[00:00:04]
ARE YOU READY TO GO? YES. OKAY. GOOD EVENING.
ALRIGHT. GOOD EVENING. WELCOME TO TODAY'S METROPOLITAN COUNCIL RECOGNITION CEREMONY ON TODAY,
[CALL TO ORDER]
JANUARY 14TH, 2026. FIRST, WE'LL HAVE METRO COUNCILWOMAN TWAHNA P.[Additional Item]
HARRIS RECOGNIZE THE BATON ROUGE SIGMA ALUMNAE CHAPTER OF DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, INCORPORATED, AND THE BATON ROUGE DELTA ALUMNAE CHAPTER OF DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, INCORPORATED. COUNCILWOMAN.GOOD EVENING. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. THANK YOU SO MUCH, COUNCILMAN KENNY.
IT'S AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TO PRESENT TO MY SORORITY, BATON ROUGE SIGMA ALUMNI CHAPTER OF DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, INCORPORATED, FOUNDED IN IN JANUARY 13TH, 1913 BY 22 COLLEGIATE WOMEN OF HOWARD UNIVERSITY TO PROMOTE ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AND PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO THOSE IN NEED. THE FOUNDERS OF DELTA SIGMA THETA ENVISIONED AN ORGANIZATION COMMITTED TO SISTERHOOD, SCHOLARSHIP, SERVICE, AND ADDRESSING THE SOCIAL ISSUE OF THE TIME.
DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, INCORPORATED IS A PRIVATE, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION AND HAS CLEARLY DISTINGUISHED ITSELF AS A PUBLIC SERVICE ORGANIZATION THAT BOLDLY CONFRONTS THE CHALLENGES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN, AND HENCE ALL AMERICANS.
THE BATON ROUGE SIGMA ALUMNAE CHAPTER OF DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, INCORPORATED, WAS CHARTERED ON OCTOBER 10TH, 1956, BY 31 VISIONARY WOMEN TO SERVE THE SCOTLANDVILLE AND GREATER BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY.
FOUNDED ORIGINALLY AS EPSILON. EPSILON Z SIGMA.
FOR NEARLY SEVEN DECADES BATON ROUGE SIGMA HAS ADVANCED AND UPHELD DELTA'S FIVE POINT PROGRAMMATIC THRUST AND GREATER BATON ROUGE BY PROVIDING SCHOLARSHIPS, HOSTING COMMUNITY HEALTH AND WELLNESS EVENTS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS, INTERNATIONAL AWARENESS EVENTS, CULTURAL PROGRAMING, AND SOCIAL ACTION AND ADVOCACY PROGRAMING.
NOTABLE INITIATIVES INCLUDED THE DELTA SMART COMMUNITY REFRIGERATOR IN NORTH BATON ROUGE, LADIES ON THE BLUFF FOOTBALL AND BASKETBALL EDITIONS, FAMILY LITERACY EXTRAVAGANZA, CRIMSON MARKET, CRIMSON RIVER RUN FIVE K, TEN K ON THE CAMPUS OF SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AND 22 ACTS OF SERVICE AND THIS NEW YEAR. TODAY THE CHAPTER CONTINUES TO PROVIDE OUR LITERACY, OF PROVIDE A LEGACY OF SISTERHOOD, EXCUSE ME, SCHOLARSHIP, SERVICE AND SOCIAL ACTION WHILE MEETING THE EVOLVING NEEDS OF THE BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY.
BATON ROUGE SIGMA ALUMNI CHAPTER, PLEASE COME FORWARD.
OKAY. SAY A FEW WORDS, PLEASE. THANK YOU. I'M.
I'M JACQUELINE WATTS, SOCIAL ACTION CO-CHAIR.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. [APPLAUSE] ALRIGHT, EVERYBODY. HEY! EVERYBODY LOOK THIS WAY FROM ME. BIG SMILE. HOLD THAT.
[00:05:05]
SID EDWARDS. NO NO NO. CAN COUNCILWOMAN. I HAVE SEVERAL OTHERS.I'M SORRY. YES, YES, I FORGOT I GOT A LOT OF.
THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
IT'S AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TO RECOGNIZE BATON ROUGE DELTA ALUMNAE CHAPTER OF DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, INCORPORATED. DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY IS CELEBRATING 113 YEARS, AND FOUNDER'S DAY WAS ON YESTERDAY.
SO WE'RE GOING TO RECOGNIZE DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, INCORPORATED.
DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, INCORPORATED WAS FOUNDED ON JANUARY 13TH, 1913, BY 22 COLLEGIATE WOMEN OF HOWARD UNIVERSITY TO PROMOTE ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AND PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO THOSE IN NEED. THE FOUNDERS OF DELTA SIGMA THETA ENVISIONED AN ORGANIZATION COMMITTED TO SISTERHOOD, SCHOLARSHIP SERVICE AND ADDRESSING THE SOCIAL ISSUES OF THE TIME.
DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY IS A A PRIVATE, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION AND IS CLEARLY DISTINGUISHED ITSELF AS A PUBLIC SERVICE ORGANIZATION THAT BOLDLY CONFRONTS THE CHALLENGES OF AFRICAN AMERICAN AND HIS ALL AMERICANS IN REALIZING THIS MISSION AND CLEARLY DISTINGUISHING ITSELF AS AN INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC SERVICE ORGANIZATION. DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, INCORPORATED PROVIDES AN ARRAY OF PUBLIC SERVICE INITIATIVES THROUGH ITS FIVE POINT PROMOTING THRUST, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATION, DEVELOPMENT, PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH, POLITICAL AWARENESS AND INVOLVEMENT, AND INTERNATIONAL AWARENESS AND INVOLVEMENT.
BATON ROUGE DELTA ALUMNI CHAPTER OF DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, INCORPORATED, WAS ESTABLISHED AS THE UPSILON SIGMA CHAPTER ON NOVEMBER 28TH, 1931 BY SEVEN CHARTER MEMBERS. UPSILON SIGMA WAS THE FIRST CHAPTER OF THE SORORITY TO BE ORGANIZED IN THE STATE OF LOUISIANA.
BATON ROUGE DELTA ALUMNI CHAPTER WILL HONOR THEIR 22 FOUNDERS BY DELIVERING 22 DAYS OF SERVICE TO THE BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY, AND JUST TO NAME A FEW. 22 DAYS OF SERVICE SWEET DREAM SHELTER, SAINT VINCENT DE PAUL, READING AT BELFAIR MONTESSORI, OPERATION GRATITUDE, VETERANS DAY LETTER WRITING CAMPAIGN.
AND THERE'S SO MANY MORE THAT THEY PROVIDE TO THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE.
SO IT'S A GREAT HONOR TO RECOGNIZE BATON ROUGE DELTA ALUMNI CHAPTER, PLEASE.
WHAT A COOL WAY, PLEASE. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS ERICA WILLIAMS. I AM SECOND VICE PRESIDENT OF BATON ROUGE DELTA ALUMNAE CHAPTER OF DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, INCORPORATED. I ACCEPT THIS HONOR ON BEHALF OF OUR PRESIDENT, HILLIARD SCOTT.
IN HER ABSENCE AND OUR OFFICERS AND MEMBERS. THANK YOU.
THAT'S IT. A BIG SMILE FROM EVERYBODY. HOLD THAT.
THREE. TWO. ONE. OH. I'M SORRY.
ALRIGHT. BIG SMILE. HOLD THAT. GOOD. THREE. TWO. ONE.
THIS IS THE LAST ONE, I PROMISE. AND I'M GOING TO GET OUT OF THE WAY.
ONE MORE COUNCILMAN, KENNY. AND I PROMISE, I'M DONE.
THE BAKER ZACHARY ALUMNI CHAPTER WAS CHARTERED ON MARCH 12TH, 1995 TO SERVE THE BAKER, ZACHARY.
EAST FELICIANA AND WEST FELICIANA PARISH, LOUISIANA IS LOCATED IN THE SOUTHWEST REGION OF DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, INCORPORATED. ITS MEMBERS ARE COMMITTED TO SERVE AND EMPOWER EACH PERSON THROUGH THE CHAPTERS INITIATIVE PROGRAMS. SORRY INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS, AND PROJECTS IMPLEMENTED THROUGH DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY.
FIVE-POINT TRUST, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, INTERNATIONAL AWARENESS AND INVOLVEMENT, PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH, AND PUBLIC AWARENESS AND INVOLVEMENT.
BAKER, ZACHARY. ALUMNI CHAPTER, PLEASE COME FORWARD.GREETINGS FROM THE BAKER ZACHARY ALUMNI CHAPTER OF DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, INCORPORATED.
[00:10:02]
I AM KIM KNIGHT, THE VICE PRESIDENT. AND ON BEHALF OF OUR PRESIDENT, DENISE LEE, IN HER ABSENCE, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THIS AWARD.THANK YOU. OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH.
A BIG SMILE. HOLD THAT. THREE. TWO. ONE. RIGHT THERE.
RIGHT HERE. OKAY, KENNY, THIS IS THE LAST ONE.
WE DON'T HAVE A CERTIFICATE. OKAY. GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD TO THE NEXT ONE WILL COME.
YEAH, I KNOW THEY DON'T. GO AHEAD. COUNCILWOMAN, IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE, YOU GO AHEAD.
IF YOU HAVE ANY MORE, WE HAVE ONE MORE AND I'LL COME BACK AFTER EVERYONE ELSE.
THANK YOU SIR. OKAY. NO PROBLEM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COUNCILMAN HARRIS. AND THANK YOU TO THE LOVELY LADIES OF DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, INCORPORATED FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP. NEXT UP ON BEHALF OF THE MAYOR PRESIDENT SAID EDWARDS OFFICE.
MISS CHASELING GRANT WERE RECOGNIZED. THE FOLLOWING ORGANIZATIONS.
ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY, INCORPORATED. KAPPA ALPHA PSI FRATERNITY, INCORPORATED.
DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, INCORPORATED. PHI BETA SIGMA FRATERNITY INCORPORATED.
AND ZETA PHI BETA SORORITY INCORPORATED FOR EACH OF THEIR RESPECTIVE FOUNDER DAYS.
I WANT TO TAKE A PERSONAL POINT OF PRIVILEGE BECAUSE I HOPE THAT SHE'S WATCHING RIGHT NOW.
BUT MY FAVORITE DELTA IS MY WIFE. I JUST WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW THAT.
GOOD AFTERNOON. OKAY. TODAY I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE A FEW SORORITIES AND FRATERNITIES WHO ARE CELEBRATING THEIR FOUNDER'S DAY THIS MONTH, ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY, INCORPORATED. ALL RIGHT, FIRST, WE HONOR ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY, INCORPORATED, THE FIRST GREEK LETTER ORGANIZATION ESTABLISHED BY AFRICAN AMERICAN COLLEGE EDUCATED WOMEN.
ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA WAS FOUNDED ON JANUARY 15TH, 1908, ON THE CAMPUS OF HOWARD UNIVERSITY IN WASHINGTON, D.C., BY NINE VISIONARY FOUNDERS. ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY, INCORPORATED WAS FOUNDED ON THE MISSION OF SERVICE TO ALL MANKIND.
ALTHOUGH THEIR FOUNDER'S DAY IS TOMORROW, J. 15.
WE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK THE GAMMA OMEGA CHAPTER, NEW GAMMA OMEGA CHAPTER, ETA KAPPA CHAPTER, AND LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY AND BETA PSI AT SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING, OUTSTANDING SERVICE TO THE BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY.
I WANT TO SAY THIS WHEN YOU'VE BEEN AROUND BATON ROUGE LONG ENOUGH, YOU LEARN TWO THINGS.
YOU CAN GO AHEAD. PRESIDENT LAUREN. LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS? OKAY. GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS LAUREN GRUNDY, BIRD CHAPTER PRESIDENT OF ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY, INCORPORATED, NEW GAMMA OMEGA CHAPTER.
IT IS MY HONOR TO STAND BEFORE YOU AS WE CELEBRATE 118 YEARS OF SERVICE, SISTERHOOD, AND EXCELLENCE ON THIS FOUNDER'S DAY EVE. FOR MORE THAN 45 YEARS, NEW GAMMA OMEGA CHAPTER HAS REMAINED STEADFAST IN ITS COMMITMENT TO SERVICE IN THE GREATER BATON ROUGE AREA IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR NEW GAMMA OMEGA EDUCATIONAL AND CHARITABLE FOUNDATION.
