Dec 12, 2023 Metropolitan Council

ANY OBJECTIONS? SURE.

COUNCIL MEMBER BANKS IS ANYTHING DIFFERENT FROM, UM, 'CAUSE I KNOW LAST YEAR WHEN WE HAD BIG BUDDY, UH, WE APPROVED FOR THEM TO BE REIMBURSED.

AND AT THE TIME THAT, UM, IT CAME ON OUR AGENDA, THE MONEY HAD ALREADY BEEN SPENT.

SO I'D LIKE TO KNOW FROM THE ADMINISTRATION, IS THIS THE TOTAL AMOUNT? AND WE'RE NOT GONNA BE WHERE COME ON WITH YOUR CUTE PANTS ON.

WE'RE GONNA BE WHERE, UM, THERE'S GONNA BE ANOTHER AGENDA ITEM COMING UP WHERE WE ARE REIMBURSING THEM ANOTHER 800,000 LIKE WE HAPPENED LAST YEAR.

WE STILL WILL HAVE TO DO A REIMBURSEMENT BECAUSE WE WANT TO, UH, STILL HAVE A STEWARDSHIP OF HOW MANY STUDENTS WE SERVE.

WE INCREASE THE NUMBER BECAUSE WE ARE AIMING TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WE SERVE.

MANY OF YOU HAVE OFFERED THAT, THAT SAME REQUEST.

SO WHAT WE DO IS LOOK AT THE NUMBER THAT WE HAVE TO START ADMINISTRATION.

BIG BUDDY HAS ALSO INCLUDED IN THEIR PROPOSAL TO DO MORE RECRUITMENT EVENTS, WHICH EACH OF YOU HAVE ALSO ASKED FOR AS WELL.

BUT YOU'LL SEE A REDUCED AMOUNT ON THE BACKEND TO HAVE A SIMILAR AMOUNT, PROBABLY AROUND 800,000 THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, DEPENDING UPON THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS SERVED.

BUT THE NUMBER IS $3,000 PER STUDENT, WHICH IS THEIR STIPEND PLUS ADMINISTRATION.

AND WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT AMOUNT THAT THE ADMINISTRATION ALLOCATES IN TOTALITY? UH, THE TECHNICAL ANSWER IS YOUR ALLOCATION IS 500,000 IF APPROVED TODAY.

AND THEN WE LOOK AT THE NUMBER IN THE SUMMER OF HOW MANY WE SERVE AND COME BACK TO YOU.

I KNOW YOU STILL NEED A, YOU, I WOULD THINK YOU STILL NEED A, UM, AN AMOUNT THAT YOU'VE SET OF TWO.

WHAT IS THAT NUMBER? SO ESSENTIALLY IT IS THE 500,000.

IN PREVIOUS YEARS IT HAS BEEN 200.

AS OF THIS JUNCTURE, IT IS 500,000.

WITH THE ANTICIPATION, IF THE SLOTS ARE FILLED, WE DID ABOUT 637 STUDENTS.

I DO, I UNDERSTAND THAT.

WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT AT THIS MOMENT? WE DON'T HAVE A MAXIMUM AMOUNT.

IT IS WHAT WE ARE OFFERING YOU FOR THE BUDGET.

ANYTHING ELSE BEYOND THAT IS TECHNICALLY A HYPOTHETICAL NUMBER? WELL, NO, BECAUSE WHAT A GOOD STEWARDSHIP IS, JUST LIKE WE GET THINGS

[00:10:01]

UP TO YES, MA'AM.

SO NO MATTER WHAT, 'CAUSE I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY KIDS WE HAVE, BUT JUST LET'S, LET'S SAY WE, WE, WE CANNOT, UM, REALISTICALLY SERVE EVERY SINGLE CHILD IN THE PARISH.

LET'S JUST SAY THE EAST RIDGE PARISH.

CORRECT.

SO WE HAVE TO HAVE A CUTOFF, UM, AS WILL WE DO FOR HOUSING, WHETHER WE ARE DOING ROOFING, WHATEVER THERE IS A NUMBER.

SO BASED UPON OF THE THRESHOLD.

YES MA'AM.

WHAT IS THAT THRESHOLD? UH, AS OF THIS MOMENT, IT IS 500 THOU 500,000 IF APPROVED, DIVIDED BY 3000 PER STUDENT.

AND THAT WILL GIVE US OUR THRESHOLD.

HOW DO WE HOW DO WE YOU WHAT, WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN PLACE FOR THE AMOUNT OVER THE 500,000? WE ESTIMATE BASED UPON NEEDS THAT COME UP OVER THE FIRST QUARTER TO SEE WHAT WE CAN SERVE IN THE PAST.

THE FIRST QUARTER, JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH.

YES, MA'AM.

SO CAN WE GET THAT NUMBER IN MARCH? I CAN, I CAN MAKE THAT COMMITMENT.

SO WE WANT A FIRM NUMBER IN MARCH SO THAT IN AUGUST AFTER THE PROGRAM IS OVER, WE DON'T GET THIS ASTRONOMICAL AMOUNT.

AND WE ARE LIKE, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE ALREADY SPENT THE MONEY, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANNA HAVE LEAVE BIG BUDDY HOLDING THE BAG.

BUT IT, IT MAKES FEASIBLE, UM, SENSE THAT THERE'S A NUMBER.

IT'S LIKE WE CAN MEET THAT REQUEST.

THE MAYOR PRESENT ATTENTION TO AN AGREEMENT WITH THE METHODS TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS FOR THE SERVICES SUPPORT OF CITY PARISH, LOCAL DATABASE SERVER ENVIRONMENT IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $60,000 BY INFORMATION SERVICES DIRECTOR.

LIKE I, I WANT A MILLION DOLLAR HOUSE, BUT, AND I HAVE A HUNDRED CHILDREN.

I CAN'T SAY, WELL, I HAVE A HUNDRED CHILDREN.

I HAVE TO SAY THIS IS HOW MUCH I'M WILLING TO SPEND.

WE CAN MEET THAT REQUEST.

HAVE WATER? YES, MA'AM.

OH, MOTION TO APPROVE.

MOTION TO APPROVE.

I THINK IT'S ALREADY BEEN MOTION TO APPROVE BY COUNCIL MEMBER HURST.

SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN BANKS.

ANY OBJECTIONS? ITEM 13 HAS BEEN APPROVED.

ITEM 14, AUTHORIZED

[14. 23-01637]

ANYONE WHO WISH TO SPEAK ON ITEM 14.

DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS? ASHLEY? NO.

COUNCIL MEMBERS, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? ITEM 14, LOOK LIKE YOU WANNA RAISE YOUR HAND.

COUNCIL MEMBER GODDE.

OH.

COUNCIL MEMBER GODDE.

MOTION TO APPROVE.

SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER ADAM, ANY OBJECTIONS? WE GO TO ITEM 15.

[15. 23-01640]

AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT TURNS INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH INFORM LLC FOR SERVICES TO SUPPORT THE CITY PARISH, MICROSOFT SQL DATABASE SERVICE ENVIRONMENT IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $60,000.

ANYONE HERE WISHES TO SPEAK ON ITEM 15? WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.

IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? ITEM 15.

SO MOVED BY COUNCIL ADAM, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HUDSON.

ANY OBJECTIONS? WE GO TO ITEM 16,

[16. 23-01641]

AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESIDENT INTO AN AGREEMENT OF THE CATFISH QUEEN LLC, DOING BUSINESS AS THE BAIL OF BATON ROUGE.

FEES FOR OPERATIONAL CASINO GAMING AND SPORTS WAGERING IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH BY MAYOR, PRESIDENT.

ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 16? WE'RE NOW WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS.

IS A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM 16.

ANYONE? MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER WHITE ADAM.

SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER DUNN.

ANY OBJECTIONS? WE GO NOW.

ITEM

[17. 23-01642]

17.

AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESIDENT INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH EMERGING METHOD AT LC TO PROVIDE PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND OTHER SERVICES TO ASSIST WITH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, STRATEGIC PLANNING AND DEPLOYMENT OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $95,000 BY THE INFORMATION AND SERVICES DIRECTOR.

IS ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 17? COUNCIL MEMBERS? COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED ONE EMAIL, COMMENT AND OPPOSITION TO ITEM 17.

ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM? WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL.

IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HUDSON.

18, AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH LOUISIANA CASINO CRUISES, LLC, DOING BUSINESS AS THE QUEEN OF BATON ROUGE REGARDING THE FEES, OPERATION OF THE CASINO, GAMING AND SPORTS WAGERING AND EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH BY MAYOR, PRESIDENT AND FINANCE DIRECTOR, ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 18? WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL.

ANY OBJECTIONS? WE NOW GO TO ITEM

[18. 23-01644]

THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE SOME MORE BY COUNCILOR COLEMAN.

SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS. ANY OBJECTIONS? WE GO NOW TO 19.

[19. 23-01649]

AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE THE CONTRACT WITH THE CITY OF BAKER IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $96,440 BY FINANCE DIRECTOR.

IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? WE NOW WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM 19.

SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS. SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER COLEMAN.

ANY OBJECTIONS BUT ITEM 20, AUTHORIZE THE

[20. 23-01650]

MAYOR, PRESIDENT, EXECUTE A CONTRACT WITH THE CITY OF ZACHARY AND THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $124,460 BY FINANCE DIRECTOR.

IS ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.

SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS. COUNCIL MEMBER BANKS,

[00:15:02]

COUNCILWOMAN BANKS.

I THINK THAT'S JUST THE, UM, PERSON WHO PUT THESE ITEMS IN.

THAT'S HOW THEY, UM, STYLED IT.

OKAY, THIS WAS TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT.

SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS. IS THERE SECOND.

SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER NOEL.

ANY OBJECTIONS? ITEM 20 HAS BEEN APPROVED.

ITEM 21.

AUTHORIZED THE MAYOR

[21. 23-01651]

PRESIDENT EXECUTE THE CONTRACT WITH THE BATTERY WATER COMPANY AND THE PARISH WATER COMPANY AND THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $3,552,110 BY FINANCE DIRECTOR.

IS THERE ANYONE WISH TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS? IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ADAM SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HUSS.

ANY OBJECTIONS? WE NOW GO TO ITEM 22

[22. 23-01652]

AUTHORIZING MAYOR, PRESIDENT TEXAS TO COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT WITH THE PUBLIC DEFENDER IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,145,000 BY MAYOR, PRESIDENT, AND ANY ONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM.

WE GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.

IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? COME ON DOWN, MA'AM.

REVEREND ANDERSON.

GOOD AFTERNOON, REVEREND ALEXIS ANDERSON, 2 48 STEEL BOULEVARD.

I HAD A QUESTION IN THE DOCUMENTATION REGARDING THE COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT AND MY QUESTION HAD TO DO WITH, UH, THE ISSUE OF THE PARISH HAVING ACCESS TO DOCUMENTATION FROM THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE.

AND I WAS WONDERING IF SOMEBODY COULD CLARIFY IF THAT WAS SIMPLY ACCOUNTING ITEMS OR IF IT WAS, IF THERE WERE PARAMETERS AROUND WHAT DOCUMENTATION COULD IN FACT BE PROVIDED BY THE PUBLIC DEFENDER TO THE PARISH AND HOW IT WOULD IMPACT INDIVIDUAL CLIENT CASES.

COME ON DOWN, LINDA HUNT, THE FINANCE DIRECTOR EXTRAORDINAIRE IN THERE.

THE INTENTION, UH, OF THAT SECTION IS THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO GET DOCUMENTATION THAT WE MIGHT NEED FOR AUDIT PURPOSES TO PROVE THE PUBLIC PURPOSE AND THE APPROPRIATENESS OF THE EXPENSE, UM, TO THE LEGISLATIVE AUDITOR OR TO OUR AUDITORS.

IN NO WAY DO WE WANT TO GET ANY TYPE OF ACCESS TO ANY TYPE OF CLIENT RECORDS, UM, THROUGH THIS SECTION.

AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT, EXECUTE PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AGREEMENT WITH LIVE AFTER FIVE IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 75,000 BY THE BARE PRESIDENT.

COUNCIL MEMBER.

IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM 22.

SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HUDSON.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN COLEMAN.

ANY OBJECTION? GO TO ITEM 23.

[23. 23-01653]

IS ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 23? COUNCIL MEMBERS? YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED ONE EMAIL, COMMENT AND OPPOSITION TO ITEM ITEM 23.

WE GO NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.

IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER COLEMAN IN DISTRICT 10.

SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MO, ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS? ITEM 23 HAS BEEN APPROVED IN THE DISTRICT 10.

ITEM 24 AND 26.

NUMBER 25.

THEN WE'LL TAKE 24 AND 26 TOGETHER.

25.

AMENDING THE RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING TURNKEY HEALTH CLINICS LLC TO PROVIDE HEALTHCARE.

NO, I'M GONNA GO BACK TO 24 AND

[Items 24 & 26]

26.

ARE WE GONNA TAKE THOSE TWO TOGETHER? ITEM ADOPTING THE REVISED 2020, UH, PAY PLAN FOR THE CLASSIFIED.

A CLASSIFIED NON-CLASSIFIED CONTRACT.

FIRE POLICE EMPLOYEES, CITY OF BATON ROUGE, THE PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE.

ESTABLISHING EFFECTIVE DATE SET PLAN AT DECEMBER 30TH, 2023.

AND REPEALING ALL ORDINANCES.

THAT PART OF ORDINANCE AND CONFLICT HERE WITH BA, HUMAN RESOURCE DIRECTOR.

AND THEN ITEMS 26, FIXING THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES OF EAST PARISH PARISH, THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE AND THE AGENCIES TO WHICH APPROPRIATIONS ARE MADE IN ESTABLISHING THE EFFECTIVE DATE BY DECEMBER 30TH, 2023.

AND REPEALING ALL ORDINANCES IN CONFLICT HERE WITH OUR HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR.

IS ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEMS 24 AND 26? WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.

DID I TELL YOU COMING TO SPEAK? NO.

ALRIGHT, I'M GONNA GO DOWN.

COUNCIL MEMBERS, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE BY COUNCIL MEMBER BANKS? YOU WANNA SPEAK? COUNCIL MEMBER DOWN.

NOBODY SAID THAT WORD FROM THE PUBLIC WANNA SPEAK? NOT WITH ALL THEM.

JUDGES ON THE FRONT ROW.

MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER.

I THINK HE WANNA SPEAK.

I'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM.

UH, ON BEHALF OF, UH, MYSELF, THE, UH, FIVE AVERAGE CITY COURT JUDGES AND, UH, THE OVER 150, UH, CITY COURT EMPLOYEES.

UH, WE'RE ASKING THAT OUR ALLOTMENT, UH, BE APPROVED, UH, UH, IN THIS, IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.

UH, WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR, FOR OUR ALLOTMENT, UH, IS NO COST TO THE CITY AT ALL.

UH, IT'S ZERO COST TO

[00:20:01]

THE CITY.

UH, ESSENTIALLY WHAT IT DOES IS IT ALLOWS US TO COME TOGETHER AND TO GIVE THE JUDGES AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, TO PUT THE ALLOTMENTS IN PLACE THAT, THAT THEY, UH, THAT THEY WANT TO FOR THE CITY.

UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, I DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS THE, UH, THE PACE STUDY.

UH, THERE, UH, THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME CONVERSATIONS REGARDING THE PACE STUDY.

UH, HOWEVER, UH, WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS THAT, UM, WE LOOK AT THE PACE STUDY.

A PACE STUDY IS SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GONNA COME INTO FRUITION UNTIL MAYBE 2025.

UH, ONE OF THE THINGS, UH, THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT IS WE'VE DONE THE WORK, UH, WE'VE DONE THE RESEARCH AND, UH, WE ARE AWARE, UH, THAT, UH, WHAT WE'RE PUTTING IN PLACE, UH, COSTS ABOUT $39,000 TOTAL, UH, HAS BEEN APPROVED.

