[00:00:01]
WELCOME TO THE COUNCIL CHAMBER OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH ON BEHALF OF THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL.
GOOD TO HAVE ALL OF YOU WATCHING EITHER ON COX AT T ON OUR FACEBOOK PAGE, ON YOUTUBE AND STREAMING AT BTT GOV.
AND AT THIS TIME HERE IS THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT PRO TEM OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, COUNCILMAN LAMONT COLE.
[CALL TO ORDER]
AND CLY.I WANNA WELCOME EVERYBODY TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED, UH, METROPOLITAN COUNCIL MEETING ON THIS WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 23RD, 2023.
AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO, UH, HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER AMAROSA INTRODUCE OUR GUESTS WHO WILL LEAD US IN THE INVOCATION AND THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
UM, THIS, UH, YOUNG MAN STANDING HERE BESIDE ME, UH, IS VERY SPECIAL TO ME BECAUSE I TAUGHT HIM IN KINDERGARTEN
BUT ANYWAY, BUT, UM, I WANTED TO FIRST OF ALL RECOGNIZE HIM BECAUSE, UH, RECENTLY THIS YEAR, AS YOU CAN SEE, HE WON HIS, UH, RANK OF EAGLE.
EAGLE SCOUT IS THE HIGHEST ACHIEVEMENT.
EAGLE SCOUT IS THE HIGHEST ACHIEVEMENT ATTAINABLE IN THE BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA.
SINCE ITS INCEPTION IN 1911, ONLY 4% OF THE SCOUTS HAVE EARNED THIS RANK.
IT'S NOT AN EASY ROAD TO EARN THE RANK OF EAGLE.
THEY MUST FULFILL LEADERSHIP ROLES, SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY, AND OUTDOOR SKILLS.
21 OF 134 MERIT BADGES HAVE TO BE EARNED.
AND FINALLY, THE SCOUT HAS TO PLAN AND EXECUTE A SERVICE PROJECT AS WELL AS GO THROUGH AN INTERVIEW PROCESS.
IT TAKES A LOT OF WILL AND A LOT OF DETERMINATION TO BECOME EAGLE SCOUT, AND IT TAKES A GOOD SUPPORT SYSTEM, WHICH I KNOW THAT HE HAD TWO VERY GOOD, UH, PARENTS THAT STOOD BEHIND HIM AND PUSHED HIM.
MY SON IS EAGLE AS WELL, AND I KNOW WHAT IT TAKES TO BECOME AN EAGLE SCOUT.
IF I SAY ONLY, UM, RANK OR AWARD OR MERIT, THAT A YOUNG MAN AND TODAY, EVEN TODAY, A YOUNG LADY CAN EARN THAT WILL ABSOLUTELY FOLLOW THEM THE REST OF THEIR LIVES.
UM, AND ALSO, UH, LUKE IS GOING TO LEAD US IN OUR PRAYER AND OUR PLEDGE AS WELL.
WHY DON'T YOU TELL HIM WHAT YOUR UM, SCOUT PROJECT WAS REAL QUICK.
SO MY EAGLE SCOUT PROJECT, I WORKED WITH THE, UH, BURTON CENTER MUSEUM AND GARDEN.
UM, I HELPED THEM REFURBISH SOME PLAQUES ALONG A BOARDWALK ON ONE OF THEIR TRAILS.
SO I, UM, I, I ASSEMBLED NEW PLAQUES AND SANDED AND PAINTED THE PEDESTALS FOR THESE PLAQUES AND THEN INSTALLED THE PLAQUES FOR THEM.
OKAY, DEAR LORD, I THANK YOU FOR THIS DAY AND FOR ALL OF YOUR BLESSINGS.
I PRAY THAT YOU WOULD BE WITH THESE ELECTED LEADERS, HELP THEM TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT WOULD GLORIFY YOU.
I PRAY THAT THEY WILL FULFILL ALL OF THE PROMISES THAT THEY HAVE MADE TO BETTER THIS COMMUNITY.
I PRAY FOR THIS COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
I ASK THAT WE BE BROUGHT TOGETHER IN FELLOWSHIP.
I PRAY FOR THE PROSPERITY OF OUR STATE AND COUNTRY AND THAT ALL OF THE FREEDOMS OF THIS GREAT NATION WOULD BE PRESERVED TO YOU.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE.
YOU GOT SOMETHING ELSE, MS. AMARILLO? COUNCIL MEMBER? OKAY, JUST GOING.
ASHLEY, I'D LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING IN ORDER.
DO WE HAVE A QUORUM? WE HAVE A QUORUM.
[ADOPTION AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES OF THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL MEETING OF AUGUST 19TH, 2023 AND THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL ZONING MEETING OF AUGUST 16TH, 2023 BY COUNCIL, ADMINISTRATOR AND TREASURER.IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM ONE? COUNCIL MEMBER? IS THERE A MOTIONS? SO MOVE BY.
SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ROCKA.
ANY OBJECTIONS? UH, ITEM HAS BEEN APPROVED.
ASHLEY, WOULD YOU PLEASE READ THE
[INTRODUCTIONS (Part 1 of 2)]
INTRODUCTIONS? SECTION 2.12 INTRODUCTIONS NUMBER TWO, GRANTING OF FIVE YEAR PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENT ESTIMATED AT $1,914 PER YEAR FOR R B R GOVERNMENT.LP LOCATED AT 1760 AMERICA STREET BY PLANNING DIRECTOR.
[00:05:01]
A FIVE YEAR PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENT ESTIMATED AT $1,414 PER YEAR FOR R B R GOVERNMENT.LP LOCATED AT TWO 11 BRYCE STREET BY PLANNING DIRECTOR NUMBER FOUR, GRANTING A FIVE YEAR PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENT ESTIMATED AT $1,673 PER YEAR FOR R B R GOVERNMENT.
LP LOCATED AT TWO 15 BRYCE STREET BY PLANNING DIRECTOR NUMBER 15, GRANTING A FIVE YEAR PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENT ESTIMATED AT $1,495 PER YEAR FOR R B R GOVERNMENT.
LP LOCATED AT 2 21 BRYCE STREET BY PLANNING DIRECTOR NUMBER SIX, GRANTING A FIVE YEAR PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENT ESTIMATED AT $1,423 PER YEAR FOR R B R GOVERNMENT.
LP LOCATED AT 2 23 BRYCE STREET BY PLANNING DIRECTOR NUMBER SEVEN, GRANTING A FIVE YEAR PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENT ESTIMATED AT $1,429 PER YEAR FOR R B R GOVERNMENT.
LP LOCATED AT 2 29 BRYCE STREET BY PLANNING DIRECTOR NUMBER EIGHT, GRANTING A FIVE-YEAR PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENT ESTIMATED AT $1,429 PER YEAR FOR R B R GOVERNMENT.
LP LOCATED AT 2 37 BRYCE STREET BY PLANNING DIRECTOR NUMBER NINE, GRANTING A FIVE YEAR PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENT ESTIMATED AT $1,498 PER YEAR FOR R B R GOVERNMENT.
LP LOCATED AT 2 47 BRYCE STREET BY PLANNING DIRECTOR NUMBER 10, GRANTING A FIVE YEAR PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENT ESTIMATED AT $1,426 PER YEAR FOR R B R GOVERNMENT.
LP LOCATED AT 2 49 BRYCE STREET BY PLANNING DIRECTOR NUMBER 11, GRANTING A FIVE YEAR PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENT ESTIMATED AT $1,381 PER YEAR FOR R B R GOVERNMENT LP LOCATED AT 1762 AMERICA STREET BY PLANNING DIRECTOR NUMBER 12, AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESIDENT ON BEHALF OF THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO ACCEPT A GRANT AWARD FROM LOUISIANA HIGHWAY SAFETY COMMISSION IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,030,700 BY THE POLICE CHIEF.
NUMBER 13 TO AMEND THE 2023 CURRENT EXPENSE BUDGET FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES TO SHOW APPROPRIATE $5 MILLION FROM FUND BALANCE AND ASSIGNED TO PROVIDE FOR INTERGOVERNMENTAL TRANSFER TO THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HOSPITALS FOR THE UPPER PAYMENT LIMIT MEDICAID REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM BY THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES DIRECTOR.
NUMBER 14, AMENDING THE 2023 ANNUAL OPERATING AND CAPITAL BUDGET FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES.
SO IT'S TO APPROPRIATE $650,000 FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES FUND FUND BALANCE AND ASSIGNED TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THE PURCHASE OF TEN FIRST RESPONDER UNITS BY E M S DIRECTOR CONDEMNATION INTRODUCTIONS NUMBER 15, PAMELA WILSON.
5 0 7 3 STERN STREET COUNCIL DISTRICT FIVE HEARST.
NUMBER 16, NADIA L RODS MUNOZ 3 1 5 5 CHARLOTTE DRIVE, COUNCIL DISTRICT SIX DUN JUNIOR.
NUMBER 17, BONNIE JEWEL, ANTHONY OGLETREE.
UH, 9 5 4 2 WEST WEST JAMAICA STREET COUNCIL DISTRICT SIX DUN JR.
NUMBER 18 GERMAINE DESMOND O'CONNOR, 1 1 7 6 NORTH 46TH STREET COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN COLE NUMBER 19, THE ESTATE OF ALBERT BRYCE.
3 4 2 1 BRADY STREET COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN COLE, NUMBER 20, BERTHA NUNEZ FIGUERA 1 7 4 5 NORTH 46TH STREET COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN COLE NUMBER 21 BEVERLY AND BROSSARD 8 22 TERRACE STREET COUNCIL, DISTRICT 10 COLEMAN NUMBER 22, PHOENIX DEVELOPMENT GROUP, L L C 6 0 2 SOUTH BOULEVARD COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 COLEMAN NUMBER 13, LAWN WEATHERSPOON 2 5 4 5 YAZOO STREET COUNCIL DISTRICT 12 ROCA ADJUDICATED PROPERTY INTRODUCTIONS NUMBER 24 LOT 23 SQUARE 10 SUBDIVISION SOUTH ST.
JARED PLACE COUNCIL DISTRICT FIVE HEARST NUMBER 25 LOT THREE PARK, FOUR SQUARE AND FIVE PARTS SQUARE 20.
SUBDIVISION BANKS COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO BANKS NUMBER 26 LOT 180 7 SUBDIVISION COLONIAL HILL COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN COLE NUMBER 27 LOT 180 9 SUBDIVISION COLONIAL HILL COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN COLE NUMBER 28 LOT TWO SQUARE FOUR SUBDIVISION DAYTON COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 COLEMAN NUMBER 29 LOT 95 SUBDIVISION CASTLE PLACE COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE KNOLL NUMBER 30 LOT 39 SQUARE 59 SUBDIVISION UNIVERSITY PLACE COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO BANKS NUMBER 31 LOT 10 SUBDIVISION CYPRESS WOODS COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO BANKS NUMBER 32 LOT 1 63 SUBDIVISION HOLIDAY ACRES COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO BANKS NUMBER 33 LOT SEVEN SQUARE 15 SUBDIVISION LELAND COLLEGE ANNEX COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO BANKS NUMBER 34 LOT 10 SQUARE 28 SUBDIVISION LELAND COLLEGE ANNEX COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO BANKS NUMBER 35 LOT 16 AND 17 PARTS NORTH HALF SQUARE FIVE SUBDIVISION LELAND COLLEGE ANNEX COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO BANKS NUMBER 36 LOT 1 41 SUBDIVISION NEW FAIRFIELD COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN COLE NUMBER 37 LOT 38 SQUARE 38 SUBDIVISION UNIVERSITY PLACE COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO BANKS NUMBER 38 LOT 39 SQUARE 38 SUBDIVISION UNIVERSITY PLACE COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO BANKS NUMBER 39 LOT 17 PART SOUTH HALF AND 18 SQUARE FIVE SUBDIVISION LELAND COLLEGE ANNEX COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO BANKS NUMBER 40 LOT 13 SQUARE 18 SUBDIVISION SOUTH ST.
JARED PLACE COUNCIL DISTRICT FIVE HEARST NUMBER 41 LOT V SQUARE 31 SUBDIVISION GRACIE COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 COLEMAN
[00:10:01]
NUMBER 42 LOT SIX SQUARE THREE.SUBDIVISION WALDRON COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 COLEMAN NUMBER 34 LOT 36 SQUARE 31 SUBDIVISION GREENVILLE EXTENSION COUNCIL, DISTRICT SEVEN COLE NUMBER 44 LOT 37 SQUARE 31 SUBDIVISION GREENVILLE EXTENSION COUNCIL, DISTRICT SEVEN COLE NUMBER 45 LOT SEVEN PLUS SQUARE 12 SUBDIVISIONS.
ZION CITY COUNCIL DISTRICT FIVE HEARST.
ALL ITEMS AT COURT RATING HAVE BEEN READ AND A MOTION TO INTRODUCE ALL ITEMS AS AN ORDER A THERE A MOTION TO INTRODUCE ALL ITEMS. SO MOVED BY COUNCILMAN COLEMAN.
SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS. ALL ITEMS REQUIRING READING HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED.
ANY OBJECTIONS? CONDOM INTRODUCTIONS ARE PASSED.
[CONDEMNATIONS]
MEMBER GO SEPARATE SHEET FOR CONDEMNATIONS.I'LL READ D P D WS AND PROCEEDINGS AS THEY ARE THERE ARE TO PROCEED WITH ITEM 78, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88 AND 89.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON CONDEMNATIONS? ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON CONDEMNATIONS? JEFFREY MEADE.
THEY THAT'S MY, THAT'S, THAT'S MINE.
AND THEY, THEY LEFT TAKE, SO I JUST NEED TO GIVE THEM 30 DAYS, PLEASE.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK ON CONDEMNATIONS COUNCIL MEMBERS? 30 DAYS ON 87.
COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS. ALL RIGHT.
UH, UM, NUMBER 84 90? YES MA'AM.
ANYONE ELSE? ANYONE ELSE? ANYBODY SEND ME A TEXT MESSAGE OF ANY KIND NUMBER? 80 60, 80, 60 DAYS.
ALL RIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBER GODDE.
ANYBODY ELSE? ALRIGHT, LEMME READ THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND CHANGES.
THEY ARE TO PROCEED WITH ITEM 78, 81, 82, 84, EXCUSE ME, 85, 88 AND 89.
THEY ARE TO DEFER FOR 30 DAYS.
ITEM 83 AND 87 DEFER FOR 60 DAYS.
ITEM 77, 79 AND 80 DEFER FOR 90 DAYS.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE CONDEMNATIONS? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER BODAY, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER COLEMAN CONDEMNATIONS HAVE BEEN COUNCIL MEMBER MOCH? YES, SIR.
UH, BEFORE WE MOVE ON, UH, I TRIED TO CATCH AT THE EARLIER PART, BUT, UM, UH, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A, A PERSONAL POINT OF PRIVILEGE AND WELL, LET'S APPROVE THIS SINCE WE'RE ON THIS FIRST.
AND THEN, THEN WE'LL COME TO THAT.
NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.
UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVE BY COUNCIL MEMBER GOEY FIRST AND SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER COLEMAN CONDEMNATIONS HAVE BEEN APPROVED.
[INTRODUCTIONS (Part 2 of 2)]
MEMBER, UH, MO YES.UH, JUST REQUESTING THE COUNCIL AND MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE TO A PERSONAL PARTY PRIVILEGE THAT WE RECOGNIZE, UH, CAPTAIN PHILLIP POWDER ASTRO, UH, BATON ROUGE FIREFIGHTER THAT PASSED AWAY OF CANCER, UH, THIS WEEK.
SO, UH, MOVE TO CATCH IT IN THE BEGINNING.
BUT, UH, IF WE COULD HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
THANK YOU'ALL MAYORS A REQUEST TO RECONSIDER INTRODUCTIONS.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER HURST WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO RECONSIDER INTRODUCTIONS.
THERE A SECOND TO RECONSIDER INTRODUCTIONS SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER BANKS.
I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, RECONSIDER INTRODUCTIONS EXCEPT EXCLUDING 45.
YOU'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE INTRODUCTIONS? THEY ARE, YEAH.
LIKE TO RE YOU GOT, YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE INTRODUCTIONS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF 4, 4, 5.
AS AN, A MOTION TO INTRODUCE ALL ITEMS WITH THE EXCEPTION OF FOUR AND 5 45 45, THERE'S AN MOTION TO INTRODUCE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ITEM 45.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTIONS? IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND.
SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER, NOR ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS.
ALL ITEMS HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ITEM 45, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF ITEM 45.
WE NOW COUNCIL MEMBERS, IF YOU WOULD GO TO PAGE 16, ITEM SEVEN, EXCUSE ME.
[88. 23-01016]
17, ITEM 88, RECOGNITION OF COUNCIL MEMBER ERIC MAYS FROM THE CITY OF FLINT, MICHIGAN BY MICHIGAN CITY COUNCIL BY COUNCIL MEMBER DARRYL HURST.DO YOU WANNA DO THE RECOGNITION FIRST, THEN HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING OR PUBLIC HEARING, THEN RECOGNITION? IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? COUNCIL MEMBER SST,
[00:15:07]
UH, RECONSIDER WHICH ONE YOU WANT.I PROMISE Y'ALL WON'T BE LONG.
BUT, UM, HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE INTRODUCED TO THIS AMAZING MAN.
UM, AND I WANT HIM TO SHARE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE WITH MY COLLEAGUES, ALSO WITH THE CITY AND THE, UH, PEOPLE WATCHING FROM HOME ON, ON, ON, UH, ALL CHANNELS AND SOCIAL MEDIA.
BUT, UM, HE IS A TIKTOK VIETNAM.
HE IS HAS BEEN ON RICKY SMILEY'S SHOW AND WORKS WITH DOING SOME STUFF FOR KEVIN HART AND HAS BEEN OFFERED A JUDGE'S SHOW ON SYNDICATED TELEVISION BECAUSE, BECAUSE OF HIS CHARISMATIC WAYS AND, UM, THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE GRACED WITH HIS PRESENCE.
YESTERDAY, WE DID A WARM WELCOME AT THE AIRPORT.
WE'VE LAUGHED OVER THE LAST TWO DAYS MORE THAN I HAVE, PROBABLY IN THE LAST YEAR.
AND SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY ALMOST TACKLED THEM, UM, TODAY AS HE GRACED THEIR CAMPUS.
AND SO TODAY, NORMAL PRESENTATIONS.
I, I THOUGHT WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT WITH THIS GUY COMING DOWN AND, UM, TAKING AWAY FROM HIS COUNCIL MEETING TO BE AT OURS.
AND SO I WANT TO GIVE HIM AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AND RECOGNIZE, UH, FLINT, MICHIGAN, BUT ALSO TO, UH, TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HE'S SEEN WHILE HE IS HERE.
AND HE WANTED TO, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE THE COUNCIL AS WELL.
SO I HAVE A A, I DO HAVE A PROCLAMATION FOR HIM, BUT THIS PROCLAMATION SAYS, THANK YOU FOR BLESSING OUR CITY WITH YOUR CHARISMATIC PERSONALITY AND UNWAVERING PURSUIT FOR ENSURING EQUALITY FOR ALL YOUR PERSONALITY IS LIKE A MATCH THAT CREATES A WILDFIRE AND PERMEATES IN EVERYONE THAT YOU ENCOUNTER.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR DIRECT APPROACH TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS OF FLINT, MICHIGAN.
AND FOR GRACE IN THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE, COUNCILMAN DARRYL HURST.
I, I, I, I THANK THE, UM, LEADERSHIP HERE IN BATON ROUGE, PARTICULARLY THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT.
I LEARNED A NEW TERM, THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT, WE DON'T HAVE THAT IN FLINT, MICHIGAN TO THE COUNCIL, UH, MAYOR, PRO TEM, AND ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I APPRECIATE YOU ALLOWING ME TO SAY SOMETHING REAL QUICK.
ALWAYS MORE IS LESS AND SO I CAN KEEP MY RECORD GOING.
I'M AT A COUNCIL MEETING ON A WEDNESDAY, NOT IN THE CITY OF FLINT.
I AM THE SENIOR COUNCIL PERSON IN THE CITY OF FLINT, MICHIGAN.
WE GOT A LOT OF RECOGNITION DURING THE WATER CRISIS.
I APPRECIATE, UM, THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND, UM, COUNCIL PERSON, HURST AND HIS STAFF AND LEGISLATIVE AIDES.
I APPRECIATE YOU INDULGING ME.
AND WHAT I'LL TAKE BACK FROM THIS IS YOU ARE INSPIRING ME.
YOU'VE GOT A NICE COUNCIL CHAMBERS, YOU GOT A NICE COMMUNITY.
Y'ALL BUDGET SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE BIGGER THAN OURS.
UH, Y'ALL DEALING WITH THE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS AND MAYBE CLOSE TO A BILLION.
BUT ONE THING I FOUND OUT IS THAT THE SOCIAL MEDIA CROWD PICKED UP ON ME.
THEY PICKED UP ON MY WAY OF DOING BUSINESS.
I BECAME FAMOUS FOR SAYING IN A MEETING MAY APPROACH THEM, POINT OF ORDER,
AND SO I'M TOUCHING YOUNG PEOPLE AND OLDER, LIKE, AND I'VE HAD CALLS.
PEOPLE ARE GETTING INVOLVED IN GOVERNMENT.
WE ARE PUBLIC SERVANTS AND, UM, WE'RE DOING THE JOB.
SO GOD BLESS YOU AND I'M GONNA LEAVE YOU WITH MY, UM, MOM, SHE PASSING TWO 16, HER FAVORITE SCRIPTURE.
I'VE SEEN IT UNDERLINE AND IT HIT ME.
PROVERBS THIRD CHAPTER, FIFTH AND SIXTH VERSE, TRUST IN GOD WITH ALL THAT HEART, LEAN THAT THROUGH THEIR OWN UNDERSTANDING, ACKNOWLEDGE HIM IN ALL THY WAYS, EVEN IN BATON ROUGE, HE WILL DIRECT THAT PATH.
COUNCIL MEMBER, I'M GONNA TAKE A PERSONAL POINT OF PRIVILEGE THAT WE COULD ALL GET HIM IN THE FRONT AND STAND BEHIND HIM AND TAKE A P HOLD ON MAN.
LET ME MAKE MY ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
COUNCIL MEMBER
YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO SIT UP HERE WITH US.
SO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAD A COUNTER ME IF YOU WANT TO.
[00:20:01]
UH, PERSONAL POINT OF PRIVILEGE.I WANT, UH, IF WE COULD ALL STEP DOWN IN THE FRONT.
I KNOW IT'S DURING THE MEETING JUST TO TAKE A QUICK PICK.
I'D APPRECIATE IT FOR EVERYONE.
ALRIGHT, WE GONNA RECESS FOR A PICTURE.
WE'RE NOW COUNCIL MEMBERS IF YOU WOULD, WE'RE GONNA GO TO PAGE 20 VERY QUICKLY.
A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HERE FOR THIS ITEM.
[111. 23-01060]
AMENDING THE 2023 CURRENT EXPENSE BUDGET TO CAPITAL BUDGET SO AS TO APPROPRIATE $18,322,906 FROM EXCESS GENERAL FUND SALES AND USE TAX AND FUND BALANCE ON THE SIGN IN THE GENERAL FUND BY MAYOR, PRESIDENT.IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM ONE 11? ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM ONE 11? I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM ONE 11.
SO SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN MOROCCO.
ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS TO THE APPROVAL OF ITEM? NO OBJECTIONS.
ANY OTHERS? ITEM ONE 11 HAS BEEN APPROVED.
WE NOW COUNCIL MEMBERS, IF YOU WOULD GO TO ITEM 89,
[89. 23-01012]
REQUESTING THE PLANNING COMMISSION TO INITIATE A STUDY TO AMEND THE U D C TO REVISE SECTION 9.2 0.2 REGARDING COMMERCIAL OUTDOOR RECREATION AND RURAL ZONING BY COUNCIL MEMBER HU EXCUSE ME, BY COUNCIL MEMBER DWIGHT HUDSON.IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 89? WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER.
ANY OBJECTIONS? ITEM 89 HAS BEEN APPROVED.
[90. 23-01017]
PRESIDENT TO INTO AN EXECUTED PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE ON BEHALF OF THE OFFICE OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, TERRACON TO PROVIDE LEAD-BASED PAINT INSPECTION AND RISK ASSESSMENT FOR THE SUM NOT TO EXCEED $443,800 BY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? WHO'S THAT ONE? NOW I GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IS THERE A MO YOU WANT SOMEBODY TO COME? COUNCIL MEMBER GODA.
IS IT YOU? THE LEAD BASE COUNCIL MEMBER? WHAT? WE GOT SOMEBODY MAKING A MOTION.
OH, SHE COMING TO SPEAK ON IT? OKAY.
I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT PROGRAM.
I JUST WANTED YOU TO OUTLINE, UH, THE INTENT AND HOW MANY HOMES YOU THINK YOU'LL BE ABLE TO ASSIST.
UM, SO THIS IS A PART OF OUR, UH, STRATEGY FOR OUR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM.
SO WE'RE GONNA BE PARTNERING THESE DOLLARS WITH OUR ENTIRE ANNUAL FUNDS FOR HOME REPAIR TO HELP, YOU KNOW, LET THOSE DOLLARS STRETCH A BIT MORE, AND THEN ALSO INCREASE THE SAFETY OF OUR HOUSING STOCK.
WE KNOW THAT, UM, I THINK 46% OF THE HOMES IN EAST PINE RIDGE PARISH WERE BUILT BEFORE 1970, WHICH MEANS THEY WERE BUILT BEFORE LEAD-BASED PAINT REGULATIONS, CERTAIN ASBESTOS REGULATIONS, FLOOD MAPS EVEN.
UM, SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO KIND OF USE THESE FEDERAL DOLLARS, UH, TO ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS.
UH, WE DID RECEIVE A GRANT FOR THIS.
THIS IS PARTICULARLY A CONTRACT TO PROVIDE TESTING FOR HOMES THAT WE THINK MIGHT TEST, YOU KNOW, MIGHT TEST POSITIVE FOR LIFE.
THESE FUNDS ARE TARGETED, UH, TO HOMES WHERE THERE ARE, UH, LOW TO MODERATE INCOME FAMILIES, PARTICULARLY THOSE WITH CHILDREN IN THE HOME.
UM, WHICH IS, WHICH IS A BIG PRIORITY FOR US FOR OUR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM.
I WILL ADD, BECAUSE WE'RE PARTNERING THIS WITH OUR HOME REPAIR PROGRAM, WE AREN'T ACCEPTING NEW APPLICATIONS AT THIS TIME.
UM, BUT, BUT WE ARE HOPING TO START TO MOVE ON SOME OF OUR EXISTING PEOPLE WHO ARE ON OUR WAIT LIST FOR THESE ADDITIONAL SERVICES VERY SOON.
BUT HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ABOUT LEAD REMEDIATION OR, OR HEALTHY HOUSING.
NO, I, I THINK THE LEAD REMEDIATION AND THE GRANT FUNDING THAT'S COME FOR THAT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AS YOU SAID, WE HAVE A LOT OF HOUSING STOCK THAT'S, UM, THAT'S VERY OLD.
SO THANK YOU FOR THE EFFORTS ON THIS.
GOOD JOB, MOLLY, TO KEEP UP THE WORK.
MOTION TO APPROVE BY COUNCIL MEMBER GODI.
IS THERE SECOND, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER NOR ITEM 90 HAS BEEN APPROVED.
[91. 23-01019]
AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO APPLY FOR, ACCEPT, AND ENTER AND EXECUTE A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE AND THE MIDDLEBURG INSTITUTE TO OPERATE THE MUSTARD SEED PROJECT FUNDED THROUGH NATIONAL LEAGUE OF CITIES ECONOMIC MOBILITY RAPID FOCUS GRANT IN THE SUM OF $15,000 BY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.ANYONE HERE TO PROVE I, EXCUSE ME TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? THAT ITEM SHOULD BE DELETED.
YEAH, WE WOULD HAD TO READ IT AGAIN AND HAD A PUBLIC HEARING.
UH, IS ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? ALL RIGHT, COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTIONS TO DELETE ITEM 91 AT THIS TIME.
SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DUN, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN OSA.
[92. 23-01021]
ITEM 92, AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE, ENTER INTO AND EXECUTE A SUB-RECIPIENT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE PARISH EAST BATON ROUGE, AND H I V AND AS ALLIANCE FOR REGION TWO IN AN AMOUNT OF $453,288 BY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 92? WE'RE NOW WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM 92? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DUNN DUNN.
COUNCIL MEMBER DUNN WANTS TO SPEAK.
IS ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM? ALRIGHT, WE GO BACK TO COUNCIL MEMBER DUNN MAYOR PRO TIM, LET THE RECORD REFLECT THE OUTSTANDING FROM THIS ITEM SHOW COUNCIL MEMBER DUNN ABSTAINING.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM
[00:25:01]
92? SO MOVE BY COUNCIL MEMBER COLEMAN, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER GOLDEY.SHOW COUNCIL MEMBER MAD DONNA JUNIOR ABSTAINING.
