Kenner City Council Meeting Summary - October 17, 2025
Kenner City Council Meeting Summary - October 17, 2025
The Kenner City Council convened on October 17, 2025, to address routine business, honor the city and state delegation, and deliberate on significant infrastructure and development issues. The session opened with tributes to recently deceased community members and an introduction of State Senator Greg Miller, who emphasized his support for Kenner's infrastructure and blight reduction efforts. The primary focus of the evening was the controversial renovation of Fire Station 37, which sparked extensive public testimony regarding the quality of work, oversight failures, and compliance with building codes, alongside a public hearing regarding a new storage warehouse for the Treasure Chest Casino.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of the minutes from the regular council meeting of October 2, 2025, passed 7-0.
- Approval of alcoholic beverage permit applications (none).
- Approval of public gathering applications (Items 3A–3D) for local Halloween events and church gatherings, passed 7-0.
- Addition of Item 3D (Audrey Reno Halloween block party) to the agenda as a new item from the floor, passed 7-0.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Ryan Nugent (District 3): Expressed strong opposition to the current proposal for the Treasure Chest Casino warehouse, stating the design is a "generic box with zero character" and an "eye sore." While not opposed to a warehouse in principle, Mr. Nugent positioned his support for rejecting the current proposal until the owner presents a more attractive design for the primary structure.
- Greg Taft (District 5): Expressed no opinion on the warehouse itself but raised concerns regarding the position that public notification parameters may be insufficient, specifically noting that residents in driftwood areas did not receive notice for the Treasure Chest project.
- Mayor Glazer: Expressed disagreement with Mr. Nugent's aesthetic critique of the Treasure Chest building, stating the building looks good if one is a minimalist, and noted the developer is a good partner. The Mayor positioned that the city goes above and beyond in notifying the public.
- Amy Hotard (District 5): Expressed strong criticism and skepticism regarding the Fire Station 37 renovations. She positioned that KFD leadership accepted unacceptable work initially and only backedtracked due to social media pressure. She further positioned that there was a breakdown in oversight, citing a contractor with a lapsed license who received six to seven figures in contracts.
- Matthew Hotard (District 5, Kenner Firefighter Association): Explained the urgency of moving firefighters back into Station 37 to accommodate a hundred-foot ladder truck that cannot park outdoors without counting against service ratings. He positioned that moving the ladder to a covered area was the primary driver, calling the rush to reoccupy the station "100% unacceptable" to the public but necessary for equipment safety.
- Stephen Dunn (District 5): Expressed concern regarding the lack of permits and inspections for the Station 37 renovation, positioning that the city cannot afford to waste public money on work that may need to be torn out, especially without verification of mold remediation.
- Greg Taft (District 5): Returned to the microphone (via Chief Connor) to reiterate his position that there is a compliance oversight breakdown in the city, suggesting a formal compliance officer structure is needed to prevent taxpayers from funding substandard work.
- Ryan Nugent (District 3): Positioned that the city is setting a bad precedent by reframing windows at Heritage Hall inconsistently with historic openings, arguing that the government should lead by example in historic preservation.
- Nicholas Zalva (District 5, KFA President): Positioned that the citizens and council are the "firefighters' champions" for holding the line on standards. He requested clarification on payment flows between General Services and the Fire Department regarding the contractor.
- Chief Morris (Fire Chief): Defended the Fire Department's actions, explaining the ladder truck logistics and stating that while social media contained misinformation, the department has achieved a Class 1 rating. He positioned that all subsequent work is being inspected step-by-step and that permits have now been filed as an oversight that was corrected.
- Stephen Dunn (District 5): Re-emphasized that a permit was never originally pulled for the Station 37 mold remediation and renovation, calling the situation "ridiculous" and demanding further investigation into the lack of inspections.
Discussion Items
- Senator Greg Miller's Address: Discussed his legislative efforts regarding property succession reforms, the tax lien sales process change to combat zombie properties, and a letter of support submitted for $17 million in capital outlay funding for a new City Hall. He highlighted specific infrastructure projects including Lincoln Manor drainage, Roosevelt roadway repairs, and a new fire station.
- Treasure Chest Casino Warehouse (Item 8A - Ordinance 13,952): The Planning Department presented a proposal to amend an ordinance to allow a 19,800 sq. ft. storage warehouse behind the casino. Councilman Lahat positioned support, noting no opposition from neighbors. The Planning Director noted traffic concerns were minimal and landscaping plans exceeded requirements. The applicant, Mr. Cortizes, confirmed the warehouse is required by state law for gaming equipment storage.
- Station 37 Renovation (Item 13 - Resolution & Ongoing Debate): Council members discussed the remediation of Station 37 following mold and water damage. Councilman Brennan presented data showing the council has spent over $160,000 in discretionary funds for fire department equipment since 2018. Councilman Lahat and Councilman Swarth expressed positionality of holding the line on standards, refusing to accept cosmetic fixes that are not up to code. The Fire Chief addressed the public regarding coverage issues, the ladder truck constraint, and the status of the repairs, stating that permits were filed after an oversight was identified.