WE HAVE WORKED DILIGENTLY TO UPLIFT FAMILIES, EMPOWER YOUTH, AND STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY.
[00:15:04]
DUNLOP SCHOLARSHIP AND THE LENA SMITH JOHNSON SCHOLARSHIP.WE SUPPORT FEMALE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND PROVIDE BOOK STIPENDS TO FEMALE AND MALE COLLEGE STUDENTS ATTENDING HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES, INVESTING IN FUTURES AND BUILDING LEGACIES.
AS WE HONOR OUR PAST, WE REMAIN COMMITTED TO SERVICE IN THE PRESENT.
THROUGH SERVICE ON SATURDAY, JANUARY 17TH AND MONDAY, JANUARY 19TH.
TOGETHER WE WILL CONTINUE TO DEMONSTRATE THE SERVICE IS NOT JUST WHAT WE DO, IT'S WHO WE ARE.
ON BEHALF OF ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY INCORPORATED NEW GAMMA OMEGA CHAPTER AS I STAND WITH MY SISTERS WITH GAMMA OMEGA, ETA KAPPA, AS WELL AS BETA PSI IT, I EXTEND MY SINCERE AND COMMITMENT TO SERVICE TO ALL MANKIND.
AS WE SHARE OUR MISSION. THANK YOU AND HAPPY FOUNDER'S DAY.
[APPLAUSE] GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS LAURIE PATTERSON, AND I SERVE AS THE PRESIDENT OF THE GAMMA ETA OMEGA CHAPTER OF ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY, INCORPORATED. TO THE RIGHT OF ME, I HAVE THE REPRESENTATIVE FOR THE BETA PSI CHAPTER, WHICH IS ON SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY AND A&M COLLEGE, AND TO THE LEFT OF ME I HAVE THE ETA KAPPA CHAPTER, WHICH IS AT LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY.
I WOULD LIKE EACH OF THESE LADIES TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES.
GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M THE CURRENT SERVING SECRETARY FOR THE ETA KAPPA CHAPTER OF ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY, INCORPORATED, AND I'M ON BEHALF OF MY PRESIDENT, BRIANNA ANDERSON.
HELLO. MY NAME IS KAI MCFARLING. I'M THE ASSISTANT HOSTESS FOR THE BETA PSI CHAPTER OF ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA, I'M ON BEHALF OF MY PRESIDENT, ANAYA HAWKINS.
ON BEHALF OF GAMMA ETA OMEGA CHAPTER, BETA PSI CHAPTER, AND ETA KAPPA CHAPTER OF ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY, INCORPORATED, WE WANT TO EXTEND OUR DEEPEST APPRECIATION FOR HIGHLIGHTING OUR CHAPTERS TODAY.
THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING THE SERVICE, SCHOLARSHIP, AND SISTERHOOD THAT DEFINE WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE STRIVE TO ACTUALLY BRING TO THE BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY AND SURROUNDING AREAS. IT IS AN HONOR TO STAND HERE AND REPRESENT A LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE, LEADERSHIP, AND COMMITMENT TO UPLIFTING OTHERS.
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE CONTINUED SUPPORT FROM THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE, AND FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE ALONGSIDE LEADERS WHO CARE ABOUT EMPOWERING YOUTH, STRENGTHENING NEIGHBORHOODS, AND CREATING MEANINGFUL CHANGE.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THIS ACKNOWLEDGMENT. WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING OUR WORK AND BUILDING AN EVEN STRONGER PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR CITY, BATON ROUGE. THANK YOU. AND I'M GOING TO TAKE ANOTHER PERSONAL POINT OF PRIVILEGE, BECAUSE THAT BETA PSI MEMBER IS ALSO MY LEGISLATIVE AIDE AND ONE OF THE BEST HIRES THAT CITY PARISH HAS EVER MADE.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO.
AND ANOTHER POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE. DOCTOR P WAS MY PROFESSOR AT SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. EVERY TIME I THINK ABOUT MY DEGREE, I THINK ABOUT EVERY TIME YOU PUT ME OUT OF CLASS. SO THANK YOU ABOUT IT PEOPLE [LAUGHS].
OUR SECOND DIVINE NINE ORGANIZATION IS KAPPA ALPHA PSI FRATERNITY INCORPORATED, KNOWN FOR ACHIEVEMENT, LEADERSHIP, AND SERVICE. KAPPA ALPHA PSI WAS FOUNDED ON THE BEST DAY IN THE WORLD ACCORDING TO THE MAYOR,
[00:20:05]
BECAUSE IT'S HIS BIRTHDAY, JANUARY 5TH. JANUARY 5TH, 1911, ON THE CAMPUS OF INDIANA UNIVERSITY IN BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA, BY TEN DETERMINED FOUNDERS. SINCE ITS FOUNDING, KAPPA ALPHA PSI FRATERNITY, INCORPORATED HAS UPHELD THE PRINCIPLES OF ACHIEVEMENT, PERSEVERANCE, AND COMMUNITY SERVICE. ALTHOUGH THAT FOUNDER'S DAY IS NOT TODAY, WE WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK THE LOCAL CHAPTERS HERE IN BATON ROUGE.THE BATON ROUGE ALUMNI CHAPTER. ALPHA SIGMA CHAPTER AT SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY.
THE NEW CHAPTER AT LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY.
FOLLOWING THEIR REMARKS, WE WILL TAKE A GROUP PHOTO WITH ALL OF THE MEN OF KAPPA ALPHA PSI FRATERNITY INCORPORATED, INCLUDING MY FATHER. THANK YOU PAPA. GOOD AFTERNOON, I'M ASHLEY ROBINSON. I HAVE THE HONOR OF SERVING AS THE 40TH OF THE BATON ROUGE ALUMNI CHAPTER.
WE ARE HUMBLED TO RECEIVE SUCH RECOGNITION FOR SERVICE IN THE BATON ROUGE AREA.
WE'LL HAVE SOME REMARKS FROM OUR BROTHERS FROM THE ALPHA SIGMA CHAPTER. GOOD AFTERNOON.
I AM JADEN YORK. I SERVE AS THE NATIONAL OFFICER FOR KAPPA ALPHA PSI FRATERNITY, INCORPORATED, AND ALSO AS A GENERAL MEMBER OF THE ALPHA SIGMA CHAPTER.
I'M LOGAN RANGE, THE VICE MEMBER OF THE ALPHA SIGMA CHAPTER.
THIS AFTERNOON, COUNCILMAN COUNCILWOMAN DISTINGUISHED GUESTS AND MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY ON BEHALF OF THE BROTHERS OF KAPPA ALPHA PSI FRATERNITY, INCORPORATED, THANK YOU FOR THE MEANINGFUL RECOGNITION.
THIS PRINCIPLE DRIVES OUR COMMITMENT TO MENTORSHIP, EDUCATION, LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE, ESPECIALLY HERE IN BATON ROUGE, WHERE OUR EFFORTS ARE ROOTED IN UPLIFTING AND EMPOWERING OTHERS.
WE ACCEPT THIS RECOGNITION WITH HUMILITY, GRATITUDE, AND WE VIEW IT NOT ONLY AS AN HONOR, BUT ALSO AS A RESPONSIBILITY TO CONTINUE SERVING IN OUR CITY WITH INTEGRITY, PURPOSE AND UNITY.
WHOA. AND EVEN THOUGH WE TOOK THE PICTURE, I'M JUST.
GO AHEAD AND READ ABOUT THE DELTAS, OKAY. DELTA SIGMA, DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY.
ALL RIGHT. [LAUGHS] A SORORITY DEDICATED TO SCHOLARSHIP SERVICE, SISTERHOOD, AND SOCIAL ACTION.
DELTA SIGMA THETA WAS FOUNDED ON JANUARY 13TH, 1913, ON THE CAMPUS OF HOWARD UNIVERSITY IN WASHINGTON, D.C., BY 22 TRAILBLAZING FOUNDERS. SINCE ITS FOUNDING, DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, INCORPORATED HAS REMAINED COMMITTED TO THE CONSTRUCTIVE
[00:25:06]
DEVELOPMENT OF ITS MEMBERS, WITH A PRIMARY FOCUS ON THE BLACK COMMUNITY.WE WANT TO THANK THE LOCAL CHAPTERS BATON ROUGE SIGMA ALUMNI CHAPTER, BATON ROUGE DELTA ALUMNI CHAPTER, BACKERS, BAKER ZACHARY ALUMNI CHAPTER, THE ALPHA TAU CHAPTER AT SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, AND THE IOTA THETA CHAPTER AT LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY.
WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO OUR CITY. AND AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE EACH CHAPTER PRESIDENT OR REPRESENTATIVE TO COME FORWARD AND SHARE A FEW WORDS. AFTER THAT, WE USUALLY WOULD HAVE THE PHOTOGRAPH, BUT SINCE WE HAD THE PHOTOGRAPH ALREADY, ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO COME FROM OTHER CHAPTERS AND GIVE A FEW WORDS.
GOOD AFTERNOON. I AM THE FIRST VICE PRESIDENT OF THE ALPHA TAU CHAPTER OF DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, INCORPORATED. ON BEHALF OF MY CHAPTER AND MY SORORITY, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE FOR RECOGNIZING US, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO ALL OF THE HARD WORK.
GOOD AFTERNOON. I AM ERIKA WILLIAMS, SECOND VICE PRESIDENT OF BATON ROUGE DELTA ALUMNAE CHAPTER OF DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY, INCORPORATED. AS YOU HEARD EARLIER, WE WERE CHARTERED.
WE WERE THE FIRST DELTA CHAPTER CHARTERED IN THE STATE OF LOUISIANA IN 1931.
AND SO WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THAT ACCOMPLISHMENT.
WE WILL HAVE UPCOMING WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUR FOUNDER'S DAY WEEKEND THIS WEEKEND WHERE WE WILL HAVE OUR MARDI GRAS GALA THIS SATURDAY, A SCHOLARSHIP GALA WHERE WE WILL HAVE OUR INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF DIRECTORS, CHERYL TURNER, AS A SPECIAL GUEST. AND THE FOLLOWING DAY, WE WILL HAVE OUR FOUNDER'S DAY EVENT WITH BISHOP ERIKA CRAWFORD, THE 143RD ELECTED AND CONSECRATED BISHOP OF THE AME CHURCH.
COMING UP, WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE IN THE PROCESS OF DOING OUR 22 DAYS OF SERVICE, WHERE WE HAVE 22 CONSECUTIVE DAYS OF SERVICE, AND WE'VE ALSO HAVE SEVERAL INITIATIVES THAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, INCLUDING OUR LITTLE LIBRARY, WHICH IS LOCATED AT COUNCILWOMAN COLEMAN DISTRICT, LEO'S BUTLER CENTER.
AND WE ALSO HAVE OUR SIGNATURE. FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, WE'VE HAD A YOUTH CONFERENCE WHERE YOUR COUNCIL OUR COUNCILWOMAN MAN, ANTHONY KENNY, WAS A GUEST. HE WAS OUR SPECIAL GUEST.
SO WE'RE VERY ACTIVE IN THE BATON ROUGE AREA.
WE HAVE OVER 300 MEMBERS AND WE MAKE A GREAT IMPACT IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO WE THANK MAYOR EDWARDS ON DELTA'S BEHALF.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH. AND IN THE SPIRIT OF FAIRNESS, WE WANT TO ASK ALL THE LADIES OF DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY INCORPORATED, WE'LL TAKE ONE BIG GROUP PICTURE FROM ALL OF YOU ALL AT ONE TIME.
[00:30:05]
D.C., BY THE THREE FOUNDERS. SINCE ITS FOUNDING, PHI BETA SIGMA FRATERNITY, INCORPORATED SERVES WITH THE MISSION TO POSITIVELY IMPACT COMMUNITIES AND DEVELOP LEADERS WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.ALTHOUGH THEIR FOUNDERS DAY HAS PASSED, WE WANT TO THANK THIS OPPORTUNITY AND TAKE THIS TO THANK THE LOCAL CHAPTERS HERE IN BATON ROUGE FOR THEIR SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY, THE BATON ROUGE ALUMNI CHAPTER, THE RHO CHAPTER AT SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY, THE IOTA PHI THETA CHAPTER AT LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY.
