[00:00:02]
ALRIGHT, COUNCILMAN, HERE WE GO.
[Presentations and Special Recognitions]
TO THE PRESENTATION PORTION OF OUR NOVEMBER 26TH, 2024 MEETING.WE'RE GONNA, OUR FIRST PRESENTATION'S GONNA BE BY COUNCILWOMAN SHAUNA BANKS RECOGNIZE THE KEITH OF G AGENCY RELATIONS AND PROGRAM MANAGER OF GREATER BATON ROUGE FOOD BANK AND BRIANNA PATE, AGENCY RELATIONS COORDINATOR FOR THE GREATER BATON ROUGE FOOD BANK, COUNCILWOMAN BANKS.
UM, IT IS IN THE 12 YEARS THAT I HAVE, UH, SERVED AT THE PLEASURE OF THE PEOPLE, UM, AS NOT ONLY THE COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DISTRICT TWO, BUT ALSO THE DEPARTMENT HEAD FOR THE GEORGIA NEWMAN COMMUNITY CENTER.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS, UM, THAT WE ADOPTED IS THAT WE WOULD BE A CENTER FOR EVERYONE AND A LARGE PART OF THAT IS OUR FOOD PANTRY.
AND IN 12 YEARS WE WENT TO ONE ROOM, TO TWO SUITES, A ROOM, AND NOW A HALLWAY.
UM, THE NEEDS IN THIS COMMUNITY OF, I CALL IT NOW THE GREATER SCOTLANDVILLE COMMUNITY, UM, BECAUSE OUR FOOD PANTRY IS PROBABLY MOST ACTIVE AND WE REACH A LOT OF AREAS BEYOND THE 7 0 8 0 7 AREA CODE.
BUT, UM, THERE ARE TWO INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE STAFFED WITH A, UM, GREATER BATON ROUGE FOOD BANK.
AND ONE ISN'T HERE AND ONE IS, BUT YOU KNOW, ANYTIME THERE'S A GOOD ORGANIZATION, THERE ARE WHAT I CALL WIND BENEATH THEIR WINGS.
AND THOSE ARE THE WORD PERSONS AND THE UNSUNG HEROES THAT YOU DON'T SEE ON THE COMMERCIALS, THE VIDEOS, THE ALL THE THING.
SO I'M GONNA BRING UP NOW BRION TAPE AND I'LL LET, UM, THE ARE YOU IS THAT JORDAN AND I HAVE JORDAN JUST COME WITH ME.
YOU'LL HEAR MORE FROM JORDAN THIS AFTERNOON.
BUT THIS IS BRION PATE AND BRION IS THE AGENCY RELATIONS COORDINATOR FOR THE GREATER BATON ROUGE FOOD BANK.
HER BOSS IS KAHA GAGE AND KAHA IS A AGENCY RELATIONS AND PROGRAMS MANAGER.
AND SO, UM, WHEN I READ THE PRESENTATION, IT'LL GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT IT IS THAT THEY DO, BUT THEY KEEP THINGS RUNNING AND ALL THE FOOD PANTRIES THROUGHOUT THE GREATER BATON ROUGE AREA, WHICH IS EIGHT PARISHES, I BELIEVE.
AND, UH, JORDAN, I DON'T WANNA MESS IT UP, BUT YOU VICE PRESIDENT OF IMPACT.
UM, I THINK ALL OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS SHOULD BE HERE 'CAUSE THEY ALL WANT A FOOD PANTRY.
ACTUALLY, I KNOW THEY HAVE ONE IN ZACHARY.
BUT ANYWAY, I HAVE A PRESENTATION FOR BRION AND SHE'LL TAKE HERS TO KAHA AND IT READS, THIS IS KHAS, SO JORDAN WILL ACCEPT FOR KAHA IT SAYS, CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION, PRESENTED TO MS. BRIANON PATE, AGENCY RELATIONS COORDINATOR, GREATER BATON ROUGE FOOD BANK FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND HARD WORK TO THE GEORGIA NEWMAN COMMUNITY FOOD PANTRY, ENSURING OUR PATRONS DO NOT HAVE TO FACE FOOD INSECURITY ALONE BECAUSE OF YOU.
FOOD PANTRY SITES ACROSS THE CAPITAL REGION REMAIN OPEN DURING NATURAL DISASTERS AND PANDEMIC.
KIDS AND HOME BOUND RESIDENTS STILL GET MEALS, SHIPMENTS OF FOOD CONTINUE TO COME INTO THE WAREHOUSE AND DELIVERIES OF FOOD, MEET THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN, FAMILIES, AND SENIORS NEED AT A ALL TIME HIGH.
WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE YOU AS A TEAM MEMBER OF THE COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE GEORGIA NEWMAN COMMUNITY CENTER AND THE GREATER BATON ROUGE FOOD BANK.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR VITAL SUPPORT.
AND IT'S THE SAME WORDING FOR KAHA AND WE'RE GONNA DO A PICTURE AND THEN I'LL HAVE YOU ALL, UM, RIGHT.
THEN I'LL HAVE YOU ALL JUST ACCEPT IT.
REON, IF YOU JUST ACCEPTED, JUST YOU DON'T LIKE WHATEVER YOU WANT.
UM, I DIDN'T EXPECT THIS AT ALL, SO I'M NOT PREPARED TO SAY ANYTHING, BUT I REALLY DO APPRECIATE IT.
[00:05:01]
I REALLY APPRECIATE WORKING WITH YOU GUYS.Y'ALL THE PANTRY'S REALLY GREAT.
THE STAFF IS REALLY GREAT, SO THANK YOU.
ALL OF THESE WORDS SPEAK, UM, SO GREATLY OF HER 'CAUSE THAT IS EXACTLY WHO SHE IS AND SHE DOES ALL THE AWESOME WORK.
SO TO BE ABLE ACCEPT THIS FOR HER IS A TRUE BLESSING.
NEXT WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UH, METROPOLITAN COUNCILMAN DARRYL HURST AND COUNCILWOMAN PATRICIA DARAN, UH, TO RECOGNIZE FRED RAYFORD.
JUST COUNCILMAN DARRYL HURST
SO, UM, IT, IT'S ALWAYS A BLESSING TO SEE THE THINGS THAT CITY PARISH WANTS MANIFESTED, UH, IN TERMS OF MAKING OUR CITY BETTER COME TO FRUITION.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, AND IT'S KIND OF GOING AWAY AROUND THE COUNTRY, BUT IT'S DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION.
AND WE DO THAT THROUGH S-C-D-B-E HERE IN CITY PARISH.
IT WAS A, A HUGE INITIATIVE FOR THE MAYOR.
EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL IN TERMS OF THE GROWTH OF PARTICIPATION.
AND IT'S ONE THING PEOPLE ARE TYPICALLY PULLING ON US AND SAYING, HOW CAN WE BE A PART OF WHAT YOU DO? BUT TO HAVE OUR ONE OF OUR OWN RECOGNIZED FOR HIS PART, FOR HIS PARTICIPATION, UM, ABOUT WOMEN IN THE INDUSTRY, IT JUST SPOKE VOLUMES.
SO TODAY I AM GOING TO ACKNOWLEDGE ONE OF OUR OWN MR. FRED RAYFORD, WHEREAS FRED RAYFORD IS DEDICATED OVER 47 YEARS TO PUBLIC SERVICE, ENSURING THAT THE CITIZENS OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH REMAINED AT THE HEART OF ALL HIS EFFORTS IN DEMONSTRATING A NUMBER OF UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO IMPROVING THE COMMUNITY.
AND WHEREAS THROUGHOUT HIS 37 YEARS OF EMPLOYMENT WITH THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE, FRED HAS SERVED IN NUMEROUS ROLES, INCLUDING RIGHT OF WAY AGENT IN HIS CURRENT POSITION AS DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE.
WHEREAS LEADERSHIP HAS HAD A LASTING IMPACT ON THE PARISH'S INFRASTRUCTURE AND QUALITY OF LIFE.
AND WHEREAS FRED'S PASSION FOR PUBLIC SERVICE EXEMPLIFIED IN HIS TIRELESS WORK ETHIC AND HIS BELIEF THAT A TRUE PUBLIC SERVANT NEVER HAS A REAL DAY OFF YET.
HE TREASURES TERMS SPENT WITH HIS WIFE.
WERE 47 YEARS PAUL LET PAULETTE'S DAUGHTER AMY, HER HUSBAND, HIS, UM, AMY, HER HUSBAND JOSH, UM, AND HIS CHERISH GRANDCHILDREN, GRACIE AND, UH, KNOX.
AND LOOK, I THOUGHT IT WAS ONLY SECOND AND MESS UP ALL THE DECORATIONS, BUT, AND I PROBABLY STOLE SOMEBODY ELSE'S SPEECH WHEN I SENT IT, BUT FRED RAYFORD WAS NOMINATED BY 2024 WTS GREATER BATON ROUGE AWARD WINNERS AND FOR OUR STANDING PUBLIC SERVICE.
AND THESE ARE A BUNCH OF WOMEN WHO JUST THINK THAT FRED IS BARING ON ABOVE EVERYBODY ELSE IN THE INDUSTRY.
NOW HIS WIFE MAY SAY A LITTLE DIFFERENT, BUT THESE OTHER WOMEN THINK THAT HE IS, MAN.
SO, UM, BEFORE FRED COMES UP, I WANT TO HAVE TWO PEOPLE FROM, UM, THE ORGANIZATION COME SPEAK ABOUT HIM AND WE'LL ALL PRESENT TOGETHER.
I'M A VP WITH NEIL SHAFER INC.
AND I'M ALSO THE PRESIDENT OF WTS GREATER BATON ROUGE CHAPTER.
UM, BASICALLY OUR MISSION IS TO SUSTAIN AND ALSO TO ADVANCE WOMEN IN THE INDUSTRY TO MAKE IT GREATER 'CAUSE BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL GREATER WHEN IT'S DIVERSE.
UM, AS HE, HE MENTIONED HOW AWESOME FRED IS, WE DEFINITELY AGREE WITH THAT.
UM, AS FAR AS AN OUTSTANDING PUBLIC SERVANT AWARD THAT RECOGNIZES AN INDIVIDUAL WHO HAS HAD UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TOWARDS PROMOTING TRANSPORTATION THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF LOUISIANA.
AND NOT ONLY PROMOTING TRANSPORTATION, BUT ALSO ADVOCATING AND PROMOTING TRANSPORTATION TO WOMEN AT ALL STAGES OF THEIR CAREER.
UM, I ALSO WANTED TO RECOGNIZE FRED JUST AS A WOMAN IN THE INDUSTRY, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GONNA GET WHEN YOU WALK INTO A ROOM AS A WOMAN.
AND FRED NEVER MISSED AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE US FEEL COMFORTABLE.
UM, PERSONALLY, ME AND I SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE WOMEN IN TRANSPORTATION, UH, ASSOCIATION AS WELL.
SO I'D ALSO SAY AS A WOMAN IN BUSINESS AND A YOUNG MOM, UH, TO A YOUNG SON, YOU KNOW, BEING COMFORTABLE WHEN I GO TO WORK TO PROVIDE FOR MY FAMILY IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND FRED NEVER MISSED AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT, SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF WOMEN IN TRANSPORTATION AND MYSELF.
[00:10:04]
BRAVE.YOU PROBABLY GOT A THOUSAND, BUT NOT THIS ONE.
WANNA GET BY CHRISTMAS STUFF THERE? YEAH, COME ON.
YOU READY? RIGHT ONE RIGHT THERE.
SO OUR, OUR CAO JUST WALKED IN, BUT FRED JUST WAS RECOGNIZED AND CHIEF OF STAFF BY WOMEN OF TRANSPORTATION.
SO IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT, ITS THE PRESIDENT AND A MEMBER.
SO, FRED, WELL, FIRST OFF, WE DID HAVE A MEETING AND, UH, THE TALK ABOUT THE, THE AWARD, AND I DO APPRECIATE IT, BUT AS I'VE SAID A HUNDRED TIMES BEFORE, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE ONLY AS GOOD AS THE PEOPLE YOU HAVE WORKING WITH YOU.
AND FORTUNATELY, NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE GOOD CITY PEOPLE, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK OUT THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY, THROUGH THE NETWORKING THAT WE HAVE TO DO, THERE'S EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO WORK WITH US AND TRY TO ACCOMPLISH THE GOALS.
AND, UH, WTS HAS BEEN ONE OF THOSE THAT REALLY HAVE STOOD OUT VERY, VERY HANDILY FOR ME BECAUSE THEY, WHEN I'VE ASKED, THEY'VE PRETTY MUCH HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
SO IF ANY APPRECIATION HAS TO COME, IT WOULD BE ME TO THEM BECAUSE I'M LOOKING FOR HELP ALL THE TIME AND THEY'RE ALWAYS IN LINE TO HELP TO DO THE JOB AND I APPRECIATE IT.
THE NEXT I WANNA RECOGNIZE MS. NATASHA JAMES, SHE WILL TELL YOU SHE IS THE MOST NON-POLITICAL COMMUNITY SERVING OUT THERE.
SHE JUST WANTS TO SERVE THE PEOPLE, MAKE SURE THAT THE RESOURCES GO TO THE, UH, THE RIGHT PLACES, AND THAT THE IMPACT THAT SHE MAKES IS, IS AN IMPACT OF LEGACY AND NOT NECESSARILY RECOGNITION.
BUT TODAY SHE WILL BE RECOGNIZED, UM, NATASHA JAMES, WHEREAS THE ALL-STAR COMMUNITY CARE LLC UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF NATASHA JAMES CELEBRATES 10 YEARS OF DEDICATION AND COMMITMENT TO PROVIDING EXCEPTIONAL CARE AND SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND WHEREAS NATASHA JAMES HAS EXEMPLIFIED RESILIENCE AND UNWEIGHTING FAITH TURNING CHALLENGES INTO OPPORTUNITIES AND INSPIRING THOSE AROUND HER TO PRESERVE, UM, THROUGH ADVERSITY, I'M SORRY, TO PERSEVERE THROUGH, THROUGH ADVERSITY.
AND WHEREAS ALL STAR COMMUNITY CARE LLC HAS POSITIVELY IMPACTED COUNTLESS LIVES, PROSPERING A SPIRIT OF HOPE, COMPASSION, AND EMPOWERMENT IN THE BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY AND BEYOND.
WE THE MEMBERS OF, UH, BATON ROUGE METRO COUNCIL ON BEHALF OF COUNCILMAN DALE HURS AND COUNCIL DISTRICT FIVE TO HEREBY RECOGNIZE AND HONOR NATASHA JAMES AND ALSO LLC, UH, ALL STAR COMMUNITY CARE LLC ON THEIR 10TH ANNIVERSARY, AND COMMEND THEIR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR COMMUNITY.
YOU SEE ONE OF OUR, UH, FORMER FIRST LADIES AND, AND STRONG ACTIVE PEOPLE STILL IN THE COMMUNITY, UH, MS. BOBBY KELLY, AND SHE SURROUNDED HERSELF NOT JUST BY BEING A SERVANT, BUT BY OTHER SERVANTS.
AND, UH, I JUST WANNA THANK HER FOR HER WORK AND ACKNOWLEDGE HER TODAY.
SO, NATASHA, IF YOU COME UP, I'D APPRECIATE IT.
I KNOW DARL PERSONALLY, SO I'M JUST GONNA SAY, HEY, THANK YOU.
I, IT'S AN HONOR TO TO RECEIVE THIS TODAY.
UM, ALL STAR HAS BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR OVER 10 YEARS, AND WE BELIEVE IN INVESTING IN THE LIVES OF OTHERS.
AND WITH THAT, I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE US TODAY.
UM, I AM NOT ONE THAT'S OUT IN THE PUBLIC EYE VERY MUCH SO THE FACT THAT SOMEBODY ACTUALLY SEES WHAT WE DO THAT I DON'T HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT MAKES ME FEEL REALLY GOOD.
[00:15:02]
WE COLOR COORDINATE.LISTEN, Y'ALL KNOW, UM, THERE'S SOME AMAZING PEOPLE DOING AMAZING THINGS IN OUR PARISH, AND A LOT OF TIMES IT, IT, IT'S HARD FOR PEOPLE OUTSIDE, NOT JUST OUR PARISH, BUT OUR STATE, UM, TO RECOGNIZE PEOPLE IN OUR STATE SOMETIMES BEFORE WE DO.
AND STEPHANIE FERRIS AND ZEALAND STREET MARKET HAS BEEN A STAPLE, UH, ON PERKINS ROAD FOR AN EXTREMELY LONG TIME.
AND WHEN SHE, WHEN YOU WALK IN THE DOOR, SHE DOESN'T MEET A STRANGER.
IT'S GREAT, GREAT FOOD, GREAT COMFORT FOOD, IT TOUCHES YOUR SOUL.
BUT THE CONVERSATIONS, THE OPENNESS, THE, UH, TRANSPARENCY ABOUT LIFE CHALLENGES, IT, IT MAKES YOU FEEL FREE.
IT'S ALMOST LIKE A THERAPY SESSION WHEN YOU WALK IN.
SO YOU GET THE FOOD, THE COMFORT, YOUR SOUL, AND THE CONVERSATION TO EASE YOUR MIND.
UM, NUMBER ONE, SHE, UM, IS, HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY THE NEW YORK TIMES AS ONE OF THE BEST EATERIES, UM, AROUND, SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY.
BUT SHE'S ALSO IN NOVEMBER, UH, WE CELEBRATE LUNG CANCER A MONTH AND SHE'S GOING THROUGH A BATTLE, BUT SHE WILL HAVE A VICTORY ON THE OTHER SIDE.
AND SO, UH, THAT'S NOT MY DISTRICT, THAT IS COUNCILWOMAN PAT DRAZAN.
SO I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER, LET HER READ THE PROCLAMATION, WE'LL PRESENT IT TOGETHER.
PRO PROCLAMATION OF RECOGNITION FROM THE HONORABLE COUNCILMAN DARRA HURST AND COUNCILWOMAN PAT ANNE.
DISTRICTS FIVE AND SEVEN, CITY OF EAST BATON ROUGE, CITY OF BATON ROUGE, PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE, STATE OF LOUISIANA HERE AS STEPHANIE FERRIS OWNER OF ZEALAND STREET MARKET HAS BEEN, HAS BEEN THE CORNERSTONE OF THE BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY.
