Madam Clerk.

I received a letter November 14, 2025.

Dear Madam Clerk, pursuant to my authority in section three dash one hundred seven five of the home rule charter of the city of New Orleans.

These meetings will be limited to the discussion and consideration of matters relative to the current financial condition of the city, including without limitation the status of the general fund and any changes to be expected revenue of funding and ordinance number thirty thousand five twenty-two and any other matters that may properly come before the city council.

As usual, we will have the legislative auditor come up and report to us on payroll.

We need to suspend the rules to receive the first report from the legislative auditor.

I'll move to suspend.

Seconded by Council Vice President Willard.

One more vote.

Five years.

And we need to suspend the rules to add it to the agenda.

I'll move Councilmember King seconds.

All in favor?

Five years.

We need to suspend the rules to add a second communication from the legislative order.

I'll move.

Council Vice President Willard seconds.

All in favor.

All right.

And we need to suspend the rules to A.

I'll move.

Uh Councilmember Green seconds.

All in favor.

Aye.

You could just legislative auditor have the floor.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Mike Waggisback, Louisiana Legislative Auditor.

Today, January 28th, we're here in accordance with the state bond commission terms and conditions for the approval of the City New Orleans 125 million dollar revenue note.

And as of today, uh our preliminary review indicates that the city's request totaling five million five hundred and forty-six thousand four hundred and eighty-seven dollars and ten cents is outlined below for the transfer to the JP Morgan account.

Um this amount, the five million five forty-six four eighty-seven and ten cents is payable to the Chase payroll card funding account is for the purposes of funding employee compensation and related employee and employer taxes.

So if you go to summary A, you'll see the breakdown by police and fire, as well as some weekly payroll of the amount just mentioned.

Then we have the breakdown by uh gross earnings on exhibit B showing the overtime pay.

I'll note that this overtime pay in this particular pay period is three hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars less than what they projected to spend, which is a good thing.

And on exhibit C, we have the year-to-day payroll through uh January 24th, 2026.

Uh gross earnings of roughly 29 million and overtime pay just over three million, which is about 10% of the gross.

And after this payroll processing, it'll be we'll have a balance of roughly 13 million, but 12 million nine hundred and twenty-nine thousand three hundred and ten dollars.

We'll note we had a question in the in the on an account service fee that we uh push back to city finance to check with the bank so that 8,322 and 35 cents was a little unusual for this type of account.

So having having researched that, I think the uh the bank is in the process of reversing that that particular error on this count.

Uh so we'll get we'll have that money and that'll increase the count by a slight amount.

Um I can touch on the if it's appropriate now.

Police retention payments.

Yeah, hold on for one second.

Are there any questions about this?

Okay, if you will continue on the police uh retention payments.

Yeah, so we spent uh a good part of last week and the weekend reviewing uh all the criteria and those who were eligible for this payment.

It's roughly I think 800 folks that qualified, and out of the uh uh we we identified there's a total presented to us of nine million five hundred and sixteen thousand.

We identified about six individuals that did not qualify, so we adjusted that down fifty-seven thousand three hundred and eighteen dollars and thirty cents.

We sent those to the finance department HR, they concurred.

So after it's all said and done, the gross payroll associated with these retention payments to police and some EMS is nine million four hundred and fifty-eight thousand eight hundred and ninety-five dollars and twenty-six cents.

So that will be funded as well and will be reflected in their payroll or their checking accounts, I guess on 30th, I'll look this Friday.

So the normal pay plus the retention pay will fund this weekend.

And what are the sources of the funds?

Uh the source of the fund is there's gonna be a uh about from ARPA over in the ORPA count, and the remaining will come from the amount that's escrowed from a sewage and water board receivable.

We're not taking any of the retention pay from the RAN, no RAM will be used for this.

Okay, so how much going forward do we have left in the RAN?

If you could just uh roughly 13 million.

And so how are we looking on payroll going forward?

We'll we'll uh we'll utilize it for the next two through the um I'm sorry through February 18th.

So we're gonna use some approximately six million on uh February 4th, approximately six million on February 11th, and it'll be a small remainder of about 776,000 we can use on February 18th.

Okay, and that takes us kind of through Mardi Gras.

So we might have C increase police overtime.

That's correct.

All right.

Do we have uh handle on police overtime?

CAO Jaruso, if you want to come on up.

Thank you.

Yeah, absolutely.

Good morning, everybody.

Uh I think the biggest issue right now with police overtime is that there's a difference, which you discuss publicly, but I think it bears repeating, is that overtime A is being treated in a far different manner than it has in the past, primarily with working with the legislative auditor and our team that there's now structures that have to be followed and things that have to be done, and I think I'm gonna look over at them, barring um IGR telling me otherwise my CAO policies ought to be coming out today, including one on overtime, and it is a very detailed list of what has to be done.

So that's from a procedural standpoint.

The second one is from a money standpoint.

Remember uh what the council did in light of what the administration requested going in was set aside overtime money for NOPD fire EMS into the CAO budget.

So now for NOPD or anybody else to tap into that, they have to come back to me and my staff and ask for that money.

And and obviously, as we're planning, we're trying to have an idea of the totality of what it looks like.

Thank you.

Absolutely.

Any questions from the dias?

Council Vice President Willard.

Thank you.

Um Mr.

Waggers back.

So you said we have the RAN payments through February 18th.

Yes, sir.

After that, are we confident we'll be able to meet payroll with the meeting on cash cash flow?

We had a uh Zoom meeting yesterday, a teams meeting yesterday, so we're monitoring that.

So we're I think we're being I think it's gonna be tight in February, March, but I think we'll be fine.

Okay, and the idea after that is to make payroll with general fund dollars.

That's correct.

That's correct.

And we have those collections coming in right now through really through property taxes right now.

That's correct.

Okay.

Um we also have to start depositing money into that reserve fund, I think starting next week.

Is that correct?

Can you walk us through kind of how that works?

I know there's like a threshold we keep in the general fund, I believe it's 25 million, and then anything above that goes into the reserve funds.

That's correct.

And then payments will start making but is it's projected that we'll make a February payment of about 15 million and then March 65 million, April 25 million, and May 20 million, and that'll pay it out and that'll pay back to 125 million.

Okay, and we're confident we can because at some point we have to deposit into that reserve fund, but also start paying the bond back.

That's correct.

And we're we're looking good on that.

We've taken it all in consideration on a projected cash flow.

So so far so good.

It look looks it appears fine unless we have some unknown surprise.

Okay, sounds good.

Final question.

Uh as it relates to the retention bonuses paid to N OPD, I think you said the total will be about 9.4 million dollars.

And that's just payroll only.

You also have your pension contribution and payroll taxes on top of that.

So they're still working through they're still pushing that through the system now.

That could end up 15 million.

So the uh the reason I brought it up was because I heard it could be benefits associated with that.

So it is it is pension and then the payroll tax.

That's correct.

And so we're looking at possibly that going up to 15 million.

Yeah, we'll have we'll we'll back check and verify that and report on that next week, but they're gonna have they're actually pushing it through ADP now.

Okay, sounds good.

We'll know later, probably later today.

Awesome.

Thank you, Mr.

Wagsback.

Thank you, Council Vice President.

Any other questions?

All right, with that, we'd have to on page two item three.

We have resolution or 2664 by Councilmember Harris by request, it's been withdrawn.

So we're we have a substitute resolution by council member Harris by request.

Approving and ratifying the release of five million five hundred forty-six thousand four hundred eighty-seven dollars and ten cent from the city of New Orleans, employee emergency payroll funds to cover the post of payroll related expenses for employees of the police and fire departments, as well as certain employees pay weekly for the pay period beginning January 11, 2026, and ending January 24, 2026.

