Jun 10, 2026 Metropolitan Council

[Presentations and Special Recognitions]

[00:00:04]

WELCOME EVERYBODY TO THE PRESENTATION PORTION OF OUR MEETING. IT'S JUNE 12TH, 2026. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, FIRST COUNCILWOMAN TWAHNA HARRIS TO REC RECOGNIZE CLAY YOUNG. WELL, SINCE SHE'S NOT THERE SHE IS.

GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYOR PRO TEM BRANDON. NO, WHAT A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY TO HONOR SUCH A YOUNG MAN, MR. CLAY YOUNG, WHO HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED EXCEPTIONAL LEADERSHIP, DEDICATION, AND SERVICE TO THE RESIDENTS OF OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH HIS UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO UPLIFTING AND EMPOWER OTHERS EMPOWERING OTHERS. AND THROUGH HIS VISION AND STEWARDSHIP OF THE INSPIRATION CENTER, HE HAS CREATED OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH, SUPPORT, AND POSITIVE TRANSFORMATION FOR COUNTLESS INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES. AND THE INSPIRATION CENTER HAS BECOME A BEACON OF HOPE WITHIN DISTRICT 7, THE BEST DISTRICT IN THE PARISH, I MIGHT ADD, PROVIDING ENCOURAGEMENT, RESOURCES, AND A PATHWAY TOWARD A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR THOSE IT SERVES. AND MR. CLAY'S COMPASSION, PERSEVERANCE, AND COMMITMENT TO COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT HAVE STRENGTHENED NEIGHBORHOODS AND INSPIRED MEANINGFUL CHANGE THROUGHOUT OUR CITY. AND HIS EFFORTS TO AND HIS EFFORTS TO EXEMPLIFY THE HIGHEST IDEALS OF PUBLIC SERVICE, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND LEADERSHIP.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT I, TWAHNA HARRIS, COUNCILWOMAN FOR DISTRICT 7, DO HEREBY EXTEND THIS CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION TO MR. CLAY YOUNG IN RECOGNITION OF HIS OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS AND EXPRESS SINCERE GRATITUDE FOR THE INVALUABLE WORK HE CONTINUES TO DO FOR THE COMMUNITY. IT IS MY HONOR TO PRESENT TO YOU MR. CLEO, THE ONE AND ONLY, THE ONE AND ONLY WHO GIVES AND GIVES AND GIVES AND NEVER STOPS GIVING, AND HE NEVER SAYS NO TO COUNCILWOMAN HARRIS. COME ON UP HERE, A FEW WORDS.

THANK YOU.

NO, GO AHEAD.

THAT'S ABOUT ALL YOU NEED.

THE GREAT PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, GLAD TO WORK WITH SO MANY TO DO GREAT THINGS HERE, BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU.

MAN, THAT WAS SHORT.

[INAUDIBLE] ALL RIGHT. I WANT ALL OF US TO COME DOWN FOR A SECOND AND GET A PICTURE.

[INAUDIBLE] THANK YOU.

NEXT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PRESENTATION BY COUNCILWOMAN LAURIE ADAMS TO RECOGNIZE AMANDA MARTIN.

ALL RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS. NORMALLY I WOULD PLAN TO DO THIS THE LAST MEETING OF JUNE AHEAD OF JULY 4TH AND THE, THE 250TH BIRTHDAY OF AMERICA CELEBRATION, BUT I WON'T BE HERE FOR THE LAST WEEK OF JUNE.

BUT I WANTED TO, TO CALL EVERYBODY'S ATTENTION TO AND RECOGNIZE AMANDA MARTIN, OWNER OF STUDYVILLE, WHICH IS A DISTRICT 11 BUSINESS, FOR THE BOOK THAT SHE IS ACTUALLY IN NEW YORK CITY, LAUNCHING TODAY THAT IS A CHILDREN'S BOOK, INSPIRED BY HER WORK, THROUGH STUDYVILLE TO, TO INCREASE READING,

[00:05:01]

JUSTIN? GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR EDWARDS, AND MEMBERS OF THE BATON ROUGE METRO COUNCIL.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ACCOMMODATING ME VIA VIDEO. I AM ACTUALLY IN NEW YORK CITY ON A BOOK TOUR FOR MY CHILDREN'S BOOK, HENRY THE STAR SPANGLED SPANIEL. I'M AMANDA MARTIN. I'M A BATON ROUGE BUSINESS OWNER. I OWN STUDYVILLE, WHERE WE DO A LOT OF TUTORING, ALL AGES, BUT WE DO A LOT OF K-5 LITERACY TUTORING. AND IN OUR TUTORING SESSIONS, WE, NEEDED TO CREATE OUR OWN CURRICULUM THAT WAS SPECIFICALLY TAILORED TO TUTORING. AND THOUGHT WE SHOULD REALLY GET A MASCOT SO WE CAN MAKE THIS FUN FOR THE KIDS. AND SO WE THOUGHT, WELL, WHY NOT A LITTLE DOG? AND THEN WHILE WE'RE AT IT, AND WE'RE TEACHING THE KIDS HOW TO READ, WHY DON'T WE ALSO TEACH THEM ABOUT HISTORY, CIVICS, AND AMERICAN HISTORY? AND SO HENRY, OUR LITTLE SPANIEL, HAS 100 COMPREHENSION LESSONS RIGHT NOW WHERE HE'S TEACHING KIDS LITERACY IN THE SCIENCE OF READING METHOD AND HISTORY. SO THIS IS HIS FIRST ADVENTURE, HE WAKES UP ON JULY 4TH AND IT'S HIS BIRTHDAY AND HIS GRANDMOTHER GIVES HIM A DOG HOUSE AND HE SEES EVERYBODY IN THE CITY SETTING UP FOR FIREWORKS AND HE'S LIKE, OH MY GOODNESS, IS THIS FOR ME? AND THEY'RE LIKE, "NO, HENRY, IT'S AMERICA'S BIRTHDAY TOO." AND HE'S REALLY CURIOUS ABOUT THAT. HE ASKS A LOT OF QUESTIONS. HE'S A CURIOUS LITTLE SAMUEL. AND HE GOES INTO HIS DOG HOUSE AND HE IS WHOOSHED BACK TO PHILADELPHIA JULY 4TH, 1776, WHERE HE WITNESSES THE SIGNING OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.

NOW YOU'LL HAVE TO READ IT, BUT HE, HE ENDS UP SAFELY BACK IN PRESENT-DAY TIME WITH HIS GRANDMOTHER, WHERE SHE CALLS HIM HER STAR-SPANGLED SPANIEL. I AM THRILLED TO BE ON THIS BOOK TOUR, BRINGING NATIONAL ATTENTION TO BATON ROUGE, WHO KNEW WE'D BE PUBLISHED BY SIMON SCHUSTER AND FOREFRONT BOOKS AND BEING IN NEW YORK, DALLAS, HOUSTON, ATLANTA, DC I FORGET WHERE ELSE I'M GOING. SOMEONE'S GONNA HAVE TO KEEP TRACK.

BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT.

THERE WILL BE A LOT MORE OF HENRY. WE HAVE, A LOT OF ADVENTURES COMING UP. DON'T TELL ANYONE, BUT HE DOES, EXPLORE THE BAYOU A FAIR AMOUNT. THERE'S A FAIR AMOUNT OF LOUISIANA HISTORY COMING HIS WAY. SO, IT'S BEEN SO MUCH FUN, AND WE ARE THRILLED THAT MAYOR EDWARDS HAS MADE HENRY THE OFFICIAL BOOK OF LOUISIANA'S AMERICA 250 CELEBRATION. SO, WE WILL BE AROUND FOR THAT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO AND ALL YOUR SERVICE. IT REALLY MEANS THE WORLD TO US.

ALL RIGHT, SO, I'VE GOT A CERTIFICATE OF RECOGNITION FOR, AMANDA THAT I WILL DELIVER TO STUDY PHIL, BUT I'LL READ IT TO Y'ALL REALLY QUICKLY. THE CERTIFICATE IS PROUDLY PRESENTED TO AMANDA MARTIN IN CELEBRATION OF HER CREATIVITY, DEDICATION, AND PERSEVERANCE IN BRINGING A MEANINGFUL AND INSPIRING CHILDREN'S BOOK TO LIFE.

THROUGH THE ADVENTURES OF HENRY, YOUNG READERS ARE INVITED TO EXPLORE HISTORY, IMAGINATION, COURAGE, AND PATRIOTISM IN A WAY THAT SPARKS CURIOSITY AND A LOVE OF LEARNING. YOUR COMMITMENT TO LITERACY, EDUCATION, AND STORYTELLING HAS CREATED A LASTING CONTRIBUTION THAT WILL INSPIRE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES FOR YEARS TO COME. MAY THIS ACCOMPLISHMENT MARK THE BEGINNING OF MANY MORE SUCCESSFUL LITERARY ADVENTURES AND CONTINUE TO INSPIRE READERS EVERYWHERE. PRESENTED WITH, ADMIRATION AND CONGRATULATIONS ON THIS REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT.

JUNE 10TH, 2026. SO, I'LL GET THIS TO AMANDA AND, THANK Y'ALL. IF Y'ALL WOULD LIKE TO YOU WANNA TAKE A PICTURE WITH YOUR BOOKS? WOULD Y'ALL BE WILLING TO DO THAT? ALL RIGHT, LET'S DO THAT.

[INAUDIBLE]

[00:10:40]

THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEM, COUNCIL MEMBERS, TODAY, I HAVE A STAR OF A STUDENT THAT'S COMING FROM BAKER, LOUISIANA, FOR BAKER HIGH SCHOOL. SO TODAY I HAVE MISS ANGEL FRANKLIN. SHE IS SHE WAS THE VALEDICTORIAN FOR BAKER HIGH SCHOOL CLASS OF 2026. LET'S GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE. COME ON UP, MISS FRANKLIN. MISS FRANKLIN WAS, NOTIFIED TOP OF HER CLASS. SHE WAS HIGHLY INVOLVED AT BAKER HIGH SCHOOL, HIGHLY RESPECTED BY HER CLASSMATES. AND SO ANGEL, TODAY WE JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE YOUR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, AND ALSO IF YOU WANT TO TELL THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHAT YOUR NEXT JOURNEY AND STEPS, NOW THAT YOU HAVE GRADUATED ON THE ALUMNI SIDE OF THINGS.

BUT, AT THIS TIME, LADIES, AND GENTLEMEN, I HAVE THE VALEDICTORIAN FOR BAKER HIGH SCHOOL, MISS ANGEL FRANKLIN.

GOOD AFTERNOON, MY NEXT CHAPTER WOULD BE TO GO TO THE SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY A&M COLLEGE, AND I WOULD BE STUDYING KINESIOLOGY.

ALL RIGHT.

SO MISS ANGEL, IN RECOGNITION OF YOUR OUTSTANDING ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, AS VALEDICTORIAN AND AS A NEW GRADUATE OF BAKER HIGH SCHOOL, CLASS OF 2026, THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE, THE CITY OF BAKER, AND THE COMMUNITY PROUDLY WANT TO CONGRATULATE AND RECOGNIZE YOU ON THIS EXCEPTIONAL HONOR AND EXTEND BEST WISHES FOR A BRIGHT AND PROSPEROUS FUTURE. GIVEN ON THIS DAY, JUNE 10TH, 2026, WITH SINCERE GRATITUDE, THE METRO COUNCIL.

CONGRATULATIONS.

RIGHT.

THANK YOU.

ALSO, SHE HAS DAD HERE AS WELL.

THANK YOU, DAD, SO MUCH FOR THE WORK. THAT MEAN YOU DID A GREAT JOB.

THANK YOU.

YOU WANNA COME ON UP, TAKE A PICTURE AS WELL WITH US? ALRIGHT.

I GOT YOU.

COME ON.

WE'LL TAKE A PICTURE IN THE MIDDLE RIGHT HERE.

[CALL TO ORDER]

WE'RE ON BRLA.GOV AND WE'RE STREAMING AT&T COX, YOUTUBE, FACEBOOK LIVE.

GOOD TO HAVE YOU WITH US.

AT THIS TIME, HERE IS THE MAYOR-PRESIDENT PRO TEM OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.

COUNCILMAN BRANDON NOEL.

THANK YOU, DENNIS. WELCOME EVERYBODY TO THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL MEETING THIS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12TH, 2026.

WE'RE GOING TO CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.

ASHLEY, DO WE HAVE A QUORUM? WE HAVE A QUORUM.

THANK YOU. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, INVOCATION LED BY LISA RIO, FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE BY JACOB SHAFET.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

IN 1 TIMOTHY 2:02, IT SAYS, AND PRAY FOR EVERY POLITICAL LEADER AND REPRESENTATIVE SO THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO LIVE TRANQUIL, UNDISTURBED LIVES AS WE WORSHIP THE AWE-INSPIRING GOD WITH PURE HEARTS. LET'S PRAY.

DEAR LORD, I THANK YOU FOR THIS COMMUNITY THAT WE GET TO LIVE IN AND FOR OUR LEADERS THAT HAVE BEEN ELECTED TO SERVE. FATHER, I ASK THAT THEY ALWAYS SERVE WITH PURE HEARTS AND EXHIBIT PEACEFUL ATMOSPHERE. MAY THEY BE REMINDED EVERY DAY WHY THEY WERE DEDICATED TO BE CALLED PUBLIC SERVANTS AND TO USE THEIR COMMITMENT AS LEADERS TO BE AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE DISTRICTS THEY SERVE AS THEY DEAL WITH DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES AND HARD DECISIONS. I ALSO PRAY, LORD,

[00:15:03]

AMEN.

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

[ADOPTION AND APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

[INTRODUCTIONS ]

NUMBER 6, WILLIE C. MATTHEWS ET AL., 3157 ONTARIO STREET, COUNCIL DISTRICT 7, HARRIS.

NUMBER 7, MYRTUS REED ET AL., 1177 NORTH 47TH STREET, COUNCIL DISTRICT 7, HARRIS.

NUMBER 8, DEBRA TARA DEBRA TERRELL ET AL., 161 BAMBUREN STREET, COUNCIL DISTRICT 10, COLEMAN. NUMBER 9, KATHLEEN DEANDRA HATCHER ET AL., 1212 MAXIMILIAN STREET, COUNCIL DISTRICT 10, COLEMAN. NUMBER 10, ERICA ALEXANDER AND TAWANDA ALEXANDER, 18 I MEAN, SORRY, 818 AND 848 FRANCE STREET, COUNCIL DISTRICT 10, COLEMAN. NUMBER 11, JORTASHA MATEO ET AL., 5958 PROGRESS STREET, COUNCIL DISTRICT 10, COLEMAN. NUMBER 12, TERRY FORD FERGUSON, 434 HIGHLAND PARK DRIVE, COUNCIL DISTRICT 12, ROCA. NUMBER 13, KENNETH WAYNE MACK, 4468 SHERWOOD STREET, COUNCIL DISTRICT 7, HARRIS. NUMBER 14, MELVIN LEWIS JR., 2153 YAZOO STREET, COUNCIL DISTRICT 7, HARRIS.

ALL ITEMS THAT REQUIRE READING HAVE BEEN READ, AND A MOTION TO INTRODUCE ALL ITEMS IS

[CONDEMNATIONS]

MOTION BY COUNCILMAN HUDSON, SECOND BY COUNCILMAN MCKINNEY. IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES.

PLEASE GO TO YOUR SEPARATE SHEETS FOR CONDEMNATIONS. I'M GONNA READ THE, RECOMMENDATIONS FROM DPW.

AS RECOMMENDED, THEN I'M GONNA I'LL GET WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS ON THEIR SPECIFIC REQUESTS, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING. RECOMMENDATIONS ARE TO PROCEED WITH ITEMS 30, 31, 33, 35, 36, 40, 41, 43, 44, 45, 46, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, AND 55. 60 DAYS ON ITEMS 38, 39, AND 47, AND TO DELETE ITEMS 32, 34, 37 AND 42. HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FROM DISTRICT 7, TO GO TO JULY 22ND MEETING WITH ITEMS 31, 36, 46, AND 55.

DISTRICT 10, I HAVE ITEM 51 TO GO TO 90 DAYS. ANY OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS FROM COUNCIL? ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THESE ITEMS? SEEING NONE, I'LL READ THEM BACK. WE, WE ARE TO PROCEED WITH ITEM 30, 33, 35, 40, 41, 43, 44, 45, 48, 49, 50 52, 53, AND 54. JULY 22ND MEETING FOR ITEMS 31, 36, 46, AND 55. 60 DAYS FOR ITEMS 38, 39, 47. 90 DAYS FOR ITEM 51 AND TO DELETE ITEMS 32, 34, 37, AND 42.

WE HAVE A MOTION. MOTION BY COUNCILMAN MCKINNEY, SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN HARRIS. IS

[00:20:01]

[56. 26-00699 ]

ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, GO TO COUNCIL. WE HAVE A MOTION.

MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN AMOROSO . IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES. ITEM 57,

[57. 26-00618]

ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEE, NO. GO TO COUNCIL. WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN COLEMAN, SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES.

[58. 26-00645]

MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN COLEMAN, SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN HARRIS. IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES.

[59. 26-00646]

IT'S CONTRACT, ALL ENTAILS.

MASON BATTS WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. SO WHAT MR. KENNEDY'S MAIN JOB IS, IS WHEN WE HAVE A HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT, HE IS ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE SEND TO GO OUT AND PICK UP ONCE IT'S BEEN VACATED BY THE, THE INDIVIDUALS.

YES.

HE GOES OUT AND HE CLEANS IT UP. HE TAKES IT INTO THE, TO THE DUMP. HE ALSO HELPS WITH SOME OF OUR 311 BACKLOG ITEMS. AND THEN HE IS ALSO HE DOES OCCASIONALLY, GO WITH THE HOMELESS OUTREACH TEAM, BUT HIS MAIN JOB IS JUST IS THE CLEANING UP OF THE ENCAMPMENTS AND THE AND THE TRASH AROUND THEM.

SO HE WORKS WITH MATTHEW AND HE DOES.

HE WORKS UNDER MATT.

OKAY.

ALL RIGHT.

OKAY.

THANK YOU.

YES, MA'AM. COUNCILMAN HURST.

SO THIS IS A QUESTION HE DOES THIS ON HIS OWN, LIKE HIS OWN TRUCK, HIS OWN BECAUSE I'M, I'M TRYING TO ASK WHY WOULDN'T DPW DO IT? BECAUSE ESSENTIALLY MOST ENCAMPMENTS ARE IN A PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY, OR WE HAVE TO GET SOME SORT OF ORDER ON A PRIVATE PROPERTY, OR IT'S IN A SERVITUDE. SO I'M JUST WONDERING WHY WOULDN'T WE USE DPW, EITHER THE BLIGHT DEPARTMENT OR MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT, TO GET RID OF THESE TOOLS SINCE WE ALREADY PAYING FOLKS? WANT TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T HAVE DUPLICATIVE SERVICES.

HE WORKS ALONGSIDE OUR DPW CREWS.

I KNOW, AS Y'ALL KNOW, WE'RE, MR. DANIEL COULD TELL YOU WE'RE SHORT-STAFFED IN THAT AREA, BUT HE IS WORKING ALONGSIDE THEM, ALL THE, ALL THE TIME. HE DOES, HE DOES HAVE HIS OWN VEHICLE.

