>> GOOD EVENING. WELCOME TO THE THIRD OF THE COUNCIL BUDGET HEARINGS,
[00:00:05]
THE THIRD TIME FOR THE 2025 YEAR IN ANTICIPATION OF 2026 BUDGET.THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR MAKING TIME TO BE HERE.
THANK YOU TO OUR STAFF THAT HAS STAYED LATE, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO THE MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA AND THE PUBLIC WHO HAVE TAKEN TIME OUT OF THEIR BUSY LIVES.
I KNOW EVERYBODY IS DEFROSTING THE TURKEY AND BAKING THE PUMPKIN PIES.
I KNOW THAT ALL FEELS MORE IMMEDIATE THAN WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE, BUT IN MY MIND, THERE'S NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TODAY.
[2. Presentations by the Departments/Agencies of: A. Development B. Building & Grounds C. Maintenance D. Transportation & Drainage E. Environmental Services F. Big Buddy Program]
LET'S GET STARTED. TODAY, WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM PUBLIC WORK.LET ME CALL UP RACHEL LAMBERT WITH DEVELOPMENT. MISS LAMBERT.
>> I'M GOING TO GO MAKE SURE RECAP.
YOU HAVE A PAPER COPY IN FRONT OF YOU, OR YOU SHOULD I BROUGHT SOME COPIES? CAN WE MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE? HERE'S A RECAP SHOWING THE 2025 AND THE 2026 BUDGET, HOW IT'S ALLOCATED BETWEEN THE FOUR DIVISIONS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT, WHICH ARE ADMINISTRATION, SUBDIVISION ENGINEERING, PERMITS AND INSPECTIONS, AND NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION, ALSO KNOWN AS BLIGHT.
WE ALSO HAVE THE ALLOTMENTS FOR THE CURRENT YEAR VERSUS 2026 YEAR.
YOU CAN SEE A LIST OF THE CONTRACTS AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES LISTED BELOW EACH YEAR.
I'LL TALK ABOUT IT A LATER SLIDE, BUT WE ARE HAVING A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN CONTRACTUAL SERVICES. NEXT SLIDE.
THIS IS A BREAKDOWN OF THE BUDGET CATEGORY FOR EACH DIVISION.
YOU CAN SEE THOSE ON THE FOUR PIE CHARTS ON THE OUTSIDE, AND IN THE MIDDLE, THE BIG ONE IS ALL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT IN WHOLE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, SALARIES AND BENEFITS MAKE UP AROUND HALF OF OUR TOTAL BUDGET, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES MAKES UP A GOOD CHUNK, BUT THAT'S THE PERMIT OFFICE IS THE MAJORITY OF THAT.
WE'RE PRETTY HEAVY VEHICLES AND FUEL.
DEPARTMENT AS IN, WE HAVE A LOT OF INSPECTORS OUT THERE IN THE FIELD, SO WE HAVE QUITE A BIT OF EUC AND FUEL USAGE.
WE HAVE SOME CONTRACTUAL SERVICES LEGAL ACTUALLY TAKES UP QUITE A BIT OF OUR BUDGET AS WELL AND JUST SUPPLIES AND OFFICE THINGS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
HERE'S GOING TO BE SOME OF THE IMPACTS TO SERVICES.
THE DEPARTMENT IS GOING TO SEE ABOUT A $1.1 MILLION IN REDUCTION.
DIVISION ENGINEERING, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ELIMINATE OUR SECOND ENGINEERING POSITION, WHICH IS ONLY GOING TO LEAVE US ONE ENGINEER ON STAFF IN THAT DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS A PLAN OF GOVERNMENT MANDATED POSITION, THE CHIEF DEVELOPMENT ENGINEER.
REVIEW TIMES WILL LIKELY BE LONGER, SO WE WILL HAVE LESS SUPPORT STAFF.
PERMITS AND INSPECTIONS WERE GOING TO DECREASE THE PERMITS AND INSPECTIONS PLAN REVIEWERS BY TWO, THAT'S IN OUR SOUTH CENTRAL PLANNING CONTRACT.
REVIEW TIMES WILL LIKELY GET LONGER, THOUGH.
AS YOU'LL SEE IN ONE OF THE FURTHER SLIDES, WE ARE VERY FAST.
WE'RE AT LESS THAN THREE DAYS IN PLAN REVIEW RIGHT NOW IN PERMITS, WHICH IS PRETTY UNHEARD OF.
THOUGH REVIEW TIMES MAKE IT LONGER, WE'RE STILL AIMING TO MEET THE GUARANTEED TURNAROUND, WHICH IS SEVEN DAYS FOR RESIDENTIAL PERMITS AND 24 DAYS FOR COMMERCIAL PERMITS.
IN NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ZERO GENERAL FUND DOLLARS FOR CONTRACTED BLIGHT ABATEMENT.
FOR REFERENCE THIS YEAR, WE'VE SPENT ABOUT $2.2 MILLION IN CONTRACTED BLIGHT ABATEMENT.
WE WILL HAVE TO RELY SOLELY ON IN HOUSE CREWS FOR MOST BLIGHT ABATEMENT.
THERE IS SOME CDBG DOLLARS FROM OFFICE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT THAT WE HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED, THOUGH THERE ARE SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT AREAS OF TOWN THAT ARE INELIGIBLE FOR THOSE DOLLARS.
THAT MEANS THAT THERE HAS TO BE AN ENVIRONMENTAL AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION REVIEW FOR EACH OF THOSE STRUCTURES IN ORDER TO BE DEEMED ELIGIBLE FOR THOSE DOLLARS.
THERE'S THREE AREAS IN TOWN, SOUTH MID CITY, WE'LL CALL IT SOUTH BATON ROUGE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THEN A GOOD BIT OF SCOTLANDLLE, ARE INELIGIBLE, WHICH ARE QUITE A LOT OF STRUCTURES THAT WE ARE SEEING COME THROUGH OUR DOORS.
[00:05:07]
THE LOCATIONS OF THE BUDGET REDUCTION ON THE RIGHT SIDE, WE'RE ELIMINATING 31 POSITIONS.WE'RE REDUCING CONTRACTS BY AROUND $900,000.
>> WE'RE GOING TO ELIMINATE ALL OVERTIME, AND WE'VE ALSO SINCE WE'RE ELIMINATING POSITIONS, WE'VE HAD A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN EQUIPMENT AND FLEET.
WE ARE PROPOSING SOME MITIGATION SOLUTIONS THAT WILL HOPEFULLY COME BEFORE YOU EARLY IN 2026.
WE WANT TO INCREASE CERTAIN PERMIT FEES, SPECIFICALLY THE REINSPECTION FEE, WHICH RIGHT NOW IS $20, AND IT COSTS US APPROXIMATELY 75 IN ORDER TO MAKE AN INSPECTION, YES.
WE ARE ALSO SUBSIDIZING THE AVERAGE RESIDENTIAL PERMIT TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT $3-400.
WE'RE LOOKING TO TRY TO BREAK EVEN ON THAT.
THE SUBDIVISION OFFICE HAS A VERY ABYSMAL FEE SCHEDULE.
IT IS $100 PLUS 25 A LOT, WHICH DOESN'T EVEN BEGIN TO COVER THE REVIEW OF SOME OF OUR SUBDIVISIONS.
WE HAVE BEEN BULLING AROUND A FEE SCHEDULE.
WE'VE TALKED WITH SOME OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS AND THEY'RE ALL ON BOARD.
I THINK ACTUALLY ST. GEORGE IS GOING TO ADOPT THE SAME FEE SCHEDULE AS WELL, WE'VE BEEN TALKING WITH THEM AND COORDINATING.
WE'RE ALSO GOING TO TRY TO PURSUE ADDITIONAL GRANT FUNDING FOR ABATEMENT.
HOPEFULLY THERE'S SOME MORE DOLLARS THAT WE CAN BLIGHT A BIG TOPIC AROUND THE NATION.
WE'RE HOPING TO FIND SOME MORE DOLLARS THERE.
WE ALSO PLAN TO INCREASE FINES FEES AND PENALTIES.
ON A LATER SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE THAT FINES AND FEES AND PENALTIES HAS ONLY TOTALED ABOUT $320,000 FOR THE YEAR, WHICH THE NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION DIVISION OPERATES TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT $2-3 MILLION.
WE'RE REALLY NOT COVERING OPERATIONAL COSTS THERE. NEXT SLIDE.
IN ADDITION TO GENERAL FUND DOLLARS, WE ALSO DO INTAKE GENERAL FUND DOLLARS, ALL OF THE DOLLARS THAT COME IN FROM PERMITS AND INSPECTIONS GO STRAIGHT TO THE GENERAL FUND.
YOU CAN SEE A GRAPH AT THE TOP OF REVENUE FOR '23, '24, AND '25.
I HAVE GONE AHEAD AND BROKE DOWN WHAT OUR 2024 REVENUE WAS FROM JANUARY THROUGH OCTOBER ON THE TOP RIGHT.
IT WAS ABOUT $4.7 MILLION, AND THE COMPARABLE 2025 REVENUE IS ABOUT $3.2 MILLION.
THAT'S ABOUT A 30% REDUCTION IN REVENUE THAT WE'RE SEEING.
YOU CAN SEE COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL PLAN REVIEW TIMES AT THE BOTTOM.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY'RE REALLY FAST.
THEY'RE LESS THAN THREE DAYS THAT WE'RE TURNING AROUND PLAN REVIEWS, WHICH IS GREAT COMPARED TO WHAT THEY WERE IN 2020.
WE'VE MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS THERE.
IN 2025, WE'VE DONE ABOUT 1,000 PLAN REVIEWS AND WE'VE ISSUED 6,700 PERMITS COMPARED TO 2024, WE DID ABOUT 1,700 PLAN REVIEWS AND ISSUED AROUND 9,300 PERMITS.
THAT'S ABOUT A 20% DECREASE IN TOTAL PERMITS ISSUED, BUT IT'S ABOUT A 30% DECREASE IN PLAN REVIEWS.
HENCE WHY WE'RE ALSO REDUCING SOME OF THE PLAN REVIEWERS IN OUR SOUTH CENTRAL CONTRACT.
REVENUE IN 2024 TOTAL WAS $5.3 MILLION, AND IN 2023 WAS $5.8 MILLION. NEXT SLIDE.
THERE'S SOME STATS HERE THAT I HAVE.
BASICALLY, WE'VE DONE OVER 2000 CONDEMNATION INSPECTIONS THIS YEAR.
WE'VE INTRODUCED 327 CONDEMNATIONS.
YOU GUYS HAVE CONDEMNED 230 STRUCTURES.
WE'VE DEMOLISHED 178 THIS YEAR, 47 OF THOSE WERE IN HOUSE, 131 OF THOSE WERE CONTRACTED.
THE MAJORITY OF THAT WAS SOME CDBG DOLLARS TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT $1.37 MILLION.
OUR AVERAGE COST FOR A CONTRACTED DEMO IS AROUND 10,000, THAT'S BECAUSE IT'S ABOUT 75% OF THE STRUCTURES THAT WE DEMOLISH HAVE ASBESTOS AND THAT REALLY JACKS THE PRICE UP.
BUT THE BID PRICE FOR NON ASBESTOS STRUCTURES IS PRETTY COMPARABLE TO WHAT IT'S COSTING US TO DO THEM IN HOUSE.
>> RACHEL, WOULD YOU MIND GIVING A BROAD OVERVIEW OF WHAT THE DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT DOES? I KNOW FOR PEOPLE WATCHING AT HOME, WE'RE USED TO THAT, BUT THEY MAY NOT [OVERLAPPING].
>> I'M SORRY. THE DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL CODE ENFORCEMENT.
WELL, THE POLICE HANDLE PEOPLE, WE HANDLE PROPERTY AND THE USE OF THAT PROPERTY.
WITH THAT COMES, THE PERMITTING OF ALL CONSTRUCTION, BUT THEN ALSO THE ENFORCEMENT OF ALL BUILDING REGULATIONS, WHERE BLIGHT IS PROPERTY REGULATIONS, AND THAT'S WHERE THAT COMES INTO ALL FOLDS BACK INTO THE CODE ENFORCEMENT WHEELHOUSE.
[00:10:07]
WE HAVE THE SUBDIVISION DIVISION, WHICH HANDLES LARGE SCALE DEVELOPMENTS.BASICALLY, IF YOU'RE GOING TO BUILD A ROAD, A SEWER, DRAINAGE LINE, ANYTHING LIKE THAT, AND IT'S GOING TO BE SPECIFICALLY DEDICATED TO THE PUBLIC, THEN THE SUBDIVISION OFFICE IS GOING TO HANDLE THAT.
THE PERMIT OFFICE PERMITS BASICALLY CONSTRUCTION ON PRIVATE PROPERTY AND DOES OTHER CONSTRUCTION RELATED ENFORCEMENT.
I'M GOING TO START AT THE BACK OF THE PACKET.
WE HAD 230 HOUSES CONDEMNED BY THE COUNCIL, 178 CONTRACTED DEMOLITIONS AND 47 INHOUSE DEMOLITIONS.
HOW MANY HOUSES, I KNOW THIS IS OUT OF LEFT FIELD, BUT I BET YOU CAN GET ME CLOSE TO THIS NUMBER JUST FROM YOUR SMART BRAIN.
HOW MANY HOUSES DO WE HAVE NOW ON THE CONDEMNATION LIST WAITING TO BE BROUGHT DOWN?
>> IN ADDITION TO THE HUNDRED 78, I HAVE ROUGHLY 30 MORE STRUCTURES THAT SHOULD BE DOWN BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
WE'RE REALLY POISED TO HIT THAT 200 MARK, WHICH IS REALLY EXCITING.
WE PROBABLY HAVE ANOTHER 70 THAT ARE, WE'LL CALL IT IN WAITING.
THEY'RE EITHER BEING TESTED FOR ASBESTOS.
THEY'RE AWAITING ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE, POTENTIALLY, SO WE COULD HAVE USE OUR GRANT DOLLARS OR WE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE GENERAL FUND DOLLARS BECAUSE THEY'RE INELIGIBLE, SO THEY'VE BEEN SITTING THERE THOUGH WE'VE TRIED TO USE WHAT LIMITED GENERAL FUND DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE HAD THIS YEAR TO DEMOLISH SOME OF THE WORST OF THOSE THAT ARE INELIGIBLE.
THEN I THINK WE HAVE BEEN KEEPING A TALLY NOWADAYS OF THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN INTRODUCED.
IT'S SOMEWHERE AROUND LIKE 90 STRUCTURES THAT ARE, WE'LL CALL IT IN WAITING TO BE CONDEMNED.
>> SO 30 IN PROCESS, 70 CONDEMNED IN WAITING AND ANOTHER 90 IN THE PROCESS [OVERLAPPING].
>> THEY'VE BEEN INTRODUCED, AND THEY'RE IN SOME OR THEY'RE ABOUT TO BE INTRODUCED. YES, MA'AM.
>> GOT IT. LOOKING AT THE PERMITS AND INSPECTIONS, THE REVENUE AND THE NUMBER OF PLAN REVIEWS AND PERMITS ISSUED, YOU SAID IT, WE'RE DOWN ABOUT 30%.
IS THAT ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE CITY OF ST. GEORGE?
>> IS THIS ATTRIBUTABLE TO THE ECONOMY OR IS IT A MIX?
>> WE DO BELIEVE THAT THERE IS SOME SLOW DOWN AS FAR AS NEW BUILDS A LITTLE BIT.
I THINK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FAIR, YOU CAN READ SOME OF THE STUFF THAT THE NEWS PUTS OUT, BUT WE WERE ANTICIPATING A 30% DECREASE DUE TO ST. GEORGE.
>> THIS MATCHES UP [OVERLAPPING]
>> IT WAS WHAT WAS EXPECTED. YES, MA'AM. [OVERLAPPING]
>> THE DEPARTMENT ALSO TOOK A 17% BUDGET REDUCTION 24-25.
AN ANTICIPATION, BECAUSE IF YOU YOU PROBABLY DON'T KNOW THE DATE LIKE I DO, BUT OCTOBER 16TH OF 2024 WAS WHEN PERMITS TRANSITIONED TO ST. GEORGE.
WE'VE BEEN TRANSITION FOR OVER A YEAR NOW.
>> YOU KNOW YOU CAN ANTICIPATE NOW.
WE WERE PREPARED, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS WHY WE TOOK QUITE A SIGNIFICANT CUT LAST YEAR.
WE HAD ALREADY CUT OUT QUITE A BIT FROM THE SOUTH CENTRAL CONTRACT FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR.
>> WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ELIMINATING 31 POSITIONS, WHAT DID THOSE POSITIONS DO? WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? IT'S ON THE THIRD PAGE.
>> THERE'S A MYRIAD OF THINGS THAT THEY DO.
THAT'S FROM ALL OVER. A LOT OF THOSE ARE ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS.
AGAIN, WE HAD A 17% CUT, SO A LOT OF THOSE GOT FROZEN ALREADY THIS YEAR.
A LOT OF, WE HAVE I THINK EIGHT OR NINE, WE'LL CALL IT FIELD EMPLOYEES.
THOSE POSITIONS WERE FROZEN AS WELL.
ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS, SOME ENGINEERING POSITIONS THAT WERE ALSO BEING DELETED AS WELL.
>> IT'S ACROSS THE BOARD [OVERLAPPING].
>> THAT IS ALL I HAVE RIGHT NOW. ANYBODY ELSE?
>> RACHEL, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK YOU DO.
MANY TIMES WE CONDEMN PROPERTIES AND ALL AND THEN THEY GET RESCINDED.
IS THERE A COST TO THE CITY FOR THOSE RESCINDING? [OVERLAPPING]
>> YES, MA'AM. THERE ARE SOME FEES THAT YOU HAVE TO BE PAID WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO RESCIND A PROPERTY, BUT THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS OR FEES OR FINES ASSOCIATED WITH A CONDEMNATION THAT MUST BE REPAID BEFORE IT'S RESCINDED.
BASICALLY, WE'RE NOT REIMBURSED FOR ANY OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE TIME THAT MY OFFICE TO [OVERLAPPING].
>> RESCIND A PROPERTY, WHAT DOES THAT COST US? [OVERLAPPING]
>> TYPICALLY PAYING BACK ANYTHING THAT WE'VE EXPENDED A LOT OF TIMES WE'VE TESTED FOR ASBESTOS.
[00:15:01]
THAT COST IS BEING RECOUPED, BUT A LOT OF IT IS MORE RECORDING FEES.THAT IS BEING RECOUPED WHEN YOU RESCIND IT.
IT'S ROUGHLY 125 $535 IN ORDER TO RECORD EACH THING.
WE TYPICALLY WILL HAVE ANYWHERE 2-4 ITEMS THAT WE MAY RECORD.
>> ABOUT HOW MANY PROPERTIES DO WE RESCIND OVER THE YEAR?
>> I THINK THIS YEAR ALONE, WE'VE RESCINDED 45.
IT'S A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT. YES MA'AM [OVERLAPPING].
>> WHAT'S THE AVERAGE ADMINISTRATIVE COST FOR RECENSION? NUMBER 10,000.
>> MAYBE 1,000. I MEAN, WE TOUCH A PROPERTY A LOT OF TIMES.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE DID 2000 CONDEMNATION INSPECTIONS TIMES 75.
I MEAN, THAT'S QUITE A BIT OF MONEY.
WE'RE VISITING A PROPERTY ANYWHERE 5-10, 15 TIMES.
SOMETIMES WHEN WE CONDEMN A PROPERTY.
>> IS THAT SOMETHING WE CAN ADD IN?
>> THAT'S PART OF SOME OF THE MITIGATION SOLUTIONS.
IT WOULD BE ALSO TO HAVE SOME OF THOSE COSTS BE ADDED AS FEES OR FINES OR ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS AS WELL.
>> THANKS. I'M GOING TO WALK THROUGH THE PRESENTATION AND THE ORDER YOU'VE PRESENTED THEM.
I'M ON YOUR BUDGET SLIDE 2025 TO 2026.
DCI LETTER DETAIL CONTRACT REMAINS THE SAME AMOUNT.
>> DCI IS THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS.
WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH DIXON CORRECTIONAL, AND THEY SUPPLY US WITH SOME INMATES THAT ARE ON WORK RELEASE, AND THEY COME IN AND THEY ACTUALLY MOW A LOT OF GRASS.
WE'RE ACTUALLY PAYING FOR, WE'LL CALL IT THE GUARD THAT IS COMING DOWN WITH THEM, AND THEY BILL US.
THAT'S BEEN THAT RATE HAS WAS NEGOTIATED TWO YEARS AGO, I BELIEVE, IT'S LIKE A THREE YEAR CONTRACT WITH THE STATE.
>> YOU'RE CALLING IT LITTLE DETAIL, BUT THEY'RE MOWING GRASS. THEY'RE DOING NUMBER.
>> THEY'RE DOING A NUMBER OF ABATEMENT THINGS. YES, SIR.
>> YOU HAD LAST YEAR H AND TB STORMWATER MODELING AT 100K AND THAT'S NOT APPEARING THIS YEAR.
>> WE'VE WRAPPED THAT IN AND THAT'S ACTUALLY GOING TO BE ON TOMORROW'S AGENDA.
WE GIVE THEM THESE DOLLARS FROM THIS YEAR, AND THERE'S STILL GOING TO BE QUITE A BIT OF DOLLARS, BUT ONE OF THE OTHER FEES THAT I WANT TO BRING IS THE MODELING FEE SO THAT IT CAN ALMOST BE A PASS THROUGH IN THE NEXT YEAR.
>> BECAUSE WE'RE CURRENTLY NOT CHARGING ENGINEERS, DEVELOPERS, BUILDERS.
WE HAVE BEEN SPONSOR COVERING THAT COST PERFECT SO THAT WE COULD TRY TO ESTIMATE, A REASONABLE AMOUNT TO SET THAT FEE.
>> THANK YOU. THAT'S A GREAT SEGUE IF WE CAN PUSH FORWARD TWO SLIDES TO THE PROPOSED MITIGATION SOLUTIONS ON YOUR IMPACTS TO SERVICE SLIDE.
YOU'VE GOT SOME INCREASED CERTAIN PERMIT FEES, RE-INSPECTION RESIDENTIAL, YOU GAVE SOME OF THOSE NUMBERS.
IS THAT AN ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION THAT YOU AND YOUR OFFICE CAN TAKE OR YOU HAVE TO COME TO COUNCIL?
>> I WOULD HAVE TO COME TO COUNCIL. IT'S PART OF TITLE 8.
