[00:00:02]
[CALL TO ORDER]
AND GENTLEMEN, AND WELCOME TO THE PRESENTATION PORTION OF OUR METROPOLITAN COUNCIL MEETING ON THIS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13TH, 2024, UH, 3:30 PM UH, AT THIS TIME WE ARE GOING TO HAVE, UH, OUR COUNCIL MEMBER, CAROLYN COLEMAN, TO RECOGNIZE THE SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY LABORATORY LADY KITTENS BASKETBALL TEAM FOR WINNING A LOUISIANA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION.20 23, 20 24, DIVISION FOUR STATE CHAMPIONSHIP COUNCIL MEMBER COLEMAN, LET'S GIVE IT UP FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP.
WE GOTTA GIVE IT UP FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP.
AND SO, GOOD EVENING, AND ALL OF YOU HAVE HEARD MY PURPOSE FOR STANDING UP HERE, MAYOR PROTE HAS MADE THAT KNOWN.
AND SO IN THE HOUSE TODAY, WE DO HAVE THE SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY LABORATORY SCHOOL LADY KITTEN BASKETBALL TEAM.
SO YOU CAN GIVE IT UP A AGAIN FOR THEM.
IT IS REAL GOOD WHEN WE CAN ACKNOWLEDGE GOOD STUFF, GOOD STUFF THAT YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE DONE, AND THEN TO BE ABLE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THOSE THAT ARE NOT SO YOUNG, THAT ARE BEHIND THEM, THAT SUPPORT THEM.
SO, AS I CALL YOU LADIES NAME, AND I WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT THIS IS A CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION, LADIES, UH, FOR WHAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE AS THE DIVISION FOR STATE CHAMPIONS FOR REPRESENTING THE EXCELLENCE OF OUR DISTRICT CAN FOR SURE.
YOUR REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENTS SHOWCASE THE DEDICATION AND THE TALENT WITHIN OUR SCHOOLS.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL AND WELL DONE.
SO I'M GOING TO ASK TRINITY, BRO, IF YOU WILL, COME FORWARD PLEASE.
I'M GOING TO ASK JAMIAH KANE, IF YOU WILL, COME FORWARD, PLEASE.
Y'ALL HEARD THOSE GOOD MANNERS? Y'ALL HEARD THEM SAY THANK YOU? YES, THE EARL, IF YOU WILL, COME FORWARD.
LADIES, IF YOU'LL COME AND STAND RIGHT BACK THERE.
STAND RIGHT BACK THERE AND SMILE 'CAUSE YOU'RE ON TV.
YES, LILY JOSEPH, YOU GONNA BE ON TV IF YOU WILL COME FORWARD FOUR TIMES.
JUST KAIA BROWN, IF YOU WILL COME FORWARD.
UH, STAMPLEY, HOW DO YOU SAY YOUR NAME? SIAH.
I STAND TO BE CORRECTED ON THAT.
HAVE I OMITTED ANY OF THE LADIES? GREAT.
AND SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, IN ORDER TO MAKE THEM CHAMPIONS, YOU ALL, THERE HAD TO BE A HEAD COACH.
AND AN ASSISTANT COACH, GELLE COLE.
JASON STAMPLEY, ANOTHER ASSISTANT COACH.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A CHERRY STAMPLEY, THE STATISTICIAN.
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ALL RIGHT.AND KENNEDY JOHNSON, THE MANAGER.
AND SO LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS IS THE SOUTHERN LAB.
EVERYBODY DREW, LOOK THIS WAY.
NEXT, WE'LL HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER JEN ROCKER TO RECOGNIZE LIBERTY MAGNA HIGH SCHOOL BOYS VARSITY BASKETBALL TEAM FOR WINNING THE 20 23 20 24 LOUISIANA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION, FIVE A DIVISION ONE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP COUNCIL MEMBER ROCKHAM.
I'M SO EXCITED TO STAND HERE TONIGHT WITH THESE CERTIFICATES OF RECOGNITION, UM, FOR LIBERTY, LIBERTY MAGNET HIGH SCHOOL BOYS VARSITY BASKETBALL TEAM, L-H-A-L-H-S-A-A FIVE A DIVISION ONE STATE CHAMPIONS.
SO TONIGHT OUR FIRST CERTIFICATE IS PRESENTED TO BRANDON WHITE HEAD COACH OF THIS MAGNIFICENT TEAM.
THE NEXT CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION IS PRESENTED TO, I'M SO SORRY IF I PRONOUNCE THIS WRONG.
I THINK YOU DID GOOD WITH THE NAME.
THE NEXT CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION GOES TO CHARLES CARTER, ASSISTANT COACH.
COACH CARTER'S ABSENT TODAY, BUT PLEASE TELL HIM WE WERE CHEERING FOR HIM.
NEXT IS LESTER FERGUSON, ASSISTANT COACH TRAVIS FRANKLIN, ASSISTANT COACH.
PLEASE TELL HIM WE WERE CHEERING FOR HIM TONIGHT TOO.
DEVONTE HARRIS, ASSISTANT COACH.
OUR STATISTICIAN BRIAN WILLIAMS. GOD GOT THE WHOLE TEAM.
MUST SEE MANAGER TAYLOR BARBER.
HEY GUYS, A KELSEY DOON MANAGER.
SO NEXT WE'RE GONNA GET TO OUR MAGNIFICENT TEAM.
AND WE'RE JUST HERE TO CELEBRATE YOUR REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENTS, SHOWCASE THE DEDICATION AND TALENT WITHIN OUR SCHOOLS ON AND OFF THE COURT.
WE ARE PROUD TO REPRESENT THAT YOU HAVE REPRESENTED THE EXCELLENCE OF DE COUNCIL DISTRICT 12.
CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN, MR. DEVIN HOUSETON.
[00:10:10]
ERIC HITCHINS JR.AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, MR. ALEX SMITH.
ALRIGHT, ALEX, THANK YOU ALL SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR ACHIEVEMENT.
CONGRATULATIONS, YOUR WINNERS.
ALRIGHT, I WANNA ECHO, UH, WHAT COUNCILMAN COUNCILWOMAN ROCKA, UH, SAID AND CERTAINLY CELEBRATE THE TEAM.
AND WE DO HAVE, UH, COMMENDATIONS FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
HOW YOU DOING? HOW YOU DOING? YOU DOING ALRIGHT? ALRIGHT.
AND AS A POINT OF PRIVILEGE, WHILE THEY GETTING TOGETHER, JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT MALIK IS MY NEPHEW AND THAT HIS GRANDMOTHER, WHO IS MY MOTHER, WHO'S 93 YEARS OLD, IS IN THE BUILDING.
ALRIGHT, LET'S GET A BIG SMILE FROM EVERYBODY.
AT THIS TIME, WE'LL HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS TO SOUTHERN LAB LEHIGH, AND NOW GOT A LOT OF BASKETBALL TALENT IN THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE.
WE'LL HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER DARRYL HURST AND COUNCIL MEMBER DENISE AMAROSA TO RECOGNIZE THE PARKVIEW BAPTIST GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM FOR WINNING THE 20 23 20 24 LOUISIANA HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION, DIVISION THREE SELECT CHAMPIONSHIP.
UM, I HAD THE, UH, ESTEEMED PLEASURE OF WATCHING PARKVIEW BEAT THE BRAKES OFF MY DAUGHTER AND LOSE THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
BUT, UM, IT WAS DEFINITELY A JOYOUS OCCASION.
THE REASON WHY I WAS SO JOYOUS, AND I GET TO STAND HERE TODAY, IS BECAUSE I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO COACH, UH, A NUMBER OF THESE GIRLS ON THIS TEAM.
AND, AND TO SEE HOW THEY MATURED FROM YOUNG GIRLS INTO, INTO, UH, YOUNG WOMEN WHO ARE NOW GOING OUT AND LEADING AND, AND REPRESENTING BEING THE FRONT DOOR TO AN ATHLETIC PROGRAM THAT'S MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY, BOTH ATHLETICALLY AND DO
[00:15:01]
AND, AND, AND, UH, IN THE EDUCATION SPACE.UH, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO COUNCILWOMAN DENISE SANSO.
AND THEN WE WILL GET THE, UH, PRESENTATION STARTED.
I JUST WANNA SAY FROM DISTRICT EIGHT THAT WE ARE VERY, VERY PROUD OF YOU AND, UH, UH, CONGRATULATE YOU ON YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENT.
ALRIGHT, SO THE FIRST WE'LL CALL UP IS, UH, WE'LL START FROM THE BACK, I BELIEVE 'CAUSE THE COACH IS IN THE FRONT.
SO WE'LL BRING UP, UH, Y'ALL GIVE UP FOR MISS ADDIE YOUNG.
IT'S ONE OF THE ONES THAT HAD THE JOY OF, UH, OF COACHING.
HERE'S ANOTHER ONE THAT I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF COACHING.
HERE'S ANOTHER ONE I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF COACH AND MS. BRINLEY MON.
WELCOME MS. ISABELLA DUPLEXES.
I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF COACHING MARY THE SEAL BATTLE.
SHE'S NOT HERE, BUT IT'S ANOTHER ONE.
I HAD THE PLEASURE OF CULTURE, MS. COLLIE SHELTON, MS. HANNAH ABERT, MS. ANNA RICHARDSON, MS. LAUREN BEBE, MS. CARLIN LEBLA, MS. EMMA SHO, SARAH DENMARK, THE BIG SISTER OF WHO I COACHED.
MS. ANDY BERNHARD AND THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE IT HAPPEN.
UH, COACH KATIE SHO AND THE MAN BEHIND THE RING.
DO I LOOK THIS WAY FOR ME? 9 3 2 1, 2, 2, 1.
UH, AT THIS TIME, I WANNA RECOGNIZE COUNCIL MEMBER DWIGHT HUDSON.
[00:20:07]
MEMBERS, WE HAVE A, AN EMERGENCY PRESENTATION.'CAUSE I, I, I RECOGNIZED WHEN THEY CALLED ANNA UP HERE, UH, I RECOGNIZED THAT I SHOULD HAVE DONE THIS ALREADY.
UH, BUT MS. ANNA RICHARDSON IS, UH, WAS NAMED PARKVIEW BAPTIST, UH, I'M SORRY, THE ADVOCATES, UM, GIRL ATHLETE OF THE WEEK.
ANNA, UH, WAS NAMED THE TITLE GAME MVP AND SCORED A GAME HIGH 18 POINTS, INCLUDING 14 ON THE FIRST HALF OF THE DIVISION THREE SELECT CHAMPIONS.
SO Y'ALL HELP ME OUT AND GIVE, UH, GIVE MS. ANNA A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR, UH, TEAMS WHO ARE RECOGNIZED TODAY AND ALL OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE KEEP DOING OUTSTANDING WORK REPRESENTING THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE, NO MATTER WHERE YOU GO.
UH, NEXT UP WE HAVE MAYOR, PRESIDENT SHARON WESTERN BROOM TO RECOGNIZE JIMMY, SOMEBODY PRONOUNCE THAT FOR ES.
OWNER OF MS. TZO, LOUISIANA, MEXICAN CUISINE FOR THE CELEBRATION OF THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY.
MAYOR, PRESIDENT, UH, COME ON DOWN.
JIM
YOU'RE DI I HAVE TO GO BACK TO FINE.
UH, IT IS MY HONOR TO EXTEND CONGRATULATIONS TO MESTIZO, LOUISIANA MEXICAN CUISINE AND ITS OWNER JIM LES ON THEIR REMARKABLE 25TH ANNIVERSARY MILESTONE.
SINCE OPENING THEIR DOORS IN 1999, MESTIZOS HAS BEEN AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR CITY.
THEY HAVE BEEN DELIGHTING PATRONS, INCLUDING YOURS, TRULY ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES WITH DELICIOUS CUISINE AND CREATING CHERISHED MEMORIES.
THROUGHOUT THE PAST QUARTER CENTURY, MESTIZOS HAS STOOD OUT IN OUR VIBRANT DINING SCENE THANKS TO ITS UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO QUALITY, INNOVATION, AND OUTSTANDING SERVICE.
THEIR DEDICATION HAS MADE THEM A BELOVED CULINARY GEM IN BATON ROUGE.
SO TO CELEBRATE THIS SIGNIFICANT OCCASION, THANK YOU FOR COMING DOWN WITH ME.
COUNCILMAN MESTIZO IS HOSTING A SERIES OF SPECIAL EVENTS AND PROMOTIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO JOIN IN THE FESTIVITIES AND EXPERIENCE THE RICH HISTORY AND EVOLUTION OF MESTIZOS CUISINE.
CONGRATULATIONS, JIM, AND TO THE ENTIRE MESTIZO TEAM ON 25 YEARS OF CULINARY EXCELLENCE AND UNFORGETTABLE DINING EXPERIENCE.
AND HERE'S TO MANY MORE YEARS OF SUCCESS AND DELICIOUS FOOD.
I'M GONNA LET THE COUNCILMAN WANTS TO SAY A FEW WORDS AS WELL, AND THEN WE'LL BOTH GIVE YOU OUR PRESS AND THEN YOU CAN SPEAK OF WHAT TELL US ABOUT, UH, THANK YOU MAYOR FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
UM, LOOK, I JUST WANTED TO TELL Y'ALL, UH, FROM A, FROM A FRIEND STANDPOINT, UM, CONGRATULATIONS ON Y'ALL'S 25 YEARS FROM, FROM MYSELF AND, AND THE METRO COUNCIL.
I APPRECIATE THE MAYOR DOING THIS.
AND, UH, I'M JUST, I'M SO PROUD OF Y'ALL.
Y'ALL HAVE BEEN WONDERFUL FRIENDS SINCE KNOWING Y'ALL WONDERFUL FOOD AND I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING.
ALL OF Y'ALL MAKE A GREAT TEAM OVER THERE THAT SERVE THIS CITY.
YOU GIVE BACK TO THE CITY ANYTIME THAT YOU CAN.
YOU'RE INVOLVED IN SO MANY COMMUNITY EVENTS AND WE AS A CITY PARISH REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT Y'ALL DO WITH YOUR BUSINESS BY GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T MENTION THAT, UH, IT IS 25 YEARS FOR METIZO RESTAURANT, BUT 46 YEARS TOTAL BECAUSE MY FATHER HAD A MEXICAN RESTAURANT HERE IN BATON ROUGE FOR 50 PLUS YEARS.
AND I HAD THE PLEASURE OF ACTUALLY MEETING MAYOR BARONE WHEN SHE FIRST MOVED TO BATON ROUGE.
I'M ONLY SAY HOW MANY YEARS AGO THAT WAS, BUT IT WAS QUITE A WHILE BACK.
UH, AND SO IT'S BEEN A GREAT PLEASURE.
I AM BLESSED TO HAVE THIS BECAUSE I'M SURROUNDED BY GREAT PEOPLE.
UM, I HAVE MY PARTNER ELLE AND MY GENERAL MANAGER, KENDRA, UH, CLARK, BEHIND ME, WHO HAVE MADE, UH, MY LIFE JUST REMARKABLE THE LAST FEW YEARS.
AND, UM, IF YOU GET A CHANCE, JOIN US, UH, IN OUR 25TH ANNIVERSARY.
UH, WE'RE DOING A SERIES OF EVENTS ON THE 25TH OF EVERY MONTH TO CELEBRATE OUR 25TH ANNIVERSARY.
AND THIS MONTH, UH, MARCH IS ACTUALLY OUR ANNIVERSARY MONTH.
AND SO WE'RE DOING OUR BIG, UM, PARTY MARCH, MONDAY, MARCH 25TH.
AND, BUT WE'LL HAVE SOME ON EACH MONTH ON THE 25TH THROUGHOUT THE YEAR JUST TO COMMEMORATE.
SO HOPEFULLY Y'ALL CAN JOIN US.
AND I APPRECIATE THIS VERY MUCH.
[00:25:32]
CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN AND SEE YOU ON ONE OF THOSE 25TH.UH, NEXT WE'LL HAVE MAYOR, PRESIDENT SHARON WESTERN BROOME TO RECOGNIZE LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY FUTURE USE OF ENERGY IN LOUISIANA FUEL FOR BEING AWARDED A GRANT UP TO $160 MILLION TO SUPPORT LOUISIANA'S ENERGY INDUSTRY, CREATE JOBS, AND DEVELOP THE ENERGY WORKFORCE.
MAYOR, PRESIDENT, UM, IS MR. MOSS HERE? OH, HERE YOU GO.
I AM EXCITED TO ACKNOWLEDGE LSU FOR SECURING THE GROUNDBREAKING FUTURE USE OF ENERGY IN LOUISIANA FUEL AWARDED GRANT WORTH UP TO $160 MILLION.
THIS REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT INVOLVING LSU AND OVER 50 PARTNERS, MARKS THE LARGEST GRANT EVER AWARDED BY THE US NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION.
OVER THE NEXT DECADE, THIS GRANT WILL PLAY A VITAL ROLE IN SUPPORTING LOUISIANA'S ENERGY INDUSTRY, FOSTERING JOB CREATION, AND DEVELOPING A SKILLED WORKFORCE.
IT WILL ALSO PROPEL LOUISIANA TO THE FOREFRONT OF GLOBAL ENERGY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.
THE FUEL TEAM LED BY ANDREW MOSS WILL DRIVE INNOVATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS ADDRESSING CRUCIAL CHALLENGES SUCH AS CARBON CAPTURE AND HYDROGEN TECHNOLOGY.
AS ALWAYS, WE'RE THANKFUL FOR THE LEADERSHIP OF LSU PRESIDENT WILLIAM TATE IN DRIVING INNOVATION AND EXCELLENCE AT LSU AND BEYOND.
THIS GRANT POSITIONS LOUISIANA TO BE A LEADER IN SHAPING THE FUTURE OF THE ENERGY INDUSTRY.
AND WE WANT TO CELEBRATE THIS MOMENTOUS GRANT, UH, WITH A COMMENDATION.
I HOPE MAYOR BURM, IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE WITH YOU GUYS TODAY.
UM, I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T, UH, RECOGNIZE ALL OF OUR PARTNERS, UM, THE EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY ACROSS THE STATE.
UM, ALL OF OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS, THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEMS, UH, LOUISIANA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WHO MATCHED THIS $160 MILLION AWARD WITH 67 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS TO BE DEPLOYED, TO HIRE ADDITIONAL RESEARCH FACULTY TO MAKE IT SO THAT WE CAN SOLVE THE ENERGY NEEDS OF OUR, OF OUR STATE.
THERE'S NO REASON THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE LEADING OUR COUNTRY IN ENERGY AND ENERGY DEVELOPMENT GIVEN THE CURRENT SITUATION OF, OF WHERE WE SIT, UM, WHAT TECHNOLOGIES WE HAVE AND WHAT INDUSTRY PARTNERS WE HAVE HERE IN OUR STATE.
SO THANK YOU FOR THIS, UH, RECOGNITION.
WE'RE GONNA TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK BEFORE WE BEGIN COUNCIL MEETING.
THIS CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION PORTION OF OUR MEETING FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.
THAT MEANS YOU DON'T HAVE TO STAY, UH, YOU CAN ALL GO HOME.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE'RE ABOUT TO GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
THOSE FLORIDA BOULEVARD PROJECT.
REMEMBER, I SENT AN EMAIL CAME.
WELCOME TO THE COUNCIL CHAMBER OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
PATRICK'S DAY TO ALL OF YOU AS WE GET READY FOR THE WEARING OF THE GREEN THIS WEEKEND.
PATRICK'S DAY, I WANNA TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY ON BEHALF OF OUR GOVERNMENT TO THANK THE SHINGLETON FAMILY FOR THE WONDERFUL PARADE THAT BATON ROUGE HAS EACH AND EVERY YEAR.
THANK YOU FOR WATCHING TODAY, WHEREVER YOU'RE WATCHING ON COX, ON AT&T AT OUR WEBSITE, B LA.GOV, ON FACEBOOK LIVE OR ON YOUTUBE.
THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ALWAYS WANT YOU TO BE A PART OF OUR GOVERNMENT AT THIS TIME.
HERE IS THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT PRO TEM OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
HE REPRESENTS DISTRICT NUMBER SEVEN, COUNCILMAN LAMONT COLE.
COUNCILMAN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
GOOD AFTERNOON LADIES, GENTLEMEN.
WELCOME TO OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED METROPOLITAN COUNCIL MEETING ON THIS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 13TH, 2024
[00:30:02]
AT 4:00 PM I'D LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER ACTUALLY, DO WE HAVE A QUORUM? WE HAVE A QUORUM.AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO INVITE PASTOR STEVE WARD OF THE CHAPEL OF BATON ROUGE TO LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE AS WELL AS THE INVOCATION.
IS THAT GO AHEAD, COUNCIL MEMBER.
THANK YOU PASTOR ELL WORTH FOR BEING HERE.
PASTOR ELL WORTH JUST FOR EVERYBODY'S INFORMATION, UH, IS WITH THE CHAPEL, UH, AT ITS SEGAN LANE LOCATION.
UH, HE'S BEEN HERE IN BATON ROUGE FOR 13 YEARS.
AND JUST SO EVERYBODY KNOWS, HE AND HIS WIFE, UH, AMBER ARE, UH, OWNERS OF LIGHTHOUSE COFFEE.
SO WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING HE DOES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
PASTOR, LOOK, PRESS THE BUTTON IF YOU WOULD, AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT MICROPHONE.
FATHER, IN THE NAME OF JESUS, I PRAY FOR THIS ASSEMBLY GATHERED TODAY, THANK YOU THAT YOU HAVE RAISED UP THESE LEADERS TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY.
I PRAY THAT YOU WOULD BLESS THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES AS THEY LEAD IN JESUS' NAME.
I ASK THAT YOU WOULD USE THEM IN THEIR MEETING TODAY TO ADVANCE YOUR WILL AND PLANS IN THIS COMMUNITY.
WOULD YOU GIVE THEM INSIGHT TO SERVE THE PEOPLE OF BATON ROUGE EQUITABLY AND CHEERFULLY? WOULD YOU USE THEIR LEADERSHIP TO BRING UNITY TO OUR CITY, SAFETY TO OUR PEOPLE, AND BLESSING FOR ALL WITHIN THESE CHAMBERS? I ASK THAT YOU WOULD BRING UNITY AND INSIGHT TO ALL THAT ARE GATHERED HERE.
WOULD THERE BE A SPIRIT OF UNITY, NOT AGENDA? WOULD THERE BE AN AIM OF CHARITY AND NOT FAVORITISM? WOULD THERE BE AN AIR OF KINDNESS AND NOT COMPETITION? WOULD THEY SEEK YOUR PEACE FOR THIS CITY AND ALL WHO CALL IT HOME? WE PRAY FOR OUR CITY, BATON ROUGE, THAT THERE WOULD BE PEACE AND LOVE WHERE THERE WAS ONCE VIOLENCE AND DISUNITY, THAT THE LOVE OF JESUS WOULD BECOME THE BOND THAT MOVES OUR CITY FORWARD TOWARDS YOUR PURPOSES.
AND FOR TODAY, I PRAY FOR WISDOM AND INSIGHT FOR THESE OUR LEADERS TO ENGAGE THIS AGENDA HONORABLY AND TO LEAD YOUR PEOPLE WELL.
AND MAY IT BE FOR YOUR FAME AND YOUR REPUTATION.
JOIN ME IN RECITING THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
[ADOPTION AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
THIS TIME WE'LL GO WITH ITEM ONE, APPROVAL AND ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES OF THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL MEETING OF FEBRUARY 28TH, 2024, IN THE GREATER BATON ROUGE AIRPORT COMMISSION MEETING OF MARCH 5TH, 2024.BY COUNCIL, ADMINISTRATIVE TREASURER.
DOES ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM ONE? ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM ONE? WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM ONE? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MAYOR MOROSA, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MT.
[INTRODUCTIONS]
WOULD YOU PLEASE READ THE INTRODUCTIONS? SECTION 2.12 INTRODUCTIONS.NUMBER TWO, GRANTING RENEWAL OF A FIVE YEAR PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENT ESTIMATED $141,607 PER YEAR FOR BROWN EAGLE WAREHOUSE LLC AT 7 8 0 8 AIRLINE HIGHWAY BY PLANNING DIRECTOR NUMBER THREE, AMENDING THE 2024 ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET FOR THE CHARLES R. KELLY COMMUNITY CENTER.
SO AS TO APPROPRIATE $35,000 FROM GENERAL FUND FUND BALANCE ON ASSIGNED FOR EQUIPMENT AND BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS TO SUPPORT HOMELESSNESS INITIATIVES BY THE MAYOR.
NUMBER FOUR, A RESOLUTION ORDERING AND CALLING A SPECIAL ELECTION TO BE HELD IN THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE STATE OF LOUISIANA ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH, 2024, UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF ARTICLE SIX, SECTION 30 OF THE CONS, LOUISIANA CONSTITUTION OF 1974 FOR THE PURPOSE OF AUTHORIZING A LEVY AND COLLECTION OF A SPECIAL AVALOR TAX OF SIX MILLS ON THE DOLLAR OF ASSESSED VALUATION ON ALL PROPERTIES SUBJECT TO TAXATION WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE, STATE OF LOUISIANA IN PERPETUITY, COMMENCING WITH THE TAX COLLECTION YEAR 2025 AND ANNUALLY THEREAFTER TO PROVIDE FUNDS FOR INCREASING SALARIES AND BENEFITS FOR ALL EMPLOYEES OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT OF THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE, WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THE MUNICIPAL FIRE AND POLICE CIVIL SERVICE SYSTEM.
PROVIDING NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING THE ADOPTION OF THIS RESOLUTION BY THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL SHALL BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10TH, 2024 AT 4:00 PM AT THE REGULAR MEETING PLACE OF METROPOLITAN COUNCIL THIRD FLOOR, CITY HALL ROOM 3 48.
LOUIS STREET, BATON ROUGE, PREPARED BY BOND COUNSEL AT THE REQUEST OF THE BATON ROUGE FIREFIGHTERS INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION.
NUMBER FIVE, A RESOLUTION ORDERING AND CALLING A SPECIAL ELECTION TO BE HELD IN THE BROWNSFIELD FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT.
NUMBER THREE OF THE PARISH SHOULD BE BATON ROUGE STATE OF LOUISIANA ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH, 2024 FOR THE PURPOSE OF AUTHORIZING THE RENEWAL OF THE LEVY AND COLLECTION OF A 10 MILLS VALOREM TAX FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS FOR FIRE PROTECTION PURPOSES IN THE DISTRICT PROVIDING NOTICE THAT A PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING THE ADOPTION OF THIS RESOLUTION BY THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL ACTING AS
[00:35:01]
THE GOVERNING AUTHORITY OF THE DISTRICT SHALL BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10TH, 2024 AT 4:00 PM AT THE REGULAR MEETING PLACED OF THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL THIRD FLOOR, CITY HALL ROOM 3 48.LOUIS STREET, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA, PREPARED BY BOND COUNSEL AT THE REQUEST OF THE BROWNSFIELD FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT.
NUMBER SIX, A RESOLUTION ORDERING AND CALLING A SPECIAL ELECTION TO BE HELD IN THE ALLISON ST.
ARM LEE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER NINE OF THE PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE STATE OF LOUISIANA ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH, 2024 FOR THE PURPOSE OF AUTHORIZING THE RENEWAL OF THE LEVY AND COLLECTION OF A 10 MILS AVALOR TAX FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS FOR FIRE PROTECTION PURPOSES OF THE DISTRICT PROVIDING NOTICE THAT PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING THE, THE ADOPTION OF THE RESOLUTION BY THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL ACTING AS THE GOVERNING AUTHORITY OF THE DISTRICT SHALL BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10TH, 2024 AT 4:00 PM AT THE REGULAR MEETING PLACED WITH THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL THIRD FLOOR, CITY HALL ROOM 3 48 TO TWO ST.
LOUIS STREET, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA, PREPARED BY BOND COUNSEL AT THE REQUEST OF THE ALLISON SAN RELIEF FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER NINE.
NUMBER SEVEN, A RESOLUTION ORDERING AND CALLING A SPECIAL ELECTION TO BE HELD IN THE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT.
NUMBER ONE OF THE PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE STATE OF LOUISIANA ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH, 2024 FOR THE PURPOSE OF AUTHORIZING THE RENEWAL OF THE LEVY AND COLLECTION OF A NINE MILLS, A VALOR TAX FOR A PERIOD OF 10 YEARS, MAKING APPLICATIONS FOR LOUISIANA STATE BOND COMMISSION PROVIDING NOTICE THAT A PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING THE ADOPTION OF THIS RESOLUTION BY THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL ACTING AS THE GOVERNING AUTHORITY OF THE DISTRICT SHALL BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10TH, 2024 AT 4:00 PM AT THE REGULAR MEETING PLACED OF THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL THIRD FLOOR, CITY HALL ROOM 3 48.
LOUIS STREET, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA, PREPARED BY BOND COUNCIL AT THE REQUEST OF FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER ONE.
