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WELCOME, EVERYBODY TO THE SPECIAL MEETING. THE METROPOLITAN COUNCIL THIS MONDAY, AUGUST 31ST, 2026.
[CALL TO ORDER]
WE CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER. ASHLEY DO WE HAVE A QUORUM? WE HAVE A QUORUM. ALL RIGHT.REMINDER, EVERYBODY, PLEASE SIGN THE PROOF OF NOTICE GOING AROUND.
[1. 26-01115 Authorizing Mayor Pro Temp Brandon Noel to execute Appendix B, Designated Partners of the Model Cities Initiative Grant, on behalf of the Metropolitan Council. By Mayor's Office.]
COUNCIL BY THE MAYOR'S OFFICE. ANYONE HERE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? OR IF. BY ALL MEANS, IF YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING, PLEASE.A WHILE BACK. OOPS. DO I NEED TO DO THAT AGAIN? A WHILE BACK, JEN RACCA HAD MADE A COMMENT WHEN WE WERE ALL UP HERE TALKING ABOUT FUNDING AND ASKED, YOU KNOW, WELL, TELL US WHAT THE CJCC DOES. AND I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THIS IS WHAT THE CJCC DOES.
IT IS THE ENTITY THAT BRINGS ALL OF OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCIES TOGETHER.
AND IT'S IMPORTANT. AND THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO SAY.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? SEEING NONE CJCC COME ON, TELL EM WHAT YOU DO, MAN.
ALMOST. ALMOST. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M CHRIS CSONKA.
OUR COUNCIL CONSISTS OF ALL THE JUSTICE LEADERS, COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
WE HAVE A SPOT FOR METRO COUNCIL ON THE COUNCIL, AND WE REALLY WORK TO MAKE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SAFER AS A WHOLE, WHETHER IT'S THROUGH POLICING OR COMMUNITY DERIVED INITIATIVES.
WE WORK WITH COMMUNITY, GRASSROOTS COMMUNITY PROGRAMS. WE WORK WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, WE WITH PROSECUTORS.
WE WANT TO MAKE THE STREETS SAFER. WE WANT TO MAKE THE COURT PROCESS MORE EFFICIENT AND FAIR, AND WE WANT TO MAKE IT MORE SUITABLE FOR PEOPLE RETURNING FROM PRISON SO THAT THEY HAVE A CHANCE OF SUCCEEDING AND NOT RETURNING.
THIS ALLOWS US TO BRING IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT POLICING.
IT'S ABOUT COMMUNITY SERVICES. IT'S ABOUT FOCUSING ON REENTRY.
IT'S ALSO ABOUT REENTRY AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE.
IT INCORPORATES ALL OF THOSE THINGS INTO THIS, WHICH IS WHY IT'S SUCH A LARGE GRANT.
ARE THERE CERTAIN AGENCIES IT'S GOING TO GO TO.
DO YOU KNOW THOSE AGENCIES AND JUST QUESTION HOW MUCH IS THE GRANT? SO WE RIGHT NOW, OUR DRAFT BUDGET, WHICH IS ABOUT FINALIZED, IS AT ABOUT $125 MILLION FOR A THREE YEAR PERIOD.
THAT IS A VERY LARGE NUMBER. THE TOTAL POOL OF AVAILABLE GRANT FUNDS IS 300 MILLION.
THEY'RE AWARDING THAT TO 2 TO 4 CITIES THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES.
SO AS YOU CAN GUESS, THERE'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE SOME STEEP COMPETITION FOR THIS.
I THINK WE ARE WELL POISED, GIVEN OUR HISTORY OF VIOLENT CRIME AND HOW WE'VE ALWAYS RANKED HIGHER THAN THE NATIONAL AVERAGE EVER SINCE THEY'VE BEEN REPORTING VIOLENT CRIME.
THAT'S WHAT THIS PROPOSAL IS ADDRESSED TOWARDS FIXING, GETTING US DOWN AT LEAST TO WHAT THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IS OR BELOW, WHICH IS WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE. I THINK WE CAN DO THAT.
THIS WOULD BE THE BIGGEST INFLUX OF FUNDS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY THAT WE'VE EVER SEEN IN A LONG TIME.
SO IF YOU HAD THE AGENCY. WE HAVE AGENCIES THAT ARE LISTED, WE HAVE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, WE HAVE THE DA'S OFFICE.
INTERNSHIP APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM. WE ALSO HAVE A HUNDRED YEAR PARTNERSHIP WITH 100 BLACK MEN.
THEY WANT TO PARTNER AND BUILD OUT THEIRS. SO SOME OF THEM ARE NAMED PARTNERS AS WELL.
I'M TRYING TO THINK OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. WE HAVE SUPPORT FROM LOUISIANA STATE POLICE.
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THEY'RE NOT GETTING FUNDING, BUT WE ALSO HAVE JUVENILE COURT IS ON BOARD.REALLY THAT'S. WHO ELSE ARE WE MISSING? OH, THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE.
THEY'RE PART OF OUR BOARD. SO THEY'RE PART OF THIS AS WELL? YES. SO IS IT GOING TO BE KIND OF A THING WHERE EVERYBODY'S GOING TO BE WORKING TOGETHER, OR EVERYBODY'S JUST GOING TO KIND OF TAKE THEIR MONEY AND GO DO THEIR OWN THING.
