Madam Clerk, call the roll, please.

I received a letter.

Dear Madam Clerk, pursuing to my authority in section three days 1075 of the home room charter of the city of New Orleans, there will be a special council meeting held on the following day Wednesday, February 4th, 2026 at 9 a.m.

This meeting 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 other changes expected revenue or funding and ordinance number 30,522.

And any other matters that may properly come before the council.

Please make necessary arrangements to have these special meetings, cable cast live on the government access television channel and take for recasting in the future.

Sincerely, JP Morrell, Council President New Orleans City Council.

Roll call, Council President Moreau.

Vice President Willard.

Here.

Council Member Harris.

Councilmember King.

Councilmember Green.

Councilmember Hughes.

Here.

We have five members.

We have a quorum.

All right.

Councilmember Harris.

First up is the report of the legislative auditor.

We have a report of the legislative auditor.

Can we vote to receive?

Yes, I'll move to receive.

Seconded by Councilmember Morrell.

Five years.

Can we vote to A.

I'll move to add Councilmember Hughes seconds.

All in favor.

Five years.

Morning.

Good morning.

As you can see, Mike unable to make it this morning, and uh we'll do our best.

I'm Chris Province with the legislative auditor's office, and I'm joined with Judy Detwiller, the uh director of local government services.

Um as of today, our preliminary review indicates that the city's request totaling six million eight hundred and forty-five thousand one hundred and fifty-five dollars as outlined below for the transfer from the two thousand twenty-five revenue note meets the applic applicability requirements of state bond commission's terms and conditions of approval for the city of New Orleans 125 million dollar revenue notes.

And you'll see in the first bullet here, six million eight hundred and forty-five thousand one hundred and fifty-five payable to chase payroll card funding account for the purpose of funding employee compensation and related employee and employer payroll taxes for the pay period ended 131 2026.

This is reflected in exhibit A.

You'll see there the total ADP transfer is the 6.8 million dollars.

The additional information we have on exhibit B is for pay period ending 131 2026.

This is for the admin biweekly and weekly payroll.

The overtime pay came in at 326,751 dollars.

Uh, this was slightly under the budgeted amount that we reviewed.

Exhibit C is year to date gross payroll and overtime summary citywide through 131 2026.

The total payroll currently is 46,125,518, with uh just over three million dollars in overtime.

Exhibit D, this is the projected balance that we're showing after today's transfer of six point eight million dollars.

You're looking at a balance of just over six million dollars.

I will entertain any questions.

I I do have a couple of questions.

Uh first of all, this indicates that we're about 1.3 million dollars over the usual.

We're usually at 5.5.

What does this indicate?

What is the increase?

That's correct.

So the increase is for the terminal leave payout for uh employees that were let go early January.

That is about 1.3 million dollars.

Um, so you you do see an increase here, so it is included in this current payroll.

Okay, and then the balance of the rant to date is around 6.1 million correct six point just over six million dollars.

And then how long do you expect this to take us into the next payroll?

I anticipate next week you'll you'll be out.

Um, you know, there's probably going to be an uptick in overtime due to some article.

So if there is remaining funds, it's gonna be very little.

Okay, and then what are we gonna do next?

So after that, the general fund will start to pay for um payroll, and they've already been paying for the fringe side of things, so they'll just kind of absorb the uh this piece here that transferred to ADP.

Do we have enough in our general fund to continue paying people?

You do.

It it we have to continue to kind of row the boat in the right direction continually.

Councilmember Hughes.

Thank you, madam chair.

Just wanted to follow up on Chair Harris's last question.

So you said we will have enough money to continue paying people for how long, or do we know?

So I think that that right now we see that it it'll be continued along with property taxes.

We anticipate them to start flowing in.

So we're we're continually monitoring that cash.

And uh, you know, how long is is probably not there's probably not a definite answer right now.

I think eventually, you know, you'll have to go back and probably get more funds, but uh we're continually looking at that and trying to figure out when that time period is.

And Councilman Hughes.

We'll continue to monitor even when this round is over to help make sure that there's uh things are taken care of and moving in the right direction.

Okay, great.

Thank you all.

Thank you, madam chair.

Councilmember Willard.

Thank you.

So once the funds are depleted, are we still gonna have this this weekly meeting with you guys?

I don't anticipate the weekly meeting.

Um I can't be certain of that.

That would Mike Waggus back would have to speak to that, but we will continue to be working with the city monitoring payroll monitoring expenses and doing what we can to help y'all stay on the right path.