NOT ONLY FOR HER CULINARY EXPERIENCE EXCELLENCE, BUT FOR HER DEDICATION TO CREATING A WELCOMING AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT THAT HAS TOUCHED THE LIVES OF COUNTLESS INDIVIDUALS.
WHEREAS STEPHANIE'S REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENTS WERE RECOGNIZED ON A NATIONAL LEVEL BY THE NEW YORK TIMES, SHINING A SPOTLIGHT ON HER CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE CULTURAL AND CULINARY FABRIC OF OUR CITY, AND BRINGING PRIDE TO THE BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY.
STEPHANIE CONTINUES TO INSPIRE ALL OF HER, ALL, ALL OF US WITH HER COURAGE, RESILIENCE, AND UNWAVERING SPIRIT AS SHE BATTLES LUNG CANCER, SERVING A, SERVING AS A POWERFUL TESTAMENT TO THE STRENGTH AND THE DETERMINATION THAT DEFINES OUR COMMUNITY.
AND, UH, STEPHANIE WAS LITTLE UNDER THE WEATHER TODAY.
SO WE HAVE TWO REPRESENTATIVES HERE TO ACCEPT THE, UH, PROCLAMATION ON HER BEHALF.
SO I'M GONNA BRING UP HER DAUGHTER AND HER FRIEND.
UM, HI, I AM KELSEY FERRIS, UH, STEPHANIE'S DAUGHTER.
I FIRST WANNA START BY THANKING THE COUNCIL PEOPLE.
SO HER BIRTHDAY WAS LAST WEEK, AND FOR HER BIRTHDAY, I DECIDED THAT I WAS GOING TO FRAME ARTICLES FROM THE ADVOCATE THAT SHE HAD BEEN IN OVER TIME.
AND I WENT THROUGH THE ART ADVOCATE ART ARCHIVES AND FOUND THAT SHE HAD BEEN MENTIONED OVER A HUNDRED TIMES ACROSS ALL OF THEM, EVERY EXAMPLE FOCUSED ON THE LOVE OF HER COMMUNITY AND HER NEIGHBORS, AND HER ABILITY TO SHARE THAT LOVE WITH THEM THROUGH FOOD.
I AM THRILLED FOR HER TO HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED ON A NATIONAL STAGE AND FOR HER TO BE FORMALLY RECOGNIZED BY THE COMMUNITY THAT SHE LOVES SO MUCH.
HI, I'M MELINDA WALSH AND I AM A FRIEND OF STEPHANIE'S AND I FEEL HONORED TO BE THAT.
[00:20:01]
UM, Y'ALL HAVE ALL EATEN AT ZEALAND'S, I'M GUESSING.WELL, YOU KNOW THAT STEPHANIE'S LOVE LANGUAGE IS FIXING GREAT FOOD FOR YA.
AND AS WE HAD CONVERSATIONS THROUGH HER TREATMENT OVER THIS LAST YEAR, SHE KEPT BEING, SHE WAS AMAZED AT HOW MUCH LOVE WAS COMING BACK TO HER.
AND I JUST SAID, GIRLFRIEND, IT'S BECAUSE OF ALL THE LOVE THAT YOU HAVE PUT OUT INTO THIS COMMUNITY.
AND TO ME AND TO HER, THAT'S WHAT THAT, SO THANK YOU BOTH.
THIS CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION PORTION OF OUR MEETING.
[CALL TO ORDER]
HELLO EVERYBODY.WELCOME TO THE COUNCIL CHAMBER OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
SO GOOD TO HAVE ALL OF YOU WATCHING THIS AFTERNOON, NOVEMBER THE 26TH, 2024, AND JUST TWO DAYS BEFORE THANKSGIVING.
AND SPEAKING OF WHICH, ON BEHALF OF THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL, WE CERTAINLY HOPE THAT YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY WITH YOUR FAMILY ON THANKSGIVING AS WE GIVE THANKS TO GOD FOR ALL OF HIS BLESSINGS.
AT THIS TIME, HERE IS THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT PRO TEM OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
WELCOME EVERYBODY TO THE NOVEMBER 26TH, 2024 METROPOLITAN COUNCIL MEETING.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE INVOCATION.
UH, WELL IT'S CALLED A MEETING ORDER.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE INVOCATION AND PLEDGE LED BY YOLANDA BATIST.
ALL OTHER WONDER, WHAT IS IT THAT WE DO THAT'S SO GREAT FOR US? SO WE THANK EVERYONE COMES BETTER.
TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS.
ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WILL LIBERTY JUSTICE.
[ADOPTION AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
WE'RE GONNA HAVE ADOPTION AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES, APPROVAL AND ADOPTION OF THE MINUTES OF THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL MEETING OF NOVEMBER 13TH, 2024, THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL ZONING MEETING OF NOVEMBER 20TH, 2024, AND THE GREATER BATON ROUGE AIRPORT COMMISSION MEETING OF NOVEMBER 12TH, 2024 BY THE COUNCIL, ADMINISTRATIVE TREASURER.MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS, SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN AMAROSA.
[INTRODUCTIONS]
CAN YOU PLEASE READ THE INTRODUCTIONS SECTION 2.12 OF INTRODUCTIONS NUMBER TWO, AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO AMEND THE CONTRACT WITH MAXIMUS CONSULTING SERVICES INC.FOR INDIRECT COST ALLOCATION SERVICES FOR THE CFR PART 200 PLAN AND THE FULL COST PLAN BY $36,000 FOR A TOTAL CON TOTAL CONTRACT AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $135,500 BY THE FINANCE DIRECTOR.
NUMBER THREE, AMENDING THE 2024 CURRENT EXPENSE AND CAPITAL BUDGET SO AS TO ADJUST ESTIMATED REVENUES AND APPROPRIATIONS AND TO AUTHORIZE THE DIRECTOR OF FINANCE TO MAKE CERTAIN INTERDEPARTMENTAL TRANSFERS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE STATE BUDGET ACT AND
[00:25:01]
THE PLAN OF GOVERNMENT BY THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT AND THE FINANCE DIRECTOR.NUMBER FOUR, AMENDING THE 2025 ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET SO AS TO APPROPRIATE $682,110 FROM INTEREST EARNINGS FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT TO FUND POLICE DEPARTMENT SPECIAL EVENT OVER TIME, $426,250 TRAVEL ALLOWANCE AUTHORIZED IN LOUISIANA REVISED STATUTE 33 1 2 3 3 B $108,600 OPERATIONAL SUPPORT FOR JUVENILE COURT $73,750 AND COMPENSATION ADJUSTMENTS IN THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, $73,510 BY COUNCILMAN CLEVE DUNN COUNCILWOMAN, CAROLYN COLEMAN COUNCILWOMAN JEN ROA, COUNCILMAN AARON MOOCH AND THE MAYOR PRESIDENT NUMBER FIVE ADOPTING THE FOLLOWING, A VALOREM TAX MILLAGE RATES WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE FOLLOWING TAXING JURISDICTIONS ON ALL TAXABLE PROPERTY EXCEPT THAT THE MILLAGE RATE FOR THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT SHALL BE LEVIED ON REAL PROPERTY ONLY TO BE LEVIED DURING THE YEAR.
2025 EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH OPERATING TAX 2.96 MILLS, CITY OF BATON ROUGE OPERATING TAX.
5.44 MILLS, CITY OF BATON ROUGE.
THREE PLATOON POLICE TAX 0.82 MILLS EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH MOSQUITO ABATEMENT AND BRUTON CONTROL DISTRICT 1.06 MILLS EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH MOSQUITO ABATEMENT AND RODENT CONTROL DISTRICT.
ADDITIONAL 0.35 MILS EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH LIBRARY 9.89 MILS.
HEALTH, MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE.
1.33 MILS, EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES 3.13 MILS, BATON ROUGE MUNICIPAL FIRE SALARIES AND BENEFITS 5.68 MILLS CONSOLIDATED ROAD LIGHTING DISTRICT NUMBER ONE 1.71.
MILLS ALLISON, FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER NINE 9.82 MILLS, ALLISON, FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER NINE.
4.91 MILLS, ALLISON, FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER NINE, ADDITIONAL 10 MILLS BROWNSFIELD FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER THREE 8.83 MILLS BROWNSFIELD FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER THREE, ADDITIONAL 4.41 MILLS BROWNSFIELD FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER THREE, ADDITIONAL 8.83 MILLS BROWNSFIELD FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER THREE, ADDITIONAL 10 MILLS DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT 9.5 MILLS FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER ONE 8.52 MILLS PRIDE, FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER EIGHT 8.97 MILLS PRIDE, FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER EIGHT, ADDITIONAL 13.45 MILLS CHENEY, FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER SEVEN 9.09 MILLS CHENEY, FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER SEVEN, ADDITIONAL 9.09 MILLS CHENEY, FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER SEVEN, ADDITIONAL 9.09 MILLS CHENEY VILLE, FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER SEVEN, ADDITIONAL 10 MILLS BY THE FINANCE DIRECTOR.
NUMBER SIX, ADOPTING THE REVISED 2025 PAY PLAN FOR THE CLASSIFIED UNCLASSIFIED NON-CLASSIFIED CONTRACT FIREARM POLICE EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE AND PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE ESTABLISHING THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF SAID PLAN AS DECEMBER 28TH, 2024.
AND REPEALING ALL ORDINANCES OR PARTS OF ORDINANCES AND CONFLICT THEREWITH BY THE HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR.
NUMBER SEVEN, FIXING THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES OF THE PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE, THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE AND AGENCIES TO WHICH APPROPRIATIONS ARE MADE AND ESTABLISHING THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF DECEMBER 28TH, 2024.
AND REPEALING ALL ORDINANCE IN CONFLICT THEREWITH BY THE HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR NUMBER EIGHT, AUTHORIZING THE FOLLOWING, INCREASED AVALOR TAX MILLAGE RATES WITHOUT FURTHER VOTER APPROVAL WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE FOLLOWING, TAXING JURISDICTIONS ON ALL TAXABLE PROPERTY TO BE LEVIED DURING THE YEAR 2025 AS PERMITTED BY ARTICLE SEVEN.
SECTION 23 C OF THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA BATON ROUGE MUNICIPAL FIRE SALARIES AND BENEFITS FROM 5.68 MILLS TO SIX MILLS, CITY OF BATON ROUGE.
PLATOON POLICE TAX FROM 0.82 MILLS TO 0.87 MILLS.
FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER ONE FROM 8.52 MILLS TO NINE MILLS BROWNSFIELD FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER THREE FROM 8.83 MILLS TO 10 MILLS BROWNSFIELD FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER THREE, ADDITIONAL FROM 4.41 MILLS TO FIVE MILLS BROWNSFIELD FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER THREE, ADDITIONAL FROM 8.83 MILLS TO 10 MILLS CHENEY.
FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER SEVEN FROM 9.09 MILLS TO 10 MILLS CHENEY, FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER SEVEN, ADDITIONAL FROM 9.09 MILLS TO 10 MILLS CHENEY VILLE, FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER SEVEN FROM 9.09 MILLS TO 10 MILLS PRIDE, FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER EIGHT FROM 8.97 MILLS TO 10 MILLS PRIDE, FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER EIGHT, ADDITIONAL FROM 13.45 MILLS TO 15 MILLS.
ALLISON, FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER NINE FROM 9.82 MILLS TO 10 MILLS ALLISON, FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER NINE, ADDITIONAL FROM 4.91 MILLS TO FIVE MILLS BY COUNCILMAN AARON MOOCH.
NUMBER NINE, AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE A FOUR YEAR CONTRACT WITH RUDD AND WISDOM FOR THE PERFORMANCE OF ACTUARIAL SERVICES RELATED TO OTHER POST-EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS AND LIABILITIES IN THE AMOUNT OF $61,750 BY THE FINANCE DIRECTOR CONDEMNATION INTRODUCTIONS JEFFREY WAYNE ZOS, 6 1 4 5 NORTH ROW AVENUE DISTRICT ONE KNOLL NUMBER 11, AMOS ROOSEVELT SPAN, JR 1 0 5 2 5 1 0 5 0 5 AVENUE H.
COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO BANKS, NUMBER 12, PAMELA BETHLE
[00:30:01]
FORD 1 0 6 7 CENTRAL ROAD COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO BANKS NUMBER 13 HERMAN PEELER.5 1 5 5 GREENWELL STREET COUNCIL DISTRICT FIVE HEARST.
NUMBER 14, BEATRIZ SCOTT 2 4 1 5 WILLOW STREET COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN DEANNE NUMBER 15, SHEILA MICHELLE WILLIAMS, FRANKLIN 7 8 9 NORTH 36TH STREET COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN DEANNE NUMBER 16, JOHN GRAY, 8 5 8 NORTH 36TH STREET COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN DEANNE NUMBER 17 KET ENTERPRISES, LLC 5 3 2 5 WINDBERG AVENUE COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN DEANNE NUMBER 18, ALLEN BUCKNER, SENIOR 3 9 1 3 WASHINGTON AVENUE COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN ANNE NUMBER 19, GO HOME BUYERS LLC AND CONSOLIDATED HOLDINGS INC.
2 2 9 WEST WASHINGTON STREET COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 COLEMAN NUMBER 20.
ET AL 1 9 0 9 MULBERRY STREET COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 COLEMAN.
HAVE BEEN READ A MOTION TO DELETE ITEM 30 AT THE REQUEST OF THE DEPARTMENT AND INTRODUCE ALL OTHER ITEMS AS IN ORDER.
DO WE HAVE THAT MOTION? MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN COLEMAN? SECOND BY COUNCILMAN HURST.
[CONDEMNATIONS]
GONNA GO TO THE SEPARATE SHEET FOR CONDEMNATIONS.RECOMMENDATIONS ARE TO PROCEED WITH ITEM 80, ITEM 82, 83, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, AND 92, 30 DAYS ON ITEM 81, 90 DAYS ON ITEM 84 AND TO DELETE ITEM 79 AND 85.
IS ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ANY OF THESE ITEMS? YES MA'AM.
COME ON UP AND STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD PLEASE AND LET US KNOW WHICH, WHICH AGENDA ITEM YOU'RE SPEAKING ON.
OH, WAIT, WAIT, TURN THE MIC ON.
LOOK, THERE'S A, THERE SHOULD BE A BUTTON AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MIC WHERE YOUR HAND WAS.
NAME IS MONICA BOURGEOIS PETERS.
I'M HERE FOR NUMBER 92 A PROPERTY.
IT HAS BEEN VACANT FOR OVER 20 YEARS.
IT HAS BEEN, I'M SORRY, NUMBER 91.
IT'S ON 2 2 6 WEST POLK STREET.
WE HAVE SQUATTERS IN THERE NOW.
THE TREES HAVE GROWN UP IN THIS HOUSE.
THE PEOPLE THAT I HAVE WORKING ON MY HOUSE ARE SCARED TO GO OVER THERE BECAUSE OF THE PROBLEM.
THE GRASS HAS GROWN UP, WHICH I SEE THEY'VE CUT THE GRASS, BUT THIS HAS BEEN GOING OVER 20 YEARS.
I HAVE A SIDE PICTURE OF THE HOUSE IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT IT.
I DON'T THINK ANY OF US COULD LIVE IN IT.
I'VE TALKED TO SEVERAL PEOPLE AND AT FIRST THEY STARTED SAYING THAT IT WAS LIVABLE AND IT'S NOT, THERE'S NO WATER OR ANYTHING.
IT'S BEEN ABANDONED FOR YEARS.
ANYONE ELSE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON A ONE OF THESE AGENDA ITEMS? YES MA'AM.
HELLO, MY NAME IS LINDSAY HUDSON.
I'M THE DIVISION MANAGER FOR THE NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION DEPARTMENT AND WE WOULD LIKE TO DELETE ITEM 81 2 8 5 5 MILLERVILLE ROAD.
THE STRUCTURE WAS ACTUALLY DEMOLISHED BY THE OWNER OVER THE WEEKEND.
IS IT DOWN ALL THE WAY? IT'S COMPLETELY DEMOLISHED, YES, MA'AM.
BECAUSE I HAD HEARD THAT THEY HAD JUST STARTED TODAY.
I INSPECTOR WENT IN, UH, TO PHOTOS WHEN WE DID IT.
ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ANY OF THESE ITEMS? SEEING NONE WILL GO TO COUNCIL.
FOR, UH, 91, AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE AGENDA, NO IMPROVEMENTS MADE.
SO WE'RE FORGING AHEAD WITH THAT AND, UH, I HAD NOT HAD A CONVERSATION WITH YOU AND SO, BUT WE ARE FORGING AHEAD WITH 91, 92 IS IN LITIGATION AND REQUESTING 60 DAYS.
ANYBODY ELSE? OKAY, I'M READ 'EM BACK AGAIN.
WE'RE GONNA PROCEED WITH ITEMS 82, 83, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90 AND 91 60 DAYS ON ITEM 92, 90 DAYS ON ITEM 80, ITEMS 80 AND 84.
AND WE'RE GONNA DELETE ITEM 79, 81 AND 85.
[00:35:01]
I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE SUBJECT THAT YOU GUYS ARE ON RIGHT NOW.THEN WHAT? EVERY AGENDA ITEM'S GONNA HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING.
BUT WHEN I CAME IN, I DIDN'T CHECK IN, UH, PROPERLY WITH THE YOUNG LADY AT THE FRONT DESK, BUT I'D LIKE TO CHECK IN.
UM, WHO, WHO, WHO CAN HE GO SEE FOR THAT? UH, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO GO RIGHT OUT FRONT.
UM, AND THEY SHOULD HAVE A PIECE OF PAPER THAT YOU CAN FILL OUT TO REQUEST TO SPEAK ON, ON ITEM.
LIKE PLEASE AFTER CONDEMNATION, FIVE MINUTES.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE CONDEMNATIONS? I TELL YOU WHAT, WE'RE GONNA, LET'S GO AHEAD AND, AND PROCEED AND THEN WE'LL, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A FIVE MINUTE RECESS AND, AND I'LL LET YOU SPEAK WITH HIM IF WE NEED TO RECONSIDER.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN COLEMAN, SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN AMAROSA.