THE RHO CHAPTER AT SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY OF PHI BETA SIGMA FRATERNITY INCORPORATED, AND THE IOTA TAU CHAPTER OF PHI BETA SIGMA FRATERNITY INCORPORATED AT LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY.
WE WANT TO GIVE YOU GREETINGS AND THANK YOU FOR THE RECOGNITION THAT YOU ARE EXTENDING TO US TODAY.
SPECIFICALLY, THE CHAPTER AT SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY RECENTLY CELEBRATED 100 YEARS OF SERVICE AT THE SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY CAMPUS AND ERECTED A MONUMENT AND RECOMMITTED THEMSELVES TO SERVING THE BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY THROUGH OUR WORK IN THE COMMUNITY INCLUDES AWARDING SCHOLARSHIPS, ADOPTING SCHOOLS, MENTORING STUDENTS AND ASSISTING THE LESS FORTUNATE.
I STAND TODAY BEFORE YOU TO MAKE THE COMMITMENT THAT EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE BEEN IN EXISTENCE FOR 112 YEARS, WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO ANOTHER 112 YEARS OF SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.
ONCE AGAIN, I THANK YOU FOR THE RECOGNITION, AND I WANT TO GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO OUR PAST 31ST INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT, BROTHER ARTHUR THOMAS, WHO IS ALSO PRESENT WITH US TODAY.
THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. BROTHERS OF PHI BETA SIGMA FRATERNITY CORPORATE WILL COME TO THE FRONT.
WAIT WAIT, WAIT. ALL RIGHT, BIG SMILE.
BIG SMILE. GOOD. HOLD THAT ONE.
ANY MORE ORGANIZATIONS LIVE. ZETA PHI BETA. OKAY.
AND LASTLY, BUT NOT LEAST, ZETA PHI BETA. NEXT, WE HONOR ZETA PHI BETA SORORITY INCORPORATED, A HISTORICALLY AFRICAN AMERICAN GREEK LETTER SORORITY DEDICATED TO SCHOLARSHIP, SERVICE, SISTERHOOD, AND FINER WOMANHOOD. ZETA PHI BETA WAS FOUNDED ON JANUARY 16TH, 1920, ON THE CAMPUS OF HOWARD UNIVERSITY IN WASHINGTON, DC BY FIVE VISIONARY FOUNDERS. SINCE ITS FOUNDING, ZETA PHI BETA SORORITY, INCORPORATED HAS REMAINED COMMITTED TO ITS PRINCIPLES OF SCHOLARSHIP, SERVICE, SISTERHOOD, AND FINER WOMANHOOD WITH A MISSION TO PROMOTE COMMUNITY SERVICE, EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.
[00:35:04]
SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY. MU ZETA CHAPTER. OMICRON SIGMA ZETA CHAPTER, RHO EPSILON CHAPTER AT LSU AND BETA ALPHA CHAPTER AT SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY.FOLLOWING THEIR REMARKS, WE WILL TAKE A GROUP PHOTO WITH ALL OF THE WOMEN OF ZETA PHI BETA SORORITY, INCORPORATED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP, SERVICE AND YOUR CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE.
THANK YOU. GOOD AFTERNOON. I AM DOCTOR KAREN BURTON LIGHTS. I AM THE PROUD PRESIDENT OF MU ZETA CHAPTER OF ZETA PHI BETA SORORITY, INCORPORATED. WE ARE HOUSED ON HARDING BOULEVARD IN THE HOUSE BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, WHERE, THROUGH OUR SIGNATURE XEJO PROGRAM, ZETA'S HELPING OTHER PEOPLE EXCEL.
WE GIVE A HAND TO MANKIND IN THE GREATER BATON ROUGE AREA.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE RECOGNITION [APPLAUSE]. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP.
AND ALSO THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING YOUR BEAUTIFUL SORORITY HOUSE IN DISTRICT TWO.
BIG SMILE FOR EVERYBODY. GOOD. HOLD THAT ONE.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU TO ALL THE DIVINE NINE FRATERNITIES, SORORITIES TO TODAY FOR YOUR WORK.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR AMAZING LEADERSHIP TO THE COMMUNITY. NEXT UP I WANT TO RECOGNIZE A SPECIAL LEADER IN THE NORTH BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY AND DISTRICT TWO. MISS RENITA THOMAS.
WITH THEIR SUPPORT AND ESSENTIAL COMMUNITY NEEDS.
BUT TODAY, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE HER FOR HER LEADERSHIP BEING RECOGNIZED IN THE BATON ROUGE, BISHOP REPORTS 2026 BUSINESS AWARDS AND HALL OF FAME HONOREES IN RECOGNITION OF BEING NAMED ONE OF BATON ROUGE BUSINESS REPORT 2026 BUSINESS AWARD AND HALL OF FAME HONOREES.
THIS RECOGNITION, CELEBRATION, LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS, AND LEGACY TO CONTINUE TO BUILD.
I'M RENITA WILLIAMS THOMAS, FOUNDER OF IN LOVING ARMS HEALTH CARE FOR KIDS.
THANK YOU, BATON ROUGE COUNCIL, FOR THIS RECOGNITION, BUT BEING NAMED THE BATON ROUGE BUSINESS REPORT 2026 BUSINESS EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR IS DEEPLY HUMBLING. I'M A LITTLE GIRL FROM ALLISON, A FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENT AND A PROUD GRADUATE OF THE SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF NURSING IN LOVING ARMS. PEDIATRIC HEALTH CARE WAS FOUNDED IN 2012, AND IT CAME ABOUT BECAUSE ME, AS A MOTHER WHO ADOPTED A LITTLE GIRL FROM FOSTER CARE WHO WAS MEDICALLY FRAGILE, HAD NOWHERE TO GO WHILE I WORKED AS A REGISTERED NURSE.
OUR WORK IS SUPPORTED BY MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAMS OF RNS, LPNS,, MEDICAL ASSISTANTS, OCCUPATIONAL, SPEECH AND PHYSICAL THERAPISTS. WE ALSO ARE TRAINING SITE FOR CLINICAL STUDENTS SUCH AS LPNS AT SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF NURSING, OUR LADY OF THE LAKE COLLEGE, AND SEVERAL OTHER UNIVERSITIES.
AND IN LOVING ARMS, LOVING IS OUR MIDDLE NAME AND WE APPRECIATE THIS HONOR.
THANK YOU [APPLAUSE]. THANK YOU.
[00:40:15]
AND I'M GOING TO TAKE A PERSONAL POINT OF PRIVILEGE FOR YOU, BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT JUST, YOU'RE A FAMILY FRIEND, BUT I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE YOUR OPERATION.AND DO YOU KNOW THE TYPE OF EMOTIONAL DISTRESS THAT YOU HAVE TO TAKE ON TO SEE SOMEBODY SO FRAGILE, KNOWING THAT THEY WON'T MAKE IT, BUT YOU ARE TAKING CARE OF THEM TO GIVE THEIR PARENT THE MOST TIME POSSIBLE WITH THAT YOUNG ONE.
SO MY HAT GOES OFF TO YOU AND YOUR STAFF BECAUSE GOD GAVE YOU A SPECIAL PURPOSE IN THIS WORLD.
SO THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. ALRIGHT. NEXT UP, I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE OUR LADY OF MERCY TROOP, BOY SCOUT TROOP 12. RECENTLY, ONE OF OUR VERY OWN DEPARTMENT HEADS, ADAM SMITH, CAME TO ME WITH A BRIGHT YOUNG MAN, DURING ONE OF OUR COUNCIL MEETING AND SAID, COUNCILMAN THIS YOUNG MAN AND HIS BOY SCOUTS TROOP WANT TO DO SOME GREAT SERVICE TO YOUR DISTRICT AND COMMUNITY.
AND SO THEY TOOK THE INITIATIVE TO GO AND CUT THAT VEGETATION DOWN AND FIND OUT THERE WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE, LOVED ONES WHO HAD CEMETERIES AND GRAVES THAT THEY COULD NOT ACCESS. AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP ONE OF THE LEADERS OF THE BOY SCOUTS TROOP TO COME UP TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME.
LET'S GIVE HIM A ROUND OF APPLAUSE [APPLAUSE]. THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN KINNEY, FOR THIS HONOR, AND THANK YOU FOR MY ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO HELP THE COMMUNITY GIVE BACK A CEMETERY TO YOU ALL.
AND IT WAS REALLY BAD WHEN WE LOOKED AT IT AND BEING ABLE JUST TO SEE ALL THE TOMBS BEING UNDUG FROM THE OVERGROWN WAS REALLY NICE AND MADE ME FEEL REALLY GOOD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. GET A ROUND OF APPLAUSE [APPLAUSE].
ALL RIGHT. ANY LAST ONE YOU HAVE. YOU GOOD? OKAY.
ALRIGHT, THAT CONCLUDES OUR RECOGNITION FOR FOR THIS AFTERNOON'S COUNCIL MEETING.
WE'LL RESUME BACK IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MINUTES. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. GO AHEAD.
YOU WANT ME TO HIT IT? YOU WANT ME TO HIT IT? YEAH. HELLO, EVERYBODY. WELCOME TO THE COUNCIL CHAMBER OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
YOU CAN LOOK AT OUR AGENDA, DOWNLOADED AT OUR WEBSITE AT OUR COUNCIL MEMBERS ARE COMING IN. WE'RE SET TO GO.
THANK YOU DENNIS. WELCOME, EVERYBODY, TO THIS METROPOLITAN COUNCIL MEETING. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14TH, 2026. WE'RE GOING TO CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.
ASHLEY DO WE HAVE A QUORUM? WE HAVE A QUORUM.
COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS IS GOING TO INTRODUCE OUR INVOCATION AND PLEDGE.
COUNCILWOMAN. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM, I'D LIKE TO ASK MR. DALE HOFPAUIR TO COME TO THE THE PODIUM. HAS THE MAYOR MADE IT OVER YET? NOT YET. OKAY. MR. HOFPAUIR IS WITH THE LOUISIANA FAMILY FORUM.
AND IS JUST A WONDERFUL ADVOCATE FOR FAMILIES FOR GOOD PUBLIC POLICY, FOR COMMUNITY AND WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR HIS EFFORTS AT THE LEGISLATURE AS A PASTOR AND IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO IT'S AN HONOR TO HAVE YOU HERE.
AND THE FLOOR IS YOURS. THERE'S A BUTTON ON THE BOTTOM IF YOU WANT TO PRESS IT SO YOU CAN SPEAK.
AWESOME. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE WITH YOU TODAY.
AND BEFORE I PRAY FOR YOU ON BEHALF OF LOUISIANA FAMILY FORUM AND DAVID HOKE OF UNDERSTANDING THE WORD MINISTRIES OUT OF LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA BEFORE YOU IS A GIFT OF A LIFE APPLICATION BIBLE.
IT'S PERSONALIZED TO YOU WITH THE SEAL AND YOUR NAME ON IT.
I KNOW IN MY OWN LIFE LEADING OTHER PEOPLE, I NEED WISDOM.
AND AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, I TRUST THIS WILL BE A BLESSING TO YOU.
[00:45:09]
TIME TO RECEIVE SOME WISDOM AND REVELATION FROM ALMIGHTY GOD.HEAVEN AND EARTH ARE GOING TO PASS AWAY, BUT HIS WORD WILL LAST FOREVER.
AND JUST SUBMIT THAT TO YOU THIS AFTERNOON. SHALL WE PRAY TOGETHER? LORD JESUS, WE ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR PRESENCE TODAY.
THIS IS THE DAY YOU HAVE MADE. WE REJOICE AND ARE GLAD IN IT.
THIS FIRST COUNCIL MEETING OF 2026. WE JUST ENTREAT YOUR LEADERSHIP.