NUMBER EIGHT, A RESOLUTION PROPOSING AMENDMENTS TO THE PLAN OF GOVERNMENT OF THE PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE AND CITY OF BATON ROUGE AS MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED IN THE SUMMARY OF PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE PLAN OF GOVERNMENT ATTACHED HERE TO ORDERING AND CALLING A SPECIAL ELECTION TO BE HELD IN THE PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE STATE OF LOUISIANA ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 5TH, 2024.
FOR THE PURPOSE OF SUBMITTING TO THE VOTERS OF THE PARISH, THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE PLAN OF GOVERNMENT AS MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED IN THE SUMMARY OF PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE PLAN OF GOVERNMENT UPDATES DETACHED MAKING APPLICATION TO THE LOUISIANA STATE BOND COMMISSION PROVIDING NOTICE THAT A PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING THE ADOPTION OF THIS RESOLUTION BY THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL, ACTING AS THE GOVERNING AUTHORITY OF THE PARISH SHOULD BE.
AND CITY OF BATON ROUGE SHALL BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 25TH, 2024 AT 4:00 PM AT THE REGULAR MEETING, I'M, I'M SORRY, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27TH, 2024 AT 4:00 PM AT THE REGULAR MEETING PLACE OF THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL, THIRD FLOOR, CITY HALL ROOM 3 48.
LOUIS STREET, BATON ROUGE BY COUNCILMAN ROWDY GODDE CONDEMNATION.
[CONDEMNATION INTRODUCTIONS]
NUMBER NINE, LARRY FRANKLIN, 1 6 2 1 SWAN AVENUE COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO BANKS, NUMBER 10, KATHY HUDSON.2 9 4 4 AMARILLO STREET COUNCIL, DISTRICT FIVE HEARST.
NUMBER 11, DEBORAH WALKER, 1 1 0 4 NORTH 39TH STREET COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN COLE NUMBER 12.
CURTIS HAYES ENTERPRISES, LLC 1 6 1 5 NORTH ACADIAN THRU BAY COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN COLE NUMBER 13, JOSE JUAREZ TORRES, 2 0 7 2 VIRGINIA STREET COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 COLEMAN NUMBER 14, THE SUCCESSION OF DALE STERLING, 1 1 6 0 WEST GARFIELD STREET COUNCIL, DISTRICT 10 COLEMAN NUMBER 15, PEREZ ROBINSON ROBERSON 2 3 5 5 MARYLAND STREET COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 COLEMAN NUMBER 16, RAY MELTON CARROLL AND CHARMAINE CARROLL.
2 5 4 LOUISE STREET COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 COLEMAN NUMBER 17, THE ESTATE OF HENRY LEWIS ROBINSON.
9 3 8 LOUISE STREET COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 COLEMAN ADJUDICATED
[ADJUDICATED PROPERTY INTRODUCTIONS]
PROPERTIES, INTRODUCTIONS NUMBER 18 LOT 13 AND 15.SUBDIVISION MONANO HIGHLAND FARMS COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 COLEMAN NUMBER 19 LOT D SQUARE 2 78 SUBDIVISION SUBURBS WORK COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 COLEMAN NUMBER 20 LOT ONE PART AND THREE SQUARE FOUR SUBDIVISION WILSON PLACE COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 COLEMAN NUMBER 21 LOT 26 SUBDIVISION MCCLURE PLACE COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO BANKS.
ALL ITEMS THAT REQUIRE READING HAVE BEEN READ AND A MOTION TO INTRODUCE ALL ITEMS AS AN ORDER.
ALL ITEMS REQUIRING INTRODUCTION HAVE BEEN READ.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVE BY COUNCIL MEMBER MONROE.
SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER COLEMAN.
[CONDEMNATIONS (Part 1 of 2)]
GO TO YOUR SEPARATE SHEET FOR CONDEMNATION.I'LL READ THE D-P-D-D-P-W RECOMMENDATIONS AS THEY WERE GIVEN TO US.
THEY ARE TO PROCEED WITH ITEMS 46, 48, 49, 50 AND 51.
IS ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON A CONDEMNATION? ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON A CONDEMNATION COUNCIL MEMBERS? ALRIGHT, I'M GONNA READ THE RECOMMENDATION AND CHANGE AS THEY ARE TO PROCEED WITH ITEMS 48 50 AND 51 TO DEFER FOR 30 DAYS ITEMS 46 AND 49 AND TO DEFER FOR 90 DAYS.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE CONDEMNATIONS? MOTION TO APPROVE BY COUNCIL MEMBER HUDSON.
ANY OBJECTIONS CONDEMNATIONS HAVE BEEN APPROVED.
[52. 24-00228]
MEMBERS, WE NOW GO TO ITEM 52 AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESENT ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE TO EXECUTE A CEA WITH EAST BATON ROUGE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY RELATING TO THE LEVY COLLECTION AND USE OF APPLICATION OF SALES THROUGH USE TAX, COLLECTING AND CONNECTION[00:40:01]
WITH EXXON MOBILE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AND FUNDING OF DEDICATED TAX PROJECTS BY MAYOR, PRESIDENT SHARON WESTERN ROOM COUNCIL MEMBERS COLEMAN DUNN JR.AND GOD, IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVE BY COUNCIL MEMBER COLEMAN.
SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MO.
ANY OBJECTIONS? COUNCIL MEMBER HUDSON, JUST REAL QUICK, I I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND FIR WELL FIRST ACKNOWLEDGE AND SAY THAT I APPRECIATE THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT THAT THIS COUNCIL UNDERTOOK TO MAKE THIS ORDINANCE A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
SPECIFICALLY, I WANNA, UH, MENTION COUNCILMAN DUNN, UH, COUNCILMAN COLEMAN AND COUNCILMAN, UH, UH, PROM LAMONT COLE.
UH, WE DID WORK TO MAKE IT BETTER AND, AND IN MY, IN MY MIND, WE DID MOVE THE NEEDLE.
UH, BUT UNFORTUNATELY WE DIDN'T GET IT TO A POINT WHERE I FEEL LIKE I CAN SUPPORT IT.
UH, BUT I DO AGAIN, WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE AND APPRECIATE THAT WE DID SOME WORK THERE.
UM, I WANNA URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO TREAD CAREFULLY WHENEVER WE'RE GONNA OBLIGATE FUTURE GENERAL FUND DOLLARS.
AND ESSENTIALLY THAT'S WHAT THIS ORDINANCE DOES.
UM, I THINK THAT IF WE'RE GONNA DO THAT, IF WE'RE GONNA OBLIGATE THOSE FUTURE GENERAL FUND DOLLARS, UH, WE'VE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE SELECTING, UH, ARE TRULY IMPACTFUL FOR, UH, A LARGE OR, OR FOR, FOR A DESIGNATED AREA.
UM, AND THAT THEY'RE TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS THAT CAN REALLY HAVE A BIG IMPACT.
UH, MY CONCERN WITH THIS ITEM IS THAT, UM, THE MONEY IS DIVIDED UP IN SUCH A WAY THAT IT, IT KIND OF SPREADS IT TOO THIN IN TOO MANY AREAS.
UM, UH, SO AS THIS ITEM, UH, FAILS TO MEET THOSE STANDARDS, UH, I JUST NOTE MY OBJECT.
THERE IS A MOTION TO APPROVE COUNCIL MEMBER HURST.
I'D LIKE TO DO A SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO DEFER.
THERE IS A SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO DEFER THE ITEM.
TILL WHEN, UH, 60 DAYS SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO DEFER ITEM FOR 60 DAYS.
IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT MOTION? MOTION DIES FOR LACK OF A SECOND.
WE GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL MOTION, WHICH IS A MOTION TO APPROVE BY COUNCIL MEMBER COLEMAN.
SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MO, PLEASE SHOW COUNCIL MEMBER HUDSON OBJECTING.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER OBJECTIONS? ANY OTHER OBJECTIONS? ITEM 52 HAS BEEN APPROVED.
[53. 24-00227]
WE NOW GO TO ITEM 53 IN ORDER THIS ACKNOWLEDGING AND RECOGNIZING THE BENEFITS OF PROPOSED TGA ATHLETIC FOUNDATION PROJECT TO BUILD LSU ARENA AND THEREBY RESTRICTING CERTAIN USES BY CITY, PARISH HOME BUILDINGS, INCLUDING THE RAISING KINGS RIVER CENTER AND AUTHORIZED AM MAYOR, PRESIDENT TO IDENTIFY ONE OR MORE STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPING ADDITIONAL CONVENTION CAPACITY AND SOLICITING DEVELOPERS TO DEVELOP THE CONVENTION HOTEL BY MAYOR, PRESIDENT SHARON WINSTON BROOM.COUNCIL MEMBERS COLEMAN ROCKER, HUDSON, DUN, JUNIOR, GOD, AND COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, MOOCH.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING, UH, THE WAY THE PUBLIC HEARINGS GONNA WORK.
JUST TO REMIND EVERYONE, EACH PERSON WHO COMES UP WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
UH, WE DO HAVE A NUMBER OF SPEAKERS ON THIS ITEM TONIGHT, SO I'M GONNA HOLD YOU TO THOSE THREE MINUTES.
UH, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF OUR MAYOR, PRESIDENT, WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME.
MAYOR, PRESIDENT, TAKE ALL THE TIME YOU NEED.
THANK YOU, MAYOR PROTI AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
UM, THIS IS REALLY AN IMPORTANT MOMENT IN OUR FUTURE HERE IN BATON ROUGE.
WE NEED PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, AND WE NEED TO THINK BIG AND BOLD WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MAKING BATON ROUGE BETTER AND BRIGHTER.
AND THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE IN PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP, OF COURSE, IS YOU THE PUBLIC.
AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO PROVIDE YOUR INPUT IN THIS PROCESS.
IT IS THE PUBLIC, IN PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS, THE MIX, THE FINAL PRODUCT, THE BEST THAT IT CAN BE.
SO HERE'S WHY I AM IN FAVOR OF THIS PROJECT.
THIS IS A PROJECT THAT WILL BENEFIT OUR ENTIRE PARISH.
WE CANNOT THINK ABOUT THE LSU ARENA ON ITS OWN, OR THE RIVER CENTER ON ITS OWN OR MEMORIAL STADIUM ON ITS OWN.
WE WANT TO DO WHAT WORKS AND WHAT IS BEST FOR ALL OF OUR PARISH.
FROM NORTH BATON ROUGE TO SOUTH BATON ROUGE, FROM EAST TO WEST, FROM THE RIVER TO MILLERVILLE, FROM NICHOLSON DRIVE TO ZACHARY BAKER AND CENTRAL, THE CSL STUDY RESULTS CAME IN AND SAID THAT IF WE DO NOT CHANGE HOW WE ARE ENVISIONING DOING BUSINESS AT THE RIVER CENTER, THEN WE'RE LIKELY TO SEE ITS USE DECLINE AND HAVE FEWER AND LESS ATTRACTIVE OUTSIDE EVENTS.
WHEN WE BRING 13,000 OR MORE PEOPLE INTO THE PARISH FOR A NATIONAL CALIBER EVENT, THOSE PEOPLE EAT IN OUR RESTAURANTS.
THEY STAY IN OUR HOTELS, THEY SHOP IN OUR BUSINESSES ALL OVER THE PARISH.
[00:45:01]
A CONVENTION HOTEL, WE BRING MORE PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE OUR PARISH AND OUR STATE TO COME STAY, SHOP, SUPPORT OUR BUSINESSES.WHEN WE IMPROVE MEMORIAL STADIUM AND MAKE A MEMORIAL PARK WITH AN OUTSIDE VENUE THAT IS REGIONALLY COMPETITIVE, WE BRING IN BUSINESS AND PEOPLE TO HELP OUR CITY GROW AND THRIVE.
THE BATON ROUGE MARKET, WE SEE FROM AN ASSESSMENT THAT CAME OUT THIS WEEK FROM THE ONGOING HYUNDAI PARTNER STUDY CAN ONLY SUPPORT ONE LARGE EVENT VENUE.
THIS PROPOSED ORDINANCE IS REASONABLE.
WE NEED TO THINK BEYOND ONE BUILDING OR ONE PART OF TOWN.
WHAT DO WE WANT FOR OUR RIVERFRONT FROM NICHOLSON ALL THE WAY TO THE BLUFFS OF SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY? WHAT DO WE WANT FOR OUR SMALL BUSINESSES ALL ACROSS OUR PARISH? WHAT DO WE WANT FOR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE THAT YOU AND I DO NOT WANT TO GROW UP AND MOVE AWAY? WE WANT THEM TO LOVE BATON ROUGE AND TO LOVE SPENDING TIME HERE AND STAY HERE.
WHAT DO YOU DREAM OF FOR OUR RIVERFRONT? I DREAM OF A RIVERFRONT THAT DRAWS PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND THE WORLD TO COME AND SPEND TIME HERE IN BATON ROUGE WITH THEIR FAMILIES.
THIS KIND OF ATTENTION TO IMPROVING OUR RIVER CENTER IS GOOD FOR OUR RIVER CENTER.
ADDING A HEADQUARTERS HOTEL TO OUR RIVER CENTER AND IMPROVING OUR EXHIBITION HALLS, OUR BALLROOMS, OUR CONVENTION MEETING ROOM SPACES WILL ALLOW OUR ENTIRE CAPITAL REGION TO COMPETE MORE EFFECTIVELY IN TODAY'S MARKET.
THE PUBLIC BENEFIT TO OUR ENTIRE PARISH IS GREATER THAN THE COST OF INDIVIDUAL RESTRICTIONS CONTAINED WITHIN THIS ORDINANCE.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, I ASK YOU TO LOOK AT YOUR CHILDREN'S AND YOUR GRANDCHILDREN'S FUTURE.
WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR THEM? SO I DON'T THINK ANY OF US AS LEADERS WANT TO COMPETE AGAINST EACH OTHER.
I DON'T THINK WE WANNA SEE BATON ROUGE DIVIDED AND FALL.
WHAT WE DO WANT TO SEE IS OUR PARISH GROW STRONGER SO THAT EVERY PART OF OUR PARISH THRIVES ECONOMICALLY AS A FAMILY.
SO LET'S MAKE BATON ROUGE AS I CONTINUE TO SAY THE BEST MID-SIZE CITY IN AMERICA.
SO PLEASE SUPPORT THIS PROPOSAL AS ANOTHER STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
THANK YOU MAYOR PROTE AND MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL.
AT THIS TIME WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM CHARLES LANDRY, JILL KITTER, PAUL RIGO, AND TRAPE AND CHRIS MEYER.
YOU ALL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK.
IF YOU'RE SINGING A SONG, DO THAT AT THE END.
I LOVE FOR THEM TO COME UP, IF THAT'S OKAY.
EACH ENTITY HAS THREE MINUTES TO JOIN.
MA JOIN WITH WITH ME AS A STAND HERE AND BEGIN THE CONVERSATION.
UM, UH, I WANT TO THANK MAYOR BROOM, MAYOR, PRESIDENT BROOM, YOU, MAYOR PROTI, AND ALL OF YOU ON THE METRO COUNCIL.
UH, AS WE CONSIDER THIS VISIT, BATON ROUGE PROUDLY STANDS HERE WITH ALL OF THESE FOLKS, UH, OUR FELLOW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS IN SUPPORTING THE EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES THAT OUR CITY HAS TODAY AND WILL BE, YOU WILL BE CONSIDERING, I THINK I SPEAK FOR ALL OF US IN FRONT OF YOU.
WHEN I SAY, GOSH, WHAT A WONDERFUL TIME TO BE IN BATON ROUGE.
IT REALLY IS TO CONSIDER ALL THESE THINGS, THESE AMAZING OPPORTUNITIES.
I DO BELIEVE THAT WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT A NEW SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT ARENA AND A REIMAGINED CONVENTION COMPLEX COULD BE GAME CHANGERS FOR OUR ENTIRE CITY, FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
AND I KNOW I DON'T TAKE MY WORD FOR IT.
I MEAN, OUR RESEARCHERS ARE SAYING THE SAME THING.
AND I KNOW YOU ALL RECEIVED THIS LETTER FROM, UH, ROB HUNTON.
AND IN THAT LETTER I'D LIKE TO READ JUST ONE PORTION OF IT.
UH, IT'S THE LAST PAGE AND IT SAYS, BATON ROUGE IS POSITIONED FOR GENERATIONAL CHANGE THAT WILL IMPACT EVERY CITIZEN IN THE CAPITAL REGION.
IT'S RARE, IF EVER, TO FIND A COMMUNITY WITH SO MANY PROJECTS POISED TO PROCEED PRO PROCEED AT THE SAME TIME, WHICH ARE BEING PURSUED ON A TRULY COLLABORATIVE BASIS.
I KNOW, UH, FROM HAVING EXPERIENCE IN OTHER COMMUNITIES, WHEN YOU HAVE A CATALYST PROJECT, OTHER THINGS
[00:50:01]
HAPPEN.AND THESE TWO CATALYST PROJECTS COULD BE THE FIRST PLACEMENT OF WHAT I WANNA CALL A COUPLE OF JEWELS ON WHAT'S BEEN CALLED ONE A STRING OF PEARLS.
AND IF YOU'LL IMAGINE WITH ME FOR JUST A MINUTE, THAT THIS STRING OF BATON ROUGE PEARLS IS SET ALONG OUR RIVERFRONT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF OUR CITY AT THE RED STICK ON THE BLUFFS AT SOUTHERN TO OUR MAGNIFICENT STATE CAPITAL MEMORIAL PARK AREA TO THE VERY CITY CENTER AND THE RIVER CENTER COMPLEX ALL ALONG NICHOLSON DRIVE AND PAST THE WATER CAMPUS TO OUR STATELY OAKS AT LSU, PLACING THOSE RIGHT JEWELS ALONG THAT STRING PUR AND PURPOSELY CONNECTING THEM.
AND I I SAY THAT STRONGLY PURPOSELY CONNECTING THEM WILL SPUR ECONOMIC GROWTH AND ADDITIONAL INVESTMENT BY THE PRIVATE SECTOR ALL ALONG THAT, THAT CORRIDOR, NOT TO MENTION THE SHEER PRIDE THAT THESE DEVELOPMENTS WILL INSTILL IN OUR PEOPLE.
AND CERTAINLY WE ALL KNOW WE COULD, WE COULD USE SOME PRIDE.
VISIT BATON ROUGE SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF TIME CONSIDERING THE INFORMATION BEFORE US AND MY PAST CHAIR CLAUDE RENO AND THE CURRENT CHAIR MARY STEIN, ARE HERE WITH ME.
AND, UM, AS YOU KNOW, THE VBR BOARD APPROVED A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY TO FUND THE ORIGINAL CSL STUDY.
AND THAT STUDY ACTUALLY HAS TOLD US THE SAME THINGS THAT THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT JUST SHARED WITH YOU.
SELFISHLY, VBR COULD HAVE SAID, WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE RIVER CENTER COMPLEX BECAUSE THAT DIRECTLY IMPACTS OUR CONVENTION BUSINESS AND IT HELPS US ACCOMPLISH OUR PRIMARY MISSION.
THERE ARE SOME REALLY SUCCESSFUL MODELS OF HOW COMPARABLE CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE COME TOGETHER TO FORM PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS TO BUILD FACILITIES THAT BENEFIT THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.
LET'S FOLLOW THEIR RECIPE AND SPICE IT UP BY SHOWING HOW WE CAN DO IT BETTER IN BATON ROUGE.
I AM THE INTERIM CEO PRESIDENT OF THE BATON ROUGE AREA CHAMBER.
RECOGNIZING THE NEED FOR ENHANCED QUALITY OF LIFE AMENITIES TO ATTRACT YOUNG TALENT TO THE REGION.
THE BLACKBOARD VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO SUPPORT THE ORDINANCE BEFORE YOU TODAY.
THE QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF ENTERTAINMENT OUTLETS PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN MAINTAINING A RICH QUALITY OF LIFE AND IS HIGHLY CHERISHED BY AMONG MANY SKILLED AND MOBILE WORKERS.
AS BRAC AND VISIT BATON ROUGE GEAR UP TO LAUNCH BETTER IN BTRA NATIONAL TALENT ATTRACTION AND LOCAL RETENTION MARKETING CAMPAIGN, WE KNOW ITS SUCCESS HINGES ON STRONG NARRATIVES COUPLED WITH BOLD ACTIONS TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE REGION.
AND THIS PROPOSED PROPOSAL IS THE NEEDED ACTION.
THE BRAC BOARD WAS ALSO IN FULL SUPPORT OF THE ORDINANCES, AUTHORIZATION OF THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO IDENTIFY STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPING THE RIVER CENTER.
THE CENTER IS NO LONGER CAPABLE OF HOSTING THE TYPES OF ENTERTAINMENT ACTS THAT DRAW TALENT TO THAT AREA.
BUT WITH A REIMAGINED PLAN, THE RIVER CENTER COULD TRANSFORM INTO A COMPETITIVE CONVENTION CENTER AND HEADQUARTER HOTEL ATTRACTING MORE HIGH IMPACT AND NON-LOCAL EVENTS.
ADDITIONALLY, A REVITALIZED RIVER CENTER PAIRED WITH A NEW LSU ARENA, COULD REINVIGORATE THE NIELSON CARS CORRIDOR, TRANSFORMING IT INTO A HUB OF AMENITIES THAT CONNECTS LSU AND DOWNTOWN BRINGING IN AN EVEN HIGHER ECONOMIC IMPACT.
THE LSU ARENA SHOULD BE CONSIDERED A MAJOR ECONOMIC WIN WITH A $350 MILLION INVESTMENT IN THE REGION.
THREE 50 MILLION PLUS BASED ON RECENT RESEARCH FROM BRAS BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE TEAM, THE NEW LSU ARENA CONSTRUCTION ALONE WOULD SUPPORT AN ESTIMATED $654 MILLION IN THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH ECONOMY THROUGH 2029, INCLUDING THAT'S INCLUDING THE 400 PLUS MILLION OF CAPITAL INVESTMENT IN THE NEW ARENA ITSELF.
CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW ARENA WILL RESULT IN 377 MILLION MILLION OF VALUE ADDED TO EBR.
ADDITIONALLY, THE PROJECT WOULD SUPPORT MORE THAN 4,300 FULL-TIME JOBS TRANSLATING TO AN TO ABOUT 314 MILLION IN NEW LABOR INCOME IN EBR.
AND THE NEW STADIUM CONSTRUCTION WOULD SUPPORT 18.9 MILLION IN NEW TAX REVENUES, INCLUDING 11.6 MILLION IN STATE TAXES
[00:55:01]
AND 7.4 MILLION IN LOCAL TAXES.IF BATON ROUGE WANTS TO BE A TALENT MAGNET, WE CANNOT LET OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THIS PASS US BY THE LSU ARENA AND AN IMPROVED RENT RIVER CENTER SHOULD BE A RALLYING CALL TO OUR COMMUNITY, AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP OURSELVES AS AN ENTERTAINMENT AND CULTURAL HUB, NOT ONLY FOR NEWCOMERS, BUT FOR RESIDENTS THAT HAVE LONG CALLED BATON ROUGE HOME AND DESERVE HIGH QUALITY ENTERTAINMENT AVENUES THAT BUILD OUR REGIONS ECONOMY.
NEXT, GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS, CHRIS MEYER FROM THE BATON ROUGE AREA FOUNDATION.
I, I WANNA FIRST THANK THE, THE MAYOR AND, UH, COUNCILWOMAN COLEMAN IN PARTICULAR, UH, FOR THEIR VISION SPECIFICALLY IN THIS DOWNTOWN CORRIDOR, UH, LINKING, UH, FROM THE NORTH SIDE TO THE SOUTH SIDE.
UH, I THINK IT'S REALLY CRITICAL, BUT I WANT TO BACK UP FOR A MOMENT, UH, AND REMIND YOU THAT, THAT WE'RE REALLY BUILDING A BLUEPRINT OF, OF WHAT PARTNERSHIP AND WHAT A CITY THAT IS ON THE RISE REALLY CAN LOOK LIKE.
AND I WANNA THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP IN THIS COMMUNITY BECAUSE THIS STUDY REALLY STARTED WITH A LOOK AT, UH, WHAT, WHAT AN JUST SHARED THAT WE KNEW BATON ROUGE WAS NOT LIVING UP TO ITS POTENTIAL FOR MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT WRIT LARGE.
UH, AND SO WE CAME TOGETHER AS A, A GROUP OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS, THE ARTS COUNCIL OF BATON ROUGE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT, VISIT BATON ROUGE, THE CHAMBER AND BRA, UH, ALONG WITH, WITH THE MAYOR'S SUPPORT, TO BEGIN LOOKING AT HOW DO WE ELEVATE MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT ACROSS OUR ENTIRE REGION.
AND, AND SO THAT STUDY IS ONGOING.
WE'VE MET WITH DOZENS, UH, OF LEADERS IN THIS SPACE.
FOLKS WHO RUN, UH, SMALL JUKE JOINTS TO, TO FOLKS WHO ARE RUNNING, UH, BRAND NEW, UH, INSTALLATIONS LIKE CHELSEA'S LIVE.
BUT THE OPPORTUNITY WE HAVE BEFORE US TONIGHT REALLY ANCHORS IN ON, AS AN JUST SHARED SOME OF THE LARGEST INVESTMENTS THIS COMMUNITY CAN MAKE AND MAKING IN A COORDINATED FASHION.
UM, WHAT, WHAT GREAT CITIES DO IS FORM THESE KINDS OF PARTNERSHIPS THAT ALLOW US TO WALK AND PLAN AND EXECUTE THESE GOALS AT THE SAME TIME.
AND WHAT'S SO REMARKABLE ABOUT THE STUDY, WHAT YOU'VE SEEN SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF ALREADY, UH, IS THAT IT'S NOT JUST LOOKING AT THIS SORT OF DOWNTOWN QUARTER.
IT'S LOOKING ALL ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY OF HOW DO WE ELEVATE OUR GAME IN MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT.
WE HAVE A LOT OF OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS TO ACCOMPLISH AS A COMMUNITY, OF COURSE, BUT WE CAN ALSO GET THIS RIGHT, UH, BECAUSE WE ARE THE CROSSROADS OF LOUISIANA, OF CULTURE AND MUSIC AND ALL THE PARTS COMING HERE.
AND THIS PLAN IS GONNA GIVE US A CHANCE WORKING TOGETHER TO NOT JUST SEE A BRAND NEW HIGH QUALITY ARENA, BUT TO REPURPOSE AN ARENA IN NEED OF SUPPORT INTO A BETTER VENUE THAT ATTRACTS MORE VISITORS OR OUR COMMUNITY, AND THEN DEVELOPING UP THE ROAD IN, INTO MEMORIAL STADIUM.
SO AGAIN, WE JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP IN THIS.
WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO GET THE BIG IMPORTANT THINGS DONE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
THIS IS AN IMPORTANT STEP AND TOGETHER WE CAN SEE ALL THESE ASSETS RISE TOGETHER.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
I'M PAUL RIGO, RETIRED CITIZEN WHO DECIDED TO STAY IN THIS COMMUNITY.
UH, IT'S GOOD TO SEE ALL OF YOU AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE.
UH, THIS IS A TREMENDOUS PROJECT FOR OUR COMMUNITY, FOR OUR, UH, PARISH AND FOR THE REGION.
UH, I'M ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS AND URGE THAT YOU, YOU SERIOUSLY CONSIDER A POSITIVE VOTE ON THIS.
UM, I DO URGE THE DEVELOPER AT LSU TO INCLUDE A HOTEL AND RESTAURANTS TO SUPPORT THE FACILITY, AND I URGE THAT THE RIVER CENTER RAISE AND KINGS RIVER CENTER BALLROOM BE BROUGHT UP TO A HIGHER STANDARD, UH, WITH A LARGE HOTEL CONNECTED TO THE FACILITY.
AND I THANK YOU FOR THE CONSIDERATION.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MR. PRO, TEM COUNCIL MAYOR, UH, MY NAME IS RODNEY BRAXTON.
I'M THE CHAIR OF BILL BATON ROUGE, THE A, THE PARISH'S REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY HERE IN SUPPORT OF THIS PROJECT.
I DON'T HAVE ANY PREPARE REMARKS, FLOWER MARITALS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT I DO BELIEVE IN CATALYTIC INVESTMENT, AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS.
CATALYTIC INVESTMENTS CAN ONLY HAPPEN WHEN THE PUBLIC IS INVOLVED.
THIS INVESTMENT, AS I AND I AGREE WITH IT, WITH THE MAYOR, WILL HAVE PARISH WIDE IMPACT.
AND AS PART OF OUR MISSION WITH THE REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY, OUR MISSION IS TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THOSE, THAT, THAT THE ENTIRE PARISH GETS LIFTED UP.
AND WE BELIEVE THIS PROJECT CAN DO THAT.
AND SO I WOULD STRONGLY URGE YOU TO SUPPORT IT.
NOW, I WOULD COME HERE WITH AN OFFICIAL VOTE, UH, FROM OUR BOARD, BUT WE HAVE NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE, UH, AN ACTION ITEM TO DO THAT.
