT OTHER COMMUNITIES ARE DOING.
AND IF WE SEE SOME POLICY COME OUT OF THAT, UH, COME OUT OF THIS.
AND I THINK ALL OF THIS WILL START TO, UH, START TO GEL TOGETHER.
I DO WANT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A VERY CHALLENGING ISSUE.
I THINK THE ITEM HAS RAISED, I'VE MADE AWARE THAT WE HAVE MORE HOMELESSNESS IN OUR CITY PARISH THAN WE HAVE RESOURCES TO ADDRESS THE HOMELESSNESS.
AND WE CAN'T ADDRESS IT OVERNIGHT BECAUSE THIS CHALLENGE DIDN'T HAPPEN.
THIS IS A LONG HISTORY OF THE MARGINALIZATION OF PEOPLE AND THE MARGINALIZATION THAT PEOPLE HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH COLOR, BUT IT HAS MORE TO DO WITH INCOME.
AND SO THIS IS A LONG HISTORY OF THE MODERNIZATION OF THE INCOME OF PEOPLE IN TERMS OF, UH, THEIR EDUCATION, UH, THEIR SKILL SET AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, MANY OF WHICH WE SHOULD BE ADDRESSING LONG BEFORE THEY GET TO THAT POINT, UH, AS EARLY AS WHEN THEY ARE IN SCHOOL AND INVESTING IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND MAKING SURE WE'RE PUTTING YOUNG PEOPLE ON A PATH TO SUCCESS.
I HOWEVER CAN NOT SUPPORT AN ITEM THAT SEEMINGLY CRIMINALIZES THE HOMELESS.
SO I CANNOT SUPPORT THIS ITEM TONIGHT.
HOWEVER, I DO THINK, UH, TO YOUR POINT COUNCIL MEMBER, WE DO NEED TO SIT AT THE TABLE AND TALK ABOUT HOW DO WE CREATE OPPORTUNITIES, UH, FOR HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS TO FIND AFFORDABLE HOUSING, TO FIND JOBS, TO PUT THEM IN POSITIONS WHERE THEY CAN LEARN SKILLS OR TO UNCOVER THE SKILLS THEY ALREADY HAVE AND PUT THEM TO WORK.
AND SO I THINK THAT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES, I WOULD HOPE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UH, I'M GONNA OFFER A SUBSTITUTE BULLSHIT TO DELETE THIS ITEM UNTIL WE CAN WORK THROUGH SOME OF THOSE CHALLENGES.
AND THEN PUT A PLAN, A VERY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
WE TALKED ABOUT A PLAN THAT WAS EMAILED TO US, BUT IF WE'RE GOING TO WORK ON A PLAN, I DON'T THINK
[02:00:01]
WE APPROVE SOMETHING TONIGHT.THAT'S GOING TO CRIMINALIZE THE, THE WHOLE LIST.
SO I'D RATHER, I'M GOING TO OFFER A SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO DELETE THIS ITEM.
UH, IT MAY NOT GET A SECOND, BUT THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS.
SO SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO DELETE ITEMS SECOND BY SECOND TO BACK HOME.
AND WE WILL NOW GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER MOLT.
COULD I ASK YOU A QUESTION? JUST THE ONE WITH ALL THE DATA, THE NUMBERS AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
SO ANY, ANY CITY MUNICIPALITY OR WHATEVER THAT HAS STARTED THIS PROCESS, UM, OR WORKED ON BASICALLY THE HOMELESS THING, WHETHER IT'S OUR CITY, OUR SIZE OR OTHERS, HAS ANYBODY REACHED THEIR MATCHING OF EVERY HOMELESS PERSON HAS A SHELTER TO GO TO A ONE FOR ONE, HAS ANY MUNICIPALITY REACHED THAT GOAL? SO I THINK THAT'S POTENTIALLY THE WRONG QUESTION TO BE ASKING COUNSELING.
SO THE COMMUNITIES THAT HAVE EFFECTIVELY ENDED HOMELESSNESS ACROSS THE NATION HAVE ENDED HOMELESSNESS BY MAKING IT RARE, BRIEF, AND NON-RECURRING, WHICH DOES MEAN HAVING ADEQUATE SHELTER BEDS IN ORDER TO GET FOLKS OFF THE STREET IN A TIMELY MANNER.
BUT IT ALSO MEANS HAVING ADEQUATE SYSTEM FLOW AND THOSE RESOURCES THAT ARE NECESSARY TO GET FOLKS INTO PERMANENT HOUSE.
SO AGAIN, THE QUESTION IS WHEN, WHEN PEOPLE, WHEN YOU HAVE HOMELESS PEOPLE AND THE DISCUSSION HAS BEEN, YOU CANNOT CONSTITUTIONALLY LEGALLY OR ANYTHING ELSE, IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT YOU CANNOT TAKE THEM OFF THE STREET, UNLESS YOU HAVE A SHELTER BED OR SOMEWHERE TO TAKE THEM THAT GOT TWO ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE COME TODAY AND SAID THAT HAS ANY MUNICIPALITY, WOULD YOU DEAL WITH THE STATE OF LOUISIANA? HAS ANY MUNICIPALITY REACHED THAT GOAL OF HAVING A SHELTER BED FOR EVERY SINGLE HOMELESS PERSON? THOSE TEND NOT TO BE THE GOALS OF MUNICIPALITIES, BUT I'M NOT AWARE OF ONE.
I'M NOT AWARE OF A COMMUNITY IN LOUISIANA THAT HAS EFFECTIVELY ENDED HOMELESSNESS.
SO, AND I GO BACK TO, AND I APPRECIATE IT.
UM, ONE THING WE'VE DEALT WITH AND WE TALKED OUT OVER THE DIFFERENT MEETINGS AND EVERYTHING IS HOW ABOUT PEOPLE COMING INTO BATON ROUGE BECAUSE THEIR SERVICES.
SO WE BROUGHT UP THE NUMBERS OF THERE'S 200 PEOPLE, 201 BEDS, 200, WHATEVER, 250 AND FEMA, WHICH IS FEMA IS A DIFFERENT THING.
SO WE GOT 200 FEET, WE CREATE 200 NEW BEDS IN THE NEXT SIX MONTHS.
DO WE DO PEOPLE SEE THAT AND GO, THEY'VE GOT SERVICES OVER THERE.
NEXT THING YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT ANOTHER, A HUNDRED PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME IN BECAUSE THEY HAVE SERVICES OVER THERE.
SO YOU DON'T REACH THAT GOAL AGAIN.
AND YOU'VE LOST SIGHT OF THAT, THAT GOAL.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CONCERNED ME IS IF WE DON'T START SOMEWHERE, THEN ACTION, DOESN'T GET TAKEN TO DO THE WHOLE GOAL THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND THAT'S, TO ME, THIS IS A START, IT'S A START TO, TO, FOR US TO START THIS WORK WITH THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE GETTING THE FUNDING, GETTING FUNDING FROM US OR WHATEVER, TO MOVE TOWARD THAT GOAL.
AND I AGREE WITH YOU, YOU, YOU SAID IT PERFECTLY IS THE, THE GOAL IS TO REDUCE IT AND, AND TRY AND GET AWAY FROM IT THAT PEOPLE AREN'T THERE.
SO I JUST FEEL LIKE THIS IS A START AND I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT, YES, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
WE SHOULD WORK ON, BUT WE'VE GOT TO START IN PLACE TO START BUILDING THE BLOCKS TO BUILD UPON.
SO I I'M IN FAVOR OF PASSING THIS.
UM, I APPRECIATE ALL THE INPUT AND ALL THE HARD WORK THAT ALL OF THE ORGANIZATIONS DO.
I THINK, I REALLY THINK Y'ALL ARE AMAZING AND THAT'S, AND THAT'S NOT JUST THE HOMELESS PART ITSELF, BUT THE, THE, THE, THE ADDICTION, THE DRUG PART THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, THE, THE MENTAL DISABILITY, I THINK WE HAVE SOME WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL PROGRAMS IN PLACE.
AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF Y'ALL DO A GREAT JOB, BUT I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE WITH THIS.
OR, AND I THINK ALL OF US HAVE SEEN IT.
WE'VE HEARD ABOUT IT IN OTHER CITIES.
WE'RE GOING, IF WE DON'T START SOMETHING, NOW WE'RE GOING TO END UP IN A WORSE SITUATION A YEAR, TWO YEARS FROM NOW, AND THEN WE'RE REALLY NOT GOING TO HAVE THE FUNDING OR ANYTHING TO TAKE CARE OF IT.
AND THEY'LL GO END UP IN THOSE LOTS OUT THERE AND OUT HERE AND ON THE SIDE OF THE PARKING GARAGE AND EVERYWHERE ELSE THAT THERE'S AN, IF I MAY, SINCE YOU'RE INTERESTED, 64% OF THE PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN BATON ROUGE ARE FROM BATON ROUGE.
ONLY 10% OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS IN BATON ROUGE ARE FROM OUT OF STATE.