WE PAUSE TO SAY WE LOVE YOU. WE NEED YOU. I THANK YOU FOR EVERY MAN AND LADY THAT ARE SERVING TODAY ON THIS COUNCIL GOD, I PRAY. ISAIAH 11:2 OVER THEM. MAY THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING, SPIRIT OF COUNSEL AND MIGHT, THE SPIRIT OF KNOWLEDGE AND THE SPIRIT OF THE FEAR OF THE LORD, REST ON EACH ONE OF THEM.
YOUR WORD SAYS IN ROMANS 13, THEY ARE MINISTERS OF GOD.
THEY ARE YOUR MINISTERS TO LEAD US, LEAD THIS CITY, TO LEAD THIS PARISH AND GOD.
I JUST PRAY THAT YOU GIVE THEM WISDOM AND AND UNDERSTANDING.
GIVE THEM WITTY INVENTIONS, CREATIVE SOLUTIONS.
GIVE THEM UNITY AND COOPERATION, A SPIRIT OF COOPERATION.
BLESS OUR MAYOR PRESIDENT AND EACH ONE THAT SERVES THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, EVERY PART OF THIS ADMINISTRATION, GOD AS THEY AS THEY ENDEAVOR TO DO THEIR BEST AND TO SERVE.
I PRAY A GREAT YEAR. BLESSINGS UPON THEM AS WELL.
WE LOOK TO YOU, THE AUTHOR AND THE FINISHER OF OUR FAITH.
IN JESUS NAME I PRAY. AMEN. GOD BLESS YOU. THANK YOU, MR. HOFPAUIR. AND NOW CHIEF MIKE KIMBALL WILL SAY OUR PLEDGE.
ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN. OKAY.
[ADOPTION AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
ADOPTION APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES, APPROVAL AND ADOPTION OF MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL METROPOLITAN COUNCIL MEETING OF DECEMBER 9TH, 2025 AND THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL MEETING OF DECEMBER 10TH, 2025, THE SPECIAL METROPOLITAN COUNCIL MEETING OF JANUARY 5TH, 2026, AND THE GREATER BATON ROUGE AIRPORT COMMISSION MEETING OF JANUARY 6TH, 2026 BY COUNCIL ADMINISTRATIVE TREASURER. WE HAVE A MOTION.MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN AMOROSO, SECOND BY COUNCILMAN KENNEY.
IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES. ASHLEY.
[INTRODUCTIONS]
CAN YOU PLEASE READ THE INTRODUCTIONS? SECTION 2.12 INTRODUCTIONS.NUMBER TWO, A RESOLUTION ORDERING AND CALLING A SPECIAL ELECTION TO BE HELD IN THE PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE, STATE OF LOUISIANA, ON SATURDAY, JUNE 27TH, 2026, TO AUTHORIZE THE PARISH TO CONTINUE TO LEVY AND COLLECT A 9.5 MILLS AD VALOREM TAX ON ALL PROPERTY SUBJECT TO TAXATION WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE PARISH, FOR A PERIOD OF TEN YEARS, BEGINNING WITH THE TAX COLLECTION YEAR 2026, AND ANNUALLY THEREAFTER TO AND INCLUDING THE YEAR 2035, WITH PROCEEDS OF THE TAX. AFTER PAYING REASONABLE AND NECESSARY EXPENSES OF COLLECTING AND ADMINISTERING THE TAX TO BE USED ENTIRELY AND EXCLUSIVELY FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAINTAINING AND OPERATING THE PUBLIC LIBRARY SYSTEM OF THE PARISH AND ITS BRANCHES, AND IMPROVING SERVICES, ACQUIRING LAND AND CONSTRUCTING CONSTRUCTING NEW LIBRARY FACILITIES TO BE ADMINISTERED BY THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH LIBRARY BOARD OF CONTROL IN THE MANNER REQUIRED BY LAW.
DECLARING AN EMERGENCY PURSUANT TO SECTION 8.24 OF THE PLAN OF GOVERNMENT OF THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE, PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE, MAKING APPLICATION TO THE STATE BOND COMMISSION, PROVIDING NOTICE THAT A PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING THE ADOPTION OF THE RESOLUTION SHALL BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11TH, 2026 AT 4:00 PM AT THE REGULAR MEETING PLACE OF THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL.
THIRD FLOOR, CITY HALL, ROOM 348 222 SAINT LOUIS STREET, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA.
AND PROVIDING FOR OTHER MATTERS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH BY THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH LIBRARY. NUMBER THREE, A RESOLUTION ORDERING AND CALLING A SPECIAL ELECTION TO BE HELD IN THE PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE, STATE OF LOUISIANA, ON SATURDAY, JUNE 27TH, TO AUTHORIZE THE PARISH TO CONTINUE TO LEVY AND COLLECT AT TWO MILLS, AD VALOREM TAX, AN ESTIMATED $12,541,000 REASONABLY EXPECTED TO BE COLLECTED FROM THE LEVY OF THE TAX FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR FOR A PERIOD OF TEN YEARS, BEGINNING WITH THE YEAR 2027 AND ENDING WITH THE YEAR 2036.
AND SHALL THE PROCEEDS OF THE TAX, AFTER PAYING REASONABLE AND NECESSARY EXPENSES OF COLLECTING AND ADMINISTERING THE TAX, BE USED EXCLUSIVELY AND ENTIRELY BY THE EAST BATON ROUGE COUNCIL ON AGING, INC., OR ANY SUCCESSOR THERETO, AND PROVIDE FUNDS TO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN PROGRAMS, SERVICES AND ACTIVITIES FOR ELDERLY CITIZENS IN THE PARISH, INCLUDING MEALS ON WHEELS, SENIOR CENTERS, RESPITE SERVICES, HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION, NUTRITION, WELLNESS, AND RECREATIONAL PROGRAMS TO ACQUIRE, CONSTRUCT, OPERATE AND MAINTAIN FACILITIES TO SERVE ELDERLY CITIZENS IN THE PARISH AND TO
[00:50:04]
OTHERWISE FUND THE OPERATING BUDGET OF THE COUNCIL ON AGING.DECLARING AN EMERGENCY PURSUANT TO SECTION 8.24 OF THE PLAN OF GOVERNMENT OF THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE, PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE, MAKING APPLICATION TO THE STATE BOND COMMISSION, PROVIDING NOTICE THAT A PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING THE ADOPTION OF THIS RESOLUTION BY THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL SHALL BE HELD ON WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11TH, 2026 AT 4:00 PM AT THE REGULAR MEETING PLACE OF THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL, THIRD FLOOR, CITY HALL. ROOM 348 222 SAINT LOUIS STREET, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA, AND PROVIDING FOR OTHER MATTERS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH BY COUNCIL ON AGING. NUMBER FOUR, ADOPTING THE FOLLOWING AD VALOREM TAX MILLAGE RATES WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE FOLLOWING.
TAXING JURISDICTION ON ALL TAXABLE PROPERTY, EXCEPT THAT THE MILLAGE FOR THE DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT SHALL BE LEVIED ON REAL PROPERTY ONLY TO BE LEVIED DURING THE YEAR 2026.
EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH OPERATING TAX 2.96 MILLS.
CITY OF BATON ROUGE OPERATING TAX 5.44 MILLS.
CITY OF BATON ROUGE THREE PLATOON POLICE TAX 0.82 MILLS.
EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH MOSQUITO ABATEMENT AND RODENT CONTROL DISTRICT 1.06 MILLS.
EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH MOSQUITO ABATEMENT AND RODENT CONTROL DISTRICT ADDITIONAL 0.35 MILLS.
COUNCIL ON AGING 2.0 MILLS. MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE 1.33 MILLS.
BATON ROUGE MUNICIPAL FIRE SALARIES AND BENEFITS.
ADDITIONAL 6.0 MILLS. CONSOLIDATED ROAD LIGHTING DISTRICT NUMBER 11.71 MILLS.
ALLISON FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER 9, 10 MILLS.
ALLISON FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER NINE ADDITIONAL 4.91 MILLS.
ALLISON FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER NINE ADDITIONAL TEN MILLS.
BROWNFIELD FIRE PROTECTION. DISTRICT NUMBER 3, 10 MILLS.
BROWNFIELD FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER THREE ADDITIONAL 4.41 MILLS.
DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT 9.5 MILLS. FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER ONE, NINE MILLS.
FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER 8, 8.97 MILLS.
FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER EIGHT ADDITIONAL 13.45 MILLS.
FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER 7, 9.09 MILLS.
CHANEYVILLE FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NUMBER SEVEN ADDITIONAL TEN MILLS BY THE FINANCE DIRECTOR.
NUMBER FIVE AMENDING THE 2026 CURRENT AND CAPITAL EXPENSE BUDGET TO APPROPRIATE 163 SEVEN $163,700 FROM UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE, CONSISTING OF $79,700 FROM THE GENERAL FUND AND $84,000 FROM THE CITY CONSTABLE COURT COST FUND TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR TWO DEPUTY CONSTABLE POSITIONS PREVIOUSLY FROZEN DUE TO BUDGET CONSTRAINTS.
BY THE MAYOR PRESIDENT AND THE CITY CONSTABLE.
NUMBER SIX AMENDING THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE, PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE, TITLE TEN, CHAPTER 25 SO AS TO ADD SECTION A DESCRIPTION, RULES, AND LIMITATIONS, PROVIDING FOR THE USE OF THE DOCK AGREEMENT BY ALL DOCKING VESSELS TO ABIDE BY THE ORDINANCE.
PROVISION FOR CONTRACTS BETWEEN CITY, PARISH AND COMMERCIAL RIVER PASSENGER VESSELS.
SPECIAL VESSELS ASSOCIATED WITH THE TOURIST TRADE AND UPDATE TO SECTION G, FORMERLY SECTION F DOCK CHARGES FOR INLAND PASSENGER WATERCRAFT, UPDATING DOCKAGE FEES TO PAX PER PASSENGER FEE FROM A VESSEL FEE TO BE DETERMINED BY VESSEL CAPACITY BY COUNCILWOMAN CAROLYN COLEMAN AND THE OFFICE OF THE MAYOR PRESIDENT. CONDEMNATION INTRODUCTIONS. NUMBER SEVEN.
SYLVIA D. OBY 2686 69TH AVENUE. COUNCIL. DISTRICT TWO, KENNEY.
NUMBER EIGHT JOHNNY PITTMAN 7109 SCENIC HIGHWAY COUNCIL, DISTRICT TWO KENNEY.
NUMBER NINE SUCCESSION OF KARENLYN SMITH DAWSON 1385 SWAN AVENUE.
COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO, KENNEY. NUMBER TEN VELMA HOWARD GAINES, ET AL.
2632 BEECH STREET. COUNCIL DISTRICT FIVE, HURST.
NUMBER ELEVEN ACTS OUTREACH CENTER 6860 HOOPER ROAD.
COUNCIL DISTRICT SIX DUNN JR.. NUMBER 13 KARLTON JAMON JUPITER ET AL.
2701 JACKSON AVENUE. COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN HARRIS.
NUMBER 14, PRUDENT ACQUISITIONS LLC. 4051 MOHICAN STREET.
COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN HARRIS. NUMBER 15 HONESTIORES PROPERTY LLC, 3852 EAST BROOKSTOWN DRIVE, COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN HARRIS. NUMBER 16 DQ FASHION LLC, 1516 LEHMANN STREET COUNCIL DISTRICT TEN.
COLEMAN. NUMBER 17 GERALD J. CHARLET JR AND SUSAN CHIFICI CHARLET, 478 WEST JOHNSON STREET.
COUNCIL DISTRICT TEN. COLEMAN. NUMBER 18 LORETTA FAYE WARREN KING, 1931 HEMLOCK STREET.
COUNCIL DISTRICT TEN. COLEMAN. NUMBER 19 EQUATORIAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION 1137 HICKORY STREET.
COUNCIL DISTRICT TEN. COLEMAN. NUMBER 20 IDA LEE THORNSTON POYDRAS.
1236 SOUTH 14TH STREET. COUNCIL, DISTRICT TEN.
[00:55:01]
COLEMAN. ADJUDICATED PROPERTY INTRODUCTIONS. NUMBER 21, LOT 14, SQUARE EIGHT SUBDIVISION MOUND CITY.COUNCIL, DISTRICT TEN. COLEMAN, NUMBER 22, LOT 10-A SQUARE 34, SUBDIVISION EDEN PARK.
COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN. HARRIS. NUMBER 23, LOT 4, SQUARE 27 SUBDIVISION EDEN PARK.
COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN. HARRIS. NUMBER 24. LOT 4 SUBDIVISION, HIGHLAND FARMS. COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO. KENNEY. NUMBER 25. LOT ONE AND TWO, SUBDIVISION, SHADY GROVE.
COUNCIL DISTRICT TEN. COLEMAN. NUMBER 26. LOT FIVE, SQUARE 45, SUBDIVISION, SOUTH BATON ROUGE.
COUNCIL DISTRICT TEN. COLEMAN. NUMBER 27, LOT 14 PLUS SQUARE TWO, SUBDIVISION BATON ROUGE TERRACE.
COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN. HARRIS. NUMBER 28, LOT 12 PLUS SQUARE TWO.
SUBDIVISION, BATON ROUGE TERRACE. COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN. HARRIS. NUMBER 29.
LOT 38, SUBDIVISION, GREENVILLE EXTENSION. COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN.
HARRIS. NUMBER 30. LOT 12 PART SUBDIVISION, PARK HILLS, COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN.
HARRIS. NUMBER 31. SECTION ONE WARD TWO, SUBDIVISION DRENER, COUNCIL DISTRICT ONE.
NOEL. NUMBER 32. LOT EIGHT SQUARE 106-B, SUBDIVISION, NORTH BATON ROUGE.
COLEMAN. NUMBER 34, LOT FOUR, SQUARE THREE SUBDIVISION SCOTT, COUNCIL DISTRICT TEN COLEMAN.
NUMBER 35, LOT EIGHT, SQUARE THREE. SUBDIVISION SCOTT, COUNCIL DISTRICT TEN, COLEMAN.
NUMBER 36, LOT 116, SUBDIVISION DEER PARK COUNCIL, DISTRICT ONE NOEL.
NUMBER 37. LOT 11 PLUS, SUBDIVISION LANGLOISVILLE, COUNCIL DISTRICT SEVEN.
HARRIS. NUMBER 38. LOT 67. SUBDIVISION MCHUGH.
COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO KENNEY. NUMBER 39. LOT 33.
SUBDIVISION LELAND COLLEGE ANNEX. COUNCIL DISTRICT TWO.
KENNEY. NUMBER 40, LOT TWO SQUARE ONE. SUBDIVISION O'CONNOR.
COUNCIL DISTRICT TEN. COLEMAN. NUMBER 41, LOT EIGHT PLUS SQUARE 251, SUBDIVISION SWART.
COUNCIL DISTRICT TEN. COLEMAN. NUMBER 42. LOT 14, SQUARE 348.
SUBDIVISION POWERS. COUNCIL DISTRICT TEN. COLEMAN.
NUMBER 43. LOT NINE, PART SQUARE 207. SUBDIVISION ISTROUMA.
COUNCIL DISTRICT TEN. COLEMAN. NUMBER 44, LOT ONE PART PLUS SQUARE 14.
SUBDIVISION FUQUA AND LAMON TOWN. COUNCIL DISTRICT TEN.
COLEMAN. NUMBER 45, LOT SEVEN, SQUARE 106-B SUBDIVISION, NORTH BATON ROUGE.
IT'S A DUPLICATE AND INTRODUCE ALL OTHER ITEMS. I WANT TO CALL FOR A MOTION TO PULL 81. COUNCIL MEMBERS.
WE AND WE SENT A COMMUNICATION TO YOU ALL. WE'RE PLANNING TO HONOR FORMER MAYOR KIP HOLDEN BY NAMING HIM IN DEDICATION AT THE MOHSEP BUILDING, HOLDEN BOULEVARD. BUT WE REALLY WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PROPER NAME AND SPECIFICATION MOHSEP IS PROPERLY NOTATED.
AND SO WE'RE GOING TO PULL THIS WE'RE GOING TO REINTRODUCE IT WITH THE PROPER NAME OF MOHSEP FOR NEXT COUNCIL MEETING. SO YOU'RE MAKING A MOTION TO PULL 81, DELETE 81, DELETE 60 AND INTRODUCE ALL OTHER ITEMS. MOTION BY COUNCILMAN KENNEY, SECOND BY COUNCILMAN GAUDET.
IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES. OKAY.
[CONDEMNATIONS]
GO TO YOUR SEPARATE SHEET FOR CONDEMNATIONS. I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH RECOMMENDATIONS FROM DPW, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE PUBLIC HEARING RECOMMENDATIONS TO PROCEED WITH ITEMS 82, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 97, 98, 99, 100, 102, 103, 90 DAYS ON ITEMS 83 AND 101, AND TO DELETE ITEMS 93, 94, 95, AND 96.I HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS TO GO, THAT'S THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM DPW.
I HAVE REQUESTS FOR 30 DAYS FOR ITEMS 88, 97 AND 103, AND TO DELETE ITEMS 101 AND 102.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS? 30 DAYS FOR 90 AND 60 DAYS FOR 91, 30 FOR 90.
YES. AND 60 FOR 91. 60 FOR 91. MAYOR PRO TEM, WHAT DID YOU SAY FOR 86? PROCEED. 86 30 DAYS. THEY SUPPOSED TO BE HAVE GOTTEN A PERMIT.
ALL RIGHT, WE GOT RACHEL. THE DEPARTMENT WOULD LIKE TO MODIFY ITS RECOMMENDATION FOR ITEM NUMBER 101, WHICH I THINK IS 853 SOUTH 17TH STREET OR 538 SOUTH 17TH STREET.
THAT PERMIT HAS SIT HAS SAT UNPAID FOR FOR ALMOST 30 DAYS.
SO WE ARE RECOMMENDING TO PROCEED. WE ALSO DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE STRUCTURE IS SALVAGEABLE AS WELL.
SO WE'RE REQUESTING TO PROCEED ON THAT ONE, NOT DEFER.
OKAY. THERE WAS A RECOMMENDATION FROM COUNCILWOMAN COLEMAN TO DELETE THAT ONE.
[01:00:04]
SO RACHEL COME BACK. SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT 101 DOES NOT HAVE A PERMIT.THEY THEY APPLIED, BUT THEY HAVE NEVER PAID FOR THEIR PERMIT.
IT DOESN'T HAVE A ROOF. IT DOESN'T HAVE A BACK WALL.
I MEAN, IT'S IT'S BARELY MEETS THE DEFINITION OF A CONDEMNATION.
IT COULD POTENTIALLY BE PROCEEDED WITH AS JUNK, TRASH AND DEBRIS FOR REMOVAL.
WELL, MEN CAN DO THAT, RACHEL, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S NO PERMIT.
ABSOLUTELY NOT. OKAY. COUNCILWOMAN. YES, SIR.
I'LL GIVE HIM 30 DAYS AND I WILL HAVE HAD ANOTHER CONVERSATION WITH THEM.
ALRIGHT THEN. I HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FOR ITEM 99, 90 DAYS.
OKAY. ANYBODY ELSE? OKAY, I'M READING BACK. WE ARE TO PROCEED WITH ITEMS 82, 84, 85, 87, 89, 92, 98, 30 DAYS FOR ITEMS 86, 88, 90, 97, 101, 103 60 DAYS FOR ITEM 91, 90 DAYS FOR ITEMS 83, 99 AND DELETE ITEMS 93, 94, 95, 96 AND 102. HOLD ON ONE SECOND I'VE BEFORE YOU GIVE A MOTION.
ON. I'M SORRY. YOU'RE GOOD, YOU'RE GOOD, YOU'RE GOOD.
YEAH. YOU'RE GOOD, YOU'RE GOOD, YOU'RE GOOD. YOU NEED ME TO READ THEM BACK AGAIN. OKAY.
MARINA, ONE MORE TIME. THAT'S FINE. WE'RE GOING TO PROCEED WITH ITEM 82, 84, 85, 87, 89, 92, 98. 30 DAYS FOR 86, 88, 90, 97, 101 AND 103 60 DAYS. ITEM 9190 DAYS FOR 83 AND 99 AND DELETE ITEMS 93, 94, 95, 96 AND 102.
AND TO PROCEED WITH ITEM 100. RIGHT. ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THESE ITEMS? SEEING NONE. GO TO COUNCIL. DO WE HAVE A MOTION? MOTION BY COUNCILMAN GAUDET. SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN AMOROSO. ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES. ITEM 104. RESOLUTION. PROVIDING FOR THE CANVASING AND RETURNS AND DECLARING THE RESULT OF THE SPECIAL
[104. 25-01659]
ELECTION HELD IN DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT OF THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 11TH, 2025, FOR THE PURPOSE OF AUTHORIZING THE RENEWAL OF THE LEVY AND COLLECTION OF TEN MILL AD VALOREM TAX FOR A PERIOD OF FIVE YEARS, BEGINNING WITH THE TAX COLLECTION FOR THE YEAR 2027 AND ANNUALLY THEREAFTER TO, TO AND INCLUDING THE YEAR 2031, AND PROVIDING FOR OTHER MATTERS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH BY THE BOND COUNCIL. ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL. WE HAVE MOTION? ANYBODY? MOTION BY COUNCILMAN GAUDET. SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES. YES. ITEM 105.[105. 25-01720]
AMENDING AND REENACTING ORDINANCE 19613, ADOPTED SEPTEMBER 10TH, 2025, WHICH ESTABLISHED VOTING PRECINCTS WITHIN WARDS ONE, TWO AND THREE IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SO AS TO MERGE WARD ONE, PRECINCT 17 INTO WARD ONE PRECINCT 18, MERGE WARD ONE PRECINCT 68 INTO WARD ONE PRECINCT 45, REQUEST THE PARISH BOARD OF ELECTION SUPERVISORS TO CONSOLIDATE WARD ONE PRECINCT 46 WITH WARD ONE, PRECINCT 44, REQUEST THE PARISH BOARD OF ELECTION SUPERVISORS TO CONSOLIDATE WARD ONE, PRECINCT 93 WITH WARD TWO PRECINCT ONE A OR ONE B CHANGE THE POLLING PLACE FOR WARD ONE, PRECINCTS 48 AND, 48 A AND 48 B FROM FLAIM MAGNET SCHOOL TO THE BATON ROUGE CENTER FOR VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS, LOCATED AT 2040 SOUTH ACADIAN AND THRUWAY CHANGE THE POLLING PLACE FOR WARD TWO, PRECINCTS 12 A AND 12 B FROM FOSTER ROAD BAPTIST CHURCH TO BROWNFIELDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, LOCATED AT 11615 ELLEN DRIVE AND CHANGE THE POLLING PLACE FOR WARD THREE, PRECINCT 61 FROM GREENWELL SPRINGS BAPTIST CHURCH TO CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL, LOCATED AT 10200 EAST BROOKSIDE DRIVE, AND REESTABLISH DESIGNATED POLLING LOCATIONS FOR ALL OTHER PRECINCTS WITHIN THE PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE BY THE REGISTRAR OF VOTERS. ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THESE ITEMS ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL. WE HAVE A MOTION. MOTION BY COUNCILMAN MOAK, SECOND BY COUNCILMAN HUDSON.[01:05:06]
ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES. 106. AUTHORIZATION FOR THE MAYOR PRESIDENT, AND OR CHAIRMAN OF THE AIRPORT COMMISSION TO EXECUTE A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT WITH[106. 25-01652]
LEGACY TITLE, LLC TO CREATE A COMPREHENSIVE EXHIBIT A IN ACCORDANCE WITH FAA SPECIFICATIONS IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 158,750.EXCUSE ME, $158750 BY THE AVIATION DIRECTOR. ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL. WE HAVE A MOTION. MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN AMOROSO. SECOND BY COUNCILMAN MOAK. ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES.
[107. 25-01653]
107. AUTHORIZATION FOR THE MAYO PRESIDENT AND CHAIRMAN OF THE AIRPORT COMMISSION TO EXECUTE A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT WITH TYLER TECHNOLOGIES TO PROVIDE BATON ROUGE METROPOLITAN AIRPORT WITH TYLER ERP PRO SOFTWARE IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $150,000 BY THE AVIATION DIRECTOR.ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION? MOTION BY COUNCILMAN GAUDET.