>> YES SIR, THE PERMIT FEES AND THE SUBDIVISION FEES, AND THEN INCREASING ANY FINES FEES OR PENALTIES OR ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS WOULD ALSO HAVE TO COME, THOSE ARE WRITTEN NORM.
>> TRUE. THEN HAVE YOU DONE ANY ANALYSIS, ANTICIPATED REVENUE, WHAT THAT COULD BRING FORWARD?
>> HAVEN'T DONE A PROJECTION, BUT I HAVE STARTED SOME RESEARCH TO SEE WHAT OTHER MUNICIPALITIES ARE DOING AND EVALUATING WHAT OUR FEES AND FINES ARE.
>> THE STAKEHOLDERS IN THOSE DECISIONS ARE VISITING WITH YOU, THE FOLKS WILL.
>> WELL, WE'LL CALL IT FOR BLIGHT FEES OR FINES.
I WOULD CONSIDER YOU ALL MY STAKEHOLDER, BUT WE DEFINITELY DON'T WANT TO [OVERLAPPING] FOR THE PERMIT FEES AND THE SUBDIVISION FEES.
ABSOLUTELY. WE HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING THAT WITH THEM FOR QUITE A WHILE.
>> VERY GOOD. THE ELIMINATE 31 POSITIONS WAS ASKED ABOUT, BUT 31 ARE FILLED POSITIONS.
THEY'RE ALL VACANT. THANK YOU.
NEXT SLIDE, PERMITS AND INSPECTIONS, YOUR REVENUES FROM 2024-2025 ARE DOWN PRETTY MUCH EVERY MONTH.
JUST MARKET CONDITIONS OR IS THERE.
>> FOR THAT [OVERLAPPING] GO AHEAD.
>> WE HAD ANTICIPATED THAT WE WOULD SEE A 30% DECREASE IN REVENUE.
>> THAT'S BEEN THE ENTIRE YEAR?
>> YES BECAUSE IT WAS IN 2024 WHEN PERMITS AND INSPECTIONS TRANSITION.
>> I WENT OVER. GREAT. THANKS. WHAT'S THE CAUSE OF THE DECREASE WITH DEPOSIT, THE DECREASE IN DAYS.
WHAT'S THE CAUSE OF THAT? YOUR HARD WORK OR IS IT? [LAUGHTER].
>> I'D LIKE TO CLAIM THAT. AGAIN, WE'VE HAD A DECREASE IN PLAN REVIEWS, SO THINGS ARE A LITTLE MORE EXPEDITIOUS RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S ONE OF THE LUXURIES OF HAVING A CONTRACT WITH SOUTH CENTRAL PLANNING.
[00:20:03]
THEY DO ALL OF OUR PLAN REVIEW.THEY HAVE PLAN REVIEWERS ON STAFF, MORE THAN JUST WHAT WE'LL SAY WE COMPENSATE THEM FOR BECAUSE THEY DO WORK IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS IN LOUISIANA DOING PLAN REVIEW.
WHEN WE DO HAVE AN INFLUX, SAY WE PLOT A NEW FILING OF A SUBDIVISION AND WE MIGHT HAVE 50,60,70. PERMITS APPLIED FOR WITH PLAN REVIEWS WITHIN A WEEK, THEY CAN SHIFT RESOURCES SO THAT THERE'S NOT A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT TO REVIEW TIMES.
>> THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU'RE DOING TO BALANCE THESE BUDGETS.
>> WELCOME. ONE THING I DID FORGET ON THE LAST SLIDE.
I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT CONDEMNATIONS, BUT I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT WE'VE DONE OVER 2,900, NEARLY 3,000 BLIGHT VIOLATION NOTICES.
WE'VE MADE ALMOST 12,000 BLIGHT COURT INSPECTIONS.
LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE ONLY HAD ABOUT A LITTLE OVER $300,000 IN FEES AND FINES THAT WERE ASSESSED AT BLIGHT COURT.
WE ACHIEVED OVER 450 COURT ORDERS AT BLIGHT COURT, AND WE ROLLED APPROXIMATELY 729 LIENS TO THE TAX BILLS THIS YEAR.
>>THE MODELING VS, HOW LONG HAVE WE BEEN MODELING THE PROJECTS AND EVERYTHING?
>> I BELIEVE WE CHANGED CHAPTER 19 AND 2023.
>> THAT CAME ALONG WITH ALL THE SWEEPING MODIFICATIONS THAT WERE THE CULMINATION OF THE STORMWATER MASTER PLAN AND ALL OF THAT WORK THAT WE HAD DONE TO REWRITE AND REVAMP AND MAKE SOME OF THOSE THINGS STRONGER.
>> LET'S TELL THE PUBLIC AND DEVELOPERS AND EVERYTHING.
BASICALLY, THE MODELING FEES ARE WHAT THEY WOULD PAY A DEVELOPER TO BASICALLY CHECK UPSTREAM DOWNSTREAM OF A PROPERTY FLOW RATES, RAINFALL WE CREATE THIS PRODUCE, AND IT'S ALL ALL THE NEW MODELING OF THE SOFTWARE AND EVERYTHING, CORRECT?
>> COVERT AROUND THE AREA, HOW MUCH WATER CAN FILL THE GROUP?
>> YES. BASICALLY THE WAY IT WORKS IS THAT A DEVELOPER OR ENGINEER WILL SUBMIT TO US WHAT THEY CALL A SURFACE, THEIR PROPOSED ELEVATIONS IN AN AREA FOR THEIR DEVELOPMENT.
H&TV THEN TAKES THAT FILE AND MESHES IT INTO THE MODEL AND THEN RUNS IT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE NO ADVERSE IMPACTS.
>> DO WE START THE MODELING WITHOUT CHARGING AS A PILOT PROGRAM?
>> THAT'S BEEN DOING FOR THREE YEARS NOW, TWO YEARS?
>> THIS IS JUST NOW GOING TO BE START INSTITUTING FEES ON DIFFERENT SCALES, THEIR OWN SIZES.
>> WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT, WE'LL CALL IT PROJECT SIZES IN ORDER TO HAVE DIFFERENT FEE SCHEDULES. YES, SIR.
WE EVALUATED DOING IT EARLIER THIS YEAR AND IMPLEMENTING THE MODEL FEE BUT WE REALLY DIDN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE ENOUGH WITH ENOUGH MODELING PROJECTS THAT HAD COME THROUGH FOR US TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A DETERMINATION ON THAT.
>> THE MODELING WOULD BE A REQUIREMENT.
>> NO. ONLY ON SOME WHERE IT'S DEEMED, WHETHER IT'S OVERLAPPING, WHAT WE CALL A CONVEYANCE ZONE, OR IF A LARGE AMOUNT OF WATER IS COMING FROM OTHER PROPERTIES ONTO THAT PROPERTY, OR WE CALL THAT AN OVERLAND FLOW CHECK.
THAT'S DETERMINED BY THE ENGINEERS AND LIKE MY OFFICE JUST DETERMINES WHETHER OR NOT WE'RE GOING TO REQUIRE YOU TO DO THE MODELING.
>> BUT LIKE AN INDIVIDUAL REZONING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT?
>> THEY'RE NOT GOING TO. JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE.
WE DID THIS PROGRAM AND ACTUALLY HELPED CREATE SOME OF THIS FROM THE AREA AND WE'VE BEEN DOING THE FEES.
WE STARTED OFF OF A TRIAL PROGRAM, MAKE SURE WE HAD ALL THE DATA RIGHT AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
IT WASN'T A BURDEN ON INDIVIDUALS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
>> THAT'S EXACTLY [OVERLAPPING]
>> I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE GET INTO THOSE MODELING THINGS THAT THIS IS A TOOL BIG ENOUGH FOR DEVELOPERS AND STUFF THAT THEY CAN PAY ON DIFFERENT STRUCTURES.
>> WE DEFINITELY WANT TO HAVE DIFFERENT FEE STRUCTURES FOR SAY, SOMEBODY'S JUST BUILDING A HOUSE, ONE HOUSE ON ONE SINGLE LOT, THAT'S NOT PART OF A BIG SUBDIVISION.
THAT WE'RE NOT OVERBURDENING THEM.
BUT THEN WHEN A DEVELOPER COMES IN AND IS DOING HUNDREDS OF ACRES THAT ENCOMPASS LARGE WATERSHEDS AND OTHER MAIN DRAINAGE FEATURES THAT WE'RE COMPETENTLY ASSESSING FEES THAT ARE GOING TO COVER OUR FEES ON THAT.
YES. THAT'S WHY WE'VE TAKEN SO LONG.
I THINK TO DO THIS IS BECAUSE WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE REALLY HAD A HANDLE ON THIS AND WE'RE FAIR AND WE'RE DEFINITELY GOING TO COORDINATE WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
>> THIS MAY HAVE BEEN IN IT, BUT WITH THOSE FEES IMPLEMENTED,
[00:25:04]
BASED ON WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN MODELING SO FAR, WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT AT THAT IN REVENUE?>> WELL, LIKE I SAID, THAT'S ANOTHER REASON WE REALLY HAVEN'T BROUGHT IT IS BECAUSE WE STILL HAVEN'T USED ALL OF THE MONEY THAT WE PUT INTO THAT CONTRACT TWO YEARS AGO.
WE'RE STILL RUNNING ON THAT MONEY.
WE'RE GOING TO AFFORD MORE DOLLARS TOMORROW, ALLOCATE MORE DOLLARS TOMORROW TO BE ABLE TO GET US INTO NEXT YEAR, FRED'S ALSO NEEDING GOING TO DO SOME MBR AND OTHER SOME OF HIS DRAINAGE PROJECTS.
HE NEEDS SOME OF THOSE FUNDS AS WELL FOR THAT.
IT'S A PARTNERSHIP THERE BUT THEN ALSO THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT.
I DON'T ANTICIPATE IT BEING MORE THAN $50,000 THAT WE WOULD HAVE INTAKE IN REVENUE.
ESPECIALLY SINCE ST. GEORGE'S [OVERLAPPING].
SINCE ST. GEORGE HAS COME IN, THAT'S WHERE THE MAJORITY OF THE FLOOD ZONE AND THE CONVEYANCE ZONES ARE.
WE'RE REALLY NOT SEEING THAT MANY PROJECTS THAT ARE REQUIRING THE MODELING.
>> I APOLOGIZE AGAIN. WHO IS IT THAT DOES THE MODELING FOR US? H&TV? THAT 50,000 SHOULD COVER H&TV'S COST OF THE MODELING.
>> FORD DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT ANNUALLY, YES, SIR.
>> BETWEEN THAT AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ADMINISTRATIVE FEES, OR WE BROUGHT UP A WHILE AGO ABOUT THE ADMINISTRATIVE FEES AND HOW THAT DOESN'T GET FACTORED IN TO A LOT OF THE TIME AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU ALL PUT IN.
WITH THOSE FEES AND EVERYTHING.
I DON'T WANT TO SAY MAYBE ZERO BALANCE YOUR BUDGET IS TOO TOUGH OR NOT THE RIGHT QUESTION.
THAT WOULD BE AN ULTIMATE GOAL?
>> THAT WOULD ULTIMATELY BE THE GOAL.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S NECESSARILY FAIR BECAUSE THEN YOU MAY BE PAYING BECAUSE WE MAKE ALMOST 12,000, BLIGHT COURT INSPECTIONS EVERY YEAR.
NOT ALL OF THOSE RESULT IN A COURT ORDER.
WHICH IS WHERE THE FEES AND FINES WOULD GET ASSESSED.
NOT EVERY PROJECT AND NOT EVERY PROPERTY IS GOING TO DO THERE.
IF WE TRY TO ZERO BALANCE THE BUDGET, SOME PEOPLE MAY END UP PAYING MORE THAN THEIR FAIR SHARE OF THE COST AND THE BURDEN ON MY OFFICE.
I DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW IF THAT'S FAIR, BUT WE'RE GOING TO EVALUATE THAT IN A TOTALITY WHEN WE LOOK AT THESE FEES AND FINES.
>> RACHEL, I'VE GOT A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS.
>> BECAUSE I KNOW PEOPLE AT HOME WHO ARE WATCHING THIS ARE WONDERING.
>> WHEN SOMEONE FOR A STRUCTURE CANNOT BE IDENTIFIED THE OWNER.
A LOT OF TIMES IT'S WHEN THE OWNER HAS PASSED AWAY AND THEY HAVEN'T DONE THEIR SUCCESSION, AND WE CAN'T MAKE NOTICE.
THERE'S IT'S PART OF STATE LAW.
THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ASSISTS US IN THIS.
THEY WILL WE APPOINT A LAWYER BASICALLY A CURATOR AND HE ATTEMPTS TO FIND THE OWNER OR ANY HEIRS AND WHATNOT AND BASICALLY REPRESENTS THEM, THE PROPERTY OWNER.
>> GOT IT. THANK YOU. YOU VERY LIT.
ALSO, LOOKING INTO 2026 WITH THE FUNDING THAT YOU WILL HAVE, HOW MANY DEMOLITIONS DO YOU EXPECT TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE IN 2026? WE DID 47 IN HOUSE THIS YEAR.
>> THE 50 MARK IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE IT.
WE HAVE A CONTRACT TO ASSIST US IN HAULING FROM OUR DEMO SITE TO THE LANDFILL BECAUSE WE'RE REALLY ONLY WORKING WITH FOUR PEOPLE RIGHT NOW IN OUR FIELD CREW.
IT JUST WOULD TAKE SO MUCH MORE TIME.
WE PUT OUT A BID AND HAVE A CONTRACT TO ASSIST US IN THAT.
THAT'S A PASS THROUGH TO LIENS AS WELL.
WE DO CHARGE THE CO OWNER FOR THAT BUT IF WE RUN OUT OF THOSE DOLLARS, THEN WE MIGHT TAKE MORE TIME AND WE EACH HOUSE TO DEMOLISH, SO WE MAY GET TO LESS.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT 190 AT SOME POINT IN THE PROCESS, AND WE'RE SAYING, WE'LL HAVE FUNDING AND THE ABILITY UP TO NEXT YEAR.
>> WE WILL HAVE SOME CDBG DOLLARS NEXT YEAR.
IT'S STILL NOT DETERMINED HOW MUCH THAT'S GOING TO BE.
THIS YEAR, WE'VE EXPENDED ABOUT $750,000 IN CDBG FUNDS.
WE'RE WORKING WITH OCD AND THE STATE AND FREDS AND WHATNOT AND KELLY AND THEM TO TRY TO GET MORE OF THOSE DOLLARS AS WELL.
OBVIOUSLY, IT'S A VERY DELICATE BALANCE.
THERE'S A LOT OF NEEDS AROUND FOR THOSE CDBG DOLLARS.
>> ANYBODY ELSE? THANK YOU, MS. LAMBERT, WE APPRECIATE IT.
WE HAVE BUILDING AND GROUNDS, MR. JOE BUTLER.
[00:30:09]
>> WE'RE GETTING THERE. JUST TAKES A MINUTE.
>> HOW ARE YOU DOING, COUNSEL?
>> I THINK WE'VE ALREADY LAID OFF OUR SLIDE HANDLER, JUST KIDDING.
>> WE'RE READY WHEN YOU'RE READY, MR. CALLER.
>> GOOD EVENING. JOE BUTLER DEPARTMENT OF BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS.
I'M HERE TO REVIEW OUR 2026 OPERATING BUDGET.
BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS, MISSION OF BUILDING MAINTENANCE TO PROVIDE QUALITY SERVICE IN EFFICIENT AND PROFESSIONAL MANNER TO ENSURE THE SAFETY AND HEALTH AND WELFARE OF CITY PARISH, EMPLOYEES AND CITIZENS THAT UTILIZE OUR FACILITIES.
OUR 2026 BUDGET WILL BE $12,316,000 REDUCTION OF $1,565,000.
THIS IS 11% REDUCTION IN REACH COMPLIANCE WITH THE BUDGET REDUCTION THAT WE NEEDED TO MAKE FOR THIS YEAR.
IN BUILDING MAINTENANCE, THERE'S THREE MAJOR DIVISIONS THAT WE HAVE BUILDING MAINTENANCE ITSELF, PRISON MAINTENANCE AND ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES, THAT CONSIST OF ELECTRICAL MAINTENANCE, PLUMBING, HVAC, ALL BUILDING SERVICES THAT ARE REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN ALL CITY OWNED FACILITIES.
NEXT SLIDE. WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN HERE. GO BACK ONE.
WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS FOCUSED MAINTENANCE ACCOUNTS THAT WERE AFFECTED BY THE REDUCTION.
THESE COUNTS WERE IMPACTED THE MOST IN ORDER FOR US TO REACH OUR GOAL OF BALANCING THE BUDGET.
OVERALL, THERE'S A 21% REDUCTION ACROSS THESE ACCOUNTS ON AVERAGE, TOTALING OF $811,000 OF REDUCTION TO BUILDING SUPPLIES, CONTRACT OR SERVICES, THINGS THAT WE NEED TO MAINTAIN THE FACILITIES.
THESE WERE THE ONLY ACCOUNTS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE THOSE REDUCTIONS.
BUILDING MAINTENANCE DOES HAVE 25% OF ITS BUDGET THAT IS FIXED, UTILITIES, GAS, AND SERVICES.
THAT'S ROUGHLY $3 MILLION THAT'S FIXED THAT WE COULD NOT ADJUST.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THANK YOU.
HERE ON YOUR SCREEN, YOU SEE OUR TOTAL ALLOTMENT FOR 2025, OUR TOTAL ALIGNMENT WAS 65.
WE REDUCED IT THIS YEAR TO FOR 2026 TO 2063.
THAT REDUCTION DID NOT INCLUDE ANY LAYOFFS.
CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW AS IT STANDS, WE WILL NOT HAVE TO LAY OFF ANYONE INSIDE OF BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS.
THAT TOTAL ADJUSTMENT ACCOUNTED FOR $740 TO OUR BUDGET.
>> YOUR NEXT SLIDE IS OUR CONTRACTUAL SERVICES.
FOR BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS, WE HAVE THREE ELECTRICIANS THAT HELP SERVICE OUR FACILITIES.
WE HAVE NO HVAC TECHNICIANS OR STAFF, WE HAVE NO PLUMBERS ON STAFF.
THE MAJORITY OF OUR WORK FOR MAINTAINING FACILITIES COME FROM CONTRACTUAL SERVICES.
WE TOOK A STRATEGIZED PLAN IN REDUCING SERVICES SO THAT WE CAN AND STILL TRY TO MAINTAIN SERVICES TO THE BUILDING AT A SIGNIFICANT STANDARD.
THE MAIN THING THAT WE'RE GOING TO REDUCE IS A PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE.
WE'RE GOING TO REDUCE THAT TO QUARTERLY MAINTENANCE.
DURING THOSE QUARTERLY PMS. WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE HIGH FOCUS ON MAKING CERTAIN THAT WE ARE FOLLOWING THE OME STANDARDS AND MAKING CERTAIN THAT WE IDENTIFY THOSE ISSUES.
WE ARE GOING TO BE DOING SOME ON THE JOB TRAINING WITH SOME OF MY STAFF TO IDENTIFY VISUAL ISSUES AS THEY GO THROUGH THE BUILDINGS AND CHECK EQUIPMENT.
WE DO HAVE SOME GENERAL LABOR EMPLOYEES THAT WE WILL START
[00:35:02]
UTILIZING TO GO IN AND HELP US IN BETWEEN THOSE QUARTERLY INSPECTIONS.OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, WE'VE BEEN FOCUSED ON TRYING TO REDUCE MAINTENANCE CALLS AND ISSUES.
I'M HAPPY TO SAY THIS YEAR THAT WE DID SEE A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN HVAC CALLS THIS YEAR OVER AT THE PRISON FACILITIES AND ALSO OVERALL MAINTENANCE FACILITIES.
THAT REDUCTION WAS ROUGHLY 20% IN CALL OUTS FOR HVAC ISSUES, AND AS A RESULT OF THE PM SERVICES THAT WE'VE BEEN PROVIDING.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS A WORK ON A COMPLETION RATE.
IN JULY OF THIS YEAR, WE TOOK ON A NEW CMMS SYSTEM, MAINTENANCE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE RUN RIGHT AT 93% COMPLETION RATE FOR THE YEAR, IT IS AT 92 BUT FROM JULY TO CURRENT DATE WE RUN AT 93.5.
WITH THE REDUCTION IN SERVICES, THAT WILL DROP, RIGHT NOW, I CANNOT CALCULATE AND TELL YOU WHAT IT WILL BE REDUCED TO, BUT WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO MAINTAIN THESE LEVELS.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. FOR 2025, WE HAD SOME SIGNIFICANT PROJECTS THAT WERE COMPLETED.
WE COMPLETED A 480-VOLT PRIMARY FEEDER REPAIR OVER TO THE RIVER CENTER.
DURING AN INSPECTION, WE IDENTIFIED THAT WE HAD A SHORT IN SECONDARY LINE GOING TO THE RIVER CENTER.
WE WERE ABLE TO GET THAT CHANGED OUT, COMPLETED PRIOR TO BOLTON CONGRESS COMING IN.
THAT IS THE FEEDER THAT PROVIDES THE POWER TO THIS HALL.
WITHOUT THAT FEEDER, WE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN GREAT JEOPARDY OF HAVING AN ISSUE IF THERE WERE ANY ELECTRICAL SERVICE INTERRUPTIONS DURING THAT BOLTON CONGRESS, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO GET THAT TAKEN CARE OF.
PUBLIC SAFETY AT THE PRISON, BOTH RECEIVED NEW CHILLERS THIS YEAR.
THOSE CHILLERS WERE OVER 30 PLUS YEARS OLD, PAST LIFE EXPECTANCY.
WE'VE SEEN A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE AS FAR AS THE AIR QUALITY AT THOSE FACILITIES AS WELL.
ALSO, I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT WE COMPLETED THE CONSTRUCTION OF EMS STATION 9 OVER AT PUBLIC SAFETY COMPLEX ON AIRLINE HIGHWAY.
IF YOU HAVEN'T CHECKED IT OUT, PLEASE DO SO.
THERE'S GREAT WORK THERE. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
FOR 2026, EVEN THOUGH WE REDUCED THE BUDGET, WE HAVE NOT GIVEN HOPE ON CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS.
THOSE EFFORTS WILL CONSIST OF CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT OF THE CMMS SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE AND TRYING TO IMPLEMENT THAT ACROSS CITY PAIRS TO THE AGENCIES AS WELL TO UTILIZE IT RIGHT NOW, WE'RE ONLY USING IT INTERNALLY, AND THEY'RE STILL SITTING IN WORK ORDERS IN THE OLD MANNER.