I'M ALMOST CERTAIN ON THAT, BUT HE USES HIS OWN VEHICLE AND HAS HIS OWN INSURANCE, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.

AND I'M JUST ASKING, HOW DID THIS COME ABOUT? WAS HE ALREADY DOING IT? HE, HE DID THIS FOR US ALL LAST YEAR.

BUT IT CAME TIME TO INCREASE THE CONTRACT, SO WE'RE COMING TO YOU GUYS.

HE'S BEEN DOING IT OVER SO HE, SO HE WAS PAID PREVIOUSLY? THAT'S CORRECT.

IT WASN'T LIKE A GUY VOLUNTEERING AND WE SAY HE'S VOLUNTEERING, SO WE MIGHT AS WELL PAY HIM.

NO, THAT'S YEAH, HE WAS PAID LAST YEAR, AND THEN AS THE CONTRACT HAS CONTINUED, IT'S TIME FOR US TO EXTEND IT. AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE.

I'M, I'M NO DISRESPECT, I'M STILL ONE EVEN IF IT'S $5,000 RACHEL, CAN YOU COME TO THE MIC? OH, SHE'S NOT, BUT I MEAN, WE HAVE A

[00:25:03]

SAY IT AGAIN, COUNCILMAN.

I'VE CALLED HER ON OTHER ONES NOT KNOWING THAT THIS GUY EXISTED.

IT DOESN'T WORK WITH RACHEL.

RACHEL'S BLIGHT.

THIS, THIS IS ABOUT THE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT.

SO MATT EDWARDS, WHO'S OUR HOMELESS COORDINATOR, HE RUNS BUT I GOT IT. BUT, BUT A HOMELESS ENCAMPMENT IS BLIGHT IF IT'S IN THE SERVITUDE IN THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY.

AND SO AT THAT POINT, RACHEL'S CREW WOULD THEN GO OUT AND PICK UP THE, THE WHATEVER IT IS. SO I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE QUESTION.

SO IF IT'S UNLESS IT'S IN THE SERVITUDE, WE COULDN'T PICK IT UP. SO RACHEL WOULD HAVE TO THEN GO IF THERE WAS, IF IT'S ON PRIVATE PROPERTY OR, SOME OTHER PUBLIC PROPERTY, THEN RACHEL WOULD HAVE TO GO GET A COURT ORDER TO CLEAN IT UP AFTER THE HOMELESS CAMP HAS MOVED.

SO RACHEL WOULD HAVE TO DO IT EVEN IF SHE HAD A CONTRACTOR, IT WOULD STILL WORK THE SAME WAY? YES.

SO WHY IS MATT'S JOB ANY DIFFERENT IF IT'S PRIVATE PROPERTY? WELL, IT OH, RACHEL CAN ONLY RACHEL ONLY WORKS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.

OKAY, SO WHY WOULD REGINALD NOT DO THIS? BECAUSE HIS JOB, HIS CREW DOES THE SAME THING IN PUBLIC RIGHTS-OF-WAY.

IN PUBLIC RIGHTS-OF-WAY BUT I DON'T THINK MANY OF THESE HOMELESS CAMPS ARE IN PUBLIC RIGHTS-OF-WAY.

SO THAT MEANS IT WOULD FALL UNDER BLIGHT. SO IT'S EITHER GONNA BE IT'S EITHER GONNA BE REGINALD OR IT'S GOING TO BE RACHEL. AND ANYTIME WE HAVE SOMEBODY THAT WE CONTRACT OUT TO, IF IT'S THROUGH RACHEL, THE LAW SAYS IT GOES TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE COURTS.

IF IT'S THROUGH REGINALD, HE CAN DO IT BECAUSE IT'S WITHIN THE SERVITUDE OF THE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY. SO I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT MAKES THIS GUY ANY DIFFERENT.

THAN WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN PLACE AND THE RULES THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE.

NOW THAT I, I CANNOT ANSWER.

CAN THE PARENTS' ATTORNEY COME UP TO THE MIC, PLEASE? ORIGINAL, YOU COME TO THE MIC IF YOU GOT AN ANSWER. SO I'M TRYING TO FIGURE YOU YEAH, COME ON, LET ME, LET ME GET MY MOON FIRST.

YEAH, TELL ME WHAT MAKES LEGALLY THIS ANY DIFFERENT THAN THE RACHEL'S BLIGHT DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE TO ACCESS PRIVATE PROPERTY IS CONSIDERED TRESPASSING. WITHOUT AN ADMINISTRATIVE COURT ORDER.

SO HE CAN'T. IT'S GOING TO BE THE SAME THING AS IT WOULD BE FOR RACHEL. YOU NEED IF YOU'RE GOING ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, WE NEED TO HAVE A COURT ORDER TO GO ON PRIVATE PROPERTY.

RESIDENTS CAN GO ON OUR PUBLIC RIGHT OF SERVITUDES WITHIN A CERTAIN FEET OF THE STREET OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE, BUT IF IT'S PRIVATE PROPERTY, WHETHER IT'S RACHEL'S TEAM OR I'M NOT SURE, I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T HEAR ALL OF WHAT HE WAS SAYING, BUT WHOEVER IT IS, IN ORDER FOR THE CITY TO GO AND DO ANYTHING ON PRIVATE PROPERTY, WE NEED A COURT ORDER.

SO IF I HAVE A IF I HAVE AN ENCAMPMENT, I'M THE REASON WHY I'M SAYING THIS, I GOT A I GOT ONE IN ZION CITY, RIGHT, WHERE THEY ACTUALLY OWN THE PROPERTY, RIGHT? AND SO YOU MIGHT CALL THEM HOMELESS, BUT THEY OWN THE PROPERTY.

THEY MAY LIVE ONE WAS LIVING UNDER A TENT IN THE SHACK. SO IF I GO ON THAT PROPERTY, I ABATE IT AND I TAKE IT, THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO WHAT TO US? THE YOU'RE A LAWYER, SO WHAT DO THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO DO? BECAUSE WE GO ON THEIR PRIVATE PROPERTY WE'VE TAKEN THEIR BELONGINGS.

THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE ON THE PRIVATE PROPERTY, THEY COULD SUE THE CITY. YES, IF YOU DON'T HAVE AN ORDER TO DO IN YOUR OPINION, WOULD THEY HAVE A STRONG, ARGUMENT SINCE IT'S THEIR PROPERTY AND THEIR TENT? I, I COULDN'T ANSWER THAT WITHOUT ACTUAL FACTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES.

I KNOW YOU GOING TO GIVE ME THE LEGAL ANSWER, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE. YEAH, I DO. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE DO THESE THINGS THAT WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE LEGAL PROCESSES IN PLACE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. AND IF IT'S NO DIFFERENT, THEN I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE HAVE DUPLICATIVE SERVICES. AND I'M GOING TO ALLOW MASON I KNOW WHAT YOU DO, SO THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO ALLOW MASON TO COME ANSWER THAT QUESTION, SINCE NOW WE KNOW THERE'S A LEGAL PROCESS THAT HAS TO BE FOLLOWED. THANK YOU.

YEAH, COUNCILMAN, I'M, I'M NOT AWARE THAT THEY'VE EVER GONE ON PRIVATE PROPERTY TO CLEAN THIS STUFF UP. THIS IS SIMILAR, THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING WE BROUGHT A CONTRACT TO YOU GUYS, TO GIVE SOME EXTRA RESOURCES TO THE GROVE SO THE GROVE COULD CONTRACT WITH BRPD.

OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE BRPD, BUT LIKE, Y'ALL KNOW, WE'RE SHORT-STAFFED EVERYWHERE.

SO THE HOMELESS TEAM SOMETIMES WORKS IN DIFFERENT HOURS, AND WE NEED TO GET SOME OF THESE THINGS CLI CLEARED UP BEFORE PEOPLE CAN RETURN. THAT WAY WE CAN GET IT CLEARED UP BECAUSE WHILE THERE'S NO ONE THERE, AND THIS DOESN'T TAKE RESOURCES AWAY FROM REGGIE'S STAFF, WE HAVE SOMEBODY WHO'S INDEPENDENT. AND LIKE I SAID, IT WAS DOING THIS ALL LAST YEAR, BEEN DOING IT I MEAN, WAS OUT WORKING TODAY, WILL BE OUT WORKING TOMORROW, THAT'S BEEN, BEEN DOING IT AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO IT AS LONG AS WE CAN GET THIS, RENEWED.

BUT WHEN I JUST SAID YOU SAID IT WASN'T REGISTERED, IT WAS IN THE PRIVATE PROPERTY. THEN WHEN I SAID IT WAS PRIVATE PROPERTY, THEN YOU SAID IT WAS

[00:30:01]

I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY.

ONE THING WHEN IT COMES TO THE DEPARTMENT OF MAINTENANCE, WE DO NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO REMOVE CERTAIN ITEMS FROM THE CAMPUS BECAUSE OF EXPOSURE LIABILITY. SO IF THERE'S NEEDLES, MATTRESSES, OR ANYTHING THAT COULD HAVE A BLOOD-POOR PATHOGEN OR WOULD EXPOSE US TO ANY, SORT OF BIOLOGICAL WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO INTERACT WITH IT BECAUSE OUR STAFF DOESN'T HAVE THE PROPER TRAINING. SO WE DO BRING IN THE SPECIALIZED CLEANERS TO ADDRESS THOSE TYPE OF ITEMS. BUT ONCE EVERYTHING IS IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, WE CAN REMOVE IT MECHANICALLY.

WE JUST CAN'T GO HAND IN HAND WITH CERTAIN ITEMS. SO WHAT CLEANERS DO YOU NORMALLY BRING IN TO DO HAZMAT? BECAUSE THE WORD IS HAZMAT. RIGHT. SO WHAT, WHAT CLEANERS DO YOU BRING IN FOR HAZMAT STUFF? WELL, THAT'S WHAT, MR. EDWARDS AND HIS GROUP HAS BEEN UTILIZING DIFFERENT CONTRACTORS TO, ABATE THOSE TYPE OF ITEMS. WE GO OUT AND WE EVALUATE IT. IF IT'S IF, LIKE I SAID, IF IT HAS TOO MANY EXPOSURES, THEN WE, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T INTERACT WITH IT.

OKAY, THANK YOU. THAT'S A BETTER ANSWER. YEAH, YOU'RE WELCOME TO GO TO THE MIC.

GOOD AFTERNOON. I WAS STUDYING HARVARD CLASSES.

THAT'S WHY I'M DRESSED LIKE THIS. I WASN'T PLANNING ON BEING HERE. A LITTLE BIT I KNOW JOHN DEEP I'VE KNOWN HIM A WHILE, AND, I HIRED HIM, PRETTY EARLY OUT OF THE GATE, AND HE'S HE DOES IT ALL. I MEAN, IF, TO KEEP TIGER TOWN BEAUTIFUL OR KEEP JAGUAR NATION BEAUTIFUL, THEY GO AND DO A CLEANUP, JOHN. AND WHAT DOES HE WORK OUT OF? A WHITE PICKUP TRUCK, HIS OLD 1978 PICKUP TRUCK.

BUT HE WORKS EVERY DAY AND, JUST DOES A TREMENDOUS JOB IN ASSISTING. HE'S NOT TRYING TO TAKE THE PLACE OF DPW. OR, YOU KNOW, YOU HAD ONE THERE WAS A HOUSE, THAT GOT, TORN DOWN, OR IT FELL DOWN, AND IT TOOK JOHN 9 DAYS TO ONE LOAD AT A TIME TO PUT IT IN BACK OF A PICKUP TRUCK. SO I JUST WAS WATCHING IN THE MEETING IN THERE AND, WANTED TO COME SPEAK ON HIM. HE'S DOING HE'S REALLY DOING THE WORK IN BATON ROUGE.

SO LET, LET ME ASK YOU THIS QUESTION.

WHAT IS SPECIFICALLY IS THIS CONTRACT FOR? LET ME TELL YOU WHY THIS ACTUALLY BECAME A RED FLAG FOR ME. BECAUSE THE BLIGHT DEPARTMENT HAS $0 TO DO THE SAME WORK.

AND THEY COULD BE DOING MULTIPLE CONTRACTS WORKING ON 311 TICKETS. EVEN AS YOU RELATED TO THE GROVE, I WOULD HAVE AMENDED THE BUDGET TO ADD ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO BRPD SO THAT THEY COULD HAVE A DEPARTMENT OR SPECIFIC ALLOTMENT TO SEND MORE OFFICERS OUT AND PAY FOR OVERTIME. IT GETS THE SAME THING DONE WITHOUT SENDING THE MONEY OUTSIDE OF CITY PARISH, WHICH IS WHY I WAS ASKING THAT QUESTION. NO, BECAUSE THE LIGHT DEPARTMENT HAS $0 TO CONDEMN HOW TO KNOCK DOWN CONDEMNED HOUSES, BOARD UP HOUSES, AND, AND THAT'S WHAT THIS IS DOING.

THAT'S TRYING TO SIMILAR MONIES, RIGHT? SO I'M JUST, I'M JUST TRYING TO ANYWAY, YOU, YOU CAN HAVE AS MUCH TIME AS YOU WANT AS THE MAYOR. I GOT 37 SECONDS. NO, THAT WAS JUST MY QUESTION.

WHEN I, I'M LOOKING AT THE BUDGET AND I'M LOOKING AT BRPD OVERTIME FINE, GIVE IT TO BRPD, NOT THE GROVE. AND THAT WAY, IF FOR SOME REASON NOT USED UTILIZED, WE CAN MOVE IT SOMEWHERE ELSE.

AND THEN WITH THIS PART, I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS ALL YEAR, HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR BLIGHT. EVERY TIME I GO TO RACHEL, SHE SAYS WE HAVE NO MONEY. WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO? WE HAVE NO MONEY. SO THAT'S WHY WHEN THIS COMES UP AND I'M, I'M THANKFUL TO WANT TO ASK THE QUESTIONS BECAUSE IT WOULD HAVE PROBABLY PASSED ME UP, BUT IT JUST BAFFLES ME. SO IF Y'ALL CAN KIND OF EXPLAIN THAT, I'D APPRECIATE IT. AND I'M SURE HE CAN GIVE YOU AS MUCH TIME AS YOU WANT.

GO AHEAD, MAYOR. YOU CAN USE MY TIME IF YOU'D LIKE TO EXPOUND ON THAT.

WELL, EVERY EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING IS, TRYING TO FIND THE DOLLARS FOR RACHEL, DPW, EVERYONE ELSE, YOU KNOW. AND YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT CONTRACTS AND WHAT WE'RE DOING, HERE'S WHAT I CAN SAY RIGHT, RIGHT OFF THE BAT. IT'S NOT A HOOKUP. IT DOESN'T FALL IN LINE WITH THE HISTORY OF, WASTEFUL SPENDING OVER DECADES IN EAST BATON CHURCH PARISH, THE TREND THAT HAD BEEN SET MANY YEARS AGO. THIS IS A MAN THAT IS WORKING HARD EVERY DAY, AND I COULD VOUCH FOR IT. SO MY WHOLE DEAL IS I USE JOHN TO FILL THE GAPS. I USE JOHN TO GO OUT THERE AND GET THINGS DONE. I CAN'T MAKE UP, THE DEAL THAT EVERY DAY I KNOW HIS EXACT ROUTE. OTHER THAN THAT, THIS IS A TRUSTED HUMAN BEING WHO'S MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN OUR CITY. SO I THINK RACHEL AND ALL THOSE FOLKS WILL HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THEIR BUDGET AND ALL THAT, AND WE'RE CONSISTENTLY LOOKING AND HAVING SUCCESS WITH FINDING WAYS OF FUNDING ALL THOSE, THOSE DEALS AS WE GO FORWARD.

MAYOR, WOULD YOU VIEW THIS AS AND THIS MAY BE THE REASONING OR A REASON BEHIND IT WITH IT BEING SOMETHING THAT'S SO SPECIFIC TO CLEANING UP WITH THE HOMELESS ENCAMPMENTS, IT'S NOT ALWAYS STEADY AND IT CAN POP UP AT ANY TIME AND IT CAN BE A LITTLE MORE HEAVY AT SOME TIMES AND THEN NOTHING

[00:35:01]

SO HE CAN'T BE, YOU KNOW, EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME.

BUT I CAN ONLY VOUCH ON THE SCOPE OF WORK AND HOW WELL HE'S DONE THAT.

TO HELP US.

THANK YOU.

COUNCILMAN MOBEN.

REGINALD, I THINK Y'ALL CAN STAY UP THERE TOO. YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THE HAZMAT STUFF. THIS GENTLEMAN WITH THE CONTRACT, IS HE CERTIFIED? HE'S QUALIFIED? HE MEETS ALL SPECIFICATIONS FOR PICKING UP AND DISPOSING OF HAZMAT? I DON'T KNOW THAT I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT. I'M NOT INVOLVED WITH THE CONTRACT. I'M JUST WAS TELLING YOU WHY DPW DOESN'T INTERACT WITH THOSE TYPES OF MATERIALS.

DOES ANYBODY KNOW ABOUT THE CONTRACT? LEGAL CONTRACT SERVICES? I, I CAN'T SPEAK TO THE SPECIFICS OF MR. KENNEDY'S CERTIFICATIONS IN TRASH PICKUP, AND I'M NOT, I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S A LEGAL ISSUE OR NOT TO BE PARISH ATTORNEY FOR SOMEONE PICKING UP HAZMAT AND WHAT THE DEFINITION OF THAT IS. I HAVE I JUST, I'M NOT AWARE, OF HIS CERTIFICATIONS FOR THAT.

OKAY. I, I'M JUST TRYING TO EQUATE THAT WE, YOU KNOW, EITHER TWO THINGS AND LOOK, KEEP TIGER TOWN BEAUTIFUL, I MEAN, THEY POST PICTURES ALL THE TIME OF NEEDLES AND EVERYTHING ELSE THAT THEY PICK UP, AND I DOUBT IF ANY OF ALL THOSE PEOPLE ARE HAZMAT CERTIFIED ALSO, BUT THEY ARE FILLING A GAP THAT DOES A SERVICE FOR BATON ROUGE.

I BELIEVE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG WE DO OFFER THEM SOME FINANCIAL SUPPORT? THAT'S, THAT'S CORRECT, COUNCILMAN.

SO IT'S PRETTY MUCH THE SAME THING. THEY'RE, THEY'RE PICKING UP ON EITHER PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PROPERTY OR WHATEVER ELSE.

THIS ONE IS A GENTLEMAN THAT'S GOING OUT AND DISPOSING OF ALL OF THIS STUFF AND EVERYTHING ON WITH HIS VEHICLE AND ALL, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.

OKAY. SO THERE'S NO DIFFERENCE.

I, I THINK, AGAIN, LIKE THE MAYOR SAID, THIS JUST SOUNDS LIKE A, A STOPGAP PERFORMANCE THING THAT, YOU KNOW, CAN RESPOND QUICKER AND THINGS LIKE THAT, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. AND KEEP OUR DPW CREWS WORKING ON SOME OF THE MORE LONG-TERM THINGS THAT THEY HAVE GOING ON.

LIKE POTHOLES AND FIXING ROADS AND DRAINAGE AND MOWING THE GRASS.

