The meeting of September fourth, twenty twenty-five will come to order.

Do we have any special intentions today?

No special intentions.

Uh, Father Luis, if you will leave us in prayer, we'd appreciate it, sir.

Thank you.

Thank you for being here.

In the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, amen.

Heavenly Father, we thank you for this beautiful day that you've given to us and for this opportunity to be able to gather as uh as a council in our city of Kenner.

We ask that you continue to pour your blessings upon our dear city of Kenner, upon all those who are in civil authority over us, all those who protect us and guide us and lead us as we uh foster and try our best to forge a community that is uh filled with your love uh and with your uh and with your generosity for for those who are in need.

We ask that you bless all of our deliberations, all that we share here, and may everything that we may share be done always for your glory, for your honor, and for your praise.

But most of all, because we love you.

We ask all of us through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Amen.

Uh now, if we will, Madam Clerk, will you lead us in the pledge?

Sure.

Place your hand over your heart and repeat after me.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America to the Republic for which it stands.

Under God, indivisible liberty and justice for all.

Aye.

Opposed, please say nay.

Seeing none, motion passes seven zero.

Under item eighteen, new business.

Item eighteen A.

At the request of the administration, an executive session regarding Amparo, Lambert, Morales versus the City of Kenner, Kentucky Police Department at all twenty-fourth judicial district court number seven five three-five two five.

I have a motion by Councilmember Brennan, seconded by Councilmember Lahat to adjourn into executive session.

All council members in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

I have a motion by Councilmember Brennan, seconded by Councilmember Lahat to reconvene from executive session.

All council members in favor, please say aye.

Pose, please say nay.

Seeing none, motion passes seven zero.

Next we have correspondence reports from the mayor, CAO, or department heads.

Um at this time we'd like to introduce Mr.

Jimmy Aiken with entergy.

He's gonna make a few comments.

If you could please come to the podium.

Hello, counsel.

I've been better.

No, I'm okay.

Doing great.

Um I've been asked to come here to speak on the recent outages in driftwood uh by councilman Lahat.

So I just wanted to come today and address these issues.

I knew do you know that we have some people in attendance right now and maybe have some people online watching.

So over the last I would say three weeks, we've had five outages in 14 days in a certain sliver of driftwood, and then to the western part of Kenner, uh, which is a feeder called 313 out of Poncha Train substation, which is the substation on the corner of West Esplanade and Power.

Um, I understand first and foremost, I'd like to apologize to our customers, your constituents.

I know these are residents, these are business owners.

Uh these outages have impacted their business, their livelihood.

Some people work from home, so I do want to apologize for that.

Uh the first two outages that we had on feeder 313.

I've brought a little show and tell item right here, was actually due to a faulty insulator.

So when our crews rode the lines out, the insulator was actually sitting like this.

Now, what this insulator does is it has our we call phases or power lines that sit on this.

It's very hard to tell from the ground exactly how the insulator is sitting.

And so at when we first rode the lines, we did not see that the insulator was sitting just like this, which was obviously which caused another outage as well the next day.

So this right here cost two outages on both the Monday and Tuesday that went back to back.

I believe it was two weeks ago.

So our crews went and rode feeder 313.

Uh and just for everybody's clarification, a feeder is what brings the electricity to what we call lateral.

So y'all have underground and driftwood, and then on the other side, they have overhead, but the feeder runs out of the substation and carries the electricity into what we call laterals that then go into the neighborhoods and feed your homes.

Um so this caused a fault in our line, which backed up all the way to the substation.

So we were able to replace this feeder.

There was actually a crack in the feeder as well.

But what happened was when the line was sitting on the crossarm, or when the feeder was bent like excuse me, upside down like this, and the line was sitting right here.

Even if it was a little bit of moisture, there was some rain, but we did have an outage where it was a blue sky day.

Even if there was a little moisture in between this line and the wood there, it was gonna cause the electricity to track, which would have caused an outage.

So what we did was we replaced this insulator on one of the feeder poles, and then we rode all the feeder poles as well to ensure that we didn't see any kind of um extensive damage to any other insulators there.

We also had an outage on Saturday.

There was a little bit of rain there.

Uh however, uh, this was caused to our conductors being too close together.

There was a sag in the conductor, and the conductor holds our wire lines together.

So the lines actually we call it slapping, but basically what it is was the lines were touching each other, which caused them to uh cause a fault in the line, which backed up all the way to the breaker.

The breaker operated, but then couldn't reclose, so it left was left open, so that's why you had 1400 customers without power.

Since then, what we've done was we went and replaced the crossarm that had the insulators on the excuse me, the conductors, so that way the lines wouldn't touch.

So even if it was a little bit of wind, if it wasn't heavy rain, those lines that were touching together will also track, and that'll cause the power to uh or cause a fault in the line to then back up all the way to the substation.

Um since then, uh we've worked with our reliability team.

Uh the team has gone and we are going to ride feeder 313.

Now, feeder 313 runs all the way out of the substation, runs down West Esplanade towards Williams and then turns down Williams down past like Driftwood and all that area uh heading towards the lake.

Uh they're going to ride 313, the feeder, they're going to ensure that there's no loose cross arms, there's no conductors that are um flipped or broken or anything like that.

And they're just going to ensure that there's no rotted poles.

If there are rotted poles, they're going to conduct a plan to get that over to engineering as quickly as possible.

And then from there, we will go ahead and replace those poles just to ensure that our reliability is where it needs to be.

I sat up here a couple months ago and months ago before that prior, talking about some of the outages that we had on feeders 316, 324, and 333, which also powers the um the eastern portions of driftwood, and then all back along the lake uh along vintage there.

Since then, we replaced 11 poles on 316, 25 poles on 324, and 11 poles on 333.

We've also um installed some self-healing networks, and as you can see, uh y'all don't know this, but the night that 313 tripped, 333 and 316 tripped as well, and both of those went back in.

So the work that we're doing, the upgrades that we're making uh to our power grid, especially along um the power and all across the state, but especially right here in Kenner, it's working.

The things we're doing are working.

Um, so I just wanted to kind of give the council and our constituents or your constituents, our customers, a little bit of rundown on exactly what happened and what we're doing to eliminate the those outages and improve our reliability to our customers.

And then I can open it to questions and certainly happy to talk from there.

Councilman LaHab.

Thank you, Councilman Walmart.

Uh Mr.

Aiken with energy, thank you for coming today, and I really appreciate energy always being responsive.

Let me get in some data real quick, and then I'll get into some of the things you said.

Um, this was given to me by Joseph Occhapenti, who lives in Driftwood, and this this these perpetual outages as of this year recently have affected mainly West Driftwood.

Uh the businesses uh south of West Esplanade, right there in District 2.

Uh, the streets, Bemini, Granada, Coronado, Monterey, uh, Nassau, Martinique, all of West Driftwood in the data I have the outages this year of just that area, March 15th, April 21st, June 15th, June 22nd, July 26th, which is during the LSU championship game, August 7th, August 20th, August 22nd, August 23rd, and August 29th.

And I have a total outage of that on 14 hours and 53 minutes.

Um we've had a lot of history since I've been in the seat, and y'all have definitely been in the neighborhood doing some up upgrades to the underground transformer repairs.

Uh, my concern right now is I heard you explain the insulator and how the the power arc through the broken insulator you brought.

I was told that issue was fixed, and then the outage on the Saturday happened, and of course the residents here are and uh out of their minds because I've experienced this too.

And when the power goes out in Driftwood, you know, I don't have residents just texting me.

My kids come out of the room and say, Dad, why is the power out?

So I have kids mad at me and my wife mad at me.

I have my friends mad at me, I have my constituents mad at me, and and all I can tell them is is that I'm gonna talk to you, and you know, the public service commission does regulate you guys, and y'all are responsive to me.

I'm never gonna talk about communication, but I'm I'm upset because the the insulator issue was explained to me, and now is that there's an issue with the conductor lines.

And it was two separate issues.

So just so you know, it was two separate issues.

This right here for the two first outages was found off of West Esplanade and power.

The conductor issue was found off of Williams by Bolero, the the bowling alley.

Okay.

Two completely separate issues, but yes, it's still unacceptable that you witnessed five outages in a 10-day span, and then especially all the outages that you had.

Now, some of those outages that you did send or did you that you did state there have been public inflicted damage where cars have hit poles, etc.

There has been some issues where we have had equipment issues.

So I I can I can say that.

I totally get the car hit the poles.

I totally get hurricane events.

Look, and I gave you guys a ton of credit during Hurricane Francine.

Y'all have my area up and running within almost fully within 48 hours.

You were absolutely awesome during that hurricane event.

I gave you all a ton of credit and I like your communication, but I do understand the residents here today in West Driftwood because I have experienced myself since I've been in the seat.

Um the the whole district used to blow out every time one of these issues happened.

And y'all did make upgrades to the Punch Train substation to the reclosure system, the breaker system.

I've had to learn these terms and have gotten in.

So the reclosure system is supposed to stop the entire neighborhoods from blowing if we have an event like this.

Is that correct?

No, so the reclosure system will help a certain portion of the neighborhoods.

It's not gonna so if there's a fault upstream, it'll protect downstream.

So therefore, it's one of those things where it'll self-healing network or recloser, it'll close so that way if there was going to be 15 or 1500 to 2,000 customers with those have self-healing networks.

Now you might only see 500 customers that are interrupted by an outage.

It'll still be an outage, but it won't be nearly as many customers impacted by the outage.

And you said that the reclosure didn't operate on the conductor line issue.

This this the conductor line problem, the reclosure did not operate in this.

There was no recloser on this issue.

Why?

There was no recloser on 313.

Okay.

Did it is it is it not supposed to operate like that, or is that just another there's just not a recloser on that self-healing?

There's no self-healing network on 313 yet.

So there's no recloser on that feeder.

Can you all install one there?

So we are working right now with our reliability team to get those installed.

So that's another thing that we're doing right now.

And that's on top of all the things that we've done for those other three feeders.

313 has not been a problem feeder for us in the past.

So we look at metrics, we look at data.

316, 324, and 333 used to always go out.

I would get phone calls from you at all various portions of the day telling me that you did not have power, driftwood didn't have power.

So we convened with our reliability team with our engineers, with our design team, and we conducted a full walk down on all of the on those three feeders that I've just mentioned.

Same thing's gonna happen on 313 now.

Okay.

We're gonna do a full investigation on the entire feeder.

We're gonna ride it out, we're gonna look for quick wins, which means any kind of cross arm repairs that need to be get done need to get done, any poles that need to be replaced.

Then we're gonna look at installing self-healing networks as well.

On top of that, we've upgraded a ton of uh equipment within our substation, and that was something that we looked at too.

We proactively changed the relay.

We're waiting on four switch gears right now, and this used to be a huge issue for us at the substation level.

Now we're looking at, you know, 313 was obviously not performing to everybody's standards and liking.

So we are gonna now take our our team's now gonna dive deeper into that to make sure that we're able to provide quality reliability to your call to your constituents.

Okay.

Um appreciate all that, and I think hopefully it does help some of the residents know that your attention is on them at this point for West Driftwood.

The business owners and the Lisa Como at Como Pharmacy, they were really upset when the last time I got the phone call from Valerie, so I know she was in Como pharmacy.

I think I got called every name in the book.

So and Driftwood's you know an old neighborhood.

We have we have it's been around 50, 60 years now.

We have many residents who have health issues, and um no one wants their power out, but you can't have the power out in during a Louisiana weather.