[93. 23-01059]
AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESIDENT ATTENTION TO A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY BASED PUBLIC SAFETY COLLECTIVE IN AN AMOUNT OF $150,000 BY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 93? ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK? WE GO NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM 93? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ROCKER.
SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DUN, JR.
ANY OBJECTIONS? ITEM 93 HAS BEEN APPROVED.
[94. 23-01052]
ITEM 94, UH, THERE'S A REQUEST TO DEFER ITEM TO SEPTEMBER 13TH AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $310,000 TO SUPPORT INTERVENTION STRATEGIES TO ASSIST O P R ABATEMENT INITIATIVE BY MAYOR'S OFFICE.IS ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WE'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO DEFER TO SEPTEMBER 13TH SOME MORE BY COUNCIL MEMBER ADAM SECONDED BY COUNCIL ROCK.
ANY OBJECTIONS ITEM HAS BEEN DEFERRED TO THE 13.
[95. 23-01053]
TO ITEM 95 AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH SET FREE INDEED MINISTRY AND THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $200,000 TO SUPPORT THE FATAL OVERDOSE CRISIS RESPONSES AND PROVIDE PEER SUPPORT TO ASSIST IN THE OPIOID ABATEMENT INITIATIVE.IF ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 95, WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL.
WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO DEFER TO THE 13TH.
SO MOVE BY COUNCIL MEMBER HER SECONDED BY COUNCIL MOR ROCKA.
IF THERE'S NO OBJECTIONS, WE NOW
[96. 23-01022]
GO TO ITEM 96 AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO AMEND THE AGREEMENT WITH SHE SHEER MAYOR AND ASSOCIATE.I MESSED THAT UP FOR CYBERSECURITY SERVICES, INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF CONTRACT BY $26,979 BY INFORMATION SERVICES DIRECTOR.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 96? WE NOW GO BACK TO COUNCIL.
IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HURST.
SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER, GO OBJE.
ANY OBJECTIONS? ITEM 96 HAS BEEN APPROVED.
[97. 23-01023]
AUTHORIZATION FOR THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN OF THE AIRPORT COMMISSIONER.EXECUTE AN AMENDMENT TO THE LEASE AGREEMENT WITH ROSIE'S GOLDADE POPCORN L L C TO ADD 3,345 SQUARE FOOT OF OFFICE SPACE AT A RENTAL RATE OF $345 PER MONTH BY THE AVIATION DIRECTOR.
IS ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 97? WE NOW GO TO THE COUNCIL.
SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DUNN JR.
SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN ROCKER.
ANY OBJECTIONS? WE GO NOW TO ITEM
[98. 23-01040]
98.GOT A QUESTION FROM ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES.
I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYBODY ELSE WANTS THE ANSWER TO THIS, BUT I WANNA SAY IT ON THE RECORD.
UH, SO ROSIE RENTS A SPACE AT THE AIRPORT IN THE TERMINAL AND THERE'S AN ADJACENT STORAGE SPACE THAT WE'RE EXPANDING TO THEIR AVAILABILITY.
AND IT'S JUST A LITTLE CLOSET THAT THEY CAN STORE SOME OF THE MATERIALS IN.
'CAUSE UM, THAT'S LIKE ONE OF THE FIRST VISITS WHEN I FLY OUT OF BATON ROUGE AS I STOPPED BY HER LITTLE CART AND EVERYTHING.
SHE DOES A GREAT JOB AND I WAS EXCITED THAT SHE WAS ACTUALLY EXPANDING AND GROWING.
WE NOW GO TO ITEM 98, AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES WITH G I S ENGINEERING L L C FOR THE JONES CREEK DETENTION, L W I GRANT PROJECT AND THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $968,245 17 CENTS AS ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 98.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM 98? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HURST.
SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MA MONROE.
ANY OBJECTIONS? WE NOW VOTE TO ITEM 99.
[99. 23-01041]
THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES WITH THE ARCADE US INCORPORATED FOR THE WARD CREEK DIS DISTRIBUTE DISTRIBUTED DETENTION PROJECT AND AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $2,192,730 AND 50 CENTS.IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 99? WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER'S.
MOTION TO APPROVE BY COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS. SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HERS.
ANY OBJECTIONS? WE NOW GO TO ITEM
[100. 23-01042]
100, AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE A SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT WITH H N T B CORPORATION IN AN AMOUNT OF $999,710 FOR THE SERVICES ASSOCIATED WITH THE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT IDENTIFICATION DEVELOPMENT AND GRANTS SUBMITTAL PROJECT AND INCREASE THE CONTRACT TO AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $1,909,786.THAT IS THE AMENDMENT FROM NINE TO EIGHT.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 100? IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE AS AMENDED? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER GOEY SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DUNN.
ANY OBJECTIONS? WE NOW GO TO ITEM 1 0 1.
[101. 23-01043 ]
AUTHORIZED THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH TER ENGINEERING L L C TO PROVIDE ENGINEERING DESIGN SERVICES FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE HUNDRED OAKS AVENUE SIDEWALK SIDEWALK PROJECT IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $97,028 11 CENTS.IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 1 0 1? WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO MOVED BY THE CHAIR, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HURS.
ANY OBJECTIONS? ITEM 1 0 1 HAS BEEN APPROVED.
[102. 23-01044]
AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESENT TO EXECUTE THE[00:30:01]
CONTRACT WITH SOUTHERN SHORES ENGINEERING TO PROVIDE ENGINEERING DESIGN SERVICES WITH THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE MADISON AVENUE SIDEWALKS PROJECT AND AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $115,489 BY THE TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE DIRECTOR.ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 1 0 2? MOTION TO APPROVE BY THE CHAIR.
SECONDED BY, I'M SORRY, MY APOLOGIES.
MOTION TO APPROVE BY COUNCIL MEMBER COLEMAN.
ANY OBJECTIONS? OKAY, ANY OBJECTIONS? ITEM 1 0 2 HAS BEEN APPROVED.
[103. 23-01054]
1 0 3 AUTHORIZED THE MAYOR PRESENT.EXECUTE SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT NUMBER THREE TO THE CONTRACT WITH PAUL J. ALLEN, ARCHITECT APAC FOR ADDITIONAL DESIGN SERVICE IN THE CONNECTION WITH THE CONTRACT FOR THE E M S HEADQUARTERS, PHASE TWO IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $70,824 BY BUILDING AND GROUNDS DIRECTOR.
IS ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 1 0 3? COUNCIL MEMBERS? IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVE BY COUNCIL MEMBER HER SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER GODDE.
ANY OBJECTIONS WE GO TO 1 0 4.
[104. 23-01056]
THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT, AND OR A BRASCO TO EXECUTE SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT NUMBER THREE TO THE CONTRACT WITH BLACK AND BEACH CORPORATION IN CONNECTION WITH WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLAN.OPERATIONS SUPPORT FOR FEE NOT TO EXCEED $19,409 AND 41 CENTS BY ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES DIRECTORS.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 1 0 4? NOW WE GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER ASH COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED ONE EMAIL, COMMENT AND OPPOSITION TO 1 0 4.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE 1 0 4? IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DUNN.
ANY OBJECTIONS? WE NOW GO TO ITEM 1 0 5.
[105. 23-01057]
AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT ANDREW BROCO TO EXCUSE SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT NUMBER FOUR TO THE CONTRACT WITH REMSON HALEY HERIN ARCHITECTS FOR HER FEE NOT TO EXCEED $67,449 AND 48 CENTS BY ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES DIRECTOR.IS ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 1 0 5? WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL.
IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DUNN, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ROCK.
ANY OBJECTIONS? WE NOW GO TO ITEM 1 0 6
[106. 23-01051]
AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE A FILE AND APPLICATION WITH LOUISIANA HIGHWAY SAFETY COMMISSION FOR A GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $89,465 BY THE ALCOHOL, BEVERAGE AND CONTROL.IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 1 0 6? WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HERT, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER NOLL.
ANY OBJECTIONS? WE GO TO ITEM 1 0 7
[107. 23-01055 ]
AMENDING TITLE ONE, CHAPTER THREE, PART FOUR, EMPLOYEE'S RETIREMENT SYSTEM OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCE AS TO PROVIDE A MECHANISM TO PROTECT SYSTEM AND MAKE EMPLOYERS FISCALLY LIABLE.EMPLOYEE EVENTS WEARING EMPLOYEES DECIDE TO WITHDRAW PARTICIPATION IN THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM BY PERMANENTLY REDUCING EMPLOYEES WHOM CONTRIBUTE TO THE SYSTEM BY THE RETIREMENT ADMINISTRATOR.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 1 0 7? WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MOTION TO APPROVE BY THE CHAIR THERE.
SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER GODA.
ANY OBJECTIONS TO WHAT YOU GOT? GO AHEAD.
HEY, IS UH, JAMES MAC HERE? NOAM, CAN YOU JUST EXPLAIN WHAT THIS IS FOR ME? JUST IN THE, THE NICKEL TOOL? HEY, Y'ALL DOING, UH, JAMES MAG, DIRECTOR OF THE RETIREMENT SYSTEM? SO THIS, UH, AMENDMENT IS TO ADD WITHDRAWAL LIABILITY LANGUAGE SO THAT IF ANY EMPLOYER OF THE SYSTEM, WHICH THE CITY PARISH REPRESENTS, UH, 80 PLUS PERCENT OF, UM, OF THE PARTICIPATION IN THE PLAN.
IF ANY EMPLOYER DECIDES TO LEAVE THE SYSTEM OR IF THEY REDUCE THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN THEIR DEPARTMENT, UH, PERMANENTLY, THEN THEY ARE ON THE HOOK FOR THEIR PORTION OF THE UNFUNDED ACCRUED LIABILITY IN THE SYSTEM.
SO MY QUESTION WITH THIS IS I'M MAKING A PUBLIC STATEMENT IS WE'VE, UH, AND I WISH I WOULD'VE TALKED TO YOU ABOUT THIS OFFLINE, UH, JAMES MACK IS AN AMAZING PASTOR IN BATON ROUGE WITH A GREAT WORD.
BUT MY ONE QUESTION FOR YOU IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING A PAGE STUDY MM-HMM.
HOW DOES IT DIRECTLY AFFECT THAT? UH, WE WOULDN'T HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT.
SO THIS IS, THIS WITHDRAWAL LIABILITY LANGUAGE IS PRETTY STANDARD LANGUAGE.
UM, MOST GOVERNMENTAL PENSION PLANS HAVE THIS LANGUAGE ALREADY IN PLACE.
UM, WE'RE A LITTLE LATE TO THE PROCESS HERE, UH, UNFORTUNATELY, BUT, UH, AND IT'S MANDATED, UH, FOR PRIVATE PENSION PLANS BY THE GOVERNMENT.
SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY JUST, UH, PROTECTS THE SYSTEM IN CASE YOU HAVE AN ENTIRE GROUP THAT DECIDES TO SAY, PRIVATIZE AN ENTIRE SECTOR OF GOVERNMENT AND THEY LEAVE OUT.
WELL YOU DON'T WANT THE REST OF THE EMPLOYERS ON THE HOOK FOR THEIR PORTION OF THOSE LIABILITIES.
MOTION TO APPROVE MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER HERTZ.
CAN YOU GIVE US AN EXAMPLE OF WHO ALTERNATIVE
[00:35:01]
EMPLOYERS ARE THAT WOULD FALL UNDER THAT UMBRELLA THAT YOU'RE SPEAKING ABOUT? UH, BRECK FOR ONE IS OUR LARGEST EMPLOYER IN THE SYSTEM OUTSIDE OF THE CITY.WHO ELSE? UH, WE HAVE, UH, SEVEN TOTAL.
THE REST OF 'EM ARE REALLY MINOR.
UM, DA PORTIONS OF THE DA'S OFFICE, FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, VERY, VERY MINOR SMALLER SYSTEMS REPRESENTING LESS THAN 12%, I BELIEVE.
THERE'S A MOTION TO APPROVE BY COUNCIL BY THE CHAIR, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN MAGGOTY.
ANY OBJECTIONS? ANY OBJECTIONS ITEM HAS BEEN APPROVED.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE'RE GONNA TAKE THE ENTRY ITEM SINCE WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE WAITING BEFORE WE TAKE THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
[142. 23-01046]
1 42, RECEIVING A REPORT FROM ENTITY LOUISIANA, L L C ON RAPE SERVICE AND PLANNING FOR EAST BARR RIDGE PARISH BY COUNCIL MEMBER R COLE.WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE REPORT FIRST LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, AND THEN, UH, WE'LL HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING GS ON YOU.
GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS MICHELLE BERG AND I SERVE AS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF CUSTOMER SERVICE FOR ENTERGY, LOUISIANA.
IN THE ROLE THAT I SERVE IN, I LEAD A TEAM OF CUSTOMER SERVICE PROFESSIONALS THAT ARE FOCUSED ON YOU, OUR CUSTOMERS, OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, AND OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS AND OUR COMMUNITY LEADERS LOCATED ACROSS THE 58 PARISHES THAT WE SERVE ACROSS THIS GREAT STATE.
SO THE EMPLOYEES ON MY TEAM ARE LOCATED FROM WESTMAN ROAD, A LAKE CHARLES, UM, CERTAINLY THROUGHOUT THE, UM, GREATER NEW ORLEANS AREA AND THEN OBVIOUSLY HERE IN BATON ROUGE AS WELL.
SO OUR CUSTOMERS AND OUR COMMUNITIES ARE AT THE HEART OF WHAT WE DO.
EVERYTHING THAT WE DO REVOLVES AROUND THEM, THEM, AND WE STRIVE EVERY SINGLE DAY TO PROVIDE SERVICES THAT DON'T JUST MEET EXPECTATIONS BUT ALSO EXCEED THEM.
TODAY WITH ME IS TREY GRANGER.
I WANNA INTRODUCE TREY AS WELL.
TREY IS OUR SENIOR MANAGER THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR DISTRIBUTION OPERATIONS HERE IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH OVER IN WEST BATON ROUGE.
EVERYONE IN THE CHAMBER, WOULD YOU PLEASE SILENCE YOUR PHONES IF YOU WOULD PLEASE SILENCE YOUR PHONES.
UH, TREY'S RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL OF THE DISTRIBUTION OPERATIONS HERE IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH IN WEST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
AND HE SERVES, UM, THE MAJORITY OF, UM, OUR CUSTOMERS OVER IN ASCENSION AND LIVINGTON PARISHES AS WELL.
SO TREY'S RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR DISTRIBUTION LINE DEPARTMENT AND THE UTILITY CREWS THAT LIVE AND WORK IN THIS COMMUNITY.
YOU'LL OFTEN SEE THEM DRIVING BUCKET TRUCKS AND WORKING ON THE UTILITY POLES AND THE POWER LINES IN THIS COMMUNITY IN ALL OF THE CONDITIONS, UM, IN WHICH OUR FACILITIES OPERATE, ESPECIALLY THIS EXTREME HEAT THAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING, THIS RECORD HEAT WAVE THAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS.
UM, LIKE MY CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM, HIS TEAM TAKES GREAT PRIDE IN WHAT THEY DO TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE THEY LIVE AND WORK IN THE COMMUNITIES THAT THEY SERVE, AND THAT'S HOME FOR THEM AS WELL.
SO COLLECTIVELY, TREY AND I HAVE MORE THAN 40 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WITH THE COMPANY.
WE SERVED IN A VARIETY OF ENGINEERING, MAINTENANCE, AND OPERATIONS ROLES, AND I'VE VERY RECENTLY TRANSITIONED INTO THE ROLE THAT I'M CURRENTLY IN AND VERY MUCH LOOK FORWARD TO ENGAGING WITH YOU GOING FORWARD SO THAT WE CAN COLLABORATE AND LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU AND HOW WE CAN BETTER SERVE YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND OUR CUSTOMERS HERE IN THE PARISH.
UM, WITH THOSE INTRODU INJUNCTIONS ASIDE, LET ME JUST SAY THAT INTERGY LOUISIANA CERTAINLY UNDERSTANDS HOW CRITICAL THE ELECTRICITY AND THE NATURAL GAS THAT WE PROVIDE, UM, HOW CRITICAL THAT IS TO THE COMMUNITY WE SERVE.
AND WE ABSOLUTELY TAKE SERIOUSLY THE RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE IT IN A RELIABLE, SAFE, AND AFFORDABLE WAY.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE THIS AFTERNOON TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE'RE COMMITTED TO PROVIDING OUR CUSTOMERS WITH THE SERVICE THAT THEY DESERVE AND TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHERE WE BELIEVE WE CAN IMPROVE.
I APPRECIATE YOU COUNCIL COUNCILWOMAN COLEMAN FOR ASKING US TO BE HERE THIS AFTERNOON.
YOU WOULDN'T ASK US TO BE HERE IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE YOUR CONSTITUENTS BEST INTEREST IN MIND.
SO WE APPRECIATE THAT AND THANK YOU AND THE REST OF THIS COUNCIL FOR CERTAINLY BEING STRONG ADVOCATES FOR OUR COMMUNITIES AND FOR GIVING US A CHANCE TO ADDRESS ANY CONCERNS THAT YOU AND THE REST OF THE COUNCIL MAY HAVE TODAY.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU'VE ASKED ENTERGY, LOUISIANA TO BE PRESENT HERE AT THIS AFTERNOON'S METRO COUNCIL MEETING TO ADDRESS CONCERNS REGARDING SERVICE RELIABILITY AND THE COMPANY'S COMMUNICATIONS WITH EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU REGARDING OUTAGES AND OTHER CONSTITUENT ISSUES.
WE AGREE TIMELY AND INFORMATIVE.
COMMUNICATIONS IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT AND SOMETHING WE WILL WORK TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE.
THE PHRASE KNOWLEDGE IS POWER IS ONE THAT WE RECOGNIZE IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR OUR CUSTOMERS WHO MAY BE EXPERIENCING AN OUTAGE.
'CAUSE FOR OUR CUSTOMERS TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION IF THEY'RE FACED WITH AN OUTAGE SITUATION, THEY'VE GOTTA UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE IN THE RESTORATION PROGRESS, WHEN THEY CAN EXPECT TO BE THE LIGHTS ON SO THAT THEY CAN TAKE CONTROL, RIGHT? AND MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT TO DO NEXT AND
[00:40:01]
FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO HELP YOUR CONSTITUENT CONSTITUENTS PREPARE TOO FOR WHAT COMES NEXT.WE RECOGNIZE TOO THAT POWER OUTAGES CAN OCCUR FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
WE'VE GOT OBVIOUSLY STORMS AND THE EFFECTS OF MOTHER NATURE, WHICH HAS JUST BEEN UNRELENTING TO US LATELY.
WE'VE GOT PUBLIC INFLICTED DAMAGE IN THE FORMS OF DRIVERS RUNNING OFF THE ROAD AND HITTING OUR POLES AND OUR OTHER EQUIPMENT VEGETATION.
WE RECOGNIZE BATON ROUGE HAS GOT A VE BEAUTIFUL TREE CANOPY, RIGHT, THAT WE ALL LOVE AND ENJOY SEEING, AND THOSE TREES CAN SOMETIMES INTERFERE WITH OUR FACILITIES.
AND WE ACKNOWLEDGE TOO, WE'VE GOT EQUIPMENT ISSUES FROM TIME TO TIME WITH FACILITIES THAT FAIL FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
UM, BUT WITH ALL THAT SAID, ANYTIME OUR CUSTOMERS ARE WITHOUT POWER, IT'S TOO LONG BECAUSE THAT'S DISRUPTING WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN THEIR LIVES AND THE DECISIONS THAT THEY HAVE TO MAKE FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES.
WHILE THERE'S MUCH ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT, WE WANNA SHARE WITH YOU THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE YEAR ON YEAR DATA THAT WE HOLD AS OUR RELIABILITY STANDARDS, THE METRICS THAT ARE IN PLACE ACROSS OUR INDUSTRY TO JUDGE THE PERFORMANCE OF SYSTEMS LIKE THE SYSTEM THAT ENTERGY LOUISIANA OWNS AND OPERATES ON BEHALF OF THE CUSTOMERS IN THIS COMMUNITY, THOSE METRICS ARE IN PLACE ACROSS OUR INDUSTRY.
CERTAINLY WE REPORT THOSE METRICS TO THE LOUISIANA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION.
THE SYSTEM HERE IN BATON ROUGE ACTUALLY PERFORMS BETTER THAN IT DOES IN OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE WHERE ENTERGY, LOUISIANA HAS ASSETS AND SERVES CUSTOMERS, AND IN SOME CASES TOO BETTER THAN THAT OF SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORS THAT ARE HERE, UH, NEAR US, NEIGHBORING UTILITIES THAT ARE HERE IN LOUISIANA.
BUT WITH THAT SAID, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL STORM RELATED OUTAGES IN BATON ROUGE OVER THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS.
UH, MOST NOTABLY THE STORM EVENT AT THE END OF JULY, ON JULY 31ST, THAT BROUGHT THOSE REALLY DRAMATIC STRAIGHT LINE WINDS AND, UM, DAMAGE TO OUR SYSTEM PRIMARILY, PRIMARILY FROM LIGHTNING TREE LIMBS.
AND YOU SAW WE HAD A TRANSMISSION LINE, UM, OVER NORTH BATON ROUGE OFF OF CHOCTAW BOULEVARD, THAT WE HAD SEVERAL STRUCTURES TAKEN DOWN BY SOME DEBRIS THAT CAME OFF OF AN ADJACENT BUILDING THAT TOOK US A FEW DAYS TO GET THAT BACK UP AND RUNNING.
UM, WITH THAT EVENT, THE IMPACT WAS SO EXTENSIVE THAT TREY AND HIS TEAM HAD TO MAKE THE CALL TO BRING IN RESOURCES FROM OTHER PARTS OF OUR SYSTEM, RECOGNIZING THAT THE RESTORATION FROM THAT EVENT WAS GONNA BE TOO PROLONGED LONGER THAN WE WOULD LIKE IT FOR OUR CUSTOMERS.
SO WE ENDED UP MOVING IN RESOURCES FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE TO HELP WITH THAT.
UM, I'LL ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE TOO, WE'VE HAD SOME CHALLENGES BEYOND THE STORM EVENTS AND, UM, CERTAINLY YESTERDAY'S POWER OUTAGE IN AND AROUND LSUS CAMPUS WAS NO EXCEPTION TO THAT.
WE'VE GOTTA DO A BETTER JOB OF IDENTIFYING HOTSPOTS AND POTENTIAL ISSUES BEFORE THEY CAN RESULT IN A SERVICE INTERRUPTION OR DISRUPTION, UM, BEYOND THOSE STORMS. UM, AND THE RESIDUAL IMPACT THAT THOSE EVENTS CAN HAVE ON OUR SYSTEM.
I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT IN A DRAMATIC IMPACT THE EXTREME HEAT HAS ON OUR SYSTEM AS WELL, THE COMBINATION OF THE HIGH TEMPERATURES AND NOT JUST HIGH TEMPERATURES DURING THE DAY, BUT THE FACT THAT THE TEMPERATURES DON'T DROP AT NIGHT EITHER, AND THAT THE INCREASED DEMAND, THE HIGH DEMAND FOR POWER, THE ELECTRICITY CONSUMPTION PUTS A ADDITIONAL STRESS IN OUR EQUIPMENT AND HOW THAT SHOWS UP WHEN WE'VE GOT THIS EXTREME STRESS ON OUR EQUIPMENT.
WE MAY HAVE A NICK ON A PIECE OF CONDUCTOR THAT WAS CAUSED BY LIGHTNING DAMAGE YEARS AGO, RIGHT? BUT WHEN THAT FACILITY IS PUT UNDER STRESS, THE EXTREME HEAT AND THE LOADING THAT'S ON OUR SYSTEM WHERE WE'VE NOT PREVIOUSLY BEEN UNABLE TO IDENTIFY IT, IT MAY NOT EVEN BE VISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE, CAN QUICKLY TURN INTO AN OUTAGE SITUATION.
UM, SO TREY'S TEAMS WORKING CERTAINLY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, AND I CAN'T UNDERSCORE THIS ENOUGH, AS SAFELY AS POSSIBLE TO RESPOND TO AND RESOLVE ALL OF THOSE ISSUES WHEN THEY ARISE.
SO, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE UNDERSTAND THE INCONVENIENCE OF POWER OUTAGE CAN CAUSE AND ARE WORKING TO IMPROVE THE RELIABILITY SYSTEM DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
THAT'S WHAT TREY'S TEAM AND A WHOLE CADRE OF ENGINEERS THAT SUPPORT HIS TEAM AND OTHER TEAMS LIKE HIS DO DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
SO, JUST A FEW THINGS I WANNA MENTION AS TO HOW WE EXECUTE THAT.
FIRST, WE'VE GOT TREE TRIMMING PROGRAMS WHERE OUR CONTRACT CREWS TRIM TREES AND LIMBS AWAY FROM THE EQUIPMENT.
WE'RE OBVIOUSLY VERY SENSITIVE AND RESPECTFUL OF, OF THE WISHES AND DESIRES OF FOLKS THAT HAVE THE BEAUTIFUL TREE CANOPY IN AND AROUND THEIR YARDS.
BUT VERY, VERY IMPORTANT IN A CITY LIKE BATON ROUGE WHERE WE DO HAVE THAT HEAVY TREE CANOPY.
SECONDLY, WE'RE PERFORMING ROUTINE INSPECTIONS OF OUR EQUIPMENT AS PART OF WHAT TRAYS TEAM'S DOING DAY IN AND DAY OUT, GOING INTO THE FIELD AND ASSESSING THE CONDITIONS OF OUR ASSETS.
UM, AND THEN FINALLY WE'VE GOT INTERNAL TEAMS THAT ARE COMBING THROUGH THE OUTAGE DATA AND COMBING THROUGH THE READINGS ALL OF THE TELEMETRY THAT WE'RE GETTING FROM THE FIELD ON THE PERFORMANCE OF OUR ASSETS.
AND THEY'RE SITTING DOWN AND THEY'RE TALKING, AND WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WHERE'S THE POOREST PERFORMING CIRCUIT? WHERE'S THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S HAVING THE MOST NUMBER OF OPERATIONS? AND THAT'S SHOWING UP IN CUSTOMERS THAT ARE SEEING MULTIPLE INTERRUPTIONS.
AND WE'VE HAD THAT POP UP IN A COUPLE OF NEIGHBORHOODS HERE IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, UM, MOST RECENTLY.
[00:45:01]
ARE THE ASSETS, THE PIECES OF EQUIPMENT THAT WE'RE GONNA BE INVESTING IN AND ATTACKING NEXT, WHERE WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE BIGGEST BANG FOR THE BUCK, RIGHT? THAT NEXT DOLLAR THAT WE CAN INVEST IN IMPROVING OUR INFRASTRUCTURE.WE RECOGNIZE WE NEED TO BE VERY MINDFUL OF THOSE CUSTOMERS THAT HAVE HAD THOSE MULTIPLE INTERRUPTIONS.
IT'S THE INFORMATION THAT'S COMING BACK ON THE PERFORMANCE OF OUR SYSTEM THAT ENSURES WE'RE DOING THE MOST TO MOVE THE NEEDLE IN THE MOST DRAMATIC WAY TO IMPROVE THE OVERALL LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING FOR OUR CUSTOMERS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALWAYS BALANCING IN, IN ALL OF THIS, RIGHT? WE'VE GOT LOTS OF DECISIONS THAT HAVE TO BE MADE ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS, BUT WE'RE ALWAYS BALANCING THE NEED TO INCREASE AND IMPROVE RELIABILITY WITH KEEPING THE SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDE TO OUR CUSTOMERS AFFORDABLE, RECOGNIZING THAT MANY OF OUR CUSTOMERS HAVE TO MAKE SOME VERY DIFFICULT DECISIONS EVERY MONTH, ESPECIALLY IN THIS TIME WHERE TEMPS HAVE RISEN AND CONSUMPTION THE ENERGY DEMAND, RIGHT? IS IS THAT KIND OF AN ALL TIME HIGH FOR OUR CUSTOMERS.
SO THAT'S ALWAYS A VERY CAREFUL BALANCING ACT THAT WE'RE DOING.
UM, CERTAINLY WE WANT TO WORK WITH YOU, UM, HAVE YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, KNOWLEDGE CERTAINLY OF OUR PLANS.
AND WE'RE CERTAINLY OPEN TO PARTNERING WITH YOU AND HEARING FEEDBACK THAT YOU HAVE AROUND WHAT YOUR CONSTITUENTS MAY BE TELLING YOU OR WHERE YOU'VE HAD YOUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCES, UM, TO INFORM OUR PLANNING.
BUT BEFORE I CLOSE, I CERTAINLY WANNA BE VERY CLEAR IN SAYING THIS.
WE HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE OUR OVERALL COMMUNICATION WITH YOU, WITH THIS COUNCIL, CERTAINLY WITH THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT'S ADMINISTRATION.