MOWING THE GRASS IN PRIDE AND DISTRICT 1 AND OTHER PLACES LIKE THAT.

THANK Y'ALL.

THANK YOU.

APPRECIATE IT. WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND BY COUNCILMAN MOAK.

[60. 26-00647]

[61. 26-00677]

ITEM 61, AUTHORIZING MAYOR PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT WITH WTD ARCHITECTURE FOR ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN SERVICES IN CONNECTION WITH CORSI EMS SUBSTATION RENOVATIONS ADDITION IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $95,022 BY BUILDING AND GROUNDS DIRECTOR. ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, GO TO COUNCIL. MOVE A MOTION. MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN AMOROSO. SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN HARRIS.

ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES. ITEM 62,

[62. 26-00679]

CHIEF, YOU WANT TO SPEAK ON IT? NO. PLEASE, PLEASE.

A YOU WANT TO DO IT FIRST? OKAY.

I MIGHT BE ABLE TO ANSWER SOME OF THE THINGS.

[00:40:01]

I'M ALSO A LEADER IN THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY HERE, AND I HAVE BEEN LIVING IN BATON ROUGE FOR OVER 18 YEARS, SO I CALL THIS PLACE HOME. I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE I AM A GREAT CONCERN ABOUT THE MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS, SURROUNDING THIS PROPOSAL.

WHILE THE RESOLUTION BROADLY REFERS COMBATING VIOLENT CRIMES AND STRENGTHENING COOPERATION, THE PUBLIC HAS NOT BEEN PROVIDED WITH SUFFICIENT INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THIS TASK WILL OPERATE. I HAVE SOME SPECIFIC QUESTIONS FOR YOU.

WHAT SPECIFIC CRIMES OR THREATS JUST, WILL JUSTIFY THE USE OF THIS FACILITY? WHO WILL OVERSEE THE TASK FORCE AND WHAT AUTHORITY WILL FEDERAL AGENCIES HAVE? WILL LOCAL OFFICIALS MAINTAIN CONTROL OR WILL FEDERAL PRIORITIES TAKE PRECEDENCE? HOW WILL SUCCESS BE MEASURED AND WHAT SAFEGUARDS WILL PUT IN PLACE TO PROTECT CIVIL LIBERTIES? CIVIL LIBERTIES, PREVENT EXPANDED SURVEILLANCE, AND PRESERVE OUR COMMUNITY'S TRUST. THIS RESOLUTION ALSO FAILS TO ADDRESS THE LONG-TERM FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROJECT.

WHILE FEDERAL FUNDING IS BEING OFFERED FOR RENOVATIONS TODAY, I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THE 1 MILLION IS SPENT.

WHO WILL BEAR THE ONGOING COST OF MAINTAINING THIS FACILITY? ALSO PROVIDING SECURITY, SUPPORTING TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE, AND STAFFING THE OPERATION.

BATON ROUGE TAXPAYERS DESERVE CLEAR ANSWERS BEFORE COMMITTING LOCAL RESOURCES TO FEDERAL TO A FEDERAL INITIATIVE. I WILL ALSO LIKE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE COMMUNITY I REPRESENT.

I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT BRING ADDITIONAL FEDERAL ENFORCEMENT ACTIVITY INTO OUR CITY WILL HAVE ON THE RELATIONSHIP, PROGRAMS, AND TRUST THAT LOCAL RESIDENTS, ORGANIZATIONS, AND PUBLIC SERVANTS HAVE WORKED FOR YEARS TO BUILD. BATON ROUGE IS A VIBRANT AND DIVERSE COMMUNITY, AND WE SHOULD BE PROTECTING OUR MOST VULNERABLE RESIDENTS, NOT SUPPORTING POLICIES THAT CREATE FEARS AND DIVISION. NOT LONG AGO, MANY CHILDREN DREAMED OF BECOMING POLICE OFFICERS. THEY SEE NOW LAW ENFORCEMENT AS THEY USED TO SEE THEM AS HEROES, WHOSE JOB WAS TO PROTECT FAMILIES AND KEEP COMMUNITIES SAFE. TODAY, MANY CHILDREN, INCLUDING MY OWN DAUGHTER, FEEL FEAR, DISTRUST, AND ANXIETY WHEN THEY ENCOUNTER LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND THAT SHIFT SHOULD CONCERN US ALL. LAW ENFORCEMENT EXISTS TO PROTECT COMMUNITIES FROM HARM, AND AGREEMENTS LIKE THIS ONE WILL RISK AND IT WILL MAKE THAT JOB EVEN MORE DIFFICULT. WHEN FAMILIES FEAR THAT REPORTING A CRIME OR SEEKING ASSISTANCE COULD EXPOSE THEM TO DETENTION, DEPORTATION, THEY'RE LESS LIKELY TO COME FORWARD, AND SPECIFICALLY VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE, CHILD ABUSE, NEGLECT, HUMAN TRAFFICKING, AND OTHER SERIOUS CRIMES MIGHT CHOOSE TO GO SILENT BECAUSE PEOPLE WILL NOT BE FEELING SAFE.

I HAVE PERSONALLY WITNESSED THE WORK THAT MANY ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS CITY HAVE SPENT YEARS BUILDING TRUST BETWEEN THE IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. AND THOSE EFFORTS LED TO INCREASED REPORTING OF CRIMES, STRONGER PARTNERSHIPS, AND GREATER CONFIDENCE IN PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.

FAMILIES FELT SAFER AND THERE WERE MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS BACK THEN.

MA'AM, YOUR TIME'S UP. I'M GONNA LET YOU CLOSE.

A YEAH, SO I'M JUST GONNA SAY I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS AND I WISH FOR YOU TO, BEFORE YOU MAKE A STAND, REALLY CONSIDER, HOW THIS IS GONNA DIRECTLY IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY'S WELLBEING. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PERSECUTE CRIMES. I THINK THAT WE'RE TRYING TO CRIMINALIZE COMMUNITIES, WHICH IS DIFFERENT. SO I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO PLEASE OPPOSE TO THIS AND CONSIDER THE SEVERAL QUESTIONS I RAISED.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

CHIEF.

THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, COUNCIL. THANK YOU, MA'AM, FOR, BRINGING UP THOSE CONCERNS AND QUESTIONS. I WANTED TO COME SPEAK FIRST, AND I'M SORRY THAT INFORMATION HASN'T REACHED EVERYBODY. BEEN ON THE NEWS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND TRYING TO PUSH OUT THE INFORMATION OF WHAT THIS IS AND WHAT THIS IS NOT.

AND I 1000%, AGREE WITH A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT YOU SAID, AND I GET WHAT'S GOING ON, ACROSS THE COUNTRY. ESPECIALLY MY WIFE IS LATINA, MY IN-LAWS.

AND SO I KNOW THAT THE FEAR THAT WHEN THEY HEAR HOMELAND SECURITY, THAT WHAT THAT BRINGS. WHAT THIS IS NOT, THIS IS NOT ICE. THIS IS NOT BORDER PATROL. THIS IS THE HOMELAND SECURITY TASK FORCE, WHICH IS COMPROMISED OF HOMELAND SECURITY INVESTIGATORS, ALONG WITH THE DEA, ATF, FBI, THE MARSHAL'S OFFICE. AND THIS IS FOR US TO ACCEPT THIS MONEY, ALMOST $1.2 MILLION TO RENOVATE

[00:45:04]

IT IS NOT IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT. THE MANDATE IS VIOLENT CRIMES AND PEOPLE THE LESS THAN 1% OF THE PEOPLE IN OUR, COMMUNITY THAT ARE OUT THERE DOING THE VIOLENT CRIMES AND, ASSOCIATING WITH GANGS AND CARRYING ILLEGAL GUNS. THAT IS WHAT THIS TASK FORCE, DOES.

LIKE I SAID, IT'LL BE A SPACE, WHERE WE ALREADY HAVE BEING THE CAPITAL CITY OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA, WE ALREADY HAVE OFFICERS ASSIGNED ON TASK FORCES WITH EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE, FEDERAL AGENCIES.

WHAT THIS DOES IS PUT THEM ALL UNDER ONE ROOF, UNDER THE SAME SITTING NEXT TO EACH OTHER IN THE DESK WHERE THEY CAN LOOK AT EACH OTHER. THEY'RE NOT WORKING IN SEPARATE SILOS, AND SO THEY CAN BETTER TACKLE THE VIOLENT CRIME IN THE CITY LIMITS OF BATON ROUGE AND THEN OUTSIDE AS WELL.

IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO WHEN I BECAME CHIEF IN 2024, I CREATED OUR SPECIAL INVESTIGATION UNIT. WE HAD OUR NARCOTICS DETECTIVES, OUR GANG DETECTIVES, OUR VIOLENT CRIME PEOPLE ALL KIND OF WORKING SEPARATE. I SAID, NOPE, Y'ALL ARE GONNA GET UNDER THE SAME SUPERVISE UNDER THE SAME ROOF AND Y'ALL ARE GOING TO TACKLE THIS PROBLEM, TOGETHER. THEY'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN THE THINGS THEY'VE BEEN DOING. THIS IS GOING TO BE VERY SIMILAR. WHEN WE WHAT WE KNOW WHEN WE LOOK AT CRIME IN BATON ROUGE AND PEOPLE THAT WE ARREST, THEY ACT VERY DIFFERENT AND WE HEAR IT ON JAIL PHONE CALLS AND EVERYTHING ELSE. THEY SAY, HEY, I'M GOING TO BE ALL RIGHT AS LONG AS THE FEDS DON'T GET INVOLVED, RIGHT? THAT FEAR OF PROSECUTION ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL FOR SOMEBODY THAT IS A CONVICTED FELON CARRYING A STOLEN GUN, AND SHOOTING PEOPLE OUT ON THE STREETS OF BATON ROUGE IS DIFFERENT WHEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS INVOLVED. THIS CAN HELP ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE BACKLOG AT THE 19TH JDC BY SENDING SOME OF OUR VIOLENT CRIMES OVER TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE OR EVEN FEDERAL COURTS, WITH HAVING ALL OF THESE PEOPLE IN THE SAME TASK FORCE WORKING TOGETHER, AT BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT HEADQUARTERS. AND SO THAT'S WHAT THIS MONEY IS FOR, IS JUST TO ACCEPT FOR THEM TO GIVE TO US SO THAT WE CAN RENOVATE THAT SPACE AND DO WHAT WE ALREADY DOING ACROSS THE CITY, BUT PUT EVERYBODY TOGETHER WHERE THEY HAVE TO WORK MORE CLOSELY TOGETHER.

THANK Y'ALL. ANY QUESTIONS Y'ALL HAVE, I'LL BE READY.

THANK YOU, CHIEF.

GOOD EVENING, REVEREND ALEXIS ANDERSON. I SENT EACH OF YOU A, RESPONSE ASKING YOU TO VOTE NO. THE HARM IS ALREADY DONE. THE PURPOSE IS TERROR AND THE TERROR IS ALREADY THERE. I SIT IN THE 19TH JDC, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, EVERY SINGLE DAY.

I PRIORITIZE MONITORING DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COURT BECAUSE OF THE ISSUES. A LOT OF US WORKED FOR A LONG TIME TO FINALLY GET RID OF THE 287(G) 287(G) AGREEMENT HERE.

ON JUNE 27TH, MANY OF US WILL HAVE THE HONOR OF CELEBRATING WORLD REFUGEE DAY HERE. THE CHAIR HAS ALREADY GONE OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.

MANY OF US GET THE EMAILS AND THE ALERTS EVERY SINGLE DAY.

ICE IS ALREADY HERE. ICE IS ALREADY IN THE JAIL. THE CHAIR IS THE PURPOSE. THERE ARE OTHER PARISHES THAT WHEN GIVEN THESE OPPORTUNITIES STOOD UP FOR THEIR FAMILIES, FRIENDS, AND NEIGHBORS AND SAID, WE WILL NOT BE PARTY TO THIS. I RECOGNIZE THAT IN SPITE OF THE FACT THAT IT IS A SIMPLE REQUEST, THESE TASK FORCES HAVE EXISTED FOR DECADES. THAT IS NOT THE SAME THING AS EMBEDDING. AN AGENCY IN THE HEADQUARTERS OF AN ORGANIZATION THAT THE TAXPAYERS, INCLUDING THE FAMILIES, FRIENDS, AND NEIGHBORS WHO ARE REFUGEES AND IMMIGRANTS IN THIS COMMUNITY, PAY FOR. PEOPLE ALREADY ARE NOT COMING FORWARD. THE TERROR IS ALREADY HERE. I ASK YOU MAYBE JUST FOR ONCE. THAT BEAUTIFUL LITTLE GIRL RIGHT THERE, SHE AND HER CLASSMATES ARE TERRORIZED. YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS. AT LEAST THINK ABOUT DELAYING THIS SO THAT YOU CAN HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITIES, NOT LAW ENFORCEMENT. EACH OF YOU CAN HEAR

[00:50:02]

AT SOME POINT, WE ARE ASKING YOU TO REPRESENT US.

THANK YOU.

HELLO, GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS CHRISTINA CASAS, AND I AM A COMMUNITY ORGANIZER HERE IN BATON ROUGE AND SURROUNDING AREAS. MY, SOME COLLEAGUES, FORMER COLLEAGUES HAVE ALREADY STATED ALL OF OUR CONCERNS, AND, I'M JUST, I'M JUST GOING TO ADD BY SAYING THAT WE ALL WANT A SAFER CITY. WE ALL WANT TO SEE NO MORE SHOOTINGS, NO MORE YOUTH BEING CRIMINALIZED.

WE WANT TO ACTUALLY PREVENT CRIMES FROM HAPPENING. AND WHAT THIS IS, A MILLION DOLLARS. I KNOW THAT IT CANNOT BE USED, THIS SPECIFIC BUDGET CANNOT BE USED IN ANY OTHER, THING FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, BUT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN US BETTER WHETHER WE CAN USE THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY IN IN OTHER THINGS THAT WOULD ACTUALLY PREVENT CRIME AND FUND ORGANIZATIONS AND, A LOT OF OTHER PROGRAMS THAT ARE BARELY GETTING ANY FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO PREVENT CRIME IN OUR CITY.

BUT FROM MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT WE CANNOT USE THAT MONEY, RIGHT? BUT ARE WE LOOKING INTO, INVESTING IN CRIME PREVENTION? ARE WE LOOKING INTO.. HAVE Y'ALL GONE TO VISIT OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS BUILDINGS? MY DAUGHTER, WENT TO WESTDALE, MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND SHE WOULD COME TO HER SCHOOL AND BE LIKE, OKAY, ONE MORE DAY IN PRISON BECAUSE OF THIS BUILDING. IT'S ALMOST FALLING APART. THE WAY THAT THIS BUILDING LOOKS, IT LOOKS JUST LIKE A PRISON.

SO THEY AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, WE HAVE SO MANY OTHER THINGS THAT WE CAN BE FOCUSING ON IN OUR CITY TO ENSURE THAT OUR YOUTH IS ACTUALLY THRIVING SO THAT WE CAN GET THEM OFF OF THE STREETS. SO, SO THAT OUR COMMUNITY ARE FEELING SAFER SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE A GOOD COLLABORATION OR A GOOD TRUST WITH OUR LOCAL POLICE ENFORCEMENT. SO THAT THEN WE CAN COMBAT CRIME THE, THE, THE WAY THAT IT NEEDS TO BE DONE WITH TRUST, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND TRANSPARENCY. SO I JUST ASK EACH AND ONE OF YOU TO THINK ABOUT THAT AND TO ALSO GIVE US SOME ANSWERS.

AND I KNOW, I MEAN, I HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS WORKING FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND I DON'T THINK THEY FEEL 100% COMFORTABLE WITH WHAT THIS BUDGET IS GOING TO BE DOING, WORKING WITH AN AGENCY WHO HAS BEEN TEARING PEOPLE APART, FAMILIES APART, AND DESTROYING PEOPLE'S DREAMS. AND I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA CUT ME OFF MAYBE, SO I'M GONNA LET YOU CLOSE.

YOUR TIME'S UP, BUT I'LL LET YOU CLOSE.

THAT'S WHY. SO THAT'S ALL BASICALLY I HAVE TO SAY. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I AM HERE TO ANSWER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK? YES, MY NAME IS ROSALIE WASHINGTON, AND I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE, NEW MONEY GOING TO WHEREVER COMING FROM, GRANT MONEY, WHATEVER. THE PROBLEM IS, AND I'VE NEVER HEARD IT IN THE LAST YEAR, THIS YEAR, WHERE ARE THE GUNS COMING FROM? KIDS HAVEN'T EVEN FINISHED SCHOOL YET. THERE'S NO BLACK PARENT, NO LATINO FAMILY GIVING THEIR KIDS A GUN, SAY, NOW YOU GO SHOOT MARY'S SON, AND YOU GO SHOOT, SUE SOME, WHERE ARE THE GUNS COMING FROM? WE DON'T HAVE YOU CAN'T EVEN GET FOOD STAMPS HERE. YOU GET $23 WORTH OF FOOD STAMPS TO GET A LITTLE SOCIAL SECURITY RAISE, WHICH IS A FOOD, TO ME IT'S A, JUST A LITTLE CHECK YOU GET BECAUSE EVERYBODY LOOK LIKE THEY GET $900 TO LIVE OFF OF. BUT, TO ME, IT SHOULD BE GIVEN TO DIFFERENT PROGRAMS LIKE THE HUNDRED BLACK MEN OF AMERICA TO TAKE AND, TRY TO FIGURE OUT THE PROBLEMS OF THE VIOLENCE. WHAT THE PROBLEM OF THE VIOLENCE IS, PARENTS, MOTHERS IS TRYING TO WORK 2 AND 3 JOBS, KIDS AT HOME LOOKING AT THESE, XBOX VIDEOS SHOOTING, AND KIDS THINKING THAT, OH, HE GONNA JUMP UP NEXT TIME WHEN I FINISH. NO, THEY DON'T EVEN

[00:55:02]

SO I, I THINK IT SHOULD BE GIVEN TO SOME ORGANIZATIONS OR SOME CHURCHES THAT'LL GO OUT IN THE PUBLIC AND TRY TO FIND OUT THE PROBLEM.

BUT THE MAIN THING, LIKE I HEARD, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S TRUE, ABOUT THE GUNS COMING FROM TRAINS THAT STOPS IN CERTAIN AREAS, AND THERE'S A LOAD OF, GUNS SITTING THERE AND THEY GO GET THEM. THEY GOT TO GET THEM FROM SOMEWHERE. GUNS UP IN THE PAWN SHOP RUN $400 FOR A LITTLE BITTY ONE LIKE THIS, AND LONG ONES RUN $1,000 AND $1,200, AND THEY SELLING LIKE I DON'T KNOW WHAT. SO WHERE DO THEY GET THE MONEY FROM? GANGSTER AND GANGSTERS WE DIDN'T HAVE GANGSTERS IN, IN THE '50S AND THE '60S. WE WORKED TOGETHER. YOU DIDN'T NEED TO PAY NO, CHILD, SOMEBODY TO WATCH YOUR KIDS.

YOUR NEIGHBOR WATCH YOU. WATCH FROM THE FRONT OF YOUR HOUSE TO THE BACK OF YOUR HOUSE.

