Yeah.

I don't know.

Yeah.

Yeah, that's right.

Yeah.

That's nice to see.

I'm going to try to crane each time.

Yeah, you go on.

I'm gonna try it in.

So I like that in my account and try to stay before.

I doubt it would be after.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, I heard of it.

I don't know if that would help.

I mean it's a good muscle.

Oh, it's more of a muscle thing and not uh it makes it curve, like right in the back ring is more than everything else.

All the time something else.

So it was not that probably sounds like a everything.

I think what I wouldn't like to say.

Oh, we didn't ring it.

Nobody's all about you.

Oh a lot.

Yeah.

Yeah, you know, I get drunk in a people with needles every now and then.

That's crazy how that works though.

You said an alkyl shooter.

Yeah.

Oh, that's why I'm alcohol.

That's why we talk to some of this.

Anyway, I feel good, man.

Yeah, so I do that.

Well not church.

They can do yeah, yeah.

Oh no, or uh the end.

Yeah, no, uh I think they're ready.

Yes.

Oh yeah.

Oh maybe you don't need the information to put that.

Well they have ways to search searchers where we get uh so they can search now because you think we'd be awful.

But they know it's probably big care if it's uh urban neighborhood.

Yeah.

Oh yeah.

Yeah, all me.

Yes.

It should be once the clerks office.

Um they do the back end stuff and they update the console website.

Have a letter dated November 14, 2025, Lord Johnson, Clerk of Council, New Orleans City Council, thirteen hundred Perdido Street, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Pursuant to my authority and section three one hundred seven five of the home charter of the City of New Orleans.

Please make the necessary arrangements to have the special meetings cable cast live on the government access television channel and tape for casting in the future since JP Morrell, President of the New Orleans City Council.

Roll call, Councilmember Morrill, Councilmember Moreno, Councilmember Jerusalem.

Here council member Harris Councilmember King.

Councilmember Green.

Present Councilmember Thomas.

We have six members.

We have a quorum.

All right.

Good morning, everybody.

Um items two and three on the agenda will be deferred until January 7.

We do have our standard report from the legislative auditor.

I will move spend the rules to add this to the agenda.

Seconded by Councilmember Harris.

Please note Councilmember King is a yay too.

Seven yes, no nays.

Motion, I will now move to add it to the agenda.

Seconded by this isn't a voting item, Mr.

Burnside.

We're voting to add this to the so you want to speak on this because we're voting to add it.

Okay, that's fine.

That's fine.

That's fine.

That's fine.

Motion to add it to the agenda.

Second by Councilmember Harris.

All in favor.

I Mr.

Burnside would like to speak on this.

I spoke week ago on this subject, and it doesn't personally seem to me to have resulted in an outcome that I had hoped for, namely that this report be made public and it be available online for people to see.

Now I've verbally told that this has happened, but I've not personally seen it occur, and that may be my fault.

But I want to emphasize that I did look at least twice, and it would be nice if uh you know I saw it with my own eyes.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Um again, we get this report the morning of, and then my understanding is it's added to the agenda afterwards.

So I we're not holding out on you.

We're literally getting it this morning ourselves because the auditor is putting it together at the last minute with the help of his team and the city.

Um, but it's it's it's supposed to be posted.

So that's and if it isn't, then please keep on letting us know because we don't want to make sure it's not available publicly.

All right, um, so we've moved on both of those.

Mr.

Wags back, good morning.

Good morning.

Uh Mike Waggisfack, Louisiana Legislative Auditor.

Uh today, December 30th, 2025.

We have our um our submittal in front of you as uh in accordance with the state bond commission terms and conditions of the approval for the city of New Orleans, 125 million revenue notes.

Uh so the the fund was established, and as of 1230 today, our preliminary review indicates that the city's request totaling 11,437,270, uh broken down by 5 million 865, 330 dollars will be put into the Chase payroll card account, and then 5,571,939,000 to reimburse the city's general fund as outlined below for transfer.

And the first bullet we have 5 million 865,330,000, which is payable as mentioned to the Chase Payroll account for the purpose of funding employee compensation and related employee and employer apparel taxes for the pay period ending 1227 2025.

That's exhibit A.