Um, Councilman Wilmot, I know Councilman Brannigan wants to ask questions, but I I do would request that any residents that want to maybe follow up and ask some questions while Jimmy is here.

You permit them to do so if that's okay.

Yes, I will.

Okay, and then you can let refer to George.

The only question I had what is that equipment called right there?

This is an insulator.

Insulator, okay.

So is that attached to the arm?

Is it screwed to the arm?

Yeah, it's into the cross arms.

Okay, and then the one on top.

You got it.

Is there something holding the wire on top of it?

It just sits right on.

It just sits right on top of it.

And she's an engineer, so she can just so everybody knows I'm not line.

Okay.

That's it.

Fact check me.

And at this time, Jimmy, I'm gonna let some of the citizens, if they have questions to come up and and to the podium one at a time.

And if you will, I'm gonna let them speak, and then you can speak after.

That way they'll have uh instead of going back and forth.

Perfect.

Okay.

Yes, sir.

You can come up if you will, your name and your district.

My name is Rod Solors and I live in uh driftwood subdivision.

I'm uh Constable La Hats uh constituent.

Hey, if you can speak a little closer to the microphone, yeah, there you go.

Okay.

Now lately, uh there seems to have been an increase in the frequency of power outages as we discussing here.

Uh on a re in a recent week, there were three separate incidents in that week.

There have been no coincident severe weather occurrences to explain somebody.

I started a log, but Mr.

O Chapinti beat me to it.

His goes back six months.

Mine's only three, four weeks old.

Uh I did a little bit of research.

Of course, it's subject to error because it's internet.

But I was able to find out that in other extensive grids, they have documented possible causes for recurring outages.

Chief amongst them in terms of probabilities or likelihood is equipment.

Uh age or lack of maintenance or whatever.

And then you have, of course, wildlife, vegetation, et cetera.

I have a report on this that I would like to make available to the council for their perusal, not at this meeting, obviously.

But uh let me see.

And I would explain, I would be able to explain as much as I can, although I'm not an expert in this.

Now the report gives several possible causes to intermittent failures that are not accompanied by weather incidents.

Chief amongst this in terms of likelihood is equipment issues.

And it could be again uh outdated, poorly maintained equipment, but primarily in Riftwood, we have what is known as a UR URD system, underground residential distribution, meaning that the transformers are below grade and subject to uh intrusion by water by what is known as a water tree, which essentially is the deterioration of cables, which will allow water to come in.

Now you do have three separate issues, which was addressed by the gentleman from entity.

However, all these could be subsumed after due study of it into one set of causes.

And I would like to present a short anecdote to illustrate the issue.

Two years ago, and I remember it well because it was Thanksgiving.

Three entity trucks spent the day parked in front of my house trying to resolve an issue with an underground transformer that had pretty much shot its usefulness, and they spent several hours waiting for the replacement.

None was forthcoming, so they actually had to install what's known as equipment that's on a pad on the sidewalk, a stop got measure, which I was immensely grateful to because I was able to have dessert at seven o'clock at night with electricity.

Before that, I had candles.

It was great because we were thanking the Lord for the blessings.

We had a minor inconvenience.

Point being that it was a stopgap measure until they could find the proper underground transformer.

Well, that was two years ago.

That transformer is still sitting above ground, it's blocking the street.

I have seen personally a lady pushing a baby carriage that had to go into the street in order to go around it.

And it can be dangerous.

Now, yeah, you could say an options to go on the lawn, but it's kind of hard to push certain little carriages like that.

Point being is that it seems I may be being unfair, but the perception is that once the stop gap was achieved, it was forgotten.

And two years later, we are still dealing with an improper equipment being installed on a city sidewalk.

If a homeowner were to do this with his sidewalk, the inspector would be there, possibly within 24 hours.

And rightfully so.

You wouldn't mind wrapping up your thoughts.

I'm sorry, I did go up a little further.

That's okay.

Uh I want to leave with that thought that yes, they are responding, but it seems like they're responding to essentially the same issues over and over again.

A wider reckoning needs to be uh undertaken.

Thank you very much.

Thank thank you, and we appreciate your comment and expressing your concerns.

Thank you.

Um Mr.

Aiken, would you want to come up after each person, or would you rather just wait until the end?

Okay.

That's fine.

Thank you.

Hi, my name is Michael Pesoch.

I live in Riftwood.

And uh I just have some questions.

I'm not going to report on the uh outages.

Can you hear me?

Yes, now I can speak louder.

Thank you.

Is that better?

Yes, yes.

We need that.

What do other industrialized non-third world countries do so this doesn't happen over and over and over again?

This is not an isolated incidence this year.

Last year was every two or three months the electricity would go out.

So that's what my question is to entergy.

We're paying more for entry now than ever before.

We're paying premium prices for electricity, like any other industrialized nation.

Are we getting the industrialized nation repairs?

Are those insulators the only thing is it uh who cares what they are?

Is it being repaired permanently?

Thank you, sir.

Next.

Name, and I'm sure it's District Three.

Joseph Achapente, District Three, Madrid Avenue.

Uh I've been in Driftwood 41 years now, and we had a similar issue back in 2019, 20 when Mayor Muniz was here.

And at that time it was the pole at Granada and on the ground line from Granada to Martin Egg, Martinique to a uh power box in my yard.

My big question really for energy is is what is a maintenance program?

And two, when we do have an outage, can you please communicate to the constituents what was the problem?

We're totally in the dark.

We need you'll see power outage and a reason says unknown.

So they never tell us whether a pole was hit, whether it's a transformer, whether it's a line.

It would be nice to communicate to us what is the problem, what's being done about it, and permanently fix it so we don't have it again.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Dr.

Penny.

And thank you for coming in today, and thank you for sharing your concerns, especially with the councilman.

And I know he's got a uh list of dates and times that out you had outages.

I was look uh I was looking for an answer to the questions.

Yeah, that he's gonna come up after.

Yes, sir.

Uh Ryan Ugent, 5444 Erlinger in District Three.

Thank you.

Um first off, I'd like to say that uh it's kind of gone back and forth.

Um we've been on Erlinger since 1989, and uh we actually had some issues back in the early 90s.

Um they rectified those issues.

Our transmission reliability was great um up until about Katrina.

Um since then, we we did have a few years of issues where we were kind of I don't know the same frequency that they've experienced in Driftwood, but we were getting recurring outages.

Don't know exactly what feeder line we're on on Erlanger, but um it does seem that they've made some improvements.

Um the outages that we are experiencing there are fewer and further between, and when there are outages, they're fairly short.

So I assume some of those trip systems that you referred to are are doing what they're supposed to do.

Um that said for the people who live in Driftwood and actually went out to try to shop at a uh business on Williams during one of these recent outages and was unable to do so.

Um two other things that I wanted to mention is uh the the work that was uh done at the Poncha Train substation was mentioned, and there was also a new metal uh transmission pole that was installed crooked, by the way, at the intersection of uh power and what's a spanade.

Now, when they were doing that work, there's no doubt.

I mean, there were men crawling up and down those lines.

If you're telling me that this broken insulator was located at power and what's a splenade, number one, how did they not notice that with the number of crews that were actually up there working on these things?

And two, is it possible that it got broken during that construction?

Um and then number three about the substation itself.

Can we actually get some maintenance for the Pox Train substation?

I remember what the substation looked at used to look like back in the 90s, and today it is derelict.

I will call time and time again to a call center that asked me to spell poncha train and ask them to do, you know, maintain the bushes, do something about the walls, do something about the weeds.

The sign um that's supposed to be on the gate is is so old that it actually still says LPL.

Um and it's not on the gate anymore.

It actually fell off the gate, got brought inside, and I called it about it a couple times because there's no 911 address on the property, which is a big issue in case of an emergency.

And uh their solution eventually was to move it outside the gate and kind of stick it in the dirt.

It's faded completely, you can't even read it.

So I've been completely unsuccessful in getting them to do anything about you know the appearance of that property for years.

If y'all could give it some attention, that would be awesome.

Thank you.

Yes, sir.

Hi, uh Jerry Jacob.

I'm in Driftwood on Coronado, not too far from Councilman Lahat.

I'd like to thank uh Councilman Lahat for being so responsive to uh too many times where we have to make a complaint about this.

I've only been in Driftwood for seven years now, and I can say in those seven years, I've experienced more power outages than in the rest of my life combined.

It's unbelievable to me what in an area that has underground uh power to the neighborhood experiences this kind of thing.

That's supposed to be a modern uh technology to prevent this sort of thing.

Obviously, the issues are not necessarily in the underground cabling, but where the power comes in.

So it's great to hear that a lot of these things are going on.

But one of the things that kind of bugs me, uh, you did mention communication, they're maybe communicating with you.

They don't communicate with us very well.

Uh like was said before, we get undetermined, unknown cause when we when we uh look to the reason on the application, you know, about what what the outage was and how long it's gonna take.

Um but one of the things that really gets me too is oh, we're gonna do this, we're gonna have my team take a look at it.

Why now?

Why wasn't it done before?

That this has been an ongoing issue for a long time in Driftwood and in other parts of Kenner.

And I think this should have been addressed long before now.

And it's really frustrating given what uh we pay for electricity to have the kind of response we get from the only energy company that we have access to.

And I just think that that it's uh unacceptable in this day and age to be living through this in this area.

Uh so but again, I'd like to thank uh uh Councilman Lahat for everything he's doing, and I I sure hope something can be done about this.

It's it's great to hear all the details, but in honesty, I just want it fixed.

This shouldn't be happening once a year, maybe.

I I dread if we ever have another storm come through here, God forbid.

But if so, I think we're gonna really be in deep trouble.

And I think it needs to be addressed now, not what we're gonna do.

Maybe I'll have my team take a look and see what about what about I can do about paying my bill.

Thank you, Jerry.

Thank you.

Any other citizens would like to come forward and speak on this issue?

Mr.

Aiken, if you will.

All right.

There's a lot of things there, so I'm gonna try to go over them as I remember them.

So let's start about the outages in Driftwood.

So I got called here two years ago when I took this rollover and I was asked to rectify the issues in Driftwood.

Am I wrong or am I right, Councilman Lahat?

Because I'm gonna talk to you directly on this because this is where you know the rubber meets the road now.

That's correct.

Yes, it came two years ago.

So two years ago, I came in here and I said, we will look at all the outages, we will talk to them, and we will formulate a game plan.

I broke ground last year.

I'm the Grinch that stole Christmas in Driftwood because we couldn't have Frosty the Snowman on Lake Trail because we broke ground on our driftwood recabling to make sure that the exposed wire in Driftwood that all these constituents just talked about was not going to be exposed wire anymore.

It was gonna be in conduit, it was gonna be brand new primary and secondary wiring that was going through driftwood.

So we've already completed phases one and two of that all the way down Lake Trail.

We are currently in phase three, and the Billy Day area is phase four of that plan.

It is a 13-phase plan that we're doing to recable all of Driftwood.

There's a two million dollar recabling for just Coronado, which I heard.

All in all, the project's about 15 million dollars for us to complete.

So that's something that we're doing.

It's not gonna happen overnight.

It's gonna take time.

We've ripped up people's yards, we're gonna be ripping up people's fences, backyards, etc.

So I hope that Driftwood residents are ready because that's what we're doing.

We're coming into Driftwood and we are actively recabling the Driftwood area.

All of the uh I heard something about um the boxes, the green pad mounts that are coming, all those submersible transformers are outdated.

They're old, they don't meet standards anymore.

So guess what?

Those are all phased out.

Every single constituent that has a transformer in their yard is going to get a pad mount when we re-cable that area.