UH, POINTED CHAIR PRIVILEGED BEFORE I GO TO COUNSELING AND
[02:05:01]
MY HUSBAND, OUR LAST SPEAKER COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, HERTZ ASKED ME FOR MY, THE END OF MY TIME.I'M GOING TO GIVE HIM 30 SECONDS.
SO I HEARD A LOT TODAY ABOUT ENDING PUBLIC, UH, CAMPING.
CAN ANYBODY IN THE AUDIENCE RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU KNOW WHERE YOU CAN PRIVATELY CAMPUS A HOMELESS PERSON? THAT'S MORE OF THE QUESTION.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER HUDSON.
WELL FIRST THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY THAT CAME OUT TONIGHT.
I THINK THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST SINCERE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOMELESSNESS AND THIS PARISH, UH, TODAY, SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE COUNCIL.
UM, SO I THINK THIS WAS BADLY NEEDED AND, AND, AND I'M, I'M VERY HAPPY THAT WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION THAT THIS ORDINANCE HELPED SPARK THAT CONVERSATION.
UM, I WANT TO ADDRESS A FEW THINGS THAT I HEARD THROUGHOUT THE PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN COMMENTS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS AS WELL.
UH JUST TO PROVIDE SOME CLARITY AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE BEFORE WE VOTE.
SO, UH, FIRST THIS ORDINANCE GUARANTEES THAT INDIVIDUALS KNOW THAT SHELTER AND OTHER SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM.
IT ALSO ADDRESSES SOCIAL SERVICES ON THE BACK END AS WELL.
UM, AGAIN, THE IMPETUS FOR THIS ORDINANCE HAS ALWAYS BEEN, UH, THAT WE WANT PEOPLE EXPERIENCING, UH, OR THAT FIND THEMSELVES IN A SITUATION WHERE THEY HAVE TO CAMP AND A PUBLIC SPACE OR IN A RIGHT OF WAY TO KNOW THAT SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM.
THERE IS A SAFER SPACE FOR THEM, UM, TO, UH, SPECIFICALLY THE HOT TEAM ALREADY HAS THESE MECHANISMS AND RESOURCES IN PLACE, UH, TO PROVIDE THIS TYPE OF SERVICE, BUT ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS COMMUNITY, UH, AND THEY HAVE THE EXPERTISE TO HANDLE THESE SITUATIONS.
UH, SO IT, IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE SENDING THEM UNTRAINED INDIVIDUALS, UNTRAINED OFFICERS TO DEAL WITH THESE SITUATIONS.
UH, WE HAVE THIS TRAINING, WE HAVE THE TOOLS IN PLACE NECESSARY TO DO THIS EFFECTIVELY, UH, PARTICULARLY ON THE ISSUE OF THE CONSTITUTIONALITY, UH, PARTICULARLY ON THE ISSUE OF CONSTITUTIONALITY.
I WANT TO BE SURE THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, UH, AND B RPD, LEGAL STAFF RESEARCH, THE ISSUE FOR US.
IT WAS THE REASON FOR THE AMENDMENT, UH, AND SPECIFICALLY IN SECTION C TO WHERE WE'RE ASKING, UH, OR WE'RE REQUIRING THAT, UH, OFFICERS SHALL CONFIRM AVAILABLE SHELTER OR HOUSING AND ADVISE THE PERSON OF SET AVAILABILITY.
SO A SITUATION WHERE NO HOUSING OR NO SHELTER EXISTS, UH, IF THAT SITUATION ARISES, A CITATION CAN NOT BE ISSUED THAT, UH, AND SO THAT ISSUE IS COVERED.
UM, THE LAST THING I WANT TO BE SURE AND ADDRESS IS THAT WE DO HAVE REAL WORLD EXAMPLES OF THIS.
UH, I TALKED ABOUT IN THE LAST MEETING, THE SITUATION THAT WE'VE HAD, AND THIS IS OCCURRED MULTIPLE TIMES ON O'NEAL LANE AT THE OVERPASS FOR OUR 12, UH, WHERE WE'VE COORDINATED WITH THE HOT TEAM, WHERE THE ST VINCENT DEPAUL, UH, WITH DPW TO DO A CLEANUP IN THAT AREA, WE'D HAVE THEM GO OUT.
WE, UH, WE OFFER THEM SERVICES, WE OFFER THEM A RIDE TO THE SHELTER.
WE, WE KNOW THAT SHELTER, BED BEDS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE DAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS.
UM, AND THE INDIVIDUALS OUT THERE DON'T TAKE IT.
THEY SIT ON THE SIDE OF THE MEDIAN, THEY SIT ON THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE UNTIL THE CLEANUP IS DONE.
UH, AND THEN THEY MOVED THEIR TENS BACK IN AND THE, THE, THE DEBRIS AND THE SITUATION STARTS TO BUILD AGAIN.
UM, THE SITUATIONS THAT WE'RE SEEING ARE SITUATIONS WHERE IF IT WERE HAPPENING ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, WE WOULD BE ISSUING THOSE PEOPLE, UH, SUMMONS FOR BLIGHT.
WE'D BE ASKING THEM TO COME DOWN AND WE'D BE ISSUING FINES.
WE'D BE PUTTING LIENS ON THEIR PROPERTY, UH, TO MAKE THEM CLEAN UP THESE ISSUES.
AND WE'VE DONE THAT WITH HOMELESS AND CABINETS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.
UM, SO IT'S UNFAIR FOR US AS MUNICIPALITY TO TREAT OUR OWN RIGHT OF WAY DIFFERENT THAN WE TREAT THE PUBLIC'S, UH, PRIVATE PROPERTY.
UH, SO WITH THAT, UH, I THINK WE HAVE A GOOD ORDINANCE IN PLACE.
WE HAVE THE RIGHT MECHANISMS IN PLACE, UH, TO DO THIS, UH, AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO VOTE IN SUPPORT OF THIS THIS EVENING.
WE'RE GOING TO VOTE ON THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO DELETE THE ITEM.
FIRST, WHEN A MACHINE'S ATHLETES SUBSTITUTE MOTION IS TO DELETE THE ITEM ON MENTIONED TO DELETE ME DOWN MOTION FAILS WHEN I'LL GO TO THE ORIGINAL MOTION, WHICH IS TO APPROVE THE ITEM.
W WHICH STATED AMENDMENTS, CORRECT? YES.
MACHINES ARE OPEN ON THE MOTION TO APPROVE AS AMENDED ITEM HAS BEEN APPROVED.
THE SCREEN ITEM HAS BEEN APPROVED.
[87. 22-01080]
87 AMENDING ORDINANCE 1 8, 2 5 TO IMPOSING A TEMPORARY MORATORIUM FOR NEW LAND DEVELOPMENT APPROVALS FOR SPECIFIED PROJECTS.WE NEEDED TO FIND SPECIAL FLOOD HAZARD AREAS AND PROVIDING IN THE HANDS
[02:10:01]
DRAINAGE DESIGN REQUIREMENTS WITHIN THE SPECIAL FLOOD HAZARD AREA.SO AS TO EXTEND THE EXPIRATION PERIOD, IN ADDITION OF SIX MONTHS FROM THE EFFECTIVE DATE, MY COUNCIL MEMBERS GO DAY.
I'M ALSO COLEMAN PERSON AND ROCCO.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 87? ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 87 WOULD NOT GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS REAL QUICK.
Y'ALL HAD TO EMAIL COMMENTS IN FAVOR OF ITEM 87 COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IS THERE A EMOTION? I KNOW ALL, I'M SORRY.
COUNCILMAN MO JUST WANNA REMIND COUNCIL MEMBER AT THE TIME NOW IS SIX 13, AND WE HAVE 51 WILD.
SO JUST CONFIRMING THIS IS THE STORM WATER MASTER PLAN.
IT EXTENDING THE MORATORIUM OR THE HIGHER STANDARDS, UH, FOR SIX MONTHS.
THAT IS A QUESTION I'M JUST CONFIRMING THAT THIS IS WHAT MR. FRED.
UH, I DO APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT THE COUNCIL IS LOOKING AT CONSIDERING EXTENDING ADVANCE SIX MONTHS.
UH, CERTAINLY HAS BEEN SOME CHALLENGES DEALING WITH OUR MASTER PLAN.
AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT, UH, WE WILL MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION VERY WELL.
I THINK THERE ARE SOME COMMON, UH, ISSUES THAT WE NEED TO TRY TO ADDRESS IN REGARDS TO POLICIES AND THROUGHOUT THE PARISH.
UM, CAUSE WE'VE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE MAKE A LOT OF COMMENTS, UH, BASED ON SOME OF THE CHANGES WE HAVE IN THIS AS SOME OF THE LISTS.
AND WE HAVE ABOUT SIX PAGES OF THAT, OF PEOPLE WE'VE SENT OUT TO, TO SAY, HEY, TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK, WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT.
THE CHANGES OUR SUBCOMMITTEE HAS BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY THAT WE HAVE WITH, WITH THE PUBLIC AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY THAT IS CRITICAL TO GETTING ALL THESE THINGS FINALIZED.