SECOND BY COUNCILMAN KENNEY. ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES.
[108. 25-01654]
INC. TO PROVIDE BATON ROUGE METROPOLITAN AIRPORT WITH ADP WORKFORCE NOW SOFTWARE IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $100,000 BY THE AVIATION DIRECTOR.ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL.
[109. 25-01664]
109. AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT WITH NEARMAP US, INC.ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL.
WE HAVE A MOTION. MOTION BY COUNCILMAN MOAK, SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES. 110 AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESIDENT TO ACCEPT AND EXECUTE AN AMENDED GRANT AGREEMENT THROUGH THE LOUISIANA OFFICE OF STATE PARKS,
[110. 25-01694]
ACTING AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY OF THE FHWA RECREATIONAL TRAILS PROGRAM IN THE AMOUNT OF $52,019.11 BY TRANSPORTATION DRAINAGE DIRECTOR.ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL.
WE HAVE A MOTION. MOTION BY COUNCILMAN GAUDET.
SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES. 111 AUTHORIZING METROPOLITAN COUNCIL TO DECLARE LOT SIX, SQUARE 12 HOLLYWOOD SUBDIVISION.
[111. 25-01701]
MUNICIPAL ADDRESS, 2550 AMARILLO STREET, BATON ROUGE.AND LOT 166 LEGION VILLAGE SUBDIVISION, MUNICIPAL ADDRESS, 2728 AMARILLO STREET, BATON ROUGE, AS SURPLUS PROPERTY AND NOT NEEDED FOR A PUBLIC PURPOSE AND AUTHORIZING THE SALE OF THE SAME PURSUANT TO LOUISIANA REVISED STATUTE 33:4712 UNTO LEMARK AUGUSTUS FOR THE SUM OF 31,000 BY THE PARISH ATTORNEY. ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL. DO WE HAVE A MOTION? MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN AMOROSO, SECOND BY COUNCILMAN HURST. IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES 112.
[112. 25-01702]
GOD BLESS YOU. 112. AUTHORIZING THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL TO DECLARE LOT 12, SQUARE 63 EAST FAIRFIELD SUBDIVISION, MUNICIPAL ADDRESS 5675 JACKSON AVENUE, BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA.7806 AS SURPLUS PROPERTY AND NOT NEEDED FOR A PUBLIC PURPOSE AND AUTHORIZING THE SALE OF SAME PURSUANT TO LOUISIANA REVISED STATUTE 33 4712 UNTO KENNY GEORGE FOR THE SUM OF $28,000 BY THE PARISH ATTORNEY.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL.
[113. 25-01703]
113 AUTHORIZING MAYOR PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT FOR ENGINEERING SERVICES FOR SERVICES ASSOCIATED WITH THE MOVEBR CAPACITY PROJECT AUDUBON AVENUE SIDEWALKS FROM JEFFERSON HIGHWAY TO GOVERNMENT STREET, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $247,211.62 BY THE TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE DIRECTOR.SEEING NONE WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL. MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. WE HAVE A SECOND. SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN COLEMAN. ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES. 114 AUTHORIZING MAYOR PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE A CEA WITH THE CITY OF ZACHARY FOR DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION SERVICES RELATED TO THE MOVEBR ENHANCEMENT PROJECT,
[114. 25-01711]
MOUNT PLEASANT CROSSWALK IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 400,000 BY THE TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE DIRECTOR.[115. 25-01719]
LLC FOR THE PROVISION OF SPORTS TRAINING AND CONDITIONING SERVICES TO THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT. THIS AMENDMENT INCREASES THE CONTRACT AMOUNT BY $39,280.50, BRINGING THE TOTAL CONTRACT AMOUNT TO NOT EXCEED $89,280.50 BY THE POLICE CHIEF.ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL.
[01:10:01]
MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. SECOND BY COUNCILMAN GAUDET. IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES.[ADJUDICATED PROPERTIES]
I'M GOING TO TAKE 116 AND 117 TOGETHER. ADJUDICATED PROPERTIES 116, LOT SIX AND 23 SQUARE SEVEN SUBDIVISION ROOSEVELT PLACE.METRO COUNCIL, DISTRICT TWO, KENNEY, HIGH BIDDER DAVID THOMAS, THE THIRD, $100 117.
LOT 12 SQUARE 44 SUBDIVISION, UNIVERSITY PLACE, METRO COUNCIL, DISTRICT TWO, KENNEY, MOW TO OWN.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THESE ITEMS? SEEING NONE GO TO COUNCIL.
WE HAVE A MOTION. DEFER FOR LAST 30 DAYS, IF POSSIBLE.
BOTH OF THEM ARE ONE FOR BOTH OF THEM. OKAY. WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN KENNEY TO DEFER ITEMS 116 AND 117 FOR 30 DAYS. SECOND. SECOND BY SCOUNCILWOMAN AMOROSO.
ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES. ALL RIGHT. SEE SEPARATE SHEET FOR ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS.
[ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS]
ALL RIGHT. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTER. INTRODUCTION.A AUTHORIZING MAYOR PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE AN INTERGOVERNMENTAL AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF SAINT GEORGE CONVEYING, TRANSFERRING, RELINQUISHING, AND ASSIGNING, WITHOUT WARRANTY ANY OWNERSHIP IN AND TO THE PORTION OF STATE ROUTE LA1248 KNOWN AS BLUEBONNET BOULEVARD FROM ITS JUNCTION WITH STATE ROUTE LA 30, KNOWN AS NICHOLSON DRIVE, PROCEEDING EAST AND NORTH APPROXIMATELY 2.52 MILES TO ITS INTERSECTION WITH STATE ROUTE LA 42, KNOWN AS BURBANK DRIVE BY TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE DIRECTOR.
I NEED A MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES FOR THE ITEMS TO BE INTRODUCED.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES. MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS TO WAIVE THE RULES. DO WE HAVE A SECOND ON THE MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES OBJECT SECOND, BY COUNCILWOMAN AMOROSO. WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES.
ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES? SEEING NONE, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL. NOW WE HAVE A VOTE ON THE MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES. ANY OBJECTION ON MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES? WE HAVE OBJECTION. ITEM CANNOT BE INTRODUCED.
ADMIN. ADMINISTRATIVE MATTER. EMERGENCY ITEM B CHANGE ORDER.
SALES TAX STREET AND ROAD REHABILITATION PROGRAM PROJECT 19-5 FOSTER DRIVE, FLORIDA TO AIRLINE CONTRACTOR BARBER BROTHERS CONTRACTING, LLC. CHANGE ORDER AMOUNT $290,456.43.
NEW CONTRACT AMOUNT $4,256,743.43. BY THE TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE DIRECTOR.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? I'M SORRY.
I NEED A MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES. WHAT'S THAT? OH, WE'RE GOING TO SEE WITH IT. I'M SORRY. SEE? FINAL ACCEPTANCE. SALES TAX, STREET AND ROAD REHABILITATION PROGRAM, PROJECT 19-5 FOSTER DRIVE, FLORIDA, TO AIRLINE CONTRACTOR BARBER BROTHERS CONTRACTING, LLC.
FINAL COST $4,256,743.43 BY TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE DIRECTOR.
NEED A MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES FOR ITEMS B AND C? MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN AMOROSO. NEED A SECOND? IS THERE A SECOND ON THE MOTION? WAIVE THE SECOND BY COUNCILMAN GAUDET. WE NEED A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES.
ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES? SEEING NONE, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL.
NEED A MOTION. IS THERE ANY OBJECTION ON THE MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES? OBJECTION BY COUNCILMAN HURST. ITEMS CAN NOW BE HEARD.
[118. 26-00086]
CONSIDERATION OF REPLACING DAVID BOWMAN. CURRENT BALLOT.THERE'S NOBODY ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL. I HAVE SOME INFORMATION ON THIS.
THAT'S WHY IT'S ON ON THE AGENDA. WE DO HAVE, I THINK, TWO OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING LOOKED AT AND I'VE GOTTEN WITH THE CEO AND THE BOARD PRESIDENT, AND SO WE SHOULD HAVE SOMEBODY HOPEFULLY.
SO MY REQUEST IS TO DEFER THIS TO THE SECOND MEETING IN FEBRUARY.
I THINK THAT'LL GIVE US ENOUGH TIME. SO I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO DEFER.
I WILL THANK YOU. SECOND, BY COUNCILMAN GAUDET, IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES. 119 COMPLETE STREET CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION OF REAPPOINTING OR REPLACING JAKE POLANSKY,
[119. 26-00088]
WHOSE TERM EXPIRES JANUARY 13TH, EFFECTIVE JANUARY 14TH, 2026.THIS IS A FOUR YEAR TERM. THIS IS A GREATER BATON ROUGE ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP NOMINEE.
[01:15:01]
THERE'S NOBODY ON THE CURRENT BALLOT. JAKE'S REQUESTING REAPPOINTMENT.ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL.
MOTION BY COUNCILMAN GAUDET. SECOND. SECOND BY COUNCILMAN HUDSON TO REAPPOINT JAKE POLANSKY.
[120. 26-00089]
WHO HAS RESIGNED. CURRENT BALLOT IS DEXTER ALEXANDER, WHO SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION.ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL.
MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN COLEMAN. SECOND BY COUNCILMAN HURST. IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES.
[121. 26-00090]
2026. CURRENT BALLOT GARY JUPITER. ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL. MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN COLEMAN. SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES.[122. 26-00093]
THREE NOMINEE, CURRENT BALLOT IS JOHNNY SUCHY.IS ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL.
[123. 26-00094]
DAVID CARNES. ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL. WE HAVE A MOTION. MOTION BY COUNCILMAN HUDSON. SECOND BY COUNCILMAN MOAK. IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES.[Items 124 - 135]
CHANGE ORDERS. WE'RE GOING TO TAKE 125. THROUGH.I'M SORRY, 124 THROUGH 135 TOGETHER. 124. MAINTENANCE OF ELEVATORS, ESCALATORS AND DUMBWAITERS.
CONTRACTOR PRECISION ELEVATOR COMPANY, LLC. CHANGE ORDER AMOUNT $96,380 FOR NEW CONTRACT AMOUNT.
$319,410.20. 125. TEMPORARY LABOR SERVICES BUILDING MAINTENANCE AND CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTOR CABILDO STAFFING, LLC. CHANGE ORDER AMOUNT 60,000.
NEW CONTRACT $297,740. 126. ENERGY MANAGEMENT, MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR FOR DOWNTOWN MADISON SYSTEM CONTRACTOR JOHNSON CONTROLS, INC.. CHANGE ORDER AMOUNT $54,132. NEW CONTRACT AMOUNT $108,264.
127. CENTRAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT DEMOLITION CONTRACTOR ZIMMER-ESCHETTE SERVICE TWO, LLC. CHANGE ORDER AMOUNT $90,421. NEW CONTRACT AMOUNT $2,817,891.
128. REIGER SEWER COLLECTION CONTRACTOR BOONE SERVICES, LLC.
CHANGE ORDER AMOUNT CREDIT OF $92,996.27 FOR A NEW CONTRACT.
AMOUNT OF $2,915,003.73. 129. PSC H2 ROOF RECOVER CONTRACTOR LAB SERVICES, LLC. CHANGE ORDER AMOUNT ZERO. NEW CONTRACT $788,050.
130. CAPITAL AREA UNITED WAY RENOVATION CONSTRUCTION.
CONTRACTOR BUILD COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION, LLC.
CHANGE ORDER AMOUNT $0. CONTRACT AMOUNT $1,209,083.74.
TIME IS ADDED FOR CHANGE ORDER ONE. TIME TO RECONCILE AND FINISH OF WORK WITH FINAL ACCEPTANCE.
131. SOUTH SHERWOOD FOREST BOULEVARD SIDEWALKS PROJECT COURSEY BOULEVARD TO I-12.
CONTRACTOR TRIUMPH CONSTRUCTION, LLC. CHANGE ORDER AMOUNT $40,725.44 FOR A NEW CONTRACT AMOUNT $884,101.44. 132. HYACINTH AVENUE BIKE LANES, CONTRACTOR INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISE, INC..