So I, you know, and I'm sorry that they think that that's ridiculous, but that's the new standard.

I did hear gentlemen say about the um the sidewalk.

I do apologize for that.

That should not be there.

That is ridiculous on our part.

I will take the credit for that right now and say that I have spoken with uh Kenner City Council members, and I do not know why that box is still sitting there, but there needs to be an alternative measure because we should not be blocking up the sidewalk.

So to that gentleman and to the woman that had to push her baby into the street, I do apologize.

And everybody else that had to go around that.

I understand that's an eye, that is it is an eyesore, especially from um, you know, neighbors' perspective.

But I did hear somebody say it's ridiculous about the pad mount.

That's our right-of-way.

That's what we are able to put our facilities in in the parish or the cities right away.

So therefore, we try not to put the green boxes on people's front lawn.

Yes, there are a few instances where we had to do that, and now is a stopgap.

Now that we're coming back and that we're we are recabling driftwood, those are things that are trying to put on the property lines, whether it's in the backyard or the front yard.

The front yard is a lot easier for us to access.

The backyard is not.

Therefore, there's going to be machines in people's yards.

We are going to be running up these people's yards.

And I did speak to you about that when we talked about the whole recabling of driftwood.

So, you know, if people put the put sheds over uh our submersibles, or if they put pools in in there and we have to get to it, we have to get to it.

We have the right to access our facilities.

We have the right to put pad mounts because that is the new technology.

So I did under I do hear from y'all that y'all do want better improved reliability.

That's something that we're doing in Driftwood.

For like I spoke about before, you know, everybody came up here.

Feeder 313 has not been an issue for us.

It has not been a problem feeder.

We are looking at metrics.

It never met the metrics or the standards for us as a problem feeder.

I understand that the equipment, people are saying it's old, it's outdated.

Well, we have a um resiliency plan that just got passed by the LPSC for 1.9 billion dollars across the state.

We are investing back into our infrastructure.

I'm not gonna sugarcoat anything.

I am a resident of Jefferson Parish, and I feel that our infrastructure is outdated.

We are actively working right now to invest and upgrade into our infrastructure.

I heard something about rates and prices.

Entergy does not drive the rates or the prices.

You elect a public service commissioner to drive the rates and the prices.

You have the third lowest rates in the nation when it comes to power.

Do you consume more power because you live in South Louisiana?

Absolutely.

But you have some of the lowest rates in the country, the country for power.

So I understand that reliability has been an issue.

And I'm here today saying that it is unacceptable that these constituents, our customers, are experiencing so many outages.

But for somebody to sit here and say, I'm gonna get my team together, I'm doing everything I can.

Entergy, my team, everybody across the entire entergy system is doing what they can to make upgrades.

I've sat here for two years now, and I've promised y'all that you are gonna see better reliability.

My system's working.

The things that we're doing and we're putting in place are working.

I can show you that just from the numbers on 313, excuse me, 316, 324, and 333.

Those customers have not experienced pad outages.

We are going to do a comprehensive walk down next week of the entire feeder.

We're gonna make sure that all the equipment is in place, that you aren't going to have an issue with your insulators, with your conductors.

I can't guarantee power, okay?

But what I can do is I can get my teams to go out there and make sure that we're doing everything we can to ensure reliability.

And finally, I heard something about vegetation as well.

I can't tell you how many calls I've gotten from the city of Kenner about vegetation because our constituent or their constituents don't like the aesthetics of how we're cutting the trees.

It is not our job as a power provider to cut for aesthetics.

It is our job to ensure that you have reliable power.

And so when a branch falls into a power line and causes a fault or a disruption and you don't have power for two hours, then yes, that is on us, and that is because we didn't do the proper trimming or maintaining, but we've also had crews get run out of the city of Kenner and out of Jefferson Parish for trying to cut trees, or I'm getting told that we're not cutting for aesthetics.

It's our job to keep the lights on.

And then finally, I will hit you with um, I believe somebody said um about the third world country or whatnot.

I'm sorry that you feel that way, sir.

I really do.

Uh, you have my word.

I've been here for two years now.

I've been beating the drum internally with entergy to tell you that we are upgrading reliability, that we're doing everything we possibly can.

I take pride in working for energy.

I take I know my co-workers, the people that I work with, take pride in working for them too.

And this is something that we're going to continue to do until we get it right.

You have my word on that.

Thank you, Mr.

Aiken.

If you will, just a little bit a little bit more.

Mr.

Igan, thank you for the response.

And uh I understand that the issue is going to take time.

I know Driftwood's an old subdivision, and that and y'all are rewiring, and I really appreciate it.

I know the residents know that.

I just there's emotional issues come up when the same residents lose power over and over again.

And that's why these people are here today.

That's why I'm a little bit upset too.

So I appreciate y'all being here.

I know your your attention is on it.

Um, I think this issue today is it relates to the insulator and the conductor lines and not the underground transformers.

So I think some of the residents just want to be told that they are you are being proactive too and to look at these lines, maybe be told exactly what happened because I do relay the information and give to me to them, and they appreciate that.

But uh, y'all's phone system sometimes doesn't alert.

And I meant to talk on that as well.

So we are actively working on that now to have better communication.

I do want to encourage everybody here, anybody watching.

I try to tell everybody that is an energy customer to ensure that your profile is up to date.

Make sure that you have your correct phone number, make sure you have how you would like to be contacted, whether it's phone call, email, text message.

We are working internally right now with our outage map to ensure that we're providing quality ERTs or restoration times.

Obviously, I understand tempers are high, especially when you don't have power.

Nobody wants to go without power, nobody should ever have to go with that power.

Nobody knows that better than us here at Energy, and that's something that we're doing right now is trying to upgrade our facilities, upgrade our systems to better communicate with our customers to let them know exactly what the cause of the outage was, how long it's going to take for us to restore power, and then obviously I'm communicating with y'all as well, so you can put it out on your social media channels, etc.

to notify your customers.

So, you know, I I do apologize uh about the outages.

Obviously, five outages in 14 days is a lot, 15 outages over the last year, definitely a lot as well.

Obviously, there's more contributing factors and just equipment failure or whatnot that was there, but I do understand I can attest that the five outages over the last 14 days have been due to faulty equipment.

We are taking this very seriously, and I'll continue to communicate step by step on what we're doing to resolve these issues as we move forward.

Thank you.

And I really add to the constituents.

Thank you all for coming today.

Thank you for being here.

Absolutely.

Mr.

Aiken, if you can't just a little bit more.

Yep.

Now, I I uh first off, I appreciate all the constituents coming from Driftwood area and everything.

This is a very serious issue, and as you can see, enter G is taking it seriously, and thank you, Mr.

Aiken and your superior for coming today and uh presenting and giving us the the answers that we need.

Uh but also I wanted to ask too, because I got a I got some phone calls uh regarding some another area.

Okay.

Uh, and and I just wanted to, and I promised I was gonna ask since you were gonna be here, uh, several outages uh in a short period of time on the northwest side of the Westgate area near the tight behind the Tiger Land Mall area, it's like the 2100 block of 27th Street.

Okay.

What what what what was the the issue there?

I can't tell you that off the top of my head.

There hasn't been any kind of sub uh excuse me, uh substation issues there.

It could be an isolated incident if there's streets there where it could be something to do with the transformer, bad cabling over on that lateral.

If you want to talk more, if you want to send me that information, I can have our liability team dig into that more.

We can look at it and kind of see, you know, it could be something with a circuit, and we can kind of get to the cause of what's going on and how we can rectify that issue.

Okay, so it's a separate you you haven't heard of that one.

I have not no, that's the first that I'm hearing of this one in that area.

So okay, yeah, because I I had actually called you probably a week or so ago and and and kind of keyed down on that a little bit, but maybe maybe uh you were thinking of of the uh driftwood area.

Okay, because I know that that's a hot potato because it needs to be addressed.

Sure, yeah.

So uh yes, Councilman Swarth.

President, um I text you on that same issue for the Westgate area.

Well, everything runs together for me, so I completely understand.

It's been it's been four times the last 10 days.

We found the issue and we made the necessary pairs, the breaker this morning.

That's what it was.

Put it drift for the Westgate issue that they had that they were talking about.

So just jog my memory on where Westgate's at.

I apologize for this.

So um, let's say uh because this is Islamic school by Islamic school.

Oh, then this was read up.

This was fed off this breaker then, so I apologize.

It was the same thing on 313, it crossover onto the I apologize.

I'm thinking on this side of West Esplanade, it's on the other side.

So that's the same same area.

So that's the same cause.

You got it.

It was the same cause and effect.

I do apologize.

Okay.

I'm thinking that's what you had said.

You said Westgate.

I'm thinking Wood Lake.

I apologize.

I was about to say that's fed off of a different substation.

So that's my bad.

That's been a good thing.

Okay, so it's been corrected to the best of your knowledge.

That was the area that was impacted by feeder 313.

Okay.

So this is all what we're talking about now.

I do apologize for some reason I thought you said Wood Lake, not Westgate.

Okay.

Very good.

Anyone else have questions?

Thank you, Ronnie.

Appreciate it.

Count Count Councilman Branagan.

Uh Jimmy, um, I think that the communication to the residents is where there's a major problem with energy.

Um, the the the great thing is that when uh we had a car knock out a poll on Joe Yenny in front of Place Poncha train about a month ago, and when I uh texted you, you replied back, and then we you were able to give me information on what happened, and that helps me be able to get that to my people because a lot of people look at my social media page.

And when I was posting on that, you know, telling them, you know, we had a car take out a poll, this feed is out, uh, prepare for a 12-hour delay.

Some people started coming back in earlier, but I had like 28,000 views on that post, you know, giving people information.

It's very important for you to continue doing that with all of the council people because we are using social media, I'm assuming, to get the message out.

I know the administration also uses social media to get the uh get the message out too.

Uh, but it's very helpful for us to be able to get it out to our to our people and they know what's going on.

So that's you know, when you you go to the website and it doesn't give you the exact time or you know, it doesn't tell you why it it's happened.

You know, I I've had people, well, I want to know why this happened, you know.

And sometimes you can't tell them that because you don't know, but when you find out when we can relay that information to the people, then it also you know calms things down a little bit and helps us out.

Right, and then all I appreciate you doing it.

And I appreciate that, and I'm gonna continue to communicate with you.

All of this is great constructive criticism.

This is something that we're taking back to our teams.

We understand that you know it's a hot topic.

We understand that tempers are boiling over.

I get it.

I completely understand.

Anna gets it too.

We're taking this back to our team, we're letting them know this is an issue.

This isn't a we're gonna pack, you know, put some duct tape on it, slap something there, and we're good.

This is a real concern.

This is a real issue for our customers, and this is a real issue for the Kenner residents, and this is something I just want your constituents to know this is not something I'm taking lightly.

This is not something where this is smoke and mirrors, I'm up here now, just putting on a presentation, and then it's done.

We've had numerous calls, conversations that you will see entergy personnel out there.

I can tell you that the guy that the gentleman that talked about the transmission structure, this has nothing to do with that.

So that's an isolated one-off incident.

Um that I'll certainly look into with our transmission team.

But other than that, this is being taken very seriously.

And so I do apologize that we have to come back, you know, every few months and just reassure and reiterate just the commitments that we're making to the city of Kenner and to our customers all across the state.

But as you can see right now, with progress, it's going to take time.

We're one year in, one and or 18 months into our um resiliency phase.

We're going back to the public service commission to ask for another five years because we see the good work that we're doing.

It is time for an upgrade, it is time for our equipment to be upgraded.