UM, YOUR CONSTITUENTS ARE VERY LARGELY OUR CUSTOMERS AND WE HAVE A MUTUAL INTEREST IN ENSURING THAT THE COMMODITIES THAT WE PROVIDE, THE NATURAL GAS AND THE ELECTRICITY THAT WE PROVIDE HERE IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH ARE TRULY POWERING LIFE IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO WE LOOK FORWARD CERTAINLY TO THIS ONGOING DIALOGUE AND THIS CONVERSATION, THIS PARTNERSHIP ABOUT HOW WE CAN SERVE YOU BETTER, SERVE YOUR CONSTITUENTS BETTER, OUR CUSTOMERS, BETTER, UM, BOTH AS A UTILITY PROVIDER, BUT, BUT CERTAINLY PART OF, OF OUR ASPIRATIONS IS TO BE SEEN AND TO BE VIEWED AS A STRONG COMMUNITY PARTNER AS WELL.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, CERTAINLY I'LL CLOSE HERE AND, UM, TREY AND I ARE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT, THAT THE COUNCIL MAY HAVE.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK? COME ON DOWN AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO BOTH OF YOU.
DEVONTE LEWIS PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONER THAT REPRESENTS THE THIRD DISTRICT, UH, WHICH INCLUDES, UH, HALF OF EAST BATON ROUGE, UH, PARISH, BUT ALSO 10 PARISHES ACROSS, UM, THIS STATE, AS YOU KNOW, WE ARE THE REGULATOR, UH, FOR ENTERGY.
SO I, I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT MY OFFICE SHOWS UP, UH, TO HEAR FROM CONSTITUENTS, BUT THEN ALSO TO OPEN THE LINE OF COMMUNICATION WITH YOU ALL.
I THINK THIS IS THE FIRST TIME, UH, THAT I'VE GREETED YOU AS COMMISSIONER.
I KNOW MOST OF YOU AS FRIEND, BUT, UM, THIS IS A, A GREAT TIME FOR OUR, OUR CITY.
THE, THE THIRD DISTRICT HAS NEVER HAD A REPRESENTATIVE FROM BATON ROUGE BEFORE.
IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A NEW ORLEANS BASED SEAT.
SO THIS IS THE FIRST TIME, UM, ON THE COMMISSION'S HISTORY THAT THERE ARE TWO, UH, MEMBERS WHO ARE RESIDENTS OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, MYSELF, UH, AND MY COLLEAGUE COMMISSIONER, UH, CRAIG GREEN.
UH, I CAN TELL YOU WE HAVE BEEN, UH, TAKING THIS EXTREMELY SERIOUSLY AND WE HAVE MULTIPLE PROCEEDINGS OPENED RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE, UM, A PROCEEDING LOOKING AT RELIABILITY, LOOKING AT HARSHER PENALTIES, UH, AND PUNISHMENTS IN CASE THEY ARE SAFETY.
SAFETY SCORES, WHICH IS THE WAY WE EVALUATE THE OUTAGES PER CUSTOMER.
UH, WE ARE ALSO, UH, RIGHT NOW LOOKING AT PULL VIABILITY TO ENSURE THAT THE EQUIPMENT, UH, IS MAINTAINED.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, UH, MULTIPLE, UH, WHAT WE LIKE TO SAY DOCKETS, WHICH ARE OUR PROCEEDINGS OPEN, UM, THAT PERTAIN I THINK, TO THE RESIDENTS HERE IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
UM, AT OUR MEETING LAST WEEK, UM, I REQUESTED, BECAUSE WE KNOW WE'VE HEARD IT, SIGNIFICANT POWER OUTAGES IN THIS CITY AROUND BROADMOOR SHARED WITH FOREST UNIVERSITY PLANTATION.
UM, A REPORT, UH, FROM ENTERGY THAT SHOULD BE DUE TO MY OFFICE, UH, BEFORE OUR NEXT MEETING IN SEPTEMBER 20TH, THAT WILL GIVE US, UH, MORE DETAIL AND MORE INFORMATION.
BUT PRIMARILY I WANTED TO OFFER OURSELVES UP BECAUSE WE DO PERFORMANCE-BASED BUDGETING, WE ARE LOOKING, UM, AT PERFORMANCE-BASED RATE MAKING.
SO I WANTED TO ENSURE THAT YOU HAD AN OPEN LINE OF COMMUNICATION TO OUR OFFICE, BECAUSE IF CONSTITUENT COMPLAINTS ARE COMING TO YOU AND GOING TO ENTERGY AND NOT COMING TO THE COMMISSION, UH, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THAT IN, IN, IN FINES, IN WAYS THAT WE CAN ENFORCE THEM.
UM, AND SO, UM, I'M OPENING THAT WE WILL, AS WE COLLECT DATA ON OUTAGES, PROVIDE THAT TO THE COUNCIL ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
UM, SO YOU HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
UM, AS WELL AS KNOWING THAT MY OFFICE AND, AND COMMISSIONER GREEN'S OFFICE, UH, IS OPEN TO COORDINATE AND WORK WITH YOU.
WE, WE STAY IN CONSTANT CONTACT, UM, WITH ENTERGY.
[00:50:01]
PROBABLY TIRED OF SEEING MY NAME POP UP ON THEIR PHONE AS MUCH AS I TEXT AND CALL THEM.UH, BUT I JUST WANTED TO, TO BE HERE TO OFFER, UH, THE SUPPORT OF LOUISIANA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION, UM, AS THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH TO YOU ALL.
AND I'M HAPPY, UH, TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT THE COMMISSION IS DOING ON OUR PART IN TERMS OF REGULATING OUR UTILITIES IN THIS STATE.
I THINK I SAY THAT EVERY TIME I SEE YOU
STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE.
DAVID DEEN, 30 36 MYRTLE AVENUE.
I HAVE THREE BUILDINGS IN CLOVER LAND SUBDIVISION, UH, 1 1 3, 4 7, UH, CEDAR PARK AND ON ON, UH, AND A COUPLE OF 'EM ON, ON SEE ON CLO LAND COURT.
IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS, WE PROBABLY HAD 12, UH, ELECTRIC, UH, UH, STOPPAGES.
AND WE JUST CAN'T GET STUFF DONE WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN IT'S GONNA TURN OFF.
AND WE'VE CALLED, WE CALLED THE PARK SERVICE COMMISSION, WE CALL ENERGY AND, UH, I MEAN 12.
AND IN THE LAST THREE OR FOUR MONTHS, I THINK IT'S JUST TOO MUCH.
AND, AND THIS IS NOT WHEN WE HAD THE BAD WEATHER.
THIS IS JUST LAST MONDAY, THE MONDAY BEFORE RIGHT WHEN BUSINESS STARTED, THE LIGHTS WERE OFF THREE OR FOUR HOURS.
AND I JUST THINK, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, BUT WE'VE HAD THIS PROBLEM OUT THERE AT CLOTHING LAND FOR A LONG TIME, BUT IT'S NEVER BEEN THIS BAD.
IT'S A LOT WORSE NOW THAN IT'S EVER BEEN.
AND I, I JUST THINK THEY NEED TO SEND SOMEBODY OUT THERE TO COME FIX IT 'CAUSE THEY'RE NOT FIXING IT.
AND WE'VE CALLED 'EM MANY TIMES.
STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE, SIR.
PASTOR MALLORY WILLIAMS HOLY GROUND CHRISTIAN CHURCH, 2 0 1 9 COLORADO STREET, 7 0 8 0 2 BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA, HONOR, UH, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO START BY GIVING HONOR, WE ALL IS DUE TO THE ESTABLISHED PROTOCOL AND TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMMEND YOU THAT YOU ALLOW GOD TO, UH, PROMOTE YOU TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW AND THAT YOU ARE BEING INSTRUCTED BY HIS GUIDANCE.
WELL, I DON'T KNOW HOW I WOULD PUT THIS, BUT I GUESS IT'S, IT'S MORE OR LESS OF A TESTIMONY, BUT IT'S PERSONAL IN REGARDS BECAUSE, UM, I INCURRED TWO LIGHT BILLS, UH, OVER THE PAST TWO MONTHS.
ONE FOR $800 THAT WENT FROM $400 TO $800.
ANOTHER THAT WENT FROM $800 TO A THOUSAND DOLLARS.
AND I CALLED ENERGY AND I TOLD THEM THAT SOMETHING WAS GOING ON AND THEY CAME OUT AND THEY CHECKED AND THEY SAID THAT THE, UH, METER WAS READING PROPERLY, BUT THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WOULD SEND A TECHNICIAN OUT AND HE WOULD CHECK TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON.
SO WHEN HE INVESTIGATED WHAT WAS GOING ON, WHAT TOOK PLACE WAS THAT HE CHANGED OUT THE METER AND CHANGING OUT THE METER.
HE LEFT ME A NOTE SAYING THAT THE REASON WHY MY, UH, ELECTRICITY WASN'T COMING ON, AND IT WAS DURING THE OUTAGE WAS BECAUSE MY BREAKER WAS BAD.
MY BREAKER COST ME $411 TO REPLACE.
THE ELECTRICIAN FOUND OUT THAT THE LIGHTS WERE STILL NOT WORKING.
SO HE DETERMINED THAT THE REASON WHY THE ELECTRICITY WASN'T WORKING WAS BECAUSE THE NEUTRAL WIRE WAS BURNT AND IT HAD BEEN BURNED ALL THE WAY BACK WHEN MY LIGHT BILL WENT FROM $400 TO $800.
SO I'M STILL WAITING ON SOMEBODY FROM ENERGY TO CONTACT ME TO TELL ME WHAT THEY GOING TO DO AS A RESOLUTION TO MY CONDITION.
I DON'T KNOW, UH, WHETHER OR NOT I, I NEED TO SAY THAT THIS A DEPICTION OF WHAT ENERGY DOES ALL THE TIME.
BUT I CAN SAY THAT, UH, I'M IN NEED OF HELP AND I'VE COME TO THIS COUNCIL MEETING TO, UH, TO, UH, MAKE MY PETITION BEFORE ENERGY AND ASK THEM TO POINT ME IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION THAT I NEED TO, TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE.
UH, COME ON DOWN, MA'AM, STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
MY NAME IS LANE SALANT WITH THE BUGMAN AND WE ARE LOCATED AT 1 2 0 1 5 CLOVER LAND COURT.
UM, WE PURCHASED THE BUILDING JUNE, 2022, RENOVATED FOR A YEAR.
AND SINCE THEN WE HAVE LOST POWER ON JUNE 17TH, JUNE 26TH, JULY 6TH, JULY 9TH, JULY 16TH, JULY 31ST, AUGUST 2ND, AUGUST 7TH,
[00:55:01]
AUGUST 16TH, AUGUST 17TH.AND THIS WEEK ON AUGUST 21ST FOR FIVE HOURS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, IT'S A LITTLE HOT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY AND WE HAVE TO PAY STAFF TO JUST SIT THERE AND WAIT TILL THE POWER COMES BACK ON.
I, UM, NOTIFIED ENERGY OF THE ISSUE STARTING AFTER THE JULY 16TH ISSUE.
THEY SENT OUT A TECHNICIAN NAMED DREW POWELL ON JULY 18TH.
HE THEN EMAILED ME AFTER COMING TO INSPECT THE PROPERTY SAYING THAT TWO OF OUR POLES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED ON THE PROPERTY, WHICH MIGHT BE CAUSING THE POWER ISSUE.
ON JULY 21ST, HE EMAILED AGAIN SAYING THAT HE TOOK A LOOK AT THE BUILDING AND OUR BUILDING IS THE ONLY ONE GETTING POWER FROM THE TRANSFORMER ACROSS THE STREET.
SO HE IS PROPOSING TO SET NEW POLES, MOVE THE TRANSFORMER ACROSS THE STREET, CHANGE OUT OUR SERVICE POLES AS WELL.
HE'S STILL LOOKING INTO THE TREAT, THREE TRANSFORMERS ACROSS THE STREET AS WELL AS A BACKUP, BUT I WILL KNOW IF I HAVE APPROVAL TO DO THAT DESIGN ON MONDAY.
AS OF AUGUST 2ND, NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE AND WE HAVE LOST POWER AGAIN.
I EMAILED HIM REGARDING THE ISSUE AND A LIST OF ALL THE DATES.
WE HAVE LOST POWER ON AUGUST 7TH.
HE SAID HE'S GONNA TALK TO HIS ENGINEER AND HAVE HIM WALK THE AREA TO SEE ABOUT GETTING A SERVICE MAN OUT TO ASSESS THE, UH, THE CONSTANT OUTAGES.
THE SAME DAY HE EMAILED BACK SAYING HE SPOKE WITH A SENIOR EMPLOYEE AND HE WAS HAVING A SERVICE MAN COME OUT TO CHECK THE AREA.
UH, I, HE ALSO SAID HE PASSED THE OUTAGE INFORMATION ON.
AND HE IS CHECKING THE NETWORK AS WELL TO SEE IF HE CAN FIND ANY SYSTEM ISSUES THAT MAY BE CONTRIBUTING TO THE OUTAGES AS OF AUGUST 16TH.
UM, HE EMAILED BACK SAYING IT IS A NETWORK ISSUE AND THE INSPECTORS ARE WORKING ON IT.
IT'S A LITTLE UNORTHODOX THAT YOUR OFFICE IS THE ONLY ONE ON THE STREET AFFECTED BY THIS ISSUE, BUT THERE ARE OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE AREA WITH SIMILAR OUTAGES.
THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO WALK THE AREA TO FIND EXACTLY WHERE THE FAULT IN THE NETWORK NETWORK IS.
HE THINKS OUR POLE SHOULD BE MOVED NEXT WEEK, BUT LET HIM KNOW IF CONSTRUCTION HAS NOT STARTED.
UM, I THEN EMAILED BACK TO FOLLOW UP WITH NO RESPONSE.
I EMAILED HIM AGAIN ON THE 17TH REGARDING THE POWER OUTAGE THEN, AND NOTIFIED HIM THAT I FILED ANOTHER COMPLAINT WITH ENTERGY AS WELL AS CALLED THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION.
UM, ON AUGUST 17TH WHEN I CALLED ENTERGY TO FILE ANOTHER COMPLAINT.
THIS WOULD BE THE THIRD, THE FIRST ONE WITH THE UM, LADY IN JULY THE SECOND WITH HIM AGAIN ON THE 17TH OF AUGUST.
AND I WAS TOLD THE ONLY THING THEY COULD DO TO FIX THE POWER ISSUE WAS RESTORE THE POWER AND THAT WAS THE FIX FOR THE ISSUE.
THEY ALSO SAID, SINCE I WAS HAVING SUCH FREQUENT OUTAGES, IT MUST BE AN ELECTRICIAN ELECTRICITY ISSUE AND I SHOULD CALL MY ELECTRICIAN.
THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD CALL FOR Y'ALL TO REVIEW AS A CUSTOMER SERVICE.
UM, SO AS OF TODAY, WE HAVE NO RESOLUTION.
I SAW OUR COUNCILWOMAN AT LUNCH THE OTHER DAY.
SO WE STILL HAVE NO RESOLVE ON THE POWER.
JUST MAKE YOUR LAST STATEMENT PLEASE.
WE HAVE NO RESOLVE ON THE POWER.
I FILED THREE COMPLAINTS, BUT ONLY ONE HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED ON OUR ACCOUNT.
AND I PAY MY ENERGY BILL EVERY MONTH AND WE HAVE NO RESOLVE AND WE CAN'T CON CONTINUE BUSINESS WITHOUT POWER.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
HEY, SO, UM, FIRST OF ALL, WE HAD A ENERGY MEETING LAST WEEK ABOUT, UM, SOME CORE CHALLENGES IN, UH, MY DISTRICT AND A FEW OTHER DISTRICTS AND DOING A LIGHTING ASSESSMENT AND, UH, PUTTING A PLAN TOGETHER TO PROVIDE A RESOLUTION ON STREETLIGHTS.
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR COMING TO THE TABLE AND FOR DOING THAT.
THERE'S A BUT THOUGH, UM, BUT I HAVE CONSTITUENTS WHO CONSTANTLY REACH OUT TO ME AND THE LATEST ONE WAS ON A NET AND BEACH, UM, ABOUT THEM LIGHTS, OUTAGES, SHOOTINGS AT A GUY WHO WAS SHOT UNDER A LIGHT LAST WEEK IN BROOKSTOWN.
THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO IDENTIFY WHO SHOT THEM BECAUSE THE STREETLIGHTS WERE OUT IN THAT AREA.
AND STATISTICS PROVE THAT LIGHTS DETER CRIME AND PLACES THAT ARE LOW LIT IN FIGHT CRIME.
AND SO, WHILE I WILL SAY OUTAGES AND OTHER THINGS, I HAVE BEEN INFORMED BY ENERGY.
I CAN'T COMPLAIN ABOUT SOME OF THAT STUFF.
THE CITIZENS PAY TAX DOLLARS THAT ULTIMATELY COME TO US AND THEN GO TO YOU FOUR, THOSE STREETLIGHTS.
SO IF SOMEONE DOES NOT PAY THEIR LIGHT BILL, THEN WHAT HAPPENS TO THEIR UTILITIES OR THEIR LIGHT SERVICE AFTER ONE OR TWO MONTHS, WHAT HAPPENS? CUT OFF.
SO, SO WE'VE GOT A PROCESS IN PLACE.
UM, THIS IS A TWO WORD ANSWER.
SO WHAT HAPPENS FROM THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE WHEN WE HAVE CRIME INFESTED, GUN INFESTED, DRUG INFESTED, PROSTITUTION INFESTED AREAS
[01:00:01]
AND OUR STREETLIGHTS ARE NOT WORKING YET.CRIME IS AT AN ALL TIME HIGH AND YOU GUYS ARE PLAYING TIDDLYWINKS IN THE OFFICE BECAUSE LIGHTS HAVE BEEN OUT FOR MONTHS.
SOME OF 'EM HAVE BEEN OUT FOR YEARS AND THERE'S NO ACCOUNTABILITY ON YOUR END.
SO DO YOU OWE THE CITY PARISH MONEY SINCE WE CAN'T? THE SAME THING YOU WOULD DO TO A TRADITIONAL CITIZEN, THEIR TAX DOLLARS COME TO US AND GO TO YOU.
SO HOW DO WE RECUPERATE THAT MONEY? I'LL TELL YOU, I WENT AS FAR AS PULLING YOUR CONTRACT WITH GULF STATES FOR 60 YEARS TO BRING IN ANOTHER PROVIDER.
THAT'S HOW P****D OFF I GOT LAST YEAR AND WORKING WITH ENERGY.
AND SO UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS A GOOD OLD BOY DEAL OR WHAT WAS EVER DONE WHEN IT WAS WRITTEN, BUT THERE'S NO TEETH IN THERE, WHICH IS WHY WE HAVE TO GO TO THE AMAZING DANTE LEWIS TO, TO REPRESENT US.
BUT HAD THE CONTRACT BEEN UP, I WOULD'VE CALLED DEMCO AND EVERY OTHER COMPANY IN AMERICA TO COME HERE AND TAKE YOUR LINES FROM YOU.
SO MY QUESTION IS, WHAT CAN YOU DO TO HAVE MORE ACCOUNTABILITY FOR STREETLIGHTS AS IT RELATES TO CRIME? NOT JUST THE LIGHTING ASSESSMENT WE'RE DOING.
IT'S ONLY A COUPLE AREAS, RIGHT? BUT IN THE ENTIRE CITY OF BATON ROUGE, BECAUSE WHEN I GET A CALL SAYING MY SON WAS SHOT BECAUSE THERE WAS NO LIGHTING OUT THERE AND NOBODY CAN IDENTIFY THE SHOOTER, WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO TELL MY CONSTITUENTS? AND THIS WAS LAST THURSDAY AT TWO O'CLOCK.
I, UH, SO I'LL STOP RIGHT THERE.
NOW I, I APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK AND CERTAINLY YOUR TESTIMONIAL AND THE TESTIMONIAL FROM OUR CUSTOMERS, UM, JUST TO BE QUITE CANDID IS VERY DIFFICULT TO HEAR.
'CAUSE THAT'S NOT THE EXPERIENCE THAT WE SEEK TO DELIVER.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WILL CERTAINLY TAKE ACTION, UM, ACCORDINGLY WITH WITH CERTAINLY THE, THE FOLKS THAT ARE HERE IN THE ROOM.
AND, AND ON THIS TOPIC IN PARTICULAR AS IT RELATES TO OUR STREET LIGHTING.
WE SERVE, UM, OVER 38,000 STREETLIGHTS IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, UM, THAT SERVE THEM ELECTRICITY AND ARE ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF THEM.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DO ROUTINE PATROLS OF THE PARISH, BUT THAT'S A LOT OF LIGHTS.
AND WE WORK THE BACKLOG AS THEY COME IN, RIGHT? WE WORK THE TICKETS AS THEY COME IN.
SOUNDS LIKE IN THIS EXAMPLE, THIS ONE MAY HAVE FALLEN THROUGH THE CRACKS, BUT I WANT, I WANT YOU TO KNOW, AND I WANT YOUR CONSTITUENTS TO KNOW, IF YOU SEE A LIGHT THAT'S OUT, PLEASE REPORT IT TO US, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE'RE DOING PATROLS, WE'RE CATCHING THOSE LIGHTS.
THE LIGHTS JUST SO EVERYBODY KNOWS, DON'T COMMUNICATE BACK TO US IN THE SAME WAY THAT OUR A M I METERS DO.
SO WE DON'T GET NOTICE, IF YOU WILL, OF A LIGHT THAT MAY HAVE A DAMAGED HEAD OR A BULB THAT'S OUT OR MAY HAVE AN UNDERGROUND SUPPLY ISSUE THAT'S NOT PROVIDING CORRECT VOLTAGE SO THE LIGHT CAN OPERATE.
SO WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME IS YOU MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET YOUR MONEY EVERY FIRST AND 15TH MM-HMM.
SO HOW DO WE IMPROVE THAT SO THAT YOU KNOW, WHEN THERE'S AN OUTAGE SO THAT YOU CAN PROACTIVELY FIX IT VERSUS REACTIVE? I'M GONNA TAKE MY SECOND AMOUNT OF TIME TOO.
AND ALSO, UM, THAT REALLY DIDN'T ANSWER MY QUESTION 'CAUSE THERE'S NO ACCOUNTABILITY TO YOU.
SO MY QUESTION IS, WHAT DO YOU DO TO FIX THIS? BECAUSE SOME OF THESE HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS, RIGHT? I'M JUST, I'M JUST TELLING YOU THEY'VE BEEN GOING.
AND LET ME TELL YOU WHAT MY ANSWER WAS, AND I WON'T TELL YOU WHO SAID IT, BUT WHEN I SAID, HEY, WHY DO WE HAVE SO MANY POLES DOWN? LOW HANGING LINES AS WELL AS STREETLIGHT OUT STREETLIGHTS OUT, THE RESPONSE WAS DUE TO HURRICANES.
WE ARE IN TERREBONNE PARISH AND WE DON'T HAVE THE MANPOWER TO DO IT.
WHICH MEANS YOU HAVE A LOT OF MONEY.
SO IF YOU PUT OUT THERE, THERE WAS A BUSINESS OWNER IN BATON ROUGE THAT BUILT A SEA WALL IN NEW ORLEANS.
HE COULD NOT FIND CRANE OPERATORS.
HE SAID THE, THE, THE SOLUTION TO THAT WAS INSTEAD OF PAYING $35 AN HOUR, I PAY $65 AN HOUR.
AND THEY CAME FROM ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
SO WHEN Y'ALL TELL US YOU DON'T HAVE MANPOWER, THAT'S AN EXCUSE BECAUSE YOU'RE IN A PUBLICLY TRADED COMPANY, YOU DON'T HAVE CIVIL SERVICE LIKE WE DO WHERE WE'RE BOUND BY CERTAIN THINGS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO CHANGE NOW.
SO IF YOU PAY, THEY WILL PLAY AND THEY WILL COME.
SO I JUST WANNA KNOW, WHAT IS YOUR NEXT STEP TO, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S ADDING MORE WORKFORCE TO MONITOR THE LIGHTS MM-HMM.
UM, AND THEN DO YOU, DO THEY HAVE ANY SLAS IN TERMS OF WHAT TIME, THE AMOUNT OF TIME THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO RESOLVE THE, THE, THE LIGHT OUTAGES? ARE THERE ANY SLAS LIKE WITHIN 24 TO SEVEN TWO HOURS? OR IS THERE SOMETHING THAT'S ON THE BOOKS WITH THE, WITH THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION COUNCIL COUNCILMAN? YES.
WE HAVE AN OPEN PROCEEDING RIGHT NOW ON STREETLIGHTS THAT WE HAVE BEEN, UH, TRYING TO MAKE A RULE ON.
I THINK ONE OF THE CHALLENGES, UH, AND, AND I'M CATCHING UP 'CAUSE THIS, THIS PROCEEDING STARTED BEFORE MY ELECTION HAS BEEN FIGURING OUT OWNERSHIP.
UM, THAT HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST DEAL THAT WE'VE HAD WHERE BETWEEN THE UTILITY COMPANIES AND CITY PARISH GOVERNMENTS HAVE SAID, WELL THAT IS ON ONE END, THE PARISH GOVERNMENT SAYS THAT'S THE
[01:05:01]
UTILITIES, UH, STREETLIGHT ON THE OTHER END.UM, THE COMPANY SAYS, OR VICE VERSA.
UH, AND ONE OF THE STRUGGLES THAT WE'VE HAD AT THE COMMISSION IS WE DO NOT REGULATE YOUR STREETLIGHTS.
SO IF WE PUT A STANDARD FOR ENTERGY, UM, IT COULD CREATE A SITUATION WHERE IF THROUGH, LET'S SAY ON ONE STREET THERE ARE FOUR POLES, ONE IS OWNED BY THE CITY, THREE ARE OWNED BY ENTERGY, I CAN ONLY REGULATE AND PUT THAT REQUIREMENT ON THOSE THREE.
NOT THAT ONE, UNLESS THE CITY ITSELF WOULD GIVE US THAT JURISDICTION.
BUT WE ARE INVESTIGATING AND TRYING TO MAKE A RULEMAKING ON STREET LIGHTS.
THAT'S JUST BEEN THE COMPLICATION.
HEY ANDY, CAN YOU COME TO THE MIC PLEASE? I GOT TWO MINUTES, 35 SECONDS.
I'LL COME BACK TO YOU IF YOU RUN OUT OF TIME.
SO, SO MY QUESTION FOR YOU IS, IS IF ENTERGY IS OPEN TO IT, CAN WE PUT AN AMENDMENT IN PLACE THAT PUTS AN S L A IN THERE THAT ENSURES THAT IF THEY DON'T DO CERTAIN SOMETHING, A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME THAT THERE'S PENALTY JUST LIKE REPUBLICAN AND EVERYONE ELSE? 'CAUSE THAT 40 YEAR AGREEMENT IS OUT OF DATE.
MAN, I'M NOT EVEN 40 YEARS OLD.
SO LET ME, LET ME ASK, IS BILLY HERE, WHERE'S BILLY? BILLY'S NOT DOWN HERE.
LET ME LOOK INTO THAT AND SEE, WE'LL, WE'LL LOOK INTO IT AND SEE YOU JUST EMAIL ME WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO HAPPEN.
WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND SEE IF IT'S A VIABLE THING THAT WE CAN PUT INTO THE, INTO THE AGREEMENT.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE PENALTIES WILL BE, BUT I'D LOVE TO WORK WITH DEVONTE TO FIGURE OUT SOME LANGUAGE.
SO THAT WE HAVE ACCOUNTABILITY TO THEM.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW THEY'RE MONOPOLY.
I TURNED 40 ON NOVEMBER 16TH, WHICH MEANS THIS WAS DONE EITHER SHORTLY AFTER, UM, OR, OR IT IS A WHOLE LOT MORE YEARS LEFT, MAN.
BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT'S A LONG-TERM AGREEMENT.
VERY LONG AND, AND TIMES HAVE CHANGED.
UH, DEVONTE, COULD YOU COME UP PLEASE? AND WHILE YOU'RE WALKING UP, WELCOME TO OUR HOUSE,
YOU, YOU, YOU'RE ALWAYS WELCOME ACROSS THE STREET TO THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION.
GIMME A PROCESS AS FAR AS THE, THE FINES AND REGULATIONS THAT, THAT THEY ALL LOOK TO IMPOSE ON ANY ELECTRICAL OR WHATEVER AND, AND THE PROCESS.
AND WE ONLY HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO SPEAK OF THAT, TO GO THROUGH.
IF YOU CAN GIMME A QUICK SYNOPSIS.
IN OTHER WORDS, ONCE YOU GET SO MANY COMPLAINTS OR WHATEVER YOU, YOU START THE FINE PROCESS.
IS THAT A LONG DRAWN OUT PROCESS? IT JUST NO, NO.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE UNDER THE COMMISSION WHAT WE CALL GENERAL ORDERS, WHICH ARE AS OUR RULES AND, AND METRICS KIND OF ALMOST LIKE A, A CITY CHARTER THAT REGULATES EVERYTHING FROM, UH, POLE MAINTENANCE TO, UH, RELIABILITY STANDARDS TO CUSTOMER-CENTERED OPTIONS TO CUSTOMER CALL CENTERS.
UM, AND SO TYPICALLY WE WOULD LOOK AND INVESTIGATE ONE IF THE RULE WAS UP TO DATE, SOME OF OUR GENERAL ORDERS DATE ALL THE WAY BACK, UH, TO THE TWENTIES WHEN WE WERE THE RAILROAD COMMISSION.
SO WE ARE IN A PROCESS OF STREAMLINING AND MODERNIZING THAT WHEN IT COMES TOWARDS RELIABILITY.