OKAY, EVERYBODY, WE ARE GONNA TAKE A FIVE MINUTE RECESS AND WE'LL BE BACK.
WE'RE GONNA CALL THE MEETING BACK TO ORDER.
[ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS]
ALL RIGHT.WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS.
WE'RE GONNA PUT, UH, ITEMS A AND B TOGETHER.
A AMENDING RESOLUTION NUMBER 5 7 9 5 9 TO CORRECT THE TYPOGRAPHICAL ERROR AND THE HEAD START LEASE CONTRACT WITH M AND J PROPERTY MANAGEMENT LLC FROM A TOTAL AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 62,000 TO A TOTAL AMOUNT, NOT TO EXCEED 62,400 BY THE HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR.
B, ENACTING AN ORDINANCE AND AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT GRANTING TO ENTERGY, LOUISIANA, LLC, THE RIGHT PRIVILEGE AND FRANCHISE FOR A PERIOD OF 30 YEARS TO LAY, MAINTAIN, AND OPERATE MAINS AND PIPES IN UNDER, ALONG AND THROUGH THE PUBLIC STREETS, AVENUES, ALLEYS, ROADS, HIGHWAYS, AND OTHER PUBLIC PLACES OF, AND WITHIN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH FOR THE TRANSMISSION DISTRIBUTION AND SALE OF GAS, AND PROVIDING RE REGULATIONS AND CONDITIONS OF THE EXERCISE OF SAIDRIGHT PRIVILEGE AND FRANCHISE THROUGHOUT THE TERM OF THIS AGREEMENT.
INTER LOUISIANA, LLC SHALL PAY THE CITY PARISH AS COMPENSATION FOR USE OF THE CITY PARISH RIGHT OF WAY.
FRANCHISE FEE EQUAL TO 5% OF THE GROSS REVENUES.
FRANCHISE AGREEMENT SHALL BE APPROVED BY THE OFFICE OF THE PARISH ATTORNEY AS TO FORM AND LEGALITY BY COUNCILMAN CLEON JR.
AND COUNCILWOMAN JEN ROCKA C ENACT IN ORDINANCE AND AUTHORIZING THE MALE PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT GRANTING TO ENTERGY, LOUISIANA, LLC, THE RIGHT PRIVILEGE AND FRANCHISE FOR A PERIOD OF 30 YEARS TO LAY, MAINTAIN, AND OPERATE MAINS AND PIPES AND UNDER, ALONG AND THROUGHOUT THE PUBLIC STREETS, AVENUES, ALLEYS, ROADS, HIGHWAYS, AND OTHER PUBLIC PLACES OF WITHIN THE INCORPORATED AREAS OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH FOR THE TRANSMISSION DISTRIBUTION, SALE OF ELECTRICITY, AND PROVIDING REGULATIONS AND CONDITIONS OF THE EXERCISE OF SAIDRIGHT PRIVILEGE AND FRANCHISE THROUGH THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT INTO G LOUISIANA.
LLC SHALL PAY CITY PARISH AS COMPENSATION FOR USE OF THE CITY PARISH RIGHT OF WAY, A FRANCHISE FEE EQUAL TO 5% OF THE GROSS REVENUES BY COUNCILMAN CLEVE DUN JR.
THESE ITEMS ARE FOR INTRODUCTION, MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES TO ALLOW ITEMS TO BE INTRODUCED.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION? MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS? SECOND BY COUNCILMAN CLE JR.
PUBLIC HEARING ON THE MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES.
ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES? SEEING NONE WILL GO TO COUNCIL.
IS THERE ANY OBJECTIONS ON THE MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES? SEEING NONE NEED A MOTION TO INTRODUCE THE ITEMS? DO WE HAVE A MOTION? MOTION BY COUNCILMAN ADAMS? SECOND BY COUNCILMAN CLE DUN JR.
ITEM D AUTHORIZATION FOR THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT, AND OR CHAIRMAN OF THE AIRPORT COMMISSION TO EXECUTE SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT NUMBER ONE TO THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT WITH STEVEN BALDWIN ASSOCIATES LLC TO PERFORM PHASE ONE CLOSEOUT AND PHASE TWO OF THE GOVERNANCE MODEL.
REVIEW ASSESSMENT AND TRANSFER IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $481,261 BY THE AVIATION DIRECTOR.
NEED A MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES? MOTION BY COUNCILMAN ADAMS, SECOND BY COUNCILMAN JR.
NEED A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES? ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE MOTION? TO WAIVE THE RULES? WE NEED A VOTE ON THE MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES.
[00:40:01]
OBJECT TO, TO WAIVING THE RULES.NOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE ITEM.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM TEAM? NOW I'M GO TO COUNCIL.
SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF THESE Y'ALL.
ITEM E ACCEPTANCE OF LOW BID PUBLIC SAFETY COMPLEX H TWO ROOF RECOVER LAPSE SERVICES LLC $650,000 BY THE BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS DIRECTOR.
WE'RE GONNA NEED A MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES.
MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. SECOND BY COUNCILMAN HURST PUBLIC HEARING ON A MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON A MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES? SEEING NONE HAVE A VOTE ON THE MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES.
ANY OPPOSED TO WAIVING THE RULES? SEEING NONE.
NOW WE'RE GONNA CALL FOR A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE ITEM.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? SEE NONE.
MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAM, SECOND BY COUNCILMAN DUN, JR.
ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTION CARRIES.
CITY COURT FACILITY DUCT CLEANING REMEDIATION.
CONTRACTOR OF SCALE CONSULTANTS, LLC CHANGE ORDER AMOUNT 19,800 BY THE CLERK COURT JUDICIAL ADMINISTRATOR.
WE NEED A MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES.
MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS, SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN AMAROSA.
WE NEED A PUBLIC HEARING ON A MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON A MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES? SEEING NONE WILL GO TO COUNCIL.
DO WE HAVE A VOTE? UH, ANYONE OPPOSED TO WAIVING THE RULES? SAYING NONE? NOW WE'RE GONNA CALL FOR A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE ITEM.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? SEE NONE.
MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAM, SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN ROCKA.
OH, G AND H WILL TAKE TOGETHER ACCEPTANCE OF LOW BID OF BRASCO PS 2 99 REGIONAL PUMP STATION NC M-C-L-L-C $8,552,000 BY ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES DIRECTOR, ACCEPTANCE OF LOW BID OF BRASCO NORTH REGIONAL WASTEWATER CONSOLIDATION, GRADY CRAWFORD CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, INC.
$4,947,978 AND 50 CENTS BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES DIRECTOR.
WE NEED A MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES.
MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. SECOND BY COUNCILMAN HURST.
WE NEED A PUBLIC HEARING ON A MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON A MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES? SEEN NONE WILL GO TO COUNCIL.
ANYONE OPPOSED TO WAIVING THE RULES? SEEING NONE.
NOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE ITEMS. G AND H.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THOSE ITEMS? SEEING NONE WILL GO TO COUNCIL.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION? MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAM? SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN ROCKA? ANY OPPOSED? THE MOTIONS CARRIED.
[93. 24-01495]
OKAY.ITEM 93 RESOLUTION APPROVING THREE ANNUAL PAYMENTS IN LIEU OF TAX TO THE SHERIFF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, AND AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $100 FOR EACH PILOT PAYMENT.
IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE CAPITAL AREA FINANCE AUTHORITY AND THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH HOUSING AUTHORITY AND PARTNERS FOR PROGRESS, INC.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE.
GO TO COUNCIL MOTION BY COUNCILMAN DUNN JR.
SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN COLEMAN.
[94. 24-01456]
94, AUTHORIZED THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO ENTER INTO A FIVE YEAR AGREEMENT WITH MOTOROLA SOLUTIONS INC.FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY RADIO SYSTEM IN AN AMOUNT OF $1,089,391 AND 77 CENTS CONTINGENT ON APPROVAL OF 2025 ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET BY INFORMATION SERVICES DIRECTOR.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEE NONE.
MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAM, SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN ROCKA.
[95. 24-01455]
AMENDING.TITLE ONE, CHAPTER FOUR, PART THREE, SECTION 1 7 0 1.
SO AS TO ADD SUBSECTION J TO PROVIDE FOR AGREEMENTS WITH QUALIFIED GROUP PURCHASING ORGANIZATIONS FOR PURCHASES AND TO PROVIDE FOR RELATED MATTERS BY PAUL NARCISS, PURCHASING DIRECTOR.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SO YOU KNOW, WILL GO TO COUNCIL COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS IS, UM, IS MR. NARCISS HERE? HI.
HEY, HE'S NOT HERE THIS EVENING.
BUT YOU CAN, YOU CAN ANSWER MA'AM IN HIS PLACE.
SO WHAT, UM, I, I READ THROUGH THIS AND I I, BUT I, I'D LIKE SOME, I I GUESS I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO EXPLAIN EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THIS, THIS AD AMENDMENT HERE.
SO THIS WAS INITIATED BY SOME OF THE AGENCIES.
THEY'RE JUST LOOKING FOR ANOTHER OUTLET TO PURCHASE SOME ITEMS. UM, IT WOULD BE A QUALIFIED GROUP PURCHASING ORGANIZATION AND THE
[00:45:01]
HOUSE BILL 8 78 THAT WAS PASSED WILL ALLOW, UM, IT WILL ALLOW POLICE, FIRE, EMS AND OTHER SAFETY AGENCIES TO PURCHASE FROM A QUALIFIED GROUP PURCHASING ORGANIZATION.AND SO, UM, SO DOES THIS, UM, SO THE, THESE, UH, VENDORS HAVE AGREEMENTS WITH THE STATE OF LOUISIANA, RIGHT? AND THEN, AND THEN WE WERE USING THOSE AGREEMENTS TO PURCHASE THROUGH IS THOSE AGREEMENTS? YES.
SO THEY STILL WILL HAVE TO FOLLOW OUR PURCHASING GUIDELINES.
ONE, UM, IS NOT ON A STATE CONTRACT.
AND, AND WHAT DOES THAT DO TO OUR PROCESS? UM, 'CAUSE 'CAUSE DO WE NORMALLY SEEK, UM, MULTIPLE BIDS? I MEAN, I WOULD IMAGINE IF THIS, IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S PUBLIC SAFETY.
DO WE THINK THAT'S GONNA BE A BETTER PRICE THAN THAN US GOING OUT FOR BID HERE? SOME OF THE AGENCIES BELIEVE THAT THEY WILL FIND CHEAPER ITEMS THAT WAY.
AND SO, AND IF THEY ARE, THIS ORDINANCE WILL ALLOW US TO PURCHASE FROM THAT.
UM, AS IN THE, UH, ON D IT STILL STATES THAT WE STILL NEED TO DO THREE QUOTES, UM, DEPENDING ON DOLLAR THRESHOLDS OF THE PURCHASES AND THE ITEMS. SO WE'RE STILL FOLLOWING OUR KIND OF GUIDELINES.
THIS IS JUST ALLOWING US TO USE A DIFFERENT ORGANIZATION TO PURCHASE FROM.
SO I GUESS ONE OF MY, UM, ONE OF MY CONCERNS IS THAT THOSE, THOSE STATE AGREEMENTS ARE, ARE LIKELY WITH NATIONAL VENDORS.
AND I THINK WE'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY DILIGENTLY TO DO AS MUCH BUSINESS LOCALLY, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR, OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR BIG PURCHASES ARE MADE AS LOCAL AS POSSIBLE.
UM, AND SO I, I THINK THESE STATE CONTRACTS ARE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO BE NASH NATIONAL VENDORS.
AND I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS THAT WE ARE, WE MAY BE DOING A DISSERVICE TO OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES AND TO, UM, INTO OUR DBES AS WELL.
MS. BANKS, UH, COUNCILMAN BANKS HAS SOME QUESTIONS AS WELL.
AND I WANNA THINK THROUGH WHAT, WHAT SOME OTHER QUESTIONS I MIGHT HAVE ARE.
UM, SO I DID HEAR THAT YOU SAID THEY HAD TO BE A QUALIFIED GROUP PURCHASING AS ONE OF THE, UM, CRITERIA.
AND THAT THE OTHER ONE IS THAT THE PRICE MAY NEED IT TO BE LOWER.
UM, ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT REALLY CAME ABOUT AS IT RELATES TO THE PANDEMIC, AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW, HOW DOES THIS IMPACT WHERE THERE, UH, THOSE LARGE PURCHASES, UM, AS COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS MENTIONED, THAT ARE ON CONTRACT AND THOSE VENDORS ARE NOT ABLE TO SUPPLY THAT, FOR INSTANCE, A VEHICLE.
SO, AND I KNOW ALL OF THAT IS PART OF STATE LEGISLATION.
SO HOW IS THAT INCLUSIVE OF THIS? AND IS IT STILL WHERE IT HAS TO BE? YES.
THEY GO THROUGH ALL THE, UM, IN THE, IN THE, UH, TO GET BOTH LOCAL DBE AND ALL OF THAT.
BUT IF THEY CAN'T FIND IT, THEN THEY GO TO THIS? OR DOES THAT SUPERSEDE OR IS IT ON A EQUAL PLAYING FIELD? YOU SEE, IF I, SO, SO TO MY UNDERSTANDING, AND I'M NOT AN ATTORNEY, MAYBE THEY WANT TO INTERPRET, UM, IT'S, IT IS GOTTA MEET ONE OF THE TWO CRITERIA.
SO IF THEY'RE WANTING TO PURCHASE FROM THIS GROUP MM-HMM.
BUT WHAT ABOUT, WHAT I FOUND IS THAT THE LAW, PARTICULARLY LAW ENFORCEMENT MM-HMM,
AND BECAUSE OF THE, UM, THE, OR THE LEGISLATION THAT SAYS THAT IT HAS TO BE, I'M NOT SURE IF THEY SAID IT HAS TO BE A LOCAL VENDOR OR IT HAS TO BE ON STATE CONTRACT.
DO YOU KNOW? WELL, IN, IN REFERENCE TO VEHICLES PARTICULARLY.
[00:50:01]
IN THE LAST TWO TO THREE MONTHS? COULD THAT STILL WAS A BARRIER? I THINK IT WAS A LITTLE, I THINK IT WAS A LITTLE LONGER THAN THAT.BECAUSE AS LATE AS SEPTEMBER, IF I RECALL SPEAKING WITH MR. CYS, THAT WAS STILL AN ISSUE.
SO, UM, AND THAT'S WHY I WAS I KNOW, I UNDERSTAND.
AND ALSO WHAT STATE CONTRACT TO ME, AND THAT I DON'T, I'M NOT I WANNA MAKE IS THAT YOU'RE BUYING IT THROUGH THEM ON STATE.
THOSE ARE APPROVED VENDORS, CORRECT? YES MA'AM.
AND THAT'S WHY YOU CALL 'EM STATE ON STATE CONTRACT.
SO THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT ON STATE CONTRACT AND THEY'RE, BUT WHAT QUALIFIES THEM OTHER THAN THAT? BECAUSE TO ME THIS SHOULD BE A STIPULATION WHEN ALL ELSE HAS NOT PRODUCED THE, UH, DESIRED RESULT.
AND THAT'S WHY WHEN I TALK ABOUT PLAYING FIELD, OR IS THIS WHERE YOU'VE GONE THROUGH THE CHECKS? NOBODY, NOBODY HAS IT.
AND THEN YOU MOVE TO THIS BECAUSE OTHERWISE, JUST AS COUNCILMAN ADAMS SAID, THEN YOU, YOU ARE PUTTING A DISADVANTAGE OF OUR LOCAL VENDORS AND POSSIBLY DBE LOCAL, WHICH IS A DOUBLE WHAMMY.
HOWEVER, IF IT'S A DBE, I'M OKAY WITH SKIPPING ALL THAT
SO I THINK WITH SOME OF THE, THE LETTERS ON THE ORDINANCE HERE, IT, IT TALKS ABOUT OUR THRESHOLDS.
UNDER 5,000, WE'RE STILL GONNA BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO OUR PURCHASING PROCUREMENT POLICIES.
SO WE'RE STILL GONNA HAVE TO DO ALL THOSE CHECKS AND BALANCES.
UM, THE PRICES FROM THIS QUALIFIED GROUP PURCHASING ORGANIZATION IS GONNA BE LIKE A BID OR A QUOTE IN ITSELF.
SO THOSE PRICES WILL BE PUBLISHED.
AND SO IF THEY'RE WANTING THAT ITEM, WE'RE STILL GONNA NEED OTHER QUOTES.
IT'S NOT JUST A, OH, I CAN JUST GET IT FROM THEM 'CAUSE WE PASSED IT.
CAN, CAN THEY PARTNER WITH A LOCAL, FOR INSTANCE, IF THERE'S A DEMAND FOR A BULK OF SOMETHING AND LOCALLY WE HAVE 10, THEN THE ORGANIZED WHATEVER HAS 10, CAN THEY PARTNER? I'M NOT SURE TO ANSWER THAT.
I WOULD THINK THAT THE QUALIFIED GROUP, YEAH, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE ALLOWING AND DOING THEIR OWN PROCESS TO HAVE VENDORS BE A PART OF THEIR GROUP.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULDN'T, YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO REALLY ANSWER COUNCILWOMAN YOUR QUESTION.
COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS, I, I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT WE DEFER THIS ITEM.
UM, 'CAUSE I NEED TO DIG INTO IT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
I THINK IT'S, IT, WE DON'T DO PURCHASING EVERY DAY.
AND, AND SO I THINK IT'S, UM, I'VE BEEN READING ABOUT THIS AND TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IT, BUT I'M STILL A LITTLE CONFUSED.
AND I'D REALLY LIKE FOR MR. NARCISS, UM, TO, TO, TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND EXPLAIN TO US, YOU KNOW, SOME, FOR INSTANCES, SOME SITUATIONS THAT HAVE ARISEN AND HOW THIS WOULD BENEFIT US.
AND SO I WOULD BE MORE, MORE COMFORTABLE AND WE DON'T, WE HAVE, WE'RE MISSING A COUPLE COUNCIL PEOPLE AS WELL.
SO I'D LIKE TO, UM, I'D LIKE TO DEFER IT TO OUR FIRST MEETING IN DECEMBER 2ND.
