Metropolitan Council Meeting of East Baton Rouge Parish, August 12, 2026
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Metropolitan Council Meeting of East Baton Rouge Parish, August 12, 2026
The Metropolitan Council of East Baton Rouge Parish met on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, at the council chamber. The meeting opened with recognitions, followed by a lengthy consent agenda, public hearings, and debate on multiple contract amendments, a new police support specialist program, a public safety plan, and a report on St. George withdrawal liability. Numerous items passed on unanimous or voice votes; several drew public opposition.
Recognitions and Presentations
- Purple Heart Month: On behalf of Mayor President Sid Edwards (who was absent), Chasen Grant read a proclamation recognizing Purple Heart Day (August 7). Purple Heart recipients were honored, including one identified as a triple recipient. Representative Kelly Hennessy Dickerson presented tokens on behalf of Governor Jeff Landry and legislative leaders.
- 808 Day: Councilman Daryl Hearst presented a certificate to Michael A.V. Mitchell, founder of Assignment 808, for community violence prevention work. Certificates were also given to Detroit Montez Draper, Alex Godson Richburg, and Box the Hungry Genius. Assignment 808 donated 108 pairs of shoes to youth and families.
- LMA President: Councilman Anthony Kenny recognized Mayor Darnell Waits of Baker, Louisiana, recently elected president of the Louisiana Municipal Association.
- Coach Carlos Sample: Councilman Kenny honored retiring Scotlandville High School head basketball coach Carlos Sample, whose record included 482 wins, 83 losses, eight state championships, and six runner-up finishes. Sample has been hired as basketball coach at Baton Rouge Community College.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes: Approved minutes of the July 22, 2026 council and zoning meetings and the August 4, 2026 Airport Commission meeting.
- Introductions (Items 2–23): Approved by a single motion, including amendments to the Raising Cane's River Center naming agreement, sales tax rebates for the Cortana project and ExxonMobil construction, cooperative Endeavor agreements for constable first responder funding, retirement system contribution definitions, suspension of the fast-food sales threshold during Move BR construction, and numerous condemnation and adjudicated property introductions.
- Department of Public Works recommendations (Items 57–75): Proceeded with most items; placed 30-day holds on items 58, 63, and 74; 90-day holds on items 65, 67, 70, 71, and 75; and deleted item 69. Approved on a voice vote.
- Routine resolutions and contracts: Items 76–78, 80–84, 86, 88–96, 100, 102–103, 107, 113–118, 120–122, 123–137, and 139–143 were approved, mostly unanimously, including bond and special election resolutions, settlement approvals, appointments, change orders, final acceptances, low bids, and emergency items.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Penny May Landry (recurring speaker) opposed numerous contract amendments and extensions, arguing they should go out for RFP, criticizing supplemental agreements (items 97, 98, 99, 101, 105, 106), the 10-year police millage renewal (item 79), LAZ parking extension (item 104), library janitorial cost (item 109), legal service amendments (items 110–112), and the Delmont Economic Development District (item 119). She also opposed additional funding for Government Street beautification, stating the plants were dead and the area looked bad.
- Reverend Anderson and OlaGaye opposed the police support specialist program (item 108), citing concerns about retired officers with disciplinary histories and the 20-year experience requirement. They urged the council to reject the proposal.
- Champagne Rountree raised concerns about sidewalk safety on Sherwood Forest, claiming newly constructed sidewalks are not ADA-compliant and are unsafe for wheelchair users. She said she would not approve new sidewalks until existing ones are fixed. She also praised the Government Street demonstration project.
- Matt Adler (Clean Pelican) and Dennis Vedrine (Goodwood Property Owners) presented a Government Street beautification demonstration project, highlighting 45 volunteers and about 1,000 plants installed, and asked the council to consider the coalition for future green space efforts.
- Mary Stein (Assistant Library Director) defended the library janitorial contract, explaining it covers the main library, a LEED-certified building open 73 hours a week, and that the contract was competitively procured.