So, therefore, I just wanted to tell everybody, you know, thank you for having me tonight.

This is being addressed, this is being taken seriously.

And just if you want to put that out to your constituents, that you know, we have an open line of communication.

I think I speak to I might speak to Ronnie every day.

Who knows?

You know, so but we I do speak to you on a day-to-day basis, and there are open lines, and this isn't just going to the wayside and us not doing anything.

This is being heard, and you had my promise since I took this position two years ago.

I'm gonna do everything I possibly can to ensure better quality, better reputation for energy, and I'm gonna stand by that because I'm only as good as my word.

Right, and you know, the city of Kenner is aging, and these neighborhoods are aging, and when you have a neighborhood that's 50, 60 years old, and you have the old technology in there, which you're doing in Driftwood is amazing.

It's not something that's gonna happen overnight.

That's the sad part, right?

You know, I wish it could.

I wish you could.

Totally impossible.

Okay, thank you.

We appreciate your hard work too.

Yeah, we know that you all are out there doing what you can do, but at the same time, when we have citizens, we have the other issues we have to address.

You know, and I'm glad that they're here tonight.

I'm glad they addressed it.

You know, obviously now it's time for us to put up, and that's something that we're gonna do.

So we appreciate you, Jimmy.

And thank you all for having Anna.

I don't know if you want to make any comments, so you're more than welcome to, but and I won't take too much time, just in addition to everything that um Jimmy was talking about.

A couple of points.

Just first of all, you know, we have served this great state for a hundred years.

So entergy is not a new name, right?

We've been doing this for a very long time, and we you know, we appreciate the opportunity to be able to continue to serve the city of Kenner.

And we're looking forward to another hundred years.

So we continue to make investments, we continue to you know make sure that our maintenance is up to date.

We continue to make sure that our reliabilities is up to par.

And this is definitely not right, the performance that we want to provide or the service that we want to provide to our customers.

So I just want to reassure you, like this is we didn't we weren't waiting for this meeting to really put eyes on what's happening in Driftwood or in this part of Kenner, or for that matter, in any part of the state that we serve.

We uh we see the outages as well, right?

And we're not only employees of the company, I'm a resident of Ketter, I'm a resident of Jefferson Parish, long-term resident, but I you know, I'm also an employee.

And I understand and we understand every employee at this company understands what we provide, the service that we provide.

So we know that any time that there's a disruption, it's frustrating.

Believe me, I know.

So we appreciate all of you coming in.

I did take some good notes.

I appreciate the comments about the substation, punch-training substation.

I'm definitely gonna bring that back.

And also wanted to say about the communication to our customers.

We really stress the importance of trying to make sure that we provide you an accurate restoration time.

That's what we focus.

And I have to say, you know, I think somebody mentioned, well, you know, we never know what's going on, or what was the cause of the outage.

We we're so focused on trying to make sure to get the power back on.

Maybe that's a probably a step that we could go, you know, a bit better in communicating with our customers.

What caused the outage?

Again, our our point is let's identify the issue, let's restore power as quickly as possible.

Let's give a good restoration time to our customers so you can plan accordingly, and let's address the problem.

But you know, again, our communications can it improve?

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

So I just wanted to say we appreciate all the feedback, we appreciate you being here.

Believe me, we didn't wait for this meeting.

We had all eyes on this with every outage that we saw, and we wanted to make sure that our our service to you is going to be you know up to our standards as well, and that that reliability and service continue continues to to serve this great city.

So thank you so much.

Thank you, Anna.

Appreciate you.

Madam Clerk.

Yes, sir.

Uh the mayor's comments.

Um follow.

Mayor.

All right.

We've already been told that speak up.

All right, a couple things.

I'd like to uh publicly thank Mr.

Henry Shane and his family, because if anyone is uh traveled power boulevard between West Esplanade and Vintage, you'll see that he's added over or donated to us over 100,000 in new uh ground cover around each uh of the artwork he's donated.

Uh his main and he's promised to maintain it, and he's actually uh looking at the lighting to try to put it all, I guess, uniform in and around the uh artwork.

Also, on that same note, I'd like to thank the Palm Vista Garden Club because they've been instrumental in our uh redesign and moving of the vintage uh garden that had to be moved uh for the addition of the bridge.

Uh so it's I think the the concrete's poured uh and it should it should be finished uh sooner than later.

The the filmmore tracks here, the railroad tracks, as you know, we've made a uh effort to get all of them uh redone, and I'm proud to say that the filmmore tracks were done last week and completed, and they they're much better than they were, trust me.

Um in District 2.

This is gonna be a uh I guess a heartache for the residents, but the Roosevelt reconstruction has begun, and it's gonna be every bit of 18 months of of inconvenience for the residents that live in and around that area.

But uh once it's done, it'll be much better than it is now.

That is absolutely the absolute worst street in the city of Kenner.

Uh if you couldn't get to it and didn't need to get to it, we should have blocked it off probably months ago, and we put in approximately 150,000 dollars just in asphalt to try to keep it passable, but it's finally working.

Uh the wastewater clarifiers, I think it was the four over four million dollars that you approved a while back.

The MR Pittman company uh completed their substantial completion and uh inspection, uh, and they don't have much left to do, so 35 to 40 days.

We think those clarifiers will be online, which will greatly enhance our capability of of treating sewerage.

Also at the Council on Aging, we have a health fair next Wednesday, September 10th from 10 a.m.

to 12 p.m.

at our council on aging.

Everything's on our website if you need it.

And was it last night was today?

Tuesday night.

No, what last night.

The days are running.

We had a first of our two schedule meetings of the recycling and drop-off site information that we're trying to get out to people to get input.

Uh as you know, uh, as you may know, the contract was for 10 years and it's coming up February of next year.

So we probably have to we have to act quick to make a determination of what we're gonna do.

I decided to run through this.

It's only eight slides.

The longest thing is a four-minute thirty-seven second video of how our recycling.

So what this does, we have another one scheduled Monday at 6 30 at our council on aging.

If you want any information and provide us input that has to uh make the decisions, all but one council person attended.

Uh and we'll have pretty much all of them next time, I believe.

But what it does is give the history and a drop site, uh, what's the present cost and our projected cost, what's the future options, gather resident feedback in the timeline, which is we make a decision and we uh bring it to the council, we all vote on it, and we award whatever company is awarded the service contractor, provide either recycling, or do you say so, or the drop site, both or none?

So those this is only four and a half minutes.

The cycling provides a wide range of benefits for our environment, such as reducing the amount of waste and delayed built in generators, conserving natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals, and preventing pollution and releasing greenhouse gases by releasing the needs a minute and process of raw materials.

Now, to understand what this process looks like when the time in which your recycling is removed from your home or business, we provide a great overview of the recycling process.

Every item that is the commercial waste recycling plant is weight on the truck scale where the weight of each truck is recorded.

Once recording, the truck load is empty when the driver signs off with the weight wall and receives a copy of the ticket that includes the truck's verified weight and the materials that the truck contained.

Once materials from the trucks are released, the procedure for each material to be processed begins.

A load operator can then scoop a load of materials and begins loading them on the belt.

The materials then go up to incline belt, where they are sent to a pre-story belt.

At this pre-story belt, three and four stack members remove any containing items that should not be included.

Examples of these items include any plastic bags, party closing, glass bottles, breaks or lots.

Any item that does not belong is removed to be thrown away during this age.

After this process, the items are sent across what is called A O C C screen, which is where the carboard is separated from classes and hands.

From there, the rest of the materials fall from the CC screen, and our sample conveyor belt, which leads up to the separator.

This machine separates paper from T materials, which are plastic, aluminum, and sand cans.

The paper will then go over the top of the machine, and the TV materials will fall to the bottom of the machine.

From there, the paper that goes over the top will then go to a conveyor belt that leads to another section of the building for paper storage.

The containers and the tuning materials then fall to the bottom and travel on the incline belt up to our sorting conveyor.

The sorting conveyor process is made up of four people, where two people remove any trash, paper, or any other materials that may have gotten through the screen.

The third person removes any milk drugs, and the fourth person removes any HTPE colored classic items, which include number two items in sessions one determinant and age five.

After this age, in overhanding and such hands and everyday fluid hands, they drop the items into a number.

And other AND series.

Recycling is a simple way to create a cleaner environment.

Understanding its process.

Understanding the role in the cyclist, creating on sustainable environment.

A E for yeah, and we'll feel crowd.

This information both helpful and title.

All right.

And just quickly the couple of slides that are left.

We'll go into deep more detail at Monday's meeting.

The contract started February 4th of 16, expires February 4th of this year.

Currently it's a flat rate of $2.30 a month to each household that pays for garbage.

Recycling, curbside pickup one time a week.

The drop site is Saturday and Sunday from 9 to 3 for household garbage and trash and bushes and and small residential like sheetrock and things like that.

Currently we know that the participation rate of recycling is 36% of households, because we have 8,035 bins issued, and we have just over 22,000 uh paying customers for garbage.

Current drop site participation is about 400 uh vehicles a month.

Uh what we know it could be anticipated, probably not a lot, but uh garbage disposal costs could increase if we uh stop the drop site recycling, most of it's light, so it's really not going to be that much of an impact.

Uh but no provider that we've reached out to will provide like we have now, one lump sum, because we paid two th $2.30 for two services.

So all you pay is two thirty for both services.

Nobody wants to do both of them for one.

Uh we kind of started asking around.

We think we're gonna get the current recycling we have now for three dollars a month per household, and we can run the drop site for 53 cents a month per household using our in-house employees, and when the cans fill up the big roll-off cans, they will call uh our current service provider and they'll haul it off to the dump.

So these are three the four options that we we have.

There's a couple of more we can talk about uh once we get more information from the the residents is continue curbside recycling only, as you know it'd be about three dollars a uh a household, continue drop site only, which is fifty-three cents.

Uh continue both, you see it'll be three dollars and fifty-three cents, which currently we pay two dollars and thirty cents a household, so it'll be an increase of one dollar and three cents or twenty-three cents.

Uh or just continue both services and let the residents either contract with a recycling company on their own or bring their garbage to the David Drive dump for $14 a car or $20 a trailer.

And this is the next steps we're having these meetings to gather uh input, we'll present it to the council with your input.

Most of y'all heard some of the comments last night, make a decision and announcement, and then the timeline, and it's gonna have to come here, and I'm sure we'll have discussion uh when we get here.

So uh this is if you need more information and feedback, this video you just saw has been on our website now for probably around two years now.

Uh and we know that pushing this information out.

I got a couple comments last night that uh it wasn't really distributed a lot, but we know that just by Facebook clicks that we have just on Facebook alone over 6,000 uh clicks on people uh seeing what we have.

So Monday is your next chance to get us in person.

Uh once we gather information, I think in my head, I think it may be a little different than uh last night.

Um but we'll see, we'll put it all together and come back and discuss it all.

And if we need a couple more meetings with the public, we'll we'll schedule them and have them.

But that's the decision.

It's like I made the the fatal flaw of saying I really don't uh recycle.

And I made a really bad flaw saying that uh married the only Italian woman that doesn't cook.

So we don't have a lot of garbage or trash because we we're never home.

So with that, that's it, buddy.

Uh well, we'll have something to say with 15A when y'all get around to it.

Thank you, Mayor.

Madam Park.

Yes, sir.

Next we have resolutions, motions, and other items from the floor.

Uh at this time I have a motion by Councilmember Wilmot, seconded by Councilmember Brannigan to amend the agenda to add item 13C, a resolution authorizing a settlement and the claim entitled in regards to Amparo, Lambert, Morales versus the City of County Kenneth Police Department et al.