UM, BUT MY BOARD MEMBERS, UH, HAVE ENDORSED ME COMING HERE TO EXPRESS THESE, UH, UH, COMMENTS AND SUPPORT AND A LADY THAT WE WILL INDEED, UH,
[01:00:01]
HAVE AN ACTION ITEM THAT WILL OFFICIALLY SUPPORT THIS, UH, PROJECT ON BEHALF OF BILL BATON ROUGE.AND I THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
NEXT, UH, HERE IN FAVOR, BUT NOT WISHING TO SPEAK OR RALPH BENDER.
ALL I'M GONNA SAY IS I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
RALPH BENDER, CLAUDE RENA AND MARY STEIN ALL HERE IN FAVOR, BUT DO NOT WISH TO SPEAK.
NEXT UP IS, UH, REVEREND ALEXIS ANDERSON.
NOW YOU WANT TO COME, UH, SINCE I CALLED YOU MS. HAND, YOU WANNA COME FIRST OR AFTER OKAY.
I'M A BEEN A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY MOST OF MY ADULT LIFE.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME BE HERE.
THIS IS A TRANSFORMATIVE MOMENT FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT A NEW BUILDING, IT'S ABOUT WHAT WE WANT FOR OUR CHILDREN TO HAVE FOR OUR COMMUNITY IN THE FUTURE.
IF WE WANT BATON ROUGE TO COMPETE WITH THE TOP SECOND TIER CITIES, PITTSBURGH, INDIANAPOLIS, CHARLOTTE, AUSTIN, WE HAVE TO BE WILLING TO INVEST IN THE COMMUNITY.
THIS IS A PLAN THAT'S NOT ABOUT LSU, IT'S ABOUT THE ENTIRE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR REGION.
AND I WOULD URGE YOU TO VOTE FOR IT.
WHILE IT WILL TAKE MANY YEARS TO SEE ALL OF IT COME TO BEING, I WOULD REMIND YOU THE OLD CHINESE PROVERB, THE BEST TIME TO PLANT A TREE THIS 20 YEARS AGO.
I KEEP HEARING THE TERM THE PUBLIC, WERE WE THE TAXPAYERS OF THE PUBLIC? AND WE ARE NOT, NOT UNDERSTANDING THIS PROCESS BECAUSE I DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND WHY THIS IS ON THE AGENDA AT THIS POINT.
THERE HAVE BEEN NO COMMUNITY TOWN HALLS IN THE 12 DIFFERENT DISTRICTS.
WHETHER YOU LIVE IN ALLISON COMMUNITY OR YOU LIVE IN ZACHARY OR TAX DOLLARS ARE CONTINUALLY BEING DUMPED FOR SPECIAL INTERESTS.
AND WHAT NORMALLY HAPPENS TO ALL OF US IS WE END UP PAYING FOR THESE TOYS THAT ARE NOT PRIVATE PUBLIC PARTNERSHIPS.
THEY ARE TAXPAYER FUNDED AND PRIVATELY INCENTIVIZED, WHETHER IT IS THROUGH ITIF, WHETHER IT IS THROUGH RIDICULOUS TAX EXEMPTIONS, WHETHER IT IS THROUGH LIMITED USE.
WE HAVE A BIG PROBLEM IN THIS PARISH.
AND I FEEL LIKE I AM LIVING IN A TWILIGHT ZONE.
I CANNOT REMEMBER THE LAST TIME THAT THE NEWSPAPERS DID NOT RUN A STORY ABOUT OUR CRIME, ABOUT OUR, OUR LAWSUIT, ABOUT ALL THE ISSUES WE HAVE ON ANY GIVEN DAY.
WE HAVE OVER 45,000 PEOPLE ON LS, U'S CAMPUS ON ANY GIVEN DAY.
WE HAVE OVER 15,000 PEOPLE ON SOUTHERN'S CAMPUS.
WE HAVE ALMOST SEVEN TO 10,000 PEOPLE ON BCCS CAMPUS.
WE DID NOT KEEP THE BALLOON FEST.
WE DID NOT KEEP COUNTRY SUPER FEST.
THIS DID NOT GO TO THE TAXPAYERS.
AND IF I CAN JUST SAY THIS LAST STATEMENT, 'CAUSE I'M TIRED.
WE COULD TELL BY KEEPING OUR CHILDREN, WE'RE NOT KEEPING THEM.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AN ENTITY THAT ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS GOOGLE IT TO SEE THE SCANDALS.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT WANTING TO HAVE $500 MILLION IN BONDS FOR OUR MAJOR INDUSTRY, WHICH IS MASS INCARCERATION.
EVERY SINGLE MEETING SINCE A BUDGET WAS APPROVED, THERE HAVE BEEN AMENDMENTS AND CHANGES AND ADDITIONS.
AND THIS IS WHAT WE THINK THE PRIORITY IS.
THE REASON PEOPLE AREN'T COMING HERE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH A BIGGER STADIUM.
AND IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME, EVERY TIME THE LSU WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM PLAYS, THEY PROVE THAT IS A LIE.
EVERY TIME YOU HAVE A WINNING TEAM, THAT IS A LIE.
WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE, ONE OF THE WORST SESSIONS IN THE CAPITAL.
AND TRUST ME, THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE SITTING IN THIS PARISH RIGHT NOW.
THE OVERWHELMING COST TO BUILD OUT AN INFRASTRUCTURE WITH HOTEL ROOMS, WITH PARKING 15
[01:05:01]
WITH STREET SUPPLIES AND ON THE, UH, DIVIDE BETWEEN FLORIDA BOULEVARD, WE CANNOT EVEN GET HOLES FIXED.WE CANNOT GET APPROPRIATE LIGHTING.
WE CANNOT GET OUR SCHOOLS IN AN APPROPRIATE PLACE.
IT'S NOT BRAS PARISH, IT'S NOT BRA PARISH.
IT'S NOT THE TIGER ATHLETIC FOUNDATION'S PARISH.
IT'S EVERY SINGLE PARENT AND GRANDPARENT.
IT IS THE HARDWORKING PEOPLE OF THIS PARISH.
AND WE WEREN'T EVEN CONSULTED.
AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO ADDRESS YOU ALL.
UH, MY WIFE AND I MOVED HERE FOUR YEARS AGO AND I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT A A GEM THIS CITY IS.
AND I LOVE, UH, THE ENTIRETY OF IT.
AND I ESPECIALLY LOVE THE WAY I'VE BEEN TREATED BY YOU PUBLIC SERVANTS.
I'M, I SIGNED UP, NOT OPPOSING NOR SUPPORTING.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I AM VERY CLEAR ABOUT WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST TO YOU FOLKS, OKAY? THE FIRST THING IS, THERE IS NO PROJECT.
YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT FROM A LEGAL PERSPECTIVE, THERE IS NOT ONE WORD IN THIS DOCUMENT.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU ARE PASSING TO SUPPORT.
IT OBLIG OBLIGATES YOU TO DO THINGS AND YOU'RE NOT GETTING ANYTHING IN RETURN.
I AM IN FAVOR OF WHAT IS PROBABLY GONNA HAPPEN.
PROBABLY SOUNDS LIKE A GREAT IDEA, BUT I WANNA READ TO YOU WHAT ON PAGE SIX.
IT SAYS, NOW THIS DOCUMENT WAS NOT PREPARED BY THE PARISH ATTORNEY.
UNDERSTAND REAL CAREFULLY THAT THIS WAS NOT VETTED.
THIS IS A DOCUMENT PREPARED SOLELY ON BEHALF OF ONE GROUP AT THE TABLE.
THE PUBLIC IS NOT GETTING THE BENEFIT OF THE OPINION OF THE PARISH ATTORNEY.
YOU, SOME OF Y'ALL MAY HAVE TALKED TO THE PARISH ATTORNEY.
I DON'T KNOW THAT, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE HAS TOLD YOU OR WHAT HE HASN'T TOLD YOU.
BUT YOU SHOULD GET THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN.
LET THE PARISH ATTORNEY OPINE ON A DOCUMENT THAT OBLIGATES THIS PARISH TO ENORMOUS CONSEQUENCES.
AND IT SETS UP AS A LAWSUIT FOR YOU ALL.
OKAY? IT SETS UP AS A LAWSUIT.
BUT LET ME READ TO YOU WHAT IT IS ABOUT THE PROPOSAL.
'CAUSE I CAN'T ASK ONE OF Y'ALL TO TELL ME WHAT THE PROPOSAL IS BECAUSE WHAT IT SAYS IS, THE TGA ATHLETIC FOUNDATION IS SOLICITING PROPOSALS FROM INTERESTED OR QUALIFIED DEVELOPERS.
THERE IS NOTHING FOR YOU TO APPROVE.
IF YOU WANT PASS AFTER WE COME BACK, AFTER THE PARISH ATTORNEY HAS A CHANCE TO LOOK AT IT, IT, AND I WANNA BE VERY CLEAR, I AM NOT OPPOSED TO THIS, BUT LET OUR LAWYER SIT AT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TABLE AND LET OUR LAWYER DRAFT SOMETHING FOR US.
HOPEFULLY IT ALL MEETS TOGETHER AT THE END OF THIS.
HOPEFULLY WE ARE ON THE SAME SIDE OF TAF, HOPEFULLY ONE ON THE SIDE OF BRAFF AND BRACK AND EVERYBODY ELSE.
BUT YOU CANNOT SCOPE WITH AN ORDINANCE.
AN ORDINANCE WAS A LAW THAT PUTS YOU IN THE TRICK BAG AND SET YOU UP FOR THE OTHER SIDE OF A LAWSUIT.
UNTIL OUR LAWYER HAS GONE OVER EVERY WORD IN THIS DOCUMENT, IT WOULDN'T TAKE BUT A WEEK OR TWO.
MY PLEA IS, LET'S JUST TAKE IT SLOWLY.
LET'S PLEASE ASK THE PARISH ATTORNEY TO REVIEW THIS.
OKAY? IT'S, AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, BUT TO ALSO BUNCH THIS TOGETHER WITH THE RIVER CENTER AND YEAH, WE ALL KNOW THAT THE RIVER CENTER NEEDS HELP, BUT THESE THINGS DON'T BELONG TOGETHER.
SO I'M IN FAVOR OF A PROJECT, BUT NOT A MAKE BELIEVE OF FEMORAL ABSTRACT THAT IS GONNA OBLIGATE THE PARISH WITHOUT OUR PARISH ATTORNEY REVIEWING THIS DOCUMENT.
I AM JONATHAN GRIMES, INTERIM PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE ARTS COUNCIL OF GREATER BATON ROUGE.
UH, THE ARTS COUNCIL OF GREATER BATON ROUGE WAS INVITED TO BE PART OF A STUDY BY HUNTING PARTNERS ON THE VIABILITY OF THE
[01:10:01]
CONCERT MUSIC SCENE THROUGHOUT THE CITY PARISH.UH, SUCH A STUDY IS WITHIN THE SCOPE OF OUR MISSION IN ASSESSING THE CURRENT STATUS OF AND NEEDS OF OUR MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY.
WE ARE PROUD TO TEAM UP WITH OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS LOOKING AT ELEVATING MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT ACROSS OUR REGION.
OUR INDEPENDENT RESEARCH SHOWS THAT APPROXIMATELY 63 LIVE MUSIC EVENTS OCCUR WEEKLY IN THIS CITY PARISH.
SO THERE IS A DESIRE FOR LIVE MUSIC BY THE RESIDENTS.
THE ARTS COUNCIL SUPPORTS THE EFFORT TO PROVIDE MULTIPLE VENUES ON SCALES FROM 300 SEAT TO 15,000 SEAT VENUES AS THE CAPITAL CITY.
WE SHOULD HAVE THIS DIVERSITY OF OFFERINGS FOR ENTERTAINMENT.
WE PLAN TO PLAY A ROLE IN TALENT RECRUITMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL JOBS ASSOCIATED WITH MULTIPLE CONCERT VENUES FROM THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM TO POST HIGH SCHOOL TRAINING PROGRAMS LIKE OUR TALENT ADVANCEMENT PROGRAM.
OUR SUPPORT WILL LIE IN DEVELOPING AN ECOSYSTEM TO SUPPORT VENUES, PROGRAMS, AND POSITION BATON ROUGE AS A COMPETITIVE MARKET.
IS ANYONE ELSE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM? COME ON DOWN.
STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
I WOKE UP THIS MORNING TO THIS NEWSPAPER.
WILL THE NEW ARENA SPELL DOOMED FOR DOWNTOWN? IN 1957, A GROUP LIKE Y'ALL MADE A DECISION TO GO BILL I ONE 10.
AND WHAT HAPPENED? THE DOWNTOWN AREA GOT KILLED.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN SPANISH TOWN WAS DIVIDED AND THE PROPERTY VALUES WENT DOWN.
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE RESIDENTS DOWN HERE? WE CAME TOGETHER AND WE VOTED A TAX ON OURSELF TO TAKE BACK DOWNTOWN.
A THREE-LEGGED STOOL WAS FORMED WITH, UH, GOVERNOR FOSTER DAVIS WARRIOR AND KIP HOLDEN.
WHEN KIP CAME INTO OFFICE, HE WORKED WITH DAVIS TO START BRINGING BACK DOWNTOWN BATON ROUGE.
BATON ROUGE LONG HAS BEEN THE REDHEADED STEPCHILD THE CITIZENS HAVE HAD TO FIGHT TO KEEP DOWNTOWN VIABLE, AND THAT'S WHERE IT IS TODAY.
IN THIS PROPOSAL, THEY WANT TO PUT A 30 YEAR LIMITATION ON THE PLEX.
IF THIS PLACE IS SO GREAT OUT AT LSU, IT SHOULDN'T IMPACT THE THE PLEX DOWNTOWN.
I THINK WE NEED MORE INFORMATION BEFORE DOWNTOWN GETS HURT YET AGAIN.
FIGHTING TO MAKE DOWNTOWN WHAT IT IS.
IS ANYONE ELSE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? COME ON DOWN.
STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.
GOOD AFTERNOON, ERIC DEXTER, 5 7 4 SILVER BILL LANE.
UH, I AM FOR THIS ORDINANCE, UM, ONE PARTLY BECAUSE OF MY, UH, CAPACITY THAT I CURRENTLY SERVE AS THE VICE PRESIDENT OF CIVIC LEADERSHIP INITIATIVES AT THE BATON ROUGE AREA FOUNDATION, BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF THE SEVERAL ROLES THAT I SERVE WITH LOCAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.
MANY OF THEM BASED IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, UH, CURRENTLY THE BATON ROUGE BLUES FESTIVAL AND FOUNDATION BOARD, UH, PREVIOUSLY THE MANSHIP THEATER BOARD AND CURRENTLY AS WELL, UH, WITH THE LOUISIANA ART AND SCIENCE MUSEUM BOARD.
AND I ALSO SERVE AS A CHAIR OF THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT BOARD.
UH, BUT I WANNA BE CLEAR, I'M NOT ON BE HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF ANY OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS, BUT MORE TO THE PERSPECTIVE THAT I'VE GAINED OVER THE YEARS OF SERVICE TO THOSE ORGANIZATIONS.
ONE, I THINK IT WOULD BEHOOVE US AS A CITY TO ATTACH OURSELVES TO A BRAND LIKE LSU AT THIS CURRENT TIME CONSIDERING THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS AND THE HEISMAN TROPHY WINNERS.
UH, THAT'S ONE THING, BUT ALSO WITH $160 MILLION GRANT THAT LSU JUST RECEIVED, ALONG WITH MANY OTHER PARTNERS AROUND THE STATE, ONE OF THE LARGEST GRANTS EVER PUT OUT BY THE NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNE TIME FOR THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE TO ATTACH ITSELF TO A BRAND LIKE LSU.
SECONDLY, I WANNA SAY THAT AS MUCH TIME AS WE'RE GOING TO SPEND ON THE FUTURE OF THIS LSU ARENA, IF IT COMES TO FRUITION, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE FOCUS OUR ATTENTION ON THE DOWNTOWN AREA AND THIS CORRIDOR, UH, FROM THE RIVER CENTER ALL THE WAY TO MEMORIAL STADIUM AND ON.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO FOCUS ON THAT BECAUSE THIS IS A QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUE FOR SOMEONE LIKE MYSELF WHO SERVED AS A PRESIDENT OF FORUM 2, 2 5, A YOUNG PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION AND IS ALSO SOMEONE WHO CHOSE TO COME HERE AS A GRADUATE FROM A, FROM A COLLEGE, NOT IN THIS CITY, UM, I KIND OF HAD AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT YOUNG PROFESSIONALS ARE DOING IN THIS TOWN AND WHY WE CHOOSE TO STAY HERE.
YES, CRIME AND SAFETY IS IMPORTANT.
YES, EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT FOR OUR CHILDREN, BUT WE ALSO DO LIKE ENTERTAINMENT AND QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES, WHICH IS WHY WE SPEND SO MUCH OF OUR DISPOSABLE INCOME GOING TO OTHER CITIES THAT ARE MORE ATTRACTIVE, UH, AND SPENDING OUR TAX DOLLARS AT OTHER VENUES, NOT HERE, LOCATED IN THE BATON ROUGE AREA.
SO WHATEVER WE WILL DO WITH THE RIVER CENTER, UH, WHETHER THAT BE A HEADQUARTERED HOTEL
[01:15:01]
OR A CONFERENCE CENTER, OR ATTACHING RETAIL AND COMMERCIAL SPACE TO IT, AS WELL AS WHAT EVENTUALLY MAY HAPPEN DOWN THE ROAD.I WANNA OFFER MY SERVICES AS A PUBLIC SERVANT, ALSO AS SOMEONE WHO WORKS AT THE FOUNDATION TO YOU ALL AT THE METRO COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
AND AGAIN, I APPLAUD YOU FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM HERE TODAY, AND FOR MANY OF YOU THAT HAVE OFFERED YOUR SUPPORT.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THAT ITEM? WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS, COUNCIL MEMBER HUDSON.
AND THEN, CHARLES, IF YOU WANT TO BE READY, I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
UH, I WANNA FIRST SAY HOW EXCITING IT IS THAT TWO OF THE LARGEST PUBLIC ENTITIES IN THE PARISH ARE COORDINATING ON THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE OF THEIR PROPERTIES.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE TALK A LOT UP HERE ABOUT SOUND FISCAL POLICY.
UH, AND REALLY SOUND FISCAL POLICY IS JUST THAT, RIGHT? WHERE, WHERE TWO, UH, PLAYERS WHO TRADITIONALLY HAVE BEEN ACCUSED OF OPERATING WITHIN SILOS CAN GET TOGETHER, UH, AND, AND TAKE THEIR BIGGEST ENTITY, THEIR, THEIR BIGGEST PARCELS, UH, AND, AND REALLY COORDINATE ON THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE.
I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S EXCEPTIONAL.
UM, ONE THING THAT'S NOT FISCAL SOUND FISCAL POLICY THAT, THAT WE ARE CERTAINLY GUILTY OF IN THIS PARISH IS A PENCHANT FOR DITHERING.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE WILL STUDY SOMETHING AND STICK THAT STUDY ON A SHELF AND NEVER DO ANYTHING WITH IT.
UM, AND CERTAINLY WE'VE BEEN GUILTY OF THAT AS A PARISH.
LS U'S PROBABLY BEEN GUILTY OF THAT.
UM, BUT THIS IS A CHANCE FOR US TO, TO STOP THAT LEGACY AND, AND TO IMPROVE THAT LEGACY.
UM, THERE'S BEEN A TALK TONIGHT OF A STRING OF PEARLS.
UM, YES, THE LSU ARENA IS A COMPONENT OF THAT STRING.
UH, BUT AS, AS IT'S BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED TONIGHT, THE RIVER CENTER IS ALSO A PART OF THAT STRING, AND I'LL SAY AN ESSENTIAL, UH, COMPONENT OF THAT STRING OF PEARLS.
UH, THE NEXT ESSENTIAL COMPONENT FOR THAT STRING OF PEARLS, UH, WILL BE AN EDD FOR THE RIVER CENTER.
AND I WANT TO RECOGNIZE COUNCILMAN CAROLYN COLEMAN.
UM, 'CAUSE I, I DON'T THINK SHE'LL DO IT HERSELF, BUT, UM, SHE HAS DONE AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB OF, OF NAVIGATING THIS PROCESS AND WORKING ON JUST THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS TRULY IS, QUOTE UNQUOTE, THAT STRING OF PEARLS.
UM, SO I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE HER FOR THAT.
UM, SO CHARLES, A COUPLE QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
UM, THERE'S BEEN, UH, TALK, OR THERE'S BEEN QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, THIS PRIMARILY BEING, UH, PRIVATELY FUNDED FOR THE LSU ARENA.
UM, IS THERE AN EXPECTATION AT SOME POINT THOUGH THAT, THAT A DEVELOPER MAY COME TO US FOR AN EDD AND, AND WHAT WILL THAT LOOK LIKE? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
UM, THERE ALREADY IS AN EDD THAT THIS PRO PROJECT WILL BE LOCATED IN, IN THE LAST SESSION.
UH, SENATOR FIELDS, UH, WITH SIGNIFICANT VISION, UH, ESTABLISHED A EDD FOR THE LSU REGION.
IT'S NOT JUST THE CAMPUS AS WELL AS SOUTHERN.
SO THERE WILL NOT BE ANOTHER EDD FOR THIS PROJECT, ALTHOUGH THE EDD WAS CREATED FOR THE PURPOSE OF HELPING SUPPORT THIS AMONG OTHER, UH, GREAT PROJECTS, UH, IN AND AROUND LSU.
AND AS IT RELATES TO SOUTHERN IN AND AROUND THE SOUTHERN CAMPUS, THERE WON'T BE A REQUEST, BUT IT'S GONNA BE PRETTY COMMON.
UH, WHEN YOU SEE A DEVELOPMENT LIKE THIS.
AND THE LADY WHO SPOKE BEFORE, I, I DO WANT TO CLARIFY THAT THIS IS A PRIVATELY FUNDED PROJECT.
THERE'LL BE A DEVELOPER THAT WILL HAVE EQUITY RAISE FINANCING, UM, TO, AND NAMING RIGHTS AND ALL KINDS OF COMPONENTS OF A QUILT.
THAT WILL BE THE FINANCING FOR THE PROJECT.
BUT I THINK THIS GROUP, UM, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR, 18 MONTHS, COULD EXPECT THE FINAL DEVELOPER TO COME FORWARD AND SAY, LISTEN, THIS IS A GREENFIELD.
YOU DON'T HAVE ANY REVENUE COMING FROM THIS SITE.
WOULD YOU CONSIDER MAYBE ALLOWING US TO HAVE 1 CENT OF YOUR 2 CENTS OF UN GETTING, UH, UNDEDICATED TAX, UH, FOR THAT PURPOSE? JUST LIKE AMAZON, JUST LIKE EXXON THAT YOU JUST, UH, PROPOSED, THEY MAY SAY WITH A PROJECT THIS BIG, UM, MR. HUDSON, COULD WE REINVEST SOME OF THE SALES TAX IN AND AROUND THE PROJECT FOR HOTELS AND THE LIKE.
SO, UM, YES, THAT'S A POSSIBILITY.
UH, THERE WAS SOME QUESTIONS TONIGHT ABOUT, UH, THE MECHANISM OF USING AN ORDINANCE, UH, TO ESTABLISH THIS.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE SPECIFIC PROPOSALS FROM DEVELOPERS YET.
UM, SO WE DO STILL HAVE THE NEED FOR A CEA AND I, I KNOW YOU KNOW THAT WE DO HAVE A, A PROVISION WITHIN THIS ORDINANCE TONIGHT THAT REQUIRES AN EVENTUAL CEA, BUT THAT'S RIGHT.
BUT JUST TOUCH ON THAT AND THE REASON FOR THAT YEAH.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE EXAMPLES.
UM, MR. KENNY MENTIONED THAT IT, YOU KNOW, THERE HASN'T BEEN PUBLIC INPUT.
THERE'S BEEN CONSIDERABLE PUBLIC INPUT.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE 300,000 PEOPLE PLUS IN THE GREATER BATON ROUGE AREA.
SOMEBODY'S GONNA CORRECT ME AND SAY I'M OFF A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
THERE REALLY IS NO MECHANISM THAT WE TOUCH EVERYBODY.
[01:20:01]
WE DID IS WENT TO ALL THE MAJOR ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE THE EXPERIENCE, THE EXPERTISE, AND THE RESOURCES TO LOOK AT WHAT WAS BEING PROPOSED, NOT BY TAF.I REALLY WANNA MAKE IT CLEAR, AND I THINK THIS IS PART OF YOUR QUESTION, THE WE'RE DOWN TO TWO, UH, FINALISTS AT LLSU.
AND WHEN WE WERE DISCUSSING THIS WITH SIX DIFFERENT DEVELOPERS, THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS THAT CAME UP.
WE WE'RE NOT GOING, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO SPEND MONEY, INVESTING MONEY IN THIS COMMUNITY WITH A ARENA RIGHT DOWN THE STREET THAT CAN COMPETE WITH THEM.
SO WHAT WE WILL EVENTUALLY DO IS WHEN THE DEVELOPER, UH, WE DO KNOW WHAT THE PROJECT IS, I THINK EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS WE'RE BUILDING AN ARENA, WE JUST DON'T KNOW WHO'S DOING IT.
AND WHEN WE GET TO THAT DEVELOPER, THERE WILL BE A CEA WHERE THERE'LL BE, UH, A LITTLE MORE MEAT PUT TO THE BONES, UH, OF THIS, UH, ORDINANCE IN THAT CEA.
AND I WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT'S PROBABLY SIX TO EIGHT MONTHS FROM NOW.
THERE'S PLENTY OF TIME FOR DISCUSSION.
I'LL JUST END MY REMARKS VERY BRIEFLY BY SAYING, UH, I MADE SOME COMMENTS EARLIER ON THE EXXON ITEM ABOUT THE NEED FOR EDDS OR, UH, OBLIGATIONS OF FUTURE SALES TAX DOLLARS TO BE TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS.
I, I THINK THAT THIS IS THE TYPE OF PROJECT THAT MEETS THAT REQUIREMENT.
UM, AND SO I, I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS ONE AND, UM, JUST WOULD URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT IT.
COUNCILMAN ADAMS. UM, SO I'M, I'M SURE A NUMBER OF YOU IN THE THE ROOM ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE, THE CSL REPORT.
UM, FINAL DRAFT DATED AUGUST 4TH, 2023, THE FEASIBILITY AND PLANNING STUDY FOR THE RIVER, UH, RAISING CANS RIVER CENTER.
UM, THAT AS A COUNCIL PERSON, I READ FOR THE FIRST TIME, UH, IN, IN THE SUMMER IN AUGUST.
AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU, IT WAS A FRUSTRATING READ.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A, IT'S A GREAT DOCUMENT.
UM, IT OUTLINES, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE, THE BLESSINGS AND ALL OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE HERE IN BATON ROUGE.
UM, BUT THEN, BUT THEN IT ALSO, UM, SEEMED NOT POSSIBLE WITH A, A PRICE TAG OF ALMOST A HUNDRED AND AND 50 MILLION TO DO THE THINGS TO THE RIVER CENTER THAT WE KNEW NEEDED TO BE DONE TO MAKE IT A, UM, A VIBRANT ENTITY.
UM, AT THAT TIME, NOT KNOWING THAT THERE WAS ANY OTHER OPTION OR ANY OTHER POTENTIAL, UM, TO ATTRACT CONCERTS, WHICH I THINK A LOT OF US, I HAVE WANTED, UM, CONCERTS TO COME HERE, UM, TO LSU, BIG CONCERTS TO COME HERE SINCE I WAS A STUDENT AT LSU IN THE, THE EIGHTIES AND NINETIES.
AND WE ALL KNOW THAT EIGHTIES MUSIC WAS THE VERY BEST.
AND SO THINK WHAT WE MISSED OUT ON
UM, SO, UM, AND EVEN, EVEN WITH, UM, THE 150 MILLION THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, WE STILL WEREN'T GETTING TO THE PLACE WHERE WE WERE GONNA BE ABLE TO COMPETE WITH, WITH LAFAYETTE AND NEW ORLEANS.
AND SO, AS A COUNCIL PERSON, THIS WAS ONE OF THOSE DOCUMENTS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GLAD TO READ IT, BUT THEN YOU LAY IN BED AT NIGHT AND IT JUST, YOU LAY THERE FRUSTRATED BECAUSE THERE'S GOTTA BE AN ANSWER.
THERE'S GOTTA BE A SOLUTION, THERE'S GOTTA BE A WAY, THERE'S SO MUCH POTENTIAL.
HOW DO WE GET THERE? UM, READING BACK THROUGH THIS DOCUMENT OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS WAS AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE.
IT LEAPS OFF THE PAGE OF THIS DOCUMENT HOW THE RIVER CENTER PROPERTY AND THE, THE ANALYSIS CRIES OUT FOR A CONVENTION CENTER.