The foregoing authorization shall be subject to concurrence by the legislative Louisiana legislative auditor in occurrence with the city code 70 days 415.347D.

All right.

I will move to suspend the rules to receive.

No, we've been um we're already we already went through that.

All right.

I will move to those.

No voting to suspend the rules.

See, I was right.

I was right.

All right.

I will move to suspend the rules.

Seconded by Councilmember Hughes.

I need one more vote.

Five years.

Vote A.

I will move to add.

Councilmember King seconds.

All in favor.

Five years.

Vote on the matter.

And I will move to adopt.

Second of my councilmember Hughes.

All in favor?

Five years.

Thank you.

Okay.

At the top of the agenda item one, we have motion M26-62 by Council Members Morel and Hughes by request.

Directing the city planning commission to conduct the public hearing to consider amendments to the ordinance number 4264.

MCS has amended the comprehensive zoning ordinance to amend the comprehensive zoning ordinance to define data centers and any related uses to consider whether these uses should be permitted or conditional in any zoning district or overlay and to implement appropriate use and design standards for these uses if applicable, including but not limited to the density requirements, soundproofing and safety measures, and any other regulation necessary to preserve the right of life of nearby residents, businesses, and institutions as applicable.

Thank you, madam clerk.

Thank you, Mr.

Vice President.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

I'll go ahead and yield to our city plan and Director Rivers.

Good morning.

Good morning.

We were asked to come and provide some explanation about the current status of data centers, is my understanding?

Yes, correct.

So sorry, my name is Bob Rivers.

I'm the director of the City Planning Commission with me, Stephen Curl, the planning administrator for our land use section.

Currently, my understanding is that the data center use is not defined in the zoning ordinance.

And because it's not defined, um it is not something that is permitted anywhere in the city.

So the current status is that um that uh they are not uh permitted.

I think the chief zoning official looked into this back in December.

Um came up with the opinion that um because it's an undefined use, there would need to be a text change in order to permit them anywhere in the city.

All right, thank you very much.

Um this ordinance is being introduced by myself and council president Morell.

Uh, let me be clear to members of the public.

Uh we have heard you loud and clear.

Um, data centers have been uh in the news a lot lately.

Uh there is a proposed data center in district E, which let me say unequivocally, I staunchly oppose.

And so our efforts today with this motion and the subsequent interim zoning district is to ensure that no permit or no data center will be allowed, and that the city planning commission can conduct a public hearing because we've just heard from our executive director that it is their opinion that data centers are not allowed.

We seem to think that there is some ambiguity that we want to put to bed one way or the other.

And so that is the purpose of this motion today.

It is not to allow data centers in any shape, form, or fashion, it is to add a level of safeguard hearing from the community loudly and clearly.

And so with that, are there any public comments?

Anyone here wishing to council member Hughes?

I applaud you and I applaud um this effort to analyze um and to move in the direction of protecting, especially those who have expressed some very valid concerns.

This is your district, but it could affect any district.

This is a new technology, it has a new impact on communities.

But it's important to recognize that, in my opinion, so many people have invested so significantly in an area that is moving in the right direction.

Um, you know, off Reed Boulevard and New Orleans East, that I think that this is a very worthy endeavor to undertake, and that for the interest of protecting those who have invested much, this is something very positive.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Green, Vice President Willard is recognized.

Thank you, Councilmember Hughes.

To the members of the public, I just want to let y'all know really appreciate y'all being here and really appreciate your your civic advocacy.

Over the last was this our third week?

Is our third week of the last two weeks?

I've re received, you know, probably close to a hundred emails uh specifically about this this data center uh in New Orleans East.

And I I didn't know anything about it until I started to get those emails in.

Um I just want to get on the record and and thank you for doing this, Councilmember Hughes.

Uh I have serious concerns with data centers.

Uh they cost a lot of money to construct and to build, and they create very few permanent lasting jobs for the communities where they are built.

They utilize an abundance of natural resources, including energy consumption and clean water.

And uh at a time where you know we deal with uh saltwater intrusion uh in the Mississippi River uh in high utility rates, you know.

Uh personally, I don't think that this is the type of project that that we want.

And we've heard it from all of you here today.

Uh this is not something that you want in your backyard, certainly not something that you want in a residential neighborhood.

So I just want to thank all of you for showing up today, and I want to thank Councilmember Hughes for introducing this.

Thank you, Mr.

Vice President.

Uh, see no further comments from my colleagues at this time.

Um, we're gonna move to public comment, uh, beginning with Xavier Wilson, uh, followed by Olsa Adun.

Sir Timer.

Uh yes, good morning.

If you identify yourself with your name and your address.

Cool.

My name is Xavier Wilson.

I live at 7019 Crowder Boulevard in New Orleans East.

Um, and just to start off, I want to talk on the opinion of the planning commission.

Having something be undefined means that there's no framework for it.

Um, and I think they should revisit that opinion because there are certain renditions of what we would consider a data center to be already present in the city.

Um, so by it being undefined doesn't necessarily mean that it is prohibited because there was no definition for it.

Getting into the meat of everything, framing is important because adequate city development is crucial for a thriving city.

Having public comment on its definition is a step in the right direction.

However, we don't answer all of the questions surrounding this type of development.

Many other types of development are energy intensive and water intensive, straining our electrical and natural resources.

There should be more discussion surrounding energy efficiency within development.

The zoning for this particular issue is the simple part.

The definition for this particular issue is also another simple part.

But what we leave unanswered is do we as a city support any development that is energy intensive and straining our natural resources?

Because until that question is answered, any other development could come about, maybe disguised as an apartment building or a grain elevator or any other sort of exploitative development.

The data center is an issue on its own, but is it is representative of a greater question.

On the issue of waiving the neighborhood participation program, I believe that should be amended out of the motion.

Given how we've seen these council debates have left residents with more unanswered questions and more um situations to where they need more answers because of all of the furrows and all of the um waiving things off.

We need to amend out the uh thank you, that is your time.

I appreciate you, Mr.

Wilson.

Uh also adun, followed by Frank Scarlock.

Anything else?

Good morning, Council.

My name is also Roman Sega Dune.

My address is 9217 Apple Street.

It is in my opinion uh that I believe a data center uh under no circumstances should be allowed in the city of New Orleans.

Uh and with this uh language in the motion set forward, uh you are paving a pathway for potentially a data center to be developed in the future after the interim zoning district is over.

Um after that one year moratorium.

Um let me read the language for you.

Uh the city planning commission is directed to conduct a public hearing to consider amendments to ordinance number as amended, the comprehensive zoning ordinance to amend the comprehensive zoning ordinance to define data centers and any related uses to consider whether these uses should be permitted or conditional or conditional.

And any zoning district overlay, uh I mean any zoning district or overly, and to implement appropriate use and design standards for these uses if applicable, including but not limited to density requirements, soundproofing and safety measures, and any other regulation necessary to preserve the quality of life of nearby residents, but the residents have expressed that they don't want data centers in New Orleans ever.

Furthermore, that the requirement to participate in the neighborhood participation program is waived given the additional opportunity for public comment.

Um I don't agree at all with this language in the motion uh that the neighborhood participation uh program to be waived.

Um, if these developments are going to concur, uh neighbors need to be informed.

Uh that is my comment.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Before we get to the next one, Mr.

McNamara, come on down for a second.

Um I apologize for my tardiness.

I was dealing with some issues regarding some legislation that's gone down here.

Um I think that there's a tremendous amount of misinformation that's a circulating around this this issue.