CHANGE ORDER AMOUNT OF CREDIT OF $64,110.64. NEW CONTRACT AMOUNT $1,246,551.27. 133. PEDESTRIAN HYBRID BEACON FOR BLUEBONNET MID-BLOCK, PEDESTRIAN CROSSING CONTRACTOR DIAMOND ELECTRIC ELECTRICAL COMPANY, INC..
CHANGE ORDER AMOUNT $32,499.93. CONTRACTOR AMOUNT $292,213.13.
134. NORTH SHERWOOD FOREST DRIVE IMPROVEMENTS, CONTRACTOR COMMAND CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRIES, LLC. CHANGE ORDER AMOUNT CREDIT OF $180,623.20 FOR NEW CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $13,485,656.56 AND 135 BRPD TRAINING ACADEMY RENOVATIONS, CONTRACTOR, CENTURION CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT CHANGE ORDER AMOUNT. WHAT WAS ON THE AGENDA IS INCORRECT.
I'M GOING TO READ THE CORRECTED NUMBERS, CHANGE ORDER AMOUNT AND THEIR LOWER $224,317 FOR A NEW CONTRACT AMOUNT OF $2,494,317. ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEMS 124 THROUGH 135?
[01:20:05]
COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED ONE EMAIL COMMENT IN OPPOSITION TO ITEM 124 AND 126.SEEING NONE, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL. WE HAVE A MOTION.
MOTION BY COUNCILMAN HURST, SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES.
FINAL ACCEPTANCE IS GOING TO TAKE 136 THROUGH 139 TOGETHER.
[Items 136 - 139]
136 PECUE/REIGER SEWER COLLECTION CONTRACTOR BOONE SERVICES LLC.FINAL COST $2,915,003.73. 137. PUBLIC SAFETY COMPLEX H2 ROOF RECOVER CONTRACTOR LAB SERVICES, LLC. FINAL COST $788,050. 138 HYACINTH AVENUE BIKE LANES CONTRACTOR INDUSTRIAL ENTERPRISES, INC.. FINAL COST $1,246,511.27.139 NORTH SHERWOOD FOREST DRIVE IMPROVEMENTS CONTRACTOR COMMAND CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRIES, LLC. 13 MILLION. FINAL COST $13,485,656.59.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEMS 136 TO 139? SEEING NONE, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL. WE HAVE A MOTION. MOTION BY COUNCILMAN DUNN JUNIOR, SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN AMOROSO. IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES.
ACCEPTANCE OF LOW BIDS. 140 AND 141 WE'LL TAKE TOGETHER.
[Items 140 & 141]
140. ACCEPTING LOW BID FOR THE BATON ROUGE METROPOLITAN AIRPORT TAXIWAY MARC NORTHWEST TAXIWAY WIDENING.M&J CIVIL CONSTRUCTION LLC, $318,532. 141. SALES TAX STREET AND ROAD REHABILITATION PROGRAM PROJECT 21-1 ROUZAN. BARRIERE CONSTRUCTION COMPANY, LLC $1,579,877.
ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THESE ITEMS? SEEING NONE, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL.
MOTION BY COUNCILMAN DUNN JR., SECOND BY COUNCILMAN ADAMS. IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES. WE'RE GOING TO DO 142 LAST AS A DISCUSSION ITEM, I'M GOING TO JUMP TO EMERGENCY ITEMS. 143 APPOINTING PRESIDENT PRO-TEMPORE BRANDON NOEL TO THE LOCAL ITEP COMMITTEE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LA
[143. 26-00022]
ADMIN CODE, TITLE 13, SECTION 549 BY COUNCIL ADMINISTRATOR-TREASURER.SECOND BY COUNCILMAN ADAMS. IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION TO DECLARING AN EMERGENCY? ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? HI.
I JUST AM HOPING THAT YOU KNOW, THE COUNCIL HAS BEEN VERY BUSINESS FRIENDLY IN REGARDS TO ITEP.
AND NOW WE ARE HAVING A MASSIVE BUDGET ISSUE.
SO I HOPE THAT YOU WILL TAKE THAT WITH YOU WHEN YOU GO AND, YOU KNOW, DENY SOMETIMES.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL. MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN AMOROSO.
SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES.
[144. 26-00006 ]
LEASEHOLD OF LEASEHOLD FOR WILLIAMS JET CENTER LLC BY THE AVIATION DIRECTOR.THIS ITEM MUST BE DECLARED AN EMERGENCY BY TWO THIRDS VOTE OF METROPOLITAN COUNCIL. NEED A MOTION TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY, MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN AMOROSO. SECOND BY COUNCILMAN ADAMS. ANY OPPOSITION ON THE MOTION TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.
DECLARED AN EMERGENCY. ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON ITEM 144.
SEEING NONE, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL. WE HAVE A MOTION. MOTION BY COUNCILMAN DUNN JR. SECOND.
OH COUNCILMAN HUDSON, SECOND BY COUNCILMAN ADAMS. I DID JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION. IF MIKE OR SOMEBODY HERE.
I'VE NEVER SEEN THE THE LANGUAGE ON MORTGAGE OF LEASEHOLD.
I WAS JUST HOPING SOMEBODY COULD EXPLAIN THAT.
COUNCILMAN, MICHAEL TAFFARO, AIRPORT LEGAL COUNSEL.
SO THIS GIVES THE LENDER THE, THE, THE COMFORT FOR THE FINANCING THAT IN THE EVENT THAT SOMETHING HAPPENS WITH THE DEFAULT OF THE MAIN TENANT, THEY CAN COME IN AND TAKE OVER THEIR LEASE AND PROTECT THEIR INVESTMENT. WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN DUNN JR..
SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES. REAL QUICK WE'RE GOING TO RECONSIDER ITEM 85.
CONDEMNATION REQUESTS FOR 30 DAYS, OR WE HAVE A MOTION TO RECONSIDER BY COUNCILMAN DUNN JR..
[01:25:02]
SECOND BY THE CHAIR. ANY OPPOSITION ON THE MOTION TO RECONSIDER? AND THE REQUEST IS FOR 30 DAYS ON ITEM 85, MOTION BY COUNCILMAN DUNN JR.. SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES. ITEM 142 RECEIVING A REPORT FROM THE CHIEF OF THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT ON CRIME STATISTICS IN THE[142. 25-01724]
METROPOLITAN COUNCIL, DISTRICT SEVEN FOR 2025 BY COUNCILWOMAN TWAHNA P.HARRIS. WE'RE GOING TO RECEIVE THE REPORT, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON IT. CHIEF.
YES, SIR, I APPRECIATE IT. I THINK THAT THEY'RE GOING TO PULL UP A SLIDE FOR Y'ALL IF YOU WANT TO GO ALL THE WAY TO THE LAST ONE FIRST, WE'RE KIND OF GO IN REVERSE ORDER. Y'ALL SEE? OKAY, I WAS LOOKING UP AT THAT SCREEN. I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS UP. SO FIRST OF ALL, LET ME JUST SAY IT'S I DON'T LIKE TALKING ABOUT CRIME STATS BECAUSE THEY'RE FICKLE AND CAN CHANGE. AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE VIOLENT WEEK WE HAD JUST LAST WEEK WITH SHOOTINGS ACROSS THE CITY AND EVEN THE PARISH, WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND US THAT WE DEALT WITH.
BUT I DO, WE'LL TAKE THIS TIME TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE GOOD WORK THAT THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH, BEING UNDERSTAFFED AND OVERWORKED AS WE ARE. SO CRIME WAS DOWN IN EVERY SINGLE CATEGORY THAT WE CAN MEASURE EXCEPT FOR STABBINGS.
BUT DEFINITELY AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN ALMOST 15% DECREASE IN HOMICIDES 20% DECREASE IN SHOOTING INCIDENTS, OVERALL GUN VIOLENCE, DOWN 18.5%. AND EVEN IN PROPERTY CRIME, THINGS LIKE VEHICLE BURGLARIES, VEHICLE THEFTS YOU KNOW, VEHICLE THEFTS ALMOST DOWN 30%, ROBBERIES DOWN 22% AND OVERALL CRIME TOTALS DOWN 15.5%. IF YOU GO UP ONE SLIDE SPECIFIC TO THE REQUEST FROM COUNCILWOMAN HARRIS AND HER DISTRICT STABBINGS IN THAT AREA, WE DID SEE A VERY BIG INCREASE, YOU KNOW 84%.
AND AGAIN, LOOKING AT THOSE NUMBERS AND TALKING TO DETECTIVES, IT SEEMS LIKE THEY WERE MOSTLY DOMESTIC IN NATURE AND OR ARGUMENTS BETWEEN FAMILY MEMBERS, THAT KIND OF THING, WHERE THE ARGUMENT THEN TURNED INTO SOMEBODY GRABBING A KNIFE OR OTHER KIND OF STABBING, SLASHING INSTRUMENT. WE DID SEE AN INCREASE IN HOMICIDES IN THAT AREA FROM 16 TO 21 FOR A 31%.
BUT OVERALL, GUN VIOLENCE AND SHOOTINGS WERE DOWN.
SHOOTINGS WERE DOWN 20%, BUT HOMICIDES WERE UP 31% FOR 2025 COMPARED TO 2024, WITH OVERALL CRIME TOTALS BEING DOWN ALMOST 18%.
YEP. THANKS, ,CHIEF. ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE REPORT? SEEING NONE, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL. COUNCILMAN HARRIS. I WOULD LOVE TO SPEAK, BUT MY.
I WOULD LOVE TO SAY THAT I WANT TO SPEAK, BUT MY COMPUTER IS LOCKED, SO I CAN'T.
OKAY, YOU GOT IT. CHIEF, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ON THE ASSAULT AND BATTERY.
I SEE THAT WENT UP BY 11. IT WAS 669 AND 2024.
NOW IT'S 681. IS THAT DOMESTIC DOMESTIC VIOLENCE TIED INTO THAT AS WELL? DOMESTIC VIOLENCE NUMBERS WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THEIR DOMESTIC ABUSE BATTERIES, BUT IT'S ALL BATTERIES.
SO JUST EVEN IF A FIGHT IN THE PARKING LOT OF A CLUB OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, ANYTHING THAT IS, THAT'S ALL BATTERIES ARE EVEN A THREAT OF BATTERY, WHICH WE WOULD CALL AN ASSAULT.
SO CAN YOU TELL ME HOW MANY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOMICIDES WE HAD IN THE CITY FOR 2025? SPECIFICALLY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE BEING THE NO, I DON'T HAVE THOSE NUMBERS IN FRONT OF ME.
I COULD GET IT TO YOU WITHIN ABOUT 30 MINUTES OR SO.
YOU KNOW, A LOT 50% OF OUR HOMICIDES NO MOTIVE IS REALLY KNOWN.
OKAY. ALSO, I REMEMBER YOU WERE OVER AT ONE OF OUR TOWN, WE WAS AT A TOWN HALL MEETING THAT WE HAD AT THE MLK CENTER BACK IN NOVEMBER, I THINK IT WAS. AND YOU WERE SPEAKING ABOUT YOUR NEW TOY THAT YOU GUYS HAVE NOW, THE DRONE THAT YOU PURCHASED.
YEAH. BECAUSE YOU WAS BRAGGING ABOUT YOUR NEW TOY.
SO TELL US ABOUT YOUR NEW DRONE THAT YOU HAVE AND ALL THAT IT DOES AND ALL THE GOOD STUFF ABOUT IT.
WITH THE PURCHASE OF THIS NEW DRONE, IT'S ABOUT, I THINK, 22 TOTAL IN OUR FLEET OF DRONES.
[01:30:04]
GO CLEAR A HOUSE TO MAKE IT SAFE. BEFORE WE PUT OPERATORS INSIDE TO LARGER ONES THAT WE HAVE 16 ACROSS THE CITY, ACTUALLY IN POLICE CARS THAT OFFICERS CAN THROW UP ON A PERIMETER AND LOOK FOR SOMEBODY THAT MIGHT BE IN THAT PERIMETER THAT JUST COMMITTED A BURGLARY OR OTHER VIOLENT FELONIES. THEY'RE EQUIPPED WITH THERMAL IMAGING, NIGHT VISION, AS WELL AS HEAT.WE'VE USED THOSE IN THE PAST FOR EVERYTHING FROM LIKE THE MARATHON TO PARADES AND FOOTBALL GAMES.