- Truck Route Correction (Item 12A - Ordinance 13,953): Discussion focused on correcting a typo in the city code regarding truck routes on Delaware Avenue that was inadvertently omitted.
Key Outcomes
- Treasure Chest Casino Warehouse: Council passed a motion to close the public hearing and approved Ordinance 13,952 allowing the construction of the storage warehouse, vote tally: 7-0.
- Truck Route Correction: Council passed Ordinance 13,953 to correct the truck route definition on Delaware Avenue, vote tally: 7-0.
- Council Rule Suspension: A resolution temporarily suspending council rule number 11 passed, moving agenda deadlines for meetings in January, February, and October/November 2026, vote tally: 7-0.
- Temporary Signs: A resolution authorizing temporary signs for the Discovery Health Sciences Academy passed, vote tally: 7-0.
- Settlements: Resolutions approving settlements for Martin Sachs vs. City of Kenner and Southern Cat USA LLC vs. City of Kenner passed, vote tally: 7-0 (in both cases).
- Public Hearing Scheduling: A resolution calling a public hearing on November 6, 2025, regarding the abatement of structures at 2700 Phoenix Street passed, vote tally: 7-0.
- Contracts and Bids:
- Acceptance of bid from Black Star Diversified Enterprise ($29,450) for message board centers, passed 7-0.
- Approval of contract with Swift Recreation LLC ($63,707.83) for playground replacement at Muspertolino, passed 7-0.
- Approval of contract with Control Systems Incorporated ($19,852) for SCADA system upgrade, passed 7-0.
- Several ordinances for first reading accepted for bids from Nitsum Promotional, RESTEC, ACE Garage Door Company, Louisiana State Contract (vehicle parts), Reserve Component (lobbying), State of Louisiana (park lighting), New Light Electrical, Armstrong Supply, and Havana Knights LLC, all passed.
- Station 37 Status: No formal vote was taken to approve the current station condition; instead, the Fire Chief committed to continued monitoring and compliance, while Council members pledged to ensure final cosmetic and functional items are completed to code before accepting the work.
- Procedures: The Clerk and Mayor enforced a limit on back-and-forth debate regarding the Station 37 permits, directing Councilman Dunn to address further concerns at the next meeting after the specific permit filing date is retrieved and noted.
Meeting Transcript
I'd like to call the meeting of October 17, 2025 to order. Any special intentions, Mayor? Yes. Uh longtime former city employee and the father of our personnel director, Wendy Fulce, Mr. William Hannon passed away this this past week. Thank you. Anyone else? I'd like to add too, I have an uncle um who's close to me and and he passed away this morning. Unc uncle, my uncle Jim, uh James Murray. Thank you. Anyone else? If you lead us in prayer, Councilwoman Dunn. May we all please bow our hands. Father, in the name of Jesus, dear masters, we come to you this hour in the morning. God, we just want to tell you thank you for all the blessings that you have bestowed upon us, upon the city of Kenna. God look like we've been spared once again of the destructive storms. But Father, we pray, dear God, that our city will continue to remain safe. And that, dear master, that you would look down on the mayor, the police chief, the fire chief, the administration, this council, and to also the residents of the city of Kenner, that we may all work together to better the city of Kenner. And we pray, dear God, for a safe year as we bring this year to an end. Dear God, that you would continue to be with us, but give us wisdom, knowledge and understanding that we may do right, not only in your sight, but also in the sight of the constituents. I pray for the bereaved families today, dear God, that you would be with them, my father. Lord, there are those around Kenner that have passed away also, dear master. But I pray that you would be with them also. And dear God, as we continue on with the business of Kenner, I pray, dear God, that you will continue to be with us in Jesus' name. We pray. Amen. Amen. Councilman Lahat, if you'll lead us in the pledge. Face the flag, please hand over your heart. I pledge allegiance to the flag. One nation, God, visible liberties of this world. Madam Clerk. Yes, sir. In accordance with council resolution number B 14550, please be advised that all cellular telephones and other devices of this nature must be deactivated or silenced throughout the council meeting. Mr. Chairman, you have a quorum this evening this morning. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Clerk. Um, I'd like to take an opportunity to uh introduce um our senator who represents um the this district in this area, Senator Greg Miller. Um he's a valued member of the Kenner's state delegation. He is an elected official who serves along with Senator Kirk Talbert, Representative Deborah Villier, Representative Joe Stagney. His senatorial district includes a large part of the southern part of Kenner. He is a big help to the city of Kenner and fights for us in Baton Rouge during the state legislative sessions. He is well-seasoned legislator. I'm referring to Senator Greg Miller, his background, graduate of Delasat Cellasau High School, New Orleans, 1980, graduate of Louisiana State University with a BA political science, 1985, and a graduate of LSU, Paul Kerr Law Center Center with a JD jurisdoctorate in 1988. He is a former state representative and now a state senator who represents District 19, which is a very large area. He serves on the following committees. Chairman of Jude, Local and Municipal Affairs, Senate and Governmental Affairs, Joint Legislative Committee on the Budget, and Legislative Budgetary Control Council. Senator Miller, if you will, please step up and introduce yourself and tell us some of your accomplishments, sir. We appreciate you coming this morning.
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