THEY IDENTIFIED SIX ATTRACTIONS WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE, A HIGHER THAN AVERAGE NUMBER OF BUSINESSES WITHIN A 30, 90 AND 180 MINUTE DRIVE, 40 DINING ESTABLISHMENTS WITHIN A HALF MILE WALK.
UM, AND MORE, THERE'S MORE IDENTIFIED.
BUT THOSE WERE THE THINGS THAT, THAT HAVE JUMPED OUT TO ME.
SO, SO MANY OF THE, THE PIECES AND PARTS ARE THERE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A, A, A HEADQUARTER HOTEL, AND WE DON'T HAVE THE SPACE, UM, AND THE RIGHT CONFIGURATION OF SPACE IN THE RIVER CENTER RIGHT NOW FOR CONVENTIONS.
LAST WEEK, THE ORGANIZATION THAT I WORKED WITH, I WORKED WITH, HELD A CONVENTION DOWNTOWN IN BATON ROUGE, A STATEWIDE CONVENTION.
AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU, WE WERE THREE TABLES AWAY FROM NOT BEING ABLE TO FIT OUR CONVENTION IN THAT, THAT SPACE.
AND SO WE WERE HAVING A CONVERSATION, WHERE WOULD WE GO NEXT? WHAT WOULD WE, WHAT WOULD WE DO NEXT? AND IT HAS TO BE DOWNTOWN.
IT ONLY WORKS IF IT'S DOWNTOWN.
AND I'M SITTING THERE THINKING, JUST WAIT, WHAT, WHAT, WHAT THE POSSIBILITIES ARE.
I MEAN, THIS, OUR, OUR CONVENTION WOULD, WOULD BE ABLE TO BE HERE IN THIS.
DURING THAT CONVENTION, I ALSO HAD THE JOY OF, UM, OF STAFFING FOR THE DAY.
A FORMER GOVERNOR OF ANOTHER STATE WHO WAS IN TOWN, UM, AS THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER.
AND I GOT TO SEE BATON ROUGE AND, AND A CONVENTION IN BATON ROUGE AND A HOTEL STAY IN RESTAURANTS THROUGH HIS EYES.
UM, IT WAS GOVERNOR DOUG DUCEY FROM, FROM PHOENIX, ARIZONA.
PHOENIX IS A, A BEAUTIFUL CITY
[01:25:01]
THAT I'M SURE WE WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO COMPETE WITH.AND HE RAVED AND HIS SENSE HE LEFT.
WE'RE STILL HEARING FROM PEOPLE WHO KNOW HIM ACROSS THE COUNTRY, HE IS TALKING ABOUT WHAT AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE HE HAD IN BATON ROUGE.
SO, UM, IT IS MY MOST SINCERE HOPE THAT ALL OF US, UM, WOULD, UM, WOULD LOVE BATON ROUGE, WOULD BRAG ON BATON ROUGE, UM, AND WOULD SEE BATON ROUGE, UM, THROUGH THE EYES OF OUR VISITORS WHO COME HERE AND, UM, UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS SOMETHING VERY, VERY SPECIAL IN THIS CITY, UM, THAT I, I THINK ONCE WE GET ALL THE BUILDING BLOCKS IN PLACE, WE'RE GONNA SEE, UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE COME HERE AND, AND LEAVE AS AMBASSADORS FOR BATON ROUGE AND, UM, AND A, UH, CONVENTION CENTER AT THE, UH, RIVER CENTER PROPERTY.
UM, COUNCILMAN HUDSON MADE SOME COMMENTS ON THE PREVIOUS EXXON ITEM.
WE ACKNOWLEDGED SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS AND COLLABORATION SEVERAL OF US, UH, HAD ON, ON THAT ITEM.
I WOULD SAY THAT THAT COMMENT WOULD ALSO, UH, BE APPROPRIATE FOR THIS ITEM AS WELL.
NOT ONLY THE GROUP OF OF COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO, WHO NAMES HE MENTIONED, BUT THERE WERE OTHER MEETINGS AS WELL, IN MY OPINION, AND SOMEONE COULD DISAGREE WITH ME IN MY EXPERIENCE WITH THIS BODY.
UM, THIS IS THE MOST COLLABORATIVE EFFORT WE'VE MADE, IN MY OPINION, ON THESE TWO ITEMS. UM, MYSELF AND COUNCILMAN GOLDADE SPENT A LOT OF TIME, YOU KNOW, GOING OVER THE DOCUMENTS AND, AND MAKING SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
I KNOW MANY OF YOU GUYS HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS OUTSIDE OF ME WITH TWOS AND THREES AND ONE-ON-ONES.
AND I, I JUST WANT TO TIP MY HAT TO EVERYBODY FOR DIGGING IN ON THIS THING.
UM, SOMETIMES THOSE, UH, UH, UH, CONVERSATIONS AND MEETINGS WERE, WERE HARMONIOUS.
BUT THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THIS PROCESS IS ABOUT.
SO I WANNA APPRECIATE EVERYBODY FOR DIGGING IN.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, JUST TO LET YOU BEHIND THE, THE CURTAIN INTERNALLY WAS THE RIVER CENTER AND, AND HOW TO, UH, ENHANCE IT OR PRIORITIZE IT AND MAKE IT VIABLE.
WE ALSO HEARD THOSE COMMENTS EXTERNALLY FROM STAKEHOLDERS AND RESIDENTS AND CITIZENS OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
AND I DON'T WANNA OVERLOOK, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT COUNCILMAN HUS MENTIONED, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF OUR COMMENTS AND OUR CONVERSATIONS WAS THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT AROUND THE RIVER CENTER TO GIVE IT A DEDICATED FUNDING SOURCE TO HELP FUND SOME IMPROVEMENTS, SOME RENOVATIONS, AND CREATE A NICHE MARKET FOR IT IN FOCUSING IN ON A CONVENTION AND TOURISM BUILDING, UH, BUSINESS, AND ATTACHING A HOTEL TO THAT.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE THOUGHT ABOUT THOSE THINGS INTERNALLY.
WE HEARD THE PUBLIC'S, UH, CONCERN ABOUT THAT, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE'RE GONNA ADDRESS THE RIVER CENTER AND MAKE IT MORE VIABLE.
UM, OFTENTIMES IN BUSINESS, YOU SEE ENTITIES ENTER INTO AGREEMENTS LIKE THIS TO NOT BE DIRECT COMPETITORS, TO NOT CANNIBALIZE EACH OTHER.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS DOING.
THIS IS CREATING A NICHE MARKET FOR THE RIVER CENTER IN A CONFERENCING CONVENTION AND VISITOR BUREAU MARKET, AND CREATING A NICHE MARKET FOR THE ARENA AT LSU IN THE ENTERTAINMENT AREA.
SO THOSE TWO ENTITIES WON'T, CAN CANNIBALIZE EACH OTHER.
AGAIN, THANKS TO MY COLLEAGUES, THANKS FOR ALL THE PUBLIC INPUT AND, AND THE CALLS AND THE EMAILS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
I URGE MY COLLEAGUES TO SUPPORT THIS ITEM.
THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN MEMBER MAR.
SO I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERNS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE, AND I'M GONNA NEED JUST FOR A SECOND HERE, CHARLES.
UM, I AM ONE OF THOSE THAT HAS GONE TO NEW ORLEANS TO, UH, TO CONCERTS, UM, MANY, MANY TIMES.
AND I THINK ABOUT THE MONEY THAT WE SPENT DOWN THERE.
WE'VE BEEN TO LAFAYETTE FOR CONCERTS AS WELL, AND I SEE THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE THAT WE COULD, WE COULD KEEP THAT MONEY HERE IN BATON ROUGE INSTEAD OF, UH, SPREADING IT OUT ACROSS THE STATE.
UM, UM, CHARLES, I KNOW THAT THERE IS ONE CONCERN THAT I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY, UM, HAS THOUGHT, I KNOW THAT IT WAS MENTIONED TODAY ON THE RADIO SHOW WHEN, UH, DWIGHT WAS BEING INTERVIEWED, AND ANOTHER PERSON JUST TEXTED ME AND SAID, THIS REMINDS HER OF CATFISH TOWN AND HOW TO AVOID THAT SITUATION, I GUESS BECAUSE IT WAS FEDERALLY FUNDED, REMEMBER? AND, AND THIS, AND I JUST WANT YOU TO ADDRESS IT.
AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, SHE'S WATCHING.
SO IT, YOU COULD HELP ON THAT END, UM, TO, UM, ADDRESS THAT, THAT WORRY.
AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THERE IS A WORRY, YOU KNOW, JUST LOOKING AT THE FUNDING AND EVERYTHING THAT'S, UM, COMING IN, I FEEL LIKE THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT MORE ACTIVITY LONG TERM WITH THIS SITUATION OTHER THAN THE CATFISH TOWN SITUATION.
ALSO WANTED TO SAY THAT IF THERE'S ANY OTHER, UH,
[01:30:01]
UM, I, ANY OTHER IDEAS OR ANY CONCERNS THAT OTHER PEOPLE HAVE MENTIONED FOR YOU TO GO AHEAD AND ADDRESS THOSE AS WELL, MS. SAN, UH, THE CATFISH TOWN REFERENCES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH, UH, RE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE RIVER CENTER IS, DO YOU THINK THAT, UH, I THINK IT WAS BACK IN THE DAY AFTER THE OH, NO, I'M VERY FAMILIAR ABOUT THAT PROJECT, BUT I'M WONDERING IF THE PERSON WHO WAS WORRIED ABOUT THIS BEING LIKE CATFISH TOWN, WHICH THIS, BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE LSU PIECE AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOWNTOWN.THE, JUST TO CLARIFY THE QUESTION FROM THIS MORNING'S RADIO INTERVIEW, I THINK THE, THE QUESTION WAS WHETHER OR NOT, UH, THE LSU ARENA AND THIS ORDINANCE IN, IN PARTICULAR WOULD CREATE A CATFISH TOWN SITUATION RIGHT AT THE RIVER CENTER.
I THINK THE ANSWER TO THAT, AND I'LL LET HIM ANSWER FOR YOU, BUT MY ANSWER TO IT IS, IS THE EDD AND THE EVENTUAL BUILDING OF A CONVENTION CENTER HOTEL SPACE AT THE RIVER CENTER IS WHAT ENSURES THAT THAT WON'T HAPPEN.
UH, AND THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT AGAIN, WE NOT TOGETHER, WE MOVE FORWARD AND, AND GET TO WORK ON THAT ISSUE.
THAT, THAT WOULD BE MY ANSWER.
AND, AND REMEMBER, CATFISH TOWN WAS A PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT, RIGHT? AND WE, I'M NOT HERE TO SAY WHAT KIND OF STUDIES WE KIND OF, UH, WORK THAT THEY, UH, UNDERTOOK ON THE FRONT END TO DECIDE WHETHER THAT WAS GONNA BE A VIABLE PROJECT OR NOT.
THE THE PRINCIPLE DIFFERENCE IS THAT THE RIVER CENTER IS OWNED BY YOU.
AND SO, UM, YOU HAVE TASKED, HOPEFULLY TONIGHT YOU HAVE, UH, WILL TASK THE MAYOR TO COME BACK TO YOU WITH A STRATEGIC PLAN IN TERMS OF HOW YOU WOULD PROCEED IN A VERY DELIBERATE, VERY, UH, WELL, UM, CONSIDERED WAY TO, UM, REDEVELOP THE RIVER CENTER INTO CONFERENCE FACILITY AND A CONFERENCE HOTEL.
AND YOU'LL HIRE CONSULTANTS THAT YOU'LL, UH, APPROVE.
THEY WILL GET ADDITIONAL STUDIES.
I MEAN, THE CSL STUDY IS A, A NICE STUDY, BUT WHEN IT WAS DONE, UM, THERE REALLY WASN'T MUCH IN, UH, IN THE WAY OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THE LSU ARENA.
IT, IT STATES THAT MS. ADAMS WILL SAY THAT TOWARD THE END OF THE STUDY, IT SAYS, BY THE WAY, WE HAVE GOTTEN WORD THAT THERE'S A POTENTIAL NEW ARENA AT LSU.
WELL, THAT WASN'T REALLY CONSIDERED IN TERMS OF HOW THAT, UH, UH, WOULD'VE IMPACTED EVEN THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE, UH, ARENA DOWNTOWN FOR $150 MILLION.
THEY WOULD'VE TOLD YOU THAT KILLS IT, UM, ALTOGETHER, AS HUNTINGDON POINTED OUT, IN HIS OPINION THIS MORNING.
SO YOU HAVE A LOT OF WORK IN FRONT OF YOU IN TERMS OF HOW YOU WOULD WANT TO DEVELOP THE RIVER CENTER, BUT ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING THINGS THAT WE HAVE, AND I'M, I'M SORRY, UM, MR. MAYOR PRO TEM IN ANSWERING THIS A LITTLE LONG, IS THAT WE HAVE THIS STRING OF PEARLS AND NONE OF THEM ARE DEPENDENT ON THE OTHER.
UM, I THINK IT IS INCUMBENT UPON YOU AND ALL OF THESE ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE A STAKE IN BATON ROUGE TO START TOMORROW.
IF THIS ORDINANCE PASSES ON A PLAN TO IMPROVE THE RIVER CENTER FOR CONVENTION FACILITIES IN A CONVENTION HOTEL.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT ON LSU THAT PROJECT.
IT'LL BE OPEN THREE AND A HALF TO FOUR YEARS DOWN THE ROAD.
WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THE RIVER CENTER TODAY.
UM, SO HAS THERE BEEN A MOTION TO APPROVE? THERE HAS BEEN, BUT YOU WANT TO DOUBLE DOWN ON IT? UH, KYLE MADE THE MOTION DOUBLE DOWN AND TRIPLE DOWN ON IT.
KYLE MADE THE MOTION TO APPROVE MS. UH, ROCKER.
THANK YOU FOR THE INTRO
UM, I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE TALK ABOUT THESE STUDIES AND INFORMATION AND SO ON.
I LOOK, I, I DON'T NEED A STUDY TO TELL ME THAT THE RIVER CENTER, AS FAR AS THE ARENA SIDE OF IT, AND EVERYTHING IS, TO ME, DOESN'T MEET ITS FULL POTENTIAL.
UM, IT'S ONE THING I DID WHEN I FIRST GOT ONTO COUNCIL.
WE HAD A FOUR TO $5 MILLION, UM, BUDGET ITEM TO DO SOME REPAIRS AND UPGRADES, SEEDING AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WE HAD TO DO.
AND I, I, I ARGUED AGAINST IT BECAUSE I THOUGHT, WHY ARE WE DUMPING MONEY INTO THIS FACILITY THAT, THAT IS NOT BRINGING IN WHAT I THOUGHT ITS POTENTIAL COULD BE.
WHY DON'T WE JUST HOLD THAT MONEY AND LOOK AT REBUILDING SOMETHING OR, OR LOOK AT A NEW VISION OF WHERE THIS COULD GO, WENT AHEAD AND APPROVED THE MONEY.
I THINK MR. WAYNE HAS DONE A EXCELLENT JOB IN WHAT HE'S BROUGHT IN.
I THINK HE'S DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB AS FAR AS CONVENTION STUFF HE BROUGHT IN.
I THINK HE'S DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB WITH WHAT ENTERTAINMENT IS HERE THAT HE HAS BROUGHT IN.
BUT THERE COULD ALWAYS BE MORE, THERE'S ALWAYS MORE POTENTIAL.
AND WHAT I DON'T NEED THIS STUDY TO TELL ME IS THE VISION OF WHAT BATON ROUGE COULD BE.
EVERYBODY KEEPS TALKING ABOUT MID-SIZE CITY.
WE WANNA BE THE NUMBER ONE MID-SIZE CITY.
[01:35:01]
A VISION OF A MID-SIZE CITY.I WANT A VISION OF A TOP TIER CITY.
AND TO BE ABLE TO GROW INTO THAT.
I TRAVELED TO A LOT OF THESE BIG CITIES AND I'VE, I'VE LITERALLY WATCHED THEM GROW AS I GREW UP.
AND CORPORATIONS MOVE THERE BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE FACILITY TO HAVE THINGS TO DO.
THAT'S THE POTENTIAL THAT I SEE IN THIS.
NOT ONLY WITH JUST THE ARENA, BUT I THINK THE RIVER CENTER ITSELF IS ACTUALLY THE BEST POTENTIAL OUT OF THIS WHOLE THING BETWEEN THE MEMORIAL STADIUM AND THE ARENA.
WE AS A DOWNTOWN, WE AS A PARISH HAVE MORE TO BENEFIT WITH THE RIVER CENTER STUFF THAT WE'RE DOING IN CONVENTIONS.
YOU COME IN FOR AN ARENA, YOU GO SEE GARTH BROOKS IN NEW ORLEANS OR WHEREVER YOU THERE FOR ONE NIGHT, YOU MIGHT SPEND THE NIGHT, YOU TURN AROUND, YOU COME HOME, YOU HAVE A WORLD CLASS CONVENTION CENTER.
I GO TO CONVENTIONS IN NEW ORLEANS, AND I'M THERE FOR THE WEEK.
I'M THERE A COUPLE DAYS AHEAD OF TIME.
I'M SEEING, I'M VISITING CLIENTS, I'M GOING TO THE CONVENTION ITSELF.
AND THEN I'M PROBABLY RECOVERING FROM DOWNTIME A DAY.
BUT AFTER, BEFORE I TAKE OFF AND GO HOME, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS IS WHAT I ENVISIONED THIS, THE, THE RIVER CENTER TO BE.
ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT WAS, YOU KNOW, WHAT EXACTLY IS THE RESTRICTIONS? THE RESTRICTIONS AT 3,500.
OKAY, WHAT ARE WE GETTING? WHAT, WHAT, WHAT ENTERTAINMENT VALUES ARE WE GETTING ABOVE TO THE CAPACITY? WHAT ENTERTAINERS ARE COMING HERE AT ABOVE 3,500 TO 7,000.
YES, THERE ARE SOME OUT THERE, BUT A LOT OF TIMES WE'RE GETTING OVERLOOKED BY THE CAJUN DOME AND WE'RE GETTING OVERLOOKED BY THE SMOOTHIE KING.
SO WE'RE NOT GETTING SOME OF THOSE ENTERTAINERS ALREADY.
I ASKED ABOUT THE RESTRICTIONS GOING INTO THE ENTERTAINMENT PART ASSOCIATED WITH A CONVENTION IE AND ONE EXAMPLE I GAVE WAS, THERE'S THIS CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW IN, IN LAS VEGAS, AND IT TAKES UP THE WHOLE CONVENTION PLUS SEVERAL HOTELS, CONVENTION SPACE.
THEY DO MANY EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES.
WHAT IF THEY CAME IN AND MICROSOFT WAS A SPEAKER? BILL GATES, HE'S AN ENTERTAINER, RIGHT? HE'S A CORPORATE, CEO.
HE'S ENTERTAINING THE WI PEOPLE TRAVEL TO SEE HIM SPEAK.
HE COMES IN AND SPEAKS, ARE WE LIMITED BY THAT VALUE? NO, WE'RE NOT, BECAUSE IT'S PART OF THE CONVENTION OF CONVENTION.
AN INTER A MUSIC INDUSTRY CONVENTION COMES IN AND THEY BRING TAYLOR SWIFT IN TO DO A COUPLE SETS.
ARE WE LIMITED TO? WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE TAYLOR SWIFT.
WE'RE NOT LIMITED TO THE 3,500.
'CAUSE IT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONVENTION.
THERE'S, THERE'S DIFFERENT THINGS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT VENUES THAT PROBABLY WOULDN'T COME TO THE RIVER CENTER ITSELF.
SO THE POTENTIAL TO CONVERT IT TO A CONVENTION CENTER AND INCLUDE DOWNTOWN, INCLUDE THIRD STREET, A THIRD STREET EXPERIENCE, THE WHOLE RIVERFRONT, THE, THE, THE SPORTS COMPLEX, THIS MEMORIAL PARK TIE ALL THAT IN WITH NORTH BATON ROUGE, THE ARENA, IT'S ALL CONNECTED.
AND IT MAKES NOT ONLY BATON ROUGE TO BE THE NUMBER ONE MID-SIZE CITY, IT PUTS US ON THE ROAD TO BE THE NUMBER ONE LARGE CITY THAT PEOPLE WANT TO COME HERE VISIT ASSOCIATE WITH, MOVE THEIR COMPANIES HERE AND WORK WITH US.
MR. CHARLES, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT WHAT, WHERE DID WE COME UP WITH THE 30 YEAR, UM, WHEN WE, UH, IN THE PROCESS THAT ASHLEY STARTED IN THE THIRD QUARTER OF LAST YEAR, UH, TO SELECT A DEVELOPER? THE FIRST THING LSU DID, AND I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND THIS WOULD BE A GREAT PROJECT, UH, UH, COMPONENT OF THE PROCESS TO SELECT A DEVELOPER FOR THE CONVENTION, UH, HOTEL HEADQUARTER HOTEL AND EXPANDING CONVENTION FACILITY.
WE JUST DIDN'T GO OUT AND THROW OUT AN RFP.
UH, WE HIRED, UH, UH, SOMEONE TO IDENTIFY THE BEST NINE DEVELOPERS FOR ARENAS IN THE COUNTRY AND THE BEST NINE DEVELOP, UH, PROGRAM, UH, DESIGNERS IN THE COUNTRY.
AND WE ASKED THEM TO COME IN AND TALK TO US AND WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE OPPORTUNITIES AT LSU? WHAT ARE OUR HURDLES? WHAT WOULD YOU NEED, UM, FROM ALL OF THESE, UM, UH, FOLKS THAT WE INVITED AND, AND TEAMS CAME ON JUNE THE 11TH AND 12TH, AND MET WITH US SIX TEAMS THAT HAD MANY SUB, UH, TEAM MEMBERS.
AND ONE OF THE PRIMARY THINGS THAT CAME OUT WAS THE RIVER CENTER, AND THAT THEY WERE NOT GOING TO COME AND SPEND ANY MONEY IN BATON ROUGE WITH THE OPPORTUNITY OF A COMPETITION COMING FROM THE RIVER CENTER.
AND THE 30 YEARS CAME FROM THE DEVELOPERS.
AND IT'S NOT ONLY TIED TO THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THEY NEED TO RE RECOUP THEIR SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT, BUT ALSO FINANCING.
[01:40:01]
HOUSE LOAN IS A 30 YEAR HOUSE LOAN.SO, I MEAN, IT, IT'S A NATURAL BUSINESS, BUSINESS THING AS FAR AS THESE, UH, DEVELOPERS, PEOPLE WHO ARE INVESTING IN OUR COMMUNITY AND EVERYTHING THAT, THAT WANT TO KNOW THAT WE CAN, WE CAN FUNCTION TOGETHER.
YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T A, A 30 YEAR NON-COMPETE JUST TO PUT THE RIVER CENTER OUT OF BUSINESS.
THE RIVER CENTER CONVERTS TO SOMETHING ELSE, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU GET MORE USE OUT OF IT AND SO ON.
UM, ON THE NON-COMPETE, UM, IF YOU CAN A LITTLE DETAIL, IT'S REALLY MORE OF RESTRICTIONS AS OPPOSED TO NON-COMPETE.
I THINK THAT'S A SUBTLE DIFFERENCE, BUT WE'RE JUST SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN HAVE ENTERTAINMENT, THEY CAN HAVE ALL KINDS OF ACTIVITIES.
THERE'S A RESTRICTION ON THE NUMBER OF SEATS.
AND AS YOU POINTED OUT, THERE ARE VERY, VERY FEW, UH, CONCERTS THAT ARE COMING.
WE ONLY HAVE THREE SCHEDULED FOR 2024 IN BATON ROUGE ALTOGETHER THAT ARE EVEN COMING HERE, MUCH LESS HAVING MORE THAN 3,500 SEATS.
WELL, I, I APPRECIATE THE INFO.
AND LOOK, I, I APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S INPUT.
UM, COUNCILMAN, UH, HUDSON SAID IT EARLIER ABOUT THE STUDIES AND THEY GET DONE AND THEY PUT IT ON A SHELF.
WE HAVE A CHANCE HERE AS A COUNCIL, LIKE EVERYBODY HAS SAID, TO MAKE A GENERATIONAL CHANGE, TO MAKE A HUGE IMPACT TO NOT ONLY THE DOWNTOWN LIFE, THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, THE PARISH AS A WHOLE.
AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS AND INVESTMENT IN OUR FUTURE.
THIS ISN'T JUST, THIS ISN'T FOR US.
MY KIDS, MY, MY TWO BOYS MOVED TO, UH, SORENTO BECAUSE THEY WENT TO WORK, THEY WENT TO WORK IN THE WORK THAT THEY DO TO BE CLOSER TO THEIR JOB BECAUSE THEIR JOBS OUT IN SORENTO OR IN GONZALES BECAUSE THEY MOVED FROM HERE AND WENT OUT THERE.
SO THEY TOOK MY BOYS WITH THEM.
YOU KNOW, I WANT THOSE BUSINESS AND INDUSTRIES TO COME BACK HOME.
AND THIS IS A START TO THAT AS A WHOLE, YES, WE'RE CREATING A NEW VENUE.
WE'RE CREATING, UH, ENTER, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ENTERTAINMENT STUFF, BUT IT'S A POPULA, IT'S A POPULAR THING THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE BOARD.
AND IT'S A WHOLE ISSUE THAT I THINK OUR COUNCIL SHOULD BE ON BOARD ALL THE WAY AROUND.
SO I ASK YOU TO PLEASE SUPPORT THIS COUNCIL MEMBER BANKS.
AS THE, UH, PARISH ATTORNEY, DO, WOULD YOU BE THE, WOULD YOU SAY THAT THE PARISH ATTORNEY REPRESENTS THE RIVER CENTER? WELL, IT'S A PROPERTY OWNED BY THE CITY, SO YES, MA'AM.
IN YOUR AGREE IN, UM, AS IT RELATES TO THE CEA, UM, THAT WAS, UM, PUT TOGETHER BY WHO WAS WHO, WHO, WHO WERE THE PARTIES THAT WERE INVOLVED IN THE CE? UM, NOT THE C THE ORDINANCE.
THE, UH, THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE DIDN'T DRAFT THE ORDINANCE.
WERE YOU AWARE OF IT? I BECAME AWARE OF IT, YES, MA'AM.
DID, UM, WERE YOU, SO WHAT IS YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT A NON IN THE BUS IN BUSINESS LAW OF A NON-COMPETE? WHAT IS YOUR UNDERSTANDING? WELL, YOU CAN GIVE UP YOUR RIGHT TO COMPETE IN AN AGREEMENT IN EXCHANGE FOR SOMETHING.
WHAT ARE THE TENANTS THAT HAVE TO BE, UM, PART OF A NON-COMPETE? OH, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
YEAH, THERE, BY, BY LAW THERE ARE THREE, THERE ARE FOUR THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE IN PLACE, UM, FOR A JUDGE TO UPHOLD A NON-COMPETE AGREEMENT.
WHAT ARE THEY? OH, I, I GRADUATED FROM LAW SCHOOL IN 1977.
I DON'T, I'M NOT HERE TO TELL YOU HALF OF WHAT CONTRACT LAW IS.
I KNOW, JUDGE, WHY DON'T YOU TELL ME, AND THEN I'LL TELL YOU WHETHER IT'S IN THE AGREEMENT OR NOT.
SO ONE OF 'EM, IT SAYS THAT, UM, IT NEEDS TO BE, IT NEEDS TO HAVE ANCILLARY TO THE MAIN BUSINESS PURPOSE OF, OF BOTH PARTIES, RIGHT.
SO RIGHT NOW, AS PART OF THIS AGREEMENT OUT A PIE THE SKY ON WHAT STRATEGIC PLAN, WHAT IS, ARE BOTH THE, IS THERE A PROTECTION, AGAIN FOR THE RIVER CENTER, LINE BY LINE, ITEM BY ITEM AND, UM, WHATEVER LSU IS TRYING THE LSU READ? YEAH, I,
[01:45:01]
I HOPE I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION, BUT LET'S START WITH THIS DOCUMENT DOESN'T HAVE ANY IMPACT AT ALL ON THE RIVER CENTER UNLESS THE LSU ARENA IS CONSTRUCTED AND OPENED.SO THE, SO, SO, SO THE BENEFIT I NEED, I NEED YOU NOT TO TAKE UP A LOT OF MY TIME.
OH, SO THESE ARE FOR THE MOST PART, ONLY BECAUSE OF TIME.
IT ALSO SAYS THAT THE RESTRAINT, WE GOT THAT ONE IN HERE.
WELL, IT, IT'S, UH, IN, IN THE OPINION BEFORE WE VOTE.
RESTRAINT PROTECTS LEGITIMATE PROPERTY INTEREST.
SO WHAT ARE THE INTERESTS OF THE RIVER CENTER THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING PROTECTED? WELL, IT'S, IT'S, IT, IT DEALS WITH THE PUBLIC BENEFIT THAT THE CITY RECEIVES.
AND THAT IS WHAT IT'S GETTING FROM THE LSU PROJECT.
