New Orleans City Council Regular Meeting - May 7, 2026

The New Orleans City Council held its regular meeting on Thursday, May 7, 2026, at 10:00 AM in City Hall Council Chamber, with Council President JP Morrell absent and Councilmember Freddie King III arriving later. The meeting adjourned at 11:54 AM. The Council adopted the consent agenda, conducted hearings on several Historic District Landmarks Commission (HDLC) appeals and zoning dockets, and voted on multiple ordinances and resolutions, including a landmark settlement with the Orleans Parish School Board and the authorization of a $100 million sale of lease rights from the New Orleans Building Corporation to TPG Angelo Gordon.

Consent Calendar

• Received communications and reports from the Council Utilities Regulatory Office (Entergy and Delta New Orleans Gas filings), the Department of Civil Service (NOPD staffing data), the City Planning Commission (Cannabis, Tobacco and Nicotine Study; zoning dockets), the HDLC (reports on appeals at 4308-4310 N. Rampart St., 823-25 Atlantic Ave., 1413 Columbus St.), the New Orleans Aviation Board (quarterly financial and musician pay reports), Municipal and Traffic Court (March 2026 report), the Sewerage and Water Board (storm report, construction contracts, annual financials, operations reports), and others.
• Referred communications on the ESRI licensing agreement and Hammerman & Garnier contract to the Governmental Affairs Committee.
• Passed ordinances on first reading: a zoning change at 2727-2733 Baronne St. (Cal. 35,416), a conditional use for a community center at 2134-2138 Third St. (Cal. 35,417), a conditional use for a hotel at 716 Iberville St. (Cal. 35,418), an increase in rabies vaccination license tag fees with hardship waivers (Cal. 35,419), and a transfer of parking and towing enforcement from Public Works to Police (Cal. 35,425).

Discussion Items

• HDLC Appeal – 7309 Freret Street (Demolition): Council held a hearing and adopted Motion M-26-188 (5-0, with 2 absent) to deny the demolition challenge and approve the demolition request. The competing motion M-26-189 was withdrawn.
• HDLC Appeal – 1128-30 Lowerline Street (Demolition): After a hearing, Council adopted Motion M-26-192 (5-0) to modify the HDLC decision, requiring the applicant to obtain an approved building permit in substantial conformance with attached plans before demolition.
• HDLC Appeal – 934 Port Street (Stucco retention): Hearing held; Council adopted Motion M-26-181 (6-0) granting the appeal and modifying the HDLC decision to require stucco and masonry remediation, with work allowed to be phased and completed by May 7, 2031.
• HDLC Appeal – 823-825 Atlantic Avenue (Ridge tiles): Hearing held; Council adopted Motion M-26-182 (6-0) reversing the HDLC denial and granting the applicant’s request.
• HDLC Appeal – 4308-4310 N. Rampart Street (Windows): Hearing held; Council adopted Motion M-26-184 (6-0) modifying the HDLC decision to remove the proviso requiring full screens and permitting retention of half screens as installed.
• Demolition Application – 1300 Frenchmen St. / 2035 Urquhart St.: Hearing held; Council adopted Motion M-26-180 (5-0, with 2 absent) approving the demolition request by Ovella Enterprises, LLC.
• Zoning Docket 34/26 – Behrman Mixed-Use Integrity Overlay District: Hearing held; Council adopted Motion M-26-185 (6-0) approving the City Planning Commission’s recommendation to establish a new overlay district ensuring non-residential uses in multi-family developments within the specified S-MU and MU-1 districts.
• Zoning Docket 35/26 – Behrman Mixed-Use Integrity Interim Zoning District: Hearing held; Council adopted Motion M-26-186 (6-0) approving an interim zoning district that temporarily prohibits multi-family dwellings lacking at least 50% ground-floor non-residential uses in the same area.
• Orleans Parish School Board Litigation Settlement: Council adopted Resolution R-26-187 (6-0) as amended, approving in principle a settlement including a 1.5% sales tax collection fee, a one-time $6 million payment to the School Board, and annual payments of $2 million for 15 years starting in 2027, along with provisions related to the Caesars New Orleans lease.
• New Orleans Building Corporation (NOBC) Lease Rights Sale: Ordinance Cal. 35,426 was adopted as amended (6-0), authorizing NOBC to sell its right to receive payments under the Jazz Casino Company lease to a purchaser financed by TPG Angelo Gordon for a minimum purchase price of $100 million. An amendment clarified that any use of proceeds must be authorized by ordinance.
• Cooperative Endeavor with Friends of InspireNOLA: Ordinance Cal. 35,427 adopted (6-0) authorizing the Mayor to enter into an agreement for public parks and recreation.
• Lake Willow Subdivision Improvement District Election: Resolution R-26-176 adopted (6-0) calling an election for November 3, 2026.
• Adaptive Reuse Zoning Text Amendment: Motion M-26-177 adopted (6-0) directing the City Planning Commission to consider allowing new structures as part of adaptive reuse in planned developments.
• Durr Heavy Construction Contract Amendments: Motions M-26-178 and M-26-179 adopted (6-0 each) adding the Council President as a signatory to fourth amendments for emergency and non-emergency demolition contracts.
• Certifying Officer Designation: Resolution R-26-190 adopted (6-0) designating Jeffrey Schwartz as a certifying officer for CDBG-Disaster Recovery and Mitigation funds.
• Delta New Orleans Gas Hedging Authorization: Resolution R-26-191 adopted (6-0) authorizing the company to hedge a portion of its 2026-2027 winter heating season natural gas requirements.
• Tulane University Scholarships: Resolution R-26-193 adopted (6-0) confirming Mayor Helena Moreno’s scholarship appointments for ten students across all council districts.
• Ordinances on First Reading: Council suspended the rules to introduce 19 new ordinances (Cal. 35,428 through 35,446), which were all adopted on first reading.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda adopted (5-0).
• Minutes of April 9 and April 23, 2026 approved (5-0).
• Deferrals granted for: Restoration Tax Abatement applications (4417 Dryades St., 1401 Delachaise St., 1419-1421 Dauphine St.) to future meetings; HDLC appeals (1413 Columbus St., 6309-6311 S. Claiborne Ave., 6307-6309 S. Miro St., 3100 Calhoun St.) to dates in May/June; short-term rental appeals (1038 Elysian Fields Ave.) to December 17, 2026; and seven other legislative items (short-term rental regulations, sanitation budget and fees, and zoning dockets) to May 21, 2026.
• Withdrawal: HDLC appeal for 2745 Banks Street was withdrawn.
• Notable unanimous approvals (6-0 or 5-0): All motions, ordinances, and resolutions listed above were adopted without opposition.

Special Orders of Business

• The Council recognized the 130th anniversary of Volunteers of America Southeast Louisiana; Voris Vigee, President and CEO, appeared and highlighted the organization’s impacts and future vision.