IN JULY, WE PLAN ON ROLLING THE SYSTEM OUT TO WHERE THE AGENCIES COULD PUT IN THEIR OWN WORK ORDERS, TAKE PICTURES, AND HAVE BETTER COMMUNICATION THROUGH THE WORK ORDER SYSTEM TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE'RE BEING EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE.
WE PLAN ON TRYING TO ELIMINATE LOSS BY DETAILING THE QUARTERLY PMS SO WE COULD TRY TO ELIMINATE ANY CATASTROPHIC FAILURES THAT WE MAY HAVE ON OUR EQUIPMENT.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. TO HELP OUT, WE HAVE EMPLOYEES.
LIKE I SAID, THE GENERAL MAINTENANCE EMPLOYEES.
WE WILL BE USING SOME ON THE JOB TRAINING TECHNIQUES TO HELP OUT OUR STAFF TO GET FAMILIAR WITH OUR EQUIPMENT TO HELP US OUT IN THOSE GAPS THAT WE MAY HAVE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
WE HAVE TALKED TO OUR CONTRACTORS, CONTRACTING PARTNERS, THEY WILL BE HELPING US TRAIN AS WELL, OUR EMPLOYEES.
WE'LL BE DOING SOME 5S TRAINING, MILLWRIGHT PRECISION, AS LASER ALIGNMENT, VIBRATION ANALYSIS, ELECTRICAL TESTING INSPECTIONS THROUGHOUT ALL OUR FACILITIES.
FOR 2026, I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT SOME OF OUR PRIORITY BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON, 19TH JDC HAS HAD CONTINUOUS LEAKS AND WATERPROOFING ISSUES FOR THE PAST 10 PLUS YEARS.
WE DID REQUEST CAPITAL OUTLAY FUNDING.
WE'RE WAITING TO HEAR BACK FROM THAT B2 PARK GARAGE SECURITY ISSUES.
RIGHT NOW, THE GARAGES ARE OPEN, 24/7.
WE WOULD LIKE TO SECURE THOSE GARAGES FOR THE EMPLOYEES THAT WORK LATE NIGHTS, SO THEY CAN FEEL SAFE AS AS THEY GO TO THE VEHICLES.
CITY HALL ITSELF, WE DO HAVE ISSUES WITH WATERPROOFING.
[00:40:03]
RIGHT HERE IN COUNCIL CHAMBERS, I KNOW WE'VE SAT AND HEARD THE WIND WHISTLING THROUGH THE WINDOWS.SOME OF YOU GUYS OFFICES YOU MAY HAVE SEEN SOME ISSUES.
THESE ARE THE ORIGINAL SEALS, ORIGINAL WINDOWS TO THE BUILDING.
THEY HAVE NEVER BEEN CHANGED, NEVER BEEN UPDATED.
WE DO HAVE A FMA PROJECT THAT WE ARE WAITING ON SOME COMMUNICATION BACK TO SEE IF WE HAVE RECEIVED OUR FINAL APPROVAL FOR THAT.
CITY COURT AS WELL AS HAVING WATER PROOFING ISSUES.
THAT BUILDING ITSELF NEEDS TO BE WATERPROOF AND ALSO EXTERIOR CLEANING, THAT IS A HISTORICAL BUILDING THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO MAINTAIN AND WHICH WE ARE GREATLY PROUD OF.
CITY HALL ITSELF, ELEVATOR IMPROVEMENTS FOR THOSE WHO HAVE WRITTEN THESE ELEVATORS HERE, WE KNOW THEY NEED TO BE UPGRADED.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT REPORT, MR. BUTLER. FEW QUESTIONS.
IF YOU GO TO YOUR PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE SLIDE, FIRST OF ALL, CAN YOU JUST GIVE US A LIST OF THE EQUIPMENT THAT YOU AND YOUR STAFF ROUTINELY PERFORM PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE ON?
>> THAT'S ALL OUR ROTATING EQUIPMENT, HVAC UNITS, BOILER EQUIPMENT, CHILLERS, ALL THE MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT THAT ARE USED TO MAINTAIN THE FACILITIES, WE DO PMS ON WE ALSO DO YEARLY PMS, ON ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS ON ALL MOTOR CONTROL MCCS.
WE WE CHECK TO MAKE SURE THERE'S NO CORROSION ON ANY OF THE CONTACTS, FUSES, INSULATION ON THE CABLES, ALL OUR ROTATING EQUIPMENT MOTORS THAT WE HAVE AS WELL.
>> THE MINDSET TO DO THAT IS TO MAINTAIN OR ENHANCE THE LIFESPAN OF THE EQUIPMENT, IS THAT CORRECT?
>> YES. THE BE PROACTIVE VERSUS REACTIVE, THIS YEAR, WE DID REQUEST TO PARTNER WITH A FACILITY MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT GROUP TO PUT TOGETHER A MASTERY PLAN FOR CITY PARISH BUILDINGS.
OF COURSE, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO GET THAT WITH THRIVE NOT PASSING.
RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE TO DO OUR BEST THAT WE CAN TO GO IN AND DO IT IN HOUSE.
I'M SAD TO SAY MY STAFF HAS NOT BEEN TRAINED ON THAT, SO WE DO NEED OUTSIDE HELP IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN A LOT OF THIS EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES ARE ORIGINAL TO THE BUILDING.
A LOT OF THE EQUIPMENT THEY DO NOT MANUFACTURE PARTS FOR.
IT'S EVEN MORE CRITICAL FOR US TO GO IN AND DO THE PROACTIVE WORK, SO WE DO NOT HAVE THOSE FAILURES.
WE STARTED A VIBRATION ANALYSIS HERE WITH THE CITY THE PAST TWO YEARS.
VIBRATION ANALYSIS FOR 180 PIECES OF EQUIPMENT WAS ROUGHLY $8,000.
THAT ANALYSIS OVER AT CITY COURT IDENTIFIED A BEARING THAT WAS FAILING.
WE WERE ABLE TO CHANGE THAT BEARING BEFORE IT FAILED.
THAT PARTICULAR BEARING, IF IT WOULD HAVE FAILED, WE'D HAVE HAD A CATASTROPHIC PHASE THAT WOULD HAVE TORN UP THE HOUSING, SQUARE CASE OF THAT AC UNIT, AND WOULD HAVE COST US TO TUNE OF PROBABLY 35-40,000 FOR THE REPAIR.
THAT ONE OF OUR VIBRATION ANALYSIS REPORT SAVED US ROUGHLY $30 PLUS THOUSAND AND THAT'S NOT THE ONLY FAILURE, THE POTENTIAL FAILURE THAT WE FOUND THROUGHOUT THE REPORT, IT WAS WELL OVER 75 FINDINGS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GO IN AND PROACTIVELY STOP THOSE ISSUES FROM FROM HAVING?
>> GOT YOU. BUT AS A PART OF, MAKING YOUR 11% REDUCTION, YOU REDUCED PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE AND REDUCED IT TO QUARTERLY OR REDUCED IT BY 50%.
>> WE REDUCED IT TO QUARTERLY. I'M SORRY.
THE 50% IS THE CONTRACT MAINTENANCE CREW.
WE HAVE CREWS THAT ARE RESPONDING TO WORK ORDERS.
FOR INSTANCE, IF YOU HAVE A ISSUE AT YOUR OFFICE AND YOU NEED TO LIGHT CHANGE, SO WE HAVE TWO ELECTRICAL CREWS, WE HAVE PLUMBING CREWS TO ANSWER THOSE.
WE'RE REDUCING THOSE CREWS BY 50%, MEANING THAT THE WAIT TIME FOR YOUR WORK ORDER TO BE RESPONDED TO WILL BE PROLONGED.
THEN SOME OF THOSE CREWS WE UTILIZE WHATEVER WE ARE NOT BEHIND ON WORK ORDERS TO PERFORM MORE PMS.
>> GOT YOU. WHAT WAS THE PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE PRIOR TO REDUCING IT TO QUARTERLY? WAS IT MONTHLY?
>> IT WAS WEEKLY, MONTHLY AND QUARTERLY.
>> WOW. DEPENDING ON THE PIECE OF EQUIPMENT.
>> POTENTIAL PEACE OF EQUIPMENT.
>> DID YOU DO ANY PROACTIVE INCREASE IN THE PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE,
[00:45:01]
ANTICIPATING THAT YOU HAVE TO SCALE IT BACK NEXT YEAR?>> YES, WE DID. WELL OUR HVAC EQUIPMENT, WE DO LIVE IN SOUTH LOUISIANA, SO WITHOUT HVAC, WE SHUT THE CITY DOWN.
THAT IS WHAT WE FOCUSED ON OVER THE PAST YEAR, WORKING WITH OUR CONTRACTORS AND OUR SUPERVISORS AND MANAGERS, WE FOCUSED ON THE HVAC SYSTEMS TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE WERE PREPARED TO REDUCE THOSE PMS.
>> GOOD STUFF. IF YOU REFERENCED THE WORK ORDER AND YOU LOOK YOU HAVE THE DATA REPORT HERE THAT TALKS ABOUT THE COMPLETION RATE OF BEING 92.5%, DOES THIS ANALYSIS OR ANY ANALYSIS CAPTURE THE TURNAROUND TIME FOR SAY, WHEN A WORK HARD IS PUT IN VERSUS WHEN IT'S COMPLETE, LIKE HOW MANY DAYS OR WEEKS OR MONTHS IT TAKES?
>> WE DO WITH THE PREVIOUS SYSTEM, WE WERE NOT ABLE TO TRACK THAT NEW SYSTEM, WE ARE.
RIGHT NOW, IN THE WORK HARD SYSTEM, WE WERE RUNNING AN AVERAGE OF 3-4 DAYS TURN AROUND ON THE WORK ORDERS.
>> NOW, GOING TO THE PRIORITY BUILDINGS, I WAS SURPRISED THAT THE PRISON IS NOT A PRIORITY BUILDING.
I'D LIKE TO JUST GET SOME FEEDBACK FROM YOU.
I NOTICED YOU SAID AND BEFORE YOU ANSWER THAT, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE NEW CHILLERS IMPROVING THE AIR QUALITY AT THE PRISON.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT OVERALL IMPACT THAT MADE BECAUSE WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF CALLS IN THE PAST AND THE ISSUE WITH AIR CONDITION AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE THERE.
DID THAT RESOLVE THE AIR CONDITION PROBLEM IN ALL THE UNITS?
>> ABSOLUTELY. Q BUILDING WAS THE FOCUS OF THOSE COMPLAINTS THAT WE HAD, AND Q BUILDING, WE CHANGED OUT ALL OF THE EIGHT AIR HANDLING UNITS IN Q BUILDING.
THIS SUMMER, WE HAD NO COMPLAINTS TO OUR OFFICE OF HVAC ISSUES.
AS FAR AS THE AIR QUALITY, THAT WASN'T PROVED.
WE DO STILL NEED TO GO IN AND DO SOME WORK TO SOME ADDITIONAL WORK TO THE DUCT WORK THAT I'D LIKE TO DO DUCT CLEANING.
THAT WAS NOT IN THAT PROJECT THAT WOULD ALSO HELP IMPROVE, THE THE AIR QUALITY AS A WHOLE, BUT OVERALL AS FAR AS COOLING THE BUILDING OFF, YES, WE DID ACHIEVE THAT.
>> ANY FEEDBACK ON WHY IS IT NOT A PRIORITY, FOCUS, IS IT TOO BIG OF A PROJECT OR JOB? I THINK WE ALL CAN AGREE THAT WE NEED A NEW PRISON, BUT IS IT JUST TOO BIG OF A PROJECT TO BE A PRIORITY AT THIS POINT?
>> NO. THE ITEMS I HAVE LISTED ARE THE ITEMS THAT ARE NOT FUNDED.
I'M SORRY, WE HAVEN'T CLEARED ON THAT.
THE PRISON ITSELF, WE DO HAVE FUNDING FOR A NEW ROOF ON Q BUILDING, WHICH IS OUT TO BED RIGHT NOW.
THE CLEANING OF THE DUCT WORK, WE'RE GOING TO GET THAT SCHEDULED FIRST QUARTER OF NEXT YEAR.
>> WHAT ABOUT SOME OF THE INTERNAL CONDITIONS OF SOME OF THE UNITS? IS THAT BEING LOOKED AT TO RESOLVE SOME OF THOSE CONDITIONS?
>> YES. WHILE WE WERE DOWN, CHANGING OUT THE AIR LINE UNITS, THOSE AREAS THAT WERE AFFECTED BY THE UNIT BEING REMOVED, WE WENT IN AND PROACTIVELY REPAIRED ANY DAMAGED EQUIPMENT THEY MAY HAVE HAD, ANY METAL THAT THEY MAY HAVE BEEN RUSTED.
WE WENT IN WELDED THAT UP AND MAKE CHANGES TO THAT.
>> THANK YOU. FINALLY, AS A PRIORITY, YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THE ELEVATORS IN CITY HALL.
I KNOW THIS SECURITY SYSTEM PROJECT HAS BEEN EITHER FUNDED OR WE'VE ACQUIRED THE SCANNING INSTRUMENTS, WHAT DO YOU CALL THEM? SYSTEMS? THEY'VE BEEN PUT UP AT CITY HALL AND THEY'VE BEEN TAKEN DOWN.
CAN YOU GIVE US THE STATUS OF THAT PROJECT?
>> YES. DUE TO DELAYS ON DELIVERY, THAT PROJECT SHOULD HAVE STARTED MID NOVEMBER, MANUFACTURE FOR SOME OF THE EQUIPMENT.
GAVE US THE DELIVERY TIME OF MID JANUARY.
WHEN THAT ARRIVES, AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO START THE INSTALL.
>> WE HAVE COMPONENT OF THE SYSTEM THAT WE DON'T HAVE?
>> THAT'S SUPPOSED TO COME IN JANUARY?
>> CORRECT. IF THAT ARRIVES IN JANUARY, WE ANTICIPATE THAT GOING UP WHEN?
>> WE WILL START THE WORK LATE JANUARY.
IT SHOULD BE NO MORE THAN A FOUR MONTH INSTALLED ON UPGRADING THE FRENCH WATER SECURITY.
>> THANK YOU, JOE. APPRECIATE ALL YOUR WORK, YOU AND YOUR TEAM.
Y'ALL BE VERY RESPONSIVE AND I APPRECIATE THE SERVICE THAT YOU GUYS PROVIDE TO THE PARENTS. THANK YOU, COUNCIL.
>> COUNCILMAN DARRYL, YOU CAN USE YOUR KEY CARD TO GET PAST THAT IF YOU NEED TO.
>> GO AND JUMP THROUGH THE WINDOWS AND MAINTENANCE HERE AT THE BUILDING.
WHEN WE FIRST CAME ON, WE TALKED ABOUT REPLACING ALL THE WINDOWS THROUGH ARP DOLLARS.
THAT IS WHAT WE WERE WAITING ON THE SECOND APPROVAL FOR FROM
[00:50:01]
FMA SO WE CAN GET THE FUNDING FOR THE CHANGING OUT ALL THE WINDOWS WHEN RETROFIT PROJECT.>> I GUESS I'M LOOKING AT IT FROM A MAINTENANCE STANDPOINT.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SEALING THE BUILDING? WOULD THAT MEAN RESEALING ALL THE EXISTING WINDOWS, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE AIR CANAL ALL COMING THROUGH, BUT WOULD REPLACING THEM?
>> REPLACE THEM AND THEN AND THERE WILL BE NEW WINDOW FRAMES.
THAT WOULD HELP US WITH ENERGY EFFICIENCY AS WELL AS REDUCE THOSE ISSUES, ROD INTRUSION.
>> I GUESS WHAT I'M LOOKING AT IS, IF WE'RE GOING TO SPEND ALL THE MONEY TO RESEAL THE WINDOWS, YOU TALK ABOUT THE AIR AND ALL COMING THROUGH, ARE WE CLOSE ENOUGH TO WAIT FOR THE FMA FUNDING? BECAUSE GOD, WHEN DID WE DO THAT? THE SECOND YEAR WE WERE HERE? WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT REPLACING ALL THE WINDOWS IN CITY HALL THROUGH THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY PROGRAM?
>> THAT WAS I CAME THREE YEARS AGO AND IT WAS ALREADY, WITH FMA, WE'RE WAITING ON APPROVAL THERE. AND WE'RE STILL WAITING.
BUT WHAT WE DO PROACTIVELY IS WHEN WE FIND THOSE ISSUES, WE SELL THEM IN HOUSE TO MAKE THE REPAIRS IN HOUSE.
BUT AS FAR AS CHANGING OUT OF ALL OF THE WINDOWS HERE IN CITY HALL, WE DO NOT HAVE A FUNDING MECHANISM TO SUPPORT THAT.
>> MANY QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN ASKED.
MR. JOE HERE, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT WHEN I LOOK AT AND HERE, TRAINING THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT AND I'M GLAD YOU ARE ON TOP OF THAT BECAUSE THAT'S THE KEY TO ANY AND EVERY DEPARTMENT THAT'S HERE IN THE CITY.
I'M GRATEFUL THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT YOU SAID THE CMMS THAT YOU ALL ARE WORKING WITH, BUT YOU'RE GOING TO RECOMMEND THAT THEY USE IT.
THERE'LL BE A COMMON THAT YOU USE CITY PARISH IS THAT WHAT I HEAR.
>> YES, MA'AM. CURRENTLY, THE WAY THE WORK ORDER SYSTEM WORKS IS YOU SEND AN E MAIL TO AN INDIVIDUAL.
>> YES, MA'AM. WITH THE NEW SYSTEM, ALL CITY PARISH EMPLOYEES WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE THEY CAN UTILIZE THEIR PHONE, TAKE A PICTURE, ENTER THE INFORMATION INTO THE WORK ORDER SYSTEM, AND THEY WILL BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE IMMEDIATELY THROUGH THE WORK ORDER SYSTEM WITHOUT HAVING TO WAIT.
>> ALSO, YOU TALK AND THE 93.5% WORK ORDER TURNAROUND, THAT'S EXCELLENT RIGHT THERE.
BUT THE TRAINING AND THEN ON TOP OF ALL OF THIS ABLE TO RETAIN YOUR EMPLOYEES.
THAT WAS WHAT CONCERNED ME WHEN THRIVE DID NOT PASS, AND THAT'S WHY I WAS A THRIVER.
SO THAT AS FEW PEOPLE WHO WOULDN'T LOSE THEIR JOBS, AND THAT WAS MY SPILL ALL ALONG, BUT THE TRAINING AND THAT PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE, A LOT OF FOLKS YOU BUY SOMETHING AND THEY DON'T HAVE A CLUE AS TO HOW ABOUT MAINTENANCE.
I HAD A BROTHER THAT SAID BUYING SOMETHING IS ONE THING, BUT MAINTENANCE IS THE KEY.
HERE YOU ARE PREVENTING BUY MAINTENANCE, AND THAT IS TO BE COMMENDED FOR THAT.
JUST WANT TO SAY, THANK YOU, AND THEN YOU HAVE A CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT EFFORT.
I WANT YOU TO WHISPER AT THAT INTO MANY EARS OF FOLK THAT MAY NOT EVEN BE IN HERE, THAT THAT'S HOW YOU DO WHEN YOU'RE RUNNING AND OPERATING SOMETHING.
JUST WANT TO SAY, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE HARD WORK AND IT'S GOOD WORK.
DON'T SIT ON YOUR LAURELS, KEEP IT MOVING, AND YOU ARE APPRECIATED.
>> COUNCILWOMAN HARRISON. MR. BUTLER, I WANT TO COMMEND YOU AND YOUR STAFF FOR DOING SUCH AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB.
I CAN SPEAK FOR MYSELF THAT THE CALLS DON'T GO ON NOTICE.
THE CALLS ARE ALWAYS ANSWERED.
ANYTIME A WORK ORDER IS PUT IN REGARDS TO YOUR DEPARTMENT, YOU ALWAYS MAKE IT HAPPEN.
I WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN I UNDERSTOOD.
>> WE ELIMINATING POSITIONS, NOT ACTUAL POSITIONS THAT'S BEING HELD BY EMPLOYEES RIGHT NOW.
THANK YOU, LORD. IT WAS A VERY BIG CONCERN FOR MYSELF AS WELL.
HOPING THAT THRIVE WE PASS TO PREVENT ALL OF THIS FROM HAPPENING.
BUT BEEN KNOWING YOU FOR A WHILE NOW, MR. BUTLER, YOU DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO MAKE IT HAPPEN TO GET THE JOB DONE.
I ALSO READ WHERE YOU SAY THAT,
[00:55:02]
THINGS USED TO COME QUICKLY WHENEVER WE CALLED, BUT WE KNOW THAT NOW THERE MAY BE A TIME FRAME THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE JOHNNY ON THE SPOT ANYMORE.>> YES. COUNSEL. WE WANT TO HAVE TO PRIORITIZE A LITTLE BIT MORE.
WE'LL STILL HAVE THOSE CALLS THAT WE HAVE TO GO TAKE CARE OF IMMEDIATELY.
IT'S JUST THOSE LOWER PRIORITY ITEMS MAY TAKE A WHILE TO GET THAT.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. BUTLER.
>> QUICK QUESTION. FACILITIES THAT WE HAVE THROUGHOUT EAST PAIGE PARISH, ARE WE OFFLOADING ANY? WHAT PROCESS OR HOW SOON CAN WE TAKE THESE OUT OF THE MAINTENANCE ROTATION? ARE THERE ANY FACILITIES IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO SELL OFF OR GET RID OF?
>> WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF FACILITIES THAT WE ARE IN DISCUSSION OF PUTTING THEM UP FOR SALE AND TO TRY TO OFFLOAD THEM.
>> ABOUT HOW MANY FACILITIES DO WE HAVE?
>> WE HAVE THREE THAT CURRENTLY RIGHT NOW THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY OFFLOAD IMMEDIATELY.
>> ARE THESE PRETTY LARGE FACILITIES? WOULD IT MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE MAINTENANCE BUDGET AS FAR AS WHAT WE'RE DOING TO THEM AND MAINTAINING THEM NOW?
>> NO, IT WON'T MAKE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT TO THE BUDGET.
RIGHT NOW, WE JUST KEEP MAKE CERTAIN THAT VAGRANTS ARE NOT GOING INTO THE BUILDINGS.
AS FAR AS OVERALL MAINTENANCE TO THOSE FACILITIES, WE DON'T DO ANYTHING THERE.