The purpose of the comprehensive zoning ordinance, the purpose of the IZD is that currently, because a data center is not defined in law, we have individuals like the one we're talking about in New Orleans East, which as I recall, it is the opinion, Mr.

McNamara was for I believe office space with computer related resources.

The reason why you have to do this is in order to ban data centers, you have to define them.

And I know Mr.

McNamara, you recently Mr.

McNamara is going to introduce himself and say what he does, but when you don't define an item, you allow for loopholes for them to attempt to exist.

So can you give us an example of one data center attempt you blocked and how you weren't aware of the current one that's going forward?

That's correct, and thank you, and good morning to the council.

Uh honored here before this brand new council.

Uh my name is Dan McNamara, I'm the chief zoning official for the city of New Orleans.

And to your point, uh Councilmember Morel, there had uh there were discussions regarding a uh a data center specifically described as such uh that was uh interested in uh operating uh in one of two locations.

One of those locations was in our uh first skyscraper here in the city of New Orleans, as well as an alternate site.

And at that point in time, it was my opinion that because there was no data center defined in the code, then that's that use was not a permitted use in the city of New Orleans.

And I'm uh uh advised the the uh uh people that we are in those discussions with at as to that.

Again, this one uh popped up the the one that has I think caused all the concern for the presence in the East across the uh the city of New Orleans was regarding this uh application that they described themselves as an office space with computers.

Uh I think that the and there was a zoning verification that said an office use was uh uh a permitted use.

I think that there's probably two issues there.

One was probably deserved a little bit more careful scrutiny on the part of the Department of Safety and permits, but also the fact that there probably was not a fully described uh intent of what that they wanted to use that property for.

And I think that uh again goes to your point is to that we're gonna try to find ways to pigeonhole certain uses in there that are not uh fully descriptive of the activities that that people are trying to uh to take place.

And just so you all know, Mr.

McNamara was heavily involved, more so than he'd like with the STR ridiculous amounts of less STR legislation we had.

And the problem you had is that when you don't define something and people then begin to operate under nebulous zoning to do something that we don't want, then it becomes an issue of they get a vested right where they say, well, I have an office space with computers in it that is happens to be a data center, and then if we change the law after the fact, Mr.

McNamara, doesn't that create a position where if a data center is able to slip in under some kind of zoning variance that we don't catch, that then they have an argument that they're allowed to operate.

They certainly could advance the uh an argument that they have at that point attained some kind of uh property right to do that uh have that use on that location.

So so I just because I I know I've watched some of these videos, and people are definitely entitled to their opinions, but not their own set of facts.

The fact is IZDs exist for this specific purpose, which is to stop a type of zoning while we figure out what to do with it, correct?

And and that's correct, and that that is all that has taken place as council's fully aware in the in the realm of short-term rentals.

There's currently one in place right now regarding that, and that is uh that sets forth the conditions, either you know, it could it could put a ban until we get certain legislation in effect or set other conditions uh while we're doing that, and that took place as you as you we're all familiar when the uh court ordered us to amend our uh STR regulations on a truncated timeline.

I mean, we also have the TRO in place, but those those things can be put in place, the IZDs to stop those kind of things until the council's been able to act.

Right, and just so just for everyone's like memory, we did an IZD for two years with two or three years on commercial short-term rentals.

We have done a subsequent one dealing with transient lodging.

But we the the difference there and the opportunity we have here is we were trying to put toothpaste back in the tube with com with commercial short-term rentals.

Since we had not specifically defined and banned them, several of them began to operate, several of them continue to operate.

We put the IZD in place to prevent additional commercial short-term rentals, but seldom do you see an opportunity like this council is doing to get ahead of the issue, say we see the problem coming down the line, and we want to make it clear to all parties that until we figure out what the hell a data center is in the law, because we have to define it for the city to take a position on it, we are clearly stating that any effort, whether if it's a commercial building with computers, which for me is a best buy, not a data center, whether it's a computer repair shop, under whatever definition you put out there, data centers are not permitted, nor I want to also highlight, we are also talking about um crypto mining facilities.

For those of you who are not familiar, they are as bad as data centers, if not worse.

Because the health issues that they are creating in the state of Texas right now for these massive crypto mining facilities, the damage they do to the health of the communities where they're located, I am very concerned that if we don't get ahead of these things, define them and block them, we will be in the same place we are with CSTRs, like poor Danette do with CSTRs and STRs, which is once people get a vested property right, once very well funded groups get a vested property right, then we're in federal litigation four years trying to block something that's already there.

And I would prefer working with Representative Hughes to say this is not something we want, we need to define it in a way that is covers everything and is not too specific because as you saw with the instance we have now, when Mr.

McNamara said, This is obviously a data center that's not allowed under ordinance.

No, somebody came back with an office space with computers.

And like I said, I want to address the misinformation that's being put out there because the obvious states to prohibit these type of facilities.

Now, as far as the MPPs, we're talking about, as I understand it, Mr.

Rivers, this is dealing with getting city planning to start looking at it.

This is not waiving NPPs for new data centers.

That's not the purpose of this.

The purpose is to try and get CPC moving as quickly as possible to work to figure out how to define data centers, correct?

In Bitcoin mining facilities.

So as it's worded right now, yes, we would um be able to go ahead and docket it and get it on our agenda within the next probably two months.

Right.

So the goal is we want to move quickly on defining this to block this.

I can only speak for myself, but I've spoken to many of my colleagues.

We are a landlocked city.

We have a limited land, we have very little industrial space.

These facilities, whether it's a bitcoin mine or a data center, the Bitcoin mines are devastating the public health.

The uh data centers have tremendous effects on water availability and damaging the grid.

We are not a sprawling 700-mile parish.

We're New Orleans.

If you put any of that stuff in this parish, it is going to detrimentally affect the livelihoods of people.

So, like I said, Mr.

Skrlock, I know you're next, but the purpose of today, and I really want to speak to this because I've seen some people who are influencers kind of out alluding to the fact the council is somehow in cahoots or trying to move with data centers.

We are doing the opposite, and that is spelled out in black and white.

That we are trying to make sure that this kind of thing isn't happening, and that we are going to create a process to actively prohibit it.

Mr.

Skrlock.

Hi, I'm uh Frank Skurlock.

My address is 7816 breakwater drive, and proud to be uh 63 years young and proud to be born at Baptist.

On that day that I was born at Baptist Hospital back in 1962, my father, John Scarlock, was actually a technical engineer for Boeing.

At that time, he was working at the Mishu Assembly Facility.

It's true.

He got the call that my mother was in labor and in carpool those days because people shared, they took him to Baptist to basically meet me being born.

So why did I say that?

My father was also a professor at Tulane.

Prior to that, he was at Sentenary.

Prior to that, he was at Texas AM as a freshman teaching seniors physics.

That's education.

That's applying yourself.

Our school, our city, how many universities do we have here?

Is it five?

Is it seven?

I just came back from a month-long trip for this city's benefit to the state of California.

I stopped in Cupertino.

I went to the Apple Mothership.

You know, if you have a chance to go see what technology does, attracts wealth, attracts investors, and tracks prosperity, but most importantly, it attracts the people.

The people with real paying jobs that the city, thank goodness, our state stepped up to bail out our city.

We need revenue.

And if we don't put something substantial to bring in real educated people with real money to buy property to pay taxes, we're not going to get out of the debts that we have.

It's a simple equation.

My suggestion is very simple.

Consider the business corridor in New Orleans East.

There's six feet high weeds on top of the sign.

Why don't we restrict it to an area that it's needed?

You cannot go to space without stopping at the Mishu Assembly facility.

You can't do it.