AND IF YOU TAKE THE HYUNDAI, SO, SO, THANK YOU.
SO BASED, IT'S, IT'S RIGHT HERE ON THE TOP.
WHAT DID IT SAY? IT, IT SAYS THAT THE PUBLIC BENEFIT TO THE CAPITAL REGION DERIVED FROM THE ADDITION OF A NEW LSU ARENA AND THE BENEFITS OUTWEIGH THE COST OF THE RIVER CENTER RESTRICTION.
SO WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU DO A NON-COMPETITIVE, YOU CANNOT BRING IN THE GE GE GEOGRAPHICAL AREA AS BEING PART OF THE NON-COMPETE.
IT HAS TO SPECIFICALLY SAY WHAT IT IS THAT THE LSU ARENA IS, IS HOW THEY ARE SPECIFICALLY BEING BEN BENEFITING AND HOW THE RIVER CENTER, NOT THE CAPITAL REGION.
THE, THE, THE CAPITAL REGION IS ONLY, I'M JUST TELLING YOU, NOT ONLY THAT, NO.
WELL, WHEN YOU WENT TO LAW SCHOOL, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN SOMETHING YOU LEARNED, BUT THE PARTY, I'M LOOKING, I'M LOOKING AT THE PARTY IS A CITY PARISH AS THE OWNER.
THAT'S WHAT, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT WITH THE, WHEN YOU HAVE A BUSINESS, WHEN IT'S A BUSINESS TO BUSINESS, NON-COMPETE, YOU HAVE TO BE SPECIFIC TO WHAT THE AREA, NOT, NOT, NOT WHO OWNS IT, BUT THE INDUSTRY.
SO WE ARE TALKING ABOUT SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE VENUE AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE RIVER CENTER.
AND IN EVERY NON-COMPETE THAT I'VE READ FROM MICHIGAN, CALIFORNIA, EVERYWHERE, AND I UNDERSTAND THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN AROUND IN 1950, WHATEVER YOU SAID YOU GRADUATED 77.
IT SAYS THAT JUDGES DO LOOK AT ONLY THE BUSINESS INDUSTRY.
SO WHAT I WAS ASKING, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YOUR ANSWER IS NO, IT DID, IT DOES NOT INCLUDE NO, NO, I ABSOLUTELY DISAGREE WITH WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
SO I'M JUST READING WHAT, WHAT THE BUSINESS OFFICER.
IT ALSO SAYS THAT THE RESTRAINTS, DURATION, GEOGRAPHIC REACH, AND SCOPE ARE REASONABLE CONSIDERING THE NATURE OF PROPERTY INTEREST BEING PROTECTED AND BASED.
AND SO WHAT I'M ASKING IS THE, UM, A ACCORDING TO ACTUALLY THIS, THERE IS A FEDERAL CASE WHERE SOMEONE ASKED FOR A 20 YEAR, A 20 YEAR NON-COMPETE TO BE ENFORCED.
AND IN DETROIT, THE FEDERAL JUDGE OVERTURNED IT BECAUSE HE SAID SHAUNA.
HUH? HOLD ON ONE SECOND, PLEASE.
Y'ALL GOTTA GIMME MY TIME BACK.
YOU DO MR. COLE AND I, I, I'D LIKE TO HAVE BE ABLE TO ANSWER HER TOO.
I, SO IT SAYS IN, UM, IN REACHING ITS DECISION ON THE APPROPRIATE STANDARD TO BE APPLIED UNDER THE RULE OF REASON ANALYSIS AND WHETHER A 20 YEAR NON-COMPETE WOULD BE ENFORCED, UM, UNDER MICHIGAN LAW, THE JUDGE CONCLUDED THIS HISTORY SHOWED THAT THE ANALYSIS WOULD REQUIRE THAT A PARTY CHALLENGING A RESTRICTIVE COVENANT MUST ALSO DEMONSTRATE THAT THE CLAUSE CAUSES SOME HARM TO THE COMPETITION IN A GREATER PRODUCT MARKET.
SEE, IT'S NOT ABOUT THE REGION, IT'S ABOUT THE INDUSTRY.
BUT IT ALSO SAYS, UM, IT ALSO SAYS THAT, THAT, THAT THE ANALYSIS WOULD, SHOULD INCLUDE, AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF WE HAVE THESE ANALYSIS THAT IT'S TOO, THAT IT WAS TOO LONG FOR, AND THAT YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE WIDER MARKET.
SO THOUGH THE WIDER MARKET, ON ONE END, WE HAVE THAT THIS IS BETWEEN THE GREATER BATON ROUGE, UH, REGION, BUT ALL OF YOUR SUPPORTING DOCUMENT POINTS TO THE CAPITAL REGION.
AND AS YOU KNOW, THE CAPITAL REGION ARE IS NINE PARISHES, BUT THE GREATER BATON BATON ROUGE REGION, I GUESS IS A FOUR.
SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS IT'S CONFIDENT NOW PEOPLE GONNA DO WHATEVER THEY WANT,
[01:50:01]
IF THEIR MINDS MADE UP AND UNDER THAT.BUT I WANNA BE ON RECORD TO SAY WHAT THE LAW SAYS IN HOPES OF SETTING UP A LAWSUIT, UH, WHEN WEAM APPROVE THIS, MA'AM.
SO I DO THANK YOU, BUT I WANTED TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THAT.
WAYNE, IF YOU DON'T MIND, WAYNE HODGES.
MAY I, MAY I TIME ON SOMEBODY ELSE TIME? WAYNE HO.
BECAUSE IT'S, THE CONTEXT IS WAYNE, WAYNE HO.
SO WE'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THIS FAILING, UH, RIVER CENTER THAT WE HAVE DOWN THE STREET.
UM, HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN AT THE RIVER CENTER? UH, TWO YEARS AND THREE MONTHS.
WHEN YOU CAME TO THE RIVER CENTER, WERE WE LOSING MONEY AT CAPACITY OR MAKING MONEY? LOSING MONEY.
SO TWO YEARS AGO BEFORE YOU CAME, WHAT DID WE DO? THE ONE YEAR ON YOUR ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY, HOWEVER, WE UH, WE ALMOST BROKE EVEN.
WOULD THAT BE THE SECOND YEAR? UH, WE'LL MAKE MONEY IN 2023.
SOFTWARE, SOFTWARE TRAJECTORY.
HOW MUCH, WHAT WERE THE REVENUES IN 2023? WELL, WE JUST HAD, ACTUALLY ON MONDAY WE HAD OUR FIRST, UH, PRE-AUDIT MEETING.
SO WE'RE ABOUT THE AUDITS STARTING, AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN INITIAL FIGURE.
SO THE INITIAL FIGURE IS ABOUT, WE WOULD MAKE 4 18, 400 18,418,000.
SO LAST YEAR, HOW MANY OVER OF YOUR, LIKE, LET'S SAY TOP 10 WE'RE OVER THE 3,500 CAPACITY? UM, PROBABLY SIX.
SIX OR SO ON AN AVERAGE, WHAT WAS THE NET REVENUES THAT WERE MADE FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE? IT RANGES BECAUSE IT DEPENDS ON THE, ABOUT ON THE DEAL.
WITH THE INDIVIDUAL PROMOTER, THEY HAVE DIFFERENT RENT STRUCTURES.
UH, I THINK ON THE TOP END, IT WAS ABOUT 1 25.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SIX EVENTS FOR 1 25.
WELL, THAT WAS THE TOP, THE AVERAGE WAS PROBABLY UNDER 180 OR SOMETHING.
SO ON AN AVERAGE, LET'S JUST SAY A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
SO THAT'S $600,000 FOR SIX EVENTS THAT WE ARE SAYING WE ARE GOING TO GIVE TO LSU IN A NON-COMPETE AGREEMENT.
UM, WE, I KNOW WE HAD, THIS IS KANES RIVER CENTER.
SO HAS, SO WHAT'S THE GUY'S NAME? TODD GRAVES.
SO HOW MUCH ARE HIS NAMING RIGHTS FOR WHAT HE PUT IN A, IN A CONTRACT FOR AN ARENA THAT WILL HAVE THE CAPACITY TO BRING 10 WHAT, 10,000 PEOPLE? SEVEN TO 10,000 PEOPLE TO SEE HIS NAME.
HOW MUCH IS HE PAYING EVERY YEAR? YEAH, SO IT, OVER THE TERM, IT, IT ESCALATES.
AND, UH, THIS IS THE THIRD TO LAST YEAR.
AND THIS YEAR, 25 AND 26 TO THE LAST THREE YEARS OF THE TERM.
SO 418,000 A YEAR THAT TODD GRAVES HAS INVESTED.
WE ARE IN A CONTRACT WHERE HE HA HE EXPECTS BETWEEN, GIVE IT ONE MINUTE, 10 UP TO 10,000 PEOPLE TO SEE HIS NAME IN LIGHTS.
AND EVERY YEAR THAT'S GOING UP AND WE HAVE THREE MORE YEARS.
WELL, IT'S THE SAME FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS.
SO WE GOT FOUR 18 FOR 20, 24, 25, AND 26.
SO IF SOMEONE HAS BEEN A CONTRACT BASED ON THOSE NUMBERS AND WE SAY, OH, WE'RE GONNA SLICE YOU IN A THIRD OR HALF, DO YOU SEE A PROBLEM IN THAT? POSSIBLY JUST A BUSINESS? I I MEAN IT DEPENDS ON THE EVENT MIX.
I MEAN, AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT DEPENDS ON THE, THE ATTENDEES.
WHAT THEY'RE PROBABLY GONNA DELVE DOWN INTO, HE'LL HAVE HIS MEDIA DEPARTMENT IDENTIFY AND SAY, OKAY, IT'S, IT'S MORE THAN THE ARENA.
IT'S THE ARENA, THE CONVENTION CENTER, EVERYTHING WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE, OF THE THEATER IS IN THAT AGREEMENT.
SO IF I WERE THEM, I WOULD SAY, OKAY, YOU HAD A MILLION PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, NOW YOU'RE GONNA, YOU'RE GONNA REIMAGINE THE RIVER CENTER.
ARE YOU STILL GONNA HAVE A MILLION PEOPLE WITH? AND THAT'S THE QUESTION HE'LL HAVE.
SO ARE WE GONNA AGREE TO THIS TODAY WITHOUT KNOWING THAT INFORMATION? 'CAUSE WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT HE BASED IT ON A CERTAIN CAPACITY AT THE RIVER CENTER AND ITS ABILITY TO BRING THE OTHER PARTS AROUND DOWNTOWN.
AND OBVIOUSLY HE'S FROM HERE AND HE'S PROUD OF BATON ROUGE, BUT HE'S STILL A BUSINESS.
ALRIGHT, I'LL, I'LL COME BACK IN WITH MY FIVE.
I NO, YOU HAD 12, BUT I, I DIDN'T ASK FOR NOTHING BUT FIVE.
BUT I DO HAVE ANOTHER SPEAKING TERMS. COUNCIL MEMBER DUN
[01:55:02]
COUNCILWOMAN BANKS.I'M GONNA GIVE YOU 30 SECONDS OF MY TIME.
I SAID COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU WANT YOUR EXTRA TIME.
WHAT DID I SAY? YOU KEPT TALKING
DO DO YOU WANT 30 SECONDS OF MY TIME? COUNCILWOMAN BANKS? I GAVE YOU 12.
I'M, I'M GIVING A 30 SECONDS IF YOU WANT 30 SECONDS OF MY TIME.
WHAT, WHAT I WANT IS, UH, TIME IS KICKING.
SO WE'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT MILLENNIALS AND KEEPING THEM HERE 'CAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO COME TO A CONCERT.
AND I KNOW THAT BRA DID A SURVEY OF WHY YOUNG PEOPLE ARE LEAVING BATON ROUGE.
SO DO YOU, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THAT? DO YOU MEAN THE CHAMBER, BATON ROUGE AREA CHAMBER? YEAH, THE CHAMBER PEOPLE GET, GET THEM UP HERE.
SO, SO MA'AM, YOU, YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE SURVEY COUNCIL MEMBER? WELL, I MEAN, SO THE MILLENNIAL COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU HAD THREE MORE MINUTES.
SO I MEAN, ONE OF OUR STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS IS TO ATTACK, TO ATTRACT TOWN.
NO, I DIDN'T EVEN ANSWER MY, ASKED YOU MY QUESTION.
WELL, WELL WAIT, I'M, I'M, I WAS ASKING YOU, ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH THE SURVEY THAT THE CHAMBER DID ON WHY MILLENNIALS ARE LEAVING? BECAUSE WE'VE HEARD SO MANY TIMES IN YOUR, I DON'T YOUR THING THAT A MILLENNIALS ARE LEAVING AND I JUST WANT NO, THE DATA, THE ONLY QUESTION, THERE'S NOT REALLY A SURVEY.
THE DATA, THE RESEARCH THAT WE'VE DONE YEAH.
SHOWS THAT WE ARE, WE HAVE A YOUNG TALENT DRAIN THAT 25 TO 44-YEAR-OLD ARE THERE, THERE'S TOO MANY OF THEM LEAVING HERE.
THEY SPECIFICALLY ARE THEY, ARE THEY LEAVING BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE TAYLOR SWIFT COMING.
THEY'RE, THEY ARE DEFINITIVELY LEAVING BECAUSE OF QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES WITH WHICH THIS WILL DIRECTLY ADDRESS.
THANK YOU MS. MS. AND, AND SO, OKAY.
I AM COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT, BUT I, I DO HAVE COUNCIL SHE ANSWER THE QUESTION.
SHE DID, BUT I, I'LL COME BACK TO YOU.
SO THEY'RE SAYING 45 LEAVING BECAUSE OF A LACK OF OPPORTUNITY.
THIS SAID CRIME, POOR QUALITY OF LIFE AND RACISM.
DUN, CAN I STILL HAVE MY THURSDAY, MR. LANDRY? NO, MR. LANDRY, YOU COME UP PLEASE.
I HOPE YOU WROTE THIS DOWN BECAUSE I DON'T, YOU GOT FIVE MINUTES.
I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER THE QUESTIONS THAT COUNCILWOMAN BANKS ASKED YOU, BUT COULD YOU ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THAT SHE ASKED YOU? UM, I, I WOULD NEVER, EVER SUGGEST THAT MY FRIEND, UH, MS. BANKS WOULD EVER BE CONFUSED.
BUT I THINK IN THIS CASE, WHAT SHE'S DESCRIBING AS A NON-COMPETE IS DEALING WITH A NON-COMPETE FOR AN EMPLOYEE.
I'M VERY COUNCIL MEMBER, BUT I'M JUST SAYING DON'T ANSWER TO ME.
LET HIM FINISH POINT OF CREDIT.
POINT OF WHAT IS IT? POINT OF POINT OF BORDER.
CHARLES, DON'T ANSWER FOR COUNCIL MEMBER.
BANKS DON'T SAY WHAT I POINT OF SAY DON'T ASK FOR COUNCIL MEMBER BANKS.
BECAUSE I I KNOW I'M VERY MUCH AWARE OF WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
WELL THE, THE POINT, THE POINT YOU'RE MAKING DEALING WITH GEOGRAPHICAL LIMITATIONS, DEALING WITH INDUSTRY, DEALING WITH TERM IS THE CLASSIC NON-COMPETE DEALING WITH AN EMPLOYEE.
UM, YOU CAN HAVE A NON-COMPETE THAT'S VERY MUCH ENFORCEABLE WITH A 30 YEAR TERM.
UH, AS LONG AS THERE IS EQUIVALENT VALUE THAT IS THAT YOU'RE GETTING, EACH SIDE IS GETTING VALUE FOR WHAT THEIR, UH, UH, PART IS IN THE CONTRACT.
AND I'M EXTREMELY CONFIDENT AS HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED, UH, IN THE HU UH, UH, HYUNDAI PARTNERS, UH, REPORT.
AND I, I WOULD SAY THAT PERHAPS, UH, THE USE OF THE WORD CAPITAL REGION, UH, IS NOT IN THE DEFINITION THAT, THAT, UH, MS. BANKS WAS USING THAT NON-PAR IT'S, IT'S EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
AND COUNCILWOMAN BANKS BROUGHT UP SOMETHING ABOUT NAMING AND RIGHTS, SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT THE RIVER CENTER.
IT BROUGHT ME TO THINK ABOUT, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I BELIEVE THAT, THAT MAKES THIS DEAL A LITTLE BIT MORE MARKETING FOR MARKETABLE
[02:00:01]
FOR AN INVESTOR IS NAMING RIGHTS.UM, WHEN I RESEARCHED THE MOODY CENTER IN AUSTIN WHO HAVE A SIMILAR AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND SURROUNDING AREAS, AND THEN I LOOK AT THE POTENTIAL FOR LSU, UM, BASKETBALL TEAM TO PLAY IN THIS FACILITY.
YOU LOOK AT BOTH OF THOSE DEALS, BOTH OF THOSE HAVE A, UM, POWER FIVE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT COMMITTED TO PLAY IN THOSE VENUES SOME 30 TIMES A YEAR OR MORE.
UM, IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE, UH, THE, UH, CAESARS DOME IS WHAT WE CALL IT NOW, USED TO BE THE MERCEDES DOME.
UH, WITHOUT THE SAINTS PLAYING THERE EIGHT, NINE TIMES A YEAR, YOU WOULDN'T GET THE, UM, NATIONAL VISIBILITY ON THE FACILITY THAT YOU GET.
THAT BRINGS SOME NATIONAL ATTENTION AND EXPOSURE AND IT MAKES THE MARKET VALUE FOR THOSE NAMING RIGHTS MORE.
THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'LL HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO.
LET, LET'S JUST SAY THAT THIS WAS PROPOSED AS GEO ASKED, UH, SELFISHLY TO BE AT THE RIVER CENTER WHERE THE RIVER CENTER DOES NOT HAVE A TENANT WITH THE NATIONAL RECOGNITION AND VISIBILITY THAT LSU HAS.
SO IT WOULDN'T BRING BE THE SAME VALUE TO AN INVESTOR.
THEY WOULDN'T SEE IT IN THE SAME WAY.
SO THAT'S A PART OF THE EVALUATION.
SO THAT'S THE ASSET THAT LSU HAS THAT WE DON'T HAVE AT THE RIVER CENTER TO BE ABLE TO CREATE VALUE FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY.
AND IF YOU WANNA SPEAK TO THAT OR SAY ANYTHING ELSE.
I, YOU KNOW, THE, UM, WE, WE ANALYZED THE NAMING RIGHTS CONTRACT.
WE CERTAINLY DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE THE CITY IN A SITUATION WHERE THE CONTRACT TERM WITH RAISING CANES WOULD BE IN CONFLICT WITH THE NEW ARENA.
SO THE NEW ARENA IS FOUR YEARS OUT, SO THE CONTRACT THAT'S IN PLACE IS FOR REMAINING THREE YEAR PERIOD.
SO THERE'S NO CONFLICT THERE AT ALL.
I BELIEVE THAT IF DONE RIGHT AND WE REDO THE RIVER CENTER FOR, UH, CONVENTIONS AND WE HAVE HOTELS AND WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE IN AND OUTTA HERE EVERY DAY THAN WHAT WE HAVE NOW, THE NAMING RIGHTS SHOULD INCREASE FOR THE RIVER CENTER.
WE MAY ACTUALLY HAVE A HIGHER ABILITY TO GET NAMING RIGHTS BECAUSE YOU HAVE A MORE VIABLE FACILITY WITH MORE PEOPLE COMING IN AND OUT AND, AND, UH, THAT'S WHAT THE NAMING RIGHTS ARE ALL ABOUT.
UH, WAYNE, COULD YOU COME UP PLEASE, MR. HO? HE SPOKE TO THE POSSIBILITY OF THE POTENTIAL OF THE NAMING RIGHTS INCREASING WITH THIS NICHE MARKET AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT STATEMENT? UM, IT DEPENDS.
YOU KNOW, IT DEPENDS ON THE NEGOTIATIONS AND THE COMPANY REALLY, AT THE END OF THE DAY, UH, TYPICALLY ARENA NAMING RIGHTS, UH, LEND ITSELF TO A HIGHER VALUE THAN CONVENTION NAMING RIGHTS.
THAT'S JUST, THAT'S JUST WHAT, WHAT THE BUSINESS MODEL IS AT THE CURRENT MOMENT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT CAN'T HAPPEN.
UM, BUT I THINK WE ALSO HAVE MORE THAN THAT.
YOU KNOW, AS, AS PART OF THE ORDINANCE, PART OF IT IS KIND OF A CARVE OUT IN, IN THE NON-COMPETE TO HAVE 8,500 SEATS AND DO SPORTING EVENTS, PROFESSIONAL SPORTING EVENTS.
SO THE ATTENDEES HOPEFULLY WILL STAY THE SAME.
AND IF IN FACT THAT'S THE CASE, ULTIMATELY WHAT A COMPANY'S GONNA LOOK AT IS THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF ATTENDEES.
AS I SAID, TO COUNCILWOMAN BANKS.
IF WE CAN PROVE THAT THERE'S THE SAME AMOUNT OF ATTENDEES, ULTIMATELY IT'S THE EYEBALLS, IF YOU WILL, THAT MATTER.
NOT NECESSARILY WHETHER IT'S AN ARENA OR A CONVENTION CENTER.
COUNCIL MEMBER MO, YOU SPOKE TWICE, BUT WHAT'S YOUR QUESTION MR. DWAYNE, COULD YOU COME UP PLEASE? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS BROUGHT UP ABOUT WAS HOW MANY EVENTS WERE AT THE RIVER CENTER.
UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE, THE, THE EVENTS THAT WERE BROUGHT UP, UM, WAS THERE A DISTINCTION BETWEEN ACTUAL LIKE CONVENTION EVENTS, DAILY EVENTS AND ACTUAL CONCERT EVENTS? OR WAS THERE ONLY 10 OR 11 CONCERT? WAS THAT NO.
SO WAS THE DISCUSSION EARLIER ABOUT THE EVENTS STRICTLY CONCERT? MM-HMM.
SO THOSE 10 EVENTS ARE CONCERTS THAT HAVE A CAPACITY.
UH, AT THE 7,000 OR SO MARK, IT DIDN'T INCLUDE THE ONES THAT WERE UNDER 3,500 AND THE ONES THAT WERE IN THE EXHIBITION HALL AND THE THEATER WEREN'T INCLUDED.
SO HOW MANY EVENTS DID WE HAVE OVERALL IN THE EXHIBIT AS FAR AS A CONVENTION, EXHIBITION, HALL BALLS, OR ANYTHING OUTSIDE OF THE EVENTS THAT WERE JUST DESCRIBED A WHILE AGO? UM, SO THE THEATER PROBABLY HAS AROUND A HUNDRED.
AND I WOULD IMAGINE THERE'S ABOUT 150 OTHERS, GIVE OR TAKE.
'CAUSE THERE'S SO MANY THINGS.
THERE'S PRIDEFEST, THERE'S MARDI GRAS BALLS, SO LIKE SPANISH TOWN BALL, APOLLO, DIFFERENT THINGS AT MARDI GRAS, YOU'VE GOT CONVENTIONS.
HOW MANY CONVENTIONS DID WE HAVE? HOW MANY CONVENTIONS DO YOU USE A FACILITY? SO IT DEPENDS WHAT YOU CLASSIFY AS A CONVENTION.
IS IT'S CONVENTION COMING IN TOURISTS FROM OUT OF TOWN OR IS IT LIKE THE D-D-O-T-D COMES AND THEY, AND THEY EFFECTIVELY HAVE A CONVENTION FOR A FEW DAYS, BUT THEY'RE REALLY NOT IFIED AS A CONVENTION.
SO PROBABLY, PROBABLY 30 OR 40.
[02:05:01]
SO WHAT WE'RE NOT GETTING, THAT'S THE DISTINCTION THAT I, AT LEAST I MYSELF WANT TO TRY AND MAKE, IS THE FACT THAT WE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT POSSIBLE LAWS OF ENTERTAINMENT, BUT WHAT DO WE GAIN WITH BIGGER, LARGER CONVENTIONS? ALSO THE INCOME FROM THE CONVENTION PART AND FROM EVERYTHING OUTSIDE OF THE 10 OR 11 EVENTS THAT WERE DISCUSSED EARLIER, DID WE TAKE A LOSS WITH THOSE? DO WE TAKE A LOSS WITH THOSE 30 TO 40 CONVENTIONS? DO WE TAKE A LOSS WITH THE RIVER CENTER? I MEAN THE, UH, THEATER, UH, IT IS THAT PART OF THE 400 AND SOMETHING THOUSAND DOLLARS PROFIT? YES.SO THE LARGER EVENTS IN THE ARENA, LIKE THE CONCERTS ARE CERTAINLY MUCH MORE PROFITABLE ONE TIME.
SO THE CONVENTIONS, UH, THEMSELVES, IT DEPENDS ON THE INDIVIDUAL CONVENTION.
IF IT'S A LARGER CONVENTION, LIKE THE O UH, TWO YEARS AGO WE HAD THE, THE GULF OF MEXICO CONVENTION.
OTHER CONVENTIONS ARE NOT, TYPICALLY, THEY'RE NOT AS PROFITABLE, BUT THEY CAN BE.
SO THE GULF CONVENTION, I MEAN, SO LET'S TAKE THE RIVER CENTER AND ITS PROFITABILITY JUST TO GO THE GULF CONVENTION THING.
HOW LONG WERE THEY HERE FOR? UH, FOUR DAYS.
WHERE DID THEY STAY? MOSTLY DOWNTOWN HOTELS.
WHERE DID THEY GO? IF WE HAD A HEADQUARTER HOTEL THAT WOULD, WHERE DID THEY GO EAT? WHERE DID THEY GO DURING THE DAY? WHERE'D THEY GO AT AN EVENING? WHERE'D THEY GO? WHAT DO YOU THINK ALL THAT BROUGHT IN IN REVENUE? ALSO, LET'S SAY THE RIVER CENTER AND WE HAD A EDD DOWNTOWN AND THE RIVER CENTER WAS MAKING THE MON THE, THE MONEY TO REINVEST INTO THE RIVER CENTER OFF OF THAT.
IS THAT NOT A PROFITABLE THING FOR THE RIVER CENTER ITSELF? IF, IF IT WAS A CONVENTION CENTER BY USING THE EDD AND REINVESTING BACK INTO THE PLACE, IF IT'S NOT PUTTING IT ON THE PUBLIC SHOULDER, IF YOU CAN, I MEAN, SO BASICALLY YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME SITUATION THAT WE HAVE WITH THE HOTEL MOTEL TAX NOW, RIGHT? 'CAUSE THAT 'CAUSE THOSE MONIES GET EARMARKED AND DEDICATED FOR THE RIVER CENTER.
WELL, THE POINT IS, IS AGAIN, GOING BACK TO, UH, REDEFINING DOWNTOWN, REDEFINING THE PARISH, REDEFINING THE ENTERTAINMENT AND STUFF LIKE THAT, ALL OF THAT HAS TO BE TAKEN INTO EFFECT.
WE CAN'T JUST SAY, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA MAKE 50, $50 PROFIT ON A CONCERT AND WE ONLY MAKE A DOLLAR PROFIT ON A CONVENTION THAT THEY'RE HERE FOR FOUR DAYS.
AND I KNOW I'M JUST USING STRANGE NUMBERS.
BUT I, I LOOK AT THE WHOLE HOLISTIC THING THAT WHAT THE POSSIBLE BENEFIT.
I CAN'T SEE WHY IT WOULDN'T BE PROFITABLE.
AND UH, THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR THAT RIGHT THERE TO FINISH OFF WITH THE MILLENNIAL THING, IT'S, IT'S NOT A STUDY.
AGAIN, I GO BACK TO THESE STUDIES THAT NEED TO TELL ME THAT THEY'RE LEAVING MINE LEFT.
I REALLY HOPE TAYLOR SWIFT IS WATCHING SOMEWHERE AND KNOWING THAT WE'RE ALL FIGHTING FOR HER RIGHT NOW.
UM, CAN SOMEONE FROM THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, PLEASE? YES, MA'AM.
SO I HAVE A EMAIL HERE FROM FEBRUARY 22ND FROM YOUR OFFICE, AND I UNDERSTAND THERE WAS A TRANSITION PERIOD AND I DO BELIEVE THAT MAYBE POTENTIALLY SOME OF THE CONFUSION HAS ARISEN FROM THIS NOT VERY WELL WRITTEN EMAIL.
UM, SO WHAT I WANNA UNDERSTAND FIRST AND FOREMOST IS DOES YOUR OFFICE KNOW WHAT A CO COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT IS? I THINK WE DO, YEAH.
DOES THE CITY, WELL, DEPENDING ON HOW IT'S WRITTEN, BUT YES.
DOES THE CITY ENTER? ARE THOSE, WHAT'S THAT ARE, DOES THE CITY ENTER INTO THOSE AGREEMENTS? ALL THE TIME.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT A NON-COMPETE IS? OR DOES YOUR OFFICE, IS YOUR OFFICE AWARE OF WHAT A NON-COMPETE IS? YES.