OH, YEAH, WE FINISH.

WASN'T FINISHED SPEAKING TO MIKE.

HE DIDN'T TAKE A VOTE YET.

I DON'T THINK THE SPEAKER WAS FINISHED WITH HIS REMARKS.

WELL, , I THOUGHT I NEVER SAY THIS POINT OF ORDER.

UH, EL GO AHEAD AND FINISH WITH THE COMMENTS PLEASE.

ALRIGHT, LEMME START.

AND FOR SOME REASON, I'M, I'M, I'M, UH, AND I'VE SPOKEN IN FRONT OF YOU GUYS MANY TIMES, BUT I'M NERVOUS TODAY FOR SOME REASON.

, YOU'RE DOING GREAT.

I KNOW IT IS NOT LIKE, OKAY, SO, SO I'M, I'M GONNA BE BRIEF AND, AND I'LL, AND I'LL, I'LL, I'LL GET TO THE POINT HERE.

UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST, UH, AS I SAID BEFORE, UH, WE'RE ASKING THAT THE BOUNDARY CITY COURT ALLOTMENT AS PRESENTED, UH, BE APPROVED.

UM, IN THIS ALLOTMENT, THERE'S A DIFFERENTIAL COST OF ABOUT $39,000.

UH, HOWEVER, THERE IS NO COST TO THE ACTUAL CITY BUDGET.

WE'VE OPERATED.

WE'RE GONNA OPERATE THIS CHANGE WITHIN THE CURRENT BUDGET ALLOTMENT THAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN.

UH, SO THEREFORE, THERE'S NO COST TO THE CITY.

UH, WE HAVEN'T RAISED FINES OR FEES IN ORDER TO, UH, EFFECTUATE THIS CHANGE.

UH, AND WE'VE BEEN GOOD STEWARDS OVER OUR MONEY.

UH, AND WHAT WE'RE HOPING IS THAT THIS IS, UH, A VOTE FOR FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, WHICH IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN, UH, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

AND WE'VE TAKEN WHAT WE'VE BEEN GIVEN AND WE'VE, UH, USED THAT MONEY AND WE'VE EFFECTUATED, UH, ALLOTMENT CHANGES WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE COURT.

IT DOES NOT AFFECT THE, UH, CITY'S FISK.

IT DOES NOT AFFECT ANY OTHER, UM, DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE CITY.

AND WE ASK THAT YOU VOTE, UH, FOR THE, UM, AMENDMENT AS PRESENTED.

COUNCIL MEMBER HUT.

UM, MR. BERNARD, I, I THINK THE ADMINISTRATION, UH, PRESENTED SOME INFORMATION TO US BEFORE THE MEETING STARTED AND I JUST WANTED TO GIVE HIM A CHANCE TO GO THROUGH THAT WITH US, UM, SO WE CAN HEAR BOTH SIDES.

OKAY, GREAT.

UM, YEAH, EARLIER TODAY I SENT, UM, A DETAILED EXPLANATION OF THE REQUESTS THAT WERE, UM, REQUESTED FROM CITY COURT AND WHAT HUMAN RESOURCES GRANTED.

SO I, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I COULD GO THROUGH THAT, UM, CLASS BY CLASS.

UM, AND THAT WILL GIVE YOU A BETTER PERSPECTIVE.

AND THEN I'LL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE, UH, AUDIENCE MAY HAVE.

SO, I'LL START WITH THE REALLOCATION OF POSITIONS.

CITY COURT ACTS FOR FIVE CHIEF, UH, DEPUTY CLERK POSITIONS TO GO FROM PAY GRADE 18 TO PAY GRADE 2220.

I'LL JUST SAY THE NUMBERS IN THE MIDDLE.

FROM PAY GRADE 18 TO PAY GRADE 22, WE APPROVE THAT HE ASKED FOR NINE DEPUTY CLERKS TO GO FROM PAY GRADE 15 TO PAY GRADE 18.

HUMAN RESOURCES APPROVE THAT.

HE ASKED FOR THREE ACCOUNTING ASSOCIATES TO GO FROM PAY GRADE 15 TO PAY GRADE 17.

WE APPROVED THAT HE ASKED FOR ONE ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST TO GO TO SENIOR ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST THAT WAS NOT APPROVED.

HE ASKED FOR 17 SENIOR LEGAL SPECIALISTS TO GO TO 17 DEPUTY CLERKS FROM PAY GRADE 13 TO PAY GRADE 15 THAT WAS APPROVED.

10 SENIOR FISCAL SPECIALISTS PAY GRADE 11 TO ACCOUNTING ASSOCIATES PAY GRADE 15 THAT WAS APPROVED.

ONE.

LEGAL SPECIALIST PAY GRADE 11 TO DEPUTY CLERK PAY.

GRADE 15, A FOUR PAY GRADE INCREASE THAT WAS APPROVED.

THREE ADMIN SPECIALISTS FROM PAY GRADE 11 TO PAY GRADE 13.

TWO OF THE THREE OF THEM

[00:25:01]

WERE APPROVED.

16 LEGAL SPECIALISTS PAY GRADE 11 TO SENIOR LEGAL SPECIALISTS PAY GRADE 13, ALL 16 WERE APPROVED.

FISCAL SPECIALISTS PAY GRADE NINE TO SENIOR FISCAL SPECIALISTS.

UM, PAY GRADE 11 THAT WAS APPROVED.

20 CLERICAL SPECIALISTS PAY GRADE NINE TO LEGAL SPECIALISTS.

PAY GRADE 11 ALL WERE APPROVED EXCEPT THREE.

AND THOSE THREE WERE NEEDED TO FUND THIS RAISE.

THERE WERE VACANT POSITIONS AND NEEDED TO, UH, TO, TO FUND THE RAISE.

HE ASKED FOR A PAY GRADE INCREASE FOR THE CHIEF DEPUTY CLERK FROM PAY GRADE 20, UH, 33 TO PAY GRADE 37.

WE SAID THAT THOSE ADJUSTMENTS FOR ALL UNCLASSIFIED AND THAT GOES ACROSS THE BOARD TO ALL UNCLASSIFIED, UM, DIRECTORS AND ASSISTANTS THAT WERE REQUESTED.

UM, THOSE ADJUSTMENTS ARE PENDING THE COMPLETION OF THE TOTAL COMPENSATION STUDY.

HIS CHIEF DEPUTY CLERK, UM, HE ASKED FOR PAY GRADE INCREASE FOR THAT FROM 28 TO 33.

THAT IS ALSO, UH, PENDING THE UNCLASSIFIED, UM, COMPLETION OF THE TOTAL COMPENSATION STUDY.

HE ASKED FOR THE DEPUTY JUDICIAL ADMINISTRATOR TO GO FROM PAY GRADE 25 TO 28, UM, BECAUSE HIS DEPUTY, HIS CHIEF DEPUTY DIDN'T GET MOVED.

WE GRANTED A ONE PAY GRADE INCREASE FOR THAT POSITION.

CHIEF OF ACCOUNTING PAY GRADE 23 TO PAY GRADE 25.

TWO PAY GRADES WAS APPROVED AS HE, AS HE REQUESTED.

CHIEF DEPUTY FOR CIVIL FROM 23 TO 25.

TWO PAY GRADES THAT WAS APPROVED.

CHIEF OF CRIMINAL TRAFFIC PAY GRADE 23 TO 25 THAT WAS APPROVED.

CHIEF OF PROBATION FROM 23 TO 25 THAT WAS APPROVED.

CHIEF OF RECORDS FROM PAY GRADE 23 TO 25, THAT WAS APPROVED.

CHIEF SERVICES COORDINATOR RETITLED A CHIEF OF COURT SERVICES DIVISION FROM PAY GRADE 22 TO 25, A THREE PAY GRADE RAISE THAT WAS APPROVED.

COMMUNITY RELATIONS SUPERVISOR FROM PAY GRADE 16 TO PAY GRADE 22, A SIX PAY GRADE INCREASE THAT WAS APPROVED.

ADDITIONALLY, HE ASKED FOR 10 PAY GRADE INCREASES, EIGHT WERE APPROVED, OF WHICH TWO ARE PENDING.

THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY.

HE ASKED FOR 86 RECLASSIFICATIONS, 81 WERE APPROVED, THREE OF WHICH THAT WEREN'T APPROVED, WERE DELETED FOR FUNDING PURPOSES, AND TWO OF THE REALLOCATIONS WERE DENIED OF THE 81.

I'LL STAND HERE AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE OR, UM, ANY OTHER COMMENTS FOR MR. BERNARD? COUNCILMAN BANKS? MIKE.

MIKE.

DIFFERENCE IS 39,000.

UM, I'M SURE THAT IF HE SAID THAT IN, IN FINANCE APPROVALS, I'M SURE THAT'S WHAT IT WAS.

ALREADY, UH, SOMEBODY MADE A MOTION AND IT'S SECOND.

SO MR. ELSIE, THANK YOU, UH, BRIAN.

MR. ELSIE, I WANNA COMMEND YOU FOR BEING AN EXCELLENT ADMINISTRATOR DEPARTMENT HEAD TO GO THROUGH YOUR STAFF AND DETERMINE THE NEEDS BASED ON YOUR FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT'S NEEDED.

WE DON'T HAVE THAT.

AND THAT IS SO VERY IMPORTANT.

IT'S ONE THING TO, UM, AS MR. BERNARD IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ENTIRE CITY PARISH, AND THAT'S A LOT.

BUT EVERY DEPARTMENT HEAD SHOULD BE SO ASTUTE IN WHO THEY HAVE ON THEIR STAFF, WHAT THE DUTIES ARE, WHAT THE SALARIES ARE, WHAT ARE THE CLASSIFICATION, AND WHAT ADJUSTMENTS NEED TO BE MADE TO MAKE IT FUNCTION PROPERLY.

THAT'S TO BE COMMENDABLE.

UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU DID IT, BUT YOU NEED TO HOLD.

THEY, SOMEBODY NEEDS TO LET YOU WORK.

DO A WORKSHOP FOR ALL DEPARTMENT HEADS.

IT WOULD MAKE EVEN HR SO FUNCTION SO MUCH, SO MUCH BETTER.

IF EVERY DEPARTMENT HEAD WOULD BE ABLE TO GO AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE NEED.

AND THEN FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO ABSORB THE COST, THAT IN NO WAY, FIRST OF ALL, IT IS NOT, UM, AN EXTRA BURDEN TO OUR, TO THE CONSTITUENTS, BUT ALSO THE FACT THAT, UM, YOU ALL ARE, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, YOU OBSERVED, OBSERVED THE CAUSE.

THIS IS MAJOR FOR ME.

UM, AGAIN, I COMMEND YOU, I COMMEND THE JUDGES, I COMMEND ALL THE EMPLOYEES HERE.

Y'ALL LOOK LIKE Y'ALL ARE A FAMILY.

UM, FOR ALL OF YOU, I DON'T KNOW ANY OTHER DEPARTMENT THAT HAD THIS MANY PEOPLE, UH, TO COME AND TO HAVE THE KIND OF KNOWLEDGE AND THAT YOU ALL HAVE.

UM, SO I, I THINK I, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALREADY, I MEAN I'VE

[00:30:01]

UM, I DIDN'T HEAR ANY OBJECTIONS.

I CAN'T IMAGINE WHY THERE WOULD BE, BECAUSE YOU DEFINITELY, LIKE, JUST LIKE YOU SAID, YOU ALL A GOOD STEWARD OF THE MONEY, BUT YOU ARE ALSO A GOOD STEWARD OF BEING A GREAT ADMINISTRATION TO BE ABLE TO SAY DOWN TO THE PENNY WHAT, WHAT THE CHANGES ARE AND HOW TO ALSO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS NOT A BURDEN ON THE CITY.

IT'S NOT A BURDEN ON YOUR, UM, THOSE THAT COME BEFORE THE COURT.

AND I, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT HOW AWESOME I THINK THAT IS.

THANK YOU COUNCIL.

HEY, SO, UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH, ELSIE.

AGAIN.

YOU DID A GREAT JOB BEFORE IN THE PRESENTATION.

YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB NOW.

UM, I FOUGHT FOR ABOUT SIX, FOUR TO SIX MONTHS TO GET THE ADMINISTRATION TO APPROVE THE PAY STUDY BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S NOT JUST Y'ALL IN THESE RAISES, EVERYBODY.

AND SO THROUGHOUT THIS PAGE STUDY, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE NOT TRADITIONALLY LOOKED AT PRIOR TO, WHICH IS HOW DO WE RESTRUCTURE OUR BENEFITS PACKAGE? AN EXAMPLE I GAVE IN PREVIOUS MEETINGS, I KNOW A LOT OF YOU GUYS WEREN'T HERE, WAS THAT MY LEGISLATIVE AID WAS BEING PAID $53,000 FOR A TOTAL CONVERSATION OF 80 85, WHICH MEANS SHE HAD $33,000 IN BENEFITS, WHICH WAS EXTREMELY HEAVY.

ALMOST 40% OF HER SALARY WAS IN BENEFITS.

MY PART OF THE PAY STUDY IS TO FIGURE OUT HOW CAN WE USE THOSE DOLLARS TO ADD THAT TOWARDS YOUR SALARY AND CREATE A BETTER LIVABLE WAGE FOR EVERYONE.

AND THE TRADITIONAL, UH, WORLD NON-GOVERNMENT, NON-PE, TOTAL COMPENSATION FOR HER WOULD'VE BEEN $68,000 WITH A 6% MATCH AND BENEFITS, TOTAL BENEFITS FOR HER FAMILY OF FOUR.

SO, UM, IT WOULD'VE LEFT $20,000 THAT COULD HAVE GONE TOWARDS HER PAY.

I'M SAYING THIS BECAUSE I'M GONNA MAKE THE SAME SPEECH I GAVE WHEN THE MAYOR GOT, UH, MAYOR'S RAISE CAME.

THE SAME SPEECH THAT I GAVE WHEN THE CONSTABLE'S RAISE CAME UP IS THAT I SUPPORT YOUR RAISE.

I SUPPORT IT EVEN HIGHER THAN WHAT IT IS, BUT I AM GOING TO ABSTAIN BECAUSE I AM DRIVING THE PAY STUDY.

I'M NOT AGAINST IT.

I'M ACTUALLY FOR IT.

BUT IF I'M NOT GONNA VOTE FOR ONE, I'M NOT GONNA VOTE FOR ANY.

BECAUSE AS THE LEADER OF THE PAGE STUDY ALONG WITH THE MAYOR AND DRIVING THIS, I NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT I'M CONSISTENT ACROSS THE BOARD.

AND I THINK YOU'VE DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB WITHIN YOUR DEPARTMENT AND I HOPE IT DOES PASS.

I JUST CAN'T SUPPORT, I'M GOING ABSTAIN FROM VOTING TODAY.

COUNCIL MEMBER.

DUN.

BRIAN UP REAL QUICK TO CLOSE.

I ECHO THE SENTIMENTS THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER BANKS AND COUNCILMAN HURST MADE ABOUT THE WORK YOU'VE DONE LZ YOU AND YOUR TEAM.

I'VE ACTUALLY SHARED WITH SEVERAL OF MY COLLEAGUES, I THINK THIS IS WHAT EACH DEPARTMENT SHOULD BE DOING.

I THINK DEPARTMENT HEADS KNOW, UH, THEIR DEPARTMENTS BETTER THAN ANYBODY ELSE.

AND WE SHOULD BE GIVING AN AUTONOMY TO GO IN AND DO WHAT YOU GUYS DID.

YOU GUYS EVALUATED YOUR BUDGET, DIDN'T INCREASE YOUR BUDGET, FROZE SOME JOBS, ELIMINATED SOME JOBS, TOOK INTO ACCOUNT, UH, SOME OF THE VACANCIES THAT WE HAVE YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT.