UM, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, NOT JUST FROM MY COMMITTEE, WE'VE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS AND WE ARE VERY, VERY, UH, CONCERNED ABOUT SOME OF THE PROPOSED CHANGES.
CAUSE WE, WE FEEL LIKE SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE NECESSARY.
UH, WE HAVE THE TECHNICAL DATA TO SUPPORT IT, WHICH IS ONE OF THE REAL REASONS WHY WE ACTUALLY HAD THE STORM WATER MASTER PLAN PUT TOGETHER TO START WITH, UH, AREAS, TO GIVE US THE TECHNICAL SUPPORT, TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS AND, AND HOW TO ADDRESS AND REDUCING FLOOD RISK FOR PEOPLE IN OUR PARISH.
THAT BEING SAID, CERTAINLY, UH, I AM VERY MINDFUL THAT WHAT POSSIBLE IMPACTS COULD BE FROM BUSINESS COMMUNITY, PUBLIC COMMUNITY, UH, TO THE FACT THAT THE REASON THAT WE'RE NOT TOO CONCERNED ABOUT EXTENSION IS BECAUSE THERE IS AN IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH IN TRYING TO ADDRESS THIS PROBLEM IN GENERAL, UH, MAPPING IS GOING TO CHANGE MAPS ON FLOOD ELEVATIONS ARE GOING TO BE, UH, HANDLED, UH, HAD TO BE OUT FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION.
AND SO PEOPLE WILL KNOW THAT, AND IT'S JUST NOT A NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT'S GOING TO, COULD BE IMPACTED.
IT COULD BE PEOPLE DEALING WITH HOMES, LOTS THAT THEY HAVE AND THEY WANT TO BUILD, THEY NEED TO KNOW WHAT THOSE NEW PARAMETERS MAY BE IN REGARDS TO WHAT'S NECESSARY FOR THAT DEVELOPMENT.
I KEPT HEARING BACK OVER THERE.
SO THE QUESTION WAS, I BELIEVE THE STORE YOU'RE HANDLING THE STORM WATER MASTER PLAN.
CAN I SPEAK TO YOU FOR A MOMENT? SEVERAL, I I'VE NEVER BEEN A BIG PROPONENT OF MORATORIUMS. I'M JUST, I'VE STATED THAT WHEN WE WENT TO PASS ALL THIS AND EVERYTHING ELSE AND SO ON, AND THERE WERE SEVERAL, A LOT OF THE DISCUSSION WAS, IS A YEAR BACK WHEN WE PASS THIS THING AS A YEAR, ENOUGH TIME THAT WE WOULD WRAP THIS UP.
IT'S BEEN GOING ON SINCE 2017.
SO HERE WE ARE, WE'RE A YEAR INTO THIS.
THEY'LL CALL IT A MORATORIUM HIGHER STANDARDS.
WE'RE ASKING FOR SIX MORE MONTHS AND MR. FRED, I APPRECIATE ALL THE INFORMATION AND EVERYTHING, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT IS SIX MONTHS GOING TO BE ENOUGH TIME.
AND I ASKED THAT QUESTION LAST TIME IS YEAR GOING TO BE ENOUGH TIME.
I, I GET THAT SO ON, BUT BASED ON WHAT YOU'VE HEARD AND PUSHED BACK AND EVERYTHING ELSE, ARE WE LOOKING AT A LEGITIMATE SOMETHING BEFORE US TO START PASSING IN SIX MONTHS? SO LET ME ANSWER.
TECHNICALLY, I THINK WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING WE NEED TO DO AND WE'VE COME UP WITH OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND THEN GETTING THAT BUY-IN BY EVERYBODY THAT WE'RE TRYING TO WORK THROUGH, AS FRED SAID, WE'VE GOT, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PAGES, BUT WE DID EXTENSIVE COORDINATION WITH ENTITIES WHO HAVE AN INTEREST IN THIS, UM, TO TRY AND INCORPORATE THEIR CONCERNS.
WE'VE TWEAKED SOME OF THE LANGUAGE
[02:15:01]
WE FEEL WHAT WE HAVE IS GOOD, BUT WE DO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE THOSE THAT STILL HAVE ISSUES WITH SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE IN THERE.AND THEN THE, AND THAT'S, THAT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE EVERY TIME, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY IS GOING TO HAVE IT.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I DON'T WANT TO GIVE AN UNREALISTIC EXPECTATION THAT AGAIN, WE GO BACK TO 2017.
I WASN'T HERE AT THAT POINT OR WHATEVER, BUT WE DID VOTE ON THE ONE YEAR, THE EXTENSION.
AND, AND HONESTLY, I, I, I LIKED THOSE EXTENT, THE, UM, THE RULES THAT WE PUT IN PLACE.
I HAVEN'T HAD A WHOLE LOT OF KICKBACK FROM DEVELOPERS.
IN FACT, THEY REALLY SURPRISED ME.
SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENTS THAT YES, I WILL ROLL INTO THE NEXT ONE.
UH, SOME OF THE DEVELOPERS COMING BACK AND SAY, OH YEAH, NOT A PROBLEM.
AND SO ON AND SO FORTH, WE'LL MEET THE STANDARDS.
HAVEN'T HAD A LOT OF KICKBACK FROM IT.
I JUST, I JUST FEEL LIKE WE, WE NEED TO COME TO A CONCLUSION WITH THIS.
WE NEED TO COME TO A CONCLUSION.
AND IT'S, WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS SINCE 2017 AS A CITY, AND WE'VE PUT THESE HIGHER STANDARDS PLACE IN YEAR.
AND NOW WE'RE DOING ANOTHER SIX MONTHS, UM, WITH NOT ONLY MY COMMENTS, I JUST MADE WITH THAT.
AND IT WAS FRED'S ITCHING TO SAY SOMETHING, BUT WHAT THE ULTIMATE DELAY FROM MY UNDERSTANDING WAS BASICALLY, YOU'RE GETTING KICKBACK FROM SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT ARE ON THERE AND YOU'RE WANTING TO JUST CORRECT THAT AND THEN HAVE THEM COME TO US.
I WOULDN'T CALL IT A KICKBACK.
I THINK IT'S CALLED DISCUSSION AND TRYING TO WORK OUT THE ISSUES.
AND AT SOME POINT THAT'S SATISFACTORY TO THE GROUP.
NOW I WILL JUST TELL YOU NOTHING.
AND BEFORE YOU ASKED ME TO STEP DOWN, I WANTED TO TELL YOU THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE SIX MONTHS.
I COULD TELL YOU THAT FOR FAT.
AND WE'RE ALSO GOING TO HAVE A SITUATION TO A POINT WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO BE.
SOME GROUPS ARE NOT GOING TO AGREE WITH WHAT OUR RECOMMENDATION IS AND QUITE FRANKLY, OUR JOB, BUT THE ADMINISTRATION JOB IS TO PRESENT THE BEST PLAN WE CAN TO THIS COUNCIL FOR YOU OR FOR ALL OF YOU TO ACCEPT AND APPROVE.
AND THAT'S HOW I GOAL AND OBJECTIVE.
BUT I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC, WHICH WE ARE HAVING A MEETING ON, UH, ON TUESDAY, A PUBLIC MEETING, THAT THE, UH, THE LAB GOODWIN LIBRARY TO KIND OF GO OVER SOME OF THE INFORMATION.
SO THEY GET A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ALSO, WHAT DID, Y'ALL GOING TO APPROVE? I THINK IT'S, IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE AT LEAST TRY TO GET AS MUCH INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC.
AND YES, WE DO HAVE SOME NAYSAYERS.
YOU HAVE THAT JUST LIKE YOU SAID, NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, HOW YOU DO IT, YOU'RE GOING TO GET THAT REGARDLESS.
BUT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE A DECISION BASED ON THE COMMITTEE THAT WE HAVE BASED ON THE BEST INFORMATION, BUT TRY TO IMPLEMENT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO GET SOME KIND OF CONSENSUS.
IF NOT, I'M GOING TO BE GLAD TO PUSH IT TO Y'ALL FOR Y'ALL CAN MAKE THE DECISION.
AND I, AND, AND, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
THAT'S, THAT'S, AGAIN, I'M NOT QUESTIONING WHETHER IT'S NEEDED OR NOT.
I'M NOT QUESTIONING CERTAIN THINGS, BUT THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO TAKE BACK TO MY CONSTITUENTS SAYING THAT WE'RE GOING TO WRAP THIS UP.
WE'RE TIRED OF PUSHING THIS DOWN, WHERE EVENTUALLY WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO JUST, PEOPLE ARE NOT GOING TO BE HAPPY.
LET'S DECIDE WHERE WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD, BUT WE DON'T UNDERSTAND TO COUNSELING WHILE WE CAN, I CAN COME BACK MAYBE IN AND AMONGST THAT WE'RE READY TO ADOPT IT, BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO HAVE THE IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS BECAUSE WHEN YOU PUT IN THESE NEW POSITIONS THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO, POLICY CHANGES, YOU GOT SOME ENGINEERING GROUPS OUT HERE.
DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO ALSO BUT YOU'RE ALSO GOING TO HAVE SOME OF YOUR OWN HOMEOWNERS THAT MAY WANT TO BE BUILDING IN MAYBE NOT IN THE CITY OF CENTRAL, BUT IN YOUR DISTRICT THAT COULD BE IMPACTED BASED ON THE CHANGE.
RIGHT? I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY AT LEAST KNOW WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING THAT THE, YES.
SO THIS IS A PUBLIC MEETING ON THE 30TH.
UM, HOW MANY OTHER PUBLIC MEETINGS HAVE WE HAD REAL QUICK? WE'VE HAD ONE A LOT, RIGHT? WE'VE HAD SOME AT EVERY DISTRICT AND THEN HE WENT MORE MEETINGS.
HAVE WE'VE HAD THAT, BUT THIS ISN'T THE FIRST ONE THOUGH.
SO, BUT UNDERSTAND WE'RE NOW AFTER THE POINT WHERE WE HAVE THE REAL, THE GUTS TO THE, TO THE PROPOSAL AND FURTHER UDC 15 BEFORE WE, WEREN'T GETTING A LOT OF INFORMATION UPDATED ON WHAT THE INFORMATION WOULD HAVE LOOKING AT SOME OF THE MODELS.
BUT NOW WE'RE TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO FINALIZE THE LAST PIECE OF LANGUAGE THAT THEY, THAT DO WE NEED TO HAVE.
SO WE CAN BE SURE THAT WE CAN ENFORCE THE ORDINANCE LIKE IT NEEDS TO BE.
SO YOU HAVE A PACKAGE THAT'S PRETTY MUCH FINALIZED.
YOU WANT TO TAKE THAT TO THE PUBLIC TO SAY, HERE'S OUR FINAL, THIS IS WHAT WE'VE COME UP WITH.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE FIXING TO PRESENT TO THE COUNCIL.
HOW MANY OF THOSE TYPE, HOW MANY OF THOSE MEETINGS ARE WE LOOKING TO HAVE? WELL, THIS IS JUST THE FINAL MEETING.
WE'VE HAD MANY OTHER PUBLIC MEETINGS WHERE WE HAVE INTRODUCED THESE THINGS.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WHAT, WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING.
[02:20:01]
THE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE WE WERE PROVIDING.YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO DO.
THE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND VETTED WITH MANY ENTITIES AGENCIES INTERNALLY, UH, TO GET THAT FINALIZED AND DRAFTED.
I MEAN, I'M SUPPORTIVE THIS THEN WE'LL VOTE IT.
I JUST WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW.
AND IT'S LIKE A LOT OF OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE OUR WORK COMING TO FRUITION.
WE'RE GETTING THIS DONE FOR THE PUBLIC, FOR THE, FOR THE INPUT.
AND WE WANT TO DO OUR DUE DILIGENCE AND GETTING IT DONE.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S, IF WE CAN GET THIS WRAPPED UP IN THIS SIX MONTHS, I THINK WE'LL BE GOOD.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL NUMBER, GO THERE.
RACHEL, DID YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING? UH, I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY THAT WE LIKE FRED AND MELISSA SAID THAT WE'RE CLOSE WITH THE PACKAGE AND, UM, BUT IT WOULD BE UNFAIR TO BOTH OUR DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS OUR RESIDENTS TO PASS THIS AND IMMEDIATELY ENACTED, RIGHT.
THEY ALL HAVE PUT IN PROBABLY SO MUCH TIME INTO WHATEVER PROJECT THEY'RE PLANNING, WHETHER IT'S ONE OF OUR CONSTITUENTS OR ONE OF OUR DEVELOPERS THAT THEY'RE MOST OF THIS TIME IS GOING TO BE NECESSARY FOR AN IMPLEMENTATION.
AND WE'LL CALL IT PUBLIC PLANNING PERIOD.
BEFORE WE FLIP THAT SWITCH AND TURN THESE ON BECAUSE SOME OF THESE CHANGES ARE SO VERY MONUMENTAL.
UM, APPRECIATE ALL THE TIME AND ENERGY I WILL PUT INTO THIS.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER MOKE ASKED IS SIX MONTHS ENOUGH TIME.
AND MY ANSWER TO THAT WOULD BE, I THINK IT IS, UM, SIX.
I WAS ASKED TO DO A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT VARIATIONS OF THAT.
SIX MONTHS IS WHAT I FELT THAT PUTS THIS INTO MARCH WAS ADEQUATE FOR THIS PROCESS THAT THEY JUST DESCRIBED TO PLAY OUT FOR THESE POLICY PROPOSALS TO HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO GET VETTED BY THE PUBLIC.
UH, CAUSE I DON'T WANT TO RUSH THAT PROCESS.
AND THEN SECONDLY, TO GIVE SOME RUNWAY TO THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY AND OTHER, UH, STAKEHOLDERS TO UNDERSTAND THOSE CHANGES AND BE ABLE TO ADJUST TO THOSE CHANGES.
I THINK SIX MONTHS IS ENOUGH TIME.
UM, BUT COME MARCH, WE'LL SEE WHERE WE ARE AND THERE'S TRIGGER LANGUAGE IN THE, UM, ORDINANCE, THE EXTENSION HERE THAT SAYS THIS MORATORIUM WOULD GO AWAY IF, AND WHEN WE ADOPT A SIMILAR OR EQUAL OR MORE STRINGENT REGULATIONS TO OUR UDC.
SO IF WE DO GET TO THAT POINT AND IMPLEMENT THESE, THIS MORATORIUM THEN PHASES OUT, UH, FOR THESE NEW ONES.
AND I WANT TO JUST CLARIFY ONE THING TOO, FOR COUNCILMAN MOPE.
ALSO THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, IT IS IMPORTANT AND OUR MINE TO MAKE SURE THE PUBLIC KNOWS AS MUCH ABOUT WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO DO, BECAUSE IT IS SO SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE WAY WE WANT TO GO DO BUSINESS FROM WHERE WE WERE AND WHERE WE WANT TO BE AND YES, ALL THEIR IMPACTS.
BUT I WILL JUST TELL YOU THAT.
I FEEL LIKE IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT WE HAVE THIS MEETING, GET SOME FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC IN GENERAL, BUT I WILL ALSO TELL YOU THAT RIGHT HERE TODAY THAT I FEEL VERY SURE THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET EVERYBODY ON THAT WE NEED ON THE SAME PAGE.
BUT WHEN WE TAKE THAT DECISION, WE WILL COME AND SAY, I'M READY TO BRING IT BACK.
OUR GROUP IS READY TO BRING IT BACK TO THIS COUNCIL AND THEN WE'LL TELL YOU WHAT OUR RECOMMENDATION IS AND WHY WE WANT IT THAT WAY.
AND THEN IT WILL BE UP TO THIS COUNCIL TO MAKE THAT FINAL DECISION.
AND THEN WHATEVER Y'ALL DECIDE, GUESS WHAT? THAT'S WHAT WE WILL LIVE WITH.
I WAS GOING TO MAKE THE MOTION MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER GO.
THEY SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN MOCHA AND THEIR OPPOSITION ITEM 87 PASSES.
COUNCIL NUMBERS HAVE JUMPED TO 95,
[95. 22-01034]
VERY QUICKLY AUTHORIZATION FOR THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT AND OR CHAIRMAN OF THE AIRPORT COMMISSION TO EXECUTE WORK AUTHORIZATION.NUMBER SEVEN TO THE CONTRACT WITH THE AIRPORT MANAGEMENT GROUP L LLC, EXCUSE ME, MANAGEMENT GROUP BELOW C FOR THE PROGRAM MANAGEMENT SERVICES, A BATON WITH METROPOLITAN AIRPORT FOR OCTOBER 1ST, 2023 THROUGH DECEMBER 30TH, SEPTEMBER 30TH, 2023 AND AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $2,470,878 AND 27 CENTS CONTINGENT ON ADEQUATE FUNDING BY AVIATION DIRECTORS.
ANYONE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK ON 95.
WHEN I GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS, THE MOTION TO APPROVE BY COUNCIL MEMBER, DON SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER, ROCCO ITEM 95 HAS BEEN APPROVED.
[88. 22-01002]
AUTHORIZED THE MAYOR PRESIDENT EXECUTED AGREEMENT WITH THOMPSON LUKEN ASSOCIATES, LLC FOR ARCHITECTURE DESIGN SERVICES IN CONNECTION WITH CITY HALL, H U REPLACEMENT AND AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $149 THOUSAND DOLLARS BY THE BIDDER AND THE GROUNDS DIRECTOR IS ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 88.WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS THERE, A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM 88.
SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER PER SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ROCCO.