Thank you.

To follow up, any other questions?

To follow up on uh council vice chair's question.

If we have to go back for another RAN, then I anticipate that we will then have to have these weekly meetings again.

Um that would be up to the state bond commission.

This was a term and condition of that particular RAN.

Um, I can't say to how they would handle another additional RAN if you took it.

Council President Morel.

Yeah, I think from that bond commission meeting, this was an extenuating circumstance because we were transitioning between administrations, and there was a concern based upon the run-up and the overages that we needed this level of monitoring.

Uh, I don't anticipate that this will be a condition of the next RAN, but that'll largely depend on at that point, based upon y'all's observance of our spending practices if we can be allowed to do that without monitoring.

So I would certainly argue that I know from my perspective and from the mayor's perspective, we would argue against having weekly meetings every week to do this, but that largely depends upon how we manage our finances between the end of this monitoring period through the request for that rant.

I disappear.

Thank you.

If there are no other questions, uh clerk, can we get an item number five so we can get payroll done?

Yes.

We have resolution or 2667 is being withdrawn, and we have a substitute resolution by councilmember Harris by request approving and ratifying the release of six million eight hundred forty-five thousand one hundred fifty-five dollars and ninety-seven cent from the City of New Orleans employee emergency payroll fund to cover the cost of payroll related expenses for the city employees, other than the police and fire departments for the pay beginning January 18, 2026, and ending January 31, 2026.

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

We need the vote to receive.

Uh I've moved.

Councilmember Hughes is seconded.

We have six shares.

We need to vote to a.

I've moved.

Councilmember Green is seconded.

We have six shays.

And we could vote on the matter.

I'll move.

Council President Morrell has moved as seconded.

All in favor?

Six shares.

At the top of page two, we have a report from Abigail Vienn transmitted a 90-day departmental overtime spending projections pursuant to ordinance number 30,522 MCS.

This may be received.

We have a revoke of report of Abigail Vienn submitting the February 2026 report of budget audit and border review committee.

This may be received.

We have a reporter, Abigail Vienn transmitted a bi-weekly expenditure reduction report pursuant to ordinance number 30,522 MCS.

This may be received.

Item 4, we have ordinance count of the 35,000 331 by Council members.

Hughes Morel, Harris, Green King, Willard, and McCarron by request.

In ordinance to amend ordinance number 30,531, MCSS amended in title in ordinance providing and providing an operating budget of expenditures for the city of New Orleans for the year 2026 to move funds from the city council to Department of Public Works for Street Light Replacement and Maintens and otherwise supervivors fixed there too.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

Uh members, um, this codifies the great announcement that was made by our mayor in conjunction with the city council on yesterday uh for us to light up our I-10 corridor and major evacuation routes.

What this will do, uh, it will take two point eight million dollars from the entergy uh settlement funds uh to fund this initiative.

Really want to commend the leadership of uh our mayor Helena Moreno, our council president JP Morrell, and all of our colleagues on this council uh for their hard work, which will ensure that our major arteries are lit up.

Uh our grid is hardened, uh, and this is a major win for our residents.

With that, I would move adoption and I will uh recognize Council President Morrell.

Thank you.

I just want to highlight this is was an impressive effort by the council and the mayor working together to resolve a long-standing problem that has plagued our residents using resources that we currently have without increasing taxes, and is a reasonable and effective use of taxpayer dollars.

Thank you, Mr.

President.

Councilmember Green is recognized.

I'd like to uh thank you, um, Councilmember Hughes.

I'd like to also emphasize the importance the importance of yesterday and to just state to residents that you know we certainly have heard your concern over a long period of time now coming together with the mayor, the council is allocating the resources that are going to make possible the lighting up of areas that have long been dimmed and also out of light.

My district includes um part of the high rise.

It also includes the intersection of I 610 and 10.

And very honestly, there have been many complaints, including from my office for many, many years.

Well, many years, four years on those intersections because um people have complained and rightfully so, afraid that they could run out of gas and have to stop.

It's a good move on yesterday, but what was most impressive was seeing the mayor and the council together making that announcement on something as important as this portends for a great future in that respect, and I look forward to those lights being lit up and other work getting done with us working cooperatively.

Thank you.

Any additional comments from members?

If not, I move second by um Councilmember McCarron.

Um please vote your machines.

We can vote to adjourn.

I'll move to adjourn, second by councilmember Willard.

Any objections hearing on seven years, no nays were adjourned.