AND YOU CAME FORWARD WITH A SOLUTION, UH, WITH SOME OF MY OTHER CONVERSATIONS WITH FINANCE, WITH HR, THEY DID BRING UP SOME THINGS.

AND I'M GONNA GIVE YOU ONE EXAMPLE THAT CONCERNS ME AND GIVE ME A REASON TO PAUSE.

AND IT'S NOT THAT ANYTHING YOU GUYS DIDN'T DO, AS I SHARED WITH HR AND FINANCE, I THINK THEY NEED TO GIVE YOU THE PARAMETERS OF THE DOSS AND DON'TS THAT CAUSED THEM HEARTBURN FOR THIS TYPE OF PLAN.

I DON'T THINK THAT THAT STEP WAS TAKEN, BUT I THINK WE CAN DO THAT MOVING FORWARD.

ONE OF THE EXAMPLES, THAT WAS ONE POSITION THAT GAVE A RAISE, BUT THAT PERSON STAYED AT SAY STEP SEVEN, BUT THEN YOU GOT MULTIPLE STEPS LEFT AND IN A 10 YEARS TIME PERIOD THAT SALARY WOULD INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY.

SO THINGS LIKE THAT I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION.

AND THERE ARE OTHERS, BUT I DON'T WANNA TAKE UP TOO MUCH TIME, BUT I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE A CONVERSATION WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, WITH FINANCE AND HR TO PUT THE PARAMETERS IN PLACE OF THE THINGS YOU CAN AND CAN'T DO WHEN YOU DO A THING SUCH AS YOU GUYS HAVE DONE.

I THINK WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE IS A MODEL AND WE SHOULD, UH, LET EVERY DEPARTMENT HEAD LOOK AT WHAT YOU DID AND MODEL WHAT YOU DID WITH WITHIN EACH DEPARTMENT.

AND, AND I SUPPORT COUNCILOR HIRST AND THE PACE STUDY.

I KNOW IT'S GONNA GIVE US BACK SOME DATA, BUT I THINK WE CAN ALL DO THIS AT EACH DEPARTMENT INTERNALLY AND WE CAN USE THE DATA FROM THE PACE STUDY TO HELP US.

BUT I THINK YOU'VE DONE IT WITHOUT EVEN USING THE PACE STUDY.

BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO THE RESULTS OF THE PAGE STUDY.

UM, SECONDLY, I JUST WANNA BRING A POINT OF CLARITY, ASHLEY, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND WHAT WE ARE VOTING ON.

THE ITEM THAT'S BEFORE US IS THE BUDGET.

AS THE MAYOR PRESENTED IT, THE ITEM BEFORE US IS NOT THE BUDGET AS THEY REQUESTED IT.

CORRECT.

AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IF WE WANNA VOTE ON AND APPROVE THE BUDGET AS THEY REQUESTED IT, WE WOULD HAVE TO AMEND IT.

SO THE VOTE ON THE FLOOR IS TO APPROVE IT AS THE MAYOR PRESENTED IT.

AND I'M GONNA CALL

[00:35:01]

I THINK HE, YEAH, THAT'S CORRECT.

COUNCILMAN DUNN.

THE, THE TWO ITEMS TO BE APPROVED ARE 24 AND 26.

THE MOTION WAS MADE BY MS. BANKS AND SECONDED BY MS. COLEMAN TO APPROVE THE ITEM AS IT WAS PRESENTED BY THE MAYOR.

IF Y'ALL WANT TO MAKE ANY CHANGES TO IT, YOU'RE GONNA NEED TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE WITH AMENDMENTS.

GOTCHA.

MOTION WITHDRAWN.

YEAH, I KIND OF FIGURED THAT THAT IS THERE DIDN'T ADDRESS IT.

IS THE COUNCIL MEMBER WHO MAY 2ND, WOULD YOU LIKE TO WITHDRAW YOU SECOND IF YOU SAY SO MAY I APPROACH CHAIR ? MR. BERNARD? MR. BERNARD, CAN I, CAN I, I JUST WANNA MAKE, UH, JUST, JUST ONE POINT TO, TO THE, TO THE STEPS.

UM, IN, IN ANY, UH, IN ANY, UH, RE RECLASSIFICATION OR REALLOCATION OF, OF, UH, POSITIONS, YOU ARE GONNA HAVE A STEP CHANGE.

UH, SO REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY ARE, THEY ARE GONNA MAKE IT THROUGH THOSE STEPS.

SO THERE WOULDN'T NECESSARILY, UH, BE THE, THE, THE CHANGE THAT YOU SEE ON THE PAPER IS THE CHANGE THAT THEY WILL HAVE.

UH, THERE'S NO ABILITY TO, UH, TAKE A PERSON AND MOVE THEM BEYOND THE STEPS THAT WE'VE PUT 'EM EACH YEAR.

WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS JUST LIKE, UH, WITH ANY, UH, PAY, PAY, UH, PAY RATE THAT THEY'RE AT, THEY WILL STEP THROUGH THOSE PAY RATES.

SO I DON'T, I DON'T WANT US TO, TO, TO THINK THAT JUST BECAUSE YOU PUT ADDITIONAL STEPS.

'CAUSE REMEMBER, UH, IT TAKES 20 YEARS TO, TO RETIRE.

UH, AS LONG AS YOU GOT LESS THAN 20 YEARS, THEN HOPEFULLY WHAT HAPPENS IS THERE'S SOME LEVEL OF, OF PAY INCREASE THAT ARE HAPPENING AMONGST YOUR CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES.

SO, UM, TO HAVE ADDITIONAL STEPS, THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT.

BUT THERE'S NO ABILITY.

BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE IN THE SAME, YOU KNOW, UH, STEP AND, AND, AND, UM, MERIT INCREASES AS ANYBODY ELSE.

AND IT DOES NOT CHANGE THE BUDGET GOING FORWARD.

SO THERE WOULD NOT BE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT, EVEN IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL STEPS ABOVE THAT PERSON.

UM, AND TO THE PACE STUDY, AS I SAID EARLIER, UH, THE ONE THING THAT, THAT I THINK WE, WE NEED TO, TO THINK ABOUT WITH THE PACE STUDY IS JUST THE FACT THAT, UM, YES, YOU CAN HAVE A PACE STUDY AND ONCE THE PACE STUDY COMES IN, UH, IT CAN SAY, HEY, PUT THIS PERSON HERE, PUT THIS PERSON HERE, PUT THIS PERSON THERE.

BUT THE THING THAT WE DON'T KNOW IS HOW WILL WE PAY FOR THAT PAY STUDY AT THE END OF THE DAY? THAT PAY STUDY CAN COME IN AND IT IS ONLY WORTH THE ABILITY FOR US TO FIND THE FUNDING AND BE ABLE TO FUND EACH OF THOSE POSITIONS BECAUSE YOU CAN'T JUST CHERRY PICK WHO YOU'RE GONNA GIVE IT TO.

SO WE'VE, IN MY OPINION, WE'VE DONE THE WORK WE'VE MADE, WE'VE, UH, BEEN ABLE TO, UH, EFFECTUATE THESE CHANGES WITHIN OUR CURRENT ALLOTMENT.

THAT'S NOT SOMETHING YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO SPREAD OVER THE CITY WITHIN A YEAR.

ALSO, YOU GOTTA LOOK AT THE FACT THAT THIS CASE STUDY CANNOT BE IMPLEMENTED PRIOR TO 2025.

THERE'S NO WAY YOU'RE GONNA GET IT DONE BEFORE THEN.

THANK, THANK YOU EL I'M GONNA GET A, LEMME DOUBLE NICK ON THIS ONE.

MR. COLE, UH, ELS AND I'LL GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO COME BACK IF YOU, IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE TO SAY.

COME ON.

BRIAN.

JUST WANT TO GET A, UH, OVERALL REVIEW OF THE REQUESTS THAT WERE MADE.

THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE.

CAN YOU CLARIFY THAT? HOW MANY, UH, PAY RAISES WERE REQUESTED? HOW MANY WERE APPROVED? HOW MANY WAS DENIED IN TOTALITY? UM, 86 RELA, UH, REALLOCATIONS WERE REQUESTED.

81 WERE GRANTED.

UM, THE, OF THE FIVE THAT WERE DENIED, THREE OF THEM WERE DENIED BECAUSE THEY ARE, THREE OF THOSE POSITIONS ARE BEING USED TO FUND THESE REALLOCATION.

SO THERE'S NO ONE IN THOSE POSITIONS? UM, IN THOSE THREE, NO.

UM, AND THEN 10 PAY GRADE INCREASES WERE REQUESTED.

THEY WERE, THEY RECEIVED EIGHT, THE TWO THAT, THAT WERE NOT, UM, INCREASED.

UM, WERE THE TWO THAT ARE PENDING THE RESULTS OF THE PAY STUDY, UH, THE TWO UNCLASSIFIED IN THE DEPARTMENT.

SO CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IT SOUNDS LIKE THREE PEOPLE THAT WAS AFFECTED THAT, THAT WERE REQUESTED A RAISE AND, AND DIDN'T GET IT.

OR IS IT FOUR? UH, FOUR.

BUT THERE ARE VACANCIES THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT THAT THEY MAY CAN BE SLOTTED INTO.

GOTCHA.

AND, AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, ASHLEY, ALL OF THOSE, UH, ADJUSTMENTS ARE RAISES AND STEPS THAT WAS REQUESTED AND APPROVED ARE IN THE ITEM AS THE MAYOR PROPOSED IT? CORRECT.

ALL OF THE ITEMS THAT MR. BERNARD PRESENTED TO Y'ALL ARE IN THE ALLOTMENT AND PAY PLAN AS PRESENTED BY THE MAYOR.

AND, UH, THE WILLINGNESS TO HAVE THE MEETINGS, DISCUSSIONS WITH US AND EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH, THIS WHOLE THING.

WELCOME COUNCIL MEMBER MO.

YEAH, SO I, I DO AGAIN, LIKE OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS ECHO THE, THE WORK THAT Y'ALL PUT INTO THIS, THE WORK THAT YOU'VE PUT INTO THIS

[00:40:01]

BUT, UH, I GUESS WHERE I'M LOOKING AT THIS IS, AND, UH, IF SOMEONE FINANCE CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IF I SPEAK WRONG OR WHATEVER, BUT YOU'RE WORKING WITHIN THE BUDGET FOR THIS, FOR THESE POSITIONS TO BE ABLE TO DO THESE RAISES AND EVERYTHING.

BUT YOUR BUDGET HAS HAD A SUBSIDY THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF LOWER INCOME AS FAR AS THE CITY COURT GOES AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

SO WE'RE ALREADY HAVING TO SUBSIDIZE YOUR BUDGET THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND, UM, SO THAT YOU CAN OPERATE WITHIN, YOU KNOW, THE GUIDELINES AND, AND THE CITY COURT CAN FUNCTION AND ALL.

SO THAT'S ONE THING THAT I'M LOOKING AT THERE.

TWO, IN SPEAKING WITH FINANCE, IT, IT WAS, IT WASN'T JUST CITY COURT THAT THEY DID THIS TO NOW IN, IN OUR MEETING AND MAYBE, UH, I HEARD IT WRONG OR WHATEVER.

UM, I WAS TOLD THAT WE OR OTHER DEPARTMENTS HAD BEEN APPROVED OF THIS STUFF THAT WE UH, THAT Y'ALL DID NOT GET APPROVED FOR WITH THESE ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS, UH, IN CHECKING WITH FINANCE AND, UH, HR AND STUFF.

THEY DID NOT THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, THEY DREW THE LINE AT ADMINISTRATIVE AND, AND ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANCE POSITIONS ACROSS THE BOARD.

I THINK THAT'S WHY THE 81 POSITIONS GOT APPROVED.

IT WAS JUST THE ADMINISTRATIVE PART THAT WASN'T, AND IT WAS THE SAME THING ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE BOARD.

I FEEL LIKE I, I'M CONCERNED THAT IF WE GO INTO THIS AND WE DO THIS FOR Y'ALL, THEN THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS ARE GONNA COME IN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PAY STUDY ALSO THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO.

I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S GONNA TAKE, I I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE KNOW AS A CITY PARISH THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT.

I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S, UM, BEING, I DON'T WANNA SAY MAYBE FAST TRACKED IS, IS TOO HARSH 'CAUSE I DON'T WANT TO RUSH THROUGH THIS PROCESS, BUT I DO THINK THAT WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT EVERYTHING AS A WHOLE AND WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT IT A LOT QUICKER THAN POSSIBLY 25.

THAT'S JUST, THAT'S JUST MY OPINION AND KEEPING UP AND, AND TALKING TO DIFFERENT OFFICES AND EVERYTHING.

SO TWO THINGS CONCERN THERE.

WE'RE ALREADY DOING A SUBSIDY SO THAT YOU CAN MAINTAIN, UH, THE CITY COURT SO THAT THE CITY PARISH CAN MAINTAIN THE CITY COURT.

I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S THE BUDGET ALLOCATION THAT YOU WERE GIVING AND YOU'RE WORKING WITHIN THAT BUDGET ALLOCATION, BUT THERE'S STILL A SUBSIDY THERE, UM, FOR, TO DO THAT.

TWO, THESE ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS, THE, THE FOUR THAT WERE NOT REDONE, WERE IN THE POSITIONS THAT ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE BOARD FOR ALL THE DEPARTMENTS, ALL DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS WERE NOT APPROVED EITHER.

SO THAT'S JUST, THAT'S JUST MY TAKE ON IT.

AGAIN, I APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK THAT Y'ALL DO.

I APPRECIATE THE HARD WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE ON THIS.

I APPRECIATE THE COMMUNICATION THAT Y'ALL HAVE HAD WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND STUFF.

I JUST, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT WHEN WE SET A PRESIDENT IS ACROSS THAT LINE.

THE REST OF THE DEPARTMENTS WILL COME BEFORE US AND IT IS JUST GOING TO BE A SNOWBALL EFFECT.

HOPEFULLY IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK INTO AS WE GO THROUGH, UH, MID-YEAR BUDGET OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

SO THAT'S JUST MY OPINION ON THIS PART HERE.

ELSIE, WILL YOU MIND COMING UP, ELSIE, IN YOUR STATEMENTS YOU SAID YOU WANTED CAN, CAN I, UM, I'M SORRY.

I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS ONE SMALL ITEM IF I MAY, UH, REGARDING THE SUBSIDIES.

UM, EACH, THIS WILL BE A RESPONSE TO COUNCILMAN MOCH ON HIS TIME.

I'M SORRY, I DON'T WANNA TAKE HIS TIME.

AND THEN I WAS GONNA SUGGEST, WHY DON'T YOU ANSWER HIS QUESTION FIRST ON HIS TIME, BUT GO AHEAD.

DO YOU WANT ME TO DO THAT? YEAH, GO AHEAD.

ROWDY IN, IN YOUR PRESENTATION YOU SAID YOU WANTED THE ITEMS AS PRESENTED TO BE APPROVED.

IS THAT ACCURATE? THE AMENDMENTS? UH, SO WE HAD A, A PROPOSED ALLOTMENT AND THEN WE HAD, UH, REQUESTED AMENDMENTS, UH, THAT WE'VE ASKED FOR WHAT MR. BERNARD GAVE TO US.

FEATURES 81 EMPLOYEES.

IS THAT SOME OF THE FOLKS IN THIS AUDIENCE? RIGHT.

SO WE WOULD WANT THOSE ITEMS APPROVED IN ADDITION TO THOSE ITEMS, THE AMENDMENT.

DOES EVERYONE UNDERSTAND THAT THOSE HAVE BEEN PROPOSED? THAT WHAT'S BEEN PROPOSED, THAT THE RAISES AND THE, AND THE REALLOCATIONS AND PAY GRADE INCREASES HAVE BEEN PROPOSED? YES.

DO THEY THINK THEY'RE HERE TO FIGHT FOR THAT? YES.