ARE THOSE ILLEGAL FOR THE CITY, ILLEGAL CITY ENTER INTO, I MEAN, I THINK THE CITY CAN, YEAH.
IF YOU GET SOMETHING, THE CITY CAN ENTER INTO A, INTO A NON-COMPETE AGREEMENT.
HAS THE CITY ENTERED INTO NON-COMPETE AGREEMENTS? IF THEY HAVE, I DON'T KNOW.
SO IN THE PAST, IF WE WERE LOOKING AT THE ENERGY, ENERGY CONTRACT THAT I THINK WAS IN EXCESS OF 20 YEARS, THE LAKES MANAGEMENT, THE REPUBLIC, ALL OF THOSE THINGS WHERE WE ELIMINATE COMPETITION, WE ENTERED INTO THESE CONTRACTS THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE A NON-COMPETE.
WELL, THEY AREN'T CLASSIFIED AS NON-COMPETES, BUT I MEAN, IF YOU WANT TO CHARACTERIZE 'EM THAT WAY, YOU COULD, I GUESS.
SO IT'S, IT'S COMMON PRACTICE.
I KNOW OTHER UNI MUNICIPALITIES DO IT.
UM, SO IN THIS EMAIL, AND I THINK THIS IS WHERE SOME OF THE CONFUSION HAS ARISEN.
UM, ALSO, ONE THING I DO WANT TO CLARIFY.
YOUR OFFICE SINCE FEBRUARY 22 OF 22ND OF 2024 HAS BEEN AWARE OF, UM, THIS POTENTIAL ARENA, THIS ORDINANCE.
[02:10:01]
AND YOU GUYS HAVE LOOKED AT IT FOR MORE SO THAN A WEEK, COULD WE SAY? THAT'S FAIR? YES.SO THIS EMAIL SAYS, THIS ORDINANCE READS MORE LIKE A ONE-SIDED CONTRACT AS IT SEEKS TO RESTRICT, PREVENT, AND PROHIBIT COMPETITIVE SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT, UM, AT THE RIVER CENTER COMPLEX AND A NUMBER OF OTHER CITY PARISH OWNED VENUES.
UM, IT ALSO SAYS A SIMPLE RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF A NEW ARENA IS LIKELY BETTER OPTION.
HOWEVER, IF THIS ORDINANCE IS GOING TO BE GIVEN SERIOUS CONSIDERATION, OUR CONTRACTS ATTORNEY BELIEVE IT SHOULD BE STYLED AS A CEA.
IS THAT STILL YOUR OFFICE'S OPINION? WELL, YEAH, BUT I I, AND I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR MR. LANDRY.
I THINK HE'S ADDRESSED SOME OF THAT.
WE SET THAT OUT AS OUR CONCERNS AND I'M ASSUMING Y'ALL ALL READ IT AND AT SOME POINT EITHER HAD MR. LANDRY ADDRESS IT WITH YOU OR NOT? I DON'T KNOW.
I, AND I CAN PERSONALLY SAY THAT HE DID, BUT I'M, I JUST NEED TO GET THIS STUFF OUT SO THE PUBLIC IS AWARE.
NEXT IT SAYS, EVEN WITHOUT ANY DATA, WE BELIEVE SUCH A RESTRICTION WOULD NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE CITY PARISH FINANCIALLY.
IS THAT LEGAL OPINION, SIR? NO, IT IS NOT.
IS THAT YOUR OFFICE'S OPINION? WELL, AT THIS POINT NOW, I'D RATHER NOT COMMENT ON THE FINANCIAL PART OF IT.
'CAUSE I JUST, IT'S JUST NOT SOMETHING I NEED TO COMMENT ON.
UM, BUT YOU HAD SOMEONE THAT WORKS ON YOUR STAFF AND ALL DUE RESPECT, SHE WORKED THIS CAME FROM MY OFFICE.
SOMEONE ELSE THAT CAME FROM YOUR OFFICE.
IS IT A LEGAL OPINION TO GIVE US A FINANCIAL ANALYSIS OF WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN TO A, TO A BUILDING IN OUR, UNDER OUR SCOPE? I DON'T, PERSONALLY, I DIDN'T THINK SO EITHER.
THE ORDINANCE REFERENCES A STUDY BY CSL.
WE HAVE NOT REVIEWED THE STUDY AND DO NOT KNOW IF THE STUDY HAS BEEN COMPLETED OR CIRCULATED TO ANY CITY PARISH, PARISH PERSONNEL FOR CONSIDERATION.
SO SHOULD YOUR STAFF BE GIVEN LEGAL OPINIONS IF THEY HAVEN'T REVIEWED EVERYTHING COMPLETELY, SIR, I GUESS THE HONEYMOON PERIOD IS OVER.
I JUST, I JUST WANT YOU TO BE AWARE, UM, THE PROPOSED TIME, 30 YEAR TIME PERIOD RESTRICTION SEEMS EXCESSIVE.
I THINK MR. PHILANDER CLEARED THAT UP FOR US VERY, VERY WELL.
WE BELIEVE AN ANALYSIS FROM FINANCE WOULD BE HELPFUL IN OUR ASSESSMENT.
DOES YOUR OFFICE VOTE ON THINGS? WE DO NOT.
SO WHY WOULD YOU NEED AN ASSESSMENT? SAY THAT AGAIN? WHY WOULD YOUR OFFICE NEED A FINANCIAL ASSESSMENT? I DON'T.
THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE FOR YOU.
CAN SOMEONE FROM FINANCE PLEASE COME UP? STAND IN ACOM PLEASE.
SO YOU TYPICALLY LOOK TO SEE WHAT OPERATES IN A PROFIT YOU WANT? OBJECTION TO FIVE MINUTES.
UM, HOW THINGS OPERATE AT PROFIT LOSS, WHATEVER.
CAN YOU TELL ME, IS THE RIVER CENTER CURRENTLY OPERATING AT A DEFICIT? SO THERE'S, THERE'S TWO THINGS.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE RIVER CENTER THAT YOU GAUGE THE OPERATION BY.
ONE IS THE NET OPERATING LOSS, WHICH IS THE AMOUNT OF REVENUES THAT THEY TAKE IN VERSUS THE EXPENSES TO COME UP WITH A LOSS.
AND IF THEY HAVE A NET OPERATING LOSS, WE SUBSIDIZE THAT OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND, BUT WE ALSO PAY THE MANAGEMENT FEE.
UM, WE PAY THE, AN INCENTIVE FEE.
WE PAY RENTAL WAIVERS FOR, UM, IF WE, IF WE DO A RENTAL WAIVER FOR A CONFERENCE THAT'S COMING AND WE HAVE OTHER NET EXPENSES LIKE ELECTRICITY AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO FOR THE BUDGET THIS YEAR, WE THINK THAT THAT WILL BE ABOUT 1.4 MILLION.
1.4 MILLION OF WHAT? OF SUBSIDY? $1.4 MILLION OF SUBSIDY? YES MA'AM.
FROM MARGINAL FUNDS FOR ALL THOSE THINGS.
FROM THE TAXPAYER DOLLARS? YES.
SO ESSENTIALLY IT'S, WE'RE NOT GETTING A PROFIT FROM THE RIVER CENTER.
SO WHEN I LOOK AT SUBSIDY, I LOOK AT WHAT WE ARE SENDING OVER THERE, WHAT WE ARE PUTTING UP OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND BECAUSE WE HAVE THE RIVER CENTER.
I DON'T WANT THAT TO GET CONFUSED WITH WHAT WAYNE TALKS ABOUT WHEN HE TALKS ABOUT HIS NET PROFIT.
'CAUSE THEY'RE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE? WHAT ARE WE PAYING TO KEEP THE RIVER CENTER RUNNING AS IT STANDS IN 2022 1.1 MILLION FOR OPERATIONS IN 2024, WE HAVE $1.4 MILLION BUS DOLLARS OF BUDGETED.
[02:15:01]
UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT HAS BEEN SAID TONIGHT ON, ON DIFFERENT ITEMS TALKING ABOUT THE IMPACT TO OUR COMMUNITIES.UM, AND I THINK SO OFTEN, UM, WE CAN BE VERY SHORTSIGHTED, NOT CONSIDERING THE IMPACT OF THE INDIRECT DOLLAR.
UM, WE TALK ABOUT THAT WHEN WE HAVE ITEP ISSUES HERE AND WE HEAR IT EVERY TIME.
AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF SHORTSIGHTEDNESS WHEN YOU SEE OPPOSITION SAYING, WELL, IT'S TAKEN THE DOLLARS DIRECTLY AWAY FROM X, YOU KNOW, THE POWER OF THE INDIRECT DOLLAR.
IT FEEDS THIS COMMUNITY IN SO MANY WAYS.
AND REALLY WHEN YOU DO A COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS, WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, YOU CAN REALLY STRETCH IT OUT AND, AND THE RIPPLE EFFECT IS MASSIVE.
UM, I CAN TELL YOU JUST FROM FROM MY COMMUNITY IN ZACHARY, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE UP THERE WHO LIVE, UM, RIGHT INSIDE THE COMMUNITY THAT WORK AT EXXON BECAUSE THE COMMUTE IS SO CONVENIENT.
'CAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH SOME OF THE WORST OF BATON ROUGE TRAFFIC TO GO FROM ZACHARY TO EXXON.
UM, WHEN WE SEE SOMETHING COME THROUGH AND THERE NEEDS TO BE AN INCENTIVE, UM, I KNOW ABSOLUTELY THAT, UM, THOSE PEOPLE HAVE BOUGHT AND SOLD HOUSES IN ZACHARY THAT FEEDS REALTORS.
THOSE PEOPLE EAT AT RESTAURANTS IN ZACHARY.
THEY SUPPORT THE SCHOOLS AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
AND THAT'S WHAT DRIVES OUR ECONOMY.
AND SO WHEN I LOOK AT THIS, AND I THINK MR. LANDRY, UH, YOU SPOKE TO THIS EARLIER IN THE HYUNDAI, UM, REPORT OR OPINION, THEY TALKED ABOUT, UM, THE BENEFITS OUTWEIGH THE COST.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THEY GOT GRANULAR ON THAT OR NOT, BUT I THINK THAT'S SO EASY TO IDENTIFY BECAUSE OF THE POWER OF THE INDIRECT DOLLAR.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE FILLING UP AN ARENA, WHICH I'M NOT GONNA SAY I'M AN EXPERT AT WHAT GOES INTO BEING ABLE TO ATTRACT THESE EVENTS THAT WILL COME INTO AN ARENA LIKE THIS, BUT I KNOW THE PEOPLE WHO ARE CONSIDERING SPENDING $350 MILLION ABSOLUTELY DO THEIR HOMEWORK AND MAKE SURE IT'S GONNA WORK BEFORE THEY DO IT.
IF THEY ARE GOING TO FILL UP WITH THOSE PEOPLE, I KNOW, AND I, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT TOO HARD TO FIGURE OUT THOSE PEOPLE NEED TO EAT.
THOSE PEOPLE NEED TO SLEEP AND THEY'RE GONNA DRINK AND THEY'RE GONNA HAVE A GOOD TIME.
AND THAT INDIRECT DOLLAR IS GOING TO IMPACT EVERYBODY WHO WORKS IN THOSE KIND OF SERVICE CAPACITIES AROUND HERE.
AND THAT IS GOING TO CONTINUE AROUND THIS COMMUNITY.
AND THAT'S SO OFTEN WOULD WE LOSE SIGHT OF, UM, THAT'S GONNA BE WHAT THE, THE COHESIVENESS OF THIS PROJECT, WHICH WAS BROUGHT UP A COUPLE OF TIMES TONIGHT FROM MY COLLEAGUES BY HAVING THE, THE ARENA HAVE ITS FOCUS AND THEN HAVING THE RIVER CENTER BE, UH, FOCUSED ON SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS MORE APPROPRIATE AS COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS TALKED ABOUT THE CSL UH, STUDY.
IT, IT, IT WAS GLARING ON HERE'S THE OPPORTUNITY, HERE'S WHAT YOU COULD DO AND TO MAKE IT ANYTHING CLOSE TO AND STILL NOT BE ABLE TO COMPETE WITH WHERE WE KEEP GETTING SKIPPED OVER FROM LAFAYETTE TO NEW ORLEANS WAS JUST AN INSURMOUNTABLE AMOUNT OF MONEY.
AND SO WE'RE, I THINK LOOKING AT, I, I'M, I'M THANKFUL THIS CAME TO US IN THIS MANNER BECAUSE NOW WE'RE GETTING AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A SCENARIO THAT'S GONNA ALLOW US TO GET THE POTENTIAL HIGHEST AND BEST USE THAT'S, THAT'S FEASIBLE WITHOUT US SPENDING $150 MILLION OF OUR OWN MONEY ON THE RIVER CENTER TO BE SOMETHING THAT STILL WOULDN'T COMPETE WITH WHERE WE KEEP GETTING SKIPPED OVER.
SO I THINK, UM, AGAIN, WE NEED TO LOOK A LITTLE BIT DEEPER AND, AND LOOK AT THE POWER OF THE INDIRECT DOLLAR AND REALLY WHAT'S THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE IN BOTH SCENARIOS.
AND I REALLY THINK THIS PROPOSAL GETS US THERE AND I'M THANKFUL TO BE A PART OF IT AND IN SUPPORT OF IT, I WOULD ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY ELSE TO AS WELL BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS FANTASTIC.
UM, YOU TALK ABOUT, AND IT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, GENERATIONAL CHANGE FOR THIS COMMUNITY.
I THINK IT'S GONNA BE MASSIVE AND IMPRESSIVE AND I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ALL BE PROUD OF WHEN IT COMES TO FRUITION, BOTH FOR THE RIVER CENTER AND DOWNTOWN AS WELL AS FOR THE ARENA AT LSU.
COUNCIL MEMBER S HI, CAN I HAVE LINDA COME TO THE MIC PLEASE? I, I WANT ALL MY TIME SO IF Y'ALL COULD, UH, I WANT WHITNEY SAY Y'ALL, GREG, UM, AND THE MAYOR ALSO TO SPEAK ON THIS.
SO IF Y'ALL COULD ALL BE READY TO COME TO THE MIC, I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE IT.
FIRST I'M GONNA HAVE, UH, LINDA COME UP.
SO LINDA, HAVE YOU CREATED ANY PROJECTIONS FOR AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT? LET ME BE CLEAR WITH EVERYBODY.
I AM FOR ALL OF THESE PROJECTS.
[02:20:01]
THE COUNTRY, LOVE MEMORIAL PARK.UH, SO LET ME BE CLEAR ON THAT.
BUT HAVE YOU CREATED ANY PROJECTIONS FOR AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT THAT WOULD HELP TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR THE RIVER CENTER? NO.
HAVE YOU SEEN AN ECONOMIC IMPACT STUDY ASSOCIATED WITH THE POTENTIAL REVENUES GENERATED FROM THE LSU EVENT ARENA OR THE RIVER CENTER HAS A CONVENTION SPACE? NO.
FROM THE INFORMATION THAT YOU HAVE, CAN YOU DETERMINE THE ECONOMIC IMPACT BECAUSE WE TALKED ABOUT EDDS AND UH, THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF HOW REVENUES GENERATED FROM LSU WILL RECOVER ANY LOSSES FROM THE GENERAL FUND? NO.
AS I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, I CANNOT DO THAT.
GREG, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
SO YOU AND I HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE SAME OPINION.
AND DURING THAT CONVERSATION, AS THE LEADER OF THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, NOT ONE TIME DID YOU SAY ANYTHING THAT WAS PRESENTED TO THE COUNSEL WAS WRONG.
WHEN I ASKED ABOUT THE DATA, YOU STATED THAT YOU WOULD UPHOLD IT AS THE LEADER DIRECTLY FROM YOU.
SO, UH, I WANNA READ THE OPINION FROM YOU.
IT SAYS, WHAT IS THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OPINION OF THE CEA IN ORDINANCE FOR THE METRO COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO LEGISLATE TODAY CONCERNING A NEW ARENA AND LSU.
WHILE OUR OFFICE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY MEETINGS REGARDING THIS EFFORT, WE REVIEW THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE AND HAVE THE FOLLOWING CONCERNS.
THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE READS MORE LIKE A ONE-SIDED CONTRACT THAT THE SEEDS TO RESTRICT PRE PREVENT AND PROHIBIT COMPETITIVE SPORTS AND ENTERTAINMENT ACTIVITIES AS A RIVER CENTER COMPLEX AND A NUMBER OF, UH, OTHER CITY PARISH OWNED VENUES, EVEN WITHOUT ANY DATA, WE BELIEVE SUCH A RESTRICTION COULD BE NEGATIVELY, UH, IMPACTED THE CITY, UH, PARISH FINANCIALLY.
THE ORDINANCE REFERENCES A STUDY BY CSL CONVENTION, SPORTS AND LEISURE INTERNATIONAL.
HOWEVER, WE HAVE NOT REVIEWED THE STUDY AND DO NOT KNOW IF THE STUDY HAS BEEN COMPLETED OR CIRCULATED TO ANY CITY PARISH PERSONNEL FOR CONSIDERATION.
UM, WE BELIEVE AN ANALYSIS FROM FINANCE WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL IN OUR ASSESSMENT.
THE PROPOSED 30 YEAR TIME PERIOD RESTRICTIONS SEEMS EXCESSIVE AND HAS THE POTENTIAL TO DEVASTATE THE CITY.
PARISH'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND OTHER HOPEFUL GROWTH INITIATIVES, A SIMPLE RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE NEW ARENA IS LIKELY THE BETTER OPTION.
HOWEVER, THIS ORDINANCE IS GOING TO BE GIVEN SERIOUS CONSIDERATION.
OUR CONTRACTS, UH, ATTORNEY BELIEVES IT SHOULD BE STYLED IN A CEA.
WE STRONGLY SUGGEST A MEETING BE HELD WITH THE PERTINENT ELECTED OFFICIALS, STAKEHOLDERS, PERTINENT CITY PARISH PERSONNEL BEFORE IT MOVES FORWARD TO A PUBLIC MEETING.
IS THAT THE CEA THAT WE DISCUSSED? YES, THAT CAME FROM MY OFFICE.
DID YOU SAY YOU WOULD UPHOLD IT AT THIS MEETING WHEN I ASKED YOU THAT QUESTION? SAY THAT QUESTION AGAIN.
THE LANGUAGE IN THERE, DID YOU SAY YOU WOULD UPHOLD IT AND THAT YOU WERE FORWARD AND YOU WILL BACK THE DATA THAT WAS SENT OUT TO THE COUNCIL? UH, I'M SORRY, I'M CONFUSED BY YOU.
I SAT ON THE PHONE WITH YOU AND COURTNEY HUMPHREY AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE CEA AND I ASKED, IS THIS YOUR OFFICER'S OPINION? AND YOUR ANSWER WAS, WOULD IT BE BETTER TO HAVE A CEA? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING? NO.
WAS THE OPINION THAT WAS PROVIDED BY ATTORNEY COURTNEY HUMPHREY THE OPINION OF YOUR, YOUR OFFICE AND YOUR ANSWER WAS IT, WAS IT? YES.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY ONE, NO, NO THANK YOU ON MY TIME.
SO LET ME SAY Y'ALL, HAS THERE BEEN A STUDY OF THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE OF THE RIVER CENTER TO WORK COHESIVELY WITH MEMORIAL PARK AND LSU? THERE IS A STUDY CURRENTLY UNDERWAY, THE ONE THAT, UM, CHRIS MEYER FROM BRA SPOKE ABOUT.
UM, BUT IT IS NOT YET COMPLETE.
DO YOU HAVE THE RESULTS OF THAT STUDY? NO, IT IS NOT YET COMPLETE.
WHEN IS THAT STUDY EXPECTED TO COME BACK? UH, THE LAST UPDATE WE HAD WAS IN APRIL OR EARLY MAY.
HOW WAS IT DETERMINED THAT CONVENTION SPACE WOULD BE THE BEST AND HIGHEST USE FOR THE RIVER CENTER? SO THAT IS PART OF THAT STUDY THAT'S UNDERWAY AND IT WAS ALSO LOOKED AT PARTIALLY IN THE CSL STUDY.
SO WE DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER TO THAT.
IS THE CSL STUDY FOR, FOR CONVENTION SPACE OR TO ADD A CONVENTION HOTEL TO THE EXISTING ARENA? IT DID LOOK AT IT ADDING AN ADDITIONAL HOTEL, BUT IT DID NOT CONSIDER THE EXCLUSION OF EVENTS.
DOES THE CSL STUDY REMOVE THE ARENA? NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF, NO.
DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER STUDY WITH CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE? UH, THOSE ARE THE TWO STUDIES THAT I'M AWARE OF.
MAYOR, CAN YOU COME TO THE MIC PLEASE? I WANT YOU FOR EXTRA FIVE MINUTES.
UH, I WOULD DEFINITELY NEED IT.
MAYOR, WHAT ACTUAL DATA OTHER THAN THE CSL STUDY COMPLETED, HAVE YOU SEEN? I HAVE SEEN, UH, THE RECENT INFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN PROVIDED THAT SPEAKS TO, UH, THE RIVER CENTER THAT SPEAKS TO, UH, THE POTENTIAL OF WHAT A COLLABORATION LIKE THIS.
SO MAYBE THAT INVOLVES NUMBERS.
WHAT NUMBERS HAVE YOU SEEN THAT SUPPORT THE RIVER CENTER FROM A CSL STUDY THAT SAYS I'VE SEEN THE CSL STUDY? YEAH.
SO FROM THE LETTER CIRCULATED FROM JOHN COS IS THAT ALL YOU NEED FROM
[02:25:01]
ME? NO, MA'AM.FROM THE LETTER CIRCULATED FROM JOHN KATZ WHO WROTE THE STUDY, HIS SUGGESTION WAS THAT WE ADD A HOTEL TO AN EXISTING ARENA, WHICH IS NOT A CONVENTION CENTER STUDY.
IF THAT IS THE ONLY STUDY THAT YOU HAVE SEEN, WHAT HAS DETERMINED, UH, WHAT DATA HAVE YOU USED TO DETERMINE THAT A 30 YEAR NON-COMPETES A VIABLE OPTION FOR THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE? I CAN'T PROVIDE YOU WITH THAT AT THIS MOMENT.
AND MY NEXT QUESTION FOR YOU IS, UH, UH, AND I HAVE AN INDEPENDENT STUDY WITH THE SAME GUY, JOHN KATZ, WHICH YOU CAN GO TO THE ADVOCATE.
IT WAS POSTED AT THREE O'CLOCK.
IT SAYS HE'S IN DIRECT, UH, CONTRADICTION OF SOME OF THE TERMS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE PROVIDED BY ROB HUNT.
SO MAY CAN I ANSWER ONE OF YOUR QUESTIONS OR YOU WANT I TAKE PICTURE MS. TIME BACK.
YEAH, I, I APPRECIATE, UH, YOUR DESIRE FOR DATA AND AS I SAID IN MY OPENING COMMENTS, WE ARE AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS PROCESS, BUT I DO BELIEVE WHOLEHEARTEDLY THAT THE, UH, RECOMMENDATION AND INFORMATION THAT WAS PROVIDED BY HYUNDAI PARTNERS ON THE PROPOSED RIVER CENTER, UH, CERTAINLY ALIGNS WITH OTHER INFORMATION THAT WE'VE HEARD.
THANK YOU THO THOSE ARE EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS.
I FEEL THAT IT, IT WILL BE A GOOD, I'M, I'M, I DON'T NEED, I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M GOOD.
BUT THOSE ARE HOLD, HOLD ON, HOLD UP, HOLD UP, HOLD UP.
THOSE ARE EMOTIONS AND FEELINGS DAR, ABOUT WHAT I THINK I, I JUST DON'T WANT, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU YOUR TIME.
I'M GONNA GIVE YOU YOUR TIME, BUT LET'S NOT, I DON'T WANNA LOSE MY TIME.
HEY, UH, JUSTIN, GIVE DARRYL FIVE MINUTES, TAKE THE FIRE.
SO AS I MAKE THIS STATEMENT, I ASK THAT YOU OPEN YOUR EARS TO LISTEN, YOUR MIND TO UNDERSTAND AND YOUR HARD TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR THE PEOPLE.
WHILE I APPLAUD TAF FOR WANTING A NEW FACILITY AND TAKING THE STEPS TO UPGRADE THE P ASSEMBLY CENTER TO A WORLD CLASS STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY, THEIR REQUEST IS MERELY ON THE WANT LIST, NOT THE NECESSITY LIST.
THE $150 MILLION UPGRADES NEEDED FOR THE RIVER CENTER ARE THE SAME, $150 MILLION UPGRADES NEEDED FOR THE PAC.
THERE WAS A SOLUTION WHICH WAS USING THE ROUGH ARENA MODEL LIKE KENTUCKY, WHERE THEY PLAYED DOWNTOWN AND AN OFF-CAMPUS SITE THAT WOULD HAVE SOLVED THE $150 MILLION ISSUE FOR BOTH THE LSU ARENA AND THE RIVER CENTER.
SIMULTANEOUSLY, BY ALLOWING LSU TO KEEP NAMING RIGHTS OF THE FACILITY, WHICH SOLVES THAT PROBLEM, STILL HOLDS SOME OF THE LARGEST ENTERTAINMENT EVENTS IN THE REGION, CONNECT WITH A HEADQUARTER HOTEL AND CONVENTION SPACE.
AND INSTEAD OF CRIPPLING DOWNTOWN WOULD ACTUALLY INCREASE REVENUES BY CREATING AN AFTER GAME EVENT WALKING EXPERIENCE.
THIS SOLVES THE PROB PROBLEM FOR THE MARKET CHALLENGES GIVES LSUA BRIGHT AND SHINY NEW ARENA WITH BLACKOUT DATES AND ADDS TO BOTH THE GAME DAY EXPERIENCE WHILE MAKING DOWNTOWN HOTELS EATERIES AND BARS THRIVE.
A CLOSER MODEL FOR A SIMILAR EXPERIENCE WILL BE THE FEDEX ARENA WITH BOTH THE UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS AND THE MEMPHIS RIZZLEY NBA TEAM PLAY, AND WHERE THEY HOST SOME OF THE MOST SOUGHT AFTER EVENTS IN THE COUNTRY WHILE A CONVENTION CENTER SOUNDS NICE.
AND WHILE WE MAY BE A ONE MALL AND ONE EVENTS BASED TOWN, THERE'S A MODEL THAT WILL ALLOW THIS PROJECT TO SERVE BOTH INTERESTS.
ONE BEING LS, U'S AMAZING FAN BASE TO PROVIDE A SPECTACULAR GAME THEY EXPERIENCE.
AND THE OTHER BEING THE TAXPAYERS THAT HAVE INVESTED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS INTO MAKING DOWNTOWN WHAT IT HAS BECOME TODAY.
THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY HAS BEEN STRUGGLING SINCE THE PANDEMIC ARISES.
WE DON'T WANT TO BE PANDEMIC 2.0 BY CRIPPLING THE HOTELS AND RESTAURANTS OR ANY OTHER SMALL BUSINESS THAT SURVIVES OFF CATERING TO EVENTS, EVENT CROWDS AT THE RIVER CENTER.
WHEN THERE'S A MODEL THAT ALLOWS FOR EVERYONE TO WIN, I ASK MY COLLEAGUES AND THE MAYOR, WHAT DO YOU WANT YOUR LEGACY TO BE? I DON'T WANT MINE TO BE THE DETERIORATION OF DOWNTOWN.
WE HAVE A HALF-BAKED STUDY THAT BOASTS ONE IDEA AND A FULLY BEGGED STUDY THAT SAYS ANOTHER.
CURRENTLY WE ARE LOOKING AT THE STUDY FROM CSL AS A GLASS HALF EMPTY MODEL.
LET'S TAKE THE REVERSE MINDSET AND LOOK AT THE STUDY AS A GLASS HALF FULL AND DETERMINE HOW THE MODEL OF SERVING BOTH TAXPAYERS AND LSU FANS CAN WORK.
AND IF THIS IS NOT THE MODEL THAT EITHER WANTS TO, THAT, THAT EITHER WANTS TO GO WITH, I ASK, DO WE REALLY HAVE THE BEST FOR THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE IN MIND? THEREFORE, MAYOR, I PLAN TO ABSTAIN FROM THE VOTE BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION FROM A GLASS HALF FULL STUDY BEHIND PARTNERS TO MAKE A $200 MILLION DECISION FOR THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE.
IF I DON'T HAVE IT, THEN NEITHER DOES YOUR ADMINISTRATION OR MY COLLEAGUES.
SO LET'S TAKE ONE STEP BACK AND EXPLORE AND EXPLORE WHAT'S BEST FOR BOTH, THEN MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION THAT RELATES WITH LSU AND T WANTS WHILE CREATING THE BIGGEST IMPACT DOWNTOWN HAS EVER SEEN.
MAYOR, YOU THE ONLY ONE THAT HAS THE ABILITY TO LEAVE THIS CHARGE.