JUST NEED TO GO TO MISS, MISS CANDY'S CANDY STORE. SHE MIGHT HAVE CALLED AFTER SHE GOT YOUR MONEY AND SAY SHE CAME OUT THERE, Y'ALL, BECAUSE WE WAS ALLOWED TO HAD TO STAY IN THE YARD TILL YOUR PARENTS COME HOME AND BE BACK IN THE HOUSE BEFORE THE LIGHTS GO OFF. COME ON. SO I, I HOPE, WE COULD DO BETTER WITH, FUNDING MONEY OTHER THAN FINDING OUT WHERE THE GUNS COME FROM AND THE DOPE AND THE MONEY.

EVERY TIME I SEE ON TELEVISION, GUNS, MONEY, EVERYTHING. I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO BE A GANGSTER. IF I'M GOING TO BE A GANGSTER, I'M GOING TO HAVE ONE GOING IN ONE CAR, ONE GOING IN AS SOON AS I GO AROUND THE CORNER WHERE I GOT THE DOPE FROM. AND I'M NOT A GANGSTER.

THANK YOU.

HI, MY NAME IS SARAH LEWIS.

I AM A COMMUNITY ADVOCATE HERE IN BATON ROUGE. I'M NOT GONNA REITERATE EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN SAID, BUT MY QUESTION IS SIMPLY IS, WHY THIS PARTNERSHIP AND WHY NOW? WE ALREADY HAVE PROGRAMS THAT HAS BEEN SET, THAT'S BEEN OPERATING. I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING, LAST YEAR WITH THE BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY STREET TEAM, AND THEY HAD THAT. THEY BUILT TRUST IN THE COMMUNITIES AND THEY'RE ABLE TO COMBAT THOSE CRIMES AS HIS, AS, THE CHIEF OR OFFICER MENTIONED.

AND SO WHEN WE HAVE THAT ALREADY IN PLACE, AND THEN NOTING THAT IT HAS BEEN DEFUNDED. NOW WE'RE ASKING FOR MONEY TO INCLUDE DHS, AS MY COLLEAGUES HAVE ALSO MENTIONED.

THAT IS A WAY FOR INFORMATION TO BE PASSED OUT. IMMIGRANT, IF THEY GET STOPPED, AND WE ALREADY HAVE THOSE FEAR, REPORTING CRIMES. WE HAVE THOSE FEARS OF CALLING THE POLICE IF SOMETHING HAPPENED. AND SO I GUESS WHY NOW? WHY, WHY ARE WE WANTING TO CREATE THIS PARTNERSHIP? AND HAVE THIS MONEY TO COMBAT, CRIMINALS. SO THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I'LL SAY.

THANK YOU.

HI, MY NAME IS TANYA WOLF.

I'M A COMMUNITY ADVOCATE IN THE STATE, PRIMARILY WORKING WITH FOLKS WHO ARE DETAINED IN ICE JAILS IN LOUISIANA AND MISSISSIPPI. I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND SOME CONCERNS.

WITH RESPECT TO THE COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT, I WONDER IF THIS COUNCIL HAS BEEN ABLE TO SEE IN ITS ENTIRETY THE AGREEMENT.

THERE'S A LOT OF LANGUAGE, IN THESE AGREEMENTS THAT CAN PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION BEFORE VOTING. THE OTHER THING IS WITH RESPECT TO HSI, HOMELAND SECURITY INVESTIGATIONS, THAT IS A SUBAGENCY OF ICE, AS IS ERO, WHICH STANDS FOR ENFORCEMENT AND REMOVAL OPERATIONS. SO, MY QUESTION IS, HOW IS IT THAT HSI HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ICE WHEN THEY ARE A SUB-AGENCY OF ICE? THE OTHER QUEUE? I HAVE IS, HOW IS HSI, PROVIDING TRANSPARENCY TO THE COMMUNITY WITH RESPECT TO THEIR OPERATIONS? HSI OFTEN CONDUCT? ARRESTS THAT RESULT IN WHAT'S CALLED COLLATERAL ARRESTS. SO, ALTHOUGH THEY ARE TARGETING MAYBE BE ONE PERSON, AS I KNOW LIVING IN AN IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY AND FROM AN IMMIGRANT FAMILY, OFTEN THERE ARE MIXED-STATUS FAMILIES. SO YOU MIGHT BE TARGETING ONE PERSON, BUT THEN THEY CONDUCT COLLATERAL ARRESTS. AND A LOT OF THE TIMES, THESE HSI OPERATIONS ARE DONE IN COLLABORATION WITH ICE. SO MY QUESTION IS, WILL ICE HAVE ACCESS TO, THIS TASK FORCE AND THIS BUILDING SPECIFICALLY? THE CHIEF MENTIONS THAT FOLKS WILL BE UNDER ONE ROOF. THAT TO ME SOUNDS LIKE MORE COLLABORATION WITH ICE, AND SO WILL ICE HAVE ACCESS TO THIS RENOVATED BUILDING? $1 MILLION IS A LOT, AND SO AGAIN, I JUST ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO REALLY READ THROUGH, THE NITTY-GRITTY

[01:00:02]

THE OTHER PIECE I WANTED TO ALSO MENTION IS AND SOME OF MY, NEIGHBORS ALSO MENTIONED THIS, BUT THE DEATHS IN ICE DETENTION ARE RISING.

WE ARE NOW AT 50 DEATHS, AND, THAT'S 50 HUMAN BEINGS. THOSE ARE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND PEOPLE AND OUR LOVED ONES. AND SO WHEN HSI CONDUCTS THESE OPERATIONS THAT RESULT IN THESE COLLATERAL ARRESTS, THAT IS ALSO POTENTIALLY PUTTING SOMEBODY AT THE RISK OF PREMATURE DEATH IN THESE ICE DETENTION CENTERS, AND I SEE IT ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS. THE AMOUNT OF MEDICAL NEGLECT AND ABUSE.

SO IT'S THAT LITTLE COLLATERAL ARREST THAT YOU MAY SEE A NUMBER IN A CHART FOR IS A HUMAN BEING THAT IS NOW AT RISK OF PREMATURE DEATH BEING IN THESE JAILS THAT HAVE ABHORRENT AND, INHUMANE CONDITIONS. THE OTHER THING IS HSI. I KNOW I UNDERSTAND FROM THIS PROPOSAL THAT THEIR PRIMARY MISSION IS CRIMINAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.

HOWEVER, BECAUSE THEY STILL REGULARLY PARTNER WITH ICE, THAT IS CIVIL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT. AND SO WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS AND LIABILITY FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IF THEY WERE TO UNLAWFULLY ARREST OR DETAIN SOMEBODY THAT DID NOT IN FACT HAVE THE CORRECT WARRANT OR DETAINER TO DO SO? AND I KNOW I'M OUT OF TIME, BUT LASTLY, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT, LIKE, ERODING THE TRUST BETWEEN COMMUNITY POLICING IN THE COMMUNITY IS SEEMS ANTITHETICAL TO WHAT EVERYBODY HERE IS TRYING TO ACHIEVE. AND SO I JUST ASK THE COUNCIL TO REALLY CONSIDER WHAT IT ACTUALLY MEANS TO SIGN THIS AGREEMENT BEFORE MAKING A DECISION.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS SALOMON PANIAGUA. I'M FROM MEXICO. I BELONG TO A RESCUE AND RECOVERY, ORGANIZATION. WE WERE HERE 25 YEARS AGO ON THE WORLD TRADE CENTER. I WAS HERE IN KATRINA. LAST YEAR I WAS IN TEXAS ON THE RIVER, GUADALUPE RIVER. SO I'VE BEEN EVERYWHERE.

AND AS LATINO, I SEE OVER HERE THE, SPANISH COMMUNITY ALREADY LOST THE TRUST ON THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

THERE IS A LOT OF CRIMES THAT I KNOW THAT THEY CALL ME, PLEASE HELP US. I, TEACH THE GUYS HOW TO DO LIKE A LITTLE, CPR, THINGS LIKE THAT, SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO CALL EVEN THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THEY DON'T TRUST. THE FEAR IS ALREADY HERE. DHS, NO MATTER HOW YOU PUT IT, IS A IMMIGRATION PART OF IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT.

SO, IN 1939, THE GERMANS PUT THE JEWISH PEOPLE WITH THE PAPER OVER HERE SO THEY CAN SEE THE HOW WHO THEY ARE. SO THAT'S HOW WE ARE RIGHT NOW. DON'T TELL ME NO. YOU LOOK LATINO, THEY'RE GONNA STAB YOU.

THEY LOOK FOR ANY REASON TO COME AND STAB YOU. THEY DIDN'T SAY WHAT'S THE REASON THEY STAB YOU. THEY DON'T EVEN TELL YOU YOUR RIGHTS. THEY SAY, ARE YOU LEGAL OR NOT? SO I THINK PUTTING POLICE WITH THE HOMELAND SECURITY AND STABBING PEOPLE, THAT'S NOT THE, THE RIGHT ANSWER.

PREVENTION.

YOU CAN INVEST THAT MONEY IN EDUCATION. YOU CAN INVEST THAT MONEY IN HEALTH. WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE WITH A HEALTH PROBLEMS OVER HERE IN BATON ROUGE. EVEN THE ROADS.

YOU CAN FIX THE STREETS.

THAT'S HOW YOU PREVENT CRIME CREATING JOBS, CREATING SPORTS, SOMETHING TO DO AFTER SCHOOL.

NO, GO OVER THERE AND BE AFRAID OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT OR EMTS OR EVEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.

NOW, THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

GOOD AFTERNOON, COUNCIL MEMBERS. MR. PRO TEM, I DO HAVE A MATTER THAT WAS BEFORE THE COUNCIL THAT WAS HEARD PRIOR TO MY ARRIVAL HERE TODAY, A CONDEMNATION, BUT I WANTED TO FOLLOW PROTOCOL. DO YOU HAVE ANYONE THAT I COULD SPEAK WITH TO TELL ME HOW TO GET THAT? SPEAK WITH THE YOU CAN SPEAK WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBER'S AIDE. I DON'T KNOW WHICH, WHICH COUNCIL DISTRICT.

OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. SPEAK WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBER'S AIDE AND WE CAN BRING IT BACK UP IF NEED OKAY. HI, MY NAME IS SCOTT SONJE.

I AM A NAVY VETERAN AND A COMMUNITY MEMBER, AND I WANTED TO SPEAK ON THIS BECAUSE, FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS ERODED THEIR TRUST IN RECENT TIME.

THAT'S SOMETHING WE REALLY NEED TO THINK ABOUT BEFORE VOTING ON THIS.

COMMUNITY OUTREACH INTERVENTION PROGRAMS HAVE HAD A DRASTIC REDUCTION IN VIOLENT CRIME IN MAJOR CITIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY, BUT THESE INTERVENTIONS RELY HEAVILY ON TRUST. IF WE INTRODUCE MORE FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT

[01:05:02]

MY NAME IS ZANE. I'M A MEMBER OF THE FREEDOM ROAD SOCIALIST ORGANIZATION. IT'S VERY POWERFUL TESTIMONY HAS ALREADY BEEN GIVEN TODAY. I'M NOT GOING TO JUST REPEAT WHAT THEY'VE SAID EVEN THOUGH IT ALL BEARS REPEATING. I TAKE ISSUE WITH THE STATEMENTS THAT WERE MADE BY THE MEMBER OF LAW ENFORCEMENT WHO SPOKE EARLIER.

THE, LEGISLATION DOES NOT SPECIFY WHICH DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY, AGENCIES CAN BE PART OF THE TASK FORCES THAT WILL BE SET UP IN THIS BUILDING. SO THERE IS NO REASON THAT THEY COULD NOT BE ICE.

NOW FURTHERMORE, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY HAS MANY DIFFERENT AGENCIES, NONE OF WHICH ARE VERY GOOD. THEY ICE IS ONE SEPARATE AGENCY, THE DEPARTMENT OF, BORDER SECURITY IS ANOTHER.

THEY HAVE THEIR OWN AGENCIES UNDER THAT, AND A LOT OF THE WORST VIDEOS WE SEE, A LOT THE WORST, ACTS BY ICE AGENTS WE SEE GOING OUT, ARE DONE BY BORDER SECURITY.

SO IT'S REALLY CIRCUMVENTING THE WHOLE ISSUE, AND IT WAS ALSO RIGHTLY POINTED OUT THAT THAT HOMELAND SECURITY INVESTIGATIONS IS A PART OF ICE. SO, WHAT HE SAID WAS JUST COMPLETELY NONSENSE.

NOW, THE LEGISLATION, IF YOU SAY THERE'S LIKE SOME BROADER AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVEN'T SEEN THAT'S NOT IN THE LEGISLATION THAT DOES SPECIFY THIS, IT WOULDN'T REALLY CHANGE ANYTHING CONSIDERING THE HOMELAND SECURITY INVESTIGATIONS IS PART OF ICE, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO JUST GOING TO TAKE YOUR WORD FOR IT. IT NEEDS TO BE IN THE OFFICIAL PUBLIC LEGISLATION THAT'S BEING VOTED ON TODAY. AND FURTHERMORE, THIS THE ICE AGENTS, YOU LOOK AT THE CONDUCT ACROSS, THE COUNTRY, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT TO SAY THIS IS JUST ABOUT TARGETING VIOLENT CRIME, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE IMMIGRATION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. WE DON'T NEED TO BE TAKING CUES FROM THE PEOPLE WHO SHOOT PEOPLE IN THE STREET. I KNOW THE BATON ROUGE PD IS PRETTY BAD, BUT WE DON'T NEED TO TAKE ANY CUES FROM ICE, EVEN WORSE. I MEAN, THIS IS RIDICULOUS. DON'T VOTE ON THIS.

OH, YOU, YOU CURSING ON SOMETHING THAT'S GOING LIVE PUBLIC IS THIS IS RIDICULOUS.

DON'T DO IT AGAIN OR YOU'RE GOING TO BE OUT OF HERE.

OH, PLEASE.

THAT'S OUTRAGEOUS. ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? GOOD EVENING, COUNCILMEN AND WOMEN. MY NAME IS AMELIA HERRERA. AND SO I'M JUST COMING BEFORE YOU TODAY TO SAY I JUST CAME FROM A MEETING SPEAKING WITH SOME COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND TEACHERS ABOUT SCHOOL-TO-PRISON PIPELINE. THAT'S SO REAL IN OUR COMMUNITIES. AND THEN I LOOK AT THIS AND YOU WANT TO DON'T APPROVE THIS BECAUSE WE'RE ALREADY BEING OVERPOLICED, LIKE, TREMENDOUSLY. AND UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE BUILDING ME WHAT IS IT FOR? FUNDING FOR YOUR BUILDING. I GET THAT, BUT WE NEED RESOURCES TO PREVENT THE VIOLENCE FROM OCCURRING. BRINGING ICE WITH THEIR AGGRESSIVE TACTICS IS GOING TO MAKE IT A WORSE.

IT'S GOING TO MAKE IT WORSE.

MY NAME IS AMELIA HERRERA. I WAS PULLED OVER 3 TIMES BY ICE. AND WHAT THEY ASKED ME WAS, IS THAT YOUR CAR? IS THAT ARE YOU AMELIA HERRERA? BECAUSE I'M BLACK, BUT I'M AFRO-LATINA. THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN A LOT. I EVEN WENT TO THE AIRPORT AND I WAS HELD BACK FROM, FROM GETTING ON AN AIRPLANE BECAUSE OF MY NAME. THIS IS RIDICULOUS.

WE HAVE MUCH BIGGER PROBLEMS TO ADDRESS IN EBR. WE'RE FIGHTING FOR OUR VOTING RIGHTS, FOR DEMOCRACY, AND YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT ICE AND FUNDING? I MEAN, GOD, YOU GUYS HAVE TO BE MORE PASSIONATE AND EMPATHETIC ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN YOUR COMMUNITIES.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? HI THERE, I'M ENOLA GEYER.

I'M A MEMBER OF FREEDOM ROAD SOCIALIST ORGANIZATION, AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS PROPOSED COLLABORATION WITH DHS, THIS PARTNERSHIP WITH DHS IS JUST AN ABSOLUTE SLAP IN THE FACE, AND THE FACT THAT OVER A MILLION DOLLARS WOULD BE USED TO FUND THIS COLLABORATION IS DISGUSTING. LAST TIME I WAS AT A METRO CITY COUNCIL MEETING, I WATCHED YOU GUYS OFFER VICTIMS OF THE BRPD'S TORTURE WAREHOUSE SPECIFICALLY AN 11-YEAR-OLD GIRL AND A 60-YEAR-OLD WOMAN WHO WERE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED AND TORTURED BY BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT MERE PENNIES COMPARED TO THE AMOUNT THAT YOU'RE OFFERING FOR THIS COLLABORATION. WHY WOULD WE SUPPORT OUR GOVERNMENT

[01:10:01]

AND WE KNOW THAT CONSEQUENCES OF BRINGING DHS INTO BATON ROUGE WILL MAINLY BE FELT BY MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY WHO ARE MEMBERS OF COLOR. IT'S SICKENING THAT YOU WOULD WORK WITH AN ORGANIZATION THAT LIKE ICE, ESPECIALLY WHEN LIKE 2 HOURS AWAY WE HAVE A SORRY, WE HAVE AN ICE WAREHOUSE OR AN ICE DETENTION CENTER.

PLEASE, PLEASE, LOOK, YOU SHOULD APOLOGIZE TO THE LITTLE GIRL SITTING BEHIND YOU WHO HAS TO COME HERE TO HEAR LANGUAGE LIKE THAT.

WELL, SHE WOULDN'T HAVE TO COME HERE IF YOU GUYS WEREN'T TRYING TO COLLABORATE WITH DHS.

I, I LOOK, I DON'T CARE WHAT THE ARGUMENT IS. YOU LOSE CREDIBILITY WHEN YOU ACT LIKE THAT.

WELL, WE HAVE 2 HOURS AWAY AN ICE DETENTION FACILITY THAT WAS JUST REPORTED ON TO HAVE THE SECOND DEATH IN 2 MONTHS, TO HAVE INHUMANE LIVING CONDITIONS THAT NEED TO BE FIXED. WHY WOULD WE WANT TO COLLABORATE WITH AN ORGANIZATION LIKE THAT? WHY WOULD WE WANT TO BRING MORE VIOLENCE INTO OUR COMMUNITIES INSTEAD OF ACTUALLY HELPING PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING IN POVERTY, HELPING OUR COMMUNITY? THANK YOU.

ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? YOU ALREADY YOU ALREADY YOU ALREADY SPOKE ON THIS ITEM. SAME ITEM.

YES, SAME ITEM.

SAME ITEM. YES, MA'AM. NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, YOU ALREADY SPOKE.

YES, SIR.

GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS MILTON MITCHELL JR. I JUST HAVE A QUESTION IS WHO BENEFITS FROM ALL OF THIS? THAT'S JUST THAT'S BASICALLY IT IS. I DON'T KIND OF SPEAKING TO WHAT I HEARD EARLIER ABOUT THE DOUBLE-DIPPING, SO TO SPEAK. I'M NOT 100% CLEAR BECAUSE OF THIS PRACTICE CALLED CIVIL ASSET FORFEITURE, WHERE PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED TO GO AND SAY, THAT'S A BLIGHTED PROPERTY, I WANT THAT. WE HAVEN'T FOUND THE OWNERS, AND I'M HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME AS TO HOW THE CITY IS DOING THEIR DUE DILIGENCE AND LOCATING THE OWNERS OF PROPERTIES. AND I THINK THAT THIS IS JUST GOING TO LEAD TO ANOTHER SITUATION I THINK IT'S THE WRONG ITEM.