WELL, WHAT WHAT EVERYBODY KNOWS IS, IS THAT SOME OF THE ITEMS WE ASKED FOR WERE APPROVED, YOU KNOW, AND WE, AND WE'VE BEEN YOU'RE FIGHTING FOR THE FOUR? NO, NO, NO.

WE'RE FIGHTING FOR, I THINK THERE'S ABOUT 13 ON THERE ON YOUR SPREADSHEET.

DID THEY, ARE THEY APPROVING EVERYTHING BUT THE FOUR, CORRECT.

CORRECT.

[00:45:01]

MR. BERNARD NEEDED THE CLARITY.

SO WE'RE GETTING EVERYTHING, WE'RE GETTING EVERYTHING THAT HE ASKED FOR WITH THE ADDITIONAL ONES THAT WE ASKED FOR HERE.

MR. BERNARD? YES, GO AHEAD.

GO AHEAD.

ANSWER MR. BERNARD.

I THINK WHAT WOULD BE BETTER IS IF I KNOW WHAT ARE THE FOUR THAT ARE NOT BEING APPROVED THAT'S IN RED.

WELL, WELL, WE'RE NOT GOING, LET'S DO THIS LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

LET'S NOT HOLD UP THE OTHER ITEMS. Y'ALL FIGURE THAT OUT BEFORE Y'ALL GET PAGE.

CAN ALEXANDER SAY SOMETHING? I'M GONNA COME BACK TO THAT, BUT Y'ALL FIGURE THAT OUT.

GET ON THE SAME PAGE.

WE DON'T COME BACK TO THIS ITEM UNLESS Y'ALL READY NOW? WELL, I MEAN, I, I MAINTAIN THAT.

I WANT THE FOUR APPROVED AS WELL, BUT I DO UNDER, BUT, UH, I, OKAY.

I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT 'EM.

I WOULD ASK YOU, ARE THESE FOLKS HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR THAT? YES.

FOR THE FOUR POSITIONS WE ARE.

WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT.

JUDGE, I'M, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT.

YES, COUNCIL MEMBER GOER, WHO IS YOUR QUESTION SPECIFICALLY DIRECTED TO? I MEAN, LOOK, JUDGE, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, I, I ABSOLUTELY WELCOME IT.

THANK, GOOD EVENING.

MY NAME IS JUDGE EVE MANSFIELD ALEXANDER AND I'M THE CHIEF JUDGE AT BATON ROUGE CITY COURT.

MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT EVERYTHING HAS BEEN APPROVED FOR THE MAJORITY OF WHAT WE ASK FOR.

HOWEVER, THE TOP LAYER PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING ALL THE WORK THAT YOU ARE SAYING IS SO WONDERFUL AND BEAUTIFUL ARE THE PEOPLE WHOSE SALARIES HAVE NOT BEEN APPROVED.

WE ARE HERE TO FIGHT FOR THEM TOO.

UM, WE BELIEVE THAT LEADERSHIP STARTS AT THE TOP AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE A GOOD LEADER AT THE TOP, THEN NOTHING ELSE TRICKLES DOWN.

WE BELIEVE THAT THE WORK THAT OUR COURT JUDICIAL ADMINISTRATOR AND OUR DEPUTY CLERK JUDICIAL ADMINISTRATOR HAS DONE AND ARE DOING IS PHENOMENAL.

WE ARE ALL HERE TO SUPPORT THAT.

AND SO, YES, WE WON'T RAISE THIS FOR EVERYBODY.

I LIKE TO RAISE, I LIKE SOME MAGISTRATES, I LIKE A LOT OF STUFF, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR TODAY.

WE ARE HERE TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR COURT THAT'S IN A CRISIS MODE RIGHT NOW CAN GET BEYOND THAT AND GET MOVING FORWARD TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE.

SO, UM, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, COUNCILMAN GODDY, WE ARE ALL HERE TO FIGHT FOR ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WORK IN CITY COURT FOR THE AND, AND SO THAT EVERYONE IN THE AUDIENCE UNDERSTANDS 81 POSITIONS RIGHT? HAVE BEEN PROPOSED FOR EITHER A REALLOCATION OR A PAY GRADE INCREASE, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT.

WE UNDERSTAND THAT IN THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN, UM, OKAYED OKAY.

HAVE BEEN THE ONES THAT WE ASKED FOR.

SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE 81, I DON'T KNOW WHAT PERCENTAGE THAT IS, BUT WE'RE GETTING A PERCENTAGE OF WHAT WE ASKED FOR, BUT NOT EVERYTHING, BUT THE TWO TOP PEOPLE IN BATON ROUGE CITY COURT WHO WE NEED TO FIGHT FOR, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT THEY ARE BEING LEFT OFF.

SO THAT'S WHAT WE ARE HERE TO FIGHT FOR TODAY.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

COUNCIL MEMBER.

IN THIS POSITION RIGHT HERE, I JUST WANT TO SAY THIS IS THAT WE ARE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF ALL THE THINGS YOU HAVE DONE.

IS THAT, IS THERE, IS THERE TIME NOW TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION? COUNCILMAN BANKS? I'D LIKE, UM, SO, SO AT, AT THIS COUNCIL, EVEN LAST MONTH, WE WERE VERY BIG ON, UM, MILITARY AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE AND YOU'RE SO WONDERFUL AND ALL OF THAT.

I'D LIKE TO HAVE, UM, THE CHIEF DEPUTY STEVEN SOR TO COME UP AND SHARE WITH US HIS CREDENTIAL.

FIRST OF ALL, YIELD TO THE, THE COUNCILWOMAN.

THANK YOU FOR VERY MUCH.

MY NAME IS STEVEN SUMLER.

I'M ACTUALLY A JAG ATTORNEY AND I'VE BEEN A JAG ATTORNEY GOING OVER 20 YEARS NOW IN LOUISIANA NATIONAL GUARD.

AND ALSO TO, IN CONJUNCTION THAT I'VE BEEN ALSO THE CHIEF DEPUTY JUDICIAL ADMINISTRATOR HERE WITH UM, L THE EFFORT WORK VERY HARD BEHIND THE SCENES IN THE SHADOWS AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR PEOPLE HERE IS ACTUALLY COMPENSATED.

AND THE THING ABOUT IT IS THIS, MOST IMPORTANTLY IS THAT I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU INDIVIDUALS HAVE, UM, APPROVED CERTAIN AMOUNTS ALREADY, BUT ALSO TOO, THE THING ABOUT IT IS ELSIE ALFORD SPEAKING ON BE HIS BEHALF, HE HOSTS TWO POSITIONS IN ONE MM-HMM.

, HE'S THE JUDICIAL ADMINISTRATOR AND ALSO THE CLERK OF COURT.

BY BEING IN THAT POSITION, UNLIKE IN SHREVEPORT WHERE THEY HAVE ACTUALLY BIFURCATED THE POSITIONS INTO TWO PARTS, YOU GETTING A BANG FOR YOUR BUCK IN THIS POSITION HE'S IN RIGHT NOW.

SO IN THIS,

[00:50:01]

WE'RE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF ALL THE THINGS YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN DOING, BUT ALSO TO TAKE CONSIDERATION THE HARD WORK AND BEHIND THE SCENES THAT WE AS BATTER CITY COURT IS DOING.

AND WE JUST REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS SERVICE ALSO TOO.

AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MA'AM.

APPRECIATE IT.

I, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE MAIN THING ABOUT THIS IS THAT THEY'RE NOT ASKING US FOR ANYTHING.

WE GIVE AWAY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN ITAP.

WE INCREASE SALARIES, WE MAKE A LOT OF MONEY, AND THEY ARE DOWN IN THE TRENCHES ASKING FOR NOTHING MORE THAN A REALLOCATION.

THAT'S NOT COSTING US ANYTHING.

TO ME.

IN A WAY, THIS IS ALMOST LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN, UH, YOU, YOU STEPPING ON MY TOES, YOU'RE NOT STANDING IN YOUR LANE.

YOU KNOW, I GET THAT FEELING.

UM, BECAUSE TRADITIONALLY THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS IN THE HANDS OF OUR, OUR HR DIRECTOR, OUR FINANCE, BUT AGAIN, FOR AN ADMINISTRATOR TO TAKE IT UPON HIMSELF WHERE BECAUSE HE KNOWS IT, HE KNOWS HIS PEOPLE, IS PHENOMENALS PHENOMENAL.

AND ANYBODY WHO DOUBTS THAT, WHO THINKS SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH OTHER DEPARTMENT HEADS COMING TO DO THE SAME THING, IT STILL HAS TO GO THROUGH FINANCE, IT STILL HAS TO GO THROUGH HR.

SO IT'S NOT LIKE THEY'RE GONNA DO IT AND HAVE NO, BUT TO ME IT'S ALMOST LIKE A, UH, A BATTLE OF WILL AND IT DOES NOT HAVE THE A FEEL WHERE YOU TRYING, UH, AS A CITY PARISH THAT WE ARE TRYING TO MAINTAIN CITY PARISH WORKERS, PAY THEM WELL, UM, BUILD A WORKFORCE, BUILD LEGACY, KEEP THE INTELLECTUAL KNOWLEDGE OF THE CITY COURT.

UM, THEY ALL HAD TO GO THROUGH, I THINK IT WAS LIKE THREE YEAR A TRAINING WITH A WHOLE NEW, UM, SYSTEM, COMPUTER SYSTEM THAT IS WORKING OUT WITH US.

THEY WORK ON WEEKENDS WITH THOSE DIFFERENT, UM, CITY COURT SIGN UP WEEKENDS.

THESE PEOPLE WORK HARD AND FOR US TO DENY THEM FOR WHATEVER FRIVOLOUS REASONING.

AND, AND, UM, ELGIN MADE A VERY GOOD POINT THAT PAY STUDY AND NO PAY STUDY IS THAT, THAT DOESN'T GUARANTEE.

SO YOU DON'T PUT THESE PEOPLE ON HOLD WHEN THEY'VE DONE THE WORK TO GET THIS DONE WAITING ON A PAY STUDY.

THAT'S SELFISH.

AND SO FOR ME, THAT'S, WELL, I'M TRYING NOT TO CALL SAY ABOUT PEOPLE.

I'M TRYING, BUT I'M JUST SAYING, UM, YOU WANT ME TO HAVE JUMP, I'M DOING GOOD.

WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO VALUE OUR PEOPLE MORE AND, UH, NOT BE STINGY, UH, WITH THEM AND PAY THEM THEIR DUE JUST LIKE Y'ALL WANNA GET PAID.

AND SO, UH, I THINK I'VE ALREADY MADE A MOTION TO APPROVE.

I DON'T KNOW.

NO, NO.

BUT TO, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MAYOR'S PAY PLAN WITH THE AMENDMENTS, UM, REC THAT ARE THE BEING REQUESTED BY THE CITY COURT JUDGES, ADMINISTRATOR AND STAFF.

THERE'S A MOTION SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN MCC COLEMAN.

COUNCILMAN MCC COLEMAN.

I JUST WANTED TO JUST MAKE A FEW POINTS HERE.

WE TALK ABOUT STUDY, STUDY, PLENTY OF STUFF OUT THERE.

WE STUDY A PAY STUDY THAT'S COMING, CHRISTMAS COMING TOO.

WE PAY FOR STUDIES, THEN WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY FOR THE STUDY THAT WE'VE STUDIED.

THEN WHEN I HEARD ABOUT WHAT OTHER ADMINISTRATORS NOT GETTING ADMINISTRATORS ARE APPEALED TO YOU, THAT YOU NEED TO GET LIKE THEM, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU PLAYED MARVELOUS AND YOU SAY GET LIKE ME.

SO I RECOMMEND THAT FOR YOU ALSO IN A CONVERSATION.

I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE SOME RESOURCES THAT THIS ENTITY CAN DO AS FAR AS WELL THE BACKGROUND CHECKS AND THE DRUG CHECKS AND THE DRUG TESTS OR WHATEVER.

AND THAT WOULD BE A COST THAT COULD COME OFF THE CITY BECAUSE THIS ENTITY CAN DO THAT.

AND THESE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR.

SO I THINK THAT THIS IS, AGAIN, ALONG WITH THE OTHERS, I COMMEND YOU ALL FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE AND RECOMMEND THAT YOU HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH SOME OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT NEED TO DO THE SAME THING.

[00:55:04]

YEAH, GO AHEAD, MOGAN.

THEN I'M GONNA GO THERE.

IS IT, I'M CARSON MARKELL.

I'M THE JUNIOR MOST JUDGE AT CITY COURT.

WE ARE APPRECIATIVE FOR WHAT HAS BEEN CONSIDERED AND PROPOSED BY THE MAYOR.

WE'RE JUST TRYING TO FIGHT FOR EVERYBODY THAT WE HAVE AT CITY COURT.

ONE LAST POINT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO CLARIFY.

THE JUDGES ARE NOT ASKING FOR A RAISE.

UM, SO JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND TOO.

THIS DOES NOT COME TO US.

THIS IS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

JUDGES.

Y'ALL BULLYING US IN HERE NOW.

I'M JUST LETTING YOU KNOW.

GO AHEAD.

COUNCIL MEMBER MO THANK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.

AND, AND AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA GO BACK AND ECHO THE, THE WONDERFUL JOB THAT Y'ALL DO.

THE GET IT, IT, IT IS TOUGH ON ADMINISTRATION.

UH, THE ADMINISTRATORS HAVE TO HOLD EVERYTHING TOGETHER.

UH, AND I'M GONNA GIVE YOU JUST A SECOND TO ANSWER WHAT I DID A WHILE AGO.

UM, YOU DO, UM, I I THINK SEVERAL OF US IN HERE ARE BUSINESS OWNERS.

UH, A LOT OF US ARE THE HEADS OF SOME DEPARTMENTS HERE.

UH, SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE TO RUN THEIR COMMUNITY CENTERS AND STUFF AND, AND IT, IT'S A LOT TO TAKE IN.

IT IS A LOT TO WORK AT.

BUT I, I ALSO GOTTA COMMEND AND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE ADMINISTRATION AND STUFF TO WHERE A LOT OF THE DEPARTMENTS AND THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT WENT OUT, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THE INSTRUCTIONS THAT WENT OUT ON WHAT TO DO AND PREPARE FOR YOUR BUDGET AND EVERYTHING ELSE, THE ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE OF IT, UH, GOING THROUGH THE, THE PAY STUDY.

UM, I AGREE IT'S GONNA BE TOUGH WHEN THIS PAY STUDY COMES IN THAT HOW ARE WE GONNA FUND THIS.

I'VE ASKED THAT QUESTION SEVERAL TIMES, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, EVER SINCE WE STARTED THE PAY STUDY, THERE'S GONNA BE INFORMATION IN THE PAY STUDY ON HOW TO FUND IT AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.

AGAIN, I GO BACK TO THE SNOWBALL EFFECT OF, YOU KNOW, I, I THINK, UM, MS. LINDA AND HER STAFF AND ANGIE HAVE DONE AN AMAZING JOB AND DO WE INCREASE THEIR PAY STEP AND PAY? I THINK, UH, DPW AND THEIR ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF HAVE DONE AN AMAZING JOB.

DO WE INCREASE THEIRS? RIGHT NOW? UH, ALL THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT HAVE GREAT ADMINISTRATORS THAT ARE KEEPING THEIR DEPARTMENTS TOGETHER AND ALL ARE JUST LIKE YOU, I THINK THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB.

BUT WE APPROVED 81 OF THE, I THINK 85 OR 86 POSITIONS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TOOK CARE OF YOUR, YOUR EMPLOYEES AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

I THINK WE CAN GET THROUGH THIS PAY STUDY OR IF WE DON'T, THEN WHY DON'T WE JUST CANCEL THE PAY STUDY AND START APPROVING THESE INDIVIDUALLY AS WE GO THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND SUCH.

I BROUGHT UP THE FACT OF THE SUBSIDY EARLIER.