I HAD EIGHT, EIGHT HAS BEEN APPROVED, RIGHT AND MADE IT NINE AUTHORIZED
[89. 22-00942]
THE METRO COUNCIL, METROPOLITAN COUNCILS DECLARE[02:25:02]
LOT 83 COLONIAL HILLS SUBDIVISION MUNICIPAL ADDRESS 1 0 8 1 NORTH ACADIAN THROUGHWAY BATTERIES, LOUISIANA 70 0 2 AS SURPLUS PROPERTY AND NOT NEEDED FOR THE PUBLIC PURPOSE AND AUTHORIZING THE SALE OF SAME PURSUANT TO LOUISIANA REVISED STATUTE 33, COLTON 4 71 TO OR TO JOYCELYN BROOKS FOR THE SUM OF $83,000 AND AUTHORIZED THE MAYOR PRESENT EXECUTE A PURCHASE AGREEMENT, CARE SALE, CLOSING DOCUMENTS AND ANY, AND ALL DOCUMENTS.THE FURTHERANCE OF THE SALE OR THE PARENT'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO PREPARE REVIEW AND PROVE ALL CIS DOCUMENTATION BY THE PARENT'S ATTORNEYS.
ANYONE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK ITEM 89 WITHOUT A COUNCIL MEMBERS, COUNCIL MEMBERS, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM IN OUR SO MOVED BY COUNCIL NUMBER ADAMS, SECOND IT BY THE CHAIR, NO OPPOSITION THAT YOU'RE NINE PASSES ITEM
[90. 22-01031]
90.WE'RE SENDING A DIRECT RECOVERY RECORDING DECISION ORDER RECORD ON MAY 13TH, 2022 IN A MATTER OF THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE VS ALEXIS LOPEZ RODRIGUEZ 4 3, 2 WAY ALIQUIPPA STREET, LOT C WHO'S A FORMER RESCISSION OWNER HAS DONATED THE PROPERTY TO A FAMILY MEMBER WHEN TENDS TO REPAIR THE HOME BY COUNCIL MEMBER COLEMAN.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 90? WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL THAT THEIR MOTION TO APPROVE SOME MORE BY ITEM SECOND AND BUYER COUNCIL MEMBER, HERS ITEM 90 HAS BEEN APPROVED ITEM 91
[91. 22-01063]
A MINUTE, 2022 PAY PLAN FOR CLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED NON-CLASSIFIED CONTRACT FIREARM POLICE, EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF BANDWIDTH, PASSIVE EASTBOUND ONE.SO AS TO MAKE THE FOLLOWING CHANGES EFFECTIVE AUGUST 27TH, 2020 TO AMEND THE CLASSIFIED AND UNCLASSIFIED APPENDIX AND ITEM 25.
AND ONCE I'M NOT PUNISHABLE PENSIONABLE POTENTIAL ALLOWANCE OF $5,000 WILL BE PAID TO ELIGIBLE, ACTIVE AND NEW EMPLOYEES.
THE ONE-TIME RETENTION ALLOWANCE WILL BE PAID IN TWO INCREMENTS, $2,500 AFTER SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF A 90 DAY SATISFACTORY PERFORMANCE REVIEW FOR THE FALL SEMESTER, AUGUST, 2022 THROUGH DECEMBER, 2022 IN SPRING SEMESTER, JANUARY, 2023 THROUGH APRIL, 2023, EMPLOYEES WILL BE ISSUED AT FIRST 2,500 PAYMENT FROM PAYCHECK DATED DECEMBER 23RD, 2022 AND SECOND $2,500 PAYMENT PRIOR TO MAY 31ST, 2023 HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND SERVICES HAD STOCK CLASSIFICATION IDENTIFIED AS FOLLOWS FAMILY ADVOCATE, FAMILY ADVOCATE NINE AND A HALF MONTHS HAD STARTED SENDING SUPERVISOR HAD STARTED SENDING SUPERVISORS NINE AND A HALF MONTHS TEACHING NINE AND A HALF MONTHS.
TEACHER ADVANCED TEACHER ADVANCED NINE.
I HAVE MONTHS TEACHER AID TEACHER A NINE AND A HALF MONTHS BY DIRECTOR OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND HUMAN DIRECT SERVICES DIRECTORS, ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ITEM 91.
WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL COUNCIL MEMBER, EXCUSE ME TODAY.
SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ROCKER SECONDED BY THE CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
[92. 22-00824]
TO DELETE.WE NEED A MOTION TO THE LEAD ITEM.
92 AUTHORIZATION OF THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT CHAIRMAN OF THE AIRPORT COMMISSION TO EXECUTE A TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANY LICENSE AGREEMENT, BUT REALLY THE NORTH TRANSIT.
THEY DON'T SEE FOR A PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS AT A RATE OF $3 PER PICKUP AT THE BETTER OF THE METROPOLITAN AIRPORT AND OTHER ASSOCIATED FEES BY INNOVATION DIRECTOR IS ITEM WITH DIFFER FROM JULY 27.
DELETED ANYONE HERE, WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM.
WHEN I GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS, MOTION TO DELETE BY COUNCIL MEMBER DONE SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER, GO DAY ITEM 92 HAS BEEN DELETED COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
YOU REMEMBER THIS ITEM WAS DEFERRED FOR 30 DAYS ONCE, UM, TO GIVE KATZ AND HIS PARTNER SOME TIME TO WORK OUT THE DETAILS.
THEY NEED SOME ADDITIONAL TIME TO FINISH WORKING OUT THOSE DETAILS.
SO, UH, THE APP WANTS TO JUST GO AHEAD AND DELETE IT, BUT THERE'S ITEM WILL COME BACK BEFORE AS ONCE THEY WORK OUT ALL THE DETAILS, NOT ACTUALLY WILL WE HAVE TO WAIT A YEAR TO BRING IT BACK? NO, I, IT HASN'T HAD A DEFINITIVE VOTE TWICE.
SO THE, THE MOTION TO DELETE IS ONE VOTE.
YOU GET ANOTHER SHOT AT IT BEFORE YOU HAVE TO WAIT A YEAR.
MOTION TO DELETE THE MOVE SECONDARY AND WE PREAPPROVED WE'LL.
[93. 22-01032]
TO ITEM 93 AUTHORIZATION OF MAYOR, PRESIDENT CHAIRMAN OF AIRPORT COMMISSION EXECUTED LEASE AGREEMENT WITH DANTE BAILS BOND, LLC FOR BAIL BOND OPERATED LOCATION GENERAL ISAAC SMITH DRIVE FOR A PERIOD OF FOUR YEARS WITH ONE FIVE-YEAR MUTUAL OPTION TO RENEW AT THE RUN RATE OF $2,505 AND 75 CENTS PER MONTH OR 30,006 $69 PER YEAR BY AVIATION DIRECTOR.IS THERE ANYONE HERE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK ON ITEM 93? WHEN I GO TO COUNCIL, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE COUNCIL MEMBERS? I WANT TO ABSTAIN FOR ASSAULT.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MOVE BY COUNCIL MEMBER DOES SECONDED BY COUNCIL AND MOROCCO ITEM 93 HAS BEEN APPROVED WITH NO OBJECTION, BUT ITEM
[94. 22-01033]
94, AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT OR CHAIRMAN OF AIRPORT COMMISSION THAT SHOULD AT LEAST WHAT THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.ON BEHALF OF THE GENERAL SERVICE ADMINISTRATION LEASE 1 77, 6 SQUARE FEET OF TERMINAL AND OFFICE SPACE OF THE TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS AT A RUNNER RATE OF $151,374 AND 74 CENTS FOR YEARS, ONE THROUGH FIVE AND $149,823 AND 36 CENTS FOR YEARS, 60 10 BY INNOVATION DIRECTORS, ANYONE HERE WISHLIST ITEM 94.
WHEN I GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE
[02:30:02]
SO MORE BY COUNCIL MEMBER? I GO THERE SECOND AND BY COUNCIL MEMBER AND THEN JR.[Items 96 - 105]
96 TO 103 TOGETHER AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO AMEND THE SUB RECIPIENT CONTRACT WITH CAPITOL CITY FAMILY HEALTH CLINIC FOR AN INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF $407,534 FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT OF 1 MILLION FOLLOWING THE $53,950 IN EXTENDED CONTRACT PERIOD TO FEBRUARY 28TH, 2023 AWARD UNDER THE RYAN WHITE HIV AND AIDS PROGRAM FOR THE 20 22, 20 23, RYAN WHITE, A GRANT YET, AND AUTHOR WAS AUTHORIZED AND EXECUTION OF ALL DOCUMENTS THAT CONNECTION THERE WHIPPED BY HUMAN SERVICES, DIRECT ITEM 97 AUTHORIZED THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO AMEND THE SUB-RECIPIENT CONTRACT WITH CAPITOL CITY FAMILY HEALTH CLINIC FOR AN INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF $66,814 FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT OF $199,979 AND EXTENDING THE CONTRACT PERIOD TO FEBRUARY 28TH, 2023 AWARD THE WATER UNDER THE RYAN WHITE HIV AND AIDS MINORITY AIDS INITIATIVE PROGRAM BY THE 20 22, 20 23, BRIAN WHITE MAI GRANT YEAR BY HUMAN SERVICES, DIRECT ITEM 98, AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESIDENT'S, UH, A MINUTE SUB RECIPIENT CONTACT WITH FAMILY SERVICES, A GREATER BANDWIDTH FOR AN INCREASING AMOUNT OF COMPENSATION BY $597,497 FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT OF ONE MILLION SEVEN HUNDRED AND NINETY ONE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED AND EIGHTY THOUSAND EXTENDING THE CONTRACT PERIOD TO FEBRUARY 28TH, 2023ITEM 1 0 1, EXCUSE ME, 1 0 2, AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO AMEND A SUB-RECIPIENT CONTRACT WITH OUR LADY OF THE LAKE FOR AN INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF 47,444, TOTAL AMOUNT OF 138,237.