IN THEIR PROPERTIES, AND THEY, THEY'RE BEING GIVEN AWAY TO PEOPLE.

SIR, I THINK YOU MIGHT BE TALKING ABOUT A DIFFERENT ITEM. THIS IS TALKING ABOUT A GRANT, A FEDERAL GRANT.

OF COURSE.

FOR BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

YES.

OKAY. WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE BLIGHT OR CONDEMNATIONS.

ALL RIGHT. WELL, YEAH, MORE OKAY. I'M SORRY IF EXCUSE ME. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

SO MORE POLICING, I FEEL THAT IT'S GOING TO LEAD TO MORE PEOPLE GETTING THEIR PROPERTIES TAKEN FROM THEM, SOLD OUT FROM UNDER THEM IN DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES THAT ARE IMPOVERISHED THROUGHOUT THE STATE, NOT JUST NECESSARILY HERE IN BATON ROUGE. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. Y'ALL HAVE A GOOD DAY.

THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK? GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS ROXANA CHAPA. I AM A COURT INTERPRETER. EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN SAID BEARS REPEATING, HOWEVER, I WILL NOT DO THAT. I AM GOING TO TOUCH ON SOMETHING THAT IT HASN'T BEEN TOUCHED JUST BECAUSE IT IS IN MY LINE OF WORK.

LIKE I SAID, I'M A COURT INTERPRETER, SO I KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN THE COURT SYSTEMS, EITHER IN IMMIGRATION COURT AND/OR TRAFFIC, CRIMINAL, EVERY COURT. SOMETHING THAT IS [INAUDIBLE] HAPPENING NOW THAT DIDN'T USED TO HAPPEN. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE NOT SHOWING UP.

WHY? BECAUSE THEY'RE AFRAID.

THEY'RE AFRAID OF THIS. IF THIS GETS VOTED ON, THIS IS JUST GOING TO MAKE THINGS WORSE. I INTERPRET ALSO FOR CHILDREN THAT ARE, INTERVIEWED FOR INVESTIGATIONS BECAUSE OF SOME KIND OF ABUSE OR SOME KIND OF SOMETHING GOING ON IN THEIR HOMES. THE KIDS ARE SHOW ARE TELLING PEOPLE WHAT HAPPENED WHEN IT GETS REPORTED AT SCHOOL. WHEN CAS OR CAC COMES IN AND INTERVIEWS THE CHILDREN, I MADE IT UP, AND THEY'RE GOING RIGHT BACK INTO THEIR HOMES BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO REPORT. YOU CANNOT THIS CANNOT HAPPEN TO OUR COMMUNITY. PEOPLE, THIS IT'S, IT'S A TRAP. IT'S A TRAP.

PEOPLE NEED TO SHOW UP TO THEIR COURTS BECAUSE THEY WANT TO.

THEY WANT THEIR RECORDS CLEAN.

HOWEVER, THEY'RE NOT SHOWING UP BECAUSE THEY'RE AFRAID, AND IT ENDS UP IN A CYCLE BECAUSE THEN IT'S AN AUTOMATIC BENCH WARRANT, AND THEY'RE GOING

[01:15:01]

IT'S NOT LIKE THEY CAN CALL THEIR FRIEND, HEY, CAN YOU SELL THIS FOR ME AND SEND ME MY MONEY TO MY COUNTRY. BECAUSE THAT IS NOT HAPPENING. THEY'RE LOSING THE LIVES THAT THEY HAVE BUILT HERE. WHEN THEY GET RELEASED FROM DETEN FROM THE DETENTION CENTERS AND GET DEPORTED, ALLEGEDLY THEY GET THEIR PROPERTY BACK THAT THEY HAD ON THEIR PERSONS. IF THEY HAD MONEY, THEY LOST THAT MONEY. I KNOW THAT BECAUSE I HELP THEM.

I TRY TO HELP THEM. I HAD A GENTLEMAN CALL ME FROM HIS COUNTRY, HEY, I WAS GIVEN THIS CARD WHEN I WENT IN, I HAD $1,400 IN MY WALLET.

THEY GAVE ME THIS CARD AND IT WAS ONE OF THOSE, LIKE, UNIVERSAL MASTERCARD'S OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES.

THAT MONEY IS LOST. EVERYTHING IS GETTING STOLEN FROM THEM.

THIS IS NOT A GOOD IDEA. DHS, NO MATTER HOW YOU SLICE IT, IT'S ICE AND IT'S GONNA TERRORIZE EVEN FURTHER OUR COMMUNITIES. I KNOW I HAVE FRIENDS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT ARE NOT IN AGREEMENT WITH THIS BECAUSE OF THE SAME THING. I CANNOT GET OUT AND HELP THE PEOPLE IN MY COMMUNITY BECAUSE THEY ARE NOW AFRAID OF ME. WE CANNOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN. PLEASE VOTE AGAINST THIS.

THANK YOU.

ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NO ONE, GO TO COUNCIL.

COUNCILMAN HURST.

HEY, CHIEF, COME UP FOR ME, PLEASE. LISTEN, I, I DON'T KNOW A WHOLE LOT ABOUT HOMELAND SECURITY.

BUT I HEARD A LOT TODAY. SO MY QUEST MY FIRST QUESTION FOR YOU IS, IS ICE A SUB-AGENCY OF HSA? THEY'RE ALL UNDER THE SAME KIND OF UMBRELLA, LIKE, TAKE FOR EXAMPLE THE MARSHAL'S OFFICE. YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT GO OUT AND FIND FUGITIVES. YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT DO COURTROOM SECURITY. TAKE LIKE THE MARINES AS A SUBSTATION OF THE NAVY. SECRET SERVICE, YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT PROTECT THE PRESIDENT. YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT DO TAX FRAUD. THEY HAVE DIFFERENT, KIND OF MISSIONS UNDERNEATH THERE. WHAT THE HOMELAND SECURITY INVESTIGATIVE TASK FORCE FOCUSES ON IS GUNS, GANGS, AND VIOLENT CRIME. THEY DO NOT DO IMMIGRATION. THEY DO NOT DO BORDER SECURITY. THAT'S SO DIFFERENT DIVISION.

CAN YOU GUARANTEE ON THE MIC THAT ICE WILL NOT HAVE BE HOUSED IN YOUR OFFICE? CORRECT.

WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE ICE AGENTS AS PART OF THIS TASK FORCE.

OR ANYBODY THAT'S STRICTLY LOOKING FOR IMMIGRANTS THAT ARE NOT RELATED TO AN, AN EXISTING CRIME THAT'S BEING INVESTIGATED? 100,000%. I CAN'T REITERATE THAT ENOUGH. AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF DISTRUST GIVEN WHAT IS HAPPENING, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE NATION, I GET IT. I GET IT FROM A PERSONAL LEVEL. I GET IT FROM HAVING MY WIFE AS LATINA AND HER FAMILY. I GET IT FROM WHEN ICE WAS HERE, VERY ACTIVE, EARLIER THIS YEAR. I WENT TO, FAMILIES' HOMES THAT WERE AFRAID TO LEAVE THEIR HOUSE.

MEMBERS OF MY CHURCH WENT TO THEIR HOUSE AND BROUGHT THEM GROCERIES BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO LEAVE THEIR HOUSE. I GET THAT THE FEAR IS REAL.

THIS IS NOT THAT. THIS IS NOT IMMIGRATION.

I GOT YOU. YOU ON MY TIME.

SO, PARIS ATTORNEY, I NEED YOU GOT A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS. I DON'T WANNA USE MY OTHER 5. SO MY QUESTION IS, THERE'S A CEA CLAP PROOF, IRON PROOF THAT THE ICE THAT ICE AGENCY CANNOT BE HOUSED IN BRPD IF THEY CHOOSE TO DO SO AS A PART OF THE AGENCY THAT PROVIDED THIS FUNDING.

B THAT INFORMATION, THAT DELINEATION IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE DOCUMENTS THAT I HAVE READ.

SO WHICH MEANS THAT AT ANY POINT IN TIME, ANY SUBAGENCY CAN BE HOUSED IN BR CHIEF, YOU'RE NOT A LAWYER. THAT CAN BE HOUSED IN BRPD IF THEY CHOOSE TO DO SO BECAUSE THEY NEED A SPACE IN BATON ROUGE.

B MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT ANY ACTIVITIES THAT HAPPEN THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE A COLLABORATION WITH THE CHIEF'S APPROVAL.

OKAY, IS THAT IN THE CEA? YES, SIR.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH. BUT WE, WE FACE A LOT OF SIMILAR DISPARITIES. WE'RE NOT GETTING PICKED UP IN TRAFFIC BECAUSE WE WERE BROUGHT HERE ON BOATS, BUT THE DIFFERENCE IS, IS THERE COMMUNITIES WHEN WE WALK DOWN, YOU GET 911 CALL BECAUSE THE BLACK MAN AND COMMUNITY, RIGHT? THERE'S STILL PEOPLE THAT, THAT LIVE LIKE THAT, TALK LIKE THAT, SPEAK LIKE THAT. IT HAPPENS, RIGHT? SO WE, WE KNOW WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. I WAS, I WAS PULLED OVER, TRANSPARENTLY BY A BLACK STATE TROOPER BECAUSE I WAS DRIVING WHILE BLACK. SO IT'S NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, WE, WE GET PROFILED AT ALL LEVELS. SO I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND. MY BIGGEST CONCERN WAS THE LEGALITY OF THE CONTRACT, WHAT PROTECTIONS ARE IN THERE. AND MY FINAL QUESTION FOR THE PARISH ATTORNEY IS, IF THEY BREAK BECAUSE I KNOW THIS

[01:20:01]

IF THEY DECIDE TO LEAVE OR WE KICK THEM OUT? IF WE KICK THEM OUT, IS THERE ANY PENALTY? EITHER.

OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT.

I THINK THAT'S IT FOR ME, MAN.

LOOK, I, I LOOK I'LL JUST GIVE Y'ALL MY PERSONAL OPINION. YOU KNOW, AMERICA WAS FOUNDED AS A MELTING POT, SO WE, WE GET TO DECIDE WHO WE WANT HERE NOW WHEN IT BENEFITS US OR DONE IT DOESN'T BENEFIT US. WHEN IT'S ABOUT PUTTING SHINGLES ON THE ROOF OR FARM EQUIPMENT OUT THERE, IT BENEFITS US AND WE WANT CERTAIN PEOPLE. WHEN IT DOESN'T, FIT INTO THE NARRATIVE OF WHAT WE WANT, WE DISCRIMINATE AND CREATE DISPARITIES. WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE A REFUGE. YOU KNOW, I KNOW PEOPLE TALK ABOUT TAX EVASION OR WHATEVER ELSE, BUT THE SAME PEOPLE ARE BUYING GROCERIES IN THE GROCERY STORE. SO THE MONEY'S COMING BACK INTO OUR ECONOMY ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.

SO, YOU KNOW, I HATE THAT IT'S HAPPENING THERE. I PROBABLY WILL SUPPORT IT BECAUSE OF THE LEGAL LANGUAGE THAT'S IN THERE. I WANNA BE VERY TRANSPARENT WITH YOU.

NO, I'M GOOD. THANK YOU.

COUNCILMAN HUDSON.

YEAH, I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT. I, I HAD NO IDEA THIS WAS GOING TO BE AS, CONTROVERSIAL OF AN ITEM AS, AS IT SEEMS THAT IT IS. AND I WANT TO BE CAREFUL NOT TO GET OFF TOPIC HERE, BUT, I, I CAN'T HELP BUT NOTICE THE SHIRTS OF THE FOLKS THAT CAME UP AND SAID SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY DID, AND THE ALLUSION TO THE SOCIALIST, GROUP.

LOOK, I, I JUST THINK THAT THAT MAY BE THE BEST ARGUMENT I'VE HEARD YET FOR PASSING THE LIBRARY TAX. YOU GUYS GOT TO GO READ A HISTORY BOOK.

YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE ATROCITIES THAT HAVE BEEN, HAPPENED UNDER SOCIALISM, YOU KNOW, IT'S ASTOUNDING. AND THOSE HAVE BEEN HAPPENED THROUGH SOCIALIST POLICE GROUPS, RIGHT? SO FOR YOU TO COME UP HERE AND SAY SOME OF THE THINGS YOU DID AND COME FROM A SOCIALIST GROUP IS, IS ABSOLUTELY WILD TO ME. NOW I'LL TELL YOU, I THINK THE, THE BEST QUESTION THAT WAS ASKED HERE TONIGHT WAS BY THE LAST GENTLEMAN. HE ASKED, WHO BENEFITS? I THINK THAT THE PERSONS WHO ARE GOING TO BENEFIT FROM THIS ARE THE MOTHERS WHO ARE NOT GOING TO BURY THEIR SONS, WHENEVER GANG VIOLENCE OR WHENEVER GUN VIOLENCE HAS HAPPENED. WHEN THOSE GUNS ARE OFF THE STREETS, WHEN THOSE DRUG DEALERS ARE CAUGHT, AND THEN IT DOESN'T RESULT IN A CHILD GETTING SHOT LIKE WE'RE SEEING EVERY DAY ON OUR STREETS HERE, THAT IS WHO BENEFITS. AND SO I'M HAPPY, HAPPY TO SUPPORT THIS ITEM.

CHIEF, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT, TIMELINE ON THE AGREEMENT. IS IT IN PERPETUITY, AND, AND DOES THE MANDATE CHANGE? WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY IN PERPETUITY? WELL, IS THIS GOING TO BE ONGOING, YOU KNOW, IN PERPETUITY, OR IS THERE A WE ALREADY HAVE WE ALREADY HAVE MOUS WITH ALL THE FEDERAL PARTNERS.

AND, YOU KNOW, THIS BEING THE CAPITAL CITY OF LOUISIANA, THEY ALL HAVE THEIR OWN OFFICES HERE. AND WE HAVE OFFICERS THAT ARE ASSIGNED TO THESE DIFFERENT TASK FORCES.

WHAT THIS MONEY DOES, IS MAKES HOW ALLOWS US TO BUILD AN OFFICE SPACE WHERE NOW ALL OF THESE TASK FORCES CAN WORK TOGETHER AND WORK ALONGSIDE OF EACH OTHER. THAT'S ALL THIS MONEY DOES. THIS OFF THIS MONEY IS JUST TO BUILD OFFICE SPACE WHERE THE TASK FORCE CAN WORK NEXT TO EACH OTHER, COMPARE NOTES, AND SAY, HEY, HERE'S THE VIOLENT GANGS THAT ARE OPERATING INSIDE THE CITY LIMITS OF BATON ROUGE. HERE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN POSSESSIONS OF THE OVER 300 GUNS THAT ARE STOLEN OUT OF VEHICLES EVERY YEAR INSIDE THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE. AND HERE'S HOW WE CAN TACKLE THAT PROBLEM TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF HOMICIDES INSIDE THE CITY LIMITS OF BATON ROUGE.

OKAY. SO IT DOESN'T AFFECT THE MANDATE OF THAT TASK FORCE AND THE MISSION? NO, SIR.

OKAY. NO, SIR.

AT ANY MOMENT AND THE REASON I ASK IS AT ANY MOMENT WE CAN PULL OUT OF ANY OF THOSE TASK FORCE.

OKAY.

AND THAT WOULD EFFECTIVELY CHANGE, WHICH WOULD THEN TRIGGER THE NOTIFICATION LIKE THE PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE SAID, AND THERE WOULDN'T IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE WOULD NOT BE A REGRESSION OF THE DOLLARS SPENT ON THE RENOVATION.

CORRECT.

WHICH I THINK IS A GOOD PART OF THE CONTRACT. MOST OF THE TIME WHEN WE HAVE THEM, THEY DO PROTECT US PRETTY GOOD.

PARISH ATTORNEY'S OFFICE DOES A GOOD JOB OF THAT. I, I, I WENT, 2 SUMMERS AGO, I WAS INVITED TO BE A PART OF THE NATIONAL SECURITY FORUM. AT, THE AIR FORCE BASE AND AT THE AIR WAR COLLEGE IN, MONTGOMERY,

[01:25:01]

SO DOES THAT ANYWAY DOES THIS ANYWAY ASSIST WITH THAT, OR IS ANY OF THAT DO Y'ALL WORK ON THAT AS PART OF THIS TASK FORCE OR OTHER ONES THAT WOULD PLAY A ROLE HERE? SO THIS TASK FORCE IS THE SPECIFICALLY FOR THE GANG GROUP GUN VIOLENCE AND REALLY ALL VIOLENT CRIME IN BATON ROUGE, BUT THIS VERSION OF HOMELAND SECURITY INVESTIGATION UNIT THAT THEY DO THREATS, DOMESTIC TERRORISM THREATS, AND THINGS AS WELL. IF THAT COMES IN, IF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY COMES IN, THIS IS THE BRANCH THAT WOULD DEAL WITH THAT. THEY DON'T DEAL WITH IMMIGRATION.

THEY DON'T DEAL WITH THOSE THINGS. THEY DEAL WITH CRI CRIMINAL CRIMES LIKE GUN VIOLENCE, CHILD PORNOGRAPHY, DOMESTIC TERRORISM, OR FOREIGN TERRORISM LIKE OUR CHEMICAL PLANTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

OKAY. THANKS, CHIEF.

COUNCILMAN KENNY.

ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, MAYOR PRO TEMPORE. SO CHIEF, I'M GONNA SAY THIS, RIGHT? I'M GONNA LIVE IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS. WHILE I DO UNDERSTAND WE HAVE A TERRIBLE CRIME PROBLEM, LITERALLY HAD A MAJOR SHOOTING IN MY DISTRICT TODAY AT A HIGH SCHOOL, AND SO, CRITICALLY UNDERSTAND AND KNOW THE GANG VIOLENCE AND SHOOTING VIOLENCE ISSUE WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, I THINK KIND OF WHERE I STAND WITH IS THAT I DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH, WITH YOUR WORD, IT'S THE ISSUE WITH THE WORD OF OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

I THINK IF WE SEE, AND YOU KNOW ABOUT THE YOU JUST SPOKE ABOUT THIS, YOU KNOW, HOW ICE HAS RAVAGED A LOT OF OUR COMMUNITIES, AS A LOT OF THE CONSTITUENTS TALKED ABOUT TODAY. MY FEAR IS JUST IT OPENS THE DOOR IF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT JUST WANT TO STRONG-ARM THEIR WAY THROUGH, RIGHT? BECAUSE WHILE I DO APPRECIATE THE COLLABORATION OF, YOU KNOW, THESE LAW ENFORCEMENT ENTITIES WANT TO BE IN OUR COMMUNITY, RIGHT, BECAUSE WE NEED EVERYBODY AT THE TABLE WHY I DON'T BELIEVE IN OVER POLICING, BUT I THINK WE NEED AS MANY RESOURCES AS POSSIBLE. AND SO MY ASK IS TO YOU, IS THERE ANY OPPORTUNITY, RIGHT? YOU HAVE SOME ORGANIZATIONS AND ADVOCACY GROUPS HERE TODAY.