24th Judicial District Court number 753-525 division D.

Is there anyone in the audience wishing to object to the agenda being amended?

Please come forward.

Seeing none, all council members in favor, please say aye.

Opposed, please say nay.

Seeing none, motion passes seven zero.

Under the consent agenda, I have item one approval of the minutes, the regular council meeting of August 22nd, 2025.

Item two is approval of alcoholic beverage permit applications.

We have none.

Item three is approval of bingo and public gathering applications.

Item 3A is application number 25-004, Divine Mercy Catholic Parish Seafood Festival to hold a public gathering on October 10th, 2025 through October 12, 2025 at 4337 Salantini Parkway for the purpose of a seafood festival.

Item 3B is application number 25-008, Archdiocese of New Orleans to hold a public gathering every Saturday from September 6, 2025 through October 25th, 2025, from 7 a.m.

to 945 a.m.

at Lake Town for the purpose of a cross-country meet for elementary students.

That will conclude the consent agenda.

I have a motion by Councilmember Brennan, seconded by Councilmember McKenney.

All council members in favor, please say aye.

Opposed, please say nay.

Seeing none, motion passes 70.

Under the public appearance agenda, we have item eight, public hearings and final passage.

We have none.

Item nine is ordinances for the sale, purchase, transfer, lease, andor alienation of removable property.

We have none.

Item 10 is opening of bids, we have none.

Item 11 is reclassification of zoning for final passage.

We have none.

Item 12 is other ordinances for final passage.

Item 12a, a summary ordinum 13,914, an ordinance amending ordinance 11,548 to correct the reservations reservations of certain sections of Chapter 8, Article 2 of the Kenner Code of Ordinances, and to restore the fee for fire inspections as section 8-19 of the Kenner Code of Ordinances.

I have a motion by Councilmember Sharwith, seconded by Councilmember Brannigan.

Is anybody here from the fire department?

If you will, explanation.

While we were reviewing some uh documentation, we found out that the ordinance for the fire inspections fee was incidentally um omitted from a previous amendment.

And so legal, we worked with legal, and they're just adding it back to the back to the ordinances.

So it's not it's nothing new.

It just got emitted off.

It was a an error, and uh legals taking care of it to get it all taken care to get it back on uh books.

Anybody have any questions?

No, thank you.

Oh, council members in favor, please say aye.

Opposed, please say nay.

Seeing none, motion passes seven zero.

Item twelve B is summary ordinance number thirteen thousand nine hundred and thirty-three, an ordinance amending chapter 15 traffic and motor vehicles, Article 2, Section 15-18, subsection G13 of the Kenner City of City Code of Ordinances.

I have a motion by Councilmember Brannigan, seconded by Councilmember McKenney.

If we can have an explanation on this one, too.

Anybody?

I'll take it since it's sitting right in front of me.

It's a no-left turn at me dock facing north at the intersection with vintage drive.

So the school, the no the no left turn sign hours are wrong.

It's that effect what they're adding is if effective during school hours, 6 45 a.m.

to 7 30 a.m.

and 2 20 p.m.

to 3 p.m.

So just correcting the hours.

Okay.

Thank you.

Anyone have questions?

Councilman Brannigan.

This came about because they had like a three and a half hour window on those school zone times.

And I was getting a lot of complaints about people saying they had to, you know, when you got the meadoc and bentage here and south, you had to turn, go all the way down and turn around and come back.

So I met with the principal at the school to determine what the times were needed for the school zone.

And I went out and changed them.

And uh I did not realize that we had to put it in the record, which is my mistake.

Uh just went and bought the decals and redid them, and everything worked well for a year until one person got a ticket.

And uh the office didn't realize that the times have changed.

So uh that's why this legislation's on.

Uh it's working a lot better for the people that live in that area that they don't have a three and a half hour window when they only needed 45 minutes.

Sounds like a good fix.

Thank you, Councilman.

I'm mad.

Anyone else?

No.

Oh, council members in favor, please say aye.

All right.

Opposed, please say nay.

Seeing none, motion passes seven zero.

Item 13 is resolutions and motions by council members.

Item 13a is a resolution calling a public hearing on September 19, 2025 to determine whether the structures located at 1815 Short Street in Kenna, Louisiana, shall be abated by repair rehabilitation, demolition or removal.

I have a motion by council member dunn, seconded by councilmember McKenney.

All council members in favor, please say aye.

All right.

Opposed, please say nay.

Seeing none, motion passes seven zero.

Item 13 B is a resolution calling a public hearing on September 19, 2025 to determine whether the structures located at 1918 Kansas Avenue, Kenna, Louisiana, shall be abated by repair, rehabilitation, demolition, or removal.

I have a motion by Councilmember Sharwis, seconded by Councilmember Wilmot.

Count all council members in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed, please say nay.

Seeing none, motion passes seven zero.

Item 13C is a resolution authorizing a settlement and the claim entitled in regards to Amparo, Lambert, Morales versus the City of Kenner, Counter Police Department at all 24 Judicial District Court number 753-525, Division D.

I have a motion by Councilmember Wilmont, seconded by Councilmember Brannigan.

All council members in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed, please say nay.

Seeing none, motion passes seven zero.

Item 14 is items removed from the consent agenda.

We have none.

Item 15 is acceptance of contracts and similar matters approved by the mayor.

Item 15, a summary ordinance number 13,919.

An ordinance approved in a cooperative endeavor agreement with American Cruise Lines Incorporated for the construction and operation of a docking facility in historic river town.

I have a motion by Councilmember Dunn, seconded by Councilmember Brennan.

I believe the mayor had some comments.

Mayor Val, Miss Fallow.

If you let them look it looks, I can probably answer questions at the end.

Okay.

Okay, if if you will, Mr.

Taft.

I I just got a couple questions that that uh in reading it, I came upon is that uh the observation deck from what I read is not necessarily available 24 hours for for the constituents with the citizens of Kenra.

So my question is are we closing it for safety reasons at night, or is it because of uh other reasons to not interfere with what their Americans doing?

Because the citizens should have access to that.

And I just want to make sure that they're not to be being deprived of something that is owned by the city.

Absolutely not.

It does it says just the opposite in the CEA.

The absolute opposite.

What's that?

It says the absolute opposite of what you oh it does.

Yes, the absolute opposite.

Uh because it says that uh it was going to be closed at uh at times, is what I read it's not gonna be closed at times.

Uh because I can't they offered to repair it with at no cost to the city.

I can go in look, it'll be off topic.

I can go in the whole the whole uh history of LaSalle's landing, uh the trailhead expansion grant that the city was awarded in 2016 that went dormant in 2021 because they failed to act on and sign the proper agreements or $338,000 improvement is now almost a $900,000 improvement in Mr.

Gonzalez with his relationships with the Regional Planning Commission in DOTD, got them to accept increasing the grant award where now we're going to get $900,000 to redo our observation deck.

This has nothing to do with the observation deck.

It has been closed now for upwards of 10 years when no one can use it because it's right.

It fell apart.

But it does say that it's going to be repaired.

Yes, it will be repaired.

And so the qu my and that brought up the question was that once it gets repaired, the citizens are going to have it has absolutely nothing to do with this project.

It's two separate projects.

And then the other questions I had was we've got it for 20 years.

Yes, because the CEO and president of the company was in Canada January in December and met me at the old man river marathon that we took from Gretner is now in Rivertown annually.

And his first proposal was they want to construct it for a 40-year agreement.

And that was we weren't going 40 years on an agreement without we could do 20 years with two 10-year extensions because look, they wanted to get the most for their dollars.

They're going to spend right around $3 million on building this gangway and modern floating dock for uh a river vessel at no cost to us.

And they want to recoup their their investment.

So they wanted, of course they wanted 40 years, but uh we were able to come to an agreement that it's 20 years with two 10-year agreements.

Okay.

So there was they wanted more, and you you managed to bring them back down to 20.

And I mean, I I I just thing just popped up because you want to know, because you know, we're tying up that land for them.

And then the the other thing I got was the on the demo uh of the existing pier.

Yes.

Was there a reason why we couldn't get them to pay a hundred percent instead of us splitting it 50 percent?

We could have uh not really.

So just to go back a little bit in uh.

Hold on for a second.

In the beginning of 2023, the city was contacted by the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority East about removing the remaining dilapidated structure that's pretty much on the River at La Salle's landing.

Due to the excessive cost to remove the entire remaining structure, me or we made the approximately $100,000.

We made the decision to remove only the structure that was on land and contracted with Ram J Construction, who removed the structure at a cost of $7,280.

So that was two years ago.

We figure it was roughly $100,000 a few years ago.

It's probably more now.

We would have to learn how to get the permitting process of removing something out of the Mississippi River where we really have no knowledge of it.

What we're doing now is we would have to contract with someone to come with the permit and what we need to do to get that stuff out.

They experts in it, they have construction companies that do it for them up and down the Mississippi River, and it was probably cost effective for us just to pay for half of it instead of paying another company and not knowing what what it's gonna be.

So, in other words, you we don't we didn't have anything in our pockets.

This is something that we just have to finish up.

That's correct.

Is that what that is?

That is absolutely correct.

And we look, this is probably gonna result in a phone call to my office next week from one of these two entities, like when you're moving it.

Because they want it moved because it's falling apart.

They don't want anything up half of it floating down the Mississippi River causing damage downstream.

Okay.

Thank thank you, Mr.

Taft.

You Tom's I I realize, but I I you you I have one more question.

All right, if you if I'll wrap it up.

Yeah, I just wanted to know how did we come with the amount of twelve thousand dollars a year, a thousand dollars a month.

Well, what was the is it is that the appraisal was appraisal used?

Was what was used to develop that amount of rent?

And that's all I had.

Yeah, what's I it's not sure if we got the if it's the actual appraisal of the land, but it's the appraisal of it, it's just vacant land.

That someone's gonna leave it's a ground lease that they're gonna build the structure on and use it.

No difference than anyone else that rents from the city of Canada.

Like we have a an eye doctor renting from us for 20 years.

We have the flying dollars renting for us, you know, monthly.

So look, and at the end of the day, they got 20 years.

We get it's I think it's 60 days in 20 years.

I won't be here, and I'm sure hopefully none of y'all are still sitting in in any of them chairs.

Uh they can walk away, we can walk away, and we we now own a uh which is gonna be a my currently a modern uh docking facility on the Mississippi River.

But look, people want to know why we don't build it ourselves because we just don't have three million dollars laying around.

And I don't think anyone in the city wants to deal with running a modern docking facility on the Mississippi River, because I would be I wouldn't want to deal with the cost of insurances that you have to carry to maintain something on the Mississippi River.

Thank you for your questions, Mr.

Tuff.

And um I I just have a couple.

Um as far as the the the actual term, we're talking 20 years and then two tens behind it.

The 20 years after the 20 years, if there's a problem Kenner has with it, can we terminate it at that point at the 20-year junction?

You want to go in it's I mean it's yes, there's there's several ways what you do if you terminate it after 10 years.

If you if you fail, I mean it's a traditional CEA with a government agency with the outs.

If you don't pay rent, if we don't do what we uh say we're doing, uh each side can terminate the agreement.

So in and in sense in the sense that they're investing three million on a pier for 20 years, and then at the end of that 20-year period, we have the we have an option at that point.

So there's a it's a huge investment for that company to be coming here, and we haven't had any other offers of this type, I wouldn't think that I can recall uh ever.

We haven't, but they have offers to uh please build a pier in my city up and down the river.

