On February 5, 2026, the City Council Public Works Committee heard a presentation from Steve Nelson, Mayor Moreno's nominee for Director of Public Works. Nelson outlined three key initiatives: the Lights On initiative, street maintenance improvements, and the creation of an Infrastructure Coordination Council. After public testimony and council discussion, the committee voted unanimously (3-0) to forward Nelson's confirmation to the full council.
Let's do roll call. Council Member Morel. Council Member McKaren. Council Member Harris. Council Member Green. Council Member Hughes. We have a quorum or the record replacement. Okay, let's come back into session. We've got Councilmember Morel, Councilmember McCarron, Councilmember Harris, three members of the forum. Steve Nelson's record works. Come on now, Steve. You have warp boots on? Nope, no work boots either. Man, that is that is bizarre. Out of character, not prepared. Okay. Steve, you got someone working your power point, you're doing it yourself. You can do it. You can do you do whatever makes you happy, Steve. Bless you. It is an honor to be here. I just wanted to say a few thank yous first, if I if I may take a moment of personal privilege. Thank God for the opportunity to be here, calling my family and I back to New Orleans to the sewage and water board and to this job. It's been the privilege of my personal career, my life, and it is my family's calling as well. All of you there understand better than just about anybody else what that means. And for my wife Lisa, who runs a sub-330 marathon. I'm very proud of her and the work that she does. For my three children, Benjamin, Rename, and Dominic. I'd like to tell just a very brief story and try not to get too emotional. The first week on the job, my daughter, I take them to school a couple days a week, and she said, Dad, we're gonna get ready early, and we're all gonna go together. I don't want you taking two separate trips because you need to be at your job, able to serve the people and do your job. So that's coming from the mouth of BADE. So Rena May, baby, Benjamin, Dominic, you guys and all of you that have been at a council meeting or a public meeting, you're gonna get a package deal. So the Nelson family is invested. And I wanna thank some team members. I got my deputy director of public works and also Andy Loy, who manages our lights, the men and women that work at the at the yard, the men and work women in the signal shop that are out there each and every day, seven days a week, moving barricades. They got the barricade set for Mardi Gras. This is just the second year they've done it, got it done ahead of schedule, and I am so proud to serve them and this family. I mean, look at this family. I am excited to be a part of it. I'm proud of them, and I'm really excited to see how we grow and develop. And that's what uh what this is all about here. Uh the meeting that I I wanted to talk about, just a brief introduction, which I've more or less given, and then there's kind of three key initiatives, things that I would like to see developed uh throughout uh the tenure here that I have, and then of course open it up for some questions. The first item is of course the lights on initiative. Uh, Mayor Moreno announced this, and she was unequivocal when I sat down in the first meeting. She said, Steve, the first week you're there, you better figure out how to turn on some lights, and you need to figure out how to get some paving in the ground. And so that has been her uh her mantra, and it's not just about do these things, it's about equipping and giving the resources to make it happen. So the lights on initiative is something she she we're turning on lights day one, her first full day in office. We were in New Orleans East. Uh, and that starts with looking at our existing assets.