All right, good morning, everyone.

Today is Tuesday, April 24.

Uh may I get a roll call, please?

Roll call.

Councilmember Hughes.

Councilmember McCarron.

Council Member Harris.

Councilmember King.

Councilmember Green.

We have three members.

We have a quorum.

Well, thank you very much.

Agenda item number two, adoption of the minutes of the meeting held December 9th, 2025.

I'll move adoption.

Second by Councilmember McCarran.

Please hold your machines.

Three A's, no names, and that motion is adopted.

Agenda item number three, presentation by Odyssey House Louisiana.

We'll invite Odyssey House to the table.

Mr.

Chairman has some packets for you.

Sure, Justin, I'll grab it.

Justin, I think.

Right.

All right.

And this morning, Odyssey House is going to give us an update on the operations at the city's low barrier shelter, uh, including improvements made under Odyssey House's management.

Uh, and how this shelter fits into our overall uh homelessness response.

So the floor is yours.

Good morning.

Good morning, Councilmember.

My name is Lonnie Granier.

I'm policy and advocacy manager for Odyssey House Louisiana.

Uh I have my colleagues with me, uh Amy Bossworth.

Good morning.

Operating officer for OHL and Robert Chandler.

Good morning.

Do you mind just pulling your mic a little closer?

Sure.

All right.

Thank you.

Sure.

Uh thank you, of course, for the opportunity to present an update on the LBS.

Congratulations, of course, on your election and your new role of uh continued service.

Of course, we have great relationship with you in the state legislature and look forward to continuing that here on the city council.

And we wish you, of course, continued success.

Um, the LBS, uh, which OHL took over in 2024 is operated as part of a broader continuum of care, uh, whole person health care specifically, which encompasses um residential substance use treatment, primary uh and behavioral health care, case management, housing and homelessness response programs.

Um, and I will uh cede to my colleagues to continue on with the presentation.

Um, do we just say next slide?

Or do we have a clicker?

Let's forgive us.

Zero.

I'm sorry, I can't hear you.

Yeah, we can.

Oh, I think we can do that.

Okay, that's gone.

Okay, it's this one.

Yeah.

Perfect.

Okay.

Okay.

That's great.

This is my slide.

Yes.

Okay.

Good morning.

Is that is that better?

Thank you very much.

Okay, great.

Good morning.

Um, so Odyssey House has been serving the New Orleans and Louisiana community since 1973 with a full continuum of care.

Um, this slide outlines our full continuum of care.

It includes prevention services, which are really like street level outreach, community testing, um, detox treatment, primary care, behavioral health services, case management, housing, and homeless response.

Um, our focus is holistic client-centered care that promotes long-term recovery and stability for our clients, patients, guests.

Um, our goal is to help individuals reclaim productive functional lives.

I'm gonna do the next slide too.

Okay, so here is a slide that outlines where the low barrier fits in our continuum of care.

Um Odyssey House assumed operations for the low barrier shelter in June of 2024, expanding our continuum.

Um we serve as the front door to care for individuals experiencing homelessness.

We are our goal is to connect guests to health care, housing case management, and recovery services, and we're designed the program is designed and the services are designed to meet people where they are and to build trust in the system.

Hopefully, then incline encouraging guests to stay engaged and continue through the process.

Okay.

Okay.

I think this is the right slide.

Impact of homelessness in our community.

So we have sort of three areas we like to talk about public health concerns, social barriers, and community breakdown, and restoring environmental and social harmony.

Homelessness, obviously, as everyone here knows, impacts public health, safety, quality of life, not only for the people experiencing it, but for the rest of the community.

Encampments can create environmental and health risks.

Um, there is obviously still a lot of stigma and isolation around people and the experience of being homeless.

Um, and makes it difficult and can create unintended barriers for people seeking care.

And the low barrier shelter provides a safe alternative alternative uh to encampments, access to hygiene, meals, health care, and a judgment-free environment that encourages engagement of guests and hopefully continued engagement in the process.

Okay, Mr.

Chandler, I think that's you.

Yes, good morning.

In an effort to um continue to improve, make improvements at the LBS.

We are looking at some data.

So the data that we looked at from January through December 2025, we had some key outcomes from that data.

We were operating at 100% bed capacity at 296.

We serve 747 individuals, including a strong intake in the fourth quarter.

We had 349 individuals rehoused our transitions to stable environments.

We served 421 guests received primary health care services at our OHL Federal Requalified Health Center, which was a very huge success.