So I know uh Frank Lips was here from uh ACL, I think last meeting, and he'll be in town next month visiting just right up the river, some chamber of commerce people that are trying to get another stop up and down, you know, a little further north on the river.

So when when they do come stop here, they're gonna let their passengers off and they're gonna they're gonna frequent the businesses and restaurants and so forth that we have to sell Kenner.

Yes, they're free to do whatever they want.

So once this agree if this agreement is done, we've been in contact with the the office in in American cruise line that plans the offshore excursions.

Uh this isn't a stop.

They'll build cruises around a counter stop.

It'll only be once a week to begin with, because they don't know the they can't gauge what's happening at the end of next year, the beginning of 27.

Uh, if there's more interest in these cruises, which we know they will be, or they think they will be, because they're building another 10 boats now because they all their stuff are sold out.

And you know, my little uh thing here is the you know, American cruise line presence in Rivertown uh will be actually a win for the city.

It's costing us little to nothing for them to come other than splitting a cost of something that we have a hundred percent responsibility of tearing down sooner than later, and it's probably real soon.

You know, once they hear us talking about it's still you know sitting out there that it you know could float down the river at any time, especially if there's a storm or some bad uh the rises in the river, high winds and things like that.

So and these these passengers, I guess that are gonna be frequent in American cruise lines, they're they're more of an older crowd, and they're gonna be coming in and spending pretty good money from what I understand.

So we should have an economic boom, if you will, in Sol Kenner.

Look, it's by adding the stop in Rivertown, the area will experience high spending demographic.

I didn't call the mole, you did.

An increase in on-the-ground visitors and the opportunity for us to highlight local history and traditions.

Look, you got a river town theater.

If they're gonna stop here from it's usually a six to eight hour stop if it's not a turnaround city where people get on and off.

Uh they've already been in contact with Rivertown Repertory Theater to maybe add a show that's playing there during the day during one of their stops.

That's someone, if there people are interested, they can go sit there.

Uh we have a lot of interest in Rivertown.

We just don't have the room for a lot of people.

We I can tell you for a fact, we have an one, two, three more businesses that are coming.

It's just a matter of they got to go through the permitting process and things like that.

Um it's not gonna generate a lot more uh traffic, we don't think.

Just the nature of the businesses.

So thank you.

Anyone else have a question?

Councilman Brannigan.

Well, I yeah, I feel that this is a no-brainer for the city.

And uh I think we need to make sure that the cruise line promotes the treasure chest casino on the north end of town and uh get some of these people that are getting off this boat uh and send them down there so that our revenues can go up there based on you know how well the treasure chest is doing on land now.

But it's this is a no-brainer in my eyes uh that it's gonna help not only the businesses in this area in Rivertown, the whole city is gonna benefit from this.

So thanks for having the video.

I can tell you if if they're not coming here, they're gonna go right right down the next highway right down the street because uh they've already had a conversation and said, why don't you come to us?

Right.

Uh so I think we we nabbed them first.

But look, I understand uh y'all all received an email.

Uh there's Facebook posts uh from uh, you know, I know Councilman Wilmont doesn't like naming names, but uh who's it from, so I'm gonna refrain from it.

And I'll just say it was sent by an injured individual with a history of unethical behavior, including disinformation of facts.

Nowhere, anywhere did anyone say we given ACL one million dollars to build anything.

They we give them absolutely nothing other than to pay them back for our half of demolishing what we have 100% responsibility to demolish, and they'll make all the improvements.

We'll have about a 900,000 dollar new trailhead expansion here, which is gonna include bathrooms, new bus stops, the park benches up there, a brand new uh redone observation deck that the people can go watch the sunset, watch the boats pass and all that stuff.

You're not gonna have a fishing pier in the Mississippi River Bridge, the Mississippi River.

Absolutely not gonna happen anywhere around here.

You just can't pay for the insurance to have a pedestrian pier on the Mississippi River that moves as fast as it moves, the amount of tonnage and the boats that go by.

It's just it's it's not feasible.

So you can go fish, stand on the the uh the shoreline and do it.

It's just you the cities can't afford to have a fishing pier on the Mississippi River.

And I think all of y'all can understand that.

Just uh the actual nightmare that would be to navigate the insurance process.

I know you got insurance people here, a couple of attorneys that either defend or or sue municipalities for the things that doesn't make sense.

And I think this is one there's the best for the city of Kenner, the residents of Kenner, because they get a brand new docking facility with more visitors coming, walking around River Town.

Granted, well, they all 200 of them walk Rivertown.

I would say probably not.

You know, if you're from Northern Michigan and you have never seen an alligator before, you go on looking for an alligator when you step off the boat somewhere around South Louisiana, whether it's in Canada, whether it's in Vashery, that we've went to uh see the Vashery dock right after they contacted us.

So I really think this is a win for the city of Kenner, and uh for the amount of investment is I think it's it's better than a win.

I think it's a it's a a home run in a jackpot.

And and the other thing is that it's not a cruise ship that has 5,000, 10,000 people on it.

You know, it's it's a smaller type deal.

So the I think that the impact to the community with traffic and everything will be minimal.

Uh because I mean, right now we're looking at what, once a week, maybe once every two weeks of docking or something.

Yeah, they said probably once a week to start so they can gauge what happens up and down the uh the river.

Like I said, the only the only time you would have any traffic is if there was the buses that have to bring somebody if they want to go down the road somewhere.

They would have to pull in a uh a parking lot to load and unload.

That should be minimal.

Anyone else?

No.

Ma'am, if you will, name and district.

Yes.

Vanessa Matthews, uh, district one.

Uh first of all, I would like to um ask you to please accept my apology from the last meeting we had on 82, uh, because I was a little um uh abrasive, and I apologize for that.

When I'm wrong, I say I'm wrong.

But I I'm glad to have the opportunity to finish what I wanted to say last week.

And that is just to let you all know how shocking it was for me to just haven't heard about the new venture that's coming, because the first thing I thought about is more noise, more traffic, and I'll tell you why.

Is because my home is a block and a half from DMV, and on a regular basis, it's hard to get in and out of my street sometimes to get to Williams or get from Williams Boulevard because people stop in the middle of the street to let people out or get people pick people up from the TMV, and also um because of the um Brown Paddy and and the crossing and the festivals, there's music on the weekends, and it has gotten a little bit better.

The music, the loudness of the music.

But the point is is that that's what it represented to me when I first heard it, and it was just a shock uh and disheartening because of having just heard about it when it's being discussed for a whole year.

I do care about Kenner.

I I volunteer, I was volunteering for the police department when the mayor was chief of police and the president of one of the groups, picking up trash.

And so I participate in a lot of things.

I care about the city because it's where I live.

But I just wanted to I just feel that we should have had a town hall or something.

Uh and given the opportunity to talk about to ask questions or to get answers, or to talk about the pros that some of the some of which I just heard, and to talk about the cons, or either how you plan to mitigate the cons if there are any, and to talk about job opportunities for the residents of Kenner.

So that's that's pretty much what I wanted to say.

And I thank you for hearing me.

Thank you for the space.

Thank you for coming in.

Anyone else, ma'am?

Name and district.

Very Perkins, uh Kenner resident, lifetime resident.

I'm concerned about the river traffic, river town traffic, and as a result of the cruise line, I think it will affect the levy.

Uh we've had floods, we've had serious storms since Katrina, but the levee is a weak, I think.

And I think with the cruise line coming and going, I think it may affect the levy.

Hopefully, not in a bad way.

And also the traffic, I think, as she said earlier, that it will boost employment and it will boost the uh the uh area as far as business, but I think it will be a problem with traffic and people parking in this area.

Hopefully, it would not be a bad thing.

I think it will boost the economy in Kenner and Rivertown area.

I thank you.

Thank you, ma'am.

Ma'am, ma'am.

Go ahead.

Councilman Swarth.

Thank you, sir.

I just want to ask you something.

You worried about the boat being too close to the levy.

What is it?

Why are you worried about the levy?

It's the levy per se, I think it has somewhat weak was told.

Okay.

Do you know how far away that boat is going to be from the levee?

No.

Over a hundred yards.

Over what?

Over a hundred yards away from the levee.

There's not wheel wash, nothing that that boat's going to do.

That's going to be detrimental to the levy.

And hopefully, hopefully, we have our corps of engineers, and we have our levee board rotting, researching, and protecting us.

And trust me, the water is only hit District One, it's going to hit District 2 right down by you.

Okay.

So let's hope that our core, our levee board keeps those levees intact.

Intact.

And but as far as that boat docking, that's not going to affect the levy at all.

In fact, anything shoring it up with the concrete and all that that they're putting in here and revamping everything, that's going to help the levy if not anything at all.

Okay.

Okay.

Thank you, ma'am.

Thank you, ma'am.

Yes, sir.

Council.

May I please?

Yes, go ahead.

Um first off, the the first lady that came up, appreciate her comments and coming up and saying what she did.

Um to Councilman Schwartz's uh point in District 5, we have uh access on two streets going up to the levee along the St.

Charles Parish line.

And for longest kind of time.

It's it's maybe 20 feet long, 12 feet wide, and it was gravel, it was rocks.

And the idea was presented of blacktopping that so that people on bikes didn't have to drive through the rocks or ride through the rocks to get up there.

Um it seemed like a great idea.

It seemed like an easy thing to get done, but it probably took a year between the Corps of Engineers and the levy board and the team of people that they had to send out there to look at it to review everything.

And it was just amazing to me because everybody complains about how slow government is, and it just seemed to me that this was an easy request to approve, but again, it took such a long long time.

And and where I'm going with that is the core of engineers, the the levy board, they are very serious, obviously, about their jobs and what they do.

And I understand the concern with people and and especially being this close to the river, but I I truly believe that it's gonna be looked at, and it's gonna it's not gonna be an issue because they're gonna do their homework and continue to do so.

So um I I just wanted to add that comment.

And uh I I think it's really gonna be a good good thing.

I think it's gonna be a nice plus.

You're looking at 180 people.

The gentleman that spoke said a lot of people don't even get off the boat, they stay on the boat.

So as councilman Brownigan said, it's not a massive vessel with just a ton of people.

So uh hopefully we see some good out of this, and I truly believe we will.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilman Brennan.

Yes, sir.

Name and district.

I know, and I'm Mr.

Lebeau, uh District one here.

Uh I'm I'm congratulating y'all on that.

I I really appreciate the cruise line being over here.

I was wondering, okay, so when you when you look right across the street, uh I don't know who did it when it happened, but the uh there's a pleque that they used to be there in my family, you know what I'm saying?

LaSalle landing, it said in 1682, Robert D.

La Sell in the Indian village leader to be known as the City of Kenna.

And it's been gone for I don't know, it's been years.

And I was wondering when they when they redo everything, is that going like because y'all it already is nothing there?

You can see you can see where it's missing there, and the friendship uh were well, you know, back in the day it was black and white where black and white shook hands.

It's not that's not there no more either.

So I'm just trying to wonder is is that gonna come back or are they just getting rid of all that Ms.

Fallon?

Um we're we'll be doing a lot of work with the Kenner Trailhead expansion.

Um General Services has done an amazing job of trying to collect our artifacts that we have.

I will go ahead and make certain to check to see, but we preserved most of it.

There was in fact a um time capsule that was buried there as well.

That was recovered several years ago.

Um, but yes, we will certainly look for the the plaque that was out there.

It's been yeah, it's been it's been years, huh?

Yeah, so it might take some time to track down, or we may have to recreate if that's no problem.

I mean, you need I mean I I remember it, but you know what I'm saying?