One of the reasons why I was in California, I'm trying to recruit SpaceX, Elon Musk's team to actually make a capital investment.

I probably shouldn't have said that, but I care more about the city than I do.

Thank you, Mr.

Skrlock.

Uh Gregory Swafford, followed by John Brown.

Thank you, Council, for stating your position.

Um clarifying some misunderstandings around uh some of the content that's been putting out.

Can you just identify yourself for the record, please?

My name is Gregory Ann Swaffe.

My address is 2620 New York Street, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Um, I'm here to clarify the invisible infrastructure costs associated with data centers just for the public record.

Research and public reporting states such as Virginia, Texas, and California show that infrastructure costs from data centers, particularly related to water systems, our electrical grids, and stormwater capacity are often absorbed by municipal systems rather than by the operators themselves.

These impacts include increased demand on drainage and stormwater infrastructure, added load on our electrical grid and long-term maintenance burdens placed on public agencies.

So those costs don't disappear, they're transferred to or would be transferred to New Orleans ratepayers and future city budgets.

Thank you very much.

John Brown, followed by JD Career.

Good morning.

How y'all doing?

My name is John Brown.

I live at 7411 Restgate Road, uh, which is located in the east on Reed Exit, which is approximately like a block away from what is data center we speak of.

Um like he said, I'm not for or against it, but we don't have enough data.

Um, first of all, most data centers take up a lot of energy and water.

We already have problems with energy and sewage and water, boy, and uh like in my area, I don't know about y'all's, but that's just something we should have energy and sewage and waterboard to come talk to people about and ensure if they can.

Um, what type of data centers are there?

There are like nine different types.

Um, so the thing is, is this motion allotted for a certain amount of time that we can't have data centers or like this is just questions I have.

Um, there are nine types.

They all have high maintenance, they all have unpredictable long-term costs, they all take up massive water and power usage, and they also have high high environmental impact.

Um, there are two data centers I looked up in New Orleans currently that I find on my phone.

One named FOGO data centers, and another one named Cogent Data Centers, which both have websites.

They both have a lot of stuff, but they don't tell people what exactly is doing to the community or the environment.

Um, so you know, whenever these meetings are, like let's have some people, even the man who's proposing to put it here.

We don't know if he's proposing or he's asking for a zone change or a zone verification, or but we need some more information.

But I appreciate everything everybody's doing, especially Mr.

Hughes, who's in the East.

Um, and looks like my time's running now, so thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Brown.

Before we get to JD, real quick, I think one of those questions I think is appropriate, and I think that Mr.

Rus can answer it.

The process that starts with the council requesting CPC to study it.

Could you explain how that process goes forth and how that after the report is generated, there's actually a huge public comment period after the staff generates the report, correct?

Sure.

So there's two items that were um introduced.

One is an IZD, one is a zoning docket, and they're gonna go forward in parallel.

The difference is that the IZD takes effect immediately.

So there's an immediate moratorium on the use while we as the city planning commission and you all as a council consider the zoning docket.

Zoning docket, um, we will um prepare a we'll do our research, prepare a staff report, uh, present that to the commission.

That's a meeting that will be a public meeting um probably around two months from now.

Um the commission will make recommendations, transmit those to the council, and the council will act um according to its own schedule.

So and then there will be an ordinance in place that lays out the groundwork for uh for this use going forward.

So just to be clear to the point of the Mr.

Brown, correct?

Mr.

Brown, to your point, there will be multiple opportunities for public meetings.

One CPC generates the report saying this is what data centers are and how they would impact us and what the zoning is, there'll be an opportunity at CPC first to weigh in on that report, which will be publicly available, and then once that report's transmitted to the council, the council will then have additional public meetings where the public would see all the information and weigh it on the report and provide additional input before we'd ever do an ordinance.

The important part regarding the IZD is that it goes in effect immediately.

And the first time it'll be for a one-year period, which the council can renew, which means that in that period, there will be no data centers or big core mines or anything like that, because the city is actively telling everyone we are looking at this until we make a decision on it, it cannot happen.

So I just want to answer your question because they were very specific, and I knew we had the team here to do that.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Uh JD Career, uh, followed by Terrence Giles.

Hello, JD Career, 3700 block of uh Gentile Boulevard.

Uh I would just like to implore the uh the City Planning Commission and the council that we are being very specific with language, uh, especially like when it comes to like Esports Centers that could easily fall under an office space with computers.

Um I think that there's like we see a lot of these issues specifically when we talk about gaming and gambling and how that language has made things difficult.

So just I mean, a esports center would fit all the criteria of a data center, a Bitcoin mine center, just simply on face value, right?

When it comes to the hardware inside a machine.

Uh so I definitely uh will volunteer any sort of volunteer or whatever services if we need to help with that language.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Terrence Gows, followed by Michael Pillet.

Hey y'all, doing I'm Terrence Giles.

Uh look in the East, uh my dad says 5440 grand by your drive, and I'm with the party of socialism liberation.

I just want to say that the East has uh ever since Katrina has been a neglected community.

I think you should see it in the ground to any idea of a day to center.

If you guys want to talk about that, me and my group, we're doing a town hall Saturday, January 31st to 2:30 at New Orleans.

Anybody in the audience, I would incur you guys to come to the meeting.

Thank you.

What time?

2 30, January 31st.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you very much.

Michael Pillay, followed by Don A.

Bear.

Called it.

Michael Pillay.

Called him by his official name.

I want people to know he's known by the first time.

I'm trying not to take up my my two minutes on joking with y'all about that part right now.

You know, I'm sorry straight to my script.

I appreciate the council for stepping in to bring in stronger local controls to industries that seem to push the bar when coming to our community.

That matters.

And it showed that New Orleans is serious about doing growth the right way.

I'm also thankful for proactive measures this council is taking.

And I agree with Councilman JP Morrell that short-time rentals are a good example of why setting clear rules early is better than reacting if the problems show up.

As this council has already said, this is about leading before decisions are locked in.

This is about making sure the framework is in place before projects move forward.

A lot of people already know the concerns, energy use, water use, strain on infrastructure, avoiding up paying property taxes, and these things are real issues.

But I want to focus on how we move forward.

New Orleans wants to be a good place to do business.

We want investment.

We want innovation and we want jobs.

But we've learned from experience that when industries come in before clear rules are in place, the city community up reacting instead of leading.

We saw that with short-term rentals.

We're still dealing with with ride shares or Uber still owing the city money.

This is a chance to do it differently.

Doing things differently means keeping advocates and council engaged, not just during procedural meetings, but in between them as well, as mentioned.

So as community voices and real role concerns are a part of the process, let's make sure that's engaged.

That means setting clear local standards first around energy and everything that matters.

And it also means being intentional about what's coming.

Good tech.

As JG just mentioned, there are good tech that could develop workforce that can invest in our youth that we must make those clear languages about so we don't run away, clear high-tech industries that develop us that don't make an impact in our environment.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

My name is Dawn Abair.

My address is 6846 Lake Willow Drive.

First, I want to welcome all of our council members, those that were re-elected, and our new ones.

We are definitely uh happy what has happened.

But I'm really happy that uh you all addressed this issue so immediately, because this is something that the community is definitely against.

At the NPP meeting, Mr.

Ramsey held not one person in the room was for this project.

I want the community to note too that if the zoning and change, like is been said here, anything could pop up on that particular property, and that a portion of it is zoned for single family housing.

I'm not gonna go over uh what we have been talking about uh so far about the energy, the water, the noise.

This would definitely enter that residential neighborhood that uh adjourns this particular property.

So I want to mention too that uh with the data center interim zoning district that I'm hoping when you do have the public hearing that everyone requests that this goes on for a period of more than one year.