We had over 1,575 visits to the FQAC.

32 con 32 of our clients, guests rather, were connected to the Silver and Center when it was opened.

And sixty-seven entered our detox or short-term treatment.

We had 100% guests reserved received their individualized care plans.

Our operational improvements.

And so this, of course, reduces the strain on emergency rooms, law enforcement, and other systems, and demonstrates that investing in the low barrier service as public health infrastructure reduced uh services reduces long-term public costs.

And just to close, we're of course very proud of the progress that we've made since assuming operations uh at the shelter.

Um the shelter is working, it's working very well, but we maintain a wait list uh for the shelter.

We continue to be at capacity demand, of course, continues to exceed the capacity that we have.

Um but we're continued to continued improvement and promoting societal reintegration and connecting more individuals to housing, to treatment, to the stability that they need.

Uh, and of course, just offer our thanks to the chair and to the committee uh for allowing us the opportunity to give you a brief presentation and are open to any questions that you may have.

Well, thank you very much.

Thank you all for being here today.

Uh at this time, I'll recognize the distinguished chair of the budget committee, the gentlelady from District B, Councilmember Harris is recognized.

Well, thank you, uh Chair, and thank you for having uh OHL present to us today.

Thank you for all the work that you've done.

I know that there have been some bumps along the way, but I I appreciate this report.

I do want to start where you've sort of ended the economic impact of the low barrier shelter.

Have you provided any of this information to the state?

We have.

We we've everything that you know, as far as reporting data outcomes, we're we're very insistent about getting this um in individuals' hands to see the economic benefit of uh a comprehensive continuum of services, whole person health, making sure that we are trying to catch people where they are.

But specifically for the shelter, we have shared that uh with the state, and we hope that that information is useful uh and and beneficial to them instead of the.

I hope it is too, because you know we've gone back and forth with the state to try to get additional funds for the low barrier shelter because it is critical not only for the city of New Orleans but the surrounding parishes.

And on that note, my question is do you keep data on where people are originating from as far as New Orleans versus the outer parishes?

And I asked this question because we just spent some time at Osnom Inn, and we're getting reports that there are ambulances, uh, police vehicles from outside the parish who are bringing in people from Jefferson Parish, from St.

Anmony Parish, North Louisiana.

So do you keep data on where people originate from?

Yes, currently that is entered into the homeless management information system.

HMIS.

Yes.

Okay.

And do you have a percentage of how many originate from Orleans Parish versus outer parishes?

Well, I know I don't have a set number for you, but I do know a great percentage comes from Hortley's Paris, but we can get that information.

That would be great.

And the question the reason I asked that is because as the city continues to fund the low barrier shelter, we do know that there are people who are coming from other parishes.

And so any funding that goes to those parishes that do not have a shelter, and there are many that do not should come to Orleans Parish because we are housing people who are not from here.

I agree.

We we can absolutely get that information for you.

That would be great.

Um I do have some just technical questions.

Um the current capacity, you are at capacity 100 percent, correct?

We are at 296.

296.

I know I have this memorized.

Um have any room for expansion.

In the current facility, um, potentially.

Uh I I I I would say potentially.

Okay.

But of course, we have uh concerns about expansion into a facility that's not currently ADA compliant.

Right.

Uh that's that's my other question.

The elevators are still not working, correct?

That's the problem.

And so any person who um has a disability who is not mobile cannot access this shelter.

They have to go to Osnam Inn, they have to go to the mission, or they have to stay on the street, is that correct?

So we need to get those elevators up and running.

And this has been a three-year problem now.

Since we have been there, yes.

Yeah.

Before we got there, really.

Um that brings me to the need for an actual new shelter.

I I visited the shelter, the low barrier shelter many times.

It's not a great facility.

Um physically, it's not a great facility.

I think that we need to talk with the state about perhaps investing in a new shelter, one that is ADA compliant, one that has better facilities.

I know for a long time the shower facilities weren't up to par, the kitchen wasn't working, the elevators still didn't work, and we're putting good money after bad investing in the shelter that physically is not probably the right fit for what it does.

Do you agree?

I will agree.

Yes.

We would.

All right.

Um Terry St.

Germain, is he still there over security?

Of course.

And how's it going?

Going well.

Going very well.

Okay.

All right.

You guys are quiet today.

Um and then how is the coordination going between Unity, OHSS, Office of Homeless Services and Strategies, Traveler's Aid?

How's that all working out?

Is it working well?

Uh of course, we have a meeting today.