YEAH, I WAS GONNA SAY BASICALLY THE SAME THING ALSO WITH, WITH MR. NARCIS NOT BEING HERE.
I THINK HE'S BETTER, UH, SUITED TO KIND OF GIVE US AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT HIS MINDSET IS.
IT DOES APPEAR THAT IT, IT CAN SET UP SOME UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES TO CIRCUMVENT LOCAL AND MINORITY OWNED VENDORS.
SO I'D LIKE TO HAVE SOME TIME TO SPEND WITH HIM TO DIG INTO IT AS WELL.
WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE SECOND TO DEFER TO DECEMBER 10TH MEETING.
IS ANYBODY OPPOSED? I'M SORRY.
ANYBODY OPPOSED? THAT'S YOUR FAULT.
ITEM NINE SIX, ENACT AN ORDINANCE AND AUTHORIZING MAYOR, PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT GRANTING TO ENERGY LOUISIANA, LLC, THE RIGHT PRIVILEGE AND FRANCHISE FOR A PERIOD OF 41 YEARS TO LAY, MAINTAIN, AND OPERATE MAIN AND PIPES IN UNDER, ALONG AND THROUGH THE PUBLIC STREETS, AVENUES, ALLEYS, ROADS, HIGHWAYS, AND OTHER PUBLIC PLACES OF, AND WITHIN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH FOR THE TRANSMISSION DISTRIBUTION AND SALE OF GAS, PROVIDING REGULATIONS AND CONDITIONS OF THE EXERCISE OF SAIDRIGHT PRIVILEGE AND FRANCHISE AND PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION BY THE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NOW I'M GO TO COUNCIL.
[00:55:02]
I SAW THIS ON THE REGULAR AGENDA, THEN I SAW ADMINISTRATIVE ITEM.UM, IS, ARE THESE THE SAME DIFFERENCE? DIFFERENT? WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? BECAUSE I KIND OF, I GUESS Y'ALL GOT TIME FOR ALL THAT.
SO THIS IS JUST ABOUT LAYING PIPES.
UM, BOTH ITEMS 96 AND 97 ARE FRANCHISE AGREEMENTS WITH ENTERGY.
ONE FOR GAS, ONE FOR, UH, ELECTRICITY, AND, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, RACA AND DUN JUNIOR HAVE PLACED, UH, SUBSTITUTE ITEMS FOR LACK OF A BETTER WAY TO EXPLAIN IT ON THE AGENDA FOR, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE MATTER INTRODUCTIONS TONIGHT FOR PUBLIC HEARING IN, UH, DECEMBER.
WE, I'D LIKE TO, IF I CAN MAKE A MOTION TO DEFER THIS ITEM SO WE CAN JUST LIKE THE PREVIOUS ITEM, HAVE MORE DISCUSSION AND DIG INTO THE ITEM.
OKAY, BECAUSE I DIDN'T
SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS TO DEFER TO THE DECEMBER 11TH MEETING.
ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES ITEM 97 IN ENACT ORDINANCE AND AUTHORIZED THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT GRANTING TO ENERGY LOUISIANA, LLC, THE RIGHT PRIVILEGE AND FRANCHISE FOR A PERIOD OF 18 YEARS TO LAY, MAINTAIN, AND OPERATE MAINS AND PIPES IN UNDER, ALONG AND THROUGH THE PUBLIC STREETS, AVENUES, ALLEYS, ROADWAYS, HIGHWAYS, AND OTHER PUBLIC PLACES OF, AND WITHIN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH FOR THE TRANSMISSION DISTRIBUTION AND SALE OF ELECTRICITY, AND PROVIDING REGULATIONS AND CONDITIONS OF THE EXERCISE OF SAID RIGHT PRIVILEGE AND FRANCHISE AND PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION BY THE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE WILL GO TO COUNCIL COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. I'D LIKE A MOTION, MAKE A MOTION TO DEFER THIS TO OUR DECEMBER, UM, 11TH MEETING.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS, SECOND BY COUNCILMAN DON JR.
TO DEFER TO DECEMBER 11TH MEETING.
ANYONE OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.
[98. 24-01419]
ADAM 98, RESCINDING AND DIRECTING CLERK COURT TO CANCEL THE NOTICE TO ATTEND RECORDED ON MAY 9TH, 2024.AND THE DECISION AND ORDER RECORDING ON JULY 1ST, 2024 IN THE MATTER OF CITY OF BATON ROUGE.
V PAULA A HOLMES 6 1 5 6, AND 6 1 5 8.
CYRUS RESCISSION REASON PROPERTY IS BEING RENOVATED, BROUGHT BACK INTO COMMERCE BY COUNCILWOMAN DEANNE.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE WILL GO TO COUNCIL.
HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN DEANNE.
SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.
ADAM 99 AUTHORIZING METROPOLITAN COUNCIL TO DECLARE LOTS 48 AND 50 BLOCK 12 SOUTH BATON ROUGE SUBDIVISION MUNICIPAL ADDRESSES 2 0 3 7 THOMAS H DEPA DRIVE AND 2 0 5 1 THOMAS H DE DRIVE AS SURPLUS PROPERTY AND NOT NEEDED FOR PUBLIC PUR PURPOSE AND AUTHORIZING THE SAME PURSUANT TO LOUISIANA REVISED STATUTE 33 47 12 ONTO ZERO POINT SOUTHERN INC.
FOR THE SUM OF $14,400 IN AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE A PURCHASE AGREEMENT, CASH SALE, CLOSING DOCUMENTS IN ANY AND ALL OF THE DOCUMENTS AND FURTHER OF THIS SALE WITH THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO PREPARE, REVIEW, AND OR APPROVE ALL SUCH DOCUMENTATION BY THE PARISH ATTORNEY.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEE NONE.
GO TO COUNCIL MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. THE 0.7, ARE THEY HERE? AND I'VE NOT HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THEM.
IT'S NOT IN THE JUNE ADJUDICATED PROPERTY.
SO I WE DIDN'T SUBMIT IT TO YOU, BUT IF YOU'D LIKE TO DEFER AND WE CAN SUBMIT IT TO YOU AND SEND THAT INFORMATION.
I DON'T KNOW WHO IT IS, BUT I CAN FIND OUT.
I RECOMMEND THAT WE DEFER THIS ITEM.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND FOR THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION? SECOND BY COUNCILMAN DUN, JR.
WE'RE GONNA VOTE ON THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION.
SUBSTITUTE MOTION IS TO DEFER UNTIL, UH, TILL DECEMBER 11TH MEETING.
SO THE MOTION IS TO DEFER TO DECEMBER 11TH MEETING.
UH, ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.
[100. 24-01424]
AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR OF THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO INSTITUTE AN APPROPRIATION PROCEEDINGS AND OR TAKE SUCH OTHER ACTIONS AS MAY BE REQUIRED IN CONNECTION WITH THE ACQUISITION OF LAND NECESSARY FOR THE MOVE BEYOND ENHANCEMENT PROJECT SHARP ROAD CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENTS OR HAMMOND[01:00:01]
HIGHWAY TO FLORIDA BOULEVARD BY THE PARISH ATTORNEY.ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? WE HAVE, WE HAVE ONE, UH, OPPOSITION PEGGY DAIGLE DOESN'T WISH TO SPEAK.
COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED ONE EMAIL, COMMENT AND OPPOSITION TO ITEM 100.
ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SCENE NONE WILL GO TO COUNCIL.
MS. PEGGY DOES NOT OPPOSE ITEM 100, APPARENTLY.
MOTION CARRIES ITEM 1 0 1, AUTHORIZED IN PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, THE APPROPRIATION PROCEEDINGS AND OR TO TAKE SUCH OTHER ACTIONS THAT MAY BE REQUIRING IN CONNECTION WITH THE ACQUISITION OF LAND NECESSARY FOR THE MOVE VR ENHANCEMENT PROJECT LA 42 HIGHLAND ROAD AT PICO LANE BY THE PARISH ATTORNEY.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL, UH, DID SPEAK TO COUNCILMAN GODAD A COUPLE DAYS AGO.
HE'D ASKED, UH, BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS ALONG HOLLAND HAVE EXPRESSED SOME CONCERNS.
WHAT WE'RE DOING ABOUT EXP EXPLOITATING A PIECE OF PROPERTY WHEN, WHEN REALITY, WE HAVEN'T EVEN LAID OUT THE DESIGN, WHAT WE'RE DOING.
BUT THIS IS A NORMAL PROCESS THAT WE GO THROUGH AND I THINK Y'ALL KNOW THAT WE DO THE EXP EXPLORATIONS AND NOT ONLY FOR THE MOVE BEYOND, BUT ALSO FOR, FOR ALL THE OTHER PROJECTS DEALING WITH PUBLIC WORKS.
UH, COUNCILMAN GOLAND ASKED TO DEFER TO THE DECEMBER 11TH MEETING.
UH, THAT GIVES US, WE'RE GONNA HAVE PLENTY OF STUFF ON THE AGENDA, THAT'S FOR SURE, BESIDES THINKING ABOUT CHRISTMAS.
BUT, UH, UH, I WOULD ALSO, YOU KNOW, HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TRY TO GET WITH THE PEOPLE IN THE AREA AND TRY TO DISCUSS THE ISSUES THAT THEY HAVE CONCERNS WITH.
BUT WE ARE PLANNING TO DO A MEETING.
UH, I'VE EXPRESSED THAT TO THE, THE GROUP THAT'S BACK HERE.
I RAN OUTTA CARDS AND I GAVE THEM YOURS CO COUNCILMAN.
SO
UH, I DO, THEY DO HAVE SOME VALID CONCERNS, BUT, UH, I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE THE STEPS TO TRY TO DO THAT BEFORE WE HAVE THE EXPROPRIATION.
WE HAVE NO OBJECTIONS TO THAT.
OKAY, MS. UH, CATHERINE PALERMO.
ANYONE HERE ELSE WISH TO SPEAK, SEEN? I'M GO TO COUNCIL.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO DEFER TO DECEMBER 11TH MEETING, PLEASE.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAM, SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN MOROCCO.
[102. 24-01445]
ITEM 1 0 2, AUTHORIZED AND SETTLEMENT.THE MATTER ENTITLED CATHERINE WOOLFOLK VERSUS CITY OF BATON ROUGE, ET.
ALL IN THE AMOUNT OF 75,000 PLUS COURT COSTS IN THE AMOUNT OF $636 FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT OF $75,636 AND APPROPRIATING $75,636 FOR SUCH PURPOSE BY THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SAY NONE WILL GO TO COUNCIL MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN ROCKA.
SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN COLEMAN.
[103. 24-01446]
ITEM 1 0 3 AUTHORIZING SETTLEMENT IN THE MATTER OF ANNIE COCHRAN ET ALL VERSUS RONALD WAYNE NORMAN ET ALL IN THE AMOUNT OF 122,500 PLUS COURT COSTING THE AMOUNT OF 1080 $5 AND 70 CENTS FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT OF $123.AND THE SAME FOR SUCH PURPOSE BY THE PARISH ATTORNEY.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE WILL GO TO COUNCIL.
SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN AMAROSA.
[104. 24-01475]
ITEM 1 0 4, AUTHORIZING SETTLEMENT IN THE MATTER ENTITLED SHAUNA CHAVE AT UCS VERSUS CITY OF BATON ROUGE ET.ALL IN THE AMOUNT OF $180,000 AND APPROPRIATED $180,000 FOR SUCH PURPOSE BY THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEE, NONE WILL GO TO COUNCIL.
SECOND BY COUNCILMAN DUNN, JR.
ANY, ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.
[105. 24-01478]
AUTHORIZING SETTLEMENT.THE MATTER ENTITLED IRA CUMMINS VERSUS DAVID LEE.
AND THE AMOUNT OF 85,000 PLUS COURT COSTING THE AMOUNT OF $580 FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT OF 85 $5,580 IN APPROPRIATED.
[01:05:01]
BY THE PARISH ATTORNEY.ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? NONE WILL GO TO COUNCIL MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN ROCKA.
AND HE OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES
[106. 24-01434]
ITEM 1 0 6 AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE LIBRARY BOARD OF CONTROL WITH INDUSTRIAL COOLING TOWERS FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE COOLING TOWER HOT WATER DISTRIBUTION BASINS AT THE MAIN LIBRARY IN THE AMOUNT OF $105,346 BY THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR.ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEE? NONE WILL GO TO COUNCIL MOTION BY COUNCILMAN HURST.
[107. 24-01452]
ITEM 1 0 7 AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF BATON ROUGE PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE AND GO DAY ENTERPRISES DOING BUSINESS AS EM AND ASSOCIATES FOR A TOTAL SUM NOT TO EXCEED $80,000 BY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEE NONE.
WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL MOTION BY COUNCILMAN HEARTH.
COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. UM, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS, THIS CONTRACT.
DON, MS. DANTE, DO YOU, CAN YOU IT'S, I SPEAK TO IT.
I JUST, I I WANTED TO, I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE HERE.
UM, I, I THINK IT'S, I THINK, I THINK IT'S JAY.
I WANTED TO, UM, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.
UM, SO READING THROUGH WHAT, WHAT Y'ALL ARE CONTRACTING TO DO, BUT THIS IS, THIS IS A LOT, THIS IS A LOT.
THESE ARE BIG, UM, OVERARCHING, UM, THINGS, UM, WITH REGARD TO, UH, YOU KNOW, SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, KIND OF, KIND OF TALK TO ME ABOUT WHAT ACTIVITIES, WHAT, WHAT'S THIS GONNA LOOK LIKE? YEAH, SO WHAT YOU SEE IN THERE PRETTY MUCH COMES FROM, UH, GOALS THAT WERE SET.
THAT'S ACTUALLY ON THE, THE 2024 BUDGET FROM THE CITY.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA BE USING THROUGH OUR RESEARCH TO ACTUALLY DEVELOP AN ECONOMIC, UH, INITIATIVE, PLAN POLICY FOR THE CITY FROM THERE, WHICH WE'LL BE DOING THAT OVER SEVERAL MONTHS.
AND FROM THERE WE'LL ACTUALLY BE COMING BACK TO YOU ALL TO APPROVE THAT PLAN.
AND THEN THIS PRETTY MUCH ALLOWS THE CITY TO HAVE, UH, A MUNICIPAL ADVISORY FIRM TO ACT AS A CONSULTANT TO OVERSEE THE EXECUTION OF WHAT THAT PLAN IS.
SO THIS PART IS, UM, YOU'RE GONNA RECOMMEND A POLICY OR, OR A STRATEGIC VISION FOR THE WAY WE GO ABOUT ECONOMIC, I THINK IT SEEMS LIKE ESPECIALLY SMALL BUSINESS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
IS THAT CORRECT? WELL, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AS A WHOLE, BUT THAT'S, THAT IS, THAT IS ONE OF THE MILESTONES WITHIN THAT, THAT'S GONNA BE PART OF THAT INITIATIVE.
AND SO, UM, WHAT, SO WHAT ARE YOU GONNA BE PULLING FROM TO HELP CRAFT THIS POLICY INTERVIEWS? WHAT OTHER CITIES HAVE DONE? LIKE WHAT, WHAT'S THAT PROCESS GONNA LOOK LIKE? A, A COMBINATION OF ALL, UM, SO MYSELF AND, AND MY TEAM, OF COURSE, WE'LL BE WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU AS WELL AS THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY ON A, A, UM, ARRAY OF INTERVIEWS, UM, UH, INITIATIVES THAT HAVE BEEN DONE IN OTHER CITIES, UH, PEER CITIES, THAT'S GONNA BE PART OF, PART OF THAT RESEARCH.
UH, A LOT OF RESEARCH, A LOT OF ECONOMIC STUDY IS GONNA BE PUT INTO WHAT THAT PLAN IS GOING TO ACTUALLY INVOLVE.
AND SO WHY THIS AND WHY NOW? SO, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
UM, PRETTY MUCH ABOUT A YEAR AGO I STARTED, I STARTED HAVING THIS CONVERSATION WITH, WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE DUE TO, UM, THE INCEPTION OF ST.
GEORGE, WHICH OVER, OVER A 10 YEAR PERIOD, THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE IS ESTIMATED TO LOSE ABOUT A, ABOUT $480 MILLION IN TAX REVENUE.
UM, BATON ROUGE IS ONE OF THE FEW CITIES IN THIS REGION THAT DOES NOT ACTUALLY PUT OUT A RFP FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONSULTING.
UM, YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE PEER CITIES, A A AROUND JUST CERTAIN PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, THEY ACTUALLY DO THIS AND PUT THIS RFP OUT FOR A MUNICIPAL ADVISOR AND CONSULTANTS TO ACTUALLY BE A PART OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ECONOMIC PLAN FOR THE CITY.
UH, WE DID SOME INTERNAL RESEARCH OVER THIS TIME AND WE, WE, WHICH SHOWS THIS, A LOT OF OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS DONE IN SILOS.
AND THIS PLAN IS ACTUALLY TO GIVE THE CITY OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH A CONSULTANT TO WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY PUT ALL OF THE EFFORTS TOGETHER TO ACTUALLY DEVELOP A COHESIVE PLAN.
AND ALSO, WILL YOU, UM, WILL THERE BE ANY INVOLVEMENT FROM OTHER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ENTITIES? SO I'M JUST THINKING, YOU KNOW, STATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, BRAC BRA.
IT'S GONNA BE A COMMON, IT'S GONNA BE A COLLECTIVE EFFORT OF EVERYONE.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR.
WE HAVE A MOST OF, UH, COUNCILMAN MO.
COULD, COULD YOU SIT BACK UP FOR A SECOND? YOU MAY HAVE ANSWERED THIS FOR, UM, A COUNCILWOMAN, BUT THE SCOPE OF BUSINESSES THAT OR STUDY THAT YOU'LL BE LOOKING AT
[01:10:01]
THAT'S FROM ANYWHERE FROM SMALL BUSINESS TO, UH, CORPORATE BUSINESS.UM, MAINLY SMALL BUSINESS, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT PRETTY MUCH SOME OF WHAT YOU GUYS HAD SPOKE TO EARLIER, TO WHAT THE OTHER GENTLEMAN THAT WAS UP TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR DBES AND OUR SMALL BUSINESSES ARE ALWAYS HAVING A, UH, ABILITY TO COMPETE AS WELL AS, UM, BRING WORKING TO BRING IN SOME CDFIS TO HAVE AN ANCHOR HERE IN THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO, UH, BE MORE COMPETITIVE WHEN IT COMES TO ACCESS TO CAPITAL FOR THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES.