I AGREE THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITHIN YOUR BUDGET, BUT IT'S ALSO SUBSIDIZED AS FAR AS HAVING TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE OF WHAT THE ACTUAL RUNNING TO CITY COURT IS AND SO ON.

SO I'M GONNA GIVE YOU JUST A SECOND TO, TO ANSWER FOR THAT 'CAUSE YOU WANTED TO.

SO I'LL GIVE YOU THAT COURTESY AND SO ON.

BUT I JUST THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO GO AHEAD AND PROVE THE BUDGET AS IS AND THEN HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THROUGH THIS PAY STUDY AND, AND GET SOMETHING DONE PRETTY QUICKER.

SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO TAKE A SECOND YEAH, THAT'S THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION BY THE WAY, TO APPROVE THE PACE.

APPROVE THE ITEM AS IS SUBSTITUTE MOTION MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER MO SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS TO APPROVE AS IS.

UH, I JUST WANNA ADDRESS THE, THE, THE SUBSIDY, UH, CITY PARISH IS REQUIRED TO FUND, UH, ALL THE DEPARTMENTS WITHIN, WITHIN THE CITY.

UH, WE DO IN FACT, UH, PROVIDE QUITE A BIT OF OUR OWN FUNDING, BUT, UH, IN NO WAY IS THAT, ARE WE IN NO WAY ARE WE EXPECTED TO TOTALLY FUND OURSELVES? SO WHEN YOU SAY A SUBSIDY, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE, UH, DESIGNED TO BE SELF-SUFFICIENT AND THEN CITY PARISH THEN COMES IN AND FUNDS US, UH, DUE TO OUR LACK.

NO.

SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS YOU HAD, YOU HAD A, A BUDGET INCREASE, A NORMAL BUDGET OVERALL INCREASE OF 5%, THAT'S THE OKAY, YOU KNOW, OPERATING THE COSTS GO UP AND EVERYTHING ELSE.

BUT THEN THE SUBSIDIZED SIDE OF IT, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS NOT COVERED BY THE OVERALL INCREASE IN EVERYTHING THERE, THERE WAS EXTRA THAT HAD TO BE PUT IN AN INCREASE FOR THE YEAR.

AGAIN, IF FINANCE WANTS TO CORRECT ME IF I'M SPEAKING WRONG, I APOLOGIZE.

BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'M GETTING.

AND AGAIN, I GO BACK TO THE ANY, UH, SAME THING WITH ALL THE OTHER ADMINISTRATORS.

THE INFORMATION THAT WENT OUT, THE, THE

[01:00:01]

GUIDELINES TO GO BY.

UM, THE CITY PARISH APPROVED EVERYTHING EXCEPT THE ADMINISTRATOR SIDE.

AND I'M CONCERNED ABOUT WHERE WE STEP OFF INTO THAT WITH THIS PAY STUDY GOING ON AND WHERE IT GOES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

WE JUST GONNA INDIVIDUALIZE EVERYONE AIRPORT COMMISSIONED THE DPW, ALL OF THOSE.

SO, AND LIKE I SAID, I THINK IT'S JUST A, EXCUSE ME, EL I'M SORRY.

PROMOTE THIS, YOUR TIME ON THIS FOR THE SECOND TIME.

I'M DONE EL IF YOU WANNA RESPOND, TAKE 30 SECONDS TO RESPOND TO THAT.

THANK YOU MAYOR PRO TIM, I JUST DON'T WANT TO, UH, HAVE A SUBSIDY, UH, BE MISCHARACTERIZED.

UM, WE ARE, WE ARE SUPPOSED TO BE A HUNDRED PERCENT FUNDED NOW.

WE DO PROVIDE FUNDING OF OUR OWN.

UM, THAT'S, UH, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT YOU PAY FOR US, WE WE'RE, UH, GENERALLY ABOUT 40% ON THE DOLLAR FOR WHAT YOU PAY FOR A LOT OF, OF YOUR OTHER, UH, DEPARTMENTS.

SO I JUST DON'T WANT THERE TO, THE INCREASE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THE INCREASE THAT YOU GUYS APPROVE EVERY YEAR ON THE BENEFITS PACKAGE THAT YOU HAVE AND THE MERIT INCREASES THAT COME DOWN.

SO THOSE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE IS ADDITIONAL DOLLARS THAT YOU'RE FUNDING ACROSS THE BOARD.

SO WE'RE NOT GETTING SUBSIDIZED, UH, ANY, IN FACT, WE'RE GETTING, UH, LESS MONEY THAN EVERYBODY ELSE, BUT WE'RE NOT EXPECTED TO FULLY FUND OURSELVES.

SO WE'RE NOT, I JUST DON'T WANNA MISCHARACTERIZE THE, THE SUBSIDY COST AVERSE.

HEY, I JUST WANNA MAKE SOMETHING CLEAR.

I KNOW WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT, UM, PACE STUDY, PACE STUDY, STUDY, STUDY, STUDY.

AND I GET THAT.

UM, I'M TIRED OF STUDIES TOO, BUT UNFORTUNATELY TO DO IT THE RIGHT WAY, UH, IT CAN'T BE AN EXERCISE.

AND THIS ISN'T AN EXERCISE.

AND I'VE GONE TO EVERY DEPARTMENT AND TOLD THEM I'M NOT TRYING TO BREAK THE PENSION SYSTEM.

BUT IF WE ALWAYS DO IT, WE ALWAYS DO.

WE ALWAYS GET WHAT WE ALWAYS GOT.

SOMETHING HAS TO CHANGE.

AND SO THAT'S WHY THIS CASE STUDY IS DIFFERENT 'CAUSE IT'S NEVER TOUCHED RETIREMENT BEFORE.

AND HOW WE STRUCTURE THE PENSION TO BE MORE, UH, EFFECTIVE IN PRODUCT, PROVIDING A LIVABLE WAGE, BUT A GREAT RETIREMENT AS WELL.

WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO STRUGGLE EVERY DAY IN CITY PARISH, HOPEFULLY HOPING TO MAKE IT TO A RETIREMENT AGE, BUT HAVING TO WORK THREE JOBS AND BECOME, AND, AND, AND END UP ENDING UP SHORT OF THEIR RETIREMENT AND MEETING THE MAKER AHEAD OF TIME, WHICH WE'VE SEEN A LOT FOR PEOPLE IN STRESSFUL POSITIONS, RIGHT? THAT GOES TO BRP TO ANYBODY.

YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO WORK OVERTIME TO HAVE A LIVABLE WAGE.

AND SO THIS PARTICULAR CASE STUDY DOES TAKE INTO ACCOUNT SOMETHING THAT WE'VE NEVER DONE BEFORE.

SO THE MONEY WITH THE $33,000 FOR THAT ONE SALARY I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER, IF WE ADJUSTED IT THE WAY THAT I'VE DONE IT, UH, WITHOUT THE PROFESSIONALS INVOLVED, THERE'S NO NEED TO GO TO THE PUBLIC FOR ADDITIONAL MONIES.

SO WILL IT FUND EVERY POSITION? NO.

POSSIBLY, POSSIBLY NOT.

BUT THERE ARE SO MANY VACANCIES, JUST LIKE IN YOUR DEPARTMENT THAT YOU'RE USING TO FUND THESE POSITIONS, UM, WHICH CAN BE DONE IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS.

THEY'RE, UH, THEY'RE SO HEAVY ON PENSION AND, AND, AND, AND BENEFITS THAT IF WE LEVERAGE THAT, THEN WE MAY NOT HAVE TO GO TO THE PUBLIC.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE NEVER DONE BEFORE.

SO I TELL YOU GUYS, WHEN YOU QUESTION WHY THIS STUDY IS DIFFERENT AND WHY I PUSHED IT, AND ALSO WHY I PUSHED TO INCLUDE THE BENEFITS IS BECAUSE THE MONEY'S ALREADY IN THERE FOR THE RAISES.

ALRIGHT? SO NOT WITHOUT BREAKING THE PENSION SYSTEM, WE'RE LOOKING AT CREATIVE WAYS TO MAKE SURE WITH THE EXISTING FUNDING, JUST LIKE WHAT YOU DID, WHICH IS WHY I LOVE IT SO MUCH, AND I WISH I COULD HIT THE BUTTON TODAY.

UM, I SUPPORT IT, BUT I HAVE TO ABSTAIN BEING CONSISTENT ACROSS THE BOARD.

YOU'VE DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB, BUT THIS IS GONNA BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST.

COUNCIL MEMBER HUDSON.

UM, IF BRIAN AND LINDA WOULD COME UP REAL QUICK.

UM, SO MR. BERNARD, FIRST MY QUESTION IS, UH, ON THE PAGE STUDY, I KNOW WHEN WE'VE LOOKED AT PAGE STUDIES IN THE PAST, I I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE GOTTEN THIS LEVEL OF SPECIFICITY, BUT, UM, WILL THE PACE STUDY GIVE US RECOMMENDATIONS ON INDIVIDUAL POSITIONS AND THE STEPS THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE? RIGHT? SO, SO, UH, AND WELL, LIKE THESE TWO POSITIONS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE DIFFERENT STEPS.

UM, ARE THEY GONNA MAKE A SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATION ABOUT WHAT THOSE STEPS SHOULD LOOK LIKE? THEY SHOULD, THEY SHOULD MAKE, UM, A HIERARCHICAL, UM, COMPARISONS TO DEPARTMENT HEADS.

SO THEY SHOULD LINE DEPARTMENT HEADS WHERE THEY NEED TO BE AND TAKE A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT ALL OF IT.

OKAY? SO IF WE APPROVE THIS TONIGHT, UH, AS AMENDED OR, OR AS IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THE PAY STUDY COMES BACK AND SAYS, WELL, NO, THAT'S REALLY NOT WHAT THE STEPS ARE SUPPOSED TO LOOK LIKE.

THEY SHOULD LOOK LIKE X INSTEAD OF Y.

THAT'S CORRECT.

IS THAT A POSSIBILITY? THAT'S CORRECT.

SO WE'RE, IT'S BEEN SAID TONIGHT THAT, UH, THERE IS NO, UH, ADDITIONAL GENERAL FUND, I'M NOT GONNA CALL IT A SUBSIDY, I'M GONNA CALL IT A GENERAL FUND ALLOTMENT, RIGHT? UM, THERE IS NO ADDITIONAL GENERAL FUND ALLOTMENT BEING REQUESTED WITH THIS ITEM.

UM, UH, NEXT QUESTION IS FOR MS. HUNT.

UM,

[01:05:02]

UM, MY QUESTION IS, AS WE MOVE INTO THE NEXT YEAR, YEAR AFTER THAT, WE START MOVING THESE PEOPLE DOWN THESE PAY STEPS.

UM, I MEAN, HOW, HOW CLOSE ARE WE, ARE WE GONNA START SEEING ADDITIONAL DOLLARS BEING REQUESTED FROM THE GENERAL FUND, UH, FOR THESE POSITIONS AND TO, TO FULFILL ALL THESE, AND NOT JUST, NOT JUST THESE TWO TWO, BUT REALLY ALL THE OTHER ONES THAT WERE APPROVING AS WELL.

IS THAT, IS THAT LIKELY THAT WE'RE GONNA SEE ADDITIONAL DEMAND FROM CITY COURT, FROM THE GENERAL FUND? SO I THINK THAT THE REASONABLE ANSWER TO THAT IS, IS ANYTIME YOU EXPAND THE MAXIMUMS OF THE PAY STRUCTURE FOR CERTAIN EMPLOYEES, YES, YOU, YOU WOULD HAVE A CHANCE THAT IN THE FUTURE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY MORE MONEY BECAUSE THOSE MAXIMUMS HAVE BEEN INCREASED.

BUT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WHEN, WHEN YOU SIT DOWN AND YOU LOOK AT A BUDGET, YOU LOOK AT IT EVERY YEAR, AND COULD YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REDUCE OTHER THINGS AND ABSORB SOME OF THOSE COSTS? COULD COULD THEY INCREASE A SELF-GENERATED REVENUE? THEY COULD, BUT YEAH, THE, THE, THE ANSWER, THE SHORT SIMPLE ANSWER IS YES.

IF YOU INCREASE THE MAXIMUM OF SOMEONE'S PAY PLAN THAT IN FUTURE YEARS THEY WILL GET MERITS.

THEY, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE RECEIVED IF YOU HAD NOT INCREASED.

GOTCHA.

AND LOOK, THAT'S REALLY MY, MY PROBLEM WITH IT.

UM, UH, I, I DO APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE.

I, I LOOK ANYTIME SOMEBODY COMES AND SAYS, WE DON'T NEED ADDITIONAL GENERAL FUND DOLLARS, MY, MY EARS PER PEER, PEER PERK UP, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT.

UM, BUT I, I DO FEEL LIKE WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ADDITIONAL DOLLARS THAT CUT COULD COME FROM GENERAL FUND.

I, I MADE A COMMENT EARLIER ABOUT, UH, A REDUCTION IN THE AMOUNT OF DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE FOR DRAINAGE MAINTENANCE.

AND THAT HAPPENS BECAUSE OF ALL THE PRESSURE THAT HAPPENS ON THE GENERAL FUND, RIGHT? UM, AND, AND FOR WHATEVER REASON, MAINTENANCE OF OUR INFRASTRUCTURE IS, IS ALWAYS THE FIRST THING THAT WE, WE START TO FORGET ABOUT.

SO THAT'S MY ISSUE.

I WISH WE COULD DO THIS IN A MORE COMPREHENSIVE WAY.

I DO THINK THE, THE PAY STUDY, UH, PRESENTS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT.

AND THAT WOULD BE MY, MY, UH, HOPE MOVING FORWARD IS THAT WE, WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THIS AND MAKE SURE IT'S STRUCTURED RIGHT.

RIGHTS, AND THANK YOU SUBSTITUTE MOTION ON THE FLOORS TO APPROVE AS IS.

WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION.

FIRST POINT OF CLARITY.

I'M SORRY.

UH, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION IS THE WITHOUT THE AMENDMENTS AS THE MAYOR PRESENTED.

AS THE MAYOR PRESENTED.

HR IN TERMS OF WHAT WE CAN DO, UH, PERHAPS, UH, TO ACCOMMODATE NOT ONLY THESE TWO FIND, UH, YOUNG MEN AND I, THERE MAY BE TWO OTHERS.

WITHOUT, WITHOUT THE AMENDMENTS VOTING, THE MACHINES, MACHINES ARE OPEN ON THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED, WHAT AS PRESENTED AS PRESENTED BY THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT MOTION FAILS.

I'M GONNA VOTE IN ORIGINAL MOTION TO APPROVE WITH AMENDMENTS.

I'M GONNA READ THE, UM, MOTION AS I UNDERSTAND IT.

MS. BANKS AND MS. COLEMAN, PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.

THE MOTION IS TO APPROVE THE ITEM WITH THE AMENDMENTS REQUESTED BY CITY COURT TO PROVIDE FOR TWO REALLOCATIONS AND TWO PAY GRADE INCREASES.

MACHINES ARE OPEN ON THE MOTION TO APPROVE WITH AMENDMENTS.

MOTION FAILS, GO ANOTHER ROUND.

OR DO WE WANT TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO DEFER OR GENERAL? WE CAN'T, WE CANNOT.

MOTION TO RECONSIDER.

WAIT.

YOU DON'T NEED A MOTION TO RECONSIDER MOTION.

SOMEONE CAN MAKE ANOTHER, UH, REGE A MOTION.

MOTION.

MAYOR ROOM MO, WE, WE MAKE THIS TIME.

GO AHEAD.

IF I COULD HAVE A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE, UM, THIS ISSUE IS NOT NEW TO ME.

I'VE HAD A NUMBER OF CONVERSATIONS AROUND IT.

UM, I HAVE THE UTMOST APPRECIATION FOR OUR JUDICIARY, ESPECIALLY, ESPECIALLY THESE FINE, UM, WOMEN AND MEN WHO, UH, SERVE AS OUR CITY COURT JUDGES.