We have a weekly meeting with them, uh, and we are able to discuss some of the items that you were bringing up and any other issues that we may have with the uh low baron shelter.

So this the partnership is working real well.

And you do have access to HMIS, is that correct?

Yes.

Okay, I know that was a sticking point for a while.

Um, I want to ask sort of a political question, uh, Chairman Hughes, if you don't mind.

Um, there is a bill that is circulating um at the state level that would criminalize sleeping on the street.

How is that going to impact your operations?

Uh so I I actually provided some testimony um information purposes only during that bill.

Uh, because I think it's if it's it's important when you're trying to enact effective public policy that you have all the information.

And from our perspective, we're addiction treatment providers by nature, by history, um, and whole person health just by what what we do.

And uh we see the intent of what the legislature is seeking to do as connecting people to supportive services, i.e.

in a shelter and in um in substance use disorder treatment.

The the the problem that we have, one we identified earlier is that we are always at capacity for the low barrier shelter.

The other being that we have significant problems from a substance use treatment perspective right now that we have not had in the past with the growing number of people falling off the Medicaid rolls not qualifying and are becoming uninsured or underinsured, and there isn't a sufficient funding mechanism for us to be able to treat them.

And so we're having problems where we have people who are in the shelter who qualify for residential treatment, who need treatment, but we can't treat them because of the limited funding mechanism to help pay for that.

And so I did offer that testimony.

So that is from our perspective from that bill, seeking only to comment on the practical application from a treatment perspective and getting people this the services that they need.

There are some barriers that need to be considered.

Yeah, I mean, look, I I'm very clear on my opposition to this legislation.

I think it's inhumane.

I think that taking people off the street and arresting them, fining them, uh putting them into jail when it's more expensive to jail someone than to provide them say supportive housing is doesn't make any sense when we're talking about the data, and the data bears that out.

So I appreciate the fact that you provided the economic impact to the state, and hopefully you touched upon that during your testimony as well, that it's way um less expensive to invest in additional shelter beds, additional permanent supportive housing, then to arrest people who may have fallen on hard times, not because of anything, because of our rising housing costs, because of our rising health care costs, because of a lack of job opportunities, and they're sleeping on the street, and now they are being jailed or fined.

And as to plead guilty, right?

So now you have a criminal record.

I'm on my setbox here because this is it it's it's really bad legislation, and I hope that our New Orleans delegation is against it and and not supporting it.

With that, thank you.

Thank you, Chairman, for allowing me to make it.

If I may uh uh uh Chair Harris, I want to thank you and your staff and the the health department as well for working with uh OHL to identify a fiscal year 26 budget fix uh uh figure that would result in us not having to reduce any beds and the opportunity to look for efficiencies in the budget with you all as well.

So thank you very much.

No, thank you.

And and we should talk about how we might use the sobering center in the future.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Harris.

Um I I did uh have a question because I did watch the testimony in the judiciary committee, uh had a chance to serve on that committee for six years, but uh I'm a little confused.

So I do want to get clarity on capacity because I I got the impression from your testimony that you you guys have significant capacity.

So what's the current capacity right now?

The capacity at the shelter is 296 beds.

Okay, those beds are always occupied.

When someone leaves the shelter, it's filled organically within the same day.

Um, and we maintain a wait list for that.

We also maintain separately, um, and this is where I you know I wouldn't want to make the distinction with our short-term residential treatment program, our 28-day residential treatment program.

We have 147 beds there that we're licensed for, and and we at any given time have maybe 70 people in the beds.

And so we have more than half of those beds which remain open because we have a significant and growing population of underinsured and under uh and uninsured people who would otherwise be admitted into treatment, but we don't have a funding mechanism to help support pay for just for my benefit and the public's benefit, the capacity that you were speaking of was not at the low barrier shelter, that was somewhere else.

Uh at at the 296 bed capacity is the low barrier shelter current capacity.

Right.

Uh separately in our continuum is our uh is our short-term residential treatment program here in New Orleans.

That's 147 beds.

Right.

And how many available beds out of that 147?

Over currently today.

Over half.

Over half.

Okay.

All right.

All right, thank you.

Um the board is clear.

Um I see no further questions from our colleagues.

Uh, thank you all for your partnership.

Thank you all for your commitment uh to our city.

We certainly look forward to uh our continued partnership moving forward and and just really appreciate uh all the great work that you do.

So thank you so much.

Thank you.

Thank you for having us.

All right, thank you.