It's tradition, so absolutely.

All right, thank you for speaking.

And Ms.

uh councilwoman Dunn.

I just have one friend to say when if some of the residents, and I guess I'm uh uh talking to Ms.

Perkins more or less, we remember when the Zulu would come up the river and they would actually get off on the sail landing, you know.

So a lot of people have asked if that would be coming back because they used to do it, but whatever happened, you know, because of the peer and all of that, then they stopped doing it.

So I I must say yes, it will be protected.

And and to Miss Matthews, we do accept your apology.

Anyone else?

Okay, Madam Clerk.

They say aye.

Opposed, please say nay.

Seeing none, motion passes 70.

Item 15 B, a summary ordinance number 13,923.

And ordinance approving an agreement with for lead-based hazard inspections and related services with materials management group incorporated, and an amount not to exceed 99,000 dollars annually for the Department of Community Development.

I have a motion by Councilmember Dunn, seconded by Councilmember Sharwith.

If we we can get an explanation on this one just for the record, Miss Shaw, thank you.

Good evening, Timethe Shaw.

Um, federal program compliance.

I'm here for Ms.

Jones with community development.

This is in reference to the two million dollar grant that we received from Jefferson Parish for lead-based um lead safe um grant program for any homes that are older than 1978.

In order to make that determination, we have to hire um environmental inspector to go out and determine where the lead is.

So this is for this contract, and this is all grant funded.

This is all what funded grant funded.

Grant, yes.

Thank you.

Okay.

And you asked about this in a previous meeting.

It is now thanks to communications, it's online for people to apply.

Beautiful.

Beautiful.

Thank you very much.

Anyone else?

That's it.

Madam Clerk.

Yes, sir.

All council members in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed, please say nay.

Seeing none, motion passes 70.

Item 15C is summary ordinance number 13,924.

In order to accept in the lowest responsive bid received from Reliable Foundations, LLC to Repair Foundation at Hispanic Resource Center 4312 Florida Avenue, in accordance with electronic bid 25-2178 and an amount not to exceed $19,750 for the community development department.

I have a motion by Councilmember Lahat, seconded by Councilmember McKenney.

All council members in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed, please say nay.

Seeing none, motion passes 70.

Item 15D, summary ordinance number 13,925.

An ordinance approved in amendment number six to the agreement with Linfield Hunter and Junius Incorporated for professional services relating to the River Townslash South Kenner drainage improvements, increasing the agreement amount by 118,530 to a total not to exceed amount of 715,480 and extending the term of the agreement for the Department of Federal Program and Compliance.

Mr.

Gonzalez.

This is a drainage project that dates back to 2016.

Okay.

Primary purpose for the project is to alleviate or eliminate flooding that takes place along Williams Boulevard between the railroad tracks and Reverend Richard Wilson Drive.

Over the years, we have had five amendments.

Three were for time extensions, and the other two were for additional professional services required for the project.

This particular amendment addresses an issue that developed during construction at the end of Duncan Street, which is where the alpha for this drainage project is being located.

CN Railroad had indicated to the design consultant years ago that there were two sets of telecommunication.

Yeah, three sets of telecommunication lines with seen CN Ritaway.

During the construction period, which is started last summer, it was realized that there were not three sets of telecommunication lines.

There were seven sets of telecommunication lines.

So the 36-inch outfall pipe that the design consultant had designed to come across the railroad tracks.

Now, this amendment is going to generate an increase of roughly $118,000 in design and resting inspection and surveying services.

But that's the reason for this amendment.

We're changing course.

We can get across with the 36-inch line.

And you know, we still have a contractor on board.

The project is pretty much finished.

Construction is being financed with local money and federal money.

So once this amendment is approved, we're going to issue a notice to proceed to the consultant to finalize the design of a very small pump station for us to be able to pump water with a much smaller pipe that we're going to be able to get across, even though there are seven telecommunication lines there.

Thank you for the details.

You always do a good job.

Thank you.

Anyone else?

I'll just have one question.

Mr.

Gonzalez, once this part is finished, the design phase, the actual pump itself will cost more money, right?

That will be added to the well by not being able to install the 36-inch line across the tracks.

We're going to save some money.

Okay, and some of the money that we're going to save is going to be applied towards this pump station.

So right now it's hard to say if we saving any money on this particular issue or not.

Later on, you know, we're going to come through the council because this project, even though it's practically complete, it's not totally complete until we install this mini pump station, but we're going to come before the council for a construction change order.

And that's going to detail, you know, what has been taken off the project and what has been added to the project.

Okay, thank you.

Anyone else?

No.

I have a question just about that pumping station on Duncan Street.

If you will state your name for the record, please.

How would that affect us on Duncan Street?

Putting a pumping station in there and covering the eight houses we have there.

Okay.

It should not affect you in any way or form, as far as I know.

It's going to be at the very end of Duncan Street.

It's going to be a very small drainage pump station.

And it's going to allow the drainage project that was envisioned to alleviate flooding from William Boulevard, you know, to you know, to work.

But as far as yes, it's going to be a mini pump station and at the very end of Duncan, and from my point of view, I don't think it's going to impact you in any way or form.

Well, the last flood we had affected us, and it wasn't supposed to, and uh, we got water in all the houses, all seven of them got flooded.

Because the street was so flooded, and uh some of them were raised, and they got a well affected the floors and everything.

We had to take all the floors out of the house because there was so much water under those houses that were raised.

Well, this particular project, the the drainage system for this particular project is an independent drainage system.

It's not tied in to the existing drainage system in that area.

Uh so uh as far as flooding, there was a lot of flooding from the last event.

It was a high-intensity terrain event.

Some of the airport pumps did not function well.

So there were a number of components that cause a lot of flooding throughout Canada.

Uh, and it was not just limited to this area, you know, it was other areas throughout the city.

Well, if you're gonna eliminate the water from Williams, you're gonna route it to Duncan Street.

So if we have another flood, we're gonna get more water because it's coming off of done off of Williams and it's headed to the pumping station on Duncan Street.

No, not quite.

Okay.

You know, the drainage system is an independent system.

Yes, we're gonna take some drainage off Williams Boulevard.

It's an independent system, it's not tied into the existing drainage system that is out there.

Once it gets to the pumping station, it's gonna pump the water across the railroad tracks to the Duncan ditch.

So it's not gonna impact the existing drainage system.

As far as the existing drainage system on Duncan, I believe you had mentioned that you know it it needed some improvements as far as clean and flushing.

I believe our public works department was there a couple of months ago, and they clean and flush all the drainage structures and the drain pipes.

Will we be able to talk to someone before you all start this and show us a graph of how it won't affect our houses on Duncan Street?

Sure.

All right, thank you.

Thank you.

Appreciate your comment.

I guess when the design is, I guess, somewhat almost complete.

We'll let you know.

And so you can come see.

Anyone else?

No.

Madam Clerk?

Yes.

All council members in favor, please say aye.

Opposed, please say nay.

Seeing none, motion passes 7-0.

Item 15E, summary ordinance number 13,926.

And ordinance amending ordinance 12,620, which approved an agreement with Canon Cochrane Management Services Incorporated to add annually to section two of the ordinance.

I have a motion by Councilmember Brennan, seconded by Councilmember Wilmot.

If we can get an explanation on this one as well.

It's just at the full amount.

The what was originally passed did not have the word annually behind it, and it's a multi-year contract.

So the 103500 is and is an annual amount and it has been spent out.

So now that we're in the second year, we don't have any funding.

Because the word annually just wasn't put in the original ordinance.

And again, what is this for?

CCMSI is the sort of our in-house outhouse out of the office adjusters.

So they handle like our workers' cop claims, um, any kind of property damage claims that come through for somebody runs into a hole and has a um pop tire.

Um they handle those types of things.

They also handle our claims before lawsuits are filed.

Uh if someone makes a claim in a car accident case or something like that.

Question Who Whose legislation is this?

Just yours.

This is ours.

It is legal.

Okay.

Okay.

That's all I have.

Anybody else?

No, Madam Clark.

All council members in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed, please say nay.

Seeing none, motion passes seven zero.

Item 15 F is summary ordinance number 13,927.

An ordinance accepting the lowest responsibility received from Jack B.

Harper Electrical LLC to provide emergency repair for traffic control system post-disaster on an as needed basis in accordance with seal bid 25-6909 and an amount not to exceed $500,000 annually for the public works department.

I have a motion by Councilmember Brannigan, seconded by Councilmember Lahat.

Seeing no discussion.

All council members in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed, please say nay.

Seeing none, motion passes seven zero.

Item 15G is summary ordinance number 13,928.

An ordinance accepting the lowest responsible bid received from box wheelchairs to purchase three WC MX Sports Chairs funded by NPRA in accordance with electronic bid 25-2180 and an amount not to exceed $16,785 and 74 cents for the parks and recreation department.

I have a motion by Councilmember Brennan, seconded by Councilman McKenna.

Seeing no discussion.

All council members in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed, please say nay.

Seeing none, motion passes 70.

Item 15H is summary ordinance number 13,929.

An ordinance accepting the lowest responsive bid received from BLD Services LLC for 25th and Salem Sewer Lift Station Replacement.

In accordance with sealed bid 25-6911 in the amount of $882,500 for the Department of Wastewater.

I have a motion by Councilmember Dunn, seconded by Councilmember Lahat.

Miss Joanne, is this yours?

Please.

Thank you.

Yes, this legislation is in this bid is going to construct a new list station to replace the existing sewer list station that is on the south bank of canal number 14.

That's that's between two streets, which has been hard to maintain, and it's going to be a brand new lift station at the submersible station at the end of Salem Street, uh, so that we can access the station more easily, maintain it better.

It'll be all brand new pumps.

Whole brand new station.

This is a major overhaul of this one.

Yes.

Any questions?

How old is the lift station now, currently?

Old.

Yes.

It's old.

I've been here 34 years, and it's been longer than that.

So yes.

Okay.

Ouch.

Okay.

Thank you.

All council members in favor, please say aye.

Opposed, please say nay.

Seeing none, motion passes seven zero.

Item 15, I is summary ordinance number 13,930.

An ordinance accepting the lowest response of bid received from Beacon Air Conditioning Heating and Refrigeration Incorporated to remove furnish and install one new air-cooled rooftop unit at Office of Motor Vehicles in accordance with electronic bid 25-2179 and an amount not to exceed $23,500 for the General Services Department.

I have a motion by Councilmember Dunn, seconded by Councilmember Brennan.

Seeing no discussion.

All council members in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed, please say nay.

Seeing none, motion passes 70.

Item 15J is summary ordinance number 13,931.

An ordinance accepting the lowest responsibility received from Triad Paw Prince to purchase screen printed t-shirts in accordance with electronic bid 25-2171 and an amount not to exceed $6,523.

Councilman Swarth.

Liz, would you go ahead and enlighten everybody on this right here?

Sure.

So y'all passed this recently.

Uh the lowest bidder could not stand by his price, so we had to rescind that one, and this is the next lowest bid.

So thank you, ma'am.

Oh, council members in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Opposed, please say nay.

Seeing none, motion passes seven zero.

Item 15K is summary ordinance number 13,932.

An ordinance approved in a cooperative endeavor agreement with the parish of Jefferson to grant a servitude for the construction of the new Wood Lake Pump Station.

I have a motion by Councilmember Brennan, seconded by Councilmember Brannigan.

See you new.

Question.

Is there any money associated with this one?

And if so, how much?

Uh not city money.

The parish is financing the entire project.

The estimated cost of the project is 14 million dollars.