FOR A CONVERSATION, RIGHT? I MEAN, LET ME ASK YOU BEFORE I GO TO THAT, IS THERE A STRICT TIMELINE WITH THIS AGREEMENT, A WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT? I DON'T THINK THAT THERE IS, TO BE COMPLETELY HONEST, WHICH YOU KIND OF TOUCHED ON WHAT YOU SAID, COUNCILMAN MCKINNEY. THIS DOESN'T CHANGE ANYTHING THAT WE ALREADY HAVE GOING ON OR THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO HAVE GOING ON. THE ONLY THING THAT THIS DOES IS BUILD SOME OFFICE SPACE FOR US TO OPERATE AND BETTER COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER. THE PARTNERSHIPS ARE STILL THERE.

WE ARE THERE TO FIGHT CRIME AND USE THEIR RESOURCES TO HELP FIGHT CRIME. THIS BUILDS A SPACE FOR THERE BE A BETTER COMMUNICATION, BETTER WORKFLOW, BETTER INVESTIGATION SERVICES TO HAPPEN. SO THERE IS NO MUSCLING THEIR WAY IN OR TRUSTING THAT THIS IS AN OFFICE SPACE THAT IS USED FOR THIS PURPOSE, FOR FIGHT VIOLENT CRIME AND GANG AND GUN VIOLENCE.

FOR THE FIRST PART. THE SECOND PART IS I THINK THAT'S ALWAYS OPEN TO CONVERSATIONS AND I'M WILL YOU KNOW, I'M WILLING TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS. THAT'S WHY I HAVE MY CHAT WITH THE CHIEF PROGRAM AND I, I TALK GO TO AS MANY PLACES I CAN TO TALK TO PEOPLE TO MAKE THIS VERY, VERY APPARENT AND TRANSPARENT AS TO WHAT IT IS. AND ITS SOLE PURPOSE IS TO CONTINUE. AS AND TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ABOUT TIMELINE, I DON'T THINK THAT THERE'S A STRICT TIMELINE ON US. I THINK THAT, MY CONVERSATIONS THAT I'VE HAD WITH THEM, THEY WON'T THEY ARE READY TO MOVE FORWARD. AND TO BE QUITE HONEST, IF Y'ALL SAY NO TONIGHT, OR IF Y'ALL WANNA DEFER THIS TONIGHT, I STRONGLY BELIEVE THAT THEY'RE GONNA SAY A LITTLE BIT TOO MUCH PAPERWORK AND BUREAUCRACY WITH THE CITY PARISH GOVERNMENT, LET'S GO WITH EAST BATON ROUGE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND THEY CAN START BUILDING THE PROJECT TOMORROW. OKAY. WELL, I, I THINK, I THINK THAT, THAT, I THINK THAT THAT WOULD BE A PROBLEM. THEY'D RATHER WORK WITH US BECAUSE, US BEING THE CAPITAL CITY AND SECOND LARGEST DEPARTMENT IN THE ENTIRE STATE AND THE, AND THE THINGS THAT WE DO. BUT I THINK THAT THAT'S THE ROAD THAT WE WOULD GO DOWN.

GOTCHA. AND LOOK, I, I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND THE NUANCE AND THE PERPETUITY OF THAT IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, AS SOME OF THOSE CONSTITUENTS TALKED ABOUT TODAY, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE COUNCILMAN HURST SAID, YOU KNOW, I'M I LIVE IN A MARGINALIZED COMMUNITY.

HE LIVES IN A MARGINALIZED COMMUNITY.

YOU KNOW, YOU'VE BEEN A PART OF POLICE DEPARTMENT WHERE HAS BEEN A MISTRUST BETWEEN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY IN BATON ROUGE. YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, I JUST AS THEY SPOKE TODAY, YOU KNOW, IT JUST MADE ME THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE IS THERE ANY RECOURSE FOR CONVERSATION, RIGHT, TO CLEAR IT UP? BECAUSE I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, TWO THINGS BE TRUE IN THIS SITUATION. I DO THINK WE DO NEED AS MANY RESOURCES TO HELP US COMBAT, YOU KNOW, THE GANG VIOLENCE WE ARE SEEING IN BATON ROUGE. BUT ALSO

[01:30:03]

I WOULD SAY THIS, COUNCILMAN KENNY, THAT, AGAIN, THIS MONEY WOULD BE USED TO BUILD OFFICE SPACE. THERE IS NOTHING STOPPING THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, ICE, FROM STARTING OPERATIONS IN BATON ROUGE TOMORROW.

NOTHING. ANYBODY IN THIS ROOM CAN DO ABOUT IT, RIGHT? BUT THIS OFFICE SPACE IS NOT USED TO HOUSE THEM PER THE CEA. PER THE CEA AND THE MOUS THAT WE HAVE WITH THEM, THIS OFFICE SPACE WOULD NOT BE USED TO HOUSE ICE IMMIGRATION EFFORTS.

IT'S ONLY TO BE USED FOR VIOLENT CRIME. SO THE TWO THINGS DON'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH EACH OTHER. TALKING ABOUT TRUST IN THE WORD, I GET IT. THERE'S A LOT OF MISTRUST. I HAVE MY OWN MISTRUST. BUT THERE'S NOTHING TO STOP ICE FROM STARTING OPERATIONS TOMORROW WHETHER OR NOT THIS THING PASSES OR DOESN'T PASS. THIS COMPLETELY SEPARATE ISSUE. THIS IS TO BUILD OFFICE SPACE FOR BETTER COMMUNICATIONS THROUGH THE ATF, DEI DEA, FBI, AND THE US ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO BETTER PROSECUTE AND INVESTIGATE GANG AND GUN VIOLENCE.

AND I, I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR, MY, MY 30-DAY DEFERRAL IS NOT UP TO SAY I DON'T TRUST YOUR WORD, BUT JUST AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CONVERSATION WITH ANYBODY MAY FEEL, YOU KNOW, THE MISINFORMATION OR JUST KIND OF THE ILLUSION OF WHAT THIS MIGHT BE IN THE FUTURE. COUNCILMAN, THERE'S THANK YOU, CHIEF.

THERE'S NO 30 DAYS BECAUSE IT'D BE THE SECOND MEETING. WE DON'T HAVE A FIRST MEETING IN JULY, IT'D BE THE SECOND MEETING IN JULY, OR 2 WEEKS UNTIL THE FINAL MEETING IN JUNE.

WELL, I'D LIKE TO GO UP IN 2 WEEKS. IS THAT POSSIBLE? OKAY. SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY COUNCILMAN MCKINNEY FOR A 2-WEEK DEFERRAL.

I'LL MAKE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION FOR, THE END OF JULY.

HANG ON.

I'M, I'M GOING TO REMOVE MY SECOND ANYBODY, ANYBODY ELSE WANTS TO SECOND HIS? I'M GONNA MAKE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION WHERE BEYOND 2 WEEKS TO THE ONE THAT'S IN, TO WANT TO SECOND IT.

YOU'RE SECONDING? YEAH.

WHO, WHO'S COUNCILMAN KENNEDY'S MOTION? YEAH.

OKAY. AND SO I'M GONNA EXPLAIN WHY I DIDN'T WANT TO LOSE THAT.

OKAY.

BUT I'LL MAKE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO DO IT BEYOND, AND I WAS GONNA GIVE MY TIME TO SPEAK I HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH, WITH LORI AND CHRISTINA, AND WHAT I WANT TO DO IS GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY POINT OF ORDER.

HANG ON.

THIS IS YEAH. OKAY, WELL, I'LL JUST GIVE MY SECOND, UH NO, YOU'RE MAKING A SUBSTITUTE MOTION FOR SECOND MEETING IN JULY.

YEAH.

IS THERE A SECOND FOR THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION? YOU CAN'T DO YOUR OWN MOTION.

SECOND FOR THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION.

FAILS FOR LACK OF A SECOND.

I'LL MAKE A MOTION. A SUBSTITUTE MOTION? SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO APPROVE. WE HAVE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO APPROVE BY COUNCILMAN HUDSON, SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN AMOROSO .

COUNCILMAN MOAK.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

SO INSTEAD OF MAKING STATEMENTS AND EVERYTHING ELSE, I HAVE MORE QUESTIONS. CHIEF, THESE AGENCIES THAT HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED TODAY AND ALL, YOU ALREADY WORK WITH THESE AGENCIES, CORRECT? EVERY DAY.

THEY'RE HERE? YES, SIR.

THEY HAVE OFFICES HERE? YES, SIR.

OKAY, SO ALL THE THINGS THEY TALK ABOUT NOT WANTING IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH OR IN THE CITY LIMITS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, THEY'RE ALREADY HAPPENING. YOU ALREADY MEET WITH THESE PEOPLE, YOU ALREADY TASK FORCE WITH THESE GROUPS, YOU ALREADY GATHER WITH THEM TO SHARE INTELLIGENCE INFORMATION, CORRECT? YES, YES, ALL EXCEPT FOR SOME OF THE STUFF THAT WAS MENTIONED. WE DON'T HAVE ANY TASK FORCES WITH ICE.

CORRECT.

THEY CAME AND MET WITH US IN THE LAST YEAR, BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, AND WE TOLD THEM THAT WE DID NOT HAVE AN IMMIGRATION CRIME PROBLEM HERE AND THAT WE DID NOT NEED TO PUT ANYBODY ON THE ICE TASK FORCE.

OKAY.

SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY OFFICERS ASSIGNED TO ICE.

NOW, UNDER THIS AGREEMENT BUT ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT I MENTIONED, DEA, ATF, MARSHAL'S OFFICE, FBI, HOMELAND SECURITY, WE HAVE TASK FORCE OFFICERS WITH ALL OF THOSE.

OKAY. SO AND ALSO, YOU STATED EARLIER UNDER THIS AGREEMENT, YOU STILL WILL HAVE NOT ADDED ICE IN ADDING ON TO THEIR TASK FORCE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, CORRECT? YES, SIR.

OKAY. SO, I, I GUESS I'M JUST TRYING TO GET TO THE GIST OF WHAT'S GOING ON HERE. WE TALK ABOUT SEVERAL PEOPLE HAVE TALKED ABOUT RESOURCES AND THIS FUNDING THAT COULD GO TO OTHER ITEMS AND, AND DO DIFFERENT THINGS AND SO ON. IT CAN'T BE DONE FOR OTHER ITEMS, YES OR NO? NO, SIR. IT'S FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MONEY THAT CAN ONLY BE USED FOR THIS PURPOSE.

AND THAT WAS MY NEXT QUESTION.

THEY SAY THAT THE CITY PARISH AND WE'RE GOING

[01:35:01]

CORRECT? CORRECT.

OKAY, NOW THIS GRANT MONEY IS SPECIFICALLY EARMARKED FOR THE RENOVATION, ADD-ON CONSTRUCTION, MEETING FACILITIES AT THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR UNUSED AREAS THAT ARE AT THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT, CORRECT? CORRECT. SPACES THAT WE HAVEN'T USED IN 12 YEARS SINCE WE'VE BEEN THERE.

OKAY, SO WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THIS MONEY AND WE'RE GOING TO BUILD MEETING ROOMS THAT ALL THESE AGENCIES THAT YOU'RE ALREADY COMMUNICATING WITH, YOU'RE ALREADY COLLABORATING WITH, YOU'RE ALREADY WORKING WITH ON TASK FORCE MINUS ICE AT OUR BATON ROUGE FACILITIES.

CORRECT.

OKAY, SO IT ALL BOILS DOWN TO NOTHING'S GOING TO CHANGE EXCEPT FOR WHERE YOU MEET.

CORRECT. AND WHICH WILL GIVE US BETTER WORKING RELATIONSHIPS, BETTER COMMUNICATIONS TO TACKLE CRIME.

OKAY. SO ALL THEIR LITTLE OFFICES OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ALREADY HERE WILL NOW HAVE ONE OFFICE TO MEET AT THE BATON ROUGE FACILITY INSTEAD OF HAVING ALL THE SAME OFFICES AND THEN GATHERING AND DRIVING DURING THE DAY TO THE BATON ROUGE POLICE HEADQUARTERS TO HAVE A MEETING. THEY'LL ALREADY BE THERE, CORRECT? CORRECT. IT KIND OF FORCES, YOU KNOW, THOSE FEDERAL AGENCIES LIKE ATF, DEA TO GET OUT OF THEIR SILOS AND ACTUALLY LOOK AT EACH OTHER EVERY DAY AND LOOK AT US AND GET ON THE SAME PAGE FOR TACKLING THE GANG OF GUN VIOLENCE.

OKAY. SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF THAT WAS ACTUALLY ALREADY IN PLACE IN THE TASK FORCE THAT WE'RE A PART OF, I WOULD ASSUME, KNOWING WHAT ASSUMING DOES, EVEN THE RESPONSE OF SOMETHING LIKE THE BLUEBONNET MALL INCIDENT WOULD HAVE BETTER COMMUNICATIONS, BETTER RESPONSE, FASTER RESPONSE TIMES BETWEEN ALL THE AGENCIES THAT WAS INVOLVED IN THAT, CORRECT? YES, SIR, 100%.

THANK YOU. I'M VERY MUCH ON BOARD. THANK YOU.

COUNCILWOMAN HARRIS.

CHIEF MORRIS, A LOT HAS BEEN SAID TODAY, AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO'S MADE COMMENTS AND CONCERNS TO THIS BODY, AND WE APPRECIATE THAT. BUT CHIEF, WHAT I WANT YOU TO TALK ABOUT IN THIS VERY MOMENT FOR US IS THE CRIME THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH, THE VIOLENT CRIME THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH I WANT YOU TO SPEAK TO US ABOUT GANG VIOLENCE. HOW MANY GANGS DO WE HAVE IN THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE? FEMALE, MALE GANGS. I WANT YOU TO ALSO SPEAK ABOUT THE VIOLENT CRIME ITSELF.

WHAT VIOLENT CRIME ARE WE DEALING WITH AND HOW MANY HOMICIDES DO WE HAVE AS OF TODAY IN THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE, PLEASE? YEAH, THANK YOU, MA'AM. WE SAID SOMEBODY SAID EARLIER TALKING ABOUT, NUMBERS AND NUMBERS ARE ACTUALLY REAL PEOPLE. 34. 34 IS A NUMBER OF NUM PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN KILLED, BE IN THE CITY LIMITS OF BATON ROUGE SO FAR THIS YEAR. MANY OF THOSE, VAST MAJORITY IS RETALIATION STYLE, GANG STYLE VIOLENCE, THAT HAS HAPPENED INSIDE THE CITY LIMITS OF BATON ROUGE. IT IS HARD TO SAY HOW MANY GANGS WE HAVE OPERATING INSIDE OF BATON ROUGE BECAUSE TO USE THE WORD GANG AND TO SAY THAT THIS PERSON BELONGS TO A GANG IS A BUNCH OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS YOU HAVE TO GO BY. A LOT OF TIME, MONEY, EFFORT TO CATEGORIZE SOMEBODY BELONGING TO A GANG. THIS IS ANOTHER PART OF THAT COOPERATION, WHICH WILL HELP US. WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE OF VI WELL-ORGANIZED GANGS AND THEN VERY, VERY MANY WHAT WE CALL GROUPS, VIOLENT GROUPS. SO THAT MAY HAVE 3 OR 4 PEOPLE IN THOSE VIOLENT GROUPS, BUT THEY PUT ON INSTAGRAM THAT THEY'RE HASHTAG PART OF THIS GROUP. THEY RUN TOGETHER, THEY COMMIT CRIMES TOGETHER.

IF SOMEONE DISRESPECTS THEM, THEY GO BY THEIR HOUSE AND DO A DRIVE-BY SHOOTING AND SHOOT UP THAT HOUSE. AND THEN WHOEVER'S HOUSE THEY SHOOT UP WILL THEN TURN AROUND AND GO SHOOT UP THEIR HOUSE. AND THEY DON'T CARE WHO'S IN THE WAY OF THOSE BULLETS OR WHO ELSE IS INSIDE OF THAT HOME. THAT IS THE ISSUE THAT WE'RE FACING RIGHT NOW INSIDE THE CITY LIMITS OF BATON ROUGE. VAST, VAST, VAST MAJORITY OF, OF OUR HOMICIDES ARE THESE RETALIATION TYPE GROUP ON GROUP VIOLENT SHOOTINGS.

MANY OF WHICH ARE BEING PERPETRATED BY, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR YOUNG PEOPLE. YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT 16, 17, 18-YEAR-OLDS THAT ARE OUT THERE GETTING THEIR HANDS ON THESE GUNS, STOLEN OUT OF UNLOCKED VEHICLES AND THEN USING THEM TO COMMIT CRIMES.

SO, ALSO SHARE WITH US HOW QUICKLY ARE YOU TRYING TO GET THIS DONE? I KNOW THAT 30 DAYS IS THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE OPEN TO.

BUT ARE YOU OPEN TO THE 2 WEEKS? I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH YOU IN THE CORNER AND ASKED THAT WOULD YOU CONSIDER MEETING WITH COMMUNITY. I KNOW YOU DID YOU HAVE DONE YOUR PART

[01:40:01]

BUT JUST TO SIT AND HAVE THE CONVERSATION WITH COMMUNITY TO REASSURE THEM THAT THIS IS NOT BRINGING ICE IN, IS NOT TRYING TO BLINDSIDE YOU, IS NOT TRYING TO PULL A WOOL OVER YOUR FACE TO BRING ICE IN.

I JUST THINK THAT THOSE WHO SPOKE TODAY HAVE SOME CONCERNS, AND I DO UNDERSTAND THOSE CONCERNS, BUT I DO ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE LIVING IN A VERY DIFFICULT TIME WHEN WE SPEAK OF CRIME, BECAUSE EVERY DAY YOU TURN ON THE TELEVISION OR YOU TAKE TO SOCIAL MEDIA OR YOU FIND YOURSELF AT WORK JUST HAVING THE CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING. ONE OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS FOR, THE MLK COMMUNITY CENTER, GODSON GRANDCHILD, SORRY WAS SHOT THIS MORNING, AS BY THE WAY. SO THIS IT IS A SERIOUS MATTER. I THINK WE ALL HAVE A PART TO PLAY IN THIS, AND I DON'T THINK THERE'S A PERFECT SITUATION TO FIX THIS. THERE'S NO PERFECT SITUATION TO DO THAT. YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE SOME FOLKS HAPPY AND YOU'RE GOING TO DISSATISFY SOME FOLKS TONIGHT, BUT I WOULD HOPE YOU WOULD CONSIDER, DEFERRING THIS FOR 2 WEEKS.

I'M COMPLETELY OPEN TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS, COUNCILWOMAN. I, I WILL SAY THIS THAT THIS ISN'T THE LAST TIME I'M GONNA HAVE TO BE IN FRONT OF Y'ALL. I DON'T, YOU KNOW, NOT TO GET IN THE NUANCES OR THE WEEDS, BUT THIS IS TO APPROVE THE ACCEPTING OF THE MONEY. I'M GONNA HAVE TO COME BACK IN FRONT OF Y'ALL AGAIN TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE SPEND THE MONEY AND WHO WE USE TO SPEND THE MONEY AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.

SO YOU'RE GONNA REPORT SO THIS ISN'T THE LAST TIME I'M BEING IN FRONT OF Y'ALL.