WHAT'S THAT? WHAT'S THE CDF? WHAT'S THE CDFI? COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.
UH, DANTE, COULD YOU COME UP? UM, LOOK, I, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT, UH, FOCUS ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND EVERYTHING.
I THINK IT'S A START STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND ALL.
UM, I WOULD SAY, I MEAN, COULD WE, COULD THE SCOPE EXPAND? IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS FOCUSED ON SMALL BUSINESS DBE AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
I, I GET THAT, BUT COULD WE POSSIBLY LOOK AT EXPANDING IT TO OVERALL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR NOT JUST THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE, UH, THE, UH, BUT THE, THE WHOLE PARISH AS FAR AS CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT, UM, COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT, UM, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO OVER TIME, I THINK THAT THE ANSWER, THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION IS YES.
UM, SO WE, WE STARTED WITH THIS SCOPE 'CAUSE, SO JAY AND I SAT DOWN WITH THE MAYOR A FEW MONTHS AGO AND WE TALKED THROUGH KIND OF AN ENTIRE MENU OF THINGS.
AND THEN CONSIDERING WHAT WE ARE WALKING INTO WITH THE 2025 BUDGET, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE BEING AS STRATEGIC AS POSSIBLE, RIGHT? WITH HOW WE'RE ALLOCATING DOLLARS, ESPECIALLY CONTRACT DOLLARS GOING INTO 2025.
SO WE SAT DOWN, WE, UM, AGREED UPON THE SCOPE THAT'S PRESENTED TO YOU ALL RIGHT NOW, BUT I THINK TO YOUR POINT, YOU KNOW, WE DIVE INTO THIS PROCESS, WE START GETTING SOME GOOD RECOMMENDATIONS, AND WE START LOOKING AT SOME STRATEGIC SITES THAT WE CAN TARGET FIRST.
WE GET SOME, A GOOD PROOF OF CONCEPT.
WE BRING THIS BACK, WE EXPAND THAT.
SO ABSOLUTELY IN THE FUTURE, I DO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY THIS BEARS EXCELLENT FRUIT FOR THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE, AND ONCE WE HAVE A PROOF OF CONCEPT, WE CAN EXPAND THIS.
DANTE, YOU CAN, YOU CAN STAY THERE.
'CAUSE I WAS GONNA KIND OF GO ON ON THE SIMILAR APPROACH AS COUNCILMAN MOOCH.
UM, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, UH, BRAC HAS BEEN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PARTNER FOR THE CITY, BUT FOR MANY YEARS, UH, IF IT'S NOT ONE, MAYBE TWO YEARS AGO, UM, WE NO LONGER FUNDED THEM OR HAD THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM IN THAT WAY.
UM, BUT DANTE, I KIND OF WANTED TO KNOW, IS THIS MORE OF LIKE A, A A PILOT PROGRAM TO SEE WHAT THE DIRECTION WE'RE GOING IN AND THEN DO A TRIAL AND ERROR TO SEE WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO MOVING FORWARD? BECAUSE OFFICIALLY TO MY KNOWLEDGE, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE ANYONE RUNNING POINT ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SMALL.
OUR CORPORATE BUSINESS RIGHT NOW IN PARTNERSHIP ARE FOR THE CITY PARIS.
SO IT IS THIS KIND OF LIKE A START TO SEE, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW WE END AND, AND TO COUNCILMAN MO'S POINT, WE CAN EXPAND UPON THIS SCOPE WITH THEM OR BRING ANOTHER PARTNER IN OR IDENTIFY SOMEONE ELSE TO, TO EXPAND THAT WORK THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND THE PARISH.
I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF, UH, YEAH.
I, AND I WOULDN'T NECESSARILY CHARACTERIZE THIS AS A PILOT, BUT TO YOUR POINT, I DO THINK THAT THIS IS A START.
LIKE YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, WE NO LONGER HAVE, WE STILL DO, TO BE CLEAR, WE STILL DO WORK WITH THE CHAMBER, HOWEVER, WE DO NOT HAVE THAT FORMAL CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIP THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST.
SO HAVING SOMEBODY WHO WORKS DIRECTLY WITH THE MAYOR PRESIDENT'S OFFICE ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN A CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIP WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT IS NOT LIKE THEY'RE SERVING TWO MASTERS KIND OF THING, RIGHT.
UH, FOR, TO USE A CRUDE PHRASE.
UM, BUT ABSOLUTELY GOING FORWARD, I DO THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING WHERE WE HOPE TO GET A LOT OF BANG FOR OUR BUCK IN THIS CONCEPT.
WE PLAN TO BRING MORE BUSINESSES.
AND LIKE I SAID, ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT JUMPED OUT TO US WAS TARGETING SPECIFIC LOCATIONS THAT ARE RIPE FOR ECONOMIC INVESTMENT TODAY.
THINGS THAT WE CAN KIND OF CATCH THOSE LOW HANGING FRUIT.
WE GET SOME INVESTMENTS, WE START SEEING IT WORKING, MOVING SOME OF THESE AREAS FORWARD, AND THEN WE BRANCH OUT AND EXPAND.
I I DO THINK THIS IS A GOOD THING AND A GOOD START.
I DO THINK, UM, WE NEED TO EXPAND UPON IT.
WE NEED TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT JAY AND HIS TEAM COME BACK WITH DELIVERABLES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
BUT I DO THINK WE NEED SOMEBODY ACCOUNTABLE TO CITY PARISH, GOVERNMENT RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS CRITICAL SERVICE.
UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, JOB CREATION, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
WE KNOW HOW VITAL IT IS TO THE ECONOMY, HOW VITAL IT IS TO ATTRACTING PEOPLE TO THE CITY.
SO I, I'M GLAD THAT YOU GUYS PUT THIS IN PLACE.
[01:15:01]
FURTHER CONVERSATION WITH YOU, JAY AND DANTE, ABOUT THIS AND LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN EXPAND UPON IT BECAUSE WE DEFINITELY NEED SOMEBODY THAT IS, UH, RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS WORK.ONE OTHER THING, UH, AND I'M SORRY IF YOU WERE DONE, I JUST WANTED TO NO, GO AHEAD.
I JUST WANTED TO MENTION, 'CAUSE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE, UH, CONTRACTUAL SERVICES, JUST, AND I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN THIS ROOM BEFORE, BUT JUST FOR THE RECORD, UH, WHAT WE DID WITH THAT MONEY THAT WE HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN GIVEN TO THE CHAMBER IS WE ENTERED INTO CONTRACTUAL RELATIONSHIPS WITH BOTH SOUTHERN AND LSU TO HELP BOOST THEIR SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT INCUBATOR PROGRAMS. SO THEY COULD ALSO POUR INTO THE SMALL BUSINESS IDEAS, NOT ONLY OF STUDENTS, BUT ALSO ALUMNI AND FOLKS IN THE AREAS AROUND BOTH OF THOSE UNIVERSITIES.
I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT ON AS WELL.
SO I HAD THE, UH, OPPORTUNITY TO GRILL JAY ABOUT, UH, WHAT HE PLANS ON DOING.
AND I TOLD HIM, I DON'T CARE IF YOU BLACK, WHITE, CHINESE, REPUBLICAN, DEMOCRAT, I JUST WANT TO KNOW HOW YOU HELP MY CITY.
AND I TOLD HIM, I SAID, I DON'T THINK 80,000 IS ENOUGH.
AND HE AGREED, HE SAID, 80,000 IS A GREAT START TO PUT A PLAN TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PLAN THAT I PUT IN PLACE, UM, IF THE COUNCIL BUYS IN, IS THE RIGHT ONE TO ALLOW IT TO MOVE FORWARD.
AND AT THAT TIME, SIMILAR TO OTHER AGREEMENTS THAT WE'VE DONE, UM, IF IT MAKES SENSE TO MOVE FORWARD AND EXPAND, UH, AND EXPOUND ON THOSE SERVICES, THAT HE WOULD BE IN A POSITION TO DO IT.
SO THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING ALL OF MY QUESTIONS.
UH, ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS, EVEN I TALKED TO DANTE ABOUT THIS EARLIER AS WELL, AND HE SAID, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE GOT TO START PAYING SOME ATTENTION.
OH, NOT SOME, BUT MORE ATTENTION TO DILAPIDATED AND UNDERSERVED AREAS.
AND SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING A PLAN FOR NORTH BATON ROUGE.
UM, 'CAUSE I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I, I SAY STUFF AND I KNOW I, I, I KIND OF SAY IT WITH A LITTLE, UM, SOMETIMES, BUT WHEN I LOOK AT NORTH BATON ROUGE, WHICH IS THE, IN MY OPINION, THE REASON ST.
GEORGE IS CREATED, RIGHT? LOW TEST SCORES, HIGH CRIME, LOW EDUCATION, UM, UH, LOW HOUSEHOLD MEETING INCOMES.
WE'VE HAD BRAC FOR 30 YEARS, AND NORTH BATON ROUGE HAS GONE DOWN ON THEIR WATCH.
SO THEIR INVESTMENT IN NORTH BATON ROUGE HAS BEEN CHEMICAL PLANTS WHERE THEY HIRE PEOPLE FROM WEST FELICIANA, UM, POINT COMPETE PARISH ESSENTIAL LIVINGSTON, AND THOSE PEOPLE DON'T SHOP AT DELMONT VILLAGE.
UM, THEY DON'T SH THEY, THEY'RE TOO SCARED TO GO TO THE GAS STATIONS AND THEY'RE NOT SHOP IN THE SHOPPER'S VALUE.
SO WE NEED SOMEBODY WHO IS GOING TO BRING PEOPLE AND RESOURCES THAT ARE, CREATE JOBS AND HIRE PEOPLE FROM THOSE COMMUNITIES, BRING HOPE BACK.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT YOUR PLAN IS, MAN.
WE ALREADY HAD OUR CONVERSATION.
UH, I TOLD HIM THE ONE THING THAT I CARE ABOUT IS ACCOUNTABILITY AND, UH, JUST DON'T OVER PROMISE.
AND UNDER THAT, I APPRECIATE IT.
AND, AND I'LL SAY, IF I COULD SAY ONE THING, AND I'LL BE BRIEF WITH THIS, UH, JUST TO, JUST TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF COUNCILMAN HERTZ'S COMMENTS ON, UM, THE CONTRACT AMOUNT.
UM, WHEN I FIRST STARTED TALKING TO DANTE AND THE MAYOR ABOUT THIS, SOME DATA WAS, UM, GENERATED FROM THE CITY OF DALLAS THAT JUST HAD APPROVED AN ADDITIONAL 1.5 MILLION TO THEIR ADVISOR FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WHICH TOTALED, UM, A TOTAL OF 3.9 MILLION OVER FOUR YEARS.
NOW WE'RE A SIX OF THE SIZE OF DALLAS, BUT RELATIVELY, IF YOU LOOK AT THE SCOPE OF THAT CONTRACT, WE NEED THE SAME THINGS.
IT'S THE SAME TYPE OF SCOPE, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE SAME, IT'S THE SAME WORK THAT HAS TO BE DONE EVEN WITH THE SMALLER CITY.
SOME CASES EVEN MORE WORK BECAUSE OF THE STATE OF WHERE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MAY BE.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT 3.5 MILLION OVER FOUR YEARS, A SIX OF THAT, THAT KIND OF GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT THIS CONTRACT COULD POTENTIALLY LOOK LIKE.
AND I JUST GOT AN EMAIL OF A BID TABULATION FOR, UM, A CITY THAT IS CONSIDERED A PEER CITY TO US, WHICH IS GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA.
AND THOSE NUMBERS ARE KIND OF, ARE PRETTY MUCH AROUND THAT RANGE.
SO JUST TO GIVE YOU GUYS SOME PERSPECTIVE, WHEN WE'RE COMING BACK TO THE TABLE TO TALK ABOUT THIS, YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF WHAT THOSE NUMBERS LOOK LIKE.
COUNCILWOMAN BANKS, I'M SORRY, I KEEP HEARING ON THE TERM PLAN, BUT IT DOES NOT SOUND LIKE IT'S A PLAN.
UH, YOU ACTUALLY, BEGINNING JANUARY 1ST WILL BEGIN A CONSULTING SERVICE.
UM, THE CLOSEST I COULD THINK, AND JUST CORRECT ME IF I'M ON ALONG THE SAME LINE, IS THE POSITION THAT BENEATH HAD AND, UM, WHERE, UM, A LOT, FOR INSTANCE, YOU KNOW, HE, HE KIND OF WORKED TO MAKE SURE THAT OCHSNER CAME TO HOWELL PLACE AND CAPITAL AREA HUMAN SERVICES, AND EVEN THE SALE OF THAT BUILDING.
AND SO IS THAT THE KIND OF WORK, UM, THAT YOU WILL BE DOING, OR IS IT A PLAN? UH, BECAUSE I DO THINK SMALL PLANS ARE
[01:20:01]
REALLY GOOD AND IT NEEDED, BUT WE KIND OF PLANNED OUT, YOU KNOW, TRUST ME.BUT TELL ME HOW, UM, IN, UH, IF YOU CAN GIVE AN EXAMPLE, THAT'S THE CLOSEST I COULD COME, BUT LIKE, LET'S JUST THINK ABOUT NAME, LIKE ONE OF THE AREAS, UM, THAT IS DISENFRANCHISED, WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE IN RE IN REAL TIME.
SO TO, IN, IN SOME PART OF WHAT YOU'RE ASKING YES AND NO, UM, THIS, THIS, THIS ROLE DOES CONSIST OF, UM, A CONSULTANT ACTUALLY BEING ABLE TO BRING IN INVESTMENT INTO, INTO THE CITY.
AND IT ADVISES ON WHAT IS THE BEST TYPE OF INVESTMENT, BUT IT DOES START WITH A PLAN.
AND THAT PLAN HAS TO BE COHESIVE ON WHICH STATE THAT THE, THAT THE PARISH IS IN AND WHAT IS ACTUALLY NEEDED.
AND THAT COMES FROM, UH, AN ARRAY OF RESEARCH THAT HAS TO BE DONE TO DETERMINE WHAT IS THE BEST PRACTICE MOVING FORWARD WHEN IT COMES TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
NOW, YOU, YOU AND ME BOTH KNOW I AM SO WITH YOU ON, ON THE, ON THE PLANS THAT WE'VE DONE MM-HMM.
AND THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT WORKING WITH A, A, A MULTI-DISCIPLINE, UH, ADVISORY ORGANIZATION OPPOSED TO SOMEBODY LIKE THE CHAMBER, LIKE DANTE SAID, THAT HAS OTHER, OTHER ENDEAVORS THAT THEY'RE, THAT, THAT THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR.
THIS REQUIRES US TO SOLELY FOCUS ON THE GROWTH OF WHAT THAT PLAN ACTUALLY THAT WE LAID OUT.
SO IT'S A, IT IS A DESIGN OF A PLAN, BUT THEN IT'S ALSO THE OVERSIGHT OF THE EXECUTION OF THAT PLAN.
AND COLLECTIVELY, WE'LL, YOU'LL BE SEEING WHAT THAT IS OVER, OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL, YOU KNOW, FEW MONTHS TO DETERMINE WHAT DOES THAT, WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT ACTUALLY LOOK LIKE, AND HOW DO WE MOVE FORWARD FROM THERE? SO TO ANSWER, TO ANSWER SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS, YES, A POSITION LIKE WHAT BENEATH HAD IT'S IDEAL, BUT WHEN YOU ARE CON CONTRACTING A COMPANY TO DO THIS, THAT HAS CFAS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPECIALISTS, COMMUNITY MANAGERS, YOU KNOW, FINANCIAL ANALYSTS, DATA ANALYSTS, THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE TO COMPILE ALL THAT DATA AND DEVELOP SOMETHING COHESIVE FOR THAT PARTICULAR CITY.
IT, IT, IT SOUNDS IDEAL, BUT YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE CITY E EVERY PART OF OUR CITY IS DIFFERENT.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING HOW WOULD YOU TACKLE THIS BY DISTRICT, BY COMMUNITY OR JUST, OR HAD YOU GOTTEN THAT FAR? SO, SO WE HAVEN'T GOT THAT, THAT DEEP INTO IT YET, BUT JUST OFF, YOU KNOW, JUST THINKING ABOUT IT.
YES, IT WILL, WE WILL BE APPROACHING IT BY DISTRICT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, JUST TALKING TO A LOT OF YOU ALL, ALL OF YOU HAVE DIFFERENT IDEAS ON WHAT YOU WANT IN YOUR DISTRICT.
BUT WHEN IT ALL COMES DOWN TO IT, WE'RE STILL ONE CITY.
SO EACH PLAN THAT YOU ALL HAVE WITHIN YOUR RESPECTIVE DISTRICTS, WE HAVE TO DEVELOP SOMETHING THAT'S COHESIVE, THAT'S GONNA BE FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE CITY AS A WHOLE, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE NOT DONE.
SO, WITH A LOT OF THIS DISCUSSION AND EVERYTHING, WHAT, UH, ON, ON GO DAY, WHAT IS YOUR SPECIALTY SET AS FAR AS WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING, WHAT, WHAT Y'ALL LOOK FOR, WHAT Y'ALL GO AFTER IN THESE, UM, AGREEMENTS? DO YOU STRICTLY LOOK FOR SMALL BUSINESS DBE? BECAUSE I'M, I'M GETTING A LITTLE MIXED SIGNAL HERE.
WHAT I'M SEEING AND ENVISIONING WITH THIS 80,000 AND, AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT IT.
I, I, I, I LOVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BUT I LOOK AT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FROM A BROAD RANGE, AND I'M, I GUESS I'M GETTING SOME MIXED SIGNALS IN SOME OF THE DISCUSSION ON WHAT EXACTLY Y'ALL WILL BE TARGETING, WHAT EXACTLY TO BE LOOKING FOR.