AND AS YOU MAKE THIS DECISION, I ASK THAT YOU THINK ABOUT
[02:30:01]
WHAT IS BEST FOR EVERYONE.WHILE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT A $350 MILLION FACILITY THAT WILL BRING NEW CONCERTS, I ASK THAT WE CONSIDER THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE INVESTED BILLIONS IN DOWNTOWN THUS FAR.
ARE THEY WORTHY OF US TAKING A STEP BACK TO DETERMINE HOW THIS ITEM WOULD AFFECT THEM? AND MAY I DO WANT TO APOLOGIZE? I DIDN'T WANT IN MY TIME, I DIDN'T WANNA BE DISRESPECTFUL AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.
UH, THERE IS A MOTION ON THE FLOOR MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER COLEMAN SECONDED, UH, BY COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, ROCKER.
YOU MEAN A MOTION TO DEFER? THERE'S A MOTION TO DEFER TO WHAT DATE? UH, A SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO DEFER BY COUNCIL MEMBER HURST.
UH, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER BANKS TO WHAT DATE? UH, TO WHEN? UH, STUDY COMES BACK IN APRIL AND WE HAVE ACCESS TO, I SAY 60 DAYS DEFERRED FOR 60 DAYS.
IS THAT YOUR SECOND? YOU CONCUR ON THE 60 DAYS COUNCIL MEMBER BANKS 60 DAYS COUNCIL MEMBER.
I WILL, I DO WANNA SAY THIS COUNCIL MEMBER.
IN LIGHT OF A LOT OF WHAT YOU STATED, I DO, UH, AGREE THAT A DEFERRAL NOT FOR 60 DAYS MIGHT BE IN ORDER, BUT I DO APPRECIATE WHAT YOU HAD TO SAY.
COUNCIL MEMBER, WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON THE, UH, SUBSTITUTE MOTION.
FIRST, WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION COUNCIL, THE FIRST FOR 60 DAYS BEFORE I OPEN THE MACHINES, WE DID HAVE, UM, THREE EMAIL COMMENTS.
ONE IN SUPPORT, AND ONE OPPOSITION TO THIS ITEM.
I'M GONNA OPEN THE MACHINES ON THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION.
THREE, ONE IN SUPPORT, TWO IN OPPOSITION.
UH, I'M GONNA OPEN THE MACHINES FOR THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO DEFER FOR 60 DAYS.
NOW WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON THE ORIGINAL MOTION, WHICH IS TO APPROVE.
MISS DID SHE WANNA MAKE ANOTHER SUBSTITUTE? OH, YOU WANNA MAKE ANOTHER SUBSTITUTE MOTION? GO AHEAD.
FOR 30 DAYS, I THINK THE, UH, COMMUNITY REALLY WOULD LIKE TO BE, UM, GET MORE INFORMATION.
IS IS A SUBSTITUTE MOTION IN ORDER WHEN WE'VE ALREADY JUST VOTED ON ONE AND NOW NEED TO VOTE ON THE ORIGINAL MOTION, SHE CAN MAKE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION THAT COULD BE INTERESTING FOR THE FUTURE.
IS THERE A SECOND ON THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION? COUNCIL MEMBER S SECOND ON THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION.
WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION.
ALL RIGHT, MACHINES ARE OPEN ON THE MOTION TO DEFER FOR 30 DAYS.
AM I TO UNDERSTAND THAT IF I WERE TO MAKE ANOTHER SUBSTITUTE MOTION, WE COULD AVOID ANOTHER VOTE ON THE, ON THE MOTION? YOU CAN'T AT SOME POINT YOU CANNOT CONTINUE TO MAKE THE SAME MOTION OVER.
CAN'T MAKE THE SAME MOTION CAN CONTINUOUSLY MAKE THE SAME SUBSTITUTE MOTION.
UH, BUT NOW WE'RE AT A POINT WHERE WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON THE ITEM, WHICH IS TO APPROVE.
MOVE BY COUNCIL MEMBER COLEMAN.
SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER BROWN MACHINES ARE OPEN ON THE MOTION TO APPROVE.
[54. 24-00182]
WE MOVE NOT ITEM 54, AUTHORIZED THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT ENTER INTO AN OPERATING SERVICE CONTRACT FOR TEMPORARY LEED CERTIFIED JANITORIAL SERVICES FOR EAST BAT RIDGE PARISH MAIN LIBRARY WITH OKK JANITORIAL AND THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $95,485, UH, BY THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR.IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 54? WE'RE NOT GONNA COUNCIL MEMBER'S.
MOTION TO APPROVE BY COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, WHO? BY COUNCIL MEMBER.
SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS. ITEM 54 HAS BEEN APPROVED.
[55. 24-00184]
AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT ON BEHALF OF THE DEPARTMENT OF BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS EXECUTING AGREEMENT WITH PRECISION ELEVATOR TO MAKE COLLECTIVE REPAIRS UPDATE MODERNIZING AND BRING ENTIRE SYSTEM TO PRESENT DAY CODE COMPLIANCE.WORK AT THE FULL CAPACITY FOR EAST BARR PARISH CITY COURT BY THE BUILDING AND GROUNDS DIRECTOR.
DOES ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM? WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER COLEMAN.
ANY OBJECTIONS? WE GO NOW TO ITEM 56.
[56. 24-00212]
WE'RE SITTING IN THE RECORDING THE CLERK COURT.THE COUNCIL NOTICE OF 10 RECORD ON SEPTEMBER 27TH, 2023 AT 5 8 7 6
[02:35:01]
PACKER STREET FOR REASON FOR DECISION PROPERTY ON AND PLANS TO OBTAIN PERMITS AND MAKE REPAIRS BY COUNCIL MEMBER HURST.IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HUR.
[57. 24-00213]
TO ITEM 57, RESCINDING THE DIRECTING THE CLERK OF COURT TO COUNSEL.NOTICE TO ATTEND IN THE MATTER OF THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE VERSUS PETER L PIERRE AND ODA HENRY.
7 1 3 5 CALES STREET REASONING FOR RESCISSION NEW OWNERSHIP BY THE CHAIR AT ANY OBJECT.
I MEAN ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM.
COUNCIL MOVED BY THE CHAIR SECOND BY COLEMAN.
[58. 24-00215]
GO NOW TO 58.WE'RE SITTING IN THE RECORDING.
CLERK OF COURT AND COUNCIL NOTICE OF THE SECOND CHANCE ACADEMY IN THE MATTER OF THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE VERSUS SECOND CHANCE ACADEMY.
3 6 1 7 LANIER REASON FOR RESCISSION PROPERTY ONLY WOULD LIKE TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PROPERTY BY COUNCIL MEMBER HURST.
IS ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM? SO MOVED BY THE CHAIR.
IS THERE SECOND ON ITEM 58? SO MOVED BY, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER? NO.
ANY OBJECTIONS? WE GO NOW TO 59.
[59. 24-00217]
WE'RE SENDING IN THE RECORDING CLERK REPORT, THE COUNCIL NOTICE TO ATTEND IN THE MATTER OF THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE VERSUS LIVING SOLUTIONS, LLC OF ARKANSAS.1, 2, 3 8 8 LEON STREET, PROPERTY OWNER HAS COMMITTED TO REMODEL THE PROPERTY BY COUNCIL MEMBER BANKS AND THE ONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM.
SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER BANKS, SECONDED BY THE CHAIR AND THE OBJECTIONS.
[60. 24-00218]
TO ITEM 60, RE SENDING AND DIRECTING THE CLERK COURT.THE COUNCIL DECISION IN ORDER RECORDED IN THE MATTER OF THE BATON ROUGE V BERNARD ALLEN, ISHA JOHNSON ALLEN.
A REASON FOR RESCISSION ON THE PLANS TO RENOVATE THE PROPERTY AND MARK IT AS A RENTAL PROPERTY BY THE CHAIR.
ANY OBJECTIONS? UM, EXCUSE ME.
ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? SO MOVED BY THE CHAIR, SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN MCC COLEMAN.
[61. 24-00214]
WITHOUT NOTE.ITEM 61, AUTHORIZED AMENDMENT TO THE HYBRID CONTINGENCY CONTRACT WITH DREW M TALBOT AND ALEJANDRO PERKINS FOR PROFESSIONAL LEGAL SERVICES REGARDING THE ELIGIBILITY TO COLLECT TAX COMPLIMENTARY HOTEL ROOMS SO AS TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT FROM 50,000 TO 100,000 IN APPROPRIATING 50,000 FOR SAID PURPOSE BY THE PARISH ATTORNEY AND FINANCE DIRECTOR.
UH, COUNSEL, UH, EXCUSE ME, REVEREND ANDERSON.
OPPOSED, BUT DOES NOT WISH TO SPEAK AS REVEREND ANDERSON.
ANYONE ELSE HERE? WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM.
YOU WANNA SPEAK ON THE ITEM? COUNSEL, MS. UH, MS. ANDERSON? SIR.
ONE, YOU STOOD OUT A CARD AND SAID YOU WERE ONE OPPOSED, BUT YOU DO NOT WISH TO SPEAK ON 61.
OH, WELL, I SAID IF I DIDN'T WANNA SPEAK, I WANNA SPEAK.
UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS ITEM? UH, ITEM 61.
SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER COLEMAN, SECONDED BY THE CHAIR.
[62. 24-00229]
NOW GO TO ITEM 62.AMEND THE 2024 PAY PLAN FOR CLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED, NON-CLASSIFIED CONTRACT, FIRE AND POLICE EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE.
SO AS TO MAKE THE FOLLOWING CHANGES EFFECTIVE JANUARY 1ST, 2024.
AMENDMENT TO THE MUNICIPAL POLICE APPENDIX AMEND ITEM 13, RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION AND SENATE PAY FOR NEW HIRE POLICE OFFICERS NEWLY HIRED POLICE OFFICERS.
COMPLETE 2023 POLICE ACADEMY ON 2024 POLICE ACADEMY AND RECEIVE SATISFACTORY REVIEW FROM SUPERVISOR BY NOVEMBER 15TH, 2024.
WE'LL RECEIVE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION AND INCENTIVE PAY INCREMENT AND PAYMENTS TOTAL IN 10,000 FOR NON POST CERTIFIED POLICE OFFICERS AND TOTAL OF 15,000 POST CERTIFIED POLICE OFFICER.
ITEM 14, RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF INCENTIVE PAY FOR NEW HIRED POLICE COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER.
NEWLY HIRED POLICE COMMUNICATION OFFICERS.
EMPLOYEES WHO COMPLETE THE INITIAL TRAINING AND RECEIVE A SATISFACTORY REVIEW FROM THEIR SUPERVISOR BY NOVEMBER 15TH, 2024 WILL RECEIVE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION AND SENATE PAY AND INCREMENTAL PAYMENTS TOTALING $8,000 BY POLICE CHIEF AND HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTORS.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED BY THE CHAIR, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER COLEMAN.
ANY OBJECTIONS? WE GO NOW TO ITEM
[63. 24-00230]
63.ITEM 63, AMENDED 2024 PLAY PLAN FOR THE CLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED, NON-CLASSIFIED CONTRACT, FIRE AND POLICE EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE, PARISH OF EAST BATON ROU.
SO AS TO MAKE THE FOLLOWING CHANGE EFFECTIVE MARCH 23RD, 2024.
AMENDMENT TO THE CLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED APPENDIX ADD ITEM 28, CRITICAL RETENTION, HIRING OF JUVENILE SERVICES EMPLOYEES.
AND AN OPTIONAL SPECIAL RECRUITING RATING.
AND LIABLE TO THE STEP 14 FOR THE JUVENILE SERVICES DETENTION CENTER BY THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT'S OFFICE OF DIRECTOR OF JUVENILE SERVICES AND HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR.
IS ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 63? WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IS THERE A MOTION TO MOVE BY COUNCIL MEMBER ROCKA SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER COLEMAN? UH, REV, YOU DIDN'T FILL OUT A SHEET, BUT COME ON DOWN.
ACTUALLY, I THOUGHT I DID GET THAT NUMBER.
THIS IS THE ONE ON THE JUVENILE FACILITIES, CORRECT? YES.
JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE ON THE SAME ONE.
MY CONCERN WITH THIS, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE OTHER ITEMS IS IT SEEMS LIKE THESE ITEMS GET PUT ON HERE AS IF THEY'RE IN ISOLATION.
AND I HAVE A REAL CONCERN ABOUT THAT WHEN WE GO TO LOOK FOR DOCUMENTATION, WHEN THE AGENDA IS PUT OUT, THERE'S NEVER ANYTHING.
AND SO MY POINT IS, WHAT ARE THESE CHANGES GOING TO DO? FIRST OF ALL, TO THE EXISTING BUDGET
[02:40:01]
THAT WAS APPROVED, BUT ALSO IN THE HOLISTIC VIEW OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE JUVENILE FACILITY.IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL TO KNOW EVERY TIME ONE OF THESE THINGS IS PUT IN, WHAT IS THE, THE TOTAL RESULT.
SO AT LEAST AT MY COUNT, WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT TASK FORCES RUNNING THAT IMPACT THIS.
WE HAVE MADE DECISIONS ABOUT CONTRACTS AFTER THE, THE BUDGET WAS APPROVED.
AND MY QUESTION IS, WE HAD, UH, FUNDS THAT WERE ALLOCATED FOR REPAIRS OF THE FACILITY TO JUST TO FIND OUT THAT THEY IN FACT HADN'T EVEN BEEN DONE YET.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW EVERY TIME WE BRING THESE ITEMS, WHETHER IT IS ABOUT, UH, A PARTICULAR DEPARTMENT OR A PARTICULAR ENTITY HOLISTICALLY, HOW WE CHANGING WHAT WE ARE TRYING TO ADDRESS.
SO HOW MANY CHILDREN ARE IN THESE FACILITIES? WHAT IS THIS STAFFING CHANGE GOING TO DO IN THE SHORT TERM? IN IN THE INTERIM? I, I THINK THAT I'M ASKING THE COUNCIL, THESE ITEMS SHOULD HAVE THE DOCUMENTATION WHEN THE AGENDAS ARE RELEASED BECAUSE I WOULDN'T BE STANDING HERE ASKING THESE QUESTIONS IF IN FACT THAT DOCUMENTATION WAS PART OF THEM.
AND THAT IS A BIG PROBLEM FOR ME.
THAT WE ARE, ARE SAYING WE'RE GONNA APPROVE SOMETHING.
WHAT DOES THE STAFFING LOOK LIKE RIGHT NOW? WHAT IS THESE CHANGES GOING TO DO? SO MY POINT IS THE DOCUMENTATION WASN'T THERE.
THE JUVENILE FACILITY IS NOT AN ISOLATED ISSUE.
IT IS ABOUT OUR CHILDREN, BUT WHETHER IT IS HIV OR ANY OF THESE OTHER TOPICS, IF YOU MOVE ONE PIECE, WHAT DOES THAT DO TO THE WHOLE PROJECT? THANK YOU.
ANYONE ELSE WHO WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? THERE IS A MOTION TO APPROVE BY COUNCIL MOROCCO.
SECONDED BY COUNCIL MC COLEMAR.
[64. 24-00231]
GO NOW TO ITEM 64.AMEND THE 2024 PAPER PLAN FOR THE CLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED NON-CLASSIFIED CONTRACT.
FIRE POLICE, EMPLOYMENT IN THE CITY OF BATTER PARISH SHOULD BE BATTER.
SO TO MAKE THE FOLLOWING CHANGE EFFECTIVE MARCH 23RD, 2024, AMENDMENT TO THE CLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED APPENDS.
ADD 29 CRITICAL RETENTION, HIRING OF DEVELOPMENT EMPLOYEES AND OPTIONAL SPECIAL RECRUITING RATE IS ALLOWABLE FOR STEP 14 FOR DEVELOPMENT CLASSIFICATION BY MAYOR.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM COUNCIL MEMBERS? WHAT'S YOUR PLEASURE? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MOROCCO, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER COLEMAN.
ITEM 64 HAS BEEN APPROVED WITH NO OPPOSITION.
[65. 24-00219]
GO NOW TO ITEM 65 AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO, TO AMEND SUB RECIPIENT CONTRACT WITH VOLUNTEERS OF AMERICA SOUTH CENTRAL LOUISIANA IN THE AMOUNT OF $33,000 FOR A TOTAL AWARD OF SIX HUNDRED EIGHTY THREE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED SIXTY SIX THOUSAND TWENTY EIGHT CENTS UNDER THE RYAN WHITE ENDING THE HIV EPIDEMIC PROGRAM BY HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR.IS ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? YES MA'AM.
AND MY CONCERN IS THE SAME ONE.
FOR INSTANCE, WE ALLOW TURNKEY TO COME HERE AND MAKE A PRESENTATION ABOUT HOW THE HIV COSTS REQUIRED THAT CONTRACT TO BE AMENDED.
AND AT THAT TIME, I TALKED ABOUT THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WE CURRENTLY WERE INVESTING IN HIV AND WHY WE WERE NOT HAVING HOLISTIC CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHY OUR CURRENT PROVIDERS COULD NOT ABSORB THAT.
BECAUSE WE HAVE OTHER CONTRACT RELATIONSHIPS THAT WOULD HAVE MADE THAT THAT INCREASE THAT WAS PASSED UNNECESSARILY UH, VIABLE.
WE KEEP HAVING THESE CHANGES, WE KEEP HAVING THESE NUMBERS AND WE DO NOT HAVE DOCUMENTATION.
WE ARE SPENDING MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN THIS PARISH ON HIV SERVICES.
AND IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO KNOW, FIRST OF ALL, WHAT IS THE PLAN? AND SECOND OF ALL, AGAIN, WHY DID WE PASS A BUDGET IN DECEMBER, 2023 TO HAVE EVERY SINGLE MEETING BE AN AMENDMENT OF THINGS THAT ARE NOT EMERGENCY ITEMS? THAT IS VERY PROBLEMATIC.
AND AGAIN, MY MY SAME POINT, IF THE DOCUMENTATION WERE THERE, IT IS HARD TO EVEN LOOK AT THE BUDGET BECAUSE EVERY SINGLE MEETING THERE ARE CHANGES OF THINGS THAT ARE NOT EMERGENCY ITEMS. THEY ARE ROUTINE STANDARD.
ANYBODY WOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT THESE EXPENSES WERE COMING UP.
AND SO MY SAME ISSUE GOES FOR NOT JUST ITEM 65, IT GOES FOR ITEM 66, IT GOES FOR ITEM 67 AND IT GOES FOR ITEM 68 AND 69.
IS THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE FULL DOCUMENTATION SO THAT WE THE TAXPAYERS KNOW WE, WE ARE LOOKING FOR REVEREND ANDERSON.
I GOT YOU FOR THE NEXT SIX ITEMS. SO DON'T GO TOO FAR.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM? DO NOT GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IS THERE ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? OH, EXCUSE ME.
[02:45:01]
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HUDSON.ANY OBJECTIONS? ITEM 65 HAS BEEN
[66. 24-00220]
APPROVED.ITEM 66 AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO AMEND THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT WITH MESH LLLC IN AN AMOUNT OF 3000 FOR A TOTAL NOT TO EXCEED 51,500 FOR THE 2023.
RYAN WHITE ENDING THE HIV EPIDEMIC BY HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTORS.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? COUNCIL MEMBER? I MEAN, REVEREND ANDERSON.
YOU SAY YOU WANTED TO SPEAK ON THIS ONE.
UH, SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HUDSON.
SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER COLEMAN.
[67. 24-00221]
ITEM 67.AUTHORIZED MAYOR PRESIDENT TO ACCEPT FUNDING FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, HEALTH RESOURCES AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION ON BEHALF OF THE DIVISION OF THE HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND SERVICES FOR THE RYAN WHITE HIV AND AIDS PROGRAM IN AN AMOUNT OF $1,355,371 BY HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR.
ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE BY ANY MEMBER OF THE COUNCIL? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HUDSON.
SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER COLEMAN.
ANY ANY OBJECTIONS? WE GO NOW TO ITEM 68,
[68. 24-00222]
AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO ACCEPT FUNDING FOR THE US DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH, HUMAN SERVICES, HEALTH RESOURCE AND SERVICES ADMINISTRATION ON BEHALF OF THE DIVISION OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES FOR AROUND YHIV AND AIDS PROGRAM IN THE AMOUNT OF SEVEN 714,800, EXCUSE ME.$714,800 BY THE HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR.
IS ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 68? WE GO NOW TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER COLEMAN.
[69. 24-00223]
ITEM 69.LAURA, YOU, YOU, YOU READ RIGHT? YOU WITH ME? RIGHT.
UH, AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT TO AMEND THE SUBRECIPIENT CONTRACT WITH FAMILY SERVICES OF GREATER OF BATON ROUGE FOR AN INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF 55,000 FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT OF $404,145 BY HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR.
THERE'S THE ONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER COLMAN.
[70. 24-00224]
WE NOW GO TO ITEM 70, AUTHORIZE THE MAYOR PRESENT, EXECUTE THE CONTRACT WITH MARRE MARRERO ION AND ASSOCIATES TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL ROADWAY LIGHTING SERVICES AT THE ROUNDABOUT INTERSECTION OF DALE AVENUE AND GOVERNMENT, AND AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $96,860 BY THE TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE DIRECTOR.IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? UH, I WOULD PERSONALLY LIKE TO SAY ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AND COUNT OH, I'M SORRY.
COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS. GO AHEAD.
OH, ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AND COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS, FRED, THANK YOU.
AND WE SINCERELY APPRECIATE YOU FOR THE LIGHTING AT THE TURNAROUND DOWN THERE.
I, I'M NOT GONNA LIE, I USED TO WALK DOWN THERE EVERY MORNING,
BUT, SO THANK YOU, UH, FOR THIS WORK.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, COUNCIL MEMBER, ADAM, CAN, CAN I, FRED, WOULD YOU JUST DESCRIBE WHAT'S GONNA TAKE PLACE IN THE ROUNDABOUT? DO YOU MIND? YES, MA'AM.
UH, BIGGEST ISSUE IS THE LIGHTING IS A PROBLEM WITHIN THE ROUNDABOUTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT WAS BUILT.
I DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND WHY WE, WE WOULDN'T HAVE INCLUDED LIGHTING TO START WITH, BUT I WASN'T HERE AT THAT TIME WHEN THAT DECISION WAS MADE.
I THINK IT'S NECESSARY WHERE YOU HAVE BOTH ENDS AND THE MIDDLE DUMP CONNECT.
AND, AND WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO IS PUT THE LIGHTING WITHIN THE ROUNDABOUT AIR TRANSITION BACK TO WHERE WE NEED TO TIE INTO ACTUALLY, UH, GOVERNMENT ALSO INTO LO DALE, MAKE SURE WE GOT A GOOD TRANSITION AND HAVE THE LIGHTING FOR THE ENTIRE, IT, IT IS BEEN REQUESTED BY, UH, BRECK AND PARTICULARLY WITH THAT CLOSE PROXIMITY TO, TO THE PARK.
AND PEOPLE HAVE, UH, SEND EMAILS AND SAY, I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW YOU WANT PEOPLE TO USE THE PARK IF YOU CAN'T WALK ON THE SIDEWALK SAFELY.
AND SO THAT'S THE GOAL AND OBJECTIVE.
UM, THIS IS A PRIORITY BECAUSE SOMETHING'S BEEN TALKED ABOUT FOR, FOR A WHILE AND GET IT UNDERWAY.
IT'S NOT REAL DETAIL WORK FROM, UH, ENGINEERING STANDPOINT, UH, BUT WE WILL GET IT DONE AND GET THIS THING BIT OUT AND, AND MOVE FORWARD.
I KNOW THE, THE WORST QUESTION TO GET ASKED IS WHAT DO YOU THINK THE TIMELINE IS ON THIS? IF, WELL, IT'S GONNA BE AT LEAST FOUR MONTHS TO, TO DO THE DESIGN, BUT ONCE THAT'S DONE, WE DON'T HAVE TO REALLY LOOK AT EVALUATING ALL THE ISSUES BECAUSE WE KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GONNA BE.
WE'RE WORKING WITH ENERGY TO ACCOMPLISH, ACCOMPLISH THAT ALSO.
AND AS SOON AS I CAN GET FINAL PLANS, I WILL RUSH IT TOO TO WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO GET IT UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
LIGHTING IS CRITICAL TO THIS ADMINISTRATION, CRITICAL TO Y'ALL.
I MEAN, IT, IT SHOULD BE A CRITICAL TO ALL PEOPLE.
AND FRED, FRED, I WANT, I WANT TO SAY THIS TO YOU.
I APPRECIATE YOU HAVING DONE A, A REVIEW WITH ME OF DISTRICT SEVEN AND
[02:50:01]
ALL THE AREAS THAT ARE NOT WELL LIT, SO WE CAN TRY TO MAKE SURE WE GET THAT DONE.PRIOR TO NOVEMBER 5TH,
I UNDERSTAND THAT I I'VE HEARD THAT FROM QUITE A FEW COUNCIL PEOPLE ALREADY.
QUICKLY BEFORE YOU VOTE, UH, THERE WAS ONE ITEM, UH, ONE COMMENT IN OPPOSITION.
THERE'S A MOTION TO APPROVE BY COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS SECONDED BY THE CHAIR.
ANY OBJECTIONS? ITEM 70 HAS BEEN APPROVED.
[71. 24-00225]
71, AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESENT TO AMEND A PROFESSIONAL SERVICE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE EAST BATON ROUGE ON BEHALF OF THE OFFICE OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND HGA BY UP TO 995,000 FOR GRANTS MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES BY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM WE'RE NOW WITH TO COUNCIL MEMBERS? IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM 71? IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HUDSON, SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED ONE EMAIL, COMMENT AND OPPOSITION TO ITEM 71.
AND THE OPPOSITION 71 HAS BEEN APPROVED.
[72. 24-00235]
AUTHORIZED THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO ACTUALLY TO CONTRACT WITH ROOSEVELT HEALTHCARE, LLC, TO PROVIDE SCHOOL-BASED WORKSHOP RELATIVE TO OPR PREVENTION AND EDUCATION INTERVENTION AND TREATMENT NOT TO EXCEED $98,010.UH, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THERE HAS BEEN A REQUEST TO DELETE THIS ITEM.
THERE HAS BEEN A REQUEST TO DELETE THIS ITEM, UH, BUT IF THERE'S ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON IT, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COME FORWARD.
ARE YOU GONNA DELETE THAT'S WHAT SHE WAS COMING TO TELL ME? YEP.
COUNCIL MEMBERS CHAIR WILL MAKE A MOTION TO DELETE AS THAT SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MOOCH ON ANY OBJECTIONS.
[73. 24-00236]
73 AUTHORIZED THE MAYOR PRESENT THAT SHOULD CONTRACT WITH ETERNAL CRISIS OUTREACH INCORPORATED TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF PERSONS WITH OPIOID USE DISORDER AND OTHER COING SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS NOT TO EXCEED $150,000.UH, THERE HAS BEEN A REQUEST TO DELETE THIS ITEM.
THERE HAS BEEN A REQUEST TO DELETE THIS ITEM BY THE ADMINISTRATION.
IS ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? THERE HAS BEEN A MOTION TO DELETE THIS ITEM BY COUNCIL MEMBER MOCH.
SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER AMAROSA THERE ANY OBJECTIONS? 73 HAS BEEN DELETED AND 74 AUTHORIZED THE MAYOR PRESIDENT EXECUTE TO CONTRACT WITH ECLECTIC COGNITIVE BEHAVIORAL CENTER TO PERFORM INTERVENTIONS AND TREATMENT OF THE FAMILIES DEALING WITH OPIOID DIS OPIOID DISORDERS AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE, UH, DISORDERS NOT TO EXCEED $150,000.
IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? THAT HAS BEEN A REQUEST TO DELETE THE ITEM, BUT IF THERE'S ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK THE REQUEST HAS COME FROM THE ADMINISTRATION.
IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER AMAROSA SECONDED BY COUNCILMAN HUDSON.
[74. 24-00237]
74 HAS BEEN DELETED.[CONDEMNATIONS (Part 2 of 2)]
HAS BEEN A REQUEST TO REVISIT, UH, ITEM 45, MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER HUDSON, SECONDED BY THE CHAIR, WHICH IS A CONDEMNATION AND 51.ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS TO REVISITING 45 AND 51? WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WHAT IS YOUR PLEASURE? COUNCIL MEMBERS? MR. STEM? I UNDERSTAND FROM MY AID THAT YOU WANTED TO MAKE SOME COMMENTS ON ITEM 45.
YOU YOU'RE WELCOME TO DO THAT HERE OR WE CAN CHAT AFTER THE MEETING, WHICHEVER YOUR PREFERENCE, SO OH NO, I'D RATHER JUST GO AHEAD AND, UH, ADDRESS EVERYBODY WHILE YEAH, LET'S DO ON TO THE MIC.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
COUNCIL COUNCILMAN AND, UH, HUDSON AND EVERYBODY ELSE.
I'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH A HARD TIME.