Because this is something that the New Orleans East does not want.

Um, but there are other areas in the East I want to say far away from residential properties.

This could probably probably come to.

Also, a question that we're all having is that the website for this particular uh project is not accessible, nor can you access the phone number.

So, where is Mr.

Ramsey?

Is he in the room so that he can answer some questions if this project was so important to him?

I guess not.

But I want to close by saying thank you so much for addressing this so quickly, and uh I'm looking forward to New Orleans East and what we can and cannot do.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Ms.

Abear.

Uh the next person, I just want to ask a clarification question, just so everyone knows the IZD also prohibits the issuance of occupational licenses as well, correct?

It it uh as I've looked at it, it prohibits the occupational license uh for business and uh uh any other applications for permits or licenses or issuing or issue any permits.

So that would cover everything.

That would cover the building permits, occupational license, and those things.

If I may, just very quickly to Miss Abair's point, which uh I first became aware of this last Thursday when I was watching uh Miss Abear being interviewed on the news, and I thank her for her participation.

We are reviewing the uh the zoning verification that was issued with uh with an eye towards revising that as well.

So this is uh I just wanted the council to be aware of that to you know put a fine point on what you're doing and what we're doing relative to this specific application.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um, there are no other public comments here.

We do have several online comments.

I am going to ask our amazing staff to submit those into the public record.

Um the board appears to be clear for my colleagues.

Ladies and gentlemen, let me just say a couple things uh in closing before we take this vote.

Um, in terms of public participation, uh I pride myself on public participation, and anybody who knows me knows that, and I will ensure that members of district E will have an opportunity to weigh in throughout this process via meetings that me and my team will organize for our residents.

I value the input from our residents.

Uh at the end of the day, you elected me to be your voice.

I intend to be that voice today, and I intend to be that voice over the next four years.

As Mr.

Uh Xavier said, and as our council president clarified and verified so adeptly, ladies and gentlemen, there are currently no definitions around data centers.

So anybody can render an opinion on what they think should or should not happen.

But absent a definition, an opinion is irrelevant.

And so having these definitions will give the extra layer of protection that our residents are hungry for and that our city deserves.

But in the previous life, I actually served as a member of the New Orleans City Planning Commission.

In fact, I was appointed twice.

I was a rank and file member, I was a vice chair, and I actually chaired the New Orleans City Planning Commission.

So land use and zoning is something that I understand very, very, very, very well.

And as a former member of the New Orleans City Planning Commission, if for one reason I thought we did not need this, or if I thought this would not protect the public, myself and the council president, I can assure you would not be doing this today.

I've lived in New Orleans East for over four decades.

Like many of my residents, I chose to rebuild after Katrina.

I'm vested in that community.

I love that community.

I'm not going anywhere like each of you, and would have a fiber of with every fiber of my bean, I will fight and give it my all to protect that community.

So at the end of the day, this is a major first step, and not only protecting New Orleans East, but protecting the character of all of our neighborhoods throughout the city of New Orleans.

With that, I thank the partnership and leadership of the council president.

I thank the partnership and leadership of my council colleagues, and I thank the extraordinary advocacy of our amazing residents of New Orleans East District E in the city of New Orleans.

With that, I move adoption of this motion.

Second by President Morrell.

Members, please vote your machines.

Six A's, no names.

That motion is adopted.

Item two, we have motion M23.

Council members Morel and Hughes by request.

Direct the city planning commission to conduct a public hearing and make recommendations regarding whether to amend Article 19 of the CDO to establish a new interim zoning district to be named the data center interim zoning district for the purpose of prohibiting the issuance of any occupational license or other permits to operate other permits, the operation of the data center citywide for a period of one year for the date from the application of the motion subject to the extension to provide by section 3-12 of the city charter.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Um before we proceed to public comment, I want to be clear, and I want to reiterate what our council president has already stated.

Ladies and gentlemen, what this interim zoning district does, it puts an immediate moratorium on data centers within the city of New Orleans.

This would put an immediate halt to that.

Absent this interim zoning district.

So that is the purpose of this.

I will yield to our esteemed council president Morel.

The crypto mining operations I discussed previously.

Because I mean, though it's called the data center district, it covers all the things we previously discussed, because it is evident that technology once again is moving faster than cities can legislate, and we are certainly trying to get ahead of things.

I do want to emphasize that as councilmember Hughes previously said, I appreciate the residents of New Orleans East going and calling out the fact that property was intended to be a data center because had they not, the way that it was being presented to the city was not a data center.

So had the residents not uncovered in that NPP meeting that it was a data center, it might have slipped through the cracks.

Now we as a council, uh, and I said I previously mentioned a gambit article that happened right before we got inaugurated.

We were aware that this was a problem, but even we did not comprehend how quickly parties were moving to try and get that done.

So as a city, we want to be intentional.

We welcome technology, welcome investment, but we do not welcome being an experimental staging ground for new technology, especially when our water is precious.

We have as a city, as a parish, so little land that is developable that we can develop.

And to have any of that land go to a purpose, especially when most of that lands adjacent or in the near vicinity of neighborhoods, we have to be very careful with how we authorize these things.

So we want to be intentional.

This whole process about being intentional is a question about can we go longer than a year?

We've done that historically.

If CPC comes back with a report, the residents or the council have additional questions, we can send that back to CPC again and continue to try and develop and fix that process.

So to be clear, we're not in a rush to create some data center legislation, nor do we have to be when the IZD is in place.

But without an IZD in place, very bad things can happen.

Thank you, Mr.

Hughes.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Councilman Green is recognized.

I just wanted to um emphasize that my district D does include some of New Orleans East, the Malaya community.

But to residents of District D who've um asked me about this who aren't in the Malaya community and New Orleans East, I just want to along Dawman Road, I just want to let you know that this is an important issue for Gentili, for the lakefront, for the fairgrounds, but other areas that are included in my district, and I know that fellow council members will agree with me.

I just want to encourage um the members of the public, though you've heard the East New Orleans mentioned a lot, that this is a matter that affects the entire city, and I encourage you to participate.

I will be sharing information that I know fellow council members will in some way or the other on meetings that take place relative to this very very important issue.

But I want to encourage citywide participation in the meetings at all.

Thank you, Councilmember Green.

We'll now go to public comment.

Uh Gregory Swafford, if anyone wants to wave, just let me know, followed by Ulsaw Adun.

Waving, okay.

Mr.

O'Doon.

Mr.

Adun will be followed by Mr.

Larry Morgan.

Thank you, Council, for the explanation.

Um, I just want to be very clear, um, especially for the record, um, that I'm not opposed to the logic that you presented in your prior arguments about establishing the definition of an uh of a data center.

However, I am opposed to the language that is aforementioned in this motion.

Uh and in this language for the motion, you say that uh you describe in the appeal process for if somebody wanted to develop a data center in the future after the interim zoning these questions.

Is it required uh is the requested appeal compatible with the surrounding land uses and structures?

Um does the requested appeal provide for efficient land use?

We know that not to be efficient, just you know, look at the uh the nation around.

Uh with a requested appeal increase community environmental and quality of life impacts.

I can't look at any examples around the United States to see if that's ever been the case.

Uh for does the request the requested appeal provide appropriate health safeguards for neighboring or nearby properties, including but not limited to soundproofing measures and other safety best practices.

I've never seen that before, uh, and I'm sure you never have.

Um furthermore, um, like I said, I'm not appealed to the logic.

I'm just appealed to the language in this motion, and that's why I don't want you to pass it.

Uh thank you very much.

Thank you very much.

Before we go to the next person, uh, I want to clarify for everyone.