All right, uh agenda item number four.

Um consideration of contracts uh related to the city of New Orleans and dirt heavy construction.

Uh we'll invite um the administration and if dirt construction uh is here, which I'm hopeful dirt construction is here, can come to the table at this time.

Uh all right, uh good morning.

Uh Director Davis looks like we have uh two amendments.

I guess one is for emergency, one is for non-emergency.

Yes, sir.

So um why don't you give us the overview of the two contracts or take separate votes on them?

But the floor is yours, and if you'd like to introduce us at the table.

Sir, good morning.

Uh Anthony Davis, Director of the Department of Code Enforcement.

I have with me the chief of staff for the Department of Code Enforcement, and uh Mr.

Gregory Alucas is the demolition supervisor for the Department of Code Enforcement.

And of course, uh the COO from Durr Heavy Construction is here, Mr.

Lee Mayu as well.

Thank you all for having us before you today.

So the two amendments that you have before you today, the emergency contract is for anything that we've classified as IDC or something that's in imminent danger or threat, we use that contract to have those structures removed.

Uh the non-uh emergency is for anything that has been ordered to be demolished by an administrative hearing officer.

Uh that's what that contract is for, which you know we have a little bit more leeway in terms of trying to get those properties demolished.

So the both of those together is what makes up our total demolition contract today.

All right, thank you.

Um what is the value?

So let's start with the emergency contract.

What is the value of the uh contract amendment?

So the value for the amendment is an additional 1.5 million dollars to be added to the contract from the beginning.

That's the lifetime value.

Well, the lifetime value, I believe, is like $13 million.

Uh, but for this particular amendment is $1.5 million, and there was no increase for the non-emergency.

Okay, and what's the value of the non-emergency contract?

Non-emergency, I believe is $749,000.

Okay, walk me through pardon my ignorance.

I'm new here, uh, as you know.

So when we say 1.5 million dollars, is that a situation where um if if we have an emergency and it costs 100,000, we deduct 100,000 from that 1.5 and keep building until we reach capacity?

That is correct, sir.

The average demolition costs uh depending on square footage, but I would say the average is around $8,000 per structure.

Okay.

And so that every time we demolish the structure, it comes subtracts from that 1.5 million dollars for the rest of the year.

Okay.

When is the last time this contract has been rebid?

2020, if I'm correct.

Okay.

When when do we plan the rebid it?

27.

27.

Yes, sir.

We have a request for proposal now that is currently routing, and that's why we needed to extend this so that we wouldn't have to long-term suspend services.

So we have a new request for proposal that is routing that we want to uh uh companies to submit bids for in 2027 to take effect.

Okay.

Help me understand and where you know you and our director had an opportunity to talk about these contracts early in my tenure.

Yes, sir.

Uh, and I do remain quite concerned.

Um help me where I'm struggling is the the bane for the buck of our taxpayers.

Um I am concerned that when we lock ourselves into a contract with one exclusive contractor, um, that we're not necessarily getting uh the most bang for our buck.

Uh contractor can say, hey, this demolition is gonna cost a half million, where three other contractors may say if we do it, it's gonna cost 250,000.

So uh, you know, uh help me understand because I am struggling, uh and I'm not I'm not quite convinced.

I'm not prepared to vote yes today.

So yes, sir.

So the single demolition contract, they come with requirements, they have to have certain licenses and everything else with the state.

They have to meet all of the requirements from Louisiana Depart Department of Uh Environmental Quality.

Uh I don't know if the city's ever attempted to have more than one demolition contractor.

I I think it's from my perspective, that would be quite chaotic.

Uh I think we have a uh competitive advantage, honestly, having a single contractor who has bid on all of the services that we are requesting.

And so everybody everyone had an opportunity before that contract was awarded to submit bids.

Historically, the city has gone with the lowest bidder uh in pursuing a demolition contractor, but I do know that in the new request for proposal that we've put forward that we want to see in 2027, we're asking not only for the we're not seeking necessarily the lowest bidder, but a qualitative uh bidder to submit requirements that are able to meet all of the requirements that the city has.

And and throughout the years, DER Heavy Construction has met that need.

Uh and I do believe at fair market value uh compared to what other folks say that they would come in and do something for, but uh again, they perform qualitative services for us uh in making sure that once the demolition is complete, the site is cleaned up, sand is put down for water runoff, all of those things, which is a requirement that we're gonna have for anyone that gets this demolition contract.

Okay.