The reason for the need for this ordinance is that the work is going to take place within a city-owned park.

Therefore, they're going to need servitus to be able to conduct the work.

But no, the parish is financing everything.

Okay.

I believe they have.

The city review the agreement, made some comments regarding maintenance.

There they will be maintaining all the improvements.

And they have agreed with our comments, and I think we all on board.

And this is a totally new pump station.

A brand new pump station, 120 CFS, and it's four pumps.

With a Berman and Generator.

Beautiful.

Okay.

Thank you.

Anyone else?

No.

Madam Clerk.

Oh, Council members in favor, please say aye.

All right.

Aye.

Opposed, please say nay.

Seeing none, motion passes 70.

Item 16 is ordinances and resolutions in summary for first reading.

Item 16A is an order to amending the 2024-2025 capital budgets to budget the increase in funds received from river boat fees.

Item 16B is an order to prove in a conditional use for a minor automotive repair shop on lots 34, 35, and 36, square 190, Briar Woods Subdivision, Kentor Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, which property is zoned C2, General Commercial, in accordance with plans dated June 12, 2025 by Ron Kroaski Architect.

Case P925.

Item 16C is an ordinance authorizing the purchase of a non-lethal training ammunition and firearm conversion kits from ultimate training munitions incorporated, a sole source provider and an amount not to exceed $12,000 for the Kenna Police Department.

Item 16 D is an order to accept the lowest responsibility received from vehicle parts and equipment incorporated to furnish and install vehicle accessories in accordance with electronic bid 25-2182 and an amount not to exceed $50,000 for the department for the Kent Police Department.

Item 16E is an ordinance approving an increase to the not-to-exceed amount established to furnish and install life bars and sirens from vehicle parts and equipment incorporated utilizing state contract numbers 440005417 and 4400022051.

Item 16 F is an ordinance approving a professional services agreement with all South Consulting Engineers LLC regarding the Jalpy and Osborne sewer lift station rehabilitation and an amount not to exceed 227,825 dollars for the Department of Wastewater.

Item 16G is an ordinance approving a professional services agreement with ECM Consultants Incorporated regarding the 27th and Dawson Street sewer lift station rehabilitation and an amount not to exceed 250,893 and 35 cents for the Department of Wastewater.

Item 16H is an ordinance authorizing the use of state of Louisiana contract number 4400 32587 with United Rentals North America Incorporated for rental of industrial equipment on an as needed basis and an amount not to exceed $500,000 annually for the wastewater department.

Item 17 is reports from the council and our special committees.

Councilman Brownigan.

Yes, uh I'm getting a lot of calls.

Uh uh people or getting a lot of tickets in the city of Kenna.

And uh I think it's uh good thing because we're slowing down some of these speeders that are all over the place.

And uh the the ones that really bother me have been this the ones in school zones.

You know, schools and uh back in play.

We need to drive the speed limits in the school zones.

Uh we don't need any children getting run over by someone in a hurry to go to Starbucks and pick up a cup of coffee.

And uh basically I think we need to be more aware of where these school zones are located and make sure you are in total control of your car.

Uh if you get a ticket, that's the way it is.

Anyone else?

All right.

Next we have 18 is new business.

Item 18A was taken at the beginning of the meeting.

Item 19 is unfinished business, and a motions to reconsider a remove from a tabled position.

We have none.

Item 20 is persons wishing to address the council on special subject matters.

Mr.

Tuft.

Name and district, please.

Uh Greg Taft, uh, 5th district.

Um, um Sir, the mayor, so I was referring to 15C of the agreement.

And I probably read it wrong.

I'm not sure, but I mean 12 C.

12 C basically says in its discretion, the city shall allow the public to access the observation dock at times agreeable to the city.

And that's what I was referring to.

I because I didn't know that no, we we're in control of the access to that.

The only thing in right next to that is when they're gonna lock their their I guess their gangway in the barge where you can't get to it, but you can go right next to it to the observation deck and sit there.

Right.

But that's what I was referring to because I didn't know.

Yeah, no, it's two different, they have no control of our observation deck.

Okay, because I didn't know if he was controlling times that people had access.

Remember, I'm not an attorney, and I'm not the smartest apple on the tree.

No, all they have is their gangway and the floating dock, the barge.

Okay.

They the then the only other thing I have is that uh at the boat launch, I've noticed that there's been some silt coming into that little place, and it was supposed to be a breaker built at the mouth, and as I understood it, money had already been allocated from Jefferson Parish to have the jetty built to keep that silt from coming in.

And I was wondering if anybody here knows the status of when that jetty was going to be completed, so that because the boat silt is now coming in from the into that boat launch, and it makes it difficult or it will make it difficult for boats to go through there if it keeps building up like it did before.

Because it got out of hand, and then they had to dredge it, and that's why they got the money for the jetty.

And that's all I have.

Thank you.

Well, yes, it was uh Jefferson Parish District 4 council uh project to redo the ramps and to add a rock jetty.

Uh I think the rock jetty was it Jose, tell me if I'm wrong, two and a half to million dollars, two and a half to three million dollars for the rock jetty when uh engineering firm got out there to start designing what had to go where it jumped up to a 12 million dollar project.

So there's no money uh for that.

Councilwoman Bohannan still has the money, and I think she's gonna enhance some other part of the lake shoreline.

Uh, and we're gonna enter into an agreement with it.

It's a it's a tug wash, is what it is.

It's the cheapest way to put a tugboat in it with certain propellers to blow it back out.

So we're gonna keep it an eye on it.

There was a 40-foot boat in there uh over the weekend that had no troubles so far.

So yeah, yeah, it will well we will have to push it back out.

So the cheapest most cost-efficient way is a a prop wash is what it's called by a boat.

Thank you, Mr.

Tuft.

Um, the next two uh gentlemen, I believe that they were here for earlier for the power outages, but I'm gonna call their names anyway in case they wanted to speak.

Um Rod Solar Zano.

See here, no Joseph Ochapenny, I believe he's left.

Yeah.

Ryan Nugent.

Yes, sir, please.

Name and district, sir.

Ryan Newton, District 3.

Um, everybody's ready to get out of here, so I'll try to keep this super brief.

Uh first off, thank you, Councilman Wilmont.

Uh, and then I'd also like to thank the mayor and the administration for putting on the first of the recycling and uh drop site town halls last night.

Um I thought it went very well, and I definitely commend the effort to solicit citizen feedback on this matter.

Um, second, and this is a very specific thing.

I've been wondering about this property located right here at Williams and Airline behind the Rivertown sign.

Um the grass is four and five feet high.

Um so I was just wondering is this private property or city-owned property?

And then if it is city-owned property, is there a reason that it's not being maintained?

And then the last thing that I have is concerning um, and actually the mayor already answered uh several of my questions uh concerning the new landscaping along Power Boulevard.

Um a number of people have expressed concerns about maintenance, so I think that uh getting that information out there.

I don't know exactly what you said, Mayor.

Um I was a little confused in terms of the the time frame, and then I think you indicated that um uh Mr.

Shane had agreed to pay for maintenance for a period of time.

Is that accurate?

And then what was that time frame, and then sort of what is the plan for maintenance on the back end of that.

I know we've you know continue to have some struggles with um uh other you know landscape maintenance things, uh both due to finances and and sometimes to manpower.

Um don't want to uh I'm not looking uh gift horse in the mouth on this.

I I love the way it looks, especially at night.

I think it's a huge improvement.

Um so again, I just wanted to find out about some of these maintenance plants.

Yes, he donated the the I guess landscape architecture, the plants themselves, all the labor, and we kind of have a gentleman's handshake on the uh maintenance.

He's pushing, and I look I've agreed to it because maintenance is a big deal.

Whenever you add this stuff, you don't want the weeds coming through it uh and and all that kind of stuff, but I'm gonna approach the council to try to put a sign there that says the Shane Family Art something, and he's confident that his daughters will continue the maintenance of the landscaping.

So we gotta that's kind of where we are today.

The property in question, or what's that Williams and Williamson Airline right here.

Southwest corner.

It's the railroad property, yes, the railroad property.

Okay, so can we can we cite them with code enforcement?

Uh that's gonna be very difficult.

They cut that grass only four times a year.

Oh wow.

Okay.

And they you know, they probably do for a cut, you know, in the next two to three weeks, and we constantly on the phone with them, but no, it's all railroad property.

Okay.

Appreciate the info.

Thank you again.

Yeah, uh, Mr.

Newton, um, on on that issue.

Um, hopefully, I'm trying to get a uh meeting with Congressman Carter, who says that he can deal with the railroad.

We've exhausted everything to try and deal with them.

So if by the next meeting uh I would have met with him, I'll let you know about it.

Okay, sounds great.

Appreciate it.

Thank you.

I want to thank the uh city councilor and the mayor.

I purchased a piece of property at 2114 and 2116 9th Street in Kenner.

Used to be the old B and C grocery store.

It's a double there.

And um, I had a lot of problems with it, and I walked away from the sale, and I got a call back that you all voted to make to keep it a double.

They had voted to put it a single home, and they made it a double, and I purchased it um 30 days ago, and I was repairing it.

When I went to the closing, they told me that I didn't need a permit.

There was no open permit.

It had been sitting there since Katrina, I mean since Ida, and it was used as a squad house and a drug house.

And I purchased it and I started working on it.

I brought a crew in of 20 guys, and two days we had did what we needed to do.

We went through three dumpsters already cleaning that property up.

I get a call from the guys to close the job site down that I needed a permit.

Only thing I did is went in there and repair the sheet rock, changed the light fixtures, changed the plugs, the switches, and everything.

But I just got a permit yesterday to uh finish the house.

And I had chance to talk to um the permit guy that came out, uh, and I let him know I will fix that area.

I will clean it up.

I will keep it clean.

I used to own 1001 South Sibley Street, across from Brian Shivley, and I turned that around.

It was a crack house.

It was 23 units, and I want to thank you all for letting me purchase the one at uh 2114 and 2116 9th Street, and I will keep it up.

I will not be written to anybody.

I will light that area up, but I have one issue with the dollar store.

They let people sit out there all day long, throw bottles, throw all kind of junk in the yard.

I passed that two, three times a day and just pick trash up.

They laugh on the property.

I've called the policeman several times and I asked for them to pass by during the night in the day, even though I'm working on the property.

But when I rented property, I will be written it to the veterans and the Department of Health and Hospital, which would be old to people, and I'm just asking for the police department to help me keep that area clean.

Because I was born and raised on Duncan Street, but we used to walk to B and C in the 70s and 80s to get groceries, little small things in our hand.

But I'm just asking the city council and the police department and the mayor to help me to clean that area up where I don't have to call the policeman or anything.

I don't have problems with putting security cameras.

I call them, I call energy to put lighting in that area and everything.

But the dollar store seems to not want to do their part.

Thank thank you for your input and thank you for caring about Kenner and uh Chief.

I don't know if you want to make any comments uh regarding okay.

That's fine.

That's fine.

All right, thank you.

Okay.

Anyone else?

We have Jerry.

I think the rest are gonna be for the outages, but I'm gonna call their names anyway.

Jerry Jacob.

No, Michael, Michael Pizzok.

No.

And Matt LeBon.

LeBron, I'm sorry, LeBron.

No.

Anyone else want to make comment, Chief, if you will?

Yeah, on behalf of the Kenneth Fire Department, we'd just like to thank and congratulate uh Captain Charlie Shaff.

He retired on September 1st after serving the city for 27 years and three months.

Awesome.

Thank you.

Anybody else wish to make comment?

Seeing none, we're adjourned.