That language is required by the charter of the city of New Orleans.

Whenever we create an IZD, we have to additionally create an appeals process that would require the appeal to come to the city council for all of you to weigh in.

So, though that language might not be uh discernible to a layperson, that language for an appeal is required.

We have to put we have to outline an appeals process, whether or not the council would ever grant an appeal would require the parties requesting the appeal to go CPC correct, CBC.

They go to y'all for the appeal, they ultimately come to the council, and you as the public get to weigh in with the council as to whether the appeal is granted.

So, like I said, though their language may seem kind of cumbersome, it is required by the charter when you do an IZD that you have to put the appeal language in.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Um, next me have Mr.

Larry Morgan.

Mr.

Morgan here.

If not, we have oh, thank you, Mr.

Morgan.

And followed by Mr.

Morgan will be uh Angel Bradford Rosenberg.

Yeah.

Good morning, Mr.

Morgan.

Morning to the council and everybody in the house.

I must submit and give recognition to councilman.

I can't think of his name.

I've seen it be slipper.

Morato.

A great percentage of what he addressed, JP Morrell.

What he addressed is reality.

And also I must comment.

This fella here, I don't know his name.

He speaks well for security for the city.

And also I want you to know those counts door data center.

I've been keeping up with them.

One thing that we always seem to bypass us.

What about the towers?

The towers, some of them is consist of material of electrical paths that cause cancer.

Because I had read it where it happened in free state where the tower that was related to the data center was causing cancer.

But this what I'm saying.

Always remember priority and obligation for your council is number one, public safety and our safety.

Secure that many companies come, it's going to come into the city.

It's going to try to push many things over on y'all.

But look, we have the finest university in this in the country.

We have Xavier, Dilly, Sutton, and all that.

There are people that are qualified to do our research for us before we involve ourselves in any of these crises or company that these people from out of town want to put into our city.

Use our people.

We not dumb, but y'all act like it because the reason is y'all calling other people from other city.

We are smart.

And councilman.

Thank you, Mr.

Morgan.

Thank you so much, Mr.

Morgan.

Um, Angel Bradford Rosenberg, followed by John Brown.

Great.

Um, Angela Bradford Rosenberg, 1822 Erkhart Street, New Orleans, Louisiana, 70116.

Um speaking on my behalf, and then also Sierra Club Delta Chapter, I'm a volunteer with the organization and leader.

I do understand the need, like I do want to be super clear that we understand the tension and the need um around defining a data center, and I understand the modern definition is not or the actual definition is not defined in the ordinance um for the city.

However, um, for us, uh, there is concern about the way that this was done.

Um, and so I think that's why you're getting a lot of confusion on the public's end, but also um confusion uh around the appeals process still remains.

I understand it's required by law, but why not um instead of doing the IZD, just do recommendations from the city planning commission?

There's plenty of research already out there about data centers.

There's plenty of organizations that we work with that already clarify that data centers are not economic development and just have a ban.

It seems like having that appeals process and expecting us to engage with every single application around data centers is the same as just keeping the definition or lack thereof as is on the current ordinance and then waiting for a lawsuit.

It seems like the same thing.

So it doesn't seem like the motions are that urgent and necessary.

Thank you.

Ms.

Brianford, let me ask you a question.

You and I did have the opportunity to engage in the 20-minute colloquy on yesterday.

Is that accurate?

That is accurate.

Okay.

Did the Sierra Club execute any communication to members of the public or engage with members of the public in any way on this data center?

Yes, so we have engaged with the public, and I personally reached out to Mr.

Ramsey in December trying to find out more information.

Yeah, so I'm gonna say with all due respect, and normally, you know, I just let the public comment period take its course.

Yep.

Um but you know, you said there's a lot of confusion in the public.

I'm gonna say respectfully, I think your organization has really created.

We disagree with you.

Let me know.

It's not confusion, it's disagreement.

I am I disagree.

I did not interrupt you.

My mother and my father raised me to be respectful.

You disagree.

You interrupted my own.

You can't interrupt me.

Well, you were finished speaking.

Well, you're not it wasn't finished speaking.

Okay, go ahead.

I apologize.

You can go ahead since you've already interrupted my momentum.

Okay, well, uh we'll let we'll give you a minute back, yet another minute.

But you you you're speaking of the confusion amongst the public.

And I've gotten several calls yesterday from constituents that were really confused, that were armed with misinformation, and 95% of them said I had interaction with, communication with, or received information from the Sierra Club.

So the confusion that you speak of today with all due respect is confusion that your organization created.

You don't have to say with all due respect.

I clarified for you why I disagree with the motion.

I think the appeals process is a backdoor for data centers, and it's not a ban on data centers, it's an appeals process where you're actually creating criteria where data centers could be useful.

And I am telling you, coming just from a convening in Tucson, Arizona, with the no desert data center coalition, that data centers are not economic development.

So why not do a ban based on the city planning commission's recommendations?

Those are my comments.

Thank you very much.

Just to respond before the next person comes up.

Number one, like I said, I know this can seem very confusing, but the city can actually not do zoning before CPC reviews and makes a recommendation.

Mr.

Rivers, how long does it take for y'all to analyze a process and make a recommendation?

Typically?

So it usually we were required to have something on the docket within 50 days.

50 days.

And then you look at it and then you make a recommendation to us, correct?

Correct.

So typically speaking, can the city council on its own, in a legally defensible way, ban zoning?

So the the issue is that during the time it takes for us to do our research for you to do your deliberations, there's going to be a period of four or five months.

During that time, anybody could apply for a quote unquote data center in whatever form and vest their rights to pursue with that application.

So the the IZD cuts that off immediately.

Well, but to address your points directly, because I think this is the misinformation we're talking about.

The council cannot sue a spontaneous we're banning something.

There's a deliberative process required by law where we have to wait, publicly advertise and receive information.

The IZD exists because in that deliberative period, we're saying no one can do anything.

That appeals language is required by charter.

You keep saying backdoor, there's no way, Mr.

Rivers, you can speak to this.

If someone wants to appeal this IZD, wouldn't they have to come to a public council meeting and go to a public CPC meeting to request that appeal?

So typically the CBC is gonna be a staff recommendation directly to the council.

So there will be public meetings at the council level.

Um if you want to put it to the CBC itself, you can put that language in the um in the ICD motion itself.

Which is but currently it would come to the council.

It would come to the council.

So you keep saying back door, there is no backdoor.

There's only a front door.

If someone wants no, no, you can still say yes to that data center in that process.

Well, first off, and I appreciate you're not an elected official, don't know how this works.

I do know how this works.

The city council as a deliberative city council as a deliberative body cannot publicly prejudge an item and say, I am going to block everything, because Mr.

Rivers, what would happen in court if we were to do that?

Well, you said it yourself.

It's prejudging and um the decision has to be made on the merits.

City, the merits in the city planning commission.

So if we we have to create appeals process by law, and we have to consider an appeal by law, because if we don't, we are not conflicting what I'm saying.

I am offering it.

So you're not stopping data centers for delaying.

Currently, yeah.

Currently, that's still an option, but there's no difference.

Currently delaying it and what you're offering right now.

Madam, you are being obstinate and not listen to the case.

Yeah, because you guys are being jerks.

So I don't need to stand here and deal with it.

Thank you.

Mr.

Rivers, the previous zoning, the previous zoning for the office building would not have come to the council, correct?

If uh basically what they were asking for, is there a way to do this by right?

Right.

So they were looking for a determination where they didn't have to go to any public hearing.

Right.

So the existing process where someone could say something is an office building with computer center, could in fact have happened, and but for the residents of New Orleans East, exposing it was a data center and had that information not but brought but the CPC, it would not have come to the council as a matter of right if it had been approved, correct?