And and and just help me out because um uh you you said if we had um uh a bid process, it would be quite chaotic from your perspective.

Why do you feel um that that would be chaotic?

I'm not sure if it'll meet our immediate needs simply by the fact that if we have multiple contractors, we gonna first gonna have to determine some metrics on who who does what and what types of particular demolitions for us, and I just think that that's we've all we could handle that with a single contractor in terms of demolishing buildings.

The only thing that uh I I'm certainly I I think would be beneficial for the city is is that if we did have a second contractor for potentially large commercial structures, uh that would be something that we certainly should uh submit a different request for proposal for, and they'll be able to manage those large commercial structures because right now we really don't have anyone to demolish large commercial structures or nor the funding to support anything like that.

Okay.

Let me ask, uh, as you know, director, we have five council districts, and so uh let's use 2025 uh as an example.

Um how how were these demolitions geographically distributed?

So uh do we assure uh equity amongst council districts or what what does the data look like?

Is more one council district getting more demolitions than the other because we know we have demon demolition needs across the entire city.

Yes, sir.

So how do we make that determination?

We based off we well, some districts are don't have as much as others.

There's not much blight in district A.

Uh, but between B, C, D, and E, there was an equable distribution across uh the city last year.

Uh of course we had to suspend demolition operations when the uh financial collapse happened in September, uh October, but I do believe at that point we was three-quarters of the way what we normally demolish throughout the city.

Our historical average is about 150 demolitions per year uh in totality for the city.

Uh but we do uh I believe that there was an equal distribution amongst C E and then a lot of these structures really depends on how long they've been there.

Uh have they been declared an emergency for imminent danger in some districts they're greater than they are in others.

And and then we try to get to the administrative demolitions or those that have come out of an administrative hearing, we try to we we are required by ordinance to have those uh buildings demolished within two years.

And so that distribution may not equate to looking like it's equal for each one of the districts because we you know we can't control how an administrative officer orders demolitions and what district they're in, they just order the demolition.

And so that may make it make it seem like that there's a greater proportion going to one district than there are to others, but I would just say right now the only one that doesn't have that many demolitions is district A.

Okay.

Can you um get me the data by the end of this week on 2025 emergency demolitions and 2025 non-emergency demolitions, and if you could break that down by council district, yes, sir.

Um I'd like um that uh information and and you also speak to uh another concern, but that's that's you know that I've mentioned to the CAO just around uniformity of training of our hearing officers.

Yes, I think is critically important.

I think is critically important.

Uh let me um ask uh performance metrics.

Are you what performance metrics are you using to evaluate uh DER?

Really the volume of and uh the volume, the responsiveness.

Uh uh we've had an excellent relationship uh over the years.

Uh anytime that there is something that's not clear, we simply get on the phone, our team with their team, we meet, and then we get that issue resolved.

Um and so they've met the needs uh that we've that the city has needed, they've met that need, and we base that need off of the volume of demolitions that they've been able to perform for us over an entire year.

And so that's uh really quite the performance metrics that we're looking for and evaluating how they're doing for the city.

Thank you.

Let me shift now to Sir Good Morning.

Um, where are you where are you headquartered?

Your your company.

We're uh we're headquartered in Harahan.

Okay.

How many total employees do you have at Durham?

Uh approximately 100.

How many of those are Orleans Parish residents?

Uh I don't know what that information is right off the top of my head.

Okay.

What what does your company do to train uh Orleans Parish residents?

Do you go into high schools?

Do you work with our community colleges?

Walk me through uh how you're uh helping our uh Orleans Parish residents get apprenticeship certifications uh in order to do this work.

Um, first thank you for allowing me to be here and inviting me here this morning.

Um Durr has been in the New Orleans area uh for over 70 years.

We are a private business, third generation, family-owned, woman-owned business, uh and we have been managing this contract since Hurricane Katrina or shortly thereafter.

Uh it's been a competitively bid process, multiple years where we've won this contract.

Um so we take this uh demolition services very seriously.

Um we partner with the city, we understand their needs, and we work with them and have learned how the city operates and how best to operate within the city to service the needs of the constituents of the greater New Orleans area.

Um as far as training, we have a very robust training program for all of our employees.

Uh it starts with safety in our core safety program.

Uh we put all of our new employees through a uh very extensive um training process, which is typically several three to four hours just to bring in a new employee for orientation, walking them through all the hazards of the projects, uh all the things that they might encounter, how we do uh pre-job assessments, uh, and then hazard mitigation identification and um really an extensive process just to make sure that they are well taken care of and understand the risks associated with the work.