AND IT'S IN THE CONTRACT PERIOD TO FEBRUARY 28TH, 2023 AWARDED UNDER RYAN WHITE MINORITY AIDS INITIATIVE PROGRAM BY HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR.
AND I HAD 1 0 3 AUTHORIZING THEIR PRESIDENT TO A MINISTER, RECEIVED THEIR CONTRACT WITH OUR LADY OF THE LAKE INCORPORATED FOR AN INCREASE IN AMOUNT OF 330,000 FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT OF $974,957 AND EXTENDING THE CONTRACT PERIOD TILL FEBRUARY 28TH, 2023 AWARD ON THE RIGHT.
WHY, WHY HIV AND AIDS PROGRAM BY HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR? IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK OF ITEMS 96 3 1 0 3 COUNCIL MEMBERS.
YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED ONE COMMENT IN OPPOSITION TO ITEMS 96 TO 103, AND I GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM 96 COUNCIL MEMBER HAVE PRO TIM AND COUNSELING ADMINISTRATOR? LET THE RECORD REFLECT THE ABSTAIN FROM ITEM NUMBER 99 AND 100.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEMS? 6 2 1 0 3.
SO MOVED BY ABSTAIN FROM THE SENSE, SAME TO ITEM 99 AND 100, CORRECT.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL.
I'M A COLEMAN SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS. PLEASE SHOW OUR COUNCIL MEMBER MOKE AND DON JR.
WE NOW GO TO ITEM 1, 0 4, AUTHORIZING THE SETTLEMENT IN THE MATTER OF KENDRA BROOKER VERSUS MARK BROWN IN THE AMOUNT OF $82,500 PLUS COURT COSTS IN THE AMOUNT OF $285 FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT, $82,785 AND APPROPRIATING 82,785,000 POUNDS FOR SUCH PURPOSE BY THE PAST ATTORNEY IS ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 1, 0 4.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED BY COUNCILOR MOROCCO.
SECONDLY, BY THE CHAIR, ANY OPPOSITION ITEM 1 0 4 HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE 1 0 5 AUTHORIZING SEDIMENT.
THE CLAIM OF CHAD'S WIFE FOR DAMAGES RESULTING FROM AN AUTO ACCIDENT CAUSED BY BATON ROUGE POLICE OFFICER IN THE AMOUNT OF $13,000.
BUT YOUR MIND SHOULD BE PAID FROM THAT ACCOUNT.
DESIGNATED INSURANCE AUTO LIABILITY BY THE PARISH ATTORNEY THERE ANYWAY, HERE WE SHOULDN'T SPEAK ITEM 1 0 5.
SO MOVED BY COUNCILMAN BARAKA, SECONDED BY COUNCILLOR MADAMS. WE NOW GO TO ITEM 1 0 6, AUTHORIZED A SETTLEMENT IN THE MATTER OF THOMAS FRAMPTON VERSUS THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE,
[02:35:01]
MIDDLE DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA AND THE AMOUNT OF $86,000 IN APPROPRIATE $86,000 FOR SUCH PURPOSE BY THE PARIS ATTORNEYS.ANYONE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK? I HAD A 1 0 6, ANYONE SPEAK ON ITEM 1, 0 6.
WHEN I GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE COUNCILOR MOLT? I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ON THIS.
UM, I TH I LIKE TO MOVE TO EXECUTIVE SESSION, THE MATCH, THIS QUESTION.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER ITEMS THAT WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO EXECUTIVE SESSION ON? BECAUSE I'LL TAKE A CUP OF YES, SIR.
SO WE REQUEST TO GO IN ON 1 0 6, 1 0 7 AND 1, 1 0.
THAT'S WHAT I'M ABOUT TO ASK COUNCIL MEMBER MODE.
CAN WE, CAN WE TAKE THE OTHER ITEMS ON THE AGENDA TO TAKE CARE OF THE BUSINESS? ARE THEY GOING TO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THESE ITEMS AT THE END? I AM GOOD WITH THAT.
[108. 22-01066]
TO ITEM 1 0 8, AUTHORIZING AUTHORIZE A SETTLEMENT OF THE AMOUNT OF ENTITLED TO SHAWN HALL VERSUS STEVEN NEVILLES AND THE AMOUNT OF 140,000 PLUS COURT COSTS IN THE AMOUNT OF $88 AND 50 CENTS FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT OF $140,088 AND 50 CENTS INAPPROPRIATE AND $140,080 AND 50 CENTS BY THE PARISH ATTORNEY.IS THERE ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 1, 0 8, ANYONE WISHING? NOW WE GO BACK TO COUNCIL.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE
WE'RE NOW GOING TO GO TO ITEM ONE 11
[111. 22-01057]
COUNCIL MEMBERS AUTHORIZED THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT AND, AND EXECUTED AGREEMENTS FOR SUB-RECIPIENTS AND DEVELOPERS ARE ONE IN THE FISCAL YEAR, 2021 ACTION PLAN TO THE U S DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT PROGRAM, AND THE AMOUNT OF 3 MILLION, $258,980 HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,408,393 HOUSING INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM, AND THE AMOUNT OF 1 MILLION FOR ONE OF THE $8,393 HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE WITH AIDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,000,533 FILED IN THE 48 CENT AND THE EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS PROGRAMMING AN AMOUNT OF $280,083.AND THE HOME AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN IN THE AMOUNT OF 5 MILLION, $104,454, TOTALLY APART FROM $12,585,461 PLUS $800,000 ESTIMATED PROGRAM.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM ONE 11, WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL TO DO A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM ONE 11.
SO MOVED BY COUNCILMAN NEIL, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS, ITEM ONE 11.
IT'S BEEN A FOOL TO GO TO ITEM
[112. 22-01058]
ONE 12, AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO AMEND THE OFFICE OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT ISLAND ITEM BUDGETS AND GRANT PROGRAMS UNDER THE 20 20, 20 21 AND 20 21, 20 22.THE HANDS INTO EXECUTE GRANT AGREEMENTS OF SUB-RECIPIENT PROJECTS.
WHAT ON THE ASSOCIATED ACTION PLAN, THE US DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT FOR FUNDS RELATED TO HUD INSIDE OF MY GRANT PROGRAM AT CORONAVIRUS AID RELIEF AND ECONOMIC SECURITY ACT MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT, TOTAL INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM, EMERGENCY SOLUTION, HOUSING OPPORTUNITY FOR PERSON WITH AIDS GRANT COMMAND DEVELOPMENT, BROCKMAN EMERGENCY SOLUTIONS GRANT, AND THE HOUSING OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PERSON WITH AIDS GRANT AND THROUGH GRANT FUNDS MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE U S DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY FOR ADMINISTRATIVE FUNDS RELATE TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE GRANT PROGRAM BY MAYOR'S OFFICE.
ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM ONE 12.
WHEN I GO TO COUNCIL, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM ONE 12, SOME OLD BY COUNCIL MEMBER
[113. 22-01059]
AUTHORIZED THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE A FULL SIGNALS MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED JUNE 30TH, 2023, BETWEEN THE PARISH OF BATON ROUGE AND THE STATE OF LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPMENT BY TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE DIRECTED AT ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON.WHEN I GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? I DIDN'T WANT 13, SOME OLD BY SECOND ABOUT HERS.
I DIDN'T WANT 13 THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED.
[114. 22-01060]
AUTHORIZED THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT SQ TO SUPPLEMENT A ROOM AND NUMBER FOUR TO THE CONTRACT, BUT STANTEC CONSULTING INCORPORATED FOR ENGINEERING SERVICES ASSOCIATED WITH THE MOVIE, OUR COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM MANAGEMENT SERVICE IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 127,500, $1 BY TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE DIRECTOR.ANYONE HERE WAS JUST BEING ITEM ONE 14.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED BY HER SECOND AND BY A ROCCA.
SECOND OF BIBLE ROSE, EXCUSE ME.
14 HAS BEEN APPROVED ITEM ONE 15,
[115. 22-01064]
AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PREGNANCY TO CONTRACT FOR CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION SERVICES AND MAJESCO AND MASSES INCORPORATED FACILITIES ASSOCIATED MOVIE, OUR CAPACITY PROJECT MODEL LOUISIANA, AND THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $553,000 BY TRANSPORTATION AND JOURNEYS DIRECTLY.ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK RIGHT AT ONE 15.
WHEN WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM ONE 15? SO MOVED BY COUNCILMAN NEIL SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN.