IN ADDITION TO, UH, THE STAFF, UM, THESE TWO YOUNG MEN HERE, UM, ELZ AND OUR JAG, UH, CERTAINLY REPRESENT THE BEST OF WHAT WE LOOK FOR IN LEADERSHIP FOR CITY, PARISH GOVERNMENT.

UH, I WOULD HATE TO LOSE EITHER OF YOU AND, UH, BUT MY APPEAL TODAY IS, UH, THAT OUR GOAL WITH THIS CASE STUDY IS TO EXPEDITE IT.

BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, I HAVE TALKED TO, UH, FINANCE AND WE'LL HAVE AN ADDITIONAL CONVERSATION, UH, WITH

[01:10:01]

I THINK THERE WERE FOUR PEOPLE WHO DID NOT GET A RAISE.

BUT WE HAVE INDIVIDUALS, UH, LIKE YOUR OWN COUNCIL ADMINISTRATOR WHO, UH, FALLS INTO THAT CATEGORY OF LEADERSHIP AS WELL, WHO WOULD BE POSITIONED, UH, TO GET, UH, AN ELEVATED, UH, UH, SALARY AS WELL.

WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN OTHER DEPARTMENTS WHO ARE POSITIONED TO GET ELEVATED AND HAVE REQUESTED THAT.

SO I WOULD ASK THAT, UH, UH, FIRST OF ALL, THAT WE, UH, REITERATE THE FACT THAT THESE FINE MEN AND WOMEN HERE WHO SIT OUT HERE WITH THESE, UH, BRIGHT GREEN SHIRTS ON THAT WE WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT, UH, THE MAJORITY OF YOU ALL HAVE RECEIVED YOUR RAISES.

I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.

BUT I ALSO WANT TO ADMIRE, UH, THE UNITY THAT EXISTS WITH CITY, UH, COURT IN THAT THEY ARE SAYING THAT THEY, THEY REALIZE THAT 81 PEOPLE, AND THOSE 81 MAY BE OUT HERE TONIGHT, I'M NOT SURE, BUT 81 OUT OF THE 86 HAVE RECEIVED RAISES.

THAT'S SOMETHING WE CANNOT FORGET.

BUT I DO ADMIRE THE OVERALL, UH, COLLECTIVE OF WANTING TO PUSH FOR EVERYONE TO GET A RAISE, INCLUDING THOSE FOUR INDIVIDUALS.

I WOULD ASK THAT YOU WOULD HAVE A LITTLE PATIENCE WITH US, THOSE FOUR INDIVIDUALS, AND GIVE US AT LEAST TWO THE FIRST QUARTER OF NEXT YEAR TO REVISIT, UH, THIS ISSUE TO SEE WHAT WE CAN WORK OUT, UM, UH, CERTAINLY FOR THE FOUR INDIVIDUALS, UH, BUT ALSO WE HAVE OTHER INDIVIDUALS IN CITY, PARISH, GOVERNMENT AS WELL THAT DESERVE THIS SAME AMOUNT OF ATTENTION.

SO I WOULD ASK THAT YOU WOULD PASS THE BUDGET AS IS.

AND, UH, LET'S FOCUS ON HOW WE CAN CLOSE THIS GAP FOR THOSE FOUR INDIVIDUALS AND FOR OTHER INDIVIDUALS WHO, UH, SERVE IN THOSE LEADERSHIP ROLES AS WELL.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

COUNCIL MEMBER HUSSMAN, YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION, MOTION TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED.

THERE'S A MOTION TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS. IS THERE, ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS TO THE MOTION? ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS? ITEM HAS BEEN APPROVED.

ARE WE GONNA MOVE NOW TO ITEM 25?

[25. 23-01655]

COUNCIL MEMBER HUDSON SEAT.

ALRIGHT, ITEM 25, ADMITTING RESOLUTION 5 6 0 7 8 AUTHORIZING TURNKEY HEALTH CLINICS LLC TO PROVIDE HEALTHCARE SERVICES AT PARISH PRISON FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $6,900,000 AND TO AUTHORIZE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNTS IN FUTURE YEARS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE AGREEMENT WHICH PROVIDES THAT THE BASE CONTRACT AMOUNT TO BE ADJUSTED, UH, ANNUAL FOR CHANGES IN THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX PER SECTION 7.5 OF THE MAIN AGREEMENT BY MAYOR, PRESIDENT, WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR ITEM 25.

OF COURSE, REVEREND, GOOD EVENING AGAIN.

UM, WOW, I COULD DISCUSS THIS ITEM ON ALL SORTS OF LEVELS.

I REALLY WANNA POINT OUT, UH, I HAVE GREAT CONCERNS AND UPFRONT WOULD ASK, UH, THAT THE COUNCIL CONSIDER DEFERRING THIS ITEM JUST FOR SEVERAL, UH, ISSUES THAT I THINK, UH, NEED TO BE REVIEWED.

ONE IS THAT WHILE THE PARISH HAS COMMITTED TO COVERING THE COSTS FOR HEALTHCARE, THERE IS STILL A $3 COPAY BEING CHARGED TO DETAINEES IN THE JAIL.

AND MY QUESTION WOULD BE, THERE PROBABLY SHOULD BE A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THAT $3 COPAY SHOULD EITHER GO AWAY OR IN SOME WAY UNDER, UH, UH, UNDERGIRD THE COST OF THIS CONTRACT.

THAT'S THE FIRST ITEM.

THE SECOND ITEM I WOULD LIKE TO SEE CONSIDERED IS THAT SAMHSA GRANTED A WAIVER, UH, THIS PAST YEAR FOR THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA, WHICH IS BEING CONSIDERED, UH, UH, NATIONWIDE.

AND THAT WAIVER IS A HUGE ONE IN, AS IT INVOLVES, UH, HEALTHCARE IN CARCERAL SETTINGS.

AND IT IS A FINANCIAL, UH, BENEFIT TO THE PARISH IN MY BELIEF TO FIGURE OUT WHETHER OR NOT, UH, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT WAIVER WOULD IN FACT REDUCE SOME OF THE COSTS AROUND THIS CONTRACT.

THE NEXT ITEM, I THINK, NEEDS TO BE CONSIDERED IS

[01:15:01]

THAT AT THEIR LAST PRESENTATION, TURNKEY PRESENTED, UH, ITEMS ABOUT THE COSTS ON, UH, SUPPORTING HIV SERVICES.

AND YET THIS PARISH PAYS ALMOST $10 MILLION IN HIV WRAPAROUND SERVICES.

AND WHETHER OR NOT THERE CAN BE A VALID CONSIDERATION AND COORDINATION, THAT WOULD BE A COST SAVINGS, QUITE FRANKLY, TO THE PARISH.

AND THEN LAST, WE HAVE A NUMBER OF FOLKS THAT ARE DETAINED FOR A RELATIVELY SHORT TIME, WHICH MEANS THAT THEY DO NOT IN FACT LOSE THEIR SERVICES IN THE, UH, THE COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT IS VA, MEDICAID OR MEDICARE.

AND I WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED IN SEEING IF WE ARE IN FACT, THROUGH THIS PRIVATIZED HEALTHCARE SYSTEM, COORDINATING EFFECTIVELY FOR COST, UH, CHANGES.

SO I HAVE A NUMBER OF AREAS WHERE I WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME CLARITY OF WHETHER WE ARE WORKING ACTIVELY TO KEEP THIS CONTRACT AS COST EFFECTIVE AS POSSIBLE, AS WELL AS LOOKING AT THE CENSUS OF EACH YEAR AND SEEING WHETHER OR NOT WE ARE GETTING WHAT IN FACT, WE SAID WE WANTED TO GET THROUGH THESE CONTRACTS.

ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 25, SEEING CN NINE? WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND MOVE TO COUNCIL MEMBER'S CAP.

COUNCILMAN MOOCH? OKAY.

UM, YEAH, FIRST OF ALL, I ASKED FOR COUNCIL SUPPORT ON THIS ITEM.

UM, I'VE WORKED WITH, UH, SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS, CITY, PARISH AND EVERYTHING.

AND TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, AS FAR AS THE, UM, FUNDING AND REDUCTION OF, UH, CONTRACT AND CITY PARISH COST AND EVERYTHING, ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS IN THIS, IN THIS CONTRACT IS THE FACT THAT WE ARE NOW PUTTING INTO AND HAVE APPLIED FOR, AND WE DO FOR OTHER THINGS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, THE RYAN WHITE FUNDING FOR THESE HIV MEDS, WHICH IS GOING TO SAVE THE CITY PARISH, GONNA SAVE TURNKEY ON THE CONTRACT.

UM, BASICALLY WHAT WAS HAPPENING IS, IS WE WERE HAVING TO COVER THOSE COSTS, UH, THROUGH THE CITY PARISH AND WITH TURNKEY'S HELP WITH, UH, OUR HELP THROUGH CITY PARISH AND EVERYTHING.

RIGHT NOW WE'RE ACTUALLY BEING COVERED BY THE STATE UP UNTIL MARCH, WHICH, UH, BY THAT TIME WE'RE HOPING THAT THE, UH, THE, THE CONTRACT SHOULD BE COMING THROUGH WITH, UH, RYAN WHITE FUNDING, WHICH WOULD THEN CARRY, COVER THE COST OF THE INMATES IN THE PARISH PRISON UNDER THEIR HIV, WHICH IN TURN WILL SAVE THE CITY PARISH FUNDING, UH, EVERY YEAR.

WHICH, WHETHER THAT GOES TO, UH, OTHER SERVICES AND EVERYTHING THAT WE MIGHT PROVIDE TO HELP YOU OUT, ANSWER SOME OF THE OTHER QUESTIONS, BUT I'M ASKING FOR Y'ALL SUPPORT ON APPROVING THIS.

I, I THINK IT'S, UM, A BENEFICIAL SERVICE THAT WE FOUND OUT THAT WE NEEDED AND TO ALL THE CREWS THAT WORKED ON THIS AND WORKED WITH US, UH, THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH, UH, FOR DOING THAT AND, AND BRINGING THIS, UH, MEDICATIONS INTO THE CONTRACT AS FAR AS THROUGH THE RYAN WHITE FUNDING.

UH, COUNCILWOMAN BANKS, UH, MATT IS SCOTT IN SCOTT KIRKPATRICK.

SO, UM, YES MA'AM.

UH, PRISON MEDICAL IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, I'VE BEEN REALLY INVOLVED WITH FOR THE LAST 10 YEARS.

AND I KNOW WITH, UM, TURNKEY, UH, WHEN WE HAD THE LAST, NOT THE LAST, NOT WHEN THE MAN FLASHED OUT, IT WAS THE TIME AFTER THAT.

UM, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I DID BRING IT TO YOUR ATTENTION TODAY, UM, WHETHER IT IS COVID OR HIV OR ANY OTHER, WE NE WE NEVER GOT INFORMATION ON, UH, THE MEDICAL INTAKE, UH, HOW THAT'S DONE.

BECAUSE WHAT WAS, UM, STATED, NOT ONLY BY THE WARDEN SEVERAL TIMES, BUT ALSO TURNKEY WHEN WE'VE TALKED ABOUT MEDICAL INTAKE, IS THAT IT WASN'T, IN SOME CASES IT WASN'T DONE AT ALL.

I DO UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS UP TO, UH, THE PATIENT, BUT WE'VE NEVER SEEN, LIKE, IS THERE A FORM THAT THEY DENY? AND THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT LITERALLY ALMOST A YEAR AGO WE WERE ASKING FOR.

UM, IT'S HARD TO COME TO THE SIX, $6,000,900 WITHOUT KNOWING FROM THE BEGINNING WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? BECAUSE OTHERWISE, AS THEY'RE DOING WITH BIG BUDDY, WE AREN'T ATTACHING A DOLLAR TO A NUMBER.

AND EVEN THOUGH IT'S UP TO, THERE IS STILL ONCE AGAIN, ANOTHER INCREASE FROM THE PREVIOUS CONTRACT, ISN'T IT? AND IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE JUSTIFIED BECAUSE OF HIV THIS ITEM IS, IS YEAH, FOCUSED ON THE INCREASED, UH, HIV COST, UH, WHEN IT STARTED.

UH, THEY'VE TRIPLED THE NUMBER OF HIV PATIENTS IN

[01:20:01]

THE, IN THE FACILITY.

AND THAT'S THE MAIN REASON WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH COUNCILMAN MOOCH AND OTHERS.

HAVE WE HAD ANY INFORMATION ON THAT GIVEN ON BEFORE TODAY? ON YEAH.

A DID WE GET ANY REPORTS LEADING UP TO THAT? BECAUSE I REMEMBER WHEN THE GENTLEMAN MENTIONED THOSE KIND OF THINGS, JUST AS HE MENTIONED MENTAL HEALTH, HE MENTIONED HIV, HE TALKED ABOUT THE COVID, ALL THE STDS, NOT JUST HIV AND HOW ALL OF THOSE THINGS HAD INCREASED.

SO HOW DO WE CHOOSE HIV FROM ONE OR THE OTHER UNLESS WE KNOW WHAT THE INTAKE PROCESS IS, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE, UM, WHAT THE, UH, THE CONSENT LEVEL IS, AND IF SOMEONE DENIES CONSENT, HOW DO WE STILL KEEP THEM EITHER SEPARATED IN A POPULATION? IT'S SO MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS.

AND THEY AREN'T NEW QUESTIONS.

THEY'RE QUESTIONS WE'VE BEEN ASKING.

WELL, YEAH, I'M SORRY.

AND YEAH, AGAIN, SCOTT KIRK, JOHN ECCLES WAS, UH, SUPPOSED TO BE HERE WITH TURNKEY.

HE'S ACTUALLY ON A PLANE.

HE, UNFORTUNATELY ABOUT SIX, SO HE'LL PROBABLY MISS THIS.

UH, BUT, UM, SO TO YOUR POINT, I KNOW WE, UH, TALKED TODAY BRIEFLY, YOU KNOW, I, I DO, UH, SHARED WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE SCREENING PROCESS.

THEY SCREEN ABOUT 260 PATIENTS PER MONTH, BUT IT IS OPTIONAL WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANT TO, THE PATIENT DECIDES TO DO THE HIV SCREENING.

UM, I KNOW, AND OF THOSE TWO 60, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'RE HIV POSITIVES, JUST SCREEN.

THAT'S, THAT'S TOTAL SCREENINGS ON AVERAGE PER MONTH.

WHAT IS THAT NUMBER BASED ON THE NUMBER OF, IN THAT YOU, THE NUMBER OF INMATES THAT COME IN PER MONTH? WELL, THEY, THEY SCREEN EVERYBODY.

I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY, WHAT PERCENTAGE, UH, TAKE THE HIV UH, TO CHOOSE TO DO THE HIV SCREENING.

SO TO ME, ALL THAT DATA IS NECESSARY FOR YOU TO COME UP WITH THAT KIND OF PRICE.

NOT THAT I SAY IT'S TOO MUCH, I JUST DON'T KNOW.

WELL LOOK, I, BUT, BUT I NEED TO KNOW, YOU KNOW.

YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE SCREENING PROCESS AND THE FORMS, THAT'S REALLY NOT BEEN AN ITEM THAT'S COME UP.

WELL, YOU KNOW, TO FINE US AND OBVIOUSLY WE, WE JUST TALKED ABOUT THIS JUST A LITTLE BIT AGO, SO I WILL ABSOLUTELY GET YOU THE INTAKE FORMS AND UH, WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION.

SO YOU'RE RIGHT.

AND, AND THAT FOR THAT, YOU, YOU, YOU'RE VERY RIGHT.

I KNOW WHERE TO FIND YOU.

YOU KNEW WHERE TO FIND ME TO BRING THIS BEFORE THE, UM, THE COUNCIL, YOU KNEW WHERE TO FIND US.

