Date: February 11, 2026
Meeting Type: First meeting of the Community Development Committee for the new term
Presiding: Councilmember Willard (Chair)
In Attendance: Councilmembers Green, King, Harris, Morell, and Hughes (partial attendance noted)
The committee convened to hear presentations from the Department of Code Enforcement and the Office of Community Development, discuss departmental priorities, and approve previous meeting minutes.
Director Davis, along with Chief of Staff Ariane Patton, Council Liaison Ashley Givens, and Assistant Council Liaison Shia Norris, provided an overview of the department's mission, structure, and recent initiatives.
Councilmember Green praised the department's work, noting over 100 demolitions in his district and the positive impact on community morale. He also condemned graffiti vandalism.
Councilmember King highlighted the department's professionalism and responsiveness, and asked about options for neighbors when property owners neglect lots. Director Davis emphasized aggressive enforcement and potential need for additional legislative penalties.
Councilmember Hughes raised the issue of commercial blight and the single demolition contractor contract, suggesting a wider bidding process could reduce costs (e.g., for 6700 Plaza Drive).
Director Schwartz, joined by Liz Holman (Housing Policy and Strategy), provided an overview of OCD's mission, funding, and priorities.
Councilmember Willard asked about the 40,000-unit figure given population decline; Liz Holman noted the study likely accounted for recent demographic trends. Director Schwartz emphasized focusing on achievable targets.
Meeting Adjourned.
Good morning. I think we're ready to go, y'all. Did you roll call? Councilmember Willard. Here. Councilmember Morell. Councilmember Harris. Councilmember King. Council Member Green. We have three members. We have a quorum. Thank you, Anita. Now we have to take up the approval of the minutes from the December 8th meeting. So move. Green. Move by Councilmember Green, seconded by Councilmember King all in favor. Aye. Aye. Next up. Were you going to take um presentation from Office of Housing and Community Development or Yes? So Director Davis, if you want to come up. Before we get started, I just want to say a couple of things. This is the first meeting of the community development committee. In this new term. It's existed for about 12 years. Consolidation of three previous committees. Some of our responsibilities are looking at state and federal housing laws, looking at how infrastructure projects will affect the quality of life in our neighborhoods, reviewing Nord programming facilities and how we can improve them. And really just providing a place for the community to share some of their resources and ideas related to recreational, educational opportunities, uh health opportunities for the people in the city of New Orleans. So I certainly look forward to working closely with the departments of code enforcement, safety and permits, community development, health and human services. So for the next few meetings, we'll have some of the directors of those departments come before us to give us a little bit of information about their department, make introductions for their staff members who we'll be working closely with, and just to really understand what you guys are working on and how this city council can be a better partner to you. So, Director Davis, um, I want to thank you for coming down and bringing your staff here. So before you get into your presentation, um, can you just do introductions for your team? Yes, sir, absolutely. Good morning, uh honorable city council. I'm Director Davis, Department Director for the Department of Code Enforcement to my immediate left is the chief of staff for the Department of Code Enforcement, Miss Ariane Patton. To her left is our council liaison, Miss Ashley Givens, and then to my immediate right is my assistant council liaison, Mr. Shia Norris. Thank you, Director David. Um you want to get into your presentation? Yes, sir. Again, good morning. Thank you all for having us today. So the Department of Code Enforcement, our mission is simple. Our mission is to eliminate blight and to enforce the minimum property maintenance code for uh the city of New Orleans and to ensure that all buildings are in compliance. Our vision is is that we hope to help improve the quality of life of every new Orlean. Uh we're going to do that by educating them on the ordinances and the requirements, enforcing those standards and mitigating any hazardous hazards that may exist that adversely affect the quality of life of New Orleanians. Our departmental overview, our structure, obviously the executive team consists of myself, the chief of staff, and we do have a deputy director position that's unfield, but our job obviously is to coordinate with the leadership and to ensure that we do all that we can to maintain the operations of the department and work with the community to educate citizens on code compliance. Our office consists of, as you can see from the slide, 11 divisions and three sections in the department of code enforcement. Next slide. Next slide.