BESIDES ONE FACILITY HAS UTILITIES, AND THAT'S IT.
>> BUT I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT THROUGHOUT THIS, BUILDING MAINTENANCE DID NOT LOSE ANY FACILITIES WITH THE FORMATION OF ST. GEORGE.
PRIORITIES AND MAINTENANCE LEVELS WILL STAY THE SAME.
YOU GOT 63 ALLOTTED POSITIONS NINE ARCHITECTURAL SERVICES POSITIONS.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT THOSE FOLKS DO AND YOU HAVE NINE PEOPLE IN THOSE POSITIONS?
>> YES. WE HAVE ONE VACANT ARCHITECT POSITION.
WE HAVE TWO ADMINISTRATORS, ONE ARCHITECT IN TRAINING AND ONE FIELD TECHNICIAN.
THOSE INDIVIDUALS MANAGE ALL OF OUR IN HOUSE PROJECTS AND ALSO PROJECTS THAT ARE CONTRACTED OUT, THEY ACT AS PROJECT MANAGERS ON THOSE PROJECTS.
TWO YEARS AGO, WE STARTED DOING A LOT MORE IN HOUSE DESIGNS TO TRY TO SAVE COSTS FOR THE CITY.
EMS STATION NINE WAS 100% DESIGNED.
MANAGED WAS MANAGED IN HOUSE, AND IN SOME OF THE WORK OVER AT PSC FOR THE REGISTERED VOTERS OFFICE, THOSE DESIGNED 100% IN HOUSE.
>> THANK YOU. DO YOU KNOW THE NUMBER OF BUILDINGS YOU ALL HAVE TO MAINTAIN, TOTAL?
>> YES. WE HAVE 160 INVENTORY.
WE ACTIVELY SERVICE ROUGHLY 150.
>> ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY SERVICED.
YOU'RE DOING ALL EMS STATIONS?
>> YES, SO IF THEY HAVE A MAINTENANCE CALL, WE WILL GO A SYSTEM.
>> WE DON'T RECEIVE THAT MANY CALLS FROM FIRE, BUT WE WILL SERVICE IF THEY DO HAVE ISSUES.
>> YOU THINK THEY'RE DOING IT THE THEMSELVES?
>> THEY'RE PRETTY HAND, THEY ARE. MOS?
>> YES. ALL COMMUNITY CENTERS.
>> WHAT ABOUT THAT OLD TREATMENT PLAN ON RIVER ROAD?
>> NO. THAT'S THAT'S ALL ADAM.
>> THANK YOU, JACK. I APPRECIATE IT. [LAUGHTER].
I KNOW THIS PAST YEAR WITH EVENTS AND PORTA POTTIES.
WE HAD A VENDOR WHO WAS SERVICING AND PROVIDING THEM THAT'S NOT LOCATED IN THE PARISH, AND THAT CREATED SOME DURING EVENT OR REAL TIME RESPONSE TIMES ISSUES.
CAN YOU GIVE ME A STATUS? I THAT AGREEMENT STILL IN PLACE THAT WE LOOKED AT, THAT CHALLENGE AND TRYING TO RECTIFY IT?
>> THAT AGREEMENT IS STILL IN PLACE.
THAT CONTRACT ITSELF IS NOT MANAGED BY BY DEPARTMENT.
WE DO COORDINATE AND FACILITATE THE PLACEMENT OF THE PORTLETS, BUT AS IT STANDS TODAY THAT THE GRIEVANCE IS IN PLACE.
[01:00:01]
>> WHAT DEPARTMENT IS IT MANAGED BY?
>> THAT'S THE DEPARTMENT OF MAINTENANCE.
>> ANYBODY ELSE? MR. BUTLER, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK, AND THANK YOU FOR SPENDING YOUR MONDAY EVENING WITH US.
>> THANKS. NEXT UP, WE HAVE MAINTENANCE. HI MR. BRUMFIELD.
>> DOING WELL, GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO REPRESENT THE DEPARTMENT MAINTENANCE AND PRESENT OUR 2026 ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET.
TO GET STARTED, I JUST WANT TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW THAT SERVICES WILL CONTINUE BY LEVERAGING INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE, CROSS TRAIN CREWS, FLEXIBLE DEPLOYMENT ACROSS DRAINAGE, LANDSCAPING STREETS.
DEPARTMENT WILL SUSTAIN ESSENTIAL SERVICE LEVELS WHILE IMPLEMENTING TARGETED REDUCTIONS.
RESOURCES WILL BE FOCUSED ON CRITICAL CORRIDORS, FLOOD RISK, ASKS, AND SCHOOLS, SLASH TRANSIT ROUTES, INCLUDING EMS. ROUTES TO GET TO EMS. ST. GEORGE ACREAGE REMOVAL FURTHER CONCENTRATES EFFORTS WITHIN BATON ROUGE TO TOTAL OF 435, 436 ACRES THAT WERE REMOVED FROM THE PARISH INVENTORY.
A STRENGTHEN ORDINANCE ENFORCEMENT POSTURE FOR TALL GRASS, SIDEWALK, DRAINAGE OBSTRUCTION VIOLATIONS WILL MITIGATE NUISANCES ORIGINATING ON PRIVATE PROPERTY THAT IMPACT THE PUBLIC.
DEPARTMENT OF MAINTENANCE DOES A LOT OF WORK ON PROPERTIES THAT ARE CREATING NUISANCES IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT AWAY.
WE ARE GOING TO WORK WITH MISS LAMBERT STAFF TO INCREASE THE VIOLATIONS ON THAT.
WE'LL PROBABLY STILL END UP DOING THE MITIGATING SERVICES, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THOSE FUNDS ARE RECOUPED.
THROUGHOUT THE DEPARTMENT, OPERATIONS WILL REMAIN ALIGNED WITH CITY PARISH ORDINANCES, PROPERTY DEDICATIONS, LEGAL GUIDELINES TO PRESERVE CORE QUALITY OF LIFE SERVICE PARISH WIDE.
WE'VE BEEN PREPARING FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF.
NEXT SLIDE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE AFTER THAT.
WE'VE BEEN PREPARING FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF IDENTIFYING POSITIONS.
OVER THE SUMMER, WE FROZE 10 POSITIONS INTERNALLY IN ANTICIPATION OF THIS.
WITH THOSE 10 POSITIONS FROZE INTERNALLY AND 22 VACANCIES, WE'LL BE ABLE TO SHED THE 33 ALLOTMENTS NEEDED WITHOUT DOING ANY LAYOFFS.
I SAID, BETWEEN THE 10 POSITIONS WE FROZE INTERNALLY IN THE 22 VACANCIES, WE'LL BE ABLE TO REDUCE OUR POSITION ALLOTMENTS WITHOUT ANY LAYOFF.
OF COURSE, SALARIES AND BENEFITS IS APPROXIMATELY 54% OF OUR BUDGET.
OUR BUDGET REDUCTION WAS APPROXIMATELY 2.5 MILLION REDUCTION TOTAL OF 32 FUNDED POSITIONS, OVERTIME REDUCTION OF $200, SEASONAL EMPLOYEES WILL BE REDUCED FROM 60 POSITIONS TO 40 POSITIONS, WHICH IS A SAVING OF 182,000.
OTHER CONTRACTUAL SERVICES WILL BE REDUCED BY 149,000 THAT INCLUDES THE NON ROADSIDE HERBICIDE SPRING.
WE TOOK 313 APPROXIMATE ACRES OFF FROM ST. GEORGE, SO THAT SAVING WILL BE IS FORMULATED INTO THIS.
LANDSCAPE SERVICE REDUCTIONS BY 822,000.
THAT INCLUDES THE TRANSITION OF ACREAGE IN THE CITY OF ST.
GEORGE AND TRANSITION OF SOME CONTRACTOR ROUTES TO INHOUSE MOWING.
SOME OF THE CONTRACTED 12 CYCLE MOWS, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE THAT TO MOW IN HOUSE AND ELIMINATE THOSE CALL.
NON ROAD SIDE HERBICIDE SPRING WILL CONTINUE.
WE SAVED $115,000 OR SO BY REDUCING ST. GEORGE AND WE'LL STILL HAVE THREE CYCLES OF SUPPRESSION AND JOHNSONGRASS SPRING.
NEXT SLIDE, IMPLICATIONS, HEAD COUNT REDUCTION WILL IMPACT THE SUCH A REDUCTION 3-2 POTHOLE CREWS.
ASPHALT PATCHING CREWS WILL REDUCE FROM 2-1, CONCRETE CREWS REDUCED 3-2, REDUCTION IN DITCH CREWS FOR VEGETATION CONTROL, REDUCTION IN PARIS Y, LITTER CREW MEMBERS, LESS PERSONNEL TO PREPARE, RESPOND AND RECOVER FOR STORMS, AND TO WORK OUT THESE EVENTS,
[01:05:01]
AND REDUCE ZTR, AND TRACTOR OPERATORS.INCREASED REPORTING OF ORDINANCE VIOLATIONS LIKE TALL GRASS, DRAINAGE, OBSTRUCTIONS, AND SIDEWALK ORDINANCES WILL TAKE PLACE.
NON EMERGENCY WORK WILL OCCUR IN SCHEDULED WINDOWS.
RESPONSES MAY TAKE LONGER, BUT WE ARE GOING TO PRIORITIZE CRITICAL CORRIDOR, BLOOD RISK ACCESS ASSETS, AND LIKE I SAID, CRITICAL ROUTES.
LOWER PRIORITY CORRIDORS MAY SEE LONGER BOEING CYCLES AND MORE SEASONAL COMPLAINTS, BUT WE WILL GET THOSE SCHEDULED.
MITIGATING MEASURES, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. MITIGATING MEASURES.
REVIEW OPERATIONS FOR EFFICIENCIES, SHIFT RESOURCES BASED ON REMAINING CITY PARISH RESPONSIBILITIES, EXPLORE AND MODERNIZED EQUIPMENT, SUCH AS AUTONOMOUS MOWERS, AND OTHER EQUIPMENT THAT CAN INCREASE MANPOWER USE.
CONSIDER CONVERTING TO CONTRACTS.
WE HAVE PARISH TRANSPORTATION FUNDS, AND SINCE WE ARE LOSING A LOT OF MANPOWER, WE WON'T BE ABLE TO PURCHASE AS MANY OF THOSE SUPPLIES.
WE'LL BE USING THOSE FUNDS FOR CONTRACTING.
NEW WORK ORDER SYSTEM TO PROVIDE MORE DATA FOR SCHEDULING AND ROUTING.
THAT'S COMING FROM MR. DANIELS, HE'S BEEN ABLE TO ACQUIRE A NEW WORK ORDER SYSTEM FOR US TO CLOSE SOME OF THOSE DATA GAPS SO THAT WE CAN BE MORE EFFICIENT AND KNOWLEDGEABLE AS WE SCHEDULE OUR SERVICES.
INCREASED STORAGE FOR STOCK PILING SUPPLIES AND HOUSING SENSITIVE EQUIPMENT.
WE CAN HAVE THINGS READY TO GO LIKE SANDBAGS AND DRY GOODS.
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACQUIRE SOME MORE STORAGE.
THOSE THINGS DON'T HAVE TO BE MADE, THEY CAN BE STORED.
WE'RE WORKING WITH LSU LEADERSHIP SCHOOL TO DEVELOP A SUPERVISOR TRAINING FOR OUR IN THE FIELD SUPERVISORS TO HELP THEM BE MORE IN LINE WITH OUR STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES, RULES, PMSS, SAFETY, A NUMBER OF THINGS.
WELL, ONCE WE FINISH WORKING WITH LSU LEADERSHIP SCHOOL, WE'LL START HAVING THOSE CLASSES AND OUR SUPERVISOR WILL BE BETTER PREPARED FOR GOING INTO 2026.
NEW FLEET GPS MONITORING SYSTEM IS BEING INTRODUCED AS WELL.
THAT WILL HELP US FOR TRACKING LOCATIONS OF EQUIPMENT.
IT ALSO TRACKS PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE, AND WE CAN ALSO USE IT FOR MOWING PRODUCTION RATES BY ENABLING THE PTO SYSTEM TO TRACK WHEN IT'S ON FOR MOWING, AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET ACCURATE PRODUCTION RATES.
THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING TO TRY TO MITIGATE THESE LOSSES.
QUESTIONS. FROM THERE I'LL TAKE QUESTION.
>> THANK YOU, MR. BROWNFIELD. APPRECIATE IT.
YOU'VE GOT 16 POSITIONS IN ADMINISTRATION? I WAS TRYING TO LOOK IN THE BUDGET BOOK.
>> OUR INVESTIGATORS ARE ON THE ADMINISTRATION. I TALKED TO POLICE ABOUT THAT.
>> YES. DO YOU KNOW THAT CAN YOU OUTLINE THOSE? WE WERE TALKING ABOUT SUPERVISOR POSITION, THAT THING?
>> NO. INVESTIGATORS. OUR INVESTIGATORS AND OUR ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF ADMIN ONES, TWOS AND SPECIALISTS.
THOSE ARE ALL IN THAT IN THAT LINE ITEM.
THEN THE REMAINDER OF INVESTIGATORS THAT GO OUT EVALUATE THE WORK PRIOR TO SCHEDULE.
>> YOU'RE NOT INCLUDED IN THE ADMINISTRATION?
>> YES. I SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN ADMINISTRATION AS WELL.
>> IT'S NOT 10 INVESTIGATORS IN.
>> EACH DIVISION SUPERINTENDENT, HAS AN INVESTIGATOR.
>> ANY REVENUE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUR DEPARTMENT? RACHEL TALKED ABOUT RAISING FEES.
>> NO. JUST LIKE I SAID, THE INCREASED VIOLATIONS.
WHEN WE COME ACROSS A SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE A REQUEST FOR MOWING, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY THE PROPERTY OWNERS RESPONSIBILITY, AND IT WILL BE YOU CAN REPORT IN VIOLATION'S BOARD.
WE'VE DONE A LOT OF COURTESY MOWING IN THE PAST.
>> INTERNALLY, IF YOU GO MOW, AN EMS STATION GRASS, DO YOU CHARGE THEIR BUDGET TO RECOUP THOSE COSTS.
>> WE HAVE A CONTRACT FOR CITY PARISH BUILDING MOWING AND EMS PAYS THEIR OWN INVOICES OUT OF THAT CONTRACT.
>> DOES YOUR DEPARTMENT CUT ANY CITY PARISH BUILDINGS, THE LOTS FOR CITY PARISH BUILDINGS?
>> YES. OUR CONTRACT CUTS ALL OF THEM.
[01:10:01]
SO YOUR POLICE STATIONS, YOUR MOSEP WE CUT THAT, ALL OF THAT'S CONTRACTED WITH OUR DEPARTMENT, AND WE'RE NOT LOSING ANY OF THAT.>> IT'S NOT YOU MEAN WHEN YOU SAY IT'S CONTRACTED, YOU MEAN IT'S NOT YOUR INTERNAL PEOPLE THERE?
>> ARE THOSE DEPARTMENT BUDGETS PAYING FOR THAT OR IS YOUR BUDGET PAYING FOR THAT?
>> WE PAY FOR MOSEP, BUT EMS PAYS FOR THEIRS.
CERTAIN DEPARTMENTS ARE PAYING THE INVOICES OUT OF THAT CONTRACT.
>> WHAT ABOUT LIKE THE BAND AND TREATMENT PLAN ON RIVER ROAD?
>> I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THE CONTRACT FOR THE DETAILS.
>> SEE IF Y'ALL MAINTAIN THAT? DO YOU KNOW IF Y'ALL MAINTAIN THAT?
>> I DON'T KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
I COULD TAKE A LOOK, BUT I KNOW WE TAKE CARE OF EMS, MOSEP. ADAM SAYS NO.
ADAM CAN TELL ME ALL ABOUT THAT. THANK YOU.
>> BUT WE DO A NUMBER OF BUILDINGS IN OUR CITY PARISH.
>> THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT, REGINA.
YOU SEEM PRETTY FAMILIAR WITH THE PORTA POTTY ISSUE.
I'M SURE I HAVE YOUR OFFICE BEEN MADE AWARE OF OR RECEIVED ANY RESPONSE TIME COMPLAINTS ABOUT IT.
WE REDUCED THE NUMBER OF PORTA POTTIES.
WE PUT OUT FOR LIVE AFTER FIVE FROM I THINK AT ONE TIME WE HAD MAYBE 13, WE REDUCED IT TO SEVEN, AND WE'RE GOING TO PROBABLY REDUCE THAT EVEN FURTHER.
I'VE NEVER SEEN A LINE AT THE PORTA PARTIES, BUT THERE MAY BE ONE.
>> NO, THE COMPLAINT THAT I'VE GOTTEN HADN'T BEEN NECESSARILY LINES IS WHEN ONE IS IS NOT OPERATING PROPERLY.
THE VENDOR, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'RE FROM.
WHERE'S THE VENDOR STATIONED AT?
>> I'M NOT CERTAIN. THAT CONTRACT HAS BEEN IN PLACE FOR MAYBE TWO YEAR I THINK WE HAD ONE MORE RENEWAL ON IT BEFORE WE GO TO REBID.
>> I'M TOLD THE VENDOR IS OUT OF THE PARISH, SO THEY HAVE CHALLENGES RESPONDING TO EITHER REPLACE OR REPAIR A PORTA PARTY DURING AN EVENT, WHETHER IT'S LIVE AT THE FIVE OR ANYTHING ELSE, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT IN THE PARISH, THE RESPONSE TIME HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE AND THE EVENT HOLDER IS STUCK WITH A PORTA POTTY AS EITHER NOT WORKING OR NEED SOME REPAIRS?
>> BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT IN THE PAIRS, THE RESPONSE TIME HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE TO GET A REPLACEMENT OR REPAIR.
CAN YOU LOOK INTO THAT AND SEE?
>> ABSOLUTELY. I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT TO MY ATTENTION BECAUSE I HADN'T HEARD THAT IN THE PAST, AND I'LL GET WITH THE VENDOR AND MAKE SURE.
I KNOW HE IS FAMILIAR AND HIS TEAM IS FAMILIAR WITH THE CHALLENGE?
>> I THINK THAT'S IT. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. HAVE A GREAT EVENING DAY.
>> THANK YOU. NEXT, TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE.
WHO RUNS THAT DEPARTMENT? ANYBODY KNOW? HELLO, MR. RAYFORD.
>> HI. THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBERS.
FIRST OFF, I WANT TO START OFF SAYING THAT NOTHING WE HAVING HERE TONIGHT IS REALLY GOOD NEWS, AS YOU WELL KNOW, AND I KNOW YOU ALL ALREADY KNOW THAT, BUT I WANT TO MAKE A POSITIVE COMMENT, NUMBER 1, THE OPPORTUNITY WORKING WITH THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT AND THAT STAFF BECAUSE I KNOW THEY GET TIRED OF SEEING ME, BUT I RUN IN THERE ALL THE TIME TO ASK THEM ABOUT PARTICULAR QUESTIONS ABOUT THINGS I DON'T UNDERSTAND OR HOW WE NEED TO ADDRESS.
OUR BUSINESS MANAGER TRINA HALL, SHE'S TIRED OF SEEING ME ALSO IN HER OFFICE, BUT WHILE IT'S ALL SOMETIMES NOT REAL GOOD NEWS, THE PROCESS WHAT WE TRIED TO GO THROUGH, I THINK IS VERY GOOD.
I JUST WANTED TO STATE THAT RIGHT OFF THE BAT.
SECONDLY, I KNOW YOU'VE ASKED A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT OUR DEPARTMENT DOES.
MANY MEETINGS I GO TO, THEY DO.
I PROMISE YOU NOW, THAT'S FOR SURE, BUT WE DO HAVE AN ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT THAT OVERSEES A LOT OF THE NEW CONSTRUCTION THAT TAKES PLACE ON OUR PROJECTS, NOT NECESSARILY MVR, BUT THEY ARE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS MAKING SURE THEY MEET THE STANDARDS, SO IT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
WE ALSO DO THE DESIGN FOR ENGINEERING AND FOR BRIDGES THAT WE HAVE.
MOST PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THE CITY OF BAN ROCHE HAS 380 BRIDGES THAT WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR IN THIS PARISH. THAT'S A LOT.
THAT'S NOT INCLUDING STATE HIGHWAYS, BUT THOSE THAT JUST FROM THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE ITSELF.
CERTAINLY, FROM AN ENGINEERING ASPECT, WE LOOK AT, TRY TO MANAGE SOME OF THE PROJECTS WE HAVE ESPECIALLY THE NEW BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION, WHAT OUR FIELD ENGINEERING GROUP, WHICH YOU'LL SEE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT TONIGHT.
THE NEXT DEPARTMENT IS TRAFFIC ENGINEERING.
[01:15:01]
EVERYBODY KNOWS ABOUT TRAFFIC.YOU HEAR IT EVERY DAY AND THAT'S WHAT THEY SEE, BUT IT IS A PLUS FOR US.
I AM VERY THANKFUL FOR THE VOTERS OF THE PAST WHO SUPPORTED THE MVR PROGRAM TO HELP US ADDRESS NOT ONLY ROADWAYS, BUT SIGNAL MAINTENANCE AND SIGNAL OPPORTUNITIES TO START HELP FACILITATING MOVING TRAFFIC THROUGH A LOT OF OUR MAJOR CORRIDORS.
WE ALSO RESPONSIBLE, YOU'LL SEE SIGN MAINTENANCE THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH WITH STREET SIGNS, ALSO TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGN TYPE ISSUES THAT WE DEAL WITH THAT WILL BE LOOKED AT IN THE FUTURE AND PART OF MY COMMENT TONIGHT.
ONE OF THE THINGS IS DRAINAGE ALSO AND I HAVE A LITTLE PART ABOUT DRAINAGE TONIGHT BECAUSE TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE.
I CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHY I GOT BOTH OF THEM, BUT YOU KNOW THAT'S JUST THE WAY IT GOES.
I TOOK THE JOB, SO GUESS WHAT? I'LL DEAL WITH IT.
IT IS A GOOD REPORT, I THINK WE'LL BE TO PROVIDE A BIT LATER TONIGHT.
LET'S GO ON TO THE PRESENTATION.
I SHOULD HAVE PROBABLY TOLD YOU THAT.
THERE YOU GO. TONIGHT IS FOR THE OVERVIEW OF THE '25, '26 IMPACT ON OUR BUDGET.
CERTAINLY AND THERE'S NO QUESTION REDUCTION IN COURSE OPERATIONS.
EVERYBODY'S GOING TO HAVE THAT.