Um we hire people from the area.

We're 100% local, uh, so all of our employees are from the Greater New Orleans area, including Orleans Parish.

Yeah, I I appreciate um the the um the investment that you're making in your employees, but my question is what are you doing, if anything, and maybe you're not doing anything, but in terms of the New Orleans community, um, you know, our high school students, um, you know, individuals who who may be in in in seeking jobs but don't have the relevant training.

Are you doing anything with intentionality in the actual New Orleans community since you're you're doing work here in the city?

Yep.

We are human resources group actually has a workforce development process where they go and visit high schools and community colleges from around the area, New Orleans and the Greater New Orleans area.

Um includes the city, surrounding parishes, north shore, everywhere in the area.

We we service the Greater New Orleans area as well as South Louisiana, so we we attempt to make a good faith effort in all the places that we operate uh to bring in local talent and help develop young folks and and older folks alike that uh really want a career in the construction industry.

Okay, in terms of this current contract with the city of New Orleans, tell me what your DBE participation looks like.

Um we have a goal of and don't hold me to this, but uh as I recall, I think it's somewhere around 35 percent.

Uh and we make a good faith effort to get there.

Uh our primary partner uh in this work is a 100% DBE company uh that we subcontract uh to help perform some demolition services on the emergency or non-emergency and and who's that company?

Uh that's Ovella Enterprises.

I'm sorry, Ovella Enterprises.

Can you spell it for me?

O V E L L A Enterprises?

Yes.

And where are they headquartered?

Um believe they are located.

Okay.

Are they here today by chance?

No, they're not.

Okay.

All right.

Um thank you.

Um at this time I will yield to the gentlelady from district B.

Councilmember Harris is recognized.

Thank you, uh, Chairman Hughes.

I did have a question about how many current blighted properties in District B are on the IDC list and slated for demolition.

I'll have to get you that number today.

Can you get me not only the number but a list of the property addresses as well?

You know, we've talked about this uh before.

Uh Mr.

Davis, my concern with demolition is that we end up with an empty lot that then becomes overgrown, that then becomes subject to litter, that then becomes subject to encampment, and then that raises a whole bunch of issues.

And we don't, as a city, necessarily have the money to abate the properties once they are demolished, overgrown, there's trash on them.

So then we just have a bunch of trash lots everywhere.

Um so while I appreciate the demolitions, I do wonder if we can't think about other interventions and contracts for, for example, we've we've had discussions before about boarding up houses.

So while they're not about to fall down, there may be people who are squatting and we can board those up and secure them while we're waiting for the owner to do something or get them through adjudication.

Fencing, we don't have any money for fencing.

We don't have a contract.

No, ma'am.

And in grass cutting, we don't have a contract for grass cutting.

We do that in-house, right?

Not right now, that amendment is routing.

Right.

So that's the thing is like while we're demolishing these properties, and I get it, I get the emergency contracts, I get the adjudicative contracts that we need to demolish.

The issue is that we have no follow-up for other contractors to maintain these lots while we're hopefully rolling through the process of getting them back on city rolls, getting them back into commerce.

Yes, ma'am.

Um on that note, is there any opportunity to recoup some of the demolition costs once they're incurred?

Yes, ma'am.

So we are working with the Central Adjudication Bureau now to do cost recovery hearings, and that cost recovery hearing is for us to reduce uh recoup all of the demolitions that we've demolished on private property throughout the year.

Have we actually been able to recoup any of that money or is it?

We have, yes, yes.

Okay, and do you can you get me that information?

I'll get to that number today as well, yes, ma'am.

Because if the contract pays for itself, then that's one thing.

Uh but I think it probably doesn't.

Yes, ma'am.

Completely.

Um and so we need to, as uh Chairman Hughes said, strengthen the adjudication process, make sure there's some SOPs in place so that we're not getting inconsistent adjudications.

And again, the goal is to get these properties back into commerce, not just sit there for years and years and years and years.

Yes, ma'am.

All right, well, thank you for all you do.

Yes, ma'am, you're welcome.

All right, thank you very much.

Um council member King is recognized, the gentleman from District C.

Thank you, Chairman Hughes.

Um gentleman from Durr, what's the name again?

I'm sorry.

Lee Mayu.

May you I'm glad Councilmember Hughes bought bought um DBE portion up and the efforts to um to do more work in the city of New Orleans because I understand that Durr is a general, I understand that Durr is a company in in the greater New Orleans area.