UM, COUNCILWOMAN BANKS JUST BROUGHT INTO THE FACT OF WHETHER YOU GO LOOK AT DISTRICT, YOU GO LOOK AT WHATEVER, I LOOK AT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF WHAT TYPES OF BUSINESSES WE WANT AND WHERE CAN THEY GO? MM-HMM.
UM, I'VE, I'VE DONE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR OTHER AREAS AND STUFF, SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT I, I'M GETTING KIND OF CONFUSED ON HERE EXACTLY WHAT, IS THIS A TARGETED THING? IS IT SPECIFIC TO A SPECIFIC INDUSTRY OR TYPE OR WHATEVER? I DON'T, I, I, I'M GREAT WITH STARTING OFF WITH THIS, BUT I WANT TO BE ABLE TO RAMP UP PRETTY QUICKLY FOR, FOR THE PARISH AS A WHOLE.
UM, I KNOW THERE'S, THERE'S DIFFERENT AREAS, THERE'S DIFFERENT THINGS THAT CAN GO IN OTHER AREAS, BUT I THINK, I HOPE THAT WE'RE EVENTUALLY HEADING TO LOOKING FOR, AS A WHOLE, I'M DISTRICT FOUR CITY OF CENTRAL, AND IT HAS SOME OUTLYING AREAS, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT WE NEED CORPORATE DEVELOPMENT DOWNTOWN BATON ROUGE.
WE NEED HIGH RISES FILLED OR NEW ONES BUILT WITH CORPORATIONS COMING IN, WHICH WILL THEN BRING THE PEOPLE IN, WHICH WILL THEN BRING THE SMALL BUSINESSES IN TO, TO SERVE THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE LIVING IN DIFFERENT AREAS AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING AT AND HOPEFULLY WHERE THIS IS GOING.
SO, SO YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
SO THIS IS, THIS IS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AS A WHOLE.
[01:25:01]
ON THAT PROPOSAL IS MAINLY WE PULLED SOME MILESTONES, GOALS, I WOULD SAY THAT WAS, THAT THE MAYOR'S OFFICE HAD ON THE 2024 BUDGET THAT WE WOULD JUST BE INCLUDING INTO OUR RESEARCH AND OUR STUDY.WE ARE GONNA BE FOCUSING ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AS A WHOLE.
CASE IN POINT, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
FOUR YEARS AGO I WENT TO THE CHAMBER AND MAYOR'S OFFICE TO DO A, UM, A RETAIL STUDY FOR DOWNTOWN HIGH IN A RETAIL STUDY FOR DOWNTOWN.
THE CHAMBER DIDN'T WANNA PAY FOR IT.
SO OVER A SERIES OF CONVERSATIONS WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND SOME OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL AS DDD, UM, WE CAME INTO A CONCLUSION THAT EVENTUALLY WE WILL BASICALLY PUT SOME FUNDS TOGETHER TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR THE RETAIL STUDY.
THE RETAIL STUDY WOULD, THE, THE PURPOSE OF THE RETAIL STUDY WAS FOR ALL OF THE VACANT, UH, COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS THAT WE HAD DOWNTOWN, AND RELATIONSHIPS THAT OUR ORGANIZATION HAD WITH SOME HIGH END RETAILERS THAT WOULD BE LOOKING TO COME INTO THE CITY AS AN ANCHOR, BUT THEY NEEDED SOME INCENTIVES AND THE STUDY WAS GOING TO PROVIDE THOSE INCENTIVES, BUT WE WEREN'T GONNA JUST USE REGULAR ROOFTOP DATA THAT WE TYPICALLY GET FROM, FROM DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS.
WHEN IT CAME TO DATA, WE WERE LOOKING TO USE CREDIT CARD DATA THAT SHOWED HOME ZIP CODES THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY LIVE IN THE CITY AND, AND WOULD IDENTIFY LEAKAGE THAT THERE'S A, THERE'S A, A, A BASE OF PEOPLE THAT LEAVE THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE THAT TRAVEL 60 MILES, SIX 70 MILES EAST OF NEW ORLEANS TO SHOP 200 MILES WEST OF HOUSTON TO SHOP, WHICH WOULD IN TURN HAVE SHOWN THESE, THESE HIGHEND RETAILERS THAT, HEY, YOU CAN COME HERE AND BE AN ANCHOR.
WE CAN OFFER INCENTIVES AND THERE'S GONNA BE A BUSINESS CASE.
SO TO GO BACK TO YOUR INITIAL POINT, THIS ENDEAVOR IS FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AS A WHOLE.
AND WHEN I SAY GOING TO SEPARATE DISTRICTS, BECAUSE ONE OF OUR APPROACHES IS TO LOOK AT WHAT IS THE AVAILABILITY WITHIN EACH DISTRICT AND HOW DO WE ACTUALLY CULTIVATE THAT INTO A COHESIVE PLAN.
COUNCILMAN DON, JR JUST TO PIGGYBACK ON THAT POINT, UM, JAY EUGENE STOOD BEFORE US EARLIER REPORTING ON A, A COUPLE MEETINGS AGO, REPORTING ON THE SCOTLANDVILLE, UM, GROCERY STORE, UH, PROJECT THAT HIM AND COUNCILWOMAN BANKS ARE WORKING ON.
AND HE TALKED ABOUT DIVERTING AWAY FROM STANDARD ROOFTOP DATA AND LOOKING AT, UM, DATA, TRAFFIC DATA.
AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, UM, YOUR STUDY TRANSITIONING FROM ROOFTOP DATA AND LOOKING AT CREDIT CARD DATA.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE A TREND WITH SOME OF THESE STUDIES THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, ALTERNATIVE WAYS TO CAPTURE FOOT TRAFFIC, MERCHANT TRAFFIC, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
UM, BUT TO, TO SUPPORT WHAT COUNCILMAN MOOCH IS SAYING, I THINK THE SCOPE DEFINITELY NEEDS TO BE BROADENED.
UM, AND WITH $80,000, WE ARE NOT GOING TO GET ALL THESE BELLS AND WHISTLES WITH $80,000 JUST TO KIND OF KEEP IT IN PERSPECTIVE.
UH, I KNOW THE LAST ANNUAL, UM, YOU KNOW, ALLOTMENT THAT WE GAVE BRACK WAS SOME $300,000, BUT THAT THING STARTED AT EIGHT, $900,000 MANY YEARS AGO.
UM, AND YOU COMPARE, UH, WHAT THEY WERE DOING AND RESPONSIBLE FOR, UH, TO WHAT WE ARE ASKING JAY TO DO IS BASICALLY EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR, FOR 10% OF, OF WHAT THEY STARTED WITH.
SO WE'RE NOT GONNA GET ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES WITH $80,000.
UM, AND IT MAY NOT BE JUST THIS VENDOR, IT MAY BE OTHER VENDORS THAT WE BRING IN AS A PART OF THE PROCESS TO HELP US.
UH, COUNCILMAN COUNCILWOMAN BANKS BROUGHT UP A GOOD POINT WITH NEATH.
UH, VERNICE WAS A CAA IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE THAT HAD A FOCUS ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
SO HE DID MUCH OF WHAT JAY IS PROPOSING IN A DIFFERENT CAPACITY AND EMPLOYEE CAPACITY.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE ROSS' CONVERSATIONS STARTED WHEN VERNICE WAS IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, AND HE WAS FRONT FACING ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UM, FOR THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
BEFORE I GOT ON THIS COUNCIL, BEFORE, UH, MANY OF US GOT ON THIS COUNCIL, I WAS APPROACHED BY BEIF AS A, AS A STAKEHOLDER ABOUT THE ROSTER'S CONVERSATION, UM, SOME SIX, SEVEN YEARS AGO.
UM, HE ALSO WAS FRONT FACING, UH, AS WE RECRUITED, UH, AIRLINES TO EXPAND OUR OFFERS AT BATON ROUGE METRO AIRPORT, UM, AND HELPED US, UH, AND REPRESENTED THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, HELPED US TO ATTRACT AMERICAN AIRLINES IN A DIRECT FLIGHT TO DC.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT BENEATH DID.
HE, HE OPERATED IN, IN MULTIPLE AREAS AS IT RELATES TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND, AND THAT CAN BE DONE IN A CONTRACTUAL CAPACITY AS WELL.
BUT BENEATH HAD THAT FOCUS AND, AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE, AND DANTE, YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE ANYBODY IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OR CITY PARISH RIGHT NOW THAT HAS A, A MANDATE OR FOCUS ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
SO AGAIN, I'M, I'M HAPPY THAT, THAT WE'RE MOVING IN THIS DIRECTION, LOOKING TO EXPAND IT ON IT.
UM, BUT JUST KNOW IF WE EXPAND ON IT, WE GOTTA BE REALISTIC WITH, WITH THE BUDGET AND, AND, AND THE MONEY THAT WE ARE ALLOWING, UH, THE CONTRACTOR TO HAVE TO DO THESE SERVICES.
MOTION BY COUNCILMAN HEARD SECOND
[01:30:01]
MY COUNCILWOMAN ROCKA TO APPROVE ITEM.[108. 24-01453]
ITEM 1 0 8 AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT ON BEHALF OF THE DIVISION OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND SERVICES, RYAN WHITE PROGRAM TO AMEND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT WITH HEALTH ACCESS LLC IN THE AMOUNT OF $100,000 FOR THE, FOR A TOTAL NOT TO EXCEED $138,000 BY THE HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR.ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SAY NONE.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION? MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS? WE HAVE A SECOND.
[109. 24-01454]
ITEM 1 0 9 AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT ON BEHALF OF THE DIVISION OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND SERVICES, RYAN WHITE PROGRAM TO AMEND THE SUBRECIPIENT CONTRACT WITH HIV AIDS ALLIANCE FOR REGION TWO FOR AN INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF $10,000 FOR TOTAL FOR A TOTAL AMOUNT OF $1,000,019,246 BY THE HUMAN SERVICES DIRECTOR.ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, DEAN? NONE.
WILL GO TO COUNCIL MOTION BY COUNCILMAN MOGUE, SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.
[110. 24-01458]
ONE 10, AUTHORIZING MAYOR PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN CITY OF BATON ROUGE PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE ON BEHALF OF THE OFFICE OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND LACEY BY HEALTH LLC, FAR AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $308,714 AND 75 CENTS BY THE CU COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR.ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? TEAM NONE WILL GO TO COUNCIL MOTION BY COUNCILMAN HIR.
SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.
[Items 111 - 116]
WE'RE GONNA TAKE ITEMS ONE 11 THROUGH ONE 16 TOGETHER.ONE 11 AUTHORIZED THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT FOR ABSTRACTING SERVICES WITH ADVANCED ABSTRACTS LLC FOR SERVICES ASSOCIATED WITH THE MOVE VR CAPACITY PROJECT ROLLINS ROAD IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $61,793 BY TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE DIRECTOR.
AUTHORIZED MAYOR PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT FOR CONSTRUCTION TESTING AND LABORATORY SERVICES WITH A PS ENGINEERING AND TESTING LLC FOR SERVICES ASSOCIATED WITH THE MOVE VR ENHANCEMENT PROJECT, BATON ROUGE BUS RAPID TRANSIT IN THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $307,500 BY THE TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE DIRECT ITEM ONE 13.
AUTHORIZED MAYOR PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE THE UTILITY RELOCATION AGREEMENT WITH INTER LOUISIANA LLC FOR SERVICES ASSOCIATED WITH THE MOVE VR CAPACITY PROJECT CONSTANTINE DIJON AVENUE PHASE TWO AND AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $58,178 25 CENTS BY THE TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE DIRECTOR ADAM ONE 14 AUTHORIZING MAYOR PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT FOR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES WITH GEC INC.
FOR SERVICES ASSOCIATED WITH MOVE BEYOND CAPACITY PROJECT THOMAS ROAD IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $1,363,277 AND 46 CENTS BY THE TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE DIRECTOR AUTHORIZING MAYOR PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE A SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT NUMBER 16 WITH EVANS GRAVES ENGINEERS INC.
FOR SERVICES ASSOCIATED WITH THE MOVE CAPACITY PROJECT MALL, LOUISIANA BOULEVARD AND AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $60,845 BY THE TRANSPORTATION CHANGE DIRECTOR ITEM ONE 16 AUTHORIZED MAYOR PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT NUMBER TWO WITH NEIL SCHAFER INC.
FOR SERVICES ASSOCIATED WITH THE MO VR CAPACITY PROJECT MODEL LOUISIANA BOULEVARD IN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $13,738 52 CENTS BY THE TRANSPORTATION DRAINAGE DIRECTOR.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEMS ONE 11 THROUGH ONE 16? COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED ONE EMAIL, COMMENT AND OPPOSITION TO ITEM ONE 12.
I SEE NONE WILL GO TO COUNCIL MOTION.
MOTION TO APPROVE BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. SECOND BY COUNCILMAN MOOCH.
[117. 24-01482]
ONE 17 AUTHORIZING MAYOR PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE AMENDMENT NUMBER FOUR WITH N-C-M-C-L-L-C CONSTRUCTION SERVICES IN CONNECTION WITH THE ANNUAL STORMWATER INLET INJUNCTION BOX REHABILITATION PROJECT RESULTING IN AN INCREASE IN CONTRACT IN THE AMOUNT OF $900,000 BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES DIRECTOR.ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE WILL GO TO COUNCIL MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN AMAROSA.
[118. 24-01484]
ONE 18 AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE AMENDMENT NUMBER EIGHT WITH GRADY CRAWFORD CONSTRUCTION COMPANY FOR CONSTRUCTION SERVICES IN CONNECTION WITH THE ANNUAL STORMWATER PIPE REPAIR AND REPLACEMENT PROJECT RESULTING IN AN INCREASE IN CONTRACT IN AN AMOUNT OF $1,950,000 BY ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES DIRECTOR.ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE WILL GO TO COUNCIL MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. SECOND BY THE CHAIR.
[119. 24-01485]
CARRIES.ITEM ONE 19 AUTHORIZING MAYOR, PRESIDENT TO ENTER INTO A SUB-RECIPIENT AGREEMENT WITH CORTANA CORRIDOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT IN AN AMOUNT $460,000 FOR PLANNING AND DESIGN OF A NEW COMMUNITY CENTER IN DISTRICT SIX FUNDED
[01:35:01]
BY FUNDED FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT BY MAYOR, PRESIDENT, ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? COUNCIL MEMBERS YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED ONE EMAIL, COMMENT AND OPPOSITION TO ITEM ONE 19.AND ANY OPPOSED? ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.
[120. 24-01499]
ITEM ONE 20.AUTHORIZATION TO APPROPRIATE $300,000 FROM THE AIRPORT'S CASH ACCOUNT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS TO BE PLACED IN TAXI LANE WIDENING TO FUND AND DESIGN CONSTRUCTION OF TAXI LANE WIDENING PROJECT BY THE AVIATION DIRECTOR.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE WILL GO TO COUNCIL.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION? MOTION BY COUNCILMAN MOOCH? WE HAVE A SECOND.
SECOND BY COUNCILMAN MADE ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.
[121. 24-01500]
ITEM 1 21.AUTHORIZATION FOR THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT, AND OR CHAIRMAN OF THE AIRPORT COMMISSION TO EXECUTE A LEASE AGREEMENT WITH SCOTLAND MONEY MART LLC FOR THE OPERATIONS OF A FUEL C STORE FACILITY FOR A PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS WITH A FIVE YEAR MUTUAL OPTION TO RENEW AT A MINIMUM YEARLY RENTAL RATE OF $66,830 BY THE AVIATION DIRECTOR.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE WILL GO TO COUNCIL.
[122. 24-01501]
ITEM 1 22.AUTHORIZATION FOR THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT AND OUR CHAIRMAN OF THE AIRPORT COMMISSION TO EXECUTE A LEASE AGREEMENT WITH PERFORMANCE AVIATION HOLDINGS LLC TO LEASE APPROXIMATELY 3.545 ACRES OF LAND TO CONSTRUCT A CORPORATE HANGAR AT A RENTAL RATE OF $37,059 26 CENTS PER YEAR BY THE AVIATION DIRECTOR.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SAME.
JUST A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE.
OH, I THOUGHT YOU LEFT COUNCILWOMAN BANKS THE PREVIOUS ITEM.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU NOTICED IT, BUT THEY DID A GREAT JOB WITH ENHANCING THAT FACILITY IN YOUR DISTRICT AND, AND JASON WILSON, A FORMER CITY PARISH, BATON ROUGE AIRPORT, UH, EMPLOYEE WORKED ON THAT PROJECT.
AND THIS, UH, CURRENT ITEM, UH, PERFORMANCE IS INVESTED SOME $10 MILLION IN THIS FACILITY.
ANOTHER GOOD INVESTMENT IN DISTRICT TWO YOU'LL BE PROUD OF.
[ADJUDICATED PROPERTIES]
PROPERTIES.WE'RE GONNA TAKE ITEMS 1 23 THROUGH 1 43 TOGETHER.
1 23 LOT 11 SUBDIVISION FAIRLANE METRO COUNCIL DISTRICT FIVE HEARST HIGH BIDDER.
ITEM 1 24 LOT B TWO SUBDIVISION.
LIZZIE BARNES TRACK ADDRESS OLD RA MEYER ROAD METRO COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO BANKS HIGH BIDDER.
LOT FIVE SQUARE FIVE SUBDIVISION NORTH SCOTLAND.
ADDRESS SOUTHERN AVENUE HIGH BIDDER.
ITEM 1 26 LOT TWO SQUARE SIX SUBDIVISION.
ZACHARY HEIGHT METRO CONSTANT DISTRICT ONE KNOLL HIGH BIDDER WHITMORE WHITMORE ENTERPRISES LLC 17,400.
DISTRICT FOUR MOOCH HIGH BIDDER CLARK FAMILY HOMES LLC 8,100.
ITEM 1 28 LOT NORTHEAST CORNER OF BLUNT AVENUE AVENUE E SUBDIVISION HIGHLAND FARMS METRO COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO BANKS HIGH BIDDER.
$500 ITEM 1 29 LOT U AND V SQUARE 49 SUBDIVISION UNIVERSITY PLACE METRO COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO BANKS HIGH BIDDER.
$10,000 ITEM ONE 30 LOT FIVE SQUARE 16.