AND TO NOW OUR NEWEST ADDITION TO THAT DRONE FLEET IS OUR STALKER DRONE THAT IS BASICALLY USED TO REPLACE OUR HELICOPTER PROGRAM. YOU KNOW, WITH THE CRASH OF OUR HELICOPTER IN 2023.
IT'S AN AREA THAT WE'VE BEEN LACKING. THIS NEW DRONE CAN BE UP IN THE AIR FOR 4 TO 5 HOURS, CAN TRAVEL LONG DISTANCES WITH THE ANTENNA AND FAA PERMISSIONS, UP TO 100 MILES AWAY FROM WHERE WE'RE CONTROLLING IT IN THE REAL TIME CRIME CENTER.
SO WE CAN USE IT FOR EVERYTHING THAT THE HELICOPTER USED TO DO TO EQUIP WITH SEVERAL CAMERAS, YOU KNOW, DAYTIME, NIGHTTIME. THERMAL. GREAT ZOOM ON IT, CAN FOLLOW A VEHICLE IN A VEHICLE PURSUIT ALL THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
AND, YOU KNOW, OUR DRONE IN THE SKY'S THE LIMIT, KIND OF PUN INTENDED, WITH OUR DRONE PROGRAM THAT WE CAN USE THEM, YOU KNOW, TO GO LOOK AT FLOODED AREAS WE CAN LOOK AT, PUT THE THERMAL ON TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY HEAT SIGNATURES IN A HOUSE THAT FIRE DEPARTMENT IS WORKING TO PUT OUT FIRES. YOU KNOW, ENERGY POLES BEING DOWN WHERE YOU CAN'T GET TO A CERTAIN AREA.
SO A LOT OF USES WITH THAT DRONE TECHNOLOGY. AND THE NEWEST ONE JUST AGAIN TO KIND OF REPLACE THE HELICOPTER AVIATION UNIT THAT WE USED TO HAVE MUCH SAFER AND A MUCH, MUCH, MUCH LOWER COST THAN REDOING A HELICOPTER PROGRAM.
OKAY. SO HOW ARE YOU? SO HOW DID YOU PURCHASE IT? THROUGH A GRANT OR SO. WE HAD MONIES TRANSFERRED TO US THROUGH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AT THE BEGINNING OF 2025, SPECIFICALLY TO FOR THE PURCHASE OF THIS EQUIPMENT.
OKAY. SO THE FUNDING CAME FROM THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. YOU SAID EARLY PART OF THE YEAR.
YES, MA'AM. OKAY. CAN YOU TELL US THE COST OF IT? HOW MUCH WAS IT? SO THE DRONE ITSELF, I THINK, WAS ABOUT $400,000 JUST FOR THE DRONE.
AND THEN WE HAD OFFICERS THAT HAD TO GO THROUGH A TWO WEEK TRAINING ANTENNAS, BATTERIES.
I THINK TOTAL COST WAS RIGHT. JUST SHY OF ABOUT $1 MILLION.
SO IT'S ALL BATTERY OPERATED. WHERE'S THE THE DRONE HOUSE, AT THE HEADQUARTERS? YES, MA'AM. HAVE A SPECIAL PLACE FOR IT? YES, MA'AM.
IT'S HOUSED AT HEADQUARTERS. IT'S COMPLETELY CAN BE DISASSEMBLED AND PUT INTO ABOUT THREE PELICAN CASES IN THE BACK OF A TRUCK REASSEMBLED IN ABOUT 15, 20 MINUTES. AND SO WE CAN REALLY GO ANYWHERE IN THE ENTIRE STATE.
WE ARE. I SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED THIS FOR THE FIRST PART.
SOMETHING FOR, I THINK, THE CITY AND THE COUNCIL TO BE PROUD OF THE VERY FIRST DEPARTMENT, THE ENTIRE COUNTRY TO HAVE THIS TECHNOLOGY IN THIS DRONE.
BUT WE'RE THE VERY FIRST POLICE DEPARTMENT OR SHERIFF'S OFFICE IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.
OKAY. WOW. SO HOW MANY OFFICERS DO YOU HAVE TRAINED TO BE ABLE TO TO HANDLE THIS? FOR OUR FIRST TWO WEEK TRAINING, I BELIEVE IT WAS 8 TO 10.
IF YOU CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, DC. NO. EIGHT.
EIGHT. EIGHT OFFICERS. OKAY. TO HANDLE THAT SPECIFIC DRONE, WE HAVE I THINK AROUND 30 OFFICERS THAT ARE FAA DRONE CERTIFIED IN DIFFERENT VARIOUS TYPES OF OUR DRONES. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANKS, CHIEF.
YES, MA'AM. ANYBODY ELSE? SO, CHIEF LOOKED EXACTLY WHAT I WOULD HAVE LOOKED AT. BUT WE HAD 13 HOMICIDES IN 2025 THAT WERE CLASSIFIED AS DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RELATED.
SO I I'M SORRY. I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION. SO THERE WAS A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOMICIDE THAT TOOK PLACE IN 2026, IN MY DISTRICT. ARE YOU GUYS IS YOUR OFFICERS DOING ANYTHING DIFFERENTLY THAN THEY DID LAST YEAR TO REALLY ATTACK DOMESTIC VIOLENCE? I KNOW THAT A LOT OF YOUR DETECTIVES WHO'S WORKING IN THAT SPACE DO GREAT WORK, BUT IS THERE ANYTHING EXTRA THAT YOU GUYS CAN DO? BECAUSE I KNOW THAT DV IS FRONT AND CENTER ON YOUR PLATE ALONG WITH YOUR OFFICERS, BUT IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE EXTRA OR ANYTHING ELSE AS FAR AS STRATEGY THAT WE CAN DO, ALONG WITH ADVOCATES WHO WORK CLOSELY WITH YOUR DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE EXTRA, MAYBE SERVICES, EXTRA RESOURCES THAT WE CAN WORK CLOSELY TOGETHER TO GET DONE.
SO I THINK YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD AND, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT IN THIS.
[01:35:04]
OF COURSE. WHAT WE DO DO WHAT WE CURRENTLY DO.ONE IS, OF COURSE, OUR HOMICIDE DETECTIVES. COMPLETELY OVERWORKED.
SO VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THEY DO. WE HAVE SPECIAL NOT ONLY OFFICERS, BUT CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES THAT LOOK AT EVERY DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASE AN ARREST AND CATEGORIZE THAT FOR TO BE ABLE TO GET HIGHER BONDS WITH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
AND THEY'RE EMBEDDED WITH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, SO THEY CAN GIVE THEM ALL THAT INFORMATION SO THAT THEY CAN ARGUE FOR STRICTER BONDS. WE ALSO HAVE NEW POLICY WHERE OFFICERS IN THE FIELD, UNIFORM PATROL OFFICER, IF THEY GO TO A CALL AND THEY ESTABLISH THAT THERE'S PROBABLE CAUSE TO MAKE AN ARREST FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, THE SUSPECT IS NO LONGER ON SCENE, THEY DON'T JUST SEND THAT CASE OVER TO A DETECTIVE, THEY THEMSELVES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR APPLYING FOR A WARRANT BEFORE THE END OF THEIR SHIFT.
AND THEY CAN DO THAT THROUGH ONLINE CLOUD GAVEL TO SUBMIT THE WARRANT FOR THAT SUSPECT.
SO WE DON'T HAVE A LONG TIME PERIOD WAITING FOR THE DETECTIVE TO PICK THAT CASE UP, REVIEW IT, AND THEN DO A WARRANT. THAT OFFICER THAT RESPONDED RIGHT THERE IN THE FIELD IS ABLE TO DRAFT A WARRANT FOR THAT SUSPECT.
OKAY. AND BUT OF COURSE, WE NEED ALL THE ADVOCACY WE GET BECAUSE WE IT'S REALLY HARD FOR US TO GET BEHIND CLOSED DOORS AND KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN SOMEONE'S HOME IF THEY ARE A VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE. A LOT OF TIMES THOSE THINGS GO UNREPORTED. SO WE NEED ALL THE ADVOCATES WE CAN THAT CAN TALK TO THEM, TO THE VICTIMS, LET THEM KNOW TO REPORT IT, LET THEM KNOW THAT THEIR SERVICE IS AVAILABLE TO THEM. THERE IS A WAY OUT.
THERE IS HOMES FOR THEM TO GO TO AND SERVICES AVAILABLE.
OKAY, SO THE CIVILIAN EMPLOYEES WHO LOOK AT THESE CASES, HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN HAPPENING? BECAUSE THAT'S GOOD TO HEAR. THAT'S GREAT INFORMATION.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN DOING THIS? I KNOW THAT IT'S INCREASED OVER THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF.
JUST OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO GIVE THEM MORE RESOURCES. AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, AT VICTIM SUPPORT, WE HAVE DETECTIVES THAT ARE ASSIGNED ONLY TO VICTIMS ASSISTANCE THAT ALSO REVIEW THESE CASES AND WORK WITH THE PEOPLE THAT DO REPORT.
BUT I KNOW THAT IT'S INCREASED IN THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF, THAT WE'VE INCREASED THE STAFFING AND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WE'VE ASSIGNED TO THAT DIVISION. WE CREATED A WHOLE DIVISION OUT OF IT LAST YEAR OR INTO 2024.
I KEEP SAYING LAST YEAR BECAUSE BUT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MID TO END OF 2024, A WHOLE DIVISION WAS CREATED WITH A SUPERVISOR TO SUPERVISE IT, TO SAY, HEY, THESE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES, WE'RE GOING TO BE MORE INTENTIONAL AND FASTER ABOUT CLASSIFYING THEM AND GETTING THAT INFORMATION OVER TO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. OKAY, I HAVE ONE LAST QUESTION AND I'LL BE DONE.
YES, MA'AM. THE CRIME, THE SHOOTINGS THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE THIS YEAR, WHAT ARE YOU SEEING? IS THERE A PATTERN OF A CERTAIN CRIME THAT'S HAPPENING? JUST PLEASE GIVE US SOME INSIGHT ON WHAT'S. WHAT ARE YOU SEEING RIGHT NOW, THUS FAR, WITH ALL THE SHOOTINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED THIS YEAR? OKAY, SO WITHOUT GOING INTO TOO MUCH DETAIL AND I GOT BRIEFED JUST AS OF THIS MORNING ON THE HOMICIDES SO FAR THIS YEAR.
SO BEING CAREFUL WHAT I'M SAYING. BUT THE VAST MAJORITY, YOU KNOW, DOMESTIC VIOLENCE RELATED RETALIATION TYPE SHOOTINGS WHERE THE OFFENDER AND SUSPECT KNOW EACH OTHER BECAUSE OF SOME KIND OF ARGUMENT OR SOME KIND OF RELATIONSHIP.
AND THEN AGAIN WHAT WE'VE SEEN, YOU KNOW, RETALIATION WHERE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE SHOOTINGS, THE VICTIM ACTUALLY HAD A WARRANT FOR HIS ARREST FOR ANOTHER HOMICIDE THAT HE HIMSELF HAD COMMITTED.
RIGHT. SO THAT KIND OF SHOOTING, UNFORTUNATELY, THOUGH WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING TO SHOOT AT A SPECIFIC, TARGETED PERSON, SOMETIMES INNOCENT PEOPLE GET IN THE WAY, AND THOSE INNOCENT PEOPLE CAN ALSO BECOME VICTIMS, WHICH IS EXTREMELY TRAGIC. THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE.
AND THANK YOU FOR THIS REPORT. YES, MA'AM. ALL RIGHT.
ANYBODY ELSE? ALL GOOD. THANK YOU. COUNCILWOMAN.
THANK YOU. CHIEF. COUNCILWOMAN AMOROSO. ADJOURN.
[Adjournment and Announcements]
THANK Y'ALL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SERVICE.* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.