IT, IT DID.

I JUST GOT THE REQUEST, UM, TODAY, BUT IT'S NOT A NEW REQUEST TO YOU ALL.

UM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO DEFER IT AND THEN MS. WHAT'S HIS NAME? MR. KOS MAYBE COULD COME AND BE HERE.

'CAUSE I, I SEE HE'S MISSING A MEETING THAT STARTED AT FOUR.

I GUESS HE KNEW THE PLANE WAS GOING IN AT FIVE.

CORRECT? WELL, LOOK, I, I, YOU KNOW, I'VE JUST, UH, APPEAL.

WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH COUNCIL MOANA FOR OVER A YEAR ON THIS ISSUE.

I MEAN, IT IS THE HIV DR UH, MEDICATION IS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE.

IT IS INCREDIBLE.

SO WE, SO FOR, YOU KNOW, WE, WE GET, I'M VERY, UH, KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THAT ASPECT AND, UM, FORTUNATELY HAVE BEEN AN ADVOCATE FOR, UM, US NEEDING FOR MORE PREVENTION.

BUT I UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT PREVENTION, BUT I JUST DON'T SEE WHERE YOU'VE LAID OUT.

AND YOU KNOW, YOU, ONE, IT'S GOOD TO TALK TO ONE COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT IN A YEAR YOU NEED TO TALK TO 12 COUNCIL MEMBERS.

AND THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED.

COUNCILWOMAN, WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR ADDITIONAL TIME? SO IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WE CAN GET, DO YOU THINK THAT THE, THE THE THE INFORMATION IS UNREASONABLE THAT I'M ASKING FOR? I MEAN, THOSE FORMS ARE, ARE GENERALLY AVAILABLE, NOT THE FORM, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THE FORMS HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS, UH, THIS ITEM.

WELL, IT, IT, IT QUANTIFIES THE METHOD BECAUSE THROUGHOUT THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN A ISSUE ON WHETHER OR NOT THE INMATES IN THAT COMMUNAL SETTING ARE BEING EXPOSED TO ALL KINDS OF DISEASES.

THERE'S ALWAYS, AND I'M SORRY YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT.

THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN A CONCERN AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE, THERE THERE'S ACCURATE INFORMATION BASED ON EVERY INMATE SO THAT WHEN THEY DIE AND WE SAY THEY DIED IN PRISON AND THE UM, THE SHERIFF SAID, NO, THEY DIDN'T DIE IN PRISON, THEY DIED AT ALL LATER OF THE LATE.

SO WE'LL HAVE THAT INFORMATION BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHY THEY DIED.

BUT USUALLY THE PRESUMPTION FROM THAT FAMILY IS NEGLECT.

SO ALL OF THAT PLAYS INTO IT.

AND THAT IS WHY I'M ASKING THIS QUESTION.

AND SO THE QUESTION IS, THE THING, AGAIN, EVEN IF I DIDN'T HAVE THE FORMS, I DON'T HAVE ANY DATA.

I CANNOT DETERMINE BASED ON WHAT IS BROUGHT IN AND WHAT'S NOT.

HOW PREPARED ARE YOU WITH ALL THIS INFORMATION? SCOTT, SIR, ONE MOMENT.

YOU WANT ME TO YES, SIR.

COULD YOU, YES, SIR.

DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING IN FRONT OF YOU THAT WE COULD WORK WITH? COUNCILMAN BANKS? I, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS ISSUE FOR, LIKE I SAID, OVER A YEAR.

SO I FEEL HOW MUCH OF IT HAS, BUT, BUT I MEAN, TO

[01:25:01]

HOW ABOUT THE DATA THAT DETERMINED THE INCREASE? WE HAVE THE FIGURES ON INCREASE IN HIV PATIENTS.

AND IT'S BASED ON WHAT, HOW MUCH PER INDIVIDUAL BASED? I WOULD SAY THAT AGAIN.

HOW DO YOU DETERMINE THE AMOUNT, THE AMOUNT OF THE INCREASE FOR HIV? WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN THE, THE AMOUNT? I MEAN, I, I THINK, UH, I THINK IT'S GONE FROM ABOUT HALF A MILLION TO ABOUT OVER ONE AND A HALF MILLION.

SO IT'S ABOUT A MILLION DOLLAR INCREASE.

'CAUSE THE NUMBER OF HIV PATIENTS HAS HAD TRIPLE, BUT YOU ALL I'M ASKING, I AM I ASKING SOMETHING LIKE THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING YOU, IS IT UNREASONABLE WHAT I'M ASKING FOR? I'M ASKING FOR DATA BECAUSE DATA TRUMPS EVERYTHING.

AND I, I IT ALMOST LIKE, OKAY, I'M UP HERE AND I'M ANSWERING, SO, AND I WORK WITH ONE PERSON, AND AUTOMATICALLY YOU SHOULD JUST GO WITH IT.

AND BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT I HAVE SO MUCH TIME WORKING ON HEALTHCARE IN PARISH PRISON, THESE ARE QUESTIONS THAT SOMEBODY WHO HAS NOT, MAY NOT HAVE ASKED.

SO NOW I'M ASKING, AND I'M NOT, IT'S NOT THE FIRST TIME WE ASKED WHEN THE MAN HAD A SCREAMING FIT.

WE ASKED WHEN HE CAME BACK.

THESE ARE NOT NEW QUESTIONS.

UH, I, YEAH, WE'LL GO BACK AND SEE.

I APOLOGIZE IF YOU'VE ASKED FOR SOMETHING AND WE HAVEN'T PROVIDED, AND I, I'M AWARE.

SO WHAT DO YOU THINK? BUT IS IT OKAY, DON'T YOU THINK I, WE DESERVE TO KNOW HOW YOU CAME UP WITH THAT FIGURE.

I MEAN, THERE ARE, THERE ARE GENERAL FIGURES WE HAVE.

UM, YES, BUT I MEAN, I I DO YOU MIND WORKING WITH EACH ONE OF US TO LET US GO THROUGH THAT WITH YOU? DO YOU THINK THAT'S NECESSARY THAT YOU, THAT THE REST OF US, I'M THE CONSTANT.

SOME OF 'EM MIGHT NOT CARE.

THEY MIGHT JUST LIKE, OKAY.

DEALT WITH NO, LOOK, IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT OR YEAH, THAT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME.

I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT MIGHT BE THE MENTALITY OF SOME, BUT FOR ME, I FEEL PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE BECAUSE IT'S IN MY DISTRICT.

AND WHEN THERE ARE HIV PEOPLE THAT COME OUT, THERE'S A VERY LIKELIHOOD THEY MAY NOT LEAVE MY COMMUNITY.

SO I NEED TO KNOW.

THAT'S THE CONTRACT AMENDMENT.

SO I MEAN, I, I THINK THAT THE BASIS OF THIS IS, AS COUNCILMAN MOOCH SAID, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE POPULATION TRIPLED, WHICH CREATED A PROBLEM.

RIGHT? WHERE IS THE INFORMATION? I MEAN, WE, WE HAVE THE INFORMATION.

WE'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN IN MANY MEETINGS WITH COUNCILMAN MOOCH ON IT.

BUT I DO YOU NEED MY VOTE OR NOT? I, YOU MIGHT NOT NEED IT BECAUSE YOU MIGHT HAVE A SEVEN.

BUT WHAT DO YOU WANT MY VOTE? I WOULD LOVE YOUR VOTE.

AND I THINK IT'S A GOOD VOTE.

SO DO YOU THINK THAT I, DO YOU THINK THAT I SHOULD KNOW, AND THIS IS WHAT I'M VOTING NOT BASED ON YOU AND MO TALKING FOR 12 MONTHS? WELL, I, I, I GUESS THE, THE BASIS OF THIS AND WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON OBVIOUSLY IS A SITUATION WHEN WE CAN, UH, MAKE SURE THAT THE INCREASE IS JUST NOT SO MUCH THAT WE CAN GET THE RYAN WHITE FUNDS IN MARCH AND THAT WE CAN HAVE A CONTRACT AMENDMENT TO MAKE SURE THE EXPOSURE IS NOT THAT GREAT.

THAT'S, THAT'S THE BASIS OF THE REQUEST.

WHICH A U ASKING FOR 6.9.

NO, NO, NO.

THIS IS NOT A 6.9 RIGHT.

INCREASE.

BUT ISN'T THE INCREASE BASED ON THE HIV? YES.

IT IS.

SO HOW DID YOU, HOW DID YOU COME UP WITH IT? I'M, I'M NOT FOLLOWING, BUT YEAH.

SO CAN, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE DEFERRED FOR 30 DAYS OR TWO WEEKS.

WHAT, WHAT, HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU NEED? 30 DAYS OR TWO WEEKS? BECAUSE I KNOW YOU'RE NOT IN ANY RUSH.

I MEAN, LIKE YOU SAID, WE TALKING ABOUT THE NEXT QUARTER COUNCILMAN BANKS AND ISN'T HERE.

WE'RE TWO WEEKS ARE ALRIGHT.

MAYBE YOU NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.

YOU REPRESENT, I NEED TO KNOW.

DO YOU NEED TWO WEEKS OR 30 DAYS? ALL WE HAVE BEEN, WE WOULD LIKE TO DO THIS NOW IT'S IMPORTANT.

I DON'T HAVE WORKED ANYTHING.

I YOU DEALT WITH A COUNCILMAN BANKS, CAN YOU PLEASE, UH, LET US KNOW YOUR MOTION? MAKE A MOTION TO JUST DEFER TWO WEEKS.

THERE'S A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN BANKS TO DEFER FOR TWO WEEKS.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND TWO WEEKS.

WELL, WHATEVER THE NEXT MEETING.

JANUARY 10TH.

THEY FOUND OUT ACTUALLY HOW MANY HIV PATIENTS WE HAD IN THE PRISON AND HOW MANY, HOW MANY WE WERE INTAKE.

COUNCILMAN BANKS, DOES THAT SOUND GOOD TO YOU? YES, PLEASE.

COUNCILMAN DUNNA.

YOU THE SECOND BEEN PROPERLY SECONDED.

ALRIGHT, WE COUNCILMAN MOOCH HAS THE FLOOR TO SPEAK FOR YOUR SECOND FIVE MINUTES.

ALRIGHT, UM, AND I, I'LL GET TO YOUR DATA IN JUST A MINUTE.

UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, SCOTT'S BROUGHT IT UP SEVERAL TIMES.

THIS PROBLEM CAME TO US DURING, DURING THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT AND EVERYTHING, I CHOSE TO GET INVOLVED.

I DID NOT WAIT FOR THEM TO COME TO ME.

I, I SAW THE PROBLEM, I SAW WHAT WE WERE DOING AND I STARTED WORKING WITH DIFFERENT GROUPS TO TRY AND FIX THAT.

I DIDN'T SIT AND WAIT FOR THEM TO REPORT TO US AND COME TO US AND, AND THEN SAY, OKAY, HOW CAN WE TAKE CARE OF IT OR SO ON.

SO THIS ALL STARTED WHEN, BASICALLY DURING THE TRANSITION FROM THE LAST PROVIDERS TO THIS PROVIDERS, AND THEY FOUND OUT,

[01:30:01]

I ASKED THEM THE DATA, I THINK IT WAS AROUND FOUR TO FIVE.

UH, AND THEN IT JUMPED UP TO 45 OR CLOSE TO THAT OR WHATEVER.

THAT IS A HUGE INCREASE THAT NOBODY EXPECTED IN THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT.

SO THEN WE STARTED THINKING, HOW CAN WE SOLVE THIS PROBLEM? HOW CAN WE, WITHOUT THE HUGE INCREASE, WHICH IT SHOULD BE A LOT MORE THAN THIS BY THE CITY PARISH PROVIDING THESE MEDS OR PROVIDING, AND IT, AND IT, LOOK, IT DEPENDS ON WHAT MEDS THEY'RE ON, WHAT INSURANCE THEY'RE ON, IF IF HOW LONG THEY'RE GONNA BE IN THERE, WHAT DO THEY KEEP INSURANCE OR LOSE INSURANCE.

SO THERE'S A WHOLE KIND OF TON OF FACTORS THAT GO INTO THIS.

BUT THE BIGGEST, THE BEST THING THAT WE CAME ON WAS WHEN WE FOUND THIS PROGRAM THROUGH THE RYAN WHITE FUNDING TO FUND HIV INCARCERATED PERSONS FIRST.

WE HAD TO GET AROUND THE PERMISSION TO ACTUALLY DO THAT.

WHETHER WE COULD USE THE FUNDING FOR THAT.

WE WENT THROUGH THAT WHOLE PROCESS.

UM, THEN WE FOUND OUT THE WHOLE PROCESS OF INTAKING AND WHERE THEY GO FOR TESTING AND ALL THAT.

SO WE FINALLY WORKED OUT THIS PROCESS, DELAYING THIS PROCESS.

WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF APPLICATIONS TO RYAN WHITE FUNDING.

WE ACTUALLY WENT TO THE STATE AND, AND LOOK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU CAN GET INVOLVED AT ANY TIME THAT YOU WANT.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT TILL THEM TO COME TO YOU TO EXPLAIN EVERY SINGLE THING WE'VE BEEN ON THE AGENDA COULD HAVE ASKED FOR THIS DATA BEFOREHAND SO THAT MAYBE THEY COULD HAVE IT HERE.

UH, I HATE THAT THE OTHER GENTLEMAN MISSED THE FLIGHT AND SO ON.

BUT WE ARE UNDER THE STATE BEING COVERED BY THESE THINGS.

SO WE QUIT PAYING THE MILLION A MONTH THAT WE WERE PUTTING INTO THIS ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CONTRACT JUST ABOUT, WE HAVE UNTIL MARCH 1ST.

AND I'M ASKING THAT WE APPROVE THIS SO THAT WE CAN BE PREPARED TO COME HOPEFULLY MARCH 1ST, WHICH IS THE TARGET DATE IN TALKING WITH THE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS TO SUPPLY THESE MEDS OUTSIDE OF TURNKEY, IF I GOT THAT RIGHT, THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE ANOTHER VENDOR THAT WE NEED TO PUT A RFP OUT FOR RFQ OUT FOR TO GET THIS DONE.

SO I MAKE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THIS AS IS.

THERE'S A SUBSTITUTE MOTION BY COUNCILMAN MOOCH.

IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND BY ADAMS. UH, COUNCILMAN DUNN.

SCOTT.

WHAT'S THE GENTLEMAN NAME THAT'S ON THE PLANE? UH, JOHN ECKLES.

DID JOHN FLY BTR OR MSY ? HE'S IMPORTANT QUESTION.

HE'S COMING INTO BTR.

IT'S AN IMPORTANT QUESTION.

THINK BEFORE YOUR ANSWER.

WHAT'S THAT ANSWER? BT HE'S COMING INTO BT R BUT IT WAS NOT BT R'S UH, DELAY THAT, YOU KNOW, HE'S OKAY.

BECAUSE IF HE LAND AT SIX, HE'LL BE AT AT 6 15, 6 20.

THAT, THAT'S A GOOD ANSWER, RIGHT ANSWER.

THAT A THERE'S AN INCREASE IN HIV COST MEDS, BUT ALSO ANTICIPATING MAINTAINING THAT HIGH NUMBER OF INMATES, UH, SERVING LONGER LENGTH OF STAY IN THE PARISH PRISON.

BUT STILL COME ON UP.

AND LESLIE, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO ANSWER SOME OF THIS AS WELL, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, UH, UH, COUPLE OF QUESTIONS WERE ASKED EARLIER, AND I KNOW SOME OF HIS INFORMATION ON THE RYAN WRIGHT PIECE AND I HAD A COUPLE SIDEBARS.