[116. 22-01069]
AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO ACCEPT THE GRANT ON BEHALF OF THE LOCAL WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARD, 21[02:40:01]
FROM THE LOUISIANA WORKFORCE COMMISSION OFFICE OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND TO ADMINISTER WORKFORCE INNOVATION OPPORTUNITY ACT PROGRAM AND THE AMOUNT OF $3,829,742 AND EXECUTE ALL DOCUMENTS THAT CONNECT AND DEALT WITH FOR A GRANT PERIOD OF JULY 1ST, 2022 THROUGH JUNE 30TH, 2024 BY MAYOR'S OFFICE.ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK EITHER ONE 16.
SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, ADAM SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DUNN.
I DON'T WANT 16 HAS BEEN APPROVED BY THE ONE 17
[117. 22-01078]
AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRECEDENT TO ACCEPT A GRANT AWARD FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2023 HIGHWAY SAFETY GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $98,500 ON BEHALF OF THE BATON WITH CITY COURT, FROM LOUISIANA HIGHWAY SAFETY COMMISSION FOR THE OPERATION OF THE BANNER CITY COURT DWI SOBRIETY COURT BY THE CLERK COURT JUDICIAL ADMINISTRATOR.DOES ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON LINE ONE 17? WOULD I GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS? IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE SOME OLD MY COUNSELOR GO SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ITEMS ONE 18
[Items 118 - 135]
TURNED 1 35 TOGETHER.THESE ARE ADJUDICATED PROPERTIES ITEM ONE 18 LOT 16 SUBDIVISION, MONTECITO, HIGHLAND FARMS, DISTRICT 10 HIGH BITTER REDEEMED ITEM ONE 19 LOT 13 SUBDIVISION EPISODE AND DISTRICT TWO HIGH BITTER TO NITA SHAVERS $45,000 ITEM ONE 20 LOT 27 SUBDIVISIONS SHADOW OAKS.
THE STATES DISTRICT 10 COLEMAN HIGH BIDDER, KAREN HARRIS, $2,000.
I HAD 1 21 SUBDIVISIONS THERE.
I TOOK A PROPERTY DISTRICT ONE, NO HIGH BETTER GRAND WILSON, $36,000 ITEM 1 22 BROUGHT ONE DASH EIGHT PLUS SUBDIVISION FOREST SQUARE DISTRICT, 1600 JUNIOR HIGH BITTER ROBINS WINDOWS LLC.
I DIDN'T 1 23 LOT, 2 81 SUBDIVISION EAST DATING DISTRICT SEVEN HIGH BIDDER, DEREK DUNBAR, $21,000.
ITEM 1 24 PLOT 19 SQUARE ONE SUBDIVISION GREENVILLE, ADDITION, DISTRICT SEVEN HIGH BIDDER, BYRON SMI, AND A $500 ITEM 1 25 PART 43 SQUARE SIX SUBDIVISION BANK DISTRICT 10 HIGH BITTER KEVIN COOK, $500 ITEM 1 26 LOT ONE DAY SHEA SUBDIVISION TD BRUCE SAW TRACK DISTRICT ONE, NO HIGH BIDDER AND COMO HARDY $20,750 ITEM 1 27 LOT, ONE POINT SQUARE 35 SUBDIVISION AMOUNT OF ST.
JOHN HOLLAND FARMS, DISTRICT FIVE HERTZ HIGH BIDDER, DEREK DUNBAR, $16,000.
I HAD 1 28 LOT FOR SUBDIVISION MADDEN DISTRICT TWO BANKS.
I BET A JOHNNY MORGAN, $100 AT A 1 29 AND LOT FIVE SUBDIVISION MADDEN DISTRICT, TWO BANKS, HIGH BIDDER, JOHNNY MORGAN, $100.
I HAD ONE 30 LIKE 11 SQUARE, 47 SUBDIVISION GREENVILLE EXTENSION DISTRICT SEVEN HIGH BIDDER EARNEST JACKSON JR.
$500 ITEM, 1 30, 1 LOT 45 AND 46 SQUARE 27 SUBDIVISION FORTUNATE DISTRICT FIVE, HERS, HIGH BIDDER ELLIOTT JURY, $100 ITEM 1 32 LINE 25 AND 26 SQUARE 40 SUBDIVISION, FORTUNE DISTRICT FIVE HERTZ HIGH BIDDER, ELLIOT JURY, $100 ITEM 1 33, LOT 35 SUBDIVISION, SHADE, SHADE, A PLACE THAT YOUR FIVE HERTZ HIGH BIDDER SHANANA HENRY $100.
ONE SQUARE, THREE SUBDIVISION.
SCOTT, MR. TIM COLEMAN, HIGH BIDDER AND COMA PARTY, $6,200 ITEM 1 35, LOT 11 SQUARE, ONE SUBDIVISION SUBURB SUBURB, NORTH BATON ROUGE, DISTRICT TWO BANKS ASSESS VALUE AND $1,100 MORE TO OWN.
IS ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEMS ONE 18 THROUGH 1 35, WE GO TO COUNSELOR THERE.
MOTION TO APPROVE THE JUDICATORS.
SO MOVED BY A DONE SECOND BY BLOCK ITEMS. ONE 18 THROUGH 1 35 HAVE BEEN APPROVED.
WE DO HAVE ONE ADMINISTRATIVE.
[ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS]
WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS ITEM, A 22 DAYS, 0 1 0 6 8 AUTHORIZING SETTLEMENT.IN THE MATTER OF DONNA COLLINS AND LATOYA READ AT ALL IN THE AMOUNT OF ONE TO $5,000 PLUS COURT COSTS IN WHICH IN THE AMOUNT OF $143 FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT OF WATER AND A $5,143 AND APPROPRIATING $105,143 FOR SUCH PURPOSE ABOUT A PAST ATTORNEY.
THE REASON THIS ITEM IS BEING REQUESTED AN ADMINISTRATIVE MATTER, THE ITEM WAS PROPERLY INTRODUCED ON AUGUST 10, 20, 22, BUT IT TECHNICAL ISSUE PREVENTED IT FROM MIGRATING TO THE PUBLIC HEARING AGENDA.
UH, THIS IS NOT DONNA COLLINS, THE FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, ITEM NUMBER ONE, MOTION TO WAIVE THE RUSE REQUIRES A SECOND.
IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED BY ROCKET 70 BY DOING, IS ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON EMOTIONAL WAY? THE RULES? ARE THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THE MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES? ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM.
WHEN I GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS THERE, THEIR MOTION TO SOME MOVE BY A COUNCIL MEMBER DOES SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN MOROCCO ADMINISTRATIVE MATTER.
[136. 22-01146]
AN APPOINTMENT ITEM 1 36.HE'S MARRIED PARENTS COMMUNICATION DISTRICT BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS CONCURRING IN THE CHIEF OF POLICE NOMINATION TO REAPPOINT MOUND DANIELS.
[02:45:01]
FOUR YEAR TERM.CURRENT VALOR IS MYRON DANIELS IS ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM WOULD NOT GO TO THE COUNCIL.
UH, SO MOVED BY COUNCILMAN NEIL.
I DIDN'T WANT 36 HAS BEEN APPROVAL.
[137. 22-01067]
1 37 RECEIVING A REPORT FROM, FOR EACH ON YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS IN EAST BATON ROUGE, PARISH BY COUNCIL MEMBER, LORI ADAMS COUNCIL NUMBER.THERE'S BEEN A CHANGE IN STAFF WITH FOUR WITH THE FOUR H PROGRAM.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO DEFER THIS TO NOVEMBER 9TH.
THERE HAS BEEN A MOTION TO DEFER TO THE NOVEMBER NIGHT.
IS ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? SO MOVED BY A COUNCIL MEMBER, ADAM SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DONE ITEM 1 37 HAS BEEN DEFERRED TO THE NINTH.
[Items 106, 107, 109 & 110]
THERE HAS BEEN A REQUEST BY COUNCIL MEMBER MOLDS TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.DO WE HAVE TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING AT FIRST? UM, SO I'M GOING TO READ ALL, I'M GOING TO READ ALL FOUR ITEMS. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON ALL FOUR ITEMS AND THEN CAN MAKE A MOTION.
THEN YOU CAN MAKE A MOTION, MR. MOLT.
SO I HAVE 1 0 6 AUTHORIZING THE SETTLEMENT IN THE MATTER OF ENTITLED THOMAS FRAMPTON, THE CITY OF BABYLON THAT ONE ALREADY, WE'RE GOING TO GO TO ITEM 1 0 7, AUTHORIZING A SETTLEMENT.
THE MATTER ENTITLED NICOLE SMITH VS THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE IN THE AMOUNT OF $30,000 IN APPROPRIATE AND 30,000 FOR SUCH PURPOSE BY PARISH ATTORNEY ITEM ONE 10, ALL THE WIRING OF SETTLEMENT IN THE MATTER INSIDE A C A CAREER IN THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE AND AMOUNT OF $90,000 INAPPROPRIATELY, $9,000 FOR SUCH PURPOSE BYPASS ATTORNEY.