SUBDIVISION PROSPERITY METRO COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 COLEMAN HIGH BIDDER.
ZACHARY DEVELOPMENT AND INVESTMENT LLC $100.
ITEM 1 31 LOT 16 PLUS SUBDIVISION HARDING HEIGHTS METRO COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO BANKS HIGH BIDDER.
ITEM 1 32 LOT 82 A SUBDIVISION, HARDING HEIGHTS METRO COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO BANKS HIGH BIDDER JOSHUA KY $6,300.
ITEM 1 33 LOT 83 A AND 84 A SUBDIVISION.
HARDING HEIGHTS METRO COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO BANKS.
ITEM 1 34 LOT 360 7 SUBDIVISION, BELL FAIR HOMES METRO COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN.
ANNE HIGH BIDDER JAGS ENTERPRISES OF B-R-L-L-C $28,000.
ITEM 1 35 LOT E OF 51 SUBDIVISION LUSH METRO COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE NOEL HIGH BIDDER ANDRE MCAL, $25,000.
1 69 AND 1 71 SUBDIVISION COLONIAL HILL METRO COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN ANNE HI BIDDER.
[01:40:01]
DASH A DASH ONE SUBDIVISION LR SCOTT TRACK METRO COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE, KNOLL HIGH BIDDER CLARK FAMILY HOMES LLC 27,000.ITEM 1 38 LOT 2 55 SUBDIVISION CRYSTAL PLACE METRO COUNCIL DISTRICT FOUR MO HIGH BIDDER ISIS RIGHT $28,000.
ITEM 1 39 LOT THREE SQUARE F SUBDIVISION CRAWFORD EDITION METRO COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN DRAZAN HIGH BIDDER CLARK FAMILY HOMES LLC PARTY 3,500.
ITEM ONE 40 LOT NINE SQUARE 20 SUBDIVISION NORTH BATON ROUGE METRO COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO BANKS HIGH BIDDER.
JOSE A CAMPO A HUNDRED DOLLARS ITEM 1 41 LOT 21 AND 22 SQUARE 13.
SUBDIVISION BANKS METRO COUNCIL DISTRICT 10 COLEMAN HI BIDDER SANDRA WALKER.
SUBDIVISION BANKS HIGH BIDDER.
PHARAOH JOHNSON, I THIRD A HUNDRED DOLLARS.
LOT 31 A SQUARE 15 SUBDIVISION BANKS TAXES DUE $903 46 CENTS ADJUDICATED IN 2008.
DOES ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ANY OF THESE ITEMS? ITEMS 1 23 THROUGH 1 43? CAN WE, UM, SEE NONE? WE'RE GONNA GO TO COUNCIL.
ARE THESE ELIGIBLE FOR, UM, TO BE DEFERRED? YES.
AND WE DO NEED TO DELETE 1 43.
SO, UM, SOME OF 'EM WE, I WE KIND OF, I GUESS KIND OF CAUGHT UP IN, UM, THE, THE, UH, WHAT YOU CALL IT, REDISTRICTING.
I JUST WANT TO LIKE 1 42, 1 43.
UM, I'D ALSO LIKE TO LOOK AT DEFER 1 42 43 31.
1 43 I THINK IS GONNA BE DELETED BECAUSE IT IS JUST A DUPLICATE.
CAN WE HAVE A POINT OF CLARITY? 'CAUSE SHE BROUGHT UP A VALID POINT AND I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF THAT'S, THAT'S CURRENTLY, THESE ARE LISTED BY THE CURRENT DISTRICTS, NOT BY THE DISTRICTS IN JANUARY, RIGHT? ACTUALLY, CORRECT.
SO THE NAME THAT APPEARS IS, IS THE COUNCIL PERSON THAT REPRESENTS THE AREA NOW? YES.
COUNCILWOMAN BANKS, YOU WANNA DEFER THOSE ITEMS TO WHAT DAY? JANUARY, JANUARY 8TH? YES.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?
WELL, I, I WOULD, I WOULD ON THE 10TH, CAN WE DO THE 10TH? I WOULD SAY DO IT FOR THE SECOND MEETING OF JANUARY IF YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THE, THE INCOMING COUNCIL MEMBER BE ABLE TO GET VERSED IN IT.
THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION.
HOPEFULLY THAT'S EUGENE COLLINS.
WHAT, WHAT IS THAT? JANUARY? UH, 22ND.
OKAY, SO WHAT I'LL NEED IS A MOTION TO APPROVE ITEMS 1 23 THROUGH 1 42, UH, WITH DEFERRING ITEMS. 1 31, 1 33 1.
I'M SORRY, 1 31, 1 32, 1 33 AND 1 42 UNTIL THE JANUARY 22ND MEETING.
IT'S THE SECOND MEETING OF JANUARY.
'CAUSE MOST PEOPLE COULD BE OUT OF TOWN AT THE, ON THE 22ND.
SO WE HAVE, WE HAD A MOTION TO THAT EFFECT BY MS. BANKS.
[144. 24-01570]
ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA GO TO APPOINTMENTS.COMPLETE STREETS CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
CONCURRENT IN THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT'S RECOMMENDATION TO REAPPOINT REX KANU.
THIS APPOINTMENT IS A FOUR YEAR TERM.
[01:45:01]
REQUIRED.ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? YES SIR, I AM.
JUST PUTTING A NAME TO A FACE.
APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT TO CONTINUE ON THIS COMMITTEE.
GO TO COUNCIL MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN AKA.
SECOND BY COUNCILMAN DUNN, JR.
[145. 24-01571]
ITEM 1 45 COMPLETE STREETS CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE.ONE APPOINTMENT TO CONCUR THE NOMINATION.
THE MAYOR, PRESIDENT, UH, REPLACE CALL SILI, WHO HAS RESIGNED.
THIS UNEXPIRED TERM ENDS JANUARY 13TH, 2026.
JAKE POLAN POLANSKI, UH, BRACK RECEIVED THE LETTER FROM BRACK REQUESTING APPOINTMENT.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEE NONE.
WILL GO TO COUNCIL MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN ROCCA.
[146. 24-01572]
ITEM 1 46 EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM BOARD OF TRUSTEES.CONSIDERATION OF REAPPOINTING.
OUR REPLACING J DANIELS DISAPPOINTMENT IS A FOUR YEAR TERM CURRENT BALLOT.
JAY DANIELS REQUESTING REAPPOINTMENT JUSTIN MEYER SUBMITTED APPLICATION WITH WHITNEY HOFFMAN.
HOFFMAN SAY, SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM.
WILL GO TO COUNCIL MOTION TO APPOINT JAY DANIELS MOTION BY COUNCILMAN DON JR.
SECOND BY COUNCILMAN MCC COLEMAN TO REAPPOINT JAY DANIELS.
ANY HE OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.
[147. 24-01574]
ITEM 1 47 EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM BOARD OF TRUSTEES.CONSIDERATION OF REPLACING MARK LEBLA.
JUSTIN MEYER SUBMITTED APPLICATION WITH WHITNEY HOFFMAN, SAY SUBMITTED APPLICATION.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEE, NORMAL GO TO COUNCIL.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND FOR THAT? HE, UM, HE APPROVES MY BUDGET.
SO I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND SAY A MOTION TO APPROVE WELL FOR FAILURE FOR A SECOND FOR CLEAVES.
UH, WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE JUSTIN.
UH, SECOND BY COUNCILMAN MOOCH.
[148. 24-01577]
1 48, HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION CONSIDERATION OF REAPPOINTING OR REPLACING REX CABINETS APPOINTMENTS FOR A FOUR YEAR TERM TURN MR. KA IS REQUESTING REAPPOINTMENT RICHARD HOUSE SUBMITTED APPLICATION.KENNEDY PACK HAS SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION.
ANYONE HERE WISH TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? ME AGAIN, SAME.
I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT FOR THIS POSITION AS WELL.
SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES FOR MR. KAS.
[149. 24-01578]
ITEM 1 49, CONSIDERATION OF REPLACING COUNCILWOMAN SHAUNA BANKS TO THE PLANNING ZONING COMMISSION.ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM.
WILL OPEN THE FLORIDA TO NOMINATIONS FROM THE COUNCIL.
COUNCILMAN MO MOTION IS TO APPOINT COUNCILWOMAN CAROLYN COLEMAN.
ANY OPPOSED TO COUNCILWOMAN COLEMAN? MOTION CARRIES.
[150. 24-01580]
ITEM ONE 50, PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION CONSIDERATION OF REAPPOINTING OR REPLACING JAMIE ELLEN APPOINTMENT FOR A FOUR YEAR TERM CURRENT BALLOT IS NATASHA CAMERON SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION.JAMIE ELLEN IS REQUESTING REAPPOINTMENT.
UH, MATTHEW LANSA SUBMITTED THE APPLICATION AND MARIO MCCULLOUGH SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SAY NONE WILL GO TO COUNCIL.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO, UH, REAPPOINT JAMIE ALLEN.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAM.
SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN AMAROSA.
[Items 151 - 158]
ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GONNA TAKE ITEM 1 51 THROUGH 1 58 TOGETHER, ACCEPTANCE OF LOW BIDS, ELECTRICAL ITEM 1 51, ELECTRICAL REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE, HEAVY AND LIGHT INDUSTRIAL ELECTRICIAN, BUFFALO ELECTRIC $478,660.ITEM 1 52, ROOF REPAIR, INDUSTRIAL ROOFING AND CONSTRUCTION, LLC $148,250.
ITEM 1 53, REGISTRAR VOTERS TENANT BUILD OUT CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION LLC ONE $1,680,000.
[01:50:01]
FIRST DISTRICT PRECINCT INTERIOR RENOVATIONS, SAGE CONSTRUCTION, LLC $1,077,137 AND 60 CENTS.ITEM 1 55 BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT TRAINING FACILITY.
HANG ON, THAT ONE CUT OFF FOR ME.
JUVENILE DETENTION CENTER UPGRADES ARCO CONSTRUCTION.
ALSO ARCO CONSTRUC CONSTRUCTORS, LLC 2,267,000.
ITEM 1 57 BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT TRAINING FACILITY PRODIGY GROUP, LLC $70,000.
ITEM 1 58 RIVER CENTER EXHIBITION HALL GALLERIA AND BALLROOM SANDY DATE, DRY FOG TREATMENT PARISH RESTORATION $125,446 AND 20 CENTS.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO DELETE ITEM 1 55 AND APPROVE ITEMS 1 54 THROUGH 1 58 WITH THE EXCEPTION 1 55.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM OR THESE ITEMS SAYING NONE WILL GO TO COUNCIL.
REGISTER VOTING, UM, BUILDING JOE, IF YOU DON'T MIND PLEASE.
IS THIS THE EIGHTH FLOOR OR WHATEVER FLOOR? IS THIS THIS BUILDING OR ONE OF THE OFFSITE REGISTER VOTING 1 53? YEAH, THAT'S, UM, OVER AT THE PSC, THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMPLEX, THE OLD WOMEN'S HOSPITAL.
BECAUSE THEY'VE OUTGROWN UP HERE.
ARE THEY MOVING OR, YES, THEY'RE GOING TO RELOCATE THIS OFFICE OVER THERE.
AND THEN THE OTHER, I DID THINK 1 55 AND 1 57 WERE DUPLICATES AND JUVENILE UPGRADES.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF MEETINGS TO REBUILD.
SO ARE WE SPENDING 2 MILLION ON A BUILDING THAT EVENTUALLY ARE YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE A CHOICE OR YEAH, WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE.
SO THE ITEMS THAT WE'RE UPGRADING, UH, THAT'S THE CAMERA SYSTEM.
THE, UH, THE, THE DOORS, UH, THE CONTROLS.
UH, THESE ARE 30-YEAR-OLD EQUIPMENT THAT THEY HAVE IN.
AND THEN ALSO TO UPGRADE A LOT OF THIS EQUIPMENT, THEY HAVE TO, UH, THERE IS A LOT OF DEMOLITION INVOLVED.
UH, THE WALLS ARE, UH, HOLLOW WALLS AND THOSE HAVE TO BE, UH, CONCRETE SECURE WALLS, SO WE HAVE TO FILL THOSE CEILING BLOCKS IN.
SO IT'S JUST A LOT OF EXTENSIVE WORK TO GET ALL THAT, UH, DONE.
SO THAT'S WHY THE NUMBERS SHOW UP.
JOE, BEFORE YOU GO, CAN YOU JUST GIVE THE COUNCIL A BRIEF, UM, EXPLANATION, A DESCRIPTION OF THE WORK THAT'S BEEN GOING ON AND THE AVAILABILITY OF OTH OTHER SPACE AND, AND POTENTIAL, UM, PRIVATE, UH, BUSINESS COMING INTO OVER THERE.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT REAL QUICK, PLEASE? AT THE, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY COMPLEX? YES, SIR.
SO, UH, AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMPLEX, UH, RIGHT NOW, CURRENTLY, UH, YOU HAVE CLERK OF COURTS THERE, UH, WE ARE LOOKING AT MOVING THE HEALTH UNIT THAT'S LOCATED ON FLORIDA BOULEVARD.
THEY'LL BE RELOCATING OVER THERE.
UM, THE CATS ADMINISTRATION, THEY'LL BE RELOCATING.
UM, AND ALSO, UH, UH, I'M SORRY.
EMPLOYEE VR AND THE VETERANS AFFAIRS OFFICE WILL BE RELOCATING.
SO THAT WILL CURRENTLY, UH, TURN INTO A HUB FOR THE COMMUNITY TO GO IN AND, AND, UM, USE A LOT OF SERVICES THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL BE USING.
UH, THE, IT IS ON A BUS ROUTE.
UH, ALL THE AGENCIES, UH, ARE AWARE THAT, UH, AND THEY'RE ALL HAPPY TO BE WORKING, UH, COHESIVELY WITH EACH OTHER AT THAT COMPLEX.
WE DO HAVE SOME MORE AVAILABLE SPACE THAT WE'RE NOT RENOVATING AT THE MOMENT, BUT THEY WILL HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UH, OTHER ENTITIES TO COME IN AGENCIES TO, TO UTILIZE THAT SPACE, WHICH WE WILL ENTER INTO AGREEMENT AND RENT THAT SPACE OUT IF THEY CHOOSE TO, TO COME OVER.
AND I JUST WANTED EVERYBODY TO KIND OF KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON, BECAUSE WHEN WE MET, IT WAS GOOD TO HEAR ALL THIS WAS, WAS TAKING PLACE.
UM, SOME OF THE FACILITIES THAT SOME OF THESE AGENCIES AND QUASI GOVERNMENT AGENCIES OPERATE ARE OLD AND OUTDATED.
SO THESE RENOVATIONS ARE GONNA BE GOOD.
UH, THEY'LL ALL BE CENTRALLY LOCATED DOWN ON THE BUS LINE.
UM, COUNCILMAN MO IS ASKING ABOUT HOW MUCH SPACE THAT THE, THE BRPD IS OCCUPYING OVER THERE.
I REMEMBER WHEN THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION ACQUIRED THIS FACILITY, IT WAS A MUCH BETTER SPEND THAN REBUILDING A, A HEADQUARTERS.
AND I DON'T KNOW, IS IT 50%, 40% CAPACITY? SO THERE'S, THERE'S PLENTY OF ROOM LEFT FOR OTHER BUILD OUT.
YEAH, FOR H TWO, THE, THE MIDDLE BUILDING, UH, THEY WERE USING
[01:55:01]
ROUGHLY 10% OVER THE PAST 13 YEARS.SO RIGHT NOW, UH, WE ARE LOOKING AT, UH, USING ALMOST 90, ABOUT 90% OF IT.
SO I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE JUVENILE PIECE OF IT, JUST KIND OF GOING BACK INTO, UH, THE ESCAPES THAT HAPPENED AND WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE VIDEOS AND WHAT, UM, WHAT POTENTIAL WE NEEDED TO DO TO MITIGATE THAT FROM HAPPENING.
SO, UM, I MEAN, THESE WERE NOT, UM, CORRECTION FACILITY STYLE DOORS.
THESE WERE OLDER, HEAVIER WOODEN DOORS.
UM, THEY STILL PROVIDED GREAT COMMERCIAL CAPACITY, BUT BECAUSE WHAT HE TALKED ABOUT THE CINDER BLOCKS AND THE FRAMING WAS SO OLD THAT IF HE WERE TO PUT DIRECTLY, PUT ALL THOSE UPGRADES IN AND WOULD'VE CRUMBLED THE WALLS.
AM I SAYING THAT CORRECTLY, JOE? YEAH, CORRECT.
THE, UH, THE NEW DOORS ARE ROUGHLY 300 POUNDS, AND IF, UH, YOU WOULD'VE PUT THOSE DOORS ON THE, UH, EXISTING WALLS, UH, YOU BASICALLY COULD, COULD HIT IT AND NOT BRING THE WHOLE WALL DOWN.
AND THE CAMERA SYSTEM WAS SO POOR THAT IT COULD NOT, UM, YOU KNOW, CAMERAS UPGRADE EVERY YEAR.
IF YOU LOOK AT ONE IPHONE TO THE NEXT, THE QUALITY GROWS TREMENDOUSLY.
SO WITH AN UPGRADED CAMERA SYSTEM, UH, IT WOULD'VE MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE TO MITIGATE NOT JUST THE FIRST ONE, BUT THE SECOND ONE FROM HAPPENING.
AND ALSO THE SWITCHBOARD, WHICH I BELIEVE PART OF THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN REPAIRED.
BUT, BUT THERE WAS SO MUCH MALFUNCTIONING GOING ON IN THERE OUTSIDE OF THE, UM, THE, UH, THE ABILITY FOR THEM TO, TO MANAGE IT BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S, IT WAS ALL MECHANICAL FAILURES THAT JUST TO MITIGATE AND TO MAKE SURE PUBLIC SAFETY'S THERE IN THAT AREA.
IS THAT CORRECT, JOE? THAT'S CORRECT.
UH, A LOT OF THE PARTS THAT'S USED IN THE, AND ALSO THE CONTROL BOARD ITSELF, UH, IS OBSOLETE.
WE, WE CAN'T EVEN SOURCE PARTS, PARTS ANYMORE.
COUNCILMAN MOE? YEAH, I WANNA GO BACK TO THE, UH, CONSOLIDATION OF THE FACILITIES.