THEY'RE GOING TO THEY'RE WRITTEN IN FOR THE MONEY, BUT IT HAS TO BE.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE WRITTEN IN AS THE OVERALL GRANT COORDINATOR FROM THIS, TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE PIECES ARE MOVING IN SYNC AND THEY'RE NOT WORKING IN SILOS, THAT WE'RE NOT OVERLAPPING SERVICES, WE'RE NOT CREATING REDUNDANCIES IN THIS.
WE WANT TO BE THE BEST STEWARDS OF THIS MONEY AS POSSIBLE.
WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO COORDINATE THIS ON THE WHOLE SCALE.
ALL RIGHT. AND THEN KIND OF FOLLOW UP TO COUNCILWOMAN AMOROSO'S QUESTION, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WHO MAY NOT HAVE BEEN IN THE BEGINNING, WHICH YOU ALL APPLY FOR THIS GRANT TO COME TO THE TABLE, IF AND WHEN WE'RE AWARDED THIS GRANT TO THE CITY? I BELIEVE THERE IS. THIS IS PHASE ONE, SUBMITTING THIS GRANT IS PHASE ONE OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS.
IT'LL GO THROUGH A SELECTION PROCESS UP IN DC.
THE ONES THAT ARE WHITTLED DOWN TO WILL BE ASKED TO COME TO DC AND DO A FORMAL PROPOSAL ON THAT.
AND THEN IF CHOSEN ONE OF THOSE 2 TO 4 CITIES, WE WILL SIT AND THEN ACTUALLY FILL OUT THE.
BUT SO I THINK THERE IS ROOM TO INCLUDE AND HAVE THAT TRICKLE DOWN TO SOME OF THOSE GRASSROOT ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THAT ARE ACTUALLY DOING THE COMMUNITY SAFETY WORK. BUT YES, I, THE QUESTION IS YES. GOTCHA.
I DID GET SOME QUESTIONS WITH CONSTITUENTS WHY WE HAD TO HAVE A SPECIAL MEETING.
SO OF COURSE, AS COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE UNDERSTAND THE NUANCE, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
YEAH, THAT WAS ACTUALLY MY ERROR. THERE IS AN APPENDIX ON THE GRANT PROPOSAL, APPENDIX B, THAT REQUIRES A SIGNATURE OF SPECIFICALLY DESIGNATED PARTNERS THAT DOJ SAYS HAS TO SIGN.
I DIDN'T REALIZE UNTIL LAST WEEK THAT METRO COUNCIL WAS ONE OF THOSE.
SO I CAME TO METRO COUNCIL MEETING LAST WEDNESDAY.
AND ASKED BRANDON SAID, HEY, CAN YOU SIGN THIS? AND HE'S LIKE, YEAH, WE CAN'T DO THAT WITHOUT A VOTE, WHICH IS WHY WE HAD TO HAVE AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. I SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT THAT EARLIER.
BECAUSE I KNOW YOU ALL DO SOME GOOD, THOROUGH WORK. SO FOR THE PEOPLE AT HOME WHO MAY NOT BE PRIVY TO THAT CONTEXT, WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IN TRANSPARENCY, THEY KNOW WHY. YEAH, THAT SHORT TURNAROUND. WASN'T INTENTIONALLY KEEPING ANYBODY OUT OF THE LOOP. I JUST DIDN'T REALIZE THAT YOU GUYS HAD TO ACTUALLY SIGN THAT.
NO PROBLEM. WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT AND APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT Y'ALL DO. THANK YOU. THE OTHER THING IS, WHAT ABOUT THE EXPUNGEMENTS? ALL OF THAT WILL BE A PART OF THIS, AM I CORRECT? THERE A REENTRY COMPONENT TO THIS EXPUNGEMENTS FALL INTO THAT? GREAT, GREAT. SO PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT WE COUNCIL PERSONS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS IN ORDER THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY TALK ABOUT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PERSONS THAT ARE IN MY DISTRICT ARE TAKEN CARE OF, ESPECIALLY WITH EXPUNGEMENTS AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT THEY NEED ASSISTANCE WITH, SO. I SO MOVE.
COUNCILWOMAN HARRIS. I WANTED FOR IT TO BE ON RECORD AGAIN, THAT YOU STATED JUST A SECOND AGO THAT GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS, BOOTS ON THE GROUND WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS AS WELL.
CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT. WE WANT TO TRICKLE THIS DOWN AS MUCH AS WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL LEVELS OF THIS COMMUNITY SAFETY PLAN ARE BEING REINFORCED WITH EVERYTHING THEY NEED TO HELP MAKE MAKE OUR COMMUNITY SAFER.
WHEN WE SPEAK OF VIOLENCE REDUCTION. CORRECT.
OKAY. THANK YOU. COUNCILMAN MOAK. YEAH. WASN'T SURE IF I WAS GOING TO BE LEFT OVER HERE BY MYSELF OR NOT? BUT I'D LIKE TO SECOND HER MOTION TO PASS. MOTION BY COUNCILWOMAN COLEMAN.
SECOND BY COUNCILMAN MOAK. ANY OPPOSITION? MOTION CARRIES.
COUNCILWOMAN AMOROSO. MOTION TO ADJOURN.
ADJOURNED. THANK YOU ALL.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.