THIS, THIS IS A PROCESS, RIGHT? THE BUREAUCRACY OF CITY PARISH GOVERNMENT IS A PROCESS.

VOTE NOW FOR US TO DO THIS CA TO ACCEPT THIS MONEY.

WE HAVE TO GET ARCHITECTS, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF, AND THEN COME IN FRONT OF YOU AGAIN AND TALK ABOUT THIS IS, THIS IS HOW THE MONEY AND WHO THE MONEY IS GOING TO BE SPENT WITH.

SO YOU'RE GOING TO BE REPORTING OUT TO US WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? YES, MA'AM. OKAY, GOOD. IS IT POSSIBLE CAN I BRING UP THE PARISH ATTORNEY RIGHT QUICK? LISA, YOU WANT TO ASK TOM? PLEASE, PLEASE, LISA, IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WE CAN GET A COPY OF THE CEA? YES, MA'AM. I BELIEVE THAT, IT'S, IF IT HASN'T BEEN, WILL BE, ATTACHED TO THE AGENDA. I'M I DON'T PLACE IT ON THE AGENDA, SO I'VE SEEN IT, BUT I, I DON'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS ON THERE.

OKAY. BUT IF IT'S NOT, CAN WE GET A COPY OF THAT, CEA? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, LISA. SO, CHIEF, I'M GONNA PUT YOU ON THE SPOT. ARE YOU OPEN TO 2 WEEKS? I THINK THAT IT'S JUST GONNA DELAY, WHAT IS ALREADY THE SLOW BUREAUCRACY AND, I DON'T THINK IT'S GONNA CHANGE ANYTHING. I DON'T KNOW WHAT KIND OF HOW MANY COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS WE CAN HAVE IN 2 WEEKS.

I THINK YOU CAN HAVE A LOT.

WE, WE CAN WORK WITH YOU TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.

WE'RE GONNA BE BACK HERE TO TALK ABOUT IT MORE, A MONTH FROM NOW, 2 MONTHS FROM NOW TO TALK ABOUT HOW THIS MONEY IS SPENT AND A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS CAN BE HAD BETWEEN NOW AND THEN AS WELL. I JUST DON'T SEE THE, LIKE, COUNCILMAN MOAK PUT IT, THE IT'S WE'RE NOT CHANGING ANYTHING BY ACCEPTING THIS MONEY.

BUSINESS IS GOING TO BE AS USUAL, AND I THINK THAT IF Y'ALL VOTE TO DEFER THIS OR VOTE NO ON IT, THE BUREAUCRACY IS JUST GOING TO GET POINTED OUT TO THE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, AND THEY'RE GOING TO WANT TO GO DO BUSINESS WITH ANOTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY INSIDE THE PARISH.

OKAY, SO WHEN YOU WHEN YOU SAY BUREAUCRACY, BECAUSE EARLIER YOU MENTIONED THAT MUCH PAPERWORK, HOW MANY PAGES IS THE CONTRACT, LISA? COUNCILWOMAN, I, I DON'T REMEMBER EXACTLY OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. THERE ARE TWO AGREEMENTS, ONE'S A CEA, ONE'S A FEDERAL CONTRACT. I THINK ONE'S 17 PAGES.

I THINK THE OTHER ONE'S PROBABLY OKAY. BECAUSE I JUST WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WHEN YOU SAY THERE'S LOTS OF PAPER, THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF BUREAUCRACY, WE'RE JUST SIMPLY ASKING FOR 2 WEEKS. AND IF HOMELAND SECURITY THINKS 2 WEEKS IS TOO LONG OR TOO MUCH BUREAUCRACY, SORRY THAT THEY FEEL THAT WAY, CHIEF, BUT I'M JUST SHARING WITH YOU THAT THE CONCERNS THAT I HAVE AND THE CONCERNS THAT MY COLLEAGUE MENTIONED, BECAUSE, OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE GOING TO ASK THESE QUESTIONS, AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THEM, THE RIGHT ANSWER. SO AND I UNDERSTAND THAT.

THAT'S WHY I COME TO COUNCIL MEETINGS. THAT'S WHY Y'ALL HAVE CONTROL OVER THE BUDGET, AND I SPEAK TO Y'ALL, AND THERE'S A LOT OF CONTROL Y'ALL CAN HAVE ON HOW THIS IS SPENT AND HOW THIS IS OPERATED. I MEAN, IT'S AT Y'ALL'S PLEASURE. I'D MUCH RATHER SEE Y'ALL VOTE YES TONIGHT THAN HAVE TO PUSH THIS DOWN THE ROAD.

[01:45:01]

AND CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION.

AND WE DO HAVE CONTROL. WE CAN GO OUT AND, AND, AND DO, DO THE WORK FOR YOU, BUT EVERYONE IS NOT WATCHING THIS COUNCIL MEETING TONIGHT EITHER, AND EVERYONE IS NOT SITTING IN THE SEATS EITHER TONIGHT.

SO, I SEE THAT YOU'RE NOT OPEN TO 2 WEEKS, BUT I THANK YOU.

COUNCILMAN HURST.

YEAH, LOOK, I, I WANT I GOT WHAT I WAS SAYING EARLIER IS THAT I SPOKE WITH LAURA AND I, AND I DON'T CARE WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM. IT'S ALL TAX DOLLARS, WHETHER IT'S FEDERAL, STATE, OR LOCAL MONEY. IT COMES FROM US PAYING EITHER INCOME TAX, BUSINESS TAX, SALES TAX, PROPERTY TAXES, ALL TAXES. IT JUST GOES UP TO COME BACK DOWN. SO WHETHER IT CAME FROM LOUISIANA OR UTAH, UTAH'S TAX BASE IS STILL FEDERAL MONEY. THAT WE APPROPRIATE AND THEN SEND BACK DOWN. MY POINT IS THAT EVERY DOLLAR SPENT SHOULD HAVE A VOICE, THAT SPEAKS FOR THAT DOLLAR. AND IF THERE IS A POPULATION IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT IS EXTREMELY FEARFUL OF DOING THIS NO DIFFERENT THAN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT THAT, THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE THIRD, AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT IDEA AS PEOPLE ON THE SURFACE, I DID BUT THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE WHO WERE UNSETTLED SOME LANDOWNERS, AND THESE ARE SOME TAXPAYERS WHO ARE UNSETTLED ABOUT WHERE THEIR TAX DOLLARS ARE GOING AND HOW IT, HOW IT AFFECTS WHETHER THEY WORK AND PLAY. AND WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT ONE PEOPLE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 20 PEOPLE THAT GOT UP TODAY AND SPOKE ON ONE TOPIC. SO AGAIN, I AGREE WITH THE CHIEF IN SAYING THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO STOP BUSINESS AS USUAL, NO DOUBT ABOUT IT. I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY HOW WHERE THEY'RE HOUSED NOW, RIGHT? SO, SO I OR, OR AARON MOAK, SORRY, I WON'T TAKE GIVE, GIVE THE CHIEF YOUR CREDIT. BUT I DO THINK THAT WE OWE THE TAXPAYERS OF BATON ROUGE WHO ELECT US THE DUE DILIGENCE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE CHIEF OF POLICE SO THAT WE CAN HELP REBUILD THAT TRUST THAT WE'VE LOST IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND SO FOR THAT REASON, I'M GOING TO SUPPORT THE DEFERRAL. NOT BECAUSE I DISAGREE WITH THE CHIEF. I, I BELIEVE THAT IT'S GONNA HAPPEN WHETHER IT'S THIS BUILDING OR ANOTHER BUILDING, BUT I BELIEVE WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE THE DECISION TO DO IT TODAY OR IN THE FUTURE. AND THAT'S WHAT WE WERE PUT HERE TO DO. SO I'M GOING TO SUPPORT THE DEFERRAL. AND THEN ONCE THE CONVERSATIONS ARE HAD, BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT THEY WILL GO IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, I WILL THEN SUPPORT THE APPROVAL BECAUSE I WANT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE NERVOUS, SCARED, WON'T SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL, CLOSING DOWN THEIR BUSINESSES, LOSING THEIR HOMES TO FEEL COMFORTABLE THAT BATON ROUGE IS AN ECONOMIC, MECCA WHERE THEY CAN OPEN BUSINESSES, STIMULATE OUR ECONOMY, AND HAVE A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY. AND UNTIL THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE, I CAN'T DO THAT. NOW, ONCE THE CONVERSATIONS I HAD AND I BELIEVE THAT THE CHIEF HAS DONE A DUE DILIGENCE ALONG WITH THE PARISH ATTORNEY AND LORI AND WHATEVER OTHER GROUPS WANT TO MEET WITH THEM. LOOK, LOOK, IF Y'ALL WANT TO GO BACK AND FORTH ALL DAY, THAT'S FINE. I'M STAYING OUT OF THE ARGUMENT ABOUT HOW I VOTE. BUT FOR A 2-WEEK DEFERRAL TO HAVE A CONVERSATION AND GET A COMMITMENT FROM THE CHIEF THAT IF WE DO DEFER THAT HE'S GOING TO MAKE THE TIME, P ATTORNEY IS GOING TO MAKE THE TIME, I BELIEVE WE OWE THEM THAT.

AND FOR THAT REASON, I WILL SUPPORT THE DEFERRAL.

THANK YOU.

COUNCILMAN GAUDET.

THANK YOU. EXCUSE ME, LET ME DO A COUPLE OF THINGS, PLEASE.

FIRST, I'M GOING TO ASK MY FRIEND MARCELLA IF SHE WOULD APPROACH. IF YOU GOT SOME QUESTIONS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO GET, ANSWERED TONIGHT, I WANT TO GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT. IF YOU WANT TO COME UP, AS YOU DO THAT, OR MAYBE AS YOU DON'T, LET ME I'LL JUST ACKNOWLEDGE, I GUESS THE, THE, THE WEIGHT AND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE HAVING TONIGHT.

WE, WE CERTAINLY ARE HEARING FROM A POPULATION WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY THAT, AS MY COLLEAGUE SAID, IS OPERATING FROM A PLACE OF UNCERTAINTY. AND PART OF THE ROLE OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS TO, AS, AS TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN, REDUCE UNCERTAINTY IN THE LIVES OF THE CITIZENS OF OUR COMMUNITY.

IF WE'RE BEING TRANSPARENT, WHEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHOWED UP IN THIS COMMUNITY AND, AND BEGAN GOING INTO COMMUNITIES, ICE AGENTS SPECIFICALLY, I THINK WE FELT HELPLESS AS A LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AND, AND IF I'M BEING TOTALLY TRANSPARENT, WHEN MY FRIEND MARCELLA AND, AND MY FRIENDS AT THE GARDIERE SCHOOL CALLED ME, AND ASKED, COUNCILMEMBER, WHAT CAN YOU DO? I WAS HELPLESS. I HAD NO ANSWERS. I HAD NO POINT OF CONTACT. I HAD NO, SOURCE OF INFORMATION TO GIVE THEM.

AND PART OF MY ROLE IS TO PROVIDE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE WHEN CONSTITUENTS REACH OUT TO ME. SO IN FULL TRANSPARENCY, I THINK WE WERE CAUGHT OFF GUARD, AND I THINK THE, THE FEELINGS OF FEAR AND

[01:50:02]

A THANK YOU. SO, LET ME JUST BE CLEAR. THIS IS NOT ABOUT US PUSHING BACK FROM HAVING INITIATIVES TO ADDRESS CRIME. I THINK ALL OF US AGREE THAT CRIMES SHOULD BE AVOIDED. I MEAN, LET'S THINK ABOUT OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITY. A LOT OF OUR IMMIGRANT COMMUNITIES RUN BECAUSE OF PERSECUTION AND CRIME. SO THIS IS EXACTLY THE OPPOSITE THAT WE WANT. WE WANT TO PUSH FOR HEALTHY AND SAFE COMMUNITIES. NOW, MY CONCERN IS THAT, OKAY, I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE A BUILDING THERE, BUT WHY OPENING THE DOORS TO AN INSTITUTION THAT IS GOING TO OPEN THE DOORS TO INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE COMING AND DESTROYING OUR COMMUNITIES. IF THIS IS ABOUT RESTORING OUR CITY, THEN WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE ENTITIES THAT COME INTO OUR CITY ARE GOING TO ADD VALUE INTO THE CITY AND ARE NOT GOING TO CREATE MORE FEAR INTO THE COMMUNITY THAT WE ALREADY HAVE.

NOW, THIS IS THIS IS A LEGITIMATE CONCERN FROM THE COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE.

AS YOU MENTIONED, BACK IN DECEMBER AND IT HAS NOT STOPPED. OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE IN FULL LOCKDOWN. MANY OF THEM HAVE NOT GONE OUT. NOW IMAGINE ONCE THEY FIND OUT ABOUT THIS, ONCE THEY KNOW THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE DHS ON AIRLINE, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GOING TO BRING INTO THE CITY? NOW THE ISSUE IS NOT ABOUT ADDRESSING CRIME. ONCE AGAIN, WE WANT TO SUPPORT THIS. IT'S WHY ARE WE OPENING THE DOORS TO THEM THAT THEY'RE GOING TO COME AND DESTROY WHAT WE HAVE BUILT WITH SO MUCH EFFORT? NOW, I DO WANT TO SAY THIS.

TRANSPARENCY IS FUNDAMENTAL TO BUILD TRUST. AND I THINK THERE IS A FEW PIECES IN THIS PUZZLE THAT ARE NOT CLEAR. AND THERE ARE QUESTIONS THAT NEEDS TO BE RESOLVED IN TERMS OF REALLY WHO IS GOING TO BE THERE. I MEAN, BECAUSE IF YOU'RE SAYING THAT THERE IS ALREADY AGREEMENTS, I MEAN, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S AGREEMENTS, BUT HOW IS THAT GOING TO LOOK FROM NOW FORWARD WHEN YOU'RE OPENING THE DOORS TO INSTITUTIONS, TO AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS GOING TO MANDATE IN THE CITY? AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE TAKING CONTROL OF THE CITY BECAUSE THEY'RE ALREADY THIS IS AN INVESTMENT. THEY'RE COMING HERE AND WHAT DO THEY WANT FROM US? SOMETHING. ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SAY NO? WE DON'T KNOW. AND YOU ASK THAT QUESTION. YES. IS THAT WRITTEN IN THE, IN THE AGREEMENT? ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO BACK UP? ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SAY, NO, THIS IS ENOUGH, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH? OR THEY'RE GOING TO COME BACK AND SAY, NO, WE'RE SORRY, WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT AND WE INVESTED INTO THE CITY. THAT'S ALL WHAT I WANT TO SAY. THAT'S, THAT'S IT.

YOU WANT TO YOU DO WANT YOUR EXTRA TIME? PLEASE.

YEAH.

A YEAH. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY, LIKE, FROM A COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE, FROM A COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE, OUR COMMUNITIES ARE SUFFERING.

AND I UNDERSTAND WHERE IS HE COMING FROM, BUT I ALSO HAVE TO REMIND YOU THAT A LOT OF THOSE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE BEING PERSECUTED ARE ALSO CITIZENS. WE'VE GOT CHILDREN HERE THAT ARE U.S. CITIZENS, AND THOSE ARE CHILDREN THOSE CHILDREN ARE ALSO BEING AFFECTED BY THIS BECAUSE THOSE CHILDREN ARE NOT SHOWING UP TO SCHOOL. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CRIME. WELL, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING TO END UP TRUANCY. AND LIKE I SAID BEFORE, THEY'RE NOT LOOKING FOR CRIMINALS, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A WAY TO CRIMINALIZE OUR COMMUNITIES.

WE GOT TO GET THAT CLEAR.

THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. YOU HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.

HEY, CHIEF, THANK YOU.

MARCELLA, I DON'T KNOW IF THE CHIEF IS STILL SORRY, CHIEF.

JUST BUILDING OFF THOSE COMMENTS AND, AND WHAT I SAID EARLIER ABOUT YOU KNOW, SORT OF HAD A SENSE OF, OF HELPLESSNESS IN RESPONDING TO CONCERNS THAT WERE EXPRESSED TO ME. YOU KNOW, THE, THE CONTROL THAT WE DO HAVE IS AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. AND SO I, I PUT A LOT OF FAITH AND TRUST IN, YOUR DIALOGUE WITH US. I REACHED OUT TO YOU SEVERAL DAYS AGO. WE HAD A VERY GOOD CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS ITEM AND ABOUT WHERE I, ASSUME THIS CONVERSATION WOULD HEAD TONIGHT.

AND SO I APPRECIATE YOUR TRANSPARENCY. SO I, I, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT MARCELLA AND SOME OF THE OTHERS WILL HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE AS THIS MOVES FORWARD. THIS CONVERSATION

[01:55:01]

1000%. AND I THINK, I THINK THAT'S MY HESITATION ABOUT THE 2 WEEKS. I DON'T THINK 2 WEEKS OF CONVERSATION BREAKS DOWN 100 YEARS OF MISTRUST.

RIGHT? AND SO I'M A BIG BELIEVER IN WALK THE WALK AND NOT TALK THE TALK. AND SO THE PROOF IS GONNA BE IN THE PUDDING ON, AND Y'ALL HAVE CONTROL HERE AT A LOCAL LEVEL OF THEM INVESTING, GIVING US THE MONEY SO WE CAN BID OUT THIS FACILITY. IF THEY DO IT SOMEPLACE ELSE, THEN YOU DON'T HAVE THAT CONTROL.

COUNCILMAN MOAK.

YEAH, I, WANTED TO BRING THAT BACK UP AGAIN. I MEAN, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE INVESTMENT AND THE COMMUNICATION THAT THEY'RE HAVING WITH OUR CITY POLICE CHIEF, THE CAPITAL CITY POLICE CHIEF, AND EVERYTHING. THEY'RE MAKING THIS INVESTMENT INTO OUR FACILITIES AND OUR AREA. AND AGAIN, I'LL REITERATE TO MY COUNCIL MEMBERS, THIS IS IT'S, IT'S NOTHING CHANGING.

IT'S WE'RE ALREADY DOING THIS SAME WORK. WE'RE JUST DOING IT UNDER MULTIPLE ROOFS. ALL WE'RE DOING THEY'RE OFFERING US AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE AN UNUSED AREA, INVEST IN THAT WITH THEIR MONEY, WHETHER IT'S I AGREE WITH COUNCILMAN HURST, TAX DOLLARS ARE TAX DOLLARS.

BUT LET'S TALK ABOUT THE TAX DOLLARS AND THE INVESTMENT THAT THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE.

BY PASSING THIS THROUGH US, THE METRO COUNCIL, YOU KEEP YOUR VOICE IN WHAT GETS DONE, WHAT GETS SAID, YEAH, CHANGING THE CHANGING THE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT, GETTING RID OF THEM, REMOVING WORST CASE SCENARIO, WE GOT TO REMODEL 9TH FLOOR OR WHATEVER FLOOR OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT WE HAVE IF WE REMOVE THEM LATER ON. BUT WE GIVE THAT VOICE AS REPRESENTATIVES OF OUR DISTRICT. IF WE DO NOT PASS THIS THROUGH US, LIKE CHIEF SAID, THEY COULD GO TO ANOTHER AGENCY AND DO THE EXACT SAME THING IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH. AND THEY'VE LOST A VOICE THROUGH US HAVING A VOICE OF CONTROLLING THIS THROUGH OUR BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT. SO THAT'S WHY I'M ADAMANT ABOUT PASSING THIS AND GETTING IT DONE AND NOT DOING THE DEFERRAL SO IT DOESN'T GIVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO WORK WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE OR MAYBE A STATE AGENCY THAT DOES THE SAME THING IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, AND THEN YOU HAVE NO SAY-SO OVER IT. NOTHING'S GOING TO COME BEFORE YOU. IT'S GOING TO GET DONE THE EXACT SAME WAY.