Second bullet we have 5,571,939,000 payable to the city's general fund account at Chase Bank to reimburse the general fund for fringe benefits payment fringement payments, including but not limited to health insurance, pension contributions, garnishments, etc.

And that's for the prior pay period ending 1220 2025.

And again, as we mentioned the exhibit A shows the payroll, net earnings and the related payroll taxes, exhibit B.

The general fund reimbursement for the prior period payments on two check runs.

And then we have a summary of our overtime for this pay period, which fell under the projected amounts, 967,000.

And of course, exhibit D outlines the gross earnings year to date, column of the non-overtime pay and a column of the overtime pay.

The overtime pay through this pay period year to date is $50,409,611.

Exhibit E is uh is where we're tracking the special funds set up for the revenue anticipation note activity.

And after this, uh after you if you approve this and after it's drawn from the account, we'll have a balance of 45 million seven hundred and twenty-nine thousand one hundred and fourteen dollars at the at the end of today.

So I'll entertain any questions you may have.

Councilmember Thomas.

Maybe I can prompt some questions.

Uh to be consistent, which means being done the same way uh over time, uh, and trying to be as accurate and consistent as possible.

I'm just setting that up because I'm asked the same question that I asked uh before.

At our last meeting, I've consistently asked about Mr.

Montana and his role and how helpful it would be if he were here to explain how we got into this situation.

You agree that it would be helpful, and at the last meeting you said you were going to meet with him.

Yes.

Uh has he shed any light that you can share with us uh after your meeting with him, if you met with him, on how we got into this position, especially given my questioning of him over a year ago, where he created and and answered in in opposition to where we are, and is there gonna be a report done uh where he gives us some information so that especially in the future of whatever happened this time won't be repeated.

We don't need the definition of insanity.

So is there anything that you can lend from your meeting with him that can be helpful to us, or will it be put into a report so that we can better understand uh how we got here, especially given his public position uh that is contrary to where we are now.

Uh we had we did have a good uh hour-long lunch meeting where we discussed a lot of details and some of that which we will be able to provide in a report once we finalize recommendations, things we found, things we see and suggestions going forward.

Um, he uh he was a bit surprised how how much things had kind of deteriorated.

Uh I guess in a broad sense, the apparently from what I've gathered from the conversation, there there began a disconnect between he and the finance department sometime around January of this year.

So maybe there was a disconnect with information that was being brought or not brought forward.

That's all I can really kind of tell you at this time.

You know, maybe you and I have to after this meeting can have a little offline conversation to be fill in some other bullet points.

But apparently there just became a uh I don't know what you lack of better word, but maybe a lack of communication between the CAO and the finance department.

So that's that's kind of the highlight from the from the sense I've got to.

So the highlight from your meeting with him was that the disconnect was between him and the people that he was in charge of uh yep.

I guess you know, for lack yeah.

Well, whatever you have to be allowed to do.

Finance falls under CAO.

So I guess the allowed to give it.

There was a disconnect.

Well, I you know, I uh if you're gonna have a job, you might want to read the the duties, and if you have a charter, you won't might want to read the charter.

And he operates the place where he had a disconnect was the place that he was in charge of.

So that says a lot.

Uh we probably won't hear more about it, but if the CAO's office has a disconnect with the finance department, I'm surprised that we're not even in worse shape than we're in now.

And uh look, I could say a whole lot of other things because you know complicit is the stay tuned.

Uh probably in the coming years be a whole lot more revealed about this, but just that what you highlighted says a whole lot about the stewardship of the city's finances, and I'm not surprised now if if that was his comment, his highlight comment.

Um, Mr.

Chairman, I'm not surprised that we're here now, and I'm not surprised by future challenges.

What I am surprised of is that is his response.

I'm surprised that we were able to survive it this long.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um, Councilmember Green.

Well, which brings up an issue that I'll only take a second.

To the people who have asked me, how could the council not know?

I think that you just summed it up.

I'll leave it at that.

Well, and and let's also be honest, there is conflicting information consistently presented too.

Which then made it hard to know.

So that I think that was the hallmark of what we saw was that you get conflicting stories about what's happening, and by the way, we allocate, we don't expend.

Right.

And I think that's also something that gets lost in the conversation.

Is that the administration is responsible for expending ultimately?

Um, Mr.