WE ARE IN AN OPEN PROCEEDING RIGHT NOW, UH, MAKING A RULE ON RELIABILITY, LOOKING AT, UM, WHAT WE CALL THEIR SAFETY, SAFETY SCORES, WHICH IS THE NATIONAL STANDARD THAT LOOKS AT OUTAGES.
UM, THAT GENERAL ORDER HAS NOT BEEN UPDATED SINCE 1998.
UH, MY OFFICE AND COMMISSIONER GREEN'S OFFICE IS LOOKING AT THAT RIGHT NOW.
ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT I WILL TELL YOU, UH, THAT I PERSONALLY DO NOT LIKE IS THAT THE STANDARDS THAT THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION USES TO ASSESS THE PENALTY IS LOWER THAN THE FEDERAL STANDARDS.
SO ON SOMEONE A A A UTILITY COMPANY COULD FAIL THE FEDERAL STANDARDS OF STRONG RELIABILITY, BUT PAST LOUISIANA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION STANDARDS AND NOT BE FINED.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE WORKING TO CHANGE RIGHT NOW.
SO THAT PROCESS, DEPENDING ON THE RULE MAKING, ALLOWING STAKEHOLDERS COULD GO ANYWHERE FROM THREE MONTHS TO, UH, UP TO A YEAR.
BUT THAT ONE'S ALREADY ONGOING.
WHAT, AND WHEN YOU DO FIND THESE, THE, THE, THE ELECTRICAL COMPANIES AND EVERYTHING, WHERE WHERE DOES THAT GO? WHAT HAPPENS WITH THAT? SO TYPICALLY WHAT WE HAVE IN THE COMMISSION'S OFFICE IS WE HAVE THE COMPLAINT CENTER.
SO IF SOMEONE CALLS IN, UM, A COMPLAINANT IS TRACKED IN OUR OFFICE, UH, WE THEREFORE PUT IT INTO A DATABASE.
UM, WE THEN WORK WITH, FOR INSTANCE, IN MY JURISDICTION, ALL I HAVE IS ENTERGY AND DIMM CO.
SO I WOULD WORK WITH ENTERGY AND DIMM CO.
WE TRACK HOW LONG IT TAKES TO RESOLVE THAT ISSUE.
THEN WE COMPILE THAT REPORT AND THEN WE ASSESS, WE HAVE PUT IN THIS MANY COMPLAINTS.
THIS WAS THE AVERAGE TIME IT TOOK TO FIX IT, UH, FOR THOSE THAT WE DO RECEIVE.
I MEAN, AND THAT'S WHY WE ARE ENCOURAGING, UH, EVERYONE, EVEN WHEN THEY HAVE SOMETHING TO SUBMIT IT TO, UH, EITHER DR.
GREEN OR MYSELF IN THIS PARISH.
BECAUSE IF THOSE COMPLAINTS THAT WE'VE HEARD TODAY DON'T MAKE IT INTO OUR DATABASE, RIGHT.
UH, WHEN WE ARE ASSESSING AND, UH, LOOKING AT RELIABILITY STANDARDS, WE ARE GOING BASED OFF OF WHOEVER'S CALLED OUR OFFICE.
WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE OUR OFFICES MORE ACCESSIBLE AND VISIBLE.
SO WHEN YOU FIND, WHEN YOU FIND THE, THE COMPANY'S X, Y, Z AMOUNT OF DOLLARS, WHERE DOES THAT FUND GO?
[01:10:01]
WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE DOLLARS? AND AS FAR AS THE PUBLIC OR, OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING IS WHERE, WHERE DO THOSE DOLLARS PHYSICALLY GO TO? MOST OF THOSE, UH, WOULD BE PART OF WHAT WE WOULD DISALLOW IN THEIR RATES.SO FOR INSTANCE, AND WHEN THEY COME IN FOR RECOVERY OF WHAT THEIR ESTIMATED, UM, RATE OF RETURN IS, UM, THAT IS WHERE OUR AUDITING TEAM AND THE LEGAL TEAM WOULD LOOK INTO THAT.
SO IT IS NOT LIKE IT'S SET ASIDE, UH, IN MOST OF THE CASES, AND I'D HAVE TO LOOK IN SOME OF OUR GENERAL ORDERS, AND I DON'T HAVE 'EM ALL IN HANDY WITH ME.
UM, WHETHER OR NOT ANYTHING GOES IN A RESERVE, I DON'T BELIEVE WE, WE DO AT THIS POINT.
BUT THAT MEANS WHEN THEY COME IN TO, UM, ASK FOR THEIR, THEIR, THEIR RECOVERY OF WHAT THEY'RE OWED AS A, AS A COMPANY, WE CAN THEN FOR, UH, DISALLOW SOME OF THOSE SERVICES BASED OFF OF THEIR SCORES ON RELIABILITY.
ARE ARE THE, ARE THE FINES AND PENALTIES THAT Y'ALL PUT FORTH OR IS THAT, IS THAT DIRECT PAYMENT TO Y'ALL AS IN FINES AND STUFF? OR IS IT, LET'S SAY YOU HAVE A, A WHOLE AREA THAT'S THE OUTAGE AND YOU'RE GETTING COMPLAINTS FROM THAT AREA OR WHATEVER.
IS IT MORE OF A, UM, FORCED RETURN ON REDUCTION IN IN ELECTRIC RATE ON AN ELECTRIC BILL FOR A CERTAIN AREA OR WHATEVER? NO, IT WOULD BE JUST ON THE COMPANY AS A WHOLE AND WHAT THEY CAN PROFIT.
UM, SO, BUT IF IT IS A STRICT, STRICT CUSTOMER COMPLAINT, LIKE FOR INSTANCE, WE PASSED A RULE THAT SAYS IN 48 HOURS, UM, IF SOMEONE'S DOUBLE PAID, YOU MUST REFUND THAT MONEY.
THEN IF ON THOSE ISSUES, WE HAVE RULES THAT SAY, RIGHT, IF YOU DOUBLE PAID NOW, WE JUST SAID, WE JUST DIRECTED ENTERGY AND ALL THE UTILITY COMPANIES THAT IF SOMEBODY OVERPAYS WITHIN 48 HOURS, YOU MUST RETURN THAT MONEY.
BUT MOST OF THE TIME IT IS SET ASIDE IN WHAT THE COMPANY CAN RECOVER AS A RATE OF RETURN, NOT NECESSARILY GOING BACK, UH, INTO CUSTOMER'S HANDS.
UH, ENTERGY, AND I'M GONNA ROLL INTO MY SECOND SET.
BIGGEST COMPLAINTS THAT I'M GETTING AND, AND UNDERSTAND A LOT OF MY AREA IS ON DEMCO.
UM, BUT BIGGEST COMPLAINT AS FAR AS WHAT I GET FOR THE ONES THAT ARE NOT ON DEMCO, OR ACTUALLY I GOT THREE OF THEM THIS MORNING, UH, WHILE I WAS SITTING IN IN MID-CITY.
UM, WHAT IS YOUR PROCESS QUICKLY? WHAT IS YOUR PROCESS OF A SCHEDULED OUTING? IN OTHER WORDS, YOU'RE GONNA TAKE DOWN AN AREA, WHAT IS THE PROCESS THAT YOU DO? YOU WANNA TAKE THE TIME? YEAH, SURE.
UM, FROM A SCHEDULING PERSPECTIVE, WE NOTIFY THE PUBLIC.
THE GOAL IS TO HOW THROUGH OUR OUTAGE, UM, EXCUSE ME, THROUGH OUR, UH, PROACTIVE DIALING SYSTEM WE HAVE, OKAY, SO IT EITHER DOES A PHYSICAL PHONE CALL TO EVERYBODY, A TEXT TO EVERYBODY, OR, OR WHATEVER.
IT'S IN, IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT OUR CUSTOMERS HAVE THEIR UPDATED INFORMATION WITHIN OUR SYSTEM.
HOW SOON OUT, HOW FAR OUT DOES THAT HAPPEN? SO THE GOAL IS SEVEN DAYS BEFORE WE HAVE THE OUTAGE, AND THEN WE TRY TO IDENTIFY, WE WILL, UH, INITIATE ANOTHER SET OF CALLS THREE DAYS BEFORE.
SO YOU RELY STRICTLY ON TECHNOLOGY TO GET THE WORD OUT? THAT'S CORRECT.
I, I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
AND WHETHER IT NEEDS TO BE SCHEDULED FURTHER OUT OR WHATEVER, I'M AN IT PERSON, I GET THE TECHNOLOGY USE AND EVERYTHING ELSE, BUT I'M GETTING COMPLAINTS THAT, THAT EITHER PEOPLE AREN'T GETTING THE NOTIFICATIONS AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE TAKING DOWN POLES OR TRANSFORMERS IN, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY.
I GET IT DOING THE WORK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY AND STUFF, UM, TO LESSEN THE BURDEN.
BUT WITH THE WORK AT HOME FORCE NOW AND EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON, THAT I GET IT, YOU WERE CLOSING YOUR WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU CAN WORK ON.
SO THE OPPORTUNITY OF NOTIFICATION NEEDS TO BE LARGER AND BROADER, UH, OR FURTHER OUT.
UM, I, I, I'VE NOTICED, AND AGAIN, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, DEALING ON THE IT SIDE IS I GET THESE COMPLAINTS OR I TALK WITH PEOPLE AND THEY'RE TRYING TO WORK AT HOME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY AND BOOM, THEIR POWER GOES OFF.
SO, UH, WHETHER YOU HAVE TO RUN TO RETURN BACK TO SNAIL MAIL OR, OR WHATEVER, UH, THE NOTIFICATION THAT HAS HAS GOT TO BE OUT MORE RELIABLE IN THOSE AREAS.
AND I, I'LL JUST ADD TOO, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'VE GOT AN OPPORTUNITY FROM A COMMUNICATIONS ENGAGEMENT OF THIS, OF THIS BODY PERSPECTIVE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU AND YOUR OFFICE IS AWARE OF WHEN WE'RE TAKING THOSE PLANNED OUTAGES SO THAT YOU CAN HELP GET THE WORD OUT AS WELL.
AND THEN AS YOU RECEIVE QUESTIONS, RIGHT, YOU'RE NOT CAUGHT FLATFOOTED OR YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT NOT INFORMED, RIGHT? YOU'RE INFORMED AND YOU'RE ABLE TO HELP SHARE THE MESSAGE AND BE PROACTIVE AS WELL, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FORUM THAT YOU HAVE TOO.
SO IT'S ANOTHER IDEA THAT POTENTIALLY WE CAN TALK FURTHER ABOUT, UM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THIS GROUP.
AND, AND REAL QUICK, PHYSICALLY ON THE ACTUAL POWER OUTAGES AND JUST LIKE THESE, THE, THE PEOPLE FROM THE PUBLIC WERE SPEAKING AND THE, AND THE TIMED OUTAGE AND EVERYTHING ELSE, UM, THE, THE YOUNG LADY THAT SPOKE ABOUT HER MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE OUTAGES,
[01:15:02]
DOES THAT GET RAMPED UP QUICKER OR SOMETHING? I MEAN, SHE'S BEEN COMPLAINING FOR SO LONG AND IT DOESN'T EVEN SOUND LIKE YOU'VE GOT A SCHEDULED CHANGE OUT OF EVERYTHING FOR WHAT SHE NEEDS.IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S BEING INVESTIGATED.
AT WHAT POINT DOES THIS STUFF GET BUMPED UP TO EMERGENCY SERVICES TO WHERE, I MEAN, THAT COULD HAVE BEEN A HOME INSTEAD OF A BUSINESS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND, AND THESE PEOPLE IN 142 DEGREE WEATHER OR SUFFERING.
SO I I, I HATE THAT IT'S HER BUSINESS THAT'S HAVING TO SUFFER THROUGH THIS AND ALL, BUT GOD FORBID IT WAS AN OUTAGE IN A HOME AREA OR ELDERLY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AT WHAT POINT DOES SOMETHING LIKE SHE'S GOING THROUGH BECOME AN EMERGENCY SERVICE AND IT JUST GETS DONE? RIGHT? YEAH, I MEAN, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'VE HAD, WE'VE HAD CORRESPONDENCE WITH, WITH THE CUSTOMER AND WE'LL CERTAINLY GET YOUR NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION AND FOLLOW UP AFTERWARDS, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'VE HAD CORRESPONDENCE.
SOUNDS LIKE WE'VE SENT TECHNICIANS AND AND SERVICE PROFESSIONALS TO THE SITE TO INVESTIGATE, BUT WE'VE NOT GOTTEN ACROSS THE STEP TO RESOLUTION.
AND THAT'S THE PART THAT CERTAINLY IS NOT MEETING EXPECTATIONS, NOT OUR CUSTOMER'S EXPECTATIONS AND NOT OUR OWN.
SO WE'LL CERTAINLY FOLLOW UP, UM, WITH OUR TEAM INTERNALLY TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, THE CUSTOMER'S NEEDS ARE EXPEDITED AND THAT WE GET THAT, GET THAT ISSUE RESOLVED ASAP.
COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, YOU WANNA GO? LAST COUNCIL MEMBER COLEMAN, THIS IS YOUR ITEM OR YOU WANNA GO NOW? ALRIGHT.
SO, UM, I DON'T THINK I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR YOU GUYS.
SO HERE'S WHERE I'M ALARMED AND AS A COUNCIL, I THINK WE ALL SHOULD BE, THIS IS THE SECOND VENDOR LESS THAN A MONTH THAT HAS SHOVED THEIR RESPONSIBILITY ONTO OUR CONSTITUENTS TO NOTIFY THEM OF THE PROBLEM.
IF TRASH IS MISSED, HEY, YOU NEED TO PUT IT IN 3 1 1.
IF YOUR LIGHT IS OUT, YOU NEED TO CALL AND NOTIFY ME THAT YOUR LIGHT IS OUT.
OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE DOING WHAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO DO.
THEY ARE PAYING FOR A SERVICE.
THEY'RE ASKING FOR THAT SERVICE TO BE GIVEN TO THEM.
AND THE VENDOR IS NOT DOING WHAT THE VENDOR IS SUPPOSED TO DO.
I SAID ON THE RECORD THE OTHER DAY, DON'T COME TO ME WITH YOUR EQUIPMENT PROBLEMS AND DON'T COME TO ME WITH YOUR HR ISSUES.
I AM NOT HERE TO MANAGE THAT FOR YOU.
YOU HAVE YOUR OWN CONTRACT, YOU HAVE YOUR OWN BUSINESS, AND YOU'RE OBVIOUSLY PROFITING OFF OF OUR PEOPLE.
YET WE HAVE CITIZENS THAT OWN BUSINESSES ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE ECONOMY AND THEY'RE HAVING TO TAKE TIME OUT OF THEIR DAY TO MAKE TELEPHONE CALLS, SEND EMAILS, AND COME TO COUNCIL MEETINGS WHEN THEY COULD BE EARNING THEIR HARD-EARNED DOLLARS.
SO I'M GONNA ASK ALL OF YOU TO HELP ME FIND A WAY WHERE WE CAN HAVE AN AUDIT DONE TO SEE HOW MANY LIGHTS ARE OUT.
AND THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE BY ENTERGY, NOT BY OUR CITIZENS, NOT BY THE FOLKS THAT LIVE AND PAY THEIR LIVE BY THEIR LIGHTS, PAY THEIR BILLS, AND DON'T HAVE THEIR SYSTEMS WORKING PROPERLY.
I'M TIRED AND OUR COUNCIL OFFICES ARE FIELDING CALLS FOR MATTERS THAT THEY SHOULD NOT BE FIELDING CALLS FOR.
WE HAVE OTHER ITEMS OF BUSINESS IN THIS CITY THAT'S RIDDLED WITH CRIME THAT WE HAVE OTHER ITEMS THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON.
AND MAKING SURE VENDORS ARE DOING WHAT THEY'RE CONTRACTED TO DO AND PAID FOR TO DO SHOULD NOT BE OUR MAJOR CONCERN.
THANK YOU, DEVONTE, IF YOU CAN COME UP AND JOIN THEM AT THE MIC, PLEASE.
COMMISSIONER LEWIS, I APOLOGIZE.
LET ME, LET ME THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE, FIRST OF ALL WITH, WITH GIVING US, UH, YOU A VIEWPOINT FROM A REGULATION STANDPOINT.
UM, IN YOUR OPENING STATEMENTS, YOU REFERENCED SEVERAL AREAS IN NEIGHBORHOODS OF CONCERN THAT'S ON YOUR RADAR.
AND, UH, BROADMOOR AND SHERWOOD IN MY DISTRICT HAS BEEN A, A CONSTANT ISSUE.
SO I'M, I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT IS ON YOUR RADAR.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME OUT IN THE DIALOGUE WAS THAT THE STREET LIGHTS DON'T COMMUNICATE TO THE SERVICE PROVIDERS ABOUT THE OUTAGES.
SO I WANT TO ASK YOU FIRST, HAVE YOU GUYS LOOKED INTO THAT IN MAKING THAT A REQUIREMENT, UH, ASKING THEM TO INVEST IN TECHNOLOGY LIKE SKATER AND OTHERS THAT WOULD ALLOW THAT COMMUNICATION TO GO TO THEM SO THEY CAN UNDERSTAND THE OUTAGES IN REAL TIME.
AND THEN SECONDLY, I'D ASK ENTITY TO COMMENT ON THAT.
HAVE YOU LOOKED INTO THAT TECHNOLOGY? HAS THAT RECOMMENDATION BEEN MADE? AND AND WHERE WE WITH THAT? YEAH, FROM THE COMMISSION, THE COMMISSION HAS NOT, UH, REQUIRED THAT, AS I MENTIONED, WE ARE, WE HAD A PROCEEDING ON ON STREET LIGHTS.
UM, BUT IT, THERE HAS BEEN NOT NO MOVEMENT ON THAT PROCEEDING IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
I HAVE, UM, HONESTLY BEEN ENGAGING WITH, UM, DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT ON THIS ESPECIALLY, UH, FOR STREETLIGHTS DOWN THERE.
AND SO I, I AM, UH, GONNA GO BACK AND IN OUR SEPTEMBER MEETING, PUT SOMETHING ON OUR AGENDA EITHER, UH, FOLLOWING, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, AKA'S, UM, IDEA N N HAVING THE COMMISSION ISSUE THAT AUDIT
[01:20:01]
OURSELVES, UH, TO, TO ENTER G ARE WORKING WITH HIM ON, ON A SOLUTION ON THAT.SO, UM, I WILL PUT THAT AS PART OF OUR, OUR, OUR PLAN.
AND I WILL COME BACK TO THE, THE MEETING AFTER OUR SEPTEMBER 20TH MEETING AND REPORT BACK WHAT THE COMMISSION WILL BE DOING ON THAT POINT.
I'D LIKE TO OFFER THAT UP AS A SUGGESTION AND A RECOMMENDATION THAT THEY INVEST IN THAT TECHNOLOGY.
UH, COUNCILMAN HIRSCH MENTIONED EARLIER, THE TECHNOLOGY DOES EXIST ON THE METER READERS, WHICH, UM, ALLOWS THEM TO UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH THE CUSTOMER IS SUPPOSED TO PAY AND ULTIMATELY CHARGE THE CUSTOMER.
IS THAT A MANDATE OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT THEY JUST INVESTED IN THAT TECHNOLOGY THEMSELVES? IT, I DON'T BELIEVE WE AS THE COMMISSION HAVE MANDATED AT THIS POINT.
UH, BUT WE, BUT TO NONE OF OUR, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, NONE OF OUR REGULATIONS MANDATED THAT AT THIS MOMENT.
UM, JUST TO, JUST TO CIRCLE BACK A LITTLE BIT, UM, I I AM NOT PERSONALLY AWARE OF ANY, UM, APPLICATION THAT EXISTS TODAY FOR ADVANCED METERING TECHNOLOGY, UM, ON A LIGHTING APPLICATION.
CERTAINLY ENTERGY, LOUISIANA, OUR SISTER UTILITIES AND MOST UTILITIES ACROSS THE NATION EMPLOY ADVANCED METERING TECHNOLOGIES FOR ELECTRIC METERS.
ENTERGY, LOUISIANA ALSO USES ADVANCED METERING TECHNOLOGY FOR ITS GAS CUSTOMERS.
UH, 93,000 STRONG IN, IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
AND SO WE'VE GOT THAT DEPLOYED FOR BOTH OF THE COMMODITIES THAT WE PROVIDE TO RESIDENTS AND CITIZENS IN, IN THIS PARISH.
I'M ALSO AWARE OF, UM, OF AN APPLICATION FOR WATER, UH, TO WATER UTILITIES USING ADVANCED METERING TECHNOLOGY FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, DEFER, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING SERVICES TO CUSTOMERS, UM, CUSTOMERS HAVING READY ACCESS TO THEIR CONSUMPTIONS.
LET, LET ME MAKE SURE I'M, 'CAUSE I DON'T WANNA LOSE MY TIME, I WANNA MAKE SURE I'M CLEAR.
YOU'RE JUST NOT AWARE OF AN APPLICATION OR REQUEST FROM THE REGULATORS FOR THAT TECHNOLOGY.
I'M NOT, SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH ADVANCED METERING TECHNOLOGIES BEING USED.
OH, YOU'RE SAYING YOU DON'T THINK IS IT EXISTS COMMUNICATE WITH LIGHTING? IT'S SOMETHING WE CAN EXPLORE FOR SURE.
AND I, I JUST WANT A QUICK GO BACK AS WELL.
WE DO PATROL THE, THE 38,000 PLUS LIGHTS, UH, THAT ARE IN SERVICE AND THAT WE MAINTAIN AN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
MY COMMENT EARLIER AROUND ASKING FOR THE PUBLIC'S HELP ONCE WE HAVE INFORMATION FROM SOMEBODY WHO'S RIGHT THERE, RIGHT? WE MAY NOT COME BACK ON THAT PATROL FOR WEEKS TO COME INTO THAT AREA, BUT IF A LIGHT HAPPENS TO CHANGE STATUS, RIGHT, GO FROM LIT TO UNLIT IN THAT TIMEFRAME BETWEEN PATROLS, WE CERTAINLY WELCOME THAT INFORMATION.
WE WELCOME ANY INFORMATION FROM YOUR OFFICES THAT YOU MAY RECEIVE FROM CONSTITUENTS AND THAT JUST HELPS US DO OUR JOB BETTER.
IT'S NOT A PUSH OR A DEFLECTION OF RESPONSIBILITY BY NO MEANS TO OUR CUSTOMERS.
IT'S REALLY JUST AN OPEN OFFERING TO SAY IF YOU SEE A LIGHT THAT MAY BE OUT, WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION SO WE CAN PRIORITIZE.
I THINK WE OR THE PUBLIC HAVE ANY ISSUE, WE'RE GIVEN THAT INFORMATION, BUT I THINK THE TECHNOLOGY EXISTS, UM, TO, TO GIVE YOU THAT, UH, DIRECT REAL TIME COMMUNICATION.
SO IT'S AN OFFICIAL REQUEST FROM ME TO YOU TO LOOK INTO THAT TECHNOLOGY AND SEE IF IT EXISTS OR INVEST IN THAT TECHNOLOGY.
I WANT MY SECOND FIVE MINUTES, MR. COLE.
SO I WANNA ASK YOU GUYS, 'CAUSE WE'VE BEEN GETTING A LOT OF CALLS ABOUT THESE EXTREMELY HIGH BILLS.
UM, I KNOW YOU'VE SENT RECOMMENDATIONS OUT AND THINGS TO DO OR NOT DO TO TRY TO MINIMIZE SOME OF THESE HIGH BILLS, BUT MANY OF OUR CONSTITUENTS FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS FEEL LIKE THEY'RE FOLLOWING THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT THEY'RE STILL GETTING HIGH BILLS LIKE THE GENTLEMAN SPOKE EARLIER.
SO HAVE YOU GOTTEN A LOT OF CALLS ABOUT THAT AS WE'VE GOTTEN THEM? AND WHAT DO YOU, UM, ATTRIBUTE THAT TO? 'CAUSE WE, WE GETTING A LOT OF THAT.
WE, WE HAVE NOT SEEN THE NUMBER OF CALLS THIS SUMMER THAT WE'VE SEEN, THAT WE'VE SEEN IN PREVIOUS SUMMERS, UM, LAST SUMMER SPECIFICALLY WHERE THE COST OF NATURAL GAS REALLY WENT THROUGH THE ROOF FOR A VARIETY OF MACROECONOMIC REASONS, RIGHT? SO THIS SUMMER WE'RE, WE'RE BLESSED IN THE FACT THAT NATURAL GAS HAS REMAINED AT HISTORICAL LOW LEVELS, NATURAL GAS WE USE TO GENERATE MUCH OF THE ELECTRICITY THAT, UM, IS CONSUMED BY RESIDENTS HERE IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH AND IN, IN NEIGHBORING PARISHES THAT WE SERVE.
SO THAT'S REALLY A FACTOR THAT'S WORKING IN OUR FAVOR.
UM, WHAT'S NOT WORKING IN OUR FAVOR IS JUST THE, THE EXTREME HEAT, AND I CAN'T UNDERSCORE STRONGLY ENOUGH, UNPRECEDENTED HEAT, UM, OPPRESSIVE HEAT THAT WE'VE BEEN UNDER, UM, IN THIS PART OF, OF OUR SERVICE TERRITORY, UM, ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST AND BEYOND.
UM, WE HAVE SEEN SOME BILL EFFECTS GO UP AS A RESULT.
AND, UM, WE RECOGNIZE THAT WHILE THE EXTREME HEAT HAS, HAS CAUSED, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE HAD LOW NATURAL GAS PRICES, THE EXTREME HEAT HAS CAUSED, YOU KNOW, JUST EXTREME LOADING CONDITIONS FOR MANY OF OUR, OF OUR CUSTOMERS THAT MAY NOT HAVE COMPLETELY WEATHERIZED HOMES OR MAY HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO, UM, TO FURTHER WEATHERIZE THEIR HOMES.
AND IN GENERAL, EVEN IF YOU HAVE A WEATHERIZED HOME, YOUR AC IS BASICALLY RUNNING 24 7 BECAUSE THE TEMPS REALLY JUST NEVER FALL, UH, TO A LEVEL WHERE THE AC UNITS CAN CATCH UP.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT AC IS THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF THE HEAT, THE,
[01:25:01]
THE LOAD DEMAND, UM, FOR OUR NORMAL, UH, RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS.AND, UM, I THINK THERE'S A VERY DIRECT CORRELATION BETWEEN THE EXTREME OPPRESSIVE HEAT THAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING AND THAT AC LOAD AS THE, AS THE PRIMARY DRIVER FOR THE BILL EFFECTS THAT WE'VE SEEN.
UH, UH, THE LADY, UH, THE GENTLE LADY EARLIER WAS SPEAKING ABOUT THE FREQUENCY OF HER OUTAGES.
I HAVE SOME CUSTOMERS IN SHERWOOD AND BROADMOOR THAT HAVE A VERY SIMILAR STORY, VERY FREQUENT OUTAGES, NOT DOING WEATHER EVENTS, JUST, JUST, JUST OUTAGES.
UM, AND MANY OF THEM HAVE LOST GROCERIES, HAVE HAD TO GET HOTEL ROOMS FOR DAYS AND NIGHTS TO ESCAPE THE HEAT.
WHAT PROGRAMS DO YOU HAVE IN PLACE THAT WOULD COMPENSATE, UH, THE CUSTOMERS FOR THE LOSS OF GROCERIES OR ANY EXPENSE OCCURRED, WHETHER IT'S A MAINTENANCE EXPENSE LIKE THIS GENTLEMAN OCCURRED, OR WHETHER IT'S A HOTEL EXPENSE? WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO, UH, ALLOW THOSE, UH, RESIDENTS TO RECOUP THOSE DOLLARS? CERTAINLY.
SO, I MEAN, IF THERE'S EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES OR THERE'S OTHER FACTORS THAT WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF, WE CERTAINLY ENCOURAGE ANY CUSTOMERS THAT FEEL LIKE THEY'RE OWED MONEY, UM, IF IT'S, IF IT'S A LOSS THAT THEY'VE INCURRED BECAUSE, UM, NOT BECAUSE OF A NORMAL, SO, SO YOU SAID EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES, BUT THE OUTAGE IS AN EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCE.
SO WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU DESCRIBING AS A WELL, I, I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR ASSETS ARE BUILT IN A WAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE STRIVE FOR EXCELLENCE, RIGHT? WE STRIVE TO HAVE THE CONTINUOUS FLOW OF ELECTRONS 24 7 365.
SO LEMME, LEMME GET 'CAUSE I'M LOSING TIME.
IF SOMEBODY LOSES GROCERIES OR HAVE TO OCCUR HOTEL EXPENSE BECAUSE OF CONTINUED OR EXTENDED OUTAGES WHERE YOU RECOUP, CAN THEY RECOUP THEIR DOLLARS WITH YOU? AND SO THAT'S WHAT I MENTIONED.
IF THERE'S AN EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCE, IF THERE'S BEEN, CAN YOU GIVE ME THAT LANGUAGE? THE CONTACT NUMBER EMAIL ADDRESS? YEAH.
SO I CAN PUT THEM IN CONTACT WITH WHO TO CONTACT.