AND IF SOMETHING HAPPENS LATER ON DOWN THE ROAD THE ONLY OPTION YOU HAVE TO SAY TO THOSE CONSTITUENTS IS, HEY, WE DIDN'T PASS THIS, THAT'S A WHOLE ANOTHER AGENCY, DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH US. I'M SORRY, WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT AT THE COUNCIL MEETING, WE CAN HAVE DISCUSSIONS, WE CAN DO EVERYTHING, BUT ULTIMATELY IT WON'T BE OUR DECISION UNLESS WE TAKE CONTROL OF THIS AND RUN IT THROUGH OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT OURSELVES.

SO THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING ABOUT NOT PASSING THIS DEFERRAL AND GETTING IT DONE AND NOT HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY NEED TO MOVE THIS TO SOMEWHERE ELSE. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.

I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT, COUNCILMAN, THE FACT OF WHAT KIND OF MONEY IT IS, RIGHT? IT'S FEDERAL MONEY EARMARKED FOR A CERTAIN THING COMING THROUGH A CA FOR US. SO AS Y'ALL KNOW, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT GRANTS, EVERYTHING FROM, YOU KNOW, TAKE THE RYAN WHITE GRANT THAT ALWAYS PEOPLE ALWAYS GIVE Y'ALL A HARD TIME, RIGHT? RIGHT.

THERE IS IT'S STIPULATED THAT THIS MONEY CAN ONLY BE USED TO BUILD THIS SPACE FOR A TASK FORCE TO FIGHT VIOLENT GUN CRIME.

RIGHT? THAT, THAT IS WHAT IT'S STIPULATED TO DO. IF ANYTHING ELSE IS DONE WITH IT, THEN WE'RE VIOLATING FEDERAL LAWS AND ALL KIND OF THINGS, AND WE'RE GONNA WE'LL HAVE ALL KIND OF PROBLEMS. AND SO IT IS VERY REGULATED ON WHAT THIS IS ALLOWED TO DO, RIGHT? AND I'LL CLOSE WITH THIS.

LOOK, CHIEF, YOU BROUGHT UP YOUR PERSONAL SITUATION.

I'VE HEARD THE COMMUNITY SPEAK AND EVERYTHING ELSE. MY DISTRICT, OLD HAMMOND HIGHWAY, AND A LOT OF THAT AREA, THAT IS HEAVY LATINO. AND [INAUDIBLE] WE'LL GO INTO THE PERSONAL SIDE OF IT AND THE CONCERNS AND REASON I WOULD RATHER HAVE CONTROL OF THIS. MY PARTNER, MY BOYFRIEND, IS LATINO. HE TALKS ABOUT THIS EVERY EVENING. HE BRINGS THIS UP AND HE IS SCARED TO DEATH, BUT HE ALSO KNOWS THAT I'M HERE AND I'M SEEING WHAT'S GOING ON AND I HAVE A SAY-SO IN WHAT HAPPENS IN THE COMMUNITY, JUST LIKE WHENEVER THE INITIAL ICE THING THAT CAME UP BEFORE, AND I GOT TO BE IN THE MEETINGS AND IN THE THINGS, AND I COULD REASSURE HIM, THIS IS WHAT'S GOING ON, THIS IS THE WAY IT'S GOING TO BE. I TRUST MY POLICE CHIEF AND I TRUST MY ADMINISTRATION IN NOT LYING TO ME AND SAYING THIS IS THE WAY IT'S GOING TO BE. SO I KNOW AND I FEEL I HEAR IT CONSTANTLY, BUT I ALSO KNOW ABOUT PASSING THIS. I HAVE MORE SAY-SO IN PROTECTING THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE WORRIED ABOUT BEING TAKEN AWAY FROM YOU.

[02:00:03]

YES, AND I THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I'VE HEARD FROM SEVERAL AND HAVE WORKED WITH SEVERAL OF THESE ENTITIES HERE TONIGHT, AND SO GUNS AND GANGS AND DRUGS, ALL OF THAT IS DETRIMENTAL TO OUR COMMUNITIES. AND SO MY CONSTITUENTS ARE MY NUMBER ONE INTEREST, AND THAT INCLUDES EVERYBODY.

EVERYONE MATTERS, AND CRIME TOUCHES EVERYONE.

AND SO WE TALKED ABOUT AND THEN, JEFF LEDUP, YOU CAN ATTEST TO THE FACT THAT EVERY TIME SOMEONE IS SHOT OR WHATEVER, WHAT DO I DO? TEXT YOU, TEXT YOU, BECAUSE YOU TELL US THAT THE NUMBERS ARE GOING DOWN, AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT. AND SO EVERY DAY, AND SOMETIMES TWICE A DAY, I DO I TEXT HIM AND SAY, OKAY, TALK TO ME ABOUT THIS RIGHT HERE. AND SO OFTEN WHEN STUFF DOESN'T HIT THEN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE DIFFERENT MINDSETS ON IT. AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHO'S CONCERNED. I GOT ELDERLY FOLK THAT'S CONCERNED ABOUT CRIME. YEAH. AND AGAIN, MY CONSTITUENTS AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT VIOLENT CRIMES AND GUNS, AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE TERROR SEE, A CRIME IS HERE. AND SO YOU ALL BETTER REALIZE THAT. AND SO SOMEONE MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT WHAT THIS MONEY OUGHT TO BE USED FOR, BUT GRANT MONEY IS EARMARKED FOR A PARTICULAR THING.

BUT IF YOU WOULD READ IN THE PAPER TODAY, TALKED ABOUT MONEY, 400-SOME THOUSAND THAT WAS GOING TO, DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS AND THE COMMUNITY STREET TEAM AND WHATEVER TO COMBAT A LOT OF STUFF THAT IS IN OUR COMMUNITIES HERE. AND SO JUST LAST NIGHT, A 17-YEAR-OLD IN TAN A 17-YEAR-OLD IN TAN WAS KILLED IN DISTRICT 10. AND I TAKE ALL OF THIS STUFF SERIOUS HERE BECAUSE I GOT SOME 17-YEAR-OLDS IN MY FAMILY. SO THIS IS REAL TO ME. AND SO EVERYONE MATTERS AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT GUNS AND GANGS AND DRUGS AND THEN TRUST, YEAH, WE ALL CAN USE SOME OF THAT WITH NOT JUST WITH THIS, BUT WITH A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER STUFF HERE IN BATON ROUGE. THAT'S THE BIG T WORD THERE. AND YES, I AGREE WITH MOKE ABOUT HOLDING CHIEF ACCOUNTABLE, AND CHIEF KNOWS THAT. I DON'T HAVE ANY RESERVATION ABOUT NOT ONLY CHIEF BUT ANYBODY IN CITY PARISH WHEN THERE IS A CONCERN AND COMING AND ASKING AND WHATEVER. AND THEN AS MOAK SAYS, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO KEEP OUR HANDS ON THE PULSE AND BE ABLE TO, BACK YOU UP OR ANY OTHERS. AND WHEN I SAY BACKUP, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, TELL YOU WHEN YOU'RE OUT OF ORDER. AND THEN AND MAKE SURE THAT THINGS ARE GOTTEN IN ORDER. FOLKS, IT'S A LOT OF CRIME HERE IN BATON ROUGE, AND I'M GONNA SAY THIS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WANT TO PUT A BAND-AID ON SOME THINGS. AND LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I DID. SEE, I DON'T JUST TALK THIS TALK. I HAVE A SUMMER PROGRAM GOING ON, AND YOU KNOW WHAT I DID TO JUST TODAY NOW, I HAD GUN SAFETY THERE AT THAT SUMMER PROGRAM WITH KINDERGARTNERS THROUGH 8TH GRADERS, AND THAT IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE. SO WE CAN SIT HERE AND BELLYACHE AND TALK ABOUT WHAT AIN'T, BUT I WANT TO KNOW IF YOU'RE ON RECORD, Y'ALL, FOR MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THESE COMMUNITIES, BECAUSE THIS IS REAL. I DON'T WANT NOBODY TO BE AFRAID OF NOBODY AND NOTHING. AND IF WE TALK ABOUT HISTORY, WE WERE A PEOPLE WHERE AFRAID WAS DEFINITELY COMMON WITH US. AND SO WE MUST BE ON RECORD FOR DOING SOME THINGS HERE THAT CAN MAKE BETTER WITH OUR CHILDREN.

I DID THE SNOWBALL THING. KNOW WHAT THAT WAS? NOT JUST EATING SNOWBALLS BUT MAKING CHOICES THE RIGHT CHOICES. SO THE SNOWBALL STAND AND THE GUN SAFETY WAS ALL ALIGNED WHERE THEY SHOT THE WATERMELON. AND THEN WE TALKED TO THE CHILDREN ABOUT AIN'T NO MORE OF YOU IF THIS IS IT, TALKING

[02:05:01]

AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO BE ABOUT THE BUSINESS OF, AND THAT IS MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE PART OF SOLUTION. SOLUTIONS AND NOT PUTTING STAMPS ON OR BAND-AIDS ON THOSE THINGS THAT ARE NOT THAT ARE NOT GOOD IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

THANK YOU, COUNCILWOMAN. I NEED TO GO BACK TO HIM. OKAY, SO WE'VE GOT A WE GOT A SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO APPROVE THE ITEM.

WE'RE GOING TO VOTE ON THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION FIRST.

THAT'S MOTION BY COUNCILMAN HUDSON, SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN AMOROSO . WE'RE GOING TO VOTE ON THE MACHINE, SO WE'RE GOING TO VOTE FIRST ON THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO APPROVE THE ITEM.

MACHINES ARE OPEN ON THE MOTION TO APPROVE.

[63. 26-00680 ]

ITEM 63, AMENDING THE 2026 ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET FOR THE SOUTH OH, DO WE NEED A ROLL CALL VOTE? YEP, ROLL CALL.

ROLL CALL VOTE, SORRY.

COUNCILMAN GAUDET? YES.

COUNCILMAN MOAK? YES.

COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS? YES.

COUNCILMAN HURST? NO.

COUNCILMAN NOEL? YES.

COUNCILMAN HUDSON? YES.

COUNCILWOMAN AMOROSO ? YES.

COUNCILWOMAN COLEMAN? YES.

COUNCILMAN KENNY? NO.

COUNCILWOMAN HARRIS? NO.

THANK YOU. ITEM 63, AMENDING 2026 ANNUAL OPERATING BUDGET FOR THE SOUTH BURBANK CRIME PREVENTION DISTRICT TO APPROPRIATE $100,000 FROM THE DISTRICT'S FUND BALANCE UNASSIGNED TO AID CRIME PREVENTION IN THE DISTRICT BY SOUTH BURBANK CRIME PREVENTION DISTRICT. ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? YOU WANT TO SPEAK? NO. SEEING NONE, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL. WE HAVE A MOTION.

[64. 26-00686]

IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES. ITEM 64, AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR-PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT TO ECS SOUTHWEST LLC FOR LAB TESTING FOR SERVICES ASSOCIATED WITH THE MOVE BR CAPACITY PROJECT, SCENIC HIGHWAY HARDING BOULEVARD TO SWAN AVENUE, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $87,677 BY TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE DIRECTOR. ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NO GO TO COUNCIL. WE HAVE A

[65. 26-00687]

65, AUTHORIZING MAYOR PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT FOR CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING SUPPORT SERVICES WITH FORTUN TABLADA FOR SERVICES ASSOCIATED WITH THE MUBIAR ENHANCEMENT PROJECT, FLORIDA BOULEVARD SEGMENT 2, 22ND TO 22ND STREET TO AIRLINE HIGHWAY, AND AN AMOUNT OF ?250,055 BY TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE DIRECTOR. ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED ONE EMAIL COMMENT IN OPPOSITION TO ITEM 65.

SEEING NO GO TO COUNCIL. WE

[66. 26-00688 ]

66, AUTHORIZING MAYOR-PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE A SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT NUMBER 2 TO AN EXISTING CONTRACT FOR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES WITH GOTEK FOR ADDITIONAL SERVICES ASSOCIATED WITH THE MOVE BR ENHANCEMENT PROJECT, SHARP ROAD, FLORIDA BOULEVARD TO OLD HAMMOND HIGHWAY, PEDESTRIAN AND ROAD APPROVAL IMPROVEMENTS IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $41,771.40 BY TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE DIRECTOR. ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL. WE HAVE A

[67. 26-00689]

IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES. 67, AUTHORIZING MAYOR PRESIDENT TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT FOR CONSTRUCTION INSPECTION SERVICES WITH INFRASTRUCTURE CONSULTING AND ENGINEERING LLC FOR SERVICES ASSOCIATED WITH THE MOVE BR PROJECT, SCENIC HIGHWAY HARDING BOULEVARD TO SWAN AVENUE, AND AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $458,425 BY TRANSPORTATION AND DRAINAGE DIRECTOR. ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEE, NOW WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL. WE HAVE A MOTION.

MOTION BY COUNCILMAN MOAK,

[68. 26-00690]

68, RESCINDING RESOLUTION 59267, WHICH PROVIDED FOR SUPPLEMENTAL AGREEMENT WITH MEYER ENGINEERS IN AN AMOUNT OF $19,473.69 FOR ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES ASSOCIATED WITH THE MOVE BR ENHANCEMENT PROJECT FLORINEL DRIVE SIDEWALKS, JEFFERSON HIGHWAY

[02:10:01]

[69. 26-00691]

ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NO, GO

[70. 26-00693]

IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES. ITEM 70, AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR PRESIDENT ON BEHALF OF THE DIVISION OF HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND SERVICES EBRP HEAD START PROGRAM TO ACCEPT THE COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT INCREASE THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES OFFICE OF HEAD START IN THE AMOUNT OF $81,805 BY HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND SERVICES DIRECTOR. ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEE, NOW WE GO

[71. 26-00695]

71, RESCINDING DIRECTING CLERK OF COURT TO CANCEL NOTICE TO ATTEND RECORDED ON AUGUST 27TH, 2025, IN A MATTER OF CITY OF BATON ROUGE VERSUS MARY MALONE DONNELLY, JOEL LYLE DONNELLY, BEVERLY RUSHING SANDIFORD, AND WILLIAM E.

SANDIFORD, 1927 FOUNTAIN AVENUE, REASON FOR RESCISSION. THE PROPERTY IS CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF BEING SOLD. THIS IS BY COUNCILMAN GAUDET. ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE, GO

[72. 26-00697]

72, AMEND THE 2026 ALLOTMENT OF POSITIONS FOR THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE AND PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE ADOPTED BY ORDINANCE 19727, SO AS TO CHANGE THE ALLOTMENT OF RETIREMENT EFFECTIVE JUNE 11TH, 2026. ADD 1 ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST, 1 JOB CODE 2018, BY HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR AND INTERIM RETIREMENT ADMINISTRATOR. ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEE NO, GO TO COUNCIL. A MOTION, MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS, SECOND

[ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS]

ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS, SEE SEPARATE SHEET.

ADMINISTRATIVE AD MATTER EMERGENCY ITEM A, AUTHORIZATION FROM MAYOR, PRESIDENT, AND/OR CHAIRMAN OF THE AIRPORT COMMISSION TO SUB SUBMIT AND EXECUTE A GRANT APPLICATION TO THE FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION AND STATE OF LOUISIANA OFFICE OF AVIATION AND FUTURE EAST AIRFIELD DEVELOPMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $220,000 BY THE AVIATION DIRECTOR.

REASON THIS ITEM BEING REQUESTED AS ADMINISTRATIVE MATTER IS DEEMED AN EMERGENCY TO MEET STATE OF LOUISIANA OFFICE OF AVIATION DEADLINES RESULTING FROM A RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT OF A GRANT. I NEED A MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES. MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN AMOROSO . SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. WE'RE GONNA HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES. ANYONE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES? WE'RE GONNA HAVE A VOTE. IS ANY OPPOSITION ON THE MOTION TO WAIVE THE RULES? SEEING NONE, WE'RE GOING TO CALL FOR A PUBLIC HIRE, HEARING ON THE ITEM. ANYONE WISH TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? SEEING NONE, GO TO COUNCIL. MOTION BY COUNCILMAN MOAK, SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES.

BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE'VE HAD ADMINISTRATIVE MATTER. ITEM

[73. 26-00552 ]

FOR THE POSITION ON THE BOARD, IT HAS TO BE A DOCTOR OF LANE. THEY DID SPEAK WITH HER AND SHE ACCEPTED, SO I'LL MAKE A MOTION. SECOND

[74. 26-00738]

[02:15:01]

CONGRATULATIONS, DR. MARTIN.

74, CHAFFALAYA TRACE COMMISSION CONSIDERATION OF REPLACING HILLARY COLLIS, WHO IS NOT SEEKING REAPPOINTMENT. THIS IS A 3-YEAR TERM REPRESENTING EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH ON THE BOARD BOARD. CURRENT BALLOT IS MISTY BARNES, DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, BIG RIVER ECONOMIC AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT ALLIANCE, AND THEN ALI RENHOFF MARTINEZ, SENIOR DIRECTOR OF NONPROFIT EXCELLENCE, BATON ROUGE AREA FOUNDATION. ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEE, NO GOOD. COUNCIL COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. I'D LIKE TO, MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPOINT ALI RENHOF MARTINEZ.

MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN AMOROSO

[Items 75 & 76]

CONGRATULATIONS, SMARTNESS.

CHANGE ORDERS, WE COULD TAKE 75 AND 76 TOGETHER. 75, RIVER CENTER ARENA BALLROOM ROOF REPLACEMENT. CONTRACTOR, LAKESHORE ROOFING AND CONSTRUCTION INC. CHANGE ORDER AMOUNT, $39,542.35. 76, FLASHING YELLOW ARROW INSTALL INSTALLATION CONTRACTOR DIAMOND ELECTRIC COMPANY, CHANGE ORDER AMOUNT $31,206.75. ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THESE ITEMS? SEEING NONE, GO TO COUNCIL. WE HAVE A MOTION. MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS, SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN AMOROSO . ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES.

OKAY.

ACCEPTANCE OF LOW BIDS. WE'RE

[Items 77 & 78]

LOW BID, LONZO CONSTRUCTION, $63,645. 78, BATON ROUGE METROPOLITAN AIRPORT TICKET COUNTER AND BAGGAGE CLAIM.

BELT MODERNIZATION. LOW BID, MILTON J. WOMACK, $7,855,000.

ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THESE ITEMS? GO TO COUNCIL. WE HAVE A MOTION. MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN AMOROSO, SECOND BY COUNCILWOMAN ADAMS. ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES.

COUNCILWOMAN AMOROSO. MOTION TO ADJOURN. MEETING'S ADJOURNED. THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR YOUR CONTINUED SERVICE.

GOD BLESS.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.