WE'RE TRYING TO MANAGE THAT, TO MINIMIZE THAT INCONVENIENCE OR THE FRUSTRATION TO THE PEOPLE WHO DESERVE THE SERVICE.
WE DO KNOW THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE MET WITH ALL MY TEAM TO BE TO MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTAND, WE DON'T WANT JUST CUT TO JUST TO BE CUTTING, THAT'S NOT THE GOAL OF THE OBJECT.
WE ALSO DON'T LIKE TO HAVE TO CUT PEOPLE ANYMORE THAN WE HAVE TO.
THAT'S FOR SURE, BUT THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT FROM MY BUDGET AND FROM AN OVERVIEW.
LET'S JUST START THE NEXT ONE.
POSITIONS, AS YOU CAN SEE IN HERE ON THIS SHEET, WE HAVE SOME FROM TRAFFIC, WE HAVE SOME FROM THE ENGINEERING AND WE ALSO HAVE SOME FROM FIELD ENGINEERING.
THERE'S ABOUT 11 POSITIONS THAT ARE FROZEN.
AT THIS POINT, YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKDOWN FROM FIELD ENGINEERING AND ALSO FROM ENGINEERING AND ONE FROM TRAFFIC.
I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT TOO, WHILE THE PEOPLE DON'T MAKE MUCH COMMENT ABOUT IT, THE 40 POSITIONS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY FROZEN WILL BE ELIMINATE.
WE HAD PEOPLE IN THERE THAT WE KNEW THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO SO.
WE KNEW WE NEEDED THOSE POSITIONS IN THE FUTURE, BUT WHEN PEOPLE WILL SAY, THOSE DON'T REALLY MATTER ANYMORE.
THEY DO BECAUSE IT WAS PART OF OUR BUDGET.
FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, WE MOVED DOWN FROM 108 POSITIONS TO 68 POSITIONS.
TO ME, THAT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE TO LOSE, BUT THERE AGAIN, THAT'S JUST PART OF THE PROCESS AND YOU DO THE BEST YOU CAN WITH THAT SITUATION.
NEXT. ONE OF THE THINGS WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS ONE THING THAT MOST PEOPLE DEAL WITH IS SIGN MANUFACTURING, IS A REPLACEMENT OF STREET SIGNS, SPEED LIMIT SIGNS, STOP SIGNS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WILL SAY THAT THE PUBLIC WILL PROBABLY SEE SOME SLOWDOWN ON WILL BE THE REPLACEMENT OF SOME OF THE SIGNS THAT WE HAVE BECAUSE WE'RE A LITTLE BEHIND NOW.
WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING WE CAN DO WITH THE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE, BUT WITH THE REDUCTION IT'S CERTAINLY GOING TO CUT OUR SERVICES PRETTY DRASTICALLY, BUT I THINK THERE WILL BE SOME THINGS WHERE WE WILL LOOK AT.
ONE OF OUR GOALS AND OBJECTIVES IS FIND WAYS, INSTEAD OF MAKING THE SIGNS NOW, WHICH WE DO, WE HAVE A CONTRACTOR WHO'S MAKING THE SIGNS FOR US IN A LOT CHEAPER PRICE, WHICH I THINK IS WHAT OUR GOAL AND OBJECTIVE IS, BUT WHAT WE STILL WILL DO IS LOOK AT TRYING TO INSTALL THOSE SIGNS AND NOT HAVE THE CONTRACTOR TO HAVE TO DO THAT ALSO.
BUT IT WILL BE SLOWER AND FROM A REPLACEMENT STANDPOINT.
WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE PRIORITIES, PARTICULARLY WITH TRAFFIC SPEED LIMIT SIGNS, ALL YOUR TRAFFIC AND CONTROL SIGNS, THOSE WILL BE NUMBER 1 PRIORITY BECAUSE WE CAN'T AFFORD NOT TO HAVE THEM UP FOR SPEEDING OR FOR RUNNING STOP SIGNS, OR DRIVING IN THE CURB SIGNS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
ALL OF THOSE WILL BE A PRIORITY FROM THE CITY STANDPOINT.
ELIMINATING SOME OF THE STREET SIGNS, I KNOW FROM A HOMEOWNER STANDPOINT, I HEAR TO JUST ABOUT EVERY MEETING I GO TO ABOUT WHAT'S GOING TO TAKE PLACE THERE.
WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT TRYING TO REPLACE SOME, BUT IF WE CAN GET THE CONTRACTOR TO MAKE THEM, WE'LL GET A PRICE AND SEE WHERE WE ARE WITH IT.
BUT REALISTICALLY, WE BELIEVE THAT WE MAY BE TO A SITUATION WHERE FROM A MANPOWER AND FUNDING STANDPOINT,
[01:20:03]
BECAUSE OUR SIGN MACHINE IS DOWN AND IT'S PROBABLY A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLAR TO GET IT WHERE WE NEED IT TO BE.I WOULD SAY THAT WE MAY HAVE TO HAVE HOMEOWNERS LOOK AT ASSOCIATIONS AND SEE ABOUT REPLACING THESE SIGNS.
WE WILL GO HAVE THE PEOPLE TO INSTALL IT.
THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT.
WE WOULD WORK OUT A PLAN THAT WOULD BE ADDRESSED THROUGHOUT THE PARISH ITSELF IN GENERAL.
EVERYBODY CALLS ABOUT THAT TOO.
I JUST THINK SOMETIMES I'M IN THE WRONG DEPARTMENT.
I DON'T KNOW, BUT IT MAY NOT BE.
BUT PAVEMENT MARKINGS, IT IS AN ISSUE.
WE VERY SELDOM HAVE FUNDING SET ASIDE FOR THAT PROGRAM.
NORMALLY, WHAT WE'VE HAD TO DO OVER THE MANY YEARS THAT I'VE WORKED HERE WITH THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE AND THE MAYORS, I'VE HAD OPPORTUNITY.
WE HAD TO GO REQUEST FUNDING FOR THAT TYPE OF WORK.
IT WASN'T NEVER PLANNED IN THE BUDGET, AND CERTAINLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE COST, THERE'S A REASON WHY BECAUSE JUST LAST YEAR, WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO DO THE RE-STRIPING, MOSTLY IN THE NORTH AND SOUTH PART OF THE PARISH, WE SPENT A LITTLE OVER A MILLION DOLLARS, AND THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE MILES THAT WE WERE ABLE TO GET DONE.
BUT WHEN I LOOKED AT WHAT IT COSTS TODAY, IF YOU LOOK AT STRIPING FROM A STREET STANDPOINT, YOU'RE LOOKING PROBABLY CLOSE TO EIGHT DOLLARS A FOOT.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ENTIRE ROADWAY BEING STRIKE, WOULD YOUR DOUBLE LINES, ALL YOUR MARKERS, YOUR MEDIAN LINES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
THAT GETS TO BE PRETTY EXPENSIVE.
WE'RE LOOKING TO TRY TO USE SOME OF THE FUNDS THAT WE HAVE ALLOCATED IN OUR BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS, BUT TO BE HONEST, IT WOULDN'T PROBABLY DO A STREET.
I DON'T WANT TO DO A STREET, I WANT TO DO STREETS, AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE OUR GOAL AND OBJECTIVE LIKE WE DID IN THE PAST.
CERTAINLY, THERE'S NO QUESTION.
THERE WILL BE SOME ADDITIONAL REVENUE THAT'S GOING TO BE NEEDED.
BUT I THINK WHAT WE WOULD DO IS TRY TO FIND WAYS OF OUR STRIPING MACHINE.
IF WE CAN GET THAT FIXED BACK AND OPERATIONAL, THEN WE MAY BE ABLE TO LOOK AT DOING SOME TEMPORARY STRIPING, PARTICULARLY FOR THE SCHOOL ZONES AND THE MARKINGS THAT THEY NEED TO HAVE.
WE CALLED A GOOD BIT ABOUT THAT FROM THE PRINCIPALS AND ALSO FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD.
NEXT, THESE REDUCTIONS YOU CAN LOOK AT, WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE AN INCREASE IN PUBLIC COMPLAINTS AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S NEWS FLASH TO ANYBODY, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE.
LONGER RESPONSE TIMES ON SIGN REPAIRS, AS I MENTIONED, FLASHING BEACON ISSUES, THAT IS ZONED FOR SCHOOL ZONES.
CERTAINLY, I WILL JUST TELL YOU THAT THE CITY OF ST. GEORGE IS GOING TO DO THEIR OWN FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, AND WE PROVIDED ALL INFORMATION TO THEM.
THEY ARE LOOKING AT TRYING OR GOING TO ADDRESS THAT.
TRAFFIC CALMING AND INDIVIDUAL, ENGINEERING EVALUATION REQUESTS.
THEN SOMETIMES COMPLAINTS WHEN WHY IT TAKES SO LONG TO HAVE A TRAFFIC STUDY DONE, PARTICULARLY DEALING WITH SPEED HUMPS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, WHILE WE CAN STILL DO IT, WE HAVE THE STAFF AND DO IT, BUT IT MAY TAKE A LITTLE LONGER THAN IT WAS IN THE PAST.
LONGER SPORT TIMES, I SAID YOU CAN SIT THERE AND SEE ON THAT SAYS PUBLIC SATISFACTION.
OVERALL TRAFFIC MOVEMENT IS IMPORTANT, BUT WE WANT TO DO THE BEST WE CAN IN REGARDS TO THAT ISSUE.
NEXT. NOW, THIS ONE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT IN MY OPINION.
IT HAS TO DO WITH THE 30 SOME MILLION DOLLAR THAT WE SPENT ON UNDER THE MVR PROGRAM FOR THE TRAFFIC SIGNALS THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH.
I'M SORRY. I DIDN'T SAY CHAIN.
THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE SIGNAL MODIFICATIONS.
WE DO OPERATE 24/7 BECAUSE WE DO KNOW THAT THERE ARE TIMES IN THE DAY, AND THEN THERE ARE TIMES AT THE NIGHT THAT SIGNALS ARE NOT FUNCTIONING THE WAY THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO.
WE HAVE OUR SYSTEM SET UP WHERE WE DO GET ALARMS TO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE WORKING AFTER HOURS AND THEY MAKE THE ADJUSTMENTS THEY CAN DO.
IF NOT, THEN WE CALL OUT PEOPLE TO TRY
[01:25:02]
TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE AT THAT PARTICULAR SIGNAL.CERTAINLY, OVERTIME IS AN ISSUE, AND THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF OUR BIGGEST CALL OUT ISSUES WITH THAT, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE TO SEND PEOPLE OUT ON SOME OCCASION, WE CAN'T ALWAYS MAKE THE CHANGES THAT WE CAN DO AT THE CENTER ITSELF OR FROM A LAPTOP THAT'S SITTING AT SOMEBODY'S AT HOME AT NIGHT AT THAT POINT TO DO THAT, BUT WE DO TRY TO BE RESPONSIVE AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
OVERNIGHT MONITORING WILL REDUCE.
IT'S NOT GOING TO BE DISCONTINUED.
WILLIAM SAID WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THAT AND I AGREE WITH HIM 100%.
I THINK THERE'S A WAY TO ACCOMMODATE WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO ADDRESS THAT.
EMERGENCY CALL-OUTS WERE LIMITED TO CRITICAL INTERSECTIONS.
I THINK THERE'S WAYS TO MANAGE TRAFFIC, IT MAY NOT BE IDEAL ON EVERY SITUATION, BUT I THINK WE CAN ADDRESS THE MAJOR THOROUGHFARES AND KEEP THEM RUNNING AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE WHILE THEY HAVE A LOT OF SIGNALS IN OUR PARISH, WE HAVE OVER 470 THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
CERTAINLY THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK AT IN THE FUTURE. NEXT.
>> I GUESS IN SUMMARY AND TO ME, AND I'VE GOT A DRAINAGE SECTION TOO, BUT I WANT TO JUST TALK ABOUT FROM MY TRAFFIC AND ALSO THE ENGINEERING ASPECT.
BUDGET CUTS THAT ARE GOING TO HAVE AN IMPACT.
OUR GOAL AND OBJECTIVE IS TO FIND TO MEET THE WAY TO HAVE THE LEAST AMOUNT OF IMPACT TO THE PUBLIC BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ARE PAYING THE TAXES.
I HEAR IT ALL THE TIME WHEN WE GO TO MEETINGS AND SAY, HEY, WE PAY, I UNDERSTAND IT, AND WE'RE GOING TO DO THE BEST WE CAN.
THERE ARE PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS THAT WE ALSO GOING TO LOOK AT TRYING TO REDIRECT SOME OF OUR RESOURCES TO HELP FACILITATE IMPROVING THE SERVICE.
THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK WILLIAM IS VERY, VERY WANTS TO BE AGGRESSIVE ABOUT WHICH WE HAVE AND WE'VE LOOKED AT SOME WAYS AND THERE'S SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WE WANT TO DO.
BUT ULTIMATELY, WE ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
I JUST DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE PROCESS THAT WE NEED TO DO TO LOOK THROUGH WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING.
QUITE FRANKLY, FROM A TRAFFIC SIGNAL STANDPOINT, THAT DOES NOT TOO MANY CITIES HAVE WHAT WE HAVE HERE IN THIS PARISH.
IN FACT, VERY FEW HAVE THE TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY AND THE EQUIPMENT AND THE MANPOWER THAT WE DO HAVE IN THIS LOCATION.
I WANTED TO SAY THAT WHILE WE KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE SOME DISSATISFACTION FROM THE PUBLIC, OUR GOAL AND OBJECTIVE IS NUMBER ONE, ANSWER THE RESPONSE.
NUMBER 1, I WANT THEM TO LEAST KNOW THAT YOU GOT THE RESPONSE.
NUMBER 2, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO TO ADDRESS THAT.
I MEAN, THAT IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO RESPOND FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE.
CERTAINLY, THERE WILL BE OTHER ITEMS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT TO TRY TO HELP IMPROVE THE LEVEL OF SERVICE.
BUT WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE PEOPLE, THAT'S AN ISSUE, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE FUNDING IS AN ISSUE THAT WE HAVE TO LIVE WITH.
I WILL SAY EXACTLY WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY HERE IN THE DRAINAGE SECTION.
WE'RE GOING TO NEED A NEW REVENUE SOURCE, GUYS.
I MEAN, THAT'S A FACT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS OR WHERE IT'S GOING TO COME FROM, BUT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK AT SOME TYPE OF NEW REVENUE RESOURCE TO HELP ACCOMMODATE SOME OF THE ISSUES WE'VE GOT TO DEAL WITH.
LET'S GO TO THE NEXT ONE. THIS HAS TO DO WITH DRAINAGE BECAUSE THAT'S THE OTHER PART THAT TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR.
I WILL SAY THIS IS ALL PART OF THESE PROJECTS ARE PART OF THE STORMWATER MASTER PLAN.
A LOT OF THESE WE WERE ABLE TO SECURE FEDERAL DOLLARS FOR, AND THEN MOVING THROUGH THE PROCESS, WHICH I THINK IS VERY, VERY GOOD.
WHAT I REALLY WANTED TO SAY IS JUST THE LAST FOUR ON THAT SHEET THAT YOU HAVE THERE.
I'M SORRY, I PROBABLY PROBABLY COULD HAVE BEEN A LITTLE BIGGER TO SEE, BUT THE LAST FOUR, WE HAVE JUST RECEIVED APPROVAL ON GRANTS FOR THAT.
WE HAVEN'T STOPPED ASKING FOR GRANT BECAUSE, THAT IS A MECHANISM WE CAN USE TO HELP FACILITATE AND IMPROVE DRAINAGE.
WE DON'T STOP IF WE CAN GET SOME GRANTS FROM ROADS, WHICH WE HAVE DONE VERY WELL ON THE FFO GRANT AND A FEW OTHERS WORKING WITH SOME OF THE CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION, WORKING WITH REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS.
I THINK THAT TO ME, WE CAN CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
MY BIGGEST CONCERN WHEN I LOOK AT THIS IS I CAN'T PICK A PROJECT THAT HAS A MATCH.
BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE FUNDING TO GO ALONG WITH THAT MATCH.
SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS ARE VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
EVEN IN OUR STORMWATER MASTER PLAN, WHICH WE'VE LOOKED AT, WHILE THERE MAY NEED TO BE SOME ENGINEERING, ADDITIONAL ENGINEERING NEEDS TO BE DONE,
[01:30:01]
THERE'S ENOUGH DATA THERE TO BETTER SAY, THIS IS A WORTHWHILE PROJECT FOR EAST BATON ROUGE PARK.I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT NUMBER 1, WE'RE NOT SITTING AROUND WAITING ON SOMETHING.
WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR BUSINESS.
ANY TIME AND WE'VE ACTUALLY SUBMITTED WORKING WITH ADAM AND QUITE FRANKLY, WORKING WITH ADAM IS JUST A CHALLENGE, TOO, BECAUSE HE'S PRETTY AGGRESSIVE AND WHERE WE NEED TO BE, BUT WE'VE SUBMITTED SEVEN PROJECTS TO CAPITAL OUTLAY TO OUR LEGISLATIVE GROUP TO SEE IF WE COULD GET THE FUNDING.
BECAUSE THOSE ARE ANY OPPORTUNITY WE GET TO SECURE ANY DOLLAR.
WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
WITH THAT, THAT'S REALLY ALL I HAVE.
I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY YOUR QUESTIONS THAT YOU DO HAVE, BUT THE MONEY SITUATION, ESPECIALLY IN DRAIN AND REALLY ANY OF THESE PROJECTS, WE'RE NOT SITTING BACK AND WAITING.
WE'RE MOVING FORWARD, BUT WE DO ALSO KNOW THAT TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THESE THINGS AND HAVE MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES ON SOME OF THESE ISSUES, WE'RE GOING TO CERTAINLY NEED A NEW REVENUE SOURCE AT SOME POINT.
>> THANK YOU, FRED. ONE THING I APPRECIATE ABOUT YOU IS YOU'RE ALWAYS VERY HONEST.
[LAUGHTER] YOU DON'T TRY TO GLOSS THINGS OVER, YOU TELL EVERYONE THE TRUTH.
I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
I KNOW ONE OF THE BIG COMPLAINTS THAT I GET YOU AND I HAVE HAD MANY DISCUSSIONS ABOUT IS THE RESTRIPING?
>> WHEN THE ROADS ARE BEING RECONSTRUCTED WITH THE MOVE EBR, THOSE WILL BE RESTRIPE.
>> THAT'S PART OF THE PROJECT. YES, MA'AM.
>> THERE'S FOLKS OUT THERE THAT DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT AND THEY'RE ALL FUSSING.
ROADS LIKE OLD HAMMON HIGHWAY.
[LAUGHTER] I'M GOING [OVERLAPPING].
>> O'NEAL LANE, LIKE WE'VE DONE, ALSO WILL BE LOOKING AT NICHOLSON DRIVE, ALL THESE PROJECTS THAT WILL HAVE STRIPING BUTTONS, EVERYTHING THAT GOES WITH IS PART OF THE PROJECT, HAS TO BE.
>> JONES CREEK, WHAT IS IT NOT JONES CREEK.
>> WELL, JEFFERSON RUNS INTO O'NEAL HAMMOND.
>> NO. SORRY. CAN'T THINK RIGHT NOW.
ANYWAY. THAT'S A QUESTION THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN BRINGING UP AS RESTRIPING.
I'M GLAD YOU SAID THAT'S $8 A FOOT, BECAUSE THAT SURE THAT BRINGS IT DOWN.
>> THERE'S NOTHING CHEAP ABOUT, BASICALLY, IF YOU'RE GOING TO GO THE MAXIMUM AND THAT'S NORMALLY THE PRICE WHAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THE LATEST COSTS WE HAVE TO LOOK AT SOME MORE RESTRIPING BECAUSE WE WANT TO LOOK AT SEE SOME ROADS THAT WE HAVE, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET ESTIMATES, AND THAT'S ABOUT WHAT HAS COME [OVERLAPPING] AROUND THAT.
>> THERE ARE OTHERS THAT HAVE TOLD THINGS THAT ST. GEORGE HAS TAKEN OFF OUR TABLE.
HAS ST. GEORGE TAKEN ANYTHING OFF OF YOUR TABLE AT ALL THAT WE ARE NO LONGER RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT THEY ARE?
>> CURRENTLY, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WORK OUT AN AGREEMENT TO MAINTAIN THEIR SIGNALS.
NOT THE SCHOOL FLASHERS ATTAINMENT, BUT THE TRAFFIC SIGNALS ON THE AND WITHIN THAT ROADWAY.
WE HAD A TEAM TO SIT DOWN WITH THEM AND THEY CONCURRED WITH WHAT OUR IDEA AND WHAT OUR PLAN WAS AND THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, WHICH IS $8,500 PER SIGNAL AT THAT POINT.
>> SOME OF THESE FOLKS THAT ARE TALKING ABOUT THE RESTRIPING OF IN ST. GEORGE.
IS ST. GEORGE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RESTRIPING?
THERE ARE QUESTIONS THAT WHILE WE HAVEN'T FORMULATED A REAL LEGAL DETERMINATION ON IT.
I LOOK AT THIS, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, IS THAT THE PROJECT OR THE PEOPLE OF THE PARISH HAVE VOTED AND THESE ARE THE BOUNDARIES.
ANYTHING THAT FALLS WITHIN THOSE BOUNDARIES WOULD BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THAT CITY.
JUST LIKE CENTRAL DID, JUST LIKE BAKER, AND JUST LIKE ZACHARY.
WE'RE STILL WORKING OUT SOME ISSUES DEFINING WHETHER WE WANT TO HAVE A MAJOR CORRIDOR THAT MAY RUN THROUGH THE AREA THAT THE CITY MAY BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ONLY BECAUSE OF CONNECTIVITY, TRANSPORTATION ISSUES, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE STILL WORKING WITH THE CITY OF ST. GEORGE ON.
BUT I THINK THAT AT SOME POINT WITH OUR ATTORNEYS AND THEIR ATTORNEYS, WE'RE GOING TO FINALIZE WHAT ALL THE ROADWAYS IN MY OPINION, ANYTHING IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA THAT'S AND I'VE CHATTED WITH OUR ATTORNEY ON THAT TOO.
ANYTHING IN A RESIDENTIAL AREA, OF THE ST. GEORGE WOULD BE THE CITY OF ST. GEORGE'S RESPONSIBILITY TO HANDLE, POTHOLES, OVERLAYS, ANYTHING THAT STREET SIGNAGE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
[01:35:05]
ALL THAT HAS BEEN PRETTY MUCH DETERMINED.NOW, THAT BEING SAID, THEY ARE MAJOR ROADWAYS.