WE CAN PROVIDE YOU OUR, OUR NUMBER TO OUR CLAIMS DEPARTMENT AND CERTAINLY ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS, THEY COULD BE ADDRESSED.
SOME OF OUR RESIDENTS ARE EXPERIENCED BASIC TRANSFORMER OUTAGES AND REGULAR OUTAGES.
NOW DO YOU CLASSIFY IT AS A EXTRAORDINARY OR NOT? I DON'T KNOW.
BUT IF THAT FREQUENTLY HAPPENS, RIGHT? I DON'T THINK THEY SHOULD BE NOT CONSIDERED FOR REIMBURSEMENT BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT PROVIDING THE SERVICE.
SO LET, LET'S, LET'S HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AND THAT DIALOGUE.
AND THE OTHER THING I LIKE TO TALK ABOUT, ARE THERE ANY INCOME, UH, REQUIREMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THOSE REIMBURSEMENTS? BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE WHO LIVE NEAR AND BELOW THE POVERTY LINE AND SOME WHO DON'T.
SO IS THERE INCOME STIPULATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE RECOUPING OF THE DOLLARS, UH, TO YOUR LAST COMMENT? NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF.
AND CERTAINLY WE, WE CAN CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION.
YOU WANNA SPEAK TO THAT DEVANTE? YES.
UH, WE DO HAVE A CURRENT, UH, PROCEEDING THAT WE JUST EXPANDED THAT IS CALLED THE CUSTOMER BILL OF RIGHTS, UH, WHERE WE ARE ADDRESSING THIS EXACT ISSUE AND LOOKING TO PUT HARDER, UH, REQUIREMENTS AND REGULATIONS ON THAT.
SO WHILE THERE IS, UH, NONE FROM THE COMMISSION STANDPOINT TO DO THAT, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THERE IS AN OPEN PROCEEDING AND WE WELCOME THAT COMMENT IN THE FEEDBACK, UM, AS WE DRAFT THAT RULE.
PLEASE ADD THAT INTO MY COMMENTS OF SOMETHING I WANT Y'ALL TO EXPLORE AND LOOK INTO AND GIVE ME ANY INFORMATION YOU MAY HAVE, PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, UH, AND I THANK YOU GUYS ENERGY, UH, AND THANK YOU FOR RESPONDING BECAUSE COUNCILMAN COLEMAN MENTIONED THIS I THINK A WEEK AGO AND YOU GUYS ARE HERE ANSWERING THESE QUESTIONS, SO I APPRECIATE IT.
UH, PARISH ATTORNEY, I'D LIKE YOU TO LOOK AT CHARGEBACK LANGUAGE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S IN THE CONTRACT, BUT OFTENTIMES WHEN YOU'RE IN BUSINESS AND, YOU KNOW, PERFORMANCE IS NOT, UH, PRODUCED AND, AND CARRIED OUT, THERE'S LANGUAGE AND AGREEMENTS THAT ALLOW FOR CHARGEBACKS WHERE THE, UM, CUSTOMER CAN RECOUP THOSE DOLLARS.
COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS. I JUST SAW CAROLYN WAS NEXT.
UM, SO, UM, A COUPLE THINGS ARE, WILL Y'ALL VISIT WITH THE OUR CLOVER LAND LY PEOPLE BEFORE YOU LEAVE TODAY? ABSOLUTELY.
UM, I, I WILL, I WILL SAY IN IN THE PAST, UM, I HAD AN ISSUE WITH CEDAR CREST NEIGHBORHOOD, MULTIPLE OUTAGES, LOTS OF PROBLEMS. AND, UM, AND WE, Y'ALL DID COME THROUGH, DO AN AUDIT OF THE AREA, DO A LOT OF TREE TRIMMING, AND THAT IS ABOUT A YEAR AGO.
UM, SO I'M HOPING THAT SOMETHING LIKE THAT CAN HAPPEN FOR, FOR CLOVER LAND.
'CAUSE THERE'S CLEARLY MORE THAN MORE THAN ONE BUSINESS.
UM, ONE OTHER ISSUE THAT CAME TO ME THAT I WAS, I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT, UM, A A CUSTOMER HAD A DOWN POWER LINE IN THEIR FRONT YARD.
UM, THEY, THEY CALLED ENTERGY AND MULTIPLE TIMES DIDN'T GET ANY RESPONSE AND EVENTUALLY HAD TO CALL THE FIRE DEPARTMENT TO COME OUT.
UM, AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO ASSESS THAT IT WAS A LIVE, UH, WIRE, UM, AND THEN GET ENTERGY TO COME OUT.
BUT THIS WAS, THIS TOOK PLACE OVER, IT SOUNDED LIKE 36 HOURS.
UM, SO, UM, WANTED TO LET Y'ALL KNOW ABOUT THAT.
[01:30:01]
SIR SURE APPRECIATE COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS IF YOU HAD THE INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO THAT CUSTOMER SO WE COULD PULL THE THREAD AND FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED THERE.JUST A PUBLIC SAFETY ANNOUNCEMENT WHILE I HAVE THE FLOOR, ANYONE WHO THINKS THAT THEY MAY BE IN AND AROUND A, A DOWNED WIRE THAT COULD BE ENERGIZED, EVEN IF IT'S THE LOWEST LIKELIHOOD POSSIBLE OF HAVING THAT LINE ENERGIZED, PLEASE STAY AWAY FROM IT.
AND THAT CUSTOMER DID EXACTLY WHAT HE OR SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO, WHICH WAS CALL 1-800-ENTERGY.
AND I WOULD ALSO SAY DID EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BY CALLING ON OUR LOCAL FIRST RESPONDERS WHO HAVE A DIRECT RED HOTLINE TO OUR CONTROL CENTER, UH, TO GET SOMEBODY OUT THERE IMMEDIATELY.
BUT THAT'S NOT THE LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT WE PROVIDE.
SAFETY CALLS OR EMERGENCY CALLS ARE NUMBER ONE IN THE PRIORITY QUEUE.
AND TO HEAR THAT THAT HAPPENED IS, IS NOT, IS NOT WHAT WE STAND FOR.
SO I APOLOGIZE YOU THAT'S OKAY.
YOU CAN, YOU CAN COME UP, YOU CAN COME UP.
REITERATE, AS A PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER, 10 FEET DO NOT GET WITHIN 10 FEET OF A DOWNED LINE.
THAT IS A DISTANCE USED IN INDUSTRY.
UM, I'LL GET THAT INFORMATION TO YOU.
ALRIGHT, THAT IT COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS, YOU'RE DONE.
I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA SPEAK TO Y'ALL, BUT I I'M GONNA LOOK JUST PAST YOU BRIEFLY AND THANK COMMISSIONER LEWIS.
YOU CAN SAY, I, I APPRECIATE, I JUST WANNA EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION, UM, FOR, UH, HOW YOU'VE COME INTO OFFICE, UH, DURING THAT JULY 31ST, UH, EVENT.
AS I WAS MAKING OUTREACH INTO COUNCIL DISTRICT THREE TO SOME OF MY CONTACTS TO SEE WHERE THE TOWERS OUT WHERE WE HAD DOWN TREES, YOU PROACTIVELY REACHED OUT TO ME TO GIVE ME INFORMATION THAT YOU HAD.
AND I WAS TRULY GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
IT SPEAKS, UH, VOLUMES TO HOW YOU APPROACH YOUR POSITION ON THE PAS P SS C, AND I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT.
SO, UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT WORK AND RELATIONSHIP, UH, FOR YOU GUYS.
MY, I I'M GONNA RAISE, UH, TWO ISSUES FROM MINE.
ECHO CERTAINLY THE CALLS THAT WE GET FROM RESIDENTS AND THE, THE CONTINUED WORK THAT YOU DO THERE, UH, PARTICULARLY ON YOUR COMMUNICATION SIDE.
UM, THE FIRST ONE I WANNA RAISE IS POLE MAINTENANCE.
I SAW WHERE THE P S C WAS, UH, CONDUCTING AN INQUIRY OR, OR, UM, UH, HAVING YOU ALL COME FORWARD WITH YOUR PLAN FOR THAT.
I'M KEENLY INTERESTED IN THAT.
YOUR PLAN, YOUR PRIORITIZED, UH, OBVIOUSLY PARTICULARLY IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
UM, OTHER THAN INDIVIDUAL CALLS ABOUT CUSTOMER ISSUES, UH, SOME OF THE MOST FREQUENT COMMENTS MADE TO ME AS A COUNCIL MEMBER IS THE, THE, UH, THE LACK OF POLL MAINTENANCE AND HOW THAT IMPACTS OUR QUALITY OF PLACE, HOW THAT IMPACTS THE APPEARANCE AND THE PRIDE THAT PEOPLE HAVE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
UH, AND SO FROM MY VANTAGE POINT, WORKING AS PARTNERS ON, UH, ON, UH, YOUR PLAN FOR POLE MAINTENANCE THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY IS IMPORTANT.
THE SECOND ITEM I RAISED UP, UH, IS ACTUALLY, UH, UH, TO PIGGYBACK OFF MY COLLEAGUE, COUNCIL MEMBER HURST, UH, I SAW SOME DATA RECENTLY AROUND CRIME STATISTICS WHERE STREETLIGHTS, UH, ARE LACKING.
AND, AND IT WAS TITLED CRIME PREVENTION BY ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN.
UH, AND I WOULD IMPLORE YOU ALL TO PARTNER WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND THEIR SAFE, HOPEFUL, HEALTHY INITIATIVE.
UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, SOME, SOME FOCUS ON PLANK, SOME FOCUS ON SCENIC BASED ON THE DATA THAT I SAW, WHICH CORRESPONDED THOSE TWO LOW LIGHTING WITH, UH, INCIDENCES OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY.
I THINK SOME FOCUS FROM YOU ALL IN THOSE AREAS WOULD GO A LONG WAY.
AND, AND PARTICULARLY ON OUR FOCUS FOR CRIME PREVENTION AS A HOLISTIC, YOU KNOW, INVOLVING ALL PARTNERS.
UH, AND WOULD LOVE TO SEE Y'ALL, UH, UH, SUBSTANTIALLY MORE INVOLVED IN THAT.
LOOK, UH, THANK YOU FOR COMING TONIGHT.
I'VE, I'VE, UM, BEEN, BEEN WHERE YOU ARE.
I WILL SAY ON THE BRIGHT SIDE FOR Y'ALL.
YOU MAY BE A COUNCIL MEMBER ONE DAY.
IT PREPARES YOU WHEN YOU GETTING GRILLED THERE TO
SO THANK Y WELL, WE, WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE AND WHILE SOME OF THE FEEDBACK MAY NOT BE PLEASANT TO HEAR, WE HAVE WORK TO DO AND WE'RE COMMITTED TO, TO WORK THROUGH THAT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU AND, AND MAKE IT RIGHT BY OUR CUSTOMERS AND YOUR CONSTITUENTS GREAT FOR THAT.
UH, AND KUDOS, UH, COUNCILMAN COLEMAN FOR PUTTING THIS ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
YEAH, J I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS REAL QUICK AND, AND YOU ALL MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ANSWER THESE, BUT IF YOU WOULD FOLLOW UP THAT, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE.
SO I, I'M CURIOUS, DO YOU KNOW THE AVERAGE TIME THAT IT TAKES FROM WHEN A COMPLAINT ON A STREET LIGHT COMES IN NOW TO WHEN IT'S REPAIRED? WHAT'S, WHAT'S YOUR AVERAGE? I, UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T HAVE THAT TOP OF MIND, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING CERTAINLY WE CAN FOLLOW UP ON.
DO WE KNOW, AND, AND I FIGURED YOU MIGHT SAY THAT, BUT DO WE KNOW IF THERE'S A TREND, RIGHT? ARE WE IMPROVING WITH THAT TIMELINE? AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW THAT, AGAIN, IF YOU'LL JUST FOLLOW
[01:35:01]
UP WITH US AND LET US KNOW.UM, DO YOU KNOW HOW OFTEN DO WE DO A COMPREHENSIVE AUDIT? UH, NOT, OR NOT AUDIT, BUT ASSESSMENTS OF LIGHTS.
HOW OFTEN DO WE DO THAT DRIVE OF THE 38,000 LIGHTS IN THE PARISH? DOES THAT HAPPEN ANNUALLY? ARE WE DOING THAT QUARTERLY OR, OH, I THINK IT CERTAINLY HAPPENS MORE FREQUENT THAN ANNUALLY.
AND I THINK IT DEPENDS ON THE INSTALLATION DATE OF THE FIXTURE, THE TYPE OF FIXTURE.
'CAUSE IF YOU HAVE AN L E D FIXTURE, CERTAINLY THERE'S LESS MAINTENANCE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
TO, TO GO LONGER THAN, THAN A, THAN A CONVENTIONAL TYPE OF BULB.
SO I THINK THE ANSWER IS, IT DEPENDS, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY MORE FREQUENT THAN ANNUAL AND WE CAN, WE CAN FOLLOW UP ON THAT AS WELL.
UM, IS THERE A REPORT THAT THE PUBLIC CAN ACCESS THAT WOULD SHOW THE AGE AND CONDITION OF TRANSMISSION LINE INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSFORMER INFRA INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE PARISH? SO WHAT, WHAT I'M GETTING AT HERE IS I CAN TELL YOU I REPRESENT THE GREEN TRAIL SHENANDOAH AREA, AND THAT'S WHERE WE HAD A, A BUNCH OF INCIDENTS THE PAST TWO WEEKS OR SO.
WE ARE HERE AND TRANSFORMERS POP ALL THE TIME, RIGHT? YEAH.
UM, AND I HAVE TO THINK THAT THAT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE, THE HEAT AND THAT SORT OF THING, BUT ALSO WITH THE AGE OF THE SYSTEM.
SO I'M CURIOUS, AS WE, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, ARE WE SEEING THE AVERAGE AGE OF OUR TRANSFORMERS IN THE PARISH GET OLDER AND OLDER? OR, OR ARE WE MAKING THE INVESTMENT IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE SEEING THAT AVERAGE AGE GET YOUNGER AND YOUNGER? COUNCILMAN UH, HUDSON, THAT'S A, THAT'S A CHALLENGING QUESTION THERE.
UM, WE, WE DO HAVE AN AGENT INFRASTRUCTURE.
I THINK, UM, WELL, I KNOW THAT ENTERGY IS WILLING AND WOULD LIKE TO, UH, INVEST GREATLY INTO OUR DISTRIBUTION AND TRANSMISSION SYSTEM.
UH, WE HAVE SEVERAL, UM, GOALS TO DO THAT IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
UM, SOME OF THOSE ARE WITH, UH, OUR REGULATORS TO, UH, TO RECEIVE FUNDING FOR THAT.
SO AS, UM, MICHELLE SAID EARLIER, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY AHEAD OF US AND WE WOULD LIKE TO PARTNER WITH YOU ALL AND OUR CUSTOMERS TO BE ABLE TO GET THAT DONE.
AND TREY AND HIS TEAM ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR EXECUTING A RENEWAL PROGRAM, RIGHT? SO IT GOES BACK TO THAT BALANCING ACT OF RELIABILITY AND AFFORDABILITY AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE INVESTING IN THOSE ASSETS THAT HAVE KIND OF THE HIGHEST RETURN IN TERMS OF AVOIDED CUSTOMER INTERRUPTIONS AND KIND OF DEFLECTING THAT CURVE OF, OF THAT AGING INFRASTRUCTURE, RIGHT? AND THE, THE ASSETS THAT HAVE SERVED THEIR USEFUL LIFE AND ARE STILL IN USEFUL SERVICE, BUT LET'S BE PROACTIVE AND, AND GET THEM OUT OF THE ROTATION AND RENEW THEM, UM, GOING FORWARD.
SO THAT'S A CONSTANT, A CONSTANT CHALLENGE AND A CONSTANT FOCUS AREA FOR, FOR TREY AND FOR THE ENGINEERING TEAM THAT SUPPORTS THE OVERALL PRIORITIZATION OF OUR RELIABILITY PROGRAM.
SO, QUICK QUESTION ON CAPACITY OF THE SYSTEM.
UM, HOW CLOSE DO WE GET TO NOT HAVING CAPACITY? AND I GUESS THE, THE QUESTION IS NOT REALLY ABOUT THE SYSTEM AS A WHOLE, BUT I, I'M ASSUMING THERE'S DIFFERENT CAPACITIES WITHIN DIFFERENT ZONES OF THE SYSTEM.
ARE THERE AREAS WHERE WE'RE RUNNING A THREAT OF BROWNOUTS AND THAT KIND OF THING? I I DON'T THINK WE'VE SEEN MUCH OF THAT THIS SUMMER, BUT NO, I'M CURIOUS GENERALLY ABOUT THE CAPACITY OF OUR SYSTEM AND, AND HOW CLOSE WE'RE GETTING TO, TO THAT CAPACITY.
YEAH, THAT'S A HARD QUESTION TO ANSWER KIND OF IN THE ABSTRACT.
UM, BUT NO, WE'VE HAD, WE'VE HAD A VERY RELIABLE SYSTEM, KNOCK ON WOOD, RIGHT? UM, 'CAUSE WE NEVER KNOW WHAT MOTHER NATURE WILL SEND OUR WAY, UM, IN TERMS OF MAJOR CATASTROPHIC, UM, CHALLENGE TO THE PERFORMANCE OF OUR SYSTEM.
BUT YEAH, IT'S BEEN A VERY RELIABLE SUMMER AND I ACTUALLY HAIL FROM OUR PLANNING ORGANIZATION WHERE THAT'S THE, THE MISSION OF THAT TEAM IS TO CONSTANTLY BE LOOKING FORWARD, RIGHT? ASSESSING WHERE WE HAVE LOAD GROWTH, WHERE WE'VE GOT NEW SUBDIVISIONS COMING IN, NEW BUSINESSES COMING TO SITE, AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IS BUILT OUT IN A METHODICAL WAY SO THAT ENTERGY IS NOT THE HOLD UP FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH IN, IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY.
SO THAT'S CONSTANTLY AN AREA OF FOCUS FOR US FROM A, FROM A PLANNING PERSPECTIVE, BOTH ON THE, THE TRANSMISSION SYSTEM, WHICH IS KIND OF THE SUPER HIGHWAY, UM, OF HOW WE MOVE POWER AROUND.
AND THEN IN THE LOCAL DISTRIBUTION NETWORK, WHICH SERVES, UM, MOST, MOST NOTABLY, YOU KNOW, HOMES AND, AND COMMERCIAL BUSINESSES.
AND, AND THEN, SO JUST THE LAST POINT I'LL MAKE IS, IS JUST SORT OF FEEDBACK.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HEAR FROM CONSTITUENTS A LOT IS THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO REPORT A LIGHT OUTAGE.
UM, SO I, I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO AS MUCH OUTREACH AS YOU CAN IN THE BILLS THROUGH COMMUNICATIONS THROUGH YOUR APP.
I KNOW YOU GUYS SEND OUT TEXT MESSAGES AND THAT SORT OF THING AS WELL, BUT EVEN IF YOU WERE TO PUT SOMETHING ON THE POLL THAT TELLS YOU, YOU KNOW, HEY, HERE'S HOW TO REPORT AN OUTAGE, I, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED.
SO JUST, JUST SOME FEEDBACK THERE.
AGAIN, I'LL ECHO THE SENTIMENTS OF ALL MY COLLEAGUES.
THANK YOU TO COMMISSIONER LEWIS.
UM, THIS HAS BEEN A, A GREAT INFORMATION SESSION AND AND WE APPRECIATE IT.
[01:40:01]
MICHAEL.SO YOU ALL, UM, DO YOU ALL HAVE A, ANY, UM, CONTRACTS THAT YOU CONTRACT, SAY JUST FOR LIGHT POLE LIGHTING OUTAGES YOU WANNA BUILD? COULD YOU REPHRASE IT? I MEAN, COULD YOU, THE QUESTION AGAIN, MA'AM, FOR, DO Y'ALL HAVE SOMEONE, IS IT WITHIN ENTERGY OR DO YOU HAVE A CONTRACTOR THAT JUST, UM, JUST ADDRESS THE LIGHTING STREETLIGHTS? SO WE DO HAVE CONTRACT PARTNERS THAT ASSIST US MM-HMM.
AND UH, MY FOLKS WOULD ALSO SUPPLEMENT THAT WORK AS WELL.
SO WE HAVE, I THINK THE PART, ONE OF THE THINGS IS THE ONE 800 ENERGY WITH ALL THE COMPLAINTS COMING THERE.
THERE'S A SLOW, IT'S REALLY, REALLY SLOW.
THE OTHER THING IS FOR US, WE'LL CONTACT, YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNMENT, UH, OUR GOVERNMENT CONTACT.
BUT STILL THAT'S, IT'S ALMOST SIMULTANEOUS.
I WAS WONDERING, IS THERE A WAY, LIKE WE HAVE 3 1 1, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT HEADS.
SO IS THERE A BREAKDOWN WHERE WE CAN GET ON WHO HANDLES EACH ONE OF THOSE DEPARTMENT? IF IT'S STREETLIGHT, WHO IS OVERSTREET LIGHTING? IF IT'S, UM, IT, 'CAUSE ENERGY TRUCKS ARE IN MY SUBDIVISION WEEKLY, BUT THEN ALMOST ALL THE LIGHTS ON MY, ON MY PARTICULAR RESIDENCE STREET ARE OUT.
ALL THE ONES ON ELM GROVE, ALL THE ONES IN PARK VISTA.
THE OTHER THING IS, I HEARD YOU MENTION THAT THERE WAS AN OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO WORK ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE, THE, THE OLD INFRASTRUCTURE.
HOWEVER, UH, I, I'VE BEEN IN MY HOUSE 30 YEARS AND EACH TIME THERE'S A SPRINKLE, ALL THE LIGHTS GO OUT AND WE ARE TOLD THAT IT COSTS TOO MUCH, UM, TO REDO THAT, THAT ISSUE.
BUT TO ME, YOU'RE SPENDING MORE MONEY FIXING, LI FIXING, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH THE OUTAGES AND HAVING TO CALL THE MULTIPLE CONTRACTORS OUT.
SO HOW CAN A RESIDENT SUCH AS MYSELF ACTUALLY FIND OUT WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE, SAY FOR A SUBDIVISION? YES.
SPECIFIC TO THE, THE, UM, THE, THE CONCERN AROUND KIND OF DEPARTMENT HEADS AND, AND HOW TO, HOW DOES ONE NAVIGATE WITHIN ENTERGY, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
CERTAINLY WE HAVE THE APP AS WELL THAT WE WOULD ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO GO TO FOR MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL.
UM, WE'VE GOT FOLKS WITHIN MY TEAM WHO, UM, WE, WE WERE GONNA BE WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH YOU.
WE'VE GOT SOME TRANSITIONS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW WITHIN MY TEAM, BUT, BUT CERTAINLY WE SEEK TO KIND OF REESTABLISH AND REKINDLE SOME OF THE RELATIONSHIPS AND THOSE DIRECT LINES OF COMMUNICATION WITH THIS FORM, WITH THIS, WITH THIS BODY.
BECAUSE ONCE YOU HEAR OF A CONSTITUENT ISSUE OR ONCE YOU PERSONALLY HAVE AN ISSUE, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE LINES OF COMMUNICATION ARE OPEN SO THAT WE CAN FIELD THEM, CATCH THEM, AND, AND RUN WITH THEM INTERNALLY TO THE RIGHT FOLKS, UM, WHO HAVE THE RIGHT MECHANISMS, TREY INCLUDED.
IT'S GOOD TO HAVE FRIENDS INTERNALLY.
SO, UM, SO THE RIGHT PEOPLE THAT, THAT CAN TAKE THOSE, THOSE ISSUES AND, AND RUN WITH THEM.
THE OTHER THING, UM, YOU MENTIONED, AND, AND WE, WE DEFINITELY NEED YOUR INFORMATION.
'CAUSE I'M JUST LOOKING AT ALL THE EMAILS THAT I'VE GOTTEN, UH, FROM RESIDENTS AND ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WERE BROUGHT UP ABOUT THE MULTIPLE LINES.
SOME THERE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE AT AND T LINE, THE COX OR THE CABLE LINE AND ENERGY, I KNOW PERSONALLY, UM, I'M BEEN THE ONE WHO'VE HAD TO TRY TO NEGOTIATE WHO COMES OUT TO IDENTIFY.
UM, AS TO IT, IT IS JUST LIKE THEY, HERE WE HAVE TO DO ALL THE WORK AS A CONSTITUENT TO CONNECT ENTERGY WITH THE ENGINEERS AT AT T OR THE ENGINEERS AT COX AND, YOU KNOW, THEN PUT 'EM ALL ON AN EMAIL TOGETHER.
I ALSO HAVE, UM, A RESIDENT ON A, UM, MULTI-FAMILY SENIOR RESIDENTS AND THEY'RE COMPLAINING ABOUT THEY CAN'T GET ANYONE WHERE ONE OF THE SENIOR RESIDENT IN A MULTI, UM, UH, FAMILY, I GUESS THE BILL IS $900.
AND THIS IS BEFORE YOU INDICATED THAT Y'ALL WEREN'T GONNA TURN.
UM, SO THIS IS A FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER.
SHE'S BEEN TRYING TO REACH SOMEBODY FOR TWO MONTHS AT ENERGY TO ADDRESS THESE CUSTOMERS.
ALSO, ENERGY REALLY NEEDS TO, UM, WHENEVER THERE'S A COMMUNITY EVENT AND A MEETING, WE NEED SOMEONE WHO'S GONNA BE THERE.
YOU KNOW, WE, UH, I WOULD SAY THE SAME THING WITH BATON WITH WATER.
UM, YOU KNOW, JUST THERE, WE KNOW YOU HAVE YOUR GOVERNMENTAL PERSON, BUT WE NEED SOMEONE THAT'S ALL THEY DO IS COME TO COMMUNITY EVENTS.
[01:45:01]
UM, SO THAT WILL BE SOMETHING, YOUR INFORMATION.I'M GONNA FORWARD YOU, UH, EMAILS FROM THE PAST, INCLUDING MY, UH, SOMETHING THAT HASN'T BEEN RESOLVED AT MY HOUSE SINCE 2021 AND IT'S 2023.
AND, UM, I THINK THERE'S A PASTOR WHERE HIS LIGHTS WAS HIS, UM, THE RESPONSE FROM THE ENERGY WAS THERE HAVE BEEN TWO CLAIMS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE DOESN'T HANDLE IT AFTER IT'S A CLAIM.
WHAT, WHAT DID THAT, WHAT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN WHEN THEY SAY THERE'S TWO CLAIMS? I'M JUST GOING THROUGH EMAIL COUNCILWOMAN BANKS.
WELL, ON BEHALF OF ENERGY, SOME OF THE THEM, AND THEN I'LL PASS IT TO 'EM ON YOUR, ON YOUR TALK.
WE DO HAVE A PENDING RULE RIGHT NOW ON POLE ATTACHMENTS.
UM, WHICH IS LOOKING AT THE WIRES AND, AND, AND I WILL TELL YOU, UH, THIS IS A PLACE WHERE, THIS IS NOT REALLY AN INTERGY PROBLEM.
THEY OWN MOST OF THE POLES, BUT A LOT OF TIMES THEY HAVE WHAT, WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED POLE ATTACHMENTS RIGHT.
AND THAT'S, UM, WHERE WE GET INTO A LOT OF ISSUES.
AND SO WE DO HAVE A, A PENDING RULE RIGHT NOW THAT WE ARE MAKING, UH, TO PUT, UM, STRONGER REGULATIONS ON THAT AND THEN ALSO HELP ENTERGY BECAUSE THAT IS JUST NOT THEIR PROBLEM.
THEY, THEY, THEY ARE CONTRACTING WITH AT AND T AND, AND COX AND WE RUN INTO THESE, UM, ISSUES ALL THE TIME.
AND SO IF YOU CONTACT THE COMMISSION OR, OR, OR MYSELF, WE TYPICALLY PLAY, UM, THE INTERMEDIATE ROLE BETWEEN, UM, THE TWO, UH, TELECOMMUNICATION PROVIDERS.
'CAUSE OFTENTIMES THEN YOU GET INTO A CONVERSATION, WHETHER IT'S COX OR AT AND T.
UH, SO THERE'S A SUB PART ON THAT.
UM, WHEN YOU GOT BACK TO YOUR ISSUE ABOUT, UH, CALL CENTERS, I JUST WANTED TO INFORM YOU THAT ON OUR MEETING ON WEDNESDAY, WE DID ADD, UH, CALL CENTERS TO THAT PENDING RULEMAKING ON, UH, CUSTOMER BILL OF RIGHTS.
AND SO WE ARE GOING TO BE, UM, INVESTIGATING AND DEVELOPING NEW POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FROM THE COMMISSION STANDPOINT OF, OF HOW CALL CENTER SHOULD BE OPERATED MM-HMM.
SO DEFINITELY AS THAT RULE, UH, IS MADE, I WILL REACH OUT TO YOU TO, TO SHARE WHERE THE COMMISSION IS GOING BEFORE WE VOTE ON THAT FINAL, UM, RULE.
AND THEN ON THE, THE LAST QUESTION, I'LL, I'LL PASS IT BACK TO YOU.