Wagsback and team, I wanted to ask you real quickly, the overtime pay is roughly 50 million dollars for this year.

Are there any things that you saw since you all came in that have been better practices with the departments that should continue to be implemented in the future?

I think we uh Chris, maybe you can apply on that because you've looked at that for us in detail uh each pay period.

Uh I think some controls and oversight y'all put in place are paying off, and maybe you can kind of share some details on that.

Sure.

Chris Province, legislative auditor.

Um, I think since the controls have been put in place, we've seen a reduction in the overtime spend.

Uh, even in the current pay periods where you have holidays.

I think that we're seeing even the police department was way below what they had estimated.

I think that departments will get better at estimating as they are maybe coached through it and continue to do that.

I think some training for for estimations in regards to overtime is probably a good idea as well.

So we have seen a change in in the uh usage of overtime, and I think that comes with oversight.

Okay.

All right.

Well, we appreciate it, and I know we all look forward.

And then just so we're clear, this is all overtime roughly through 1227 to 2025.

You can expect that number to go up a little bit with the holidays on today and tomorrow.

Okay.

All right.

Well, we appreciate thank you all very much.

Just another if you've got a moment of time uh on the FEMA update, which I think is important that uh a lot of people are asking questions on.

I did receive an email, pushed an email to FEMA with the person that was put in contact with by Governor Landry, and uh she did respond to me, and I'll just simply read it.

Hi, Mike.

No further updates to share.

We will have a final decision letter to you by the 31st, which is tomorrow.

So at least we will have some type of decision letter as to where we stand with what projects.

You know, they'll be on approved list going forward for how long.

So I guess stand by.

I'll you'll be the first uh notify upon receipt.

Councilmember Morina.

Yeah, thank you.

Um Mr.

Waggers back for bringing that up because on the cancellation list, there are some critical projects.

The one I'm mostly concerned about is municipal auditorium and the cancellation of the extension for funding there because we finally are to the point where we can get things going on municipal auditorium.

So to miss out on the funding that were owed would be really detrimental to that project.

So um the push continues.

You know, we don't get the final letter until tomorrow.

So I just ask that you please help us on that municipal auditorium piece.

I know that everyone in and and who has any type of uh potential influence on uh FEMA has been contacted about this to take municipal auditorium off of the cancellation list.

And look, we uh we compiled a list working with the GOSEP and the governor's office, the city as far as what was critical to extend.

That project is listed as critical to extend.

So hopefully they'll take that into account.

Hopefully, we'll find out the details tomorrow.

Wonderful.

Thank you all again, and and thanks to everybody, both in your office and with all departments.

Thank you, and happy new year.

Happy new year to everyone.

Councilmember Jerusalem.

Yes, as far as the matter about uh uh legislative auditors report being yes, if you look at the minutes, because that's where it's going to be, right?

There is a uh area that says suspend the rules to add, right?

And the link is there, and if you open up that link, that is where the report great.

Sounds great.

All right, well, we got that rectified.

Thank you very much.

Madam Clerk.

Resolution R25674 is being withdrawn.

So order.

We have substitute resolution R25674 by Councilmember Jerusalem approving and ratifying the release of five million eight hundred sixty-five thousand three hundred thirty dollars and forty-seven cents on the City of New Orleans employee emergency payroll fund to cover the cost of payroll related expenses by employees of the police and five departments as well as certain employees paid weekly for the payroll period beginning December 14, 25 and ending December 27, 2025.

The foreground authorization shall be subject to concurrence by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor in accordance with City Code 70-415.347D.

We need to suspend the rules to receive this substitute.

So move seconded by Councilmember Morrell.

Please vote your machines.

One more seven okay.

Seven yes, um, no nays.

And then motion, I will move to add it to the agenda, seconded by Councilmember Harris.

All in favor.

Aye.

Hearing seven yeys that pass unanimously.

Mr.

Burnside.

So it's interesting to hear the explanations.

I will have to go search the minutes instead of the agenda.

It would be interesting to have the information on the agenda since it was added to the agenda.

With regards to uh Gilbert, it's nice that he talked with uh Mr.

Wagensback.

I think that's the first time I've tried to say his name.

Um it was generous of him.

Uh I should point out that uh Norman White was once upon a time head of finance and he went off to the airport.