DO WE WANT THAT ROADWAY TO BE A CONNECTOR FROM OUTSIDE THE CITY OF ST. GEORGE TO US AND THROUGH THE PARISH AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM ON TO SEE IF THAT IS A PROBABILITY IF NOT.
THEN IT CERTAINLY WILL BE SOMETHING THAT THE CITY OF ST. GEORGE WOULD FALL AND BE RESPONSIBLE IN REGARDS TO THE OVERALL MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS OF THOSE ROADWAYS?
>> ONE MORE QUESTION IF YOU DON'T MIND.
PEOPLE ARE STILL WORRIED. THEY STILL ARE.
THESE FOLKS OUT HERE FROM 2016 ARE STILL CONCERNED.
WHERE ARE WE AS FAR AS CLEANING OUT OUR DRAINAGE SYSTEMS AND ALL? I MEAN, WE HAVEN'T SEEN ANY ISSUES.
WE'VE HAD SOME PRETTY TOUGH RAINS LATELY SO WHERE ARE WE AS FAR AS OUR DRAINAGE GOES AND WHAT HAS BEEN DONE?
>> WELL YOU KNOW, NOBODY LIKES TO SAY WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE, BUT I'M GOING TO SAY WHERE WE HEADED IN A DIRECTION AND THE THINGS THAT WE SPENT A LOT OF THE FUNDS ON HAVE MOVED PARISH IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, PARTICULARLY CLEANING OUT THE MAJOR OUTFALLS THAT DRAIN OUR PARISH.
SOME GO THROUGH ST. GEORGE, BUT A LOT OF OUR WATER RUNS THROUGH SOME OF THE MAJOR DRAINAGE THOROUGHFARES IN ST. GEORGE.
THAT IS ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT TRYING TO WORK OUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS THAT.
DO YOU ALL HELP PARTICIPATE AND DO WE PARTICIPATE? BUT THOSE ARE THE ISSUES WE'RE WORKING ON.
ALL THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE ON SOME OF OUR MAJOR OUTFALLS AND TRUST ME, I HEAR THE PHONE CALLS, AND I GET THE PHONE CALLS AND BECAUSE THEY'LL SAY, "HEY, IT'S RAINING, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO?" WE GO OUT THERE AND LOOK AT THESE AREAS AND THE WATERS NOT GOING LIKE IT'S MOVING LIKE IT'S SUPPOSED TO, NOT BACKING UP.
I'VE HAD VERY, VERY FEW PHONE CALLS FROM THE PUBLIC TO WHICH THEY WILL LET US KNOW THAT THERE'S A PROBLEM OUT THERE.
WHILE IT'S NOT WHERE WE WANT IT TO BE YET, I MEAN, WE HAVE A LOT OF DRAINAGE PIPE THAT WE STILL NEED TO CLEAN OUT.
WE HAD A LOT OF PHYSICAL INSPECTION THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.
BUT THAT'S ADDITIONAL REVENUE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO NEED TO LOOK AT A REVENUE SOURCE.
WHAT'S GOING TO BE USED TO HELP US NOT ONLY CLEAN THE EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE, BECAUSE THERE ARE AREAS IN NOT PARISH THAT WE NEED TO DO.
THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
BUT THAT BEING SAID, WE ALSO HAVE PROJECTS THAT WE WENT THROUGH AND SPENT MONEY ON STORMWATER MASTER PLAN TO TRY TO HELP REDUCE THE FLOOD RISK.
NOT GOING TO SAY, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FLOOD, BUT IT CAN HELP REDUCE THE FLOOD RISK, AND I THINK THAT'S ALSO CRITICAL.
>> WE'RE MUCH BETTER SHAPE THAN WE WERE. [OVERLAPPING]
>> I WILL STAND HERE TODAY AND SAY, YES, MA'AM, [LAUGHTER] THERE MAY BE SOME AREAS THAT PEOPLE WOULD THINK DIFFERENT, AND THAT'S ONLY BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T GOT TODAY, BUT WHEN THE AREAS THAT WE REALLY MOVED INTO, I WOULD SAY THAT THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTS THAT I'VE RECEIVED AND WHILE THEY CALL REGINALD, THEY DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM CALLING ME.
I ASSURE YOU, WHICH I'M OKAY WITH THAT BECAUSE I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THAT ISSUE.
I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEMS ARE AND SEE HOW WE CAN ADDRESS.
>> I THINK B2 PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT DOESN'T DRAIN OFF AS QUICKLY AS IT COMES DOWN.
I TELL PEOPLE AS [NOISE] LONG AS IT'S DRAINING, WE SHOULD BE OKAY. THANK YOU, FRED.
>> FRED, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
YOU ALWAYS ANSWER THE CALLS AND YOU ALWAYS SHOW UP.
THANK YOU AND WE APPRECIATE IT GREATLY.
I WANT TO GO BACK TO THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT ST. GEORGE IS, THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL IS LOCATED IN ST. GEORGE OR SIGNALS IN ST. GEORGE, BUT THE CITY HAS AGREED TO MONITOR THOSE SIGNALS?
>> WE'RE MONITORING THE SIGNALS, AND ALSO THEY'RE PAYING FOR MAINTENANCE OF WHATEVER WE HAVE TO DO IN REGARDS TO ANY SIGNAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT NEED TO BE MADE.
>> YOU AGREED ALONG WITH YOUR TEAM AND THEIR TEAM, $8,500 [OVERLAPPING] FOR THE SIGNAL?
>> YES, MA'AM. THAT'S CORRECT.
>> HOW MANY OF THOSE WILL WE [OVERLAPPING]
>> I THINK THERE ARE 40 THAT WE HAVE.
A TOTAL 50, BUT SOME OF THEM ARE STATE OWNED SIGNALS THAT FALL WITHIN ST. GEORGE, AND WE ARE WORKING WITH THE STATE, ALSO I THINK COUNCILMAN GAUDET WAS ASKING ABOUT THAT ALSO WITH THE STATE ON ADJUSTING THE FEES THAT WE HAVE ON A PER MONTH FOR THE STATE HIGHWAY SIGNALS TOO.
>> WHEN DID THIS GO INTO EFFECT?
>> WELL, WE JUST HAVE THE STUFF WE CHATTED WITH THEM.
WE'VE BEEN NEGOTIATING. WE HAVE A CONTRACT.
WE SENT THEM AND I'M WAITING ON IT TO BE EXECUTED.
[01:40:04]
>> ANYBODY ELSE? NO, EVERYBODY'S COUNCILMEN DUNN.
>> FRED, THANK YOU FOR THE REPORT.
THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM DO.
WE APPRECIATE YOU AND YOUR TEAM SERVICE TO THE PARISH.
COUNCILWOMAN AMOROSO, WAS TALKING ABOUT DRAINAGE.
I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF VISITING WITH THE AMITE RIVER BASIN COMMISSION AND TAKING A ALONG THE AMITE RIVER DIVERSITY CANAL, BLIND RIVER, LAKE MAUREPAS, AND ALL OF THAT.
LEARNED A LOT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ITS CONNECTIVITY TO WHAT HAPPENED IN 2016 AND PREVENTING SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPENING.
AGAIN, HERE IN THE AREA IN THE REGION AND THE SURROUNDING PARISHES, REPRESENTED FROM THE STATE LEVEL, TO THE LOCAL LEVEL.
OUR NEIGHBORING PARISH ASCENSION AND LIVINGSTON, WAS THERE REPRESENTING WHO IS REPRESENTING EAST BATON ROUGE PARIS ON THAT COMMISSION? DID YOU?
>> YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH [OVERLAPPING]
>> I AM VERY FAMILIAR, AND THE ONLY REASON I DID MAKE THAT MEETING IS THAT WAS SET UP REAL LATE, BUT THEY HAD SOME PEOPLE, BUT I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE BEEN.
BUT I ALREADY HAVE SEEN THE MOST OF THE STUFF BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY HAD TOURS ON SOME PARTICULARLY WITH THE WEIR.
THAT WAS THE THING THAT REALLY GOT MY ATTENTION, BUT ALSO BECAUSE OF THE SILTATION THAT'S ON AMITE RIVER THAT HAS THE IMPACT ON SOME OF OUR WATER FLOW AND WATER QUALITY IS PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.
>> YES. PAUL SAWYER AND LAWRENCE CALEN DID A GOOD JOB PUTTING EVERYTHING TOGETHER.
THEY HAVE SOME $100 MILLION AND SCHEDULED TO DO PROJECTS TO HELP PREVENT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES WE FACED IN 2016.
CAN YOU JUST DO A BRIEF OVERVIEW WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
>> THE ONE THAT I'M EXCITED ABOUT IS WHAT WE CALL THE CLAY CUT EXCUSE ME, NOT CLAY CUT, BUT THE WARDS CREEK REALIGNMENT AND CHANNEL IMPROVEMENTS FOR MANCHA.
WE WERE ONE OF THE GUYS TO BE ABLE TO RECEIVE THE $29 MILLION IMPROVEMENT FUNDING FOR THAT PLAN.
YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IT ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT MEETING TO GET IT I THINK IT'S TO BE INTRODUCED.
NOT MANY OF THE PARISH AND I'LL BE HONEST, COUNSELMEN.
I WORKED HARD TO GET THAT THING THROUGH THE PROCESS AND WE HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE PARISHES, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I THINK WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL FROM THE BASIN STANDPOINT BECAUSE WE ARE COMMUNICATING.
WE ARE UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS HAS A IMPACT ON YOU OR WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO HERE.
BUT THE ONE KEY INGREDIENT TO THIS IS THAT, WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING THAT'S GOING TO CREATE PROBLEMS FOR ADJACENT PARISHES.
I THINK THAT IS THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO GO, AND THIS PROJECT WILL CERTAINLY ENHANCE NOT ONLY ASCENSION, BUT BILL PARISH AND LIVINGSTON AND WE HAVE BUY IN FROM EVERYBODY.
ALL WE'RE WAITING ON RIGHT NOW IS TO GET THE FINAL APPROVAL FROM OCD THAT WILL MOVE US FORWARD, AND THEN I WILL BE COMING TO YOU ALL WITH A CONSULTANT SELECTED THROUGH THE SELECTION BOARD TO BE DO THE DESIGN TO MOVE THIS PROJECT FOR.
BIG DEAL BECAUSE IT DOES HAVE A LOT OF IMPACT ON WATER MOVEMENT AND MAN CHAT MORE IMPORTANTLY BECAUSE IF I CAN GET IT DOWN TO THE RIVER A LITTLE FASTER.
THAT'S LESS PROBLEMS WE HAVE UPSTREAM, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO BE VERY MINDFUL THAT WE CANNOT PUSH IT DOWN AND CREATE MORE PROBLEMS FOR THE ADJOINING PARISHES, WHICH THIS MODEL THAT WE HAVE BEEN RUNNING HAS SHOWN SOME BENEFIT.
I HAVEN'T GOT THE OFFICIAL NOTICE YET, BUT I BELIEVE THAT BASED ON WHAT WE'VE BEEN TOLD, I THINK YOU'LL SEE THAT VERY SOON.
>> ANYBODY ELSE? THANK YOU, FRED.
>> WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR SERVICE. LET'S SEE.
ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES IS NEXT. HI, ADAM.
I JUST WANTED TO TOUCH ON A FEW THINGS.
ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, AS YOU KNOW, IT COVERS SANITARY SEWER, SOLID WASTE, AND THEN WE'VE GOT THE WATER COMPLIANCE DIVISIONS AS WELL.
TWO OF THE THREE OF THOSE ARE ENTERPRISE FUNDS, THEY'RE DIFFERENT THAN THE PRIOR PRESENTATIONS THAT WERE ALL GENERAL FUND.
THE FIRST TWO, BOTH SEWER AND SOLID WASTE ARE
[01:45:03]
ENTERPRISE FUNDS AND ARE FUNDED BY DEDICATED FUNDING SOURCES, BOTH USER FEES AND HAVE SENT SALES TAX FOR SEWER.NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THE 2026 REVENUE, AS I MENTIONED, IT COMES FROM HALF CENT SALES TAX AND SEWER USER FEES, THE TOTAL REVENUE IS A LITTLE OVER $190 MILLION.
SEWER USER FEES IS ALMOST 123,000,000.5 CENT SALES TAX IS JUST UNDER $61 MILLION.
WE'VE ALSO GOT A BIT IN INTEREST EARNINGS, AND THEN WE ALSO COLLECT SEWER IMPACT FEES SO THAT ANYTIME A NEW CUSTOMER TIES ON TO THE SYSTEM, THEY PAY AN IMPACT FEE, AND THAT GOES TO WHEREVER THE TREATMENT PLANT BASIN THAT THEY TIE IN.
IF IT'S IN THE NORTH, IT GOES TO THE NORTH TREATMENT PLANT, SOUTH GOES TO THE SOUTH BASIN. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
THE OPERATING BUDGET IS JUST UNDER 73 MILLION AND THAT'S MOSTLY JUST UNDER 70% CONTRACTUAL SERVICES.
MOST OF THAT IS THE SAME AS LAST YEAR.
THE ONE JUMP THAT YOU'LL SEE IS THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS.
WE'VE GOT A LITTLE OVER $1 MILLION ADDITIONAL BUDGETED FOR ELECTRICITY.
THAT IS BECAUSE THE COST PER KILOWATT HOUR HAS GONE UP, SO WE'RE BUDGETING THAT EXTRA COST AND UTILITY.
THEN JUST A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS, EXTRA 300,000 FOR CHEMICALS, AND JUST COST INCREASES THAT WE'RE SEEING ON THE MATERIAL SIDE FOR OPERATING.
EVERYTHING ELSE IS GENERALLY WHERE IT WAS.
NOW, YOU'LL SEE, WE HAD 190 MILLION IN REVENUE.
WE'VE GOT 73 MILLION IN THE OPERATING BUDGET.
THE OTHER BIG PART OF THAT IS NEXT YEAR WE'RE GOING TO HAVE 83 MILLION IN DEBT SERVICE FROM THE SSO PROGRAM.
WE'VE ALSO GOT SOME CAPITAL IN THERE.
THEN WE'RE ALSO PUTTING AWAY MONEY FOR FUTURE YEARS FOR THAT DEBT SERVICE.
THE DEBT SERVICE IS GOING TO PEAK, I THINK IN THE 2031, 2032 RANGE, AND THEN IT'S GOING TO STAY AT THAT PEAK FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
WE'RE PLANNING FOR THAT AS WELL.
NEXT SLIDE. NOW ON TO THE SOLID WASTE DIVISION.
THIS IS ANOTHER ONE OF THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS.
NEXT SLIDE. THEN IN SOLID WASTE, WE'VE GOT TWO DIVISIONS.
WE'VE GOT SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL, WHICH IS THE LANDFILL, AND THEN WE'VE GOT SOLID WASTE COLLECTION.
THE FIRST ONE, SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL.
ALL OF THAT, AGAIN, THIS IS THE LANDFILL, SO THE VAST MAJORITY OF IT IS GENERATED FROM TIPPING FEES AT THE LANDFILL.
THAT IS WHEN A GARBAGE TRUCK GOES ACROSS THE SCALES, THEY PAY BASED ON THE TONNAGE.
YOU'LL SEE WE'RE INTRODUCING AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA TOMORROW NIGHT.
THAT'LL BE FOR THE DECEMBER MEETING WHERE WE'RE PLANNING TO GO UP ON THE TIPPING FEES AGAIN.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT THE RESIDENTS SEE DIRECTLY.
THIS IS ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE.
IF IT'S LET'S SAY A GROCERY STORE, THEY'RE GETTING THEIR THEIR DUMPSTER SERVICED, A HOSPITAL, THAT TYPE OF THING.
THAT'S WHERE YOU'LL SEE THESE COMMERCIAL RATES AND THE COMMERCIAL RATES WILL CHANGE.
THIS IS STANDARD ACROSS THE STATE WITH LANDFILLS, IT'S KEEPING UP WITH EXPENSES.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY CAUSED ANY ISSUES IN THE PAST.
AGAIN, THOSE WOULD BE THE BUDGET THAT WE SUBMITTED FOR 2026 WAS BASED ON THESE NEW TIP AND FEES BEING IN EFFECT ON JANUARY 1.
NEXT SLIDE. EXPENDITURES, WE'VE GOT THE VAST MAJORITY OF IT SINCE THIS IS THE LANDFILL.
IT'S WASTE MANAGEMENT IS OUR CONTRACTOR THAT OPERATES AND MAINTAINS THE LANDFILL.
THEIR CONTRACT NEXT YEAR IS ESTIMATED TO BE JUST UNDER $11 MILLION, AND THEIR CONTRACT IS TONNAGE BASE.
[01:50:03]
THEY GET PAID AN AMOUNT PER TON THAT GOES ACROSS THE SCALE AND THEN WE'VE GOT QUITE A BIT OF OTHER THINGS IN HERE.ONE OF THE POST CLOSURE COST IS SOMETHING THAT LDQ REQUIRES, BUT AT SOME POINT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CLOSE THE LANDFILL, AND WE NEED TO SAVE UP FOR THAT.
THAT'S GOING TO BE TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO PROPERLY CLOSE THAT LANDFILL.
WHAT WE'RE DOING IS IS PUTTING AWAY MONEY EVERY YEAR.
MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN CLOSE IT PROPERLY, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT ANGIE SIGNS OFF ON ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, SAYING THAT THEY'VE GOT THIS FINANCIAL MODEL THAT SHOWS IT'S GOING TO COST X, AND THEY GOT TO PUT THIS AMOUNT IN THE ACCOUNT EVERY YEAR, AND THEY ARE DOING THAT.
THAT'S WHAT THAT COST IS THERE.
YOU ALSO SEE THAT WE ARE USING SOME OF THE LANDFILL FUNDS TO PAY FOR RECYCLING AND YOU'LL SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THAT IN A SECOND.
BUT PART OF THAT IS IS THEY WERE DEFERRING SOME OF THE WASTE THAT WOULD GO TO THE LANDFILL WITH THE RECYCLING PROGRAM.
THE LANDFILL IS COMPLEMENTING THE RECYCLING COST OF THAT.TWO SLIDES, ACTUALLY.
NOW WE'RE INTO SOLID WASTE COLLECTIONS.
THIS IS THE USER FEES THAT FOR THE MOST PART, THE RESIDENTS PAY.
YOU'LL SEE THE VAST MAJORITY OF OF WHAT WE COLLECT IS ON THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE.
THEN THERE'S THE MULTI FAMILY USER FEE IS BROKEN DOWN SEPARATELY.
ONE THING I WANTED TO POINT OUT, BOTH OF THE CONTRACTS WITH REPUBLICAN RDI, THEY'VE GOT AN ESCALATION CLAUSE IN THEM.
THE FEE WAS SET IN LATE 2022, I BELIEVE, AND IT WAS BASED ON THE FEE AT THAT TIME.
THE COST HAS GONE UP 4% ANNUALLY SINCE THEN.
RIGHT NOW THE RESIDENTS ARE PAYING 35 23, THE COST OF THE SERVICE TO US RIGHT NOW IS ACTUALLY RIGHT ABOUT $38 A MONTH.
WE HAD SOME FUND BALANCE OVER SOME PRIOR YEARS, AND THEN WITH THE LANDFILL AS WELL, WE'RE ABLE TO KEEP THAT USER FEE THE SAME GOING INTO NEXT YEAR AS WELL BUT AT SOME POINT THAT'S GOING TO HAVE TO GET ADJUSTED AS WELL.
IN PRIOR YEARS, WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE SET THE FEE FOR FIVE YEARS, AND THEN WE USE THAT SAME FEE FOR FIVE YEARS AND THEN WE DO THAT EVERY FIVE YEARS.
WE'RE COMING UP ON THAT NEXT FIVE YEAR CYCLE WHERE WE DO THAT AGAIN.
THEN THIS IS JUST TALKING ABOUT THE EXPENDITURES A LITTLE BIT MORE.
WE'VE GOT THE SERVICE FEE OFFICE, THOSE FOLKS ARE THEY ACTUALLY WORK IN FINANCE, BUT THEY'RE COVERED PARTIALLY BY THE SOLID WASTE FEE.
WE'VE GOT THE CONTRACTS WITH REPUBLIC THAT IS AT THE CART AT THE CURB COLLECTION, THE RECYCLING COLLECTION, AND THEN ALSO THE MULTIFAMILY.
THEN YOU'VE GOT RDI THAT'S DOING THE O OF CART SERVICES.
THAT'S THE BULK OF THE EXPENDITURES HERE.
THIS IS STORMWATER COMPLIANCE.
THIS IS OUR ONLY GENERAL FUND DIVISION IN ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES.
WE'VE GOT $3.5 MILLION BUDGETED FOR NEXT YEAR.
SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THAT IS SALARY AND BENEFITS.
RACHEL MAY HAVE TOUCHED ON THIS EARLIER, BUT WE'VE GOT A CONTRACT WITH SOUTH CENTRAL PLANNING THAT WE USE FOR STORMWATER INSPECTIONS OF CONSTRUCTION SITES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE FOLLOWING THEIR STORMWATER POLLUTION PREVENTION PLAN AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF.
WE'VE GOT PROGRAM MANAGEMENT AND INSPECTIONS, AND THEN AGAIN NEXT YEAR, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE 1.8 MILLION FOR STORMWATER PIKE POINT REPAIRS AND THEN 600,000 FOR INLET REPAIRS.
THEN WE'VE ALSO GOT OUR PUBLIC EDUCATION COMPONENT.
HOPEFULLY YOU'VE SEEN THE BILLBOARDS AROUND TOWN AND THEN THE VARIOUS WATER BILL INSERTS, ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE DO FROM PUBLIC OUTREACH STANDPOINT
[01:55:02]
TO EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON ON STORMWATER COMPLIANCE.I KNOW THERE'S A QUESTION ABOUT THE CENTRAL PLAN. THAT'S ALL I GOT.
>> WELL, LET ME START WITH THE 3.5 STORMWATER.
I WAS TRYING TO PULL UP YOUR PAGE IN THE BUDGET BOOK BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE IT OPENED.
IS THAT AN INCREASE DECREASE FROM LAST YEAR?
>> THAT IS THE SAME AS LAST YEAR.
>> THAT WAS SOMETHING ANGIE AND LINDA, THEY HAD $7 MILLION IN SURPLUS? FEW YEARS AGO AND THEY PUT THAT ASIDE SO THAT WE COULD HAVE IT FOR TWO YEARS WORTH.