I HAD GOT BIT BY SOME DEER TICKS IN 2018 HUNTING SEASON.
AND, UH, DURING, DURING 2019, I WAS HAVING SEVERE JUST, UH, JUST I COULDN'T WALK.
I WAS, UH, IT WAS GETTING BAD AND THEN IT WAS JUST, UH, ONE LEG AND THEN IT JUMPED OVER TO ANOTHER.
AND THEN NEXT THING YOU KNOW, IT WAS, UH, I DON'T KNOW, UH, JULY.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN STRUGGLING THROUGH 19 AND NEXT THING I KNOW, BAM, I'M IN A WHEELCHAIR FROM OUT OF NOWHERE.
I'M 48 YEARS OLD IN A WHEELCHAIR, AND I'VE NEVER BEEN IN A WHEELCHAIR, NEVER BEEN RESTRICTED OF NOTHING MY WHOLE LIFE.
I'VE HUNTED IT, I'VE FISHED AND I'VE DONE IT.
EVERYTHING HERE IN LOUISIANA THAT I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO.
AND I'VE, THIS WAS DURING THE PANDEMIC.
THE PANDEMIC WAS JUST GETTING STARTED RIGHT WHEN I WENT INTO THE WHEELCHAIR.
AND THEN, UH, MY, MY PROPERTIES GOT GOT, UH, DISTRESSED.
I'M JUST, I'M, I'M, I'M ASKING THE COUNCIL TO SHOW, UH, TO SHOW A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF MERCY AND A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, YOU KNOW, I APOLOGIZE FOR EVEN HAVING TO BE UP HERE AND EVEN TAKING UP ANY OF Y'ALLS TIME IN THE MAYOR'S TIME AND EVERYBODY ELSE THAT HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS.
MR. TIM, IF I CAN'T INTERJECT REAL QUICK.
THE, THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION HERE IS TO DEFER FOR 90 DAYS, AND THAT'S WHAT WAS AGREED TO EARLIER.
SO THERE'S NO BEEN NO CONDEMNATION OF YOUR PROPERTY AT THIS POINT.
THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO, TO DEFER.
NOW I UNDERSTAND FROM STAFF THAT YOU HAD A
[02:55:01]
SPECIFIC QUEST TO DELETE.I'M NOT PREPARED TO DO THAT TONIGHT, BUT I I WANTED TO LET YOU AIR OUT YOUR, YOUR REASONING BEHIND THE REQUEST TO DELETE.
SO, SO THAT WE CAN AT LEAST HEAR IT.
OH, COUNCIL HUSMAN HU HUDSON, I'VE BEEN CALLING
LOOK, YOU'VE BEEN, YOU'VE BEEN VERY GOOD TO ME.
YOU'VE DELETED, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE, LET ME GET THROUGH THIS A LITTLE BIT.
AND LOOK, I ONLY FELL, UH, I, I WAS FOLLOWING SEVEN TO EIGHT TIMES A DAY WHEN I WAS FIRST STARTING TO GET BACK TO, UH, TO TRYING TO GET MY PROPERTIES BACK UNDER WRAPS.
I WAS FOLLOWING SEVEN OR EIGHT TIMES A DAY.
NOW I'M ONLY FOLLOWING AT LEAST TWICE.
SO WE'RE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION,
SO, UH, BUT I DIDN'T WANT TO DEFER ANYMORE BECAUSE I WANT MY PROPERTIES BACK.
ME AND MY WIFE HAD DONE EVERYTHING WE WRITE.
I'M TRYING TO JUST DO THE BEST FOR MY FAMILY AND I WANT MY PROPERTIES BACK.
AND I'VE WORKED AND I HAVE COMPLETED EVERYTHING, AND I HAVE GOT MY PERMITS AND I HAVE DONE EVERYTHING THAT YOU HAD ASKED ME TO DO.
AND, UH, AND, AND, AND I WOULD'VE DONE EVERYTHING THAT ANYBODY WOULD ASK ME TO DO.
AND IF ANYBODY NEEDED HELP WITH SOMETHING, I'D BE THE FIRST ONE TO VOLUNTEER RIGHT NOW, TODAY.
YOU HAVE YOUR PERMITS AND, AND NOW YOU CAN BEGIN THE BUILDING REP PROCESS.
UH, THE, THE ISSUE IS THAT THAT PROCESS ISN'T COMPLETE YET.
SO WE WANNA SEE THE ACTUAL CONDITION OF THE PROPERTY IMPROVED TO WHERE IT'S IN COMPLIANCE.
THAT'S WHY THE RECOMMENDATION IS ONLY DEFERRAL AND NOT TO ACTUALLY CONDEMN YOUR PROPERTY.
SO AGAIN, NO LIEN'S BEEN PLACED IN YOUR PROPERTY.
UM, WE WOULDN'T DO THAT TO YOU, UH, UNLESS, UNLESS THE PERMITS WERE TO EXPIRE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND OUR HOPE AS WE MOVE FORWARD FOR THIS PROCESS, THAT'S WHY YOU'VE SEEN, WE'VE DEFERRED IT 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 5 DIFFERENT TIMES.
UH, WE WANNA WORK WITH YOU, WE WANT YOU TO GET THE PROPERTY BACK INTO COMPLIANCE AND BACK INTO COMMERCE.
BUT, BUT, UH, WE'VE SEEN THIS HAPPEN TOO MANY TIMES WHERE WE, SOMEBODY WILL GET A PERMIT, WE'LL DELETE THE ITEM, AND THEN IT DOESN'T GET REPAIRED.
SO I'M NOT IN POSITION TO DELETE IT AT THIS TIME, BUT I PROMISE YOU, I WILL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH YOU.
NOBODY'S GOING AFTER YOUR PROPERTY.
WE DON'T WANNA CONDEMN IT IF WE DON'T HAVE TO.
UH, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S SORT OF THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE INTERESTED IN GOING IN.
WELL, IT'S ALL, IT'S ALREADY ONE OF 'EM HAS ALREADY BEEN CONDEMNED JUST BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T FIND ME.
UH, BUT BESIDES THAT, UH, I JUST NEED TO, I'M JUST READY TO MOVE FORWARD AND, UH, I, AND ALL THESE TIMES THAT THINGS WERE, UM, SIR DELETED.
UH, I, I DO WANT TO, UH, THANK Y'ALL ONE MORE TIME AND I DO WANT TO GET BACK TO MY HOUSES AND, UH, AND MY HOME OF MY OWN.
THANK YOU, MR. WE APPRECIATE YOU.
ON ITEM 51, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM 51? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER.
MEMBER A SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER COLEMAN.
[ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS]
TO ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS.A RECEIVING A REPORT FROM DR. JAMES RICHARDSON ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTRICTS.
UH, THERE WE NEED A MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES.
IS, IS DR. JAMES RUEN HERE? NO, NO, THAT'S FOR, THAT'S FOR INTRO.
UH, I NEED A MOTION TO WAIVE THE REASON THE ITEM IS BEING REQUESTED.
AS ADMINISTRATIVE MATTER, PROVIDE A REPORT ON MARCH 27TH, UH, MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES TO ALLOW ITEMS TO BE INTRODUCED.
IS THERE A MOTION TO MOVE BY COUNCILMAN UH, ADAM, SECONDED BY THE CHAIR.
IS ANYONE IN HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE MOTIONAL WAY, THE RULES AND THE OPPOSITION TO THE MOTIONAL WAY? THE RULES.
IS THERE A MOTION TO INTRODUCE? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ADAM, SECONDED BY THE CHAIR REGO ITEM B 24 0 0 3 0 4.
ACCEPTANCE OF LOW BID HERBICIDE APPLICATION FOR CANALS, KIMPRO SERVICES INCORPORATED 500,009 $509,292, UH, BY MAINTENANCE DIRECTOR.
THE REASON THIS ITEM IS BEING REQUESTED AS AN ADMINISTRATIVE MATTER EMERGENCY ITEM, WHY ADMINISTRATIVE MATTER DOM RESPECTFULLY REQUESTS THE CONSIDERATION OF THE METRO COUNCIL OF THE ITEM AS AN ADMINISTRATIVE MATTER, AS WE SEEK TO EXPEDITE SERVICING SIGNIFICANTLY VEGETATED AREAS IMPACTING OUR CITIZEN CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
THE MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES.
THE MOTION TO WA THE RULES ON THE ON ITEM.
SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS. SECONDED BY THE CHAIR.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? ANYONE OPPOSED TO THE MOTION TO WAIVING THE RULES ON THE COUNCIL? IS THERE A PUBLIC HEARING? IS ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM ITSELF? THE MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS SECONDED.
COUNCIL MEMBER NOLAN, I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF I'M LOOKING AT THIS RIGHT, THE, THE LOW BID HERE IS EXACTLY TO THE DOLLAR OF THE ESTIMATE.
HOW JUST SEEMS ODD? HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE? IS THAT NORMAL? DOES THAT NOT SEEM ODD? CAN ANYBODY SPEAK TO THAT? HOW'D THAT, HOW'D THAT OCCUR?
[03:00:02]
I JUST WONDERED THE OPTICS OF THAT SEEM ODD.CAN ANYBODY SPEAK TO THAT? WELL, THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME.
UH,
THIS WAS, UH, PUT TOGETHER LAST YEAR IN MY ABSENCE AND WENT TO, TO BID THIS YEAR.
UH, I THINK WE JUST PROVIDED THE SCOPE AND THEN WENT TO BID.
WE DIDN'T HAVE A, A ESTIMATE FOR THAT.
SO WE JUST MATCHED THE ESTIMATES ON A LOW BID, RIGHT? WE WENT TO, WE PROVIDED THE SCOPE BASED ON THE ADDITIONAL ACREAGE THAT WE ADDED AND THEN WENT TO BID WITH IT AND, UH, M CROWS AND LOW BID FOR THAT ITEM.
THAT, I MEAN, THAT'S A, THAT MAKES SENSE.
OH, YOU WANNA SPEAK ON THE QUESTION? I JUST WANT TO ASK A QUESTION.
SO THERE'S NO NEED TO MAKE AN AMENDMENT OR NOTHING? NO, NO, NO NEED FOR AN AMENDMENT.
SO THERE'S, UH, A MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS TO APPROVE.
SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER COLEMAN.
ANY OBJECTIONS? ITEM B HAS BEEN
[75. 23-01645]
APPROVED.APPOINTMENT SENATE BILL FOLLOWER FIRE DISTRICT CONSIDERATION OF REPLACING HAROLD KIRBY WHOSE TERM EXPIRED? DECEMBER 31ST, 2022.
UH, IS THERE ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? THIS ITEM WAS DEFERRED FOR NOVEMBER 21ST AND DECEMBER 13TH.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, WHAT'S THE PLEASURE? WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANY ADDITIONAL APPLICANT'S.
I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, MR. NOLL GONNA WAIT 30 DAYS.
MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER NOLL.
ANY OBJECTIONS? WE NOW GO TO ITEM
[Items 76 - 78]
76.WE'RE GONNA TAKE 76 78 TOGETHER, WHICH IS CHANGE ORDERS.
EMS, CASTILE STATION, RENOVATIONS CONTRACTOR, TERRY, HONORARY CONSTRUCTION CHANGE ORDER AMOUNT, $36.
ITEM 77, PUBLIC SAFETY COMPLEX, BORDER REPLACEMENT CONTRACTOR, GALLO, MECHANICAL, LLC, CHANGE ORDER AMOUNT, $30,411.
ITEM 78 BEACH, HOLLYWOOD AREA 88.
TRANSITION PROJECT CONTRACTOR, LUSTER GROUP, LLC, CHANGE ORDER AMOUNT, $14,469 AND 5 CENTS.
IS THERE ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THESE ITEMS? IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEM 76 THROUGH 78.
SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HERS.
ANY OBJECTIONS? WE NOW GO TO ITEM
[79. 24-00211]
79.FINAL ACCEPTANCE, DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES RENOVATION CONTRACTOR, BLUNT GENERAL CONTRACTORS, LLC.
ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS ITEM? IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ITEM? NO.
MR. MO IS MADE THE MOTION SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HUDSON.
ITEM 79 HAS BEEN APPROVED TO GO TO ITEM 80
[80. 24-00240]
EBR PARISH PRISON BUILDING Q HVAC REPLACEMENT.CHU MECHANICAL CONTRACTORS INCORPORATED $706,110.
ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? WE NOW GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE ITEM? SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER MO SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER COLEMAN.
ANY OBJECTION ITEM HAS BEEN APPROVED.
WE NOW GO TO ITEM 81, WHICH IS AN EMERGENCY ITEM RECEIVING.
YOU WANNA MAKE A MOTION TO DELETE THAT ITEM?
[81. 24-00241]
ITEM 81.ITEM PUT ITEM 81, EMERGENCY RECEIVING UPDATE FROM COACH SEAN WALLACE ON HIS MIRACLE JOURNEY BY COUNCIL MEMBER HURST TO ALLOW THE UPDATE TO BE GIVEN.
UH, THERE'S A MOTION TO DELETE THE ITEM.
SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER HURST, SECONDED BY THE CHAIR.
SO CAN, ARE WE ALLOWED TO SAY ANYTHING ON THIS? OH, I MEAN, YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
UH, I, WAIT, I GOTTA GO THROUGH THE WHOLE THING BEFORE WE SPEAK.
IN ACCORDANCE WITH ORDINANCE 1 6 4 4 2.
THE ITEM MUST BE DECLARED EMERGENCY BY TWO THIRD.
MURDER OF METROPOLITAN COUNSEL.
THERE'S BEEN A MOTION TO DECLARE THE ITEM IN EMERGENCY.
THERE'S BEEN A MOTION TO LEAD THE ITEM AS AN EMERGENCY ITEM.
MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER HURST.
ANY OBJECTIONS TO DELETING THE ITEM? DOES ANYONE WANT YOU TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? COUNCIL MEMBER MOORE? YEAH, THIS IS THE SECOND TIME THAT WE BROUGHT THIS UP.
AND WHILE I APPRECIATE THE, WHAT WE DID, UH, WHEN COACH CAME BEFORE US DURING THE PRESENTATION TIME BEFORE, UH, I WOULD LOVE TO GET AN UPDATE, UH, ON HOW HE IS DOING.
MY QUESTION, UH, TO THE BODY OR TO COUNCILMAN HURST OR MAYOR PRO TEM? YOU CAN ANSWER OR MS. ASHLEY CAN, WHY IS THIS AN EMERGENCY ITEM OVER THE LAST TWO TIMES WHEN IT'S HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO PUT IN FOR PRESENTATION TIME? WELL, NUMBER ONE, UM, I DO THIS BECAUSE HE'S ON CHEMO ON WEDNESDAYS.
AND WHEN HE IS ON CHEMO AND HE GETS A SHOT, HE DOESN'T ALWAYS HAVE THE ENERGY TO DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
AND WHAT HE WANTED TO DO IS TALK ABOUT HIS JOURNEY PUBLICLY.
AND HE WANTED TO ENSURE THAT THE MEDIA WAS AWARE.
'CAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ASKING, BEEN SUPPORTED.
[03:05:01]
AND UNFORTUNATELY THE MEDIA IS NOT HERE DURING OUR, UM, PRESENTATION PERIOD.SO HE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO DO IT ALL AT ONE TIME.
ALERT THE PUBLIC, WHO EVERYBODY WAS GIVING HIM PRAYERS AND SUPPORT.
BUT IT WILL COME UP AGAIN AS AN EMERGENCY ITEM BECAUSE WHEN HE NOTIFIES ME THAT, HEY, TODAY I, MY CHEMO DIDN'T AFFECT ME TO WHERE I'M SUPER DRAINED AND I FEEL COMFORTABLE ENOUGH TO COME TO THE COUNCIL, I WANNA PUT IT ON THERE AGAIN TO MAKE SURE THAT HE CAN BE HEARD.
SO EACH TIME THIS IS GONNA KEEP COMING UP AS AN EMERGENCY ITEM.
IF, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO KEEP DEFERRING IT, BUT IF I DON'T KNOW THAT HE FEELS GREAT BECAUSE HE GETS CHEMO ON WEDNESDAYS, I'M NOT GOING TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA.
I'LL JUST DO IT BECAUSE IT'S ONLY A, A TALKING POINT, NOT A VOTING ITEM.
I'LL JUST PUT IT ON THERE SO THAT HE CAN COME AND HAVE HIS TIME ON THE MIC AND ALSO TELL THE PUBLIC AND THE MEDIA ABOUT HIS MIRACLE JOURNEY.
'CAUSE HE SHOULD BE DEAD RIGHT NOW.
SO I'M JUST GLAD THAT HE'S WILLING AND ABLE TO COME SHARE THAT WITH THE GENERAL PUBLIC.
DO WE HAVE THE, UM, THE PRESENTATIONS ON MEDIA? UH, WE POST PUBLIC NOTICE FOR ALL OF YOUR MEETINGS AND THE, UM, YOU KNOW HOW THEY SHOWED ON TV, THE 30? YES.
SO ALL THE PRESENTATIONS ARE ON MEDIA ALSO AND, UH, IT'S MY TIME.
WE HAVE NO MEDIA IN HERE RIGHT NOW.
UH, WE DON'T HAVE ANY CAMERA MEDIA OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT OVER THERE RIGHT NOW.
UM, I MEAN, WOULD IT BE BEHOOVE US TO INVITE, I MEAN, WE CAN PUT 'EM ON EVEN AS A PRESENTATION ITEM.
YOU CAN GO FIVE MINUTES BEFORE THAT.
ADD A PRESENTATION ITEM AT ANY POINT.
UM, I, I JUST FEEL LIKE THE, AND AGAIN, I WANT TO HEAR FROM COACH SEAN WALLACE.
I WANT TO HEAR HOW HE'S DOING.
I HOPE HIS FAMILY'S DOING WELL.
I HOPE HE IS DOING WELL AND RESPONDING GOOD TO THE TREATMENT AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
I JUST THINK AS AN EMERGENCY ITEM, THESE ARE EMERGENCY ITEMS ARE SET FOR STUFF THAT HAS TO BE DONE AND PASSED IMMEDIATELY, NOT FOR DISCUSSION ITEMS AND PRESENTATION ITEMS. AND THAT, THAT'S JUST MY OPINION ON IT.
NO DISRESPECT TO THE MAN, NO DISRESPECT TO YOU.
I'M JUST GIVING MY OPINION OF WHAT THIS THING IS.
THE SECOND TIME IT'S COME ON, ON HIS EMERGENCY TIME.
YOU COULD PUT IT ON IT AS A PRESENTATION EVERY TIME RIGHT BEFORE THE MEETING.
AT ANY POINT THAT WE DO THE PRESENTATIONS AND IT WOULD, I FEEL LIKE IT WOULD BE THE SAME THING.
AND IF THE MEDIA WAS ACTUALLY HERE BEFORE THE COUNCIL MEETING, WHEN THEY'RE USUALLY OVER THERE WOULD BE THE BEST OPPORTUNITY FOR THE GENTLEMAN TO BE HEARD TO WHERE AS AN EMERGENCY ITEM AT THE LAST THING.
THEY'RE NOT EVEN HERE EXCEPT WITH Y ALL DUE RESPECT TO THE ADVOCATE.
WHEN HE, WHEN HE FINISHES, I'M GONNA COME TO YOU.
YOU CAN, I, YOU CAN TAKE THAT AND RESPOND.
THAT'S JUST AGAIN, MY OPINION.
I THINK IT WOULD BE MORE RESPECTFUL TO HIM.
BUT I, I, I DO AGREE, BUT I WOULD ALSO EVEN BE MORE RESPECTFUL AND COURTEOUS AND ASK MY COLLEAGUES TO ALLOW HIM TO MOVE HIS PRESENTATION UP BASED ON HIS HEALTH CONDITION AND AS MAY APPROACH HIM AT HIS PLEASURE AND HIS LEISURE.
IF HE COULD MOVE IT UP IN THE PROGRAM, UH, OF A COUNCIL MEETING IN TERMS OF AGENDA ITEMS SO THAT HE CAN COME IN HERE AND GET BACK HOME AND BE HEALTHY SO THAT HE CAN HEAL.
SO I DO AGREE WITH YOU SHOULD HAVE GONE EARLIER AND HAD HE BEEN HERE, I WOULD'VE DONE THAT.
AND I DO RESPECT YOUR OPINION AND I THINK TODAY BECAUSE ME AND CHYNA ACTUALLY AGREED, YOU JUST MESSING WITH, WELL, YOU FIXING TO GO THERE, RIGHT? I THINK TODAY, TODAY WAS A FULL MOON.
YOU HAD DWIGHT CHARLES ON THE SAME PAGE.
YOU HAD ME AND CHARLES ON THE SAME PAGE AGAIN.
I, I, SO I DO APPRECIATE IT AND I WAS, I'M GONNA CLOSE OUT WITH THIS, TAKE THAT INTO, I'LL TAKE THAT INTO, UH, CONSIDERATION AS I MOVE FORWARD.
WE'RE GONNA CLOSE OUT WITH THIS ON MY TIME.
THE 17 SECONDS IS, I, I, I THINK WE'RE MOVING A PRESENTATION ITEM AND, AND SOMETHING LIKE THAT INTO AN ACTUAL COUNCIL AGENDA AND PUTTING IT AS AN EMERGENCY ITEM, I THINK REALLY NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT.
SO I WILL GO BACK TO ONE MOMENT IN HISTORY THAT WE HAD HERE IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
I DID THE SAME THING ONE TIME BEFORE, UH, ABOUT SIX, SEVEN MONTHS AGO WHEN I BROUGHT COUNCIL MEMBER ERIC MAYS FROM FLINT, MICHIGAN.
THE MAN PASSED A MONTH, UH, ABOUT ABOUT THREE OR FOUR WEEKS AGO.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL KNEW THAT OR NOT.
UM, I, I BELIEVE IF YOU ALWAYS DO WHAT YOU ALWAYS DID, YOU ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU ALWAYS GOT.
AND, UH, AT, AT THIS POINT, THAT'S ALL I CHOOSE TO MOVE FORWARD.
ALRIGHT, THAT ITEM HAS BEEN DELETED.
[03:10:01]
THE ITEM TO BE DELETED? WE NOW GO TO ITEM 82, WHICH IS AN EMERGENCY COUNCIL MANNO.I'LL JUST TOUCH ON THAT A LITTLE BIT.
UM, I, I I TEND TO AGREE WE'RE WE'RE MOVING AN EMERGENCY ITEM OR, OR A PRESENTATION ITEM INTO AN EMERGENCY SPACE.
AND I THINK IT'S, UH, WHAT I WOULD NOT WANT TO SEE.
I MEAN, IT JUST, I, WHEN WE'RE HERE TO DO THE BUSINESS OF CITY PARISH, THAT DOESN'T FIT, UM, AS MUCH AS WE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT HIS UPDATES, WHAT I WOULD HATE TO SEE IS CERTAINLY IN HIS CONDITION, HIM COME HERE AND THEN IT NOT BE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY AND WE NOT BE ABLE TO HEAR IT.
I THINK THAT WOULD NOT BE GOOD.
AND I THINK THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE LETTING YOU KNOW.
AND, AND I WOULD LET HIM KNOW, PLEASE DON'T DO THAT AND PUT US IN THAT POSITION.
UM, BECAUSE WE'RE HERE TO DO THE BUSINESS OF CITY PARISH AND THERE'S A SPOT FOR THIS AND IT'S IN PRESENTATIONS.
UM, AND I, I THINK WE'D ALL BE WILLING TO ACCOMMODATE ANYWHERE WITHIN THAT REALM TO HEAR FROM HIM.
UH, OR MAYBE IF WEDNESDAY'S AREN'T A GOOD DAY, LET'S CALL A PRESS CONFERENCE ON A TUESDAY AND, AND DO THAT IF YOU WANT THE PRESS HERE.
AND SO, UH, I, I DON'T THINK, UM, I THINK IF THE PRESS WANTS TO BE HERE, THEY'LL BE HERE.
I THINK TRYING TO PUT HIM IN FRONT OF WHERE A CAMERA MAY BE, UH, AGAIN, IS PROBABLY NOT OPTIMAL EITHER.
[82. 24-00294]
AWARD.THE CONTRACT FOR ANALYTICAL LABORATORY SERVICES FOR REGULATORY COMPLIANCE.
SAMPLING TO THE SELECTIVE VENDOR SGS NORTH AMERICA, INCORPORATED BY ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES DIRECTOR.
BUT THE CURRENT CONTRACT WAS EFFECTIVE THROUGH 2026, BUT THE LAB VENDOR CHOSE NOT TO EXECUTE THE OPTIONAL ANNUAL RENEWAL BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T HOLD THEIR PRICES.
THEY AGREED TO A THREE MONTH CONTRACT EXTENSION THAT EXPIRES AT THE END OF THIS MONTH.
APPROVAL FOR THE CONTRACT AS AN EMERGENCY ITEM AS AN EMERGENCY ITEM PROVIDES THE ADDITIONAL TWO WEEKS TO GET THE CONTRACT EXECUTED IN A NEW VENDOR SET UP TO PERFORM THE WORK IN ACCORDANCE WITH ORDINANCE 1 6 4 4 2.
THIS ITEM MUST BE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY BY TWO THIRD VOTE OF METROPOLITAN COUNCIL, THE GENERAL MOTION TO DECLARE THE ITEM IN EMERGENCY.
SO MOVED BY COUNCIL MEMBER COLEMAN.
SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER ADAMS. ANYONE, UH, ANY OPPOSITION TO THE MOTION BEING DECLARED AN EMERGENCY? IS THERE ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? UH, WE
ITEM 82 HAS BEEN DECLARED AN EMERGENCY COUNCIL MEMBER OSA.
UM, MR. ADAM, UM, CAN YOU, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THIS AND WHAT'S GOING ON? YES.
SO WE HAD A, A VENDOR, IT WAS A ELEMENT OUT OF LAFAYETTE.
IT WAS A FIVE YEAR CONTRACT AT THE TIME.
THE, THE PRIOR CONTRACT OR THE CURRENT CONTRACT, THERE WAS NO ESCALATION CLAUSE IN THE, UM, IN THE CONTRACT.
SO THEY WERE TO HOLD THEIR PRICES FOR FIVE YEARS.
THAT'S TYPICALLY WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.
BUT WITH INFLATION, THE WAY IT'S BEEN LATELY, UM, THAT, THAT'S NOT WORKING LIKE IT DID, THEY TOLD US THAT THEY COULD NOT HOLD THEIR PRICES FOR ANOTHER YEAR.
WE ASKED IF WE COULD, IF THEY COULD HOLD THEIR PRICES FOR 90 DAYS UNTIL, UH, WE GOT ANOTHER CONTRACT IN PLACE.
THEY AGREED THOUGH, WE'RE, THIS IS IN RESPONSE TO THAT, THIS NEW CONTRACT, IT DOES HAVE AN ANNUAL 3% ESCALATION THAT'S BASED ON CPI.
SO IF CPI GOES UP, IT'LL, THE 3% WILL BE ALLOWED.
SO THAT SHOULD NOT HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE.
IS THIS VENDOR PROVIDING, UM, SERVICES FOR A SIMILAR RATE TO WHAT WE HAD? OR IS DOES THIS CONTRACT, UM, REFLECT A NEW NEW COST STRUCTURE? IT, IT'S A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN WHERE WE WERE BEFORE.
UM, BUT WE KNOW WHERE WE, WE ALSO WOULD'VE BEEN IF THE, 'CAUSE THE OTHER VENDOR HAD GIVEN US SOME PRICES AND SAID, HEY, IF WE, IF WE DO CONTINUE, IT WOULD HAVE TO GO UP TO THE THIS.
SO IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE HIGHER, BUT IT'S, IT'S NOT OUTTA LINE.
IT'S A LITTLE HIGHER THAN WHAT WE HAVE BEEN PAYING, BUT IT'S NOT AS HIGH AS WHAT THAT VENDOR WAS SAYING THEY WERE GONNA GO TO, I THINK IS WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME.
WELL, IT THAT, I WOULD SAY THEY WERE, THAT IT'S HARD TO COMPARE 'EM ONE-ON-ONE.
'CAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S SOME LINE ITEMS IN THIS NEW CONTRACT THAT WASN'T IN THE OLD ONE.
THEY'RE WRITTEN A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT JUST BECAUSE OF SOME THINGS WE'VE LEARNED.
SO IT, IT'S NOT AN APPLES TO APPLES COMPARISON, BUT I, I'D SAY IT'S, IT'S COMPARABLE.
MOTION TO ADJOURN BY COUNCILOR OSA.
UH, AS ALWAYS, THANK CITY PARISH EMPLOYEES WHO, UH, WERE HERE THIS EVENING.
WE SINCERELY APPRECIATE YOU AND YOUR SERVICE.
AS ALWAYS, PROTECT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH, GET
[03:15:01]
THERAPY IF YOU NEED IT.AND AS ALWAYS, READ TO YOUR CHILDREN AND WHEN YOU'RE DONE READING THEM, HAVE THEM READ BACK TO YOU.
BEST WAY TO IMPROVE READING COMPREHENSION.