Um Jefferson Parish.

And love our neighbors in Jefferson Parish.

I understand that Ovella, is that it?

Um I'm just not so sure um how many Orleans company's parish-based companies are getting contracts in Jefferson Parish.

And that may be more of a conversation for the administration.

Um, but that is a concern to mine also, Councilman B.

Hughes, that that we have very qualified companies in this city that are maybe overlooked, but that's another conversation for another day.

I would want to put that on the record.

Make that be very clear about that.

Um to get to the the nuts and boss about this contract, Mr.

Davis.

I've seen the work throughout the city.

Um throughout the city that your office has done since you've been in office.

And I've seen properties that residents have called about and say, hey, I I have this, whatever it is, the structure next to my home, is filled with the squatters with rodents, uh, I'm afraid to go outside.

My kids are afraid to go outside.

We need help.

Yes, sir.

And I've seen the results from cutoff to some of our historical areas in in the Marin and Bioware.

Well, Meridian for me to be specific.

So I understand the severity, the need for, I personally understand the need for demolition when it's not conflicting with the community.

So can you walk us through what is the alternative if this contract is not extended?

Is this something that's really needed in your vision?

And your on your vantage point as director of code enforcement.

Yes, sir.

Explain to us again the alternative if this contract isn't approved.

Okay.

Thank you, Council McKean for that question.

So the alternative is honestly, we're just gonna have a backlog of properties that are waiting to be demolished.

Uh this the current contract uh um expired on the 29th of March.

And so we tried to get the amendment done before the expiration took place, but that just didn't happen.

And so we already have a laundry list.

In 2025, there was 195 properties that was ordered to be demolished just through the administrative process alone, not counting uh almost a hundred properties that we have that we've determined as meeting imminent danger conditions.

So in the event that this doesn't happen, though that's those properties are just gonna remain blighted uh in those communities for the foreseeable future because at the end of the day, we're uh we're gonna either we have to resubmit a contract for a new contract uh to restart demolition services, and that's why we chose to do the amendment and work long-term on bettering the requirements and everything else for the new uh request for proposal, and we added things such as what councilwoman Harris uh mentioned in the new RFP, we added fencing, we added boarding, we added all the lessons learned that we've learned from this contract into the new request for proposal.

In terms of alternatives, as you know, uh our number one, our number one goal is to get things back into compliance, and so we we go to great lengths uh to work with people uh in trying to get those properties uh fixed and back.

Um we we seek uh alternative means such as uh trying to get the properties through a sheriff's sale, uh, but we just caution folks that that's not a quick process.

So that sheriff sale process is not gonna help you with the immediate need of having a blighted house in your community uh because that's a link that's at a minimum of one year additional.

That's even if the property gets sold.

And so uh so we do put, I think right now we have approximately 47 properties uh that uh are going through the sheriff's sale process.

Uh so we do we do go after that.

Um and the other ones is is is that uh we just uh again do we we've worked with people every single day and giving them extension after extension on trying to do something, but at the end of the day, there are quite a number of these folks who are very good uh at kicking the can down the road and doing nothing.

And so we try to move with haste with those properties and give the relief some community, uh give the relief some uh give the community some relief, and and we do the best that we can after these properties have been demolished in terms of trying to get these properties into the hands of people that want to do something with them.

We've begun a very aggressive campaign and working with the law department on all of the vacant lots that are sitting in the city to try to now put some of those properties up through for sheriff sale uh because we know that uh there's a situation that is happening with the the lot next door program, it's been suspended since May of last year, and then there is no short-term answer coming for that either, just given the stuff going on with the vendor.

And so what we're trying to do now is put some of those, we we've start identifying from talking to neighbors and other folks uh that who are interested in those properties, and so now we're starting to file writs on some of those, and hopefully that's another avenue to try to quickly get some of those properties into the hands of folks that are gonna do something with it and put it back into commerce.

But I will acknowledge the fact that it's uh it is complex and sometimes frustrating.

Uh but I you know I think at the end of the day, what our mission has been in the department of code enforcement is to give people relief that have who have to suffer for a very long time with a blighted piece of property in their community, and we just do all that we can to eliminate that threat from the community.

Well, I I appreciate that um overview of of I I appreciate the comments.

Um I I do side with uh Councilman B.

Hughes that we should there, this is more for dirt.

If if you're gonna have a um you should be more intentional about getting a a New Orleans-based DBE, all right, um, because if you're doing work in the city, I I just that's just me.