>> I WAS UNINTENTIONAL THAT THE RIVER ROAD, I GUESS ABANDONED PLANT CAME UP IN TWO DIFFERENT TOPICS, BUT SINCE YOU'RE HERE, I'LL ASK ABOUT IT.
IT IS NOT IN USE AND YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAINTAINING IT?
>> WE ARE, AND WE ARE CURRENTLY DEMOLISHING IT.
>> YOU DEPARTMENT WILL, OR YOU CONTRACT FOR THAT SERVICE.
>> IT HAS CONTRACTED OUT THE CONTRACTOR IS ON SITE NOW.
AS THEY MOBILIZED A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
I BELIEVE IT'S IN COUNCILWOMAN COLEMAN.
>> IT IS. WHAT'S THE PLANS FOR THAT PROPERTY?
>> GOOD QUESTION. WE'VE HAD VARIOUS INTEREST IN IT OVER THE YEARS, BUT NOTHING REALLY CAME TO FRUITION.
>> I WOULD IMAGINE THERE'D BE SOME CLEANUP NEEDED IN THERE.
>> THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT, REALLY.
WE'VE GOT A VERY MINOR JUST LIKE WE HAVE THIS BUCKET OF HYDRAULIC OIL HERE, HANDFUL OF THE BUILDINGS HAD ASBESTOS AND A LITTLE BIT OF LEAD PAINT BUT WHEN YOU THINK OF A WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, IT'S NOT A CLEAN THING, BUT IT'S ALSO NOT CONSIDERED HAZARDOUS FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL STANDPOINT REGULATORY STANDPOINT.
>> THANK YOU. I DIDN'T MEAN TO GO OFF ON THAT TAN.
I DID WANT TO GO TO THE INCREASE FOR THE TIPPING FEES. AM I RIGHT ON THAT TIP?
>> YOU SAID THAT ITEMS COMING UP FOR US IN DECEMBER.
>> YES, SIR. IT'LL BE INTRODUCED TOMORROW.
>> COMMERCIAL, $42 TO $44 OUT OF PARISH, $46 TO $48.
ARE YOU SEEING OTHER PARISHES DO THAT AS WELL?
>> YES. WE TALKED TO WASTE MANAGEMENT ABOUT IT, WE TALKED TO REPUBLIC ABOUT IT, I ASK HIM, HEY, WHAT ARE YOU SEEING IS THIS GOING TO MAKE IT TO WHERE WE'RE NOT COMPETITIVE AND IT'S WHERE WE NEED TO BE.
>> WE HAVE ONE LANDFILL OR TWO.
>> THE LIFESPAN OF THE ACTIVE?
>> WITHIN THAT TIME, YOU HAVE TO IDENTIFY THE LOCATION OF A NEW A NEW LANDFILL LOCATION?
>> DOES IT HAVE TO BE IN THE PARISH?
>> IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE. I'LL EXPAND ON THAT A LITTLE BIT.
>> THE CITY PURCHASED THE RED MUD LAKE THAT IS ADJACENT TO THE CURRENT LANDFILL PROBABLY 15 YEARS AGO.
MAYBE NOT THAT LONG. IT'S 700 ACRES PLUS OR MINUS AND THE THOUGHT AT THE TIME IS THAT THAT WOULD BE LANDFILL.
IT WOULD JUST ROLL OVER, THE PROPERTY LINES ARE IT'S A CONTIGUOUS PROPERTY LINE.
THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST THOUGHT.
>> ON YOUR ENTERPRISE FUND, YOU'VE GOT A HALF CENT SALES TAX.
THAT WAS VOTED ON THAT WAY? IT WAS.
>> IS THE SIZE OF THE LANDFILL WE HAVE NOW? WHAT'S THE SIZE OF THE LANDFILL THAT WE HAVE NOW? I HAVE TO GET THAT TO YOU.
>> I DO NOT KNOW THAT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
>> ESTIMATED ACREAGE, ANYBODY? IS THE LAND THAT WE PURCHASE LARGER?
>> ADAM, IF I READ MY BUDGET BOOK CORRECTLY.
THIS IS WHAT I THINK, IF NOT CORRECT ME.
THIS 3.5 MILLION IS COMING OUT OF FUND BALANCE, THIS IS NOT GENERAL FUND. IS THAT RIGHT, ANGIE?
[02:00:06]
IT'S GENERAL FUND FUND BALANCE.THIS IS FOR 2026, BUT IN 2027, THAT'S A HOLE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FILL BECAUSE WE'RE FULFILLING A COMMITMENT THAT WAS MADE WITH THESE FUNDS TO STORMWATER.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FUND THAT MONEY NEXT YEAR IF WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE DOING THE STORMWATER ACTIVITIES, IS THAT CORRECT?
>> WE STILL DON'T REALLY QUITE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING TO BE REQUIRED OF US.
>> NOT YET. THIS IS A REAL AREA FOR ME OF CONCERN BECAUSE WE'RE HANGING ON BY WE'RE DOING GREAT WORK, BUT FINANCIALLY, WE'RE HANGING ON BY THREADS.
I JUST WANTED TO THROW UP THAT LITTLE RED FLAG FOR EVERYBODY. NOT YOUR PROBLEM.
THAT'S OUR PROBLEM. WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT, BUT IT IS A PROBLEM.
ANYBODY ELSE? COUNCILWOMAN HARRIS.
>> I HAVE A QUESTION ON PAGE 3 THE O AND M BUDGET THE VERY CORNER RIGHT HERE, WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT PERSONAL SERVICES, EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, SUPPLIES, AND CONTRACTUAL SERVICES, 69%.
>> CAN YOU SHARE WITH US WHAT ARE THOSE CONTRACTUAL SERVICES?
>> WE'VE GOT VARIOUS PIPE REPAIR CONTRACT.
WE HAVE THREE DIFFERENT PIPE REPAIR CONTRACTS, SO WE'VE GOT AN EMERGENCY AND THEN TWO ANNUALS.
FOR THE EMERGENCY IS SOMEBODY'S GOT AN ISSUE AND THEY CAN'T FLUSH, THEY CAN'T FROM THE DISHWASHER OR WHATEVER, WELL OUR CONTRACTOR RESPONDS ALMOST IMMEDIATELY.
THEN THE OTHER TWO ARE A LITTLE MORE PLANNED OUT WHERE WE KNOW WE NEED TO MAKE A PIPE REPAIR, BUT IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE DONE TOMORROW, WE USE THAT TO SCHEDULE THOSE.
BASICALLY, FOR THE MOST PART, ALL OF OUR MAINTENANCE IS CONTRACTED OUT.
MANHOLE REHAB, VALVE MAINTENANCE, A LOT OF OUR PUMP STATION MAINTENANCE IS CONTRACTED OUT, THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS ARE CONTRACTED OUT.
THERE'S A LONG LIST. ODOR CONTROL.
GENERALLY, WE USE OUR IN HOUSE PEOPLE TO INVESTIGATE TO DETERMINE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS, AND THEN VAST MAJORITY OF THE TIME WE USE A CONTRACTOR TO FIX THE ISSUE, WHATEVER IT IS.
>> YOUR IN HOUSE PERSONS WILL INVESTIGATE THE SITUATION, AND THEN YOU DECIDE WHAT CONTRACTUAL SERVICE WILL GO OUT?
>> THANKS, ADAM. ANYBODY ELSE? THANK YOU VERY MUCH, ADAM.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE AND YOUR PRESENTATION.
OUR FINAL PRESENTER OF THE EVENING IS THE BIG BUDDY PROGRAM. WELCOME.
YOU MAY HAVE LEARNED MORE ABOUT PUBLIC WORKS THAN YOU EVER MEANT TO KNOW TONIGHT.
THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME AND FOR HAVING ME HERE.
THIS IS MY FIRST BUDGET HEARING AFTER 46 YEARS OF BEING A PART OF THE CITY PARISH'S BUDGET.
I THOUGHT I'D TAKE A LITTLE TIME TO JUST GIVE THE BIG PICTURE VISION OR A BIG PICTURE OF WHAT BIG BUDDY IS ABOUT.
BIG BUDDY, MY MISSION IS TO BUILD A COMMUNITY OF MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS THAT INSPIRE AND ADVANCE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE TO CREATE MEANINGFUL CHANGE.
OUR VISION IS THAT EVERY CHILD WOULD HAVE A POSITIVE ROLE MODEL AND VILLAGE, LEADING HIM OR HER TO MAKE GOOD CHOICES RESULTING IN A HEALTHY AND REWARDING LIFE.
THIS IS IMPORTANT, NOT JUST TO US AS INDIVIDUAL PARENTS,
[02:05:03]
BUT TO OUR COMMUNITY, THE THRIVING OF OUR COMMUNITY.JUST A LITTLE HISTORY ABOUT BIG BUDDY.
BIG BUDDY BEGAN AS A LSU PSYCHOLOGY CLASSES PROJECT.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT.
WE'RE NOT LIKE BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS OR BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB WHERE THERE'S A PARENT ORGANIZATION THAT WE ALL COLLABORATE.
WE ARE BORN RIGHT HERE IN BATON ROUGE AND CONTINUE TO SERVE THE YOUNG PEOPLE HERE.
BIG BUDDY, WHEN IT WAS FIRST MADE AN ORGANIZATION WAS UNDER THE MAYOR'S YOUTH OPPORTUNITY OFFICE BACK IN 1979.
BIG BUDDY WAS WELCOMED IN BY MAYOR PAT SCREEN, AND WE HAVE SERVED UNDER FIVE OTHER MAYORS, MAYOR TOM ED, BOBBY SIMPSON, KIP HOLDEN, SHARON WESTON-BROOME, AND NOW MAYOR SID EDWARDS.
WE ARE AN ASSET BASED PROGRAM, WE'RE FOCUSED ON BUILDING RESILIENCY AGAINST POVERTY, CRIME, AND ACADEMIC FAILURE.
THREE THREATS TO OUR COMMUNITY.
BIG BUDDY SERVES OVER 500 YOUTH PER DAY.
IF YOU STOP, ANY DAY AND COUNT ALL THE YOUNG PEOPLE WE'RE TOUCHING, YOU'LL COUNT RIGHT OVER 500, IN ANY GIVEN YEAR, WE'RE SERVING 1,400 YOUTH.
THAT MEANS MANY OF OUR YOUTH RETURN.
IT'S NOT JUST TO SERVE AND NEXT YOUTH, THEY'RE WITH US EVERY DAY AFTER SCHOOL, ON WEEKENDS, HOLIDAYS.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE HAVE A GROUP OF OVER 100 YOUTH IN HOLIDAY CAMP THIS WEEK, MONDAY AND TUESDAY WHILE THEY'RE OUT OF SCHOOL.
98% OF THE YOUTH THAT ARE TARGETED FOR SERVICE AT BIG BUDDY ARE EITHER DEFINED AS ALICE FAMILIES OR THEY MEET THE FEDERAL POVERTY GUIDELINES.
WHY DO WE DO THIS WORK? WELL, WE KNOW, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN YOUNG PEOPLE OURSELVES.
EVERYBODY HAS BEEN A SIXTH GRADER, SEVENTH GRADER, YES.
AS WE GROW UP, WE FACE WHAT CALLED RISK FACTORS.
WE FACE THEM AT HOME, WE FACE THEM AT SCHOOL, IN THE COMMUNITY, AND IN THE WORLD AT LARGE.
BUT SOME OF US OVERCOME THESE RISK FACTORS AND WE BECOME SUCCESSFUL LEADERS TODAY.
WELL, WHAT IS THAT? WHY IS THAT? BECAUSE WE ALL HAVE RISK FACTORS. NEXT SLIDE.
WHEN WE FACE THESE RISK FACTORS AND THEY'RE MIXED WITH TRAUMATIC EVENTS, AND OUR COMMUNITY HAS SEEN MANY, WE HAVE POOR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, AND THAT LEADS TO WHAT WE ARE ALL CONCERNED ABOUT, IS A LIMITED WORKFORCE, DECREASE IN TAX REVENUE, INABILITY TO ATTRACT BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY, AND A REDUCTION IN COMMUNITY SERVICE AND SAFETY.
THAT'S WHY THE WORK WE DO IS IMPORTANT.
BUT THERE ARE THREE KEY, WHAT WE CALL RESILIENCY FACTORS THAT MAKE SURE OR ENSURE THAT WE CAN OVERCOME THESE RISK FACTORS.
NUMBER ONE IS CONNECTIONS TO POSITIVE ADULTS.
IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE IN OUR LIVES WHO PUSHES US, PULLS US, KICKS US, SAYS, GOOD JOB TO US TO HELP ENCOURAGE US ALONG THE WAY.
NUMBER TWO, IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE HIGH, CLEAR AND FAIR EXPECTATIONS.
SOMEONE THAT HOLDS THE BAR AND HELPS US TO GET THERE, NOT LOWER IT BECAUSE WE HAVE THESE RISK FACTORS.
THIRD, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE GIVE YOUNG PEOPLE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTICIPATION AND CONTRIBUTION SO THAT THEY CAN SEE HOW THEIR GIFTS IMPACT THIS COMMUNITY AND CAN BE OF SERVICE.
NEXT SLIDE. WE KNOW MENTORING WORKS.
BECAUSE WE KNOW THIS, THERE ARE THREE WAYS BIG BUDDY PROVIDE SERVICES TO THE BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY.
NUMBER ONE IS THROUGH OUR ONE ON ONE MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS.
THERE'S NO OTHER ORGANIZATION IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT BUILDS ONE ON ONE MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN ADULTS, CARING ADULTS, AND YOUNG PEOPLE.
BIG BUDDY DOES THE TRAINING, THE RECRUITMENT OF THE MENTORS.
WE HOST SUPERVISED RELATIONSHIP BUILDING MATCH ACTIVITIES.
WE ORCHESTRATE AFTER SCHOOL VISITS, OUR MENTORS COME OVER TO THE AFTER SCHOOL AND LUNCH DATES MONTHLY.
WE KNOW THIS WORK SO MUCH THAT WE HAVE FOUND FUNDING TO FUND 50 HIGH RISK MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS AT GLEN OAKS HIGH AND NORTH DALE ACADEMY TO RECEIVE MENTORS FROM THE POLICE OFFICERS AND FROM COLLEGE INTERNS.
WE'VE BEEN OUT RECRUITING, THEY'RE MATCHED, AND THEY ARE SEEING EACH OTHER WEEKLY, AND WE ARE CHANGING LIVES TOGETHER.
MENTORS ARE IN SUPERVISED RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR MENTEE.
[02:10:06]
WE SEE ON AVERAGE OUR MENTORING MATCHES LAST 10% HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL STANDARD FOR COMMUNITY BASED MATCHES.JUST THIS WEEK, WE WERE INVITED, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE TO HAVE A NIGHT AT BRCC.
THE MENTORS TOOK THE MENTEES TO A BASKETBALL GAME.
THOSE ARE THE TYPE OF THINGS THAT YOU WANT TO DO WITH YOUNG PEOPLE TO KEEP THEM ON A POSITIVE ROAD.
THE NEXT THING WE DO IS WHAT WE CALL EXTENDED LEARNING, AND THAT'S AFTER SCHOOL, SUMMER AND HOLIDAY PROGRAMS. CURRENTLY, WE SERVE ABOUT 500 YOUTH PER DAY IN THOSE PROGRAMS. WE HAVE ACADEMICS LED BY PROFESSIONAL EDUCATORS AND TUTORS FROM ALL UNIVERSITIES.
THEN WE PARTNER WITH ENRICHMENT LEADERS OF MOVING COLORS, KIDS ORCHESTRA, BATON ROUGE TEAM, GIRLS ON A RUN, GIRL SCOUTS, WE BRING THESE WONDERFUL PROVIDERS TO THE SCHOOLS TO DELIVER THEIR SERVICES TO YOUNG PEOPLE WHO WOULD NOT OTHERWISE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE IN HIGH QUALITY ENRICHMENT.
OUR TARGETED SCHOOLS ARE SCHOOLS THAT HAVE HIGH POPULATION OF LOW PERFORMING AND HIGH NEED STUDENTS.
WE HAVE LINKAGES TO THE SCHOOL DAY LEARNING, AND WE ALL KNOW THAT AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS AND SUMMER PROGRAMS AND HOLIDAY CAMPS HELPS WORKING FAMILIES.
IT IMPROVES ACADEMIC OUTCOMES AND IT HELPS BUILD SCHOOL CULTURE.
NEXT SLIDE. WE SEE A COUPLE OF ACTIVITIES.
THEY JUST SENT ME THESE OVER TODAY.
LIKE I SAID, WE HAVE OVER 100 YOUNG PEOPLE AT THANKSGIVING CAMP PARTICIPATING IN THANKSGIVING CRAFTS, EXERCISING, FIELD TRIPS.
THEY'RE HAVING A BALL AND PARENTS CAN FEEL COMFORTABLE WORKING WHILE THEIR YOUNG PEOPLE ARE OUT OF SCHOOL, THEY'RE HAVING A GOOD TIME IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT.
THEN THE THIRD WAY WE PROVIDE SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY IS THROUGH OUR LEVEL UP MENTORING AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
WE CALL IT IN THE SUMMERTIME MYWE, THE MAYOR'S YOUTH WORKFORCE EXPERIENCE.
THIS LEVEL UP WAS THE STRUCTURE THAT WE USE WHEN MAYOR HOLDEN AND COUNCILWOMAN THEN DONNA ASKED US TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL TO SEE HOW WE CAN EXPAND WHAT WE WERE DOING WITH OUR LEVEL UP PROGRAM AND PROVIDE MORE SUMMER YOUTH OPPORTUNITIES TO YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE DEVELOPED AN EIGHT WEEK INTERNSHIP PROGRAM THAT ADDRESSED SOFT SKILLS DEVELOPMENT, WORKFORCE READINESS, AND PROVIDED YOUNG PEOPLE WITH MENTORS AND FOCUSED ON CONNECTIONS TO EMPLOYMENT.
YOUNG PEOPLE GET REAL WORLD HANDS ON ON THE JOB TRAINING WHILE THEY LEARN HOW TO BE GREAT EMPLOYEES.
WE WERE ACTUALLY AT A BILL BATON ROUGE RECEPTION, AND, I'M SORRY, TRINITY RECOGNIZED ME AND RECOGNIZED THE PROGRAM.
SHE JUST WENT ON AND ON ABOUT HOW MUCH EXPERIENCE SHE GOT IN THE PROGRAM, AND SHE'S NOW THE PASTRY CHEF AT THE CITY CLUB, DOWNTOWN.
I CAN KEEP YOU HERE ALL NIGHT WITH MANY EXAMPLES OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE THRIVING IN THE WORKFORCE, AND THEY ATTRIBUTED TO THEIR EXPERIENCE THAT THEY RECEIVED THROUGH THE LEVEL-UP OR MYWE PROGRAM.
IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE BIG BUDDY'S SUPPORT FROM THE CITY.
MS. ANGIE'S OVER THERE IF I GOT THESE NUMBERS WRONG, MS. ANGIE, YOU'LL HELP ME OUT.
BUT GENERAL FUND, IN 2024, WE RECEIVED 68,850, 2025 THERE WAS A REDUCTION TO 55,080.
THESE FUNDS ARE USED FOR OUR GENERAL OPERATIONS, THINGS THAT GRANT FUNDS DON'T PAY FOR, BUT THAT YOU NEED TO RUN A PROGRAM.
THE CITY HAS ALWAYS FILLED IN THE GAPS AND WE DIDN'T HAVE A GRANT FUNDS.
UNDER MAYOR HOLDEN, HE ADDED A SPECIAL PROJECT FUNDING FOR US TO DO WHAT WE NOW KNOW AS MYWE.
AND SO THOSE FUNDS BACK THEN, WE WERE AWARDING YOUNG PEOPLE, I THINK IT WAS $800 FOR A SUMMER OF EIGHT WEEK WORK.
THEY STILL GOT THE CERTIFICATIONS, THEY GOT ALL THE THINGS.
SO YOU SEE WHAT THE FUNDING WAS LIKE, THE TOTALS, AND THEN HOW MUCH.
THAT COULD BE DECEIVING BECAUSE MOST OF OUR FUNDING GOES RIGHT BACK OUT TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE IN THE YOUTH STIPENDS.
[02:15:02]
BIG BUDDY IS THE ORGANIZER, THE LOGISTICS PERSON BEHIND THE STIPENDS.IN 2025, THERE WAS SOME EXTRA FUNDING AWARDED TO BIG BUDDY TO EXPAND THE MYWE PROGRAM.
EXPAND MEANS TAKE ON MORE YOUNG PEOPLE.
MAKE SURE THAT MORE YOUNG PEOPLE HAVE SPOTS.
AND SO THESE WERE ALL THE FUNDING SOURCES, WHERE THE FUNDS CAME FROM, TO MAKE UP THE $670,000 THAT WAS USED IN 2025 FOR OVER 300 YOUNG PEOPLE TO HAVE A WORKFORCE EXPERIENCE.
AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT 47% OF THOSE FUNDS GO STRAIGHT BACK TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE IN STIPENDS.
THE OTHER EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROGRAM ARE STAFF, AGAIN, 45%, TRANSPORTATION, CERTIFICATIONS, FOOD, PRINTING, PARENT ORIENTATION, RENTALS, EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO RUN A PROGRAM.
I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DID NOT MENTION THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WAS FORMED FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS BETWEEN EMPLOYEE BR, BIG BUDDY, BRCC, EAST BATON ROUGE PAIR OF SCHOOL SYSTEM CAME ON LAST YEAR.
THE CHAMBER CAME ON IN A BIG WAY.
THAT PARTNERSHIP HELPS TO DEFRAY SOME OF THE COSTS.
WE LIKE TO THINK OF OURSELVES AS RESOURCE LIBERATORS WHEN IT COMES TO DOING YOUTH PROGRAMS. IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE AFTER ALL THE PARTNERSHIPS, THE AVERAGE COST PER YOUTH, THIS IS YOUR RETURN ON INVESTMENT, THAT IT COSTS TO RUN THE PROGRAM FOR EIGHT WEEKS IS ABOUT $3,097.
THAT'S AFTER ALL IS SAID AND DONE, WE TALK ABOUT THE FULL NUMBER OF YOUNG PEOPLE WHOSE LIVES WERE TOUCHED, THAT INCLUDES THE STIPEND THAT THEY EARN.
WE KNOW THAT TO INCARCERATE YOUNG PEOPLE IN A MINIMAL FACILITY, PART TIME INCARCERATION CAN COST 32,000-65,000 A YEAR.