Pending an appeal.

Well, there was a in this particular case that the property is zoned residential, or half of it is, so there would be a process around the rezoning, but as to the issue of the data center, you're correct.

It would be and even if it had been an appeal and it had been looked at properly, it would still come to the council for the same public hearing that this appeals process would have created.

Correct.

So I'm trying to understand when someone keeps saying backdoor, they seem to be telling the public this is some new process that makes it easier to have a data center.

What we're creating is a that there is an IZD that prohibits the issuance of any kind of permit for anything resembling a data center, and that if someone wants to make the argument that they would like to pursue a data center, it would have to come to the council for the public to opine in for a vote.

Yes, any land use decision has to go through a legislative process.

Any legislative process can be a yay or a nay.

And which is the legislative process.

It is the legislative process.

So I am sorry if I seem a little incredulous, but the minority port, the minority report argument that someone has seen into the future, and that the council is gonna automatically approve every data center when from the commentary of the council individually, from the commentary today, it does not reflect that.

It seems that this is a solution in search of a problem that the council is somehow obviously in support of data centers.

The fact the IZD is being proposed today to slow down and bring transparency to that process directly contradicts that argument.

As I said previously, you're entitled to your own opinion, but not your own set of facts.

The facts do not align with the supposition that was presented today.

Thank you, Mr.

Rivers.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Uh John Brown, followed by Ryan Hancock.

Hello, I'm John Brown back again.

Uh so Mr.

Morel, I believe his name is, he did make a good point as to there being beneficial things that might seem like a data center, and you know, people might be against it, but it may not be.

But I want to bring a question to some people and ask, do they know if there are two data centers currently about a mile from here?

Cogent C-O-G-E-N-T.

You can look them up.

And FOGO, FOGO, 935 Gravier Street, 650 Porger Street.

And let me just read you a little information from their website.

Cogent is one of the world's largest service providers delivering high quality internet, Ethernet and co-location services.

And if you don't know what co co-location is, it's one of the types of data centers that are being built.

So across over eight 118,279 enterprises and net-centric customer connections.

Cogent serves over 302 markets in 57 countries across its facilities based all optical.

And these places are a mile from here.

So not saying like what they are, but somehow these places have popped up and nobody like really seems to know about them, and they're here.

And they're here.com.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Ryan Hancock.

Followed by Jonathan Anthony Roberts.

And I apologize if I'm mispronouncing anyone's name.

How you all doing?

Thank you, Jason, Ms.

Councilman Hughes for pronouncing my name because uh right because nobody in New Orleans ever pronounced my name right.

Uh I was named for uh Ryan Sandberg, West and Power.

Uh but that's not why I'm here today, because I'm not here to crack jokes, I'm here to uh talk business.

Um many times you guys know um a lot of things come into our city and we don't know these things until it happens.

And I support uh having a public hearing and uh making recommendations for this interim uh zoning district because the public, we are the public.

You know, you guys, we elected you guys into office, you guys work for us, and we are we should be in collaboration with each other on um on the future of our city, what can go in our city, what cannot go in our city?

Because if we don't do something, if we just let this data center fall into our city, guess what?

You know, our city will suffer because again, as you all say, we're not a big city.

You know, I'm from Memphis.

Memphis is about 26, 27 square miles.

This is a city that's maybe nine miles, I think.

So I support having a public hearing, and whenever you all have that public hearing, I will be there and just look for the as I always tell y'all, just look for the man with the Kansas City Royals hat.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Jonathan Anthony Roberts, followed by Chris Lang.

Good morning.

Good morning.

Uh good morning, city council members, uh, city council president, uh, Morrell, Vice President Willard, and uh the rest of the council members.

Um we know the impacts of data centers in our communities, uh worldwide or United States wide.

Um we just had examples of possible data centers right here in our own backyard already.

Uh I'm not opposed to the interim, but the interim um zoning uh district is only a band-aid, it's a band-aid for a short-term solution.

I would like to know what's the long-term solution that the city council is proposing to protect our communities, to protect our most vulnerable uh population, uh, and to protect our environment, our environment.

We talked about uh saltwater in intrusion.

Um we talked about the mitigation of green space throughout District E.

Uh, we've seen it inside the Lore Nine, we see it inside the East, we see it throughout the Gentili area, uh, and throughout all of New Orleans.

Uh my concern is that we're living inside a time where everything is fighting for our attention, and our public is inundated by misinformation and disinformation.

Uh, so what is the council doing to properly educate the community, make sure that the community is properly engaged in every step of the process, and that can the community is probably being heard throughout the entire process and not being pushed to the side or over inundated with information that does not benefit the general public.

Uh thank you for the band-aid, but it's just a band-aid and what's the long-term fix to protect our most vulnerable population and to protect our environment.

Uh Jonathan Anthony Roberts, uh, for the record address is 4928 Chrysler Street, uh, New Orleans East.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Chris Lang, followed by Edith Romero.

Good morning, council.

My name is Chris Lang.

I live at 2500 Dauphin Street.

I know of several of you from my former employment uh with the city as a circular economy program and policy manager, which I ended two weeks ago with the Mayoral transition.

I'm here to speak on the the data center uh and the IZD.

I'm just curious in terms of the length of the IZD, why did we land on a year?

If we want to have um a short-term solution for uh maybe a year-long moratorium, why can't we extend that to be five years or 15 years or 20 years?

Um it may not be interim, but that seems like it could um at least off uh uh offset as much dissidents or as many appeals that could happen uh after that year expires when there's less uh public scrutiny around the data centers when uh there's an opportunity for sort of backdoor deals to happen to enable a data center to exist.

That I think is I'm hearing aside from the gentleman with the red cap, there's pretty much unanimous consent here that nobody wants to see a data center in New Orleans, and I appreciate some of the the thoughts that were were stated around um we need to get this IZD in place, but and the definitions in place, but why can't we extend that to be a five-year process?

Yeah, and I also uh what Ms.

Angel said in terms of if we can get that ban uh through legislature as quick as we can, that would be the best thing we could do.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Lang.

Uh, just to clarify, and you raise a great question for the record.

So I'm gonna ask Mr.

Rivers to correct me if I'm wrong, but I think under the law, an interim zoning district can't exceed a year.

Is that accurate?

But we can renew the interim zone and district after that year.

That is correct.

The initial term would be a year, and the council can um extend it up to two six month periods.

So the total could be two years, and the theory is that it it's buying time basically to give the legislative process work, the opportunity to work to put a permanent solution in place.

Great.

Thank you.

Um Edith Romero, followed by Don Abear.

Hello.

Good morning.

Thank you so much.

Good morning.

Um, my name is A.

Almeto.

I live in 1918 General Taylor Street.

I'm part of Ion Surveillance, and I'm also a Henduran immigrant.

Uh this topic is really close to me because we also have data centers over there that are destroying our cities, um, and also tech billionaires that are building charter cities um to displace our Afro-descendant communities.

Um I want to thank you because you've all expressed opposition to data centers, and that is where I stand.

Um you've mentioned all the harms that come with data centers.

Um I want to thank JP, uh Councilmember JP Morrell, especially because this is the right stance, the stance that um will protect our communities.

Um I echo the speakers before me that we need a long-term solution, and I encourage City Council to work with other districts that are facing the same threat and that that are uh getting long-term solutions and bans on data centers.

Um unfortunately, we have a history with high-end surveillance of city council being in the right position with our ban in 2020, but then amending the ban two years later to allow facial recognition use.

And so there are reasons to distrust, unfortunately.