Discussion Items
- Item 79 – Police Millage Renewal: Public speaker Penny May Landry opposed the 10-year renewal of 0.87 mills for a three-platoon police station, and asked for a five-year term. The council nonetheless approved the resolution.
- Items 84–88 – Community Development Contract Extensions: Several one-time extensions for opioid settlement-funded services were approved. Landry opposed them, asking for new RFPs. Councilwoman Amarosa clarified the extensions add no new money but allow entities to complete existing work. Item 85 (Collected Cognitive Behavioral Center) was deleted on a council motion.
- Items 97–99 – Move BR Supplemental Agreements: Landry opposed multiple supplemental engineering agreements. Transportation Director Fred Raiford explained that supplements arise from design changes, environmental requirements, and utility issues, and that engineers are selected through a qualifications-based process. Councilman Hearst explained the qualitative selection process. Item 99 (Jones Creek extension) passed after extended discussion.
- Item 101 – Waste Pro Debris Hauling: Landry opposed the $85,000 increase. Councilwoman Adams stated the amendment adds budgeted funds at the same $398-per-haul price and that the contract was competitively bid. Passed.
- Item 104 – LAZ Parking Extension: Landry and council members criticized LAZ's performance. Councilman Dunn Jr. made a substitute motion to approve only a six-month extension to allow a new River Center manager to shape a future RFP. The substitute motion carried, superseding the one-year extension.
- Item 105 – Coral Drive Sidewalk Design: Landry and Rountree opposed additional design spending, citing poor road conditions and unsafe sidewalks. Raiford said the work is finalizing plans for a broader sidewalk project and acknowledged a commitment to inspect Sherwood Forest sidewalks with Rountree. The item passed.
- Item 108 – Police Support Specialist Program: After public opposition, Police Chief detailed the program: retired BRPD officers with 20+ years and clean disciplinary records can be hired part-time as police support specialists, performing civilian duties (grant writing, administrative work, cold-case review, minor accident reports) with no arrest powers and no benefits. The council approved it.
- Item 109 – Library Janitorial Contract: Landry questioned the monthly cost (roughly $76,000 per month for the main library). Library staff explained the contract is a multi-year total of $916,545.51, covers a large LEED-certified building, and includes specialty cleaning. Councilman Hudson raised concerns about LEED certification costs. Approved.
- Items 110–112 – Legal Service Amendments: Landry opposed spending increases. Councilman Dunn Jr. noted that one case (Scott Wilson) had a $40,000 settlement offer but legal fees exceeded $150,000. The council entered executive session for items 110–112 to discuss litigation strategy; items passed afterward, with Dunn voting no on item 111.
- Item 119 – Delmont Economic Development District: Landry opposed a new EDD, saying existing districts have not created jobs. Councilman Dunn Jr. defended the Cortana Corridor district's infrastructure and community center goals. The ordinance passed with Councilman Hudson the sole recorded no vote.
- Item 136 – Office of Violence Prevention Plan: Staff presented a group violence intervention (GVI) model, citing 48 homicides in the first half of 2026, 83 juvenile homicides over six years, and over 30% of homicides being group-related. Councilman Hearst criticized the model as a 'picture dust' approach, calling for more holistic neighborhood investment. Councilman Hudson asked about funding; staff said previous $445,000 ended June 30, 2026.
- Item 138 – CEPERS St. George Withdrawal: Interim administrator Aisha Murza reported that revenue data was delivered to St. George on August 10, starting a 30-day review. She estimated the withdrawal liability at roughly $65 million (8.71% of $752 million UAL). Councilman Moak questioned enforceability of the ordinance on a sovereign municipality and suggested the intergovernmental agreement's dispute resolution may be needed.
Key Outcomes
- Approved all consent items, with modifications to DPW recommendations (deletion of item 69; 30- and 90-day holds on specified items).