UH, JUST LOOKING AT THE FACILITIES, THE, SO THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS THAT BUILDING ON THE CORNER AT THE ANGLE, THE ANGLE BUILDING.
THEY HAVE THAT WHOLE BUILDING.
THE, UH, PHYSICIAN, THE OLD PHYSICIAN HALL TALL.
SO THEN YOU HAVE THE PARKING GARAGE RIGHT BEHIND IT.
AND THEN YOU'VE GOT, UH, COMING DOWN AIRLINE HIGHWAY CLOSER TO GOODWOOD.
YOU HAVE A A A A SQUARE FACILITY RIGHT THERE.
THAT'S THE PART WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EVERYBODY MOVING INTO YES.
AND HOW MUCH IS IT OCCUPIED NOW? UH, IT'S, IT'S ROUGHLY 10% BECAUSE YOU HAVE CLERK OF COURTS, UH, AND THEN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, THEY UTILIZE THE SPACE, UH, FOR THE TRAINING DEPARTMENT.
BUT THE TRAINING WILL BE RELOCATING, UH, TO THE SIXTH FLOOR, UH, OF THE, UH, POLICE TOWER.
SIXTH FLOOR OF THE POLICE TOWER.
SO HOW, HOW TALL IS THAT FLOOR WHERE THE CLERK OF COURT'S OFFICE IS? WHAT, THAT'S ONLY A TWO OR THREE STORY BUILDING? THAT'S TWO STORIES.
SO ALL OF THESE ARE GONNA OCCUPY THOSE FACILITIES.
THE REST OF THE FACILITIES, UH, WHERE THE ACTUAL HOSPITAL WAS IN THE THREE ROUND TOWERS THAT BRANCH OUT, UM, THOSE ARE NON-USABLE, WILL NEVER BE USABLE.
THAT'S, UH, WE HAVE TO GET ANOTHER ASSESSMENT COMPLETED ON THAT BUILDING.
UH, THE WAY IT'S STRUCTURED RIGHT NOW IS NO FEASIBLE USE.
SO WE, WE WOULD NEED TO LOOK AT THAT AND TAKE AN ASSESSMENT ON, ON HOW WE WOULD, UH, GET ALL THAT BUILDING.
IT WOULD DEFINITELY TAKES A PLANNING DUE TO THE, THE, THE, THE STYLE OF THE STRUCTURE OR WHATEVER ELSE.
BUT I GUESS WHAT I'M ASKING IS, IS IT EVEN USABLE UNDER CURRENT CONDITIONS RIGHT NOW? NO.
WE, WE WOULD NEED TO GO AND DO A LOT OF RENOVATIONS TO UTILIZE THAT SPACE.
SO THE VOTER REGI, THE VOTER OFFICE IS MOVING OUTTA HERE.
THEY, THEY'RE LEAVING, WHAT DO THEY OCCUPY HERE? THEY OCCUPY THE, UH, FORT, UH, PART OF THE FOURTH FLOOR, PART OF THE FOURTH.
UM, I'M NOT CERTAIN HOW MUCH, UH, THEY OCCUPY ON THIS FLOOR, BUT THEY'LL BE RELOCATED.
THEY'RE GONNA USE, THEY, THEY'LL LEAVE A SMALL SATELLITE OFFICE HERE IN THAT SPACE, BUT THEY, THEY WON'T BE OCCUPYING AS MUCH.
I WOULD, STEVE WOULD HAVE TO ANSWER THAT.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN BANKS, SECOND BY COUNCILMAN HURST TO APPROVE ITEMS. UH, 1 51 THROUGH 1 58 WITH THE DELETION OF ITEM 1 55.
ANYONE OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.
WE'RE GONNA GO TO ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS.
[161. 24-01541]
I MEAN, I'M SORRY.ADMINISTRATIVE, UH, I'LL SAY THAT AGAIN.
EMERGENCY ITEMS NUMBER NUMBER 1 61 AUTHORIZING MAYOR, PRESIDENT ON BEHALF OF THE LEO S BUTLER COMMUNITY CENTER TO EXECUTE A COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT WITH FIRST HEALTH AND WELLNESS FAMILY CLINIC, LLC TO PROVIDE
[02:00:01]
HEALTHCARE SERVICES AT A REDUCED COST TO THE RESIDENTS OF THE AREA, THE PROVIDER WILL PAY $850 TO THE LEO S BUTLER COMMUNITY CENTER FOR THE USE OF 886 SQUARE FEET OF COMMUNITY CENTER SPACE AND ONE PARKING SPACE BY COUNCILWOMAN CAROLYN R. COLEMAN IN ACCORDANCE WITH ORDINANCE 1 6 4 4 2.THIS ITEM MUST BE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY BY TWO THIRDS VOTE OF THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY COUNCILWOMAN COLEMAN? YES.
NOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE A HEARING ON PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED ONE EMAIL COMMENT IN OPPOSITION TO ITEM 1 61.
MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN AMAROSA, SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN COLEMAN.
[162. 24-01599]
1 62, AUTHORIZING MAYOR PRESIDENT TO ENTER INTO A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH GRANICUS FOR A SUBSCRIPTION SOFTWARE PROGRAM TO STREAM RECORD, ARCHIVE AND INDEX CITY PARISH MEETINGS, INCLUDING METROPOLITAN COUNCIL MEETINGS, PLANNING ZONING, SCHOOL BOARD LIBRARY MEETINGS, FIRE AND POLICE, CIVIL SERVICE BOARD, AND VIDEOS OF THE SHOW SHOWS FILMED IN THE COMMUNITY FOR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $61,104 AND 63 CENTS BY THE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER.IT'S FOR YOU IN ACCORDANCE WITH ORDINANCE 1 6 4 4 2.
THIS ITEM MUST BE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY BY THE TWO THIRDS VOTE OF THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO DECLARE THE ITEM AN EMERGENCY MOTION BY COUNCILMAN DUNN JR.
ANYONE OPPOSED TO VOTING THIS ITEM AS AN EMERGENCY? SEEING NONE ITEMS INTRODUCED, WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON ITEM.
ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED ONE EMAIL COMMENT IN OPPOSITION TO ITEM 1 62.
OF COURSE, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL.
MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN COLEMAN.
SECOND BY COUNCILMAN MOE KENNY.
GOLDMAN NEEDS TO CONSIDER ITEM 90.
YOU NEED THE QUESTION TO RECONSIDER.
WE HAVE A, UH, REQUEST TO RECONSIDER ITEM 90.
YES, I'D LIKE TO GIVE HIM 60 DAYS.
PLEASE DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO RECONSIDER BY COUNCILWOMAN COLEMAN.
ANY OPPOSED TO RECONSIDER? MOTION CARRIES.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 90? I DO.
JONATHAN ELMORE DAVIS, 37 93 TOPEKA STREET, COUNCILWOMAN 10 COLEMAN? YES.
I'D LIKE TO, UH, GIVE HIM 60 DAYS PLEASE.
MOTION TO DEFER FOR 60 DAYS BY COUNCILWOMAN COLEMAN.
[159. 24-01481]
ITEM 1 59, RECEIVER REPORT FROM THE BATON ROUGE FOOD BANK AND DISTRIBUTION SITES AND PROGRAMS IN SCOTLANDVILLE COMMUNITY BY COUNCILWOMAN SHAUNA BANKS.YEAH, WE'RE GONNA RECEIVE THE REPORT AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING.
I AM JORDAN MANCUSO, VICE PRESIDENT OF IMPACT AT THE GREATER BATON ROUGE FOOD BANK.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRIVILEGE TO BE HERE TODAY TO REPRESENT THE GREATER BATON ROUGE FOOD BANK.
UM, OUR STATE IS NUMBER ONE IN CHILD AND SENIOR HUNGER.
UM, AND AS WE SEE INFLATION AS THE ECONOMY, UM, THAT WE ARE IN THESE DAYS, WE CONTINUE TO SEE THE NUMBER OF NEIGHBORS IN NEED RISE AND RISE AT THE GREATER BATON ROUGE FOOD BANK.
WE DO SERVE 11 PARISHES, BUT EAST BATON ROUGE BEING ONE OF OUR LARGEST WITH 69 OF OUR 133 AGENCIES BEING HOUSED IN THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, 16% OF THE PARISH IS FOOD INSECURE.
WE SERVE AROUND 25,000 NEIGHBORS IN NEED EVERY SINGLE MONTH.
UM, SPECIFICALLY THOUGH, TODAY I AM HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE SCOTLANDVILLE AREA AND THE 7 0 8 0 7 NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND WHAT WE'RE DOING THERE, UM, 29% OF THAT NEIGHBORHOOD IN THAT ZIP CODE IS FOOD INSECURE.
UM, THROUGH PARTNERSHIPS WITH FIVE DIFFERENT PARTNER AGENCIES, WERE ABLE TO SERVE ABOUT 13,000 NEIGHBORS.
THIS YEAR, SO FAR, ONE OF THE LARGEST BEING THE JEWEL J NEWMAN CENTER, SERVING OVER HALF OF THOSE NEIGHBORS.
UM, WE ALSO PARTNER WITH TWO SCHOOLS IN THAT ZIP CODE FOR OUR BACKPACK OR, UM, WEEKEND MEAL PROGRAM.
AND THEN WE ALSO PARTNER WITH ONE CLINIC TO SERVE OUR FOOD AS MEDICINE PROGRAM, WHICH IS WHEN WE PARTNER WITH CLINICS AND HOSPITALS TO SERVE NEIGHBORS IN NEED
[02:05:01]
THAT ARE FOOD INSECURE AND ARE GOING TO THEIR DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS AND, UM, LETTING THEIR DOCTOR KNOW THAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING THAT SOCIAL DETERMINANT OF HEALTH.UM, WITH THE EVER-GROWING FOOD INSECURITY NEED, WE CONTINUE TO NEED COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
WE CONTINUE TO NEED THE GROWTH, WE CONTINUE TO NEED THE HELP.
UM, AND AS WE LOOK INTO 2025, WE ARE PLANNING TO DO COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENTS.
WE'RE PLANNING TO LOOK AND SEE WHAT IS REALLY NEEDED IN OUR COMMUNITIES, WHAT'S REALLY NEEDED IN THESE ZIP CODES AND IN THESE AREAS, UM, ESPECIALLY THESE FOOD DESERTS LIKE THE SCOTLANDVILLE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND YOUR CONSIDERATION.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING YES.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK NOW THAT WE'VE HEARD THE REPORT? OTHER THAN THAT, SEE NONE.
HEY, I JUST WANT TO TELL THE FOOD BANK THANK YOU.
I TOLD Y'ALL EARLIER, BUT I WANNA SAY IT PUBLICLY FOR ALL THAT YOU DO WITH THE HOMELESS FEEDING PROGRAM, WITH THE BOXES WE GIVE AWAY, JUST BEING A PARTNER AND HELPING CLOSE THAT GAP ON FOOD INSECURITIES AND, AND, AND THE PEOPLE THAT, UH, OTHER AREAS THAT NEED THEM.
SO, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUE DOING BUSINESS WITH YOU.
UM, I'D LIKE TO, UM, MR. UH, MIKE MANNING, WHO'S THE CEO OF THE RIDGE FOOD BANK, IF YOU WOULD ALL ALSO COME UP.
AND, UM, JUST ALSO, UM, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THIS WAS IMPORTANT TO ME IS BECAUSE AGAIN, UM, JUST SEEING THE PROGRESS AND THE GROWTH IN OUR COMMUNITY, THERE IS A SUCH THING AS THE WORKING POOR.
AND A LOT OF PERSONS WHEN THEY THINK ABOUT, UM, FOOD PANTRIES AND FOOD, THEY THINK THOSE ARE PERSONS WHO, UH, MAYBE ON, UM, LIMITED INCOME.
BUT I THINK ANY OF US THAT WORK A JOB IS LIMITED BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GONNA GET ANY MORE THAN THAT MONTHLY INCOME.
AND SO, MORE AND MORE WE ARE SEEING, UM, PERSONS IN THE SCOTLANDVILLE COMMUNITY, AND I'M SURE IN YOU ALL'S COMMUNITY WHERE WE ACTUALLY SEE PEOPLE WHO WE NEVER SAW BEFORE, IT IS NOT ONLY THE SENIORS ANYMORE, IT IS NOT ONLY, UM, UH, FAMILIES THAT HAVE A LOT OF CHILDREN, AND THEY MAY BE A SINGLE, I MEAN, ENTIRE FAMILIES ARE NOW HURTING.
UH, WHERE WHEN I GOT ON, WHEN I STARTED, UM, UH, THE COUNCIL, WE HAD ONE ROOM AND, UM, I THINK BRIANON IS GONE NOW.
WE HAD TWO, WE GREW INTO TWO SUITES AND A HALLWAY AND THE FOOD BANK.
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL THAT YOU ALL HAVE WORKED WITH ME.
UH, AND JUST KIND OF TELL THEM, I MEAN, THIS IS A HOLIDAY.
AND YESTERDAY AND THE DAY I GOT CALLS ABOUT FOUR FAMILIES, UM, THAT NEED FOOD.
AND A LOT OF TIMES, AGAIN, BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT ACCUSTOMED TO BEING IN NEED, THEY DON'T KNOW ABOUT FOOD PANTRIES.
AND SO, UM, WE REALLY HAVE TO THINK ABOUT, UM, HOW TO AGAIN, WORK WITH THE, THE WORKING POOR.
AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO TALK MORE ABOUT, ABOUT THIS.
WE WORK WITH THE WORKING POOR.
WE WORK WITH, WE HAVE BOTH, UH, FEDERAL AGENCY SUPPORTED PRO UH, PROGRAMS AND AGENCIES, AND THEN THOSE THAT JUST GET REGULAR FOOD DONATIONS SO THEY CAN ADDRESS THE PEOPLE WHO MAY HAVE BEEN JUST ABOVE THE, THAT LINE OF BEING ABLE TO QUALIFY FOR FEDERAL ASSISTANCE.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE DO A LOT OF OUTREACH.
WE DO A LOT OF HOMELESS OUTREACH, WHICH DOESN'T SHOW ANY, UM, WE, WE DON'T, PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT FOOD INSECURITY IS EVERYWHERE.
YOU KNOW, IT MAY BE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND YOU DON'T KNOW IT BECAUSE IT MAY BE A SENIOR WHO'S HAVING A STRUGGLE WITH HIS FIXED INCOME RETIREMENT.
UM, I, I CHALLENGE PEOPLE IN SOME, SOME CHURCHES IN OTHER CERTAIN PARTS OF TOWN THAT, YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT IT AT YOUR, YOUR, UM, BIBLE STUDY.
AND SURE ENOUGH, THERE WAS SOME, WHEN THE PERSON TALKED ABOUT IT AT THE BIBLE STUDY, SOMEBODY CAME BACK TO HIM AND SAID, HOW CAN I GET HELP? AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR.
SO, UH, THEY CAN CALL 2 1 1 VERY EASILY.
THEY CAN DOWNLOAD OUR PHONE APP, THEY CAN GO ONLINE.
UH, THEY CAN CALL THE FOOD BANK.
WE, ANY WAY WE CAN CONNECT PEOPLE TO GET 'EM FOOD, THAT'S WHAT WE DO.
SO APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY.
HEY, I, I WANT TO SAY SOMETHING PUBLICLY, UH, AND I DON'T HAVE TO SAY NAMES TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPACT, BUT WE HAVE CITY PARISH WORKERS THAT COME GET THESE BOXES.
WE HAVE CITY PARISH WORKERS THAT COME GET DOG FOOD FROM THE COMMUNITY CENTER.
SO, AND THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WAGE AND A LIVABLE WAGE.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FOOD INSECURITIES, IT'S THE PEOPLE THAT WE SEE EVERY DAY, YOU KNOW, JUST 'CAUSE THEY DRESS UP NICE AND THEY SHOW UP AT CITY HALL, YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING WHEN THEY GET IN THAT CAR OR ON THE CITY BUS.
'CAUSE THEY MAY NOT HAVE TRANSPORTATION, BUT OUR OWN WORKERS HERE COME AND GET THESE BOXES FROM OUR COMMUNITY CENTERS.
SO Y'ALL KEEP THAT IN MIND WHEN IT COMES TO FOOD BANK AND OTHER PEOPLE LIKE THEM.
[02:10:02]
J JUST ONE THING SINCE WE HEAR, I WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW THAT WE ALSO HAVE FREE, UM, BABY FORMULA FOOD.SO FOR THE LISTENING AUDIENCE THAT MAY NEED BABY FOOD, UM, PLEASE COME TO THE GEORGIA NEWMAN COMMUNITY CENTER.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS ALSO OFFERED, UM, BY THE BATON ROUGE FOOD BANK.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER AREA WE WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THEY CAN'T GET BABY FOOD.
ALL RIGHT, ANYBODY ELSE? THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH.
ITEM ONE 60, A REPORT FROM ROSEBUD TRAINING ACADEMY REGARDING PROGRAMS OFFERED IN THE GREATER COVILLE COMMUNITY BY COUNCILWOMAN UNA BANKS IS REQUESTED TO FURTHER THIS ITEM TO THE DECEMBER 11TH MEETING ALONG WITH HALF OF OUR AGENDA TONIGHT,
SO DO WE HAVE, UH, ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEN NONE WILL GO TO COUNCIL COUNCILWOMAN BANKS.
ANY OPPOSED COUNCILMAN MO COMPOSERS? MOTION CARRIES.
COUNCILWOMAN AMAROSA MOTION TO ALL RIGHT.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING MEETINGS ADJOURNED.
UH, FOR THE DECEMBER 11TH MEETING YOU PLEASE FEEL FREE TO WEAR CHRISTMAS ATTIRE.
SOME CAN GET A LITTLE CRAZIER THAN OTHERS WE KNOW.
IS SANTA CLAUS COMING? SANTA CLAUS MAY BE COMING.
HAVE YOU BEEN NAUGHTY OR NICE? YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW.
OFFER, UH, FOR YOUR CONTINUED SERVICE.
REMEMBER TO SERVE YOUR COMMUNITY, SERVE YOUR FAMILIES, BUT FIRST AND FOREMOST, SERVE GOD.