ONE, ONE THING YOU INDICATED WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT THE, UM, THE ATTACHMENT WITH THE CABLE, YOU SAID IT'S NOT ENERGY'S PROBLEMS, BUT DON'T THEY HAVE TO PROVIDE, GIVE PERMISSION OR NO? YES.
SO, SO, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE REVITALIZING AND WORKING VERY HARD WITH INDUAL IN THIS MM-HMM.
AND SO IT CREATES, UH, SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS WE'VE SEEN, UM, WHERE THOSE ATTACHMENTS ARE PULLING DOWN AN OLDER POLE MM-HMM.
UM, WHICH MEANS THE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT RELIABILITY, ONE OF THE ISSUES, AND I THINK TREY CAN SPEAK TO THIS ABOUT VEGETATION MANAGEMENT, COULD BE POLES ARE BECOMING, UH, LESS SECURE SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THE ATTACHMENTS AND THE ABANDONED ATTACHMENTS, RIGHT.
THAT ARE ON THOSE POLES THAT ONLY THE REGULATOR, THE P SS C COULD FORCE AT AND T AND COX TO PUT DOWN.
SO WE HAVE BEEN WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH THEM IN THAT RULEMAKING, UH, TO MAKE THAT PROCESS EASIER AND BETTER.
AND, AND BEFORE YOU GO THAT, SO THE, THE OTHER THING THAT, WHAT I'VE NOTICED IN PERSONALLY IS I, YOU KNOW, THIS GOES BACK TO 20, UM, 20 2005, IF A POLL BEGINS TO LEAN, THEY ADD AN ADDITIONAL POLL TO GIVE SUPPORT OR THEY'RE, BECAUSE OF, OF THE DIFFERENT OUTAGES.
IT'S LIKE THEY COME UP, THERE'S A, THERE'S NO SYSTEMATIC WAY ON HOW TO DO THE POLL LINES.
AND SO IT BECOMES, UM, DIFFICULT AND A, A PROBLEM WITH YOUR, WITH WITHIN THE YARD PLAYROOM, PLAY SPACE, WHATEVER.
BUT THEN WHEN IT'S TIME TO REMOVE IT, ENERGY DOESN'T COME.
AND I KNOW PERSONALLY I'VE ASKED FOR, UM, THE SECOND POLE, THE POLES TO BE REMOVED, UH, THAT WERE PLACED JUST BECAUSE OF A HURRICANE.
AND THEN I, I'M BEING CHARGED $1,500 TO DO THAT.
SO, SO WE DO HAVE A POLL, UH, THAT THAT IS ALSO PART OF THAT RULEMAKING AND PAROLE VIABILITY THAT IS BEING LOOKED AT.
AND WE'RE HOPEFUL TO GET DONE BEFORE, UM, THE END OF THE YEAR IS, IS KIND OF MY GOAL.
PLEASE REACH OUT TO MY OFFICE.
UM, JUST SPEAKING, SPEAKING OF POLLS AT TIMES YOU MAY SEE TWO POLLS NEXT TO EACH OTHER WHERE ONE'S CUT OFF IN HALF AND THEN THE OTHER NEXT TO IT IS STANDING.
THAT'S PART OF SOME OF THE COMPLICATION THAT, THAT COMMISSIONER LEWIS WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT AROUND POLE ATTACHMENTS, BECAUSE WE MAY COME IN AND PUT IN A NEWER, STRONGER, MORE RESILIENT POLE, IMPROVE ALL THE HARDWARE AT THE TOP, THE CROSS ARMS, THE INSULATORS, THE TRANSFORMERS THAT ARE GONNA PROVIDE HIGHER LEVELS OF RELIABILITY AND RESILIENCY RIGHT.
TO THE CUSTOMERS THAT, THAT ARE SERVED FROM THAT INFRASTRUCTURE.
BUT YET OUR, OUR, OUR PARTNERS IN THE TELECOM BUSINESS, MO PRIMARILY TELECOM RIGHT, HAVEN'T YET HAD THE
[01:50:01]
OPPORTUNITY TO TRANSFER THEIR ASSETS TO THE NEW POLE.AND SO THAT'S WHERE YOU SEE, UH, THE DANCE HAPPENING A LITTLE BIT WHERE THE TWO POLES NEXT TO EACH OTHER AND WE CALL IT A STUB POLE.
AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE CERTAINLY HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE COORDINATION AND, AND COMMUNICATION BETWEEN ALL THE PARTIES.
I MEAN, I'M NOT GONNA SIT UP HERE AND MINCE WORDS ABOUT IT TO HAVE TWO POLES WHERE REALLY NO ONE, YOU KNOW, NO ONE WANTS THE TWO POLLS TO BE THERE.
UH, SO, SO AGAIN, THAT'S JUST THE BACKGROUND WITH THAT, THAT COST.
HOW ABOUT THAT COST? THAT'S, AND THAT'S THING MS. BANKS, THAT'S THE TIME.
HEY, I JUST WANTED TO ADD ONE QUICK POINT TO IT.
I WAS, I WAS APPOINTED JANUARY 12TH OF LAST YEAR AND ELECTED MARCH 26TH.
AND SINCE THE INCEPTION OF ME BEING IN OFFICE, ONE OF THE LARGEST ISSUES WAS A LEANING POLE IN FRONT OF GLEN OAKS HIGH SCHOOL AT 66 65 CEDAR GROVE.
IT'S AT ABOUT A 60 DEGREE ANGLE TO THE POINT WHERE IT'S SCARING ALL THE RESIDENTS OF POTENTIALLY, UM, FALLING OVER ON THEIR HOME.
NOW, I DID SEND THIS BACK TO, UH, FRED.
OH, THAT'S SMILING BEHIND YOU.
'CAUSE HE KNOW, HE KNOWS ABOUT WHAT PAUL I'M TALKING ABOUT.
BUT, UM, I DID SEND THIS TO Y'ALL LAST WEEK.
I'VE SENT IT TO YOU ABOUT A YEAR AGO.
IT HAS YET TO BE RESOLVED SINCE WE HAVE THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONER AND THE VICE PRESIDENT OF CUSTOMER SERVICE.
WHAT IS MY E T A ON GETTING THIS RESOLVED? SO WE TOOK THE ADDRESS DOWN, WE'LL HAVE SOMEBODY OUT THERE THIS WEEK TO LOOK AT IT, AND IT'S HIS TEAM THAT'S GONNA BE DOING THE REPLACEMENT.
AND THEN WHAT DOES THE E T A ONCE THEY LOOK AT, 'CAUSE I'M BIG ON WHETHER IT'S DEALING WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, FRED, I DO BENCHMARKING.
WHAT IS MY ESTIMATED TIME OR RESOLUTION? THAT'S ALL THAT MATTERS TO ME.
WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE MAX TIME? GIMME THE MAX SO I CAN HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE.
SO 10 BUSINESS DAYS, MAX, THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER COLEMAN.
SO, AND, AND FIRST LET ME TELL YOU, MICHELLE AND FREY, WE, UH, GLAD THAT YOU SHOWED UP.
YOU KNOW, YOU COULD HAVE NOT SHOWN UP, BUT IT'D BEEN BAD HAD YOU NOT SHOWN UP.
AND YOU'VE HEARD FROM MY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE.
BUT I GET A LOT OF CALLS AND COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE BROKEN UTILITY POLES, THE DOUBLE POLES, THE STREET LIGHT OUTAGES.
AND I HAVE TO TELL MY CONSTITUENTS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A, YES, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR ME TO DO SOMETHING, BUT I HAVE TO TELL THEM THAT IT'S NOT THE MAYOR NOR THE COUNCIL'S RESPONSIBILITY.
IT, IT'S NOT OUR CONTROL THAT IT'S HANDLED BY THE 60 YEAR CONTRACT THAT CITY PARISH HAS WITH, AND THIS CONTRACT IS SO OLD, IT STILL SAYS GOFF STATES UTILITY COMPANY.
AND SO IT SAYS THAT THE COMPANY SHALL MAINTAIN A LIST OF LIGHTS BY STREET LOCATION SHOWING THE NUMBER OF LIGHTS THERE, TYPE AND INTENSITY AND APPLICABLE RATE SCHEDULES.
AND THEN IT SAVES A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER STUFF.
AND THIS WENT TO MR. CANFIELD, AND HE'S PROBABLY NOT AROUND ANYMORE.
NOW, I WANT YOU ALL TO LOOK AT THESE PHOTOS.
Y'ALL THIS REAL, AND THIS IS WHAT MY CONSTITUENTS CALLED ME ABOUT.
THIS IS OUT OF ORDER, FOLKS STILL PAYING ENERGY.
THIS IS WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT.
AND THIS WAS ONLY 30 MINUTES NOW OF DRIVING DOWN PLANK IN THE PORTION OF DISTRICT 10.
AND IT'S JUST A SMALL SAMPLE HERE OF WHAT IS AROUND BATON ROUGE, BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT 10 NOW.
AND SO IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT YOU NOTIFY THE UTILITY COMPANIES WHO I ASSUME PAY TO SHARE THESE POLLS HERE.
BUT THE QUESTION IS, WHAT DO YOU DO IF THEY DO NOT REMOVE THEIR EQUIPMENT? WHAT DO YOU DO IF SOMEONE GET HURT? HOW DO WE SOLVE THIS? NOW, THAT'S THREE QUESTIONS THERE.
AND SOMEONE GETTING HURT AS A RESULT OF THIS.
I SUBMITTED A LIST AND WE HAD TOGETHER BATON ROUGE, WE HAD SOME PASTORS, AND WE WERE TOLD, NOW THIS IS THE LIST THAT WE SUBMITTED.
WE RODE THE DISTRICT, WE WERE TOLD, AND WE DID THIS AT
[01:55:01]
NIGHT.I HAD RECOMMENDED THAT THE PERSON OR PERSONS THAT'S RESPONSIBLE FOR LIGHT OUTAGES DO THIS.
THEY TOLD ME, NO, THAT'S NOT THEIR JOB.
WE RODE THIS DISTRICT AND I'M TALKING ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT I NAMED.
AND WE WERE OUT UNTIL ABOUT NINE 30, ALMOST 10 O'CLOCK.
AND SO WE WERE TOLD THAT WE HAD TO TIE, RIP THAT, THAT CAUTION OR RIBBONS OR SOMETHING AROUND THE POLLS.
WE HAD TO DO THAT AND THEN SUBMIT.
WE SUBMITTED THIS LIST AND WE WERE JUMPING IN AND OUT, IN AND OUT OF CARS.
WHAT WE WERE ASKED TO DO, YES, IT WAS CRAZY.
BUT THE CONSTITUENTS NEEDED THIS.
WE NEEDED THIS, AND WE DID THAT.
AND THAT'S THAT LIST RIGHT THERE.
YOU ALL, WE SUBMITTED THAT LIST AND THAT WAS BACK, BACK, BACK.
AND SO I QUESTION IF THIS IS THE TYPICAL OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN OTHER DISTRICTS.
SO DOES ENERGY HAVE TEAMS THAT MONITOR THE STREETLIGHT OUTAGE OR DO THEY RELY ON CITIZENS? CALL IN.
AND LET ME EXPLAIN SOMETHING TO YOU.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL ME ABOUT EXTREME HEAT.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL ME ABOUT GLOBAL WARNING.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO TELL ME ABOUT MOTHER NATURE.
I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN CALLING REGARDING.
SO THIS IS NOT JUST A RESULT OF THE HOT WEATHER.
NOW THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN ON, WE HAVE BEEN ON CONTINUOUSLY.
WHEN I CAME IN OFFICE, THIS WAS ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS THAT WERE ADDRESSED.
I HEARD YOU ASK ABOUT A HOTSPOT.
SO I WANT YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU WRITE THAT DOWN.
THE OTHER THING THAT I FIND WITH ENERGY IS THAT THEY KNOCK OUT THE ENERGY ON THESE HOUSES IN 10.
I DON'T LIKE THE NEW HOMES, THE OLDER HOMES.
AND SO ENERGY WILL KNOCK OUT WHAT? KNOCK OUT, THEN THE ENERGY IS OUT.
A SENIOR CITIZEN WHO'S BLIND IN A HUSBAND IN A WHEELCHAIR ENERGY KNOCKED OUT THEIR POWER.
THEN THEY WERE TOLD WHEN IT WAS TIME TO GET THE POWER BACK ON, THEY TOLD THEM THAT THEIR BOX WAS OUTDATED.
A LOT OF THE CONSTITUENTS HEAR THAT FOOLISHNESS ABOUT OUTDATED BOXES.
THIS BATON ROUGE, A WHOLE BUNCH OF BOXES ARE OUTDATED.
THAT'S AN ISSUE THERE THAT CONCERNS.
AND Y'ALL LOVE THE HOLLER OLD SOUTH BATON ROUGE, WHERE OLD SOUTH BATON ROUGE GOT SOME OLD BOXES.
AND SO THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT ENERGY OUGHT TO BE ABLE TO GET AWAY WITH.
AND THEN I'M TALKING ABOUT A LOT OF CALLS ABOUT THESE THINGS HERE.
AND THEN IF I HAD A CONSTITUENT SENT ME HIS BILL, AND Y'ALL ON THE BACK OF THE BILL STORM RESTORATION CHARGE, $48 AND 47 CENTS.
YOU ALL SAY Y'ALL NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE HEAT, BUT WE HAVE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR STORM RESTORATION.
AND THIS IS JUST SOMETHING THAT'S PUT ON THE CONSTITUENTS AND MINE TOO.
AND THEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ENORMOUS BILLS HERE THAT WE ARE RECEIVING, ME INCLUDED.
BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE ON WHAT THEY CALL A FIXED INCOME.
AND ALL OUR INCOMES ARE FIXED.
I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT IN A LOT OF ELDERLY PEOPLE, A LOT OF ELDERLY PEOPLE.
AND SO THAT'S A CONCERN THERE THAT I HAVE.
AND SO I JUST WANNA KNOW WHY EVERY TIME YOU LOOK AROUND, THE ELECTRICITY IS OFF, BUT THE BILLS ARE STILL COMING.
AND SO I CONCUR WITH MY, UH, COUNCILWOMAN ROCKER.
I DON'T WANNA HEAR NOTHING ABOUT, I DON'T WANNA HEAR THAT ABOUT YOU SHORT ON NOTHING.
BECAUSE IF YOU'RE SHORT ON IT, YOU NEED TO GET IT AND YOU NEED TO BE CREATIVE IN WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
[02:00:01]
AND SO WHAT WE GOING TO DO IS I WANT YOU TO KNOW WE'RE GONNA FOLLOW BACK UP BECAUSE YOU MADE A LOT OF PROMISES HERE.AND WE GONNA FOLLOW BACK UP WITH, YOU'RE COMING RIGHT BACK HERE NEXT TIME, THE TOP PERSON COMING WITH YOU SO THAT WE CAN GET, YOU'RE COMING BACK WITH SOME ANSWERS, NOT JUST GOING THROUGH THE MOTION BECAUSE THIS IS NOT GONNA BE GOOD ENOUGH.
AND THAT'S THE GOOD THING ABOUT IT.
AND SO WE HAVE A PUBLIC ACCESS TV STATION.
AND SO EVEN ON THAT, YOU COULD MAKE USE OF, AND MR. MCCAIN, DENNIS IS IN HERE, THE WELL-DRESSED GENTLEMAN.
AND DENNIS CAN PUT THAT ON, ON 21, UH, EXPLAINING HOW THE CONTRACT WITH ENERGY WORK AND IT'S FREE.
YOU CAN ALSO TELL WHEN THE OUTAGES ARE.
SO YOU COULD MAKE USE OF CHANNEL 21 IN ORDER TO GET THIS INFORMATION OUT TO THE CONSTITUENTS.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE, MY MY MIND, YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THE CUSTOMERS DON'T GET GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE.
AND IT'S KIND OF LIKE, BECAUSE YOU ARE THE ONLY SHERIFF IN TOWN OTHER THAN LITTLE DECO, BUT IN EAST BATON ROUGE, YOU GOT THE MONOPOLY ON INTER CHI.
IT'S KINDA LIKE WE GOT TO PAY FOR WHATSOEVER.
AND IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT, UH, YOU, WE SAY, BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE TO PAY BECAUSE YOU ALL THE ONLY SHERIFF IN TOWN AND THAT IS NOT GOOD.
SO, AND THEN EVERY TWO WEEKS, AND THAT'S GIVEN A LONG TIME THERE.
YOU LOOK AROUND AND ENERGY IS OUT, ELECTRICITY IS OFF, AND IT'S NO WAY THAT THOSE LEANING POLES CAN BE JUSTIFIED THROUGHOUT BATON ROUGE.
Y'ALL DON'T GIVE US ANY BREAKS ON OUR BILLS.
SO WHY SHOULD WE LOOK FOR ANY BREAKS FOR ENERGY OUT OF ORDER? AND IF YOU ALL CAN'T TAKE CARE OF IT, THEN YOU NEED TO PARTNER WITH SOMEBODY.
BE CREATIVE MEMBER WITH SOMEBODY.
PARTNER COUNCIL MEMBER WITH SOMEBODY.
YOU'VE BEEN TALKING FOR 10, 10, 10 AND 10.
HAS IT BEEN 10 COUNCIL CONSTITUENTS? I'M GONNA GIVE YOU SOME MORE TIME.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 10 FOR THE LAST 10 MINUTES.
SO 10, DISTRICT 10, AND ALL OF THESE DISTRICTS, THIS IS CONCERNED.
THIS IS NOT JUST SOMETHING IN ONE AREA.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S A BIG ISSUE THERE.
AND YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE, YOU GOTTA DO SOMETHING WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE.
AND THERE IS NOTHING IN PLACE FOR ANYONE TO CALL.
AND THAT LONG OLD MESSAGE THERE, SOMEBODY CALLING, TRYING TO REPORT SOMETHING, IT'S UNACCEPTABLE.
PEOPLE ARE NOT BEING SERVED AND SERVICE IS NUMBER ONE.
SO WHY THESE LIGHTS BEEN GOING OUT EVERY TIME WE LOOK AROUND? THAT'S ALL I WANNA KNOW AT THIS POINT.
I I JUST, I HEARD OVERWHELMINGLY, IF I COULD PARAPHRASE, WE'RE FALLING SHORT BY YOUR EXPECTATION AND BY THE EXPECTATION OF MANY, IF NOT ALL, ON THIS COUNCIL, ON A VARIETY OF FACETS.
WHETHER IT'S OUTAGE PERFORMANCE, STREETLIGHT PERFORMANCE, QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BILL STORM CHARGES, RIGHT? THE CUSTOMER'S ABILITY TO ACCESS US TO GET PROBLEMS RESOLVED, IT SOUNDS LIKE ON ALL FRONTS, RIGHT? THERE'S CONCERNS OF, OF VARYING DEGREES AND, AND YOU HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS.
WE HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS AND EVERYTHING WE'VE HEARD TODAY, I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE.
EVERYBODY WILL HAVE MY CONTACT INFORMATION BEFORE I LEAVE TODAY.
AND IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO HEAR JUST HOW DEEP AND HOW CON, HOW, UM, PASSIONATE THE CONCERN IS OF YOU AND YOUR FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE.
SO, UM, I, I'D BE HAPPY TO ADDRESS ANY OF THEM SPECIFICALLY, BUT JUST I WANTED TO JUST PARAPHRASE IN GENERAL TO SAY WE HEARD YOUR MESSAGE LOUD AND CLEAR AND, AND IT'S ON A VARIETY OF FRONTS.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO REPLAY THIS, THIS, THIS DISCUSSION.
I KNOW WE'VE GOT FOLKS TAKING SOME NOTES AND I'VE TRIED TO JOT SOME NOTES DOWN, UM, AS WE'VE GONE, TELL ME WHY, WHY, WHY THE OUTAGES, WHY ALL THESE, SPEAKING TO THE MIC COUNCIL OUTAGES, WHY ALL OF THESE OUTAGES EVERY WEEK, EVERY TWO WEEKS? WHY, WHY ALL OF THESE OUTAGES? I, I MEAN, IT'S HARD TO, TO
[02:05:01]
KIND OF TALK SPECIFICS BECAUSE YOU OUTAGE, LEMME HELP YOU.JUST THIS WEEK, MCKINLEY HIGH, L S U LAB, L S U, THE LEO S BUTLER CENTER, ALL OF THEM WERE OUT AND WE RECEIVED NOTHING ABOUT THE WHY AND THAT THEY WERE GOING TO BE OUT.
AND WHAT HAPPENED? THOSE FOLK CALL, THOSE FOLK CALL, RIGHT? AND YOU'RE, AND SEE Y'ALL SITTING ON THE PORCH AND WE GETTING THE CALLS.
AND SO I ASK AGAIN, WHY, WHY, WHY? I, I DO THINK YOU'RE OWED AN EXPLANATION SPECIFICALLY ABOUT L S U AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT ANY OTHER OUTAGES AS WELL IN AND AROUND L S U, LET ME SAY 'CAUSE IT WAS BROADER THAN JUST L S U C.
YEAH, THAT'S WHERE THOSE I NAMED ALL, ALL AROUND.
SO, SO SPECIFIC TO THE OUTAGE IN AND AROUND LS, U'S CAMPUS.
SO THE, THE CONFIGURATION OF THE SYSTEM THAT SERVES, UH, THAT AREA, THERE'S TWO TRANSMISSION LINES THAT SERVE THE CAMPUS AND THE SURROUNDING AREA.
L S U AS SOME MAY KNOW ALSO HAS A CO-GENERATION FACILITY, UH, THAT THEY OWN AND OPERATE.
AND WE HAPPENED TO HAVE ONE OF OUR TRANSMISSION LINES OUT OF SERVICE DOING SOME PROACTIVE CAPITAL RENEWAL.
WE WERE CHANGING OUT SOME STRUCTURES ON THAT LINE, NOT STRUCTURES THAT WERE FALLING, BUT LOOKING AHEAD, GOING, WE WANNA IMPROVE THE OVERALL RELIABILITY AND RESILIENCY OF THE SERVICE, THE, THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT SERVES THIS AREA.
SO WE HAD ONE TRANSMISSION LINE OUT OF SERVICE.
AND SO WE EXPERIENCED AN OUTAGE ON THE REMAINING TRANSMISSION LINE, THE RADIAL TRANSMISSION LINE THAT WAS PROVIDING THE FLOW OF ELECTRONS TO THAT AREA.
AND SO YOU SAW SO MANY CUSTOMERS AFFECTED BECAUSE IT WASN'T ONE FEEDER, IT WASN'T ONE LATERAL, IT WAS ALL OF THE CUSTOMERS THAT ARE SERVED OUT OF TWO SUBSTATIONS IN AND AROUND LS, U'S CAMPUS.
AND THE NEXT DAY THEY WERE OUT.
AND, AND, AND THE SAME THING DID NOT HAPPEN AGAIN.
SO PERHAPS THERE WAS ANOTHER ISSUE AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THE SPECIFICS OF THAT, I CAN'T SPEAK TO UP HERE, BUT PERHAPS THERE WAS SOME OTHER ISSUE THAT SURFACED.
UM, AND THAT, THAT CAUGHT, UM, CAUGHT, CAUGHT US BY SURPRISE, OBVIOUSLY, AND, AND CAUSED AN OUTAGE FOR SOME OF OUR CUSTOMERS THAT WERE UNFORTUNATELY IMPACTED, UM, BY A DIFFERENT EVENT THE DAY BEFORE.
BUT I DO THINK THE L S U OUTAGE, BECAUSE IT WAS SO WIDE, YOU KNOW, THAT THE, THE IMPACT OF IT AFFECTED SO MANY CUSTOMERS, UM, AND THERE WAS NO NOTICE GIVEN.
'CAUSE IT WAS NOT A PLANNED OUTAGE, RIGHT? SO I ONLY HAVE A COUPLE OF SECONDS AND THEN MAYOR
BUT WHAT IF THAT POLE, THOSE POLES FALL ON ANYONE WHO'S RESPONSIBLE? SO IN THE PICTURES IT WAS A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO, TO ASCERTAIN FROM THE PICTURES NOT KNOWING, OKAY, ANY POLE SPECIFICALLY WHERE THEY ARE? ANYONE? I GOT 10 SECONDS.
UM, SO IT, IT LOOKED LIKE THERE WAS SOME STUB POLES IN THERE WHERE SOME OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE HAD BEEN REPLACED AND THEN YOU HAD KIND THE OLD POLE NEXT TO IT THAT HAD NOT YET BEEN REMOVED FROM SERVICE.
IF A, IF A POLE UNDER THE MOST UNFORTUNATE OF CIRCUMSTANCES, IF ANY OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE INJURES, SOMEBODY GOES BACK TO SOME OF THE CONVERSATION EARLIER AROUND THE CLAIMS PROCESS, WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THAT AND WE'RE GONNA MAKE IT RIGHT BY THE CUSTOMERS, I'M HOPING IN THIS SCENARIO, RIGHT? IT'S NOT BODILY IMMINENT DAMAGE OR, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING WORSE THAN THAT, BUT IF THERE'S PROPERTY DAMAGE OR THERE'S SOME OTHER THING.
THE ANSWER IS IF, IF SOMEONE HAS A CLAIM AGAINST US OR IF WE DAMAGE SOMEONE'S PROPERTY, WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THAT SO WE CAN MAKE IT RIGHT.
UH, WE LIVE IN A VERY, VERY DIFFERENT WORLD, UH, SINCE ENTITIES, UH, BEGINNING.
SO I THINK PROCESS, PROTOCOL, POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, THE ENTIRE SYSTEM NEEDS TO BE UPGRADED IN TERMS OF ADDRESSING SOME OF THESE CHALLENGES, UH, THAT ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES HAVE MENTIONED.
UH, ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES WANTED ME TO ASK, WHAT IS THE PLAN TO CUT THE TREES THAT ARE HANGING ON THE POWER LINES ALL OVER? UH, IN ALL OF OUR DISTRICTS, WE SEE TREES HANGING OVER THE POWER LINES AND CREATING, UH, SOME CHALLENGES.
IS THERE A PLAN TO ADDRESS THOSE, UH, HANGING TREE LIMBS, HANGING BRANCHES, UH, THAT ARE HANGING OVER THE POWER LINES IN THE, IN THE AREA? SO OUR, SO OUR VEGETATION TEAM DOES DO PROACTIVE TRIMMING BOTH OF TRANSMISSION LINE, UM, YOU KNOW, SIDEWALLS AND THEN ALSO DISTRIBUTION FACILITIES.
IF THERE'S A SPECIFIC, UM, YOU KNOW, CONSTITUENT ISSUE THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT UP AROUND TREE CANOPY OR TREE LIMBS THAT ARE DIRECTLY CONTACTING A LINE OR IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO IT, WE NEED TO KNOW THAT.
UM, IT COULD BE THAT THAT VEGETATION HAS GROWN, UM, IN A WAY THAT WE'VE MISSED IT IN, IN THE CYCLICAL TRIMMING THAT WE DO DO.
BUT WE DO DO CYCLICAL TRIMMING OF OUR DISTRIBUTION INFRASTRUCTURE, TRYING TO PREDICT, YOU KNOW, TREES BY THEIR SPECIES, HOW THEY GROW AND WHAT WE CAN EXPECT IN TERMS OF GROWTH RATE FOR THOSE TREES.
IT, THERE'S A LOT OF SCIENCE BEHIND IT AS THE ARBORISTS TELL ME, UM, WHO WE TALK TO IN OUR VEGETATION TEAM.
[02:10:01]
SPECIFIC TO THIS, THIS CONSTITUENT ISSUE, WE DO NOT WANT LIMBS ON OR IN VERY CLOSE PROXIMITY TO LINES.THAT'S THE OPPORTUNITY FOR A FAULT TO HAPPEN, WHICH CAUSES AN OUTAGE OR WORSE, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERING, UM, YOU KNOW, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT TO, TO HAVE A FLASH OR SOME OTHER TYPE OF, UH, OF EVENT THERE.
SO THE PLEASE LET US KNOW ABOUT THAT QUESTION.
ONCE REPORTED, WHAT'S THE TIMEFRAME FOR IT TO BE ADDRESSED? WE'LL MAKE A COMMITMENT UP HERE.
WE'LL, WE'LL DO 10 BUSINESS DAYS AND, AND WE'LL WORK WITH OUR VEGETATION TEAM TO GET SOMEBODY OUT THERE AND MAKE SURE THAT THE ISSUE IS, IS REVIEWED AND IF, IF REMEDIES NEEDED RESOLVED.
UH, WE GOT A LOT OF WORK TO DO, BUT AS A WISE MAN ONCE SAID, THE ONLY WAY WE LEARN TO DO THE WORK IS BY ACTUALLY DOING THE WORK.
SO HOPE TO SEE YOU OUT THERE AND GETTING IT DONE.
WELL WE, WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE AND LIKE I SAID EARLIER, UM, YOU KNOW, WHILE, WHILE SOME OF THIS WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO HEAR, ESPECIALLY FROM OUR CUSTOMERS AND THEIR TESTIMONIALS, WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE DO HAVE WORK TO BE DONE AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR PARTNERSHIP.
I WOULD ASK THAT YOU GIVE US YOUR CALL, TALK TO ALL OF THOSE CUSTOMERS, UH, LEAVE US YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION AS YOU SAID.