AND THEN ITEM ONE 10, EXCUSE ME, 1 0 9, AUTHORIZING A SETTLEMENT.
THE MATTER OF PAMELA AND MITCHELL AND WASTE SQUID MANUFACTURING COMPANY, LLC.
IN THE AMOUNT OF 75,000 PLUS COURT COSTS IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,306 AND 40 CENTS FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT OF 76,300, $6 AND 40 CENTS IN APPROPRIATING $82,785 BY THE PAST ATTORNEY.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEMS? 1 0 6, 1 0 7 1 10 OR 1 0 9, 1 10.
STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD PLEASE.
I'M HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE I DO NOT WANT TO HAVE TO MAKE ANOTHER PHONE CALL LIKE I DID.
AFTER THE LAST MEETING WHERE A SETTLEMENT IS APPROVED BY YOUR ATTORNEYS, MEDIATED EVERYBODY ON THE SAME PAGE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY NOT PASSED BY THIS COUNCIL.
I WAS FORCED TO CALL 80 YEAR OLD DYING PARENTS OF KEVIN.
BAGHWAN TELL THEM THAT THEIR SETTLEMENT, FOR WHATEVER REASON, DIDN'T PASS.
I REPRESENT CYA CREO, WHICH IS ITEM NUMBER ONE 10.
MR. CREEL, WHOM I SPOKE WITH EARLIER THIS EVENING AUTHORIZED ME TO TELL YOU THE FOLLOWING, NOT ONLY DO HIS CLAIMS INVOLVE WHAT HE CONTENDED TO BE DISCRIMINATION ON THE CANNABIS CANCER, BUT THEN UNFORTUNATELY FOR MR. CREEL, HIS CANCER HAS RETURNED.
SO HE LIKED THE BADGE WAS, IS LITERALLY FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE.
THIS SETTLEMENT LIKE THE OTHER ONE WAS THE PRODUCT OF NEGOTIATED, INFORMED DISCUSSIONS AMONG COUNCIL.
IT WAS THE PRODUCT OF A FEDERAL SETTLEMENT CONFERENCE.
WE HAVE CONDUCTED A NUMBER OF DEPOSITIONS, DISCOVERY MOTIONS, AND THE LIKE YOUR ATTORNEYS AND MYSELF ON BEHALF OF MR. CREEL HAVE AGREED THAT SETTLEMENT IS IN YOUR BEST INTEREST.
AND IN MR. CREOLE'S BEST INTEREST, MR. CREEL WOULD LIKE TO SPEND WHAT TIME HE HAS LEFT WITH HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN AND NOT IN A COURTROOM.
I AM THE KIND OF PERSON WHO IS ALWAYS BEEN.
IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY TO ME, YOU HAVE A QUESTION TO ASK OF ME.
THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT YOU NEED FROM ME.
THEN ALL I ASK YOU TO DO IS ASK I'M HERE TONIGHT.
AS I STATED, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER AWFUL DISCUSSION WITH PEOPLE ABOUT A TRAGIC LOSS IN THEIR FAMILY AND THEIR WIFE.
I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
AND I'M HERE MOST IMPORTANTLY ON BEHALF OF MR. CREEL, AS I INDICATED, HE DOES NOT WANT TO SPEND WHAT TIME HE HAS LEFT IN A COURTROOM.
I WOULD ASK THAT YOU WOULD TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AND THE FACT THAT YOU ARE CAPABLY AND HAVE BEEN ABLY REPRESENTED BY COUNSEL WHO HAVE FOUGHT AT EVERY SINGLE TURN AS I HAVE ON HIS BEHALF.
AGAIN, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER PASSING THIS, THIS PARTICULAR SETTLEMENT SO THAT MR. CREEL CAN MOVE ON SHUT THIS CHAPTER AND THE CITY CAN MOVE ON FROM THAT SITUATION.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON
[02:50:01]
ITEMS 1 0 6 1 0 7 1 0 9 AND OR ONE 10 CHIEF PAUL, I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK AND SAY THAT I ECHO THE COMMENTS THAT WAS MADE, UH, BY, UH, MS. CRAFT AND I SUPPORT IN THE ASK OF THIS BODY TO APPROVE OF THE REQUESTS THAT WAS NEGOTIATED.ANYONE ELSE HERE? WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 1 0 6 MONTHS, 0 7 1 0 9 AND ONE 10 COUNCIL MEMBER MOLE.
UH, MS. CRAFT, WHEREVER WE GO, WE GOT TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO TALK ABOUT IT.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT IT'S NICE TO FINALLY MEET YOU.
UH, NO, YOU TRIED TO CALL, SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY HELLO AND, UH, GOOD TO MEET YOU.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
MR. MR. MR. MOON, I WOULD LIKE TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR ITEM NUMBER 1 0 6 1 0 7 1 10.
AND I'LL GO AHEAD AND THROW IN 1 0 9 AND FOR THE REASON SO WE CAN HAVE DISCUSSION ON THE MATTER.
UM, YOU HAVE TO, YOU HAVE TO MAKE THE MOTION THAT THE, UM, DISCUSSION IN PUBLIC WOULD NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE CITY'S NEGOTIATING POSITION.
I WOULD LIKE TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THE DISCUSSION IN PUBLIC WOULD MAKE A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE DECISION.
CAN I ASK YOU SOME NUMBER I'M EXCUSE ME, BRADY.
I LIKE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION THAT WE GO UP TO THE NINTH FLOOR BECAUSE WE HAVE A, I HAVE HALF OF MY OFFICE HERE, UH, SPREAD OVER THOSE CASES TO DISCUSS.
AND I THINK THAT ROOM WAS GOING TO GET A LITTLE TIGHT WHERE WE TYPICALLY GO.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE THAT SUGGESTION.
OF COURSE IT'S UP TO Y'ALL BUT I MADE THE SUGGESTION.
WE GO THROUGH THE NIGHT FLOOR.
YEAH, WE DIDN'T TAKE A POLL MOTION BY A COUNCIL MEMBER, MOLT SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER, HUDSON, ANY OBJECTIONS WE'RE GOING TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
I WOULD LIKE TO CALL THE MEETING BACK TO ORDER.
WE ARE NOW IN SESSION, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE TIME NOW IS 7 52.
WE HAVE FOUR ITEMS THAT WE ENTERED INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
ALL WE READY TO TAKE A VOTE ON ALL FOUR ITEMS, ALL FOUR ITEMS. THAT'D BE READ.
WE'RE GOING TO VOTE SEPARATELY.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? I DON'T WANT NO.
6 1 0 6 IS WHERE WE, WE WENT IN, BUT WE DON'T TAKE A MIL 1 0 6 MO MOTION BY MARK SECOND AND BY ROCK ANY OBJECTION, 1 0 6 HAS BEEN APPROVED.
MOTION TO APPROVE BY COUNCIL MEMBER MOHLER, SECONDARY BY COUNCIL MEMBER HEARST.
ALL RIGHT, SHE'LL LET THE MACHINE CAUSE BONE ON A MACHINE.
I HAD A 1 0 7 MACHINES ARE OPEN ON THE MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM ONE TO SEVEN.
YOU WANT A YES OR NO? YOU HAVEN'T APPROVED EIGHT YESES.
WHAT IS THE PLEASURE OF THE COUNCIL? YEAH, I'M GOING TO GET THIS ONE IS GARBAGE.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED BY HUDSON SECOND AND BY COLEMAN, BUT THEN A VOTE ON THE MACHINES AND MACHINES.
IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION GOING ON TO MACHINES? ALL ON A SECOND MACHINES ARE OPEN ON THE MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM 1 0 9 MOTION FAILS ON ITEM 1, 0 9.
YOU WANT TO DEFER OR WHAT DO Y'ALL WANT TO DO? NOPE.
ALL RIGHT, WE GO TO ITEM ONE 10.
WE GO TO ONE 10 MOTION TO APPROVE BY HUDSON CHECKING THERE BY NO.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTIONS ITEM ONE 10.
I HAD A ONE 10 HAS BEEN APPROVED 1 0 9.
IS THERE A MOTION TO A GERMAN GERMANTOWN MOROSE?
[02:55:03]
UM, THE, UH, THE LADY THAT WAS HERE THAT PROVIDED THE T-SHIRTS, SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE ON THE PRESENTATION LIST EARLIER ON IN THE MEETING SOMEHOW.UM, THERE WAS A MISCOMMUNICATION, BUT SHE WANTED TO INVITE ALL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS OUT TO RYAN'S RUN AND SUPPORT.
THE SEVEN 70 INDIAN FOUNDATION IS NEXT SATURDAY MORNING.
SHE'LL BE SENDING OUT A PRESENTATION.
SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO BE A PART OF IT, JUST RESPOND TO IT.
NEXT SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3RD OR FOURTH, WHATEVER THE DATE IS AS ALWAYS PROTECT, PROTECTING MENTAL HEALTH, READ TO YOUR CHILDREN.
AND WHEN YOU'RE DONE READING IT OUT AND MAKE SURE THEY READ BACK TO YOU, THE MEETING IS ADJOURNED.