I I would try to be more intentional about getting somebody from the parish that I'm doing work in.

I think that'll go a long way.

Uh Mr.

Davis, my last question.

It was said Councilman Harris is 100% correct.

This should be called in force should be a self-generating office as far as money goes.

What is the percentage of uh maybe this is accent answered the contracts or the demolitions that we that were repaid?

So code enforcement knocks it down.

What percentage of people pay you back the money that's owed for the demolition?

I don't have that statistic on me right now, Councilman King.

No, sir.

Nowhere near.

Nowhere near.

Nowhere near.

So we in when the financial uh crash hit in the end of last year, uh, what we did was we sent demand letters out to all of the folks that have not satisfied their debt to the city.

I I will tell you that that came in around like 17 million dollars, and I went back as far as I was legally allowed to go to get that number.

Uh and so since that time period, we've recovered uh over a million dollars.

I want to say that we've gotten people to come in and satisfy that debt, and it's been a painful process of in and really just uh inviting people to come into the office to try to meet them somewhere to try to get them to satisfy that debt, but I can pull that percentage today and making sure I make that available uh to the city council.

And uh just I want to make sure I I say something that I should have said previously when you asked your other question, Council McKing, when you asked uh in the event that this doesn't happen, uh it should be clear that the city does not have we cannot respond to an emergency situation in the absence of not having this amendment approved.

We don't there's nothing available, and so and that's my greater concern is that if something happens uh in the city where the city needs to provide a response, uh you know, we certainly want to be in a position where we're able to respond uh and and making sure that we get the situation resolved.

Okay, all right.

That's that's it for me.

Thank you, Chairman.

Thank you.

Um let me just get a little bit more clarity.

So at one point, director, you said demolitions were paused.

Give me the time frame that demolitions were paused.

So the original pause uh was came in September, uh, right around October the first of last year.

We reconvened once the new administration took place and we was granted a budget, and then we suspend it again on the 29th of March of 2026 because the amendment was not approved in time in place.

So we've been sus uh on pause now for about three weeks.

All right.

So it's been kind of on again off again since since October.

Um, you know, my my concern today, I'm not looking to just um the latest perpetually or indefinitely, but um my concern is, and and I'm gonna go back to um some of my colleagues as well.

Um demolitions are no doubt important.

Yes, sir.

Um, but you know, especially when we look at residential demolitions, there's pros and cons because right now in district E, for example, uh we have so many vacant lots that have been demoed and now they're overgrown.

Um the owner is nowhere to be found.

Some have been adjudicated by the city, the city doesn't have the resources to take care of them.

Residents are screaming and hollering because rodents are running in and out.

And so, you know, I I think we have to find a sweet spot where you know we're we're we're investing in demo, but we're also investing in taking care of some of these overgrown lots that the city has, being more aggressive about getting them off the city's books.

Yes, sir.

Um, and then um I I know I I've worked with your office and continue to work for um with your office, coordinate court, for example, where residents are screaming for fencing because the trees and the shrubbery uh have literally overtaken the sidewalk, and so now we have kids and and and and residents that are walking in the street.

Yes, sir.

Um I am one vote, and I'm just I I I can't in good conscience on behalf of the residents that I serve.

Yes, sir, uh vote for this today.

Yes, sir.

Um without some conversations, further conversations with your office as well as the administration.

Yes, sir.

Uh I I just think we have some some work to do uh and on behalf of the residents that I serve in District E.

Yes, sir.

Uh I just have a lot of questions about this particular contract.

So uh my vote today uh will be to uh delay this for at least a month while we have those conversations, but I'm just one vote.

Yes, sir.

All right, thank you.

All right.

Uh members, the board is clear.

Um, we're on four A.

Um, this is on the emergency demolition.

Uh, what's your pleasure?

All right, we have a motion by Councilmember Harris, second by Councilmember King.

Uh, three A's one nay.

Uh that will move on to the full council.

And item number B is on the non-emergency contract.

Members, what's your pleasure?

Moved by Councilmember Harris, second by Councilmember King, please vote your machines.

Councilmember King is recognized.

I just can't stress enough to to derive what your Orleans, Parish, DBEs.

Thank you.

Uh, three A's one nay, and that will move on to the full council.

Thank you all for being here today.

Thank you for having us.

All right, with that, no further business.

Councilmember uh King moves that we adjourn.

Second by Councilmember Harris.

Any objections?

Without objections, we stand adjourned.

Thank you, members.