AND THEN, UH, WE'LL BE IN TOUCH COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WE'LL GO BACK NOW TO PAGE, UH, 20, UH,
[108. 23-01058]
AUTHORIZING A SETTLEMENT.THE MATTER ENTITLED AMANDA SMITH IN THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE IN THE AMOUNT OF $60,000 PLUS COURT COSTS GO BACK AND THE AMOUNT OF $264 FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT OF $60,264 IN APPROPRIATING $60,264 FOR SUCH PURPOSE.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? ANYONE? NOW WE GO TO COUNCIL.
THERE'S A MOTION TO APPROVE BY COUNCIL MEMBER HURST, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ROKA.
ANY OBJECTIONS? WE NOW GO TO ITEM, UH, 1 0 9,
[109. 23-01029]
RECEIVING A STATUS REPORT FROM THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ON THE CASE ENTITLED, UNFILTERED WITH KAREN, L L C ETAL VERSUS THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE BY COUNCIL MEMBER LAURIE ADAMS. THIS ITEM MAY BE DISCUSSED IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.UH, DO YOU ALL WANT TO GO ON EXECUTIVE SESSION FIRST AND THEN HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING? I HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING FIRST.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING.
ALRIGHT, IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? COME ON DOWN.
STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
UH, ADDRESS IS 9 9 4 0 EAST IN WALL, BATON ROUGE, 7 0 8 0 9.
UM, MY RHETORICAL QUESTION IS, WHY IS THERE A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE CITY OF BR BY UNFILTERED WITH KAREN? AND I THINK TWO WORDS CAN SUM IT UP, IGNORANCE AND ARROGANCE.
CHIEF PAUL HAS CONTINUALLY BLOCKED, UNFILTERED WITH KAREN'S ACCESS TO NEWS RELEASES, KICKED THEM OUT OF NEWS CONFERENCES, AND THEN DENIED THEM ACCESS TO OTHER NEWS CONFERENCES AND PRESS RELEASES.
CHIEF PAUL CLAIMED THAT UNFILTERED WITH KAREN DIDN'T MEET THE DEFINITION OF A NEWS ORGANIZATION.
HIS IGNORANCE LIES IN THE FACT THAT HE OBVIOUSLY DOESN'T KNOW THAT THE LEGACY MEDIA IS NOT THE ONLY MEDIA.
THE RISE OF NEW MEDIA IS SEEN IN MANY WAYS, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH WEBSITES, PODCASTS, LOCAL, NATIONAL OR INTERNATIONAL.
NEW MEDIA IS OVERTAKING THE LEGACY MEDIA AND REACH AND TRUSTWORTHINESS.
KIRANA IS OF MULTIPLE AWARD-WINNING JOURNALIST.
SHE'S WON EDWARD R MURROW AND EMMY AWARD FOR REPORTING OUR FEATURE STORIES.
I KNOW BECAUSE SHE WON ONE FOR A STORY SHE DID ABOUT MY SON.
SHE WAS ALSO THE WINNER OF JUST RECENTLY.
THE BEST NEWS PERSONALITY FOR 2023 BY 2 2 5 UNFILTERED WITH KAREN IS A TRUSTED NEWS SOURCE FOR TENS OF THOUSANDS, PROBABLY MORE FOLKS IN SOUTH LOUISIANA.
AND THEIR PRESENCE SPANS MOST SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS. REACHES A WIDE AUDIENCE IN BATON ROUGE METRO AREA AND SHE'S MY GO-TO SOURCE FOR BREAKING NEWS.
WHEN CHIEF PAUL DENIES ACCESS TO UNFILTERED WITH KAREN, HE'S DENYING ACCESS TO HER AUDIENCE ALSO, CHIEF PAUL IS ARROGANT IN THINKING THAT HE COULD GET AWAY WITH THIS BEHAVIOR AS WE SAW ON A NATIONAL LEVEL WITH PRESIDENT TRUMP AND JIM JIM ACOSTA OF C N N.
THE PRESS HAS A RIGHT TO BE PRESENT AT PRESS CONFERENCES, EVEN IF THE PUBLIC OFFICIAL HOLDING THE PRESS CONFERENCE DOESN'T LIKE THE REPORTER.
THE COURTS HAVE RULED IN THE FAVOR OF THE REPORTER EVERY TIME, AND THEY WILL IF THIS CASE GOES TO TRIAL, SETTLE THE CASE.
LET UNFILTERED WITH KAREN HAVE THE SAME ACCESS AS EVERY OTHER REPORTER ON THE BEATEN BATON ROUGE.
STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
I'M PRESIDENT OF ARTWORKS INC.
I RESIDE AT 52 73 ELIA DRIVE IN BATON ROUGE.
I MOVED TO BATON ROUGE IN 1989 IN ORDER TO ATTEND L S U AND I'VE LIVED HERE EVER SINCE.
I'M AN ACTIVE MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY.
IN 93, 19 93, 30 YEARS AGO, I BEGAN MY CAREER IN EARLY MORNING NEWS AT A LOCAL TELEVISION NETWORK AFFILIATE.
[02:15:01]
PRODUCER.AND FOR THE PAST 21 YEARS I HAVE MADE A LIVING OFFERING MY SERVICES TO VARIOUS MEDIA OUTLETS.
MY WORK HAS BEEN SEEN ON E SS P N FOX SPORTS AND THE N F L NETWORK.
I WAS EVEN GRANTED ACCESS TO THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS POOL AS A MEMBER.
FOR OVER 30 YEARS, I HAVE WORKED IN THE CAPACITY OF NEWS GATHERING.
I HAVE RIDDEN IN GOVERNMENT VEHICLES ALONGSIDE PARISH PRESIDENTS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT ORGANIZATIONS IN MY DUTIES.
WHILE COVERING HURRICANES KATRINA IDA AND OTHER NATURAL DISASTERS, I HAVE COVERED MY FAIR SHARE OF CITY COUNCILS MEETINGS, COMMITTEE MEETINGS, CEREMONIES, RIBBON CUTTINGS, PRESS CONFERENCES, AND EVEN ACTIVE CRIME SCENES.
SO I ASK YOU TO IMAGINE MY SURPRISE WHEN ON SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2022, WHILE COVERING WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE JUST ANOTHER PRESS CONFERENCE AT B R P D HQ AFTER ALREADY HAVING BEEN ALLOWED ACCESS INTO THE BUILDING AND BEGINNING THE LIVE STREAM FOR MY CLIENT, UNFILTERED WITH KAREN.
I WAS APPROACHED BY THE P I O FOR B R P D AND ASKED TO LEAVE BECAUSE I WAS NOT INVITED.
I STATED ALL MEDIA WAS INVITED.
THE PIO O'S RESPONSE WAS, I KNOW, BUT YOU ARE NOT INVITED, SO WE HAVE TO ASK YOU TO LEAVE.
I WAS VERY SURPRISED AND ACTUALLY MORE EMBARRASSED IN WHAT FELT LIKE A STRIPPING DOWN IN FRONT OF MY PEERS AS ALL THE OTHER MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE ONSITE WERE ALLOWED TO REMAIN AS I WAS SUMMARILY AND PERSONALLY ESCORTED FROM THE BUILDING.
SHORTLY THEREAFTER, ON SEPTEMBER 22ND, 2022, WHILE ATTEMPTING TO COVER A JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE IN THIS BUILDING BETWEEN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND B R P D, THE SUBJECT BEING THAT OF CRIME IN THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE, I HAPPENED TO BE RIDING THE ELEVATOR UP WITH AN INDIVIDUAL FROM THE MEDIA DEPARTMENT OF A LOCAL UNIVERSITY.
AND WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE DOOR WHERE THE PRESS CONFERENCE WAS BEING HELD, I WAS ASKED TO IDENTIFY WHO I WAS AND WHO I WAS REP REPRESENTING.
I STATED WHO I WAS AND REPRESENTING UNFILTERED WITH KIERAN.
UPON IDENTIFICATION, I WAS ASKED TO WAIT.
AS THEY STATED THEY NEEDED TO CHECK WITH THEIR SUPERVISOR.
I MADE MENTION OF THE FACT THAT THE INDIVIDUAL THAT WAS STANDING NEXT TO ME WAS WITH A DIFFERENT ORGANIZATION, AT WHICH POINT THAT PERSON AT THE DOOR STATED, OH, YOU CAN COME ON IN.
I WAS MADE TO WAIT IN THE HALLWAY FOR ALMOST 15 MINUTES AS ALL OTHER MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS WERE REPEATEDLY ALLOWED ACCESS TO AND FROM THE ROOM.
AND EVENTUALLY ACCESS WAS GRANTED JUST PRIOR TO THE START OF THE PRESS CONFERENCE.
AND DUE TO THE DELAYED ENTRY, I WAS STILL IN THE PROCESS OF SETTING UP WHEN IT OFFICIALLY BEGAN.
I'M BASICALLY JUST HERE TO SAY THAT IN ALL OF MY 30 YEARS OF WORKING IN MEDIA, I HAVE NEVER BEEN SUBJECTED TO THIS TYPE OF TREATMENT BY CIVIL SERVICE ORGANIZATION.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
HI, MY NAME'S MELINDA GALLOWAY.
I LIVE AT 60 50 KLEIN PETER ROAD, BATON ROUGE, 7 0 8 1 1.
UM, I'VE LIVED IN THE BATON ROUGE AREA 30 YEARS.
I'M NOT SPEAKING AS A MEDIA PROFESSIONAL.
I'M SPEAKING AS A ORDINARY CITIZEN OF BATON ROUGE AND THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY.
AND I TOOK TIME AWAY FROM MY JOB.
I WORK FULL-TIME IN A BUSY CARDIOLOGY PRACTICE HERE IN BATON ROUGE.
BUT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR ME TO BE HERE 'CAUSE I WAS ASKED TO BE HERE.
THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO FEEL THE SAME WAY AS ME.
WE SUPPORT KIERAN CHALA AS AN INDEPENDENT JOURNALIST, AND I DON'T HAVE TO REPEAT HER CREDENTIALS AND HER AWARDS, THAT'S ALREADY BEEN STATED.
UM, WE TRUST HER BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT FROM HER YEARS OF REPORTING THAT SHE IS TRUSTWORTHY.
SHE'S GONNA TAKE THE TIME TO GET THE FACTS.
AND THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE LIKE ME THAT HAVE HER APP AND WE RELY ON HER.
AND SHE GETS, SHE USUALLY GETS THE STORY FIRST, BUT SHE'S GONNA MAKE SURE SHE GETS THE REPORT, ALL THE FACTS ACCURATE, AND WE TRUST THAT.
AND WHAT'S REFRESHING ABOUT HER REPORTING IS SHE'S TRIES TO BE VERY, UH, OBJECTIVE, NOT HAVE HER OWN AGENDA.
UM, SO WE STRONGLY BELIEVE IN HER RIGHT AS THE PRESS THAT SHE SHOULD BE ALLOWED ACCESS JUST LIKE ANY OTHER REPORTER.
SO I'M JUST HERE SPEAKING ON BEHALF FOR NOT ONLY HER, BUT ALL THE OTHER CITIZENS THAT FEEL THE SAME WAY THAT I DO THAT COULDN'T BE HERE.
THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT I WANTED TO SAY.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? EDDIE PLEASANT, UH, 9 82 GOVERNMENT STREET.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU.
THIS HAS BEEN A PRIVILEGE TO WATCH THIS BODY IN ACTION.
SO THIS HAS BEEN REALLY A TREAT TO WATCH YOU TRY TO ENRICH OUR COMMUNITY AND PROTECT OUR CITIZENS.
PROBABLY THE BEST TWO HOURS I EVER SPENT.
REMIND ME NEVER TO MAKE MS. COLEMAN MAD.
UM, I'M A LOCAL BUSINESS OWNER HERE IN BATON ROUGE.
[02:20:01]
UM, I OPERATE IN THE SURROUNDING AREAS, UM, AND I OPERATE IN THE BALE INDUSTRY.SO I'M HOPING TO BRING A DIFFERENT ANGLE TO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE TODAY.
WHEN WE TRY TO LIMIT ANY SORT OF MEDIA SOURCES.
UNFORTUNATELY, MANY OF MY CLIENTS ARE CONSIDERED VERY NEWSWORTHY, UM, BY ALL MAINSTREAM SOURCES.
AND MOSTLY, MOSTLY THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED NOT IN OUR SIX AND 10 NEWS, BUT THROUGH APPS OR FOLLOWERS OR SOCIAL MEDIA.
UM, I'M SURE MOST OF YOU'RE AWARE MAYBE YOU'RE NOT, BUT I'M NOT.
I'LL ENLIGHTEN YOU AGAIN, THAT, UM, THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH PRISON SYSTEM DOES NOT REPORT ITS ARREST.
SO WE ARE SOMETIMES LEANING ON THE INFORMATION THAT WE GET FROM THESE NEW SERVICES TO, UH, UH, LET US KNOW WHEN THIS HAPPENS.
WE'RE THE ONLY METROPOLITAN CITY IN THE STATE THAT DOES NOT REPORT.
UM, UM, AND THIS IS EVEN IN CASE OF VICTIM NOTIFICATION.
SO THINGS LIKE V LINK, WE'RE NOT GETTING THOSE EITHER.
AND IN MOST CASES, THE BEST WAY FOR US IS TO HAVE THIS KNOWLEDGE IS, UH, OF AN ARREST, IS TO GO THROUGH THESE NEW SERVICES.
I FOLLOW ALL THE SAME ONES LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.
UM, THE, THE THREE LETTER, FOUR LETTER TRADITIONAL SERVICES AS WELL AS UNFILTERED WITH KAREN.
I FIND THESE TO BE THE MOST RELIABLE AND ACCURATE AND KNOWLEDGEABLE NEWS SERVICES.
UM, IN FACT, THEY PRETTY MUCH ALL FOLLOW EACH OTHER.
I'M NOT SURE HOW YOU GUYS FOLLOW, BUT I'LL GET ONE AND MAYBE A MINUTE OR TWO MINUTE LATER I GET THE SAME THING AND THAT'S OKAY.
SOMETIMES REDUNDANCY IS GOOD FOR US.
I'LL USE THIS INFORMATION TO IDENTIFY OUR CLIENTS THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, HAVE COMMITTED NEW CRIMES.
AS YOU MAY KNOW, RECIDIVISM IS A REAL ISSUE.
UM, AND A LOT OF PEOPLE BELIEVE IT'S MY OBLIGATION OR RESPONSIBILITY TO IDENTIFY THESE DEFENDANTS THAT HAVE REOFFENDED.
UM, SO WHEN WE LIMIT THE ACCESS TO MEDIA, UM, TO THE PUBLIC OR THAT PUBLIC INFORMATION, UH, THIS CAN AFFECT THE SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITY.
'CAUSE WE CAN MOVE ON THESE ACTIONS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T ALLOW REOFFENDERS OR THIS RECIDIVISM TO TAKE EFFECT IN OUR AND ALLOW IT TO CONTINUE.
KAREN HAS BEEN A TRUSTED AND RESPONSIBLE NEW SERVICE FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
IT'S, UM, I FEEL IT'S DISCRIMINATORY TO CENSOR OR LIMIT HER AVAILABILITY AS A MINORITY BUSINESS OWNER.
UM, I'D GO SO FAR TO SAY SHE'S CRITICAL TO WHAT? TO EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.
UM, UH, THIS NUMBER OF FOLLOWERS, I BELIEVE WILL SUPPORT THAT IN ITSELF.
UM, IN REGARD TO FINANCIAL HARDSHIPS CAUSED BY THESE, UH, CENSORSHIPS, IT'S IRRESPONSIBLE TO LIMIT ANY MEDIA SOURCE BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO ANSWER THOSE HARD QUESTIONS OR MAYBE YOU'RE TREATED UNFRIENDLY.
UM, THE MEDIA ISN'T THERE TO BE POLITE OR CONSIDERATE, BUT TO BE ACCURATE, KNOWLEDGEABLE AND JUST IN FACT, SIR, WE COUNT, WE COUNT ON THAT.
UM, SO HAVING TO RETAIN COUNSEL TO, UH, BEAR THESE COSTS SEEMS UNREASONABLE.
UM, AS IT TURNS OUT, FREEDOM OF THE PRESS IS NOT FREE.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? ANYONE ELSE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IS THERE A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION? NO.
UM, SINCE WE HAVE PEOPLE HERE, I'D LIKE TO, UM, TO DISCUSS AS MUCH AS WE CAN IN THE OPEN AND, AND COUNT ON OUR ATTORNEYS TO KEEP, TO NOT LET US GET INTO TERRITORY WE SHOULDN'T.
COUNSEL, I MEAN, EXCUSE ME, ANNIE, IS THAT, IS THAT APPROPRIATE? SO SHE WANTS TO DISCUSS IT OUT IN THE OPENING AND YOU KEEP US FROM GOING INTO ANYTHING WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO.
LET, LET'S LEMME ASK SOME QUESTIONS AND WE'LL JUST, WE'LL SEE WHERE WE GET TO YOU.
AS Y'ALL KNOW, I WORK AT THE PLACE OF THE COUNCIL, SO IF YOU KNOW, SHE, IF SHE, IF SHE, SHE, IF COUNCILWOMAN ADAM WANTS TO ASK QUESTIONS, THEY MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE ANSWERED COUNCILWOMAN BANKS BEFORE.
IF SHE ASKS A QUESTION AND IT CAN'T BE ANSWERED, IT WON'T BE ANSWERED AND IT WILL HAVE TO BE ANSWERED IN AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT.
IT'S COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS TIME.
IT'S COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS TIME.
SO YOU CAN'T OBJECT TO THE, THE PUBLIC HEARING.
YOU CAN OBJECT TO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
WELL, WE WANTS TO DISCUSS GO AHEAD.
SO MR. DODSON, UM, JUST WILL YOU JUST TELL ME ABOUT THIS CASE AND WHAT IS ALLEGED? WHAT DOES MS. MS CHALA ALLEGE HAPPENED? I I REALLY, UH, BECAUSE THIS IS PUBLIC INFORMATION, RIGHT? I MEAN, IT'S A LAWSUIT, LIKE SOMEONE COULD JUST GO, THE LAWSUIT ITSELF IS, IS PART OF A PART OF THE RECORD.
IT HAS NOT BEEN IN ANY WAY, UH, ASKED TO BE, UH, SECLUDED FROM THE RECORD OR ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THIS CASE, UH, DEALS WITH AN ALLEGATION, UH, THAT THE CITY PAIRS HAS, UH, EXCLUDED MS UH, CHARLA AND UNFILTERED
[02:25:01]
WITH KAREN, UH, IN A MANNER THAT IT SHOULD NOT HAVE DONE.MS. UM, HOW ARE, ARE YOU AWARE OR CAN YOU TELL ME HOW MEDIA ARE NOTIFIED ABOUT PRESS CONFERENCES? I DON'T HANDLE THAT.
I CAN'T REALLY TELL YOU THAT, MA'AM.
IS THERE SOMEONE HERE WHO CAN TELL ME HOW, UM, HOW MEDIA ARE NOTIFIED ABOUT, ABOUT PRESS RELEASES OR WHO MAKES THE LIST OF, UM, MEDIA FOR THOSE PRESS RELEASES? PLEASE? IS THERE ANYBODY FOR THE COURTNEY'S COMING? COURTNEY'S COMING.
DARREL, I DON'T HAVE THE THE EXACT AC ANSWER YOU'RE LOOKING FOR COUNCILWOMAN, AS FAR AS WE UNDERSTAND IT'S DEPARTMENT SPECIFIC.
SO EACH DEPARTMENT MAKES THEIR OWN LIST.
IS THERE AN OVERARCHING CITY PARISH POLICY WITH REGARD TO PRESS CONFERENCES, PRESS RELEASES, UM, NOTIFICATION OF MEDIA, ABOUT, UM, ABOUT PRESS RELEASES OR, OR PRESS CONFERENCES? THAT, THAT QUESTION IS KIND OF BROAD.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT THERE IS NO, UH, POLICY, THE CITY PARISH DOES NOT HAVE A POLICY REGARDING, UH, PRESS CONFERENCES AND, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE AND CREDENTIALING.
LEMME SAY THIS CITY, PARIS DOESN'T HAVE A POLICY ABOUT DETERMINING, UH, WHO OR, UH, IN WHAT MANNER SOMEONE MAY BE INVITED TO A PRESS CONFERENCE OR A MEETING.
AND LET ME SAY THIS TO YOU, YOU GOTTA REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE CERTAIN DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE THEIR OWN MEDIA, YOU KNOW, SECTIONS, PERSON NEWS.
B R P D HAS ITS OWN MEDIA SECTION.
THIS COUNCIL, UH, HAS ITS OWN, UH, UH, WE KNOW THAT PRESS INFORMATION, UH, GROUP.
SO, I MEAN, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THOSE, BUT SURE.
I WAS, TO MY KNOWLEDGE ADMINISTRATION HAS ITS OWN COMMUNICATION DEPARTMENT, RIGHT? I WAS ASKING ABOUT AN OVERARCHING POLICY.
I THINK YOU'VE, YOU'VE ANSWERED THAT.
UM, OKAY, SO LET ME, UH, UH, SINCE IT'S LITIGATION, UH, MR. ROME, ARE YOU, DO YOU, CAN I CALL MR. ROAM UP? UM, MR. ROME, WHAT, WHAT IS MS UM, CHALLAH ASKING FOR, RIGHT? I DON'T MEAN WHEN YOU GIVE A LAWSUIT, YOU'RE ASKING FOR SOMETHING, RIGHT? YEAH, SHE BASICALLY ASKED FOR ACCESS.
THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT SHE'S ASKING.
SHE ASKED FOR INJUNCTIVE RELIEF, BUT IT, YOU KNOW, THE PREMISE OF WHAT SHE'S TRYING TO DO IS GET A, OKAY, DID SHE ASK MEDIA ACCESS? A MEDIA ACCESS? JUST SHE'S ASKING THAT WHEN EVERYBODY ELSE IS NOTIFIED ABOUT A PRESS RELEASE OR GET SENT A PRESS RELEASE OR, OR NOTIFIED A PRESS BY A PRESS CONFERENCE, SHE WOULD RECEIVE THE SAME NOTIFICATION, BASICALLY.
IS SHE SEEKING ANY KIND OF, UM, UH, COMPENSATION, ANY KIND OF PUNITIVE COMPENSATION IN THIS, THIS LAWSUIT? SHE DID NOT ASK FOR ANYTHING PUNITIVE.
AND, UH, IF YOU'RE ASKING ABOUT MONEY, SHE DID NOT ASK FOR MONEY.
SO SHE'S JUST BASICALLY KNOCKING ON THE DOOR SAYING, HEY GUYS, I DESERVE TO BE INSIDE THE ROOM BECAUSE OF MY, WHO, WHO I AM, WHAT I DO, BECAUSE I'M MEMBER OF THE PRESS.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S KINDA RHETORICAL.
UM, OKAY, SO LET, LET ME ASK YOU THIS.
UM, WITH THIS LAWSUIT, WHICH WOULD BE HEARD IN FEDERAL COURT, WOULD WE, IF, IF WE GO TO FEDERAL COURT AND SHE WINS, WOULD WE, WOULD WE BE EX HAVE AN EXPOSURE, UM, FOR HER LEGAL FEES? WOULD DO, ARE WE, DO WE HAVE A FINANCIAL EXPOSURE? THE ANSWER TO THAT IS YES.
I THINK THAT HER LAWYER WOULD BE ASKING FOR ATTORNEY'S FEES SHE DID IN THE ORIGINAL LAW IF THEY'RE FOUND TO BE, UH, VICTORIA.
DO EITHER ONE OF, UM, Y'ALL KNOW WHAT THE RT, UH, D N A IS THE RADIO, TELEVISION, DIGITAL AND NEWS NEWS ASSOCIATION? I DO NOT.
IT'S, IT'S THE NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION, UM, FOR JOURNALISTS AND JUST, I, I'M HAVE A JOUR DEGREE IN BROADCAST JOURNALISM AND I'M GOING IN FACT BIT HERE.
MY FIRST JOB WHEN I WAS 12 YEARS OLD, FROM THE TIME 12 TO 18, I WAS A NEWS REPORTER ON CHANNEL 13 FOR KIDS WORLD, LAURIE WHITE REPORTING
ALL THE TAPE IS ON V H SS AND NOBODY HAS ANY PLAYERS ANYMORE, SO THAT'LL ALL REMAIN HIDDEN.
I DO HAVE A PASSION FOR JOURNALISM AND I DO HAVE PASSION FOR THE THE FIRST AMENDMENT, WHICH IS WHY, WHICH IS WHY I, I BROUGHT THIS, UM, THIS IS, THIS IS FOUNDATIONAL.
SO, UM, SHE, DO YOU REALIZE THAT SHE IS A MEMBER OF THAT ORGANIZATION AND HAS RECEIVED NATIONAL AWARDS, UM, FOR HER WORK AS A, AS A RECOGNIZED IN HER INDUSTRY JOURNALIST? ARE YOU AWARE? WELL, COUNSEL, I'M GONNA TELL YOU THIS.
I I'M NOT GOING TO, YOU KNOW, PLAY THIS OUT IN COURT IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE AWARE OF.
WE'RE RESPONDING ON BEHALF OF THE CITY BARRIERS TO HANDLE THE CASE.
WE HAVE ARGUMENTS, WE HAVE STRATEGIES WE CAN PROVIDE YOU SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF INFORMATION REGARDING WHERE WE ARE WHILE WE'RE
[02:30:01]
HANDLING IT.BUT I'M NOT GONNA PLAY OUT OVER HERE.
WHAT I KNOW, WHAT I DON'T KNOW.
WHEN WAS THIS LAWSUIT FILED? HOW, HOW MANY MONTHS ARE WE INTO THIS? WHEN WAS THE, THE DATE IT WAS FILED? MM-HMM.
AND IS THIS AN EXCEPTIONALLY COMPLICATED CASE? AGAIN, I, I MEAN, I'M NOT GONNA, I'M NOT GONNA TALK TO YOU ABOUT THAT HERE IN FRONT OF EVERYONE ELSE.
I, I WILL TELL YOU AGAIN, EVERY CASE THAT I GET IS A COMPLICATED CASE BECAUSE YOU DEAL WITH A LOT OF ATTENDED ISSUES, UH, WITNESSES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
WE TREAT THIS CASE THE WAY WE TREAT EVERY OTHER CASE.
WE GIVE IT THE FULL ATTENTION AND NEEDS.
AND IF YOU WANT ANYTHING FURTHER THAN THAT, I'LL BE GLAD TO GIVE IT TO YOU.
I JUST WON'T BE ABLE TO GIVE IT TO YOU IN THIS FORUM.
OKAY? I'M GOING TO YIELD THE FLOOR TO THE OTHER QUESTIONERS AND THEN I THINK WE'RE GONNA END UP IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
BUT, BUT LET'S SEE HOW FAR WE CAN GO WITHOUT DWIGHT HUSLER.
COUNCILMAN MU I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION CITING THAT THIS IS A PENDING LAWSUIT AND, UH, DISCUSSION THE PUBLIC MAY ADVERSELY IMPACT OUR POSITION.
THERE'S BEEN PROPERTY MOTION AND SECONDED TAKES TWO THIRDS OF THE COUNCIL TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO VOTE ON THE MACHINES? I HAVE A QUESTION.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTIONS? THERE'S AN OBJECTION THERE.
WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON THE MACHINES ABOUT GOING IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION? IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CASE, WHAT HAS TO DO WITH JOURNALISM ETHICS? DO I, CAN I ASK THAT BEFORE WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE? WELL, LET'S, NO, YOU CAN'T ASK IT BEFORE.
'CAUSE THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION IF THAT MOTION FAILS.
I COULD ASK AFTER WE COME BACK.
MACHINES ARE OPEN ON THE MOTION TO ENTER EXECUTIVE SESSION.
WAIT, WILL, WILL THERE A LAWYER BE PRESENT? MOTION CARRIES WILL BE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
ADJOURN THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, LET'S TAKE A CEASE AND CALL THIS MEETING BACK TO ORDER.
WE CALL THIS MEETING BACK TO ORDER.
WE WILL, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE HAVE RECEIVED, WE'VE HAD A DISCUSSION REAL QUICKLY.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, Y'ALL SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED ONE EMAIL COMMENT ON THE REPORT.
ALRIGHT, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A FEW ITEMS OUTTA ORDER.
UH, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IF YOU WOULD FLIP TO PAGE 1 41,
[141. 23-01045]
RECEIVING A REPORT FROM COUNCILMAN CAROLYN COLEMAN AT COLEMAN'S KIDS SUMMER CAMP PROGRAM BY COUNCIL MEMBER DENISE AMAROSA.I THINK WE'RE GONNA REQUEST THAT BE DEFERRED.
IS THERE ANYONE SPEAKING ON THE ITEM? ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON ITEM MOTION TO DEFER BY TO WIN.
NINE 13 SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ROCKER.
ANY OBJECTIONS? ITEM 1 41 HAS BEEN DEFERRED COUNCIL
[ADJUDICATED PROPERTIES]
MEMBERS, WE NOW WILL GO TO ADJUDICATED PROPERTIES.ITEM ONE 12 TO 1 35 1 12 LOT E PLUS SQUARE 49.
DISTRICT 10 HIGH BIDDER RID INVESTMENTS.