But I applaud you for the position today, and I look forward to working towards a long-term ban on data centers.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Don Abear, Don Abair, president of Enoch.

Uh 6846 Lake Willow Drive.

I'm sitting, I'm not gonna repeat what I said before, but now I have a question.

It appears as though Mr.

Ramsey wasn't um exact enough with his uh application to the CPC.

Did he not say it was a data center so that you know if the public actually went to the one-stop shop site, we could see what he intended, but yet when he sent the letters, and not to all of the residents in the adjourning neighborhood, uh it was mentioned a data center, and actually to Eno Knight.

So what's uh uh does the CPC take any action or on applications in this particular instance, and when do you uh believe that it will come to the CPC so that the community could weigh in on this issue?

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Abraham.

Mr.

Rivers, did you want to first follow?

Sure.

Um thanks for the question.

Um so far we've not received an application.

What we received was a request for an NPP list, which is a list of addresses of the surrounding neighborhood.

Um, and that is used by the applicant before they can even apply for anything.

Um so they take that list, they may do the mail outs, they have the meeting.

My understanding is the meeting was recently, and then once they have the meeting, they can put together their application materials and submit them to this city planning commission.

That has not happened yet.

My understanding is that I mean, obviously, they are preparing to do that.

The IZD would cut off their ability to submit that application.

Thank you very much.

Um there are no further uh comment cards from the public.

Mr.

Scarlock, I don't have a card from you, but come on up.

I just wanted to offer one small thing.

Seeing we have some great institutions here, and like I actually went to computer technology at Loyola.

I know Tulane has one, and I know that UNO at least had one.

Most people don't realize at one point in time the chancellor of UNO, his brother was head of NASA.

Okay, that's years ago.

But just think of the tie-in, and what I was trying to get across, one of the greatest infrastructures, the whole internet of the whole United States is actually in our backyard.

It follows I 10 going east coast, west coast.

It stops at the Mishu Assembly Center.

The whole backbone of the internet was based on the connectivity of major government installations, including institutions of higher learning.

And the one thing that's been consistent is in the process of talking about what is in the current books and legislation.

It's about computers.

The question is what connects those computers together.

It's data centers.

It's no different than the infrastructure that they ripped up the streets of the French quarter to put in cable, to put in gas, to put in energy.

So I'm not saying they have issues.

I didn't say that one time.

Going in Southern California, traffic is their biggest concern.

If it's done proper, if it's done with the will, in the input of everybody, I suggest to give our city planners and yourself the better hand.

Bring in the people that actually know.

And the ones that are here in town or the stakeholders, and that's the ones at the technology departments at our major institutions.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Thank you to all of the public for weighing in.

We have several online comments.

I will ask our amazing staff to please insert that into the record.

Uh with that, uh, Vice President Willard is recognized.

Thank you, Councilman Hughes.

So I think what we've discovered throughout the course of this this conversation is there's clearly a need to define what a data center is.

Uh, my friend Mr.

Brown, I don't I don't know if he's still here, but he he mentioned two um data centers that are currently in the city, and I was working with staff to pull information on them.

Uh, one is COGENT, one is FOGO.

Uh they're both looks looks like they're zoned as office space.

Cogent is cla categorized as a cellular and wireless telecommunications company and an internet service provider, and then FOGO is categorized as two different categories categories computer and software store, as well as marketing services and managed IT.

And so, you know, for for me, you can't label something as a data center if there's no definition of what a data center is.

And you can't prohibit something if there's no definition to actually say that this is being prohibited.

And so, Councilmember Hughes, I just want to thank you again.

Uh, and Council President Morel for bringing this forward, and I want to assure the public that we will be looking into all of this and and we'll continue working with staff uh, particularly for these two cases that Mr.

Brown brought up brought up.

And uh moving forward, uh, we ensure complete transparency.

Your uh responses and your opinions have been received.

And again, I want to thank you all for taking time out of your days to share your thoughts with us this morning.

Uh thank you, Vice President Willard.

Uh, thank you to all of my colleagues.

Thank you.

Um once again to the public.

Uh, let me just uh say a few things in closing.

Um, and to our executive director Rivers, let me address the NPP process.

You know, I've said this when uh I was a city planning commissioner.

I I just feel like the current NPP process is a check the box exercise, and I really think that we need to work to put some teeth into the NPP process.

I think right now you have a lot of applicants that are, you know, they can hold the meeting at 11 a.m.

Uh while folks are at work.

Um, Mr.

Ramsey held the meeting at at 12 o'clock on a Saturday at a venue that closes early.

And so I really think we need to put some teeth in the NPP process.

I certainly look forward to working with you all uh to really ensure uh that the MPP process really achieves its intent.

Um let me just say this to everyone who is watching.

District E is open for business.

We're often pegged as the community of no.

We are not, but to developers that have awakened and decided that they're gonna come into our community and tell us what's good for us and attempt to save us, that is not going to fly.

It's a new day in a new way, and new leadership, and a new mayor, and a new council.

And we are committed to meaningful development in District E.

But let me just put everyone on notice.

If you don't want something in your own backyard, don't come put it in the backyards of my hardworking residents.

Who is my friend?

I don't just use that uh, you know, uh facetiously, I mean that.

This is not a band-aid approach.

It's a parallel approach.

This IZD is putting a moratorium in place because absent this moratorium.

It is a possibility that a data center could come to fruition.

And on that parallel track, we are directing the city planning commission to come up with definitions because aft absent definitions.

It is a realistic possibility that data centers could come online in our residential neighborhood.

So we are using every tool at our disposal to protect the character of our neighborhoods and our city and to respond to the will of the people.

Uh and in closing, I also want to acknowledge Mayor Helena Moreno and her administration, um, who is on record with her position on this data center in New Orleans East.

I thank her for her leadership and thank her for her partnership.

Uh with that, uh, I will recognize Councilman King.

Thank you, Councilmember Hughes.

Mr.

Rivers, uh, what could be done to prevent uh data centers in other parts of the city, mainly uh Algiers or other parts without that are rural where uh it may be attractive to to put this so I think step one is the uh IZD, which will put an immediate freeze on citywide, the way it's worded now.

Um and then the second is for uh what when we do the zoning docket to um to work with your office and to work with um other council members um to uh to look at the issues in each district and and identify whether or not there's any uh appropriate locations that they could be located thank you, Councilman King.

Uh the board is clear with that.

I will move adoption of the IZD, second by Vice President Willard.

Uh members, please vote your machines.

Five years, no names.

The motion is adopted.

Thank you very much, colleagues.

Make a motion to adjourn.

Meetings adjourned.

We have another, I think we have something else.

Yeah, we have ordinances on first read.

Yeah.

Madam Claire, I think we need to uh rescind the motion to adjourn.

Yeah, so that we can approach it.

Okay, we need to move to uh rescind the vote to adjourn.

I'll move second by council member king.

All in favor, aye.

All opposed, no, five years, no nays.

Go to first read.

Okay.

McCarran by request.

And earnest to amend earnest number 30,531 MCS is amended entitled an ordinance providing an operating budget of expenditures for the city of New Orleans for the year 2026 to move funds from city council to Department of Public Works for street light replacement and maintenance.

And otherwise to provide with respects there too.

We're gonna have to read that again.

Members of the public, we're just waiting for another council member to come in so that we can resume business.

Madam Clerk.

We could vote to rescind the adjournment vote.

I move to rescind the adjournment vote.

Seconded by uh council member Hughes.

All in favor.

And then we can move to I mean vote will go to ordinance on first reads.

Move to go to ordinances on first reading.

Seconded by Councilmember Hughes, all in favor.

Five days.

We can make a motion to adjourn.