IF YOU ARE SAYING FULL COMMITMENT TO INCARCERATION CAN BE OVER $200,000 A YEAR.
WHEN YOUNG PEOPLE DON'T HAVE POSITIVE THINGS TO BE INVOLVED IN, THEY WANT TO BE INVOLVED, SO THEY'RE GOING TO GET INVOLVED AND THERE ARE PEOPLE WAITING TO HELP THEM BE INVOLVED IN NEGATIVE THINGS.
WE KNOW THAT EVERY DOLLAR INVESTED IN PREVENTIVE SUMMER PROGRAMMING HELPS KEEP YOUNG PEOPLE SAFE, AND IT CAN POTENTIALLY HELP THEM AVOID HUGE FUTURE COSTS TO OUR CITY.
2026, OUR BUDGET WILL BE $80,000.
WHAT THAT WILL HELP TO FUND IS IT WILL MAINTAIN THE ONE ON ONE MATCHES AT GLEN OAKS AND NORTHDALE THAT WE'VE COMMITTED TO HELP TO STAY CONNECTED FOR THE ENTIRE SCHOOL YEAR.
THAT MEANS TRANSPORTATION FOR YOUNG PEOPLE, FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS TO GET TO THE YOUNG PEOPLE FOR ANY SUPPLIES THAT'S NEEDED FOR THE WEEKEND ACTIVITIES, FOR STIPENDS, FOR THE MENTORS.
THEN IT WOULD HELP TO SUPPLEMENT MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAMS AND HOLIDAY CAMPS BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE FALL SHORT IN FUNDING.
MIDDLE SCHOOL IS A DIFFICULT AGE.
YOU HAVE TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND TO KEEP THEM ENGAGED.
IF ANYBODY HAS RAISED A MIDDLE SCHOOLER, BEEN A MIDDLE SCHOOLER, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE YOUTH ARE ENGAGED INTO POSITIVE THINGS BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE LOSE THEM.
WHAT'S MISSING WITH THAT BUDGET IS THE COST OF THE MAYOR'S YOUTH WORKFORCE EXPERIENCE.
IT COSTS US ABOUT $3,500 PER YOUTH TO RUN THE PROGRAM, THAT STAFF, THE STIPENDS THAT YOUNG PEOPLE RECEIVE, THAT'S ANY CREDITS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO EARN, ANY CERTIFICATIONS, THAT'S THE FUNDING THAT WOULD BE MISSING IF THE $80,000 IS THE BUDGET THAT HOLDS.
>> NOW, I HEARD EVERYONE ELSE SAY, WHAT DO WE DO? WHEN YOU HAVE A SHORTFALL, YOU RAISE MORE MONEY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT BIG BUDDY DOES TO HELP RAISE MONEY IS WE GO TO THE COMMUNITY, AND WE DO THIS EVENT CALLED DANCING FOR BIG BUDDY.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN HELPING US FILL THIS GAP, ONE OF YOU CAN DECIDE TO DANCE FOR BIG BUDDY AND HELP US RAISE MONEY.
NOBODY IS MOVING, EVERYBODY IS VERY STILL. THAT'S WHAT WE WILL DO.
WE WILL GO TO RAISE, BUT DEFINITELY WE CANNOT RAISE.
IT'LL BE REALLY HARD TO RAISE IN A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SUMMER THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY,
[02:20:02]
BUT I KNOW THE COMMUNITY IS COMMITTED TO SEEING YOUNG PEOPLE IN WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS, AND SO WE WILL HAVE TO LEAN ON THE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU.>> HAVING QUESTIONS OR COMMITMENTS.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT REPORT, MISS MACK.
THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO INDIVIDUALLY, THAT BIG BUDDY DOES COLLECTIVELY.
BEFORE I GET INTO MY LINE OF QUESTIONING, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T HAVE YOU GIVE US A BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ROLE AND IMPACT THAT JIM GEISER HAD TO THE ORGANIZATION.
>> YOU KNOW WHAT? IT WAS SO FUNNY BECAUSE WHEN I WAS PREPARING FOR TODAY, JIM ACTUALLY CALLED ME.
HE'S GOING TO BE IN TOWN BEFORE THE END OF DECEMBER.
HE COMES, JIM HAS HAD A TREMENDOUS IMPACT.
HE WAS MY MENTOR WHEN I GOT INTO THIS WORK, AND HE STILL KEEPS UP WITH US TODAY, EVERY QUARTER, CALLING OR SENDING ME AN ENCOURAGING TEXT IN JIM'S FASHION.
VERY THANKFUL TO JIM FOR WHAT HE STARTED, AND JUST HOPE I CAN TAKE THE LEGACY TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
THAT'S WHAT I'M REALLY HOPING TO DO, BUT HE JUST CALLED ME TODAY.
>> WELL, TELL HIM I SAID HELLO.
>> IN THE 80S, WHEN THERE WAS A ONE-MAN SHOW, JUST ABOUT A ONE-MAN SHOW WHERE JIM USED TO COME TO SCOTLANDVILLE AND BANKS AND BE THE BIG BUDDY AND RUN PROGRAMMING AND TAKE US ON TRIPS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
>> BUT GETTING TO THE BUDGET AND THE CURRENT SITUATION AT HAND, YOU SAID THE $80,000 YOU'LL RECEIVE IN 2026, WOULD THAT BE CLASSIFIED AS GENERAL FUND DOLLARS OR WOULD THAT BE A SPECIAL PROJECT? BECAUSE ON YOUR SUPPORT FROM THE CITY PARISH, YOU HAVE TWO, I GUESS, FUNDING DESCRIPTIONS, THE GENERAL FUND AND THEN THE SPECIAL PROJECTS?
>> YEAH, MISS ANJELA, TO HELP WITH THAT.
>> THE SPECIAL PROJECT BUDGET IS IN THE MAYOR'S OFFICE.
THE MAYOR'S OFFICE USED BIG BUDDY FOR THE SUMMER YOUTH PROGRAMS, WHICH IS THE MAUI THAT SHE DISCUSSED, AND THEN THEY WERE ALSO PART OF THE OUTSIDE AGENCIES THAT HAVE NOW BEEN MOVED TO THE AMERICAN RESCUE INTEREST EARNINGS.
>> THIS 80,000 TO BE GENERAL FUND?
>> IT'S IN THE AMERICAN RESCUE INTEREST EARNINGS.
THERE'S NO FUNDING PROPOSED IN THE GENERAL FUND AT THIS TIME.
>> THE GENERAL FUND IS REFERENCED HERE AS I GENERAL FUND, NOT THEIRS?
>> GOT YOU. MISS MACK, DO YOU KNOW HOW YOU CAN UTILIZE THOSE DOLLARS?
>> I WAS ASSUMING THE SAME WAY WE HAVE, WHICH WAS TAKING CARE OF THE MENTORING AND THE AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
>> COULD WE CLEAR WHATEVER THAT QUESTION AND ANSWER WAS UP ON THE RECORD? THAT'S OKAY.
>> SHE CAN UTILIZE THEM IN THE MANNER SHE JUST SPOKE OF.
ARP INTEREST IS TREATED LIKE THE GENERAL FUND.
I KNOW YOU REFERENCED 300 YOUTH LAST YEAR SERVED BY MYWE.
I REMEMBER AT ONE POINT WE GOT IT UP TO ABOUT 500 YOUTH.
>> THERE'S NO CONVERSATION OR COMMITMENT TO CONTINUE THIS PROGRAM WITH THE ADMINISTRATION OR SOME LEVEL OF FUNDING?
>> I HAVE NOT HAD ANY COMMUNICATION FROM THE ADMINISTRATION ABOUT CONTINUING THE PROGRAM.
>> MASON, CAN YOU COME UP HERE, PLEASE? NO, CHRISTEL, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T SEE YOU THERE.
NOW, JUST FOR CLARITY, WHAT IS MYWE STAND FOR?
>> YES, MAYOR'S YOUTH WORKFORCE EXPERIENCE.
>> CHRISTEL, HAVE WE HAD ANY CONVERSATION WITH BIG BUDDY TO KEEP SOME LEVEL OF FUNDING OF THIS PROGRAM THAT'S ACTUALLY NAMED AFTER THE MAYOR?
>> FIRST OF ALL, I'M IMPRESSED THAT YOU REMEMBER JIM GEISER.
>> YEAH, THAT JUST MEANS A LOT TO ME.
THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT IS NEAR AND DEAR PERSONALLY TO ME.
I THINK THAT WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS UNFORTUNATELY WHAT HAS TO HAPPEN WITH A LOT OF OUR PROGRAMS. I THINK WE'LL GO BACK AND TRY AND COUNCILMAN, LOOK FOR WHATEVER WE CAN DO FUNDING-WISE,
[02:25:01]
THAT I THINK THAT THE IMPACT THAT YOU NOTED ON YOUR SLIDES WAS VERY WELL DONE, AND I KNOW IT'S IMPORTANT.THIS IS AN ASSET TO OUR COMMUNITY, SO WE WILL GO BACK AND LOOK AT IT.
>> I'LL APPRECIATE THAT, AND I KNOW A LOT OF STAKEHOLDERS CAME TO THE TABLE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
AGAIN, IN THE 80S, I REMEMBER WHEN MANY YOUNG PEOPLE IN MY COMMUNITY WAS ABLE TO GET THESE SUMMER JOBS AND GET SOME INCOME TO HELP THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
MANY PEOPLE LONG BEFORE ADVOCATED FOR THIS TO RETURN IN SOME SHAPE FOR FASHION AND TO SEE IT TO COME TO FRUITION, AND THE IMPACT THAT IT HAS MADE, AND MISS MACK DID A GOOD JOB OF TALKING ABOUT THE PROACTIVE INVESTMENT THAT REDUCES THE CHANCES OF YOUNG PEOPLE END UP IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.
I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE MAJOR POSITIVE IMPACTS THAT WE HAVE.
WE FIGURE OUT SOME WAYS TO FIT THEM IN SOME WAY, SHAPE, OR FORM OF FASHION.
AS WE KNOW, EVERYBODY IS GOING TO HAVE SOME CUTS, BUT I THINK THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT YOU GUYS ARE WORKING ON.
IF YOU GUYS CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, THAT WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.
>> MISS CHRISTEL, CAN YOU STAY UP THERE? ANYBODY ELSE?
>> I FEEL I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T THROW THESE OUT THERE OR ASK THESE QUESTIONS, AND LOOK, THE BIG BUDDY PROGRAM IS A GREAT PROGRAM.
I WAS PART OF IT, NOT IN IT, WHEN I WAS LITTLE, BUT I WAS ASKED TO HELP OUT WITH CERTAIN THINGS IN VOLUNTEER ORGANIZATIONS THAT I WAS WITH.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND EVERYTHING ELSE, WE DID SO MUCH.
I GUESS WHAT I'M ASKING IS, OR WANTING TO KNOW, YOUR PROGRAMS AND THE THINGS THAT YOU PROVIDE.
WE HEAR EVERY YEAR FROM MULTIPLE ORGANIZATIONS THAT SOUND LIKE OTHER THAN BIG BUDDY PROGRAM BEING AROUND FOR A VERY LONG TIME, WE HAVE MULTIPLE ORGANIZATIONS, WE HAVE COMMUNITY CENTERS THAT DO THE SAME PROGRAMS. SOME OF IT, PART OF IT, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S EXACTLY THE SAME WORD-FOR-WORD.
I'M NOT GOING TO SAY THAT, I'M NOT ACCUSING OR SAYING THAT IS.
BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS OUT THERE THAT LOOK FOR FUNDING, THAT ASK FOR FUNDING, THAT DO THESE TYPES OF PROGRAMS. WHERE DOES BIG BUDDY STEP OUT FROM THOSE OTHER PROGRAMS, AND WOULD IT BE GOOD TO PUT SOME OF THOSE RESOURCES FROM THESE OTHER PROGRAMS? I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY GET FUNDING FROM CITY PARISH.
I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE SIX YEARS THAT WE'VE BEEN HERE, BUT IF THEY ARE GETTING, WOULD IT BE BETTER TO PUT OUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET IN ONE ORGANIZATION FOR MORE EFFICIENCY? WOULD IT BE BETTER TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT RESOURCES AS FAR AS IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THEM THROUGH CERTAIN WAYS, AND THEY'RE GETTING FUNDING FROM PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS AND EVERYTHING TO DO IT THROUGH THAT WAY.
LOOK, I DON'T WANT THE BIG BUDDY PROGRAM TO GO ANYWHERE.
I'M JUST ASKING THESE QUESTIONS FOR THE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE, IS YEARS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT OVERLAPPING AND PROVIDING MULTIPLE DIFFERENT THINGS.
IN FACT, THERE WAS TALK FROM THIS COUNCIL AT ONE TIME LOOK AT REVIEWING ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE DO AND SEE WHAT ACTUALLY DOES THE SAME THING.
THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING IN, THE PATH THAT I'M TRYING TO GO DOWN, THAT IF EITHER ONE OF YOU ALL, IF WHAT WE'RE FUNDING, THAT YOU CAN TAKE THE DIFFERENCE.
LET'S JUST GET IT OUT THERE PUBLICLY OF WHAT WE GOT HERE.
>> FIRST, I WANT TO SAY, IF YOU TAKE A LOOK IN YOUR PACKET, I PROVIDED YOU WITH SOME EVALUATIVE MEASURES THAT COMPARE THAT TAKES WHAT WE DO AND COMPARES IT TO WHAT'S OUT THERE.
MAYBE NOT HERE IN BATON ROUGE, BUT NATIONALLY.
YOU CAN SEE THAT WE ARE THESE PROGRAMS. THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING DOES WORK.
THE SECOND THING I WANT TO SAY IS YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.
THERE ARE WAYS THAT WE CAN WORK TOGETHER, NON-PROFITS, OTHER NON-PROFITS, BUT IT'S SO HARD BECAUSE SOME OF THE FUNDING SOURCES, WE'RE IN SITUATIONS WHERE WE FEEL WE HAVE TO COMPETE, BECAUSE THERE'S JUST NOT ENOUGH.
BUT I THINK FROM YOUR SEAT, YOU CAN CALL US TOGETHER AND SAY, HERE IS THE PROBLEM.
LET'S FIGURE OUT HOW YOU ALL CAN WORK TOGETHER TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
IT'S NOT THE END-ALL ALL BE-ALL FOR ALL YOUNG PEOPLE.
THERE ARE SOME YOUNG PEOPLE WE CAN'T SERVE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE SKILL OR THE CAPACITY ON OUR TEAM.
WE NEED TO WORK WITH OTHER NONPROFITS, OTHER AGENCIES, IN ORDER TO SOLVE THE PROBLEMS TOGETHER.
MAYBE HAVING SOME NONPROFIT COUNCIL, AND THERE'S A FUNDING SOURCE THAT THERE'S MONEY ALLOCATED TO THAT, AND WE WORK TOGETHER TO ADDRESS WHAT THE NEEDS ARE TOGETHER.
[02:30:04]
>> I THINK THERE'S NOT ONE AGENCY THAT CAN ADDRESS ALL THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE.
>> DO ANY OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT IN THE BUDGET, MAYBE LAURIE SEEN IT.
MAYBE I JUST MISSED IT OR SOMETHING, BUT I FEEL THERE'S MULTIPLE ORGANIZATIONS AND ALL OF THEM DO GREAT WORK.
I'M NOT SITTING HERE, I KNOW OF PROGRAMS IN OUR COMMUNITY CENTERS THAT PEOPLE DO THAT DO THE EDUCATION PART.
THEY HAVE TUTORS, YOU'RE TOLD THAT THEY HELP EARLY PREVENTION AND KEEP CHILDREN OFF IN THE RIGHT PATH.
ALL THESE SAME WORDINGS COME TOGETHER, AND EVERYBODY'S BENEFICIAL.
EVERYBODY CREATES AN IMPACT, EVERYBODY SUCCEEDS IN THEIR IMPACT EVERY TIME YOU HEAR A REPORT OR WHATEVER.
I GUESS THAT'S WHAT I'M JUST LOOKING AT.
MAYBE YOU'RE RIGHT, WE GET A GROUP OF US TOGETHER AND GET ALL ORGANIZATIONS.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S GOING TO GIVE UP THEIR FUNDING, BUT IF YOU SEE THE OVERLAP AND WE HAVE DECISIONS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO FUNDING THE CITY PARISH AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT MAY GO A LONG WAY IN EITHER GETTING YOU MORE FUNDING FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE OR CONVINCING SOMEWHERE ELSE TO FUND YOU OR IF THERE'S PART OF THEIRS, YOU'LL HELP FUND THEM.
I DON'T KNOW, I'M JUST CONCERNED ABOUT THAT, AND I KNOW EVERYBODY DOES A GREAT JOB.
>> BY NO MEANS IN MY SAYING THAT ANYBODY DOESN'T DO A WONDERFUL JOB.
BUT IF WE'VE GOT MULTIPLE ORGANIZATIONS OUT THERE THAT ARE ASKING FOR FUNDING, WOULD IT BE BETTER TO PUT OUR EGGS IN ONE BASKET TO FUND? Y'ALL ARE A NATIONAL ORGANIZATION.
>> YOU'RE NOT, I THOUGHT YOU SAID IT WAS?
>> NO, THAT'S WHAT I WAS MAKING A POINT THAT WE'RE A LOCAL ORGANIZATION.
WE ARE BORN HERE, OUR FUNDING STAYS HERE.
WE RAISE MONEY HERE, WE SERVE THE YOUNG PEOPLE HERE.
WE'RE NOT LIKE A YMCA OR A BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OR BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS. THAT'S NOT [OVERLAPPING]
>> I GUESS THAT'S WHAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT, BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS.
AGAIN, I WASN'T TRYING TO ATTACK ANYBODY.
IT WAS JUST A THOUGHT THAT YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET IT OUT THERE AND SAY WHAT YOU GOT TO SAY.
>> COUNCILMAN MOAK, PAGES 228 AND 229, OR WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR. ANYBODY ELSE?
>> IF I CAN JUST ADD TO THE RESPONSE TO COUNCILMAN MOAK'S CONCERN, WHICH IS A VALID ONE RIGHT NOW, WITH EVERYTHING WE'VE GOT GOING ON.
ONE THING I CAN RESPECT ABOUT WHAT YOU SAID, MISS MACK, YOU ENDED YOUR PRESENTATION WITH SAYING, HEY, WE KNOW WE HAVE TO FUNDRAISE, THERE ARE SOME ACCOUNTABILITY THERE.
THE PARISH, THE CITY HAS BEEN VERY GENEROUS TO MANY ORGANIZATIONS.
BUT WITH THESE CUTS AND WITH THE CHANGES, THERE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO BE SOME SELF-GENERATED REVENUES THROUGH EVENTS, THROUGH GRANTS, THROUGH CORPORATE SPONSORS, AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
THAT'S A REALITY THAT ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS AND CAUSES THAT CITY PARISH HAS SUPPORTED IN THE PAST WON'T BE ABLE TO SUPPORT IT AT THE SAME LEVEL.
I APPRECIATE YOU RECOGNIZING THAT AND COMMITTING TO DOING THAT, AND NOT JUST RELYING ON CITY PARISH GOVERNMENT FOR YOUR FUNDING.
I WOULD SAY THE DIFFERENCE IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN PRIMARILY FUNDING, COUNCILMAN MOAK IS THE MYWE PROGRAM AND THE YOUTH EMPLOYMENT WORKFORCE PROGRAM.
I DON'T KNOW OF ANYBODY ELSE THAT DOES IT ON THAT MAGNITUDE.
MAYBE IT IS IN THE CITY, AND I'M NOT AWARE OF IT.
THAT'S WHAT I THINK THEIR UNIQUENESS IS, AND THAT'S PRIMARILY WHAT WE HAVE BEEN FUNDING.
WHAT I WOULD TELL YOU IS, I THINK WE NEED MORE ORGANIZATIONS, NOT LESS ORGANIZATIONS.
NOW, WE MAY NOT NEED TO FUND ALL OF THEM, BUT WE NEED MORE ORGANIZATIONS DOING THAT PROACTIVE WORK.
I MEAN, SHE LAID OUT THE NUMBERS OF WHAT IT COSTS TO MENTOR, TUTOR, AND GIVE A LIFE EXPERIENCE, CAREER PATH TO YOUNG PEOPLE VERSUS WHAT IT COSTS TO INCARCERATE THEM.
WE KNOW THE DISPARITIES AND THE DIFFERENCES.
WE LOOK AT ALL THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES THAT WE HAVE IN THIS CITY IN THIS PARISH.
IT'S PROBABLY 20, 25, 26, OR MORE THAT ARE ALL DOING LAW ENFORCEMENT WORK.
IN SOME SHAPE, FORM, OR FASHION.
THERE ARE SOME OVERLAP, THERE ARE SOME DUPLICATION, BUT WE STILL HAVE 20 PLUS AGENCIES FIGHTING CRIME IN THE CITY AND IN THE PARISH.
I THINK WE NEED JUST AS MUCH MORE AGENCIES BEING PROACTIVE, DOING THE WORK TO PREVENT KIDS AND YOUNG PEOPLE FROM TURNING TO A LIFE OF CRIME. THANK YOU.
>> ANYONE ELSE? THANK YOU SO MUCH, MISS MACK.
[02:35:03]
>> THIS WILL CONCLUDE OUR THIRD COUNCIL BUDGET HEARING.
OUR NEXT COUNCIL BUDGET HEARING WILL BE AFTER THANKSGIVING ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3RD.
IS THAT RIGHT OR SECOND, THIRD AFTER COUNCIL ZONING? IT'LL BE THE SAME AS LAST WEEK.
WE'LL HAVE A 4:00 P.M. ZONING MEETING, AND THEN WE'LL PLAN TO START THIS BY 4:30.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE COORDINATING COUNCIL, COUNCIL OF BATON ROUGE, STATE CONSTABLE.
POTENTIALLY, IT'S THE LAST ONE.
WE'VE HAD A REQUEST FOR THE LIBRARY TO COME. WHO ELSE, JOE? I'M MISSING SOMEBODY, THE SPANISH TOWN WHERE TO GO A PARADE.
THE SPANISH TOWN WANTS TO COME.
THE AGENDA IS NOT PUBLISHED YET, SO WE CAN STILL ADD.
WE CAN STILL ADD AGENCIES, DEPARTMENTS, AND OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH, COUNCILWOMAN AMOROSO, AND EVERYBODY SECONDS, WE'RE ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.