So I think there's been some um disagreement between the CA's office and the finance department for some extended period of time.

With regards to some of the other information, uh the council not knowing is on the council.

The council is a separate and equal branch of government.

The council is supposed to put a check and a balance on the administrative for the council to rely on the administrative for information is itself problematic.

I would suggest that the council needs access to brass.

The council needs people who have finance understanding, such as CPAs, to look independently of either the finance department or the CAO's office to provide the check and the balance.

For instance, we have here a number 19,604,369 and 17 cents.

If we do some subtraction, we're left with a number of 13,739,038 and 40 cents.

One is left with the assumption that somehow or another the fringe benefits are going to equal 13 million, which of course is absurd on the face of it.

But nobody seems to care because the numbers are garbage.

Absolute garbage.

I have sent you emails to which you have not responded.

The number 19,604,369 and 17 cents is utter complete garbage.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I move to approve resolution R25674.

Seconded by President Morell.

Seven Yas, no nays.

Yeah, Councilmember Moreno's machine apparently isn't working.

Oh, there we go.

Seven Y's, no nays.

All right.

Last voting item.

We have resolution R25675 is withdrawn.

So ordered.

We have substitute resolution.

R25675.

Councilmember Jerusalem by request approving and ratifying the release of 5,571 and 88 cents from the City of New Orleans employee emergency payroll fund to cover the payment of the French benefits and other payroll related expenses for the payroll period beginning December 7, 2025 and ended December 20th, 2025.

The foregoing authorization shall be subject to concurrence by the Louisiana Legislative Auditor in accordance with City Code 70-415.347.

We need to suspend the rules to receive this substitute resolution.

We have 11,360,000 25.02 cents.

She assured me that our discussions of estimating up to differ.

According to her estimation, no number above that is possible, but any number below it is.

Unfortunately for us today, if we choose to add $6,410,382 and 45 cents to $5,571,939.88 cents.

We get a number above the number that I was told that the numbers could never go above.

The number we got is 11,982,322.33 cents.

Again, the mathematics is garbage.

Again, the numbers given to us are meaningless.

You are playing games to the penny that do not matter and are false.

Furthermore, you have a library that has a separate millage, and you are going to be laying off and otherwise not filling vacant positions at the library despite a vacant millage.

You have a newspaper article that assures us a certain amount of money is going to be saved.

And we're supposed to be saving money by vacant positions, but we cannot save money for vacant positions because we have not budgeted money for vacant physicians for over two years because of the budgeting for outcomes that Gilbert Montaño and the budget chairman have both brought before the public.

No vacant position has ever been filled with money for two years.

You cannot save money that you never budgeted in the first place.

Something's wrong, Councilman Moreno's machine, Councilmember Thomas.

Near the end of the year, United Healthcare costs will increase because all of our employees have reached their maximum, and that is when they do surgeries, minor procedures, and all of those things of the like.

And so that is why this week it did go over what the estimated maximum is, only because we have increasing health care costs every year at the end of the year.

In other words, Ms.

Richardson, people do what they normally do, which is they wait till they hit their deductible.

Yes.

They get their most expensive procedures.

Yes.

And then it causes the health care fringe benefits to rise as a result of that.

So that contributes to the rise in number at this point in the year, which is something that would ordinarily happen, but also happens to be something particular for this time of the year.

Correct.

Perfect.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Do we have any um ordinances on first read?

Nothing.

Oh, we have one.

We gotta add it.

Oh, I thought we all voted, we just voted on it.

We voted on receiving it.

Oh, okay.

Then vote on that talking.

You got it.

Thank you for getting me straight.

Councilmember Morell, I move.

Seconded by Council Member Morrell.

Yeah, seven gets set.

Everybody say aye.

Aye, seven years, no nays, hearing no nays.

And now vote.

Yeah, it's no the last vote.

Oh, we still need another one?

We add it.

Oh, I thought we did all these.

Okay.

All right.

Do one more.

I move to now vote on it as received and added.

Seconded by Councilmember Harris, all in favor.

Ah, seven years, no nays.

Do we have any other business, Madam Clark?

No, sir.

Then I move to adjourn, seconded by Councilmember Harris.

All in favor.

Ah, happy new year, everybody.

Take care.