- Approved the 10-year police millage renewal (item 79).
- Deleted item 85 (Collected Cognitive Behavioral Center contract extension).
- Approved the LAZ parking extension for six months instead of one year (item 104).
- Approved the police support specialist program (item 108).
- Approved the Delmont Economic Development District (item 119) over Councilman Hudson's opposition.
- Reconsidered and deleted item 126 after a procedural error; it will be redone.
- Approved all change orders, final acceptances, low bids, and emergency items.
- Received the Public Safety Plan and CEPERS St. George withdrawal report; no formal action taken on either report.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome everybody to the presentation portion of our meeting. The Metropolitan Council this August 12th, 2026. First, we're gonna have uh Mayor President Sid Edwards and Metropolitan Councilwoman Denise Samaroso recognizing Alana Bronzera, the of the mayor's advisory council on Veterans Affairs and Purple Heart recipients for Purple Heart Moth. Lena. Hello, Council members. Thank you so much for being here, and thank you for our honored guests for being here. I'm Elena Branzera, the chair of the Mayor's Advisory Council on Veteran Affairs. Before we begin, I would like to read you something that one of our DPW workers wrote, Department of Public Works. He is actually an Army veteran, and I think it's very profound for council and those listening and those in attendance to hear. It's called In the Foxhole, inspired by the original by George Robertson, Sergeant U.S. Army. The truth is this in the foxhole, a warrior discovers who they truly are. Not the name stitch upon a uniform, but the one whisper by God when the night grows too loud to ignore the danger. The dirt never lies. It remembers every trembling step, every silent prayer, every promise made with shaking hands that somehow keep that rifle steady. If there is anything a warrior learns about courage, it is not the absence of fear. It is a desire to stand anyway. The foxhole tells a truth that few will ever know. Every warrior can bleed, but not every warrior breaks. It becomes a sanctuary for those who carry burdens far too heavy for words. It is where strangers become family, where trust is forged under fire. In the foxhole, no one fights for medals, no one fights for recognition. They fight for the person beside them, for the voice they know in the darkness, for the hand that reaches back without being asked. That is a warrior's love. It is not soft, it is not pretty. It is forged in dust, smoke, sacrifice, and unwavering loyalty. The foxhole teaches another truth. A warrior is not the weapon they carry, but the will behind it, not the uniform they wear, but the oath they swore, not the fear they feel, but the fire that refuses to surrender. And when dawn breaks, a warrior climbs out, changed forever, a little older, a little heavier, carrying both the weight of survival and the memory of those who did not return. The truth is, no warrior ever leaves that foxhole. It lives quietly behind their ribs, reminding them of who they have become when everything is stripped away. It whispers, remember. Remember the courage. Remember the sacrifice. Remember those who stood beside you. Remember those who will never come home, and remember those who have always lived in the foxhole because the foxhole never dies. Thank you to George for writing that and allowing me to share his version because I think it's very appropriate that we here in this meeting honor those that have paid the ultimate price and also seen things that we will never understand. And they continue to live in that foxhole every day. So I want to thank all the Metropolitan Council members, and I want to thank all of our people, our veterans, but mostly the brave men and women that actually have been given the Purple Heart. It is not an award, but it is a badge of courage under extreme pressure and sacrifice. And um she is incredible with veteran support. Senator Kelly Hennessy Dickerson. Senator Senator, State Representative, I apologize. It's so easy to say Senator. I apologize. So thank you. Thank you all for allowing me to be here just to take a brief moment and thank you for what you do every day as servants and to honor these wonderful and brave and courageous people who have sacrificed so much for the freedom that we enjoy, so that we may sit here and may serve. And that is my honor. It's also been an honor to work alongside with this incredible, incredible lady and with our mayor, Mayor Edwards. He has helped with legislation that we have been proud to pass for our veterans to honor them and to make a difference in our park systems and both state and our local parks and also in our school system to make a difference for safety and for mentorship.
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