SO IF SOMEBODY SAID THIS, PLEASE, YOU KNOW, CORRECT ME AND, AND WE DON'T HAVE TO REPEAT IT, BUT I KNOW THERE'S SOME CO CONCERNS ABOUT RYAN WHITE AND THERE'S SOME POTENTIAL BECAUSE OF THOSE FUNDS BEING IMPLEMENTED, THERE'S GONNA BE SOME ADDITIONAL COST SAVINGS.

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT? ABSOLUTELY.

SO TO COUNCILMAN MO'S, UH, POINT ABOUT THE STATE'S STEPPING IN TO PROVIDE US ASSISTANCE WITH COVERING, UH, A THE INCREASED NUMBER OF INMATES WHO ARE, WHO HAVE HIV IN OUR PRISONS, COUPLED WITH THE VERY LONG LENGTH OF STAY.

SO WE'VE GONE FROM, UH, HAVING A HANDFUL OF HIV SERVING, UM, INMATE POPULATION OVER A COURSE OF A FEW OF A FEW DAYS TO HAVING AN INCREASE OF ALMOST 200 DAYS, UH, FOR MOST OF THESE, UH, INMATES BEING, UH, HIV COMPROMISED.

UH, AND SO WHAT THE STATE DID EARLIER THIS YEAR, THEY ENTERED INTO AN INITIAL SIX MONTH AGREEMENT TO COVER 50% OF THE COSTS OF OUR HIV MEDICAL, UH, SUPPORT TO, UH, TO THAT POPULATION.

THEY AGREED TO EXTEND IT, UH, FOR AN ADDITIONAL THREE MONTHS TO THE END OF FEBRUARY.

SO ON MARCH 1ST, UH, WE WILL BEGIN TO INCUR THAT 50%, UM, BACK TO THE CITY.

UH, WHAT THIS CONTRACT OR THIS AMENDMENT WILL DO, IT WILL ALLOW TURNKEY SOME, UM, SOME WIGGLE ROOM, IF YOU WILL, TO BE ABLE TO COVER THOSE COSTS INDEPENDENTLY, UM, AT A CAP.

UH, SO THIS IS NOT A SITUATION WHERE, UH, THEY ARE ADDING TO, UH, A CONTRACT FOR PURPOSES OF ALL SAY THAT THE MEDICAL EXPENSES, BUT IT'S, IT'S SPECIFICALLY, UM, IT, IT, IT IDENTIFIES OR RECOGNIZES

[01:35:01]

AND IF THIS IS, UH, APPROVED AND IMPLEMENTED AS PROJECTED, WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL OR PROJECTED COST SAVINGS TO THE CITY PARISH? UH, AND I'LL LET ANGIE, UH, FROM A FINANCE PERSPECTIVE GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE INSIGHT.

BUT, UH, SO FAR, UH, WE ARE, WE'RE SAVING ROUGHLY ABOUT $130,000 A MONTH.

I BELIEVE, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, ANGIE, I I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THOSE, I'M OFF ON THOSE FIGURES.

UH, BUT ANGIE CAN GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAILS THERE.

WHAT WAS THE QUESTION? SORRY, .

WHAT WAS OUR COST SAVINGS? UH, THE STATE .

OH.

UM, SO LAST YEAR WE, WE SPLIT THE MEDICATION 50% WITH THE VENDOR, 50% US.

SO HE'S SPENT OVER A MILLION DOLLARS THOUGH RIGHT NOW WE'RE CURRENTLY SAVING A MILLION DOLLARS BECAUSE THE STATE IS PICKING UP THAT, THAT PORTION OF THE, UH, EXPENSE.

AND WHEN AND IF THIS IS IMPLEMENTED, WOULD THAT AFFECT THIS 6.9 NUMBER THAT'S PRESENTED BEFORE US? WHAT WE DID MOVING FORWARD WAS ASSUME THAT THE STATE CONTRACT WOULD DIVERT SOME OF IT, BUT BASED ON OUR CONVERSATIONS, WE WEREN'T A HUNDRED PERCENT.

I THINK, UH, LESLIE AND BERNADINE, UM, AT DHDS ARE REALLY TRYING TO GET ANOTHER GRANT INVOLVED.

SO WE ASSUMED A PORTION THAT WE WOULD PICK UP A GREATER PORTION, BUT BY NO MEANS WOULD, IF WE DID NOT SPEND THAT MONEY, THEN IT WOULD BE SAVINGS THAT WOULD THEN CLOSE OUT INTO FUND BALANCE IN THE GENERAL FUND.

SO JUST A YES OR NO, UH, THIS 6.9 NUMBER TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE POTENTIAL SAVINGS OR IT DOES NOT.

A SMALL PORTION, SMALL, SMALL PORTION.

SO COULD BE 800,000 I THINK IS WHAT WE ASSUME THE SAVINGS OF.

MAYBE TWO, 200 TO TWO 50.

UH, THE OTHER TWO QUESTIONS THAT, UH, REVEREND ANDERSON RAISED, AND AGAIN, IF THEY WERE ANSWERED WHEN I WAS DOING A COUPLE SIDEBARS, I APOLOGIZE.

UH, SPEAKING TO THE POTENTIAL THAT, UH, INMATES WOULD HAVE TO PAY COPAYS AND THEN THE WAIVER PIECE, WHO CAN SPEAK TO THAT? DO YOU HAVE AN ANSWER TO THAT, SCOTT? SO CURRENTLY, UM, THE, THERE'S A RESOLUTION THAT THE COUNCIL APPROVED TO, UM, INSTITUTE, UH, COPAYS AND THERE THAT WAS DONE YEARS AGO.

AND, AND FROM WHAT I RECALL, IT WAS TO ALSO HELP COST SAVING MEASURES SO THAT AN INDIVIDUAL DIDN'T ABUSE THE MEDICAL SYSTEM.

UM, IT SOUND LIKE IT JUST PULLED THE RESOLUTION, THE, UH, AMOUNTS THAT WERE AUTHORIZED SEEMED A LITTLE HIGHER THAN WHAT, UM, WAS CURRENTLY MENTIONED.

SO I CAN TALK TO THE SHERIFF AND SEE 'CAUSE THE SHERIFF TAKES THAT, THOSE COPAYS.

WHAT IS THE CURRENT COPAY? I THOUGHT IT WAS $5 ON THE RESOLUTION, WHICH I THINK THREE SOMETHING WAS MENTIONED.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF MAYBE SOMEONE'S JUST CHOOSING TO ASSESS A LOWER AMOUNT.

SO HOW DO YOU COLLECT THAT FROM, IT COMES FROM THEIR, UM, COMMISSARY ACCOUNTS.

COMMISSARY ACCOUNT.

YES SIR.

WHAT, DO THEY HAVE ANY MONEY IN THEIR COMMISSARY? ARE THEY REFUSE MEDICAL SERVICE? I'M SORRY, I I I DIDN'T, IF THEY DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY ON THEIR COMMISSARY, NO.

A LOT OF INMATES ABSOLUTELY NOT, DON'T HAVE MONEY ON THEIR COMMISSARY OR THEY REFUSE MEDICAL SERVICE.

'CAUSE THEY CAN'T PAY THE COPAY.

NO, NO.

IT DOES HIT THEIR COMMISSARY ACCOUNT.

AND IF AT ANY TIME MONEY IS DEPOSITED INTO THOSE ACCOUNTS, THEN THAT, UH, MEDICAL BILL IS TAKEN OFF FIRST AND THEN THERE'S A BA UNAVAILABLE BATCH.

THAT'S THE FIRST I'VE HEARD OF THAT.

IS THAT A BEST PRACTICE? IS OTHER INSTITUTIONS USING THAT A COPAY? HONESTLY, I DON'T KNOW.

UM, AGAIN, THIS IS A VERY OLD RESOLUTION.

I LIKE I WOULD'VE JUST PULLING IT UP BECAUSE SOMEONE HAD MENTIONED IT.

UM, AND I THINK IT WAS INSTITUTED JUST TO KIND OF MANAGE THE, UH, ABUSE OF HEALTHCARE.

BUT, BUT NO ONE IS DENIED HEALTHCARE BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE MONEY.

WHAT IS, UH, REVENUE THAT'S GENERATED FROM THE COURT COPAY ANNUALLY? IT'S ABOUT 30,000.

THE BIGGER ISSUE IS THAT QUITE FRANKLY, WE ALREADY PAY FOR HEALTHCARE.

REVEREND ANDERSON, YOU GOT ANY FOLLOW UP ON THAT? AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR, WHAT A COMMISSARY ACCOUNT DOES, IT ALLOWS FOR DETAINEES.

WE RUN A PRETRIAL FACILITY, IT ALLOWS FOR DETAINEES TO BE ABLE TO GET OTHER NECESSITIES.

SO WHEN THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT BECOMES THE, UH, BILL COLLECTOR FIRST DEMAND, THAT MEANS THAT THAT MONEY, IF FAMILIES DO PUT IT ON THERE AND THAT IS A STRAIN OR OFTEN, UH, THEY'RE UNABLE TO GET ANYTHING ELSE THEY NEED.

BUT

[01:40:01]

, THE TAXPAYERS ARE ALREADY PAYING FOR HEALTHCARE.

SO BESIDES JUST BEING UNETHICAL ON SO MANY LEVELS AND THE SORT OF THE INSINUATION THAT DETAINEES CAN JUST RANDOMLY GET HEALTHCARE, THERE'S AN ENTIRE PROCESS THAT THEY ACTUALLY HAVE TO GO THROUGH AND MAKE A REQUEST AND THE REQUEST HAS TO BE APPROVED.

SO THERE, THERE IS NO OPTION TO JUST SORT OF SHOW UP IN HEALTHCARE.

BUT THE SECOND PIECE OF THIS, WHICH IS QUITE CHALLENGING, AND AGAIN, IT WAS THE REASON WHY FROM THE VERY BEGINNING WE WANTED A HEALTHCARE MONITOR, IS BECAUSE WE KEEP TREATING THIS CONTRACT AND THIS POPULATION AS IF THEY ARE SEPARATE FROM OUR HOLISTIC HEALTHCARE.

MANY OF THE PEOPLE THAT END UP IN OUR FACILITY ALREADY HAVE POSITIONS AND ALREADY HAVE A MEDICAL PROTOCOL.

AND THAT'S TRUE OF MENTAL HEALTH.

THAT IS TRUE OF HIV.

AND SO THE IDEAL THAT THE SERVICES MUST BE PROVIDED THROUGH TURNKEY ARE SIMPLY NOT TRUE.

THAT'S RIGHT.

THERE ARE ALL SORTS OF CONTRACTORS WHO ARE ALLOWED IN THAT JAIL.

AND SO PEOPLE LIKE METRO HEALTH AND OTHER HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS CAN BE PART OF THE SOLUTION.

I GOT, I GOT ONE MORE MINUTE LEFT.

APPRECIATE YOU.

UH, TWO THINGS.

ONE FROM THE ADMINISTRATION.

YOU SAID IT WAS A RESOLUTION AND NOT A ORDINANCE, SO THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY A MANDATE.

SO I'D LIKE TO HAVE CONVERSATION AROUND THAT.

NOT AT THIS TIME.

ALSO, SCOTT, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN ANSWER THIS RIGHT NOW, BUT IT'S ONLY $30,000 A YEAR ANNUALLY THAT Y'ALL GEN THAT THEY GENERATING, LIKE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, NOT, UH, COLLECTING THAT FEE AND GIVING PEOPLE SERVICES WITHOUT TAKING OUTTA THEIR COMMISSARY.

SURE, YEAH.

WE DON'T KEEP THE COPAY, BUT HAPPY TO VISIT WITH YOU ABOUT THE DOCUMENT WHO'S KEEPING IT.

UH, THERE IS A SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO APPROVE.

IT'S BEEN MADE BY COUNCILMAN DUNN.

IT'S SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN ADAMS. UH, THERE'S A LOGAN ADAMS. OH, SORRY, WHO DID I SAY? DUNN? SORRY.

MO.

UH, AND THEN THERE IS A MOTION ON ALSO TO APPROVE, UH, TO DEFER TO JANUARY 10TH.

UM, WE'LL VOTE ON THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION FIRST.

UH, PLEASE OPEN THE MACHINES.

ALRIGHT, WE'RE VOTING ON THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO APPROVE THE ITEM AS IS MACHINES ARE OPEN.

THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO RENEW A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT WITH FRANCES WITH FRANCISCAN HEALTH AND WELLNESS SERVICES, INC.

WE DID, YOU SAID AS IS YOU JUST SAID APPROVED AS IS THAT, THAT IS THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO APPROVE AS IS NOT DEFER.

YOU MADE THE ORIGINAL MOTION TO DEFER.

OH, OKAY.

AND THEN THERE WAS A SUB MOTION CARRIES.

UH, ITEM 28, AUTHORIZE

[28. 23-01660 (Part 1 of 2)]

IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $360,000 BY HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR.

WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR ITEM 28.

SEEING, SEEING NONE, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND MOVE TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.

MOTION TO APPROVE BY GOD DAY.

SECONDED BY MOOCH.

AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO RENEW A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT WITH HEALTH, HEALTH OR NEED LLC AND AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $100,000 BY HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR.

ITEM 28 CARRIES.

ITEM 29,

[29. 23-01661]

OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR ITEM 29.

SEE AND NONE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

MOVE TO COUNCIL MEMBERS MOTION BY COUNCILMAN GODDE.

AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT

ANY OPPOSITION ITEM CARRIES.

YOU ORIGINALLY SAID 27, THEN YOU, YOU NEED TO GO BACK.

28.

ALRIGHT, I'M SORRY GUYS.

I SKIPPED 28 HERE.

LET'S DO 28.

[28. 23-01660 (Part 2 of 2)]

TO RENEW A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT WITH FRANCISCAN HEALTH AND WELLNESS SERVICES, INC.

IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $360,000 BY HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR.

WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR ITEM 28.

SEEING NONE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

MOVE TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.

MOTION BY GOD.

DAY.

THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO RENEW A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT WITH OUR LADY OF THE LAKE PHYSICIAN GROUP, LOUISIANA CARDIOLOGY ASSOCIATES.

ITEM 28 CARRIES.

ITEM 30, AUTHORIZED

[30. 23-01663]

IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $60,000 BY HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR.

OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR ITEM 30.

SEE A NONE.

WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

COUNCIL MEMBERS COUNCILMAN GODDE AND SECONDED BY THE CHAIR ANY OPPOSITION? ITEM 30 CARRIES

[01:45:01]

ITEM.

THAT'S MY FAULT.

OKAY, WE'LL MOVE, WE'LL MOVE BACK TO ITEM 27.

[27. 23-01658]

AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO RENEW A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT WITH CONVENIENT CARE LLC IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $225,000 ANNUALLY FOR MEDICAL RELATED SERVICES AND 335 AND $335,000 ANNUALLY BY HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR.

OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR ITEM 27.

SEEING NONE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

COUNCIL MEMBERS MOTION BY COUNCILMAN GODES.

SECONDED BY MOOCH.

UH, FOUR DASH E REIMBURSEMENT FUND.

[31. 23-01669]

BUDGET.

SO AS TO APPROPRIATE, $294,749 AND 9 CENTS RECEIVED FROM THE STATE OFFICE OF JUVENILE JUSTICE REPRESENTING REIMBURSEMENTS FOR CERTAIN EXPENDITURES ELIGIBLE UNDER THE FEDERAL FOSTER CARE REIMBURSEMENT PROGRAM BY JUVENILE SERVICES DIRECTOR.

WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR ITEM 31.

SEEING NONE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

AND MOVE TO COUNCIL MEMBERS MOTION BY COUNCILMAN NOEL.

SECONDED BY GDAY.

THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO ENTER AN AGREEMENT WITH SOLID GROUND INNOVATIONS LLC IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $75,000 BY THE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR PRESIDENT.

ITEM 31 CARRIES.

ITEM 32.

AUTHORIZE

[32. 23-01670]

WE'LL OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR ITEM 32.

SEEING NONE, WE'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING.

MOVE TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.

MOTION BY GOD.