ITEM ONE 13 LOT 44 POINT SQUARE 49 SUBDIVISION NICARAGUA, DISTRICT 10 REDDICK INVESTMENTS.
ITEM ONE 14 LOT SEVEN POINT SQUARE ONE SUBDIVISION LAFE TOWN DISTRICT 10 HIGH BID OF REDDICK INVESTMENTS.
SUBDIVISION HIGHLAND GARDENS DISTRICT SEVEN HIGH BID T-SHIRTS BUY YOU $100.
ITEM ONE 16 LOT 12 SUBDIVISION BASE TRACK DISTRICT 10 HIGH BIDDER DYLAN HOLDINGS, L L C $100.
ITEM ONE 17 LOT FIVE POINT SQUARE TWO 50 SUBDIVISION SCHWARTZ, DISTRICT 10 HIGH BIDDER DYLAN HOLDINGS.
EIGHT 18 SQUARE 30 SUBDIVISION SCHWART, DISTRICT 10.
ITEM ONE 19 LOT 23 SUBDIVISION TAYLOR TRACK DISTRICT TWO.
ITEM ONE 20 LOT 22 6 7 A SUBDIVISION HIGHLAND CREEK DISTRICT 12.
HI BETA AX, NATIONAL MANAGEMENT SERVICES, $9,000.
ITEM 1 21 LOT 21 PLUS SQUARE 39 SUBDIVISION BANK DISTRICT 10 HIGH BETA AX, NATIONAL MANAGEMENT SERVICES, $3,500.
ITEM 1 22 LOT 37 SQUARE 16 EVEN PARK DISTRICT SEVEN, HIGH BETA JAMES SPENCER, 20,500.
ITEM 1 23 BY 62 35 SUBDIVISION SOUTH BATON ROUGE DISTRICT 10, HIGH BETA SAN MARK.
[02:35:01]
C $100.ITEM 1 24 LOT 30 SQUARE ONE SUBDIVISION DAYTON.
DISTRICT 10 HIGH BETA CAN CODE $13,000.
ITEM 1 26 LOT ONE PLUS SQUARE 23 SUBDIVISION BANKS.
ITEM 1 27 LOT 10 SQUARE 27 SUBDIVISION GREENVILLE EXTENSION DISTRICT SEVEN.
ITEM 1 28 LOT FIVE SUBDIVISION CRESTWOOD, DISTRICT TWO.
SUBDIVISION SEGAN VILLAGE METRO COUNCIL DISTRICT THREE.
HI BETA, THE WARNER GROUP, L L C $15,000.
ITEM ONE 30 LOT EIGHT SQUARE 20 SUBDIVISION PROSPERITY DISTRICT 10.
ITEM 1 31 BY 17 AND 18 SQUARE 14 SUBDIVISION NORTH HIGHLANDS DISTRICT FIVE HIGH BIDDER ELAINA WRIGHT, $500 ITEM 1 32 LOT FIVE SQUARE EIGHT SUBDIVISION NORTHDALE.
SECTION TWO DISTRICT 10 HIGH BIDDER 29 11 ACADEMY $100.
ITEM 1 33 LOT SEVEN SQUARE EIGHT SUBDIVISION NORTHDALE.
SECTION TWO DISTRICT 10, HIGH BID OF 29 11 ACADEMY $100.
SECTION TWO DISTRICT 10, HIGH BID OF 29 11 ACADEMY $100.
ITEM 1 35 LOT NINE SQUARE SEVEN SUBDIVISION NORTHDALE.
SECTION TWO DISTRICT 10, HIGH BID OF 29 11 ACADEMY $100.
IS ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ADJUDICATED PROPERTIES? IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEMS? ONE 12.
SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MOOCH.
SECONDED WITH THE CORRECTION WITH THE, I'D LIKE TO ASK THAT 1 24 AND ONE 30 NOT BE MOTION TO APPROVE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF 1 24 AND ONE 30 BY COUNCIL MEMBER MO SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN MOR ROCK.
IS THERE ANY, ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS? MAY I, WE NEED TO DELETE 1 28.
SO MOVED BY COUNCILMAN MO, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MOR ROCKA.
MOTION TO APPROVE ALL OTHER ADJUDICATED PROPERTIES WITH THE EXCEPTION ITEM 1 24 AND ONE 30 BY COUNCILMAN MO, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER AKA ADJUDICATED ANY OBJECTIONS ADJUDICATED PROPERTIES HAVE BEEN, UH, APPROVED.
[ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS]
ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS.INTRODUCTION, 8 2 3 0 1 1 6 8 AUTHORIZATION FOR MAYOR, PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN OF THE AIRPORT COMMISSION EXECUTE WORK AUTHORIZATION NUMBER EIGHT IN THE CONTRACT ON AIRPORT MANAGEMENT GROUP, L L C PROGRAM MANAGEMENT SERVICE AT THE BATON ROUGE METROPOLITAN AIRPORT AND IN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 3198027 CENTS BY THE AVIATION DIRECTION.
THE REASON INTRODUCED FOR PUBLIC HEARING ON SEPTEMBER 13TH.
THE REASON THIS ITEM IS BEING REQUESTED AS AN ADMINISTRATIVE MATTER REQUEST FOR THE WORK AUTHORIZATION NUMBER EIGHT IS DEEMED AS AN ADMINISTRATIVE MATTER TO MEET THE DEADLINE.
UH, MOTION TO WEIGH THE RULES OF FOLLOW THE ITEMS TO BE INTRODUCED AS THERE ARE MOTION, UH, SECONDED BY THE CHAIR.
SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DUNN JR.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON THE MOTION TO WEIGH THE RULES? ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS OR THE MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES? I NEED A MOTION TO INTRODUCE THE ITEM.
SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DUNN.
ANY OBJECTIONS? ITEM A HAS BEEN INTRODUCED.
WE NOW GO TO ITEM 2 3 0 1 1 7 0 RECEIVING A REPORT FROM THE BATON ROUGE METROPOLITAN AIRPORT ON THE ORGANIZATIONAL ASSESSMENT AND COMPENSATION REVIEW PERFORMED BY STEVEN BALDWIN ASSOCIATION.
INTRODUCED FOR PUBLIC HEARING MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 13TH.
THE REASON THIS ITEM IS BEING REQUESTED AS ADMINISTRATIVE AVENUE ISSUED DEADLINE FOR THE AGENDA PASSED MOTION WITH THE RULES ON ALLOW MOTION TO BE INTRODUCED.
SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DUN SECOND BY THE CHAIR.
ARE ANY OBJECTIONS? PUBLIC HEARING? ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE MOTION? WEIGH THE RULES.
WE'RE NOW GONNA VOTE ON THE MOTION.
ANY OBJECTIONS? NOW WE NEED A MOTION TO, UH, INTRODUCE THE ITEM.
ANY OBJECTION? ADMINISTRATIVE MATTER B HAS BEEN INTRODUCED, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE MATTER.
C I THINK THERE'S GONNA BE A REQUEST FOR A DEFERRAL TO THE NEXT MEETING.
OKAY, CAN WE, IS THAT, HOW CAN WE DO THAT? YES.
WE NEED TO RECEIVE A REPORT FROM JUDGE GALE GROVE ON THE CURRENT STATE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE FACILITY BY COUNCIL MEMBER HURST TO ALLOW THIS INFORMATION BE PROVIDED TO THE METRO COUNCIL.
DO I HAVE TO READ ALL THIS? YEAH, YOU HAVE.
SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DUN.
ANYONE HERE TO SPEAK ON THE MOTION WAY? THE RULES? WE'RE GONNA VOTE.
ANY OBJECTIONS? UH, ANYBODY WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? UH, OPEN THE FLOOR TO METROPOLITAN COUNCIL.
NEED A MOTION TO DEFER TO SEPTEMBER 13TH.
SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DUN, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ROCKER ITEM, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE MATTER.
WANNA APOLOGIZE TO JUDGE, UH, GROVER, WE'LL SEE YOU FIRST.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, LET'S GO TO ADMINISTRATIVE EMERGENCY.
[143. 23-01138 ]
I MEAN, LET'S GO TO OTHER ITEMS TO BE ADOPTED AS EMERGENCY ITEM 1 43.AUTHORIZING THE PARISH ATTORNEY.
COUNCIL MEMBERS OFFICE TO INSTITUTE EXP APPROPRIATION PROCEEDINGS AND TAKE SUCH OTHER ACTIONS MAY BE REQUIRED IN CONNECTION WITH THE ACQUISITION OF LAND NECESSARY TO MOVE BE OUR ENHANCEMENT PROJECT MACK HOST ROAD BY THE PARISH ATTORNEY.
REASON FOR EMERGENCY OF THE CITY HAS AN UNINSPECTED RECEIVE SALES AND FOR THE LAND ACQUISITION PORTION OF THIS
[02:40:01]
PROJECT AND NEEDS OF RESOLUTION TO MOVE FORWARD IN THE PROCESS IN ACCORDANCE WITH ORDINANCE 1 6 4 4 2 DECIDED MUST BE DECLARED EMERGENCY BY TWO THIRDS.VOTE ON THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL.
NEED A MOTION TO DECLARE IT UP.
SO MOVED BY COUNCILMAN MOR ROCKA.
SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN DUN JR.
UH, WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON THE MOTION.
ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS? IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? THERE'S A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ITEM.
SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DUN.
SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN MOR ROCKA.
ANY OBJECTIONS? ITEM 1 43 HAS BEEN APPROVED AS AN EMERGENCY.
[144. 23-01140]
OF THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT OF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE AIRPORT COMMISSION TO SUBMIT AN EXECUTE GRANT APPLICATION TO THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION IN THE STATE OF LOUISIANA, OFFICE OF AVIATION AND TAX AWAY.BE CONNECTED IN THE AMOUNT OF $1 MILLION BY AVIATION DIRECTOR.
REASON FOR THE EMERGENCY, DECIDING IS DEEMED AN EMERGENCY TO MEET F A A DEADLINES RESULTING FROM RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT OF GRANT IN ACCORDANCE WITH 1 6 4 4 2.
THIS ITEM MUST BE DECLARED EMERGENCY BY TWO THIRD VERDICT METROPOLITAN COUNCIL.
THERE MOTION TO DECLARE THIS ITEM AN EMERGENCY.
SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ROCKER.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTIONS ON THE MOTION TO WAIVE, UH, THIS, I MEAN TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY? ARE THERE OBJECTIONS? WE NOW GO TO THE PUBLIC HEARING.
ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM? ALRIGHT, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED BY COUNCILMAN COLEMAN.
SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN ROCKER.
[136. 23-01001]
WE GO TO ITEM 1 36.PAGE 28, COMPLETES THREE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
ONE APPOINTMENT TO CONCUR WITH THE NOMINATION OF GREATER BATON ROUGE ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS.
ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM COUNCIL MEMBERS? IS THERE A MOTION TO APPOINT JAMIE BELL? IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED BY COUNCILMAN MOROSA, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN GODDE.
JAMIE BELL HAS BEEN APPOINTED ITEM 1 37
[137. 23-01002]
MUNICIPAL FIRE AND POLICE, CIVIL SERVICE BOARD APPOINTING AND A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE MUNICIPAL FIRE AND CIVIL SERVICE BOARD FROM THE NAME SUBMITTED BY LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY IN ACCORDANCE WITH STATE LAW.THE CURRENT BALLOT IS SHEILA LEWIS AND BRADLEY RICKS.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? COME ON DOWN.
I RESIDE AT 92 65 BERMUDA AVENUE.
I'M ADDRESSING YOU AS A MEMBER OF THE GROUP.
THE PUBLIC THAT MR. BRADLEY RICKS HAS BEEN NOMINATED TO THE MUNI BOARD TO REPRESENT THE LOUISIANA FIRE AND POLICE CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEM.
MANUAL STATES, NO MEMBER OF THE CIVIL SERVICE BOARD REPRESENTS ANY GROUP, FACTION OR INTEREST EXCEPT TO PROTECT AND UPHOLD THE PUBLIC INTEREST.
AS A CITIZEN, I AM HERE REPRESENTING THAT PUBLIC INTEREST IN HOW THE CIVIL SERVICE BOARD IS FORMED.
BUT THIS PERSON WHO HAS BEEN NOMINATED BY L S U HAS A VERY LONG CONNECTION WITH THOSE THAT THE MUNI BOARD OVERSEES.
WHILE HIS SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY AS A FIREFIGHTER IS TO BE RESPECTED, IT ALSO MEANS THAT HE QUITE NATURALLY CAN BE PERCEIVED AS HAVING A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
IS THERE AN APPEARANCE THAT THE PUBLIC WILL BE AWARE OF? A MEMBER WHO SEEMS TO HAVE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST CAN BE SEEN AS NOT BEING IMPARTIAL.
THIS CONFLICT IS NOT CON CREATED BY HIS PAST MEMBERSHIP IN A UNION.
IF HE HAD BEEN A MEMBER OF THE TEAMSTERS, THE STEEL WORKERS, THE TEACHER'S UNION, IT WOULDN'T BE A CONFLICT.
THE FACT THAT OF THAT HE HAS LONG SPENT MOST OF HIS CAREER BEING ONE OF THOSE, THE BOARD OVERSEES THE DISCIPLINE OF IS AND CAN EASILY BE PERCEIVED AS A CONFLICT OF INTEREST BY ITS VERY MAKEUP.
THE MUNI BOARD HAS REPRESENTATION FOR THE EMPLOYEES OF THE MEMBERS IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
IF MR. RICKS HAD BEEN NOMINATED BY THE FIRE OR POLICE DEPARTMENT, I WOULD HAVE NO OBJECTION.
BUT HE IS BEING NOMINATED BY L S U AND I DO OBJECT AT THIS MOMENT OF HISTORY.
IT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER THAT THE PUBLIC HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT THE MUNICIPAL FIRE AND POLICE BOARD IS FAIR.
THAT IF THE FACTS SUPPORT A DISCIPLINARY ACTION, THE MEMBERS WILL UPHOLD IT.
AND IF THE FACTS DO NOT SUPPORT IT, THEY WILL OVERTURN IT.
I AM NOT SAYING THAT MR. RICKS IS, HAS A BIAS, BUT I AM SAYING THAT IF HE IS PLACED ON THE BOARD AND HAS TO VOTE TO OVERTURN A DISCIPLINARY ACTION, THERE WOULD BE REASON FOR THE PUBLIC TO BE CONCERNED.
THE BEST ADVICE, THE TRAINING I GOT IN CORPORATE AMERICA IS VERY SIMPLE.
AVOID THE APPEARANCE OF A CONFLICT OF
[02:45:01]
INTEREST.THE FACT THAT I AM HERE DEMONSTRATES THAT MR. RICK'S NOMINATION VIOLATES THIS ADVICE.
UH, NEXT WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM JENNIFER CALWELL.
THE PERSON WHO SPOKE BEFORE ME SAID A LOT OF WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY.
UH, I, UM, HAVE BEEN GOING TO MUNICIPAL BOARD MEETINGS SINCE 2016.
UM, THE MUNICIPAL BOARD IS MADE UP OF FIVE MEMBERS.
ONE THAT'S, UH, APPOINTED FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, ONE THAT'S APPOINTED FROM THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
L S U AND SOUTHERN AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE ARE ONES THAT YOU GET TO, UM, VOTE ON.
IT'S IMPORTANT, I THINK THAT THE UNION VOICE IS HEARD, BUT IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT THAT THIS BOARD IS REPRESENTING THE, THE PUBLIC.
UM, AS WAS SAID, IN MANY OF THE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN GOING TO THOSE MUNICIPAL BOARD MEETINGS, IT WAS VERY CLEAR THAT THERE WAS BIAS AND ISSUES.
AND UH, AND IN THE PAST YEAR SINCE WE HAVEN'T BEEN ARGUING ABOUT HOW LATE THE MUNICIPAL BOARD HAS BEEN AND HOW, HOW MUCH WE'VE BEEN SPENDING ON ATTORNEY'S FEES AND WHAT HAVE YOU, THAT BOARD HAS BEEN FUNCTIONING.
AND I HATE TO SEE IT BACKSLIDE INTO, UM, A UNION, UH, ARGUMENT AGAIN.
SO IT, YOU KNOW, IT APPEARS THAT MR. RICKS HAS 30 YEARS ON THE, YOU KNOW, ON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
UM, HE MIGHT BE A GREAT PERSON.
I I'VE NEVER MET HIM, BUT THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE LIKE WAS SAID MOMENTS AGO.
SO, UM, I HOPE THAT Y'ALL WILL VOTE FOR SHEILA LEWIS.
I SEE YOUR WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM.
ALRIGHT, WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS, COUNCIL MEMBER DUNN.
I'M GONNA MAKE, UH, POINTS FOR, FOR SIMILAR REASONS ABOUT MR. RICKS, BUT NOT THAT I DON'T FEEL HE COULD DO THE ROLE AND, AND, AND, UH, CREATE ANY BIASES.
MY ISSUE IS THERE'S ALREADY AN APPOINTMENT ON THE CIVIL SERVICE BOARD THAT REPRESENTS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
I THINK THIS WOULD BE A DUPLICATION OF, UH, REPRESENTATION.
UM, I'D LIKE TO SEE SOMEBODY FROM THE GENERAL PUBLIC SINCE THE, UH, FIRE DEPARTMENT IS ALREADY REPRESENTED.
UM, I KNOW SHEILA LEWIS, SHE'S A GREAT SERVICE PERSON, UH, DOES A LOT OF WORK WITH HER ORGANIZATION.
THE DELTAS, UM, HAD OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE WITH HER ON THE BUTTERFLY SOCIETY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BOARD.
I THINK SHE WOULD BE A GREAT ASSET TOO TO THE CIVIL SERVICE BOARD.
AND AGAIN, MY POINT IS THAT THERE'S ALREADY REPRESENTATION ON THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, ON THE CIVIL SERVICE BOARD.
SO AS YOU GUYS MAKE YOUR DECISION ON WHO TO SUPPORT, I'D HOPE HOPE YOU CONSIDER THAT COUNCIL MEMBER HUDSON, JUST FOR CLARITY'S SAKE.
MR. RICKS IS NOT HERE SEEKING AN APPOINTMENT FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT SEAT OR, OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
HE'S IN FACT NOT A FIREMAN ANYMORE.
HE IS BEEN RETIRED FOR MANY YEARS.
UM, DISTRICT NINE CONSTITUENTS.
SO I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO APPOINT MR. BRADLEY RICKS.
YEAH, THERE'S A MOTION TO APPOINT MR. RICKS AND, UH, WITH A SECOND COUNCIL MEMBER.
WELL, I WHOLEHEARTEDLY SEE WHERE MY COLLEAGUES AND, AND THE PUBLIC SPEAK SPEAKERS ARE COMING FROM.
I HAVE NO DISRESPECT FOR HER PROFESSION OR ANYTHING ELSE, BUT I WILL TALK OF COMING IN ONE THAT HAS, UH, BEEN PRESENTED TO THAT BOARD.
UM, YOU KNOW, IN THIS INDUSTRY WE'VE SEEN IT WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
WE'VE SEEN FIRE DEPARTMENT, E M S, ANY OTHER PUBLIC BODIES OR WHATEVER ELSE THINGS WE QUESTION.
I, I HAVE BEEN SENT BEFORE THIS BOARD, AND I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, I WOULD BE MUCH BETTER OFF JUDGE BY MY PEERS THAT I AM GOING BEFORE BECAUSE OF WHATEVER I WAS ACCUSED OF OR WHATEVER ELSE.
I WOULD MUCH RATHER SEE THIS GENTLEMAN ON HERE AND I'LL JUST STATED THAT YES, I I DO LOOK AT HIS HISTORY AS A FIREFIGHTER.
HE KNOWS WHAT GOES ON IN THE SYSTEM.
HE KNOWS, UM, WHAT'S WHAT'S RIGHT AND WHAT'S WRONG? AND I'LL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, YOU, YOU CAN TALK BIAS ALL YOU WANT TO, BUT EVEN I GOING BEFORE ONE OF THESE BOARDS, WHAT MY DAD WAS CHAIR OF, AND IT'S STILL GOT UPHELD.
SO, AND I, I HAVE NO PROBLEM SAVING THAT.
I, I, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM PUTTING MY BUSINESS OUT THERE, BUT I DON'T AGREE WITH THIS THING THAT JUST BECAUSE HE WAS A FORMER FIREFIGHTER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT HE'S GONNA CHOOSE IN A BIAS KIND OF WAY.
BUT I WOULD RATHER KNOW THAT I HAD THE DISCIPLINARY ACTION UPHELD BY MY PEERS THAT
[02:50:01]
KNOWS WHAT I WENT THROUGH OR, OR WHERE THE ADMINISTRATION IS COMING FROM THAN SOMEBODY ELSE THAT MIGHT NOT UNDERSTAND THE SYSTEM.UM, I TOO, UM, WERE CERTAINLY, UH, I THINK, UH, COUNCILMAN MO KIND OF, KIND OF, UH, VALIDATED WHAT WE, WHAT OUR CONCERNS ARE.
UM, HAVING SPOKE, SHEILA LEWIS, UH, HAS BEEN A PRINCIPAL FOR U B R SCHOOLS.
SHE WAS OVER THE DIRECTOR OF THE MAGNET PROGRAMS, WHICH, UM, A LOT OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS PROBABLY EITHER WENT TO SCHOOL UNDER HER OR THROUGH THE MAGNET PROGRAM.
SHE'S BEEN DIRECTOR OF STUDENT TEACHING AND FIELD SERVICES FOR SOUTHERN.
SHE'S ALSO BEEN A PROGRAM MANAGER FOR GOODWILL INDUSTRIES.
SHE'S CURRENTLY A, SHE'S CURRENTLY AN EDUCATIONAL CONSULTANT.
SO WE KNOW THAT SHE HAS THE, UM, THE, NOT ONLY THE INTELLECTUAL, UM, FORTITUDE TO BE ABLE TO WORK OUT PERSONNEL ISSUES, ISSUES REGARDING POLICY AND PROCEDURES, BUT ALSO SHE WOULD REPRESENT THE COMMON MAN AND BRING LEVERAGE TO WHERE WE ALREADY HAVE A POLICE PROFESSIONAL, A FIRE PROFESSIONAL, UH, L S U SOUTHERN.
UM, I THINK THAT HAVING SOMEONE THAT IS LIKE THE 12 OF US ON THE COUNCIL, WHO FOR THE MOST PART DID NOT COME FROM, UM, COME FROM A BACKGROUND BY WHICH WE HAD WORKED IN PUBLIC SERVICE, THAT GIVES US A, AN A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.
AND WE DON'T, WE, OUR PERSPECTIVE HAS TO REFLECT OUR CONSTITUENCY VERSUS, SAY THE ADMINISTRATION, OUR GOVERNMENT, BUT MORE SO THE PEOPLE ON THAT COME BEFORE US.
SO FOR THAT REASON, UM, I THINK SHEILA LEWIS, SHE WOULD BE GREAT.
SHE ALSO, UM, AS COUNCILMAN, UM, COUNCILMAN DUNN DUNN MENTIONED, UH, WORKS WITH, UH, DELTA SIGMA THETA, UM, TOP LEADERS OF DISTINCTION NAACP AND JUST, JUST A WELL-ROUNDED PERSON WHO REALLY KNOWS HOW TO, UH, NETWORK, HOW TO BRING A FAIR PERSPECTIVE.
AND I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE REALLY NEED ON THE MUNICIPAL FIRE AND POLICE SERVICE.
SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE A NOTE, A MOTION, UH, IF I MAY, TO SUBSTITUTE, SUBSTITUTE A MOTION TO, UM, TO APPOINT SHEILA LEWIS TO THE MUNICIPAL FIRE AND POLICE CIVIL SERVICE BOARD.
THERE IS A SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO APPOINT SHEILA LEWIS.
SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DUNN.
WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION FIRST.
THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION IS TO APPOINT SHEILA LEWIS TO THE MUNICIPAL, UH, FIRE AND CIVIL SERVICE BOARD COUNCIL MEMBERS, THE MACHINES ARE OPEN ON THE MOTION TO APPOINT SHEILA LEWIS.
WE NOW GO TO, UH, THE ORIGINAL MOTION, WHICH IS TO APPOINT, UH, BRADLEY RICKS.
MR. RICKS, UH, WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON THE MACHINES.
UM, MACHINES ARE OPEN TO APPOINT BRADLEY RICKS, YOU ONLY NEED TO VOTE YES IF YOU'RE VOTING FOR MR. RICKS SEVEN VOTES.
[138. 23-01085]
WE NOW GO TO CAPITAL AREA HUMAN SERVICES DISTRICT TO REPLACE THOMAS SAWYER, WHO HAS RESIGNED.THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL MUST SUBMIT TWO NAMES TO THE GOVERNOR FOR CONSIDERATION.
UH, IS ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL.
WE DON'T HAVE A CURRENT BALLOT, SO I'M GONNA MAKE A MOTION TO DEFER THIS ITEM.
THERE'S A MOTION TO DEFER, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MOROCCO.
LET'S DO 30 DAYS AND LET'S WORK TO FIND SOMEBODY.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, IF Y'ALL HAVE PEOPLE WHO MIGHT QUALIFY.
UM, LOOK AT THE LIST, LOOK AT THE, UM, QUALIFICATIONS ON THIS ITEM.
AND THEY DO NEED TO RESIDE AND BE REGISTERED TO VOTE IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
[139. 23-01131]
IS BAKER ZACHARY PRIDE, VILLE CENTRAL CALL FOR BRANCH LIBRARY CHILLER REPLACEMENT.GALLO MECHANICAL L L C $949,000.
DOES ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 1 39? COUNCIL MEMBER NOLL.
MOTION TO APPROVE BY COUNCIL MEMBER NOLL.
SECONDED BY THE CHAIR ARE COUNCILMAN MO.
[02:55:04]
YEAH.[140. 23-01157]
40 WIND BURN AVENUE AREA A D A TRANSITION PROJECT.THE LUSTER GROUP, L L C $319,693.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM ONE 40? WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
MOTION TO APPROVE BY COUNCIL MEMBER COLEMAN.
ANY OBJECTIONS? ITEM ONE 40 HAS BEEN APPROVED.
THERE IS A REQUEST TO TAKE ITEM 1 38 BY COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, BANKS, UH, MOTION TO RES TO, UH, RECONSIDER ITEM 1 38.
ANY OBJECTIONS? WE'RE BACK TO ITEM 1 38.
COUNCIL MEMBER BANKS, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE, UM, THAT WE ARE APPOINTING SHEILA LEWIS TO THE CAPITAL AREA HUMAN SERVICE DISTRICT.
UM, MS. BANKS, WE HAVE TO SEND TWO NAMES SO I CAN ADD MS. LEWIS'S NAME TO THE BALLOT.
HOW MANY YOU HAVE ALREADY? NONE.
SO IF WE CONTINUE TO DEFER IT FOR 30 DAYS, I CAN ADD MS. MS LEWIS'S NAME TO THE BALLOT.
WE WE'RE GONNA NEED AT LEAST ONE MORE NAME THEN.
[110. 23-01050 ]
ITEM ONE 10, RECEIVING A STATUS REPORT FROM THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ON THE CASE ENTITLED MIKE MCCLANNAHAN AL VERSUS ME, UH, BY COUNCIL MEMBER BANKS.IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? FRED, DID I GET ALL YOUR ITEMS, SIR? MOTION TO, TO DEFER.
OH, I MUST HAVE BEEN SLEEPING.
ALL THE, UH, BY COUNCILWOMAN BANKS, COUNCIL MEMBER BANKS, WHAT'S YOUR PLEASURE ON ITEM ONE 10? THERE'S A MOTION TO DEFER BY COUNCIL MEMBER BANKS.
HOW LONG SOMETHING, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER BANKS, YOU SAID YOU WANNA DEFER HOW LONG TO THE SEPTEMBER 13 MEETING? SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ROCK.
ANY OBJECTIONS? COUNCIL MEMBER? I THINK THAT IS ALL THO THOSE ARE ALL OF THE ITEMS ON THE AGENDA FOR THE EVENING.
COUNCIL MEMBER MOSA MOTION, UH, COUNCIL BEFORE WE ADJOURN.
SHE HAS SOMETHING SHE WANTED EVERYONE TO HEAR.
THERE IS THE HISTORIC WESLEY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH.
JONATHAN RICHARDSON IS THE PASTOR THERE AND ASKED THAT THIS IS IN REGARD TO SOCIAL JUSTICE SUNDAY.
THERE'S A 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE 1963 MARCH ON WASHINGTON, AND THAT WILL BE AT 5 44 GOVERNMENT STREET.
AND THAT WILL BE SUNDAY, AUGUST 27TH AT 10:00 AM AND HE ASKED THAT I SHARE THIS WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE PUBLIC.
A MOTION TO ADJOURN BY CO MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER AMAROSA.
YES, UH, AS ALWAYS, PROTECT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH.
WE WANT THANKS TO THE PARISH EMPLOYEES STAYING WITH US AGAIN THIS EVENING.
ALTHOUGH IT'S YOUR JOB, WE STILL APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
PROTECT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH AND READ TO YOUR CHILDREN.
AND WHEN YOU'RE DONE READING TO THEM, HAVE THEM READ BACK TO YOU, IS THE BEST WAY TO INCREASE READING COMPREHENSION.